Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

2026 Omoda 7: China’s Fast-Rising SUV Brand Sharpens Its Game for the UK

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The Chinese invasion of the UK car market shows no sign of slowing down, and Omoda is leading the charge. Hot on the heels of the Omoda 5 and range-topping Omoda 9, the new Omoda 7 will arrive in January 2026, slotting neatly between its siblings and targeting one of Britain’s most competitive battlegrounds: the family SUV segment.

At £29,915, the 7 is priced to tempt Qashqai and Sportage buyers—but there’s more to this mid-size SUV than just a sharp sticker price. Under the skin, it shares its bones with the Jaecoo 7, a model that recently pulled off the improbable feat of outselling the Nissan Qashqai itself—a car so entrenched in British suburbia it might as well come standard with a garden hose and driveway.

Two Powertrains, One Ambition

The Omoda 7 will launch with two familiar powertrains: a 145-hp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) known internally as the SHS, priced from around £32,000. The latter combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an 18.3kWh battery and an electric motor for a respectable 56 miles of EV range—comfortably outpacing pricier rivals such as the Range Rover Evoque P300e and Kia Sportage PHEV.

That long electric range should appeal to commuters and company-car drivers alike, and if Omoda’s recent UK performance is any indicator, demand could be brisk.

Tech and Trims

Omoda isn’t holding back on kit, either. Every 7 gets a 15.6-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, and a six-speaker Sony audio system.

Step up to the Noble trim and things get a little more, well, noble: ventilated gaming-style seats, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, and an upgraded 12-speaker Sony system. It’s an interior aimed at Gen Z buyers who want style and substance in equal measure.

European Roots, Chinese Ambition

Despite its Chinese origins, the Omoda 7 has been developed for European roads, with chassis tuning handled at Omoda’s German R&D centre. That attention to dynamics could give the 7 an edge in a segment where many newcomers falter—because no amount of screens can hide sloppy suspension.

The Omoda 7’s arrival also sets the stage for the upcoming Omoda 4 (formerly the 3), which will join the UK line-up soon after. With prices undercutting the competition and equipment lists that read like wish catalogs, Omoda’s lineup is quickly evolving from curiosity to credible contender.

Whether the Omoda 7 can replicate its Jaecoo twin’s success remains to be seen. But if the numbers—and the spec sheet—are anything to go by, Nissan and Kia might want to keep an eye on their rearview mirrors.

Source: Omoda

NEW CARS

Ford Racing Teases “All-New” Sports Car for 2026 — A Road-Ready Revolution Fueled by the Track

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Ford Racing is preparing to drop the hammer on something big—something truly new. At its 2026 season launch event on January 15, the Blue Oval will lift the curtain on what it calls its first “all-new” sports car since merging its motorsport and road-car operations. The move marks a pivotal moment in Ford’s modern performance era, uniting competition-bred innovation with showroom intent like never before.

“This is a testament to how deeply we’re integrating our racing innovation into the vehicles you drive every day,” said Ford Racing boss Mark Rushbrook, setting expectations sky-high for a car that aims to bridge pit lane and driveway.

A New Chapter in Ford Performance

The as-yet-unnamed model will spearhead a fresh generation of Ford Performance vehicles born from a total rethinking of how the brand approaches speed. Where previous programs like the GT or Shelby Mustang were engineered largely as parallel efforts, the restructured Ford Racing division now shares data, materials, and design philosophy directly between its racing teams and road-car engineers.

The result, Rushbrook suggests, is more than a track car with license plates—it’s the beginning of a lineage.

So, What Is It?

Ford’s playing coy with details, but the possibilities are as tantalizing as they are diverse.

On one hand, CEO Jim Farley has openly mused about a 1000-bhp Ranger Raptor super-truck inspired by the brand’s Dakar Rally machine. Speaking to Bloomberg, he teased, “No one has ever built a supercar for gravel, high-speed sand, dirt.” Such a machine would rewrite the definition of off-road performance—a hypertruck with GT-rivaling power and Baja-honed balance.

Then there’s the other, more traditional contender: a new Ford Mustang GTD, prototypes of which have been spotted pounding around the Nürburgring with wilder aerodynamics and sharper intent. Ford’s GTD already blurs the line between race and road, but spy shots of the updated car suggest even more aggressive downforce hardware and track tuning.

Yet Ford’s use of the term “all-new” hints at something more radical—a bespoke performance flagship untethered from existing nameplates. That wording alone has fans and insiders speculating that the company is preparing a clean-sheet sports car designed to take the fight directly to the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, which recently set a Nürburgring record for American machines.

A Global Statement

Ford’s January event won’t be just about one car. Alongside the debut, the company plans to detail its upcoming Formula 1 powertrain, which will power Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls cars next season. That partnership underscores Ford’s intent to be seen not merely as a participant, but as a technological force in top-tier motorsport—leveraging lessons from F1 hybrid systems, aerodynamics, and materials science for its next generation of road cars.

The Road Ahead

Whatever shape the new sports car takes—be it coupe, super-truck, or something entirely unexpected—it represents the clearest signal yet that Ford is collapsing the wall between the racetrack and the open road.

In a market where electrification, heritage, and performance are constantly colliding, Ford Racing’s next move could redefine what “Made in Detroit” performance means for the modern era.

Come January 15, we’ll see whether this “all-new” machine is the next Mustang moment—or the dawn of an entirely new breed of Blue Oval speed.

Source: Ford

NEW CARS

The Ford Escort RS Reborn: A 10,000rpm Love Letter to Boreham

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Ford’s iconic Escort RS nameplate is back—but not as a restomod, not as a nostalgia-fueled tribute, and certainly not as a mild-hybrid crossover pretending to be something it’s not. No, the new Escort RS from Boreham Motorworks is an all-new car, approved by Ford itself, that channels the raw motorsport DNA of the 1970s rally hero and injects it with 21st-century engineering insanity.

At its heart is a 325bhp four-cylinder engine that revs to an astonishing 10,000rpm—and weighs a featherlight 85kg. Appropriately, it’s called the Ten-K, a name that encapsulates both its sky-high redline and its unashamed race-car attitude.

A Modern Echo of the BDA

The Ten-K was developed in Coventry, the spiritual home of Britain’s greatest engines, and it pays deliberate homage to the Cosworth BDA that powered the original Escort RS1600. Like that legendary unit, it’s a belt-driven, four-valve-per-cylinder engine—but this one’s been reimagined for modern performance. Displacement grows from 1.6 to 2.1 litres, and every internal component tells a story of cutting-edge design.

The crankshaft, connecting rods, subframe, dry sump, and cam cover are all machined from billet steel, while the cylinder head, inspired by Formula 1 powertrains, promises optimal intake and exhaust flow. Even the engine block benefits from 3D-printed castings, allowing thinner walls and thus lower mass without sacrificing rigidity.

Add individual throttle bodies, and the Ten-K delivers that raw, snarling induction note that made rally Escorts of old sound like miniature touring cars on amphetamines.

From the People Who Know How to Make Fords Sing

The Ten-K project was helmed by two former Ford heavyweights: Simon Goodliff, once the company’s chief engineer, and Laine Martin, former manager of engine calibration and control systems. In other words, these are people who know what makes a Ford engine tick—literally.

Their goal wasn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, but performance purity. Goodliff calls it “a driver’s engine, built for response, not restraint.” Judging by the numbers—and that manic redline—it’s clear the Ten-K was designed to make modern turbo fours look tame.

Two Flavors of Boreham Fury

Buyers will have two engines to choose from when they spec their Escort RS. Alongside the Ten-K, Boreham will offer an upsized, modernized version of the original Cosworth powerplant, tuned to deliver 182bhp—a nod to those who prefer classic flavor over rev-hungry ferocity.

But make no mistake: it’s the Ten-K that headlines this comeback. It’s a mechanical symphony that bridges five decades of motorsport heritage with aerospace-grade engineering.

An RS Built, Not Rebuilt

Perhaps the most remarkable part of this story is that the new Escort RS isn’t a restomod. It’s a ground-up, all-new car, built with Ford’s official blessing—something few boutique projects can claim. Production will be limited to just 150 cars, each hand-assembled and priced from £295,000.

That’s supercar money for what started life as a humble family hatch. But for those who understand the Escort’s rally-bred legacy, this isn’t a revival—it’s a resurrection.

Why It Matters

In an era when performance cars are increasingly electrified, sanitized, and silenced, Boreham Motorworks’ Escort RS stands defiantly apart. It’s a machine that doesn’t care about range anxiety or EU noise limits—it cares about revs, response, and soul.

With its 10,000rpm howl and featherweight engineering, the Ten-K Escort RS is more than just a rebirth—it’s a reminder that the heart of performance driving still beats loudest when powered by pistons, cams, and courage.

Source: Boreham Motorworks