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Making the Case for Wood in Cars
"Do you respect wood?"
Sergiu Tudose
January 4th, 2026
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Making a Case for Wood: Did Carmakers Forget the Steering Wheel Is a Tactile Object?
By: Sergiu Tudose
I wasn’t going to write this editorial. It wasn’t even on my mind until a few days ago when I spotted a used 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet having sold at auction for just under $100,000. I immediately knew it was great value for money.
I also noticed something else. That car came with mahogany wood accents throughout the cabin, as well as a three-spoke mahogany steering wheel. The wood inserts were positioned on the upper part of the steering wheel, and on the lower half. The sides were leather.
The wood-rimmed steering wheel of a W221 Mercedes S-Class
Have you noticed how this almost never happens on a Porsche? When’s the last time you saw any 911 with wood trim, let alone a wood-trimmed steering wheel? I’m guessing for most people the answer will be “never”.
Historically, we did have early 911s from the 1960s and early 70s featuring wood-rimmed steering wheels. But it wasn’t until the 991-generation refresh that Porsche Exclusive came out with a bespoke option for contemporary models. It was among the first instances when Porsche actively promoted wood as a bespoke, high-gloss wood trim package for its flagship sports car.
Why the hesitancy? Because as a performance carmaker, Porsche obviously wants to sell you leather, microfibers and other grippy materials so that you can feel more like a race car driver when behind the wheel. I take issue with this. More on that later.
Granted, the moment I saw that 911 Turbo with the mahogany interior, I thought “well, that looks wrong”. But then, almost immediately, it looked right. The top and bottom of the rim were finished in this deep, yacht-like wood, and the sides in black leather, of course.
Back in the day, carmakers would put a lot of thought into how a steering wheel should feel, whereas now, it’s all about touch capacitive buttons and sensors and haptic feedback motors. It’s no wonder material choice became an afterthought, especially since leather is so easy to implement.
Then there’s Alcantara, carbon fiber, and various microfibers that promise grip and sportiveness, whereas wood (which can be inconsistent from a manufacturing standpoint), started getting overlooked. I also think we played a part in this, as a society. Deep down, we all want a performance car and manufacturers know this. It’s why you can find flat-bottom steering wheels and contrast stitching even in generic family cars nowadays.
So, if your no.1 secret obsession is lap times (even imaginary ones), obviously wood will start to look and feel like a liability. You assume that it’s slippery, right? Well, in my experience, that assumption is often wrong.
For the full article, please continue reading on our site.
What's Next in 2026 for Electric Cars, Trucks, and SUVs
By: Cristian Agatie
Last year, I admitted that making predictions about market trends in the automotive industry was futile, given the hectic times ahead. And yet, one year later, I can say I have been spot on, including about the uncertainties of 2025. This only encouraged me to dust off my crystal ball again and see what we should expect in 2026 and beyond.
The year that ended brought a great deal of unpredictability to the automotive industry, especially regarding electric vehicles and battery technologies. It's difficult to make predictions in such an unstable environment, when decisions are made based on vibes and whims, only to be reversed days or weeks later.
This was the case with tariffs, which threatened to grind the automotive industry to a halt. Raw materials and many individual parts and components cross the US borders several times as they are processed, manufactured, and installed in new vehicles. In this case, the final products can add tariffs at various stages of the supply chain, making everything more expensive for everyone.
Thankfully, just as suddenly as they were announced, tariffs were also scrapped or lowered to bearable amounts. They did make the business environment more difficult for companies, while raising prices for consumers. However, since everyone had to pay them, they had little effect on the market dynamics.
Tariffs weren't the only driving force that shaped the EV market, with the cancellation of the EV tax credit also high on the list. This has caused legacy carmakers to withdraw from the EV market, with scaled-back EV programs and a pivot toward hybrids.
Going into 2026, we should pay close attention to the launch of the first EREVs in the US, the Ram 1500 REV and Jeep Wagoneer EREV. There's also the launch of the Rivian R2, which was touted as the world's first AI-defined vehicle. This should help Rivian assert itself as an autonomous driving company, although it still needs to prove it is profitable by then.
Finally, it's the year when Tesla's non-combat will cause it to lose significant market share across the world. Whether it will manage to compensate in autonomous vehicles and robots remains to be seen. Whatever the case, 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year that will change the car market as we know it.
For the full article, please continue reading on our site.
2026 Hyundai Venue: America's New “Cheapest New Car”
By: Benny Kirk
I've spent enough time groaning about how the very idea of an affordable new car is effectively dead in the US. Now that the Nissan Versa has joined the Mitsubishi Mirage at the big gas station in the sky, the new cheapest new vehicle you can buy in the United States is the entry-level Hyundai Venue. For the budget-friendly among us who just have to have a new vehicle with a warranty, this is your new litmus test.
2026 Hyundai Venue
But that begs the question: Is an entry-level subcompact crossover a better choice than an efficient little sedan like the Mirage or the Versa? That's not something we can answer in just one paragraph, but it's certainly a question worth asking. Far from a newcomer on the scene, the first-generation Venue is playing out its final chapters in North America.
The Venue made its global debut nearly seven years ago at the 2019 North American International Auto Show. It shares the same platform as the now-defunct Accent sedan, and looks so mundane it could blend in with an empty field without much issue. Sold around the world from India to Oceania, China, Ukraine, and the US, the Venue is a radically different crossover, depending on where it's sold.
In North America, the Venue is conveniently slotted underneath larger, more spacious SUVs, such as the Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, and the flagship Palisade. With dimensions of 159.1 inches (4,040 mm) long and 69.7 inches (1,770 mm) wide, the Venue is surprisingly tall for how diminutive it is. That's a good thing, helping to maximize interior space while keeping proportions at a manageable level.
Visually, such a short, stout little crossover is susceptible to looking wimpy or blob-like if not styled correctly. But it's safe to say the styling lines applied to this model generation have aged gracefully. It's a stark contrast compared to the radical new styling language applied to some of Hyundai's more recent refreshes, something that becomes especially relevant in just a bit. Apart from the halogen headlights on the base trim, the Venue doesn't look stupid cheap like others do.
For the full article, please continue reading on our site.
The Most Improved Brand in 2025 in the US: KIA
By: Aurel Niculescu
In my opinion, the best-improving automotive marque active on the US automotive market last year wasn't a domestic representative from GM, FoMoCo, or Stellantis. Instead, it traveled here from South Korea. Although the final numbers aren’t available at the time of writing, I’m fairly certain that the great order of things across the US automotive market will remain the same as it was at the time of the quarterly announcements.
That means General Motors will again lead the way by a comfortable margin, thanks to its combined force of crossovers, SUVs, and especially pickup trucks, plus luxury models. Toyota Motor North America will follow in second place, with the subsidiary of the world's largest automaker and most valuable automotive company, trailing the largest US automaker, despite some improvements made during the year. Thirdly, mostly saved by the continued popularity of the Ford F-Series, the Ford Motor Company will arrive.
However, the latter is at a crossroads, with some of its most important strategy elements now being thrown away or completely reimagined. I bet a handshake and a pat on the back that in 2026, we might be in for a surprise. No, it's not Stellantis coming out from behind the Top Five – and instead, if the trend continues, we might see a new number three.
That's because both Hyundai and Kia America have done a wonderful job in fourth place throughout the year. Hyundai sold around 823k units during the first three quarters of the year, up eight percent compared to last year, and Kia is trailing them by a slight margin with 777k units and is on its way to its best sales year since entering the American market. That's no small achievement for a brand that, a couple of decades ago, was an illustrious unknown for many customers.
Also, about a decade ago, they were still regarded as nothing more than an affordable alternative to the great Asian automakers – the Japanese brands. Now they don't just compete with them, they basically threw them under the rug because Hyundai plus Kia sell better than American Honda and others. Sure, they combine their forces, but nevertheless, they were never completely separate entities.
While Hyundai is more established on the market, and it also has Genesis as its luxury brand, just like Toyota, Honda, or Nissan have Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti, I noticed Kia America has done great this year and keeps climbing the ranks as if we're dealing with a meteor shower event instead of a regular working day. Let me explain.
Note: please continue reading the full article on our site.
How Come "Vision" Is Suddenly the Car Industry's Favorite Concept Name?
By: Elena Luchian
Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6. Hyundai N Vision 74. Kia Vision Meta Turismo. Mazda Vision X-Coupe. Nope, we're not playing some sort of game calling a zillion concept cars by the same name. Automakers made the first move. So, why in the world are so many of them using the same exact word to name totally different cars and totally different visions of the future?
Dream, illusion, delusion, hallucination. What's wrong with these? Why don't carmakers use synonyms of "vision" to name the concept cars that roll out with all the bells and whistles of a production model, only to decide, months or even years later, if they send them into production or not?
Is it a lack of inspiration, as the era of AI has written off creativity, or should we suspect the automotive industry of an agreement that cancels model naming rivalry? From where we're standing, it sounds like the automakers really had no vision at all.
We turned the modern automotive history upside down and shook it a bit, so that it would drop the first concept car that bore the name "Vision," and we got as far as January 2008, when Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Vision GLK Freeside at the Detroit Auto Show, previewing the GLK crossover.
So we can credit Mercedes not only with the invention of the automobile, but also with the invention of a designation for concept cars. We all thought it would come and go, but it has been sticking with us for almost two decades, and it seems that it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Here’s the full list of “visions”, check out the article for the full details on each of them.
Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6
Mercedes-Benz Vision V
Hyundai N Vision 74
Kia Vision Meta Turismo
Mazda Vision X-Coupe
Mazda Vision X-Compact
Skoda Vision O
BMW Vision Neue Klasse
Google Maps Topped the Charts for Another Year
By: Bogdan Popa
'Tis the season to be jolly and look back at what happened in 2025. If you still had any doubts, Google Maps remained the world's number one navigation app, thanks to big updates like the Gemini integration. Waze is the runner-up, while Apple Maps, the app that makes sense mostly in America, is often considered the third choice.
The 2025 battle between Android Auto and CarPlay came down to beta features on the one hand, and a major production update on the other. CarPlay has undergone its biggest transformation in years, while Android Auto appears to be gearing up for a major refresh in 2026.
Meanwhile, if you're in the market for an Android Auto and CarPlay wireless adapter, you don't have to spend many dollars on such a device. We tested a $12 dongle, and the results were impressive. Don't hold your breath for long-term updates, but these devices do their job reasonably well.
The good news is that CarPlay will remain available for much longer in Ford cars than in GM's. Ford says it has no reason to kill off CarPlay because it wants to create the perfect symbiosis between Apple's software and its own. Be warned, this doesn't mean native apps won't eventually replace CarPlay.
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