Happy Friday! Welcome to this week’s edition of the Official DoubleClutch.ca News Rundown, where we recap the top automotive headlines from the week that was in one convenient package. Let’s go.
Updated Lotus Emira hybrid coming soon
The last time we got behind the wheel of a Lotus Emira, it bore the personalized plate, "SAVE 6MT." Now, the days of Lotus' manual mid-engine sports car appear to be numbered.
As part of its Focus 2030 plans announced earlier this week, Lotus shared more details about the soon-to-be-updated Emira. Lotus top brass confirmed to Autocar UK — of course they got the scoop — that an updated Emira will arrive "later this decade" packing a turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain.
It will replace the Toyota-sourced supercharged V6 and the AMG-sourced turbo-four, meaning it will be the only powertrain going forward when it debuts. The numbers sure sound promising; the new V6 engine alone puts out up to 536 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, before any hybrid-electric assist.
Currently, the supercharged, Toyota-sourced V6 puts out 400 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, while the AMG four-popper puts out 400 hp and 354 lb-ft.
Alas, the hybrid V6 will be linked to a four-speed automatic transmission, meaning the death of the only new, manual Lotus you can buy is imminent.
Weight gain is inevitable; exactly how much remains to be seen, but the makers of the new hybrid powertrain, Horse Powertrain — a joint venture between Renault and Geely — say the new V6 is lighter than all other V6s on the market, and only "slightly heavier" than most two-litre four-poppers.
Yay. At least we have another hybrid Lotus to look forward to.
Now you can sleep in the 2027 Volkswagen ID. Buzz
After a not-so-brief hiatus that ended up lasting the entire 2026 model year, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz is back for 2027.
For the upcoming model year, Volkswagen is introducing a new, camping-focused trim called the Tourer. It brings over equipment previously reserved for the European model's Good Night package.
It adds a fold-out mattress, custom-fit window shades and vents, an exterior table and chairs, and a new Overnight software mode that presumably manages lighting, locks, and climate control while you're tucked in.
Also new for 2027 is VW's latest ID.S 6 infotainment; it runs on Android-based software and introduces some redesigned menus and pages for easier inputs and access. Volkswagen is also bringing back an iconic colour scheme — Candy White over Cherry Red — and will now throw in an NACS adapter so you can charge at Tesla Superchargers.
2026 Polestar 3 gets a big update, big price bump
The 2026 Polestar 3 sees a pretty comprehensive update this year. You get more range, more charging, more electrons when charging, more colour options, and more infotainment processing-power. Alas, all that will cost more money.
Let's start with the good news. The Polestar 3 now has an 800-volt electrical architecture; combined with various software updates, it can now recharge at speeds of up to 350 kW as long as you can find a public fast-charger that's actually fast enough. Get lucky and you'll likely see a 10-to-80 per cent charge in 22 minutes.
Polestar also fitted a more powerful electric motor to the rear axle. Now, the base Dual trim puts out 536 horsepower, while the Performance is rated at 671 hp. The Polestar 3 Dual now clocks a 4.7-second zero-to-100 km/h run, while the Performance does it in 3.9 seconds.
Polestar also tweaked the front motors to disconnect when not needed for improved range and better efficiency at speed, and also retuned some suspension components and software for more comfort.
Visually, the 2026 Polestar 3 is unchanged, but you have two new exterior colour options, a new interior colour option, and a more powerful NVIDIA processor for the infotainment.
Alas, all these enhancements cost appreciably more money. The 2026 Polestar 3 will now set you back $105,000 for the base Dual — a $9,000 increase from last year — and $120,000 for the Performance. Destination is another $2,800, and expect to see them in dealers this summer.
And the rest...
Honda teased two new hybrids coming very soon, Jaguar announced it will call the production version of the Type 00 concept the Type 01, Jeep's giving us yet another limited-edition Wrangler, and Ford rolled out some updates to the Super Duty.
