All posts by Francis Mitterrand

NEW CARS

Mercedes-AMG GT Vision EV: Screens, Soundscapes, and Savage Speed

Mercedes-AMG is quietly rewriting its performance identity for the electric era, and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is shaping up to be its most technologically aggressive statement yet. Previewed by the radical AMG GT XX concept, this new four-door electric coupe isn’t just about raw acceleration numbers — it’s about redefining how performance feels, sounds, and even looks from behind the wheel.

At first glance, the cabin is a glowing wall of digital technology. Three large screens can dominate the dashboard if you tick every option box. The driver faces a 10.2-inch digital instrument display, while a slightly driver-angled 14-inch central infotainment screen controls navigation, media, and vehicle settings with AMG’s usual performance-first logic. A third 14-inch passenger display is available for those who want their front passenger to feel like they’re riding shotgun in a digital cockpit rather than just sitting in a luxury car.

But AMG clearly doesn’t want screens to steal the spotlight from driving engagement.

Performance Control That Still Feels Mechanical

Instead of burying performance settings inside menus, AMG has taken an unusually tactile approach. Three prominent rotary dials sit at the center of the interior, directly reinforcing the brand’s performance heritage.

  • Response Control — Tunes how aggressively the electric motors respond to throttle input.
  • Agility Control — Alters handling characteristics when attacking corners.
  • Traction Control — Adjusts the behavior of the nine-speed traction management system.

It’s an interesting design philosophy: while the car is electric, AMG is clearly trying to preserve the ritual of mechanical interaction that enthusiasts associate with high-performance machines. The layout encourages drivers to make quick adjustments on the fly rather than digging through menus.

The steering wheel also continues this philosophy, integrating performance controls directly into the grips. Think of it as a racing-inspired command center rather than a traditional luxury interface.

AMG Comfort Meets Track-Day Support

The seats themselves are heavily reinforced for lateral support — a clear nod to AMG’s performance-first DNA. Mercedes describes the design as optimized for “dynamic cornering,” which essentially means you should feel firmly planted even when pushing hard through fast sweeping turns.

The rear cabin continues the sporty luxury theme. Two rear seats are standard, offering a more focused coupe-like experience, though a three-seat rear bench can be optionally specified for added practicality.

Luxury details are everywhere you look. Expect diamond stitching, ambient lighting systems, and a long list of material and trim choices. A folding panoramic glass roof adds openness without sacrificing the sleek coupe silhouette.

Electric Muscle: Powertrain Expectations

Official powertrain details remain under wraps, but the GT XX concept gives strong clues about what AMG is planning.

That concept featured:

  • Three electric motors
  • Around 1,359 horsepower combined output
  • 800V electrical architecture for ultra-fast charging
  • A top speed approaching 365 km/h

If production stays close to these figures, this will be one of the most brutally fast four-door electric performance cars ever built.

High-speed charging capability will be just as important as horsepower. AMG is clearly targeting drivers who want supercar-level performance without long charging downtime.

Fake V8? Yes — And That’s the Point

Perhaps the most controversial feature will be the simulated driving experience. The car is expected to include synthetic engine sounds and even simulated gear shifts.

While purists may scoff, AMG appears to be betting that emotional connection matters as much as raw acceleration in the electric era. Instead of eliminating traditional performance sensations, the brand is digitally recreating them in a new form.

The Big Picture

The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe represents a fascinating balancing act. It’s a luxury performance car that’s aggressively digital but still emotionally connected to AMG’s combustion heritage. Massive screens coexist with tactile performance controls. Electric motors deliver staggering speed while artificial sound and shift logic preserve driver engagement.

If AMG pulls this off, it won’t just be building an electric performance sedan — it will be defining what luxury performance feels like in the electric age.

And if the GT XX concept is even remotely close to reality, the future of AMG performance is going to be very, very fast.

Source: Mercedes

NEW CARS

Volkswagen’s Ninth-Generation Golf Steps Out of the Shadows—But Not Too Far

At a company meeting in Wolfsburg this week, Volkswagen quietly pulled the cover—well, partially—off the ninth-generation Volkswagen Golf. The reveal came not as a full unveiling but as a silhouette teaser, the kind that invites speculation while confirming just enough to keep enthusiasts arguing online.

And from what we can see, the next Golf isn’t about to reinvent itself.

Evolution, Not Revolution

Even through the shadowy teaser, the Mk9’s proportions look unmistakably Golf. The roofline, hatch profile, and familiar stance suggest that Volkswagen’s design chief Andreas Mindt is sticking with the evolutionary approach that has defined the model for decades. If anything, the new car appears to split the difference between the current Mk8 and its predecessor, the much-loved Mk7.

It’s the same strategy Volkswagen recently applied to the Volkswagen Polo—modernize the details, polish the surfaces, but don’t mess with a silhouette that buyers already trust.

For a car that has sold more than 35 million units worldwide, caution is less a lack of ambition and more a survival strategy.

Production Moves—and a Strategy Shift

The Mk9 Golf also signals a change in Volkswagen’s manufacturing map. Beginning in 2027, combustion-engine Golfs will reportedly roll out of a factory in Mexico, echoing the company’s recent decision to move Polo production to South Africa.

Behind the logistics lies a broader shift in Volkswagen’s electrification strategy. Earlier in the decade, the company pursued a clear split between combustion cars and dedicated EVs—the latter represented by the hatchback that launched the ID era, the Volkswagen ID.3.

That plan is evolving.

Rather than completely separate product lines, Volkswagen now appears to be converging the visual identity of its electric and combustion models. The upcoming electric counterpart to the Golf—currently referred to as the Volkswagen ID. Golf—is expected to arrive no earlier than 2028 and reportedly won’t look radically different from the gasoline-powered Golf still on sale at the time.

In other words, the Golf nameplate may straddle both worlds for years.

Familiar Looks, Familiar Feel

Volkswagen seems keenly aware that radical design experiments can alienate loyal buyers. The approach is already visible in the development of the upcoming Volkswagen ID. Polo. Early prototypes reveal styling that closely echoes the gasoline Polo, right down to signature cues like the wide C-pillars that have defined the model’s profile for decades.

This continuity extends inside the cabin as well.

After years of criticism over touch-heavy interiors, Volkswagen says it’s dialing things back. Physical buttons are set to return to the steering wheel and center console—an admission that even the most tech-savvy drivers occasionally prefer something they can operate without taking their eyes off the road.

Retro Meets Digital

Perhaps the most charming twist lies in the digital cockpit. Volkswagen is reportedly planning a retro mode for the instrument cluster that mimics the look of classic Golfs. Even the infotainment screen could get a throwback interface styled after the original 1974 Volkswagen Golf Mk1.

If the feature makes it to the production ID. Golf, it would be a clever bridge between past and future—an EV that remembers where it came from.

What Comes Before the Electric Golf

The ID lineup will expand before the electric Golf arrives. Volkswagen is planning a production version of the compact Volkswagen ID. Every1 for 2027, potentially reviving the spirit—and perhaps even the name—of the beloved city car in the form of the Volkswagen Up!.

The Big Picture

For decades, the Golf has served as Volkswagen’s center of gravity, the benchmark against which every mainstream hatchback is measured. The ninth generation suggests the company isn’t ready to abandon that formula—even as the industry barrels toward electrification.

If the teaser is anything to go by, the next Golf won’t shock you. It won’t revolutionize the shape of the hatchback.

But then again, the Golf never needed to.

Source: Volkswagen

NEW CARS

Dacia Striker: A Budget Brand Swings for the Wagon Fences

Dacia is about to add another name ending in “-er” to its growing lineup of rugged, budget-friendly crossovers. The newest entry, called Striker, is scheduled to debut on March 10, and while the Romanian brand hasn’t revealed much, the early hints point toward a compact crossover wagon designed to sit just above the Jogger in the lineup.

If the name sounds a little unusual, that’s intentional. According to Dacia, “Striker” draws inspiration from the 1980s and the satisfying power and precision of a bowling strike. It also continues the brand’s now-established naming theme—Jogger, Duster, Bigster—where the “-er” suffix signals something active, adventurous, and, in Dacia’s words, easy to pronounce with “strong phonetics.” Marketing speak aside, the name is meant to suggest a tough, versatile vehicle ready to accompany its owners wherever they happen to roll.

A Wagon With a Rugged Twist

What we know so far points to a compact crossover-style station wagon. Spy shots of prototypes already testing on public roads have revealed a long-roof silhouette with chunky proportions—think traditional wagon practicality mixed with the raised stance buyers now expect from anything wearing plastic cladding.

One teaser image reveals sharply styled angular LED taillights, and their design looks uncannily similar to those from the Škoda Vision O concept. That may not be a coincidence: the Škoda Octavia Combi is widely expected to be one of the Striker’s closest rivals. The tailgate also wears prominent Striker lettering, though in typical Dacia fashion the branding appears to be a decal rather than a traditional badge—another small nod to the company’s relentless focus on keeping costs down.

Elsewhere, black exterior trim contrasts with a light blue body color, and the front end seems to feature a blocked grille with bold Dacia lettering, a look that’s becoming something of a signature across the brand’s latest models.

Cheap, Cheerful, and Practical Inside

Dacia hasn’t officially shown the interior yet, but early glimpses suggest a cabin built from recycled materials designed to be durable, easy to clean, and—most importantly—affordable. That approach has become a hallmark of the brand’s recent designs, where clever cost-cutting often doubles as environmental messaging.

Practicality will likely be the Striker’s main selling point. Expect a large cargo area, flexible seating, and compatibility with Dacia’s expanding ecosystem of YouClip accessories, which allow owners to attach various holders, hooks, and storage add-ons throughout the cabin.

For buyers with an adventurous streak, the Striker should also support the camping accessories already available for the Jogger, Duster, and Bigster, suggesting that Dacia sees this wagon as another member of its growing outdoor-friendly family.

Familiar Platform, Familiar Power

Underneath, the Striker will ride on CMF-B, the Renault-Nissan Alliance architecture that underpins nearly the entire Dacia range—everything except the tiny electric Spring. That means the powertrain lineup should look very familiar.

Expect a mix of petrol, LPG, mild-hybrid, and full-hybrid options, many of them shared with the latest Duster and the upcoming Bigster. Most versions will likely stick with front-wheel drive, but Dacia could offer an all-wheel-drive variant for buyers who want their affordable wagon to handle the occasional muddy trail.

Built in Turkey

Interestingly, production of the Striker is expected to take place in Turkey, while Dacia’s Romanian factory focuses on SUVs that share its mechanical foundations. The move reflects how important the brand’s crossover lineup has become as Dacia continues to grow across Europe.

The Big Picture

If the Striker delivers what the teasers promise, it could become a rare thing in today’s market: a budget-friendly station wagon that doesn’t pretend to be a full-blown SUV but still offers some rugged attitude. In a world where affordable long-roof options are disappearing fast, that alone could make the Striker an intriguing addition to Dacia’s lineup.

We’ll know the full story when the wraps come off on March 10—and whether Dacia’s latest “-er” really strikes a perfect frame.

Source: Dacia