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Citroen Pawlingo concept is a Berlingo van made for dog walking View gallery (4)

Citroen Pawlingo concept is a Berlingo van made for dog walking

Citroen UK has created the Pawlingo concept, turning the Berlingo van into a dog walker’s dream machine. Developed with animal welfare charity Blue Cross, it has two air-conditioned canine compartments with beds inspired by Citroen’s Advanced Comfort seats and monitoring cameras. There’s also a built-in shower for muddy paws, drying robes, harnesses, leads, treats and a waste bin. Citroen says the idea is to reduce stress and improve comfort for dogs travelling between walks. No word on whether all this will be offered as an optional upgrade in the future.

New smaller Defender likely to be called the Defender 70 - and come with hybrid or electric power

New smaller Defender likely to be called the Defender 70 - and come with hybrid or electric power

The launch of a new small Defender is drawing close but there’s a question mark over its name. Will it be Defender Sport? Apparently not. Word is that it won’t be a name, but a number. We already have Defender 130, 110 and Defender 90. Does that mean that the new, smaller one will be Defender 70? We think so.

Whatever it’s called, it will be based on a new architecture for Land Rover which will also underpin the forthcoming new Range Rover Evoque and GT. It was originally designed for all electric power, but has been redeveloped to allow for hybrid, too. And there’ll be a commercial version.

Ford teases all-new car with WRC return View gallery (3)

Ford teases all-new car with WRC return

Ford will return to the World Rally Championship as a full factory backed team from 2028, working with long-time partner M-Sport. The bigger intrigue comes a year later: Ford says an all-new WRC car will debut in 2029, taking inspiration from one of its upcoming new European passenger vehicles. Ford has also confirmed a fresh European line-up of five electric and hybrid models, so the rally car may offer an early clue to what is coming next. Will it revive the Fiesta name do we think? And Focus for that matter…

Range Rover Electric shown to Irish media in Sandyford today

Range Rover Electric shown to Irish media in Sandyford today

As part of its whistlestop tour of Ireland’s Range Rover showrooms, an example of the new Range Rover Electric was unveiled to the Irish motoring media today at Spirit Jaguar Land Rover in Sandyford in Dublin. The EV will be on display until 5 October and orders are now being taken for January delivery, starting at €160,620. We’ve already driven the car in prototype form.

Aston Martin opens its own Q branch in London View gallery (12)

Aston Martin opens its own Q branch in London

Aston Martin has opened Q London in Mayfair, and yes we’re sure it’s aware of the James Bond connection and no, it’s not shying away from that. The new 587-square-metre Berkeley Square showroom is dedicated to ‘Q by Aston Martin’, the brand’s bespoke personalisation service, with private consultation areas, more than 500 material samples and an eight-metre-wide digital configurator. The opening today (1 Oct 2026) hosted the debut of the new Aston Martin DBX GT. Q London starts normal operations on 5 October.

BMW X3 M50 gets darker look and 443hp boost View gallery (9)

BMW X3 M50 gets darker look and 443hp boost

BMW is giving the X3 M50 xDrive more power and a new Black Package option. Its turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six gains 45hp for a total of 443hp, cutting the 0-100km/h time to 4.4 seconds. The Black Package adds 22-inch alloys, black exterior detailing and an Alcantara-heavy cabin with blue accents. All versions of the X3 receive a selection of interior upgrades in time for the 271-registration period in January.

Pininfarina designs 6 ultimate houses for car collectors - at €15m apiece View gallery (7)

Pininfarina designs 6 ultimate houses for car collectors - at €15m apiece

Pininfarina has expanded its car design expertise to property in the ‘Collection Sei’, a run of just six houses in America created with MV Group USA. Each includes a glass-fronted automotive gallery for up to five cars, two single-post lifts and provision for a rotating display turntable, with the collection visible from the gym or office, obviously. The huge turnkey homes cost $16.95 million (about €15m) – and that’s before buying the land… It’s worth watching the promo video at the official site.

BYD Dolphin Surf EV updated with five-seat option and better infotainment View gallery (10)

BYD Dolphin Surf EV updated with five-seat option and better infotainment

BYD has announced updates to the Dolphin Surf EV, adding the option of a third rear seat so buyers can choose between four- and five-seat layouts. The range-topping Comfort also gets a larger 12.8-inch touchscreen with Google Built-in, plus an 8.8-inch digital instrument display. Other changes include a column-mounted drive selector, heated steering wheel on Boost and Comfort and revised trim. Irish timing and pricing has yet to be confirmed, though a mid-2027 arrival appears likely.