Today in Cars: Mustang Moves, Hyundai’s Cheaper Ioniq 5 N, and a Wild EV Safety Idea

Some days the car world trickles. Today, it gushed. Ford is firefighting (literally and figuratively), Hyundai slipped a cheaper Ioniq 5 N under the radar, Kia is playing musical chairs with features and pricing, China Inc. keeps reshaping the industry, and someone just proposed ejecting EV batteries at speed to stop fires. Strap in.

Blue Oval Beat: Mustang’s Present and Future, Plus a Buffed-up Everest

I woke up to two very different Mustang headlines—one about a recall, the other about a hybrid making a comeback on Ford’s product road map.

• Ford Mustang recalled: Ford has issued a recall for the current Mustang in certain markets. The details vary by region and build, but if your garage houses the latest pony, check your VIN and expect a dealer visit. Recalls aren’t fun—I’ve sat through enough coffee in service lounges to know—but they are the right thing, and they’re free to fix.
• Mustang hybrid “back on the cards”: Remember when the idea of an electrified Mustang felt heretical? That’s fading. Reports say Ford is again exploring a hybridized Mustang. If it follows the blueprint we’ve seen across the industry, think electric assist enhancing low-end shove while keeping the soundtrack we love. A V8 with an e-boost? That’s a hill I’ll happily drive up.

Meanwhile in Australia, the 2026 Ford Everest Sport Bi-Turbo gets the limited-edition treatment—more kit, sharp drive-away pricing, and the kind of blacked-out, gym-membership look that suits school runs and gravel switchbacks alike. I’ve run an Everest on corrugated backroads; the bi-turbo diesel isn’t a sprinter, but it’s a calm, long-legged companion with the right tires.

Hyundai’s Hot EV Goes (A Bit) Sensible: Ioniq 5 N Essential

Hyundai has carved out a new entry point to its hero EV: the Ioniq 5 N Essential. The idea is simple—keep the go, trim a bit of the show.

• Core powertrain stays: The dual-motor setup and that grin-inducing overboost are the essence of the 5 N. It’s the part you feel in your spine when you launch, and that doesn’t change here. Last time I drove one, the brakes alone felt track-day serious; nothing “Essential” about the stopping power.
• Spec simplification: Expect fewer luxury touches (think seats, audio, maybe some driver aids) to bring the price closer to earth. For buyers who care more about lap times than massaging seats, this is the sweet spot.

As ever, weigh the options: are you really going to miss that glass roof if the tradeoff is cash saved and the same 5 N thunder?

Wild Card Tech: Eject the Battery to Fight EV Fires

File under “didn’t see that coming.” An unusual safety concept is floating around: high-speed battery ejection during severe thermal events. In theory, a pack could detach and jettison away from occupants to reduce risk.

• Pros: Separating passengers from the heat source could buy precious seconds. First responders might approach a safer cabin.
• Cons: Real-world chaos. Where does a 400–700 kg pack land? How do you prevent ejection in a normal crash? Regulatory minefield, to put it mildly.

As a concept, it shows how far engineers are willing to go to rethink EV safety. In practice, smarter pack segmentation, faster suppression systems, and better thermal isolation may prove more realistic. But I love that someone asked the question.

Kia Corner: K4 Hybrid Dated for 2026, Sorento S Loses Nav but Not Cost

Kia’s news split between the future and the fine print:

• Kia K4 Hybrid coming in 2026: The K4 (the spiritual successor to the Cerato/Forte) will gain a hybrid variant. It’ll be pointed squarely at the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and Honda Civic Hybrid—a segment where frugality meets real-car dynamics. If Kia’s recent tuning is any clue, expect an easy daily with a little motorway poise baked in.
• 2026 Sorento S: Some buyers will pay more and get less—specifically, losing built-in navigation while the price rises. For many, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is the default anyway, but if you live in signal dead zones (I do a few times a year), onboard nav still matters.

Compact Hybrid Sedans: What’s Coming and Why

China Inc. Watch: BYD, Buffett, Chery’s Brand Blitz, and Changan’s Quick Play

Three threads, one big theme—Chinese automakers are moving fast and reshaping expectations.

• Warren Buffett and BYD: Reports suggest Berkshire Hathaway has now exited or significantly reduced its long-held BYD stake after years of trimming. BYD’s still on a tear in EVs and plug-ins, but investor sentiment swings matter: less about confidence in the product, more about portfolio strategy. Worth watching how the market reads it.
• Chery launching a third brand in Australia: After establishing Omoda and Jaecoo, Chery will add a third nameplate to its Aussie stable. More price points, more niches—more headaches for rivals trying to keep up. I’ve chatted with a few new Omoda owners; value and warranty came up first, dealer experience second. The playbook is working.
• Changan’s 18-month sprint: From “one person on the ground” to market launch in a year and a half—Autocar’s look at Changan’s expansion underscores how lean teams and fast decisions are the new normal for challenger brands. It’s the opposite of the old, lumbering regional launch model.

Japan Spotlight: Jeep’s Red-Chinned Seven-Seater

Jeep thinks a splash of red on the chin spoiler—and black-on-red trim elsewhere—will help its seven-seat Commander win over Japan. It’s a bold look, and sometimes a color pop is all it takes to stand out in Tokyo traffic stacked with boxy kei cars. Style sells; ask any sneakerhead.

Road Safety: Australia’s “Secret” Ratings See Daylight

Australia just saw the release of long-discussed road safety ratings highlighting some of the country’s most dangerous routes. As someone who’s driven night stretches out past Wagga and into the high country, design and maintenance absolutely save lives. The hope: data drives funding, not the other way around.

Why the Porsche 911 Dominates Car Conversations

Autocar asked the pointed question and I’ll add this: the 911 is the yardstick because it’s both moving target and fixed reference. Change enough to stay relevant, not so much that it stops being a 911. I’ve stepped out of GT3s buzzing and out of Carreras quietly impressed. Very different emotions, one continuous lineage. That’s why we won’t shut up about it.

Motorsport Quick Hit: Verstappen Stays Unbothered

Max Verstappen brushed off the latest title-fight hype with a curt line: “I don’t rely on hope.” Classic Max. When the stopwatch is your argument, you don’t need adjectives.

Editor’s Take: What Matters Today

• Ford’s two-track Mustang story—recall now, hybrid later—shows how legacy icons survive by adapting.
• Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N Essential proves enthusiasts will trade trinkets for the core experience.
• Kia’s spec shuffle is a reminder to triple-check the window sticker year-to-year.
• China’s brands are scaling with startling speed—and breadth.
• EV safety thinking is getting radically creative, for better and for debate.

Conclusion

From red spoilers to ejected batteries, and hybrids in places we once swore off, today’s news hints at an industry sprinting in multiple directions at once. The trick for buyers (and for us) is to separate noise from momentum. On that count, the Mustang’s evolution and Hyundai’s sharpened Ioniq 5 N offering feel like genuine steps forward.

FAQ

• What is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Essential?
  It’s a lower-cost trim of the Ioniq 5 N that keeps the dual-motor performance hardware while trimming some luxury features to bring the entry price down.
• Is a Ford Mustang hybrid really happening?
  Reports say Ford has the hybrid idea back in play. Details are still under wraps, but the direction suggests electric assist without abandoning the Mustang’s character.
• When is the Kia K4 Hybrid coming?
  Kia says 2026. It’ll target compact hybrid sedans like the Corolla and Civic.
• Did Warren Buffett sell out of BYD?
  Reports indicate Berkshire Hathaway has fully exited or further reduced its BYD stake after years of gradual selling. The move’s impact is more about markets than BYD’s day-to-day product strength.
• Are EVs really going to eject batteries in a fire?
  It’s an experimental concept under discussion. Practical, regulatory, and safety hurdles are enormous, but it shows how aggressively the industry is exploring fire-mitigation strategies.