Today in Cars: N’s Last Hurrah, EV Muscle on the March, and Australia’s PHEV/ute shuffle

I brewed the strong stuff this morning because the news docket reads like a handbrake turn: Hyundai’s N division is taking a bow (and a big electric bow-wave), Geely’s lining up a plug-in blitz for Australia, and BMW just casually floated a four-figure-horsepower M3 EV. Toss in a diesel-ute fuel-card war, a refreshed Mitsubishi family hauler, and a post-race sting for Leclerc in Miami, and you’ve got a proper Monday.

Hyundai N: Saying goodbye to the manuals, hello to volts

First, the old guard. Reports out of Australia say the Hyundai i20 N and i30 N are set to bow out with a flourish—final editions and all the sentiment that entails. I’m not made of stone; thinking back to my time hustling an i30 N on lumpy country tarmac, that car’s blend of old-school manual mischief and real chassis feel was catnip. It’ll be a bittersweet send-off for hot-hatch purists who like their rev-matching served with a clutch pedal.

Now the new guard: the Ioniq 6 N. Pricing and specs have been outlined, positioning it as the sleeker, lower, more aero take on the already-wild Ioniq 5 N. Expect dual motors, big-boy cooling, and the same sort of trick torque-redistribution party tricks that let the 5 N feel improbably playful for a two-and-a-bit-ton EV. A few owners of the 5 N have told me their track days were shockingly drama-free on the thermal front; if that DNA carries over, the 6 N could be the autobahn express you can still fling through a switchback with a grin.

And there’s one more nugget: Hyundai’s N team is reportedly cooking up a cheaper performance EV. Sensible move. The enthusiast EV space needs something approachable—something you’d choose even if you never saw a charging receipt. If they can keep the steering chatty and the brake pedal natural (two things I nitpicked in early performance EVs), they’ll have a winner.

Incoming performance EVs at a glance

• Why it matters: The manual hot hatch era is fading, but the characterful, playful stuff can survive in EVs—if engineers keep their nerve.
• What to watch: Ioniq 6 N weight management, brake feel, and cooling on repeated hard use.
• Wild card: Will the “cheaper N EV” bring back the spiritual vibe of the i20 N at a price that makes sense?

Geely’s Australian surge: PHEVs by the armful (and one ute with local smarts)

Geely isn’t just knocking—it's wheeling in a trolley full of batteries and a whiteboard. The plan, as outlined today, is unapologetically plug-in-heavy for Australia.

Galaxy Cruiser: Plug-in power versus Prado pragmatism

A Toyota Prado-chasing PHEV off-roader is headed down under next year under the “Galaxy Cruiser” banner. It’s a bold pitch: give Aussie families and grey-nomads the low-speed torque and serenity of electric drive with hybrid range for the Big Empty in between towns. If they get the calibration right—smart regen on descents, credible tow capacity, proper cooling for sand work—the Prado crowd will at least take a curious look.

A plug-in hybrid ute with Australian development

This bit made me lean forward. Geely’s prepping an all-new plug-in hybrid ute to square up to Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, with Australian development baked in. That usually means local suspension tuning and validation on our corrugations—music to anyone who’s ever watched a dual-cab shudder across a cattle grid. If the PHEV system can deliver silent low-speed site work and still tow on weekends, the tradies will notice.

Geely EX2: Early impressions

Quick-drive notes published today paint the EX2 as a light-on-its-feet urban EV that doesn’t mind a country dash. Steering effort sounds agreeable, and cabin packaging looks sensibly squared-off—good news for prams and flat-packs. I’ll reserve final judgment for a longer stint, but first reads suggest a practical, price-minded runabout rather than a gadget for gadget’s sake.

• Why it matters: PHEVs make sense in Australia’s mixed charging reality—weekday EV commuting, weekend outback range.
• What to watch: Real-world EV-only range and heat management when working hard in summer.
• Wildcard: Fleet buyers—if the ute’s numbers pencil out, adoption could snowball.

Market moves in Oz: Lynk & Co still circling, utes get fuel-card sweeteners

Lynk & Co, the subscription-friendly brand that’s shaken up Europe, still isn’t signing on the Australian dotted line. No shock—dealer laws, pricing sensitivities, and the sheer distance between hubs make their model trickier here. Put a pin in it; the product would probably land well, but the business case needs to click.

Meanwhile, another mainstream diesel ute has joined the incentive skirmish with a AU$4000 fuel card. In a cost-of-living squeeze, that’s not nothing—it’s months of site runs or a family holiday’s worth of roadhouse stops. Expect more creative carrots as inventories ebb and flow through the year.

2026 Mitsubishi Outlander: Familiar recipe, tidier plating

The updated Outlander lineup has been detailed for 2026. The PHEV remains the star—still the Swiss Army knife of school runs by week and long coastal hauls by weekend. In previous tests, I liked the way its dual-motor AWD digs you out of a muddy verge without fuss, and the EV-first calibration is ace for suburbia. If Mitsubishi’s tweaked the infotainment lag and refined the lane-keep’s occasional ping-pong, it’ll stay a family favorite. Third row? As ever: fine for kids, yoga for adults.

• Highlights I’m hoping to see confirmed:
  • Improved driver-assist tuning for less “nudge-nag” on highways
  • Quieter road roar on coarse-chip surfaces
  • Clearer charging info in the cluster for PHEV owners

BMW’s two extremes: 1000-bhp M3 EV talk and a jet turned lounge

Autocar’s line that the next M3 EV will pack roughly 1000 bhp and cost in the same ballpark as the petrol M3 is the kind of sentence that reorders the segment. If pricing parity holds, rivals can’t just point to a sticker and shrug. The big question is feel: M cars live and die by steering nuance and pedal confidence. If Munich nails that, the rest—launch numbers, lap times—will take care of themselves.

At the other end of the BMW universe, design folks from the roundel have been involved in turning a commercial jet into a 28-passenger, 14-suite airborne lounge. It’s a fun flex—and a reminder that the brand’s luxury playbook (texture, lighting, calm) is now as much about sanctuary as swagger. Don’t be shocked if you see more of that mood lighting and haptic minimalism filtering back into road cars.

Motorsport footnote: Miami’s sting in the tail

Charles Leclerc’s Miami Grand Prix went from scrappy to sour with a post-race 20-second penalty. Tough one. Whatever the specifics, it shuffled the order and left Ferrari with more debrief than celebration. Miami’s become that kind of race—flashy on the surface, unforgiving underneath.

Bottom line

Hyundai N is writing its next chapter in lithium while toasting the end of two brilliant little hooligans. Geely sees Australia as PHEV country and is backing it with product and local tuning smarts. Mitsubishi’s family ace gets a polish. BMW’s preparing to redefine “M fast” without petrol—and moonlighting in private aviation. If you like cars because they change, evolve, and occasionally surprise you, it’s a good day to be paying attention.

Quick FAQ

• Are the Hyundai i20 N and i30 N really ending? Yes—expect final editions as they bow out, with N’s energy shifting to EVs.
• Is Hyundai making a more affordable N EV? That’s the plan; N is developing a cheaper performance EV to sit below the halo cars.
• Did BMW confirm a 1000-bhp M3 EV? Guidance points to roughly 1000 bhp and pricing similar to the petrol M3.
• What is Geely’s Galaxy Cruiser? A plug-in hybrid off-roader aimed squarely at Toyota Prado buyers, slated for Australia next year.
• Is Lynk & Co launching in Australia? Not yet—the brand remains a “no-go for now” as the business model is evaluated.