Tag Archives: vehicles

NEW CARS

Ceer’s Radical Crossover Breaks All the Rules

Crossover design has become an exercise in creative risk management. Most automakers either sharpen the edges and call it “rugged” or soften everything into a jellybean and hope no one notices. The result is a global fleet of tall hatchbacks that blur together in traffic, differentiated mostly by badge placement and headlight signatures.

Ceer didn’t get that memo.

Spotted testing ahead of its eventual production debut, Ceer’s upcoming crossover looks like it escaped from a design studio that locked the accountants out. This thing doesn’t just stand apart from the segment—it barely acknowledges the segment exists at all.

The first thing you notice is the windshield. Actually, “windshield” might not be the right word. This is more like a panoramic slab of glass stretching improbably far up and over the front of the vehicle, creating a dramatic wedge-shaped profile that looks closer to a concept car than a showroom-bound crossover. Ceer has already confirmed it will be the world’s largest windshield, supplied by Isoclima, a company with experience in high-end automotive glass.

Dimensions haven’t been disclosed, but the technology baked into that glass tells you this isn’t just a styling flex. The windshield uses an infrared-reflective triple-silver coating designed to reduce solar heat absorption—an essential feature for a vehicle developed in Saudi Arabia, where the sun doesn’t mess around. An acoustic interlayer helps keep road and wind noise out, while a wide color band across the top acts as a built-in sunshade. It’s dramatic, sure, but also purpose-built.

Move past the glass and the design only gets stranger—in a good way. The crossover rides on triangular wheels, a detail that suggests either a bold aerodynamic experiment or a designer who finally got tired of circles. The doors appear to be butterfly- or gullwing-style units with integrated glass panels, reinforcing the futuristic vibe and making traditional crossover doors feel instantly outdated.

Thick side skirts and black cladding ground the design visually, while the lighting elements are slim and sharply defined. Digital side mirrors—still controversial but increasingly common—add to the high-tech look. At the rear, the crossover wears an angular tail with a sculpted liftgate and a shelf-like license plate recess that looks intentionally architectural rather than decorative.

In short, this is not a vehicle designed to disappear into a mall parking lot.

Details beyond the styling remain scarce, but the backstory is anything but. Ceer was launched in 2022 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, backed by the country’s Public Investment Fund. The mission is ambitious: design, manufacture, and sell a range of vehicles—sedans and SUVs included—primarily for Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA region.

Rather than going it alone, Ceer formed a joint venture with Foxconn, best known for building iPhones, not cars. Foxconn was tasked with developing the vehicles’ electrical architecture, while BMW licensed component technology to the project. At the time, Ceer suggested its first vehicles would arrive in 2025. That timeline has slipped, but the broader plan remains intact.

Construction is underway at Ceer’s manufacturing facility in King Abdullah Economic City, and the company has continued to assemble a serious supplier list. Last year, Ceer announced a powertrain deal with Hyundai, which will supply integrated electric drive systems combining a motor, inverter, and reduction gear. More recently, the company revealed a separate agreement with Rimac Technologies for high-performance drive systems, hinting that speed—and not just sustainability—is part of the vision.

Exactly how those partnerships will translate into real-world performance remains to be seen, but the intent is clear. Ceer doesn’t want to be another regional EV startup quietly cloning established players. This crossover alone suggests the company is aiming for visual shock value first, differentiation second, and market acceptance third.

That approach is risky. Radical design can age poorly, and concept-car theatrics don’t always survive the realities of production regulations and cost targets. But it’s also refreshing. In a segment drowning in cautious conformity, Ceer’s crossover looks like a reminder that electric vehicles don’t have to be appliances—and that new players sometimes have the freedom to take risks legacy automakers won’t.

Whether Ceer can turn that ambition into a polished, competitive production vehicle is still an open question. But if nothing else, this crossover proves one thing: Saudi Arabia’s first homegrown automaker didn’t come to play it safe.

Source: Ceer; Photos: Baldauf

News

Mitsubishi Gives the Triton Street a New Face, but Keeps It Thailand-Only

Mitsubishi has quietly given the Triton pickup a new face, and like a concept car that accidentally slipped into production, it’s both intriguing and oddly limited. The catch? This redesign is reserved exclusively for the Triton Street—a Thailand-only, entry-level trim that looks like it showed up to the lineup wearing a completely different helmet.

The Triton Street is based on Mitsubishi’s Mega Cab configuration, a Goldilocks body style that splits the difference between the Single Cab and Double Cab. What really grabs your attention, though, is the front end. Mitsubishi has ditched its familiar “Dynamic Shield” design language in favor of a squared-off, high-contrast nose that wouldn’t look out of place in a Star Wars casting call. Stormtrooper chic, if you will.

The new look includes a reshaped grille, a chunkier black skid plate, and slightly reworked bumper intakes. It’s aggressive, modern, and noticeably distinct from the rest of the Triton family—almost to a fault. As this is the entry-level trim, the Street skips LED lighting in favor of halogen headlights and does without fog lights entirely. No frills, just face.

Despite the tough styling, the Triton Street is very much a pavement-first pickup. It rides at standard suspension height and rolls on 17-inch black alloy wheels that complement the monochrome vibe. Color options are limited to Solid White, Blade Silver, and Graphite Gray, each contrasted with black accents that lean into the urban theme.

Under the hood, Mitsubishi keeps things simple. Power comes from the familiar 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, producing 148 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. That’s the base-spec engine, not the more muscular 181-hp version offered elsewhere in the Triton lineup. It’s paired exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive isn’t on the menu, but Mitsubishi does include an active limited-slip differential that uses brake-based torque vectoring to help maintain traction when things get slippery.

As the most affordable Mega Cab variant, the Street’s equipment list is predictably modest. Inside, you’ll find fabric seats, a two-speaker audio system, and a trio of airbags. There’s also hill-start assist, a Forward Collision Mitigation system, and—surprisingly—a large 10-inch infotainment screen that feels generous for the price point.

Speaking of price, the Triton Street is already on sale in Thailand, starting at 649,000 baht, or about $20,700. That positions it as an accessible, style-forward option for buyers who want a midsize pickup without venturing off the beaten path.

Whether this new front-end design will spread to other Triton trims remains an open question. It could preview a broader facelift—or it could remain a Thailand-only experiment that never leaves Southeast Asia.

Introduced in 2023, the current Triton is still early in its lifecycle, but a mid-cycle refresh around 2027 would make sense. A few strategic updates—styling tweaks like this one included—could help Mitsubishi keep pace in a fiercely competitive midsize pickup segment dominated by heavy hitters such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Navara. Add the Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50, Kia Tasman, and a growing wave of Chinese contenders, and it’s clear Mitsubishi is testing ideas wherever it can.

Even if the Triton Street never leaves Thailand, its bold new face suggests Mitsubishi isn’t afraid to experiment. Now the real question is whether the rest of the lineup will be brave enough to follow.

Source: Mitsubishi

Restomod

Toyota Restomods the Land Cruiser Prado

The Land Cruiser badge still means something inside Toyota, even now that the U.S. has moved on to the new 250 Series. But Toyota isn’t ready to let the old iron fade quietly into the classifieds. Instead, it’s giving the previous-generation 150 Series—sold stateside for years as the Lexus GX—a factory-backed glow-up that feels part restoration, part restomod, and part philosophical exercise.

Dubbed Newscape, the update targets the long-running Land Cruiser Prado built between 2009 and 2023. Though production has ended, Toyota is offering a comprehensive facelift that touches both the exterior and interior, effectively giving the old SUV a second act. In some configurations, it even looks tougher than it ever did when new.

The idea debuted as a concept at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, but enthusiasm apparently convinced Toyota to put it into production. The Prado Newscape is set to make a return appearance at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon—this time with a price tag and an order sheet.

The project was developed by Toyota’s Conic Pro division in collaboration with an unlikely group of partners: The North Face, biotech firm Spiber, and Toyota’s own Corde by brand, which specializes in customizing used vehicles. The broader goal is sustainability—extending the life of older vehicles through factory-approved updates rather than pushing customers straight into new ones.

Buyers get two visual flavors. The Graphite Gray version leans into the overlanding aesthetic, with matte-black bumpers, bolt-on fender extensions, and Mango Orange accents highlighting the fog lights and rear tow hook. The Meld Grey alternative dials things back with body-colored bumpers, black trim, and Saffron Yellow detailing. Both versions come standard with a roof rack, rear ladder, mud flaps, and a fuel door stamped with The North Face logo—because collaborations demand visibility.

Seventeen-inch matte-black alloys and 265/65R17 all-terrain tires are standard across the board, giving the Prado a properly rugged stance. It’s not a mechanical overhaul, but it doesn’t pretend to be one.

Inside, the updates are subtler but more interesting. The seats are reupholstered in Brewed Protein fiber, an eco-focused material developed by Spiber, and wear The North Face branding. New Toyota floor mats round out the cabin changes, reinforcing the idea that this is a refresh, not a reinvention.

The Newscape kit goes on sale in Japan on March 7, 2026, but compatibility is limited. It’s only offered for TX-grade Prado 150 models built between September 2017 and April 2024, and only if they left the factory with black fabric seats. Gasoline and diesel engines are both supported.

Pricing starts at ¥3.96 million (about $25,300) for Graphite Gray and ¥3.85 million ($24,600) for Meld Grey, plus another ¥150,000 ($960) in miscellaneous costs. Add the roughly ¥4 million ($25,600) required to buy a used Prado in the first place, and you’re staring at a total near ¥8 million ($51,200).

That’s a tough sell when a brand-new Land Cruiser 250 starts at ¥5.2 million ($33,300) in Japan—and even the larger, more advanced Land Cruiser 300 undercuts the Newscape build on price.

Which raises an awkward question. If sustainability is the mission, does it make sense to spend more money refurbishing an older SUV than buying a new one outright? Toyota seems to think the answer is yes—at least for buyers who value preservation over progress, or who simply want to keep a familiar, well-proven Land Cruiser alive a little longer.

In that light, the Prado Newscape isn’t about logic. It’s about loyalty—and Toyota is betting that still counts for something.

Source: Toyota Conic Pro