Sub-Compact

The current Mazda2 is already on its eight year on the market, and ever since its launch it was only offered with a choice of 1.5-liter gasoline or 1.5-liter diesel engines. In 2020 a mild hybrid version was also added to the lineup.

And now it looks like the third-generation Mazda2 is continuing to live on for yet another year, but with some major improvements under the hood. As a first in Mazda’s lineup, the 2022 Mazda2 will be offered with a self-charging, full hybrid powertrain.

Kia has pulled off the wraps of the all-new Niro small crossover SUV, nearly five years after the outgoing model made its debut in the United States. Prototypes of the 2023 Niro have been spotted testing prior to today’s unveiling, so this is the first time we’re seeing its Habaniro Concept-inspired design.

Toyota wouldn’t be the first brand you think of when talking about exciting cars. However, the Japanese brand has been on something of a roll in recent times and the GR Yaris is one of the best examples. Chris Harris has driven and raced more than a few cars, so he is quite qualified to talk about it while finding out its limits. As you might guess, some epic driving is in store, and here’s what Harris makes of Toyota’s rally-bred hot hatch.

Netflix is looking to cash in on F1’s recent boom in America with their new documentary Schumacher. It makes sense they would make a full-blown movie as the streaming service has seen massive success with their original show Drive to Survive.

BMW revealed a concept vehicle at the 2021 IAA Mobility Show in Munich called the i Vision Circular. This concept is a city car that looks quite cute and focuses on sustainability. Almost every company that makes EVs says its committed to using sustainable materials in its vehicles, but BMW has taken it to the next level. The i Vision Circular is composed of 100-percent recyclable materials! Don’t expect it to come out anytime soon because this is the German automaker’s vision what its compact EV would look like in the year 2040.

If you are somewhat familiar with the world of rallying, you probably know of the existence of the short-wheelbase Audi Quattro S1 E2, which has a 320 mm (12.6 inches) shorter wheelbase than the initial version. The car is well-known for competing in Group B rallying, but what isn’t well-known is this crazy short-wheelbase Lancia Delta EVO, built by Artemio Racing, in Italy.

For better or worse, replicas have become a part of automotive culture. It’s certainly an alternative to a million-dollar dream car, even if the quality is often questionable. When it comes to classic cars, there are many that have achieved iconic status. Naturally, this is also reflected in their price. The classic Porsche market, in particular, is more or less a constant in this regard. With this in mind, U.K.-based company Total Headturners has built a very convincing 356 Speedster replica based on a more modern mid-engine Porsche, and we think it looks awesome.

The 250 Testa Rossa is one of the most iconic models to have rolled out of Ferrari’s factory. This racing car was in production for four years, between 1957 and 1961. In fact, a 1957 250 Testa Rossa sold for $16.4 million back in 2011! Now, even if you have the money, it’ll be very tough to find an example today. So, what’s the next best option? A replica.

U.K.-based Little Car Company has teamed up with Ferrari to build a replica of the 250 Testa Rossa that will cost you a fraction of the real model. But, there’s a catch. This is a three-quarter scale model and comes with an electric powertrain. Care to buy?

As part of the 2021 Porsche Restoration Challenge, Porsche of Santa Clarita, a Galpin Motors dealership based in California, recently finished the restoration and modification of a 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster.

The Hyundai Venue isn’t only one of the brand’s newest cars, but it’s also the smallest SUV or crossover the brand currently sells. As a subcompact model, it competes with models like the Mazda CX-30 and Honda HR-V, but there’s a catch, because the Venue is significantly smaller, sitting on the lower border of the subcompact segment. With that in mind, we have been itching to find out if a smaller, more affordable Hyundai can actually hold its own against the larger, more expensive competition. It does have its faults, but you’ll be surprised as to what those faults really are.

It’s clear that EVs are already a big part of modern-day motoring. It seems another endeavor is to make personal transportation more accessible for younger people. One of these cars, in particular, can be driven by 14-year-olds, which is a bit worrying. Our colleagues from “What Car” present the four contenders. These are Citroen AMI, Renault Twizy, Micro Electric, and Reva G-Wiz. The actual race starts at 4:00, in case you want to skip straight to it.

The Toyota Yaris Cross, basically a high-riding hatchback with crossover ambitions, is one of Toyota’s newest vehicles and the company’s only subcompact crossover. Now, it looks like Toyota is going to share that love with Lexus, however, this news might not be a big deal if you live in the United States. The Tiny Lexus will share market designations with the Yaris Cross, which is currently only available in Europe, Japan, and Australia. According to the report, the Lexus crossover will be powered by the same 1.5-liter, hybrid, three-cylinder that powers the Yaris Cross. In that model, it’s good for anywhere between 90 and 118 horsepower with the electric motor – either 3.9 kW or 59 kW – adding from 5.2 to 79 horsepower into the mix.

It’s not likely that Lexus will simply rebadge the Yaris Cross, so expect the typical Lexus front end, nice interior materials, and – perhaps – a small increase in power output, at least for the higher trim levels. For the record, it would slot below the Lexus UX, which means that the trademark filing for “LBX” and “Lexus LBX” could have been hinting at its name. That said, the LBX is largely considered to be a concept, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens with that. Another rumor claims the sub-UX crossover would be called the Lexus BX, it would arrive in 2023, and would sit somewhere below the $30,000 mark. That sounds a little more like it to us, but we’ll have to see what happens.

The trend of Retro modding has really taken off over the past few years. It was only last week that we got you a story on the Gemballa Marsien, designed by Alan Derosier. Well, Alan has now worked his magic on yet another icon. This car is one of the most celebrated Class B rally cars of not just the ’80s, but of all time. The Renault R5 Turbo. Renault themselves are yet to give us a successor to the Turbo 2 from the 80s. However, until that happens, Alan has co-founded his company, Legende Automobiles to give us the unofficial successor to that 80s rally icon. Feast your eyes on the R5 Turbo 3.

The current N18, third-generation Nissan Versa was released in 2019 among falling sales in a dying segment. Featuring Nissan’s latest design language, revised technology, and better materials, but it’s still one of the last few remaining subcompact sedans on the market, and the lack of interest is so obvious it hurts. In 2019, Nissan sold 66,596 Versas in the U.S., 2,369 in Canada, and 88,707 in Mexico, while the 2020 model year saw those numbers drop to 48,273, 125, and 68,013, respectively. That leaves us to wonder: Is there something inheritantly wrong with the Nissan Versa’s recipe, or are falling sales just the result of the COVID pandemic and a general lack of public interest in small sedans? We spent a week with the Nissan Versa to find out.

Engine swaps, we’ve see quite a few. Burly V-8s replacing puny flat-fours or screaming V-10 engines giving new life to Japanese sports cars and muscle cars alike. A motorcycle engine powering a Mini, however, is not something you see every day.

The 2020 Citroen Ami is an all-electric vehicle based on the Ami One concept that the French company unveiled in 2019. Only 95 inches long and 55 inches wide, the Ami is in fact an elecric quadricycle rather than a full-blown car and it can be driven without a driver’s license.

This makes it accessible to people as young as 16 in most European countries (and 14 in France). Developed as a solution for city commuting over relatively short distances, the Ami is named after the original Citroen Ami, an economy car that the French firm produced from 1961 to 1978. What’s it all about and should you buy one? Find out in our review below.

The 2021 Tokyo Auto Salon, the year’s first major car event, is just around the corner and Honda just previewed a couple of really cool concept cars for the show. But they’re not what you’d usually expect from the Japanese carmaker. Instead of beefed-up Civics and funky kei cars, Honda created a couple of race cars based on the tiny E and N-One. To make things that much more ridiculous, the Honda E in question is a drag racer.

There are moments when a carmaker’s ambitions go way beyond its financial or technological powers. But in pursuing said ambitions, only a select few companies managed to overcome any difficulties and deliver amazing car.

Take Renault, for example. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, the French firm simply couldn’t afford to fully develop a rally race car from the ground up. So it had to work with what it had, in this case the humble Renault 5, which through massive modding gave the raucous Renault R5 Turbo.

The partnership between Toyota and Mazda might spawn a new car, one that’s going to replace the current Mazda2 sold in Europe. If the rumors are true, then the new Mazda2 could be based on the Yaris Hybrid supermini.

Kei cars are probably the coolest niche car segment in the entire industry. Kei cars have become a culture unto its own, and that’s been the case for the better part of 70 years. In all that time, Japanese automakers have produced a litany of unforgettable kei cars, including these 10 models that prove that small doesn’t always have to be terrible.

Ford has unveiled the 2021 Puma ST, the spiciest iteration of the Puma crossover; we doubt there will ever be an RS badge slapped to the Fiesta-based small SUV that Ford assembles in Craiova, Romania. That said, here’s all you need to know about the new Ford Puma ST, which inherits the same 1.5-liter, three-cylinder powerplant Ford debuted in the Fiesta ST.

Honda likes to play a lot with heritage when it comes to what its cars look like. The Japanese brand also did quite a neat job in feeling the recent rise in awareness and love for classic cars and cleverly styled the Honda e EV accordingly.

We must admit, seeing the nippy electric car next to the original Honda Civic not only makes us want the EV even more, but also realize just how many retrolicious cues went into it in the first place.