MotorIllustrated

10/20/2026

Mazda is keeping the CX-70 in Canada for 2027 while dropping the two-row SUV from its U.S. lineup. American buyers will be steered to two- and three-row CX-90s, while Canadian CX-70 sales jumped 25% in September to 510 units.

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10/20/2026

Three years in, Jeep's Avenger has passed 300,000 sales, with 60% of buyers choosing one of three electrified powertrains. Absent from North America, the subcompact SUV is Italy's best-selling SUV and has made Stellantis Europe's hybrid leader.

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10/20/2026

The European Parliament could soon vote to relax auto emissions rules. Chinese automakers are winning on Europe's home turf while European brands bleed sales in China — so the EU's Auto Package aims to cut development costs and let automakers build what customers actually want.

10/20/2026

Toyota, Honda and Nissan are treating frontier AI as a genuine vehicle hacking threat. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association says advanced AI models can now expose weaknesses in car software — and it's already talking countermeasures.

10/20/2026

Polestar and Oxford's SDG Impact Lab wired 12 drivers with heart-rate monitors and eye trackers, then turned them loose at Sweden's Gotland Ring in both Polestar 4 variants. The verdict from behind the wheel: a controlled roller coaster.
https://motorillustrated.com/polestar-4-oxford-study-controlled-roller-coaster/199492/

Performance pack Polestar 4 posted 32% higher peak acceleration on matched fast laps. It required 15% less steering effort than the Rear motor at virtually identical pace. Drivers rated it 89.2 out of 100 for performance, versus 67.7. Polestar and researchers from the University of Oxford’s SDG Im...

10/20/2026

Mercedes-Benz Canada's electric GLC isn't shy: 483 hp, 590 lb-ft, 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, and 330 kW fast charging on an 800-volt architecture. The 2027 GLC 400 4MATIC Electric starts at $84,491.

https://motorillustrated.com/2027-mercedes-benz-glc-400-electric-starts-at-84491/199488/

The 2027 GLC 400 4MATIC Electric provides solid 590 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes-Benz estimates a maximum driving range of 563 km. Three optional packages cost $2,500, $5,800 and $8,500, plus tax. Mercedes-Benz Canada has set the 2027 GLC 400 4MATIC Electric SUV’s selling price at $84,491. The vehicl...

10/20/2026

Lexus isn’t calling it a new generation, but the 2027 NX arrives with new powertrains, a new cabin and a new chassis under familiar sheetmetal. We drove it — there is much more than meets the eye.
https://motorillustrated.com/2027-lexus-nx-first-drive-review-there-is-much-more-than-meets-the-eye/199266/

10/19/2026

724 km of range. BMW just raised its target for the iX5 60 xDrive — 450 miles EPA, about 24 km more than the previous estimate. Sixth-generation battery tech is doing the heavy lifting.
https://motorillustrated.com/bmw-ix5-now-targets-724-km-of-range-ahead-of-2027-launch/199475/

BMW has raised its range estimate for the electric X5, although the official EPA rating is still pending. The BMW iX5 60 xDrive now targets approximately 724 km of EPA range, up from 700 km. Its 144-kWh battery is the largest fitted to a BMW production vehicle, according to InsideEVs. BMW quotes a 1...

10/19/2026

Honda is reportedly cooking up a second shot at the Crosstour formula: a lifted wagon variant riding in with the next Accord around mid-2029, powered by Honda's next-generation hybrid system. Nothing's confirmed, but the timing would pair it directly with the next Accord sedan.
https://motorillustrated.com/honda-crosstour-part-ii-next-accord-could-gain-wagon-style-variant/199469/

Honda has not confirmed a lifted wagon-style Accord. The model is reportedly expected around mid-2029. A next-generation Honda hybrid system is among the powertrain possibilities. Honda may be preparing a second attempt at a more utility-focused Accord or a reimagined Crosstour. A lifted wagon is re...

10/19/2026

Subaru is done borrowing Toyota's playbook. Its first in-house EV prototype rides a dedicated platform with Panasonic cells and Aisin motors, previewing production tech due around 2029.

https://motorillustrated.com/subarus-first-in-house-ev-prototype-previews-2029-technology-and-split-with-toyota/199457/

Subaru plans to introduce technologies from its in-house EV programme within three years. The prototype uses 380-kW all-wheel drive with a battery energy density roughly 20% above average. Subaru aims to reach 1.2 million annual global deliveries in the early 2030s. Subaru is developing its own EVs,...