Tag Archives: vehicles

News

BMW’s Slow-and-Steady Approach to Self-Driving Tech Is Very On-Brand

BMW has spent decades hammering home its “ultimate driving machine” mantra, and despite the industry’s headlong rush toward autonomy, the company isn’t about to abandon that identity—or its caution. While rivals scramble to one-up each other with increasingly ambitious driver-assistance features, BMW is content to treat automation as a long-distance race rather than a drag sprint. The goal, it insists, isn’t to be first. It’s to be right.

That philosophy was on full display in a recent interview with CarExpert, where Falk Schubert, an advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) engineer working on the upcoming BMW iX3, made one thing clear: BMW will not trade safety for bragging rights. Even if a competitor launches a flashier feature first, Munich isn’t interested unless the system is fully vetted.

“We want to be safe,” Schubert said. “Because the thing is, if you go too easy on features and then have one critical accident, that is not something that BMW wants and stands for.” In other words, BMW would rather arrive late than explain why a half-baked system went wrong.

For now, the company’s focus is squarely on its Highway, or Motorway, Assistant. In the new iX3, the system allows hands-free driving at speeds of up to 81 mph (130 km/h). Before you get too comfortable, though, this is still very much a Level 2 setup. Drivers must remain attentive and ready to take over at a moment’s notice. BMW isn’t interested in pretending otherwise.

Automatic lane changes are also part of the package, but—again—BMW applies the brakes on overpromising. The system will suggest a lane change, and the driver can approve it simply by looking into the side mirror. No suggestion, no maneuver. It’s assistive, not assertive.

In urban environments, the iX3’s City Assistant takes over some of the mental load. The system can detect traffic lights, bring the vehicle to a stop at red, and pull away when the light turns green. There’s a catch, of course. If the camera beneath the rearview mirror decides you’re not paying attention, the car stays put. BMW’s internal designation for this setup is “NA5,” and it embodies the company’s broader stance: the car will help, but it won’t babysit a distracted driver.

Geographically, BMW is also rolling things out conservatively. The new Highway and City Assistants will initially launch in select European markets, including Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and several neighboring countries. The U.S. is expected to receive the technology at launch next summer, with wider availability planned later. BMW reportedly intends to keep the iX3 in production until late 2034, giving it plenty of runway to refine and expand its driver-assistance suite.

In an era where autonomy hype often outpaces reality, BMW’s approach may seem restrained—almost stubbornly so. But for a brand that still wants drivers to feel engaged rather than replaced, slow and careful might just be the most BMW move of all.

Source: CarExpert

News

Next-Gen BMW X5 (G65) Spotted Near HQ, Signals a Big Neue Klasse Shift

BMW isn’t exactly being subtle about what comes next. A heavily camouflaged prototype of the fifth-generation BMW X5, internal code G65, has been spotted testing near Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey—just minutes from BMW’s North American headquarters. Given how busy BMW’s test fleet has been lately, the timing feels deliberate. In the past few days alone, spy photographers have caught everything from an electric M3 charging at the Nürburgring to this next-gen X5 circulating close to home base.

Even beneath the swirled camouflage, the G65 X5’s design direction is clear. The front end unmistakably channels BMW’s Neue Klasse design language, closely mirroring what we’ve already seen on the upcoming iX3. It’s a cleaner, more architectural look, and—depending on your tolerance for recent BMW styling—a welcome reset.

The kidney grille is a key tell. The G65 adopts a retro-inspired, vertical kidney design tailored specifically for SUVs. BMW has already confirmed that horizontal kidney treatments will be reserved for lower, non-SUV models like the upcoming i3 sedan, where the grille and headlights visually merge in a way that recalls the Vision Neue Klasse concept. Larger vehicles such as the X5, X7, and 7 Series will keep more pronounced grille elements, though with far more restraint than today’s designs.

From the side, the G65 doesn’t look revolutionary at first glance—but the details tell a different story. Traditional door handles are gone. In their place are small winglet-style tabs integrated into the beltline, similar to what BMW previewed on the Skytop and Speedtop concepts. The implication is hard to miss: electrically operated doors.

It’s a subtle change, but an important one. This approach fits neatly with BMW’s push for smoother surfacing and better aerodynamics, and it shows how deeply Neue Klasse philosophy is influencing even BMW’s most mainstream, high-volume SUVs.

Out back, the camouflage offers a clearer look at the lighting signature. The taillights are wider and nearly meet at the center of the tailgate, interrupted only by a revised BMW roundel similar to the one debuting on the iX3. At the outer edges, the lights feature inverted V-shaped elements that evoke mountain ridgelines—an on-the-nose but effective SUV motif. A sporty roof spoiler with vertical fins peeks out above, hinting at a more performance-oriented stance across the lineup.

There’s also a black horizontal strip running across the tailgate, which is likely doing some visual misdirection. All signs point to BMW ditching the X5’s split-opening rear hatch for the G65, and this trim piece may be helping disguise that change on test mules.

Production of the G65 X5 isn’t scheduled to begin until October 2026, with a full reveal expected sometime in spring or summer of that year. When it arrives, it will be one of the most technically diverse vehicles BMW has ever built. For the first time, the X5 will be offered with five different drivetrains:

  • Gasoline
  • Diesel
  • Plug-in hybrid
  • Battery-electric (iX5)
  • Hydrogen fuel cell (iX5 Hydrogen)

The hydrogen variant, co-developed with Toyota, has already been teased by BMW and is expected to reach customers around 2028. It may wear the name iX5 60H xDrive, though that designation hasn’t been officially confirmed.

BMW M will also have a major presence in the G65 lineup. The full-fat X5 M is expected to retain its V-8 engine—at least in non-EU markets—while an all-electric X5 M remains in development for later in the decade.

On the M Performance side, three variants are rumored to be in the pipeline:

  • X5 M60e (plug-in hybrid)
  • X5 M60 (gasoline V-8)
  • iX5 M70 xDrive (fully electric)

Before the performance models arrive, BMW will roll out the G65 with more familiar offerings, including 40 xDrive gasoline and 40d xDrive diesel variants when production begins in October 2026. The plug-in hybrid is expected to follow shortly after.

If this prototype is any indication, the next-generation X5 won’t just be an evolution of BMW’s bestselling SUV—it’ll be a rolling manifesto for where the brand is headed next.

Source: BMW Blog; Photo: Greg Saperstein

News

Renault Pulls the Plug on Mobilize Duo, Signaling a Reality Check for Urban EV Experiments

Renault’s vision of the electric city car has taken another sharp turn into the cul-de-sac. Before the Mobilize Duo even had a chance to set tyre tracks on UK roads, the French manufacturer has quietly but decisively killed it off, citing “limited profitability prospects.” Production is ending, the Mobilize Beyond Automotive division is being dismantled, and what was once positioned as the future of Renault Group’s urban mobility strategy has been folded back into the corporate archive.

On paper, the Duo should have been a logical successor to the Renault Twizy, a vehicle that—while never mainstream—became an instantly recognisable symbol of compact electric mobility. The Duo was cleaner in concept, more refined in execution, and designed for a world increasingly shaped by congestion charges, low-emission zones, and app-based everything. In reality, it has become the latest example of how difficult it is to turn clever urban mobility ideas into sustainable businesses.

The Duo wasn’t just another niche EV. It was meant to be the flagship product of Mobilize, a sub-brand launched in 2021 with ambitions that extended far beyond selling cars. Mobilize was Renault Group’s attempt to redefine itself as a provider of “everything beyond automotive”—a catch-all vision that included charging infrastructure, car-sharing schemes, subscription-based vehicle access, servicing ecosystems, and even vehicle remanufacturing.

At its most optimistic, Renault expected Mobilize to generate as much as 30 percent of total group turnover by 2030. That figure alone underlined how central the initiative was to the company’s long-term thinking.

The Duo—and its small van sibling, the Bento—were designed specifically to serve that strategy. These were not cars aimed at private ownership in the traditional sense. Instead, they were conceived primarily for short-term use, urban fleets, and app-driven subscriptions. Think city hopping, last-mile delivery, and shared mobility rather than driveways and finance deals.

Launched last year, the Duo was slated to arrive in the UK in early 2025. That timeline has now been rendered irrelevant. Renault has confirmed it is shuttering Mobilize Beyond Automotive entirely, bringing Duo production to a halt in the process.

The official explanation is telling in both tone and substance. Renault says certain Mobilize activities are being discontinued “either because they have limited profitability prospects or because they do not directly serve the Group’s strategic priorities.” Translated from corporate speak, the numbers didn’t add up, and the strategic moment has passed.

The fallout extends beyond the Duo itself. Renault will also wind down its Zity car-sharing operation in Milan, further underlining a retreat from direct involvement in city-based mobility services. Mobilize Beyond Automotive, as a standalone entity, no longer exists. According to Renault Group, it has “fulfilled its role as an incubator and innovation driver,” helping the company explore new territories, identify viable opportunities, and—crucially—abandon those that didn’t justify further investment.

Not everything carrying the Mobilize badge is disappearing. The name will live on within Renault Group’s financial services, while charging-related operations—such as the Mobilize Charge Pass, the fast-charging network, and vehicle-to-grid functionality—will be absorbed back into the core business. These are areas with clearer revenue models and more obvious synergies with Renault’s expanding EV lineup.

There is, however, a human cost. Reuters reports that around 80 jobs will be cut from the 450 roles associated with Mobilize Beyond Automotive. It’s a relatively small number in the context of a global automaker, but it underscores the abruptness of the strategic pivot.

The timing is also significant. Mobilize was a cornerstone of former CEO Luca de Meo’s ambitious “Renaulution” turnaround plan, which aimed to transform Renault from a volume-focused manufacturer into a leaner, more profitable, and more brand-driven group. With that transformation largely complete, new CEO François Provost is clearly reshaping priorities ahead of a fresh strategic plan due in the first quarter of 2026.

Seen through that lens, the demise of the Duo feels less like a failure and more like a recalibration. Urban mobility remains a challenge worth solving, but the economics are brutal. Low margins, high operational complexity, regulatory fragmentation, and uncertain consumer behaviour have tripped up even the most well-funded experiments across the industry.

The Mobilize Duo will likely be remembered as a smart idea that arrived at the wrong moment—or perhaps one that asked the market to change faster than it was willing to. For Renault, the lesson appears to be clear: innovation is valuable, but only when it aligns cleanly with profitability and scale. For everyone else watching the urban EV space, the message is sharper still—cool concepts alone won’t keep the lights on.

Source: Renault