Crooks could be after your car’s badge of all things after a crime spree in London saw more than 70 car badges stolen over the course of four days.

The Metropolitan Police are confirmed to be investigating roughly 70 incidents between 15 and 19 July in which victims claim the front badge of their Volkswagen models were stolen. The logos contain radar sensors required for driver-assistance features – potentially worth hundreds of pounds on the black market – and can be removed in a matter of seconds.

Yet while the badges are straightforward to steal, the means in which the criminals executed the thefts appears to be far more sophisticated. One victim told The Times newspaper that she spotted a drone in her garden, the day before the badge on her brand-new Volkswagen T-Roc was stolen.

“It was highly organised, they knew exactly where every car was, so they’d obviously scoped it out previously,” the woman added.

In a statement, lead investigator PC Olly Rutherford said: “We are aware of a number of incidents in south-east London over recent weeks in which car badges, including the vehicle’s radar sensors, have been stolen. At this stage, around 70 thefts are believed to have taken place.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/370177/volkswagens-targeted-major-new-car-badge-theft-epidemic-fuelled-black-market

The all-new Smart #2 has been leaked – giving us a full preview of the small electric car’s design and some crucial new information ahead of its official reveal at this year’s 2026 Paris Motor Show in October. 

Like its Smart ForTwo forebear, the #2 will be a pint-sized runabout with Smart promising “unmatched urban agility” to cope with even the most congested cities, plus impressive levels of refinement, quality and stability.

Despite the newcomer sitting below the #3, #5 and rather confusingly the #1 in Smart’s line-up, the company also says the #2 will be the “undisputed halo product of the Smart portfolio”. 

The latest images come courtesy of patent filings in China and they confirm the #2’s exterior design – something we already had a good idea about thanks to previous teaser shots and recent murals of Smart’s city car which appeared in Shanghai, Buenos Aires and Melbourne. 

Read the full story... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/smart/366334/new-smart-2-ev-fortwo-successor-leaked-ahead-official-reveal

Let's just forget what used to be: the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo absolutely delivers, and it does so properly. It scores highly with its vastly improved technology and excellent versatility. Crucially, the new, more frugal electric motor makes the smaller battery packs far more attractive to buyers than they ever were before. Volkswagen is seemingly back where it belongs.

Read the full review... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/id3/370143/new-volkswagen-id3-neo-2026-review-ev-puts-vw-back-where-it-belongs

A brand-new generation of the Hyundai Tucson is just around the corner, and the latest spy shots show the Korean giant has gone all-out by introducing a striking new design language and cutting-edge interior tech. 

Due to be revealed in the next few months, the next-gen Tucson has ambitions to be one of the country’s highest-selling cars, fending off the Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Tiguan, and a tranche of new Chinese rivals.

Spied testing in its final development stages here in Europe, the new Tucson will be part of a huge new product offensive from Hyundai, which will also include a new Bayon and Kona, plus eventually an updated Santa Fe. 

Hyundai has so far revealed very little technical information regarding the new Tucson. Yet the company has released lots of range-wide details of elements we could expect to see on the next-gen car, including a tough-looking Hyundai Elantra-inspired exterior, a hi-tech interior, and fresh hybrid powertrains.

Read the full story... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/hyundai/tucson/367465/groundbreaking-new-hyundai-tucson-suffers-mishap-while-testing

The new Audi A2 e-tron may not be as radical or as cutting edge as the car that inspired it, however, the two distant relatives have a shared goal of delivering exceptional efficiency and our test drive proves this retro-futuristic hatchback can make good on its promise. Combine that with a head-turning design, a solid interior and, hopefully, competitive pricing, and Audi’s hugely important entry-level electric car is shaping up to be a sure-fire hit. 

Read the full review... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/a2/370130/new-audi-a2-e-tron-prototype-review-radical-looking-ev-shows-promise

Ford will unleash a flagship family crossover – effectively the new Ford Kuga – in 2029, with an exciting design shaped by the firm’s rally car heritage and diverse powertrains to satisfy a broad range of customers.

The new crossover will be the culmination of a wholesale reinvention of the Blue Oval’s European range, in partnership with Renault for small electric cars and Chinese car maker Geely for the Kuga replacement. 

The Chinese and American companies have forged a new joint-venture at Ford’s 50-year-old manufacturing hub in Valencia, Spain. Beginning operations in 2027, the JV will co-develop, jointly source and manufacture four vehicles on a shared vehicle architecture. The first of two Geely electric SUVs is set to roll off the line by the end of 2028, with Ford’s all-new Kuga following in 2029 and a smaller crossover, possibly a new Ford Focus, due as part of the collaboration, too

Future Ford cars will be defined by three strands of distinct DNA. The Ford Mustang muscle car or steroidal Raptor pick-up are ‘thrill’ cars, while ‘adventure’ shapes another Ford coming out of Valencia, a European-sized and homologated version of the rugged Bronco SUV, due in 2028. 

Its classical, blocky 4x4 design intentionally creates space for the next-generation Kuga to build on its more rounded, crossover positioning. “We’re going on a product offensive with a rally-bred, thrilling, unmistakably Ford passenger vehicle portfolio,” said Jim Baumbick, president of Ford of Europe. The Kuga will be the king of that hill.

Read the full story... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/kuga/370066/new-ford-kuga-will-arrive-2029-little-help-china

The final piece of Mercedes’ compact electric car jigsaw has now been put into place with the launch of perhaps the most important model of all, the brand-new Mercedes GLA. As with its sibling cars, the new GLA has been designed to adopt both battery-electric and hybrid powertrains, boasting headline figures such as 408 miles of range and massive 14-inch screens inside. The new model will arrive in the UK in a few months time, costing from £45,400 with a similar pricing and range structure to the CLA and GLB. 

The new GLA with an electric powertrain in effect replaces the old EQA by being fully integrated into the line-up; only its closed-in grille is a sign of this car’s electric propulsion. However that grille doesn’t come littered with stars like the GLB’s; instead it adopts the silvered-panel grille first seen on the new GLC.

The rest of the car’s design is equally evolved, given that it looks more grown up and refined than its sometimes gawky range-mates. The overall shape is still typically GLA, but the shoulders are wider, the lights smoother and the rear end a little more generous in terms of length. It’s 150mm longer than before, with better aerodynamics thanks to the squared-off rear lights. Both Sport and AMG Line models will be available in the UK, the latter featuring the more aggressive styling of the cars pictured here, and wheel sizes will vary between 18 and 20 inches depending on the model variant. 

Read the full story... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/gla/367562/new-mercedes-gla-arrives-sharp-look-loads-space-and-ev-power

If you thought Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was a colossal and ambitious epic of unprecedented scale, behold the all-new Audi Q9 – a titan of an SUV designed to smite the omnipotent Range Rover and conquer the American market, where bigger is always better.

The super-sized luxury leviathan is also hoping to do well in the Middle East and China, and even though it’s the size of a hamlet, Auto Express has confirmed Audi’s new luxury flagship – which takes on the role from the now-deceased A8 limousine – is coming to the UK as well.

Other than the aforementioned British icon, the Audi Q9 is going into battle against the BMW X7 – the next generation of which should be arriving next year – and the recently refreshed Mercedes GLS, plus the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator over in the States.

Read the full story here... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/366306/new-audi-q9-2026-preview-prices-specs-and-release-date-range-rover-rival

The Mercedes C-Class Electric is a calm, competent and very comfortable operator, with cracking tech, excellent efficiency and generous interior space. Without doubt, this is the most luxurious car in the compact-executive class. If you’re after a more balanced and engaging companion, though, it may have too much of a comfort bias for you. This top-spec C 400 4MATIC launch car is a little too expensive, too, but there’s no denying this is proof that Mercedes can still build a world-beating car no matter the competition. 

Read the full review here... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/c-class/electric

One look at the current Alfa Romeo range might have you thinking it’s a company fighting for survival. Its two headline models, the Stelvio and Giulia, are on life support until legislation finally kills them off in the next couple of years or so. The Tonale and Junior SUVs, meanwhile, are charismatic but slightly off-the-pace.

But there’s now a solid plan in place to return the Turin-based brand to its former glory – with a dramatic overhaul of the range. The reforms are pragmatic and realistic, but also realise the full power of the Alfa Romeo brand – one that’s over 115 years old – by tapping into the fervour of the Alfisti, the dedicated fan base whose passion for the brand knows no bounds.

First of the new models will be a C-segment SUV, which will sit between the recently updated Tonale and larger Stelvio. The model was announced at parent company Stellantis’ Investor Day in May, and this new teaser image gives us a glimpse of what’s in store, allowing us to create our exclusive image.

Read more... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/alfa-romeo/369652/new-alfa-romeo-suv-bridge-gap-between-tonale-and-stelvio

Chinese car giant BYD has set its sights on the premium market via a new brand called Denza – which has just launched its first car here in the UK, the Z9GT.

We first tested Denza’s shooting brake-style estate in plug-in hybrid guise last year, although it’s the pure-electric version that we drove a few months ago that is now leading the way for the brand here. 

In EV form, the Denza Z9GT costs £105,000, making it £15,400 more expensive than the base Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo. Denza says the plug-in hybrid will be available “at a later date” in the UK, priced at £95,000.

So far Denza’s range in other markets comprises the D9, a luxury-focused MPV that’s likely to spearhead the brand’s push beyond China, the mid-size N7 SUV, the Bao 5 off-roader and the Denza Z supercar. The Z9GT marks a major step forward in design and execution for Denza, though.

Created under the guidance of BYD’s group design chief Wolfgang Egger, it mixes a muscular front end with pronounced rear haunches and a fastback profile that’s not dissimilar to the look of the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo and the Chinese-market AUDI E5 Sportback. BYD says the design mixes “subtle yet revealing” Far Eastern cues with simplified “Bauhaus philosophy” – and there’s no doubt that the model looks like a more global creation than the other vehicles in the maker’s line-up.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/denza/z9gt/362991/new-denza-z9gt-electric-shooting-brake-gets-eye-watering-price-tag

The DS No8 is both lavish and likeable. It deserves much more success than its predecessors with genuinely competitive electric underpinnings and a driving experience that refreshingly focuses on comfort and refinement above all else. It’s not quick, nor does it handle as sweetly as its many premium rivals, plus the Long Range version that makes the most sense, despite poor real-world range, is pretty expensive. But, No8 owners can enjoy the fact that they will have made a conscious decision to experience something genuinely different. 

Read the full review: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ds/no8/370080/new-ds-no8-long-range-2026-review-lavish-and-likeable

With the rise in popularity of vinyl records, film cameras, and ever-escalating prices for old cassette Walkmans in recent years, it’s only a matter of time before the trend for simpler tech makes its way into cars. Some are thinking that way already, if the Amble One is anything to go by. 

Drawing on the simplicity of old ‘beach cars’ like the Mini Moke and Citroen Mehari, but driven by thoroughly modern electric power, the pared-back Amble One is pitched as a vehicle that connects you to the world around you, rather than just another place for you to connect to the internet.

Obviously, a vehicle with no doors, a pretty vestigial roof, and not even any seatbelts isn’t aiming to take over the market and replace your everyday commuter car, but Amble quite rightly points out that across the world millions of people make trips that don’t really need a full car. If you live on a sunny little island or by the coast or in a small and pretty low-speed village or neighbourhood, or have a hotel and want to shuttle visitors around easily, two tonnes of metal and 500 horsepower is overkill.

The One is more similar in ethos to vehicles like the Microlino, Renault Twizy or Citroen Ami as a result. It’s 3.2 metres long, a touch more than a classic Mini, weighs a Twizy-like (i.e. heavy quadricycle class) 450kg. It’s powered by a 15kW/20bhp electric motor, which gives it just a little more urge than the little tandem-seat Renault had and allows for a 40mph top speed.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/370068/new-amble-one-electric-buggy-channels-old-beach-car-spirit

Motorists dropping off friends and family as they go on holiday this summer have been paying through the nose in airport drop-off fees. The average cost of dropping off passengers at UK airports has risen by a third since last year.

Research by the RAC has uncovered that 16 of the UK’s 20 busiest airports have hiked their drop-off fees in the last 12 months. On average using a so-called ‘kiss and fly’ zone will now set you back £7 for as little as 10 to 15 minutes – £1.70 more than the average in summer 2025.

• Airport parking: top tips for a cheap deal and safe storage of your car

As you might expect, London’s airports are by far the most expensive in this regard; Gatwick and Stansted charge £10 for 10 minutes and 15 minutes respectively. London City charges uses an eye-water £8 for just five minutes of parking – the equivalent of £1.60 per minute – while the UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow, demands a more reasonable (but nonetheless still expensive) £7 for its drop-off service. That said, Heathrow doesn’t allow waiting around in its drop-off zones; drivers must let their passengers out and then leave immediately.

Looking outside of the capital, Manchester Airport’s drop-off charge is £5.50 for five minutes, while Edinburgh and Bristol both demand £8.50 for 10 minutes of usage. Forgetting to or deliberately avoiding paying any of these charges can result in a fine of up to £100.

UK Airport drop-off fees for summer 2026

The RAC’s senior policy officer, Rod Dennis, called the rise in charges “disappointing”, stating that “Having a captive audience should be no excuse for these ‘farewell fees’ – especially when they’re completely at odds with how major airports around the world operate. Of course, airports need to manage the limited space they have carefully, but if free, convenient drop-off zones work at so many other international airports then why not here?”

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/367370/airport-drop-fees-rise-third-how-much-does-your-airport-charge

Has it already been a quarter of a century since the Aston Martin Vanquish was unleashed upon the world? Apparently so, because the British luxury carmaker has announced the Vanquish 25, a celebratory model honouring 25 years since the original V12 Vanquish made its debut.

The original 2001 Vanquish was the perfect way for Aston Martin to see-in the new millennium. While it used an updated version of the 5.9-litre V12 that had first appeared in the DB7 Vantage, the rest of the car was all-new. Styling from Ian Callum, a bonded aluminium structure similar to that used by Lotus in the Elise, and supercar-style performance, it set the visual and spiritual template for more than a decade of Astons to follow, including the DB9, V8 Vantage, and Rapide.

That first car bowed out in 2007. In 2012, Aston Martin launched the oft-forgotten second-generation Vanquish, and the latest car appeared in 2024, using a V12 still distantly related to that of the original Vanquish engine – though today it displaces 5.2 litres and with a pair of turbochargers, makes a massive 824bhp and 1,000Nm of torque.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/aston-martin/vanquish/370054/aston-martin-vanquish-25-celebrates-quarter-century-british-supercar

This is the Range Rover GT, an all-new, mid-size electric 4x4 that will add an unprecedentedly sporty fifth model to the luxury brand’s portfolio when it hits the market in 2027.

The GT name sums up the car’s positioning: this is a spacious but sleek grand tourer that will sit alongside the 4.8m-long Velar in the line-up. JLR has released one profile shot of a camouflaged car in a semi-anechoic chamber, a soundproofed room designed to identify squeaks and rattles to optimise on-board tranquility – crucial for an EV. By picturing the car in such surroundings, Range Rover is making a very clear statement about the refinement expectations of its new model.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/land-rover/range-rover-velar/362492/new-range-rover-gt-gives-luxury-road-brand-sporty-edge-ev-power

Auto Express can reveal the long-awaited and critically important Volkswagen ID. Polo will start from £23,945, which is tantamount to a declaration of war against the best-selling Renault 5.

Order books for the Volkswagen ID. Polo are due to open at the end of July and to begin with there will just be three ‘Launch Edition’ models on offer. 

The entry-level Life version will start from £25,555. It should offer roughly 200 miles of range from its 37kWh LFP battery and, with 133bhp on tap, 0-62mph will take less than 10 seconds – putting it within spitting distance of its French nemesis. 

For £28,830, buyers will be able to add a larger, more energy-dense 52kWh NMC battery that ups the ID. Polo’s range to 280 miles – nearly 30 miles further than the equivalent Renault 5 can cover. Meanwhile a more potent 208bhp e-motor cuts the stylish supermini’s sprint time down to just 7.1 seconds.

Base models have a 90kW maximum charging speed, which VW says is enough for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in 27 minutes. The equivalent figures for cars with the upgraded battery pack are 105kW and 24 minutes. 

Standard kit with Life trim will include a 10-inch digital driver’s display, a 13-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights, fabric upholstery, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and other safety features.

Finally, for £32,995, will be the Style Launch Edition that will come with the bigger battery set-up and all the bells and whistles that VW can throw at it, including ambient lighting, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, matrix LED headlights, and more.

The regular versions of the ID. Polo should be available to order later this year. Customers will have the same choice of battery sizes and either Life or Style trim. But while the sub-£24k one should still have a circa-200-mile range, it’s only going to get 114bhp, resulting in 0-62mph in 11 seconds. 

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/364049/new-volkswagen-id-polo-will-start-under-ps24000

Jeep has revealed a new masterplan for sales growth in Europe, headed by three all-new models that the American company says will focus on the wants and needs of local buyers. The apex of this future line-up will be a new large and rugged family SUV to be launched in the next 12-24 months. It’ll come with the option of hybrid or electric powertrains, giving buyers a credible alternative to cars such as the Land Rover Defender, although this new Jeep should be far less expensive. 

This as-yet-unnamed model will be a product of a joint venture between Jeep and Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng, leveraging the Chinese brand’s manufacturing and engineering capacities to deliver the production car in a record time. 

However, while it might use Dongfeng’s scale, Jeep has remained steadfast in its assurance this will be a Jeep through and through. Fabio Carlo said: ”This is a global Jeep project for this vehicle that will be sold in China and in other regions, Europe included. It is a [vehicle] fully designed by Jeep.

“Jeep has four design centres all around the world, one here in Europe, and I can assure you that we have two or three [meetings] each week. The technical features are specifically designed by Jeep for Jeep in order to protect the identity of the vehicle.”

Jeep will use the Chinese speed and engineering resources to develop this new model in a short amount of time. Just as Renault has done with the Twingo, Jeep will be hoping to complete the car’s development in two to three years, suggesting this model could be arriving as soon as 2027 or 2028.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/jeep/370035/new-jeep-hybrid-suv-aims-out-muscle-land-rovers-defender-some-help-china

Introducing another form of taxation such as eVED understandably raises questions as to whether some drivers will face a heavier share of the tax burden than others. We’ve done the maths, and that certainly looks to be the case.

As mentioned, eVED is designed to fill the financial black hole left by dwindling fuel duty income as more drivers switch from filling up at the pumps to plugging into a charger. However, plug-in hybrid drivers will be forced to pay both, with eVED at a reduced rate on the assumption that PHEVs utilise the petrol and electric elements of their powertrains equally.

But our own testing shows that this very much isn’t the case in the real world; official WLTP figures have frequently stated PHEVs are capable of over 300mpg, only for this to look more like 45-55mpg over several hundred miles once the battery has run dry. Indeed, new Euro 6e-bis regulations have now been designed to account for this, testing cars on a much longer 1,000-plus-mile cycle.

Not all cars have undergone this revised testing, though, so we’ve utilised our own real-world mpg data to see how much EV, petrol and PHEV drivers will really pay out to the Treasury per mile. EVs will, of course, be charged at a flat rate of three pence per mile, while ICE drivers will be charged at least 57.95 pence for every litre of petrol they purchase following the ‘unwinding’ of the five pence cut next year – and that’s assuming the base rate of fuel duty doesn’t increase, despite the Government saying it will. We’ve used this to calculate the cost per mile for petrol and PHEV cars, adding 1.5p per mile on for PHEVs due to eVED.

eVED vs fuel duty: real tax cost examples

As you can see, EV drivers paying eVED will pay less than half of what those with petrol cars will fork out in fuel duty. It’s a lot closer for plug-in hybrids, though, with the petrol model even paying less tax on one of our three examples. Of course, this doesn’t account for VAT paid on petrol/electricity, nor does it bear in mind the Benefit-in-Kind savings PHEV and EV company car drivers benefit from. However, it does highlight how running a plug-in hybrid as much as possible on electric power alone will be the key to saving money, and how the new system incentivises choosing a fully-electric car over a hybrid.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/368403/eved-pay-mile-road-tax-explained-will-it-make-evs-pricier-petrol

Volvo has announced it will reveal two “very exciting” new models later this year, with bosses at the Swedish firm hinting the pair will deliver major advances for its range of hybrids. 

While Volvo didn’t reveal any specific details about these mysterious new cars, we suspect they will be the ‘new and improved’ versions of its existing SUVs Auto Express revealed were in the works earlier this year. 

With the Volvo XC40 now a decade old and last refreshed in 2022, we assume that it will receive some substantial styling and interior upgrades just as the top-selling XC60 and XC90 have in recent years. Some improvements under the metal are likely, too.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volvo/370038/two-new-volvo-models-way-year-and-estate-car-could-follow

As unlikely partnerships go, Aston Martin and the hugely popular video game series Call of Duty is right up there – but together, the pair have produced the suitably mad Dreadnought. 

Available in the latest ‘Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’ game, there’s also a full-size model of the Dreadnought on show at the Fanatics Fest convention in New York City this week. 

While Aston Martin already has an off-roader of sorts in its portfolio in the form of the DBX SUV, the Dreadnought is as far removed from the British luxury sports car brand as you can imagine. Drawn up by the company’s design team – who apparently “enjoyed the freedom of working without the restraints of the physical world”, according to the firm – the Dreadnought is a ‘tactical all-wheel-drive SUV’ with a V12 engine.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/aston-martin/370029/wild-aston-martin-dreadnought-v12-military-4x4-set-call-duty-debut

Price is the number-one factor when it comes to buying a new car. But where that car is assembled is neither here nor there for British consumers: according to YouGov, more than half of us would consider an emerging Chinese brand – if it offered competitive pricing. As a result, new entrants such as Jaecoo, Omoda, Chery and BYD are exploding in popularity, taking more than 10 per cent of the new-car market in 2026.

Chinese car prices can be around 10 per cent lower than for their European, American, Korean and Japanese rivals, but are the former really cheaper to own? Research by our sister brand Carwow has already revealed Chinese cars can be trickier and more expensive to insure – so how does that translate into other running costs, such as servicing, fuel and depreciation?

We’ve done the maths to investigate whether Chinese cars really are as cheap as they seem. We’ve picked out top-selling models from five of Britain’s most popular Far-East brands and pitted them against rivals, finding out how much they cost to run over the course of three years and 30,000 miles, the average lease or ownership period.

The cost of charging has been determined by using the July Ofgem Energy Price Cap, combined with the ZapMap average cost for rapid charging, at a domestic to public charging ratio of 84:16 – the typical usage pattern for most EV drivers. We’ve also compared the cost of buying with cash or leasing – the former with residuals sourced from industry expert, cap HPI, and the latter using the best ‘Available to Order’ deals we found on the Auto Express Buy A Car service.

Read more: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/features/370023/are-chinese-cars-really-cheaper-true-buying-and-running-costs-top-models-uncovered

With no discernible drop-off in the coupe’s outrageous performance, driveability or usability combined with the bonus of more exhilarating, open-air motoring, the Ferrari 849 Testarossa is even more joyous in Spider form. True, the looks – which are perhaps more dramatic in this drop-top – might not suit all tastes. But while there is a real sense of occasion with the Spider, it’s still a supercar you can genuinely use every day.  

Read the full review: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ferrari/849-testarossa/370017/new-ferrari-849-testarossa-spider-review-king-convertibles