Category Archives: News

News

BYD Seal U Just Beat Europe at Its Own Game

For years, European brands have treated plug-in hybrids like a home-field advantage—refined, familiar, and comfortably theirs. Then along comes BYD, a Chinese upstart with a name that still sounds like a Wi-Fi password to many buyers, and suddenly it’s topping the sales charts.

In its first full year on sale in Europe, the BYD Seal U plug-in hybrid crossover became the region’s best-selling PHEV, outpacing long-established favorites like the Volkswagen Tiguan, Volvo XC60, and Ford Kuga. That’s not a slow burn success story—that’s a straight-up ambush.

The numbers tell the tale. In 2025, BYD moved 72,667 Seal U units across Europe. The Tiguan followed with 65,899, while the Volvo XC60 trailed with 60,088. The Ford Kuga landed fourth at 41,983. None of those are small figures, but the shock is that the Seal U managed it as a newcomer, without decades of brand loyalty or a marketing presence baked into the European psyche.

What makes this more interesting is that the Seal U isn’t winning on technical superiority. On paper, it’s actually outgunned by its main rivals.

The BYD uses an 18.3-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, good for up to 80 kilometers of electric driving. Charging is serviceable but hardly cutting-edge: 11 kW on AC and a modest 18 kW on DC. That’s the kind of spec sheet that normally screams “mid-pack.”

The Tiguan, meanwhile, packs a larger 19.7-kWh NCM battery, promises up to 126 kilometers of electric range, and can suck down 40 kW from a fast charger—enough to go from 10 to 80 percent in just 26 minutes. In other words, the Volkswagen is objectively the more advanced plug-in hybrid.

Both cars rely on a familiar formula under the hood: a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine paired with electric assistance. So if the BYD isn’t faster, longer-legged, or quicker to charge, why is it winning?

Simple: price.

In Germany, the Seal U starts at €39,990 in reasonably well-equipped form. That’s bargain territory in a segment where “value” usually means “still expensive, but less offensive.” The cheapest Tiguan eHybrid starts at €52,215. The Volvo XC60 PHEV begins at a wallet-punishing €67,990. Even the Ford Kuga, traditionally the budget-friendly option, can’t touch BYD at €47,100.

That pricing gap isn’t subtle—it’s a chasm. BYD is effectively offering European buyers a way into electrified SUV ownership for the cost of a well-specced compact hatchback. And clearly, buyers are paying attention.

This comes at a moment when plug-in hybrids are having something of a renaissance. The European PHEV market passed 1.3 million units in 2025, a 33.5 percent jump over the previous year. That’s not a niche anymore—that’s a full-blown movement.

Fully electric cars are still growing faster in absolute terms, with nearly 2.6 million EVs sold last year, up almost 30 percent year over year. But the success of cars like the Seal U shows that many buyers still want a safety net. They want to try electric driving without committing fully to a charging-only lifestyle—and they want it without paying luxury-brand money.

The bigger story here isn’t just that BYD sold a lot of cars. It’s that a Chinese brand, with a product that isn’t even class-leading, managed to beat Europe’s most entrenched players by doing the simplest thing in the business: undercutting them.

The Seal U doesn’t win because it’s the best plug-in hybrid. It wins because it’s the one people can actually afford. And in today’s market, that might be the most powerful feature of all.

Source: BYD

News

Kia K4 Hatchback Lands in the U.S., Manual Transmission Still a Maybe

Kia has officially brought the K4 Hatchback to U.S. shores, and it’s already hitting dealer lots nationwide. The car’s arrival fills a gap for buyers who want something more practical and versatile than the K4 sedan—but there are a few caveats. For starters, the new hatchback is strictly front-wheel drive, offered only in automatic, and not all of the sedan’s trims will make the jump across the Atlantic.

At a press event in Los Angeles, a Kia representative addressed the big question on enthusiasts’ minds: will the K4 Hatchback ever get a manual transmission in the U.S.?

“We don’t have any plans for a manual transmission right now, but the platform is perfectly capable of accepting one,” the spokesperson said. “We do offer a manual in other markets. If we find that there’s demand in our market for a manual transmission and it makes business sense, it’s technically possible.”

In other words, the stick-shift faithful shouldn’t lose hope just yet. Kia is clearly keeping the door open, suggesting that if U.S. buyers voice enough interest, a manual K4 could arrive down the road. Overseas, manual-equipped K4 models are already part of the lineup, offering a more engaging driving experience that American buyers currently miss out on.

While at the event, the discussion turned to the K4 Sportswagon. Recently unveiled overseas, the wagon offers multiple engines and even a manual option in select markets. Unfortunately for U.S. buyers, the Sportswagon is expected to remain a European exclusive for now, where demand for wagons still thrives. That leaves the hatchback as the only alternative for stateside shoppers seeking added cargo versatility.

For now, the U.S. K4 Hatchback is available in three trims, all paired with an automatic transmission. While the architecture can support a manual in the future, there’s no plan to introduce one—or the Sportswagon—at the moment. Kia’s strategy seems to hinge entirely on market reception: the better the hatchback sells, the more likely we could see a manual—or even a wagon—join the lineup.

For those in the market for a compact hatch with sleek styling and practical dimensions, the K4 Hatchback arrives as a solid choice—but if you’re a gearhead longing for a stick, you may have to wait and make some noise.

Source: Kia

News

Ferrari Prices Go Supersonic as Phil Bachman Collection Shatters Records

The market for modern Ferraris has officially lost its mind—and it did so loudly this past weekend.

When the late Phil Bachman’s Ferrari collection crossed the Mecum Auctions block, it didn’t just perform well; it detonated expectations. Records that once felt aspirational were obliterated, replaced by numbers that would have sounded like typos even two years ago. The headline-grabber was a Ferrari Enzo finished in Giallo Modena that sold for an astonishing $17.875 million, nearly tripling the previous Enzo record of just over $6 million set in 2023. If there was any lingering doubt that the collector-car boom has entered a new phase, this sale erased it.

Yes, all Enzos are special—Ferrari built just 400 between 2002 and 2004—but Bachman’s example checks just about every box collectors obsess over. For starters, it’s barely been driven, showing only 649 miles. It’s also one of 127 U.S.-market cars and one of only 36 finished in Giallo Modena, a color that looks like it was mixed specifically to stop traffic and drain bank accounts. Add in a history of concours awards and you’re already deep into unicorn territory.

But what really separates this Enzo from the rest is the factory customization. Ferrari rarely strayed far from conservative interior specs on Enzos, yet this one left Maranello with a bold two-tone Rosso-and-Giallo interior. It’s dramatic, unmistakable, and about as subtle as a V-12 at redline. In a world where collectors pay dearly for originality, this car’s bespoke spec somehow makes it even more desirable.

The Enzo wasn’t a one-hit wonder. Bachman’s Ferrari 288 GTO sold for $8.525 million, nearly doubling the previous record for the model and reinforcing its position as the thinking collector’s Ferrari. An ultra-low-mileage F40 with just 458 miles on the odometer brought $6.6 million, while a red F50 surged to $12.21 million, yet another record. Taken together, Ferrari’s holy trinity of analog supercars just rewrote its own price guide in a single afternoon.

Modern halo cars weren’t immune to the frenzy, either. A LaFerrari Coupe sold for $6.71 million, while the open-top LaFerrari Aperta rocketed to $11 million, underscoring how scarcity—and a removable roof—still move markets. Elsewhere, a 599 GTO stunned observers at $3.96 million, a figure that would have sounded implausible not long ago. Even relatively recent specials got their moment: a 430 Scuderia Spider 16M reached $1.98 million, and a 360 Challenge Stradale cleared $1.155 million.

With numbers this large, speculation was inevitable. Mecum Auctions noted that proceeds from the sale would benefit The Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation, prompting some to wonder whether charitable giving helped inflate the results—particularly the Enzo’s eye-watering final price. But the reality appears far more straightforward.

According to reports circulating online, including a post on Reddit, Dana Mecum purchased the entire Bachman collection from the family last year, with a portion of that transaction allocated to the foundation at that time. If that’s accurate, any tax benefits would have applied to Mecum, not the buyers. The auction itself was a standard commercial sale. Despite the foundation’s name appearing in the narrative, bidders weren’t donating to charity—they were buying cars from Mecum Auctions, plain and simple.

Which makes the results even more telling. This wasn’t generosity driving prices; it was demand. Deep-pocketed collectors are clearly recalibrating what the very best Ferraris are worth, and they’re doing it in real time, paddle in hand. The Bachman collection didn’t just set records—it reset the conversation.

If this weekend proved anything, it’s that Ferrari’s most significant road cars have crossed into a new financial stratosphere. The only question now is whether these numbers represent a peak—or just another waypoint on the climb.

Source: Mecum Auctions