Volkswagen isn’t sitting still when it comes to electric cars, even if most of its lineup in the US has struggled to gain traction this year. The ID.4, one of only two VW models whose American sales actually increased in 2025, is getting more than a light polish.
Instead, it’s heading into a major refresh that reshapes it into what some within the company are already calling the “electric Tiguan.”
Related: Every VW Model Dropped In Sales, Except The Two You’d Never Expect
Our first spy shots show a crossover that’s recognizably an ID.4, but one that’s been carefully sharpened. The front end is squarer, clearly aligned with the upcoming ID Cross look.
As you can see in our spy shots, the doors are new with proper pull handles, and the rear end has been subtly reworked with a concave rather than convex tailgate panel, plus a re-profiled D pillar.
It’s not a ground-up redesign, because there’s only so much you can change with a facelift. The underlying structure appears mostly identical, which makes sense for a mid cycle update.
However, the surfacing and proportions have been tweaked just enough to bring the ID.4 visually into sync with the new Tiguan and VW’s upcoming electric ID.Cross, which was unveiled in concept form last September, and goes on sale in Europe later in 2026.
Buttons Are Back
Inside is where the biggest changes may be felt day to day. Physical buttons and switches will feature prominently, including a real volume knob, alongside a new dashboard, better materials, and a revised user interface. We got our first glimpse of this direction in the official photos of the new ID. Polo’s interior (pictured above) earlier this month.
The software gets an upgrade too, with an improved AI-powered voice assistant, and the currently undersized digital gauge cluster will grow in size.
Powertrains and Batteries
Under the skin sits a revised MEB plus platform that should feature LFP battery chemistry for better efficiency and potentially more range, though it’ll still be stuck with 400-volt electrics.
Powertrains are expected to receive light updates rather than dramatic changes. But VW did, after all, only relatively recently dramatically improve the output of the base single-motor ID.4, which since 2024 produces 282 hp (210 kW / 286 PS). That represents an increase of 80 hp (60 kW / 82 PS) over the previous version.
This facelifted ID.4 is expected to arrive near the end of 2026, helping carry the model through to 2028. That’s when a fully new version is due, this time based on a true 800-volt platform. That is nearly sure to be badged ID.Tiguan, if VW hasn’t decided that this year’s facelift is extensive enough to justify that name change for the 2027 model year.
The Mercedes EQ lineup has been an unmitigated disaster and a lack of demand forced the company to temporarily pause production to reduce swelling inventories. While assembly of the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, and EQS SUV recently resumed, the automaker is already looking forward to a less blob-like future.
More: Mercedes’ New E-Class EQ Is Coming To Right The EQE’s Wrongs
That’s clear today as spy photographers have snapped the upcoming E-Class with EQ Technology. Terrible name aside, the EQE successor will fix the sins of the past with an all-new design that more closely resembles the ICE-powered model. As a result, it looks more like a sedan and less like a bar of Dove soap.
Caught undergoing testing in snowy conditions, the E-Class EQ is heavily disguised but will likely feature the brand’s new ‘iconic grille.’ The chrome-clad behemoth recently debuted on the GLC EV and will also be found on the upcoming C-Class EV. If its size didn’t draw enough attention, there’s an illuminated variant with 942 lights as well as a shining star.
The headlights and taillights are temporary units, but they’ll eventually be replaced by starry production components. We can also see an upward sweeping beltline and a greenhouse that echoes the one found on the C-Class EV. However, the E-Class is notable for having traditional door handles and mirrors that are mounted at the base of the A-pillar.
Spy photographers haven’t gotten a good look inside, but the C-Class EQ follows in the footsteps of the CLA and appears to adopt a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14-inch infotainment system, and a 14-inch front passenger display. However, the more upscale E-Class EQ could take a page from the GLC and sport a massive 39.1-inch screen.
Read: Mercedes-AMG Forced To Kill Some Of Its Loudest Cars Under New EU Rules
The model will ride on the MB.EA platform and have a lot in common with the GLC EV. This means we can expect a two-speed transmission, a roughly 94 kWh battery pack, and a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing a combined output of 483 hp (360 kW / 489 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque.
This setup enables the GLC 400 4MATIC to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.3 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). The crossover also has a WLTP range of up to 444 miles (715 km).
Also: Mercedes Wants Baby G-Wagen To Win Buyers The Big One Never Could
When the battery is low, drivers will be thankful for the 800-volt electrical architecture and the 330 kW DC fast charging capability. It will enable the GLC to get up to 188 miles (303 km) of range in as little as 10 minutes.
Western brands have been struggling in China, but GM is the rare exception as the company and its joint ventures delivered nearly 1.9 million vehicles last year. That was up 2.3 percent compared to 2024 and this was largely driven by sales of New Energy Vehicles such as the Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV, which found over 435,000 takers.
More: China’s New Cadillac XT5 Will Make You Jealous We Don’t Get It Here
GM is looking for continued success with the new Wuling Xingguang 560, which is a mid-size crossover that will be offered with gas, plug-in hybrid, and electric powertrains. The company said surprisingly little about the model, but it features a slender grille that is flanked by sweptback headlights with X-shaped daytime running lights.
They’re joined by a powertrain-specific front end, which is enclosed on electrified models and open on the ICE-powered variant.
Moving further back, we can see plastic body cladding and an available contrasting roof. Other highlights include stylish wheels, a liftgate-mounted spoiler, and X-like taillights. The model also has a rear pillar and window treatment that closely recalls the Subaru Forester.
How Big Is It?
In terms of size, the Xingguang 560 measures 186.8 inches (4,745 mm) long, 72.8 inches (1,850 mm) wide, and 69.1 inches (1,755 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 110.6 inches (2,810 mm). To put those numbers into perspective, the model is 3.6 inches (91 mm) longer than the Chevrolet Equinox and has an extra 3.1 inches (79 mm) between the wheels.
The interior has a minimalist design with a digital instrument cluster and an infotainment system that reportedly measures 12.8 inches. They’re accompanied by a two-spoke steering wheel, distinctive air vents, and a center console that appears to have a dual wireless smartphone charger.
Wuling was coy on specifics, but said the crossover offers up to 68.7 cubic feet (1,945 liters) of cargo room when the second-row is folded flat. They added the model has more than 25 storage compartments, including one hidden beneath the rear seats.
Powertrain Options
On the performance front, the Xingguang 560 will be offered with a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that produces 174 hp (130 kW / 177 PS) and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque. It can be paired to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission.
Customers can also opt for a plug-in hybrid, which offers a WLTC combined range of up to 684 miles (1,100 km). Wuling didn’t elaborate, but an earlier report from CarNewsChina said this variant has a 1.5-liter engine and an electric-only range of 78 miles (125 km).
Last but not least, there’s a fully electric variant that has a CLTC range of up to 311 miles (500 km). It’s said to have a 60 kWh battery pack as well as an electric motor developing 134 hp (100 kW / 136 PS).
How Much Does It Cost?
To help promote the model’s launch, Wuling is offering introductory pricing that ranges from $8,581 (¥59,800) to $13,746 (¥95,800). After this offer expires, pricing will apparently climb to $9,155 – $14,751 (¥63,800 – ¥102,800).
Ford may be pulling back on its EV spending, but it isn’t walking away from electrification. Instead, the company may be taking a different approach, and that path could lead through China. Specifically, Ford is reportedly in early talks with BYD, the Chinese automaker that recently overtook Tesla as the world’s top EV producer, to source batteries for its next hybrid models.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal citing sources familiar with the discussions, nothing is finalized, and a deal may not materialize. But if it does, one idea under consideration is for Ford to begin importing BYD batteries for use in its factories outside the United States.
Read: Hold Your Horses, Ford Might Be Working On A Hybrid Pony Car
In response to the report, Ford didn’t confirm or deny the potential partnership. “We talk to lots of companies about many things,” the company told the newspaper. That kind of non-denial tends to say a lot without saying much at all.
BYD, while primarily known for its battery manufacturing in China, has been expanding its footprint globally, building production capacity in Brazil, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
Why BYD Might Be the Answer
The timing of these talks aligns with a major pivot inside Ford. The company recently took a $19.5 billion write-down after scaling back several electric vehicle initiatives, including high-profile battery joint ventures with South Korean firms SK On and LG Energy Solution. Alongside a renewed emphasis on internal combustion models, Ford plans to grow its hybrid lineup, an area where BYD already excels.
The Chinese company is one of the world’s largest producers of hybrid vehicles and battery packs for cars. Instead of launching new factories or reviving shelved partnerships, Ford might simply buy batteries directly, streamlining its supply chain as it targets a goal of having hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs make up half of its global sales by 2030.
Will Washington Push Back on a BYD Deal?
Any such deal is unlikely to go over well with the Trump administration. Shortly after reports surfaced that Ford was speaking with BYD, top Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro hit out at the plan.
“So Ford wants to simultaneously prop up a Chinese competitor’s supply chain and make it more vulnerable to that same supply chain extortion?,” he wrote on X. “What could go wrong here?”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump took a different tack. Speaking to reporters in Detroit, the president said he welcomed foreign firms, including those from China and Japan, setting up shop in the States, as long as they employed American workers.
“You know, those tariffs are keeping the foreign autoworkers. Now, if they want to come in and build the plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that’s great. I love that,” said Trump. ” Let China come in. Let Japan come in. They are. And they’ll be building plants, but they’re using our labor.
The unveiling of the EV2 in Brussels marks another step in Kia’s relentless expansion into the electric market, and it could easily become one of the brand’s biggest hits. Aimed at the new Renault 4, the EV2 draws on proven tech and echoes the design language of Kia’s larger electric SUVs. There’s also the possibility of a full-bore GT version joining the range.
Read: Kia’s EV2 Is Like A Renault 4 Without The Nostalgia
Kia has so far confirmed the EV2 will be offered as standard with a compact 42.2 kWh battery pack and a 145 hp electric motor driving the front wheels. With a claimed range of 197 miles (317 km), it’ll be best suited to urban dwellers and those who can charge at home.
Soon after, a GT-Line version will arrive, featuring a larger 61 kWh battery and a potential range of up to 278 miles (448 km). Kia hasn’t yet confirmed how much power the upgraded model will offer.
Is a Hot GT Variant in the Works?
A fully-fledged GT version would sit above these models in Kia’s line-up, and could serve as a rival to the Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI, albeit in a slightly larger package than the German hatchback. When asked by Autocar about the possibility of such a version, Kia Europe’s planning chief Alex Papapetropolous didn’t rule it out.
“At launch, we’re going to have Air and Earth trims, with GT Line following in June,” he said. “Of course, we’re looking at life-cycle animations on EV2, and it’s a segment that customers are very keen and receptive to have those life-cycle updates in, so we’re looking at adding more trims in the future.”
No AWD, No Problem?
If an EV2 GT is released, it will be quite different than Kia’s other electric GT models. Kia hasn’t engineered the car to support all-wheel drive, meaning it’d have to stick to front-wheel drive. That’s not the end of the world, but it does mean it wouldn’t be able to match the EV3 GT and EV4 GT, both rated at 282 hp, and would likely land closer to the 200 hp mark.
Kia would also have to reduce torque steer as much as possible. The front-wheel drive EV5 we drove last year was riddled with torque steer with its 215 hp and 229 lb-ft (310 Nm), and an EV2 GT would have far less weight to move.
Canada and China announced a major tariff shift today in Beijing, and while it’s sure to have some North American farmers whooping with joy, it might also result in the region’s auto workers punching walls in frustration.
In late 2024, Canada had imposed a 100 percent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles, following similar action by the United States. That effectively shut out Chinese EVs from the Canadian market and was meant to protect local industry. China retaliated with crushing tariffs on Canadian canola seed of 84 percent, which effectively bottlenecked an export industry worth billions of dollars.
Also: EU Could Scrap Chinese EV Tariffs, But Buyers Won’t Like What Comes Next
The new agreement reached by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping rewrites that script. Canada will now allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles a year to be imported at a reduced tariff of around 6.1 percent, a massive drop from the previous 100 percent, and ease tariffs on steel and aluminium.
By the fifth year of the agreement, the EV import cap will rise to 70,000 units. “That’s a return to levels last seen in 2023, the last full year before the Canadian tariff actions,” Carney said.
Even so, the number remains relatively modest in the context of the overall market. Canadian consumers bought nearly 1.9 million vehicles last year, meaning Chinese EVs will still account for a small fraction, albeit a larger one when looking solely at electric vehicles. That said, we still don’t have the total EV sales figure for 2025.
Canola Tariffs Cut
China, for its part, will cut its canola seed duty to about 15 percent by March 1, significantly improving market access for Canadian farmers. The move is part of a broader effort to repair strained relations between the two nations and comes as the result of the first high-level visit by a Canadian prime minister to Beijing in nearly a decade.
But not everyone is thrilled. Some Canadian auto workers and industry observers worry that lower EV tariffs and an influx of affordable cars could increase competition in an already challenging market. And ahead of the final meeting Ontario Premier Doug Ford made clear he was against the lifting of tariffs.
Jobs Created, Not Lost
Carney, however, predicts the EV pact will result in “considerable” Chinese investment into Canada’s auto sector that will create jobs, Reuters reports, while helping it meet its climate goals.
“For Canada to build its own competitive EV sector, we will need to learn from innovative partners, access their supply chains, and increase local demand,” he said.
US President Donald Trump and his administration will certainly be dismayed at this latest news from Canada. But there will also be thousands of American soy bean farmers whose livelihoods have been trashed by tariffs that will be wishing Trump would make a similar deal.
In a small church off East Oklahoma Avenue, impassioned singing, steady drum beats and the smell of incense emanate from its front doors.
Brothers Isiah and Avery Nahwahquaw co-founded RedNationBoyz, a powwow drum circle, in 2024. They host their practices at Lutheran Church of the Great Spirit, 3127 S. Howell Ave., during the Milwaukee Intertribal Circle’s crafting Wednesdays. All funding for the RedNationBoyz comes directly out of the Nahwahquaw brothers’ own pockets.
The Nahwahquaw brothers formed the group to connect Indigenous boys, ranging in age from 10 to 20, in Milwaukee to their roots.
The president of the Milwaukee Intertribal Circle, Deanna Porter, invited the Nahwahquaw brothers to join the group for Wednesday nights in their space at the church. The Milwaukee Intertribal Circle, or MIC, is a group dedicated to revitalizing the intertribal community of Milwaukee.
Porter, a member of the White Earth Nation Ojibwe Anishinaabe, remembers when the United Indians of Milwaukee was a central hub for the Native American community in Milwaukee. With the newly formed Milwaukee Intertribal Council, she hopes to emulate their impact.
“We’re working to reproduce that, to be serving any Native person within the city of Milwaukee or surrounding area,” Porter said. “And it doesn’t matter your tribe, we will serve enrolled members and their descendants. We welcome anybody.”
The drum circle has expanded quickly from a few members to more than a dozen. The group is an intertribal drum circle, meaning anyone descended from any tribe can join. Members come from Ojibwe tribes, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and Oneida and Ho-Chunk nations.
The RedNationBoyz have performed at several community events, including the Heart of Canal Street event at Potawatomi Casino Hotel.
The name “RedNationBoyz” comes from Avery and Isiah Nahwahquaw’s original drum group from their school days. When Isiah was 14, he was given a big drum from his mentor, and the brothers decided to form a drum circle with their friends. After finishing school, though, life got busy and the group stopped performing together.
Several years later, Isiah was offered a job at Indian Community School in Franklin where he worked as a youth drum instructor. Here, Isiah and his students connected. That relationship inspired him to bring back the name “RedNationBoyz” for this group.
“It was initially a job that turned to a bond and, you know, once you develop the bond, it’s hard to break,” he said. “And when I started being an instructor for these boys, I had to use the name again, because it was technically a family name to us, and we look at them as family.”
“So, that drum right there means a lot. That’s a spirit right there in that drum. It brings us all together, it brings a whole community together,” Avery Nahwahquaw says.
By joining the drum circle, not only does a member get to learn about their Indigenous roots and play and sing traditional music, they also join a brotherhood.
“I would describe the RedNationBoyz like family. These young men become like our nephews,” said Avery. “Not only is it singing, but it’s me finding out if you’re doing good in school, or if you got anything else you need help with in life outside of this drum circle.”
The Milwaukee Intertribal Circle hosts a crafting event on Wednesdays when members from the Native American community can come and be immersed in their culture.
The Nahwahquaw brothers spoke of the importance of creating a space where Indigenous boys could come together to be with people of their culture.
“Our practices are one night a week where they can escape from wherever they’re from, whatever they’re going through, and they can find their culture in this urban area,” said Avery.
Ask the boys why they keep showing up each Wednesday, and the answers point to the deeper pull of the drum.
Jared Dashner notes that even his Native name, “Little Singing Boy,” ties him to the circle.
“I love singing. I love all these Wednesday nights with everybody, and getting these teachings from our mentor, Isiah. I ain’t gonna never stop coming,” Ethan Shomin said.
Their commitment underscores the role RedNationBoyz plays for Indigenous youth seeking connection and community.
“We don’t want it to end. We don’t want like five years from now, they’re like, ‘Hey, remember that one guy we used to sing with on Wednesday nights?’ No, we want this to be for life,” said Avery.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
RedNationBoyz: Powwow drum circle inspires Indigenous youths in Milwaukee is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
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