Car news, 26 March '25: Toyota vs Lexus in-house 4WD battle, Peugeot revives sacred GTi nameplate, and more

Thanks for becoming a member of us this Wednesday 26th 2025. Critically in automobile data recently: Toyota takes on Lexus in battle for four wheel pressure supremacy, Peugeot’s unique GTi gets electrical.

Browse this project:

• Toyota Prado Kakadu takes on Lexus GX550 in four wheel pressure battle
• Peugeot to raise lend a hand iconic GTi nameplate… on an EV
• Volkswagen originate T-Roc R Wolfsburg version
• Hyundai teases unique gaming-inspired vehicle dubbed ‘INSTEROID’
• Reviewed: 2025 Skoda Enyaq RS “tennis ball”

Toyota Prado Kakadu takes on Lexus GX550 in four wheel pressure battle

• Chasing Automobiles has printed a entire, large respond to the quiz on every four wheel pressure driver’s lips, ‘Which is better: Prado or Lexus GX?’
• Contributor Iain Curry expertly outlined every vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses. One of the excellent choices of contention is tag: Prado Kakadu starts at $ninety 9,990(MSRP), whilst Lexus GX sibling starts at $116,000.

• Every are constructed on the identical Toyota ladder-physique platform, however use vastly diversified powerplants. The Kakadu a 150kW 2.8L turbo-diesel and eight-slip automatic, whereas the GX uses a 260kW / 650Nm 3.5L turbo-petrol V6 and 10 slip automatic.

• The Toyota Prado and its variants indulge in lengthy been established as Australia’s high preference for enormous four wheel pressure off-roading. Curry stipulates that despite a top payment if truth be told feel and bump in energy over the Prado, the Lexus GX can’t rather tumble the longstanding king.

READ: Lexus GX550 Overtrail 2025 review: Australian check

WATCH: Is Lexus price the $20K upcharge over Toyota? (2025 Lexus GX vs Toyota Prado review)

Peugeot to raise lend a hand iconic GTi nameplate… on an EV

• Peugeot has confirmed the sacred GTi badge will return. And, rather all of a sudden, its first appearance will be on an EV sizzling-hatch.

• The Peugeot e-208 has been imply to don the GTi badge, presumably with more energy, shiny colours, and most importantly for any GTi, uncompromised, narrate handling.

• It’s far doubtless the e-208 GTi driveline will be taken at this time from Abarth 600e, constructed on the identical e-CMP platform because the e-208 and boasting a 177kW front mounted electrical motor, Torsen shrimp-scoot differential, and a 0-100km/h around 6.0 seconds.
• It’s far no longer yet confirmed when the Peugeot e-208 GTi will be launched globally, let on my own for the Australian market. An Autocar interview with unique Peugeot CEO Alain Favey printed that Peugeot will “reintroduce the GTi (badge) on the e-208 as quickly as imaginable”.

Volkswagen originate T-Roc R Wolfsburg version

• Volkswagen has launched a brand unique Wolfsburg variant of doubtlessly the most fresh period T-Roc R, marking the first time in the company’s history that a T-Roc will receive the Wolfsburg cure.
• The Volkswagen T-Roc R Wolfsburg is priced from $69,290 (sooner than on-freeway costs). Maximum output will stay at 221kW / 400Nm — the identical offering from the well-liked T-Roc R.

• The predominant changes to the Wolfsburg T-Roc encompass an Akrapovic titanium exhaust machine, 19-go Pretoria alloy wheels, and carbonfibre-come at some level of C-pillars, as properly as a $4300 tag amplify over the well-liked T-Roc R. Finest 200 T-Roc R Wolfsburgs will attain to Australia.

• The Wolfsburg tidy of doubtlessly the most fresh T-Roc is the beginnings of the auto’s bustle-out, as a brand unique period T-Roc is expected to be unveiled in the impending months.

READ: Volkswagen T-Roc R Wolfsburg: special version launched sooner than unique-gen little SUV demonstrate

Hyundai teases unique gaming-inspired vehicle dubbed ‘Insteroid’

• Hyundai has teased a brand unique belief automobile, is called the ‘Insteroid’. The one-of-a-form get is basically based on the Hyundai Inster, an electrical compact SUV which changed into as soon as expected in Australia in February of this year.

• Hyundai claims the ‘Insteroid’ nameplate is a aggregate of Inster and steroid to “replicate the funky, youthful and muscular nature of the observe automobile”. It’s far unlikely the Insteroid will ever be attach into production — at least on this compose.

• The Insteroid belief vehicle components extra air intakes in the wheel-arches, 21-go wheels, video-game inspired LED headlights, and a pronounced rear spoiler over the well-liked mannequin Inster.

• The Insteroid incessantly is the superstar of Hyundai’s stand at the Seol Mobility Philosophize in April, which is taking place at the identical time because the Melbourne Motor Philosophize.

2025 Skoda Enyaq RS reviewed

• Chasing Automobiles journalist Tom Baker’s review of the 2025 Skoda Enyaq RS changed into as soon as printed to YouTube, and entails reward for the Enyaq’s sporty vibes.
• Baker changed into as soon as impressed by the Enyaq RS’s ability to exclaim glorious handling with out compromising trek quality. He eminent that with 250kW and all-wheel pressure, the RS is sporty however approachable.

• Two choices of contention with the Enyaq RS encompass the lack of cyber web connectivity offered by the infotainment machine (a feature prevalent in many rivals), and the lack of an EV-defining frunk.
• The RS is excellent, however the entry level Enyaq RWD’s tag is more household friendly. A heavy facelift of Skoda’s first EV is due in Australia later this year.

WATCH: Is the priciest Skoda yet a accurate fun machine? (Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS 2025 Review)

The following project of Automobile News At the present time will be printed on Thursday 26th March at 4.30pm Sydney time.