Hyundai Crater Concept Unveiled as Profits Surge: Vegas dust-up, Hilux faithfulness, and E36 money madness

Some Fridays feel like a mixed grill of everything I love about this job: big corporate chest-thumping, a fresh concept car to squint at, a sensible EV deal you can actually act on, and the classic-car market doing what it does best—making the new stuff blush. Today’s headliner is the Hyundai Crater Concept, revealed right as Hyundai claims it’s leapfrogged Volkswagen on global profit. Coffee in hand? Let’s get into it.

Hyundai Crater Concept and the profit mic drop

Hyundai’s CEO says the company is now number two globally in profit, edging past Volkswagen. Bold claim. And honestly, it squares with what I’ve seen in the last few years. The Koreans have been on a roll—punchy powertrains, tidy handling, tech that doesn’t make you feel like you need a teenager to set it up, and prices that still feel sane. Margins follow when people walk out of test drives saying, “That’s smarter than I expected.”

Enter the Hyundai Crater Concept: a mid-size, off-road-flavored SUV idea-car that looks like someone took Hyundai’s hard-edged design language and sent it through a trail-rated boot camp. No, I haven’t driven it—concept life and all—but I did bounce a recent Tucson up a rutted forestry road, and Hyundai’s traction and hill-descent tuning have gotten properly competent. If Crater is a mood board for a future production model, it’s aiming squarely at the “weekend-overlander-with-dog-and-camp-stove” crowd.

Beyond the Hyundai Crater Concept: Toyota two-step with Hilux and China’s RAV4

Autocar’s latest take on the Toyota Hilux reminded me of a recent UK press loan I had. Unladen, it rode like a true pickup—bit of a jiggle over patchy tarmac—but load a couple hundred kilos of kit in the bed and it settled into a calm, unflustered stride. That’s the Hilux way. Ladder frame honesty, cabins that no longer feel like agricultural sheds, and towing capacity up to around 3.5 tonnes depending on spec. It won’t wow on a night out, but it will start every morning and get the job done—rain, hail, or a half-frozen sheep track.

Meanwhile in China, the RAV4 twins land with a bigger screen and a smaller price than global models. Screens sell, but price sells harder. It’s the sort of market-specific tweak that makes buyers elsewhere ask awkward questions at the dealership—“Why can’t I get that?”—and it hints at where Toyota pegs the baseline for mass-market tech.

EV bargains after the Hyundai Crater Concept buzz: Leaf grant and Omoda Jaecoo deals

UK shoppers, take note: the new Nissan Leaf qualifies for a £3750 EV grant, pulling the entry price down to £32,249. That’s not pocket change; it moves the Leaf into a sweet spot where it rubs shoulders with well-specced hybrids. I ran a Leaf for a month a while back—school runs, gym dashes, supermarket raids—and it’s the definition of easy: quiet, predictable, and so drama-free you’ll hear the kids argue about who stole whose charger.

Also circling the discount wagon: Omoda Jaecoo with range-wide Black Friday savings. If MSRP makes you itchy, this weekend might be the right time to put miles on a demo car and sharpen your pencil. Never hurts to ask for floor mats thrown in—old-school, but it works.

Regulation beat: Australia turns the volume down on loud mods

Australian police have been busy ticketing modified and noisy cars—Commodores, Skylines, and the usual suspects taking hits for exhausts and ride heights. I’ve owned my share of loud pipes—some charming, some migraine-inducing—and there’s a line between character and chaos at 2 a.m. in suburbia. If you’re modded Down Under, keep it compliant and keep your paperwork handy.

Old metal, new money: E36 M3 spikes; a Microbus gets a second life

Collector pulse check: clean E36 BMW M3s are pulling bids that’ll make new M4 owners stare into the middle distance. Yes, the U.S. cars were 240 hp and Europe got up to 321 hp, but that’s not the heart of it. The E36 breathes with a road. I threaded one through the Brecon Beacons years ago—thin pillars, perfect pedal spacing, steering that chatted even when the radio was off. People are paying for that sensation, for the spec unicorns, and for memories that get better every year.

And then there’s the VW Microbus that rose from the ashes—literally—after the Palisades Fire. I’ve visited shops mid-resurrection; the smell of cooked looms and toasted sealant lingers, yet the best fabricators can coax life back into anything with sheet metal, time, and stubbornness. This one’s not about concours points. It’s about a family memory finding its way back to the beach.

Hyundai Crater Concept to paddock chatter: Vegas dust, quick kids, and an FIA shake-up

Las Vegas GP practice opened on a slick, dusty surface with Charles Leclerc setting the early marker in FP1. As the track rubbered in, FP2 turned messy—red flags, grip roulette—and Lando Norris popped to the top. It’s the kind of night that has engineers glued to tire temps while drivers mutter about dust on the radio. Also making waves: FIA head of aero Jason Somerville resigned amid links to Alpine F1. Brain-drain mid-season? That always gets the paddock whispering about how quickly that knowledge can be used under the regs.

At a glance: what happened and why it matters

Feature highlights and quick takes

• Hyundai’s profit momentum isn’t luck—smart product planning and user-friendly tech are doing the heavy lifting. The Hyundai Crater Concept plays right into that narrative.
• Hilux remains the “buy once, rely forever” pickup. Empty-bed jitters fade with a bit of weight—plan your test drive accordingly.
• Nissan Leaf at £32,249 (with grant) is peak easy-living for city work—cheap to run, simpler than a latte order.
• China’s RAV4 spec shows where mainstream infotainment is heading: bigger, cheaper, sooner.
• Collector tip: E36 M3 values chase condition and originality. The cheap ones are expensive for a reason.
• Vegas form guide: don’t trust FP1. Rubber down, temps up, and the order can reshuffle fast.

Conclusion

Today’s through-line is momentum: Hyundai planting a flag with profits and the Hyundai Crater Concept, Toyota quietly perfecting the practical, EVs getting friendlier on the wallet, and classic metal stirring the soul and the market. Somewhere out there, a newly resurrected Microbus is trundling toward a sunset, and in Vegas, the dust is settling just enough for someone to find grip. Good week to be a car person.

FAQ

• Did Hyundai really overtake Volkswagen in profit? That’s the claim from Hyundai’s CEO—positioning the brand as #2 globally on profit.
• What is the Hyundai Crater Concept? It’s Hyundai’s rugged mid-size off-road SUV concept, signaling where a future trail-ready Hyundai SUV could go.
• Is the Hyundai Crater Concept headed for production? No confirmation yet. Concepts like this often preview design and capability direction for upcoming models.
• How much does the new Nissan Leaf cost in the UK? With the £3750 EV grant, entry pricing starts at £32,249.
• Who topped Vegas practice? Charles Leclerc led FP1 on a dusty surface, while Lando Norris was quickest in a red flag-hit FP2.