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LEXUS LETS LOOSE WITH HYBRID SUVS

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At the turn of the last century, Toyota, with the full electric auto era fast approaching, made a commitment to go with hybrid petrol/electric vehicles, rather than full electric product. The result was the Prius. The second modern hybrid vehicle to be sold in Australia, following on from the original Honda Insight released six months previously. While the Insight fell by the wayside, the ubiquitous Prius went on to conquer the world. Since then, the hybrid technology has been taken up by mainstream Toyotas such as the Camry, Corolla RAV4… Read more

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CHERY TIGGO 4 HYBRID ULTIMATE

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It’s cheap and it’s a hybrid, that’s what it is. In fact, Chery reckons the Tiggo 4 is Australia’s cheapest hybrid SUV as well as Chery’s best-selling SUV. It’s powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine together with the help of an electric motor, that combine to offer budget-friendly fuel consumption of 5.4L/100km. The Tiggo feels cheap . . . but let’s find out. STYLING Tiggo 4 Hybrid is available in two grades: Urban and top-of-the-range Ultimate. Urban is priced from $29,990 driveaway, the Ultimate from $34,990 – both prices… Read more

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HYUNDAI PALISADE CALLIGRAPHY 7-SEAT

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Released here in 2020, Palisade is the largest of Hyundai’s SUVs — not counting the electric Ioniq 9. Palisade is targeted at buyers of large SUVs who want a more car-like driving experience than that offered by traditional 4WDs. It’s available in seven and eight-seat configuration, with two standalone “captain’s chairs” occupying the second row in the seven-seat version. That leaves three people to squeeze in to the split-fold third row of seats, making it more of a six-seater but six-seaters have never done well in Australia. The Kia equivalent… Read more

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K4 HATCHES NEW LINE IN PASSENGER COMPACT

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After more than two decades and more than 200,000 sales in Australia the Cerato was fast running out of legs. The Kia self-styled much loved small passenger car could have kept up with design and technical developments in the segment but Kia had other ideas. The new K4 kicked down the door in sedan format with four trimlines – S, Sport, Sport+, GT-Line – and two petrol engines before later being joined by hatchback for MY26 models, aligning them with Kia’s global naming convention. Both sedan and hatches score an… Read more

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PRICES DOWN, POWER AND EQUIPMENT BOOST SUBARU SOLTERRA

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The Solterra is the first fully-electric vehicle from Subaru. It’s a mid-sized SUV that went on sale here in early-2024. If it looks familiar that’s because it’s a model-share arrangement with the Toyota bZ4X . It’s the second such Subaru / Toyota partnership following on from the two-door sports Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86. We understand that more will follow with Toyota hybrid powertrains fitted to existing Subaru models. While Solterra and bZ4X share the same dedicated EV platform (e-TNGA), they are tuned and marketed independently to reflect their respective… Read more

Skoda adds RS power to electric Enyaq

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Škoda is adding a touch of spice to the Enyaq lineup with the addition of the Enyaq RS and Enyaq Coupé RS, its most powerful production EVs to date. With two electric motors and producing maximum of 250kW of power and 545Nmof torque, the dash from 0-100km/h takes a quick 5.4 seconds. The Enyaq RS SUV is priced from $75,490, the Enyaq Coupé RS is priced from $76,490, plus on-roads. Drive‑away deals will be announced closer to launch. With a 79 kWh battery, dual motors and four‑wheel drive, the Enyaq… Read more

Farizon’s new electric van built for work

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Another car maker has come forward with a fully electric delivery van. The Chinese V7E comes from Geely’s commercial arm Farizon, but will be distributed by Jameel Motors Australia. Geely’s other brands include Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Zeekr, Smart and of course Geely Auto itself. V7E is reportedly designed for high-frequency city deliveries, targeted at couriers, city fleets and businesses. It will compete with the likes of LDV eDeliver 7 and 9, Mercedes‑Benz eVito, Peugeot e‑Expert, Ford E‑Transit and the Renault Master E‑Tech. With 6.95 cu m of cargo volume, a… Read more

GAC adds #4 to the menu

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GAC’s Aion UT has gone on sale and if you get in quick, you can get one for a bit off. The small, city-focused EV is a blend of form and function, with a range of up to 430km (WLTP). It comes in two grades, Premium and Luxury, priced from $31,990 (or $30,990 driveaway if you order one before April 9). The Luxury model is $35,990 (or $35,990 driveaway before the same date). The first 600 buyers will also get a bonus bonus 10A granny charger and 22kW wall box…. Read more

Limited edition RS 3 end of the line for ferocious five

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Audi is offering a limited edition RS 3 to mark 50 years and the end of the line for its legendary five-cylinder engine. Limited to 750 examples, just 18 of which are bound for Oz, the RS 3 Competition Limited combines expressive design with matte carbon-fibre elements. When the Audi RS2 Avant debuted with the first RS five-cylinder engine in 1994, it had white instrument dials. Harking back to those days, the digital instruments of the Competition Limited also feature a white background. The turbocharged 2.5-litre in-line five boasts 294kW… Read more

iX3 marks return of the Sport Activity Vehicle (SAV)

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BMW coined the term Sports Activity Vehicle with the launch of the first X5 in 1999. The term is making a comeback with the launch of the all-electric iX3 and launch version, the iX3 50 xDrive — due mid-year. Priced from $109,900 plus on-roads, it will have an impressive WLTP range of up to 805km, not to mention 345kW of power and 645Nm of torque.  It comes standard with M Sport Package and is able to sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.9-seconds on the way to a top speed of 210km/h…. Read more