Plug-in hybrids, better known as PHEVs, should be the ideal compromise between an electric and a conventional car – something like the automotive version of "having my cake and eating it too". But unfortunately, many owners use them more like a petrol vehicle with a bonus battery, which they charge less often than their smartphone from 2012. And because this results in significantly higher emissions than promised, Germany is considering putting an end to this half-and-half use. The solution? A car that loses power if you don't charge it regularly. Yep, you read that right.
Cars
Car safety – that thing we all praise until the bill comes. In 2025, Euro NCAP showed us again that it’s not all about flashy logos. While some old cats are still skimping on sensors, newcomers from the East are proving that safety can be affordable. And compared to last year, the picture is even more amusing – or tragic, depending on which car you drive.
Every year I can't wait for the moment when the finalists for COTY – Car of the Year 2026 are announced. It's the best approximation of an automotive Eurovision – full of tension, inflated egos and shiny PowerPoints, tables and lists. But this year's selection of finalists? This one really blew me away. So I decided I had to write down a few rough lines. Macarolov-style. Without a hair on my tongue and without rose-colored glasses. Because I can have my own opinion.
From classic legends reimagined to electric rockets and concepts we'll probably only see in our dreams, if you think the Japanese automotive industry is asleep, prepare to be gently but firmly awakened by the Tokyo Mobility Show 2025.
The Ferrari 12Cilindri is not a car. It is a work of art that was accidentally born with license plates instead of a signature. The twelve-cylinder engine is a song about why we still need gasoline, even when the world swears by electrons. And then along comes Novitec, the tuning guru from a world where “enough” is a swear word, and says: “Very nice, Ferrari. Now let’s show you what happens when beauty gets serious.”
New Toyota Corolla Concept: When the class queen finally gets serious (and then goes a little crazy)
If someone had told you a decade ago that the Toyota Corolla would one day look like a space cruiser on steroids, you would have probably rolled your eyes. But here we are – 2025 is upon us, and Toyota is clearly serious. Meet the Toyota Corolla Concept, a car that erases memories of the old model as easily as it erases beliefs about what the Corolla can (and should) be.
Sometimes a car comes along that is not just a machine, but a work of art – and the Totem GT Super “Farina” is exactly that. A hand-crafted homage to the golden age of Italian motoring, wrapped in a bodywork that even Pininfarina himself would envy.
Toyota has revealed the Corolla Cross Hybrid Nasu Edition concept at the 2025 SEMA Show – a hybrid that has grown tired of city streets and set off for Mount Nasu. The result? A purple, raised and much more adventurous face for Toyota’s most successful compact.
Chinese cars! The real automotive battle between traditional and Chinese manufacturers is not taking place in Europe or the US, but in developing countries. China is gradually establishing itself as a serious player in the markets of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia - where buyers are looking for affordable mobility, not prestige.
The Volvo XC60 has long been the king of Swedish roads – the brand’s best-selling model, winning hearts with its blend of elegance and practicality. But the competition is not sleeping: the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5 are fresh and razor-sharp. Can the updated XC60, with its new look, improved interior and hybrid heart, still keep up? Let’s dive into the details and find out if this Swedish SUV is still in the running for the throne – and why it’s still one of my favorites.
Porsche Macan. Once an honest petrol crossover that smashed the roads with the roar of a six-cylinder, now – BZZZ! – an electric beast that is overtaking its fossil brother in sales this year. And this is not because the petrol engine sucks, but because it was thrown out of sale in the European Union as if it were some outdated floppy disk. Brussels bureaucrats have apparently decided: "Petrol? This is for grandfathers!" Well, the petrol Macan will soon be over in the rest of the world too – it is retiring in 2026. Porsche is already cooking up a new crossover with an internal combustion engine, but this one will have a different name and will keep us waiting until 2028. Until then, electric sweets are flying from Zuffenhausen, and the new Porsche Macan GTS is the sweetest of them all.
Who says SUVs can't swim? China's Jetour Zongheng G700 crossed the mighty Yangtze River in 22 minutes with its amphibious technology, showing the world that it's not just another metal object on four wheels.











