Car News

China’s GWM is pushing hard to localise its cars for markets around the world and Europe will be its latest attempt.As reported by Reuters, GWM plans to launch at least 10 new models in Europe over the next two years, marking a major push.The Chinese carmaker has had middling success in Europe to date since its latest relaunch in 2021 at the Munich motor show.It reportedly plans to expand its European operations and commence sales in 13 additional European markets over the next year. It currently operates in nine European countries.“We don't want to be the loser in any market in the world,” said GWM International President Parker Shi to Reuters.“We'll come back and ⁠we will go with the right product."GWM will launch the Ora 5 small SUV in Europe by mid-2026. Globally it’s offered with petrol, hybrid and electric power and it appears all three options will be on offer in Europe.The Ora 5 was recently confirmed for an Australian launch, but it will only be offered with electric power at launch.Following the Ora 5, GWM plans to launch the Jolion Max and H7 SUVs in Europe. The latter appears to be an updated version of what’s currently on sale in Australia.It’s unclear what the other GWM models set for a European launch will be at this stage.A key reason for why GWM is making a European push is because its Chinese vehicle sales are plateauing. It will also help it achieve its global goal to double overseas sales to one million vehicles by the end of 2030.As previously reported, the Chinese carmaker plans to build a European production facility with an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles. A location still hasn’t been locked in yet, but it will reportedly be up and running by 2029.In Australia GWM is the longest-standing Chinese carmaker with continual sales since 2009. Amidst a Chinese carmaker influx, its Australian sales have gone from strength to strength over the last few years.In the first three months of 2026 GWM has sold a total of 14,878 vehicles, which is up 28.5 per cent year-on-year.GWM isn’t stopping here as it has rolled out a local ride and handling program on the Haval H6 which was headed up by former Holden engineer Rob Trubiani.Dubbed AT-1, this local ride and handling program will be rolled out to more GWM products in the future.

CATL has unveiled a new Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery capable of charging in rapid time in response to BYD’s recent developments. The third generation Shenxing battery takes just 60 seconds to charge from 10 to 35 per cent, under four minutes to charge to 80 per cent and under seven minutes charging to 98 per cent, trumping BYD's LFP unit. CATL also said the battery is able to perform strongly at temperatures as low as -30-degrees, charging up to 98 per cent in nine minutes.This in part due to the battery achieving the world’s lowest internal resistance for fast charging at 0.25 milliohms, 50 per cent less than industry average. Internal resistance is one of the key issues preventing rapid charging times, as the heat generated from the transfer of electricity slows down the overall process. CATL is by far the biggest electric vehicle battery manufacturer in the world, producing nearly half of total batteries, including for brands such as Tesla. Ultra fast charging has been the latest battleground for carmakers, particularly in China as they look to expand their networks and battery capacities.BYD’s second generation LFP battery can charge from 10-70 per cent in five minutes, and to 97 per cent in nine minutes.This means CATL’s unit betters its Chinese rival. BYD has recently been boasting of its megawatt fast charging, which will come to Australia this year, offering 1500kW to replenish the Blade 2 batteries. It is not just the raw numbers where CATL has looked to improve the durability of its third-gen battery, in addition to its performance in cold temperatures. According to CATL, the battery maintains a state of health above 90 per cent even after 1000 ultra-fast charging cycles. The battery’s heat management system also facilitates ultra-fast charging even without specialised charging infrastructure.CATL’s battery has pulse rapid heating to increase the temperature quickly and enable high-speed charging regardless of the charging pile.The brand has further introduced a different type of charging infrastructure, which means batteries can either be charged or utilise battery swapping functionality.  CATL continues to explore other battery solutions, such as sodium-ion and solid-state.

Hyundai has recalled thousands of examples of its Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade and Ioniq 9 SUVs, as well as the Sonata sedan.It affects 3445 units for the 2025 model year in relation to a software issue with the digital driver display, according to a notice from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications Sports and the Arts. “Due to a software issue, the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail to illuminate the visual vehicle speed, fuel level and other critical safety information,” the notice reads.“A loss of safety system warnings whilst driving, could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders.”A spokesperson for Hyundai Australia said there have been no reported instances of the issue in Australia.The brand will contact owners of affected vehicles to arrange an appointment to rectify the issue via a software update. If the vehicle is Bluelink enabled, the update will be delivered automatically over-the-air (OTA).Hyundai has had a solid start to 2026, with models such as the Kona and Tucson some of the most popular SUVs in Australia currently. The brand recently recalled nearly 5000 examples of its Ioniq and Kona EVs earlier this month. 

The latest, sixth-generation ‘LS6’ version of GM’s small block V8 has found its first home between the axles of Chevrolet's updated Corvette supercar.Marking the return of the iconic Grand Sport nameplate, last seen on a limited-run of C2 Corvette competition cars in the 1960s, the upgraded mid-engine two-seater now boasts 400kW (535hp) at 6100rpm and 705Nm at 4600rpm from its all-alloy 6.7-litre (409ci) V8.The new engine also powers the ‘standard’ Corvette Stingray, raising power by 8.4 per cent (+31kW) and torque by an impressive 10.7 per cent (+68Nm), making it the most powerful base engine ever fitted to a production Corvette.But GM says extra displacement and output hasn’t negatively impacted the engine’s fuel efficiency or exhaust emissions.GM’s Assistant Chief Engineer for the small block Mike Kociba said, “With advanced controls, our new fuel system and a higher (13.0:1) compression ratio we’ve been able to improve emissions with a larger engine.”As well as the high compression ratio and an 8.0mm increase in stroke (expanding overall displacement from 6.2 to 6.7 litres) the LS6 features a 95mm throttle body, tunnel ram intake with high-velocity ports, a new lubrication system, forged pistons and rods and revised exhaust manifolds.Like the Stingray, the Grand Sport is available as a coupe and convertible with drive going to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.The Grand Sport also features ‘Magnetic Ride Control’ adaptive suspension, Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tyres (275/30 fr - 345/25 rr) on forged alloy rims (20-inch fr - 21-inch rr), a quad centre exhaust and Brembo six-piston monobloc front brake calipers and four-piston monobloc rear calipers.In parallel, the heavy-hitting Corvette Grand Sport X, a likely successor for the hybrid E-Ray, adds a front-axle permanent magnet electric motor and compact high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack for all-wheel drive and a combined power output of no less than 538kW (721hp). As well as the adaptive suspension set-up the Grand Sport X adds carbon-ceramic brakes and an optional ‘Z52 Sport Performance Package’ brings a stiffer suspension tune, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber and high-performance ‘J56’ iron brakes from the Corvette Z06.A ‘Z52 Track Performance Package’ ups the ante further with carbon-ceramic ‘J57’ brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tyres and a track-focused chassis calibration as well as a carbon-fibre splitter, dive planes, rockers, wing and underbody strakes.The Corvette’s new small block represents a substantial bet on internal-combustion power by General Motors, the US giant investing US$918 million in upgrades across four facilities involved in the new engine’s production - Flint, Michigan (assembly), Bay City, Michigan (camshafts, connecting rods), Defiance, Ohio (block castings) and Rochester, New York (intake manifolds, fuel rails). An additional $US888 million is going to the Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York.CarsGuide contacted GM Australia & New Zealand for comment on whether the Corvette Grand Sport is slated for the Australian market. “We have no announcements to make on future models, including potential additions to the local Corvette line-up,” a spokesperson said.

The Blue Oval's hero Pony car is back... again.Ford announced the return of the Mustang Dark Horse to Australia this year with a limited run of 500 units.This year’s version of the range-topping V8-powered beast can also be had with a 'T8-Spec Pack', which is a collaboration with V8 Supercars’ Triple Eight Race Engineering. This is limited to just 250 units.Ford’s marketing boss Ambrose Henderson said the T8-Spec brings a new level of track-focused ability to the Mustang.At the Dark Horse’s core is the 5.0-litre V8 engine making 350kW and 550Nm.The Dark Horse T8-Spec is manual-only and is priced at $138,888, before on-road costs, which is a big chunk more than the $104,990 regular Dark Horse. The standard version can be had with a manual or automatic transmission.For the extra spend T8-Spec Pack buyers get a range of performance and cosmetic upgrades.This includes 19-inch alloys wheels, which are fatter at the rear and shod with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres.There is a large rear spoiler with blue accents and an “enhanced” front splitter that Ford said is supplied separately and not fitted to the vehicle as it can only be used on track and not on public roads.A beefed up suspension features stiffer springs and roll bars and adjustable top mounts, which Ford claims provides sharper steering response and increased stability,It comes with numerous exterior highlights including Triple Eight branding, black roof, blue Brembo brakes and bonnet decals.Inside, there are Recaro sports seats with indigo-coloured bolsters, Triple Eight branded scuff plates, a new gear shift knob and a build plate.The T8-Spec Pack is installed in Melbourne.Buyers of the T8-Spec Pack will also be invited to an exclusive track experience at Queensland Raceway in 2027.Triple Eight Race Engineering Managing Director Jamie Whincup said the T8-Spec allows the team to apply its race winning expertise and apply it to the road.“We are looking forward to meeting these 250 passionate customers at Queensland Raceway and showing them exactly what this vehicle is capable of in a track environment," he said.

Nissan is edging closer towards installing solid-state batteries in its electric vehicles, according to reports. The brand is apparently targeting mass production of the batteries by the end of the 2028 financial year. Solid-state batteries are seen as the next big breakthrough for electric vehicles, offering significantly higher energy density than conventional batteries. They can achieve far greater driving range in a smaller package, making them the perfect technology for electric cars. They are also expected to be less fire prone and have faster charging capacity.Nissan’s solid-state battery is said to have 23 layers of cells, highlighting further development on its 2025 announcement that its prototype had reached the performance needed for commercialisation. There are no details yet on the specifics of the battery, but it is anticipated to be in line with other rivals, which boast driving ranges of more than 1000km. The brand also unveiled its new bidirectional charging infrastructure, which is expected to be made available to market in 2028. Bidirectional charges enable the power to be transferred from an electric car to the owner’s home, and that electricity can be pushed back into the grid.According to Nissan, its example “can be supplied at a very low cost”, with ambitions to facilitate owners selling the surplus power to the grid as soon as 2030. Nissan will develop a specialist platform to accommodate this technology. It still remains unclear whether solid-state batteries will take over the EV landscape, with some brands more receptive to the technology than others.One of the key roadblocks to commercial uptake of solid-state batteries has been the costs of producing the batteries.  Chinese brands have been leading the way on solid-state technology, with both BYD and Chery announcing recent developments. BYD aims to have small-batch production of its batteries by 2027, while Chery is planning to release two models under its Exeed sub-brand before the end of next year.

Leapmotor’s B05 small electric hatch has been approved for Australia, according to Federal government documents seen by CarsGuide.Just six months after its Munich motor show debut, the Leapmotor B05 has now been cleared to land in Australia where it will rival the MG4 and BYD Dolphin.The Australian Federal Government Road vehicles standards website published approval details on April 20 of a vehicle made by Leapmotor with the “marketing designation” B05. Publishing the approvals notices is the normal transparent process for all imported vehicles and typically indicates that a model will soon arrive in Australia. The document also lists some details which help us find out in advance a few specifications of the upcoming vehicle.   According to the published approval documents the vehicle is fully electric with a 160kW motor;  it’s a four door, five-seater measuring 4430mm in length; and has multi-link rear suspension.That 160kW output is identical to the power produced by the two other electric models Leapmotor currently sells in Australia - B10 small SUV and C10 mid-sized SUVWhile the B10 and C10 are both SUVs the B05 is a small hatchback and Leapmotor boasts that it has a 50:50 weight distribution and that even balance is a good sign the car will be fun to drive.Ahead of the B05’s debut in Munich Leapmotor’s vice president Cia Li said the car would be a “gift” for young people  "We want to build a dream car for young people who refuse to settle, conform, or be ordinary!" Li said.Leapmotor has been in Australia since late 2025 arriving first with the C10 mid-size SUV. Since then the brand has added the B10 small SUV and a hybrid version of the C10 to its local line-up.Pricing is yet to be announced for the B05 but Leapmotor will likely price it to be competitive with the MG4 which starts at $37,990 driveaway and extends to $55,990 for the top grade.

The Chinese domestic version of the Atto 3, dubbed the Yuan Plus, will debut at the Beijing Motor Show later this week, and the company has now shared some core details after its completely overhauled interior was leaked recently.The new-generation car grows significantly in dimensions, from 4455mm long to 4665mm long, essentially making it closer to a mid-size SUV than a small one. It is also taller and wider, with a longer wheelbase than before.Many more significant changes are hidden beneath, swapping from a front-drive architecture to a rear-wheel drive one, with a more powerful motor and larger batteries than before.Its newly-upgraded electrical architecture allows the car to be compatible with BYD’s much-anticipated new ‘flash charging’ technology, which the brand says allows it to charge from 10 - 70 per cent in five minutes.It also gets two new battery sizes, either a 57.54kWh unit or a 68.55kWh unit (up from the current 50kWh and 60kWh options) with correspondingly higher driving range (either 540km or 630km compared to the current 410km/430km).Design-wise the new-generation car shares some of its motifs with the newer Sealion 8, with new wheel designs and sunken doorhandles, while maintaining the overall visage of BYD’s ‘Dynasty’ design language. The leaked interior shows an even deeper departure, debuting a new two-spoke steering wheel, larger non-rotating touchscreen panel, new digital dash and a more minimalistic approach to the cabin overall. It swaps the dumbbell vent designs for more traditional slot-type ones, while even the doorhandles are more traditional.Although this completely new-generation offering may seem like a good fit for our market, to capitalise on BYD’s exploding electric vehicle popularity, CarsGuide understands it is more likely we will instead receive a more heavily updated version of the current Atto 3, which has just debuted in the UK.Dubbed the Atto 3 Evo, this deeply facelifted model shares the current car’s dimensions and overall styling, with a mild nip-and-tuck to its front and rear bumpers, but unseen changes also make this version of the car a significant departure.Underneath, it also swaps to be primarily rear-driven instead of front-wheel drive, for the first time offers an all-wheel drive variant, and also features a larger 74.8kWh battery with an 800-volt architecture.This unlocks up to 510km of driving range, and DC charging at up to 220kW, a huge improvement over the current car’s 88kW.Inside, the Atto 3 Evo also gets an overhaul, but not as dramatic as it is for the Chinese-market version.The dumbbell-style vents are maintained, as are the odd rotary doorhandles and even the guitar strings for the doorcard bottle holders, but the rest of the interior gets an upgrade, with a new steering wheel, simplified centre console, upgraded door trims, and a larger digital instrument cluster.The fellow right-hand drive UK market gets almost entirely the same line-up as in Australia, just without the Shark 6 and Sealion 8, giving the Evo a much stronger chance to head Down Under.Expect to learn more about the future of the Atto 3 and more details on BYD’s future plans at the Beijing Motor Show imminently.

BYD has confirmed domestic pricing and specification details for its updated Sealion 05 compact crossover-style SUV prior to the electrified newcomer’s public debut at this week’s Beijing motor show. Offered in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and pure-electric (BEV) form, the Sealion 05 measures just over 4.6 metres long (165 mm longer than the BYD Atto 3), close to 1.9m wide and around 1.6m tall.The DM-i PHEV version combines a 74kW 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine with a single 120kW synchronous permanent magnet electric motor and two battery options - 26.6kWh and 34.3kWh - delivering (CLTC) EV-only ranges of 220km and 305km, respectively.The DM-i’s claimed fuel consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 3.1L/100km, the car’s 65-litre fuel tank facilitating an overall range in excess of 2100km (CLTC).Alternately, the pure-electric Sealion 05 EV is available with two motor options; the first being a rear-mounted 200kW unit powered by a 57.6kWh LFP battery delivering a CLTC range of 540km.A higher output version of the motor is fitted to upper grades, sending 240kW to the rear wheels with a 68.6kWh battery good for a 630km range.BYD’s new ‘flash charging’ tech is onboard, generating a 10 to 97 percent top-up in just nine minutes.Standard feature highlights include a built-in fridge and an 8.8-inch instrument cluster joined by a 12.8-inch central media screen on lower grades and a 15.6-inch ‘floating’ display on premium variants. All versions of the car feature seven airbags with ‘DiPilot 100’ ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) tech at a minimum with optional Lidar-based ‘DiPilot 300’ adding ‘Navigate On Autopilot’ (NOA) functionality as well as ‘DiSus-C’ semi-active suspension with continuous damping control.Boot space on the DM-i hybrid is a generous 650 litres with all seats upright, that number shrinking to 600 litres on the EV, although the latter features a 10-litre front boot.Five versions of the Sealion 05 DM-i are available in the Chinese domestic market, ranging from ¥97,900 (~$20,000) for the entry-level 220 Starter to ¥127,900 (~$26,100) for the 305 Smart Navigator.And three Sealion 05 EV grades range between the 540 Navigator at ¥119,900 (~$24,500) and 630 Smart Navigator flagship at ¥145,900 (~$29,800).  CarsGuide contacted BYD Australia for comment on the Sealion 05’s potential for sale in the local market and a spokesperson said, "We do not have visibility of that vehicle on our product radar."

Mitsubishi has confirmed its new flagship large SUV, which will likely be called Pajero, will be in Australian showrooms by the end of 2026.Mitsubishi Australia General Manager Product Strategy and Product Public Relations Bruce Hampel said the company will be able to provide more information regarding this car around the middle to third quarter of 2026, which is understood to be when it’ll be revealed globally.“We have vehicles in Australia at the moment,” said Hampel, noting that CarsGuide was one of the first to spy camouflaged prototypes on public roads late last year.“So we have them conducting validation testing in various locations around Australia. And again, that’s another proof point of the importance of Australian market to the MMC company that they’re coming out here and they’re evaluating the vehicle in our environment and conditions.“With the product though, we’re at the mercy of the global reveal for the program. We are one market of many for this very important product for Mitsubishi.”Hampel notes that an Australian global reveal of this new flagship SUV was under consideration at some point, however it will happen in Japan.“It’s a very important product for the Japanese market and that’s its pride and joy. So I think the final decision was to have the global launch in Japan,” said Hampel.As previously reported, it’s understood this new Pajero Sport successor will be dropping the Sport suffix altogether, therefore reviving the original Pajero nameplate for the first time since it was retired in 2021.Speculation indicates the new Pajero will be based on the underpinnings of the current Triton ute, likely meaning it’ll also feature a version of its 2.4-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine.In terms of styling, previous prototypes have shown it’ll have a big, boxy and bluff silhouette. From some angles it even looks like the Nissan Patrol Y63.Although we haven’t seen the design in full yet, it’s expected to feature a large grille, headlights that cascade down the front fascia, plus prominent bonnet bulges.At the rear there is no tailgate-mounted spare wheel, likely meaning it’ll be mounted under the vehicle.The interior design is yet to be revealed though it will likely share a lot with the Triton. Five- and seven-seat configurations are likely.