Daily Drive: Ford makes Dakar its Le Mans, Peugeot 408 sharpens up, Subaru teases STI Sport, and Audi Q3 lines up for Australia

I started the week ankle-deep in dust and press notes, and the theme is clear: brands are picking lanes. Ford wants the off-road crown, Peugeot is tightening its eco-stylish crossover, Subaru’s poking the WRX hive with a mild STI Sport prototype, and Audi has the new Q3 ready to take on Aussie driveways. Plus: Europe’s city-EV chessboard gets interesting, China builds a rolling lounge, and Florida remains Florida.

Ford’s Dakar declaration: “This is our Le Mans moment”

Ford’s brass is talking with the same kind of chest-out conviction I heard when the GT went back to Le Mans. The new mission? Own off-road. Not just banners on a Baja fence, but a cradle-to-customer strategy that runs from the dunes to the driveway. Internally, it’s being framed as a “Porsche of off-road” play—factory efforts setting the tempo, showroom heroes (Raptor, Bronco) cashing the rhythm.

And the rival in the crosshairs? Toyota. Specifically, the Dakar-tuned, relentlessly consistent Gazoo Racing operation. If you’ve watched those Hiluxes skip across the Sahara like hot stones on a lake, you get why Ford’s using the “enemy” word. It’s sporting and respectful, but competitive down to the bootlaces.

• Why it matters: Racing tech trickles into consumer trucks and SUVs—suspension tuning, thermal management, driveline durability.
• What I’ll be watching: Reliability over multi-stage marathons. Winning one stage is easy; winning Dakar is a logistics religion.
• Real-world payoff: If Ford nails it, next-gen Raptors and Broncos should ride cleaner and hit harder off-piste. I’ll take that all day on corrugated trails.

City EV squeeze: Dacia Spring stays while a Twingo-based city car arrives

Over in Europe, the budget-EV endgame is becoming a two-pronged attack. Dacia will keep the ultra-affordable Spring on sale even as a new Twingo-based city EV steps in. Think of it as “value vs. newness.” One remains the people’s champ; the other brings fresher tech and likely a bit more polish without abandoning small-car simplicity.

I’ve driven enough Euro micro-EVs to know: the sweet spot is honest range plus brutally simple charging. If the Twingo-based car nails 20–80% top-ups swiftly and keeps the cabin intuitive, it’ll be a hit—with the Spring still playing the unbeatable value card for car clubs and first-time buyers.

2026 Peugeot 408: greener heart, meaner stare

The 408 always felt like a fashion-forward alternative to the usual compact crossover suspects—part fastback, part SUV, part Peugeot mood board. For 2026, it leans into electrification and a sharper, more assertive look. I peeked at the press imagery and it’s all taut creases and “don’t mess with my daytime running lights” energy.

• Electrified range expands: expect more emphasis on plug-in and hybrid options.
• Design tweaks: muscled front fascia, tightened surfacing, and a cleaner aero story.
• Cabin: Peugeot usually does a jewel-box cockpit—expect incremental usability fixes (screen lag was a mild gripe on earlier cars).

On a brisk backroad, the current 408 flows nicely but can get busy over scarred tarmac; if Peugeot has retuned the dampers with the extra battery mass in mind, daily ride comfort could be the big win here.

Subaru WRX STI Sport prototype: tease now, torque later

Subaru rolled out a WRX wearing STI Sport cues, and the crowd reaction was… Swiss-neutral. It looks purposeful—wheels, stance, hints of chassis tweaks—but it’s not the full-fat STI revival some fans chant for at cars and coffee. I get it. The WRX’s base formula is lovable, and a lightly sharper variant could hit a sweet daily-driver note. But if you’re expecting the old-school, homologation-adjacent thunder, you’ll need patience.

• What it likely means: chassis tuning, maybe brake and damper upgrades, subtle aero.
• What it probably doesn’t mean (yet): a wholesale powertrain overhaul.
• My take: if Subaru nails steering feel and body control without adding harshness, I’m in. The last WRX I drove thrived on medium-speed sweepers but begged for tighter initial turn-in.

2026 Audi Q3 SUV and Sportback priced for Australia

Audi’s freshly priced Q3 lineup for Australia keeps the two-pronged body strategy: conventional SUV and sleeker Sportback. In the showroom, these cars win on refinement-per-square-meter. When I last put serious kilometers on a Q3, the cabin hushed the worst coarse-chip roads and the seats felt like someone actually tested them for a three-hour commute.

• Range strategy: multiple trims, SUV and Sportback body styles.
• Buyer vibe: the “my driveway, but tailored” crowd—compact footprint, premium touchpoints.
• Watch-outs: spec creep. Keep an eye on option packs if you want value discipline.

Australia’s market momentum: record year in the books, 1.4 million by 2035?

VFACTS wrapped the year with another record on the board, and projections suggest Australia could punch past 1.4 million annual sales by 2035. The makeup is no surprise: utes remain cultural currency, SUVs are the default family choice, and EV share keeps inching forward in cities where charging access is improving.

• Winners: dual-cab utes, mid-size SUVs, and increasingly, fleet-friendly EVs.
• Headwinds: charging infrastructure outside metro hubs and the usual supply-chain gremlins.
• Upshot: more competition, sharper deals, broader drivetrain choice. A good time to be picky.

China’s biggest electric SUV (that isn’t about the driver): Nio ES9

Nio’s ES9 is a statement piece: vast, electric, and built for the person in the back. If you’ve ever ridden in a chauffeur-spec Chinese flagship, you’ll know the drill—recline, screens, ottoman, probably a massage that could put a spa out of business. The driver? A facilitator. It says a lot about where the market’s going: luxury is increasingly a service, not an activity.

• Cabin focus: rear-seat comfort and tech-first amenities.
• Use case: business shuttles, urban VIP transport, traffic as a lounge.
• Global lens: not built for canyon carving—built for unwinding between meetings.

Florida Man, meet limiter: teen clocks 154 mph in a Mustang, meets a fast cop

Some stories age like milk. A teenager allegedly maxed a Mustang at 154 mph, then discovered the pursuing officer had no trouble keeping up. As someone who’s spent their life around fast cars, here’s the boring adult take: save it for a closed course. Even the best tires hate surprise potholes at those speeds, and so do judges.

Quick hits and buyer notes

• If Ford’s Dakar push lands, expect better ride control in next-gen Raptors/Broncos—watch for spring and damper revisions in mid-cycle updates.
• Shopping compact premium? Test both Q3 body styles back-to-back. The Sportback looks slick but mind rear headroom and cargo access.
• Budget EV in Europe? The Spring will likely remain the simplest, cheapest on-ramp. The Twingo-based newcomer should bring nicer tech.
• WRX faithful: the STI Sport prototype sounds like seasoning, not a new recipe. Don’t trade in yet; test first.

Conclusion

Brands are getting bolder about their identities. Ford wants your dirt-road heart. Peugeot wants your eco-chic sensibilities. Subaru wants to keep you curious. Audi wants you comfy. And somewhere in China, someone is getting a better back massage in traffic than you did on your last vacation. As ever, choose the car that fits the life you actually live—weekend trails, school runs, city plugs, or back-seat bliss.

FAQ

• Is Ford really going all-in on off-road racing?
  Yes. The company is positioning Dakar and other programs as core to its identity, aiming to translate race learning into production trucks and SUVs.
• Will the Dacia Spring be replaced by the Twingo-based EV?
  No—both will be sold alongside each other, targeting different value and tech expectations in the city-EV segment.
• Is the Subaru WRX STI Sport a full STI comeback?
  It’s a prototype suggesting a sportier WRX variant, but not a wholesale STI powertrain reboot—think chassis and cosmetic upgrades first.
• What’s new with the 2026 Audi Q3 in Australia?
  Fresh pricing and a continued split between SUV and Sportback bodies, with the usual Audi focus on refinement and features.
• How big is Australia’s car market getting?
  The latest year closed at record levels, and forecasts suggest the market could exceed 1.4 million annual sales by 2035 if trends hold.