Tag: EV

No comments

BYD SEALION 7 PREMIUM

  By , ,

Back in 2022, BYD was one of the first Chinese vehicles to enter the Australian EV market. It started as a one-car brand imported by the private company EV Direct with the Atto 3 compact SUV. Although popular with early EV adopters it didn’t make much of an impact on overall sales. Atto 3 was followed in 2023 by the Dolphin EV hatch and Seal EV sedan. The first BYD plug-in hybrid, the Sealion 6, arrived in 2024. A mid-sized SUV, it attracted strong sales and quickly became the top-selling… Read more

No comments

NISSAN QASHQAI TI E-POWER .. A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE HYBRID

  By ,

Qashqai is the not so small member of the Nissan lineup, sitting between the Juke and X-Trail, and sharing a platform with X-Trail. Originally known as the Dualis in Japan and Australia when it was launched way back when, it was called Qashqai in every other country where it was sold. The second generation, launched in 2013, was not sold in Japan and lo and behold was badged as the Qashqai everywhere this time, except that is for the United States where it was known as the Rogue Sport. Confusing?… Read more

No comments

MG S5 EV SETS A NEW BENCHMARK FOR ELECTRIC SUVs

  By ,

New vehicles from Chinese manufacturer MG are coming thick and fast. On the new and upcoming schedule are the QS seven-seat SUV, ES5 small electric SUV, MG7 large sedan, HS plug-in hybrid and the first offerings from the IM luxury sub-brand. The QS has just arrived and we’ll be reviewing it shortly but this time we’re looking another small-medium fully-electric SUV, the MG S5. While the name is new the S5 is effectively the replacement for the electric variant in the market dominating ZS range but, unlike the ZS EV… Read more

No comments

PLUG-IN POWER PLAY TO HYBRID HEIGHTS

  By , ,

With the landing of its Cannon Alpha plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in Australia, Great Wall Motors has shot its big ute into a leading spot in the segment, the Chinese maker claiming the PHEV sets a new yardstick in performance, range, and capabilities for electrified vehicles in the segment. GWM’s second model to enter the growing PHEV market in Australia, following the Haval H6GT PHEV, the Cannon Alpha PHEV comes in two variants, the Lux and Ultra on the market for $63,990 and $68,990 respectively, driveaway. The maker claims the… Read more

No comments

KIA EV5 AIR STEPS CONFIDENTLY INTO THE MAINSTREAM FRAY

  By ,

Kia continues its journey into full vehicle electrification with the introduction of the EV5 mid-size SUV with sharp looks, state-of-the-art automotive technology and prices aimed at taking the wind out of rivals’ sails (and sales). The EV5 comes in three trim levels – Air, Earth and GT-Line – with a choice of standard or lang-range batteries and front- or all-wheel drive. Prices start at $56,770 drive-away for the Standard Range FWD and signs off at $71,770, plus on road costs, or drive-away at $75,990 for the GT-Line AWD variant. On… Read more

No comments

TOYOTA bZ4X THROWS LIGHT ON BRIGHT FUTURE

  By ,

The 100 per cent pure electric car uses a battery only for power, forgoing other forms of traction such as petrol/electric, or plug-in electric systems and, according to Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice-president sales, marketing and franchise operations, represents an important step in the company’s new-found eclectic approach to electrification that includes a range of technology. The new BEV is the first vehicle to use the company’s e-TNGA platform designed for a new range of electric vehicles and integrates the battery and motor generator into the vehicle’s structure providing extra… Read more

No comments

AUDI Q4 SPORTBACK 45 e-tron

  By ,

I had zero expectations of the Audi Q4. I hadn’t driven one before, let alone an electric one. I later learned Q4 comes only as an EV and is available in compact SUV and Sportback coupe form. Launched in 2021, the five-seater shares a platform with sibling the Q5 e-tron along with cousins the Skoda Enyaq, Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID.4. Interestingly, the Q4 e-tron is the first Audi to be built in the city of Zwickau since the pre-war era of the company. It is here that Audi and its… Read more

No comments

MG4 64 ESSENCE TICKS ALL THE BOXES

  By ,

MG has come a long way since its early, cheap and cheerful days. Well, more cheap than cheerful and we are not talking about the lamented British sports car. Rather we’re referring to the now Chinese-owned make of the same name which has begun pumping out EVs and hybrids. MG sold more than 50,000 vehicles in Australia last year, with the small MG3 its biggest-selling model. Released in 2022, its first EV, the fully-electric MG4, has become its second most successful model, with almost 7000 sales. The wedge-shaped five-door hatch… Read more

No comments

‘UNWORLDLY’ DEBUT FOR JAECOO SUPER HYBRID

  By ,

By Jupiter, that was good! Cruising the open road (motorway) in the newly-minted Jaecoo J7 SHS plug-in hybrid I had just enjoyed the Planets’ Suite, by Gustav Holst, on the car radio. On sale in Australia from this week <subs: May 1>, the question is, does the rest of this Chinese plug-in hybrid – the SHS (for Super Hybrid System) – stack up against Holst’s classical Phil Spector-like ‘wall of sound’? With an appealing price point, striking looks, upper-end EV and combined driving range there’s plenty to like about this… Read more

No comments

KIA SORENTO PHEV GT-LINE

  By ,

It’s becoming harder to tell internal combustion from electric vehicles, and even more difficult to identify the in-betweeners — the hybrids and plug-in hybrids that combine technologies. The new Product Enhanced Sorento takes its styling cues from the fully-electric EV9 and sees changes to the exterior and interior design, comfort and convenience technology, with additional safety features thrown in. New Sorento offers a range of drivetrains including hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, both of which arrive in top-spec GT-Line guise only, adding to the price of the technology — or… Read more