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Fresh from confirming Lepas (Q4 2026), iCaur (Q2 2027) and Freelander (est 2027) would be landing in Australia in the near future, Chery Auto has been forced to defend its position of rolling out yet more sub-brands.Chery's response? The one-size-fits-all approach historically used by legacy car-makers is outdated.Zhang Guibing, President of Chery International, addressed complaints of potential customer confusion by comparing his carmaker to the fashion industry that has also spun off niche brands tailored for different consumers."When you look ten years ago at Toyota or Volkswagen, with one model they could sell many units. But today it is very difficult for one model to have the same meaning," said Chery's president."Today the customer is different. Even if the clothes are very beautiful, when too many people buy them, customers say they don't like to buy ."We are trying to use sub-brands to appeal to different customer groups," claimed Guibing, shortly after Chery announced that both the Lepas and Freelander brands would be introduced to Australia, where more than 68 different carmakers already operate.When asked if any of the Chery brands risked cannibalising each other’s sales, Guibing accepted there might be some overlap with Chery, Omoda or Jaecoo buyers but it was limited at best, because of the way the sub-brands were positioned."I couldn't say completely that there is no conflict."The brands understand the customers, their habits, the language they use and really understand what think. In this way we use the sub-brands to cover different customers," the Chery boss claimed, suggesting that each offering was unique, while the alternative price structures also helped prevent any poaching of sales within the group.Last year in Australia, sales of Chinese-made cars reached unprecedented highs after more than 250,000 were sold for the first time, ahead of Thai-built cars and utes, but despite some rival brands making bold statements of sales growth, Chery's regional boss Lewis Lu said that wouldn't be the Chinese carmaker's approach Down Under."Volume is not the first consideration," claimed Lu."We need to find a way to look after our customers, for a long-term perspective to help us get the right reputation."

One of the largest carmaker conglomerates in the world will focus its investments on its most popular and profitable brands, according to reports.News outlet Reuters spoke with five unnamed sources, who said Stellantis will be focusing on the Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and Ram brands moving forward.This will reportedly be announced in May as part of a new long-term strategic plan by current Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa.Stellantis currently has a total of 14 brands, including Alfa Romeo, Citroen and Maserati, among others. While it reportedly will be focusing its fundings on the aforementioned core brands, it doesn’t plan to shut down any of the other brands or palm them off to other companies.The lower-volume brands will reportedly instead receive funding to build models using the technology and platforms from either Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot or Ram. Rebadging certain models is another solution that’s reportedly under consideration.These brands will also become focused at specific markets where they are already performing well or have potential, according to the unnamed sources.Stellantis was founded in 2021 upon the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Groupe.This was headed by former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares who gave every brand funding for five years and said he would assess which brand would continue after the fact.Tavares resigned as CEO from Stellantis at the end of 2024 following falling share prices, large changes in operations and the decline of sales in key markets, including North America.He was succeeded by Antonio Filosa who was appointed as CEO in May 2025. Since then he has attempted to correct course and boost sales, especially in North America.However, last year Stellantis noted a net loss of €22.3 billion (~A$36.4 billion) in 2025 which is says was because of a decisive reset to align with customers and support profitable growth - a strategic shift to put customer preferences and freedom-of-choice back at the heart of the Company’s plans”.It has also revised its plans to roll out more internal-combustion (ICE) products, including resurrecting diesel powertrains, amid declining electric vehicle (EV) demand in certain markets.

The car Toyota is calling the “safest car” in its line-up has launched this month without an official safety rating from the nation’s independent vehicle safety authority.The 2026 Toyota RAV4, the new generation of not only the brand’s most popular car globally but the most popular passenger car in Australia, has launched without a rating from ANCAP (the Australasian New Car Assessment Program) after the brand was caught out by changing safety standards.Originally set for a late 2025 launch and designed to score full marks in ANCAP’s 2025 testing procedures, the RAV4 was delayed until 2026, which means a new set of testing criteria has been introduced.It means the car that’s got the best chance of turning Toyota’s rare sales dip is missing a key selling-point for not only private customers, but more crucially for commercial buyers including fleets that have requirements for five-star ANCAP ratings.The RAV4 will be updated later this year ahead of its eventual testing, with some changes to the car apparently needing to be physical to score top marks against new criteria. Toyota Product Planning Specialist Peter Phan wouldn’t reveal what the changes would be specifically, but said they would apply to “passive and active safety systems, but structurally the vehicle will not change”. The changes to the RAV4 later this year won’t be able to be retrofitted to cars already purchased.It means cars bought before the update will remain unrated, and customers will have no way to know if their RAV4 would actually achieve five stars under ANCAP’s testing.It’s an unusual move for ANCAP to agree to delay testing a new model, especially for one so popular, as it means thousands of new RAV4s will be untested.While Toyota’s new Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said the brand expects sales of the new-gen RAV4 to stay healthy despite the lagging safety rating. He said the brand will sell about 40,000 RAV4s in 2026.“Before we wholesaled the car, we had about 10,000 orders already taken,” Pappas told CarsGuide at the new generation RAV4’s launch.“So that gives us a good indication on the demand at that early point before actually launching it.”He said the lack of ANCAP rating isn’t as important as making sure customers are aware of the RAV4’s safety credentials.“The most important thing for us, first and foremost, is safety,” said Pappas.“This RAV vehicle, from a safety point of view, now becomes the safest car… in our line-up.“It's not only the safest RAV, but it's actually the safest car we've actually got in it from what it's got in it, from a package point of view. First car with the new multimedia, first car with the new Arene software, first car with Toyota Safety Sense 4.0.“For us, that's what's most important, because we know with these features and benefits in the vehicle, we know that customer safety is at that level.”Pappas added the brand is working closely with eventual customers of the RAV4 in the commercial sector, keeping them up to date with the progress and scheduling orders based on requirements for safety ratings.“With those fleets that have a five star ANCAP policy, we're working with those fleets very closely in terms of their orders, when they're placing their orders based on five-star. So we're very transparent. And that's what we do at Toyota, we're very transparent. “Number one is all about what safety is in the car. Number two, make sure we're transparent, and, you know, satisfy our customer.”Toyota seems extremely confident in the RAV4’s chances of achieving five stars under the new testing criteria, but with the update and testing yet to happen, we asked whether a four-star result would be unacceptable for Toyota.“It's not about four-star. It's about making sure that we satisfy what's important to our customer. That's what's important to us,” Pappas said.“And let's not forget, every single year, whether it's RAV, whether it's HiLux, whether it's another car, we have tech changes, we have minor changes, we have big changes.”While Pappas wouldn’t be drawn on how the brand would react to a result less than five stars, he implied Toyota’s regular updates to its models would address it as soon as possible.“And within those milestones, we always look at upgrading features and benefits on the car, whether it's safety, whether it's over-the-air updates, whether it's going to be aesthetic changes, whatever. “We continuously do that on every one of our cars. That's not new. So, yeah, later this year, there will be a tech change on RAV, but that's not new for us, yeah, and I just want to stress about the safety in the car.”

BYD's tough looking family SUV could be destined for Australia.The Titanium 7 or Ti7 is a similar size to the Toyota Prado, but its fully-electric set-up means it sits in a largely untapped space of the market. It is from BYD's FangChengBao sub-brand, which is sold wearing Denza badges locally, and spawned the B5 and B8 4WDs.There are also plug-in hybrid versions of the Ti7, which have a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine paired with either single or dual electric motors.This would be a more conventional rival to GWM Tank 300, which has been a popular choice in the Aussie market. The Tank 300 features a more rugged ladder frame chassis as opposed to the lifestyle-focused monocoque chassis on BYD’s example. It is expected this car would appear under the Denza sub-brand in Australia, following the launch of its B5 and B8 off-roaders recently.The Ti7 sits in between the B5 and the B8 in size, measuring at 4999mm long, 1995mm wide and 1865mm tall. Its wheelbase is 2920mm.Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact BYD has trademarked ‘Ti7’ Down Under, but there is no official news yet on its arrival. BYD Australia said the car is not currently on the brand's radar.The Ti7 comes in two variants which are a single electric motor rear-wheel drive, producing 300kW and a dual electric motor all-wheel drive, producing 515kW.Both models are fitted with a 106kWh battery, with the RWD offering 755km of driving range, while the AWD has 675km, both according to more generous CLTC testing standards. On the inside, there is a 15.6-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital driver display, along with a head-up display spanning 26.0-inches along the windscreen. It has a starting price of 220,000 yuan, which is roughly $45,000, but expect a bump on that figure if it ever makes its way to Australia. 

More details have been revealed about the new generation Mk9 electric Volkswagen Golf, with the car said to be “96 to 97 per cent done”. The main change on the new Golf is it will feature a fully-electric set-up as well as a combustion model. In an overseas interview, VW's Head of Technical Development Kai Grunitz said this means there will be two separate platforms for the new Golf. Electric versions of the Golf will be one of the first models to use the new Scalable Systems Platform. The platform is expected to offer super fast charging times and other performance improvements. According to the brand, the new generation Golf will draw inspiration from the iconic Mk4 design, praised for its sporty and sleek design at the time. The electric Golf will take on the Renault Megane E-Tech and a car from its sister brand, the Cupra Born. Combustion versions of the Golf will continue to battle the Hyundai i30 and the Mazda 3.The car remains a few years off an official launch, with tentative plans for 2028 or 2029. As for its potential in Australia, there are no details yet."We’re pleased to see the interest in the Mk9 Volkswagen Golf," a spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia said. "Volkswagen Australia continues to evaluate opportunities for the local market, however we’re not in a position to confirm local availability or timing for Australia at this stage."An electric Golf would have National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) benefits for the brand Down Under, given its Golf lineup currently is exclusively petrol powered. It is unclear what engine the new combustion Golf will be fitted with, but VW recently announced a plug-less hybrid version of the current generation.Its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motor set-up is a possibility for the Mk9.The Golf is currently on sale in Australia with a starting price of $39,290 (before on-road costs), rising to $71,990 (before on-road costs) for up-spec models.It comes with two engine choices, which are a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, producing 110kW and 250Nm, while high-performance variants get a 2.0-litre unit, pumping out up to 245kW and 420Nm. 

GWM has revealed further details about the coming Jolion Max for Australia.Due out in about October this year, the Max – as the suffix suggests – is a new, larger and roomier addition to the regular Jolion range, prioritising rear-seat passenger space as well as cargo capacity.To sit above the regular version in the small-SUV line-up, it will attempt to fill the void left by the redesigned H6 mid-sized SUV set for the first quarter of next year.Among other changes, the latter features increased body dimensions, more cabin space and a claimed step up in quality, prompting GWM to push prices up closer to direct rivals, including the Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-Trail.Taking the ruler out, the coming Max’s length is 4590mm, width is 1877mm, height is 1675mm and wheelbase is 2710mm, compared to the standard Jolion’s corresponding 4472mm, 1874mm, 1581mm and 2700mm measurements, respectively.The upcoming 2027 H6, meanwhile, offers 4780mm/1895mm/1730mm/2800mm, up from the current model’s 4653mm/1886mm/2738mm respectively.Interestingly, the Max has been on sale in China for some time as a more family-focused alternative to the regular version that launched in Australia in 2021.Whether the newcomer also offers a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine in the lower grades is yet to be announced. In China, the base Max makes 110kW of power and 220Nm of torque.GWM is pinning its hopes on the electrified versions, namely a 164kW/482Nm Max hybrid, 238kW/528Nm plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and 150kW/260Nm EV.All should help with some much-needed credits, as the entire industry faces increasingly stringent New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NEVS) regulations in the coming years.In China, the Max’s WLTP combined average fuel consumption figures are 7.4 litres per 100km (petrol), 5.5L/100km (hybrid) and 1.8L/100km (PHEV), while the EV is rated at 15.7kWh/100km.The latter is of particular significance as it will be the first sub-brand outside of the struggling Ora to offer an EV, broadening the appeal and scope of a GWM EV in Australia.Note that the hybrid and PHEV Max grades are down on luggage capacity compared to the petrol and EV, by 50 litres at 362L. In contrast, the regular Jolion is just 255L in the hybrid and either 291L and 337L according to wheel/tyre size.As promised in October last year at the GWM Tech Day in Victoria, the Max will adopt the Australian-specific AT1 steering and suspension tuning, as overseen by ex-Holden chassis specialist Rob Trubiani, to better meet local consumer expectations.Whether the Max will supplant or sell alongside either one of the current Jolion body styles has yet to be confirmed.In 2024, the original Jolion (badged Jolion Pro elsewhere) was joined by a different yet similar-looking version based on the China-market Chitu. Though it was touted as all-new in Australia, it also debuted around 2021.

Chery’s resurgence in the Australian market has been the product of intense model launches and booming sales to match, and it looks like the Chinese car brand will stay in Australia for good this time. Chery first launched in Australia in 2011, before making a swift exit around four years later, but since it returned Down Under in 2023, it has not looked back. Models such as the Chery Tiggo 4 have been a consistent feature of the best-selling cars in Australia recently, and are up more than 80 per cent for March 2026 compared to the same month in 2025.Part of Chery’s success is down to the affordable nature of many of its models. The Tiggo 4 is priced from $23,990 (drive-away), which is nearly $10,000 less than the Hyundai Kona – a key rival. Chery is putting down more roots in Australia by introducing a series of other brands under its ownership.Omoda Jaecoo has already launched in Australia, and the pair have several models on offer.The recently launched Jaecoo J5 EV has had a flying start to life in Australia, amassing more than 1100 sales so far in 2026, having gone on sale at the start of the year.The Chery family of brands is about to get significantly more crowded in Australia, with plans to introduce Lepas – a youth-focused brand – before the end of 2026. In 2027, the Freelander brand, spawning out of a partnership between Jaguar Land Rover and Chery will also come to Aussie shores. But with many of Chery’s brands sharing the same platforms and set-ups among vehicles, are styling tweaks enough to differentiate products?For example, the Chery Tiggo 4 and the newly announced Jaecoo J5 petrol share the same platform, engine and much of the same equipment, with Chery’s model $2000 cheaper than the Jaecoo. Omoda Jaecoo Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz said the brand will need to ensure it maintains its specific appeal to the market.“We are positioned in what I call a ‘mastige’ market,” Munoz said.“Being able to provide premium technology, comfort at a price point which is never before heard of.“We need to stay focused on our own brand values and make sure we connect with our customers and communicate those values and find our consumer base that way.”Munoz said Chery’s capacity to deliver rapid product cycles and diversity in powertrains enables it to keep things fresh across products in the group.He said the Omoda Jaecoo’s relationship with Chery has been an effective one so far. “Internally, we find our own synergies working together. Certainly there are shared functions and there are completely separated ones as well,” he said“It works well. We’ve got the much-needed support, which is required from shared functions and departments, but also enough delineation that we can position our brands in different points of the market where we can talk to different types of customers.“We’re not going to get everything right, but we can remain open-minded, and we have agility in our organisation.”

Chinese car makers should take note: Toyota is the big boss in the Australian car industry game and its just-launched new-generation RAV4 mid-sized SUV will lead the Japanese fight back.The latest industry sales data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and EV Council suggests Chinese-sourced cars are poised to overtake their Japanese rivals in Australia for the country-of-origin title for 2026.Year-to-date sales (until the end of March) of new cars in Australia show that 77,695 cars sold were made in China (some imported by , while 71,596 were produced in Japan.That’s a 51.4 per cent increase compared to the same quarter last year for China, and a 25.4 per cent decrease for Japan.So, is this it for the Japanese giants? Is this the beginning of a fall from being the world’s largest automotive powerhouse and the country that makes the cars Aussies have bought the most for decades?Not yet, and nobody should underestimate Toyota’s strength. Because while it is clear other Japanese brands such as Honda and Suzuki have seen better days in Australia, Toyota is not about to roll over.If anything, the company has a few aces up its sleeve and one of them is the RAV4.The new-generation RAV4 just launched here in Australia in April and it’s Toyota’s not-so-secret weapon to win back Australians. In 2025 the RAV4 was the second best-selling vehicle in Australia, behind the Ford Ranger ute.That is not bad for a car which had been on sale since 2018 and was competing against much more modern, newer SUVs.The new-generation RAV4 is likely to become the number-one best-selling car in Australia in 2026.Speaking at the launch of the new RAV4, Toyota Australia CEO John Pappas announced his expectations for the SUV’s sales and said that the orders even early on were high.“Before we wholesaled the car, we had about 10,000 orders already taken,” Pappas said.“So that gives us a good indication on the demand at that early point before actually launching it.“We expect to do around 40,000 this year and then next year, we expect to do over 50,000 RAVs.”It’s a realistic number that Toyota will almost certainly hit and possibly sail past.In 2025 51,947 RAV4s were sold when it came home second in the annual sales race.The closest mid-size SUV rivals to the RAV4 in 2025 were the Mazda CX-5 (22,742 units sold), Mitsubishi Outlander (22,459), Tesla Model Y (22,239) and Hyundai Tucson (20,145).Chinese rivals such as the BYD Sealion 7 (13,410 units sold in 2025) and GWM Haval H6 (13,217) are far behind RAV4 and may not ever reach sales as high as the 50,000 Toyota expects from its mid-size SUV.The combination of Toyota’s RAV4 and its new HiLux ute, plus other popular Toyota favourites such as the Corolla, Corolla Cross, Yaris Cross Camry, Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series should comfortably see Toyota as the best-selling brand again for this year.Last year Toyota sold 239,863 vehicles in Australia, making it the best-selling car brand for 2025. And compared to its Japanese cousins such as Honda, Nissan Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki, Isuzu and Mazda, Toyota is doing the heavy lifting — with those seven others accounting for a combined 300,695 sales. That’s a total of 540,558 Japanese made cars sold in Australia last year.Could the Chinese competitors outdo this with their own combined tally? The monthly sales figures for 2026 say they will and this year could be that tipping point year. But RAV4 and Hilux could stop them.Ask the same question this time next year and it’s almost certain that if the Chinese brands continue their seemingly unstoppable march, the Japanese will be beaten. The battle is not just about high volumes, but in the case of Chinese car makers it’s the vast number of different brands (22 at last count) and the proliferation of models – especially affordable electric ones. Yes, 2026 could be the last year that the Japanese brands rule Australia and a lot hinges on the RAV4’s success this year, otherwise the Chinese win might just come earlier.

Porsche has confirmed the coupe version of its latest model, the all-important Cayenne Electric.Porsche says the 2026 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Electric, which debuted at the Auto China 2026 show in Beijing, is visually inspired by the Porsche 911’s roofline.Set to launch with three variants, the Cayenne Coupe Electric’s reveal comes about five months after the unveiling of the Cayenne Electric.The introduction of the Coupe versions of the Cayenne Electric doubles the number of variants, with the Coupe matching up with existing versions: the base Cayenne Electric, the Cayenne S Electric, and the Cayenne Turbo Electric.Starting from $173,600 before on-road costs, the base Coupe is $5800 more expensive than the equivalent SUV.That grade comes with the same 300kW drivetrain as the standard (good for 100km/h in 4.8 seconds), much like the other two mirror their SUV counterparts.The Cayenne S Coupé Electric has a 400kW drivetrain, with a 490kW overboost function and 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds.The Turbo Coupe Electric also boasts 630KW like the SUV with its 850kW launch control overboost output, and manages 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds.Top speeds are 230km/h, 250km/h, and 260km/h respectively.Dual-motor, all-wheel-drive set-ups are featured across the range, plus adaptive air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard, but another feature unique to the Coupe makes it better than the SUV body style in one major way.The Cayenne Coupe Electric’s lower drag coefficient of 0.23Cd (versus 0.25 in the SUV) means its 669km range (WLTP, base Coupe) is 18km longer than the SUV.Like the SUV, it features active aerodynamics to improve performance and handling or efficiency, depending on the situation.Its huge 113kWh battery charges at up to 400kW with peak conditions and suitable DC charging, while the standard 11kW AC charger can be upgraded to an optional 22kW AC charger.Additionally, a Lightweight Sport package reduces the EV’s weight by up to 17.6kg by adding a carbon roof, inserts, and specific lightweight 22-inch wheels.The Cayenne Coupe Electric joins its standard SUV siblings in Australia and is available to order now.2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric price Australia   

Chinese electronics company and electric car brand Xiaomi has confirmed a high-performance version of its second model, an electric SUV, will launch this year.The 2026 Xiaomi YU7 GT has already been seen to some extent in Chinese government documents as well as spied testing, but the company confirmed its imminent launch at the Beijing Auto Show at the weekend.The YU7 as a model overall is a rival to the likes of the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X, though the high-performance GT version comes with a series of upgrades that include a 738kW combined output and 300km/h top speed, according to Chinese media.The Xiaomi YU7 GT is set to be unveiled in late May, a report by CarNewsChina says, however photos of the car undisguised testing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife and available snippets of information mean the car’s reveal might only confirm much that’s already known.According to information gleaned from the Chinese Government's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) via media, the YU7 GT is 5015mm long, 2007mm wide, 1597mm wide and sits on a 3000mm wheelbase.It weighs in at 2460kg, but with that 738kW dual-motor drivetrain and all-wheel drive traction, don’t expect it to be slow.In fact, Xiaomi’s testing at the Nurburgring could bear fruit in the form of some impressive lap times, the brand has already set its Xiaomi SU7 Ultra loose at the Green Hell and netted a lap record as the fastest four-door car to do so.The YU7 is set to feature plenty of tech gleaned from this including active air suspension with stability control, high-tech traction control and torque vectoring.According to available information, a CLTC electric driving range of 705km means that a more realistic figure closer to (but likely north of) 500km should be achievable under regular driving.Chinese media is predicting a price point approaching 500,000 yuan, which converts to roughly A$100,000.So far, Xiaomi has no concrete plans for an Australian launch, so don’t expect to see this or any of the brand’s other models here for a couple of years at least.