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The Drive 🤝 your inbox. Every weekday The Daily Brief wraps up the biggest stories and our exclusive reporting on the auto industry and car culture. The Volvo XC40 serves an important role in the company’s lineup. Technically it’s not the brand’s cheapest vehicle—the EX30 narrowly undercuts it by about $1,000—but it is the cheapest gas-powered one, and the third-best-selling nameplate the Swedish marque has going for it here in the States. The XC40 has also been around for a minute, with the first examples hitting dealers back in 2018. A refresh is in order, then, and that’s exactly what…

Polestar has launched the Polestar 4 SUV, a new variant of its electric performance model that adds more cargo capacity, utility features and everyday usability. The company says the SUV version maintains the design, technology and driving characteristics of the Polestar 4 coupé while offering greater versatility for customers. The Polestar 4 SUV features a redesigned rear end, straighter roofline and upright tailgate to increase cargo capacity. Total storage reaches 1,680 litres, including 530 litres measured to the seatbacks and 655 litres measured to the inner roof. Folding the rear seatbacks expands capacity to 1,665 litres. Interior updates include increased…

Nissan is preparing to bring back the Pixo, this time as a smaller, more affordable EV, with prices starting under $25,000. Nissan’s new low-cost Pixo EV arrives in 2027 The Japanese automaker is struggling to turn things around and keep pace with low-cost Chinese brands like BYD. Although it halted development of the fully electric Qashqai, which was expected to be a cornerstone of its comeback plans, Nissan is preparing to introduce a smaller, more affordable EV in 2027. Although reports earlier this month suggested it would be called the “Wave,” Nissan confirmed on Wednesday it will arrive as the…

Nintendo always promised that the Switch 2 would support variable refresh rate (VRR) when docked, but the console launched without this key feature. A new 23.0.0 firmware update now adds VRR support to the Switch 2 when it’s docked and in TV mode.VRR adjusts a display’s refresh rate to match a game’s frame rate, smoothing out gameplay and reducing screen tearing. It will be particularly useful for games on the Switch 2 that have an unstable framerate, and it’s a feature that the PS5 and Xbox Series S / X all support.The latest Switch 2 firmware also includes a new…

The 2027 Nissan Z is arriving at dealers now with confirmed official pricing from Nissan’s July 21, 2026 press release and two headline updates that enthusiasts have been requesting since the current generation launched in 2023. Nissan’s own pricing press release confirms the Sport starts at $44,480 before the $1,245 destination charge, the Performance at $54,480, and the NISMO at $67,260. KBB confirms the with-destination range from $45,775 for the Sport to $68,555 for the NISMO. The most significant 2027 update: the NISMO finally offers an available six-speed manual transmission , the first time manual enthusiasts can buy…

Volvo refreshed the XC40, but it's sadly doing away with the all-electric EX40 in the US.

Good things happen when you let engineers go play in the sandbox. Everything from intermittent wipers to bed-extending tailgates are the result of a good idea appropriately implemented, and Mitsubishi wants to be the next to add a little pioneering mechanical know-how to a common problem. This time, the automaker is tackling incomplete fuel combustion in direct-injected engines like the one in the 2026 Outlander, which leads to increased emissions. The challenge, then, is to improve combustion, allowing the engine to make more power with less fuel while also cutting down on soot. Best of all, Mitsu’s recently patented idea…

The Volvo XC40 is already a popular subcompact SUV, but the Swedish brand is far from calling it finished. So, when we spent a couple of days in London with Volvo, we got a good look at what the brand is calling “the best version of the XC40 yet.” Mostly, it’s what you expect from a big model refresh – an exterior makeover, an interior update, technology updates, and, as this is Volvo, meaningful safety updates. Thor’s Hammer Outside, Sharper Within 2028 Volvo XC40Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet The design trend is moving away from having a lot of detail in the headlights…

The Wink Y01 international edition in an official image released by Zotye on September 9, 2026. The export-focused EV has entered batch trial production. Credit: Zotye. Zotye said its export-focused Wink Y01 international edition has entered batch trial production, marking a step toward restarting vehicle production. The company’s shares edged lower on Thursday after hitting the daily limit for 2 consecutive trading sessions. Long-dormant Chinese automaker Zotye Auto (SZSE: 000980) is seeking a comeback with a small electric vehicle aimed at overseas markets, as progress toward restarting production draws renewed investor attention to the company following its bankruptcy restructuring. Zotye…

The Drive 🤝 your inbox. Every weekday The Daily Brief wraps up the biggest stories and our exclusive reporting on the auto industry and car culture. Even Cummins and Duramax drivers concede that the 7.3-liter Ford Power Stroke is a darn good diesel. It’s not fast—at least, not in stock form—but it’ll pull the house down without breaking a sweat. That being said, the automatic transmissions leave a lot to be desired. (I own a ’95 with an E4OD. I can say that.) To address those shortcomings with a modern solution, the crew at US Shift has swapped a 10R140…