The Mazda6e Redefines How an EV Should Drive

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By: Sergiu Tudose

The all-new 2025 Mazda6e may not be the quickest EV I’ve ever driven, nor the most advanced on paper, but it’s easily the most harmonious and I haven't been this impressed with a reasonably priced car in a very long time.

First things first. This isn’t a Mazda6 per se, even though that’s the name they chose for it, at least as far as the European market variant is concerned. This is in fact the Mazda EZ-6, manufactured in China by the Changan-Mazda joint venture using the already-mature Changan EPA1 platform.

Having said that, the Mazda EZ-6 is 100% worthy of the Mazda6 moniker because of the way it drives. To me, this is the world's first electric vehicle that genuinely drives like a Mazda. It feels sporty, yet balanced, and comfortable at the same time.

Originally introduced at the Beijing Auto Show in April of 2024, the Mazda6e first went on sale in the middle of that same year as both a BEV and an EREV, although the European market is only getting the pure EV version. We should also note that because of tariffs, the Mazda6e will not be coming to the United States. At least not yet, and trust me when I say that Elon Musk will be breathing a sigh of relief on this one. He definitely does not want the Model 3 to go up against the Mazda6e in his home market.

Even though the all-new Mazda6e is manufactured in China, its development is the result of a joint effort between teams at Changan-Mazda's Nanjing R&D center, Mazda’s own HQ in Hiroshima, Japan, and Mazda Europe. You can tell this car has been very well thought out, from the modern, low-drag design language to the way it handles and the way it makes you feel just from sitting in it.

The Mazda6e was designed under a concept called “Electrifying Design Crafted to Perfection” (an evolution of the Kodo design philosophy): smooth, flowing lines, a low roofline, short-deck coupe silhouette, frameless doors, integrated door handles, a large grille (that doesn’t offend) and an all-round modern, refined presence.

It also happens to be a five-door hatchback, which means it’s extremely practical. The rear end styling isn’t its strongest selling point, but the profile and the front end are both stunning. People kept turning around to take a closer look at it, which is always a great sign for any new car.

Note: please continue reading the full review on our site.

By: Cristian Curmei

ALSO, born under the Rivian umbrella, is a brand aimed at nothing other than the urban mobility side of things, and for a while, we've been teased about what was to come. A couple of days ago, we finally received what we've been waiting for.

That something is the TM-B, an e-bike design that breaks the mold in so many ways that if you ever saw one riding down the street, you may feel as though you're part of some sci-fi flick, and frankly, I wouldn't blame you.

One of the most important sides of the story is that the frame is a modular one, and as such, can take the shape of several bicycles, all with a particular purpose. Topframes are to be attached to the top of the frame, hence their name, and right above that blocky central construction where we also see the BB, motor, and battery pack; it's all an all-inclusive system.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Cristian Agatie

Tesla confirmed during the third-quarter earnings call that vehicle manufacturing is no longer its priority. The company refused to discuss future vehicle plans, with the notable exception of the Cybercab, which is not even a car. Although investors prepared questions about a compact EV sharing the platform with the Cybercab, Tesla executives declined to even read them, saying that they don't discuss future products.

And yet, Elon Musk and other Tesla executives waxed lyrical about other future products, starting with the said Cybercab. Other future products discussed during the conference included Tesla's Unsupervised FSD, the Optimus robot, and the AI5 Autopilot chips. This suggests that Musk doesn't want to discuss new vehicle models, or that he simply doesn't care.

This might explain why Tesla never replaced its core models, instead offering only mild refreshes. After launching the failed Cybertruck in 2023, Tesla abandoned work on new models, although it still teases us with the Roadster from time to time. Instead, it stripped many features from the Model 3 and Model Y and labeled them "Standard," in a bid to make us believe they are new models.

Although the Model Y Standard features different headlights, it remains largely the same car as the one unveiled in March 2019. It lacks many features that are appreciated on the refreshed Model Y, and it's now offered at $39,990, $5,000 cheaper than the next "Premium" trim, the LR RWD.

This means that the Standard models, and especially the Model Y Standard, could be dead on arrival. It's too early to assess its success, but the fact that Tesla has already cut the APR for financing the Model Y Standard to 3.99% (from 5.14%) suggests that it's not selling very well.

Many carmakers cut the prices and offer discounts on their most popular EVs, with a sweet spot crystallized around $35,000. We've found nine cheaper alternatives to the Model Y Standard that could force Tesla to kill it, as it did with the stripped-down Cybertruck RWD. Not all are worthy competitors feature-wise, but some are, and at even more affordable prices.

Note: for the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Mircea Panait

The ubiquitous pickup truck comes in quite a few distinct flavors. Over in the United States of America, the crew cab is – hands down – the best-selling flavor of light-duty pickup truck due to its sheer versatility.

On the one hand, the five-seat layout means that you can accommodate your kids or friends in the back, where you'll find seating for three. As for the bed, securing your cargo with a tonneau cover is a must for those who use crew cabs as family cars.

Due to their body-on-frame construction, said truck genre is adequately good at hauling and towing. For go-anywhere capability, just add four-wheel drive and the right kind of rubber boots to the mix.

Single-cab trucks

Also marketed as Regular Cab by the Ford Motor Company and General Motors, single-cab trucks come with seating for either two or three people.

The latter configuration implies a 40/20/40 split-bench seat, with the middle seat being a little tight for most adults. For model year 2025, the Detroit Big Three all offer 40/20/40 split-bench seats for their light-duty trucks. Unfortunately, the Ram 1500 is not available as a single cab. As such, the only three-peep single cabs available to configure as of this writing are the F-150 Regular Cab, Silverado 1500 Regular Cab, and the technically similar Sierra 1500 Regular Cab from GMC.

When it comes to combinations, the F-150 Regular Cab is exclusive to the work-oriented XL grade. Starting at 38,710 dollars, the most affordable F-Series available for 2025 can be had with two bed lengths. The options are 6.5 or 8 feet, with the longer box coming standard. The 6.5-feet bed, on the other hand, adds $1,360 to the final price of the vehicle.

Moving on to General Motors, the single cab is limited to the Silverado 1500 WT and Sierra 1500 Pro grades. Just like Ford, prospective customers are presented with two bed lengths for this cabin style. Standard Bed stands for a 79.44-inch box length. The online configurator lists the Long Bed with 98.18 inches. But in stark contrast to Dearborn's favorite son, Chevrolet asks more for the Regular Cab Long Bed (from $39,195) rather than the Regular Cab Standard Bed (from $38,995). The GMC build & price tool also shows a $200 premium for the Long Bed.

With the Maverick and Santa Cruz being crew cabs by default, we have to touch upon the slow death of the single-cab mid-size pickup. There is no such thing in the United States of America, partly due to the higher payload and towing ratings of single-cab midsizers and partly due to falling demand. Be that as it may, this species is sufficiently popular in other parts of the world.

Extended-cab trucks

What does extended imply in the context of an extended cabin? Obviously enough, it's the next step up from the single cab. For most adults, rear-seat legroom is not merely enough because extended-cab trucks feature smaller wheelbases than crew cabs.

As far as terminology is concerned, the extended cab is known under many names, including Super Cab, Double Cab, Quad Cab, King Cab, Access Cab, and so forth. Adding to the confusion, Double Cab is what Ford Thailand calls the largest cabin available for the Ranger, with said cab style referred to as SuperCrew in the US of A.

Extended cabs feature either front- or rear-hinged doors. The Frontier King Cab is the perfect example in regard to rear-hinged doors, while Ford's F-150 Super Cab, GM's Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 Double Cab, Ram's 1500 Quad Cab, and Toyota's Tundra Double Cab feature conventional doors.

For all other cab types and much more info, please continue reading on our site.

By: Mircea Panait

After revealing the completely redesigned iX3, BMW has recently started real-world testing of the heavily anticipated iX3 M. Although current prototypes don't reveal much, we can see that BMW has worked its magic on the aerodynamic qualities of the full-electric sport utility vehicle. A vented frunk lid may be on the menu as well.

Spied with different hues for the underwhelming front and rear brake calipers, the iX3 M is a bit of a mystery when it comes to maximum output numbers. From the battery pack's net capacity to how many electric drive units and their combined horsepower figure, plenty of things remain a mystery at press time. Nevertheless, the iX3 M will make the X3 M Competition look slow from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph).

Spied lapping the Nurburgring in anger, the Mustang GTD prepares for yet another go-faster update. On this occasion, Ford intends to better the most expensive series-production Mustang ever to lay down a faster lap than GM's ridiculously powerful Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

With a vehicle dynamics engineer at the wheel, the 1,064-hp sports car needed 6 minutes and 50 seconds to lap the 20,832-meter Nordschleife. That's a couple of seconds better than Ford's weapon of choice, and those seconds can be shaved off easily through aero-enhancing mods. Beyond the additional downforce, chances are that Ford will also remap the  5.2-liter Predator supercharged V8.

Jaguar has been caught doing its thing at the Ring as well, but as opposed to a full-on track monster that can also wear license plates, the full-electric Type 00 doesn't have such big ambitions from the standpoint of performance. Gifted with a tiny rear hatch and one stupidly long hood, the most controversial Jag in ages could flaunt more than 1,000 horsepower.

To be priced from either 120,000 pounds sterling or 120,000 dollars, the zero-emission feline is apparently capable of replenishing 200 miles (322 kilometers) of range in 15 minutes. On a full charge of the next-gen battery, Jaguar targets around 430 miles (692 kilometers) of range in the EPA test cycle.

By: Bogdan Popa

General Motors continues its anti-CarPlay crusade with the next phase of this controversial strategy: Android Auto and CarPlay will be removed from all new models, regardless of what's under the hood. The plan originally included only EVs, but will now extend to ICE cars. Buyers disagree with this direction and say that if GM abandons CarPlay, they'll abandon GM in turn.

In other news, AAWireless released its Android Auto and CarPlay wireless adapter for all buyers, and Thinkware announced a new flagship dash cam with new-gen capabilities. We'll soon review this new dash cam, so stay tuned to find out if it's worth the hefty price tag. 

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