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New cars / TDCN ORIGINAL

KTM X-Bow GT-XA brings the Austrian track car to US roads at around $490,000

Just 30 examples of the road-legal, canopy-roofed X-Bow will be federalized for American buyers, with orders open now and a $50,000 deposit required.

Image: Carscoops

KTM's X-Bow is finally heading to the United States after almost two decades of absence from the market, in the form of a limited-run road car called the GT-XA. Only 30 examples will be built for American buyers, with prices expected to start at around $490,000.

Orders are already open and require a $50,000 deposit, and if the car is approved for US sale quickly, customer deliveries should begin next year. The federalization work is being handled by KTM's US partner Carbon Yard, which will sell the car through select partners.

What the American X-Bow is

The GT-XA closely follows the GT-XR that KTM has sold in Europe for several years. Unlike the original open X-Bow, both cars carry a full windshield and a canopy-style roof, which makes them a little more usable on the road.

The car is built around a lightweight carbon fibre monocoque and draws heavily on the GTX and GT2 race cars KTM produces. Its signature feature is a jet-fighter-inspired canopy that lifts from the bodywork along with the carbon fibre roof, windshield and side windows. Fixed seats are standard, with an adjustable pedal box and steering wheel letting owners set their driving position.

KTM says American cars get their own touches: a new suspension system with adjustable compression and rebound, a front-axle lift system and tyre-pressure monitoring. Buyers can also specify custom materials, colours, trim and interior stitching. The company's stated aim is to pair the X-Bow's track ability with more composure and comfort on the street.

The X-Bow GT-XA on the move: KTM's Austrian track special now aimed at US roads.
The X-Bow GT-XA on the move: KTM's Austrian track special now aimed at US roads., Image: Carscoops

Engine and drivetrain

The GT-XA is expected to largely mirror the GT-XR, which has been updated for 2027 with a Factory 600 package. That version uses Audi's turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine with a new turbo, intake manifold and larger intercooler, producing 592 horsepower. It drives the rear wheels through a dual-clutch transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

Because the American car is described as closely following the European one, that powertrain is the benchmark buyers can reasonably expect, though KTM has not spelled out a separate US output figure. Either way, 592 hp in a carbon monocoque car with a race-derived chassis puts the GT-XA in rare territory among road-legal machines.

How the cars are built and sold

Each GT-XA will be hand-built at KTM's facility, and owners get time with engineers plus access to exclusive driving experiences, including at the Red Bull Ring. Carbon Yard is running US operations and will distribute the car through selected partners.

The price is described as expected rather than final: Carscoops puts the starting point at around $490,000, just under the half-million-dollar mark. For a car built in a run of 30, the combination of hand assembly, a bespoke suspension set-up and factory driving events is a large part of what the money buys.

KTM's hard road back

The launch lands after a difficult stretch for KTM. The company ran into serious financial trouble in 2024 and entered self-administration while carrying hundreds of millions of euros of debt. Its motorcycle business was sold to India's Bajaj Auto, and the operation behind the X-Bow was split off into a separate company, now backed by a Belgian investment consortium that includes racing driver Guillaume de Mévius.

That split matters for American buyers: the X-Bow side of the business is now a distinct entity with its own backers, and the GT-XA is its first serious push into the US. For drivers, the appeal is a road-legal machine with genuine race-car bones, sold in a number small enough that each car is effectively a bespoke build. The catch is that the US price and delivery timing still hinge on federal approval, which has not yet been confirmed.

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New cars / TDCN ORIGINAL

Ford updates the China-only Edge L with a new face and a 27-inch screen

The three-row SUV from the Changan Ford joint venture gets revised styling and a faster Snapdragon chip, but it stays off North American forecourts.

Image: Carscoops

Ford has given the Edge L a mid-lifecycle facelift in China, where the three-row SUV is built and sold by the Changan Ford joint venture. The update, first introduced as a model in 2023, brings revised front and rear styling, new wheel designs and an upgraded infotainment chip.

The Edge L is not the Edge that North America lost. Ford discontinued the US-market Edge after 2024, but the Chinese version is a considerably larger vehicle on a front-wheel-drive platform, and it remains on sale in China and in select export markets such as Mexico.

What the facelift changes on the outside

The visual work concentrates on the ends of the car. The squared-off grille looks slightly wider because the revised LED headlights are better integrated into the chrome mesh, and the bumper has been reshaped with cleaner surfaces and vertical slits. New alloy wheels are offered in 19, 20 and 21-inch diameters.

At the rear, the dark-tinted LED taillights are smaller than before, paired with a new tailgate and a tweaked rear bumper. The side profile carries over unchanged from the pre-facelift Edge L.

Size is the point of difference. The Edge L measures 5,011 mm long with a 2,950 mm wheelbase, which makes it 39 mm shorter than the US-spec Explorer but with 75 mm less distance between the axles. The more fundamental split is underneath: the Edge L uses a front-wheel-drive platform, while the Explorer is built on a rear-wheel-drive longitudinal layout.

The facelifted Ford Edge L shows off its redesigned front end and lighting signature
The facelifted Ford Edge L shows off its redesigned front end and lighting signature, Image: Carscoops

Cabin tech and trim levels

Inside, the three-row seven-seat layout, 27-inch 4K touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster carry over. The infotainment now runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip with Chinese-specific Ford SYNC Max software that includes AI integration.

The entry-level Fashion trim comes with the digital cockpit, a panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, active noise cancellation and Ford's Co-Pilot360 Level 2 driver assistance. The Supreme trim adds a head-up display, a B&O audio system, a 540-degree surround-view camera, and heated and ventilated second-row captain's chairs with power leg rests and a reclining function.

Powertrains and pricing in China

The engine range is unchanged. A turbocharged 2.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder produces 249 hp (185 kW) and drives through an eight-speed automatic. A hybrid 2.0-litre version makes a combined 275 hp (205 kW) and uses an eCVT, with a claimed single-tank range of up to 1,188 km (738 miles). Both are available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Prices in China run from ¥229,800 to ¥299,800, which Carscoops converts to roughly $34,500 to $45,000. The similarly sized Explorer starts at $40,475 in the US.

Ford has not announced the Edge L for North America, so buyers there have no reason to expect it. The model's role is to hold ground in China's three-row SUV segment, where a long-wheelbase, screen-heavy cabin and a plug-free hybrid option are the selling points. For Australian buyers, the Edge L has likewise not been confirmed, and the sources give no Australian pricing or timing.

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