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NEW CARS

JLR Preps a Freshened Range Rover for 2026

Jaguar Land Rover doesn’t usually rush when it comes to its crown jewel, but even by Range Rover standards, this one’s been a long time coming. Four years after the fifth-generation L460 Range Rover arrived for 2022, the luxury SUV is finally lining up for its first proper facelift—and if JLR sticks to plan, it won’t arrive alone.

The update is expected to debut alongside the long-delayed all-electric Range Rover, a pairing that would mark the brand’s first entirely new model since 2022 and the most important visual refresh of its flagship in nearly half a decade.

And make no mistake: this thing matters. The Range Rover remains one of JLR’s commercial cornerstones, part of a three-model holy trinity—along with the Defender and Range Rover Sport—that accounted for a staggering 74 percent of the company’s global sales in 2025. When this truck sneezes, JLR’s balance sheet catches a cold.

A Subtle but Significant New Face

While the L460 has received incremental yearly updates—most recently with efficiency tweaks to its hybrid powertrains—it’s somehow avoided the kind of visual refresh most automakers roll out after two or three years. That streak is now over.

Spy photographers have caught a heavily disguised prototype testing near the Arctic Circle, and even through the winter camouflage, the changes are obvious. The front end gets a new headlight signature, a reshaped grille, and a revised bumper with larger air intakes, giving the already imposing Range Rover a slightly sharper, more technical look.

The rear, however, appears mostly unchanged, which tracks with JLR’s usual conservative approach to mid-cycle updates. You won’t confuse this for a new generation—but you also won’t mistake it for a carryover.

Inside, it’s another story. The entire cabin of the test vehicle was covered, strongly suggesting that JLR is planning a more meaningful interior update. Expect fresh materials, revised tech, and possibly a reworked digital interface to keep pace with increasingly tech-forward luxury rivals.

Same Muscle, Same Options

Don’t expect a powertrain shake-up. This is a facelift, not a reinvention.

The updated Range Rover will continue with its existing lineup of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid gasoline and diesel engines. At the top of the food chain, the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 remains, delivering up to 607 horsepower in SV trim—proof that even as the brand looks toward electrification, it’s not ready to give up on brute force just yet.

JLR, in its usual corporate fashion, has declined to comment on future products. But the evidence is sitting on frozen pavement in the Arctic.

One Face, Two Powertrains

Here’s where things get interesting.

JLR has previously said that the Range Rover EV would look essentially identical to its combustion-powered sibling, and that means this facelift will apply to both. In other words, the updated design language you’re seeing on those icy test mules is also what you should expect on the electric Range Rover.

Both versions—the refreshed ICE model and the fully electric EV—are now expected to debut together later this year, giving JLR a powerful one-two punch: a revitalized flagship and a zero-emissions halo car under the same familiar, ultra-luxury silhouette.

The timing, however, comes with an asterisk. Autocar previously reported that the Range Rover EV has been delayed until late 2026 at the earliest, with JLR citing the need for additional testing. That suggests today’s unveiling will be more of a reveal than a showroom rollout, with the electric model still a long way from customers’ driveways.

Still, in a luxury SUV market that’s shifting rapidly toward electrification, the message is clear: the Range Rover isn’t just getting a new face—it’s preparing for a new future.

Source: JLR

News

Volkswagen Scores EU Tariff Break for China-Made Cupra Tavascan

In a move that could reshape the trade landscape for electric vehicles in Europe, the European Union has granted Volkswagen an exemption from steep import duties on one of its China-built models. The lucky beneficiary: the Cupra Tavascan, the brand’s compact electric SUV.

The European Commission confirmed that Volkswagen Anhui’s request for the Tavascan to be sold at—or above—a suggested minimum import price has been approved. The decision spares VW the hefty 20.7 percent countervailing tariff introduced in 2024 on top of the standard 10 percent import duty. That higher tariff was originally imposed to counter what Brussels calls “unfair Chinese government subsidies” for EV and battery production.

In exchange, Volkswagen has committed to a specific import quota and pledged significant investment in European battery and EV initiatives. The agreement marks the first application of the EU’s new minimum-price mechanism, a framework designed to ease tensions over Chinese imports while safeguarding European manufacturing interests.

The timing is crucial for Volkswagen, which has poured billions into its Anhui facility where the Tavascan is produced. Previously, the tariff hit Seat and Cupra hard: operating profit for the brands plummeted 96 percent in the first nine months of 2025, down to just €16 million ($18.9 million). By lifting the countervailing duty, the EU is effectively restoring some margin room for VW, while keeping the Tavascan competitive in European showrooms.

Last year, Tavascan sales totaled 36,000 units—roughly 11 percent of Cupra’s total deliveries—demonstrating modest but meaningful traction in a crowded EV market. With the exemption, the model is expected to arrive on European roads by the end of 2024 without the tariff drag that had threatened its economics.

The move also sets a potential precedent for other automakers, including Chinese EV giants like BYD, that are seeking a larger foothold in Europe. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce indicated that local EV manufacturers are evaluating similar proposals under the EU’s new framework, hoping for parity in treatment.

For Volkswagen, the deal represents a rare win amid rising geopolitical and trade pressures, signaling that Europe is willing to balance protectionist measures with market pragmatism. For European EV buyers, it could mean more competitive prices and a clearer path for imported models, especially as automakers continue to navigate a rapidly evolving global EV market.

Source: Volkswagen

News

Kia EV2 Shines in Extreme Cold, Proving Its Winter Worthiness

Kia is quietly making a statement in the EV world with its upcoming EV2, a compact electric car that recently endured the harsh Norwegian winter as part of the annual El Prix Winter Test Drive, organized by the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF). These tests, infamous for pushing electric vehicles to their limits, measure how real-world cold-weather conditions affect range—often revealing uncomfortable truths behind WLTP numbers.

Although the EV2’s results were unofficial due to its prototype status, Kia claims the car outperformed every other entrant. The test model, equipped with a 61-kWh battery, braved temperatures ranging from a brisk −8 °C to a bone-chilling −31 °C. When the winter dust settled, the EV2 covered 310.6 km, losing 102.4 km—or roughly 25 percent—of its stated WLTP range of 413–448 km (depending on rim size). Not perfect, but still impressive given the Arctic-like conditions.

Charging in freezing conditions also went smoothly. The EV2 replenished its battery from 8 to 80 percent in just under 37 minutes, pulling 45.4 kWh of energy, with a peak charging power of 97 kW and an average of 74 kW. Kia projects that production models will charge from 10 to 80 percent in a mere 30 minutes, keeping pace with today’s fast-charging expectations.

For context, competitors struggled more. Hyundai’s Inster, rated at 360 km, shed nearly 29 percent of its range, while the larger Kia EV4 lost 204 km from its claimed 594 km. Luxury EVs fared worst: the Lucid Air, with its lofty range claims, dropped an astonishing 440 km under the same conditions.

Set to begin series production in Slovakia this July, the EV2 is shaping up as a practical, winter-ready EV for European buyers. Its performance in Norway suggests Kia is serious about delivering range reliability when the mercury drops—a critical factor as cold-weather efficiency remains a key concern for EV shoppers.

In a segment where claimed numbers often crumble under real-world scrutiny, the EV2’s winter showing is a quiet yet significant victory for Kia—and a reminder that some EVs can indeed handle the cold without leaving drivers stranded.

Source: Kia