Motoring Podcast - News Show

UK AUTUMN BUDGET
The Chancellor John Healey presented his first budget which seemed, with the motoring side of things, to please very few. Fuel duty is to now remain frozen until July 2027, which angered those who wanted a further reduction and those who claim it only encourages people to use their cars.
Also going to July 2027 is continuing the removal of VAT on domestic electricity. But there is no change to public charging despite losing the ruling earlier this year.
£100 million is being made available for public charging, but it is not clear if this is just repeating a previous announcement or new money.
To read more, click this Autocar article link here.
There is also news for fleet and business use. Benefit-in-kind (BIK) rates are rising from 2030/31 by one percent. EV drivers will face the stiff rise, being 4% of the list price in 2026/27 to 10% in 2030/31. Example given by Autocar is a VW ID.3 79kWh Style BIK of £27 rising to £67 per month. PHEVs will have it worse though. They will all be in the 18% band, which equals a £44 monthly total now going up to £133. To read about that and much more, click this Autocar article link here.
VW GROUP FINANCIAL RESULTS ARE BAD
The Volkswagen Group posted a €5.8 billion loss for the third quarter. A year ago that was €1.1 billion loss. This loss is being partially explained by restructuring costs and write-downs in China. Sales also fell with China dropping even further. The company has stated this makes their, effectively, rescue package even more urgent. Additionally they explained how they will export from China to other markets and use Chinese components. For more on this, click this yahoo!finance link here.
STELLANTIS POSTS ANOTHER LOSS
Stellantis presented their third quarter results and they were improved over the previous year but still not good. They had a net loss of $503 million and industrial free cash flow was $-4.4 billion. For the full year they expect tariffs to cost the company $1.1 billion. Click this article link from the Detroit Free Press for more.
ASTON MARTIN FINANCIAL RESULTS ARE GRIM
Aston Martin has revealed their financial results for the third quarter and they too have had a rough time, although better than the previous year. The operating loss was £25 million as opposed to £51 million. Pre-tax loss was £77 million whilst last year it was £112 million. Net debt, though, went up to £1.57 billion from £1.38 billion at the end of 2025. Deliveries of the Valhalla have helped lift their margins and narrow the losses. Click this yahoo!finance article link for more.
FINALLY AVS IN THE UK ARE QUESTIONED
The Institute of Driverless Transport has started to ask questions some have been asking for years. But at least someone else is asking them. They bring up matters like sovereignty, AV companies leaving/closing down as well as other consequences if autonomous vehicles can be made to work and then safely deployed on UK streets. To read more, click this article link from The Register.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -
BMW iX4
BMW has brought out the iX4, a car for those who think the iX3 is too sensible and want their neighbours to laugh at them. The German company claims its a ‘Sports Activity Coupe’, so a SUV that’s less practical and doesn’t look as good. At least the car has impressive stats. In 50 xDrive guise there is a claim of up to 514 miles on a single charge. Even the base 40 xDrive gives up to 396 miles. Click this Top Gear article link to find out more.
Mercedes-AMG GT SUV
Mercedes are competing with BMW for who can make a more ugly car, with their latest attempt being the AMG GT SUV. This is a bespoke EV with a variety of maximum outputs and thus continuous outputs depending where it sits in the range. There are two battery packs, either a 106kWh or 128kWh, which results in a maximum range up to 364 or 435 miles. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.
Audacious Automotive IV
The Scottish firm Audacious has designed a restomod that is a tribute to the Audi Quattro. Using a B7 gen Audi RS4 as the base you can either spec for an original Quattro body or a new carbonfibre one. The interior uses elements of the RS4 but a lot has been stripped out. Personalisation is very much part of the idea behind this, as one would expect with a starting price of £350,000 that does not include VAT, donor vehicles, transport, registration or add-ons. Blimey. Click this Autocar link here to see more.
DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: STELLANTIS MUSICAL CHAIRS
Stellantis is reorganising the design team of its brands. Pierre Leclercq is moving from Citroën to Opel-Vauxhall, with Sandeep Bhambra coming from Renault to replace him. Mark Adams who was the design head is retiring after 24 years with the marque. DS head of design Thierry Metroz is leaving which means that Citroën and DS will be singularly controlled by Bhambra. To find out more, click this article link from Autocar.
LUNCHTIME READ: CITROËN CX
Nathan Chadwick, via Hagerty, has written a lovely article about the Citroën CX. How it came about, the things that made it stand out and if you happen to be in the market for one, what to look out for. Click this link here, to be reminded of the French car’s wonderfulness.
LIST OF THE WEEK: MOST BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC CAR BADGES
Living Cars has 26 classic car badges for you to pick your favourite from. There are many gorgeous options to choose from. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Click this link to see what they are. If you are not already subscribed you will only see a small portion, its free to sign up to Juanma’s newsletter and very much worth it.
AND FINALLY: CAN A MAN BEAT NATURE?
Autoshenanigans decided to see if he could be nature by racing the sun across Scotland on the longest day. Who will win? Click this YouTube link here to find out. Bonus is that you will be reminded what the sun looks like.

FOLLOW UP: SMART #2 CORRECTION
During the last Special Edition, we got a few details incorrect when discussing the Smart #2. One of our listeners, Tony, kindly pointed this out to us. Thank you, as we try to be correct and if we make a mistake we like to correct it. If you want to listen to the Paris Motor Show episode, click either of these links here.
To 👂 via streaming click 👉 https://www.motoringpodcast.com/episodes/2026/10/23/se716
To 👂 via other services click 👉 mpnewsshow.captivate.fm/list
VOLVO TO CUT WORKFORCE
Volvo will be shedding around 2,500 jobs, mainly in Sweden, following a poor third quarter in 2026. They are aiming at mainly temporary consultants and through “natural attrition”. Håkan Samuelsson, CEO, also has a plan to stop the rot in their sales in China. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.
BOSCH RESTRUCTURING HIGHLIGHTS SUPPLIER’S STRUGGLES
Bosch is splitting out several of their divisions into independent entities, wholly owned by themselves, as it seeks to try and be more competitive. The Mobility division has announced 900 jobs to go at their Nuremberg site, which is on top of 22,000 redundancies announced last year. For more on this, click the link here to an electrive article.
GOVERNMENT TURNS ATTENTION TO PRIVATE PARKING RULES
The UK Government is releasing a new Private Parking Code of Practice, which is aimed at making it fairer to users and feel a little bit less of a rip-off. There will be longer grace to times, ability to appeal, not be so heavily penalised for typing your registration in correctly and more. The RAC had called for even more steps, which have not been included. To find out the full details, click this Motoring Research article link here.
HONDA TESTING INDUCTION CHARGING WHILST DRIVING
Honda, in collaboration with Taisei and Taisei Rotec, is trialling induction charging but for vehicles on the move. This will mean a power transmitter is embedded into the road with a receiver fitted to the car allowing recharging as the car is driven along. The companies state that real world testing will begin in the spring of 2027. If you want to learn more, click this Top Gear article link here.
OCTOPUS REDUCES FLEET EV CHARGING COSTS
Octopus is reducing the amount it costs fleets to charge their EVs, if signed up to the Octopus Fleet subscription service. This equates up to 30% off. By managing to do this, the company is hoping to gain business. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -
BMW iX3 M60
BMW has M’d the iX3 and given it a powertrain that supplies up to 604bhp and 645lb ft of the torques. This enables a claimed 0-62mph of 3.9 seconds. Range is down on the rest of the models offered, with a maximum potential of 468 miles, which is still mighty impressive. Prices are yet to be confirmed but the current top of the range costs about £60,000, therefore you can expect a hefty premium to that. Click this EV Powered article link here, for more.
Nissan Kicks
Nissan is going to build the Kicks, their B-segment SUV, in Nissan for the UK and European markets. This will replace the ICE powered Juke, with a hybridised combustion engine powertrain. Details are scant, but it is expected to be in showrooms from summer 2027. Click this Autocar article for more.
iCaur V27
Chery is bringing their fifth brand to the UK, in early 2027, as iCaur launches with the V27, a chunky large off-roader with 450bhp range-extender electric powertrain in its own market. Details are thin on the ground but looking at European markets, the prices could be well below the cheapest Defender. Click this Autocar article here, to learn more.
LUNCHTIME READ AND WATCH: TUTTO BENE HILLCLIMB 2026
The Tutto Bene Hillclimb is an event unlike others. It is not about being the fastest but about enjoying an eclectic mix of cars and seeing them drive. The motto is “slow down to go fast” and that is also the ethos. Click this article link from Classic Trader here, to find out about this fabulous event.
To watch examples of what was there this year, click this YouTube video link here.
To get a hint of the atmosphere, click this YouTube video link here.
LIST OF THE WEEK: SUMMER SCORCHERS
As the weather, in the UK, has turned decidedly grim, we bring you a list that reminds us all that we did have some sunshine earlier this year. Antony Ingram on Hagerty has listed the best cars from the previous famous heatwave year of 1976. Do you agree with the choice made? Click this link to see your options.
AND FINALLY: CAN’T PARK THERE MATE, KIDS EDITION
During the public days of the Paris Motor Show a Mercedes VLE electric van was crashed into a wall from the display stand. That’s an oops, but it gets worse as it was a child who did this due to being able to power up the vehicle and then engage reverse. Maybe someone needs to rethink the whole keyless systems? Click this Carscoops article link to check out the story.

The Paris Motor Show took place between the 12 and 18 October 2026. Alan and Andrew round up the highlights that caught their eye during the week.
For Autocar’s main coverage and report, click this link here.
For Average Joes’s coverage, click this link here.
For a sweep by Autocar, of the new cars being shown, click this link here.
To watch Tim Rodie Drives Stuff tour of the show, click this YouTube link here.
For DefinitetlyNotAGuru’s tour, click this YouTube link here.
To see what the House of Cars channel found interesting, click this YouTube link here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

FOLLOW UP: MOTOR FINANCE REDRESS HEARING IN 2027
The date for the hearing of the two complaints into the motor finance redress scheme has been confirmed to take place between 16 and 26 February 2027. The scheme will remain in its current semi-suspended status until after the rulings. There is a potential for the ruling to not take place until the summer of 2027 with compensation expected to take place from 2028. For more on this matter, click this article link from The Law Gazette here.
CHINA REDUCING TAX REBATE FOR EXPORTED NEVS
The Chinese Government has announced that it is reducing the VAT rebate on exporting battery electric and plug in hybrid vehicles. This is associated with the reduction in assistance for ‘future-orientated’ industries. This is bad timing for the car industry of the country as there is a slump in sales, which is adding more pressure on companies. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.
AIRPORT DROP OFF PRICES TO BE INVESTIGATED
The practice of charging drivers to drop off or collect those using an airport has become a source of income for UK sites. However, the prices have increased at a rate that far outstrips what many feel is fair. Now the UK Government has announced it will look into these fees. Fingers crossed the result is they are banned as this does not happen in Europe. If you wish to read more, click this Motoring Research article link here.
POLICE NOW ABLE TO SEIZE YOUR CAR FOLLOWING ACT CHANGE
Section 59 of the Police Reform Act was amended to enable police to seize a driver’s vehicle with an incredibly broad set of criteria. Criteria such as careless driving, inconsiderate driving or unauthorised driving off-road. On top of that if the officer believe conduct that causes or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. Passengers too can be fined for their involvement. You can find out more by clicking this Carscoops article link here.
EURO NCAP SAYS CLIMATE CONTROL CAN STAY ON SCREENS
Euro NCAP has clarified what interactions it believes are safety critical and thus require a physical button and which do not. Climate control and media can be left on touchscreens, as they do not see them as “time-critical tasks” as well as the mind boggling statement “it is also not proven that direct physical input is safer”. Tell that to the UK lawmakers and how drivers are banned from interacting with their phones even in a mount for media etc. If you want to read more, click this EV Powered article link here.
VOLKSWAGEN BATTERY RECALL
VW is preparing itself for a large battery recall in Europe, on top of those already underway in the UK and US. In Europe ID.3, ID.4, ID.7 and ID.Buzz, as well as Cupra Born are the affected models, when they have been built between 2023 and 2025. However, the actual number to be recalled will be lower than currently stated due to it only be a small batch of batter cells that are the issue.
In the UK, the ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo, built between 2022 and 2025 are potentially affected. To find out more, click this electrive article link here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -
Volkswagen ID.3 GTI
The VW ID.3 GTI is the most powerful GTI they have ever produced, by half a horse power! Still most powerful is most powerful. It will come with a single motor and be rear wheel drive, the battery is a 79kWh one which will enable a maximum range of 373 miles. Power is 321bhp and 402lb ft of the torques, which will allow for a 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds and a maximum speed of 124mph. Click this EVO article link here to read more.
BMW 3-Series
The internal combustion engined version of the 3-Series has now been revealed. Looks wise, we feel its a big wiff. Really struggling with the front end visuals, which are so far from the Neue Klasse concept, making it look like it has been crashed already. Inside it matches the current BMW design. There will be a myriad of options for powertrains, power outputs and costs. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.
Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai have freshened up the very popular Tucson SUV. The front and rear have been sharpened up with new lighting and looks, whilst inside there is a change with a similar small screen for the driver behind the steering wheel and a HUD display. Obligatory large central screen is in place too. No doubt this will sell well. Click this Autocar article link here for more.
LUNCHTIME READ: WINNING NUMBER
Plenty of car makers have chosen to name their cars using only numbers, Driven to Write have catalogued some of them for you to find out more. Very interesting to see the different approaches of brands with some having a high number on the range topper whilst other have it on the entry level one. Click this link here to read more.
LIST OF THE WEEK: 19 ESTATE CARS USED IN MOTORSPORT
Classic & Sports Car bring us another cracking list, this time all about estates that have partaken in motorsport. Be warned this is from the full breadth of motorsport. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you pick? Click this link here to view your options.
Asa we have, for once, remembered to cross promote our own work, here is a link to a video on the Seat Leon ST Cupra 290 Black.
AND FINALLY: CAR ART - TERRY ROSS
Terry Ross is a motoring artist who creates these wonderful sculptures which ooze with speed and drama even though they are a static thing. Click this Classic & Sports Car article link here, to check out some selected works as well as the link to his site which we encourage you to go view as its all fabulous.

In this week’s show, Alan starts with a follow-up on China agreeing to limit the number of hybrid and PHV cars it imports into the EU, and discusses Porsche's forthcoming halo-vehicle and strategy announcements.
Google Maps and Waze are now displaying fuel prices, Freelander is confirmed for the UK - eventually, and TfL makes a bid to regulate “robocabs” in London.
In New New Car News, Alan talks about he likelihood of success of the much-discussed Jaguar Type-01, the Nissan Pixo, and the Bentley Torcal. Lunchtime Read covers the history of the Peugeot 309; there are 10 unusual homologation specials for List of the Week. And Finally covers the importance of removing vehicle liveries.