Volvo's line-up to swell as it eyes more hybrid models

Swedish brand this week reneged on its pledge to go electric-only by 2030 as it introduced a revamped XC90Volvo's line-up could swell to an “abnormal” number in the coming years as a result of the firm abandoning its target of going electric-only by 2030, according to the firm’s deputy CEO – who insists the firm is “well-placed” to handle that.
The Swedish brand pledged in 2021 that it would sell only electric cars from the start of the next decade. But t

Round lighting signatures are inspired by the original Estafette
New ZFlexEVan provides first look at debut model from Renault's partnership with Volvo TrucksRenault has revived the Estafette as a high-tech, city-focused load-lugger called the ZFlexEVan.
The new concept previews the debut model from the French company’s tie-up with Volvo Trucks, called Flexis, and it has been designed to stand out from the aggressive-looking diesel vans on the market.
It

Stinger GT's successor would likely use the E-GMP platform
'EV1' and 600bhp+ performance model could be next in brand's electric expansionKia is planning to bookend its range of EVs, with an entry-level city car and a new halo model under consideration.
The Korean brand has trademarked names from EV1 to EV9 for a range of models, and while it has confirmed that an EV2 will sit below the new EV3, the prospect of an EV1 has been off the table until now.
But Kia president Ho-sung Song confirmed to

Join as us we plunge into the details on Polestar's latest hydrofoilPolestar. The ultra-cool Scandinavian design – all minimalist aesthetic, stripped-back functions, sustainable fabrics, gold highlights and sans-serif fonts – is absolutely what you would expect from the style-focused brand. 
Except… you don’t have to look hard to spot that the Candela C-8 Polestar Edition isn’t really a Polestar. It’s not even a car. It’s a boat. A super-stylish, u

Can a fancy restomod really be 33 times better than the classic 4x4?What a month for Land Rover Defender residuals, with the announcement of not one but two restoration-and-modification specials.
I also see that we’re deep into territory that I predicted (go me) in 2016, when I thought that within a few years, old Defenders would be rebranded as Defender Classics.
I was partly right: it seems to be Classic Defender, going by the official title bestowed by Land Rover Classic on its mos

Back in 1961, the 220 SE conquered the most gruelling rally of them allThe Dakar Rally is the most gruelling event of its kind in the world today, spanning 4903 miles of Arabian desert.
Yet its original route covered 6200 miles, linking Paris and the Senegalese capital from which it takes its name. And there have been even longer rallies than that, including one traversing the entire length of Africa, from Algiers to Cape Town.
The 1961 edition of said rally was shortened due to political issues

We had spy photographer Brian Williams on our podcast today, and his appearance got me thinking.Do you enjoy seeing spy shots online and in car magazines?I always find it fun -- and it can build anticipation for a new model. But I am sure some of you don't care.So, I wanted to ask you directly.Do you look forward to seeing these pics? Or is it part of the automotive media you don't consume? Or somewhere in between?Sound off below.[Image: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com]Become a TTAC insi

After what feels like an eternity, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is finally getting its new mail trucks. While they’re certainly not going to be the prettiest vehicles on the road, they’ll prevent offices from having to source whatever vehicles they can get their hands on while surviving examples of the Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV) continue to serve well beyond the point everyone assumed it would have to.
Based on a report from theAssociated Press, new mail trucks have

Hello and happy podcast day! Here's what it's like chasing down the cars the automakers don't want you to see just yet. We pick the brain of automotive spy photographer Brian Williams on how that side of the business works and how he gets the shots that eventually end up in car magazines or sites like this one. We also chat with Matthew Guy about air compressors and a wild first weekend of the NASCAR Cup playoffs.We thank Brian and Matthew for their time, and we thank Matt Posky for editing. Mos

Automakers often want to wring every last penny of profit out of existing vehicles before discontinuing them, and Dodge is one of the best at the practice. It rolled out several “final-edition” versions of the Charger and Challenger before cutting the cord, and now, we’re seeing a similar approach with the Durango. It debuted several special versions of the SUV for its last year in 2025, but we’ve also recently learned that the once one-year-only Durango Hellcat will rema

The Biden administration has confirmed significant tariff increases on Chinese imports, including a 100% duty on electric vehicles, as part of an effort to protect U.S. industries from China's overproduction and state-driven subsidies.
The tariffs aim to strengthen U.S. strategic industries, particularly in electric vehicles and renewable energy, as part of a broader strategy to reduce dependency on China's supply chains. These tariff hikes will go into effect on September 27, 2024. According to

For a short time, it felt like car subscriptions might be the vehicle ownership model of the future, but they never took off. One of the more well-known services, Car by Volvo, debuted in 2017, but the automaker quickly ran into pushback from dealers. Despite some saying the program reeled in new buyers, Volvo is discontinuing the service for the “foreseeable future.” Automotive News reported on the move, with Volvo spokesperson Russell Datz saying, “This allows for concentrate

We often bemoan the demise of low-cost sedans and hatchbacks, but there are still affordable wheels out there – they just happen to be crossovers and utility vehiclesSuch as the 2025 Nissan Kicks. (Full disclosure: Nissan flew me to Santa Barbara, California, and housed and fed me so that I could drive the Kicks. I did not take the proffered tote bag but I did eat some provided snacks.)The Kicks is redesigned, undergoing a radical makeover, more power, increasing in size and ground clearan

Maximilian Missoni will also oversee the design of BMW’s upper mid-size and luxury-class modelsFormer Polestar design boss Maximilian Missoni has joined BMW to lead design for Alpina as it begins life under full BMW ownership.
Arriving as part of a wide-reaching shake-up of design teams at the BMW Group, Missoni will also oversee the design of upper mid-size and luxury-class BMW models.
Other notable moves at the German firm include BMW design chief Domagoj Dukec taking over at R

Big shuffle-up at BMW Group brings new design bosses for Rolls-Royce, Mini and BMW M
BMW's Domagoj Dukec is moving over to Rolls-Royce to take over from Anders Warming as director of design as part of a dramatic overhaul of the BMW Group's design operations.
Warming has steered Rolls-Royce's design department for three years, having previously worked under Chris Bangle at BMW and then been appointed chief of design at Mini.
Cars launched under his stewardship include the electric Spectre, the re

Plug-in hybrid 3008 weighs 1905kg – 332kg heavier than the mild-hybrid petrol
New PHEV system, also offered in larger 5008, brings competitive tax rates for company car usersPeugeot has added a plug-in hybrid to the range of powertrains available in the new 3008 SUV.
It pairs an updated version of the turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine offered in the previous 3008 with a 123bhp electric motor, which is integrated into a seven-speed automatic gearbox. Combined, the

"Naughty streak" can make a Maserati more fun than a Porsche
With a comprehensive line-up and a clear, cohesive identity, Maserati stands out under the Stellantis umbrellaOver the past couple of years, Maserati’s rush of model renewal has created plenty of work for us road testers, but it has also led to a fresh sense of familiarity with its cars that’s broadly encouraging.
The company is undergoing one of those revival moments, having received some investment to develop new cars tha

Attention-grabbing German tuning firm turns up the wick on BMW’s M2If there’s an automotive concern to which the idiom ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ applies almost perfectly, it’s Aachen-based AC Schnitzer.The UK’s petrolheads have mostly grown out of adding catalogue-ordered wings and other ‘enhancements’ to cars that came with an adequately disreputable aura straight from the factory, and Schnitzer’s full conversions can appear c

Charging boss says infrastructure roll-out is gathering pace, but new government must engage with the industryThe “incredible” rate of growth in the UK’s EV charging sector in recent years is “a huge British success story” that sets the industry up to cater to a drastic uptick in demand by the end of the decade - but the new government must work with charging firms to keep it on track.
That’s according to Vicky Read, CEO of industry body ChargeUK. She tol

Chery-owned Omoda is among the Chinese brands making waves in the UK
Chinese officials are aware of the opportunity in the UK, comparing it to Japanese investment in the 1980sThe UK's continuation of regulatory alignment with the EU on automotive matters post-Brexit would seem to suggest that the imposition of extra import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs is inevitable, the European bloc having taken that step to protect its industry from cheap imports from China.
However, unlike the EU, the UK no lo

Today we bring you a fun relic of 1990s corporate synergy -- this 1994 Mazda B2300 pickup truck. For sale somewhere around Rockford, Illinois for $5,000, this bad boy has a five-speed manual transmission, six-foot bed, and regular cab. It's apparently been maintained well, too.There are 230K miles on it, but the brakes, tires, clutch, bed cover, window rain guards, and suspension are all apparently new or new-ish.This one does NOT have power steering or air conditioning.Click here to see more.[I

As we covered in our lastinstallment, the Cadillac Eldorado was “all-new” for 1963 as GM repositioned its flailing flagship convertible. While the rest of the lineup existed as a refresh of the 1961-1962 generation, Eldorado was set apart. Not that it looked different to the rest of the model range, as it received the same visual updates. Eldorado was considered new, special, because of its change in construction: It ascended the ranks in 1963 to the Fleetwood assembly line. And ther

Stellantis’ U.S. dealer network is none too pleased with the manufacturer and looks to be blaming CEO Carlos Tavares. The National Dealer Council has sent an open letter to the executive and it doesn’t pull any punches. It blames his decisions for the swift decline of numerous brands taken over when PSA Group purchased Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2021.The letter calls the present situation disastrous and faults Tavares’ for “reckless short-term decision-making.” D

Mary Barra and Euisun Chung sign the memorandum General Motors and Hyundai have announced an agreement to explore potential future collaborations in strategic areas such as vehicle development, supply chain solutions, and clean-energy technologies.
The two automakers signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding aimed at leveraging their combined strengths to reduce costs and bring new technologies and vehicles to market more quickly.
This potential collaboration could include co-developing

Volkswagen’s smallest crossover is getting an overhaul for the 2025 model year. The Taos, which debuted a few years ago, will see refreshed exterior styling, new interior fixtures, and an upgraded turbocharged engine. The 2025 Taos receives a revised front end with a new bumper, updated grille, an available LED light bar, and standard LED projector headlights. An illuminated VW badge is available for the rear, and the automaker will offer three new paint colors: Bright Moss Green, Monterey

Fiat is developing a new hybrid 500 and an upgraded electric 500 to boost output at Mirafiori
"Deep difficulties" in European EV market mean the electric city car won't be built for four weeksProduction of the Fiat 500e will be paused for a month from 13 September, due to low demand.
Fiat parent firm Stellantis said in a statement that the slump in sales is “linked to the deep difficulties experienced in the European [EV] market by all producers”.
According to figures from Jato Dynam