Rico Christoffel has been the new head of Seat and Cupra in Switzerland since the beginning of 2025. And he and his team have already brought a real highlight to the dealer meeting in Switzerland: the Cupra Dark Rebel. The expressive show car shows the most concentrated essence of passion and sportiness that a two-seater Shooting Brake with electric drive can currently convey. Its designer Alfredo Marin lets his gaze wander over the car and explains: "Without the burden of the past, we were able to create something new at Cupra. That helps when we are working on such projects at the development center in Martorell or around 30 minutes away in the heart of Barcelona."

Customers - also known as the "tribe" in the youthful, sporty Cupra brand - made 270,000 configuration suggestions for the Dark Rebel, after which it was developed completely virtually. "Of course, we couldn't use every suggestion, but we implemented the most popular details and used them to create the Dark Rebel show car, which perfectly illustrates the rebellious, different nature of our brand," says Alfredo Marin.

And looking at the 4.50 meter long and just 1.30 meter high e-supersports car with its incredibly long snout, sculpted surfaces, athletic shoulders and almost fearsome diffuser at the rear, Marin adds: "We want to be the black sheep and not go with the flow. The Cupra Dark Rebel is the maximum provocation of the Cupra design. We also have to reach the next generation with it. That's why it also contains certain elements that are familiar from the gaming world."

If you open the two gullwing doors, which swing upwards to a height of 2.20 meters, you have a clear view of a rather plain cockpit. The Supersport bucket seats with glass and copper headrests are covered with a 3D knitted fabric. The asymmetrical center console was also produced using the latest 3D metal printing technology. The gearshift is located on this central backbone of the car, is made of fine glass and is backlit for a special effect.

"We deliberately combine almost sensual surfaces with sharp lines to create tension. The almost liquid-like color of the car, a dark blue to violet that constantly changes depending on the light, further emphasizes this," the Spanish designer proudly explains. Logically, a Cupra should not be without the copper-colored elements typical of the brand, such as the aero covers of the mighty wheels.

Light also plays a central role in the Spanish Volkswagen Group brand's exciting show car, starting with illuminated logos at the front and rear. "We also play with light and color in the interior," says designer Marin. "The color of the ambient lighting, for example, shows whether the air conditioning is currently heating or cooling." Another exciting feature is the triangular light signature, which shimmers directly and discreetly out of the Dark Rebel's bodywork at the front and rear and also forms the daytime running lights with light triangles at the front.

Incidentally, an electric motor with over 331 kW (450 hp), which could catapult the Dark Rebel from 0 to 100 km/h in less than four seconds, provides the appropriate drive. It's almost a shame that this all-electric designer dream will probably never see the light of day in series production. But we will probably see the design language or details such as the lighting design on future Cupras. And until then, the Dark Rebel remains the ultimate example of the power that design can have when building a brand like the young Seat offshoot Cupra.

The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES for short, is the world's largest trade fair for consumer electronics. It has actually been taking place since 1967 and originated in New York, where tube televisions, wall telephones and similar technical innovations were presented to the amazed public. Since the digital revolution, the fair has been held in Las Vegas, and the themes of the fair have also changed: Today, in addition to the latest trends in consumer electronics, it is also about artificial intelligence, algorithms or cyber security.

The automotive industry now also has a firm place at CES - after all, modern cars are high-performance computers on wheels that are increasingly merging with the digital world. However, at this year's event, which took place from January 7 to 10, a very small number of car manufacturers were still represented; more space was taken up by various suppliers and start-ups. Western manufacturers were mainly conspicuous by their absence - only BMW made a proper presentation in Las Vegas, albeit without delivering a real highlight. The Munich-based company focused its trade fair appearance on the innovative head-up display, which will be introduced in the next generation of e-models, the so-called New Class.

The Asians dominated

The Asian brands were much more present. Honda had announced the first production version of the new 0-Series, the Japanese manufacturer's next generation of electric Atos, for CES 2025. There was probably not enough time for this, but the Japanese did present two studies that are intended to be very close to series production. The "SUV" and the very flat "Saloon", as the models are currently still called, are based on a new platform on which Honda intends to launch a total of seven new e-models - the SUV shown is the first and is due to be launched in the USA in the first half of 2026 and then in Germany towards the end of the year. The very futuristic sedan will follow around six months later.

The 0-Series models are to be very directly networked with the driver via the new operating system called Asimo OS. It should interact with the driver, know their preferences precisely, cheer them up with their favorite music and atmospheric interior lighting, for example, or suggest a nice place for a stopover on the way. This is combined with automated driving at level 3, where the driver can not only take their hands off the wheel but also take their eyes off the road.

The "Sony car" is here

Automated driving was also a topic for other manufacturers at CES 2025. Suzuki used its first appearance at the trade fair in Las Vegas to present an autonomous driving platform that was developed together with the Australian company Applied EV. Various superstructures can be bolted onto the electrically powered platform, from a kind of snowplough-Roomba to a driverless last-mile parcel carrier. The "Blanc Robot" is said to be able to carry one ton, travel at speeds of up to 80 km/h and is already ready for series production.

Another product from Japan has attracted attention at CES 2025: The "Sony car", which has been announced for years, is now ready for series production and was presented in Las Vegas. The Afeela 1, as the model is correctly called, is the result of a collaboration between Honda and the tech group Sony. The technical data of the 4.9 meter long, streamlined electric saloon are not very impressive: 360 kW/490 hp, a range of 480 kilometers and 150 kW charging power no longer knock anyone's socks off. Instead, the Afeela 1 aims to stand out with its digital experience, including on-board gaming via Sony Playstation. Whether the "Sony car" will ever make it to Europe is still completely unclear.

The dream of flying

Hyundai was represented by its in-house supplier Mobis. The latter presented an innovative, holographic windshield display that projects augmented reality information across the entire width of the windshield into the driver's and front passenger's field of vision. The "M.Brain" system goes one step further: the interior lighting system measures the driver's brainwaves, recognizes the driver's state of mind and adapts accordingly. The system is designed to recognize tired drivers and wake them up again, make a distracted driver more focused or a stressed driver more relaxed. The system is still a dream of the future, like so much at CES.

Just as futuristic is the age-old idea of the flying car - concepts for which have been presented at CES for years. This year, the spotlight was on the "Land Aircraft Carrier", a product from AeroHT, a spin-off of the Chinese car manufacturer Xpeng. Strictly speaking, this is not a flying car, but a car with a passenger drone stowed in the rear. The drone folds out of the cargo area automatically when required and is designed to enable sightseeing flights at a height of up to 300 meters. The transporter, which is suspiciously reminiscent of the Tesla Cybertruck, is no longer a study, but is due to go on sale at the end of next year. The Chinese emphasize that 3,000 customers have already signed up - even though the "Land Aircraft Carrier" will cost at least 300,000 Swiss francs.

"It's not forbidden to have fun with cars": a motto that anyone with gasoline in their blood can relate to. And the motto that drives the company All.cars to bring the legendary Nissan Z to Switzerland. The car was unveiled back in 2022, but the successor to the 370 Z will not officially be imported into Switzerland. This is due to the strict CO₂-requirements from Brussels. The fines that would be incurred on the six-cylinder biturbo would be too high and the quantities too low to make it a profitable business. But the enthusiasts at All.cars, led by Managing Director Fabian Bamert, prove that it is possible. Together with their partner Phantomcars from Sattel SZ, they are bringing the car onto Swiss roads.

And this is not just about one-offs. The homologation for the type certificate of the vehicles imported from the USA is currently underway. This means that the Z will be officially registered in Switzerland - a step that will make it more accessible to fans and collectors. All.cars is unable to estimate how many vehicles will be sold. "It's also not about making big money with it. It was a real beer idea from a couple of fellow mechanics," says All.cars. The idea remained convincing even when viewed soberly. So they flew to California and found a partner for vehicle delivery.

The first deliveries are scheduled for April and a dealer and service network is currently being set up. Three equipment variants will be offered: Sport, Performance and Nismo. Each comes with a manual 6-speed gearbox or 9-speed automatic transmission. The price list starts at 67,690 Swiss francs, the Performance is available from 69,690 Swiss francs and the Nismo from 84,690 Swiss francs. Otherwise, the equipment list remains short: the paint finish and interior color can be selected for a small surcharge, nothing else.

The heart of the Z is under the hood: a 4-liter V6 with 294 kW (400 hp) of power and 475 Nm of torque. In the Nismo, the power increases to 309 kW (420 hp) and the torque to a whopping 521 Nm. And of course: rear-wheel drive.

All.cars is thus continuing the history of the Z. It began in 1969 under the Datsun brand and made the Z a Japanese icon. In Europe, this story seemed to end with the end of production of the 370Z. But Fabian Bamert and his colleagues are continuing to write it - with passion, conviction and a clear goal: to bring back the fun of the car.

The first Skoda Enyaq from 2020 is one of the best-selling battery-electric vehicles in Europe. The electric SUV and its coupé variant, of which 75,000 units were sold worldwide last year, are the basis for the new addition to the Enyaq family. The new Enyaq is expected to be available from mid-January for 51,400 Swiss francs, with two battery sizes and three drive options from 150 kW (204 hp) to 210 kW (286 hp). The Enyaq 60 and Enyaq 85 each have an electric motor and rear-wheel drive, while the Enyaq 85x is equipped with an additional electric motor at the front and therefore all-wheel drive.

Improved aerodynamics and a significantly longer electric range (up to over 590 kilometers) are also part of the program. Remote-controlled parking and remote-controlled "trained parking" will also be possible with the new electrician. The extensive standard equipment includes heated front seats and steering wheel as well as a keyless entry and start system including proximity and walkaway function, Climatronic three-zone air conditioning, Side Assist, Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control (pACC) and Traffic Jam Assist.

The six different interior designs focus on different aspects. While the "Lodge" variant focuses on the use of sustainable materials, "Lounge" focuses on timelessness and "Suite" and "Eco Suite" on ventilated front seats - "Eco Suite" also focuses on the use of natural materials for the tanning of the leather seat covers. "Maxx" adds electrically adjustable front seats with memory and massage function as well as electric lumbar supports.

Various changes came into force on Swiss roads at the turn of the year. New road traffic noise regulations have been in force since January 1, 2025. It is now explicitly forbidden to generate avoidable noise with exhaust systems, especially banging noises. The offense can be punished by the court with a fine of up to CHF 10,000. In addition, noise-related fines, such as leaving the engine running unnecessarily, will be increased from 60 francs to 80 francs.

As in the EU, motorcycles in Switzerland must comply with the latest emissions regulations, the so-called Euro 5+ standard, when they are first registered from January 1, 2025. At the same time, stricter noise regulations for initial registration will also come into force here.

Automated driving takes a big step forward

From March 1, automated driving will be possible on Swiss roads. Anyone driving a car with an approved and activated highway pilot will be allowed to let go of the steering wheel on the highway and will no longer have to constantly monitor the traffic or the vehicle. However, you must be prepared to operate the vehicle yourself again if the system requires it. However, there are only a few vehicle types that have the required automation system. And as of mid-December 2024, no manufacturer has yet applied for approval for Switzerland. So you'll probably have to wait a little longer before you're no longer cruising down the highway yourself, but rather having someone else do it for you.

Driverless vehicles will also be allowed to drive on officially approved routes from March 1. However, they must be monitored by an operator at a control center. Automated parking without the presence of a driver is also possible within defined and signalized parking garages and parking spaces.

The development of driver assistance and automation systems also influences the theoretical and practical driving tests for cars and motorcycles. This is because knowledge in these areas will be tested from July 1.

And as of July 1, the category of heavy electric motorcycles (total weight up to 450 kg) will be created. This takes account of the growing importance of cargo bikes. These new regulations will also apply to the signaling of parking spaces.

Regardless of what will change on Swiss roads in 2025, the AutoSprintCH editorial team wishes you a safe journey!

When the legendary VW Beetle was due to be replaced in the 1970s, VW launched not one but several models on the market to succeed it as the new Volkswagen for the masses: the Passat was launched in 1973, followed by the Golf a year later and the Polo in 1975. Positioned one class below the Golf, the Polo rounded off the then new VW model family with front-wheel drive from Wolfsburg (Germany). And it is now celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025.

The small car presented in March 1975 was based on the Audi 50 and went into series production as the VW Polo in Wolfsburg (Germany) in a slightly modified form. Since then, the VW Polo has inspired generations of people and is now in its sixth generation on our roads. The small car stands for affordable mobility - it cost 7500 German marks at the time, which was equivalent to just under 7900 francs. It shone with a timeless design and pioneering technology. With over 20 million vehicles sold, the Polo has also established itself as one of the most successful models in its class.

And the Polo has also been further developed from generation to generation. While the first VW Polo accelerated to 100 km/h in a rather leisurely 21.2 seconds, the Polo VI GTI today needs just 6.5 seconds for the parade sprint. This is despite the fact that, compared to the Polo I with a total weight of just 685 kg, the Polo VI now had a lot more on its ribs at 1143 kg.

Incidentally, the Polo II already brought a number of improvements from 1981, including more space and comfort as well as modernized engines. The G-Lader, which provided more power, made its debut in the limited special series Polo Coupé GT G40 in 1987. In its third generation from 1994, the small VW was one of the first vehicles in its class to offer innovative safety features such as airbags.

Things got really sporty for the first time in 1998, when the first GTI version of the Polo was launched. The front-wheel drive car produced 120 hp from the 1.6-liter engine. However, it took another two generations before it also caused a sensation in motorsport. With the Polo R WRC, VW then won the World Rally Championship title four times in a row from 2013 onwards. Digital innovations also found their way into the Polo V: from 2009, infotainment and assistance systems made driving much more comfortable for the general public.

Since 2017, the sixth and current generation of the once 3.50 m long and 1.56 m wide VW Polo, which has since grown to 4.07 m long and 1.75 m wide, has been setting new standards in terms of connectivity, safety and driving dynamics. The sixth generation is based on the VW Group's modular transverse matrix (MQB) and has been even more digital and innovative since its revision in 2021. The little car has become an international bestseller that now even allows semi-automated driving thanks to IQ.Drive Travel Assist. Not bad and really innovative for a 50-year-old!

To mark the anniversary year, VW is organizing various events for the Polo, at which historic models will also be presented. The first event is the Bremen Classic Motorshow Two early examples can be seen here: an oceanic blue Polo L from 1975 and a unique hill climb Polo from 1977.

The level of difficulty has been significantly increased for the sixth edition of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. From January 3 to 17, 2025, the participants will have to dig their way through almost 80,000 kilometers of sand and rubble - more than 5,000 kilometers of which are special timed stages. The extremely demanding 48-hour chrono stage is also scheduled for January 5 and will separate the wheat from the chaff for the first time.

Even though Renault subsidiary Dacia is taking part in the world's toughest cross-country rally for the first time with its Sandrider, it has a good chance of finishing right at the front - or even winning the Dakar title. The newly founded motorsport team with five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and rally legend Sébastien Loeb put in a strong performance at the dress rehearsal for the legendary Dakar Rally in Morocco and even secured a one-two victory. The third Dacia Sandrider with Cristina Gutiérrez also put in a strong performance despite initial setbacks. "I'm very proud of the team because it was a huge effort by so many people," said team boss Tiphanie Isnard. "The Rallye du Maroc was our premiere, a test event for the Dakar. That's why we could hardly have expected this result. We learned a lot from this rally and there are a few things we need to improve, because the Dakar is a very tough race."

Of course, last year's winner Carlos Sainz will also be there in Saudi Arabia. The father of the Formula 1 star of the same name will be competing this year in a Ford Raptor T1+ developed by Ford Performance together with the specialists from its long-standing rally partner M-Sport. A 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine from the Ford Mustang will provide the necessary power and tractive force for tough off-road use. With other experienced drivers such as Nani Roma, Mathias Ekström and Mitch Guthrie, "El Matador" and the Ford crew are likely to be among the Dacia Sandrider's toughest rivals.

However, the Toyota teams with the latest version of the race-proven GR DKR Hilux Evo should never be ignored in the hot desert sand. The merger of the European and South African crews of Toyota Gazoo Racing means that not only the young and wild Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero will be competing, but also veterans such as Giniel de Villiers. This makes Toyota one of the most versatile and balanced teams for the 2025 Dakar Rally with six vehicles.

Alexandre Pesci from Lausanne will once again be taking part in the legendary desert rally, together with navigator Stephan Kuhni. He actually only wanted to do one Dakar, but is now competing for the sixth time. "When I was 50, I only wanted to do one Dakar," laughs the now 57-year-old Alexandre Pesci. "As long as I can hold out physically, I'll keep going. The first goal at this Dakar is, as always, to finish. The second is to do better than in 2024!" Back then, he finished in 62nd place. It remains to be seen whether he can get closer to his best result of 2020 this time with his Taurus Rebellion & Spierings T3, where he finished in 43rd place.

Three Swiss riders will start in Bisha on a bike. For Dakar rookie Alexandre Vaudan on his KTM, this is a dream come true: "I used to watch the Dakar on TV with my grandmother and have dreamed of taking part all my life. For budget reasons, however, I initially rode a lot of enduro bikes. The experience of the crashes I've suffered in my career now keeps me calm." And the 30-year-old from Châble in the Valais adds: "I'm coming with the same ambition as for the other rallies; that is, to ride at my level and see where that takes me."

Yann Di Mauro, head of the Triumph agency in the canton of Vaud and an enthusiastic off-road rally driver, will also be competing in the Dakar for the first time: "I love facing extreme challenges on my own, it's part of my character," says the French-speaking Swiss, adding with a laugh: "And I'm following in the footsteps of my father, who took part in the Dakar in 1989." Dennis Mildenberger will be the third Swiss rider at the start on a KTM. The 47-year-old has been working towards this moment for five years and reveals: "My goal is to ride every kilometer of the race to the end. I want to enjoy these two weeks as much as possible and of course not injure myself."

Jérôme de Sadeleer, who put in an extremely strong performance in the SVV category last year, finishing on the podium and securing second place, is likely to have completely different ambitions, although... "I'm just opening a garage and will get the keys in January, so the timing was bad," says the Gstaad native. "But my wife pushed me to take part and she will organize everything until I return. I'm really grateful to her! I'd love to be on the podium again, it would confirm that I wasn't just lucky in 2024, but also had a good run."

In the Classic category, Mathieu Kurzen and his navigator Alexandre Fatio in a Nissan Terrano and Cédric Zolliker with navigator Clemens Lansinger (D) in a Toyota HDJ 80 will be joining other Swiss drivers on the great cross-country rally adventure in the Saudi desert. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the hardships on the way from Bisha in the southwest to Shubaytah in the southeast on January 17, 2025.

These Swiss are competing in the world's toughest desert rally in 2025
Alexandre Vaudan on a KTM
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/64

Yann Di Mauro on a Honda
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/137

Dennis Mildenberger on a KTM
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/140

Alexandre Pesci with navigator Stephan Kuhni on a Taurus Rebellion & Spierings T3
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/351

Jerome de Sadeleer with navigator Diego Ortega Gil (E) on a BRP CAN-AM Maverick XRS Turbo RR
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/403

Mathieu Kurzen with navigator Alexandre Fatio with a Nissan Terrano
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/716

Cédric Zolliker with navigator Clemens Lansinger (D) with a Toyota HDJ 80
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/771

"We also need to reduce CO₂ emissions," clarifies Didier Michaud, Platform & Powertrain Leader at Dacia. "We also need to become more efficient in terms of paint and coatings and energy consumption in general in order to meet the net-zero challenge by 2050." Even in the development of new Dacia models and in design, CO₂-emissions are taken into account. "We consciously select certain steels or materials, such as graphite for the battery. We also have to offer our customers greener energy for using the vehicles."

Didier Michaud does the math, that production is responsible for 13 percent of CO₂-emissions of a car: "Over 86 percent are caused by use and 1 percent at the end of the car's life when it is recycled." Dacia tries to build its models as light as possible, including e-models with their heavy drive batteries. "With lighter cars, we can then work with smaller engines," says the Frenchman. They also try to improve the aerodynamics of each vehicle with small details. "We are using more and more recycled material; with the last Duster it was 10 percent, with the current one it is already 20 percent - such as the plastic parts recognizable by white speckles," explains Michaud.

The most important measure, To make combustion engines more efficient as well, mild hybridization with 48 volts is the answer. "This helps to reduce around 10 to 15 percent of CO₂ ", says the Dacia expert. The Jogger, Duster and Bigster models even achieve a reduction of 20 to 25 percent thanks to their hybrid drive. "The next level of reduction comes with electric drive, but this also has a CO₂-load, because you can't just look at the exhaust," says Didier Michaud unequivocally. This is also one reason why Dacia does not want to become the most electrified brand. Electrification is sometimes very expensive, depending on range and battery size, and Dacia customers are also price-conscious, which is why electric Dacias are not a top priority.

"We are launching new e-models at Dacia, but not before 2027 or 2028," Michaud specifies. "And the Dacia Spring is the only electric car under one ton. We have defined the extra precisely according to the needs of our customers." After all, it makes no sense to pack just one large traction battery into an electric car. This large battery causes more CO₂ and are hardly used in everyday life. For the Dacia expert, it makes more sense to pack a suitable battery size into an electric car and make charging easier. "Of course, a suitable infrastructure also needs to be set up for this and there is still a lot to do," says Didier Michaud meaningfully. "We know that Dacia will have to be purely electric in 10 years' time, but not yet!"

In contrast to Racing Switzerland 2023, the 2024 yearbook does not just focus on one big extra story. Eight in-depth stories about Swiss motorsport characterize the 2024 edition. These cover topics such as Audi's upcoming Formula 1 entry at Sauber, the question of alternative drive options and the 75th birthdays of Fredy Amweg and Mario Illien. However, the focus of the book is still on national racing with all its championships and cups on the mountain, in slaloms, rallies and on the circuit. The international focus is on the World Endurance Championship, the various GT categories including the DTM, Formula E and other formula racing series. Drag racing, drifting and historic motorsport are not neglected either. The karting section focuses on the Swiss Championship, the Rotax Max Challenge and the VEGA Trofeo.

Rennsport Schweiz not only provides information about (almost) everything that happened in the Swiss motorsport year, but with a completely revised layout, it is twice as much fun to read. Motorsport expert Christian Eichenberger, supported by two competent guest authors, is responsible for the content.

Photos: Opel

With its length of 4.39 m, the new Frontera is positioned exactly between the Mokka and Grandland in Opel's SUV family. It impresses with its sleek exterior and interior design and, like its brothers Citroën C3 Aircross and Fiat Grande Panda, it benefits technically from the Stellantis Group's smart car platform.

The black vizor with flash, the two-tone paintwork and the complete absence of chrome are striking design elements. In the interior, horizontal lines dominate the look. The steering wheel, which is no longer purely circular, and the Pure Panel with digital instrument cluster and multifunction touchscreen or - depending on the equipment - with smartphone station are also striking. For cost reasons, however, hard plastic parts are predominantly used.

A flexible strap, known as the Flex Strap, ensures that tablets and bottles are held securely in the center console. There is also a compartment for wireless phone charging and four USB-C ports. The luggage compartment has a capacity of 460 liters and can be increased to up to 1600 liters by folding down the split rear seat backrest.

Fully adequate driving performance
The electric version is comfortable and sufficiently agile on city and country roads, and you can even keep up with the crowd on the highway. An iron phosphate battery (LFP) with a capacity of 44 kWh was chosen for the drive components. The front wheels are driven by a synchronous motor with 125 Nm torque and a maximum output of 83 kW (113 hp). Two recuperation levels can be selected at the touch of a button on the center console, and annoying "assistants" such as the speed limit warning can also be deactivated at the touch of a button. According to the WLTP, the Frontera Electric can cover a sufficient 305 kilometers on one battery charge. A battery with a range of 400 kilometers will be available as an option at a later date.

The Frontera Hybrid with a 1.2-liter petrol engine and electric motor is available for those hesitant about electric vehicles and tenants without charging facilities at home. The system output of 100 kW (136 PS) and the torque of 250 Nm make it clearly faster than the electric car on the data sheet. Equipped with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, the mild hybrid consumes around 5.2 liters per 100 kilometers. The hybrid also plays a special trump card: It can be ordered with a third row of seats and then becomes a 7-seater. The new model, which is produced in Slovakia, is available in Edition and GS versions. Prices start at 24,900 Swiss francs (hybrid) and 27,900 Swiss francs (electric), and the first deliveries can be expected from April.