Author: kirklandc008@gmail.com

With most automakers standardizing the use of an automatic gearbox in their vehicles, why even bother hunting for a manual hatchback? Well, for the driving enthusiast on a budget, there is no better means of affordable driving enjoyment. Thanks to their peppy but small engines, nimble, compact dimensions, and, in this case, an engaging stick shift, they’re simply some of the most enjoyable, practical, and easy-to-live-with low-cost cars around. Vehicles are assigned a BuzzScore in relation to their direct segment competitors, and as such, vehicles in this list, while similarly scored, do not necessarily compete directly against one another. Find…

The X Skorpio Concept sits on 18-inch beadlock wheels. Genesis installs massive 40-inch off-road tires. A V8 engine pumps out 1,100 horsepower. It’s official: Genesis makes the coolest cars you can’t buy. The X Scorpio is the latest in a string of fascinating one-offs from Hyundai’s luxury division. The Koreans appear dead set on taking the torch from Cadillac, which once had a long run of immensely appealing concepts that never made it to production. The X Scorpio follows the G90 Wingback super wagon but cranks the insanity up a notch. It’s billed as an off-road supercar, even more outlandish than…

There is a new pecking order for alternative powertrains in Canada, with hybrids pulling decisively ahead of zero-emission vehicles as mainstream buyers chase practicality and price, new data show. According to S&P Global Mobility’s third quarter 2025 Canadian Automotive Insights, national hybrid share climbed to a record 16.9 per cent in the quarter, while the broader zero‑emission segment reached 10.4 per cent. S&P said the “great reversal” that began in the second quarter of last year, when hybrids first overtook ZEVs, has become a widening gap as consumers weigh total cost, everyday usability and freedom from charging concerns. By powertrain,…

Automotive President Trump took his message straight to the heart of the auto industry with a Detroit-area visit on January 13, telling executives and investors he wants more vehicles built in the U.S., even if the badges eventually include Chinese brands. The headline line, “Let China come,” landed like a curveball in Motor City, but the subtext was familiar: build here, hire here, and play by American rules if you want access to American buyers. The twist is that once you publicly frame it that way, you also open the door to Chinese automakers looking for ways to…

Photo: EDP Renewables North America EDP Renewables’ new 150-megawatt solar project is now feeding power into Indiana’s grid, as utilities look for more reliable, in-state generation. The company says Riverstart Solar IV is now in commercial operation in Randolph County, generating enough electricity each year to power the equivalent of more than 28,800 Indiana homes and businesses. It’s part of a broader push to add more in-state generation as utilities and grid operators look for reliable, homegrown power. Riverstart Solar IV is the latest addition to EDP Renewables’ growing footprint in Indiana, where the company is already the largest owner…

Hello and welcome to Regulator, the Verge newsletter about the technology politics happening in our nation’s capital. I hope our snowstorm-affected readers are safe, warm, and haven’t reenacted The Shining at home yet. Do you know what prevents that? Subscribing to The Verge.Last week, when I was tracking Coinbase’s opposition to the Clarity Act, I kept hearing the same fear from worried DC insiders: The crypto industry was running out of time to pass a bipartisan market structure bill that would actually give them a favorable outcome. The midterm elections are imminent, and Congress will switch to campaign mode in…

There’s a sense of occasion when you clamber up into the Grenadier’s surprisingly supportive, heated Recaro seats. For one thing, the driving position is magnificently high. In original Defender fashion, your eyeline almost skims the top of the side windows (although, unlike in an old Defender, the sill itself fully invites a resting elbow). On the motorway, you find yourself peering down into the cabins of other ‘full-size’ SUVs as you overtake. Visibility is panoramic and the sense of space is heightened by the removable safari windows fitted as standard on road-leaning Fieldmaster models, as tested here. The Grenadier’s designers have…

Volvo is plotting a flagship three-row hybrid SUV to sit above the XC90 to cater to rising demand for ‘F-segment’ models in the US and China. At just over five metres long, the XC90 is already one of the largest hybrid SUVs on sale in Europe, but Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson has confirmed that “bigger SUVs are something we’re looking into”. He added that the Swedish company had “still not made any decision on going there” but acknowledged strong demand for such cars in some of its most important markets. “Especially in China and the US, the real three-row SUV is a growing…

Portugal is one of the best countries for digital nomads, especially those seeking access to the European Union. The country offers the D7 visa, which is ideal for remote workers with a stable passive or foreign income. With world-class internet speed, vibrant coworking scenes in Lisbon and Porto, and a relatively low cost of living, it’s a strong digital nomad hotspot. Portugal’s tax regime was previously even more appealing due to the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) program, which offered tax breaks on foreign income. However, this NHR scheme ended for new applicants as of 2024.

General Motors is looking for ways to reduce electric vehicle prices beyond just using cheaper batteries. The automaker will introduce its next-generation software-defined vehicle in 2028. Simpler electrical architectures and less wiring can help make future GM EVs more competitive. General Motors is working to reduce the cost of its electric vehicles, beyond just using cheaper lithium-ion batteries, the automaker said Tuesday during its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 earnings call. The update comes just as the automaker booked over $7 billion in charges related to cutting down its EV ambitions last year, which includes things like contract cancellation fees…