BMW iX3 crowned World Car of the Year 2026 as EVs lead the way
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
- Industry News
- 2 April 2026
The Renault 5 EV concept might not be new, but it is the most likely of the concepts that will make it into production.
The 5 EV is inspired by the famous hatchback that roamed the world’s roads between 1972 and 1995. Indications are that the 5 EV will go into production in 2024 and will be one of seven all-new vehicles that the French automaker will launch come 2025.
Reports say the 5 EV will replace the Zoe, Europe's best-selling electric car as of 2022. The subcompact will ride on the Renault–Nissan Common Module Family platform, also known as the CMF-B EV, which is expected to reduce production costs by 33% compared to the Zoe.

The new EV will be cheaper than the ZOE and make electric vehicles more affordable to a bigger audience.
The Renault 5 EV will have a front-mounted ePT-100 kW motor that will have a range of about 400 km. This is thanks to new powertrain technology and nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries as the power source.

This is also the kind of electric vehicle that Renault will hopefully bring to South-Africa within the next two to three years.
At this stage, Renault South Africa has already placed orders for the hybrid versions of the Arkana, a coupe-styled SUV and the smaller Captur Crossover SUV, both SUVs for homologation.
The ICE Captur, which is already in production, will be launched in SA in February next year, and the hybrids could be here for sale within 12 months thereafter, says Renault SA.


While rising fuel prices often trigger spikes in interest around electric vehicles, Volvo Car South Africa believes the real reasons South Africans are starting to consider EVs go far beyond the petrol pump.
MG has opened a new engineering centre in Frankfurt as part of its “in Europe, for Europe” approach. The facility will focus on developing vehicles suited to European conditions, including climate, roads and driving habits. It will work alongside existing teams in the United Kingdom (UK) and London design hub.
Europe’s used electric vehicle (EV) market is experiencing a notable surge as the Iran conflict drives up global oil prices and pushes petrol costs sharply higher across the continent.