Auto
Honda Won't Like The Horsepower On This New VW GTI
Volkswagen is turning heads with its 2026 Golf GTI Edition 50
Volkswagen has revealed the 2026 Golf GTI Edition 50—and it more than gives Honda’s Civic Type R a run for its money. The Golf GTI Edition 50 features 321 horsepower, six more than the Civic Type R and just seven less horsepower than a Golf R. This special edition Volkswagen also boasts 310 lb-ft of torque, matching the Civic Type R. While horsepower is an essential component of the Golf GTI Edition 50 and Civic Type R rivalry, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Let’s take a closer look at these two vehicles’ performance to more clearly illustrate where each model stands.
Performance spotlight: Golf GTI Edition 50 vs Civic Type R
The Golf GTI Edition 50 is Volkswagen’s fastest production Golf to date in track performance, completing the world-famous Nordschleife circuit in seven minutes and 46 seconds. However, the 2025 Civic Type R set a Nordschleife front-wheel drive (FWD) record with a lap time of seven minutes and 44.881 seconds. Honda’s Civic Type R comes standard with high-performance summer tires providing excellent grip, but they’re not the Golf GTI Edition 50’s optional full semi-slicks. The GTI’s semi-slick Bridgestone Potenza Race tires, combined with its available adapted suspension mounts, likely offer a higher ultimate grip threshold, especially in dry conditions.
This Volkswagen’s optional GTI-Performance package, which includes the Bridgestone Potenza Race tires, also comes with 19-inch Warmenau (associated with Volkswagen’s R division) forged wheels and a lightweight R-Performance exhaust system with a rear titanium silencer. The Golf GTI Edition 50 further optimizes front grip and agility with stiffer springs, making for a more track-like ride feel, while the Civic Type R’s adaptive damper system better balances daily and track driving. The Civic Type R’s broader range of adjustability could’ve been the primary factor causing it to edge out the Golf GTI Edition 50 at Nordschleife, given the track’s long, complex design.
Golf GTI Edition 50 vs GR Corolla
Toyota’s GR Corolla is right in the hot hatch mix alongside models like the Civic Type R, but it offers less horsepower and torque than its Honda and Volkswagen competitors, with 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The GR Corolla also hasn’t logged an official lap time at Nordschleife, but it offers standard AWD for those not interested in the Golf GTI Edition 50 and Civic Type R’s FWD configuration. While pricing info hasn’t yet been released for the Golf GTI Edition 50, the GR Corolla is a better bargain, starting at $40,055 compared to the Civic Type R’s $47,045 base MSRP.
Final thoughts
Production of the exclusive Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 is scheduled to begin in Wolfsburg, Germany, at the end of 2025, with deliveries starting in early 2026. While the Civic Type R has Nordschleife lap bragging rights, the Golf GTI Edition 50’s higher horsepower, near-equivalent track time, and optional performance package supply this Volkswagen with extra cachet, amplifying the models’ rivalry. The Golf GTI Edition 50 also outperformed the Golf R 20th Anniversary edition’s Nurburgring lap time of seven minutes and 47.31 seconds, Volkswagen’s previous record production pace achieved in 2022.
Ford unveiled a new Bronco model exclusively for the Chinese market. Called the Bronco New Energy, it comes as either a full battery-electric SUV or as a plug-in hybrid (with a gasoline generator). This new Bronco is boxy and four-door like a larger Bronco Sport, with a full-size spare tire mounted on a swing-out back door. It carries many rugged styling cues as seen on other Broncos (flush door handles, a squared-off body) but rides on a unibody chassis.
Under the hood of the all-electric Bronco, Ford fitted a massive 105.4 kWh battery made by BYD. On China’s testing cycle that battery is good for roughly 404 miles of range (about 650 km ). The SUV uses two electric motors (one on each axle) for all-wheel drive. Together those motors make about 232 kW (311 hp), which lets the Bronco EV cruise up to roughly 105 mph (about 170 km/h). With this setup, it can cover a lot of distance on a charge, keeping the off-road spirit alive with zero emissions.
Related: Updates: Ford Officially Reveals The 2025 F-150 Lobo
The hybrid Bronco (often called an EREV, or extended-range electric vehicle) has a smaller 43.7 kWh battery and a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that only acts as a generator. On electric power alone, it can go about 137 miles (roughly 220 km). When the gas engine kicks in to recharge the battery, the total range jumps up to around 758 miles (about 1,220 km). Combined, the electric motors and generator make about 241 horsepower. This gives the hybrid Bronco a very long driving range, since it can run in pure electric mode for daily use and switch to fuel power for long trips.
Even as an EV, this Bronco is built for the trail. It has chunky all-terrain tires and good ground clearance like a normal Bronco. The rear hatch swings out and carries a full-size spare tire, just like the classic off-road Broncos. One neat high-tech feature: a LiDAR sensor sits on the roof. This suggests Ford plans to include advanced driver-assistance systems (like emergency braking, lane keep assist, or even hands-free driving aids) in the New Energy Bronco. The top off-road trim (likely a “Badlands” version) should also add extra skid plates and off-road gear, making it ready for Chinese backroads.
Ford built this Bronco EV at its joint venture plant with Jiangling Motors in China. The company has only released teaser images and specs so far, but reports say the New Energy Bronco will go on sale in late 2025. Early price estimates are around $42,000–55,000 USD. For now, Ford has said it’s strictly a China-only model, and there’s no word on selling it elsewhere.
As of now, the Ford Bronco New Energy is only bound for China. Ford hasn’t given any timeline for a US version. In North America, every Bronco still uses a gasoline engine (Ford has promised a hybrid Bronco is coming at some point). But the Chinese Bronco EV/EREV shows what an electric or hybrid Bronco could be. It’s a big, rugged SUV with tons of range and modern tech, carrying on the Bronco’s adventurous spirit in an electric future.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is now the cheapest it has been since 2022 following a price cut, but the iconic hardcore off-roader is still a much pricier proposition than it used to be.
In two-door guise, the Wrangler Rubicon is now priced at $79,990 before on-road costs, down from $82,590.
The Rubicon four-door is now $82,990 before on-roads, down from $89,450.
However, Jeep Australia has once again rejigged the Wrangler lineup, axing the more affordable Sport S and Overland variants.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Therefore, while the Rubicons are the most affordable they’ve been since 2022, the base price of the Wrangler range is now more than $10,000 higher than in that year – and close to $20,000 higher than it was in 2021.
Jeep has repeatedly raised prices during this generation of the Wrangler, citing global supply chain issues and rises in material costs.
This trend was reversed with last year’s update, which saw the old 3.6-litre petrol V6 replaced with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four, but only the now-defunct Sport S and Overland received price cuts – the Sport S four-door’s price, for example, was slashed to $75,950 before on-roads.
Other than the addition of two new colours – ’41’, an olive green; and Mojito, a lurid lime – there are no changes to the Wrangler. The revised lineup is in showrooms this month.
Both variants are powered by the aforementioned 2.0-litre turbo four, producing 200kW of power and 400Nm of torque and mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Jeep’s Rock-Trac active on-demand four-wheel drive system is also standard, with a 4:1 low-gear ratio and a 77.2:1 crawl ratio, locking front and rear differentials, Dana solid axles and a two-speed transfer case.
All exterior finishes bar Bright White cost $1145 on the two-door and $1490 on the four-door, with the only other option being the Sky-One-Touch Power Top for the four-door. This carries a price tag of $6450.
Here’s an overview of Wrangler Rubicon pricing from 2020 to now.
| Rubicon 2-dr | Rubicon 4-dr | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $79,990 | $82,990 |
| 2024 | $83,950 | $90,450 |
| 2023 | $83,950 | $86,950 |
| 2022 | $72,550 | $78,450 |
| 2021 | $64,950 | $69,950 |
| 2020 | – | $65,450 |
All prices exclude on-road costs.
The Wrangler is one of just four models Jeep is still importing to Australia, alongside the electric Avenger and mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid Compass crossover SUVs, as well as the petrol-powered Gladiator dual-cab 4×4 ute.
Jeep pulled the plug on right-hand drive exports of the petrol and plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee large SUV earlier this year, while the electric Wagoneer S has yet to appear here. It’s expected to arrive in 2026 alongside the electric Recon off-roader, as well as a new generation of Compass.
In the first half of this year, Wrangler sales have sunk by 46.7 per cent compared with the same period last year, to just 220 units.
Jeep sales overall are down by 15.5 per cent, with major declines across most of the range offset somewhat by a bump in Grand Cherokee deliveries – likely as a result of sharp runout deals for the now-defunct SUV.
Last year, Jeep delivered 724 Wranglers in Australia, a far cry from the JL Wrangler’s zenith of 1734 sales in 2021, or the Wrangler’s all-time high of 2900 sales in 2014.
Hyundai’s Biggest SUV is Finally Electrified
Hyundai unveiled the 2026 Palisade earlier this year at the New York Auto Show, bringing the next-generation version of its flagship SUV to the US with bold new styling, more space, a dramatically improved interior, and, finally, a hybrid powertrain. While it stays rooted in gas-powered practicality for now, the addition of a turbo-hybrid option makes the Palisade more efficient than ever, with over 600 miles of range and a significant performance boost. And now, we know how much all of that will cost.
Hyundai has officially released pricing for the full 2026 Palisade lineup, and despite the host of changes, the base price has only gone up by about $1,700 over the outgoing model. Even fully loaded trims stay competitive, offering features rivaling premium SUVs at a fraction of the price.
2026 Hyundai Palisade Pricing Breakdown
Here’s a quick look at how the 2026 Palisade stacks up, price-wise. The pure combustion engine versions start at $38,935 for the base SE FWD and peak at $49,370 for the first-ever XRT PRO trim. All prices exclude the $1,495 destination charge. For reference, the 2025 Palisade currently starts at $37,200.
Pure ICE (3.5L V6)
| Trim | FWD | AWD |
|---|---|---|
|
SE |
$38,935 |
$40,935 |
|
SEL |
$41,440 |
$43,440 |
|
SEL Convenience |
$42,870 |
$44,870 |
|
SEL Premium |
$44,800 |
$46,800 |
|
Limited |
$49,270 |
$51,270 |
|
Calligraphy |
$54,060 |
$56,060 |
|
XRT PRO |
– |
$49,370 |
As expected, the electrified Palisade gets a more premium pricing, starting with the Blue SEL FWD trim at $43,660, while the top-spec, luxurious Calligraphy AWD sells for a hefty $58,280.
Hybrid (2.5L Turbo HEV)
| Trim | FWD | AWD |
|---|---|---|
|
Blue SEL |
$43,660 |
$45,660 |
|
Blue SEL Premium |
$47,020 |
$49,020 |
|
Limited |
$51,490 |
$53,490 |
|
Calligraphy |
$56,280 |
$58,280 |
More Capable, More Refined, More Efficient
The 2026 Palisade arrives at US dealerships this month, with the hybrid models going on sale this fall. Built in Ulsan, South Korea, the new-generation Palisade packs more of everything: space, tech, and capability. The new hybrid variant pairs a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with dual electric motors for 329 horsepower, 339 lb-ft of torque, and an estimated 30 mpg highway – all while sacrificing only 1,000 lbs of towing capacity compared to the gas model.
Meanwhile, the new XRT PRO trim gives the Palisade legitimate off-road cred with all-terrain tires, a lifted suspension, and drive modes for mud, sand, and snow. Inside, all trims benefit from more noise insulation, twin 12.3-inch displays, USB-C charging in all rows, and upgraded materials throughout. Optional relaxation seats even include deployable leg rests for front and second-row passengers.
Simply put, the 2026 Palisade builds on everything people liked about the old one – and fixes what they didn’t.
Indoor warmups: Brazil players slam CONMEBOL over Women’s Copa America conditions
ED conducts fresh raids at ex-Chhattisgarh CM Baghel’s home in liquor scam case against son
R Madhavan applauds Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her dominance in Hollywood; says, “Half the heroes in India would love that role” : Bollywood News
Liverpool vs Arsenal Live Streaming Premier League: When and where to watch LIV vs ARS live on TV and online | Football News
The Hindu Morning Digest: June 29, 2025
Paul Pogba joins Monaco after serving doping ban
-
Sports2 months agoLiverpool vs Arsenal Live Streaming Premier League: When and where to watch LIV vs ARS live on TV and online | Football News
-
India3 weeks agoThe Hindu Morning Digest: June 29, 2025
-
Sports3 weeks agoPaul Pogba joins Monaco after serving doping ban
-
Entertainment3 weeks agoIulia Vantur on her debut short film Echoes of Us: “I am immensely glad to enter into the acting space…” : Bollywood News
-
Sports2 months agoPBKS vs MI, IPL 2025 Qualifier 2: Punjab Kings reaches first IPL final since 2014
-
Entertainment2 months ago“The vibe on set was effortless, fun, and felt like home,” RJ Mahvash as she speaks about her debut in Pyar Paisa Profit : Bollywood News
-
Sports1 month agoRCB vs PBKS IPL 2025: How to Watch Today’s Match Live
-
Entertainment2 months agoOver 10,000 fans attend Himesh Reshammiya’s Capmania Tour in Mumbai: “I’ve waited a long time to bring something truly special to my fans” 10000 : Bollywood News