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Ram Drops “Angry” Truck Design As It Moves Toward A More Futuristic Look

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Ralph Gilles says the next Ram will take a fresh approach to design. Maserati is pivoting into a tech-led design lab chasing ideas. SUV fatigue grows as the automaker refocuses on simpler cars. Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles is thinking well beyond the next facelift, sketching out how all 14 brands might evolve in the years ahead. His roadmap includes futuristic Ram trucks, a “complete pivot” for Maserati, and a clearer sense of identity for the group’s European marques. Focusing first on North America, Gilles offered a blunt take on today’s full-size trucks. Speaking to Car Design News , he took aim at what he sees as overly aggressive styling, calling out the “angry” and “super exaggerated” faces of new GM models and even the Tesla Cybertruck, while questioning whether buyers genuinely connect with that look. More: Ram Dealers Got A First Look At New Dakota And They Didn’t Hold Back Ram, it seems, plans to head in a different direction. The next generation, al...
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Audi Is Finally Building The SUV US Dealers Wanted, With A Rivian Surprise Coming Next

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Audi will launch the Q9 flagship SUV and A2 e-tron EV this year. The first Audi with a Rivian-sourced architecture will arrive in 2028. The brand sold 1,623,551 vehicles in 2025, including 223,032 EVs. Audi is finally stepping into a part of the market it has long circled but never fully committed to. In 2026, that changes with the arrival of the Q9 , a proper flagship SUV aimed squarely at the heavyweight class. At the other end of the lineup, the brand is also revisiting a familiar idea, confirming a new entry-level EV that brings back the A2 name. Speaking at the 2026 Annual Media Conference, CEO Gernot Dollner pointed to both arrivals as key pieces of Audi’s next move. “The new Audi Q9 strengthens our position in the US and defines the top of our portfolio. And with the A2 e-tron, we are bringing a highly efficient entry point into electric mobility to market in fall 2026, a clear statement on efficiency.” More: This Is The SUV Audi Dealers Think America’s Soccer Mo...
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Federally Mandated Impaired-Driver Surveillance Tech Faces Delay After New Findings

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NHTSA says required impaired driving detection tech still is not ready. Lawmakers ordered the rule in 2021, but regulators cite false positives. Alcohol detection and driver monitoring systems still face hurdles. 2026 is only a couple of months old, yet a federally mandated ‘kill switch’ in cars has already become a huge story, as the NHTSA is openly admitting that the technology isn’t ready for primetime. It turns out that fear over potentially stranding thousands of sober drivers was enough to force the government to push back its timeline on anti-drunk driving tech. This story traces back to at least 2021. That year, the government directed the NHTSA to create a federal safety standard requiring automakers to install technology capable of passively detecting driver impairment. Once detected, the surveillance tech would prevent the vehicle from being driven. The law initially gave the NHTSA three years to sort this out. It’s still trying to get the job done, and a...
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Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi

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Porsche is testing a disguised Audi mule for the next Macan. SUV is expected to ride on Audi Q5’s PPC combustion platform. Expect inline-fours, V6s, and the Macan’s first PHEV powertrains. Porsche ’s Macan Electric has helped bring new buyers to the brand, at least in some parts of the world, but it looks like the company isn’t done with gasoline just yet. Spy photographers have spotted what appears to be an Audi Q5 test vehicle that might actually be hiding something far more interesting. Underneath that familiar body is the next combustion-powered Macan. At a glance the prototype looks like a normal Q5 , but a closer look reveals a few suspicious details. The SUV rides slightly higher than usual and wears noticeably wider arches that appear hastily attached to cover a broader track. Related: Porsche Profit Crash Suddenly Makes A New Sports Car Above The 911 Likely Your first thought might be to wonder what kind of mutant RS-Allroad Audi is cooking up for the Q5 lineu...
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Subaru’s WRX STI Hatch Is Back On Track, Just Not On The Street

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Subaru debuted the track-only HiPerfX2 hatchback racecar in Japan. It replaces the WRX-based sedan previously used in Super Taikyu. This “rolling lab” could preview a production STI hatch for 2027. Subaru enthusiasts have been waiting a long time for the return of a proper WRX STI hatchback. The last one disappeared in 2014 when the third-generation model bowed out, leaving the lineup without a hot five-door ever since. Today’s WRX range sticks to sedans and wagons, but Subaru might finally be edging back toward the idea, even if the first step happens on a racetrack. The strongest hint yet comes in the form of the Subaru High Performance X Version II, or HiPerfX2. It will run in the ST-Q class of Japan’s 2026 Super Taikyu Series, effectively taking over from the WRX-based sedan that Subaru campaigned during the 2024 season. More:  Subaru Says STI Is “Not Dead”, But Its Boxer May Be The track-only machine made its public debut at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon. It buil...
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