This week's news: What's driving new success for Toyota and Ford?

It’s been said before but life is coming pretty fast at Tesla these days, its position as an electric car powerhouse faltering in the face of increasingly strong competition from both legacy brands and Chinese newcomers, with BYD recently overtaking it as the world’s biggest EV manufacturer. Slow sales, halting production of the Model S and Model x production in favour of robotics and the firm’s first recorded drop in revenue don’t look good, especially in the wake of Elon Musk’s controversial $1tn pay deal. This feeds a popular perception that Musk’s public image and political alliances are more of a liability than the asset they once were, though the failure to capitalise on the success of the Model 3 and Model Y with any new product is likely more significant. Bluntly, Tesla looks to have sat on its hands, just as the rest of the industry has got its act together. The new Model Y Standard we’re testing at the moment is perhaps symbolic of this mood-shift, an emphasis on reduced cost of ownership rather than ludicrous acceleration or self-driving gizmos suggesting Tesla’s bold promises may have hit a reality check. Musk fans will hope he’s got something up his sleeve, which he’ll need given that headline-grabbing pay rise is linked to the company’s bottom line. Inspiration, perhaps, to re-ignite that creative spark that has made Tesla such a trailblazer in electrified mobility thus far.
Dan Trent

Chinese brands might seem like the hottest ticket in town right now, but don’t write off Toyota. Global sales surged to a record high of 11.32m vehicles last year, thanks mainly to the increasing popularity of plug-in hybrids. The huge sales record means that Toyota remains the largest-selling car brand in the world, beating Volkswagen and Hyundai as the most popular global car maker. Despite the 15 per cent tariff imposed on Japanese imports by President Trump, there was huge demand in America for Toyota’s hybrid range. In the UK, the new Aygo X Hybrid and updated bZ4Xhave all scored rave reviews from us here at Autotrader, while the new Prius took many by surprise when it was launched, proving this hybrid pioneer has a future beyond its King of the Ubers stereotype.
Erin Baker

Van and pick-up truck news now… and we start with a look at the great year Ford has just had. The excellent Ford Transit Custom and iconic Ford Transit were both the number one seller in their respective markets in 2025. In fact, the Transit Custom was the best-selling commercial vehicle in the UK across the whole year and the second best-selling vehicle (not van, vehicle) overall. The Ford Ranger pick-up truck also had a great 2025, remaining the best seller in the UK for the ninth consecutive year. And speaking of pick-up trucks, it feels like the electric pick-up truck market is finally beginning to heat up with the launch of the KGM Musso EV. Now, KGM might not be a household name (yet), but it has launched a raft of vehicles in the SUV and pick-up truck markets over the past few years. And in a world with only a handful of electric pick-ups, most of which cost a small fortune, KGM’s truck looks sensible and confident. It offers a 200-mile-plus range where other electric pick-ups provide closer to 160, full-time four-wheel drive and a spacious SUV-style cabin, all for just under £40K… which is £10-20K less than most rivals. What’s the catch? Well, the payload is lower than some of its competitors at around 700 kg and the infotainment software is best ignored in favour of screen mirroring your phone. And that’s about it. Even with a couple of compromises, KGM has decided being affordable AND electric is the best party trick the Musso EV can pull right now, and I can’t argue with that thinking!
Tom Roberts.