That’s a sizeable step for a manufacturer whose largest current SUV already has three rows of seats.

The newcomer should give Acura more room to compete with vehicles such as the Lexus TX, particularly among families who regularly travel with six or seven passengers and their luggage.

An extra seat sounds useful, but the real test will be space in the third row. Getting adults comfortably into the back of a large SUV isn’t always as easy as the exterior dimensions suggest.

Acura hasn’t disclosed the new model’s measurements, engine options or price. Those details will tell us considerably more about its prospects than the seating capacity alone.

The second SUV is rather different.

Acura wants to enter the adventure-oriented market with a vehicle expected in early 2028. It’s a segment where appearance and actual capability don’t always go together.

Plenty of SUVs look ready for a mountain trail. Far fewer have the ground clearance, tyres and drivetrain needed to tackle one confidently.

Acura hasn’t explained exactly where its new model will fall between those extremes.

There is some history here. During the 1990s, the company sold the SLX, a rebadged Isuzu Trooper that offered more traditional off-road credentials than today’s typical luxury crossover.

Whether the upcoming SUV follows anything like that formula is still unknown.

Then there’s the RDX.

Unlike the other two projects, Acura doesn’t need to introduce customers to this nameplate. The compact luxury SUV already occupies an established place in the range, and a fourth generation is being developed.

The important change concerns its powertrain.

Acura plans to use a two-motor hybrid system based on Honda technology. For drivers who want better fuel economy without depending on charging stations, that could be a worthwhile addition.

It also gives Acura another option in a market where buyers aren’t all moving towards electric vehicles at the same pace.

Separately, the manufacturer is developing a performance-oriented V6 hybrid system for fut

And this isn’t simply a GR Corolla with a few expensive accessories.

Toyota has taken lessons from Nürburgring testing and Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series, then applied them to a car that already had a reputation for being rather entertaining.

The result is a Corolla that weighs 30 kg less than the regular GR model.

Removing the rear bench certainly helps. It also means the GRMN is now strictly a two-seater, which makes the Corolla badge seem slightly amusing.

But Toyota hasn’t spent all its development time removing things.

The turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine still produces 224 kW, although torque has increased from 400 to 415 Nm. More importantly, the additional pulling power is concentrated between 3,600 and 4,800 rpm.

That’s the sort of improvement a driver might actually notice when leaving a slow corner.

Toyota has also fitted an intercooler spray system to help control temperatures during demanding driving. The gearbox receives closer ratios, while the GR-FOUR all-wheel-drive system has been recalibrated.

The chassis work is arguably more interesting.

Special monotube dampers use internal rebound springs, and Toyota says engineers adjusted suspension travel in millimetre increments during testing at the Nürburgring.

That sounds rather obsessive for a Corolla. Then again, the regular GR version was never intended to be an ordinary shopping car either.

The GRMN runs on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, measuring 245 mm wide. That’s 10 mm wider than those fitted to the standard GR Corolla.

Carbon-fibre body panels help reduce weight, while the adjustable rear wing has five positions.

Inside, there’s a dedicated bucket seat, a flocked dashboard and an identification plate showing the car’s production number.

Toyota is also working on a five-seat MORIZO RR with an automatic transmission. That should offer an alternative for buyers who like the performance upgrades but occasionally need to carry more than one passenger.

The GRMN is expected to arrive in selected markets during 2027, including Japan, North America and Australia. Pricing hasn’t been announced.

It will almost certainly cost considerably more than a normal Corolla.

Whether the extra expense makes sense depends on what buyers expect from the car. Anyone wanting everyday practicality can already find that elsewhere in Toyota’s range.

The GRMN exists for people who think the regular GR Corolla still leaves room for improvement. And apparently, two rear seats were standing in the way.

After years without a new generation, Mitsubishi has unveiled an all-new Pajero, bringing back one of the company’s most recognizable nameplates as something more ambitious than a nostalgic off-road revival.

Mitsubishi now describes the Pajero as its new-generation flagship. That’s quite a job for a model whose reputation was largely built on mud, durability and Dakar Rally success.

The basic engineering suggests Mitsubishi hasn’t forgotten that history.

The new Pajero retains a ladder-frame chassis, rather than moving completely toward the road-focused crossover architecture now common in large SUVs. It also uses Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD-II system together with Super-All Wheel Control, or S-AWC, which coordinates acceleration, braking and cornering behavior.

In other words, Mitsubishi still expects owners to leave asphalt occasionally. The difference is what happens once they get back onto it.

Mitsubishi has added “Prestige” to the traditional Pajero priorities of confidence and comfort, and the cabin makes that particularly obvious. A monolithic dashboard display incorporates two 14.3-inch screens, while materials and stitching take inspiration from traditional Japanese craftsmanship.

Even the digital instruments contain a small piece of Pajero history.

The Multi Meter display recreates the spirit of the triple-meter arrangement used in previous generations, when knowing the vehicle’s angle and direction felt considerably more adventurous than checking another efficiency graphic.

The exterior does something similar.

There are modern T-shaped headlights and two different grille designs, but Mitsubishi has also recreated familiar details without simply copying the old vehicle. The C-pillar references the roll-bar appearance of the original Pajero, while the hexagonal design at the rear recalls the externally mounted spare wheel of earlier generations.

That’s a better approach to heritage than sticking a 1980s badge onto an unrelated crossover.

The Pajero story is substantial enough to deserve the effort. Mitsubishi says more than 3.29 million examples were produced across the previous four generations, with the SUV sold in more than 170 countries and regions.

The new model will initially launch in Thailand, followed by Japan and Australia during fiscal 2026. Mitsubishi then plans to expand it to around 100 countries from fiscal 2027, including markets in Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Notably, Mitsubishi hasn’t turned the returning Pajero into an EV simply because we’re in 2026. Nor has it transformed the name into a soft urban SUV.

That may ultimately be its strongest decision.

There are already hundreds of comfortable crossovers available. A Pajero that forgets why people remember the Pajero would have considerably less reason to exist.

The new one appears to understand that. It just wants to add leather and large screens without leaving the ladder frame behind.

Opel has taken a rather more involved route with the Mokka GSE.

The little electric crossover produces 281 hp and 345 Nm, which already makes it the fastest production EV Opel has built. It reaches 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and continues to 200 km/h, figures that would have sounded fairly improbable for a Mokka not very long ago.

More interestingly, those numbers aren’t coincidental.

The road car produces the same peak power as the Mokka GSE Rally, and Opel says a number of its high-voltage components have also come across from the competition project. The chassis sits lower than on an ordinary Mokka, while the suspension has been developed specifically for the GSE.

That connection is now at the center of Opel’s latest campaign with racing driver Sophia Flörsch, who has driven the Mokka GSE Rally as well as Opel’s new Formula E machinery. Opel’s marketing department naturally describes the production car as bringing rally feeling to public roads, which is the sort of claim manufacturers love making.

At least there’s some actual engineering behind it here.

The Mokka GSE uses 20-inch aerodynamic wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires measuring 225/40 R20. Exterior changes include GSE-specific front and rear sections inspired by the rally version, while yellow-and-black badges distinguish it from the much slower Mokkas you’re likely to encounter outside a supermarket.

The cabin gets its own treatment too. Performance seats are joined by displays showing information that probably isn’t essential on the school run: G-forces, acceleration data and battery-performance information are all available to the driver.

Whether a small electric crossover genuinely needs a G-force display is open to debate. Having one is considerably more entertaining than another menu showing average efficiency.

What makes the Mokka GSE unusual is where Opel has positioned it. This isn’t a 500-hp electric SUV designed to win a specification-sheet argument. At 281 hp, it’s quick without wandering into the increasingly absurd power figures appearing in larger electric performance cars.

And because it is front-wheel drive rather than simply throwing another electric motor at the rear axle, Opel has had to work on the chassis to make the performance useful.

There are obvious compromises. Energy consumption is rated at 18.5 kWh/100 km, and those 20-inch wheels aren’t there to maximize efficiency. Anyone interested only in getting the most kilometers from a charge has better choices within the electric-car market.

But that’s not really the customer Opel is chasing.

GSE now means Grand Sport Electric, and the company needs the badge to represent something beyond an equipment package if it’s going to have any credibility.

Borrowing parts and development ideas from an actual rally car is a pretty decent place to start.

The new version is making its public world premiere at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, running from September 15 to 20. Citroën describes it as a more accessible version of the Berlingo aimed specifically at professionals rather than buyers interested in accumulating equipment they may never use.

That doesn’t mean Citroën simply removed everything and lowered the price.

The front end has actually been redesigned, partly to make the vehicle more resistant to the sort of everyday knocks a working van inevitably receives.

Inside, there’s a new dashboard, redesigned door panels and additional storage. More important is what happens to the passenger seat.

The standard Flexiseat arrangement allows the cabin to be reconfigured to increase loading space, while the optional Modutable setup can turn part of the interior into a small mobile office.

Neither feature will generate many exciting TikTok videos.

A plumber trying to write an invoice between jobs may appreciate them considerably more. That’s the interesting thing about commercial vehicles. The criteria that make a passenger car attractive can become almost irrelevant.

Nobody needs a delivery van with elaborate ambient lighting. They need doors that open properly, storage that makes sense and materials that don’t look destroyed after six months of dirty boots and toolboxes.

Price matters enormously too. A private customer may justify an expensive option because they like it. A business operating ten vehicles multiplies every unnecessary €500 by ten.

Suddenly simplicity becomes financially attractive. The Berlingo Van First also arrives at a significant moment for the nameplate.

The original Berlingo appeared in 1996, meaning the model celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Citroën deliberately reused the “First” name that appeared in the original Berlingo story.

The model has since become central to Citroën’s commercial business.

According to the company, Berlingo represented 52 percent of its utility-vehicle sales in 2025. That makes experimenting with a cheaper derivative considerably less risky than launching an entirely new commercial vehicle.

Citroën already knows businesses understand what a Berlingo is. The job is convincing more of them that they don’t need to pay for the most elaborate version.

The wider Stellantis display at IAA Transportation shows how broad the commercial-vehicle market has become. Citroën is displaying everything from the tiny Ami with Cargo Pack to a Jumper Double Cab fitted with a three-sided tipper body.

Against all of that, the Berlingo First may look almost boring, but that’s fine. A working van doesn’t need to be exciting, it just needs to turn up every morning, carry whatever gets thrown inside it and cost as little as reasonably possible while doing so.

And, sometimes, going “back to basics” isn’t going backwards at all.

It’s called Émeraude.

The special edition arrives roughly a year after the latest C5 Aircross was introduced and takes its name from Brittany’s Côte d’Émeraude. There’s a genuine local connection: Citroën builds the C5 Aircross at Rennes-La Janais, only a short distance away.

Naturally, there’s also an Emerald Blue paint finish.

Citroën could have stopped there, fitted a few badges and called it a day. Instead, Émeraude sits between the existing Plus and Max versions and adds equipment that makes some sense on a family SUV built around comfort.

Heated front seats are included, along with Drive Assist 2.0. The latter bundles several driver-assistance functions intended to make longer journeys and busy roads easier to deal with.

There are visual changes as well. The new blue exterior color is joined by specific trim details, while Citroën has carried blue accents into the cabin and seat upholstery. Buyers who don’t fancy the signature color aren’t stuck with it; other exterior finishes remain available.

The more important choice happens underneath.

Citroën will offer Émeraude with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains when sales begin in October. That’s a broad spread for one trim level and makes the special edition relevant to buyers with quite different driving habits.

The fully electric C5 Aircross is particularly interesting in extended-range form, where Citroën quotes as much as 680 km of WLTP range. That’s enough on paper to move it beyond the role of an urban or commuter EV and into proper long-distance family-car territory.

And long-distance use is really where the Émeraude idea makes the most sense.

Special editions often focus on exterior appearance because that’s easy to sell in photographs. Citroën has certainly done some of that here, but heated seats and additional driving assistance are easier to appreciate after three hours on a motorway than a differently colored piece of trim.

There’s also something pleasantly old-fashioned about Citroën continuing to put comfort at the center of the sales pitch. Plenty of family SUVs now arrive with sport packages, huge wheels and styling intended to make a school-run vehicle look ready for the Nürburgring.

The C5 Aircross has never really played that game.

Émeraude doesn’t change its character either. Instead, it takes the existing formula, dresses it up slightly and adds equipment aimed at making the car easier to live with.

Citroën will preview the new edition at the Breton Economic Forum on September 10, with sales scheduled to start in October 2026.

Pricing will ultimately decide how attractive it is. If the gap from Plus is sensible, Émeraude could become one of the easier C5 Aircross versions to recommend. If Citroën asks Max money for blue paint and a few extra features, the argument becomes considerably harder.

For now, at least, it looks like more than a color-and-badge exercise.

The company’s newest addition is called the Hub Line. Unlike the systems most riders associate with the brand, this one places the motor in the wheel hub. The move targets road, urban, and gravel bicycles, areas where low weight and efficiency often matter more than outright output.

Bosch kept the unit compact. The Hub Line weighs only 2.3 kg (5 lbs), and the company says riders and manufacturers will be able to tune the system according to rider preferences. A promotional clip pairs the motor with a PowerTube 360 battery, one of Bosch’s smaller battery packs. Nearby text references a riding range of more than 80 kilometers.

Performance figures reveal the direction Bosch chose. The Hub Line operates with a nominal 250 W output and reaches 400 W at peak. Torque stands at 45 Nm (33 lb-ft). Those numbers sit well below some of Bosch’s better-known mid-drive systems. The Performance Line CX, for example, reaches 120 Nm of torque.

That difference appears intentional. A smaller motor integrates more easily into a bicycle’s structure and leaves room for smaller battery packs. Bosch’s approach also supports slimmer frame designs and reduced overall mass. The result is a package aimed at keeping an e-bike visually close to a traditional bicycle.

There are limits attached to the concept. Bosch positions the Hub Line for road riding, urban use, and terrain where both wheels remain in contact with the ground, including gravel routes. The company also states a top assisted speed of 25 kph (15.5 mph).

Pricing remains absent from Bosch’s website. In fact, individual buyers cannot purchase a Hub Line system on its own. The company’s dealer locator directs visitors toward retailers selling complete bicycles equipped with the technology. At the moment, those dealers appear concentrated across Europe, leaving riders in the United States without direct access for now.

The competitive environment is hardly empty. Electrek previously pointed out how crowded the hub-motor segment has become, with some Chinese manufacturers selling 750 W systems for around $100. Mahle already operates in the same space as well. Its X20 system weighs as little as 3 kg (6.6 lbs), battery included, and generates up to 65 Nm (48 lb-ft) of torque.

Bosch is entering a category where established alternatives already exist. Still, the company is sticking to a familiar strategy. Rather than selling the Hub Line directly to consumers, Bosch plans to work through bicycle manufacturers, integrating the system into complete bikes before those products reach showroom floors.

The render points toward noticeable changes at both ends of the vehicle. Up front, the split headlamp arrangement remains in place, though the lighting graphics appear different. A redesigned bumper takes shape beneath them, dominated by a much larger air intake.

The grille keeps its familiar dimensions, yet the internal pattern receives a fresh treatment. Along the sides, little appears altered. The silhouette carries over unchanged, though additional wheel designs seem likely. Chuyko finished the visualization in silver and added several black exterior accents while retaining alloy wheels already seen elsewhere in the current range.

Attention shifts to the rear as well. The taillamps appear slimmer and use revised graphics. Interestingly, the render avoids adding a full-width light strip between the rear clusters. The bumper differs from today’s model and adopts a more athletic appearance. Smaller reflector elements appear lower down, while the simulated exhaust trim receives a different shape. The overall impression stays familiar, though a few carefully placed adjustments give the crossover a cleaner look.

No spy photographer managed to capture the cabin. Even so, expectations point toward updates inside. An improved infotainment system sits high on the list. Revised switchgear has also been mentioned, along with the possibility of increased use of sustainable materials. Driver-assistance technology could receive attention during the refresh cycle as well.

Under the hood, Skoda already provides a broad selection of engines. Current choices include 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter TSI gasoline units, two 2.0-liter TDI diesel options, and a plug-in hybrid. Most of those powertrains are expected to continue. Some revisions remain possible, though details have not been confirmed.

One version attracting particular attention is the sport-focused RS, known as vRS in the UK. Industry chatter suggests additional output for the flagship performance variant, potentially pushing the model beyond 300 horsepower. At present, the Skoda Kodiaq RS produces 261 brake horsepower, equivalent to 265 ps or 195 kW. Torque stands at 295 lb-ft, or 400 Nm, from its 2.0L four-cylinder engine. Power reaches all four wheels through a 7-speed DSG transmission.

Performance figures remain respectable. The current RS completes the sprint from 0 to 62 mph, or 0-100 kph, in 6.4 seconds. Top speed reaches 143 mph, equivalent to 230 kph.

Skoda has not announced an official debut date. Reports suggest the updated Kodiaq should arrive in European dealerships sometime during 2027.

Reactions ranged from disappointment to outright mockery, and some comparisons were especially harsh. One nickname linked the car to Jony Ive through the phrase “iPhone on wheels,” while another compared the EV to the first-generation Fiat Multipla, a vehicle often cited among the least attractive production cars ever built.

The backlash extended beyond online comments. Ferrari’s former CEO reportedly argued the Prancing Horse emblem did not belong on the hood. Investors appeared uneasy as well. Following the official reveal, Ferrari shares fell by more than 8% in Milan, while the company’s stock on the NYSE declined by 5.3%.

Not everyone chose to complain. A digital creator known as Bembli decided to tackle the problem from another angle and rebuild the Luce in CGI. His motivation was straightforward. “I had nightmares about it,” he joked while presenting his interpretation of the electric Ferrari.

Interestingly, some parts survived untouched. Bembli kept the black-finished five-spoke wheels and their yellow brake calipers. In his view, their simple appearance remained compatible with Ferrari’s design language. Everything around them, though, became fair game.

The redesign focuses heavily on proportions. Bembli believes the production car’s profile resembles a bubble-like shape and weakens the impression created by a machine producing 1,035 horsepower, or 1,050 metric horsepower. He argues a performance-focused EV should project a sleeker image rather than recalling a Prius.

To reach that goal, he stretched the front section, increased the front overhang, lengthened the wheelbase, and shifted the rear wheels slightly forward. The changes free up additional space behind the rear axle while altering the overall stance. The body also receives slimmer A-pillars, a smaller greenhouse, and an added shoulder line running from the front spoiler toward the rear fenders.

Several details received smaller adjustments. The windshield wipers disappeared from their original position. The ride height dropped as well. Together, those modifications transform the Luce from something Bembli describes as a sedan-shaped SUV coupe into a shape much closer to a hypercar. Importantly, his revised silhouette still leaves sufficient room for the floor-mounted 122-kWh battery pack.

He did not spare the rear section either. “The rear end looks like it’s giving birth to a Ferrari 360,” Bembli said. Yet despite the criticism, Ferrari maintains customers have already shown significant interest in the Luce, suggesting the conversation surrounding the company’s first EV is far from over.

The reveal happened during the Gran Turismo World Series 2026 Round 1 event in Milan. And honestly, longtime players likely welcomed the change in direction. Previous GT7 updates leaned heavily toward EVs, crossovers, and slower economy-focused machines. This time, the incoming lineup looks much faster.

Before the announcement, the article’s author described grinding through Weekly Challenges earlier in the day while chasing a car priced at 8.5 million credits inside the Legend Cars dealership. Even after completing more than five races tied to the Power Pack Challenges, extra measures became necessary. A few “big” cars from the virtual garage ended up sold off in order to afford the purchase. The Mercedes-Benz CLK LM ’98 earned praise over the older Aston Martin DB3S, especially from a player more interested in speed than nostalgia.

Then came the bigger surprise.

Update 1.70, or at least what the author expects Polyphony to call it, reportedly includes five new vehicles. One stands above the others immediately. Porsche’s 911 appears in its FIA World Endurance Championship safety car form, specifically the Turbo S variant. The article also mentions a personal connection to the car, referencing a drive experience at Weissach during the official debut event last year.

Another major addition arrives in the form of the Porsche 963. Even though Porsche plans to leave WEC factory competition after the 2026 season, the prototype racer still joins Gran Turismo 7’s garage roster. The writer explains using the older Porsche 919 regularly in races and time trials, so the newer machine naturally becomes one of the most anticipated arrivals in the package.

Ferrari enters the conversation too, though indirectly at first. Driving the Porsche 963 in-game apparently sparked interest in Mattel’s Elite 64 Ferrari 499P replica. Soon after, confirmation arrived that Ferrari would participate in the update as well. No exact pricing details surfaced yet, though the article speculates the car might cost somewhere between three and four million credits.

Some customization fans already appear eager for the release. The article predicts livery creators will move quickly once the cars become available, especially with the BMW M Hybrid V8 and Porsche 98X also entering the mix. Testing both machines around the Nordschleife becomes one obvious target.

No additional circuit appears planned for the update. Still, expectations include several new races and possibly extra engine swaps alongside the incoming car roster.

Gran Turismo 7 New Cars Arriving Soon – Photo Gallery