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.

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.

From there, the lineup climbs through the e:HEV X, e:HEV L, VTi L7, and e:HEV LX AWD. The starting prices are AU$49,900 (US$34,835), AU$53,900 (US$37,630), AU$54,900 (US$38,325), and AU$58,900 (US$41,120). The top-of-the-line e:HEV RS AWD is available at AU$64,400 (US$44,960), and remains the most expensive version currently listed for the Australian market.

From a visual standpoint, Honda brings fresh elements to the car`s body. Interior changes are also described as light, but one update affects every version immediately: the touchscreen is now 9 inches across the entire family.

That screen also changes how the system works because Google’s built-in is now included as standard. Google Maps comes standard, and buyers can also configure whatever applications they consider useful through the Google Play Store.

The standard VTi X comes with the basic package, which is fairly rich. There are LED lighting included, along with 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth trim, push-button ignition, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, wireless charging, an eight-speaker sound system, a seven-inch partly digital instrument display, and the list goes on with a few more options.

Higher in the line-up sits the e:HEV X, which adds 18-inch alloy wheels now available in black, along with multiple drive programs like Eco, Sport, or normal. We should also mention the 10.2-inch digital cluster inside, along with paddle controls for regenerative braking.

On the other hand, the e:HEV L sits at another level with black leather upholstery inside, rear privacy glass, panoramic sunroof, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and heated front seats.

Moving to the VTi L7 variant, this one adds 19-inch alloy wheels, an all-wheel drive system, piano black trim at the exterior, ambient cabin lighting, and a Bose audio system.

At the top, the e:HEV RS introduces more piano black detailing and adds an individual driving mode, Matrix adaptive high beams, a heated steering wheel, heated outer rear seats, ventilated front seats, alloy sports pedals, and a head-up display.

The mechanical side has changed as well. We are dealing here with a 2.0-liter hybrid powertrain, which develops 135 kW and 335 Nm of torque. There is another 1.5-liter turbocharger that equips the VTi X and the VTi L7, and is rated at 140 kW. As for fuel consumption, depending on the engine, it ranges from 5.5 to 7.3l/100 km/h. Deliveries in Australia are expected to begin soon.

2026 Honda CR-V – Photo Gallery

The interior layout is the most salient aspect of the car, which is an obvious sign that it does not follow the same symmetrical hyper-screen layout as the regular items of the EQ line or even the new S-Class; in fact, the layout of the center console is directed towards the driver.

This implies that the 14-inch infotainment system takes up most of the mid-cabin with a slight inclination towards the driver. It also features a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster that combines the info system, and an option 14-inch passenger screen is also added to the cabin. This means that the overall setup will eventually form a triple-screen arrangement.

Mercedes describes the operating logic as “balanced,” combining haptic buttons, touchscreen inputs, and voice control. That said, the balance still tilts heavily toward digital interaction. The climate system, for instance, remains buried inside the MBUX infotainment menus, which suggests AMG has not really joined the broader move back toward dedicated physical controls. Or not fully, at least.

There are still some tactile elements left in place. Three chunky rotary controllers sit in the center tunnel, and they are not decorative. Response Control alters the behavior of the e-motors and the accelerator pedal, Agility Control adjusts cornering characteristics, and Traction Control provides nine stages of intervention through the new AMG Race Engineer system. The driver can also reach key functions through two steering wheel buttons with their own LCDs.

The rest of the cabin leans hard into AMG theater. Illuminated climate vents are styled to resemble jet engines, while the flat-bottom steering wheel gets carbon accents and haptic feedback. Optional AMG Performance seats are available, and a metal-like wing element runs across the center console. Up front, Mercedes adds illuminated cup holders and dual wireless charging trays.

There is another eye-catching detail that one can observe, and that would be the Sky Control panoramic glass roof that can switch between two states – transparent and opaque – while at night it can project AMG logos or racing stripes across the glass in colors that match the ambient lighting system.

As for the rear passengers’ comfort, AMG hasn’t ignored that part, as it made more room for the legs, adding a more naturally comfortable knee angle for longer trips.

The full reveal is due this spring, with deliveries beginning later in the year. This will also be the first production model on Mercedes-AMG’s dedicated AMG.EA platform for future electric performance cars.

As for the concept that previewed it, that machine used three axial-flux motors producing a combined 1,341 hp (1,000 kW / 1,360 PS), along with synthetic V8 sound, Formula 1-derived cooling technology, and charging capability sufficient to add 249 miles (400 km) of range in just five minutes.

2027 Mercedes-AMG GT4 Coupe – Photo Gallery

Exterior

The grille dominates the conversation. Rather than shrinking in the EV era, the C-Class EV’s grille appears set to grow, with Mercedes positioning it as the car’s central visual element. In renderings from Kolesa, it features a larger LED-lit surface framed by a thick silver or chrome-finished bezel. There are also three horizontal slats and small LEDs integrated into the new design, while the headlights incorporate the star-shaped daytime running lights also seen on other new Mercedes models.

Moving towards the rear, the C-Class EV features slim LED taillights housed within a gloss-black panel that stretches across the width of the car.

Interior

Cabin details remain under wraps, though Mercedes has options within its existing portfolio. There might be a massive 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen borrowed from the GLC EQ, while the company might also feature the Superscreen layout also seen on the new CLA; this may be used to combine a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14-inch central infotainment display and a matching 14-inch passenger screen.

Complete Powertrain Information

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class EV will stand on the company`s new MB.EA architecture, meaning that it will support a standard 94 kWh battery and 800-volt electrical system, enough to produce charging speeds of up to 330kWh. That might bring along up to 800 miles of range, way more impressive than the 713 miles provided by the GLC EQ. 

The whole electrical setup will also back up two electric motors in the C400 model, with power standing at around 500 horsepower, which will allow a 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5.0 seconds. AMG versions are also planned. One prototype has already been spotted testing on 21-inch wheels with carbon-ceramic brakes.

Conclusion

The electric C-Class appears ready to rely heavily on design to make its case, pairing an illuminated grille with substantial battery capacity and high-voltage charging capability. With a debut anticipated before the end of this year and a global launch scheduled for early 2027, the final verdict on its bold styling will not take long to arrive.

Mercedes C-Class EV – Renderings and Photo Shots

Spy Shots Source: carscoops.com

This new one rides on a different platform, and it’s aimed straight at the mid-sized market again, but the approach feels more ambitious. Sales are scheduled to begin later this year. Pricing? Still unknown. And no, nobody has driven it yet.

Exterior

Dimensionally, it has grown significantly, now measuring 198.8 inches in length and 78.3 inches in width. On the other hand, height is slightly lowered to 67.3 inches, which is 0.8 inches lower than the previous model.

You can see the shift visually. The hammerhead-style front end is here, along with slim LED DRLs, flush door handles, and broader fenders. The roofline sits lower than the outgoing model. Longer and wider, lower roof. It changes the stance more than you’d expect.

Interior

Inside, the extra wheelbase apparently wasn’t just for looks. Toyota says it allows for a roomier cabin and easier third-row access, plus better battery packaging underneath. Captain’s chairs come standard in the second row. On the XLE AWD, you can swap in a bench and go from six to seven seats.

Toyota even claims adults can sit comfortably in the third row; well, maybe not all adults, but still. There are also climate vents, a reclining backrest, and a lot of USB-C ports.

Infotainment and Technology

The 2026 Toyota Highlander has a primary 14-inch infotainment and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, technology-wise. There are physical buttons that are only used in climate control.

Both models include standard 64-color ambient lighting, heated front seats, SofTex upholstery, and the latest multimedia system offered by Toyota.

Electric Power

As for performance, the new Highlander features a 77.0 kWh battery for both front-wheel and all-wheel drive variants. In the XLE front-wheel, for instance, the battery delivers a 287-mile range and 221 horsepower, while the all-wheel drive is capable of 270 miles of range and 338 horsepower, and 323 lb-ft of torque. There is also a larger battery available in the Limited edition with standard AWD and the same 320-mile rating.

Charging is handled through a standard NACS port for DC fast charging. Toyota estimates a 10–80 percent charge in about 30 minutes under ideal conditions. A dual-voltage home charging cable is included. There’s also battery preconditioning and Plug & Charge capability.

On the safety side, this is the debut vehicle for Toyota Safety Sense 4.0. It includes pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-tracing assist, and proactive driving assist. The Limited adds Traffic Jam Assist, Advanced Park, a panoramic view monitor, and lane change assist.

There’s one more detail that might matter to some buyers: vehicle-to-load capability. It can power external devices or act as a backup power source.

Toyota hasn’t given us pricing yet, and we haven’t driven it. That part will come later. For now, the Highlander’s transformation is pretty straightforward: bigger, fully electric, and no gasoline fallback.

2027 Toyota Highlander – Photo Gallery