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 brand also outlined Aston Martin Experiences for 2026, built around lifestyle events and track sessions. In digital space, Valhalla reached Fortnite and Rocket League through Epic Games. That move placed Aston Martin’s first mid-engine plug-in hybrid supercar in front of a different audience, one far removed from showrooms.

Against this backdrop, digital artist Emre Husmen, known online as emrEHusmen, decided another name deserved attention. His latest unofficial study focuses on DB5, though not in restored form and not as a retro-themed tribute.

He framed the idea around one question: what would happen if DB5 returned today as a direct continuation of its line, rather than as a visual repeat of the past. The answer arrived through a full 3D rendering built from scratch. According to the creator, the shape keeps the elegance associated with the original car while borrowing stance and surface treatment from the latest Vanquish.

The finished result carries his own short description, “classic soul, modern execution.” The phrase fits the proportions shown in the render. Long hood, wide body, low cabin. The family link appears clear, though the surfaces lean harder into current Aston Martin language.

The source ties this digital coupe to Vanquish in more than appearance. If such a machine existed with matching hardware, the assumption points toward a V12 engine sending 823 horsepower through rear-wheel drive. No official engineering sits behind the project, still, the imagined technical package follows current flagship logic.

A small detail shifts the tone of the presentation. Sean Connery appears beside the rendered car in James Bond form, marked as 007. The artist also built a scale-model version, which gives the project a second format beyond screen images.

Meanwhile, Aston Martin’s current catalog already stretches across several directions: DB12 S, Vantage, Vanquish, DBX, Valhalla, Valkyrie, Valour, plus Valian as the track-focused relation to Valour.

DB5 itself missed a formal comeback in 2023, the year marking six decades since the original launch. Another round number waits in 2033. For now, this interpretation stays digital, though the timing behind the idea feels deliberate.

Exterior

Since Ford is part of the conversation, it’s worth noting that the latest Transporter is largely based on the Transit Custom. In this new GTI-esque configuration, it receives a beefy body kit, and that kit is described as being available in several flavors.

The images referenced show the five-seat Kombi version, but customers can also choose a panel van. Both body styles are available in short- and long-wheelbase configurations, so the Sportline treatment isn’t limited to one single layout.

Some of the most obvious Sportline cues show up in the details. The van rides on exclusive 19-inch wheels that drop the usual VW logos in favor of Sportline branding. At the rear, there’s a split roof spoiler, presented as the “most daring feature,” and it’s meant to make it clear this isn’t a typical workhorse. Up front, the grille gets a red accent stripe that’s described as looking like it was lifted straight from the Polo GTI or Golf GTI.

Other Specifications

Beyond the styling changes, the Sportline also gets a lowered sports suspension with Eibach springs. The ride height is dropped by 1.1 inches (29 millimeters). That’s a specific number, and it’s part of what sells the “hot hatch attitude” theme.

Features

As the flagship version, the Sportline is said to come loaded as standard. The equipment list mentioned includes matrix LED headlights, roof rails, a heated steering wheel, and illuminated metal door sill plates. The GTI-like red finish is contrasted by glossy black accents, and those black details include electrically adjustable, heated mirrors.

Complete Powertrain Information

The drivetrains are left untouched. Whether buyers pick diesel, a plug-in hybrid, or a fully electric version, there’s no extra grunt compared to a regular Transporter.

Conclusion

This also isn’t the first time the Transporter has received Sportline treatment—Volkswagen previously gave the T6.1 a more aggressive makeover a few years ago, and the pattern is similar here. If someone wants a “true GTI” model that hasn’t been sold before, the extract points to the ID.2 Polo GTI coming later this year, though it’s noted it will arrive without a combustion engine.

2026 Volkswagen Transporter Sportline – Photo Gallery

Powertrain

The major characteristic of the 2027 Bentley Continental GT S is the drive. Even though it might retain the same 4.0-liter V8 engine with an all-wheel drive mechanism, the model has an extra 128 HP and 118 lb-ft of torque, which is provided by the new hybrid system installed. The power has been increased to 670 HP and 686 lb-ft torque.

The loss of the W12 will matter to some buyers, but Bentley claims this hybrid V8 setup actually outperforms the retired twelve-cylinder engine that bowed out with the Batur. Another advantage is the ability to completely switch off the engine and drive in electric mode for up to 30 miles (50 kilometers), which changes how the car can be used day to day.

Performance figures back that up. It means just 3.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, which is half a second faster than before. That was possible at a top speed of 306 km/h, still more than what most owners will ever need.

Exterior

Admiring the car from the outside, one cannot see many changes, and that was clearly intentional. The shape stays familiar, but the details shift the tone slightly; or perhaps the details are in the eye of the beholder.

It changed the chrome exterior accents to black and installed colored headlights and taillights and tinted exhaust finishers. The two-tone wheels might be changed to the full-black set as well, which fits the darker theme quite well. In my opinion, Bentley changed just enough to make the S recognizable without forcing the

Interior

Interior updates are equally subtle. Images are limited, but what Bentley confirms is telling. The 2027 GT S received bi-color upholstery, otherwise not found on other Continental models, with the same darker theme present at the exterior. The package is completed by piano-black trim. However, customers can also get the optional dark-tinted chrome finish. From what is known, the layout itself doesn’t change, which feels deliberate rather than lazy.

Other Specifications

As a premiere, the Bentley GT S V8 received an electronic limited-slip differential and rear-wheel steering, along with the latest electronic stability control and a 48-volt active anti-roll system.

2027 Bentley Continental GT S – Photo Gallery

It won’t break the bank either. The base RAV4 starts at $28,090 and comes with front-wheel drive, heated front seats, Toyota’s entire suite of safety features, and blind-spot monitoring. Hike up to the fully-loaded Limited AWD model ( $41,250) as ours was, and you’ll get nifty tech like brake-based torque vectoring, the ability to disconnect the rear axle to save fuel, ventilated front seats, and a 360-degree camera. These are all features that used to be reserved for top-of-the-line premium cars. Now they’re found in your run-of-the-mill RAV4. The fact that you can spend $40 grand and get all that is just staggering. Some say that the golden era of automobiles is ending. I’d say with the RAV4, it’s never shone brighter. But the best deal of the lineup and our preferred trim, is the XLE AWD ($33,790), hammering down the volume with a power moonroof, heated steering wheel, dual-zone auto air conditioning, Apple CarPlay, and keyless start and entry.

Under the hood of every RAV4 except the Hybrid, is a stout 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder that produces 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, but the biggest advantage the RAV4 has over its competitors like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester is that it uses a traditional 8-speed automatic transmission, not that pesky, droning CVT that buzzes up the revs until kingdom come. As such, the build-up of power comes naturally, predictably, and is less intrusive to the ears. No, the four-pot is not as spritely as the V6 that came years before it, and it can get noisy when you ask it for full beans, but it’s competent enough to give you sufficient forward propulsion when you need it, and stay behind the curtains when you don’t.

The RAV4 is far from being a graceful dancing partner but I’m sure the majority of its owners will appreciate the soft ride and agreeable handling. I’d say it will feel more planted and solid than a Subaru Forester, especially when being in tighter turns. There’s substance to the drive and inspires confidence in both low and high speeds. The RAV4 is very fuel-efficient as well. With an equal mix of city and highway driving, you can average an impressive 7.8 L/100km, and while it’s not enough to trump the 5.8 L/100 km average you’ll have with the RAV4 Hybrid, it beats many other small economy cars that on the market.

In that light, the Hybrid is actually our preferred variant of the RAV4. If you can get over the slight bump in price and that annoying CVT transmission, you won’t ever look back. Yes, the Hybrid is even slower than the gasoline model, but the gains in fuel economy fit the SUVs mojo enough that I couldn’t find any other valid reason to choose otherwise. It outsells the Prius for a reason.

Wrapped in conventional styling that belies its hybrid and fuel-saving intentions, I wouldn’t call the new Insight pretty or visually arresting, and there isn’t enough visual flair or distinction for it to stand out from the concrete jungle. That’s not exactly a bad thing. Anonymous looks are sometimes a prominent purchasing factor for vehicles, especially ones with small footprints like this compact Honda. Still, there are LED lights front and back, and snazzy 17-inch wheels to seal the deal.

Under the hood is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired to an electric motor and lithium-ion battery, delivering a total of 151 hp. When running by itself, the engine will only make 107 hp, while the electric motor pushes out 129 hp. This powertrain is mated exclusively to a noisy, buzzing, and bland Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that routes power strictly to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is not an option.

If you are looking to minimize your carbon footprint and an SUV does not tickle your fancy, then there really is no better way to go than a hybrid sedan. The Insight highlights the peak of hybrid technological advancement in efficiency, and it combines stellar fuel economy with an inoffensive, subtle, and undeniably ergonomic family sedan package.