The Auto World

BMW’s new iX3 returns to simpler, more timeless styling. Neue Klasse design favors long-term appeal and clarity. Company will still offer expressive models alongside the shift. BMW has taken its fair share of hits over the years for its design choices, sometimes deserved, often divisive. The critique has been relentless, especially as its signature styling veered further from the restrained elegance of earlier decades. But things are shifting. As the brand enters its Neue Klasse era, it’s leading with a second-generation iX3 that still stands out, but this time in a way that seems to be turning fewer stomachs. Also: BMW Turns Down The Design Drama And Turns Up Its Love For Sedans And Wagons The iX3 maintains a distinctive silhouette, yet manages to sidestep the more polarizing traits seen elsewhere in the lineup. Its look remains recognizably BMW, but with a sharper eye for proportion and detail. However, the Neue Klasse philosophy doesn’t mean BMW is abandoning its s...

Audi is recalling 27,768 cars over a rear seat belt defect. Seat belts may not lock properly when securing a child seat. Problem traced to damage during belt retractor production. Audi is recalling nearly 28,000 vehicles from the 2025 model year due to a seat belt issue that could compromise child safety. The problem centers on how the belts interact with car seats, and it puts the affected vehicles out of compliance with federal safety regulations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall impacts the A5, S5, A6, A6 Sportback e-tron, S6 Sportback e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q6 Sportback e-tron, SQ6 e-tron, and SQ6 Sportback e-tron . Review: The 2026 Audi S5 Sedan Is Better Than Ever, But One Detail Spoils It That’s quite an assortment of vehicles and the issue they share is rooted in the rear seat belts. According to regulators, the “automatic locking retractor may fail to engage when a child seat is installed using the seat belt.” Audi di...

Stellantis filed a patent for an adjustable sloped truck bed cover. The cover can rise at an angle to improve aerodynamic efficiency. Internal panels reposition to reshape the cover while driving. In the endless quest to make trucks sleeker, smarter, and somehow still trucks, Stellantis is experimenting with a clever new tonneau cover that aims to blend the practicality of conventional designs with the aerodynamic benefits of a sloped, fastback-style cover, something in the vein of what Tesla’s Cybertruck already offers. The company filed a patent for the design with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on December 25. The filing includes diagrams and a detailed description of the system, which looks markedly different from anything we’ve currently seen on the market. Also: Ford F-150 With Mustang Mach 1-Inspired Fastback Bed Cap Just Looks Weird Most of the time, the tonneau cover is positioned flat across the bed of a pickup truck, functioning like any stan...

Illinois warns about scam texts claiming unpaid tolls or tickets. State says it never texts about license or registration issues. Drivers are urged not to click links or share any personal info. Scammers are constantly on the hunt for new angles, and they rarely take a holiday. Now, one tactic has grown so aggressive that Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is calling it out publicly, issuing a warning that extends far beyond his state lines. Every day, citizens are getting texts about traffic violations and unpaid tolls . According to Giannoulias, those texts are almost certainly phishing attempts designed to get good citizens to fork over cash to bad guys. More: Car Flipping Scam Promised Riches Then Left A $57M Disaster Behind The fraudulent texts in question typically warn drivers that their vehicle registration or driving privileges are at immediate risk of suspension unless payment is made right away. To heighten the pressure, the messages often includ...

Ford is leading resistance to a Senate hearing on vehicle affordability. Ted Cruz insists Detroit CEOs will testify despite scheduling objections. Tesla was invited with a VP, fueling claims of unequal treatment. As we recently reported, Senator Ted Cruz invited the heads of America’s “Big Three” automakers to Congress. He wants them to testify at a hearing about automobile affordability in the States on January 14. There are a couple of issues with that. First, it’s happening during the week of the Detroit Auto Show . Maybe more importantly, Cruz invited Tesla’s VP of engineering instead of the brand’s CEO, Elon Musk. Those factors appear to be the main reasons that Ford looks poised to skip the hearing, and GM and Stellantis might follow that lead. When Cruz announced the hearing and his invitations to Jim Farley, Mary Barra, and Antonio Filosa, it was big news. If they all attend, it’ll be the first time that the CEOs of America’s Big Three automakers all appear bef...

Karma just ended Revero production after eight years on sale. Gyesera keeps the same aluminum spaceframe and EREV setup. Company is taking $5,000 deposits with no firm delivery date. The Fisker Karma made its debut all the way back in 2011 as a strikingly unconventional sports sedan, combining exotic design with an electrified powertrain long before it was common. Fourteen years later, the last version of its successor, the Karma Revero, has quietly rolled off the production line. Even so, the design isn’t fading away just yet. That familiar low-slung shape will return, reshaped and repackaged under a new name. More: Henrik Fisker’s Old Company Reveals Amaris Coupe With Swan Doors And A Turbocharged EREV Just days ago, Karma Automotive shared images of the final Revero on its official social media channels. The 5,065 mm (199.4-inch) long sedan was shown inside the company’s facility, finished in green with a beige and black cabin. It’s unclear whether this specific ca...