TANK – BIG NEWS IN THE BIG SUV DEPARTMENT

. It’s not so long ago that the first Hyundai topped the $70,000 mark. The 2015 Genesis was good, but would buyers be prepared to pay that much for a Korean car, everyone wondered? Fast forward and we now have GWM’s first vehicle to pass this milestone — its flagship Tank 500 Ultra PHEV seven-seat off-roader. And once again we find ourselves pondering whether buyers will stump up this sort of money to buy a Chinese vehicle this time. In its defence, the large SUV is a substantial offering with… Read more

HAVAL H6 PHEV DRIVES YOUR DOLLAR FURTHER

Great Wall Motors (aka GWM) continues to lead the way in China’s surge into the Australian new vehicle market, currently sitting in seventh place overall. Nearly two-thirds of these sales come from the Haval sub-brand and its Joleon and H6 SUVs. The larger of the pair, the H6, has been here since 2017 and has grown steadily in the highly-competitive medium SUV segment against big-hitters like RAV4, Outlander, CX-5 and Sportage. Originally petrol-only, it added a conventional petrol/electric hybrid variant in 2022, followed in early 2025 by GWM’s first ever… Read more

CANNON FIRES FIRST SHOT IN HEAVY ARTILLERY EV CAMPAIGN

The GWM Cannon has become the first full electric utility in Australia, the Alpha Ultra Hybrid muscling in between the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Mac and the full-sized pick-ups from Chevrolet, Ford, Ram and Toyota. The Cannon dual cab flagship also strengthens GWM’s New Energy Vehicle strategy, becoming the brand’s sixth NEV offering following the Jolion Hybrid, Tank 300 and 500 hybrids and Ora EV. Coming in three variants with a 2.4-litre turbocharged diesel engine, or 2-litre turbo petrol motor, the latter linked with a hybrid powertrain, all… Read more

LEXUS LM 350H AWD SPORTS LUXURY

Back in the old days people thought the world was flat. They thought that if you sailed far enough you would eventually fall off the edge. Lexus engineers seem to think the same thing, because the front doors of its new LM people mover won’t stay open on a slope. Then there’s the heavy, power-operated, second-row seats which won’t move forward and stay forward to access to the third row when the vehicle is also parked on a slope. For a luxury vehicle with a price tag to match, it’s… Read more

HAVAL H6 – WHY FIX SOMETHING THAT AIN’T BROKE

Not much has changed since we drove Great Wall’s mid-sized Haval H6 SUV a couple of years ago. But then why would it when the five-seater has reportedly been the best-selling SUV in China for the past nine years? The current model dates back to 2020, while the hybrid and a fastback version called the GT were added to the mix in 2021. The hybrid version that we are looking at here now accounts for 30 per cent of sales and all the signals suggest that it’s steady as she… Read more

LEXUS LX600 ULTRA LUXURY LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

Effectively an upmarket version of the Toyota LandCruiser, the Lexus LX large premium SUV has been around since the mid-1990s. The latest (fourth generation) LX arrived here at the end of 2021 shortly after the new LC300. It comes with petrol or diesel power, four equipment variants, three seating options and a host of new safety and tech features. The four variants are base LX, Sports Luxury, F Sport, and Ultra Luxury. The first three are available with either petrol or diesel engines, the Ultra Luxury is petrol only. Prices… Read more

HAVAL ‘S’ PUTS ON JOLION GOOD SHOW

The Chinese automobile maker GWM Haval has spiced up its popular small petrol sports utility vehicle segment with the addition of a Jolion S, as well as doubling up on the hybrid models to two. With the Jolion Premium acting as the entry-level, at $28,490 drive-away, the ‘S’ variant ($36,990), slots in the six-model range between the Ultra and the two hybrids, the lesser with Lux trim and priced the same as the S. The Jolion Ultra Hybrid ($40,990) tops off the line-up. The new Jolion S, on test here,… Read more

THERE’S AN AURA AROUND GWM ORA

Every now and then we get into a car that seems to grab attention wherever it goes. So it has been with the Great Wall Motors (GWM) Ora. Perhaps it was the combination of cute styling, a standout powder blue finish and then ew Ora badge that looks much like an exclamation mark. It drew comparisons with the New Beetle and old Nissan Micra and had us fielding questions throughout the week. Ora is GWM’s first EV and joins the growing list of affordable fully-electric compact vehicles to come out… Read more

GWM TANK 300 ULTRA PETROL

The Tank. Yes, that’s right the Tank, is something a little different from the Chinese Great Wall Motors — known simply as GWM these days. It’s a mid-sized, five-seat SUV, with a catchy name and quirky good looks, that combine to set it apart from and perhaps a little above the competition. But don’t be fooled by the decorations, because it’s a fair dinkum 4×4 with all the necessary bits and bobs, including low and high range gearing. Also, in a departure from practice, while it’s an SUV, Great Wall… Read more

SUPER LUXURY LEXUS LM CONFIRMED FOR AUSTRALIA

Lexus Australia has chosen this year’s Melbourne Cup carnival to unveil its all-new LM luxury people mover. Lexus has sponsored Australia’s iconic horse race for many years and guests attending Melbourne’s week of fashion, fun and hospitality will be amongst the first to watch an impressive fleet of chauffeur-driven LMs heading to and from the Flemington track between the 4th and 11th of November. The LM name-tag stands for Luxury Mover and it certainly lives up to that description. While it’s technically a people mover, its price range of $160,888… Read more