Tag Archives: vehicles

NEW CARS

2026 DS No3

DS Automobiles knows it has a problem—and it’s called the DS 3. Once the brand’s breakout hit, the stylish little hatch has quietly slid into irrelevance, becoming the oldest and slowest-selling model in DS’s three-car lineup. Now, with sales dwindling and competition fiercer than ever, DS is preparing a reboot that leans heavily on the car that started it all—without falling into the retro trap.

According to DS design chief Thierry Métroz, the next-generation DS 3—soon to be renamed No3—will draw inspiration from the original, first-generation DS 3 of the mid-2010s. That car, remember, wasn’t just successful; it was a phenomenon. Half a million units sold, strong uptake in France and the UK, and enough visual swagger to establish DS as more than just Citroën’s fashion-forward sub-brand. That’s the magic DS wants back.

But don’t expect a nostalgia play.

“We don’t want retro design,” Métroz told Autocar at the Brussels motor show. Instead, the brief is something far trickier: take the essence of the original DS 3—its simplicity, sportiness, and visual clarity—and reinterpret it through a futuristic lens. In DS-speak, that translates to “sporty,” “hot,” and unapologetically modern.

Back to the Future, DS-Style

The first DS 3 worked because it didn’t try too hard. Its proportions were clean, its surfacing was smooth, and its details—especially those distinctive, squarish rear lights with a three-dimensional effect—were memorable without being gimmicky. Métroz clearly wants to revisit that philosophy.

“What I love looking back,” he said, “is the super-sleek, very sensible, very round design. Very simple design, no additional design feature or cladding, very clean, very pure, but very expressive.”

That last part is key. If the current DS lineup sometimes feels like it’s drowning in chrome accents and visual noise, the No3 is being positioned as a reset—a return to strong forms and confident restraint, executed with modern tech and materials. Think less decorative excess, more architectural precision.

More Than a Facelift

This won’t be a mild refresh or an evolutionary update. DS insists the No3 will be completely redesigned from today’s DS 3, and it may even move into what Métroz calls “another segment.” That echoes earlier comments from DS boss Xavier Peugeot, who suggested the car could “create its own segment”—a bold claim in a market that already feels over-segmented.

Whether that means a shift in size, stance, or outright body style remains unclear. But the message is obvious: DS doesn’t just want to fix the DS 3; it wants to redefine it.

That ambition comes at a crucial time. In markets like the UK, the DS 3 has become an also-ran, selling just 250 units last year. For a brand that trades heavily on image and exclusivity, that’s less boutique and more invisible.

Lighting the Way Forward

Visually, the No3 will align with DS’s newer models through shared design DNA—most notably the lighting signature recently introduced on the radical-looking No8 flagship. DS believes lighting is one of its strongest brand identifiers, and the No3 will carry that torch.

Still, Métroz is adamant that cohesion won’t come at the expense of individuality.

“It’s very important that the design will be iconic—something very unique, unique only for DS 3,” he said. “Different from No4 and No8, different from No7.”

That’s a tall order. The No4 and No8 already stake out very different visual territories, and the incoming No7 will likely add another layer of complexity. Making the smallest car in the range stand out—without making it look like a stylistic outlier—may be the hardest part of the project.

A High-Stakes Reinvention

DS’s challenge is clear. The brand needs the No3 to be desirable, distinctive, and emotionally resonant in a segment crowded with polished, competent rivals. Mining the success of the original DS 3 is a logical move—but success this time won’t come from clever colors and floating roofs alone.

If DS gets it right, the No3 could once again become the brand’s gateway drug: a compact hatch with real personality, premium ambition, and just enough Gallic flair to stand apart from the mainstream. Get it wrong, and it risks becoming another stylish footnote in an increasingly unforgiving market.

As Métroz himself admits, “It’s a very challenging car.” For DS, it might also be the most important one.

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

CX-6e Shows How Mazda Plans to Do EVs

Mazda has never been the brand to chase trends blindly. This is the company that kept rotary engines alive longer than common sense suggested and insisted on perfect steering feel while rivals obsessed over horsepower numbers. Which makes the new CX-6e something of a surprise: a large electric SUV that leans hard into screens, minimalism, and globalized design logic.

Unveiled at the Brussels motor show, the CX-6e marks a sharp stylistic pivot for Mazda, both inside and out. According to Jo Stenuit, Mazda’s European design boss, this SUV is meant to showcase where the company’s interiors are heading—and that future looks a lot more digital than anything currently wearing a Mazda badge.

The headline feature is a massive 26-inch infotainment screen that dominates the dashboard, accompanied by the complete removal of a traditional instrument cluster. Instead, the CX-6e relies on an enlarged head-up display to relay driving information. Add in camera-based wing mirrors, Bluetooth speakers embedded in the front headrests, and a cabin nearly devoid of physical controls, and you get the most tech-forward Mazda interior to date.

Stenuit admits that the decision to go screen-heavy didn’t originate in Europe. That call came from Japan, driven by the need for a cabin that “works globally.” Screens, after all, translate better than buttons across markets and regulations. While he personally isn’t a fan of ever-larger displays, Stenuit argues that size brings clarity—and clarity, in Mazda’s view, trumps nostalgia.

The CX-6e’s exterior design follows what Stenuit calls a “living art” philosophy, with smooth surfaces and restrained detailing. It’s sleek for an SUV, and notably lower and wider than the combustion-powered CX-60 it effectively replaces in the electric lineup. Measuring 4850 mm long, 1935 mm wide, and 1670 mm tall, the CX-6e is slightly larger in footprint but visually leaner, signaling that Mazda still cares about proportions—even when packaging batteries.

But there’s an important caveat here: the CX-6e isn’t purely a Mazda creation.

Under the skin, it’s mechanically identical to the Changan Deepal S07, built on Changan’s EPA1 platform. The two vehicles roll down the same production line in Nanjing, China, the result of a joint venture designed to accelerate EV development while keeping costs in check. Mazda has sold versions of this SUV in China and Australia under the EZ-60 name, but Europe gets a Mazda badge—and a strictly electric powertrain.

That means no plug-in hybrid option for European buyers. Instead, the CX-6e arrives with a single rear-mounted motor producing 255 horsepower, paired with a 78-kWh LFP battery. Range is quoted at up to 300 miles, which is respectable but hardly class-leading in a segment that includes the Audi Q6 E-tron, capable of stretching closer to 380 miles.

Mazda plans to launch the CX-6e in mainland Europe first, with UK sales following by the end of 2026. When it arrives, it will be one of only two electric Mazdas available in the UK, alongside the closely related 6e sedan.

Practicality is solid, if not standout. The rear cargo area offers 468 liters of space—nearly 100 liters less than the CX-60—though an 80-liter front trunk helps offset the deficit. Realistically, that frunk will mostly serve as a home for charging cables, but it’s a welcome addition nonetheless.

What the CX-6e ultimately represents is a crossroads for Mazda. It’s a vehicle shaped as much by global partnerships and market realities as by the brand’s traditional obsession with driver engagement. The interior suggests Mazda is willing to rethink long-held philosophies in the electric era, even if that means embracing the very screen-centric layouts it once resisted.

Whether that gamble pays off will depend on how well Mazda balances digital convenience with the tactile, human-focused design ethos that made enthusiasts care in the first place. The CX-6e may not feel like a classic Mazda—but it might be exactly what the brand needs to stay relevant in an increasingly electric, increasingly screen-filled world.

Source: Mazda

Restomod

Italdesign Gives the Honda NSX a History Lesson—and It Actually Works

Restomods are usually reserved for air-cooled Porsches and vintage Alfas, but Italdesign has decided to rummage through Honda’s greatest hits instead. The result is the NSX Tribute, a reimagining of the second-generation NSX that stitches together three decades of supercar heritage without tipping into cosplay.

At first glance, the strongest nod goes all the way back to 1989. The rear wears a deck-style spoiler that instantly recalls the original NSX, complete with a “floating ring” brake light that gives the whole assembly a satisfyingly architectural feel. The turn signals and reverse lights are cleverly hidden beneath the spoiler, keeping the tail clean while rewarding anyone who looks twice.

Look upward and you’ll spot another deep cut. The roof-mounted intake channels the ultra-rare 2005 NSX-R GT, the homologation special built for Japan’s Super GT championship. It’s an enthusiast reference that won’t register with casual observers—but that’s exactly the point.

The front end stays closer to the modern NSX playbook. The sharp-edged nose mirrors the final-year Type S, lending the Tribute a more aggressive, contemporary stance. Red Honda badges add a subtle Type R wink, while the headlights wear removable “eyelid” covers that echo the pop-up lamps of the original car. It’s nostalgia, but applied with restraint.

According to designer Cristiano Fracchia, the goal was to add tension and muscle without disturbing the NSX’s famously clean lines—and that balance is where the Tribute succeeds. The surfaces feel more dramatic, yet the silhouette remains unmistakably NSX.

Inside, Italdesign wisely resists the urge to reinvent the wheel. The cabin is largely carried over from the standard second-gen NSX, with bespoke upholstery tailored to buyer preference. In other words, the drama stays outside, where it belongs.

Mechanical details haven’t been confirmed, but the expectation is familiar hardware: Honda’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 paired with three electric motors, good for a combined 573 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque. In stock form, that setup launches the 1.7-ton coupe to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds—squarely in the territory of modern hybrid exotics like Ferrari’s 296 GTB.

The NSX Tribute doesn’t try to rewrite history or outgun today’s hypercars. Instead, it reminds us why the NSX mattered in the first place—and why it still does. In an era when nostalgia often feels forced, Italdesign’s take proves that a greatest-hits album can still sound fresh when the original tracks were this good.

Source: Italdesign