News Roundup: Oct 28, 2025
- Adam Bernard
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Check out the video:https://youtu.be/t7OSZXkQXWU
Toyota’s ‘Baby’ Land Cruiser
Just in time for the original Land Cruiser’s 75th anniversary, Toyota will launch the long-rumored Land Cruiser FJ--a spiritual successor to the Tacoma-based FJ Cruiser--next year. There had been some speculation (fueled by the electric Compact Cruiser concept shown in 2022) that this new product might be an electrified BFI entry, but that’s definitely not the case. Underneath is Toyota’s 21-year-old IMV body-on-frame platform that was originally developed for emerging markets, most recently used on the proportionally similar Hilux Champ pickup. The exterior design described as a ‘dice motif’ with chamfered edges, and features an external spare with side-hinged tailgate. Powering the FJ is Toyota’s equally venerable 2.7L four-cylinder and a six-speed automatic--and that’s the only choice buyers have at the moment. Toyota is also offering customization and personalization options, including retro-style round headlamps (like the Land Cruiser 250), removable and replaceable corner bumpers, an engine intake snorkel, and MOLLE panels for attaching outdoor equipment. The interior is modern but straightforward, with plenty of physical controls. Unfortunately, sales will be limited to Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America only
WHY IT MATTERS: “Land Cruiser” seems to be a nameplate with plenty of heritage and recognition, so--just as Ford added a Bronco Sport--the idea of a more affordable (but still capable) variant makes sense. And with the Chinese now diving into the offroad pool (and increasing exports to key markets), this offers Toyota a chance to bring younger buyers into the showroom.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The FJ will likely find a lot of enthusiastic entry-level buyers in its designated markets, but the back-to-basics platform and lack of electrification mean that Toyota is missing out on a potential opportunity in Europe and North America.
Hyundai’s Next Venue
Hyundai’s 2nd smallest SUV (after the India-only Exter) and entry-level model in North America (starting around $20,000) enters its second generation with an all-new exterior and interior, along with three carryover engines. It features a blockier exterior with a full-width light bar up front and quad beam LED headlamps. On the side, look for bulging front and rear fenders, and Santa-Fe-style squared-off black wheelarch frames. Around back is a new rear quarter window and blacked-out C pillar, as well as a full width light bar. Overall, it’s slightly longer, taller, and wider, on a longer wheelbase. It offers a choice of a 1.2L gas, 1.0L turbo gas, or 1.5L diesel engine, and seven different trim levels. Inside, you’ll find a new curved twin-screen display, 12.3” each, with physical controls for HVAC and media, and the Hyundai logo on the steering wheel replaced by four dots (which is “H” in Morse code).
WHY IT MATTERS: Hyundai has one of the largest SUV portfolios in the industry, and keeping one’s entry-level vehicles up to date is especially important given the industry’s increasing challenges around affordability.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Hyundai’s added more style and more content, but curiously doesn’t even offer a mild hybrid here, which might put them behind other automakers like Toyota and, of course, the Chinese.
XPENG X9 EREV
Although the electric X9 was introduced a few months ago, we now have the details on the new ERE variant. It’s intended to capitalize on China’s interest in premium MPVs—with a luxury car’s level of technology. The “mecha futuristic” design language with black pillars create a floating roof effect, and dramatic sloping backlight adds to the drama. Underneath is a 1.5L 110kW turbo range extender, a 63kwh battery, an 800V architecture with 5C fast-charging, and an estimated 210mi EPA range. Among the more unusual features are “AI powered” reading lights and a 4.2m long real wood panel on the dashboard.
WHY IT MATTERS: China loves luxury minivans, and so just about every brand—including Lexus and Volvo—is jumping in, with each new entry raising the technology bar. The X9 also shows the extent to which EREV technology is developing—almost as much range as a conventional EV, with an additional few hundred miles beyond that, thanks to the onboard range extender.
THE BOTTOM LINE: EREV technology seems particularly well-suited for a vehicle designed to carry people, things, and pets on long trips, and Xpeng’s system appears to be state-of-the-art.
World’s First “Luxury Robocar”
Tensor is a California-based startup founded in 2016, targeting to launch the world’s first personal robocar and AI agentic vehicle with support for L4 autonomy. The company is a rebranding of AutoX, which launched a self-driving service in Shenzhen, China several years ago with a fleet of over 1000 robotaxis—but which closed operations in 2023. The leadership team seems to bring a variety of experiences from multiple fields—except automotive (and no one listed as chief of product or engineering), but their partners include Continental, Bosch, Qualcomm, and Samsung. The car itself includes 37 cameras (including some under the vehicle), 5 lidar units, 11 radar units, 22 microphones, 10 ultrasonic sensors, 16 collision sensors, and 8 water detectors—with most sensors having built-in cleaning methods. The front bumpers include small screens at the corners, which are used to show pedestrians that the vehicle sees them, and any intentions the vehicle has (like doors about to open). It will be built by Vinfast, targeting shipping by end of 2026—but no pricing has been announced yet. The initial focus was on retail, not fleet sales, but Lyft says they have reserved hundreds of units that will be Lyft-ready out of the factory. It’s all drive by wire, with multiple redundancies and three braking systems, and Tensor built their own software stack (Tensor’s Foundation Model), which uses eight Nvidia chips capable of 8000 TOPS. In self-driving mode, the steering wheel folds into the dashboard, and the center screen slides left. Notably, Tensor claims that, unlike with other robocar designs, the data is not uploaded to the cloud to protect the driver’s privacy—and there are physical shutters for cameras and mic cut-offs.
WHY IT MATTERS: If Tensor can bring this to market, they may wind up leapfrogging Tesla—and their approach to data privacy runs counter to most automakers’ desire to know everything about their drivers.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Like any startup, they appear to be facing considerable headwinds, and there are some key questions that remain unanswered. Their partnership with Vinfast, however, addresses the key issue of manufacturing strategy, which is often a problem for other newcomers. We’ll have to wait over the next year to get more details.