Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

Jaecoo 8: The Chinese SUV That Wants to Eat Your Kodiaq for Breakfast

China’s relentless SUV offensive shows no sign of slowing down, and the next salvo aimed squarely at Europe comes in the shape of this: the Jaecoo 8. It’s big, bold, and heading to the UK next year to ruffle the feathers of the Volkswagen Tayron (whenever that actually arrives) and Škoda Kodiaq.

If you’ve not heard of Jaecoo yet, don’t panic — you’re not alone. It’s one of the more premium offshoots of Chery, the same industrial powerhouse behind Omoda, Exeed, and roughly half of China’s SUV output. Think of Jaecoo as the brand trying to merge Range Rover vibes with a price tag that won’t make your accountant faint.

Under the bonnet sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot pushing out a healthy 245bhp and 284lb ft of torque, funneled through an eight-speed auto to either the front or all four wheels. Not bad numbers for a family bus, and with adaptive suspension on top trims, there’s a good chance it won’t drive like a blancmange in a hurricane.

Inside, Jaecoo’s thrown every toy in the box at the 8. You get a 12.3-inch digital dash, a matching infotainment touchscreen, and the same Qualcomm processor that keeps Volvo and Polestar systems running smoothly — promising snappy responses and fewer touchscreen tantrums. There’s also a head-up display, a massaging driver’s seat, and a 14-speaker Sony sound system to drown out the kids asking, “Are we there yet?” Ambient lighting snakes around the cabin like a nightclub in Shenzhen, and depending on how many friends you’ve got, you can spec it with five, six, or seven seats.

Pricing? Not yet confirmed, but expect the 8 to land north of the smaller Jaecoo 7’s £30k starting price. Even so, it’ll likely undercut a Škoda Kodiaq, which kicks off around £40k, while still serving up more screens, speakers, and seat massages.

The real question is whether the Jaecoo badge can carry enough clout to tempt buyers away from Europe’s SUV establishment. Because while the spec sheet screams value, British buyers can be a snobbish bunch — especially when the car in question doesn’t come with a familiar badge.

Still, if Jaecoo nails the ride, the build quality, and that ever-tricky dealer support, this could be the most convincing Chinese SUV yet. And if not? Well, at least you’ll have one hell of a Sony sound system to console you.

Source: Jaecoo

NEW CARS

Toyota FT-Me: Britain’s Smallest Revolution

Toyota’s latest project is proof that the future of British motoring might just fit in your garden shed. Meet the FT-Me, a pint-sized electric runabout that’s inching its way from concept to production reality — and yes, it could be built right here in Derbyshire.

Thanks to a £15 million investment from the UK government, Toyota’s quirky little urban EV has been given the green light for a deeper feasibility study. The plan? To turn the adorable FT-Me Concept into something you could actually buy (and possibly park inside your living room).

Microlino, meet the Sensei

Toyota is pitching the FT-Me as a rival to the Citroën Ami and Microlino, which means it’ll fall under the same L6e quadricycle regulations — a fancy way of saying “don’t expect Nürburgring lap times.” Power will be limited to a humble 8bhp, with a top speed of just 28mph.

That might sound glacial, but this isn’t about speed. It’s about smart, sustainable, low-impact mobility for the cities of tomorrow — the kind of thing you’d use to nip from your flat to the farmer’s market without leaving a carbon footprint the size of Yorkshire.

Built in Burnaston, born for the city

If all goes to plan, production will take place at Toyota’s Burnaston plant — the same site that’s been turning out Corollas for decades. The project will see Toyota team up with a trio of very British collaborators:

  • Elm, the maker of the Evolv electric delivery van (the FT-Me will borrow some of its tech),
  • Savcor, who’ll provide a solar-panelled roof capable of recovering up to 19 miles of range per day, and
  • the University of Derby, which will study how drivers actually use this titchy EV in the real world.

Toyota’s UK boss Dariusz Mikolajczak calls it “a cutting-edge battery-electric vehicle that addresses the growing demand for sustainable urban mobility.” Translation: this could be your next city car, provided your city has more coffee shops than motorways.

A £30 million leap into the small lane

This whole endeavour is backed by the Drive35 programme — a £2.5 billion pot designed to help Britain’s car industry go zero-emission. One string attached: manufacturers have to match at least 50% of the funding. In Toyota’s case, that means it’s likely putting up most of the £30.3 million total investment itself.

Not bad for a machine roughly the size of a dishwasher.

So what’s it really about?

Toyota’s been talking about the “mobility ecosystem” for years — a sprawling vision of cars, scooters, and pods that all connect, communicate, and coexist. The FT-Me is a small but significant jigsaw piece in that puzzle, a symbol of the brand’s willingness to explore every corner of future transport — even the teeny-tiny ones.

And while an 8bhp microcar might not set your pulse racing, there’s something undeniably cool about the idea of one of the world’s biggest carmakers betting big on something so small. It’s daring, it’s daft, and it might just redefine what we mean by “British-built.”

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

Subaru STI Is Back – and It’s Bringing Both Fire and Lightning

You can almost hear the turbo spool again. After years of silence, Subaru’s iconic STI badge is clawing its way out of hibernation – and it’s coming back swinging. Not with one concept car, but two. One’s powered by electrons, the other by good old-fashioned fossil fury. Tokyo Motor Show, brace yourself.

The teaser image Subaru dropped is pure fan-service: two squat little hot hatches crouched under spotlights, one sleek and electric, the other bristling with mechanical menace. For the faithful, it’s like seeing a long-lost friend step into the pub wearing a racing jacket and gold wheels again.

The Twin Revival

Let’s start with the EV. Subaru’s calling it the “spearhead” for its next generation of cars — a sharp-edged, future-ready machine wearing the brand’s bold new design language. Expect illuminated logos, distinctive light signatures, and a roofline rakish enough to make a Cayman nervous. It’s the STI that hums rather than growls, but it promises to be just as rabid.

Then there’s the combustion-powered sibling — more old-school, more familiar. Think Impreza hatchback gone rogue, fitted with a boxer engine and Subaru’s trademark symmetrical all-wheel drive. It’s not officially called a WRX, but the family resemblance is undeniable. Underneath the concept-car showmanship, this one’s the heartstring-tugger: the STI for those who still know what a clutch pedal does.

From Rally Glory to Quiet Retreat

It’s been a rough few years for Subaru’s performance arm. The last proper WRX STI bowed out in 2021, and UK fans lost access even earlier, casualties of emissions laws and the WRC’s shifting rulebook. Subaru UK tried to move on — trading rally stages for camping trips, and Imprezas for Outbacks. By 2021, the lineup was all SUVs and soft edges.

Back then, Subaru’s managing director even declared the WRX STI had “nothing really to do with the Subaru brand as it is today.” Ouch. Tell that to the millions who plastered STI stickers on their laptops — and maybe even their lawnmowers.

A Change of Heart

But tides are turning in Gunma. Subaru’s new leadership seems to realise what fans have been shouting for years: you can’t separate Subaru from STI. Europe boss David Dello Stritto admitted it himself earlier this year:

“Ask the average person what Subaru means and they’ll say STI. You can’t disassociate this from Subaru.”

Lorraine Bishton, Subaru’s UK boss, went one further, calling the brand’s retreat from performance “a little bit of a missed opportunity.” And that’s corporate-speak for: “We might’ve made a massive mistake.”

Blue Paint, Gold Wheels, and a Glimmer of Hope

So here we are. Two concept cars — one roaring, one silent — both wearing the STI halo. Whether the production versions ever make it to dealers is anyone’s guess. But make no mistake: this is Subaru rediscovering its swagger.

The thought of a future electric WRX STI, perhaps painted in World Rally Blue with bronze wheels and torque-vectoring witchcraft, feels almost too good to be true. But then, Subaru’s never really done “sensible,” has it?

The STI brand is back on the horizon. The engines (and motors) are warming up. And for the first time in years, it feels like Subaru’s heart is beating faster again.

Source: Subaru