Tag Archives: EV

NEW CARS

New Denza Z Combines 1,582bhp with Four-Seat Practicality

For decades, the world’s fastest grand tourers have arrived wearing familiar badges. Ferrari. Porsche. Aston Martin. Maserati. Even newcomers like Rimac have spent years earning credibility before asking six-figure buyers to take them seriously.

Now comes the Denza Z, a Chinese-built electric super-GT with 1,582 horsepower, a claimed 0–62 mph time of less than two seconds, and enough ambition to challenge Europe’s establishment on its own turf.

And perhaps most surprisingly, it’s heading to Europe before it goes on sale at home.

Fresh regulatory filings in China have revealed the full scale of Denza’s flagship performance machine, confirming figures that place it firmly in hypercar territory. The BYD-owned luxury brand’s new halo model produces a staggering 1,582 horsepower from a tri-motor electric powertrain, matching the sort of output once reserved for seven-figure exotics.

The numbers are predictably outrageous. Denza claims the Z will blast from 0 to 62 mph in under 2.0 seconds—putting it in the same conversation as the Rimac Nevera—and newly disclosed specifications reveal a top speed of 217 mph.

Not bad for a four-seat convertible.

Heavyweight Performance

The catch, if there is one, comes on the scales.

The soft-top version tips the balance at 5,842 pounds (2,650 kilograms), while the hard-roof model shaves that figure down slightly to 5,688 pounds (2,580 kilograms). Those are substantial numbers even in the EV era, though Denza clearly believes overwhelming power can compensate for excess mass.

Customers seeking maximum performance will be able to specify a sport package featuring a prominent rear wing. Beyond adding visual drama, the package unlocks the car’s full 217-mph capability. Standard models are electronically limited to a still-ridiculous 186 mph.

Designed by a Familiar Hand

While the badge may be new to many enthusiasts, the styling comes from a designer with impeccable credentials.

The Z was penned by Wolfgang Egger, whose résumé includes iconic work at Alfa Romeo, including the stunning 8C Competizione. The production car remains remarkably faithful to the concept first shown in Beijing, retaining its smooth bodywork, low nose, and cab-forward proportions.

The result is less aggressively futuristic than many modern EVs and more reminiscent of a traditional European grand tourer—an intentional move for a car targeting buyers accustomed to established luxury brands.

A Rare EV That Still Has Buttons

Inside, Denza appears to have resisted the temptation to bury every function inside a touchscreen.

The concept’s cabin featured a surprising number of physical controls, including what appear to be dedicated switches for drive modes and suspension settings. A squared-off steering wheel, exposed carbon-fiber trim, and bucket seats reinforce the performance focus, while the 2+2 seating layout positions the Z as a genuine grand tourer rather than a stripped-out track special.

It’s an approach that feels refreshingly old-school in a segment increasingly dominated by minimalist interiors and touchscreen overload.

Hypercar Technology Underneath

The headline power figure is only part of the story.

The Z employs a sophisticated three-motor setup with one electric motor driving the front axle and two powering the rear. It also receives steer-by-wire technology and BYD’s advanced DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension system, borrowed from the wild Yangwang U9 hypercar.

That suspension can continuously adjust damping characteristics based on upcoming road conditions, effectively preparing the chassis before it encounters bumps or surface changes.

Whether the Z will inherit the U9’s attention-grabbing ability to hop into the air remains unknown. As entertaining as that feature may be, European GT buyers are likely to care more about ride quality at 150 mph than party tricks in a parking lot.

Europe First, China Later

Perhaps the most telling detail isn’t found in the specifications sheet.

Denza plans to launch the Z in Europe before introducing it to Chinese customers, a bold strategy that reveals exactly who this car is targeting. The company clearly sees the continent’s premium GT market as the ultimate proving ground for its luxury ambitions.

It’s a daring move. European buyers have historically been loyal to domestic performance brands, and convincing them to spend supercar money on a relatively unknown Chinese nameplate won’t be easy.

Still, performance figures have a way of attracting attention.

The Price Question

Denza hasn’t revealed pricing, but the closest competitor on paper is arguably Maserati’s GranTurismo Folgore, which starts at roughly £180,000.

The Chinese brand may attempt to undercut that figure to accelerate market acceptance, though the Z will inevitably command a significant premium over the upcoming Denza Z9 GT, itself expected to start around £100,000.

If Denza can combine its extraordinary performance, advanced technology, and potentially aggressive pricing into a genuinely polished grand tourer, Europe’s established luxury manufacturers may have a new problem on their hands.

The numbers suggest the Denza Z is already capable of embarrassing some of the world’s fastest cars.

Now it has to prove it can be more than just a spec sheet hero.

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

Mercedes-AMG Unveils 1,169-HP Electric GT 4-Door Coupe

The Mercedes-AMG era of thunderous V8s and tire-smoking excess isn’t dead—it’s just been plugged in. With the unveiling of the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, AMG has fired its loudest shot yet in the rapidly escalating EV horsepower war, and the numbers are almost absurd: up to 1,169 horsepower, 2,000 Nm of torque, and enough charging speed to make today’s EVs look prehistoric.

At first glance, the new GT 4-Door Coupe barely resembles the gasoline-powered AMG GT models that came before it. Instead, this electric flagship takes heavy inspiration from the wild AMG GT XX Concept, trading long-hood aggression for a smoother, more futuristic silhouette shaped as much by airflow as by aesthetics. The result is sleek rather than brutal, but still unmistakably AMG.

The front fascia is dominated by an illuminated closed grille flanked by headlights connected through a full-width LED strip, while the rear features one of the most distinctive light signatures AMG has ever attempted—three glowing elements on each side, sitting beneath another horizontal light bar. It looks more concept car than production sedan, and that’s entirely the point.

AMG engineers obsessed over aerodynamics here, and it shows. Active aero elements beneath the bodywork constantly adjust airflow, while even the 19- to 21-inch wheels are sculpted for efficiency. The payoff is a remarkably slippery drag coefficient of just 0.22, a figure that puts the big AMG in genuine EV hyper-sedan territory.

Inside, the GT 4-Door Coupe abandons nearly every trace of analog simplicity. Screens dominate the cabin. A 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster sits ahead of the driver, while twin 14-inch displays stretch across the dashboard—one for infotainment and another dedicated to the front passenger. It’s dramatic, expensive-looking, and exactly what buyers in this segment now expect.

Still, AMG hasn’t forgotten performance theatrics. Three rotary controllers mounted on the center console operate the new AMG Race Engineer interface, allowing drivers to tweak throttle response, chassis behavior, grip settings, and cornering characteristics with race-car-like precision. There’s also enough luxury to remind you this thing is still a grand tourer: leather-covered sports seats, carbon-fiber trim, dual wireless phone charging, illuminated cupholders, and a panoramic “Sky Control” glass roof that can switch from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button while projecting AMG graphics overhead.

Practicality? Surprisingly decent. The rear hatch opens to reveal 507 liters of cargo space—enough for weekend luggage, golf bags, or perhaps the emotional baggage of traditional AMG fans still mourning naturally aspirated engines.

Then come the numbers.

The entry-level AMG GT 55 uses a triple-motor axial-flux setup producing 816 horsepower and a colossal 1,800 Nm of torque. AMG claims a 0–100 km/h sprint in 2.8 seconds and a 300-km/h top speed with the optional Drivers Package.

But the real headline belongs to the AMG GT 63. Its three electric motors unleash 1,169 horsepower and 2,000 Nm, enough to catapult the four-door coupe to 100 km/h in just 2.4 seconds. Top speed remains electronically capped at 300 km/h, though the limiting factor may be physics—or bravery.

Both models use a 106-kWh battery pack capable of delivering up to 700 kilometers of WLTP range. More impressive is the charging capability: the system supports up to 600 kW charging speeds, allowing approximately 460 kilometers of range to be added in just 10 minutes under ideal conditions. If real-world infrastructure catches up, this could become one of the first EVs that genuinely makes charging stops feel irrelevant.

And because AMG knows silence alone won’t satisfy loyalists, the company has created AMGFORCE Sport+, a drive mode that synthesizes the sound of a roaring V8 both inside and outside the vehicle. Purists will roll their eyes. Customers will probably love it.

Additional drive modes include Comfort, Sport, Race, Slippery, Individual, and—for the first time ever in an AMG model—Eco mode. Yes, an AMG with an Eco button. Welcome to 2026.

Production begins this summer at Mercedes’ Sindelfingen plant, with pricing still under wraps. Expect it to land deep in six-figure territory and squarely against rivals like the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Lucid Air Sapphire.

Whether enthusiasts are ready or not, AMG’s electric future has arrived—and it’s faster than almost anything wearing an AMG badge before it.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

NEW CARS

Škoda Epiq: The Czech Brand’s €26,000 Electric Gatecrasher That Thinks Small, Acts Big

At a world premiere in Zurich, Škoda Auto pulled the wraps off the all-new Škoda Epiq—a compact electric SUV that looks engineered with a ruler, a spreadsheet, and a very clear mission: make EV ownership feel normal, spacious, and (crucially) affordable.

Priced from around €26,000, the Epiq isn’t trying to be a halo car. It’s trying to be the car. And in true Škoda fashion, it leans hard into practicality while quietly packing some of the brand’s most advanced tech yet.

Modern Solid, Meet Real-World Logic

The Epiq is the first production expression of Škoda’s “Modern Solid” design language, and it shows. The front end is clean and tightly resolved, dominated by T-shaped LED signatures framing a glossy black “Tech-Deck Face” panel. It’s minimalist without feeling sterile, more “engineered object” than styling exercise.

At 4,171 mm long, it sits squarely in the compact SUV class, but its stance suggests something more substantial. A high shoulder line, wide track visuals, and short overhangs give it that planted, slightly chunky confidence Škoda buyers tend to prefer.

Aerodynamics, meanwhile, have clearly been taken seriously. A drag coefficient of 0.275 is achieved through active cooling flaps, wheel deflectors, underbody shielding, and carefully sculpted airflow channels—proof that efficiency is now as much a design constraint as aesthetics.

MEB+ and Front-Wheel Drive: A Škoda First

Under the skin, the Epiq debuts Volkswagen Group’s updated MEB+ architecture for compact EVs, and notably becomes Škoda’s first front-wheel-drive electric model.

That shift matters. It allows tighter packaging, reduced mass, and more interior space where it counts. The result is a car that prioritizes cabin volume over mechanical complexity—very Škoda, just electrified.

Battery options range from a 38.5 kWh LFP unit to a 55 kWh NMC pack, supporting outputs from 85 kW to 155 kW. The top Epiq 55 version delivers up to 440 km of range and DC fast charging from 10–80% in about 24 minutes.

Performance isn’t headline-grabbing, but it’s not supposed to be. Even the most powerful variant tops out at 160 km/h, reinforcing its role as an efficiency-first everyday SUV rather than a backroad bruiser.

Space: The Real Party Trick

If there’s one area where the Epiq punches above its weight, it’s packaging.

Despite its compact footprint, it offers a 475-liter boot—one of the largest in its class—plus a 25-liter frunk and over 28 liters of additional cabin storage. Door bins, hooks, compartments, and clever cubbies are everywhere, continuing Škoda’s long-standing obsession with “Simply Clever” solutions.

Rear passenger space also benefits from the long wheelbase (2,601 mm), giving the Epiq proportions that feel more MPV-adjacent than traditional crossover.

Inside: Recycled, Reconfigured, Refined

The interior is where Škoda’s EV pivot becomes most obvious. Materials are fully animal-free, with upholstery made entirely from recycled polyester fibres. Across trims, the cabin mixes minimalist surfaces with textured fabrics and subtle ambient lighting.

Different design themes—Studio, Loft, and Suite—range from functional black-and-grey simplicity to more upscale suede-like finishes with layered patterns. Even higher-spec versions lean into warmth rather than luxury excess.

There’s also a clear push toward sustainability beyond marketing buzzwords: more than 34 kg of recycled materials are used per vehicle, including interior plastics and practical accessories like scrapers and cable storage gear.

Tech and Assistance: Small Car, Big Systems

The Epiq is equipped with a 13-inch Android-based infotainment system featuring Google Maps, Spotify, and YouTube integration, alongside Škoda’s connected services via the MyŠkoda app.

Driver assistance is surprisingly comprehensive for the segment. Travel Assist 3.0 brings adaptive lane centering, traffic light response, and advanced parking functions including remote operation. Safety tech includes Side Assist, Front Assist, fatigue monitoring via camera, and up to seven airbags.

Optional upgrades push further into semi-automated territory with intelligent park assist and enhanced camera systems.

Škoda’s Most Important EV Yet?

The Epiq isn’t chasing headlines with outrageous acceleration figures or concept-car theatrics. Instead, it’s doing something arguably more important in today’s EV landscape: making the electric crossover feel like a rational default choice.

Compact outside. Big inside. Efficient, connected, and priced to actually matter.

If Škoda executes it as promised, the Epiq won’t just expand the brand’s EV lineup—it could become the model that normalizes it.

Source: Škoda