Standing trackside, watching more than 100 machines, Porsches, Ferraris, the odd Holden Torana, thread through some of Victoria's best roads, it's easy to feel like a kid with his nose pressed against the glass. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio sitting behind you is not helping.

That's the thing about Targa Classica, Australia's version of Italy's legendary Targa Florio. Four days, 1200km of hand-picked Victorian roads, almost 80 timed stages. From the Mornington Peninsula to the Yarra Valley, wrapping up in Melbourne during F1 week. It gets under your skin fast.

The spectating is good. The driving? It’s even better when the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is your steed.

The Quadrifoglio badge traces directly back to a Targa. In 1923, Ugo Sivocci painted a four-leaf clover on his Alfa Romeo before the Targa Florio and won the race. Sivocci later died testing a car that did not carry the badge. The symbol has meant something ever since and duly appeared on Alfa Romeo performance flagships.

Over a century on, it sits on the front guard of the Alfa Romeo Giulia here, at a Targa event. Some things write themselves.

Alfa Romeo unveiled the Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde in June 2015 on the brand's 105th birthday, at its museum in Italy, with a brief to build a genuine rival to the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C 63. By 2018, Australia's Best Driver's Car, judged on Tasmanian roads that do not forgive anything, went to the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. Not the Germans.

This writer covered the world debut in Milan in 2015, was there when it won in 2018 and it has not lost a step. The Alfa Romeo Giulia has changed less than the world around it. Whether that is a compliment or a concern depends on which seat you are in.

Spend even one day in our Montreal Green Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio test car on the right roads and a few things become clear, fast. It still looks the business, muscular, hunkered down, proportioned right.

The 375kW, 600Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 remains the headline. In Dynamic mode, it has a voice, deep and layered under load, theatrical without excess. The eight-speed ZF automatic partners perfectly, holding gears when you want them held and shifting at 150 milliseconds in Race mode, which makes the broader dual-clutch obsession feel like a solution looking for a problem.

The steering is sports car sharp and always communicating. Road surface, grip level and weight shifting under braking. It telegraphs the things that matter.

There is also an ace up its sleeve. Switch to Dynamic mode for the engine and exhaust, then use the ‘soft’ button to optimise the adaptive dampers. The result is close to perfect for Australian roads, all the responsiveness of a sports sedan with ride quality that absorbs bad surfaces without complaint. German competitors still cannot quite match it.

One honest observation: the Alfa Romeo Giulia is fast enough that discipline matters. On point-to-point stages, you will be beyond legal limits before you have registered what happened. Adaptive cruise control earns its keep here.

The Giulia is not a perfect car in 2026. The interior tells the truth, the screen is small, the tech is dated, there is no wireless CarPlay. Cabin materials are well finished, but buyers who care about connectivity will feel the gap against current rivals.

The chassis, though, remains exceptional. Alfa Romeo left the hard mechanics largely alone over the car's life, and that turned out to be the right call.

The BMW M3 is the more complete daily proposition, fresher technology, better connectivity, a more refined interior. If you value those things alongside the drive, the M3 will probably suit you better. But it has been chasing something the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has and has not caught. Some cars you operate. Some cars you drive. The Giulia belongs in the second category.

And if you are wavering, before this generation closes, Alfa Romeo has produced the Giulia Quadrifoglio Estrema, 19 units for Australia, from $186,990.

An Akrapovič titanium exhaust lifts outputs to 382kW and 606Nm. Full carbon-fibre treatment inside and out. Three colours, including Montreal Green, a shade that nods back to the 1970s Alfa Romeo Montreal. Be quick, if the allocation is not already gone, it will be.

The Grand Finale at Melbourne Park, with the F1 circus assembling nearby, is a fitting end to our Targa Classica. Classic machinery under the lights, Italian heritage on full display.

We peered in from the outside this year. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio was the right car for the occasion. But watching more than 100 cars navigate Victoria's best roads does something to you.

Next year, we need to tick two boxes: the entry form and a borrowed Giulia. Alfa Romeo will surely understand.

Read the full article Italy’s Hottest Sedan Is Nearly A Decade Old. Rivals Still Can’t Match What Matters Most  on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Whether you like it or not, electric cars will soon be far more common on Australian roads. As governments push for a reduction in carbon emissions, electric car production has been ramped up in an effort to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas being pumped into our atmosphere.

But that's actually a good thing. Dispel any ideas of electric vehicles being boring: even the smallest EVs are exceptionally fun to drive. Instant torque, linear power delivery, great weight distribution… Electric cars save the planet while still being pretty damn fun – so for those who enjoy speed, you may want to rethink your next car purchase if you were eyeing up a gas-guzzling tarmac-chomping monster of an SUV.

So which are the best electric cars to buy right now in Australia? We've carefully curated this list of the best electric car across a range of categories, ensuring everyone is satisfied.

If you're not ready to go fully electric but would like to save on fuel, then check out our round-up of the most fuel-efficient cars in Australia.

Range: up to 530km (WLTP estimate)Price: expected from $110,000 before on-road costsTest-driven: June 2025

The Cadillac LYRIQ is finally bringing American luxury electric power to Australian roads and it’s doing it in serious style. The first all-electric Cadillac to officially arrive Down Under, the LYRIQ signals a bold new chapter for the 122-year-old brand, blending modern luxury, high-end tech, and a distinctive design language that gives Europe’s best a run for their money.

Powered by GM’s Ultium battery platform, the LYRIQ delivers up to 530 kilometres of range on a single charge and a near-silent driving experience. Available in the all-wheel drive (373kW) configuration, it’s quick, refined, and surprisingly agile for its size. The AWD version hits 0–100km/h in 4.8 seconds not bad for a 2.5-tonne SUV built to rival the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV.

Step inside, and it’s pure theatre. A sweeping 33-inch curved OLED display dominates the cabin, wrapping around the driver like something from a concept car. The AKG Studio 19-speaker sound system co-developed with the same brand that tunes recording studios makes Spotify playlists sound live. Cadillac has leaned heavily into craftsmanship too: open-pore wood, laser-etched metal trim, and an ambient lighting package that feels more boutique hotel than car.

On the road, the LYRIQ feels unmistakably American smooth, powerful, and unhurried. It glides across Sydney’s roads with effortless confidence, and thanks to adaptive damping and near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, it manages to feel both substantial and responsive. Charging speeds are solid too, with up to 190kW DC fast charging getting you from 10–80% in just over 35 minutes.

The LYRIQ isn’t here to play catch-up it’s heqre to redefine what American luxury looks like in the EV age. It’s less brash than a Tesla Model X and more emotional than a BMW iX, combining performance, elegance, and tech in a package that feels genuinely aspirational. For buyers who want something fresh, distinctive, and premium without going European, the Cadillac LYRIQ is the dark horse to watch.

Read DMARGE's full review of the Cadillac LYRIC

Range: up to 233km Price: from $71,169 drive awayTest-driven: 31 August 2022

Overseas, there's plenty of variety when it comes to small electric cars or electric city cars. Australia hasn't quite caught on to the joys of small EVs just yet, but there is one fun small electric car for sale here: the MINI Electric Hatch.

Australia's smallest electric car is also one of its most stylish, with its retro aesthetic and dapper interior an antidote to the idea that electric cars are boring.

The MINI Electric Hatch is even better on fuel (chiefly because it doesn’t use any) but also makes 135kW/270Nm – quite a lot for a car that’s almost a metre shorter and 50% more powerful than a Toyota Corolla Hybrid, by way of comparison. Ride and handling are also typically MINI: responsive, snappy and punt-able.

You don't get oodles of interior space, and its performance and range credentials are hardly segment-leading... But like most MINIs, you're not really buying it for its practicality per se. That said, its diminutive size is a real selling point. It's a charming electric car that makes driving fossil-fuel-free a rather fun endeavour.

Check out our full MINI Electric Hatch review to find out more.

Range: up to 450kmPrice: from $78,500 before on-road costsTest-driven: 27 April 2025

If you thought the Polestar 2 was impressive, wait until you experience the Polestar 4. The Swedish electric performance brand has dialled things up with a sleeker coupe SUV design, a faster powertrain, and the kind of minimalist luxury that makes even the Germans nervous. It’s the first Polestar model that feels truly futuristic while remaining surprisingly practical.

Under the hood, you’ll find the same dual-motor setup shared across the Geely-Volvo family, with outputs of up to 400kW and 686Nm in the top-spec version. The Polestar 4 will do 0–100km/h in just 3.8 seconds, which puts it in sports car territory. Range sits comfortably around 400–450 kilometres depending on configuration — more than enough for daily driving and weekend trips alike.

RELATED: Sweden’s Deadly Electric GT Lands In Australia, and Germany Should Be Very Worried

Step inside and it’s a Scandinavian masterclass in restraint. There are no gimmicks or over-the-top flourishes, just a clean cabin built from recycled and sustainable materials. The Harman Kardon sound system is one of the best in class, and the Android Automotive infotainment feels polished and intuitive. The panoramic glass roof floods the cabin with light, and the decision to replace the rear window with a digital feed works surprisingly well in real-world conditions.

Out on Sydney’s roads, the Polestar 4 feels composed and sure-footed. The steering is sharp, the body control is exceptional, and the balance between comfort and agility is spot on. It’s the sort of car that makes you want to take the long way home, even when traffic’s bad.

Polestar has created something quietly special here — a car that feels like the future without shouting about it. With strong performance, premium materials, and a distinct design identity, the Polestar 4 is easily one of the most compelling EVs on sale in Australia right now.

Check out our full Polestar 4 review to find out more.

Range: up to 660 km (single motor) / 620 km (dual motor)Price: expected from $69,990 before on-road costsTest-driven: September 2025

China’s Zeekr is the quiet disruptor of the premium EV world. It’s a sub-brand of Geely, the same group that owns Polestar and Volvo. The Zeekr 7X is its global flagship SUV and the first Zeekr model expected to officially reach Australia. Think Scandinavian restraint meets Shanghai confidence, minimal yet bold, refined yet distinctly new money.

Built on the SEA electric platform shared with Volvo and Smart, the 7X feels properly premium from the moment you step inside. The interior is finished with soft-touch materials, an intelligent 27-inch infotainment display and a 12.3-inch digital cluster behind the wheel. Zeekr’s use of sustainable, leather-free materials and ambient lighting that changes with driving modes makes the cabin feel futuristic without being cold.

Under the skin, the 7X delivers serious numbers. The rear-wheel drive version produces 310 kW of power and a claimed range of up to 660 kilometres, while the dual-motor AWD variant offers 400 kW and 620 kilometres of range along with a 0–100 km/h sprint of just 3.8 seconds. Charging is equally impressive, with 800-volt architecture allowing the battery to top up from 10 to 80 per cent in under 20 minutes using a DC fast charger.

RELATED: This Zeekr People Mover Just Landed in Australia And It’s More Luxurious Than Most Private Jets

On the road, the Zeekr 7X feels quiet, precise and unexpectedly European in its handling thanks to adaptive air suspension and a low centre of gravity that helps this mid-size SUV corner like a grand tourer. You get the sense Zeekr isn’t trying to copy Tesla or BMW. It’s building its own identity from the ground up.

Outside, the 7X is sleek and confident without being loud. Hidden door handles, frameless windows and a continuous LED light bar give it a distinctive look that sits comfortably between luxury and tech. It’s the kind of SUV that turns heads in Woollahra and looks just as at home in Byron.

If Zeekr can deliver local support and pricing as aggressive as its performance figures, the 7X could be one of the most compelling new EVs to hit Australia this year. It’s a genuine rival to the Tesla Model Y Performance, Polestar 4 and BMW iX3.

Range: up to 530 km (Long Range) / 435 km (Excite)Price: from $40,990 before on-road costsTest-driven: August 2025

The MG4 is proof that affordable electric cars don’t need to look or feel cheap. It’s MG’s most accomplished EV yet, and one of the few genuinely fun electric hatchbacks on the market right now. Compact, agile and surprisingly premium inside, the MG4 makes a strong case for itself as Australia’s best-value electric car.

Built on MG’s new Modular Scalable Platform, the MG4 comes with a choice of battery sizes ranging from 51 kWh in the Excite to 77 kWh in the Long Range. Power outputs start at 125 kW and go right up to 180 kW, while the new all-wheel drive XPower version adds a second motor and 320 kW, enough for a 0–100 km/h time of 3.8 seconds. That puts it squarely in hot hatch territory, but without the fuel bill.

Inside, MG has taken a huge leap forward in design and quality. The cabin feels modern and practical with a floating centre console, minimalist digital dashboard and a crisp 10.25-inch infotainment display that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s plenty of legroom in the back, decent boot space for the weekly shop, and a clean, clutter-free layout that’s easy to live with day to day.

RELATED: The EV Brand Nobody’s Talking About Deserves More Respect

On the road, the MG4 drives far better than you might expect from a budget EV. It feels planted and balanced thanks to a rear-wheel drive setup that keeps weight low and evenly distributed. Steering is responsive, ride comfort is excellent for city use, and the regenerative braking system is well tuned for smooth stop-start traffic. It’s an EV that feels genuinely enjoyable, not just efficient.

Charging is quick and convenient. The MG4 can handle up to 150 kW of DC fast charging, which gets you from 10 to 80 per cent in around 26 minutes. Home charging through an 11 kW wall box takes roughly eight hours.

The MG4 isn’t trying to be a luxury car, but it nails the basics with confidence. It’s sharp to look at, engaging to drive, and cheap to run. For anyone looking to enter the EV world without dropping six figures, this is a smart place to start.

Range: up to 613 km (Macan 4) / 591 km (Macan Turbo)Price: from $133,700 before on-road costsTest-driven: May 2025

The Porsche Macan Electric is the most important car the brand has built since the Taycan. It’s the first model to use Porsche’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture and the first to truly bridge the gap between performance SUV and daily luxury EV. In short, it’s what happens when Stuttgart’s engineers get serious about electrification.

Power comes from a dual-motor setup delivering 300 kW and 650 Nm in the Macan 4, and 470 kW and 1,130 Nm in the Macan Turbo. The Turbo version launches from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.3 seconds, faster than most supercars, yet it still manages a 591 km WLTP range. Both models feature Porsche’s new 800-volt electrical system, which can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around 21 minutes using a high-speed DC charger.

Step inside and you instantly know you’re in a Porsche. The driving position is spot on, the steering wheel feels alive, and every control has that reassuring click that defines the brand. The curved digital display wraps around the driver, while a central 10.9-inch touchscreen handles infotainment duties. Porsche has also introduced an optional passenger screen so your co-pilot can manage navigation, media, or quietly judge your driving.

Out on the road, the electric Macan feels like a smaller Cayenne mixed with a Taycan. The body control is tight, steering is precise and the chassis feels beautifully balanced. Active suspension and adaptive damping work quietly in the background to make sure every bump disappears without dulling feedback. It’s an SUV that drives like a sports car, and it’s this dual personality that makes it one of the most desirable EVs on sale in 2025.

Visually, Porsche hasn’t messed with success. The silhouette remains instantly recognisable, but everything has been sharpened. The headlights are slimmer, the tail light bar is sleeker, and the proportions are more athletic. It feels both familiar and futuristic, the kind of evolution that draws a crowd in Paddington as easily as it does in Portsea.

For Porsche buyers who have been waiting for an electric SUV that still feels every bit like a Porsche, the Macan Electric finally delivers. It’s fast, composed and luxurious, yet still practical enough for the weekly school run. Porsche may have go things wrong with going all in on EV but this war could be their savior.

Range: up to 602kmPrice: from $64,300 drive awayTest-driven: 25 February 2022

Meet Australia's best-selling electric car. While Tesla wasn't the first to make an electric car, it has almost single-handedly changed the public perception around EVs and catapulted them into the mainstream. Offering futuristic technologies such as self-driving capabilities, exceptional range and a fast-charging infrastructure network around the globe, there is much for the American carmaker to shout about.

The Tesla Model 3 is the most affordable car in the Tesla lineup, and just so happens to be one of the best electric sedans currently on sale in Australia (although it is beginning to face increasingly stiff competition). There are three models to choose from when you make your order: the base Model 3; Model 3 Long Range and Model 3 Performance.

The base gives you everything you could need from an electric car, while the Long Range increases the size of the battery for, you guessed it, longer range, up to 602km in fact. The Performance sees the top speed increase to 261km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds. The Performance can be yours for less than $100,000.

Many will be satisfied by the base model's figures: 491km of range, 225km/h top speed and a 6.1 second 0-100km/h time. It's also relatively affordably priced: it's the yardstick by which all other electric cars are measured. No other EV on the market can match Tesla's overwhelming array of tech, though.

Inside it's incredibly minimal, with just the now-notorious large iPad-style screen dominating the cabin. You need to use this screen to control virtually all aspects of the car, which could prove cumbersome when driving, but because of the large size, it's legible and easy to navigate. The driving experience is a pleasant one, although it may take some getting used to.

All in all, the Tesla Model 3 is a great electric car, and if you're in the market for an affordable slice of luxury to ferry the family around, there's nothing better. There's a reason it's #1.

RELATED: Tesla’s Little-Known Race Cam Feature Could Help Win Over EV Skeptics

Range: up to 805kmPrice: from $109,900 (PORC)

The BMW iX3 isn't just a new electric SUV, it's the opening statement for BMW's entire Neue Klasse era. Built from the ground up on a dedicated EV platform, it's the first BMW to use sixth-generation battery tech, 800-volt architecture and a completely reimagined interior. And at $109,900 before on-roads, it undercuts the Porsche Macan Electric, Audi Q6 e-tron and Genesis Electrified GV70 by a meaningful margin. That's a sharp move from Munich.

Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup producing 345kW and 645Nm, enough for a 0–100km/h sprint of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 210km/h. The 108.7kWh battery pack delivers a claimed 805 kilometres of WLTP range, making it Australia's longest-range electric car when it arrives mid-2026. Charging is equally staggering: 400kW DC fast charging gets you from 10 to 80 per cent in just 21 minutes, and a 10-minute pit stop adds over 350 kilometres of range. Those are numbers that genuinely change the daily calculus of EV ownership.

Step inside and the cabin feels like nothing BMW has done before. The 43.3-inch Panoramic Vision display stretches across the base of the windscreen like something from a concept car, complemented by a 17.9-inch central touchscreen and a head-up display. It's bold, it's divisive, and it works. Harman Kardon audio comes standard, seats are heated and power-adjustable, and the overall impression is of a cabin that's been designed to feel open and driver-focused rather than cluttered with buttons you'll never use.

From the outside, the iX3 marks a clean break from the current BMW design language. Vertically stacked LED headlights frame an illuminated kidney grille that's more restrained than the controversial snouts of recent years. Flush door handles, a low drag coefficient of 0.24 and clean surfacing give it a quietly confident presence. It looks expensive without trying too hard, the sort of thing that'll sit comfortably in a Mosman driveway or an underground car park in Toorak.

On the road, early overseas reviews suggest BMW has nailed the calibration. Steering feel, regenerative braking and chassis balance are all reportedly exceptional — the sort of fine-tuning that legacy manufacturers do well and newer EV brands still struggle with. A rear-wheel drive iX3 40 with a smaller battery and lower price is expected to follow in early 2027, which should broaden the model's appeal considerably.

For anyone who's been waiting for BMW to properly commit to the electric future, the iX3 is that moment. It's fast, it goes forever on a charge, and it's priced to make the Germans' European rivals nervous. If it drives as well as the spec sheet suggests, it could be the new benchmark in the premium electric SUV space.

RELATED: BMW Reveal The iX3 And Its A Stunner

Range: up to 427 km (AWD twin-motor)Price: from $69,990 before on-road costs

The EX30 Cross Country takes the compact Swedish EV you know and gives it outdoor credentials without compromising style. Volvo has lifted the ride height, added chunky cladding, skid plates and all-wheel drive to deliver an EV that not only handles city streets with ease but also seems ready for light off-road detours.

Under the skin you get the twin-motor all-wheel-drive setup delivering around 315 kW and 543 Nm of torque, offering rapid acceleration and a crisp driving feel. Thanks to the 69 kWh battery pack the claimed range sits at around 427 km, very credible for a car of its size and dynamics. On the road the raised suspension and tougher tyres mean it handles rough patches and unsealed drives with more confidence than the standard version.

Inside the cabin the Cross Country remains true to Volvo’s Scandinavian minimalism. The same clean layout you’d expect from the standard EX30 is present, but with an added sense of rugged refinement — premium materials, durable finishes and a smart layout make it feel like a premium compact SUV. The tech is modern too: a 12.3-inch central display, wireless CarPlay and ample driver-assistance features keep it in step with its peers.

Visually the Cross Country stands out. The elevated stance, rugged detailing and unique exterior touches make it distinct from the standard model. It looks ready for adventure yet equally at home outside a high-end café in Sydney. That versatility gives it broad appeal, from young families to urban professionals who occasionally head “off the grid”.

If you’re after a compact EV that doesn’t compromise on style or performance but adds a bit of versatility for weekend getaways or rougher roads, the EX30 Cross Country ticks the box. It’s smart, refined and just robust enough to feel ready for whatever Australia will throw at it.

Range: up to 482 km (Premium) / 456 km (Performance)Price: from $54,990 before on-road costsTest-driven: Australia, early 2025

The BYD Sealion 7 marks a major leap forward for the Chinese electric brand. It’s bigger, faster and more refined than the Atto 3 it replaces, aimed squarely at the likes of the Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Sitting on BYD’s latest e-Platform 3.0, it packs an 82.56 kWh battery and comes in two configurations: a single-motor rear-wheel drive Premium or a dual-motor all-wheel drive Performance model. The latter will launch from 0–100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, while the more efficient Premium still offers plenty of grunt and up to 482 kilometres of range on a single charge.

On the road, the Sealion 7 feels impressively composed. The ride quality is supple yet controlled, handling is tight for an SUV of its size, and there’s none of that body roll you might expect from a family EV. It’s quick when you want it to be but refined when you don’t an ideal balance for Australian roads, whether you’re commuting through Sydney traffic or cruising down to the coast.

Inside, it’s clear BYD has done its homework. The interior design feels modern and premium, anchored by a 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen that runs BYD’s latest OS with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The cabin materials feel solid and the layout is refreshingly straightforward, with a digital instrument cluster, floating centre console, and comfortable seating front and back. Passenger space is generous, and boot capacity makes it a proper family car rather than just a tech experiment.

From the outside, the Sealion 7 looks sleek and confident, with smooth body lines and a sculpted front end that give it genuine street presence. It’s more aerodynamic than its rivals, contributing to better range and performance, and the flush door handles and 20-inch alloys add a hint of luxury.

Where the BYD Sealion 7 really shines is in its value proposition. At a starting price of just under $55 K, it delivers features and performance you’d expect from cars costing far more. It’s BYD’s strongest statement yet that the brand isn’t just chasing affordability it’s here to compete on quality, design and technology.

RELATED: American & Japanese Car Makers Are Going To Be Left Behind By China

Range: up to 511km (TBC)Price: from $59,990 before on-road costs

For those who don't know, CUPRA is the offshoot brand of Spanish carmaker SEAT. SEAT is part of the Volkswagen Group, so shares much in common with the likes of VW, Škoda and Audi. CUPRA was originally just SEAT's performance division (like BMW's M or Nissan's Nismo) but it has now become its own brand – and it's just launched in Australia, ahead of many other markets.

The CUPRA Born will actually be the first Volkswagen Group MEB platform vehicle to arrive Down Under, as it'll beat the Škoda Enyaq and VW ID.3 to market by a solid 12 months. That means it'll be our first taste of an affordable EV from the Volkswagen Group and it's a pretty exciting taste. Sporty, keenly priced and with decent range, the CUPRA Born is an exceedingly exciting car that's got the Tesla Model 3 squarely in its sights.

A single e-Boost model will be available, with a 77kWh battery and a rear-mounted motor making 170kW/310Nm and good for a 0-100km/h time of 7 seconds. A Performance Pack will give you larger, stickier tyres and adaptive damping with the cost of a bit of range. 170kW DC fast charging will be supported, allowing you to charge from 5 to 80% in 35 minutes.

The CUPRA Born also just feels pretty special. With one-piece bucket seats as standard, a premium interior that'll remind you of an Audi and plenty of Spanish charm, it's a fun little thing. Despite being a high-tech EV, it's kind of a return to the rear-wheel drive hot hatches of the 80s.

RELATED: CUPRA Is The Most Exciting Car Brand Australia’s Seen For Decades

Range: up to 570 km (Long Range) / 435 km (Standard Range)Price: from $54,800 before on-road costsTest-driven: September 2025

The XPENG G6 is one of the most talked-about new arrivals in the Australian EV market. It’s a mid-sized coupe-style SUV that blends sharp design, impressive range and serious technology in a package that feels more premium than its price suggests.

Power comes from XPENG’s next-generation SEPA 2.0 platform with two battery options. The single-motor rear-wheel-drive version delivers up to 570 kilometres of range, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive model cuts that to 435 kilometres but adds proper sports-car pace. Instant torque and tight steering make it feel athletic without being twitchy, and the suspension is tuned for comfort on rougher city roads.

Inside, the G6 feels distinctly modern. A wide digital display dominates the dashboard and is paired with a second screen for the driver. The clean interior layout, floating centre console and ambient lighting help create an upscale atmosphere that rivals far pricier European brands. Materials feel solid, and space in both rows is generous enough for families.

Out on the road the G6 feels refined, composed and quiet. There’s an instant surge of power when needed, yet the throttle response is smooth enough for daily driving. Ride comfort is excellent, and the car’s aerodynamics give it an efficiency edge over most competitors. Charging is quick too, with its 800-volt architecture allowing a 10-to-80 per cent top-up in under 20 minutes using a DC fast charger.

XPENG’s ambition is clear. The G6 doesn’t just compete on price; it challenges established EV players on design, technology and driving experience. It’s stylish enough for city life and capable enough for long-distance road trips, all while undercutting rivals like the Tesla Model Y and Polestar 4 on value.

Range: up to ~460 kmPrice: from ~$45,000 before on-road costsTest-driven: November 2024

The Leapmotor C10 arrives on the Australian market as a compelling mix of value and ambition. At a base price under $50K, it offers midsize SUV dimensions with an all-electric drivetrain and styling that punches above its budget. It’s an intriguing option for buyers who want a fresh name, tech-rich cabin and practical range without stretching deep into luxury-SUV territory.

Inside the C10 you’ll find minimalist modern design: a large central screen dominates the dashboard, the layout is clean and intuitive and there’s enough space to comfortably accommodate four adults and weekend luggage. The seating position is elevated, visibility is strong and cargo room is credible for daily use or a short getaway.

On the road, the C10 delivers a smooth and quiet drive. While it doesn’t offer supercar acceleration, it accelerates adequately for everyday needs and the ride is comfortable and composed. The real strength lies in the value equation: a well-spec’d EV for the price of many conventionally-powered mid-sized SUVs.

In short, the C10 may not yet carry the brand prestige of legacy names, but for many Australians it offers a smart electric option with few compromises. If your budget is tight but your ambition is high, this Chinese newcomer deserves serious attention.

Read the review of the Leapmotor C10 here.

Range: up to 480 km (77 kWh battery)Price: from $89,990 before on-road costs

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is proof that nostalgia and innovation can actually coexist. It takes the DNA of the classic Kombi and repackages it for the electric age, creating one of the most charming and instantly recognisable EVs on Australian roads. It’s part family mover, part design statement and part cultural throwback, all rolled into one incredibly likeable package.

Built on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, the ID. Buzz uses a 77 kWh battery with a rear-mounted electric motor producing 210 kW and 550 Nm of torque. That’s enough to send this electric van from 0 to 100 km/h in a brisk 6.5 seconds. The official range sits around 480 kilometres, though the more powerful GTX variant trims that slightly in favour of all-wheel drive and extra punch.

Inside, the ID. Buzz feels like a Scandinavian lounge on wheels. The cabin is light and airy thanks to huge windows and clever use of space. Sustainable materials feature throughout, and the modular seating layout makes it incredibly practical. The digital cockpit is simple and functional, with a clean central touchscreen running Volkswagen’s latest software. You also get loads of thoughtful details, from the hidden smiley faces moulded into the plastic to the fold-out tables behind the front seats.

On the road, the ID. Buzz is surprisingly refined. The steering is light, body control is solid and the low centre of gravity keeps it stable through corners. It’s quiet, comfortable and has that instant torque hit that makes city driving effortless. Whether you’re doing the school run or heading down the coast for the weekend, it feels composed and capable in every situation.

Most importantly, it has personality. The ID. Buzz isn’t trying to outdo Tesla on performance or BMW on luxury; it’s an EV that connects emotionally, offering a sense of fun that few modern cars capture. It’s ideal for families, design lovers and anyone who secretly wishes the world was still a bit more 1972.

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Read the full article 14 Best Electric Cars In Australia For 2026 | Tested & Driven By Our Editors on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Every January, the Australian car industry does the same thing. VFACTS drops, everyone argues about who sold the most Rangers, and the narrative resets around volume. Who's up, who's down, who cracked the top 10. That stuff matters if you're a dealer trying to hit targets but it tells you almost nothing about which brands are actually shaping where this market goes next.

Influence is different to popularity. We're focused on technology, on pricing, on regulation, on how cars get sold, and on what Australians expect when they walk into a showroom.

Here are the 10 brands that we think are doing that right now, and the order might surprise you.

Not because it sells 240,000 cars a year. Because it made the right technology bet a full decade before anyone else even asked the question.

While the rest of the industry was arguing about whether EVs or hydrogen would win, Toyota quietly built hybrids into everything and watched the world come around. Now every manufacturer in the country is scrambling to offer a hybrid option and Toyota is sitting on a 2.9 million unit NVES surplus like it's loose change.

Twenty-three consecutive years as Australia's number one brand is impressive. But the real influence is this: Toyota proved that electrification doesn't have to mean expensive, complicated, or inconvenient. A HiLux hybrid outsells any dedicated EV in the country.

A RAV4 hybrid is about to challenge the Ford Ranger as the number one vehicle overall. When the brand that tradies and families trust most tells the market that hybrid is the answer, the market listens. Everyone else is just catching up to the homework Toyota handed in a decade ago.

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Here's the thing about BYD. They don't respond to the market. The market responds to them. 156% sales growth in 2025. The Atto 1 at $23,990 made an EV cheaper than a Suzuki Swift.

The Shark 6 forced every legacy ute manufacturer to fast-track electrified utes that were probably five years away on their product plans. And BYD makes its own batteries, its own chips, and its own motors, which means it controls pricing at a level nobody else can touch.

But the influence goes deeper than just being cheap. BYD through its Denza sub-brand is coming for the Toyota Prado with a ladder-frame plug-in hybrid 4WD that tows 3,000 kilograms and has a party trick called Leopard Turn that pivots the thing on its inside rear wheel.

They're attacking every segment simultaneously, from city hatchbacks to serious off-roaders, and they're doing it at price points that make legacy brands look like they've been taking the piss for years. Whether you like it or not, BYD is the brand that's repricing the entire Australian market from the ground up.

RELATED: BYD Shark 6 Sales Indicate Aussie Tradies Want Succulent Chinese Utes

Give credit where it's due. Tesla built the Australian EV market from nothing. It normalised electric cars for mainstream buyers, built the Supercharger network that made long-distance EV ownership actually viable, and made over-the-air software updates something people expect rather than something they marvel at.

Every connected car feature you now see from every other brand exists because Tesla did it first.

But influence and momentum are different things. Sales are down 25% across two consecutive years. One model carries 77% of Australian volume. And the CEO has become a brand liability in a way that's impossible to ignore, particularly in a market like Australia where people are less forgiving of that sort of thing than they might be in Texas.

Tesla's influence on the market is permanent and undeniable. The question is whether the brand itself can hold the position it created, or whether it becomes the BlackBerry of EVs: the one that showed everyone what was possible and then watched them do it better.

Every Chinese brand launching in Australia right now is chasing what Mercedes-Benz defines as premium. The interior design language, the materials, the way the technology is integrated rather than just thrown at a dashboard.

That's influence you can't measure in sales figures. BYD, Zeekr, and Geely are all building cars that are essentially trying to feel like a Mercedes at half the price, and that tells you everything about who's still setting the benchmark.

But the bigger story is the agency model. Mercedes forced through a fundamental change in how cars are sold in this country, moving from the traditional dealer franchise model to a direct-sale agency structure. That decision is now the subject of a $650 million class action from dealers, and however that case lands, it will determine the future of car retailing in Australia.

If Mercedes wins, every other brand will follow. If it loses, the dealer model gets a lifeline nobody expected. And then there's the G-Class, which somehow remains the one vehicle that works at a charity gala and a construction site in the same week. That's not a car, that's a cultural object.

The Ford Ranger has been Australia's best-selling vehicle for three consecutive years and that's not just a sales stat, it's a reflection of how deeply embedded the ute is in Australian identity. Ford doesn't just sell into that market, it essentially defines it.

The Ranger is the vehicle that every other ute is measured against, from the HiLux to the new Chinese entrants trying to crack the segment.

The problem is that the ute-dependent business model is on a collision course with NVES emissions targets that get tighter every year. The Ranger PHEV at $72,000 is a start, but the Super Duty and the diesel lineup are where Ford actually makes its margin. And the 2026 targets are the ones where the maths goes from uncomfortable to genuinely painful.

Ford's influence is the fact that what happens to the Ranger under NVES essentially determines what happens to the entire ute segment. If Ford can make the transition work, the category survives. If it can't, the ripple effect hits every brand with a dual-cab in the lineup.

Most people have no idea that Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, Lotus, Smart, and Geely are all the same company. That's six brands covering everything from a $33,000 city EV to a $400,000-plus Lotus, all built on shared architecture and shared battery technology. No other automotive group is attacking the Australian market from this many price points simultaneously.

Zeekr alone has racked up over 1,200 sales since October, going directly after Tesla's Model Y with a car that's better looking and arguably better built. Polestar is carving out a quiet premium EV niche.

Volvo still owns the safety-conscious family buyer. And the Geely brand itself launched with a plug-in hybrid SUV that undercuts almost everything in its class.

The influence here isn't any single brand. It's the portfolio strategy. Geely is doing what Volkswagen Group did in Europe over decades, except it's doing it in Australia in about 18 months. When a single parent company can offer you six different brands at six different price points, the competitive dynamics of the entire market shift.

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GWM is the Chinese brand that nobody talks about with the same breathless excitement as BYD, and that's exactly why it's succeeding. While everyone else was either trying to be the cheapest or trying to be the most disruptive, GWM just quietly built the most mature Chinese automotive operation in Australia.

PHEVs when plug-in hybrids took off. SUVs and utes when sedans died. The Tank 300 built a cult following that nobody saw coming, turning up at every overlanding meetup and 4WD expo in the country. And here's the detail that matters most: GWM is doing local suspension tuning at Lang Lang, which is Holden's old proving ground.

That's not a publicity stunt. That means they're investing in making their cars ride and handle properly on Australian roads, which is the one thing that has historically separated good Chinese cars from genuinely competitive ones.

When you're tuning your suspension on the same tarmac where the Commodore was developed, you're sending a very specific message about how seriously you take this market.

Sales grew 177% in 2025 and the Tiggo 4 became the best-selling small SUV in Australia at under $24,000. That alone would be enough to justify a spot on the list. But what makes Chery genuinely influential is the multi-brand empire it's building.

Omoda for the style-conscious buyer. Jaecoo for the adventure crowd. Lepas as a future premium play. It's the Volkswagen Group playbook executed by a Chinese manufacturer, and it's happening right now in Australian showrooms.

The real market-changer arrives in Q4 2026 when Chery launches what it says will be the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid ute. If that sounds like a niche product, you're not thinking about it correctly. A diesel PHEV ute that can run on electric around town but has diesel range and torque for towing and long distances is exactly what the Australian tradie market has been asking for.

Nobody else has cracked that formula yet. If Chery gets it right, it doesn't just win sales. It sets a new standard that every other ute manufacturer has to respond to.

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RAM sold just over 30,000 vehicles in Australia since 2016, which in the context of a million-car-a-year market is a rounding error. And yet its influence on Australian car culture is wildly disproportionate to those numbers.

RAM didn't just sell trucks. It imported an entire American automotive culture into a country that was still grieving the death of the Commodore and the Falcon.

The full-size pickup remanufactured in Melbourne became the vehicle that filled the emotional void left by big, loud, unapologetically excessive Australian cars. You see them everywhere now, from Toorak to Tamworth, and they've proven something important about the Australian market that nobody fully appreciated before: people will spend $150,000 on a vehicle that makes absolutely zero pretence about fuel efficiency, practicality, or social responsibility.

It's a pure identity purchase. The V8 is gone and NVES makes the economics harder every year, but RAM proved that the appetite for big, brash, American-style motoring in Australia was real and deep and worth building a business around.

The C8 Corvette is doing something nobody in the supercar establishment expected: it's making mid-engine performance accessible to people who were previously locked out of the segment entirely. You're getting a mid-engine supercar at around $150,000 that embarrasses vehicles costing three times as much on a track day.

The Z06 with its flat-plane crank V8 is making noises that belong in a car with a prancing horse on the bonnet, not a crossed-flags badge.

And it's not just a road car play. GMSV is running the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in Australian motorsport, including the Bathurst 12 Hour, and the limited-edition Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition (just 12 units for Australia and New Zealand) is the kind of halo product that builds grassroots credibility in a way that no marketing spend can replicate.

The Corvette hasn't forced Porsche to reprice the 911 or made Ferrari rethink its business model. But it's proven that you don't need a European badge or a European price tag to play in the supercar space. In a country that has always defaulted to Stuttgart and Maranello as the aspirational benchmark, that's a genuine cultural shift.

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Four of these brands are Chinese-owned. Two are cultural plays whose influence massively exceeds their sales figures. One is here because it defines what premium means for everyone else. And the biggest-selling brand in the country made the list because it was right about technology before anyone else was even asking the question.

This isn't a list that will look the same in three years. NVES will kill some of these stories and accelerate others. The Chinese brands will consolidate or they'll cannibalise each other. Tesla will either fix its brand problem or it won't. And whoever cracks the electrified ute for the Australian market first will probably leapfrog half this list overnight.

But right now, in March 2026, these are the 10 brands setting the terms. Everyone else is just reacting.

Read the full article The Most Important Car Brands In Australia Right Now… For Reasons Other Than Sales on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The dual-cab ute segment just got its most interesting wildcard in years. Chery has pulled the covers off the KP31 concept in Sydney, a diesel plug-in hybrid ute that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, and if it delivers on even half its promises, the establishment should be nervous.

Here are our top reasons it should be worth waiting for...

Every other plug-in hybrid ute on the Australian market (the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha, Ford Ranger PHEV) pairs its electric motor with a petrol engine. Chery has gone the other way entirely, mating a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel with plug-in hybrid tech. That's a world first in the dual-cab segment. The Ranger PHEV, for all its hype, still runs a petrol-electric setup. The BYD Shark 6 does the same. Neither has cracked diesel hybrid.

Why does it matter? Diesel delivers the low-down torque that actually matters when you're towing a boat up a ramp or loaded to the gills on a construction site. The electric side handles your daily commute and city running on virtually nothing. It's the best of both worlds in a way no other ute currently offers.

Chery is claiming 47 per cent thermal efficiency from the diesel powertrain, 10 per cent better fuel economy than the average diesel, and a 30 per cent reduction in vibration.

Unconfirmed reports out of China suggest outputs of 210kW and 650Nm from a twin-turbo setup. Figures that would put it firmly among the segment's heaviest hitters.

This is where Chery has clearly done its homework. The KP31 is rated at 3500kg braked towing and 1000kg payload. That matches the HiLux and Ranger, keeps pace with the Isuzu D-Max, and comprehensively outguns the Shark 6, which maxes out at 2500kg towing with a payload under 700kg.

The GWM Cannon Alpha matches on towing but falls short on payload, too.

If you need a ute that actually works for a living, not just one that looks the part on the school run, these numbers matter. Chery COO Lucas Harris has been blunt about this: the company pushed its Chinese engineers hard for diesel capability specifically so the ute could handle full-time towing, carrying, and off-roading without compromise.

Chery didn't just slap a "for Australia" sticker on a Chinese-market ute. Harris and his local team took Chery's global engineers to Stradbroke Island off Brisbane's coast to show them how Australians actually use utes. The fishing rods, the caravans, the beach driving, the weekend warrior lifestyle. Boss Harris says it was a lightbulb moment for the Chinese side.

The result is a ute with triple locking differentials (front, centre, rear), a low-range transfer case, dedicated off-road modes, and a tight-turn feature similar to Ford's Trail Turn Assist.

The concept rolled on 285/70 R17 BF Goodrich All-Terrains, a tyre-and-wheel package that was specced after Chery's Australian team consulted local off-road tyre specialists to maximise aftermarket flexibility. Even the six-stud pattern was chosen to play nicely with existing Australian wheel options.

At 5450mm in production trim, it's longer than a Ranger and sits in Kia Tasman territory.

Aftermarket compatibility is designed in, not bolted on. Most new ute brands treat aftermarket compatibility as an afterthought. Harris has taken a different approach, engaging with ARB, Ironman, and TJM well before launch to ensure bumper mounts, bull bar fitment, and accessory compatibility are baked into the design from the factory floor.

For anyone who's ever bought a new-to-market ute and then waited 18 months for a decent bull bar or canopy to become available, this is a significant shift in thinking.

Chery hasn't confirmed pricing (or many production car details) yet, but read the room. The Shark 6 starts at $57,990. The Cannon Alpha PHEV from $59,990. The Ranger PHEV from $71,990. Chery has built its entire Australian strategy on value, and Harris has been clear that the ute will be positioned as a strong proposition against established rivals.

Expect pricing that makes the Shark 6 look over its shoulder. At that kind of money, it's not just undercutting BYD. It's starting to put pressure on base-model Ford Rangers, Toyota HiLuxes and Isuzu D-Maxes, too.

A petrol PHEV variant will follow in 2027 for buyers who want the lifestyle ute experience without diesel.

The bottom line The KP31 is still a concept, albeit one described as "very close" to the production version that's due in Australian showrooms by Q4 2026. There's still plenty Chery hasn't revealed: battery capacity, EV-only range, exact power figures, and of course, what the thing will actually be called.

But the fundamentals look right. So, if Chery nails the execution and the price, this could be the ute that forces the entire segment to recalibrate.

At the very least, it's worth waiting to see the final numbers before committing to anything else.

Read the full article The Ute That Could Nerf the Ford Ranger Costs $15,000 Less and Tows the Same on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

MG is a brand that built its local reputation on hatchbacks and compact SUVs. Now with the MGU9, it reckons it can take on Ranger and HiLux. Brave or bonkers? Bit of both, probably.

What You're Getting

The MGU9 is offered in three variants from $52,990 to $60,990. MG is banking on buyers not wanting to sacrifice comfort for capability. Multi-link rear suspension — the kind of chassis tech you'd find in a BMW X5, not a tradie's daily — headlines a spec sheet that includes 3500kg towing, diff locks front and rear, and a cabin with all the tech you’d expect.

MG's SUV lineup has done well by giving Aussie buyers what they actually want rather than what the marketing department reckons they want. Whether that formula translates to ute country is the big question.

Towing and Capability

The MGU9 matches the 3500kg braked towing that's become table stakes for any dual-cab worth consideration. Power comes from a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel making 160kW and 520Nm, paired with a ZF eight-speed auto, solid, proven hardware.

Gross Combined Mass sits at 6500kg, matching most competitors. Payload runs 770kg to 870kg depending on variant, with the base Explore offering the highest carrying capacity. These are not class-leading numbers, but they are competitive enough for buyers planning to fit accessories or haul big(ish) boats and vans.

Fuel Economy

Official consumption sits at 7.9L/100km Combined — better than the Ranger's claimed 8.9L/100km and the HiLux's similar figures. Anyone who's owned a ute knows real-world numbers run 20-30% higher, more when towing. Still, the 80-litre tank should deliver around 1000km in ideal conditions.

Design

From where we sit, the MGU9 is a handsome beast. MG's gone with a unitary body-on-a-ladder frame, so the cab and tub sides flow continuously — more "SUV with a tub" than a traditional ute.

The front end looks particularly impressive (and more than a little North American) in the metal. And the big wheels and aggressive stance broadcast capability without trying too hard.

MG's already confirmed a proper aftermarket commitment. HSP is on board, and you can expect ARB and others to follow.

The Money Question

A Ford Ranger Wildtrak will set you back around $75,000 with its 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel (184kW/600Nm). Toyota's HiLux SR5 costs around $70,000 and brings that bulletproof reliability reputation with its 2.8-litre turbodiesel (150kW/500Nm).

The MGU9 Explore Pro's $60,990 driveaway slots substantially below both — and brings segment-unique kit like that multi-link rear suspension, dual 12.3-inch screens, and a 7-year warranty that makes typical 5-year coverage look stingy.

Convincing traditional ute buyers that innovation trumps brand heritage? That's the challenge. Not exactly MG's natural demographic, but the spec advantage will count with many lifestyle buyers.

Off-Road Credentials

The MGU9’s BorgWarner 4WD system gets electronic diff locks paired with double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. This setup should outperform the leaf-spring arrangements most utes still rely on — though articulation (how far the wheels move up and down) might suffer compared to solid-axle alternatives. On balance, considering MG's intended buyers, the IRS makes sense.

Ground clearance is 220mm unladen (reducing to 180mm loaded), with 29-degree approach and 25-degree departure angles. Geometry is class-competitive. Wading depth at 550mm is a bit light, but multiple terrain modes — including Rock Crawl and Wade in 4L — arguably balance the ledger.

MG claims 400,000km of Australian testing, spanning everything from city streets to corrugated tracks. Our passenger ride (not drive, unfortunately) through a sanitised off-road course suggested the MGU9 handles typical scenarios competently.

Four-wheel disc brakes — not as common in utes as you'd think — complete the package.

Inside

Premium vegan leather MultiFold seating folds completely flat for versatility. The optional Smart Hatch (Explore Pro only, adding approximately $5000) electronically lowers the rear window and bulkhead for cabin-to-tub access.

That aircraft-inspired gear selector and panoramic sunroof create a cockpit that feels more like a luxury SUV than a workhorse. Heated seats all round, with cooling and massage for the driver, reinforce the premium positioning.

Tech and Safety

MG Pilot brings high-definition 360-degree cameras, autonomous emergency braking, and comprehensive sensor coverage. Higher variants score HD 1080P cameras, JBL 8-speaker sound, wireless charging, and over-the-air updates through iSMART connectivity. Yes, we’re still talking about a ute!

Dual 12.3-inch screens handle wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. MG has retained hard buttons for key functions — 4WD engagement, diff locks, climate — a practical win for work applications where gloved hands and dirty screens make touchscreen-only interfaces a nightmare.

A five-star NCAP rating ticks the safety box, with a comprehensive airbag setup including a centre airbag and proper child restraint anchors.

First Drive Impressions

Our first impression of the MGU9 was defined by minimal seat time in a controlled environment. But there are green shoots – more than enough for us to want more.

For the record, the MG ute conquered the admittedly tame launch tests without drama. Ride feels firm with decent body control, and hitching a 2660kg caravan to the back didn't induce any bad habits — that's not been the case with some previous coil-sprung utes I've tested.

Cabin build quality matches MG's premium intentions. Tech integration works intuitively.

There was no opportunity for highway driving, but the 2.5-litre diesel seems eager and refined. The ZF transmission shifts smoothly, and the 4WD system engages seamlessly.

The SUV buyer's choice of vehicle?

MG insiders reckon the MGU9 will draw customers away from conventional SUVs — and the refinement hints from our launch taste test support that theory.

Even at $60,990, the value equation works. MG's passenger car success suggests the brand understands Australian buyers better than most. The specification advantage over established rivals is significant.

Success depends on whether buyers will prioritise innovation over heritage. For those who value comfort, technology, and modern features above brand loyalty, the MGU9 deserves consideration. Traditional ute buyers focused on customisation and proven badges might prefer the devil they know.

Read the full article This New Ute Will Leave Australian Tradies & Weekenders Pleasantly Surprised on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Here's the thing about car audio: most premium car brands slap a fancy badge on decent speakers and call it a partnership. The Cadillac LYRIQ's 19-speaker AKG Studio system? That's a proper car-laboration (sorry Dad!) and you can hear the difference.

AKG earned a Technical Grammy in 2010 for its contributions to the recording industry spanning over six decades. Its microphones captured The Beatles at Shea Stadium and Quincy Jones' "We Are the World" session, where 21 AKG C12 mics recorded 45 artists making history. This isn't lifestyle brand audio; it's the gear that captured your favourite albums.

When Cadillac tapped AKG as its exclusive audio partner, it wasn't just licensing a name; it was also establishing a strategic partnership. The setup utilises genuine studio technology, specifically adapted for cars. It's AKG's first automotive venture and eventually will roll out across the entire Cadillac range.

What's the difference between branded audio and engineered audio? One sounds impressive. The other sounds right.

The all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ's 19-speaker configuration includes dedicated units in the front headrests, creating an intimate, personalised soundstage for each occupant. 

What AKG calls its Unity coaxial composite design ensures high and mid-range frequencies come from the same point, eliminating interference that plagues conventional setups.

The even cleverer bit? An Acoustic Lens on the central dashboard delivers high-frequency detail directly to your ears, avoiding windscreen reflection. It's the kind of acoustic precision that separates ordinary audio from studio-quality reproduction, powered by a substantial 1400W amplifier providing the 'oomph' essential for distortion-free dynamics.

AKG's technological foundation utilises Quantum Logic virtual 7.1 surround sound processing — the same technology found in Bowers & Wilkins systems.

This algorithm transforms any audio source (even compressed Spotify streams) into what the audiophiles describe as an immersive, three-dimensional experience. The result rivals dedicated home theatre setups. Only, on the move.

EVs give audio engineers something petrol cars lack: proper quiet. The Cadillac LYRIQ's whisper-quiet battery electric drivetrain creates an ideal acoustic environment, with no competition from engine noise. Cadillac then takes this an extra step via next-generation Active Noise Cancellation, which measures road vibrations and uses the AKG speaker array to actively cancel unwanted sounds.

Combined with acoustic laminated glass and wind-tunnel-tested aerodynamics, the LYRIQ promises what Cadillac describes as a "symphony of solitude." 

It's a sanctuary that then allows the AKG system to showcase everything from the gentlest whisper of a jazz vocalist to the thunderous crescendo of a full orchestra. Led Zeppelin's Kashmir at 11… We dare you!

Whether navigating Melbourne's CBD or cruising the often-potholed Pacific Highway, the AKG system in the LYRIQ represents a step change in car audio. Every word in your morning podcast through Spotify is clearer, and your favourite music gains depth and spatial accuracy.

The headrest speakers are particularly effective for dialogue-heavy content, creating an almost personal conversation with your chosen audio. It's not just impressive. It's genuinely different.

Compared to other, perhaps more obvious premium audio choices, the LYRIQ's AKG Studio system is a step up, particularly for music enthusiasts who appreciate accurate reproduction over artificially enhanced bass or exaggerated treble. The system's ability to maintain clarity at higher volumes reflects its professional studio heritage.

Tap into the information supplied by Cadillac's own in-house experts, and it's clear that the AKG partnership represents a different level of technical integration. 

Dolby, Cadillac, and AKG are all involved in tuning, testing, and optimising the system's acoustics model by model. This is a genuine collaboration between automotive engineers, Dolby's audio scientists, and AKG's studio experts. There has even been input from the recording, mixing, and artist communities.

Cadillac's own engineers visited recording studios with AKG and dived deep into the recording process with real live musos. They've since developed unique systems for a range of Cadillac models, including the OPTIQ and VISTIQ SUVs, which are set to join the Cadillac LYRIQ in Australia in 2026.

For Cadillac, this means sound with greater depth, detail, and emotion than we've traditionally seen in automotive audio, pulling you deeper into the experience rather than simply playing it back.

The Cadillac LYRIQ's AKG Studio sound system succeeds because it understands a fundamental truth: luxury isn't about overwhelming the senses; it's about elevating them.

With AKG, Cadillac has created something genuinely special. The new LYRIQ doesn't just deliver the look and feel of modern luxury; it defines how it sounds. And that's worth listening to.

Read the full article Cadillac LYRIQ Proves True Auto Luxury Needs To Hit All The Right Notes on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

While some luxury brands have spent the last decade apologising for their existence, rolling out smaller engines, hybrid compromises, efficiency guilt, someone forgot to tell Cadillac that luxury was supposed to feel guilty about itself.

The all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ arrives in Australia with a price tag starting at around $130,000 AUD on the road and the audacious suggestion that maybe, just maybe, luxury should feel luxurious again.

It's a timely reminder that electric power hasn't just changed how we fuel cars; it has completely rewritten what 'premium' means. When Rolls-Royce launched the Spectre as their "most refined car ever built" and Bentley remains committed to full electrification (albeit now by 2033), brands are reshaping what it means to drive an electric vehicle. This isn't the distant future of luxury. It's the present.

Step back from any Australian shopping centre car park and you'll see the problem. Row after row of similar Germanic SUVs, all subtly apologising for taking up space while charging premium prices for the privilege.

Cadillac doesn't play that game. The Cadillac LYRIQ is the current case in point.

At just over five metres long, the Cadillac LYRIQ is unapologetically substantial without being obnoxious. The vertical LED signatures and sharp body lines create an unmistakable presence, that's confident and very clearly not trying to be something it's not. You won't mistake it for anything else on the road, which in 2025 feels like a minor miracle.

The design language speaks to a different philosophy entirely. Where many luxury and wannabe premium brands are increasingly homogeneous — safe, efficient, apologetic — the LYRIQ commits fully to being a luxury vehicle. No hedging, no efficiency guilt, no marketing disclaimers about "dynamic efficiency." Just proper American luxury, electrified.

The moment you settle into the driver's seat, the Cadillac LYRIQ's proportions make sense. For Cadillac, the LYRIQ was never about maximising every millimetre like a Tetris puzzle, but instead creating genuine space for real humans to drive in comfort.

The flat EV floor means rear passengers aren't playing footsie with a transmission tunnel, and total cabin passenger volume translates to real-world space that everyone can appreciate.

I'm no giant, but even when I grabbed a 180cm mate for 'crash test dummy' duties, there was still proper legroom in the second row. Not "adequate for the segment" or "surprisingly spacious for its class". Space, pure and simple.

The panoramic roof amplifies this feeling, creating an airy cabin that doesn't feel like you're being packaged for transport. This is where the EV advantage becomes tangible. Without the compromises of engines, exhausts, and transmissions, the LYRIQ can dedicate its footprint to what luxury buyers actually want: room to breathe.

The Germans have spent years trying to convince us that "right-sizing" means accepting compromises. The sheer size of the LYRIQ suggests the wrong question may have been asked.

Is it just me, or does each new EV model claim increasingly irrelevant acceleration times? Kick the Cadillac LYRIQ into life and the first thing you notice isn't acceleration or handling, it's the silence. Not just the absence of engine noise, but proper quiet.

Cadillac uses active noise cancellation, which works in concert with acoustic laminated glass to create what the brand calls a "symphony of solitude". I'm not sure I'm on board with making a virtue of solitude, but you get the idea. It's hushed and soothing.

During our drive on freeways and the, at times, bumpy and rough roads to Mt. Buller in the Victorian snowfields, at the legal limit (or above!), conversation happens at a normal volume.

Pick a favourite track, and the AKG Studio sound system's 19 speakers can showcase their full dynamic range, because they're not competing with road noise, wind noise, or the mechanical symphony that defines traditional luxury cars. It's the kind of refinement that makes you realise how much ambient noise we accept as normal.

Not that this attention to calm is in place of proper performance. When needed, thanks to 388 kW and 610 Nm, the LYRIQ can accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in around 5.3 seconds. More to the point is the acceleration in real-world conditions. Overtaking is quite literally effortless.

That power figure equates to around 520 hp, but electric powertrains deliver performance and refinement in ways that internal combustion engines simply cannot. Indeed, the dual-motor LYRIQ's instant, seamless power and torque delivery create a different kind of acceleration — seamless and relentlessly smooth. Need more? There's a substantially quicker LYRIQ V variant due sometime in 2026…

The Cadillac LYRIQ's 33-inch curved display dominates the dashboard, and critics may complain about screen overload. For mine, this isn't technology showing off; it's theatre. The wraparound design creates an immersive environment that feels more like a private lounge than a traditional car cabin.

While the CarPlay display is not entirely convincing in its integration, the native system's resolution and responsiveness are crisp and clean. Google Maps integration means navigation that actually works, while the climate controls retain physical buttons for the functions you use most frequently. Other EV carmakers, please take note.

The AKG audio deserves another mention here. Accurate, loud, the headrest-mounted speakers create an intimate soundstage that makes every podcast feel like a personal conversation and your playlist the star.

Let's call a spade a spade: EVs are heavy. Sometimes, very heavy. At least, the LYRIQ's 2.7-tonne mass isn't the liability it may seem at the outset. On the freeway and long country sweepers, the LYRIQ feels planted and unflappable in a way that many less resolved EVs don't match. Body roll is well-controlled without resorting to the artificial stiffness (and artificial active anti-roll systems) that plagues some rivals.

The steering weight feels appropriate for a luxury SUV. Not sports car sharp, but precise and confidence-inspiring. You can't say that about all EVs.

The 12.1-metre turning circle is a reality check for tight car parks (in part thanks to that rangy circa 3100mm wheelbase). The trade-off is stability that makes long-distance touring genuinely relaxing.

The ride quality is also in part a function of the dimensions. It's excellent, especially around town.

There's a one-pedal mode with increased regenerative braking that dedicated EV-ers will use in traffic. You can tailor this via the comprehensive Settings menu in the infotainment. Alternatively, squeeze the Cadillac's single steering wheel paddle to slow the car more or deploy the auto hold function at a standstill. At first, I thought this was a gimmick – soon I was using it often. A genuine EV innovation.

Speaking of CBD cruising, the LYRIQ's size (and unashamed style) becomes part of its presence. It doesn't apologise for taking up space, but the elevated driving position and excellent all-round visibility make navigation through traffic surprisingly stress-free for such a substantial vehicle.

Active driver aids help the cause. But I could do without the overzealous Driver Attention Assistant – a criticism of almost every new car now, as this safety feature is a must-have for achieving top marks in international crash ratings.

The broader luxury car segment, with some caveats, has voted for electrification with its development budgets. Rolls-Royce positions the Spectre as its most refined car ever. Bentley is going fully electric. Even Ferrari is on the road to embracing electrification for its flagship models. The Germans are all debuting bespoke EVs to carve their spots.

The message is clear: electric power isn't a compromise or concession, it's the new standard for what premium means.

Offered in Sport and Luxury variants, the Cadillac LYRIQ arrives at this party at the right time rather than unfashionably early. While some rivals are still hedging bets with hybrids and efficiency messaging, Cadillac has committed fully to the electric luxury vision. At least when it comes to the models it will bring to Australia.

The LYRIQ's 190kW DC fast charging might not match some 800V systems, but it's perfectly adequate for real-world use. The charging curve remains consistent, and the battery management system prevents the dramatic slowdowns that plague some rivals.

The theoretical 530km range is optimistic (as always), but 450km or more is easily achieved thanks to the large 102kWh battery pack.

For Caddy's target market and most Australian luxury buyers, home charging capability and decent range make public charging an occasional convenience rather than a daily necessity.

There are aspects of the Cadillac LYRIQ we’d love to see pushed further upmarket — some buyers will want a little more emphasis on rear seat luxury (good rather than stellar), and there are a few interior touches (switchgear and the like) that could benefit from added attention.

However, the vehicle is priced competitively, backed by a comprehensive warranty, and positioned honestly as a luxury brand challenger. That honesty extends to the driving experience.

This isn't trying to be a sports SUV or an efficiency champion. It's a luxury vehicle that prioritises comfort, space, and refinement over headline-grabbing performance figures. In a market obsessed with 0-100km/h times and efficiency ratings, the LYRIQ's focus on actual luxury feels almost subversive.

The Cadillac LYRIQ succeeds because it refuses to apologise for being a luxury vehicle. It's large because luxury buyers want space. It's quiet because refinement matters more than artificial engine notes. It's distinctively styled because blending in isn't the point.

In an era where electric power is making guilt-free luxury possible, the Cadillac LYRIQ commits fully to the experiential. It's luxury for adults who've outgrown the need to justify their choices. And in 2025, that feels like a compelling call to arms.

Read the full article This American EV Has Taken Over Australian Car Culture on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

When a sports car manufacturer mentions it's adding "comprehensive driver assistance technology," the natural response is to reach for the tissues and start planning a wake. 

Hands up: who's heard the stories about great driver's cars neutered by safety nannies that can't tell the difference between spirited driving and genuine danger.

But Lotus has just pulled off something remarkable with the MY26 Lotus Emira: they've made their sports car smarter without lobotomising it. In fact, the result might just be the most compelling package from the storied British brand yet. Here’s why:

For the first time in Lotus history, a sports car wearing the yellow and black badge comes standard with a full suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

We're talking Autonomous Emergency Braking, Road Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Fatigue Detection as standard across the range. An optional pack adds Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Door Opening Warning, and High Beam Assist.

Every new car sold in Australia after early 2025 must have the non-optional features fitted. The real point of difference here is calibration.

While most manufacturers seem to tune their safety systems with all the subtlety of an overcaffeinated intern, Lotus has focused on making these aids work in harmony with the driving experience rather than against it.

The real test will be whether these systems can distinguish between a ham-fisted mistake and deliberate spirited driving. Something that would be criminal to interfere with on a car this engaging.

After spending time in the current MY25 model, it's clear that any safety intervention needs to be as precisely tuned as the chassis itself. This isn't a car that should ever have to deal with clumsy electronic interference.

The headline upgrade for the Turbo SE variant is a significant bump in output from the Mercedes-AMG sourced 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. Power jumps from 360 to 400hp, while torque increases from 430Nm to a more substantial 480Nm.

On paper, those increases may not seem earth-shattering. Still, the torque increase is particularly noticeable on real roads.

During our drive on a challenging loop north of Melbourne, through Lancefield, along bumpy, winding stretches towards Pyalong and beyond (which exposes any car's weaknesses faster than most) the extra mid-range punch compared to the MY24 Lotus Emira was quickly evident.

The tunability of the AMG unit means Lotus engineers could extract this additional performance without compromising the car's reliability or essential character.

The dual-clutch transmission has also received software improvements. While it remains a touch lazy to respond to paddle commands in Touring mode, Sport mode sharpens things up considerably, delivering a few more exhaust pops and wastegate action for good measure.

Much of the time, though, you can leave the gearbox to its own devices. It's clichéd, but the combination of extra mid-range and responsive gearbox means there's rarely any need to ring this car's neck to go properly fast.

On the same challenging roads, the kind of bumpy, imperfect and at times badly cambered surfaces that show up automotive pretenders, the Lotus Emira feels absolutely at home. There's an inherent lightness and responsiveness to the chassis that no amount of additional tech will diminish.

The standard Sport suspension remains firm but never crashy. Lotus engineers have built a reputation for creating exceptional road car suspension, and the updated Emira upholds that tradition. During testing, there were numerous moments where you'd instinctively flinch, expecting a harsh impact, but it never came.

Lotus insiders point to the Goodyear F1 SuperSport tyres as a key part of the recipe, adding compliance (over comparable Michelin rubber) that works beautifully with the chassis tuning.

On the particularly demanding stretch from Strath Creek across to Broadford, bumpy, winding, and at times steeply uphill, the Lotus Emira outperformed cars that are significantly more potent on paper.

The combination of nimble manners, excellent Brembo brakes, predictable handling, and well-matched power delivery makes the Lotus Emira Turbo SE devastatingly effective in real-world conditions.

There's a Touring suspension tune also offered. We'll stick to Sport, thanks sport...

If you haven't experienced the cabin of a modern Lotus, the interior quality and level of tech integration might surprise you.

The Emira strikes that sweet spot. Goldilocks — not too little, not too much — in an era where some manufacturers seem determined to replace every physical control with a touchscreen.

The native navigation and infotainment system is solid, enhanced by smartphone mirroring capabilities. Most functions remain accessible via both touchscreen and traditional buttons. HVAC controls are a perfect example: physical dials and buttons that you can operate without taking your eyes off the road. Drive mode selection follows the same sensible approach.

There's an attractive mix of materials throughout, including Alcantara surfaces, plus alloy and carbon fibre accents. The personalisation options continue to expand, and the result feels properly premium. These are kit cars no longer, the Lotus Emira generation of Lotus models represents a genuine leap forward in build quality and interior refinement.

The Turbo SE receives visual updates that reinforce its position at the top of the Lotus Emira hierarchy. Two new paint options join the palette: EOS Green and Purple Haze, both of which should present beautifully under Australia's crisp natural light... Sorry, I just went all photographer on you…

The Turbo SE also comes standard with newly finished 20-inch V-spoke forged wheels in Satin Grey, while Zinc Grey becomes the standard paint colour. Inside, the Alcantara headliner contributes to the premium feel, complemented by red Brembo brake callipers that serve as a visual cue to the car's performance intent.

The base Lotus Turbo model introduces a new technical sports fabric interior. This move should appeal to buyers seeking the Emira experience without the full SE premium. It's a smart positioning strategy that broadens the model's appeal while maintaining clear differentiation between variants.

When MY26 Lotus Emira lineup arrives in early 2026, it will kick off with the Emira Turbo, priced at $207,990 plus on-road costs, while the Turbo SE is priced at $223,990. The returning V6 SE manual sits at $252,990, although supply is expected to be limited compared to the turbo variants.

In the Australian sports car market, these prices position the Emira as a serious alternative to the higher-performance versions of the almost ubiquitous Porsche Cayman.

While the Porsche offers proven reliability and strong resale values, the Emira delivers a level of exclusivity and junior supercar presence that even RS Cayman variants struggle to match.

Factor in the opportunities that come with Lotus ownership in Australia, including potential access to track days and exclusive driving events, and the value proposition becomes even more compelling. This isn't just about buying a car; it's about joining a community that takes driving seriously.

It says it on the badge: For the Driver.

While the MY26 improvements are worthwhile, there's a compelling alternative for buyers who value immediate gratification over the latest technology.

Lotus Australia has a limited number of MY24 Emira Turbo First Edition models available right now at $199,990 driveaway, representing a significant saving over the incoming MY26 pricing.

What you're missing without the MY26 updates is essentially the ADAS suite and the engine/transmission upgrades.

What you're gaining is immediate delivery and inclusion in the otherwise sold-out Lotus Week 2025 in late October. Picture this: while your mate's MY26 is still somewhere on the production line, you're tackling closed mountain roads during one of Australia's premier driving events.

Lotus Week represents exclusive access to some of the country's best driving roads, professional track time, and the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts who understand why proper sports cars matter.

The event includes everything from Winton Raceway sessions to closed-road runs up Mt Buller, Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain. Experiences you simply can't buy elsewhere.

As a result of the timing of the changes in ADAS rules, less than a handful of MY25 Emiras came Down Under. From a collector's perspective, then, the MY24 models represent the last Lotus sports cars to arrive without comprehensive driver assistance systems. In an era where such technology becomes increasingly intrusive, that might prove more significant than many realise.

The MY26 Emira represents Lotus evolving intelligently in response to modern market and legislative demands, proving that safety technology doesn't have to compromise driving enjoyment when properly implemented.

The increased power, improved transmission, and comprehensive ADAS suite create a more comprehensive package that should attract additional buyers to the brand. But for decisive buyers, the MY24 Emira Turbo runout offers something equally valuable: immediate entry into the Lotus community and access to driving experiences that money alone can't secure.

Carpe diem…

Read the full article The Lotus Emira Just Got Smarter… This Changes Everything on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Let's cut straight to it: The Porsche 911 has occupied the top step of most buyers' sports car podiums for much of the last six decades. It's the car that everyone, from celebs to CEOs to your cashed-up accountant mate, covets. 

With the new hybrid-powered 911 GTS, Porsche has executed a carefully calculated evolution, electrifying its icon without diluting its DNA. Clever and typically Germanic in its methodical approach, it’s the sort of engineering precision that's made the 911 the default choice.

But before you Vote 1 Porsche, another contender demands your consideration. Actually, it bloody well deserves it. One that might reveal the Swabian emperor's clothes aren't quite as dazzling in isolation.

Enter the McLaren Artura. Available in both Coupe and Spider (convertible) versions, the Artura is a plug-in hybrid (yes, you read that right) mid-engined supercar that represents a fundamental rethink of what an electrified performance car can be. 

For the avoidance of doubt, this isn't your neighbour's Prius with delusions of grandeur; it's a proper supercar that happens to use electricity to go faster, not just farther.

The timing couldn't be better, either. McLaren's F1 team has transformed from also-ran to champion in record time, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as clear favourites for this year’s Drivers' Championship. When your racing team is consistently on the podium, it tends to validate everything else you're doing. 

Indeed, Piastri's breakthrough 2024 season coincided with McLaren's return to genuine F1 competitiveness.

The papaya team that was struggling for points just two years ago took the 2024 manufacturer’s title in a tight tussle. Both the team and Piastri have hit their straps in 2025, and it’s not so much a case of challenging for wins as it is verging on dominance. That transformation from backmarker to champion-elect mirrors exactly what the Artura represents for McLaren's road car division 

Piastri’s looking after his own PR with his on-track efforts. Here's the Artura’s headline-grabbing stuff: 515kW, under 1500kg in coupe form, 0-100km/h in 3.0 seconds, 0-200km/h in a frankly ridiculous 8.4 seconds, and the ability to travel over 30km on battery alone. 

They are numbers that make even the excellent 911 GTS look... well, a bit pedestrian. In fact, the McLaren Artura offers something above: engineering purity that costs less than you'd expect while delivering more than you'd believe.

In a market where the Ferrari 296 GTS demands close to $700,000 before an option box is ticked and the Aston Martin Vantage easily tops half a million in the most popular specifications, McLaren's newly revised pricing for the Artura Coupe, starting from $401,760 AUD excluding on-roads and McLaren Artura Spider at just $449,460 excluding on-roads, starts to look like proper value.

When looking at the McLaren Artura Spider variant, the corporate cheerleading spruiks, "The new Artura Spider embodies the best of McLaren's pioneering engineering." For once, the numbers suggest this enthusiasm isn't just marketing froth.

In an industry where manufacturers routinely add weight with each generation, McLaren has somehow created a convertible hybrid lighter than most coupes, including the new 911 GTS. It's the automotive equivalent of making a lamington healthier by adding more coconut.

Here's where McLaren's F1 DNA becomes more than marketing speak and where an evolutionary approach to engineering can show its limitations. 

The McLaren Artura Spider weighs 1560kg (DIN), genuinely remarkable for a convertible hybrid. The 911 GTS, despite Porsche's obsessive weight-watching (they'll spend thousands to save grams), tips the scales at approximately 1600kg as a coupe with its hybrid system. The convertible version adds another 50kg on top.

Think about that for a moment. McLaren has created a convertible with more power, electric capability, and the rigidity of a racecar that's lighter than Porsche's benchmark coupe. It's the difference between evolution and revolution, Porsche adding hybrid technology to existing architecture versus McLaren designing everything from scratch with the precision of a Formula 1 team (which, let's not forget, it actually is).

The McLaren Artura coupe’s weight advantage is even more telling, weighing in under 1500kg, it is at least a passenger (and then some) lighter than the Porsche.

The power-to-weight advantage is staggering. At 480PS per tonne (at lightest dry weight), the McLaren Artura embarrasses its 911 GTS counterpart's more modest ratio like a professional swimmer racing against weekend pool noodle enthusiasts.

This isn't achieved through corner-cutting or carbon-fibre Instagram bling. McLaren's Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) was designed from day one to accommodate the convertible without compromise. No additional strengthening is required for the open-air version, no structural Band-Aids, and no "we'll sort that out in the next generation" compromises.

While Porsche perfects existing solutions (admirably), McLaren reimagines the fundamentals. The McLaren Artura's highly compact axial flux E-motor, with 33% greater power density than the system in the legendary P1 hypercar, exemplifies this approach. It's positioned exactly where physics demands it should be, not where existing architecture allows it to fit.

For context, the Ferrari 296 GTS manages similar weight figures. Still, it costs $150,000 more (because it's a Ferrari), while the Aston Martin Vantage, despite having no electrification whatsoever, weighs around 90kg more than the McLaren.

When even traditional sports cars can't match a hybrid convertible's efficiency, you know someone's doing something properly special.

Both Porsche and McLaren embrace electrification, but their approaches couldn't be more different. Porsche's t-hybrid system represents automotive evolution at its finest. The 911 GTS combines an all-new 3.6-litre boxer engine with an electric turbocharger and an e-motor sandwiched between the engine and gearbox.

The result is a substantial 398kW and 610Nm, with an extra 150Nm of instant electric torque that banishes turbo lag to the history books. It's brilliant, practical engineering that maintains the 911's character while adding performance.

Call it convervative, but it works like a Swiss watch: reliable, precise, and reassuringly familiar. There's genuine brilliance in Porsche's ability to add that much hybrid assistance without losing the 911's soul. It's evolutionary engineering at its finest.

McLaren took a different approach, of course. Chuck out convention and start fresh. The McLaren Artura family was conceived as a hybrid from day one, with a twin-turbo V6 and e-motor generating 700PS (515kW) and 720Nm. McLaren has recalibrated the powertrain in the latest version with an additional 20PS focused from 4000-8500rpm redline.

In regular-person speak, it builds power and pace like a proper racecar charging down Conrod Straight.

The numbers tell the story better than any marketing department could: both McLaren Artura and Porsche hit 0-100km/h in 3.0 seconds (impressive), but the McLaren continues to 0-200km/h in just 8.4 seconds (properly mental). 

More importantly, for daily driving in our increasingly eco-conscious world, the McLaren Artura offers something the 911 GTS cannot, a genuine 33km electric range and plug-in capability. Perfect for sneaking out of the garage at 6am for a weekend drive without waking the family.

While others perfect the past, McLaren creates the future with British ingenuity and F1-derived obsessiveness.

McLaren's transmission features 25% faster gearshifts thanks to revised calibration and a new pre-fill feature that pressurises the hydraulic system to the "kiss point", ready to change gear before you've even asked.

The Proactive Damping Control system now responds up to 90% faster to road surface changes, meaning it'll adapt to those charming Melbourne potholes or Sydney's concrete expansion joints before your body clenches for the bump.

These aren't headline-grabbing improvements that'll impress your mates at the pub. However, they ARE the sort of obsessive engineering details that separate genuine performance cars from cleverly updated icons with impressive spec sheets.

Let's be frank, if you want a sports car you can use every day without drama, the 911 GTS is still the gold standard.

It'll handle the school run as happily as it'll handle Phillip Island’s 4.45km of blacktop, and if something goes wrong, Porsche's footprint and service ethos is first class. That's not just convenience, it's peace of mind that McLaren's still building toward.

Yet Porsche and McLaren each reflect their respective makers' approaches to driver engagement. McLaren's mid-engine purity creates advantages that Porsche's rear-engine layout, brilliant as it is, cannot match.

The 911 GTS maintains that familiar Porsche driving position that's been refined over six decades. The dashboard offers multiple screen modes, including the classic five-dial layout that'll make any Porsche purist's heart sing, and rear-wheel steering comes standard for the first time in a GTS model.

It's all predictably excellent, evolutionary rather than revolutionary, like upgrading from a manual espresso machine to an automatic one. Better, but fundamentally the same experience.

The McLaren's electro-hydraulic steering system provides feedback that's becoming increasingly rare in modern supercars. Unlike systems designed to flatter weekend warriors, the McLaren Artura demands attention but rewards precision like a proper sports car should.

The chassis balance is pure mid-engine magic, and the low centre of gravity creates a platform that's genuinely engaging but refreshingly easy to use every day, whether you're threading through Redfern traffic or attacking the corners on Macquarie Pass.

Where the Artura Spider truly distinguishes itself is the sensory journey. Each drive begins in pure electric mode, an almost surreal experience that the 911 GTS cannot offer, like having a supercar with stealth mode engaged.

Then comes what McLaren calls a "crescendo of sound" as the twin-turbo engine awakens and the full hybrid powertrain delivers its performance. With the roof down on a perfect winter morning, you're not just driving; you're experiencing a full-sensory performance that builds from whisper-quiet to properly exhilarating.

McLaren's traction control system, developed alongside its GT3 and GT4 racers, offers tuneable slip angles from mild to wild, or complete deactivation for those with the skill to handle 515kW without electronic assistance. You're not fighting the electronics but collaborating with them like a proper team.

For reference, the Ferrari 296 GTS offers similar mid-engine advantages but has waiting lists longer than a Melbourne Cup Day queue, while the Aston Martin Vantage, despite its impressive 489kW output, relies on front-engine drama rather than pure engineering balance.

At $449,460, the McLaren Artura Spider's revised MY26 pricing brings it much closer to the 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet's starting price of around $417,000.

But context reveals a more complex picture than a simple price comparison, like comparing a hand-built watch to a regular timepiece.

The McLaren offers more power, genuine electric capability, and exotic carbon construction that the volume-produced Porsche cannot match. Though 'mass-produced' hardly does justice to Porsche's manufacturing precision, the company has mastered the art of building exceptional cars at scale 

And when you consider that a well-optioned 911 GTS Cabriolet easily approaches $500,000 after you've ticked the boxes for carbon-ceramic brakes, sports seats, and the other essentials, and the Ferrari 296 GTS commands around $675,000 before you've even looked at the options list, the McLaren's positioning becomes, well… compelling.

The personalisation story gets even better with MY26. McLaren has introduced two stunning new paint options: Shibuya Spirit (a magenta that shifts between purple and red metallics) and Tempest Blue (a layered hue that transforms from grey to oceanic tones).

Combined with the existing palette ranging from racing-inspired Papaya Spark to ultra-exclusive MSO Bespoke paints, the McLaren Artura offers personalisation that makes almost every other manufacturer's configurator look like a school project.

Industry context matters here more than most buyers realise. Porsche prints money with Cayenne and Macan SUVs (accounting for roughly 70% of its sales), allowing the 911 to function as much as a brand halo as a profit centre.

McLaren needs the Artura to succeed; it represents its electrified future and consumed significant development resources during financially challenging times. The result is a car packed with technology and engineering excellence because half-measures weren't an option.

The practical advantages matter, too, especially for Australian conditions. The McLaren Artura hard-top operates in just 11 seconds at speeds up to 50km/h, faster and more refined than most systems. This means you can drop the roof while cruising through the Royal National Park without missing a corner.

The optional electrochromic glass panel can instantly block 99% of sunlight (perfect for those brutal summer days), while clever aero reduces buffeting to levels that shame conventional convertibles. Your hair will still look acceptable when you arrive at your destination.

McLaren's ownership proposition extends well beyond the purchase price. The five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, six-year battery, and ten-year body warranty represent genuine confidence in the product.

McLaren's comprehensive coverage means you can use the thing without constantly worrying about the next service bill.

For MY26, McLaren has listened to Australian owners and made some properly sensible changes. In both McLaren Artura coupe and Spider, the Practicality Pack (including parking sensors, reversing camera, power-folding heated mirrors, and soft-close doors) and Vehicle Lift function now come as standard.

No more scraping expensive carbon-fibre on Melbourne's charming speed humps or missing that tight parking spot because you can't see the bollards.

The Technology Pack is now optional, giving buyers more control over their specification and budget. It's McLaren's way of saying: pick the tech you actually want rather than paying for stuff you'll never use.

Here's where McLaren's recent F1 success creates genuine relevance.

McLaren's community celebrates this racing success, as well as the brand’s undoubted engineering nous. It's not the casual Saturday morning culture of many marques' ownership, but it's genuinely engaging for those who appreciate the full story behind performance on and off the track.

McLaren describes itself as "a cohesive, like-minded family that inspires owners and fosters a unique feeling of community." The ownership experience reflects this philosophy through exclusive track events (where you'll learn something), technical briefings from the engineers who built your car, and early access to new models.

The 911 GTS remains a benchmark sports car for good reason. It blends heritage, performance, and everyday usability in a way few others can match. It's the known quantity and a vehicle that makes sense.

But the McLaren Artura offers something different, a more forward-thinking ownership proposition that happens to deliver superior engineering wrapped in genuine exclusivity.

With performance figures that embarrass cars costing significantly more, genuine environmental credentials (that 33km electric range isn't just for show), and that rare combination of technological sophistication and emotional engagement, it represents the future rather than the past.

The Aston Martin Vantage delivers theatre and AMG-sourced drama for similar money, and the Ferrari 296 GTS offers Italian emotion at premium pricing with matching waiting lists, but frankly, neither matches the McLaren's combination of advanced engineering, real-world usability, and relative value.

Spider or coupe, the McLaren Artura is the thinking person's choice in a segment often dominated by badge snobbery and emotional decisions.

So what'll it be? The evolved icon or the revolutionary challenger?

The 911 GTS is a masterclass in evolutionary engineering that proves electrification doesn't have to dilute the driving experience. After all these years, it's familiar, dependable, and still properly thrilling. It’s as if Porsche's 60-year evolution has turned constraints into strengths. The 911's heritage isn't baggage; it's accumulated wisdom.

The McLaren Artura is something else entirely, a clean-sheet approach to the modern supercar that embraces the future without sacrificing what makes driving special. It's faster, more advanced, exclusive, and arguably more exciting.

"The new Artura is absolutely the complete next-generation supercar."

Michael Leiters, former McLaren CEO

While CEO quotes are about as reliable as Melbourne weather forecasts, the numbers suggest he might be onto something here. This isn't about choosing between cars, it's about choosing between philosophies. Do you want the comfort of proven excellence or the thrill of witnessing what happens when brilliant engineers are given carte blanche to reimagine the supercar?

For Australian buyers wanting a supercar for NOW, and with Oscar Piastri making them proud every second weekend, there's never been a better time to take the plunge.

This marks the beginning of a new chapter for McLaren, inviting a new tier of enthusiasts into the realm where sports car ambitions meet supercar reality. The MY26 updates haven't just improved the McLaren Artura, they've repositioned it as the most compelling entry point into genuine supercar ownership.

Drive the contenders. Then trust your gut, not your spreadsheet. After all, life's too short for sensible cars...

Read the full article The Supercar McLaren Built for Right Now on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Proper new car value in 2025, the kind that makes a difference to your daily drive and bank balance requires delivering on multiple fronts: performance, features, warranty, and price.

Enter the Jaecoo J7 SHS: the plug-in hybrid variant of the Chinese brand's compact SUV that's in showrooms now, looking to shake up the established PHEV order.

Priced from $47,990 AUD driveaway, it sits in a sweet spot between mostly unremarkable mass-market models with fewer features and premium Euro offerings that demand significantly more dollars.

Jaecoo is a newcomer to Australia. A premium brand from the Chery group, it seeks to put a stylish international spin on the compact SUV offering Aussies love so much.

But the Jaecoo J7 SHS doesn't just add technology for technology's sake, a refreshing change in an era when some cars feel like the handiwork of a bunch of Silicon Valley interns on Red Bull. Instead, Jaecoo's Super Hybrid System (SHS) delivers what Australian drivers want: flexibility.

With a claimed electric range of 106km (NEDC), the J7 SHS outstrips most competitors at this price point. For context, the average Aussie's commute is 16.5km. Thanks to the J7 SHS plug-in hybrid system's pure EV option, that equates to being able to drive to work and back for three days without burning a drop of petrol. Crucially, without the full EV commitment, that still makes many of us nervous about those longer road trips.

In fact, Jaecoo claims a combined petrol and EV range of around 1200km for the J7 SHS. During a week of testing the car, I barely scratched the surface of that capability with all of my city trips on pure EV and a quick dash from Melbourne to Mansfield at the foot of Mt Buller, hardly eating into the tank.

When the 18.3kWh lithium iron phosphate battery needed charging, our home 7.2kW charger did the job quickly. If you're committed to EV mode as your default, the J7 can recharge from 30-80% in just 20 minutes using a DC fast charger.

The Jaecoo J7 SHS's powertrain combines an economical but peppy 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine (105kW/215Nm) with an electric motor rated at 150kW and 310Nm. In hybrid mode, the two units work in unison to deliver a lively, but remarkably quiet performance.

You can occasionally sense more than hear the engine kicking in on the open road to keep the battery charge at or around 30%, you can choose the level via the comprehensive car setting app, but it's never obtrusive.

Around town, the car is usefully quick away from the lights. However, unlike some 'not quite so clever' hybrids, the J7 SHS's power delivery feels sorted, smooth and linear when cruising, with a decent shove when you bury the right foot.

Performance doesn't dull on the open road either. Acceleration from highway speeds is proper,  in fact, don't let that lack of noise lull you into a false sense of security. The J7 SHS is, umm... lively... Sorry Officer!

Australia's new car market has arguably never seen as many new brands. Yet Jaecoo has managed to cut through with the J7 SHS. Impressive, given that until the new larger J8 arrives later this year, it's a party of one.

This visibility has a lot to do with moving away from the 'jelly-mould' standard adopted by many electrified brands. Instead, the J7 SHS offers a more refined look, which Jaecoo's well-credentialled design chief, Steve Eum, describes as "paying homage to classic SUVs with great proportions and great detailing."

The J7 certainly has more than a hint of a certain UK off-road brand, but its styling and premium feel have plenty of potential customers looking twice.

The waterfall grille and chequered DRLs give the J7 a distinctive face that wouldn't look out of place wearing a European badge. The sleek side profile, refined surfacing and even those flush door handles hint at a price tag way above reality.

It's a handsome thing, full stop. And I'm not sure I've written that yet about any other Chinese offering.

Inside, the J7 SHS delivers proper bang for buck with a panoramic sunroof, 14.8-inch touchscreen, perforated synthetic leather seats, dual-zone climate control, and a Sony eight-speaker sound system. Add in the heated and ventilated front seats, head-up display, and high-definition 360° camera system, and you're getting equipment that would cost thousands more in established competitors.

The overall interior quality level is worth mentioning. Many new brands are getting this important factor 70% right, but when you look harder, the gaps appear – literally. Not Jaecoo. The J7 SHS genuinely surprised me, soft-touch materials where it counts, tight panel gaps, and a consistent quality feel throughout.

There's no "we spent the budget on the parts you can see" approach that plagues some new brands. And the quality is more than skin deep. The perforated seats are comfortable for longer stints, although taller drivers may wish for more under-thigh support.

The Jaecoo J7 SHS isn't without its quirks. Some will be frustrated by the reliance on the touchscreen for climate controls. You soon learn to swipe up to access the functions, but there are some times when conventional buttons just work.

Indeed, the centralisation of so many functions via the main screen will require new owners to properly familiarise themselves. You can go pretty deep, and there are multiple levels of personalisation, good or bad, depending on which side of the tech divide you sit on.

The 14.8-inch touchscreen is responsive and visually impressive. Apple CarPlay connected easily and worked flawlessly, providing a familiar interface for those who prefer it. The sound system is a highlight, crisp, balanced, and with enough punch to do justice to your road trip playlist.

Alas some other basics that need fixing are not analog rather digital... For example, the rear air vent is a single outlet in the centre console - an odd decision in a country where 40°C days are not uncommon.

Some driver assistance systems can be overzealous, occasionally tugging at the wheel when you're intentionally crossing a line. I turned off the driver attention monitor. One menu, one click, fortunately...

I'd also love to see Jaecoo look hard at some local suspension and steering tuning. The rest of the car is impressive enough to justify the effort.

Where Jaecoo really strengthens its case is the ownership package. Chinese custom places special significance on the numeral 8.

Jaecoo has jumped on this to champion an impressive aftersales package that combines an eight-year warranty with eight years of capped-price service and eight years of roadside assistance. This could be enough alone to tip the scales for buyers.

The Jaecoo J7 SHS doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it certainly redefines what we should expect at this price point, by a margin.

Compare it to other PHEVs like the GWM Haval H6 GT or even Mitsubishi's proven Outlander PHEV, and its value looks solid. Add the Jaecoo's proper premium look and feel, and the bonus the J7 SHS delivers is crystal clear.

After my stint behind the wheel, the Jaecoo J7 SHS left me genuinely impressed. It is a measure of how quickly new brands are matching and, in some aspects, accelerating past legacy marques.

For buyers looking to dip their toes into electrification without diving headfirst into full EV ownership, the plug-in hybrid Jaecoo J7 SHS makes a compelling case. It doesn't just compete on price, it over delivers. Genuine quality, thoughtful features, and refined styling make the J7 SHS a canny alternative that deserves a closer look.

Read the full article Jaecoo J7 SHS Review: Australia’s Best Value Plug-In Hybrid SUV? on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

You can talk about range, torque and 0–100 times all day, but here’s the truth: if you're buying an EV in Australia, you're also buying into a user interface.

Infotainment systems have gone from optional to essential; the nerve centre of everything from climate control to your Spotify queue. And with EVs leaning harder into screens and software than their petrol-powered predecessors ever did, some brands are getting it very right… while others are making it way too hard to turn on the air conditioning.

We’ve spent real time behind the wheel of the latest electric cars, not showroom walkarounds, but seven-day test drives, and here’s our pick of the best and worst infotainment displays you’ll encounter in today’s EV market. Bonus: We’ve included a breakdown of what each car actually is, so you know whether it's worth a test drive or just a tech demo in disguise.

Let’s start with the benchmark. The Polestar 4 is arguably the most considered, premium-feeling infotainment system we’ve tested this year. Built on Geely’s SEA platform, it’s a mid-sized electric SUV-coupé that slots in between the Polestar 2 and 3, both in terms of price (roughly $80,000–$100,000 AUD) and performance.

The interface itself is clean, quick and beautifully laid out. Polestar even designed its own font. Everything from adjusting the air flow to switching drive modes is exactly where it should be, and the responsiveness is top-tier. It’s minimalist, yes. But not in the annoying, where’s-the-button-for-the-glovebox kind of way. This is UX done properly, and a reminder that less really can be more when it’s executed right.

If the Polestar 4 is a meditation app, the ZEEKR X is a nightclub in Dubai. ZEEKR is another Geely-backed EV brand, targeting the premium-but-young segment. The X is a compact electric SUV designed to compete with the likes of the Volvo EX30 and smart #1, with pricing expected around the $60,000 –70,000 AUD mark.

Inside, it’s full-blown Tron. There are screens, wraparound displays, ambient lighting and swiping animations galore. But here’s the kicker: it actually works. Once you settle in, the infotainment system is logical, responsive, and genuinely satisfying to use. For a brand that’s only just hitting international markets, this feels remarkably polished. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re into high-tech interiors, the ZEEKR X might surprise you.

This one? It’s a tough ride. The BYD Sea Lion 06 is a brand-new mid-size plug-in hybrid SUV that sits just below the Seal U and aims to undercut the Tesla Model Y and Hyundai IONIQ 5 on price. It’s part of BYD’s broader push into Australia’s affordable electrified vehicle segment. It’s one for those not ready to go 100% battery electric and in terms of raw features per dollar, it’s hard to beat.

But step inside and try to use the infotainment system... and it all falls apart. It feels like a half-translated Android tablet from 2012. Menus are scattered, logic is non-existent, and icons make zero sense unless you’re fluent in Mandarin or enjoy cryptic puzzles. You spend more time figuring out how to do things than actually doing them. The Sea Lion 06 is killing it in terms of value. But the interface? Honestly, it’s a nightmare.

The Leapmotor C10 is another Chinese entry, backed by Geely, targeting entry-level family buyers who want a larger electric SUV (there’s also a range-extender option) at a fraction of the premium price tag. It’s not quite a three-row competitor but it’s spacious and a size up from the MG ZS EV or BYD Atto 3. It presents with more maturity and cleaner design cues. Did anyone say Porsche?

The biggest surprise is that this isn't flashy. In fact, it’s aggressively simple and that’s its strength. Everything’s easy to find, intuitive to use, and quick to respond. There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (an odd omission in 2025, that Leapmotor says it’s fixing), but you can still connect your phone via Bluetooth. If you want a car that doesn’t make you think too hard, this is it.

The Tesla Model Y is the EV that redefined what a car interface could be. Built on the Model 3 platform, this mid-size SUV is now the world’s best-selling electric vehicle and arguably, the blueprint for every other EV that followed.

Tesla’s landscape-mounted tablet is still one of the fastest, cleanest, most intuitive displays in the business and it’s even better in the Y’s facelifted ‘Juniper’ version. 

Ther’s no Apple CarPlay. No Android Auto. And no real need for them. It’s a closed ecosystem, but a slick one, setting the benchmark for native infotainment design. Everything from music to maps to vehicle settings is fluid, fast, and exactly where it should be. Other brands have tried to copy it. None have nailed it.

The Kia EV9 made a serious first impression, and not just on us. As one of the first people in the country to drive it, I can say this: from the outside, it’s a knockout. Bold, boxy, futuristic. Kia absolutely nailed the exterior. But once you get inside, the story changes a bit.

The infotainment system just feels... odd. Not bad, but not great either. It’s functional, but the layout and design choices are a little offbeat, like a mix of futuristic gestures and legacy holdovers. 

It feels like it was built by a committee. There’s nothing glaringly wrong with it, but compared to Polestar, Tesla, and even ZEEKR, it just doesn’t hit the mark. The exterior might look like it’s from the year 2040, but the user interface feels like it’s still stuck in 2017.

Infotainment isn’t a side note anymore; it’s the front line of the EV experience. And even in ICE vehicles, consumer research shows many buyers are more interested in how this works than how cars drive. 

The best systems make technology feel invisible: they work seamlessly, they don’t fight you, and they don’t need a manual to decode. The worst ones? You’ll find yourself pulling over just to adjust the fan speed.

Polestar has nailed premium UX. Tesla still sets the standard for speed and integration. Leapmotor proves that simplicity still wins. ZEEKR is chaotic but impressively cohesive. BYD, despite its spec-heavy value proposition, seriously needs to rethink its UI logic.

And Kia? They’ve delivered one of the best-looking EVs on the market in the EV9, but the interface (and arguably the whole interior) just doesn’t live up to the same standard.As EVs become more software-driven, your next car isn’t just about driving. It’s about interacting. So before you get swept up in badge envy or brochure stats, tap the screen. That’s where the future of driving lives… and not every brand is ready for it.

Read the full article The Best And Worst Infotainment Systems In Popular EVs Right Now on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The very name MINI has done the brand no favours when attempting to convince Australian drivers that its largest offering is actually... well, not mini at all.

The new MINI Countryman has grown significantly from its predecessors. MINI's marketing team now faces the automotive equivalent of convincing people that Vegemite tastes good on avocado toast; it might be true.

Still, you've got to overcome years of ingrained perception. Adding to the challenge is that arguably the most compelling offerings in the Countryman lineup are the new front-wheel drive E and all-wheel drive SE battery-electric models.

So let's get this right. I'm here to tell you that the Countryman is not only big enough to be a practical car for active singles and young families here in Australia, but you should also opt for the EV version.

Well, yes, I am. And after spending a week with the Countryman SE ALL4 electric, I've come armed with the cold, hard numbers that prove this MINI is more maxi than you'd expect.

First, let's address the elephant in the room, or rather, the not-so-mini MINI in the driveway. The new Countryman has had a serious growth spurt, stretching 147mm longer, 21mm wider, and sitting 60mm taller than its predecessor. It's bigger than any Bondi apartment.

With a wheelbase extended by 22mm, it's now over 4.4m long. For the avoidance of doubt, that's substantially larger than the original Countryman and places it firmly in the small SUV segment alongside the Volvo XC40 and Mercedes EQA.

In real-world terms, the Countryman has morphed from a slightly roomier Cooper or Clubman to a bona fide compact SUV. It's less 'fun-sized' and closing in on family value, or, for the unattached, ready to swallow a weekend's worth of mates and adventure equipment.

But the best thing is it's still very recognisably MINI in design language. Albeit with enough substance to be taken seriously.

For parents, cars can be geometry problems wrapped in metal: will the pram fit? Can we pack enough for a weekend? Will the kids complain about legroom?

The new generation Countryman SE ALL4 Electric 's boot space is a respectable 460 litres with the rear seats up (enough for a full-sized pram plus shopping bags). It expands to 1450 litres with the seats folded. That's properly usable space, not theoretical volume that only works if you're transporting ping-pong balls.

For comparison's sake, it edges out the Volvo XC40 Recharge's 452L, the Kia Niro EV's 451L, and the Renault Megane E-Tech's 440L. Petrol Countryman models deliver even more space. The MINI Countryman line-up wins this particular numbers game.

There are three seat belts across the second row, some MINIs only offered two in the past. And these rear seats offer enough legroom for adults, not just kids. The real-world legroom is one of the genuine surprises of the Countryman — a proper feat in a vehicle that maintains relatively compact exterior dimensions.

For parents, there are two ISOFIX points and three top tethers for child seats. The rear doors open wide enough to make the child-seat installation less of a contortionist's challenge. The cabin also features four USB-C ports for device charging—a number that any parent or regular road tripper (it's not only kids who want POWWWWEEERRRR!!!) will recognise as just enough for modern peace-keeping operations.

Performance is a MINI staple. Fortunately, the Countryman delivers, boasting some impressive statistics, particularly in the all-electric dual-motor SE ALL4 variant. With 230kW of power (over 300hp in old money) and nearly 500Nm of torque available instantly, this MINI hits 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds. For context, that's quicker than a Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The all-wheel-drive SE's dual-motor setup means it puts power down effectively in all conditions—from urban rainswept roads to the occasional gravel track leading to that secluded camping spot. It'll keep the ski bunnies happy, too.

The true MINI character shines through the Countryman's eight selectable Experience Modes. Core gives you the standard balanced setup, while Green optimises for efficiency.

But the Go-Kart mode brings the biggest grin—sharpening throttle response, adding weight to the steering, and piping in some cheeky synthetic engine sounds through the speakers. The other modes (Personal, Timeless, Vivid, Balance, and Trail) each transform not just the driving dynamics but also the ambient lighting and the central display's appearance. It's properly theatrical in the best possible way.

The weekend warrior will appreciate the boot's square shape and flat floor. As noted above, perfect for adventure gear. I managed to fit two full-size road bikes in with the seats folded (front wheels removed). A good-quality roof pod or racks will be a sensible addition for many.

Range anxiety? The Countryman SE ALL4's 432km WLTP range translates to about 380km in real-world mixed driving. Enough for a weekend escape from Sydney to the Hunter Valley or Melbourne to the surf with confidence.

The 130kW DC fast charging capability isn't world-beating but translates to a 29-minute coffee break taking the SE from 10-80% battery.

The electric MINI Countryman models deliver impressive tech to the segment, starting with the striking, now-signature, 9.4-inch circular OLED central display.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, a head-up display, comfort access for keyless entry, and a heated steering wheel are standard across all three trim levels (core, Classic, and Favoured).

The Classic trim ($67,990 for the E, $72,990 for the SE ALL4) adds tech that everyone will appreciate: adaptive cruise control, Parking Assistant Plus with Surround View, Automatic Speed Limit Assistant, and Steering and Lane Control Assistant.

I'm not entirely convinced of the need to be logged in via the MINI smartphone app to properly use full functionality (and stay connected to CarPlay), but this may suit owners better than ring-in reviewers.

The MINI stacks up well when you compare what you get for your money against European competitors. From the same broad family, the BMW iX1 with similar specs will set you back substantially more, while the MINI brings much of the same tech and a more engaging driving experience.

Running costs are where the Countryman battery electric models make their case even stronger. An average home charging session costs approximately $15-20 for a full charge (depending on your electricity rate), compared to the $60-80 you'd spend on petrol for a similar range. And if you have solar, it's essentially free...

The scheduled maintenance follows basic condition-based servicing with four-year capped price servicing available from around $1500. Warranty coverage extends to five years with unlimited kilometres, while the battery itself is covered for eight years or 160,000km.

Perhaps most significantly for the budget-conscious, both the Countryman E and Countryman SE ALL4 sneak in under the Luxury Car Tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles, providing a significant price advantage over some competitors. Novated leasing could make it even more attractive if that's an option for you.

After living with the MINI Countryman SE ALL4 for a week or so, I'm slightly smitten. I raced a JCW Cooper a decade or so ago, and there's definitely a clear lineage or DNA. It's a fun drive: Go Kart mode and the whacky electronic soundtrack are especially worth trying (in small doses).

Better still, the numbers back up the Countryman E and SE: these are surprisingly practical vehicles that happen to wear MINI badges rather than compromised mini-SUVs trying to play in the space.

For families, the MINI Countryman offers genuine everyday usability. It has enough space, technology, and range to handle the school run, weekend sports, and occasional road trips without requiring the footprint of a traditional large SUV. For active singles, it delivers performance that'll put a smile on your face, practical space for lifestyle gear, and a distinctive character that stands out from the increasingly homogeneous electric SUV crowd.

The MINI Countryman Electric's biggest challenge isn't its actual dimensions, however. Those are genuinely competitive. It's overcoming the perception that anything wearing a MINI badge must be, well, mini.

But numbers don't lie, and these ones make a compelling case that the Countryman deserves consideration... It's a proper full-fat, full-caffeine, full-sized compact SUV—and one that happens to be a bit more fun than most.

Read the full article It’s Called A MINI, But This Has More Space Than A Bondi Apartment on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

In the high-stakes game of heavy-duty pickups, sometimes the most significant statements come from the smallest details. Case in point: Chevrolet's 2025 Silverado 2500HD has just emerged with what marketing types might call a "minor model year update" but what we're calling a pukka personality pump-up.

When a car manufacturer trumpets "New Look. Same Capability," it's often more marketing froth than engineering substance. But Chevy's latest tweaks to its flagship full-size ute tell a more interesting story if you know where to look. They've gone for the full black-ops treatment, and it works.

MORE: GMC Yukon Denali Review: What Happens When America’s Flashiest SUV Lands in Australia?

One of the flagships of GMSV's local line-up, the Silverado 2500HD was already a monster truck for grown-ups: a 6.4-metre, 3.7-tonne statement of intent that makes a Toyota HiLux look like something you'd find in the Kinder Surprise toy section.

Now, it's gone full tactical with blacked-out front and rear bumpers, high-gloss 20-inch black wheels, and blackened centre caps.

The addition of red recovery hooks is the automotive equivalent of a special forces unit wearing a single red shoulder flash... just enough colour to look properly menacing.

For the avoidance of doubt, proper visual tuning (the kind that makes a difference to your daily drive) requires restraint and attention to detail, not just slapping the darkest paint possible on every surface. The MY25 Silverado 2500 HD shows that Chevrolet understands this distinction, creating contrast in just the right places while maintaining the truck's imposing presence.

This isn't GMSV's first black-themed rodeo, but it might be their most successful. The dark elements work because they accentuate the Silverado's heft. The new 20-inch wheels look properly substantial, almost architectural, particularly against lighter body colours.

Speaking of colours, Chevy's also expanded the palette to six choices, adding Cypress Grey, Radiant Red, and Sterling Grey Metallic to the existing Summit White, Lakeshore Blue and Black options.

Under the bonnet, there's proven Chevrolet muscle. Unchanged, the Duramax 6.6-litre turbo-diesel V8 churns out a thumping 350kW and 1322Nm of torque; numbers that would make most European performance SUVs weep with inadequacy. That mountain of torque, delivered through a 10-speed Allison automatic transmission, ensures the Silverado never feels strained.

From a business perspective, this is product planning done properly. GMSV has identified that the Silverado's mechanicals are already sorted. It's a textbook example of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy, with an addendum: "but make it look more badass anyway."

This approach makes even more sense when considering the Silverado's position in the Australian market. At $166,500 (up a modest $3500 from the MY24 model), it's playing in a rarefied space where appearance matters as much as capability. For that kind of money, you want your neighbours to notice.

Let's talk towing, because this is where the Silverado 2500 HD earns its keep in the real world.

GMSV hasn't tampered with the Silverado 2500 HD's impressive working credentials. It still offers a massive 4.5-tonne braked towing capacity when using a 70mm ball and a considerable 450kg of downball weight. For perspective, that's a full 1000kg more than the top-rated traditional crew cabs. With a Gross Combined Mass of a hefty 12,474kg, this truck is ready for serious hauling.

The Silverado's towing tech remains a standout feature in the segment. The trailer-equipped Adaptive Cruise Control, a genuine godsend on long hauls, considers the additional weight behind you, adjusting braking distances accordingly. The Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert extends the blind spot monitoring to cover your trailer, addressing one of towing's most nerve-wracking challenges.

Other towing highlights include GM's In-Vehicle Trailering App with customizable trailer profiles, an integrated trailer brake controller, and those massive power-adjustable vertical trailering mirrors.

The Duramax's Diesel Exhaust Brake, which works by closing off the exhaust path to create additional retardation, provides confidence-inspiring engine braking on descents.

Perhaps most impressive is the 2500 HD's camera system, which offers up to 14 views, including hitch view, bed view, and the optional in-trailer view. If you've ever tried backing a large trailer into a tight spot, you'll appreciate how these camera angles transform what was once a sweat-inducing exercise into something approaching precision.

The Silverado has always been a truck that makes its presence felt, but now it does so with more attitude and less chrome; a refreshing change in a segment where bling has often been the default setting.

What's particularly clever about these updates is how they position the Silverado 2500 HD against its rivals. Better value and with a fresher, more contemporary aesthetic to boot.

Inside, the cabin remains a tech-laden command centre with its 13.4-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, some of the segment's largest screens, surrounded by leather-appointed comfort. The fact that GMSV hasn't messed with this formula suggests the team has been listening to customer feedback, which is another sign of thoughtful product planning.

For ute buyers with serious towing needs, the horse float brigade, the luxury caravan crowd, or those with boats that require their own postcode, the Silverado 2500 HD has always made a compelling case for itself. Now it does so while looking like it's about to lead a tactical incursion.

The 2025 Silverado 2500HD is a masterclass in how subtle visual changes can transform a vehicle's character without touching its mechanical heart.

Same powerhouse. New attitude. Mission accomplished.

Read the full article This Chevy Ute Makes Australia’s Biggest Rigs Look Tame on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Forever an off-road icon, the Jeep Wrangler does have a (slightly) softer side – and it’s the right choice for most of us.

Admit it: like me, you secretly want to drive a Jeep Wrangler. Those tough truck looks, the promise of open-air motoring, and iconic off-road capability. But can you live with one? That’s where the latest Jeep Wrangler lineup can help, even if it does present a particular sort of existential crisis for the modern adventurer and Jeep fan.

On one hand, there's the Wrangler Rubicon: the hardcore, trail-rated four-wheeled legend with all the off-road credentials you could possibly want. On the other, there's the Wrangler Overland: a more sophisticated take on the iconic Jeep formula that doesn't require you to sacrifice your spine (or your style) on the altar of capability.

So, which deserves your hard-earned? And does this mean there’s a Wrangler to suit my lifestyle. We drove the Rubicon and Overland to find out…

Park the Jeep Wrangler models side by side, and the differences are immediately apparent.

The Jeep Wrangler Overland makes a statement with its body-coloured hard top, fender flares, and side mirrors, creating a more cohesive aesthetic that wouldn't look out of place outside a trendy café in South Melbourne. In contrast, the Rubicon, with its contrasting black trim elements, prominent badging and more aggressive stance, broadcasts its intentions like a fluorescent Nike Dri-FIT outfit at a gym; it's here to work, not to blend in.

The Overland's 18-inch machined grey alloys add a touch of urban sophistication compared to the Rubicon's more utilitarian 17-inch wheels wrapped in chunky 32-inch off-road rubber.  Which looks better is subjective, but there's no denying the Overland carries a more premium, considered appearance that'll turn heads in town as easily as at the local campsite.

Even in Australia and with our love of the great outdoors, most Jeep Wranglers spend more time on tarmac than trails. This is where the Overland makes its most compelling case.

The McKinley premium-trimmed seats offer proper support for long drives, and the 12-way power adjustment for both front positions makes finding your ideal driving position a breeze rather than a compromise.

There’s also decent room for your mates in the back and in the four-door versions of the Wrangler, which make up the lion's share of Australia deliveries, plenty of luggage space.

The Overland’s Selec-Trac Active On-Demand 4x4 system seamlessly transitions between two- and four-wheel drive, meaning you don't have to manually switch modes every time the conditions change. The Rubicon's Rock-Trac system is more capable in extreme terrain, but it's overkill for launching a boat on a slipper ramp and that sandy trail to a favourite beach.

The Overland's suspension tune strikes a better balance for daily use too. It's firm enough to feel planted but compliant enough to handle our patchwork urban roads without jarring your fillings loose. The Rubicon, while not unbearable, clearly communicates its off-road focus through every pothole.

And remember the Rubicon’s off-road-ready tyres I mentioned above. You pay a price for such capability – the Overland’s more road-oriented rubber is significantly quieter on the highway; a definite day-tripping plus.

The two Wrangler variants share the same heart — a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine that delivers 200kW and 400 Nm of torque. It replaces and outperforms the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 that was previously offered comprehensively. Its extra torque is immediately noticeable and better matches with the Wrangler’s eight-speed auto.

Overall, the turbo four is a refined but eager engine that matches each Wrangler’s needs well. Instead, it’s the running gear that separates the siblings.

If your weekends involve rock crawling or tackling the most challenging tracks in the Victorian High Country, the Rubicon's additional hardware undoubtedly gives it the edge. The electronic locking differentials (front and rear), front sway bar disconnect, and lower crawler gear ratio mean it can tackle terrain that would give most vehicles proper anxiety.

A 4x4 media expert mate reckons that no other standard vehicle can match the Rubicon off-road. None. That said, the Overland is no slouch – and a country mile better than any softroader. Its Selec-Trac 4x4 system, anti-spin rear differential, and heavy-duty suspension will handle fire trails, beach driving, and moderate off-road excursions with confidence. It's more than capable enough for the adventures most of us actually have, rather than the ones we imagine in our most optimistic moments over a schooner at the pub.

In fact, I reckon the Overland's capability sweet spot aligns perfectly with what most Australian adventure-seekers need. Unless you plan to recreate scenes from the last Mad Max film, the Overland won't leave you stranded at Stockton Beach, in the snowfields or on the track to your secret fishing spot.

Inside the cabins of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Wrangler Overland, the differences continue to tell the story of each vehicle's focus. The Overland leans into premium touches with its wrapped instrument panel bezels and McKinley trim, offering a more sophisticated environment that won't embarrass you when picking up a client for lunch in the CBD.

The Rubicon's Nappa leather upholstery is more luxurious than even the top-of-the-range Jeep models offered until recently, but the overall interior aesthetic remains unashamedly more focused on function than form.

Both feature the impressive new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone integration and run Uconnect 5, which is properly quick and intuitive.

Small touches like the Overland's premium door trim panels and illuminated vanity mirrors might seem trivial, but they add up to a noticeably more refined daily experience.

The Rubicon counters with useful off-road features like the forward-facing TrailCam and four configurable auxiliary switches, which are brilliant for things like controlling extra lighting, a winch isolator or perhaps, fridge cut-off

This is where the Jeep Wrangler Overland properly separates itself. Beyond the seats and trim, there's a considered approach to improving comfort that makes living with this Jeep model more pleasant.

The acoustic laminated front door glass in the Rubicon does reduce noise, but the Overland's overall packaging feels more aligned with daily use. Both models get heated front seats and a heated steering wheel as standard (the system is smart enough to turn them on automatically when the mercury drops) but the Overland's approach to interior aesthetics creates a more welcoming environment. It's a Wrangler you can use for date night without explanation or apology.

Think of it as the difference between swimshorts that look good enough to wear to a beachside restaurant versus your favourite boardies. Sometimes style and function can coexist peacefully.

Here's where it gets interesting for the pragmatists. The Jeep Wrangler Overland four-door comes in at $84,950 (excluding on-roads), while the four-door Wrangler Rubicon asks $90,450. That's a $5500 difference — not exactly loose change. That could be spent on accessories, fuel for adventures, or simply kept in your pocket.

Make no mistake, the Overland doesn't feel like a compromise at its price point, it feels like a different interpretation of the Wrangler formula that happens to cost less. You're not missing out; you're making a considered choice that says more about your priorities than your budget.

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon makes sense if your weekends regularly involve serious off-road challenges like conquering the toughest tracks. If you prioritise maximum capability over daily comfort and genuinely need features like locking differentials and improved articulation, it's your rig.

Similarly, if the aggressive aesthetic aligns with your personal style and you don't mind explaining to passengers why the ride is a bit firm, the Wrangler Rubicon's your jam.

But for me the Wrangler Overland represents a more thoughtful, balanced approach for how many Australians actually use their 4x4s. It's capable enough for proper adventure while being civilised enough for daily duty.

Simply, the Overland doesn't ask you to compromise your lifestyle for capability or vice versa. It's not just about where you can go; it's about how you feel getting there and what you look like when you arrive.

That makes the Jeep Wrangler Overland  not just a smart choice, but the right one for those who want 4x4 substance and style in equal measure.

Read the full article Overland Vs. Rubicon: Which Jeep Wrangler Should Australians Actually Buy? on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

SUV maker Jaecoo makes stylish Australian debut with actor Daniel MacPherson as brand ambassador.

Premium Chinese SUV brand Jaecoo has officially launched Down Under with an exclusive event at Sydney's Centennial Park, unveiling its J7 mid-size SUV and announcing the larger J8 model, which will go on sale in June.

The launch event, hosted in partnership with the Nine Network, was attended by Nine celebrities and featured the announcement of actor, athlete and IWC spokesperson, Daniel MacPherson, as the inaugural "Mr Jaecoo Australia".

"I've always been drawn to performance - whether it's on set, on the racecourse, or in the car," said MacPherson at the event. "The Jaecoo J7 is one of the most exciting vehicles I've driven. It's stylish, capable, and packed with innovation, yet surprisingly it comes without the luxury price tag."

MacPherson, a longtime friend of DMARGE and ambassador for luxury Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, brings his sophisticated taste and adventurous lifestyle to the Jaecoo partnership.

It's also a strong indication of Jaecoo's premium aspirations. Part of the Chery group of automotive brands, Jaecoo is getting vocal about its intent to position itself alongside established premium names in the Australian market.

The brand's leadership team was out in force at the event. Lewis Liu, CEO of Jaecoo Australia, highlighted the brand's commitment to sustainable mobility through the J7 Super Hybrid model. Roy Munoz, Chief Commercial Officer, articulated the brand's ethos as embodying "elegance, fearlessness and future focus."

However, perhaps the show's star alongside MacPherson was Steve Eum, Global Vice President of Design for Chery. With nearly 35 years of automotive design experience across brands including Ford, General Motors, and Hyundai, Eum oversees Jaecoo's Shanghai and European design studios and has spearheaded the creation of the brand's distinctive aesthetic.

"The Jaecoo J7 is one of the most exciting vehicles I've driven."

Dan Macpherson, inaugural Mr. Jaecoo Australia

Eum's design philosophy for the brand focuses on refined simplicity and authenticity, "paying homage to classic SUV proportions while incorporating modern elements".

The J7 has already attracted plenty of attention from Aussie customers.

The four-wheeled star was the newly announced J8 SUV, which will strengthen Jaecoo's local lineup when it arrives in June. Pricing starts from $49,990 driveaway.

The J8 builds on the brand's affordable premium aspirations with quality finishes and features, including high levels of infotainment and connectivity and the choice of a refined turbo-petrol AWD powertrain.

The announcement of Jaecoo's eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty highlighted the new marque's consumer focus. The "Triple 8 Promise" is offered across the Jaecoo range and includes eight years of capped-price servicing and roadside assistance.

The brand also announced an environmental initiative with Greenfleet to establish the Jaecoo Forest. This will see 7000 native trees planted within the Strzelecki Nature Link in Victoria's South Gippsland region.

Read the full article China’s Hottest SUV Arrival Wants A Piece Of Australia’s Premium Market on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

It's big, it's brash, and it sets a new standard for large SUVs in terms of its balance of luxury, capability, and street cred. The first-ever GMC model to be officially imported Down Under, the Yukon Denali is a peak-SUV, USA-style.

The newest member of GMSV's growing portfolio, the GMC Yukon Denali exemplifies GM's commitment to delivering exceptional capability and luxury in a unique…. Want to know more? Here are 11 reasons why you should discover more about Yukon…

With spacious seating for eight passengers, perforated leather seats (heated and ventilated in front, heated in rear), and a panoramic dual-pane sunroof, the Yukon Denali offers first-class travel for everyone.

The tri-zone climate control ensures comfort throughout the cabin, making this the perfect family vehicle for daily commutes and long road trips. And unlike some other three-row SUVs, the Yukon delivers enough room in the back seats for full-size human beings... It's B-I-G.

The magic number used to be 3500kg, but the Yukon beats that. With a best-in-class 3628kg braked towing capacity, 624Nm of torque, and dedicated towing features like Tow/Haul Mode, Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, and Trailer Sway Control, the GMC Yukon Denali is engineered for serious hauling with confidence and ease.

Special mention for the multiple towing-ready cameras as standard. There's even one that will help you position your tow ball precisely.

The Yukon Denali comes standard with 24-inch Pearl Nickel wheels - the largest fitted to any factory production car in Australia and New Zealand.

These massive wheels not only provide excellent road holding but also make a bold style statement everywhere you go. Don't like the bling? There's a blacked-out wheel option that's properly gangsta.

With over 42 inches of high-quality screens, including the central 16.8-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment system, 11-inch digital driver display, 15-inch head-up display, and dual 12.6-inch rear entertainment screens, technology surrounds you at every point of the Yukon Denali's cabin.

Just make sure to bring your own maps - instead of native navigation, Yukon favours BYO via CarPlay or Android Auto and all the benefits they bring… Smart!

You can't beat an eight, mate! GM's acclaimed 6.2-litre EcoTec3 V8 engine delivers 313kW of power and 624Nm of torque, paired with a sophisticated 10-speed automatic transmission for potent performance and surprising efficiency via features like cylinder deactivation.

There is no unnecessary electrification or hybridisation here, but understand that efficiency is a relative term. You'll need to be on good, not great, terms with your local servo.

From its signature Denali chrome grille and LED lighting to the power-retractable assist steps and satin chrome body accents, every design detail of the Yukon speaks to premium luxury and commanding presence.

The contrast between the semi-sized grille and the slim, almost futuristic headlights grabs your attention as the Yukon slides into view. In a sea of jelly mould SUVs, you won't miss the Yukon Denali.

The Air Ride Adaptive four-corner suspension system provides selectable ride height options, allowing up to 50mm of lift when needed and lowering for easy entry/exit. This is combined with Magnetic Ride Control adaptive damping that reads road conditions every five milliseconds. The system automatically compensates for tow ball weight, passenger load, and cargo, too.

The BOSE 14-speaker surround sound system with CenterPoint technology delivers concert-quality audio throughout the cabin, transforming every drive in the Yukon into an immersive listening experience. Does it read like the brochure? Yes, but if audio is at all important to you, you're probably hooked—or at least ready to plug in your favourite test track and blast away.

There's a certain feeling of security that comes with driving the BIGGEST damn SUV on the block. Still, keeping it real, the Yukon does have impressive passive and active safety credentials.

Over 20 safety and driver assistance features are standard, including various auto braking and auto parking functions, Front Pedestrian and Cyclist Braking, 360-degree HD camera with 11 viewing angles, and Side Cyclist Alert. The camera options, especially, are worth a look - they make parking and towing THAT much easier... There's also comfort in the fact that the Yukon Denali prioritises protection for both inside and outside the vehicle.

Authentic wood detailing, diamond stitching on seats, bright Denali-logo sill plates, and premium materials throughout the Yukon create a cabin environment that rivals luxury sedans, which cost far more.

The Yukon Denali has an upscale feel that isn't always present in other three-row SUVs. The various controls and touchpoints deliver a real sense of quality, even down to the switchgear... That doesn't mean the Yukon Denali is a soft touch – where durability is needed, it's onboard. After all, it's a GMC.

With its Active Response 4WD System, electronic limited-slip differential, and selectable 4WD modes (2WD HI, 4WD Auto, 4WD HI, 4WD LOW), the Yukon Denali is not only ready but also willing for virtually any driving condition you'll strike Down Under. Always ready but in the Denali, always luxurious to boot...

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is now on sale, priced from $174,990. With its combination of V8 power, unmatched towing capacity, bold US tough truck styling and luxury appointments that rival European offerings costing significantly more, it's genuinely unique…

Experience Professional Grade luxury for yourself at select GMSV showrooms nationwide. To book a test drive or learn more about the GMC Yukon Denali, visit gmsv.com.au or call 1800-GMSV-AU.

Read the full article GMC Yukon Denali Review: What Happens When America’s Flashiest SUV Lands in Australia? on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Before we go full throttle, let’s rewind a bit.

McFarland got his start in 2009, working as a fresh-outta-high-school social media manager for 1320Video — a YouTube channel celebrating drag racing (1320 feet is a quarter-mile, for the uninitiated). Petrol was already flowing through his veins.

By 2015, he spun off to create the "Cleetus McFarland" character: a move that would earn him over 4.2 million YouTube subscribers and clock nearly 2 billion views (1.77 billion, if you’re counting).

But here’s where it gets properly mental. Instead of just buying a house with a shed like a normal bloke, in 2020 Cleetus emptied his bank account and bought an abandoned speedway in Florida, now known as the Freedom Factory.

It nearly went bust until a pay-per-view race just before Florida’s COVID lockdown saved the dream. Today, it hosts The Freedom 500, the race that stops the internet — featuring stock ex-police V8 Crown Victorias and legends like Travis Pastrana taking the win.

So what makes Cleetus the cousin we all want at our next barbie? Let's break it down:

Cleetus owns about 120 ex-police Crown Victorias. Not one or two — 120. He bought them at auction to create entire racing events. He’s also got “Leroy,” a Corvette C5 that’s basically just a chassis and an engine. Think of it as the mechanical equivalent of turning up to a wedding in budgie smugglers.

Sure, Cleetus is a bona fide drag racer — but he also decided to have a crack at NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series in 2025. His Daytona debut? He finished 30th after a massive pile-up. Classic.

The best part? He’s self-aware enough to admit he’s not Dale Earnhardt Jr. (although Dale Jr. now gives him advice). He’s not here to pretend; he’s here to have a crack without taking himself too seriously — and that’s something every Aussie respects.

Not a joke. Cleetus genuinely wants to build an aircraft carrier out of pontoon boats and land his plane on it — while moving at 15 knots. Arresting cable and all.

When quizzed about it on Dale Jr’s podcast, Cleetus mentioned, casually, that his plane “floats” and that the FAA (the US aviation authority) calls him “a lot.” That’s some world-class "she'll be right" energy.

Turns out he’s not just a mad bastard — he’s a good bloke too. Cleetus owns a rebuilt MD 500 helicopter (named "Consuela," found in Venezuela) and recently used it to assist with hurricane disaster relief in North Carolina. Proof you can be a full-blown larrikin and still have a heart.

In a world of influencers flexing fake lifestyles with rented Lambos and penthouses, Cleetus McFarland is the real deal. He’s the walking embodiment of "hold my beer" energy, living out every dumb, hilarious, and heroic dream we all secretly wish we could pull off.

When he crashes, he owns it. When he admits his best YouTube videos aren’t even about racing, he keeps it real. And when he talks about buying Daytona Speedway with a straight face? You believe he just might.

There’s no official word yet on whether Cleetus plans to bring his mayhem Down Under, but he’d slot right in at any Aussie car meet or bush doof.

He’s got the DIY spirit of a bloke who changes his oil in the Woolies carpark, the risk assessment skills of someone who thinks thongs are PPE, and the entertainment value of a mate who brings gelignite to a gender reveal.

Cleetus McFarland might be American, but he’s definitely the bogan cousin we all need — the one who turns up uninvited, creates memories you’ll tell for decades, and leaves just before the cops arrive.

Now that’s what we call proper DMARGE.

DMARGE does not encourage or endorse building aircraft carriers out of pontoon boats, landing planes on said aircraft carriers, or buying 120 ex-police cars. But we’d definitely watch the videos.

Read the full article American YouTuber Cleetus McFarland Becomes Australia’s Bogan Spirit Animal on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Australian automotive software and technology provider Cox Automotive says the new car market will cool, despite the introduction of new brands and an expected oversupply. However, China Inc. will still end up with a record share.

Industry insider and statistics and valuation specialist Cox Automotive Australia predicts more challenging times for the Australian new car market, but also potential bargains to be had.

In its 2025 forecast, Cox predicts a 5% decline in total sales compared to 2024, with a target of around 1.18 million units. That compares to 2024's record registration total of 1.237 million vehicles.

But what might be bad news for OEM insiders struggling to reach targets may be more palatable for new car buyers, with Cox predicting discounting thanks to oversupply as demand from private and fleet buyers wanes in the face of continuing cost-of-living pressures.

Chinese brands are likely to be the winners, Cox says, with makes such as BYD, MG, and newcomers including Zeekr and Geely expected to snare close to a 20% market share collectively.

"Prospective new car buyers battling cost-of-living pressures can expect more affordable choices in 2025, with incentives and discounting expected to ramp up again this year," Cox Automotive Australia (CAA)'s 2025 forecast stated.

"Growing manufacturer inventory and even more intense market competition, coupled with presently slowing household demand for new vehicles, means 2025 will continue to offer up a 'buyer's market' - unlike the supply-constrained 'seller's market' we saw during 2021-2023," the company said.

"In all likelihood, both private and fleet sales will face headwinds and cool year-on-year in the first half of 2025 in particular, driving the introduction of more incentives at OEM and dealer level to 'move metal' - manifesting as discounts or lower finance interest rates," it stated.

Despite pressure for car makers to move vehicles in the first months of 2025 – including vehicles imported early to meet the new Vehicle Efficiency Standard regulations, which came into force on 1 January - Cox expects the first half of 2025 to echo the majority of 2024 in terms of soft private sales.

"Private vehicle sales - meaning any non-business, government or rental fleet purchase - decreased a substantial 8.0% across H2 2024, and CAA expects the structural factors driving this to linger into the first half of 2025 at least," it stated.

"Other factors that could impact non-private sales in 2025 include a predicted slowdown in the private investment pipeline, and the predicted short-term impact in the lead up to the Federal Election."

Cox does predict better fortunes for electrified vehicles – both hybrid and battery electric. It expects battery electric vehicles to grow from under 7% share to around 10% while electrified vehicles overall (battery electric, plug-in hybrids and hybrids) should grab around 30% of the total market.

Cox calls out the end of fringe benefits tax concessions for leased PHEVS as a potential hurdle in their growth, but cites the arrival of plug-in utes such as the BYD Shark, Ford Ranger PHEV and commercial newcomers, including plug-ins from GWM, as the counterpoint.

"As cost-of-living pressures continue to impact the private market, and with supply no longer an overarching problem, you can expect to see an even harder-fought sector in 2025, with keener pricing and finance options a likely result for private and fleet buyers," said Cox Automotive Australia CEO Stephen Lester.

If you can afford to buy a new car, do it soon – and to maximise your saving make sure it’s a car that is sitting in dealer stock.

This is especially true if the car is at the ‘dirtier’ end of the emissions spectrum. The likelihood is that later in 2025 and into 2026, diesel utes and SUVs will get more expensive as the penalties related to not meeting the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard start to impact new car brands.

Read the full article ‘Bargains To Be Had’ For Australian New Car Buyers on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Hyundai has butched up the all-new 2026 Palisade. Unveiled at the New York Auto Show over the easter weekend, the upsized Korean flagship SUV gets more room, more grunt, and better off-road capability, clearly taking aim at Aussie favourites like the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol.

The suggestion is that this is no soft-roader with tough-guy plastic cladding. Hyundai wants you to think the new Palisade means business, especially in XRT PRO guise.

The 2026 model is bigger, with the wheelbase stretching another 70mm. Translation? More room for your mates, kids, and weekend gear. The redesign includes larger, panoramic side glass that floods the third row with light and improves visibility—a welcome upgrade for those typically cramped back seats.

Under the bonnet, there's an updated 3.5-litre petrol V6, but the real story is the first-ever Palisade hybrid option. The 2.5-litre turbo hybrid setup delivers an estimated 245kW and 460Nm — ll while promising better than 7.8L/100km.

Worth noting, though, that Hyundai Australia hasn't confirmed powertrain details for Down Under.

This isn't just a styling pack like the Santa Fe XRT. The new XRT PRO variant should make Aussie 4WDers sit up and take notice with tangible, functional upgrades to the SUV's off-road credentials.

For starters, the XRT PRO gets an electronic rear limited-slip differential, 213mm of ground clearance – 25mm (approx.) higher than standard models and decent approach (20.5°), departure (22.4°) and breakover (18.3°) angles. It also rolls on all-terrain rubber and sports functional recovery hooks front and rear, which are painted bright red, naturally.

Hyundai also added new terrain modes, including Mud, Sand, and Snow settings—perfect for varied Australian conditions, from beach driving to high-country adventures.

Here's the rub, though: towing capacity is capped at about 2268kg for the V6 and even less (around 1814kg) for the hybrid. That's well short of the LandCruiser and Patrol's 3500kg capability and, frankly, a dealbreaker for Aussie buyers looking to tow caravans, horse floats or serious boats. Let's be honest; that's half the reason blokes buy these big rigs in the first place.

Inside, Hyundai's gone premium without forgetting practicality. The cabin features a horizontal dash layout with soft-touch materials, panoramic displays, and seating for up to eight.

With that towing limitation, its work will be cut out. But for those who occasionally venture off-road and don't need to tow the Simpson, the new Palisade might be worth a look when it arrives in Australia, likely in late 2025.

Read the full article Is This Korean SUV the First Real Toyota LandCruiser Rival? on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Another option just surfaced for the driveways of Aussie A-listers. The first right-hand drive GMC Yukon Denali has officially rolled off GMSV's facility in Dandenong, Victoria, ready for its May launch Down Under.

This isn't just another luxury SUV – it's 5.3 metres of unapologetic American automotive swagger.. And yes, that's the same GMC brand voiced by none other than Will Arnett, whose distinctive baritone has become synonymous with the premium American marque – and whose Smartless podcast with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes has developed a cult following down under.

In the United States, the GMC Yukon Denali isn't just a vehicle – it's a statement. Beloved by US identities like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, LeBron James, and countless Hollywood stars who demand presence on the road, this eight-seat behemoth has finally made the journey across the Pacific.

"This is a flagship product in the truest sense of the term — an eight-seat family vehicle unrivalled in terms of performance and practicality," says Jess Bala, Managing Director of General Motors Australia and New Zealand.

What sets the Yukon Denali apart in the increasingly crowded luxury SUV market? For starters, there's the sheer presence of the thing.

Riding on massive 24-inch wheels and stretching over 5.3 meters in length, the Yukon Denali commands the road in a way few vehicles can match. The bold, chrome-laden grille ensures you'll never mistake it for anything else on Australian roads.

Under the hood sits a 6.2-litre V8 producing a substantial 313kW of power and 624Nm of torque – plenty of muscle to back up its imposing looks.

Step inside (using the power-retractable assist steps, naturally), and you'll find what might be the most spacious and well-appointed interior this side of a private jet.

The cabin features premium leather with Denali-exclusive stitching, heated and ventilated seats, and a panoramic power sunroof. Tech highlights include a 16.8-inch central touchscreen, digital driver displays, and rear-seat entertainment screens to keep passengers entertained.

Despite its luxury trappings, the Yukon Denali also offers serious capability with class-leading towing capacity exceeding 3500kg and genuine off-road credentials.

DMARGE will be bringing you an exclusive first drive of the GMC Yukon Denali very soon, putting this American icon through its paces on Australian roads. (Subscribe so you don't miss out)

We'll also be monitoring whether any of Australia's celebrities and sports stars follow their American counterparts in adopting the Yukon as their ride of choice. Given the vehicle's stateside popularity among the A-list crowd, don't be surprised if you start spotting them in the VIP parking sections at Australia's most exclusive venues.

While it’s still unclear whether Arnett might make the trip Down Under for the official launch, his connection to the brand as its distinctive voice and his popularity in Australia via the Smartless podcast would make for a perfect brand alignment.

For those who want to stand out from the crowd of European and Japanese luxury SUVs, America's most prestigious eight-seater might be exactly what they've been waiting for – celebrity endorsement included.

The GMC Yukon Denali will start at $174,990, with deliveries commencing from May through GMSV dealerships across Australia.

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Read the full article Hollywood’s Favourite SUV Has Finally Landed in Australia on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

We take the all-new Jeep Wrangler Overland through Sydney to discover just how fun it can be to drive something rugged in the city. There’s no school like the old school, and Jeep may just be the headmaster.

The Great Outdoors isn't what it used to be. Once upon a time, going bush in a proper off-roader meant throwing comfort, style, and the most basic creature comforts out the window just to gain the ability to crawl over a rock or two.

Your off-roader’s interior would rattle like a toolbox in a washing machine, and arriving anywhere stirred but not shaken was nothing short of a miracle. The updated Jeep Wrangler Overland rips up that well-worn script. This isn't just a Jeep with some leather thrown in. It's a properly thought-out modern off-roader for those who want genuine capability without looking like a Doomsday Prepper.

The Overland takes the standard Jeep Wrangler formula and adds a layer of sophistication that transforms the daily experience. The Overland’s premium McKinley trim seats don’t just look good – they're properly supportive for long drives, with 12-way power adjustment that makes finding the perfect position dead simple.

Unlike some 4x4s that seem determined to remind you of their ruggedness with every speed bump, the Overland's heavy-duty suspension with gas shocks delivers a ride that won't have you reaching for the osteo on speed dial after a trip to the shops. It's freedom from compromise, which is arguably more valuable than freedom to ford the river you're unlikely to encounter on your trip to the Hunter.

However, for the avoidance of doubt, the Overland still looks tough. The body-coloured hardtop, fender flares, and side mirrors create a cohesive aesthetic that draws admiring glances rather than assumptions about your zombie survival plan. The 18-inch machined/painted grey alloy wheels add a touch of urban sophistication.

Likewise, the platinum silver grille accents provide just enough bling to stand out in the car park without veering into the territory of a Toorak Tractor. Jeep knows its buyers: it's style with purpose, and it works.

The Wrangler Overland’s new central 12.3-inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5 is a proper leap forward. It's five times faster than the previous unit, which means you're not sitting there watching a loading icon while trying to adjust the air con.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are seamlessly integrated, so your phone and Jeep talk to each other without the cable spaghetti typically required.

The nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system with subwoofer means your playlist sounds as good crawling through the bush as it does cruising along Beach Road. The tech serves your day-to-day and your adventures rather than complicating them, exactly as it should.

Overland has been a little in the shade from its tough twin, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, so let's address the elephant in the room…. 

For sure, the Rubicon has more hardcore off-road kit, but for the record, the Overland's Selec-Trac Active On-Demand 4x4 system (which can automatically transition between rear and four-wheel drive) is so much more capable than the average SUV it’s laughable. In fact, the Overland can still show some other brands’ dedicated off-roaders a thing or two.

One secret is that the Overland uses a Dana M220 limited-slip rear differential to maximise drive, and the heavy-duty suspension isn't just about comfort. It'll handle rough tracks with confidence.

Make no mistake, the Overland will get you to that secret camping spot, that hidden beach, or that mountain bike trail without breaking a sweat. It just won't look like you're filming a remake of Mad Max when you arrive.

The Wrangler family engine bays are now home to a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. This modern powerplant replaces the venerable Pentastar V6 and is no downgrade. For a start, it delivers more torque (400 v 347Nm), which is exactly what you want when you're off the beaten track.

It's also noticeably quieter and more refined, meaning conversations don't require shouting, and highway cruising is properly relaxed. The improved fuel economy (a combined ADR of 9.2L/100km) means more time exploring and less time looking for servos in the middle of nowhere.

The Wrangler Overland still delivers on the quintessential Jeep experience the option of open-air driving. The three-piece removable hardtop gives you choices rather than ultimatums. Take the Freedom panels off for a quick dose of sunshine without committing to the full alfresco experience if that's not your thing.

And whether the roof is open or closed, the premium interior materials and thoughtful design mean you're not sitting in what feels like a farm implement. The latest Wrangler is a civilised interpretation of an iconic experience.

The Jeep Wrangler Overland represents a more mature, more urbane take on the proven Wrangler formula. It's for those who understand that true freedom isn't about having the most extreme approach angle or the ability to climb a near-vertical wall. Instead, it's about having a vehicle that enhances your lifestyle rather than demanding you adapt to it.

It's for the driver who wants to take the scenic route home, who plans weekends around exploration, but who also appreciates arriving at a client meeting without looking like they've just competed in the Finke Desert Race.

The fact that there's a $5,500 saving when ticking the Overland box makes it all the more attractive.

At $84,950 (excluding on-roads) versus the Rubicon's $90,450, the Jeep Wrangler Overland delivers nearly all the off-road nous you'll ever need while adding a dash more sophistication and urban credibility. The Wrangler Overland isn't just a trim level. It's freedom redefined, Jeep style. And it's worth taking for a proper spin.

Read the full article The New Jeep Wrangler Is A Refreshing Middle Finger To The EV Revolution on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The Slovenian cycling phenom may have finished an impressive second place in his ‘Hell of the North’ debut last weekend. Still, it was his wrist — or rather, what was on it — that captured the attention of eagle-eyed fans during the closing kilometres.

As Pogačar battled the closing sections of the race's bone-jarring cobblestones, sharp-eyed watch fans noticed something alarming: his white UAE Team Emirates glove was increasingly stained red with blood.

The culprit? His Richard Mille RM 67-02 timepiece — a featherweight Grade 5 titanium watch worth approximately $250,000.

While most cyclists wouldn't dream of wearing anything that adds unnecessary grams during the 260km race, Pogačar's wrist candy was no ordinary accessory. The Richard Mille — worn as part of UAE Team Emirates' partnership with the Swiss luxury watchmaker — became an unlikely protagonist in the day's drama.

Unlike the Tour de France mountains where Pogačar typically dominates, Paris-Roubaix's legendary 30 cobblestone sectors showed no respect for either his status as reigning Tour champion or his quarter-million-pound wristwear.

RELATED: Is your watch looking rough? Try Heist Watch Cleaner

The irony wasn't lost on cycling fans: a watch designed for elite athletes, worn by perhaps cycling's most elite athlete, drawing blood during one of the sport's most elite events.

Social media quickly filled with comments about Pogačar's decision to race with such an expensive item.

Some fans suggested a budget Casio might have been more appropriate for the cobbles. Others questioned whether the UCI should regulate watch-wearing for safety reasons. A few noted that fellow Richard Mille ambassador Mathieu van der Poel — who won the race for his third consecutive Paris-Roubaix victory — emerged with his wrist unscathed.

With 38km remaining and still battling alongside van der Poel, Pogačar overshot a corner on sector 9, following motorbikes with too much speed and tumbling onto the grass.

"I should know there's a corner, so no excuses," Pogačar admitted post-race. The crash forced a bike change and effectively ended his chances of victory. He finished second just over a minute behind van der Poel.

Despite the crash and unforgiving cobbles, Poggy's watch remained firmly strapped to his wrist even during his post-race shower in the famous Roubaix velodrome facilities.

For DMARGE readers familiar with Richard Mille's philosophy of "a racing machine on the wrist," Pogačar's bloodied glove represents perhaps the ultimate testament to the brand's commitment to performance in extreme conditions. Few luxury timepieces can claim to have survived both a Tour de France victory and the pavé of northern France—all while drawing blood from their owner.

Despite the bloody distraction, Pogačar's performance shouldn't be overlooked. His second-place finish matches the legendary Eddy Merckx as the only reigning Tour de France champion to finish second at Paris-Roubaix.

The result also completes Pogačar's remarkable Monument collection, having now stood on the podium in all five of cycling's most prestigious one-day races within the past 12 months: 2nd at Paris-Roubaix, 1st at Tour of Flanders, 3rd at Milan-San Remo, 1st at Il Lombardia, and 1st at Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

"I can win it," Pogačar said confidently of Paris-Roubaix after his debut. And after watching him race with a $250K watch cutting into his wrist without complaint, who would doubt him?

Perhaps UAE Team Emirates might consider a redesign of their Richard Mille straps before next year's cobbled classics season. Or, at the very least, provide Pogačar with a matching red glove for his left hand.

For all your luxury watch news and the latest from cycling's elite timepieces, sign up to DMARGE — where what matters to men is always on our wrists and minds.

Read the full article Tour de France Winner Tadej Pogačar’s $250,000 Richard Mille Draws Blood at Paris-Roubaix on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Porsche has fundamentally upgraded the legendary 911, and the good news is it's now a hybrid. Why is that good news? Because it's not the Prius or Camry style hybrid we're talking about. Instead, this is balls to the wall, extra performance LeMans 24-Hour or Formula 1 hybrid.

This 992.2 generational update is not about saving fuel. Instead, it's about adding performance and, according to Porsche, "future proofing" the world's most desired sports car.

Porsche calls the system ‘t-hybrid’ and says it's inspired by motorsport technology. It's not going too far to suggest it represents a performance revolution. For now, the system is only offered in Carrera GTS, the 911's highest-performing non-GT model. But given how hard this latest GTS goes, God help us (and Porsche's opposition) when this tech makes its way to the 911 Turbo family.

The devil's in the details. So, here's everything you need to know about the new Porsche 911 GTS and the company’s groundbreaking approach to electrification in its most iconic model.

The 911 Carrera GTS introduces a super-lightweight performance hybrid system that puts the emphasis squarely on performance and dynamics rather than fuel economy.

At the heart of this system are two electric motors – one sandwiched between the engine and gearbox, and the other spinning an electrically boosted turbocharger. Traditional turbos require exhaust gases to spin up the turbine wheel before boost pressure builds (that's what most of us know as turbo lag). The t-hybrid's electric turbocharger eliminates this entirely with an electric motor placed F1-engine-style between the turbo’s compressor and turbine wheel.

The motor can instantly bring the turbocharger up to speed, delivering boost pressure from the moment you press the accelerator. But it also performs another duty, functioning as an energy recovery system that prevents overboosting (the GTS' turbo has a wastegate) and harvesting up to 11kW of power from the exhaust gas flow to charge the bespoke lightweight battery.

The electric boosting and zero lag also means the turbo itself can be much larger, ensuring the all-new engine never runs out of puff.

But the motor spinning the turbo isn't the only electric motor in play in the new Porsche 911 GTS. Like a Le Mans racer, the new 911 also features a motor sandwiched between the trademark 911 flat-six petrol engine and its all-new eight-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox.

This motor provides instant torque and power to assist the engine, especially from low revs. The term here is ‘torque filling’, and thus the motor can deliver up to 150Nm from idle speed and add up to 40kW through the rev range.

The t-hybrid system pairs the motor with an all-new, larger capacity but more compact and lower 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine. It sounds just like it should (in part thanks to some clever sound synthesis), revs like an engine half its capacity and combined with the e-boost delivers a very impressive 398kW and 610 Nm - a more than 60hp jump over the old GTS.

And take it from me: the numbers don't do the car's performance justice. Remember that instant extra 150Nm? That makes its presence felt in the real world, massively improving in-gear acceleration. 

Even the standing start 0-100km/h has been improved. At just 3.0 seconds, the rear-drive GTS is around half a second faster than the car it replaces and all but matches the last-generation all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 Turbo S. Combined with launch control, the performance can literally make your head spin.

One of the biggest concerns with hybrid systems is weight - batteries and electric motors are notoriously heavy. But this is a Porsche! The net weight increase has been kept to circa 50kg.

Every part of the drivetrain has been optimised. There's an electric aircon system and no starter motor -the boost motor plays that role. 

Porsche has also developed a high-voltage battery that matches the size and weight of a conventional 12-volt starter battery while storing up to 1.9 kWh of energy and operating at 400 volts. Even the 12-volt battery itself is a lightweight lithium-ion racing-style effort.

Thanks to the minimal weight change, the Porsche 911's legendary road and racetrack handling is unaffected by the addition of the GTS’ t-hybrid system. But Porsche didn't rest on its race-bred laurels.

For the first time, the GTS comes standard with rear-axle steering. At high speeds, this increases stability by steering the rear wheels in the same direction as the fronts, while at lower speeds, it reduces the turning circle by counter-steering the rear wheels.

Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) anti-roll stabilisation system is offered and thanks to the new 911 GTS's 400V network, the electro-hydraulic control system can be more powerful and faster acting for improved precision. Combined with adaptive dampers and reduced ride height, the GTS is ready for anything short of actual racing…

To the casual observer - and even some keen eyes - the Porsche 911's iconic lines appear unchanged. But this new 992.2 generation of 911 barely shares a panel with the outgoing cars.

Above the bumper line, the nose has been steepened to match 911s of old. The rear, too, has been tweaked to deliver a more traditional silhouette. Under the bumper up front, active cooling air flaps define a 'new modern' feel to the car and are complemented by adaptive underbody front diffusers.

When cooling requirements are minimal, closed flaps optimise aerodynamics. When demand increases, particularly in high-performance driving scenarios, the flaps direct large amounts of air to the car's radiators. An optional aero kit includes a more aggressive front spoiler, sill panels and GT-style fixed rear wing. It’s a good-looking add-on. You can expect more than a fair share of GTS buyers to tick that option box.

Of course, no new model update lands without a significant upgrade in connectivity and screen real estate - the 911 is no exception.

Connectivity has been enhanced with a QR code that simplifies logging into the Porsche Communication Management system. Apple CarPlay integration is deeper than ever.

The most obvious change, however, is that the instrument panel goes to a full virtual representation with multiple screen modes, including the classic five-dial Porsche staple. Although there's no doubt there's added functionality and some buyers will welcome the extra digitisation of this important car-driver interface, it's a step too far for me. The part-digital, part-analog gauges for the outgoing 992.1 series 911 were better.

Although mechanical changes are less extensive in the standard Porsche Carrera and Carrera T variants, the updates delivered to the models in this generational change are still worthwhile.

The cooking model Carrera now features a revamped 3.0-litre twin-turbo boxer engine that produces 290kW and 450Nm. One key change is the adoption of a top-mounted intercooler -- just like the hero 911 Turbo models. The same styling and connectivity changes give the most affordable 911s a fresh look and feel.

Good to note that affordable is a relative term when it comes to Porsche. The new 911 Carrera GTS Coupé starts at $381,200, while the standard 911 Carrera Coupé is almost $100,000 less at $280,500. All-wheel-drive, Targa and convertible options are also available, with the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Coupé priced from $401,300 and the 911 Targa 4 GTS from $437,900.

Australian buyers will find the new 911 models generously equipped compared to markets like the UK and USA, with standard features including Surround View with Active Parking Support, Lane Change Assist, Comfort Access and BOSE Surround Sound System across all variants. The GTS includes otherwise expensive options such as rear-wheel steer, adaptive suspension and a host of other features as standard.

Porsche says this generation of 911 is the most customisable ever - you name it, you can probably change it. Deliveries for all models in Australia are expected during the first quarter of 2025.

The new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS represents a step change in the evolution of the iconic sports car. Porsche could have stepped on its ‘whatsit’ here big time just to satisfy green interests. But it hasn't.

By incorporating hybridisation in a way that enhances rather than compromises the 911's character, Porsche has demonstrated that electrification can be a tool for driving excitement rather than merely improving efficiency. The t-hybrid system's focus on response, power delivery, and handling showcases Porsche's commitment to maintaining the 911's status as the benchmark sports car, even as automotive technology fundamentally shifts toward electrification.

For enthusiasts, this may be the most compelling argument yet that the electric future of driving can be every bit as thrilling as its combustion-powered past.

Read the full article Purists Might Not Like What Porsche Has Done To The New 911 GTS on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The Australian SUV market is about to get even more interesting with the arrival of Jaecoo, the premium offering from Chinese automotive powerhouse Chery.

While you might not have heard the name yet, this ambitious newcomer has the substance to make waves within the already turbulent new car marketplace.

With the company's first model Down Under, the J7, officially on sale, we enlisted Peter Matkin, Chery's Executive Director of Program Management and Vehicle Concepts, for a crash course in Jaecoo.

Jaecoo represents auto giant Chery's push into the premium lifestyle space. As Matkin told DMARGE.com, it is a brand aimed at "new elites -- a little bit more middle management -- looking to set themselves higher."

In Chery's brand hierarchy, Jaecoo sits near the top of what Matkin describes as a pyramid: "We have Chery at the bottom, then Omoda, then we have Jaecoo, and then right at the top of this pyramid we have the Exceed, which is our luxury brand."

Exeed is, for now, a non-starter Down Under. Instead, Jaecoo aims to deliver premium features, styling and driving experience without the premium price tag that typically comes with European badges.

Unlike some previous entrants who've stumbled by bringing vehicles ill-suited to local tastes and conditions, Jaecoo is taking the Australian market seriously with substantial local adaptation efforts.

"The adaptation is extremely important," admits Matkin. "Traditionally, we in Chery have been quite fortunate in some of the markets that we've exported the cars. We've been able to translate the existing China specification into those markets and it works... but in some markets [like Australia] it doesn't work and you have to do some adaptation work."

This commitment extends beyond just marketing talk. Chery has invested in a European R&D centre in Frankfurt with 70 engineers working on adapting vehicles for different markets and road conditions.

As Matkin explains, "If you go to Germany, the roads are nice and smooth, lots of money spent, they're rich enough. In Spain and Italy, [there are] much rougher roads. And then if you get to Eastern Europe, those roads haven't been maintained for 30 years."

Says Matkin, this experience in adapting vehicles for Europe's diverse conditions is now being applied to Australian market Jaecoo models, with focus on suspension, steering and safety systems calibration.

A key advantage of Jaecoo's Chery parent is the ability to implement changes quickly.

"One key attribute is we're extremely fast," Matkin points out. "As soon as we get negative feedback, we have got a whole bunch of engineers now working on this."

This approach has already paid dividends according to Tim Krieger from Chery Australia, who notes that each vehicle they've brought to market has improved on the last. The team currently has around 30 engineers from headquarters working with the Australian team to ensure their vehicles meet local expectations.

Released in March and on-sale in May, the J7 marks Jaecoo's Australian debut. But it's just the beginning.

"Jaecoo is not going to be a one model wonder," confirms Krieger. "There's a whole raft of products that's going to be made available to us over the course of the next few years."

The larger J8 SUV is scheduled to arrive in June, with "a couple of other models which we'll see before the end of the year," says Krieger.

"We're not in any of this for the short term," insists Matkin. "Everything that we're doing is for the long term. It's just a constant increase in products in markets, and it's the same here."

For those who've grown tired of the same old options, Jaecoo represents something genuinely interesting — a new player with serious backing, premium aspirations, and a commitment to understanding what Australian drivers actually want.

Backed by Chery — China's number one auto exporter for 21 consecutive years — and protected by an eight-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, Jaecoo isn't just dipping a toe in the Australian market.

As the automotive landscape continues to evolve, Jaecoo is a name worth keeping an eye on. The new J7 is just the beginning of what could be a significant new presence on Australian roads.

Read the full article New Luxury SUV Brand Takes on Range Rover, Lexus and Genesis in Australia on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Leapmotor — you'd be forgiven for not knowing the brand, but thanks to the savvy C10 that's about to change...

Fresh brands and battery-electric SUVs are the auto industry's new black. For decades start-ups weren't a thing in the wheeled world. Oh, how that's changed.

So, in Australia's increasingly crowded electric vehicle market, a newcomer needs more than a pretty face to stand out. That's where Leapmotor is making a compelling case for itself with the all-new C10 mid-sized SUV.

Backed by automotive powerhouse Stellantis (the group behind icons like Maserati, Peugeot, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo), this stylish, family-friendly electric SUV combines European design with cutting-edge technology — all at a competitive price point.

After checking the C10’s spec sheet and experiencing it first-hand, we're convinced this electric newcomer deserves a spot on your shortlist. Here's why.

The Leapmotor C10 isn't just another cookie-cutter electric SUV. With clean lines, distinctive LED lighting signatures, and thoughtful proportions, the C10 makes a statement without shouting. Designed in Europe, the C10 earned initial recognition with a 2024 French Design Award, and it's easy to see why.

A range of colours including Pearl White, Terra Grey, Jade Green, Midnight Grey, and Metallic Black, deliver a level of external sophistication. Leapmotor’s interior designers have ensured the C10’s cabin complements its exterior with two interior colour options — a warm Camel Brown or dynamic Black.

The cabin itself blends minimalist design with premium materials. The C10’s Design trim level features soft-touch surfaces and super comfortable OEKO-TEX-certified silicone leather seats.

When it comes to technology, the Leapmotor C10 punches well above its weight. The cabin's focus is a massive 14.6-inch high-resolution touchscreen, which is complemented by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. Both are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip -- the same processor you'd find in a premium smartphone.

The infotainment system supports over-the-air updates to ensure your C10 stays current throughout ownership. While the absence of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a unique approach, the native system offers satellite navigation, online music and video streaming, and dual-zone voice control.

And if music quality matters to you, a 12-speaker surround sound system comes standard. Useful tech like wireless phone charging, Bluetooth and NFC key functionality, and V2L capability (to power small appliances) round out the C10’s smart package.

Don't let the stylish lines deceive; the C10 provides generous space — enough for Australian families. The 2825mm wheelbase translates to great legroom, particularly in the second row, while the flat floor enhances the sense of spaciousness.

Cargo capacity ranges from 581 litres behind the second row to 1410 litres with seats folded in the BEV version (slightly less in the plug-in REEV variant at 546/1375 litres).

Leapmotor's designers have clearly set out to impress those inside as much as out. There's a massive fixed panoramic glass roof that floods the cabin with natural light. An electric sunshade is tailor-made for Aussies – and something many brands forget.

The Design variant of the C10 takes comfort levels even further with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a power tailgate and multi-colour ambient lighting. And yes, that can even be tuned to pulse in rhythm with your music.

Safety is paramount for all cars, but it is especially important when choosing an EV for family use. In this area, the Leapmotor C10 does not compromise. A 5-star ANCAP safety rating for BEV models headlines the act, and the comprehensive LEAP Pilot driver assistance system includes 17 advanced functions, ranging from adaptive cruise control and lane centring to autonomous emergency braking and blind spot detection.

Other safety features include a 360-degree camera with dynamic guidelines, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, and multiple airbags, including a centre airbag. This is standard across all variants and provides front-seat occupants added protection in side-impact crashes.

The Leapmotor C10 offers two distinct powertrain options to accommodate different driving needs. The battery electric version delivers 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque, with a WLTP range of 420km from its 69.9kWh Lithium Ferro-Phosphate battery. It achieves 0-100km/h in a spritely 7.5 sec.

Just announced as part of the Leapmotor C10 range is the REEV variant. Standing for Range Extender Electric Vehicle, the new C10 choice combines a smaller 28.4kWh battery with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. This configuration offers up to 170km of pure electric driving, extending to a combined range of approximately 1150km (NEDC) — perfect for long Australian road trips.

Both BEV and REEV C10 variants support DC fast charging, with the former capable of charging from 30-80% in approximately 30 minutes.

While delivering premium features and technology, the Leapmotor C10 maintains competitive pricing. Available in both Style and Design trims, the C10 starts from $43,888 for the REEV Style with the range-topping BEV Design priced from $49,888.

Even sharper is the introductory driveaway offer on the REEV line-up from $45,900 driveaway.

From Model Year 2025, Leapmotor C10 ownership is simplified with a generous warranty package: six years/150,000km vehicle warranty, eight years/160,000km high-voltage battery warranty, and eight years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing. Service intervals are 20,000km or 12 months for the BEV and 10,000km or 12 months for the REEV.

Leapmotor might be new to Aussie shores but it gains significant credibility through its partnership with Stellantis, one of the world's largest automotive conglomerates.

The collaboration ensures the Leapmotor C10 benefits from established dealer networks and aftercare infrastructure across Australia, addressing potential concerns about service and support.

Already present in 16 countries and ranked among the top three EV startups in China, Leapmotor's global expansion is accelerating with Stellantis's distribution muscle. It's a brand to watch…

There’s a school of thought that suggests delayed gratification is good for the soul. That’s hard to wear when you’re ready to make the switch to electric – and enjoy that new car smell.

The good news is that customers keen to drive the new Leapmotor can not only test drive the C10 but also drive it away with minimum wait times.

Leapmotor’s network of 12 Australian dealers (and more to come!) is ready to help. Forget about tedious pre-booking hurdles, get on down and drive experience for yourself. And if you like what you see (and drive) you can take delivery now and not in six months time!

The C10's absence of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto might disappoint some tech-savvy users accustomed to these smartphone integrations. Also, initial impressions pegged the C10's driver attention monitoring and lane-keeping assist systems on the zealous end of the spectrum. The beauty of OTA update technology is that Leapmotor has already tweaked the assistance levels to better suit Australian conditions.

Charging capabilities, while adequate, aren't class-leading compared to some BEV competitors, so ultra-fast charging enthusiasts might need to factor this in. On the flip side, the REEV variant delivers a practical drivetrain option many other new energy vehicle brands can't match.

The Verdict: Put it on your test drive list.

The Leapmotor C10 represents a compelling new option in Australia's electric SUV landscape. Its sophisticated design, advanced technology, family-friendly practicality, and competitive pricing make a strong case for consideration alongside more established competitors.

For Aussies looking to make the electric transition without breaking the bank — particularly those who appreciate space, thoughtful design and cutting-edge tech — the Leapmotor C10 delivers a premium experience at a value-conscious price point.

Read the full article Is the Leapmotor C10 the Best Value EV Right Now? on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The Polestar 4 redefines what a premium performance SUV can be, delivering engaging dynamics, cutting-edge tech, and a distinctive design. It’s fast, sophisticated, and accomplished—and just so happens to be electric.

Benchmarks exist for a reason, but there’s something deeply satisfying about a car that challenges it while charting its own course. The Polestar 4 does exactly that, blending Swedish design intelligence with state-of-the-art technology and driving dynamics sharp enough to make iconic sports car brands nervous.

Positioned between the Polestar 2 fastback and the luxury-focused Polestar 3, the 4 injects genuine sporting credentials into the premium SUV segment. With 400kW of power and a chassis tuned by engineers who understand the difference between merely fast and truly engaging, it’s aimed at drivers who have outgrown traditional German SUVs but refuse to compromise on performance.

You won’t mistake the Polestar 4 for anything else. In an era of generic, jelly-mould SUVs, this five-door stands out with bold proportions—wider and lower than expected, with a stance that telegraphs intent.

Much has been said about its solid rear liftgate, which replaces the traditional back window. Polestar insists this isn’t just a design quirk but a functional improvement, allowing for increased rear headroom and cargo space while creating a distinctive profile. Could they have achieved the same effect while retaining some glass? Perhaps. But with a smart camera-driven rear-view mirror, the debate becomes largely irrelevant.

Behind the wheel, the Polestar 4 immediately feels like a car developed by a brand with motorsport in its DNA. From Swedish Touring Car Championships to Volvo’s Supercars heritage, that pedigree is evident in the way this SUV drives.

It handles with the poise of something lower and lighter, a rare trait in this segment. That wasn’t always the case—early versions had a slightly wayward character, but following feedback, Polestar refined the setup. The result? One of the best-handling SUVs on the market today, delivering genuine engagement without sacrificing comfort.

In straight-line terms, the numbers impress: 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds, making this the fastest Polestar yet. But what’s more important is how that performance is delivered in real-world driving.

The dual-motor setup produces 686Nm of torque almost instantly, making overtaking effortless and corner exits addictive. Our test car came equipped with the $7,200 Performance Pack, adding 22-inch forged alloys, Brembo brakes, and sports-tuned suspension. The result? A car that feels genuinely alive on winding roads—balanced, precise, and confidence-inspiring. The steering is direct and communicative, while the chassis provides feedback that builds trust with every turn.

Inside, the Polestar 4 is a masterclass in how technology should serve the driver rather than overwhelm them. The 15.4-inch landscape display isn’t just a tablet slapped onto the dash—it’s a thoughtfully integrated command centre running Polestar’s own version of Google’s Android Automotive OS.

The interface is clean, responsive, and logical, with an intuitive depth-on-demand approach that keeps essential functions accessible while concealing complexity until needed. Some quirks remain—adjusting air vents requires diving into the screen—but overall, it avoids the trap of trying to be too clever for its own good.

The digital rear-view mirror, necessitated by the solid rear panel, quickly becomes second nature. In fact, the high-definition camera often provides better visibility than a traditional mirror, particularly at night or in poor weather conditions.

Polestar is setting new benchmarks in interior design. The Polestar 3 impressed with its Scandinavian minimalism, and the 4 follows suit, balancing clean aesthetics with premium materials.

The optional Nappa leather upgrade ($7,000 AUD) adds ventilated, massaging seats, but even the standard interior feels well-considered, with sustainable materials and meticulous attention to detail. The photochromatic glass roof enhances the sense of space, effortlessly shifting from tinted to clear for a bespoke interior—though Australian buyers will likely want to invest in the optional sunshade for further sun protection.

Thoughtful touches abound: ambient lighting modes inspired by planets, always-accessible climate controls, and six driver profiles that save individual preferences. These aren’t gimmicks—they make the Polestar 4 an effortless, enjoyable companion.

A true performance car is defined by how it handles when pushed. Having driven the Polestar 4 on three separate occasions, it’s clear this is a car that’s evolved.

Early European test drives revealed some component and assembly missteps. By the time I revisited it on Swedish backroads, it had improved considerably. More recently, tackling my favourite twisties northeast of Melbourne confirmed that the final product is the real deal.

This is a lively, powerful, and entertaining car that remains composed even when driven hard. Body control is tight without being harsh, and the way it changes direction belies its size. The dual-motor system, featuring a front motor disconnect, offers efficiency when cruising and all-wheel-drive grip when needed. Engage Performance mode with launch control, and it’s properly quick—the kind of speed that reshapes expectations of what a premium SUV can do.

Starting at under $90K for the dual-motor variant (before on-road costs), the Polestar 4 positions itself firmly in premium territory. Option it up with the Performance Pack and other upgrades, and you’re looking at a six-figure investment. But for those considering the upcoming electric Macan or similar European rivals, the Polestar 4 presents a compelling alternative.

It understands its target market—buyers who demand performance without compromise, technology that enhances rather than intrudes, and design that makes a statement without shouting. It’s a mature, refined choice that never forgets to be exciting.

The 4 represents another major step forward for Polestar, a genuine challenger in the premium performance SUV space. It delivers the driving dynamics enthusiasts crave, the sophistication luxury buyers expect, and the individuality so often lacking in this segment.

It’s a performance car first, a luxury vehicle second… and, oh, did we mention it’s electric?

Read the full article Polestar 4: A Performance SUV That Breaks The Luxury Mould on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The Chevrolet Corvette has come a long way from its muscle car beginnings... For sale in factory right-hand drive Down Under for the first time ever, in 2024 it's a pukka supercar that's ready to take on the world.

Been hiding under a rock? It's the only way you could have missed the fanfare of the arrival of the first-ever factory right-hand drive Chevrolet Corvette Down Under. In 2024, in Australia and beyond, the Corvette stands head-to-head with European supercars three times its price. But this thoroughly modern mid-engine supercar began life as something quite different.

Let's trace how America's own sports car transformed from a modest six-cylinder convertible to a sophisticated mid-engine global competitor.

Google 1953 American car models and prepare to go back in time. Way back! US roads were dominated by cars that didn't look that far removed from those that plied their trade before the Big One, WWII. No wonder the very first Corvette made a splash. Low, long and luscious, the convertible C1 featured a combination of steel chassis and fibreglass panels - ground-breaking tech and a manufacturing technique that would become a Corvette hallmark.

Under the skin, the 1953 launch model was surprisingly modest, powered by a 235 cubic inch (3.9-litre) inline-six producing just 112kW, paired with a two-speed automatic transmission.

Everything changed in 1955 when legendary engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov convinced Chevrolet to install its new small-block V8. The 265ci (4.3-litre) V8 transformed the Corvette from a stylish cruiser to a genuine performer. By 1957, fuel injection – tech rarely seen away from exotic European badges – pushed power to 211kW.

The 1963 Sting Ray revolutionised the Corvette formula. Its independent rear suspension was unprecedented in American cars, while the distinctive split rear window (1963 only) became a collector's holy grail.

With a race-derived 427ci (7.0-litre) V8 conservatively rated at 321kW (but actually producing over 410kW), the L88 variant set the tone for uber-Vettes to follow. Legend has it only 20 L88s were built in 1967, making them among the most valuable Corvettes ever. Today only 43 remain (Joke!!!!).

The swooping C3 generation cemented the Corvette's iconic status as the American muscle car the world watched and wanted. Early cars like the ZL1 maintained the performance focus with an all-aluminium 427ci V8 producing 321kW. Only two were built, making them the rarest production Corvettes – worth upwards of an estimated A$6m each.

By 1972, the innovative ZR1 package added special racing-derived suspension and cooling systems, though emissions regulations gradually restricted performance.

The C4 brought the Corvette into the electronic age with digital displays and computer-controlled engines. Fiberglass was famously used for the innovative transverse leaf spring the design utilised as well as reinforcing other chassis parts.

The 1990 ZR-1 featured a Lotus-designed 32-valve DOHC V8 producing 280kW - revolutionary for American cars of the era. The engine production was outsourced to the Skunk Works that was the performance arm of the outboard maker, Mercury Marine.

The C5 (1997-2004) introduced a rear-mounted transaxle connected to the engine by a lightweight aluminium torque tube, achieving near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Its hydroformed frame rails were another industry first, providing exceptional rigidity with minimal weight.

Even into the Noughties, the Corvette continued to wear the unwarranted reputation of more brawn than brains but, by now, the evolution from muscle to supercar was well underway. Indeed, the sixth and seventh generations of the Corvette pushed performance boundaries while introducing advanced materials.

The C6 Z06 utilised an aluminium chassis almost half the mass of the standard car's steel structure. Carbon-fiber panels replaced fibreglass, while its 7.0-litre LS7 V8 featured titanium connecting rods and intake valves.

The C7's LT4 engine introduced direct injection and variable valve timing, helping the Z06 achieve 485kW. The ultimate C7 ZR1 packed 563kW thanks to a larger supercharger and dual fuel-injection system.

But there's no getting away from the revolutionary change that Corvette underwent in its reimagined eighth generation. The current C8 generation realises Zora Arkus-Duntov's 60-year-old dream of a mid-engine Corvette. Its aluminum chassis is 40% stiffer than the C7's, while every aspect of the chassis, suspension and running gear has been developed for the higher than ever performance envelope the C8 pushes.

With the choice of coupe or convertible, the base model Corvette Stingray packs a naturally-aspirated LT2 V8 that produces 369kW and is matched to an eight-speed twin-clutch gearbox. Suspension is racetrack honed but optimised for real-world performance conditions and able to be tuned on the go along with a host of other systems. All this, along with memory-function enhanced front lift and the optional Z51 performance package combines to deliver true supercar performance at roughly one-third the price of comparable Italian exotics.

The e-Ray is the first ever hybrid Corvette and also delivers all-wheel drive. Neither dampens its adrenaline-pumping capabilities: the E-Ray lays claim to the fastest 0-to-60 time in the entire Corvette stable, harnessing cutting-edge technology to elevate its standing to that of a true supercar. For the modern driver who demands performance without having to sacrifice their principles, the E-Ray is a silver bullet. 

The Z06 variant showcases American engineering prowess further with its flat-plane crank LT6 V8. With 475kW power, its 5.5L mid-engine, and a blistering 0-100km/h of just 3 seconds, it takes the thrill of the track and sets it loose on the open road. We had the privilege of testing it in Melbourne and were blown away by its exceptional handling and unwavering stability, owed to the Z06’s magnetic ride control. Its 8600rpm redline and racing-derived tech show just how far Corvette has evolved.

Corvette’s story has always been about more than just numbers on a spec sheet, no matter how impressive those numbers may be. Behind every engineering breakthrough is a community of enthusiasts who live and breathe the brand. Among them is Harry — a lifelong Corvette lover who shared with us his lifelong Corvette love-affair, from childhood miniature models to full-sized award-winning masterpieces, he embodies the passion and camaraderie that make Corvette so much more than just a carmaker.

RELATED: Corvette is proof supercars don't need to bleed value

Harry’s enthusiasm for the Corvette stretches back to one of his earliest childhood memories: a small Corgi model of a 1963 ‘Vette that he cherished as a boy. That miniature symbol of American motoring greatness ignited something that would stay with him through the decades. By the time the 1990s rolled around, Harry was in a position to swap out his model for its full-sized inspiration.

Despite the temptation of undeniably iconic rivals like Porsche or Ferrari, Harry simply could not resist fulfilling the lifelong dream of owning a Corvette which, he says, united straightforwardly mean mechanicals and a timeless sense of identity. He purchased an iconic C4 and quickly caught the Corvette bug. Joining the Corvette owners’ club in New South Wales in the mid-1990s gave Harry a gateway into a community as devoted as he was. 

About far more than just the cars themselves — though he doesn't deny that countless hours have since been poured into sourcing, converting, and even building more Corvettes of his own, including a C5 purchased in 1997 — it was also about forging friendships, attending shows, and representing the brand he loved at national conventions. Fans from all four corners of Australia, as well as devotees from overseas, continue to come together to celebrate everything the model stood for.

Over the years, Harry has owned and restored far more Corvettes than this article could do justice to and travelled around the world chasing his need for American-speed. However, his pièce de résistance is undoubtedly a lovingly crafted tribute to the legendary 1963 Grand Sport. The patience and craftsmanship that went into this car were, shall we say, considerable, but the effort paid off in a string of trophies and accolades.

More importantly though, Harry’s pursuit of perfection brought him closer to a worldwide fraternity of owners who share his singular belief that the Corvette’s journey transcends borders, eras, and engineering platforms.

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 are available to order from GMSV dealers across Australia now, with prices starting from A$275,000. 

Read the full article Corvette’s Evolution from American Icon to Supercar Sensation on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The Australian new car marketplace is riding a rollercoaster of booming ute favourites, fast-selling new makes and models, macro and micro-economic challenges and some good old-fashioned match-fixing...

Private new car buyers are on strike as the cost of living and continued high interest rates bite. Yet, with a month of sales to run, Australia is still looking at a record year of new car registrations with 'winners' across a number of key market segments.

With just one month's figures to go, we reckon we are pretty safe to call out that there remain some clear winners (and losers) in 2024. Indeed, of the 52 brands that still report via VFACTS, 15 have posted better than 10% growth in 2024. The top mass-market performers in percentage terms were Chery and BYD, followed by Suzuki, GWM, Mitsubishi and Ford. Year-to-date Chery has more than doubled its volume, while BYD is up over 68%.

Given no BYD Shark 6 registrations were logged in the official November numbers and the carmaker is claiming significant sales volume for the plug-in hybrid ute, it could significantly boost its numbers in December. Australia's top ten new car brand ladder reads: Toyota, Ford, Mazda, Kia, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, MG, Isuzu Ute, Nissan and GWM. Three of those brands are down year-to-date – the worst off is MG almost 15% off in the same period as 2023.

The changing face of the top ten (listed above) gives more than a few clues to 2024's losers – or at least, also-rans.

Perennial number two, Mazda's slip of almost 5% has it in third place.

Hyundai is well behind upstart 'cousin' Kia – who now has a ute. The effect of a dual-cab on sales volumes is evidenced by their domination of overall top-selling models. Even if Kia's Tasman has a face only a mother could love, it will generate incremental volume and should see the brand continue its upwards march.

At the top-end of town, Mercedes-Benz is, at best, uncomfortable, tracking almost 18% down year-to-date. This contrasts with BMW, which is almost level-pegged in its 2023 total. Audi is 20-something percent off.

Flying in the face of commentary – and logic – somehow, Jaguar is almost 40% up year-to-date. The point should be made, however, BMW Australia sells almost 40 cars for every unit Jaguar delivers. 'Copy nothing' is a great slogan, Jag — but perhaps it'd be worth copying BMW's sales figures in the medium term…

Considering volume brands (4000 or more units for the Jan-Nov period in 2023), the biggest losers of 2024 are Jeep, RAM, Skoda and Renault. Jeep and RAM lost over 45% of their respective volume in 2024. Yikes. Bring back the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) I say.

Aussies love a ute and SUV – it's a fact... On this vehicle choice, the FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber stated: "Consumer preference remains clear with SUVs and Light Commercial vehicles making up the top ten new vehicles sold while Passenger vehicles fell to a monthly market share of just 13.7 per cent."

The country's top five is all utes or SUVs with Ford Ranger easily leading the pack. Then comes Toyota RAV4, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Outlander. Toyota Corolla gets an honourable mention as the top-placed non-highrider in the bottom half of the top ten… It takes a little more digging into the numbers to see the best-performing (YOY) models but most pundits could have easily guessed the absolute top of the pops.

Toyota RAV4 is not only one of the country's top-sellers, it also topped the table as the most improved. Jan-Nov 2024, Toyota registered almost 54,000 RAV4s in the period, an increase of over 26,000 after serious supply issues in 2023. Almost nothing else came close in terms of year-on-year change. One vehicle did give the RAV4 a nudge in terms of 23 v 24 performance – the Blue Oval's very capable dual-cab antidote, the Ford Everest. Almost 11,000 units up on its 2023 figure to log 24,018 regos so far in 2024.

The remainder of our top five most improved were Kia Cerato, Hyundai Kona and BYD Seal.

That's the overview of the latest release of the official Australian new car market scorecard, VFACTS. Published this week, covering the year-to-date to the end of November, VFACTS is a key barometer of the new car marketplace. But it's not gospel. For a start, it's important to call out that VFACTS records new car registrations, not sales. It's also essentially unaudited – carmakers supply their own numbers on a 'you show me yours and I'll show you mine' basis.

VFACTS also doesn't cover all manufacturers. In a spat in 2023, EV brands Tesla and Polestar withdrew from the program over their belief that VFACTS operator the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries wasn't properly representing EV brands. The jury's out on how many of the new entrants to the Australian new car marketplace will sign up. For the time being most are within the fold.

The absence of Tesla and Polestar can be accounted for in the numbers. The sales versus registration delineation is not so much. You see, when times are tight, it's common for brands to pre-register new cars to keep their stats looking solid. Often, they go on to sell the cars as demos or company cars – sometimes with only delivery miles on them... It's a tactic that's particularly employed at key periods – end of the financial year and the end of the calendar year... Or when there is significant legislative or regulative change looming that could affect the legality of certain models…

Oh look... The Christmas lights are going up... And NVES, Australia's new vehicle emission rules takes effect on January 1…

November was the best monthly volume since July at just over 99,000 registrations but it is almost 12% down on the same month in 2023. Yet, year-to-date the market remains up and with an 'average' December should still generate an annual record. Right now we're looking in the region of 1.25m new vehicles.

Weber stated: "From an historical perspective, the 2024 year-to-date result is strong. However, the market is starting to show a number of clear trends. The first half of 2024 recorded market growth of 8.7 per cent compared with 2023. Since July, we have seen the market decline by 8.2 per cent compared with 2023." But who is buying these cars? Not private buyers... Weber again:

"The Private buyer segment continues to struggle with a decline of 16.6 per cent on November 2023. This follows falls of 14.2 per cent in October, 17.2 per cent in September and 15.9 per cent in August. This is a disturbing trend which illustrates how cost of living pressures are impacting households."

FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber

In contrast to private buyers exiting the market, business and government registrations are up year-on-year. Privates have accounted for more than half of all regos this year with business around 37%. Rental fleet volumes are off too.

In keeping with FCAI's often almost anti-EV rhetoric, the release stated: "November recorded another disappointing result for the sale of electric vehicles while Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid accounted for 16.9 per cent of November sales compared with 9.9 per cent last year."

Read the full article Australia’s Best And Worst Cars Of 2024: Chinese Brands Are The New King Down Under on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

As the old adage goes: “If it ain’t broke...” Well, you know the rest. But the reality is that the automotive sector was, until only recently, very much broken, producing countless vehicles that continued to pollute our atmosphere and exacerbate the climate crisis to irrevocable levels...

That's according to the European Union, which adopted a law to make all new cars and vans sold in Europe zero-emission from 2035.

For over a century, internal combustion engines (ICE) were the gold standard in car production, getting faster and cheaper as production hit record levels to meet an insatiable demand for cars across the globe; their iconic V8 rumble, synonymous with power, prestige, and progress.

But now, the tide has shifted; the automotive industry has seen sweeping changes in recent decades, with governments imposing strict emissions quotas and green initiatives that have forced traditional automakers to either adapt or die.

It's drawn parallels with the Quartz Crisis in the 1970s: a period of immense upheaval for a traditional industry steeped in heritage and craftsmanship. During this time, Swiss luxury watchmakers, long revered for their mechanical timepieces and complex automatic movements, were blindsided by the advent of quartz technology pioneered by rival Japanese brands like Seiko.

The first quartz wristwatch was the Seiko Astron 35SQ, debuting in 1969. It was accurate, affordable, and mass-produced - qualities that traditional Maisons said were killing the industry, as they struggled to compete with increased output and reach of the new player in the horological game... sound familiar?

By the mid-1970s, quartz watches dominated the market and Swiss brands like OMEGA and Longines had to adopt new materials and practices to continue to innovate and lead the market - even Rolex started to produce quartz-powered timepieces like the Rolex Oysterquartz, launched in 1977.

Just as quartz technology brought efficiency and accessibility to the watch world, EVs are bringing sustainability and advanced technology to the forefront of the automotive industry. Misinformation has been rife about the cost and safety of electric vehicles on Australian roads.

Are EVs too expensive? They're on par with new ICE vehicles leaving the factories in 2025. The batteries don't last? They absolutely do. Polestar and other brands are proving that the long-term degradation of EV batteries is far less severe than initially feared.

Even when EV batteries are no longer suitable for cars, they retain significant utility for other applications, such as grid energy storage or home power systems (or they can be recycled and used again). Similarly, companies like Tesla and the Chinese-made BYD have proven that electric vehicles are more than capable of matching their ICE counterparts in speed, efficiency, and environmental impact.

BYD hasn't been in the Australian market for long, but has already started to make considerable inroads into the burgeoning EV space with good-looking and adorable cars. Take the BYD Shark 6; launched only a month ago, it's Australia’s first plug-in hybrid ute and has already registered 4,000 sales ahead of its official January 2025 launch.

China has certainly emerged as a powerhouse in the global EV revolution, capitalising on an early headstart on its Western competitors through heavy investments in research, development, and manufacturing.

With a largely captive market of over 1.4 billion people and a growing middle class eager for affordable and sustainable vehicles, China provided the perfect ecosystem for EV innovation to flourish; companies like BYD have started to redefine the automotive landscape and it's led to the old car brands to sit up and take notice.

Much like the revered Swiss watch brands of old, legacy carmakers are scrambling to catch up to the transient automotive landscape; BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche have all made significant strides with their electric offerings.

Yet just as traditional Swiss manufactures initially resisted quartz technology, many automakers are reluctant to let go of ICE vehicles. The industry is deeply rooted in ICE technology, with legacy brands like Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz having spent decades perfecting their internal combustion engines, investing not only time, but inordinate sums to improve their cars and their components.

Throwing away these investments in R&D, factories, and supply chains would be a monumental loss; automakers are hesitant to commit fully without certainty about market demand or future policies.

The problem here is that the EU hasn't specifically cited the emissions coming out of the car's tailpipe as the issue to address. It's encouraged luxury brands like Porsche to pump significant investment into an alternative, renewable energy source for their most iconic releases, allowing the petrolhead purists to still have a gas-guzzling mid-engine sports car in their driveway, and still meet the stringent climate targets.

Where the Quartz Crisis of the last century posed something of a bipartisan issue for the world of haute horlogerie and watch enthusiasts, the contemporary issue of the climate crisis sees a much more polarising divide in the automotive world.

On one side, there are those championing a full transition to electric vehicles, viewing EVs as the only viable solution to curb emissions and combat climate change. On the other side are traditionalists and enthusiasts, particularly in the luxury and performance segments, who are pushing back against the idea of abandoning the visceral experience of internal combustion engines.

Luxury brands like Porsche, are wary of going fully electric because they’re not convinced that all consumers are ready to abandon ICE vehicles, indicative of the industry’s broader strategy.

The Porsche Macan, for example, is transitioning to full EV because it aligns with the typical Macan driver’s expectations - someone looking for a premium SUV with cutting-edge technology and eco-conscious credentials.

But forcing long-time Porsche purists to give up their high-performance engines (e.g., Porsche’s iconic flat-six or V8 engines) could alienate the brand's core audience. Many 911 owners, for instance, will likely balk at a fully electric version... even if it did come with the necessary sound effects.

Porsche’s investment in e-fuels is a prime example of this divide; synthetic fuels, produced using renewable energy and promise to offer a carbon-neutral way to keep ICE vehicles on the road without contributing to net greenhouse gas emissions.

It'll inevitably lead to a seismic shift in the way we see luxury vehicles. SUVs, for example, are never the enthusiasts' choice - they're typically bought for practicality or because of the badge on the front. As SUVs transition to EVs, they’re likely to become some of the most expensive options available, packed with advanced technology and innovation to meet consumer demand for cutting-edge features.

Sports cars, on the other hand, will see the opposite effect: Everyday electric vehicles may dominate the lower end of the price spectrum, offering efficient, no-frills city-runners without the bells and whistles traditionally associated with luxury brands.

It's only when you start to look at the traditional combustion engines that you'll notice this increase in cost, meaning the driver will likely have to spend for the luxury of driving a sports car; E-fuels offer a cost-effective way for Porsche to retain this customer without jeapordising the climate targets of the brand.

In the quartz crisis, lightweight and low-cost components like plastic allowed for cheaper and more efficient watchmaking. Swatch were the pioneers of this space and has since transitioned to Bioceramic, an innovative material that has carved out its own space in today's horological market.

Similarly, the automotive sector is embracing new materials, such as lightweight aluminium for EV frames and solid-state batteries that promise better energy efficiency and safety than traditional lithium-ion counterparts.

In the 1970s, the Japanese watch industry leaned on mass production and automation to meet the increasing demands for their pieces, disrupting the handcrafted traditions of Swiss watchmakers.

Today, EV manufacturers are similarly transforming car production, with companies like Tesla and BYD pioneering Gigafactories that integrate battery and vehicle production under one roof. Rivian, too, has focused on streamlined production processes to scale their electric trucks and SUVs efficiently.

Of course, not all traditions are left behind. Just as the Swiss eventually found a way to coexist with quartz by embracing their luxury identity with the resurgence of mechanical icons like the OMEGA Speedmaster and Rolex Daytona, automotive stalwarts are leaning into their heritage.

Brands like Ferrari and Corvette have unveiled hybrid models that marry electrification with the visceral experience of their roaring engines, bridging the gap between past and future to work within the guidelines set.

Perhaps the greatest parallel, however, lies in the consumer. Both revolutions marked a shift in what people value. The quartz crisis taught us that convenience and accuracy could outweigh tradition, while the EV revolution has revealed a growing consumer desire for sustainability and cutting-edge tech. In both cases, the message was clear: evolve or be left behind.

The watch industry, ultimately, survived the quartz crisis by adapting. Traditional luxury brands doubled down on their craftsmanship, producing veritable works of art with intricate movements, precious metals and exquisite pieces. Some embraced quartz technology themselves.

The automotive industry is in the midst of its own reckoning. Legacy carmakers will find their place in this new era, innovating in a future that is still being written.

Whether it’s e-fuels, fully electric hypercars, or cars that drive themselves, one thing is certain - change is coming. Will the world’s most iconic brands steer themselves into this new era, or will they simply be left behind in the rearview mirror?

Read the full article Car Brands Confront Their Own ‘Quartz Crisis,’ Echoing the Swiss Watch Industry’s Near Collapse on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

It's almost impossible to talk about sportscars without mentioning Lotus. The British brand damn near wrote the book. Elemental road cars, championship-winning racers... Its history is storied. In the mid-1990s, it reinvented the mid-engined sportscar, the purest form of the genre – delivering the exotic layout in an affordable, light, and reliable package via the original Elise.

Now with the 2024 Lotus Emira Turbo, it's breaking the mould again – creating a polished, refined but potent and pure mid-engined sportscar with class-leading driving dynamics, exotic looks, and often-promised but rarely delivered day-to-day comfort and amenity. As Lotus itself calls out – the Emira Turbo is everything you would expect from a Lotus, but like nothing you have seen before.

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The Lotus Emira formula starts with that perfect mid-engined layout. With the engine and gearbox behind the driver, it's a configuration that has long been favoured by million-dollar exotics and the most potent of racing formulas.

The configuration delivers centralized mass, optimized traction, and ultimate handling. In the Emira, this is further enhanced by a compact wheelbase and low centre of gravity. There's no heavy engine over the front wheels to encumber steering precision or purity. Equally, with the inherent balance a mid-engine layout delivers, Lotus' legendary chassis tuning prowess can be exercised without mechanical compromise.

The result is a car whose driving experience is equal parts demanding and flattering. There's a real fluidity to the way the Emira copes with poor road surfaces, yet on great tarmac or the track, it never feels underdone.

Aesthetics matter, but especially so in 'statement' cars like the Lotus Emira. If you've recognized those stunning lines, take a bow. The Emira proudly wears an evolution of the 'Carved by Air' philosophy of Lotus' record-setting battery-electric Evija hypercar.

Its performance intent is unmistakable, yet the car still delivers easy access and, from the driver's seat, great sight lines. It's anything but intimidating to drive, which means you're at home at the wheel instantly.

Take your pick of more than a dozen standard colours... There's not a bad hue nor angle but, even more importantly given the new Lotus' potential, the Emira's bodywork generates substantial real-world downforce for predictable manners on the road and track.

Arguably the biggest departure from previous Lotus mid-engined models, however, is the Emira's convenience and ergonomics. Not only has Lotus delivered a step-change in interior materials, fit, and finish, but there's been equally massive improvement in the relationship between driver and machine.

The cabin pampers where once Lotus sportscars were more likely to punish. There are seats that work as well in the real world as they do on the track. The bespoke Lotus-designed Human Machine Interface is comprehensive and intuitive and includes all of the nice-to-haves absent from previous generations. No more aftermarket add-ons, this is a fully native integrated cabin that rivals the best the Germans deliver.

There's even a practical side to the Lotus Emira. An option pack delivers park sensors, rear camera, and more. Smartphone storage and mirroring are standard. There's room behind the seats for larger items, door pockets that fit more than a wallet, and a boot as well!

All 'hygiene' items in a modern vehicle but what is a sportscar without a powertrain that can thrill from the moment you hit the starter? Four and six-cylinder powertrains are available, but take it from yours truly, the former is the pick – properly powerful and imbuing the Emira Turbo with balance and manners that top the six from the first turn.

Mind you, it's no ordinary turbocharged four-cylinder proudly displayed under the Emira's transparent engine cover. Hand-built in Afalterbach (Germany) by Mercedes-AMG's most skilled engineers, the 2.0-litre packs 298kW and 480Nm in its most potent variant.

They're numbers that match the supercharged 3.5-litre V6 option, but the AMG engine is torque-rich and optimizes center of gravity and weight distribution even further. A classic case of less being more.

The AMG four is also matched to the optimum choice of gearbox... A slick-shifting twin-clutch gearbox that gives you the choice of racecar-style manual mode or an efficient smooth-shifting auto mode for ultimate convenience.

If circa 4.0sec 0-100km/h time doesn't get your attention, the real-world midrange performance of the turbocharged four-cylinder Emira Turbo will.

As you'd expect from a brand that proudly announces it's For the Drivers, the Emira's multiple driver-selected modes allow you to tune the engine, gearbox, chassis, and driver assistance systems to match your mood and/or location. Never mild, but also never wild, but you get the idea…

Personalization is a key differentiator of the modern Lotus and with myriad combinations of colour trim and equipment choices, you can make the Emira your own.

Choose colors, specify track or touring-focused suspension, add convenience or other equipment packs – the choice is yours. A smart adaptive configurator allows you to 'build' your Emira from the desk or phone. Just make sure you've got a gap in your diary – it's addictive…

But not as addictive as the car itself. My hands-on experience came as part of the annual Lotus Days driving festival. And it was clear almost from before we turned a wheel that the Emira Turbo is a step-change car for Lotus.

Where the Elise and Exige were more toys than tools, my day in the Emira Turbo and V6 defines them both as Lotus all grown up and properly polished. The brand's tenets remain – minimum mass, maximum performance, essential engineering – but the Emira Turbo adds a level of maturity and refinement Lotus has struggled to deliver to date.

The British brand has often talked about having its German and Italian competitors in its sights. The Lotus Emira Turbo is the first sportscar from the brand that confidently pulls the trigger...

Read the full article Lotus’ Emira Turbo Does The Impossible: It Totally Reinvents The British Sportscar on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Hybrid cars are quickly becoming Aussie new car buyers' favourites. But beware, there's more than one type of hybrid and some brands are sticking hybrid on cars that arguably don't qualify for the badge.

Battery electric vehicles might get Elon excited and have Green pollies frothing at the bung, but right now, it's hybrids that Australians want to know more about.

No surprise then that hybrids of various guises are grabbing an increasing share of new car sales. In fact, according to the latest official VFACTS new car registration figures, Australian hybrid vehicle sales are up over 50% year-on-year to the end of October... In a potential sales record-setting year, that compares to flat diesel sales, petrol sales are down almost 11% and EV sales are also down close to double figures.

Given one of the single largest segments of new vehicle sales Down Under – utes – is for the moment devoid of any hybrid (but watch this space and read more below), arguably the actual ultimate demand for hybrids could be considerably higher. Indeed, considering the avalanche of new hybrid models set to swamp our market in the next two years or so, some pundits are predicting as many as 50% of new car sales could be hybrid as soon as 2028.

The advantage of hybrids in the most general of terms is written on the tin – they deliver a mix of the benefits of both EVs and conventional ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. Able to run in EV mode some of the time, by definition, they've also got an engine that is fuelled at the pump – no more range anxiety, especially if you are heading bush or want to tow.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) can also have their battery topped up via a charger – or even a good old 240V plug. Depending on your address and the PHEV's electric-only range, that could see you commuting during the week on EV power alone, saving the combustion heroics for weekend work.

The most common form of hybrid requires no connection to the grid and uses a combination of battery and ICE powertrains to optimise fuel usage and/or boost performance. Many will move from a standstill on electric power alone and also switch off the engine from time to time once at cruising speed. At full throttle, you get the punch from both the ICE and EV powertrains.

The key criticism of hybrids is hinted at above – you have to lug around both ICE and electric powertrains. EV evangelists suggest they are simply bridging technology – keeping us moving until battery electric vehicles are good enough or, more to the point, cheap enough, to tick most car buyers' boxes. I beg to differ – for countries like Australia with infrastructure challenges, huge distances, relatively cheap fuel and diverse vehicle needs, hybrids are going to be around for the foreseeable future.

But hybrids ain't hybrids – and before you buy or even try, it pays to know what's what. Here are the three different types – and one imposter...

Parallel hybrids are the most common hybrids – pioneered and made most famous by Toyota, and by dint of purchase choice your local Ubernaut... Think of parallel hybrids as having two separate power sources - an electric motor and a petrol engine. Both can drive the wheels directly and the power sources can work together or separately.

In city driving, the electric motor can power the car by itself but EV mode tends to be limited to (very) low speeds and (very) short distances. On highways, the petrol engine takes over and when you need extra power, like climbing hills or accelerating quickly, both power sources work together.

Less common, for now, is the series hybrid. Here only the electric motor or motors drive the wheels - the petrol engine never connects to them directly. Instead, the engine (usually smaller) powers a generator, producing electricity to power the electric motor and/or charge the battery.

Some would argue this is the most efficient use of hybrid technology as it delivers a pure EV style drive and dispenses with much of the ICE running gear.

This design is best for stop-start city driving but it can be less efficient on highways compared to parallel hybrids. This could be a great long-term solution for utes and trucks, however – after all, railway locomotives have used diesel series hybrid drives for decades. In reality, the application of this technology is rare – parallels seem to rule the roost for now.

Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs (pronounced Fevs!) are typically (but not always) parallel hybrids with a much bigger battery that you can charge before driving by plugging into an electrical outlet.

PHEVs deliver the best of both worlds - you can drive on pure electric power for a reasonable distance (up to 80km) but still have the petrol engine for longer journeys. And that EV range is getting better all the time -- Haval has just announced a PHEV version of its H6 GT with 180km electric range. It's potentially a game-changer.

Of special interest to Aussies, PHEVs look likely to be the most popular choice for electrifying utes. BYD has already launched its Shark 6 PHEV pick-up, Ford has a PHEV Ranger on the way and companies like GWM are also planning PHEV versions of their utes and large SUVs. Oh, and Ferrari and others are building plug-in hybrid supercars if that's your cup of chino.

When it's a mild hybrid. The tech varies from brand to brand but the common denominator is the electrical power generated by the mild hybrid system is not enough to drive the car. Instead, the power generated is used to power other systems (aircon for instance, especially when engine stop-start is activated in traffic). Mild hybrid systems also commonly harvest some electrical power under deceleration to cut alternator loads (and therefore save fuel) and in some cases can also (very) modestly boost performance when accelerating.

Basically, this is a hybrid engineered by the marketing department – so much so mild hybrid sales aren't included in official hybrid volumes. Don't be fooled, a mild hybrid is NOT a hybrid...

Based on sales volumes, parallel hybrids are Aussies' favourites. This is largely thanks to Toyota normalising hybrids across much of its line-up – indeed, off-roaders aside, most Toyota models are now hybrid only... Thus if you're happy to go with the flow, Toyota, Hyundai, Honda and Kia all offer a growing number of parallel hybrid models in popular segments including hatches, plus small, medium and large SUVs. Typically all of these vehicles deliver decent fuel savings – especially around town.

There's a much longer list of brands expected to further broaden hybrid ranks in the next 12 months. It's probably easier to say the brands that aren't adding hybrids to their new car showroom. Even EV pioneers like BYD are getting into the game.

If you want the ability to do some driving in pure EV mode but can't quite commit to a full-battery electric car then a PHEV might be the choice. Most deliver up to 50km of EV-only range and some are now promising four times that (or more).

PHEVs are also a good choice if you plan to tow or expect longer country trips and don't want to charge along the way. With a full battery and a full tank, the Mitsubishi Outlander will achieve close to 1000km without much trouble.

The caveat on PHEVs is to make the most of that flexibility you really need the ability to charge at home. That can simply be a 240V plug, though a cheap 7.2kW charger from the likes of Jetcharge makes things even easier.

The step-change for hybrids Down Under will likely be the arrival of longer-range plug-in hybrid utes and medium and large SUVs. So far this year, the three segments account for over 50% of new car registrations and currently hybrids have modest penetration into the segments.

Even storied off-road badges like LandCruiser will soon include hybrids in their line-ups with the all-new Prado expected to offer a 2.4-litre petrol-electric hybrid as well as the normal turbo-diesel powertrain.

A PHEV option will soon be offered in Australia's 2023 best-selling vehicle, the Ford Ranger and the next generation Toyota HiLux due in 2025 is also expected to offer a conventional non-plug-in hybrid variant – which will share its origins with the above-mentioned Prado. As the number of Chinese brands offering utes via their Australian outposts increases, the hybrid options will scale considerably.

And fans of full-size American pick-ups never fear. While it's yet to be confirmed for Oz, RAM has announced the 1500 Ramcharger in the US which combines a 3.6-litre petrol V6, oversized 90kWh-plus battery and fast-charging plug-in infrastructure to deliver almost 500kW, 0-100km/h in the mid-4.0sec bracket and over 1100km of range.  Now, that's what we call a hybrid!

Read the full article Hybrids or EVs, Which Is The Smart Option To Buy Right Now? on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Lexus... Its cars are at home in the golf club car park, but seriously, would you drive one? Now? Absolutely. Before? Hmm… The reason for the change of heart is the all-new Lexus GX550 SUV.

Sharing its underpinnings with the all-new Toyota Prado (more on that below), the GX has already won over US buyers thanks to its square-jawed good looks, serious luxury, and the kind of off-road potential you'd expect from a vehicle with ties to the tough 4x4s that helped build the Snowy River Hydro Scheme.

The GX550 previews the direction Toyota Corporation’s premium brand is headed. Gone is the odd ‘spindle grille’ styling that still plagues the front end of several aging Lexus models. Instead, there’s a chiselled face that achieves both the tough-truck look off-road buyers crave and the premium cues you’d expect. It’s properly squared-off, like a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen or INEOS Grenadier, yet brings its own flavour.

A sculpted bonnet says “power,” while the flat roof looks purpose-built to accept a heavy-duty expedition rack. The GX’s large, airy glasshouse and relatively slim pillars are nods to Toyota’s off-road legends, most of which wore a LandCruiser badge. It just looks right… and the beefier the hardware you bolt-on, the better — especially if we’re talking big US-spec wheel and tyre combos.

Beneath that rugged exterior lies some serious hardware. The GX550 shares a significant portion of its mechanicals with the Lexus LX and Toyota LandCruiser 300. Like the big Cruiser and all proper off-roaders, the GX550 uses body-on-frame construction and a version of the ladder-frame chassis.

The GX550 has a unique suspension and a bespoke powertrain — a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engine delivering a solid 260kW and 650Nm. That’s serious torque for a petrol V6, delivered low in the rev range, ideal for towing and off-road duties. Exercising the GX550's 3500kg towing capacity should be easy work.

A 10-speed automatic transmission handles the shifting (with a manual mode if needed). Full-time four-wheel drive and a dual-range transfer case with a proper off-road reduction ratio also tick the right boxes for desert duellers. Lexus claims a 0-100km/h time of around 7 seconds on pavement and all the while, it’ll remain silky smooth and quiet — some Lexus attributes aren’t up for negotiation.

It’s a Lexus, so you’d expect modern luxuries and connectivity. Just a few years ago, Lexus lagged in this area, but not anymore. The GX and cars like the latest generation RX SUVs are now on point. In Australia, three GX550 versions are available, priced from around $130,000 to $145,000 driveaway.

The entry-level Luxury model is anything but basic. The top-of-the-range Sports Luxury includes an even more comprehensive equipment list, featuring some of the finest leather we’ve ever seen in a car — it even smells authentic. Both versions are seven-seaters, with a third row for the hangers-on... oops, I mean kids.

But the pick of the lineup — our choice and likely yours — is the adventure-oriented Lexus GX550 Overtrail: Equipped with Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) featuring the Aussie-developed eKDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System), an Electronic Rear Differential Lock, and a heavier-duty 240A alternator, it’s the Lexus SUV your mother warned you about.  With five seats only, it rides on 18-inch alloys with proper all-terrain tyres rather than the 20-plus-inch rims of the Luxury and Sports Luxury models.

The Overtrail also gets the latest off-road tech. Lexus calls it Multi-Terrain Select, with six modes (Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Rock, Deep Snow) to ensure even newbies don’t get stuck. There’s also Crawl Control and Downhill Assist Control for tackling steep or challenging terrain.

Perhaps the only chink in the GX550’s handsome, pearl-painted armour is its near-twin, the all-new Toyota Prado. Officially called the 250 Series, the Prado is essentially a slightly less glamorous GX550 and, for many, could be the better choice.

It’s cheaper by a margin, has similar big, brawny good looks, and a more economical turbo-diesel engine.  Practical off-road tech and most of the must-have features of the GX are assured. At its heart, the new Prado is powered by an updated version of Toyota’s renowned 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, aided by a new 48V mild-hybrid system, similar to the setup in the popular HiLux.

Finally, for off-roaders with an eco-conscious bent, a proper petrol-electric hybrid option is also promised. The best of both worlds? Maybe — and the serious coin you save will surely fund the lift kit and big wheels the GX/250 Series is begging for.

Read the full article Once a Lexus Skeptic, Now a GX550 Believer: This Luxury SUV is a Game-Changer on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Buyers of the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, and other top dual-cabs should pay attention. Officially launched within hours of each other, the Kia Tasman and BYD Shark 6 have changed the face of Australian utes almost overnight.

The Kia Tasman is the first conventional 4x4 dual-cab pick-up sold by a mainstream Korean brand Down Under — and it arrives with a face only its mother could love. The BYD Shark 6 is Australia’s first plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute, beating promised entrants from brands like Ford and GWM by months (if not years) and likely undercutting them on price.

BYD announced an introductory price for the Shark 6 dual-cab at A$57,900. To put this in context, it’s about the same price as a mid-spec turbodiesel four-cylinder Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, or Mitsubishi Triton. Yet, with 321kW and 650Nm, the plug-in hybrid BYD not only significantly out-powers the incumbents (it’s even faster than the turbo V6 Ford Ranger Raptor to 100 km/h!), but also delivers a level of tech the others can only dream of — for now.

The Shark 6 is essentially a range-extended electric ute. A 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor power the front wheels, with the petrol engine primarily acting as a generator to keep the modest 29.6kWh battery charged. A second electric motor powers the rear axle.

You can plug it in to charge the battery, but there’s no dual-range gearbox — something most mainstream 4x4s rely on for off-road capability (except the previous generation Amarok). In fact, like most battery-electric vehicles, there’s no multi-speed gearbox at all. What the Shark 6 does have, however, is tech. Digital instruments, BYD’s trademark swivelling centre screen, and a host of on- and off-road driver aids are included.

With styling that resembles either something out of Futurama or an unfinished LEGO project, the Kia Tasman has certainly captured attention. Conventional it ain’t. Its looks are likely to polarise opinion, but it stands out in the current crop of dual-cabs.

The Tasman is a big deal for Kia — and for Hyundai, thanks to the companies’ shared lineage. Utes are big business in Australia, with multiple dual-cabs models regularly among the top-selling new vehicles each month.

Kia and Hyundai have held strong top-five positions in Australian new car sales without the need for utes, so the Tasman and an inevitable Hyundai counterpart will mark a major shift for both brands Down Under. For BYD, already one of the fastest-growing brands in the Australian marketplace, the Shark 6 delivers an opportunity to attract buyers it’s never engaged.

If the BYD Shark 6 is mechanically innovative, the Kia Tasman takes a more traditional approach — at least for now, though hybrid and EV versions are likely to follow. Underneath, the Kia’s LEGO-like exterior conceals specs that closely match those of the Ranger and HiLux.

Under the hood is a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine like the one powering the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe, with options for a six-speed manual or eight-speed auto. Suspension is independent in the front, with a leaf-sprung live axle rear setup — again, typical ute fare.

This conventional suspension configuration gives Tasman a 3500kg braked towing capacity, a standard in the Australian ute market. Meanwhile, BYD has already flagged plans to increase the Shark 6’s initial 2500kg towing rating.

Where the Tasman falls slightly behind in comparison is its power and torque outputs. Peak power is just 154kW with peak torque at 441Nm. This is adequate but won’t be a major selling point for Kia. Fuel consumption for the Kia is competitive at a claimed 7.6L/100km.

Here’s where the plug-in BYD has a distinct edge (if you charge the battery regularly). The BYD Shark 6’s official fuel consumption is 2.0L/100km, thanks to the way plug-in hybrids are measured. Real-world use will likely yield fuel consumption similar to Kia's if the battery isn’t charged regularly.

BYD claims an EV-only range of 100km for the Shark 6. You’ll likely get around 75km depending on load and driving style, making it feasible to commute daily without burning a drop of fuel. The V2L (vehicle-to-load) capability allows you to power or charge tools directly from the ute’s tray. Electrified utes like the Shark 6 will change the game for tradies.

With over 4,000 sales of the SHARK 6 to date (27 November 2024), Australia’s first PHEV Ute is already on its way to Australia and will be delivered in late January 2025.

Kia hasn’t announced pricing for the Tasman dual-cab, and likely won’t until closer to its launch in late 2025. For now, the Tasman will only be available in diesel but three variants will be offered: base, X-Line, and X-Pro. Kia will aim for competitive pricing within the established dual-cab market, where buyers are known for their loyalty to proven models.

For now, the BYD Shark 6 is offered in a single, well-equipped model. Early 2025 may see the arrival of other electrified utes, with GWM expected to launch a plug-in version of its Cannon Alpha.

Both new utes are set to appeal to both urban and traditional ute buyers. Kia has a dedicated following in Australia, built on a reputation for long warranty periods, reliability, and refined on-road manners. It remains among the few brands prioritising local suspension and steering tuning.

The BYD Shark 6’s advanced tech and electrified drivetrain will appeal to buyers looking for a unique take on the work-to-weekend vehicle or family trickster. So, two new utes. Two new choices. And there's more to come in the land where too many utes is just enough.

Read the full article Kia Tasman vs. BYD Shark 6: Which Ute Should You Buy? on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

The first of a new generation of Jaguars will be unveiled in concept form in Miami on 2 December 2024. In the meantime, the storied British luxury car maker has released its new brand identity.

To say the response has been mixed is charitable at best… The vast majority of reactions to the new branding, which utilises bold primary colours, bespoke ‘Jaguar Exuberant’ font and mixed upper and lower case letters – just not in the order you’d expect – have been scathing…

We’ve let the (initial) dust settle since the branding and the fashion-focused video debuted on X and other social channels Tuesday night Australian time. Since then, there appear to be a (few) more positive voices emerging, but the jury remains firmly out.

Whether the brand will live or die will ultimately rest on the new models that are poised to take Jaguar into al all-electric age. The first of these, to be teased in Miami, arrives in showrooms in 2026 and is expected to be a four-door coupe akin to the Porsche Taycan. In the interim, all ICE Jaguars and the existing single EV model, i-PACE, will cease to exist. A special tranche of runout F-Type coupes is headed to Australian owners imminently.

But a brand misstep of significant proportions won’t help…

When it comes to branding and marketing, everyone’s an expert. However, we consulted Australian brand and advertising expert Adam Ferrier to give us an informed opinion.

Ferrier founded leading agencies Thinkerbell and MSIX. He is a consumer psychologist, innovator, podcast host, general all-around comms, and marketing guru.

To put it kindly, he’s not convinced the rebrand is on point.

“I think it's incomprehensible both in terms of its content and also why they'll do such a thing. [But] we have to be careful that we're judging everything here on a three-minute teaser video”

Ferrier told DMARGE

“There could be some sense that unfolds, but at the moment it doesn't look like there is.”

Ferrier believes there’s significant equity in the existing Jaguar brand. He suggests – for now – the change is muddying the waters.

“It's very, very hard to reposition a brand. To reposition something in the minds of consumers takes a lot of effort and is normally done incrementally. What they've tried to do is say the Jaguar brand used to stand for British elegance, and now it's going to stand for God knows what? By repositioning it in such a drastic way, they're just confusing [new] consumers. It will make people feel uncomfortable driving a Jaguar because they're not sure what it is that Jaguar says about them."

“Jaguar has got a really strong brand, both positive and negative. Unreliability would be part of it, a bit of inconsistency, but also British elegance would be part of it. Design would be part of it. Speed would be part of it. So even for new customers going in there, there's still this kind of old heritage of what Jaguar is about. And then they're [Jaguar] promising not to be anything that anyone else is, but not quite saying what they are... It's a really confusing mishmash of messages.

“If they're going to be this drastic. They're almost better off just scrapping the Jaguar brand and starting again with a clean slate. But that in itself is ridiculous because it's so expensive to build a brand.”

Ferrier agrees that Jaguar could potentially walk the extreme positioning back post-Miami.

“You can pretend to do something and then do something reasonable. And you could be doing that to try to jolt customer perceptions and say be prepared for something different. And that could just be almost a faux repositioning video they've put out there. And then they can do something more aligned with all the positive attributes of the brand. If that's the case, then fine. They've got everyone's attention. They've got everyone talking. It could be marketing genius,” he stated

He suggests that Volvo is a brand which Jaguar could learn from.

“A good evolution of their positioning [could be] something like Volvo, which used to stand for safety. Then they did their sponsorships, Twilight series and they just worked hard and then they kind of redefined their models a little bit to make them more contemporary… But they didn't lose the essence of what the brand was about… [and] They were able to completely contemporize the brand and rejuvenate it without throwing the baby out with the bath water.”

Automotive commentators have roundly criticised Jaguar’s repositioning. Unsurprisingly, there’s been significant commentary on the brand’s own social channels – much of it countered by Jaguar moderators who seem to us to be trying just a little too hard.

Congratulations. You’ve killed a British icon.

Jaguar deleted all of its past posts on its Instagram account and just two new posts remain – the controversial video and a partial rear view of what we believe to be the new super-GT four-door.

The brand has also see-sawed on removing and reinstating commentary on its social channels from consumers since Tuesday night.

cd3294 commented on the video post: “Congratulations. You’ve killed a British icon”. At the time of writing, that had attracted almost 24,000 likes.

The sentiments are more positive in the post showing the Miami concept.

While this writer is no fan of Elon Musk, the Tesla founding billionaire arguably hit the nail on the head via X when, based on the new Jaguar brand video, he commented: “Do you sell cars?”

Effectively, the junior partner in the Jaguar Land Rover group, Jaguar is owned by the India-based Tata Group.

It has been moribund in most markets for the last decade after a series of unsuccessful new model launches and a tarnished brand reputation.

In 2023 it sold just over 64,000 cars globally. In Australia, just 650 new Jaguars have found homes YTD October 2024. Many of those registrations are company fleets and/or demos.

Yikes.

During the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards last month, Santino Pietrosanti, UK Brand Director at Jaguar Land Rover, hinted at the brand’s forthcoming rebrand, describing it as part of the company’s ongoing “transformative journey.”

“We’re embarking on a transformation of our own, rooted in a commitment to diversity, inclusion, creativity, policy, and—most importantly—action,” Pietrosanti shared. “We’ve established over 15 DEI groups, including Pride, represented here tonight, and Women in Engineering and Neurodiversity Matters.”

He continued, “We’ve introduced significant policy changes, such as our ‘transitioning at work’ initiative, to foster equity and support our communities. At Jaguar Land Rover, individuality is our superpower.”

If you take note of Santino's attire in the evening, it could have been a clue as to what was coming from him and his brand team.

Yes, quite possibly. Even if it wasn't meant to be a PR stunt, the brand could possibly wind the woke back and pitch this as one big elaborate PR campaign.

They may come out after the car's reveal in Miami with a big 'surprise'; the next stop they accept is the PR Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions next year.

You heard it here first; this whole thing could be a clever ruse. But then again, Santino's outfit says otherwise. Watch this space.

Read the full article Jaguar New Logo Disaster Signals A Falling Automotive Icon, Undone By Unnecessary Wokeness on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

Imagine you bought a car on the basis of its racetrack performance and then it didn't have any… The same Chinese hyper EV that last month claimed a Nürburgring lap record had broken the internet thanks to broken brakes. Well, sort of…

The car in question is the Xiaomi SU7. A high-performance sports sedan, the SU7 is the headline model from a Chinese company that is better known for making smartphones than fast cars.

In October, the Xiaomi SU7 set a new four-door lap "record". Now, even Chinese auto bloggers have turned on Xiaomi, saying the car is too dangerous to take to the track. The truth is probably somewhere in between... The devil, as often is the case, is in the detail.

The record details first... Located in the northwest of Germany, the Nurburgring Nordschleife racetrack has legendary status.

'The Ring' hosts iconic race events but is most commonly known — in the last few decades at least — as providing the venue for benchmark lap times for fast cars. The fastest hot hatch, the fastest supercar, the fastest SUV, the fastest racing car... You get the idea. Various brands run their various models around the track (also known as the Die Grüne Hölle – The Green Hell) and use the lap times as bragging rights in advertising and other ventures.

It's a slippery slope, literally and figuratively. The track is long and treacherous. The record attempts themselves are similarly slippery — often mired in controversy (just ask Lamborghini) and bring up all sorts of awkward questions: What really constitutes a production car? Where was the lap time measured? What tyres or fuel was used etc, etc… But let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Hence the arrival at The Ring of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype in October. And pay attention to that suffix, Ultra. The Ultra is an experimental version of the already rapid SU7. Xiaomi claims the tri-motor EV sedan packs over 1140kW (1548hp) and can accelerate 0-100km/h in 1.98sec on the way to a top speed of 350km/h. Says the carmaker:

"Xiaomi SU7 Ultra also comes with a peak chassis system tuned for the Nürburgring Nordschleife, delivering better chassis control and a higher control ceiling. As a four-door 'race car' it is track-ready straight from the factory. In addition, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra offers multiple upgrades in smart driving, smart cockpit, safety and luxury experience."

Xiaomi Press Release

Xiaomi intends to sell the Ultra as a full-production car in 2025... Orders are open, and the cost in China is set at 814,900 yuan – about $A173,000. On October 28, with Ring specialist and Nurburgring 24 winner Briton David Pittard at the wheel, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype duly set a new "record" for a production sedan at a very, very rapid 6min 46.874sec. The video makes for compelling viewing... and the time is properly rapid – and not just in sedan or EV terms.

It's as fast as the fastest Porsche 911 production model. The next fastest four-door time we can find is one set in 2017 by current Supercar driver and Bathurst 1000 winner, Richie Stanaway, in a purpose-built Prodrive Subaru WRX STI Type RA NBR Special at 6min 57.578sec. Back then Richie raced Aston Martins…

However, perhaps the most (in)famous four-door 'record' is that of the Tesla Model S Plaid Track Package set in June 2023. That record attempt (Tesla had a couple of goes) played its part in a tit-for-tat spat with Porsche for four-door production car bragging rights. The Plaid's time of 7min 25.231sec was called out, having been set on non-road-legal rubber.  Porsche has since reset what it claims as the four-door record earlier this year with its Taycan Turbo GT on the right tyres at 7min 7.55sec.

In both cases, the SU7 Ultra has a margin of at least 20sec... A lifetime when it comes to lap pace… FYI: look out Porsche – the Chinese brand says it is committed to going back in 2025 with a proper production SU7 Ultra and dotting the i's.

Fast forward to the track testing of the fastest ACTUAL production Xiaomi SU7 – it's dubbed the SU7 Max... Note Max, not Ultra… What's very clear is a standard Xiaomi SU7 is far from the track-ready mega-sedan its brand advertising and (especially) its Ultra counterpart purports it to be…

With around 495kW, the Xiaomi SU7 Max might be 600kW shy of the Ultra but still outpowers many (most?) of the fastest cars sold Down Under today – electric and ICE. The maker claims it can accelerate to 100 in under 3.0sec. Go is not the problem... Whoa is…

A video from Chinese auto influencer Tang Zho Liao Che highlighted the SU7 Max's braking issues, crashing at the Shanghai Tianma circuit after complete brake failure. Fellow Chinese auto commentator Director Xiong also posted a video describing how a number of SU7s had failed in a similar manner... Not mincing words, Xiong says taking the SU7 on the track is dangerous.

Despite claims from Xiaomi that its SU7 outperforms Porsche Taycan, the SU7 Max's braking hardware and technology have a long way to go to match the powertrain. In fact, photos of the Xiaomi SU7 Max's brakes clearly show despite the oversized Brembo callipers, the pads themselves are tiny – far smaller than you'd expect on a 2000kg-plus vehicle capable of the performance near-500kW delivers.

The whole tale has now escalated to an attack on the veracity of a host of claims Xiaomi makes for the SU7, including reduced range, poor automated emergency braking and crash structure performance. Xiaomi has since issued a statement, explaining that the SU7 Max is not meant for track use.  Perhaps the brand's legal and PR departments aren't talking... Excuse me, about that Nürburgring trip…

Okay, we've been a little unkind picking on Xiaomi for the shortcomings of its standard SU7, but it's instructional to understand that just because a car shares a badge doesn't always mean it shares the potential or credentials. The 6min 48sec lap time, on the face of it, remains a serious accomplishment for a battery electric sedan.

At a time when Australia is expecting a flood of new car brands from China, it's probably fortunate that for now, Xiaomi has no plans to come Down Under. Meantime, for no other reason than this is another amazing video to watch, it's worth understanding that fast, even 1500hp fast, is a relative term. The current fastest time at the Nurburgring is almost one and half minutes faster than the SU7 Ultra — 5min 19.546sec.

In the spirit of equal opportunity, that time was set not by an EV but by a hybrid. A Porsche, but a hybrid all the same…

Read the full article Chinese Xiaomi Hypercar Nürburgring Record Ruined By Brake Failure Safety Concerns on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!

It’s called the Yangwang U8, and it might just be the coolest 4x4 this side of a G-Wagen. YangWang is the prestige arm of Chinese brand BYD — think Lexus to Toyota or Audi to Volkswagen. The YangWang U8 is positioned as the brand’s alternative to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and Range Rover Autobiography, with a price tag in China to match. This, along with our list of 12 Chinese car bands coming soon to Australia proves that not everything from the world’s most populous nation is cheap and cheerful!

The U8 is as big as a Range Rover — and it has the performance credentials to match. This range-extended electric SUV features a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine… Meh, right? But wait — there’s more. The engine solely charges the battery. So, even though it’s rated at just 200kW, thanks to four electric motors (one for each wheel), the U8 puts out closer to 900kW and 1300Nm to the road.

That means this luxurious five-seater can go from 0-100km/h in just 3.6 seconds — a full second faster than the AMG-tuned G-Wagen and even its upcoming electric G580 counterpart. The four-motor setup also allows it to perform a "tank turn," rotating the wheels in opposite directions on either side of the vehicle to spin in its own length.

And if tank turns are becoming a little too common for your liking (it’s even coming to Australia utes!), the Yangwang U8 has another trick up its sleeve – swimming.

Fording depth is a common boast of off-roaders — it’s the amount of water the car can cope with when crossing a river or similar. The U8 not only betters most at 1000mm (or 1400mm for the Off-road Master Edition variant Yangwang says will join the standard U8), it goes the extra mile. 

If you stray into deeper water, emergency floatation mode is activated. Among the various functions it activates, the U8 automatically closes the windows and opens the sunroof to provide an escape hatch. The vehicle’s onboard computer even displays the water depth.

Yangwang says the U8 will float for 30 minutes and driving the car as normal will deliver around 3km/h of forward motion. You’re not going to escape bridge or tunnel tolls but it should be enough to get you out of trouble.

In normal use, you’ll be pampered by lashings of nappa leather and entertained across six oversize screens: 600mm each for driver and passenger; a 300mm centre screen and individual screens for the two outboard rear occupants. Oh, and did we mention there’s tech to make almost the whole windscreen an augmented reality head-up display?

What do we care? The big news is that a right-hand-drive Yangwang U8 has been spotted near one of BYD’s production facilities in China. That’s the clearest indication yet that the U8 is headed for Australia and other RHD markets like the UK. A left-hand-drive U8 made a surprise appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year.

The U8 represents the peak of Chinese SUV design right now. But right now big, bold, square styling seems to be the new black for SUVs with off-road ambitions, no matter where they come from.

INEOS has revived Land Rover Defender-like lines with its debut Grenadier, and the all-new Lexus GX is catching the eye of buyers who previously barely noticed Toyota’s premium brand. Even before outfitters get their hands on the GX, it already looks properly tough. With big wheels and a lift kit, it’s the business. The GX will also arrive Down Under soon as the new-generation Prado. It’ll sell like hot cakes and the waiting list is already growing.

So, back to the U8… How long will you have to wait to show off your Yangwang Down Under? Local BYD sources are optimistic about the brand’s potential, but they haven’t provided specifics yet. Our sources in China, however, suggest a YangWang launch in Australia by 2026.

Read the full article BYD’s Yangwang U8 Is Coming Down Under on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!