BYD is one of the automotive names that has been most active in recent years. What initially seemed like a brand that presented a limited range of electric vehicles, some of them even very luxurious (and, therefore, expensive), has gradually become a manufacturer that offers cars at very diverse prices and even with hybrid engines. The latest addition to BYD's extensive catalog is called the Sealion 05, and it is a 100% electric compact SUV that has just been presented in China and will arrive in Europe in the coming months.

In 1973, Volkswagen launched the Passat, the popular sedan that is still on sale today. A year later, in 1974, it was the Golf's turn, a car that needs no explanation. And the third model in the mix was the Polo, which debuted in 1975. Now, five decades later and with more than 18 million units sold worldwide, the German brand's small utility vehicle celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.

In 2019, the Volkswagen ID.3 was born, an electric model that the German brand presented as one of the most important vehicles in its history. In fact, it named it that because it represented the beginning of a third chapter in the history of the Wolfsburg manufacturer after the sale of the Beetle and the Golf. But sales figures have not matched the German brand's commitment, with neither its ID.3 nor the rest of the ID. range reaching the expected sales figures.

At a time when traditionally established brands in Europe are increasingly under scrutiny and Chinese manufacturers are rapidly making inroads in the West, it's worth pausing and taking a look at what products the "traditional" brands continue to offer to see if they're still competitive compared to the new vehicles that are arriving. And the truth is that one of the manufacturers that has best maintained the balance in its range has been Ford, although the price has been quite high.

The offensive of Chinese brands in our market is unstoppable. About a year ago, on February 22, 2024, the Omoda brand, a Chinese manufacturer that launched its Omoda 5, was officially launched. It was a really important car for Catalonia because it began to be manufactured at the Nissan plant in Barcelona., along with others such as the vehicles of the reborn Ebro brand or the Jaecoo 7, which hit the market a little later (on September 17).

Valentino Rossi, nine-time world champion motorcycle racer and traditionally linked to the number 46, has just turned 46 and has received a very special gift: a special version of the BMW M4 CS called Edition VR46, which has been developed by the driver himself, as he has been an official driver for the German brand's GT3 team since 2023. But the most interesting thing about this BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 is that it is not a unique model that only Rossi himself can enjoy, but will be manufactured in two design variants called Sport and Style, each limited to 46 units.

The SUV trend arrived in our market almost two decades ago and has not only become established over the years, but is even becoming stronger in this transitional stage towards electrification. There are more and more car manufacturers (especially Chinese ones) and all these new ranges have a significant offer of SUV vehicles. But the fact that this type of vehicle is very successful in our market thanks to its versatility does not mean that they are the cars that all buyers really need.

One of the main fears that until recently most car manufacturers in Europe had was the so-called CAFE regulation (clean air for Europe, or Clean Air for Europe), an anti-pollution plan that planned to reduce CO₂ emissions this year by 15% compared to 2020 levels. In other words, manufacturers had to face a maximum emissions limit of 93.6 grams of very high emissions this year in 2025.

The age of the car fleet circulating on our roads continues to grow and now stands at an average of 14.5 years, a figure 0.3 years higher than the 14.2 years recorded in 2023. This figure is even higher if we analyse the rest of the vehicles. We find that industrial vehicles are the oldest in the fleet with an average of 15.1 years, but not far behind commercial vehicles, with 14.7 years. As for buses, they are the youngest with an average of 11.5 years.

A few years ago, the Mazda MX-30 passed through the Ara Motor editorial office, a fully electric SUV with a very peculiar design and a truly brave and risky bet: to offer a very low-capacity battery to try to save on weight and manufacturing costs and, thus, propose an SUV designed for eminently urban use. The result was a 145 hp car powered by a 35.5 kWh battery that allowed it to homologate a range of only 200 km, according to the WLTP cycle (262 km in urban use).

The name CATL may not ring a bell for many, but it will surely do so in the coming years. This is a Chinese company specialising in the development of batteries, chassis and platforms for electric vehicles that has recently been working on the development of some innovative technologies for the automotive sector, such as CTP electric platforms (CTPs).cell to pack) and CTC (cell to chassis).

A few months ago, the future of the Mitsubishi brand in our country looked very bad. The Japanese manufacturer was not (and is not) going through its best moment, and in fact had made the decision to abandon the European market to focus on other more economically profitable continents. But a last-minute move, largely caused by Renault, with Luca de Meo at the helm, allowed the Japanese brand to maintain its economic activity in the Old Continent.

At one pace or another depending on the brand and the country, the truth is that the entire automotive sector is becoming electrified. The latest manufacturer to announce that it is launching new electric vehicles has been Renault, which has presented three new members of its commercial vehicle range. And despite being three completely new models, their names are old acquaintances. On the one hand, we have the Trafic, which represents the fourth generation of this model. The other two are the Estafette and Goelette, two vans from the fifties that are returning to the market with a 100% electric approach.

BYD continues to grow. After recently presenting models such as the Seal U and the Sealion 7, it has now announced the arrival of the Atto 2 in our country, a compact electric SUV that lands with the intention of taking sales away from models such as the MG ZS, the Ford Puma Gen-E, the Smart #1 and the Kia EV3. To achieve this it has a strong argument: the price. Available in two versions (Active Urban Edition and Boost Urban Edition), it announces a price before subtracting the discount associated with the MOVES Plan of 29,990 euros, a figure to which a promotional discount must be applied that places it at 28,780 euros from the start.