Tag Archives: SUV

NEW CARS

2025 Lexus LBX Vibrant Edition: Small SUV, Big Attitude

Lexus didn’t need long to figure out that its pint-sized LBX crossover struck a chord. Since its 2023 debut, the “premium casual” runabout has brought more than 23,000 new buyers into the fold, making it the brand’s second-best seller in Europe. Now comes the LBX Vibrant Edition, a limited-run model that doubles down on style and swagger.

The name doesn’t lie: this is Lexus leaning into the LBX’s “street-smart” vibe with extra garnish. Matte-black 18-inch wheels, gloss-black spoilers, and darker trim pieces give the Vibrant Edition more bite than the standard Emotion model. The grille treatment borrows from the rowdy LBX RR Morizo concept—jet-black plating with a hint of menace. Color choices are narrow but bold: bi-tone Ruby Red or Sonic Quartz with a black roof, or a full Astral Black suit for those who prefer stealth.

Inside, Lexus turns up the drama with semi-aniline leather in black, set off by Dark Rose bolsters, knee pads, and seat belts. The brand’s eye for detail shows up in red Tatami stitching across the seatbacks—a flourish you won’t find in most small SUVs. It’s sporty cosplay with genuine Lexus craftsmanship.

The Vibrant Edition doesn’t just play dress-up. Standard kit includes an eight-way power driver’s seat, ambient lighting with 64 selectable shades, wireless phone charging, and Lexus’s nanoe-X air purification system (because your latte isn’t the only thing that deserves foam). Paddle shifters make an appearance too, though don’t expect Nürburgring lap times. Power comes from the familiar 1.5-liter three-cylinder hybrid system, good for 136 horsepower. With its tidy 10.4-meter turning circle, the LBX is still aimed squarely at Europe’s crowded city centers.

Lexus will build the LBX Vibrant Edition for just eight months, from September 2025 through May 2026. Consider it the brand’s way of reminding you that luxury doesn’t always have to be big—or quiet.

Source: Lexus

NEW CARS

Volkswagen Previews Sub-€30K Electric SUV Ahead of Munich Debut

Crossovers are eating the world, and Volkswagen isn’t about to be left behind. With compact SUVs and high-riders dominating sales charts, VW is preparing a new entry-level electric crossover that promises to be stylish, affordable, and, most importantly, attainable. Ahead of its official unveiling on September 7 and first public showing at the IAA Mobility Show in Munich, the automaker has released design sketches that hint at what’s next in Wolfsburg’s expanding ID. lineup.

A Baby ID.4 With Big Ambitions

Think of this newcomer as a crossover spin on the ID.2all hatchback concept revealed last year. That tidy B-segment EV, shown in both standard and sporty GTI form, set the stage for Volkswagen’s push to deliver a true people’s electric car at around €25,000 ($27,000). This upcoming SUV—unnamed for now but rumored to wear an “ID.2 Cross” badge—adds the elevated driving position and chunkier styling customers crave, while still aiming to keep prices below €30,000 ($32,000). That puts it well under the larger ID.4, which starts north of €40,000 in Germany.

Near-Production, With a Concept Edge

The sketches, shared on social media by VW’s head of design Andreas Mindt, suggest a subcompact SUV with an outsized presence. Oversized wheels, stretched proportions, and futuristic LED light bars front and rear check all the concept-car boxes. A rugged skid plate underscores its crossover character, while a contrasting rear pillar with three slots nods to Volkswagen’s design experiments. Expect toned-down details by the time production begins, but the essentials—boxy stance, wide track, and clean surfacing—should carry through.

Size and Platform

Dimensionally, the SUV will likely shadow the ICE-powered T-Cross but benefit from a roomier interior thanks to its EV-specific platform. The ID.2all hatch measured 159.4 inches long with a 102.3-inch wheelbase, and this crossover shouldn’t stray far from that footprint. Underneath sits the MEB Entry architecture, a downsized, front-wheel-drive–friendly take on the VW Group’s modular EV toolkit. Unlike larger MEB-based models, which default to rear-drive, the ID.2 SUV starts with a front-mounted motor and is expected to offer both single- and dual-motor versions down the line.

Powertrain and Performance

The ID.2all concept carried a 222-hp front motor, enough for a 0–62 mph sprint in under seven seconds and a top speed of 99 mph. While the SUV may not match those figures exactly, performance should remain competitive for the segment. More powerful dual-motor AWD versions are plausible, though VW might reserve that tech for pricier trims, given limited demand in the entry-level EV market.

Built for the Masses

The production version will be assembled in Pamplona, Spain, alongside the T-Cross and Taigo. It will also share bones with the Skoda Epiq, another subcompact EV due to launch soon. Price will be critical, and VW knows it: with a target range of €25,000–30,000, the crossover will take on an army of competitors including the Peugeot e-2008, Jeep Avenger, Kia EV2 and EV3, Volvo EX30, and even Toyota’s upcoming Urban Cruiser EV.

EV Momentum

Volkswagen’s timing is strategic. The company’s EV sales grew 47 percent in the first half of the year, hitting nearly half a million units. And with the €20,000 ID.1 hatchback waiting in the wings for 2026, VW is building a stair-step ladder into full electrification. This crossover may not be the flashiest ID. model in the lineup, but it could be the most important.

If Volkswagen nails the balance of price, practicality, and personality, the ID.2 SUV could well become the Beetle of the EV age—an electric car for everyone, but wearing crossover clothes.

Source: Volkswagen

CONCEPT CARS

Meet the Cadillac Elevated Velocity: Luxury, Lunacy, and a Dash of Mars Rover

Cadillac has clearly decided that “normal” is a word best left to accountants, not car designers. Their latest concept, the Elevated Velocity, is what happens when you take last year’s Opulent Velocity, feed it a double shot of espresso, and tell it it’s allowed to run wild in the desert.

It’s a high-riding electric SUV, yes—but that’s like calling the Space Shuttle a “commuter vehicle.” This is Cadillac imagining a world where autonomous driving and good old-fashioned steering-wheel-wrangling can live under the same panoramic glass roof.

From the outside, it’s pure sci-fi V-Series: hulking stance, gullwing doors that open like they’re greeting alien royalty, illuminated 24-inch wheels (which Cadillac insists are “probably” going into production), and taillight fins that look like they belong on a ’59 Eldorado—if that Eldorado had been designed by Blade Runner’s art department.

Underneath? Electric. That’s all Cadillac’s saying. No range figures. No torque numbers. No rock-crawling specs. And frankly, it doesn’t matter—because this isn’t the sort of concept that talks about approach and departure angles. It’s here to make a statement, not to get muddy.

Inside, the Elevated Velocity is a mood board on wheels. Every surface is some shade of red—leather, boucle, you name it—and there isn’t a single conventional screen in sight. Instead, there’s a display in the steering wheel itself, because apparently that’s the future. Other features range from the vaguely plausible (cabin air purification, adaptive air suspension) to the outright bonkers (infrared light for “rejuvenation” and a dust-phobic vibration system that literally shakes dirt off the car). Oh, and there’s a hand-crafted polo set, because why not.

Driving modes are where things get properly wild:

  • Elevate Mode: Car drives itself, pedals and wheel vanish like a Vegas magic act.
  • Velocity Mode: You’re in charge—Cadillac trusts you not to bin it.
  • E-Velocity Mode: A more intense version for spirited on-road driving.
  • Terra Mode: For when you want to go off-road like a lunatic with a taste for champagne.

Cadillac will be showing it off on August 15 at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, which is the perfect venue for something that looks like it could double as a Bond villain’s escape pod. Will any of this actually make it into production? Hard to say. But Cadillac insists the future is electric—and if this is what they mean, that future is going to look utterly mad.

Source: Cadillac