Polestar 4 qualifies for Category A COE with tuned-down power, price slashed by $15,000

Polestar’s first Category A COE model

The Polestar 4 is the brand’s first model to qualify for Category A certificate of entitlement (COE).

Tuned down to 110kW, the electric crossover is priced at $287,999 with COE before discount – $15,000 lower than the 200kW version, which remains on sale.

While maximum torque remains unchanged at 343Nm, capping power at 110kW extends the 0-100kmh timing from 7.1 seconds to 10.7 seconds.

Key features have been retained, though. These include a 100kWh battery, 620km operating range and energy consumption of 17.8kWh/100km.

As with the more powerful version, the car comes with a digital rear-view mirror – a crucial touch, as the Polestar 4 does not have a rear windscreen.

Facelifted Kia Niro boasts digital key

The facelifted Kia Niro Hybrid now has a digital key function on the higher-grade Earth version. This enables the car to be locked, unlocked and started via a smartphone app.

It is currently the only South Korean car sold here with this capability. Owners can share the customisable access rights with other drivers.

Compared with the base Air version, the Earth model adds features like driver seat memory, head-up display and a larger digital instrument cluster.

Both versions come with the Kia Connect in-car connectivity platform. This enables over-the-air software updates and remote climate control, among other features.

Exterior tweaks have been made over the 2022 car centre on the front fascia. Vertical headlights and a boxier bumper with a slimmer air intake align the design with Kia’s flagship EV9 electric car and the refreshed Sorento sport utility vehicle.

Mechanically, the car retains the 1.6-litre hybrid engine, which delivers a fuel consumption rate of 4.9 litres/100km.

Before applicable discounts, the Earth is priced at $275,999 with COE – an $18,000 premium over the Air.

New Elantra among over 100 Hyundai launches by 2030

Hyundai plans to launch more than 100 new and refreshed models by 2030, headlined by the next-generation Elantra in the coming months and the Santa Fe extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) in the first half of 2027.

The Santa Fe EREV is projected to deliver more than 966km on a full tank and battery charge.

Announced at the South Korean carmaker’s CEO Investor Day on Aug 26, the product offensive also includes a new compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) model and successors to bestsellers like the next Tucson, due to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Delivery of Ioniq 5 Waymo robotaxis will also start in the fourth quarter of 2026 from Hyundai’s Georgia plant in the US. These are separate from the Singapore-assembled driverless Ioniq 5s sent to Motional, the autonomous driving technology company in which the carmaker holds a majority stake.

Other additions include models under the high-performance N and upmarket Genesis sub-brands.

Gordon Murray unveils three-seater S1

Gordon Murray, creator of the original McLaren F1 road car, unveiled the S1 supercar at the Monterey Car Week event in California on Aug 14.

Limited to just 64 units worldwide, it is the latest release from Gordon Murray Special Vehicles, the carmaker’s ultra-exclusive division.

Intended to be a car for long-distance touring, the S1 has active aerodynamics, revised suspension and a more luxurious cabin than the S1 LM of 2025. Only five units of the S1 LM were produced, as a modern and intensified interpretation of the Murray car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1995.

Retaining the unusual three-seat layout with a central driving position from the F1 and S1 LM, the carbon-fibre monocoque supercar is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre, V12 Cosworth engine making 681hp at 12,100rpm. Power goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.

While the company did not disclose the S1’s price, the first production S1 LM was sold at auction in November 2025 for US$20.6 million (S$26.2 million).