Tag: EV

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LITMUS TEST FOR MG EV

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There’s nothing new about the phrase ‘fit for purpose’ in automobile terms. History records MG (Morris Garages) fitting the bill from the 1920s with a family of British sports cars, reaching its zenith post-World War II with the MGA, MGB, MGC, MG Midget and MG TF. Now, following several changes of ownership, Chinese automobile giant SAIC Motor has taken MG from premium priced sports specials to the opposite end of the price spectrum with the introduction of its MG4 EV Urban to Australia’s most competitive electric vehicle market. Already well… Read more

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GAC AION V REVIEW

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In a recent review we introduced another in the growing list of new Chinese brands to arrive in Australia. This time it was from the Guangzhou Automobile Group aka GAC. Although it has been around for more than 70 years and is currently the fifth largest Chinese carmaker, GAC is largely unknown here it does have well-established joint ventures with both Honda and Toyota vehicles where it builds vehicles for the Chinese domestic market. That previous review was of the GAC Emzoom, a compact SUV and the only conventionally-powered model… Read more

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LEAPMOTOR B10 IS A PREMIUM MID-SIZED EV AT A BUDGET PRICE

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Launched here in late 2025 the Leapmotor B10 is a fully-electric compact SUV from the new Chinese brand backed by the huge Stellantis group which brings a number of brands to Australia including Jeep, Peugeot, RAM, Fiat and Alfa Romeo. We’re told that the unusual name is a loose translation from the Chinese Lingpao Qiche that means Zero Run Automobile. Makes sense. Leapmotor B10 is the brand’s second model joining the larger C10 SUV that arrived here in early 2025. It’s currently EV only but we’re told that an extended… Read more

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ELEXIO EV IS HYUNDAI’S FIRST CHINESE-BUILT VEHICLE

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Koreans don’t get to drive the Hyundai Elexio. They get the Kia equivalent instead — the EV5. Built in China, it’s the first Hyundai to be manufactured outside of South Korea, no doubt in an endeavour to reduce costs and make the car more competitive. Elexio sits between the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 in terms of size, but is quite different in design, with a tall boxy body. It’s a made-up name, created especially for the five-seat EV and means nothing in particular — in fact it has been… Read more

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SUZUKI’S FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE IS ON ITS WAY

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It’s been a long time coming, but Suzuki has finally produced its first fully-electric vehicle. Called e Vitara, it’s a compact crossover SUV that won’t be in dealerships until late-June or early-July but with pre-orders being taken. The e Vitara shares the same platform, and many features but styling differences with the Toyota Urban Cruiser. Both are built in India at Suzuki’s Gujerat factory on its Heartect-e lightweight dedicated electric chassis. At this stage it’s unlikely that Toyota will be importing the Urban Cruiser. Suzuki is unique Australia in that… Read more

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KIA EV4 GT-LINE GOES THE DISTANCE

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  Don’t mention the war: It’s hard to ignore these words from that other comedian Basil Fawlty with the electric vehicle light burning brightly over a Middle East farrago of Trumpian intensity. Fossil fuel is flagging in the power play for car sales with the Strait of Hormuz on drip feed to oil tankers and cargo carriers, leaving EVs with an inside run against the internal combustion engine mob. How prescient then that Kia has added a sedan to an already diverse line-up of non-ICE vehicles. The EV4 Sedan joins… Read more

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MG IM6 PERFORMANCE REVIEW

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  Another week, another new brand name, although in this case it’s actually a new sub- brand. It’s called IM and it’s the new premium electric division of MG. Think Lexus to Toyota, Genesis to Hyundai, etc. And just to confuse matters further we’re told that its complete name is ‘IM Presented by MG’. Good luck with anyone actually adhering to that. To keep things simple, we’ll just stick with the IM nametag here. The two first models are the IM5 and IM6, not to be confused with MI5 and… 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

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KIA EV4 REVIEW

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Kia continues to pick up its power game with what seems like a Keno card of EV numbers – the EV4 sedan being the latest in a line from EV3, EV4, EV5, RV6 and EV9. What does this newbie bring to the party? Well, there’s the company’s longest range electric vehicle at more than 600 kilometres for its top-specced twins. With a choice between standard and long-range electric power the EV4 sedan comes in three trim levels, Air, Earth, and GT-Line. Air is equipped with a Standard Range battery system… Read more

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FURTHER BONUS FOR FRESH-FACED IONIQ 5

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The Ioniq 5 burst onto the local electric vehicle scene more than three years ago like the greyhound favourite out of a trap at the Dapto Dogs. The Dapto dish-lickers have since gone to the dogs, with the track winding up, but the Hyundai-built Ioniq 5 crossover SUV has continued to live a storied life, which has included being named the 2022 World Car of the Year. Now the MY25 Ioniq 5 five-seat SUV locally has won styling updates, new features and technology, and two new battery sizes delivering up… Read more