Sub Compact Cars

Smart is one of the automotive names you don’t hear often. While most of their models are rather unremarkable, the brand marks new beginnings with an all-new EV model. We first talked about the Smart #1 compact SUV in September 2021, when it made a debut at the IAA Munich Auto Show, and now, we have more details on it.

This is Ginger Billy, a humble man and a comedian who lives in the country. But the videos up on his YouTube channel, now that’s a completely different story. You’ve got everything from a Redneck Spaceshuttle to the baddest truck on planet earth. This time around, he took a dig at one of the hottest trucks out there, Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck.

Abarth falls under the Stellantis umbrella, but it’s nowhere near as mainstream as brands like Dodge, Chrysler, or Jeep. No, it’s more of a niche company, and it focuses exclusively on Fiat products. Neither of these companies have ventured too deeply into electrification, but that’s about to change as Abarth is reportedly working on a new electric hot hatch. It’ll be based on the zero-emission Fiat 500e, and it’s scheduled to launch sometime in 2023.

Shortly after making its debut in Japan, the Mini Brick Lane Edition has now arrived in the United States. Offered solely in Cooper S trim in three- or five-door configurations, these special edition models are inspired by London’s famous Brick Lane.

Gran Turismo 7 is arguably one of the most highly-anticipated racing games of the year, and Toyota Spain has partnered with Sony for the creation of this special edition Toyota Yaris. Called the Yaris GR Sport GT7 Edition, this special-edition model comes with a few special touches that distinguish it from the standard Yaris.

The Skoda Fabia is one of the most popular superminis sold in Europe, mainly due to its ingenious practicality and intelligent features. It also shares the same fundamentals as its corporate cousin, the Volkswagen Polo. Unfortunately, what it doesn’t share is the Polo’s GTI performance trim. But, Skoda has decided to introduce a performance trim; well, sort of, with the introduction of the Monte Carlo variant. This is practically the closest anyone could get to a Fabia vRS.

The current-generation Mini Cooper is in its final years as a new generation model is already on the horizon. Spy shots have already shown the next-generation Mini Cooper undergoing testing in Europe, but for now, the British automaker has unveiled the Mini Cooper Brick Lane Edition.

"Restomods" are currently a trend that’s in full swing. Such recent examples are the 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle with a 900-hp big block V8 and now we have Mini themselves entering the business with its Recharge program.

Say hello to the BMW X2 Edition GoldPlay. It’s a unique special edition take to the X2, which comes at a time when everyone is mostly doing black editions of their vehicles. While it won’t satisfy gold diggers, it could satisfy those who want gold elements in their vehicles.

Jeep is hard at work in Europe in electrifying its entire lineup by the end of 2022. These markets include Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the Nordic region. As a way to further democratize electrification in the Jeep lineup, the American automaker is launching a new entry-level powertrain option for the Renegade and Compass called the E-Hybrid.

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.

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.

There are certain cars we would love to have modern-day versions of. The list is progressively growing, as manufacturers shift their focus from fun cars to crossovers, SUVs, and EVs. That said, some of our favorite cars are getting a spiritual successor in the form of virtual renderings and this time, it’s Top Gear Philippines that brings back an iconic and somewhat obscure (to some) Japanese hot hatch – the Toyota Starlet Glanza V.

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 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.