Car News

BYD's answer to the Kia Carnival is coming to Australia.The BYD M9 plug-in hybrid is due to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year as a new electrified people mover option for buyers.The M9 will directly tackle the conventional hybrid- and diesel-powered Kia Carnival ($54,560, before on-road costs), sporting very similar dimensions.The M9 is BYD’s second people mover put on sale in Australia, following the arrival of the Denza D9 from the brand’s luxury division earlier this year.The M9 name comes from BYD’s Chinese ride-sharing and taxi services sub-brand Linghui.It also shares its underpinnings with the luxury-focused Xia DM-i people mover. It will be available in ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Premium’ grades, initially as a seven-seater that includes second-row captains chairs, before an eight-seater variant arrives afterwards. The front wheels are driven by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and electric motor, but BYD has not revealed output figures yet. In China the engine produces 115kW, while an electric motor adds a further 200kW. It will be equipped with either a 20.4kWh or 36.6kWh battery, offering 145km of electric-only driving range and a total range figure of 850km, according to WLTP standards. BYD confirmed the car will have DC charging capacity and vehicle-to-load capacity so devices can be powered directly from the car. Inside the car is available with heated and ventilated front and second row seats, as well as ‘near’ zero gravity adjustability. BYD has not confirmed a specific launch date, other than it will be in the fourth quarter of this year. The brand will also reveal pricing in Q4 and it is expected to be competitive with the established pack. It will certainly be cheaper than the Denza D9 starting from $95,990, while hybrid variants of the Kia Carnival kick off from $68,540. 

Chinese appliance and electronics company Dreame is abandoning its electric car business only a year after it announced it.As reported by Car News China, the automotive division of Dreame at its peak employed around 1000 people.However, over the last few months there have reportedly been a steady number of layoffs.Internal sources reportedly suggest that Dreame’s car business was more about marketing and fundraising for the brand, rather than actual manufacturing ambitions.They reportedly also claimed the company was required to secure funding before research and development (R&D) budgets were allocated.Additionally one former employee reportedly noted Dreame used high salaries and inflated titles to draw and poach talent from established carmakers."As part of a broader strategic refocus, Dreame has restructured its automotive activities and moved relevant technology, research and resources away from a standalone commercial rollout," said a Dreame Australia spokesperson."This reflects a decision to concentrate investment and resources on the areas where Dreame sees the strongest opportunities for sustainable growth and innovation."Dreame has great respect for the complexity of the automotive industry. While we remain proud of the technologies and concepts explored through the automotive program, we believe focusing our resources on our established and emerging technology categories is the right decision for the business at this stage."Dreame's global strategy is centred on four core pillars: smart home, outdoor and garden, smart mobility, and embodied AI."For Australia and New Zealand, this change does not impact Dreame's existing operations, retail partnerships or product roadmap across its core home technology categories. Our ANZ business continues to grow, and we remain committed to investing in the products, people and partnerships that have established Dreame as a leading technology brand in the region."Innovation remains fundamental to Dreame, but so does making disciplined decisions about where we focus our resources. Our priority is continuing to develop technology that delivers meaningful value to consumers and supports Dreame's long-term growth."Dreame first announced its car business back in August 2025. It had shown a single electric hypercar concept, the Nebula Next 01 concept, even in Australia.The Chinese brand had plans to launch in Australia within 12 to 18 months and it would be the first right-hand-drive market for the company.Initially Dreame was launching a “family” of electric SUVs, as well as potentially an electric passenger car (sedan or hatchback).Few official details about these Dreame EVs are known, but they were set to feature the brand’s solid-state battery technology. This would have been a world-first if it came to fruition.Dreame is a Chinese appliance and electronics company that was founded in 2017 and currently sells a range of robotic and stick vacuum cleaners, among other beauty care and technological gadgets in Australia.It’s similar to Xiaomi, which started as a technology company. However, unlike Dreame, Xiaomi actually produces cars.Dreame isn’t the first vacuum cleaner company to abandon car production plans. British vacuum cleaner company Dyson famously abandoned its plans back in 2019.With Dreame reportedly abandoning its car business, it’s now focusing on its core business lines, including vacuum cleaners, robotic lawnmowers, two-wheeled EVs, as well as its ‘Magic Atom’ robots.Despite reportedly abandoning its car business, Dreame is still planning an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong.

Genesis has just revealed its most luxurious car yet and it has used it as a statement to show it’s a cut above Chinese carmakers.Speaking with CarsGuide, Genesis Australia Head of Sales Operations Lachlan McColl explained that the South Korean carmaker is a closer rival to Range Rover and Rolls-Royce than Chinese luxury brands like XPeng or Zeekr.“Chinese manufacturers have made a significant impact on the Australian … in the last three, four or five years really since it started to come on quite significantly.”“When I do look at that, it’s one of the more mainstream cars.“If you look at a vehicle in isolation, then I think maybe you could potentially compare vehicles together. I think we offer so much more than that, though.“It’s not just about a piece of metal. It’s about we know our customers like cars that say certain things about them. It’s about achieving certain statuses in life stages.“At the moment, I don’t feel that the Chinese are quite there with having that brand perception. I think that’s one of the challenges that we’ve had as well.“If we look at those, the Europeans and the British, for example, that have up to 100 years of brand history and credibility and reliability and equity that they’ve built, we are in the process of building that.“I think the Chinese have started with that,” added McColl.McColl also noted that while the Chinese luxury carmakers offer a more compelling value proposition, the Genesis brand attracts a different type of customer.They are the type of people that are moving from brands like Bentley, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Porsche.The Genesis GV90 is the South Korean carmaker’s new flagship and is an all-electric rival to the Mercedes-Maybach EQS and the forthcoming Range Rover Electric.It will launch in Australia in the first half of 2027 and while official details are yet to be finalised, it’s understood that the flagship Neolun version may cost around $250,000, making it the most expensive Genesis model yet.The GV90 features two new world-first features: coach doors with a hidden B-pillar that allow for one large opening when the front and rear doors are open, as well as a roof airbag that’s designed to deploy during roll-over accidents and protect occupants from being ejected through the sunroof.Two versions are set to be available – the GV90 and GV90 Neolun – both powered by a dual-electric motor set-up with total system outputs of 490kW and 800Nm.The electric motors are fed by a 123.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is the largest fitted to any Hyundai Motor Group EV to date. It allows for up to 500km of range, depending on the configuration, according to internal testing.

Tesla has recalled nearly three million cars in China in the country's biggest recall ever.This recall impacts flush door handles on more than four million cars from not just Tesla but Geely, Xiaomi and XPeng, too.Flush door handles became popular in part thanks to Tesla. Some only pop out when required, as opposed to conventional handles, which can always be used.The trend took off in China, and features on many cars built in the country now.They have now been found to be a serious safety concern following several incidents globally, with this recall the latest step to curb risk.This recall has been brought about by two fatal Xiaomi crashes in China, among many other incidents.The two Xiaomi incidents are suspected to have been caused by power failures preventing car doors from being able to be opened.Tesla accepted in a statement that interior door handles are “difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the interior trim.”“In extreme situations such as a severe collision causing the vehicle's low-voltage system to fail, this could hinder occupants from quickly opening the doors to escape and impede rescue efforts by those outside the vehicle, posing a safety hazard,” the statement continued.Recalled vehicles will be fitted with a physical warning label on the interior door and receive a software update to automatically lower the windows in a crash.The Chinese government passed legislation to ban flush door handles earlier this year that will kick in from 1 January 2027. Cars will only be allowed to be sold in China if they have a mechanical release inside and outside. It’s not just China where flush door handles are of concern. The BBC reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States have anecdotes of the door handles not working and leaving children trapped in cars. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is Australia's vehicle safety watchdog.ANCAP’s Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg told CarsGuide earlier this year the body would stick with its current review cycle, but still monitor design developments across all markets. ANCAP recently introduced its 2026 protocols with a bigger focus on preventing crashes rather than just impact testing.The banning of flush door handles will be felt around the world, including Australia, where many cars built in China are sold, both from Chinese and international brands.New cars imported from China to Australia will no longer feature flush door handles from 2027.

Volkswagen has officially revealed a new small pick-up for Latin American markets ahead of it launching initially in Brazil in the first half of 2027.The Volkswagen Tukan is built on the MQB platform, like the T-Cross, and is available in both single- and dual-cab configurations.However, unlike all other Volkswagen Group vehicles on the MQB platform to date, the Tukan swaps coil-sprung rear suspension for leaf springs, which are known for their higher payload capacity.At this stage Volkswagen hasn’t officially the payload or towing capacity figures for the new Tukan.The Volkswagen Tukan replaces the Saveiro which in outgoing form dates back to 2009 and is based on the third-generation Golf. However, the Saveiro nameplate dates all the way back to 1982.Two versions of the Tukan have been shown off so far. An entry-level, single-cab Robust trim, as well as a flagship dual-cab Extreme trim.All versions have LED headlights and tail-lights, aggressive and blocky design elements, as well as Tukan embossed into the tailgate.The entry-level Robust trim can be identified with its black plastic front bumper and black steel wheels, whereas the top-spec Extreme trim has a body-colour front bumper, alloy wheels, a sports bar and a tonneau cover. The latter is also finished in a signature Canary Yellow exterior paint.At this stage Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed exactly what will power the Tukan.However, given Volkswagen has said this new ute will be based on the T-Cross, it’s likely power will either come from a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder or 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.There will likely also be manual and dual-clutch automatic transmission options.Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed whether there will be an all-wheel drive option, so it’s likely that it’ll be front-wheel drive only.At this stage Volkswagen has only confirmed the new Tukan will be offered (and built) in Latin American markets. Brazil will be the first market it’ll launch in during the first half of 2027.Given this, it’s unclear whether Volkswagen will produce the Tukan in right-hand drive. It never made the Saveiro in right-hand drive.The only Volkswagen ute currently offered in Australia is the Amarok dual-cab, which shares its platform with the Ford Ranger.A new version of the Amarok is set to launch in Latin America soon and it’s understood to be based on the same platform as the LDV Terron 9/MG U9.It’s worth noting the Ranger-based Amarok has never been offered in that market and a heavily facelifted version of the original Amarok continues to be on sale there.

Suzuki has revealed its tiny electric e-Sky kei car and confirms its arrival in the United Kingdom, opening the door to its possible arrival in Australia to rival the Honda Super- One EV.The Suzuki e-Sky was first shown in concept form at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show and the production version has barely changed apart from the LED lighting across the front of the car.Suzuki hasn’t fully revealed the e-Sky’s specifications yet but Japanese media are reporting it will have a single electric motor and a range of up to 310km.At just 3395mm end to end the four-door e-Sky is Suzuki’s first electric kei car.Japan’s kei cars have a passionate global cult following. Loved for being so little, cute and boxy, kei cars have their diminutive proportion due to Japan’s push for low-cost, space efficient transportation after World War II. Now these tiny vehicles are given tax exemptions in Japan as long as they meet size and power output regulations. The maximum length of a kei can be 3.4m long, and so the Suzuki e-Sky just qualifies. Honda’s Super-One, however, is 3580mm in length and so isn’t technically a kei car, although the brand says it is “kei-car inspired."The Suzuki e-Sky has been confirmed for the UK and will arrive there next year. This is a good sign for Australia because it confirms right-hand drive markets outside of just Japan.However, Australia is not a big consumer of tiny cars and not even as much of a fan of just small cars as the UK is and while there’s a healthy fanbase here in Australia for kei-cars such as the Honda N-Box, most are imported privately.Still CarsGuide has put in a call to Suzuki Australia to see if the e-sky might be considered for local release. Suzuki Australia has yet to respond to our inquiry.As for how much it would cost? Well in the UK the e-Sky is  expected to come in under A$40,000, although most cars sold in both Australia and the UK are more affordable here.In Australia one of the smallest and cheapest electric cars is the BYD Atto 1 which is 3.99m long and lists for $23,990, while the Honda Super-One which is set to arrive in Australia imminently and is more direct competition for the Suzuki is priced from $36,900 drive-away.Suzuki has just one electric car in its Australian range - the e Vitara. The e Vitara is a battery electric version of Suzuki’s popular small SUV and starts from $49,990 drive-away. 

XPeng has confirmed it will not only honour all offers made by previous importer TrueEV, but it will also extend its warranty to every G6 already sold into the Australian market.The factory-backed XPeng entity, which has been involved in a legal stoush with TrueEV for some time, has now made the commitment to existing owners to address ‘uncertainty’ created from its legal proceedings.XPeng says it will review documents surrounding various promotional offers made by True EV prior to the discontinuation of its distribution agreement and subsequent legal proceedings.This includes the much-reported $5000 cashback promotional offer, which many G6 buyers have yet to receive, a confirmation of an extended promotional 10-year warranty offering, complementary scheduled maintenance offers, as well as other “miscellaneous promotional and campaign offers”.The brand encourages any existing XPeng owners to contact it directly. It says cases will be reviewed individually and the company will “work with customers to reach an appropriate outcome”.The company says it has expanded its customer support team to handle enquiries “promptly”.XPeng says it will extend its factory-backed seven-year and unlimited kilometre warranty to all existing G6 vehicles purchased through TrueEV or any of its authorised dealers. The warranty will be as per the new factory-backed operation’s warranty documentation.The seven-year warranty is limited to 160,000km for commercial use, while the high-voltage battery, battery management system and drive motor unit is covered by a separate eight-year and 160,000km warranty.The paint is covered for five years and unlimited kilometres and the anti-corrosion and rust warranty is seven years and unlimited kilometres.XPeng also added it was formalising its participation in the motor vehicle service and repair information sharing scheme, “supporting customer choice in where and how vehicles are serviced”.XPeng is expanding its factory-backed dealer network so that new and existing owners can service their vehicles at genuine workshops. The brand has 25 showrooms but plans to double this network to 50 in six months.During its stoush with its previous importer TrueEV, XPeng has come under criticism for leaving existing G5 owners in the lurch when it comes to parts, servicing, warranty claims, and promotional offers offered under the TrueEV arrangement.The new announcement should come as a relief to existing owners waiting for cashback, parts, or servicing, although the reality of XPeng’s roll-out of these promises remains to be seen.The company is forging ahead with a renewed plan for model launches, announcing it will add the L03 coupe small SUV to the range before the end of the year, alongside plans to launch the L05 mid-sizer as a more affordable alternative to the G6 and the G9L large SUV seemingly in place of previous plans to launch the standard G9 under the previous importer.The company also said it will launch range-extended models in 2027, and its new flagship GX large SUV will arrive at a later date.

Buyers will get their first official look at the much-anticipated Pajero 4WD next week. Mitsubishi has confirmed it will reveal the Pajero on the 2nd of September 2026. It comes after Japanese magazine BestCar exposed the reveal date late last month via a dealer source.Mitsubishi is expected to release more details about the Pajero at the reveal, including potentially initial pricing for the car.  The returning Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser competitor is scheduled to arrive in Australia later this year. Next week’s announcement will give buyers more information about what to expect. The Pajero will be primarily based on Mitsubishi’s Triton ute, riding on a sturdy ladder frame chassis.It is thought to also employ a 2.4-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 150kW and 470Nm in the Triton.This could be matched with a six-speed automatic transmission and will be supported by a rugged 'S-AWC' four-wheel drive system. The off-road ready S-AWC system also found on the Outlander PHEV includes four-wheel braking and torque vectoring.The Pajero will be offered in the same four trim levels as the Triton, which are the GLX, GLS, Exceed and GSR. Mitsubishi has further revealed a digital revision of its iconic triple analogue instrument meters found on previous generations of the Pajero.CarsGuide spied the Pajero undergoing testing in December last year, with the prototype showing off a blocky exterior and horizontal front grille design. Mitsubishi has not locked in an official launch date for the Pajero in Australia, but next week’s reveal will provide more clues. The new Pajero was approved for sale in Australia earlier this year, and is expected to arrive Down Under by November. Buyers can expect firm launch information in the next few weeks. 

Chery has confirmed it's adding another sub-brand to its growing arsenal in Australia.New adventure-focused iCaur brand will join Chery, Jaecoo, Omoda and Lepas in the carmaking giant’s local line-up. Chery will also likely launch Freelander and maybe Exceed in the next few years. Its Jetour off-roader brand will arrive later this year via a separate factory-backed entity.iCaur Australia boss Kate Gillis said Australians have a strong desire for vehicles that are practical, capable and good looking.“The V25 has been developed to meet those expectations while bringing a distinctive personality that will appeal to customers looking for something different,” said Gillis.The V25 features tough-looks with light off-roading ability.The company confirmed it will launch early in 2027, with the V25 the first model to join the line-up. It will go head-to-head with the Denza B5 and Subaru Forester in Australia and Toyota LandCruiser FJ in other markets.iCaur Australia hasn’t revealed any details for the V25, but specs have emerged in China.A filing to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last month showed the V25 is an extended range hybrid (EREV).An EREV uses the petrol engine just to charge the sizable battery, with only electric motors driving the wheels. This gives it the driving benefits of an EV but without the range anxiety.It uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 115kW, and a 33.68kWh battery delivers an electric driving range of up to 150km albeit under the more lenient CLTC test cycle.According to the MIIT’s details, the V25 is 4636mm long, 1920mm wide, 1855mm tall, has a 1820mm wheelbase and has a track width of 1635mm at the front, 1642mm at the rear.Overhangs of 736mm at the front and 1080mm at the rear are also quoted, though an approach angle of 28 degrees and a departure angle of 24 degrees have also been reported.In China iCaur has the V23 and V27. The V23 is an electric SUV that uses a single electric motor to make 155kW and 292Nm. It is paired with a circa 82kWh battery that delivers a driving range of up to 430km. It can only charge at a max 104kW via a DC charger.The V27 is a bigger, chunkier tough-looking SUV, which uses an extended range hybrid set-up.A 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine charges the 34.3kWh battery, with power coming from a pair of electric motors driving each axle, which combine for 335kW and 505Nm.

Car makers are always coming up with new features in the name of making our driving time more comfortable, convenient or safe but sometimes the result is the opposite.Yep, as car reviewers there’s a list of well known, very annoying features that we could really do without.So here’s a quick collection of the most annoying new car features... and please feel free to add your own to this never ending list. Massive glass roofs look amazing in a car dealer’s showroom but on the road during an Australian summer they make you feel like a rotisserie chicken - not to mention the dangers of sun exposure in this part of the world. Thankfully some roofs have retractable shades and some have decently thick ones to cut down the light and heat. The Tesla Model Y has an expansive fixed glass roof and no screen to shield its occupants from that furnace in the sky.This sounds super irresponsible to anybody who hasn't experienced the nightmarish intrusiveness of modern safety alerts that are supposedly designed to reduce speeding and distraction, but trust us..We’re talking about speed warning alarms, which activate at 2km/h over the posted speed limit (often falsely), distraction alerts that are triggered by the driver looking out for pedestrians and overly aggressive lane keeping assistance that feels like a sudden arm wrestle. The systems in our opinion become potentially a safety issue in themselves.Kia and Hyundai have been criticised in the past especially for over zealous safety alert systems, but pretty much every new car now has them - some worse than others.Do you know how many people used to say, “I wish my car’s door handles weren’t so easy to use, I want something that’s awkward and confusing to operate, something so flimsy it feels like it might snap off in my hand”? I’ll tell you - nobody.With the advent of electric vehicles came door handles that retracted flush with the car’s body to improve aerodynamics and in turn energy efficiency, which is all very good but it came at the price of functionality. Is it really necessary - I mean you can’t tell me regular door handles create that much drag?  Possibly the worst door handles I’ve ever encountered are on the Cadillac Optic. They’re as thin as a pencil and make opening the Cadillac super heavy doors ridiculously difficult.Another case of re-inventing something that wasn’t broken, the camera wing mirror is more a case of car designers saying "look at what we can do" rather than actually improving upon the simplicity and effectiveness of a piece of shiny glass.Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Gensis GV60 can be had with camera mirrors - yeah, no thanks!Can’t wait for my bathroom mirror to be replaced by a camera and a screen.Anyone that’s needed to get something from the boot in a hurry because it's raining but had to stand there getting soaked waiting for the electric tailgate to slowly open, will tell you that it would have been quicker to open it themselves. And as for the gesture tailgates that require a swoosh with your foot top open - they seem to work about 50 per cent of the time.  An all-time low for me and gesture tailgates was when I was trying to take a Christmas tree out from the boot of a Mazda CX-70 and somehow my moving foot told it to start shutting without me realising it until it closed down on me. The car basically ate me alive. Car companies have tried to integrate digital assistants into their cars to carry out functions such as opening the windows or lowering the cabin temperature.The problem is getting the voice assistant to listen to you, understand you or even do anything is almost impossible which is a lot like being the parent of a teenager.Myself and the rest of the motoring media are to blame for encouraging car companies to do away with easy-to-use buttons and dials and move all the functions to a screen that forces the driver to step through three pages of a menu just to turn the climate control down. Yes, for years we praised cabins with “minimalist interiors” and “cleanly designed, button-less dash boards”. Well careful what you wish for, because now all I want is a knob for the stereo volume.  The Geely EX5 has a very cleanly designed button-less dash, which isn't a good thing after all.Some cars play little musical greetings when you sit down in the driver's seat. I find these as enjoyable to listen to as those birthday cards that play songs.As with door handles and wing mirrors, steering wheels never needed re-inventing but again and again car companies try to do so. Peugeot, Subaru and Geely have dabbled with not-round steering wheels but the worst we've seen is possibly the yoke in the new Lexus RZ550e F Sport. Seriously car companies - stop it. Ok there’s so many more features I loathe but let's end on a really good one - tyre puncture repair kits. These usually involve a small compressor and canister of goo which is used to fill a flat tyre sealing the puncture and have you on your way.Sounds great, but it isn't. I’ve been on the side of the road in the bush with a puncture and used the repair kit only to watch all the good squirt out through the hole in my tyre sealing nothing but my opinions on how useless these devices can be.