Car News Roundup: Fiat $15K Micro EV Sells Out, BYD Faces Spy Probe, Mercedes Defends Combustion

The automotive world is split between ultra-small electric vehicles, geopolitical tension over connected-car data, and a stubborn defense of the internal combustion engine. Here are the stories shaping the car market today.

1. Americans are snapping up Fiat's tiny $15,000 Topolino

Fiat's micro-EV experiment is working in the US. Early sales of the roughly $15,000 Topolino show strong demand for the Dolce Vita trim, especially in resort towns and neighborhoods where roads are limited to 25 mph. It is a bet that not everyone needs a 4,000-pound EV for a 5-mile commute — and that price is doing the heavy lifting.
Source: Motor1

2. Europe wants BYD investigated over spying fears

The European Commission-linked scrutiny of Chinese automaker BYD is intensifying, with regulators raising concerns about connected-car data collection. BYD has responded to the calls for an investigation, pushing back on the allegations. As cars become rolling data centers, this fight over telemetry — not range or price — may define the next chapter of EV competition in Europe.
Source: Motor1

3. Mercedes chairman: gas and diesel engines have 10–15 years left

Ola Källenius publicly linked Mercedes' continued combustion and diesel options to customer demand, giving the combustion era a 10 to 15-year runway alongside new EVs. It is the clearest signal yet that legacy automakers plan to straddle both powertrains far longer than the regulatory timeline suggests.
Source: Motor1

4. Honda's $3.38B Ohio plant will build next-gen Acura MDX and two flagship SUVs

Honda is doubling down on American manufacturing: the newly announced Ohio investment adds 2,390 jobs, boosts hybrid capacity, and prepares the next-generation Acura MDX plus two flagship SUVs. At a time when tariffs and EV slowdowns are pressuring margins, hybrid capacity in the US looks like the safest bet in the industry.
Source: Motor1

5. Polestar's Formula 2030 wagon concept is gorgeous — and won't be built

Polestar revealed a striking station wagon concept that previews its Scandinavian design language for future EVs. The catch: it will not reach production, though design elements will trickle into upcoming models. A reminder that concepts are marketing as much as engineering.
Source: Motor1

Takeaway

Today's headlines show an industry moving in three directions at once: small, cheap EVs carving out niches the giants ignore; data sovereignty becoming a genuine trade battleground; and legacy brands like Mercedes and Honda hedging their bets on hybrids and combustion well past the hype cycle's expiry date. The winners of 2027 may be the companies that read customer demand — not regulatory calendars.

Sources: Motor1, Road & Track, Electrek — November 10, 2026.