Today in Cars: Ford F-150 Lightning pivot, 50-year icons, and a sneaky Hellcat in disguise

I love a news day that swerves from boardroom chess to driveway madness. Front and center is the Ford F-150 Lightning—yes, that one—now headed for a replacement that mixes petrol with electrification. Volkswagen’s playing a smart two-lane game with tiny cars, Smart presses pause on an Aussie launch, BMW’s 3 Series hits the big 5-0, and someone built a Challenger dressed as a classic Charger with a party trick under the hood. Also: Portugal’s back on the F1 map. Buckle up.

EV Strategy Whiplash: Ford F-150 Lightning rethink, VW scales small, Smart delays a launch

Ford F-150 Lightning: the EV-only truck gives way to a petrol-hybrid mix

According to today’s reporting, Ford is winding down the current Ford F-150 Lightning program in favor of a replacement that brings a petrol option into the fold. Translation: Dearborn wants breadth, not purity, in its truck lineup. Honestly, it tracks with what I’ve been hearing—and feeling. On my last towing loop with a Lightning (small track car on a twin-axle), the truck was stout but the range dropped fast once the elevation changed and headwinds showed up. A well-judged hybrid or PHEV could be the sweet spot: dependable towing, easy refueling, and enough electric running to keep the neighbors happy on school runs.

• What owners will notice: simpler road trips, steadier towing performance in winter, and the option to go more electric later if infrastructure catches up where you live.
• What I’m watching: battery costs versus hybrid take-up. If Ford prices this right, fleets and weekend towers will line up.

Volkswagen’s 2026 wave + the ID. Polo: small is big again

Volkswagen is lining up a raft for 2026, and the ID. Polo is the headliner—an electric city car primed to sit under the ID.3. Here’s the twist I like: the petrol Polo survives in markets that still want affordable and familiar. It’s classic VW pragmatism: give Europe a proper compact EV while keeping price-sensitive buyers in the tent with ICE. When I borrowed a current Polo for a week in Lisbon—tight alleys, impossible parking, scooters everywhere—the tiny footprint and clean sightlines were magic. If ID. Polo nails charging speed and cabin quality, it could become Europe’s default driving-school car, rideshare staple, and city runabout in one tidy package.

• City-car promise: small outside, usable inside, cheap to run, and park-anywhere agility.
• Reality check: entry EVs live or die by charging speed, thermal management, and seat comfort. Get those right and people forgive everything else.

Smart’s Model Y rival delayed for Australia

Smart’s larger electric SUV—the one squaring up to Tesla’s Model Y—has been pushed back for Australia. Global rollouts are messy; homologation queues and build slots don’t magically appear just because marketing wants them. If you were eyeing a compact premium EV with a design-first vibe for Melbourne school runs, the wait just got longer.

BMW 3 Series turns 50: the benchmark still bites

Five decades of the 3 Series. From E21 to today’s tech-forward sedan, it’s the car that taught generations about a sweet steering rack and the pleasures of a straight-six. I slid back into an M340i xDrive recently—382 hp, 369 lb-ft—and within a mile I remembered why it endures. It shrinks around you in the city, the throttle brushes into motion like silk, and when the road unwinds it dances that fine line between grip and give. Mine did 0–60 in the low fours on a cool morning, but the numbers aren’t the hook. It’s the flow.

• Why it still matters: every rival gets compared to it—“as good as a 3” is still a compliment.
• Quirk alert: the infotainment is mighty but busy; I miss chunky climate knobs on cold starts.
• Life stuff: skis fit via the pass-through; trunk is honest, not wagon-big.

Small-car sanity: Renault Clio keeps it simple

Autocar’s latest on the Renault Clio tracks with my recent week in an E-Tech hybrid: it’s a classic supermini that remembers why people love superminis. Light controls, tidy footprint, seats that don’t punish your spine, and just enough hybrid assist to make urban stop-start a non-event. Mine felt happiest threading rush-hour traffic, where the EV help did the heavy lifting and fuel economy quietly climbed.

• Best for: city duty, first-car confidence, and commuters dodging congestion charges in London or Paris.
• Minor gripes: infotainment can hesitate when flipping between maps and media; rear headroom is “two adults for ten minutes” territory.
• Economy play: brilliant in town; merely fine on the motorway.

Nissan trims the Altima lineup (and nudges prices up)

Nissan is thinning the Altima range for 2026 and inching prices upward. On a spreadsheet, it simplifies ordering. In showrooms, it risks nudging value hunters across the street. If midsize sedans are on your list, cross-shop aggressively—Camry and Accord sales teams never miss a chance to pounce if the Altima’s sticker creeps.

• What to do: compare trims line-by-line. Sometimes a “base” Camry or Accord carries features you’d pay extra for elsewhere.
• Ownership tip: decent all-season tires transform these cars. The biggest day-to-day upgrade on my Altima long-termer came from binning the eco tires.

Garage candy: a Challenger wearing classic Charger clothes

That “vintage” Charger you double-tapped? It’s a modern Dodge Challenger underneath—wearing red carbon bodywork that nails the late-’60s silhouette. In photos the effect is almost uncanny, and under the hood it’s pure theater (think Hellcat noise and numbers). It’s the inside-out restomod: factory bones, cosplay body, supercar panel gaps. Half sculpture, half tire shredder. Your neighbors will either love you or loathe you.

Plate of the day: Florida frame fiasco

Only in Florida: the same outfit that sells a license-plate frame can apparently write you up for it. Friendly reminder to check your local rules on obscured letters or state names. Today’s cheeky accessory can become tomorrow’s roadside chat.

Motorsport corner: Portugal returns, and you can still vote

Portugal’s back on the F1 calendar from 2027. Portimão is a belter—blind crests, big elevation, and that fast right onto the front straight that makes onboard laps feel like a roller coaster. Meanwhile, fan voting for the Autosport Awards has been extended until 5 January. If you’re still agonizing over Driver of the Year, enjoy the grace period.

Ford F-150 Lightning takeaway: flexibility wins

The middle lane is getting crowded: hybrids and pragmatic EVs are carrying the day while icons like the 3 Series keep the enthusiast flame alive. The Ford F-150 Lightning story sums it up—Ford’s moving from EV-only to a mixed petrol-hybrid play because real owners tow, road-trip, and live with weather. VW’s two-track plan and Smart’s reschedule say the same thing in different accents. Moral of the day? Be flexible, be clever—and if all else fails, build a carbon-bodied faux-Charger and call it art.

FAQs

• Is the Ford F-150 Lightning being discontinued? The current program is winding down, with a Ford F-150 Lightning replacement planned that adds a petrol option alongside electrified variants.
• Will the new Ford F-150 Lightning still offer an EV version? That’s the expectation—Ford’s pivot is toward a mix, not a retreat from electrification.
• Is Volkswagen killing the petrol Polo? Not yet. The ID. Polo is coming as a small EV, while the petrol Polo continues in select markets to keep prices accessible.
• When will Smart’s Model Y rival reach Australia? It’s been delayed, with timing to be confirmed as rollout priorities shuffle.
• Is the BMW 3 Series still the benchmark? Yes. In M340i xDrive form it blends speed, comfort, and feel in a way rivals still chase.