Car News

The boss of a major dealer group has told CarsGuide how competing forces and the state of the economy is taking its toll on the new car industry despite record sales in 2026.Mark Beitz, the managing director of Bartons Motor Group said the record registration numbers released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries in its monthly VFACTs data wasn’t a true reflection of car sales in June as “excess inventory”, which was building up at an alarming pace on dealer lots gets cleared out.“There were a lot of cars which were already sold months prior being delivered in June, so that accounted for a massive spike, particularly in EV and plug-in hybrids,” he said.“There is an adoption trend for EV, we can see that - so for the first quarter you were seeing that natural sustainable growth in EVs.”But, referencing the wave of attention for electric cars in the last three months that stemmed from high fuel prices due to the war in Iran and Strait of Hormuz crisis, he said while dealer groups had "never seen anything like it" it wasn't a sustainable pace for EV sales in the long run.“People were only buying EVs for a month or so” he said.“There was a lot of aged EV stock in the country, this big surge, the panic buying, really cleared that up - but we sold those cars back in April and what we're seeing in VFACTs is deliveries.”“What we’ve seen since then - in May it started to wane and now new order intake is nothing like what we saw in April.”But with many global stockpiles of fuel, which were released onto the market to ease prices, reportedly set to run thin in the coming months, does Beitz think there could be a renewed rush on EVs and plug-ins?“My feeling is no” he said.“I think as a country what we’ve experienced is what’s going to happen - I don’t feel we’ll run out of fuel, there wasn’t Armageddon like people thought there was going to be, so I don’t see another huge surge. I don’t think we’ll see anything like that second quarter for the rest of the year.”“I think it will instead be an average of the first half of the year for the second half.”He said conditions going forward looked more bleak for the industry, as a combination of factors would make numbers seen in the first six months of 2026 more difficult to replicate going forward.“The industry is seeing some real challenges. The profitability is the lowest it’s ever been - overall the industry has had the lowest return in decades for the first half of the year - that’s unheard of."“There’s a number of factors. The economy is taking its toll - there’s excess inventory everywhere. You’ve only got to drive to the ports, there’s cars everywhere. So there’s an excess inventory issue that’s affecting our ability to retain revenue. Margins have fallen through the floor.”“The other thing which is a massive issue is that there are way too many brands, and only the same amount of buyers. Year-to-date there’s a small growth but it’s bugger all, and 65 per cent of the market is still ICE vehicles, and even there it’s declined.”But despite the intense competition and ultra-low price points coming to the market from new Chinese brands, Beitz was reasonably positive about the survival chances of so-called ‘legacy brands’.“They’ll find a way forward,” he said.“Nissan is a good example, they’ll have a portfolio, which resembles their traditional products like Navara and Patrol, but next year they’ll be bringing across a range of Chinese manufactured options.”He agreed that levels of interest for incoming Chinese-built cars from brands like Nissan seen across automotive media was being replicated by buyer interest at a dealer level.“I think they’re responding but they struggle to move as fast as the Chinese brands are arriving. But legacy brands are coming back, I think they might hold on to where they sit currently."However, he also added their footprint has likely permanently shrunk when it comes to retail space: “It will result in a re-allocation of already limited space for dealers like me.”Despite promising signs for EVs going forward - with many more younger buyers being attracted by lower price points from new brands, Beitz pointed out that non-EV market share is still 75 per cent of the total market, and 78 per cent for his network specifically.He believes combustion vehicles (including plugless hybrids) will continue to make up the majority of the market for years to come.

Toyota is getting serious about off-roading for its big ute. The updated Toyota Tundra hybrid full-size ute has been revealed with a special 'Trailhunter' package to boost its adventuring capabilities in the US.With this package, the car rides on specialist Michelin trail tyres and premium upgraded suspension from 4WD brand ARB. Upgrades under the skin include new off-roading features such as multi-terrain select with traction support, a crawl control and a locking rear differential.The Tundra has sharpened up its look from the outside, with an aggressively-poised stance and front recovery hooks. It has a brighter grille-mounted LED light bar. The ute can be purchased with powerful fog lights to further increase visibility. The Tundra will continue to offer vehicle-to-load capabilities via a 2.4kW inverter, enabling appliances and devices to be powered directly from the car.  Headlining the technology buff inside the cabin is a bigger 14.0-inch central touchscreen.Enhanced software capabilities offer a more intuitive smartphone-like design.This includes customisable home screen widgets and an improved voice assistant. The update also add a built-in dash cam that can monitor and record incidents for up to 20 seconds. Full details of Toyota’s new Tundra will be announced in September ahead of its North American launch.There is no official news yet on its potential Australian future.A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said the brand is always look at global updates for its models, but there is nothing to announce on the Tundra front yet. The Tundra has been on sale in Australia since late 2024 as a rival to other American imports the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Ram 1500.The US-built undergoes an extensive remanufacturing process to convert it to right-hand drive for local roads, mirroring its competitors.The Tundra is an expensive choice in Australia, starting from $155,990, before on-road costs.It is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 plug-less hybrid set-up, producing 326kW and 790Nm.The Tundra has been subject to an aggressive advertising and pricing campaign over the past few months in Australia. It has experienced an improved 2026, with a near 50 per cent sales increase up to June 2026 compared to June 2025.

Nissan’s snappy sports car has been updated and will now be available in sought-after Nismo form with a six-speed manual transmission in Australia.The Nissan Z Nismo is the higher-performance grade of the brand's rear-wheel drive coupe.The new manual Z Nismo will be priced from $95,000, before on-road costs, making it a near $20,000 jump over the standard Z manual.Nissan’s announcement also confirms the automatic Z Nismo is just less than a $1000 more expensive as part of this update, starting at the same $95,000 price tag.Meanwhile, the standard Z coupe starts from $76,800, which is $640 more than it was before. The updated Z range will be available for order from this month, with deliveries beginning in September.It competes in the hotly contested sports car segment against the likes of the Ford Mustang (from $72,990).The Mustang remains the dominant player of the segment, with the Nissan Z trailing its competitors currently.The Z Nismo continues to be powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, producing 309kW and 520Nm, representing an 11kW and 45Nm increase over the standard car. The Z has also received some tweaks as part of the updated range.There are new two-piece front brake rotors, resulting in a 9kg weight reduction. A redesigned front bumper adds 30mm to the car’s length to reduce front lift by 3.3 per cent and drag by 1.0 per cent. There is also a new wireless phone charger standard across all variants, along with a frameless auto-dimming rear view mirror.The new Z range was first revealed at the start of January as part of global preview even at the 2026 Toyota Auto Salon.The car went on sale in Japan recently, ahead of its arrival on Aussie shores. 2027 Nissan Z pricing (before on-road costs - manual a no-cost option)

A new report has shed light on which electric vehicles (EVs) maintain the highest percentage of battery life over time.Swedish car marketplace Carla has published results from a study into battery life of electric cars, using data from 10,000 battery tests on EVs in Sweden between 2022 and 2026.The results may come as a surprise to some, with the best brand for battery health after 10,000km travelled being Kia, and the second best being Hyundai with 96.8 per cent and 95.4 per cent battery health, respectively.The next brands down were premium marques Mercedes-Benz (95 per cent) and BMW (94.5 per cent), with Ford (94.3 per cent) sitting above Geely Group brands Volvo (94.2 per cent) and Polestar (93.7 per cent).Volkswagen Group vehicles took up the next four positions, which in order included Audi (92.9 per cent), Skoda (92.6 per cent), VW (92.4 per cent) and Porsche (90.9 per cent).Tesla, which is often quoted as a brand with impressive battery degradation figures in other studies placed 12th in the Swedish study, with its cars maintaining 90.2 per cent battery health after 10,000km.The grouping of various brands together comes as little surprise given each parent company will source batteries from similar places and use familiar chemistries and heat management methods.Another graph from the same study shows average battery degradation between the first 50,000km (94.39 per cent) and the next 50,000km was negligible, at just over 2 per cent. Average battery health of the 10,000 cars tested by 100,000km was 92.35 per cent.More interesting is the breakdown by model, with the study showing the car with the least overall battery degradation was the Kia Niro EV, which maintained 97.25 per cent of its battery capacity.The Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV6 also scored well, with the next model down being the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar 2.The popular Tesla Model Y also maintained 92.18 per cent of its battery capacity on average over 10,000km, although ranked 18th in the study, below many VW Group, BMW, and Geely Group products.It is worth noting that this study does not simply transfer across to the Australian market. Many of the EVs delivered to Sweden are built in Europe which often use different battery suppliers to the versions of the cars sold here.In addition, Sweden’s cool climate may produce different results to our hot climate, with different demands placed on temperature management systems, and different pressures placed on batteries while discharging or charging.However, more Australian cars using batteries from Chinese suppliers may actually be an advantage. Lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from CATL (China’s largest battery supplier) are now pervasive across EVs from many brands sold in Australia. The Swedish study compared the performance of these Chinese CATL LFP batteries, Korean LG Chem batteries and two different types of Japanese Panasonic batteries, all in the Tesla Model 3 to control for model differences.The CATL cells had the highest average battery health, maintaining 93.3 per cent, the LG Chem cells were next at 91.5 per cent, and the Panasonic NMC batteries ranked lower at 89.8 and 88.2 per cent respectively.One factor worth keeping in mind is BYD’s lack of a major footprint in Sweden despite launching there in 2022, leaving it off the study. Not only does this exclude BYD from the ranking system, but it also leaves its batteries out.BYD sells its signature LFP ‘Blade’ batteries to many brands for cars sold in Australia, including Kia, KGM, and even entry-level versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.The study confirms several things - battery degradation is often over-stated, with almost all cars maintaining over 90 per cent capacity at the 100,000km mark, and newer chemistries and temperature management systems are having a notable improvement on battery life across all makes and models.Previous stories of cars losing up to 50 per cent of their capacity were often limited to early-generation NMC batteries using air-cooled technology. Almost all new EVs sold, particularly in Australia, use liquid-cooled cells.In other good news for Aussie EV owners and those considering a second hand EV, the Carla study is not the first time EV batteries have performed better than expected when surveyed en-masse.In Australia, auction house Pickles recently shared data based on its battery health scoring which showed EVs with between 80- and 120,000km were maintaining a battery health score of around 91 per cent.

A new performance electric car is coming soon.The Geely Galaxy TT has opened for pre-sale in China, and will be the latest four-door electric sports coupe to hit showrooms.Coupe-style sports cars out of China are surging in popularity as cheaper alternatives to the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron GT off the back of the smash-hit success of the Xiaomi SU7.The Geely Galaxy TT has a front-mounted 180kW motor and a rear-mounted 245kW motor that combine for a total of 425kW.It has a one-button boost mechanism that offers an increased power output for up to 20 seconds. The Galaxy TT can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 210km/h. It is equipped with a 75kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery that has a 650km driving range, according to more generous CLTC standards. The car rides on an 800-volt platform, meaning it can DC fast charge from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 12 minutes. It measures up at 4999mm long, 1919mm wide, 1479mm high, with a wheelbase of  2920mm, so it is a little bigger than a Toyota Camry. The exterior is similar to many of its rivals, showing off a sleek body shape and frameless windows. It comes with 19-inch wheels as standard. The TT’s interior features a 15.4-inch central touchscreen and 10.2-inch digital driver display, along with a 25.6-inch panoramic head-up display. It also includes is also a 50W wireless phone charger and 23-speaker sound system. The Galaxy TT will be a direct competitor to the seriously popular Xiaomi SU7 which sold its first 15,000 units in roughly half an hour earlier this year.The Denza Z9 S electric sedan will provide further competition, with its wagon variant due in Australia before the end of the year. The Galaxy TT is not in Geely’s Australia schedule in the short term, but the brand has demonstrated a methodical approach to introducing models rather than the explosive range expansions of some of its rivals.The TT is priced from 200,000 yuan in China, which is roughly A$42,000. Most Chinese cars carry a roughly 20 per cent premium by the time they arrive in Australia in right-hand drive, making a potential local price somewhere just north of $50,000.This would make it slightly more affordable than the Zeekr 7GT and significantly more affordable than the Denza Z9.The Xiaomi SU7 which it is seemingly designed to target is not headed to Australia in the short term, with the Chinese tech company overwhelmed by demand in its home market.

China’s XPeng has confirmed its plan to launch five new or updated vehicles in Australia over the next six months.Including the updated G6 electric mid-size SUV and the recently launched X9 electric people mover, the Chinese carmaker has locked in a local launch for the L03 coupe SUV in the fourth quarter of 2026.This latter XPeng vehicle was only just revealed in Europe last week and it signals the brand’s intention to bring new cars to Australia more quickly and in sync with China.Then the G9L large SUV and the L05 mid-size SUV are all coming Down Under within the next six months.Additionally, XPeng has confirmed the flagship GX SUV is coming to Australia, however concrete launch timing is yet to be locked in. It’ll likely also need a different name as Lexus already sells a model with this name locally.All XPeng models to date offer pure electric (BEV) powertrains, however the Chinese carmaker is set to introduce range-extender hybrid (REEV) powertrains in Australia in 2027.XPeng hasn’t fully disclosed which of its models will be offered with a REEV powertrain in Australia, however it’s understood that the L03 coupe SUV will be the first. It’ll be offered with both BEV and REEV powertrains.Other XPeng models will likely follow with offering both powertrain technologies.The Chinese carmaker also plans to introduce its semi-autonomous driving software in Australia. It’s already available in other markets and it’s currently targeting a local launch before the end of 2027.This will finally give Tesla a rival on the semi-autonomous driving front. It’s the only carmaker to offer a similar level of technology currently in Australia.Lastly, XPeng is currently planning an Australian pilot for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.It is still in discussions with potential partners and will disclose the models it’ll be offered on and the timeline at a later date.As it currently stands, XPeng has 25 showroom locations within Australia and New Zealand but it’s looking to ramp this up to 50 within six months. It also plans to have three flagship experience centres.The Chinese carmaker is also setting up offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland to act as support hubs for the dealers.It has established a national parts warehouse with delivery through a partnership with FedEx, plus has a customer care support network with a dedicated call line and roadside assistance.It’s clear that XPeng is going hard in Australia now that the factory has officially taken over direct operations from the previous distributor, True EV.There are still ongoing legal disputes however between XPeng and True EV and a trial is set to begin locally in October.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has introduced two new versions of its mid-size GLC SUV including the pure-electric GLC400 4Matic as well as the performance-focused AMG GLC 53 4Matic+, the latter in traditional SUV wagon and Coupé form.Adding the GLC400 4Matic Electric battery electric vehicle (BEV) to its most popular model line slots the dual-motor all-wheel drive SUV into the heart of the three-pointed star’s local line-up, delivering 360kW/800Nm, 0-100km acceleration in 4.3 seconds and a (WLTP) driving range of up to 630km.Underpinned by a dedicated platform featuring an 800-volt electronic architecture, the GLC400 is fitted with a 94.4kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery and boasts a DC fast charging capacity of up to 330kW, which allows it to take on 300 kilometres of range “within 10 minutes.” Maximum AC charge rate is 22kW.WLTP tested energy consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 17.1kWh/100km; the new EV running a two-speed transmission on the rear axle with a Disconnect Unit (DCU) on the front axle, which allows the drivetrain to decouple at the front to reduce mechanical drag-induced efficiency losses.Carspotters should look out for an illuminated grille, AMG aprons front and rear, 21-inch AMG alloy wheels and Night Package Styling elements including high-gloss black exterior accents.Inside, the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) Superscreen stretches across the dash incorporating instruments, vehicle information and multimedia functions in one display. And Mercedes-Benz claims the optional 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen is the largest screen ever offered in a Mercedes-Benz production vehicle.The electric GLC’s wheelbase is 84mm longer than its internal–combustion engine (ICE) siblings which is claimed to have increased head and legroom front and rear with luggage capacity at a handy 570 litres (rear seats upright) expanding to 1740L (rear seats folded). There’s also a 128-litre frunk in the nose.Standard equipment includes the AMG alloy rims and MBUX Superscreen as well as synthetic leather upholstery, Burmester 3D surround sound audio, an AMG Line Sport Seat Package (heated and power-adjustable with memory function in the front), open-pore birch wood interior trim, a panoramic roof, privacy glass and more.The GLC400 4Matic electric is on sale now at $112,200, before on-road costs. And a limited Launch Edition version offers a slightly lower entry-point thanks to deletion of the MBUX Superscreen at $110,000, BOC.The Mercedes-AMG GLC53 4Matic+ manages to hit the magic 100km/h mark a tenth of a second faster than its new electric stablemate (at 4.2 seconds), but its means of propulsion is dramatically different.A 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is supported by a mild-hybrid starter-generator unit to produce 330kW/600Nm (plus an extra 40Nm for 10sec on overboost).Drive goes to all four wheels via a nine-speed dual-clutch auto transmission (featuring a double-declutching function to allow multiple downshifts) and a fully variable all-wheel drive system.AMG Ride Control adaptive suspension is onboard as is rear-axle steering and the AMG Dynamic Plus Package incorporating an electronic rear-axle locking differential, dynamic engine mounts and the Race Driving Program (including Drift Mode).Euro muscle car devotees will surely love the “special resonators” in the exhaust system to “amplify the sound experience (with) characteristic crackling on throttle lift-off.”Standard features include 21-inch forged alloy rims (in matt black with a high-sheen rim flange), dark chrome AMG badging and grille elements, a front lip spoiler, black roof rails, MBUX multimedia, ‘metal structure’ interior trim elements, leather upholstery, heated front sport seats (with memory and four-way lumbar support), a panoramic sliding sunroof, head-up display, Burmester 3D surround sound and heat-insulating dark-tinted glass.A Golden Accents Package, Performance Ergonomic Package and Plus Package are optionally available.Like the Mercedes-Benz GLC400 4Matic, the Mercedes-AMG GLC53 4Matic+ is on sale now with before on-road costs pricing of $140,600 and $151,300, respectively.2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC pricing2027 Mercedes-AMG GLC pricing  

The new Range Rover GT is the British SUV brand's most car-like creation ever.Sleeker, lower, longer and wider than the firm's Velar, the all-electric Range Rover GT is a shock for fans of the luxury brand's more typical SUVs, even when supposedly disguised in camouflage.Built to be a fifth member of the Range Rover family, the new GT doesn't replace any existing model, execs told CarsGuide at a recent media event held at JLR's powertrain plant near Wolverhampton in the UK.Instead, the swoopy SUV is primed to sit above the Evoque and Velar but below the Range Rover Sport and flagship full-size Range Rover.Officially, Land Rover's posh brand won't tell us anything about its new GT as its full reveal is penned in for later this year, so we don't know if it will be a rival for the inbound BMW iX4 or the larger unannounced BMW iX6, but an unscientific walkaround suggests dimensions not far off the Range Rover Sport.In the flesh, it's hard not to draw parallels between the striking four-door SUV-coupe and the smaller Polestar 4, although we'll need to see it when stripped of its disguise.What we do know is that the new GT has been created to be nothing less than the most technologically advanced Land Rover ever.The first of many to be based on JLR's all-new flexible Electric Modular Architecture (EMA), the GT launches with all-electric power, but the platform can support electrified combustion engines, with a plug-in hybrid or range-extender hybrid version already in the pipeline.Although it sits low to the ground, the new car-like Range Rover will deliver on the brand's trademark comfort and refinement with even the promise of real off-road capability – although we expect it will need height adjustable air springs to jack its body high away from harm.Like the latest Jaguar Type 01, the Range Rover GT should come with powerful 800-volt electrics and a large battery over 100kWh.Expect ultra-fast DC charging beyond 350kW and, if you factor in its slippery styling, a range of more than 700km could be possible.Land Rover remains tight-lipped about how many e-motors the GT will come with, but all-wheel drive and, at least dual motors should be standard, although later on a hot SV variant might rock up with a triple-motor setup that's lifted from the Jaguar Type 01.Spy photographers have already caught what now looks like a Shooting Brake wagon version of the GT, but some reports suggest the more practical body style could be a replacement for the ageing Velar.Inside the Range Rover GT designers have applied their famed reductive approach to create the car-maker's most impressive cabin yet.Accessed via large frameless doors, perhaps the bravest decision was not to follow the trend of plastering the dash with screens that stretch from pillar-to-pillar.Instead, one designer told us they used the very smallest screens they could get away with and then attempted to hide as much of the onboard tech as they could.The result, Range Rover claims, is a calmer lounge-like atmosphere that doesn't even offer a passenger touchscreen as an option, offering instead the full digital detox experience for your co-pilot.As standard, the GT comes with four seats, but a more practical five-seat version is also available for families.Unusually for a Range Rover leather is absent. Instead, wool-rich blend materials cover the seat backrests, while ultrafabric is stretched over the simple-form seats. The approach helps slash the carbon footprint of the cabin while saving weight, with the fabrics weighing half as much as animal hides.The real reason for the lack of leather is the look, one designer told me, natural hide doesn't stretch in quite the same way, so it wouldn't achieve the show car's clean, minimalist look.From the woven textiles used on the dash that sneakily hide the speakers, to the metallic vertical strips on the door cards, or copper coloured centre console, to the 1970s-inspired steering wheel, the Range Rover GT feels stylish and special and makes some of the German rivals’ cabins feel overwrought in comparison.It's also been designed to be easy to use.There's an advanced AI-powered natural speak voice assistant, while above that ultra-cool oval-shaped steering wheel is a clear thin instrument panel that sits freestanding on the dash and provides the speed, estimated range and battery charge.It's hard not to read into the concept's dash reading 288 miles (464km) at 80 per cent charge, with the suggestion that a full 100 per cent charge would equate to a total range of 580km.As well as being stylish, climb into the rear pews and there's also plenty of headroom in the for the tall, while legroom is claimed to be on par with the firm's largest Range Rover.All models will also come with a full-width panoramic roof that turns opaque at the touch of a button.Thoughtful touches for the second row include two large rear air vents and a touchscreen control panel between the seats.Confirming the Range Rover GT will land later this year, Land Rover's luxury arm will reveal full details then, including powertrain specification, pricing and positioning, as well as local timings.Commenting on the new GT, the Range Rover brand's boss, Martin Limpert, said: "The Range Rover GT will redefine the grand-touring segment with the ability to deliver beautiful and engaging GT poise, proportions and long-distance refinement while offering capabilities no conventional GT can match. "We have spent the last few years working obsessively on the fundamentals of the GT formula, reinterpreted in a sophisticated, uniquely Range Rover way. The result is the most car-like, yet unmistakably capable."Its blend of effortless EV performance, first-class long-haul refinement and all-terrain capability is pure Range Rover; while its calming interior previews our vision of a modern grand tourer."

XPeng has confirmed the pricing and specifications of its next new vehicle in Australia, the X9 electric people mover, as orders open.There are two versions of the 2027 XPeng X9 available at launch, the FWD Standard Range and AWD Performance. Pricing is $89,900, before on-road costs and $109,900, before on-road costs, respectively.This sees it undercut the luxurious Zeekr 009, but it’s priced similarly to the Denza D9.The entry-level X9 FWD Standard Range is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 235kW.It’s fed by a 94.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and offers up to 535km of WLTP-claimed range.The flagship X9 AWD Performance, on the other hand, has a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with total system outputs of 370kW and 640Nm. This allows it to travel from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds.The dual electric motors are fed by a larger 110kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery which offers up to 580km of WLTP-claimed range.AC charging across the line-up is 11kW, whereas peak DC fast-charging is up to 542kW. This allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 12 minutes.There’s also vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities at up to 6kW.As standard there is air suspension with adaptive dampers, as well as a rear-axle steering system.A seven-seat configuration is standard with second-row captain’s chairs that offer 14 ways of electric adjustment, heating, ventilation and massaging, as well as a 17.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, a 21-inch head-up display, 21.4-inch rear touchscreen, 27-speaker sound system and a fridge/hotbox.On the safety front there are nine airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane centring, a semi-autonomous park assist, as well as a surround-view camera.The X9 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first. Pricing will be confirmed at a later date.Beyond the updated G6 electric mid-size SUV and the X9 electric people mover, XPeng also plans to launch the L03 coupe SUV, G9L large SUV and the L05 mid-size SUV in Australia over the next six months.The Chinese carmaker has also confirmed the flagship GX SUV will launch in Australia, however it hasn’t locked in concrete launch timing yet.

A new plug-in hybrid ute is about to hit the market.The Jetour Zongheng F700 pick-up style ute has just been offered for pre-sale in China,Jetour Zongheng is a Chery sub-brand specifically focused on off-roading and lifestyle vehicles.The F700 presents as an off-road-ready electrified ute.It boasts a plug-in hybrid set-up like the BYD Shark 6 and Australia-bound Chery Stockman. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors combine to produce 665kW and 1135Nm.  Jetour has given its ute plenty of go-anywhere potential.This includes a four-wheel drive system, front and rear locking differentials and a wading depth of 900mm.The car has a total driving range of 1300km, and up to 150km on electric-only power, according to more generous CLTC standards. It can DC fast charge from 20 to 80 per cent in 10 minutes, courtesy of its 800-volt platform.The F700’s interior features a 35.4-inch digital screen spanning the dashboard and 15.6-inch central touchscreen. It measures in at 5495mm long, 2050mm wide, 1985mm high and has a wheelbase of 3350mm.This makes it a step up on diesel-only rivals like the Toyota HiLux.It offers a direct threat to BYD's hugely successful Shark 6 and the incoming Chery Stockman.The Stockman has become one of the most talked about upcoming utes.It will launch with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine and electric motor PHEV set-up - the first of its kind in the Australian ute segment.Chery recently confirmed this set-up would produce 350kW and 800Nm.Chery has promised a petrol PHEV variant of the Stockman next year, and it could rely on the same set-up as the F700.It is unclear whether the F700 will make its way to Australia, but Jetour is expected to launch Down Under in early 2027.Jetour won’t fall under the Chery Group banner, and will be its own operation. The F700 would look to leverage the success of the Shark 6, providing an alternative to traditional diesel-only competition.It is priced in China from 364,900 yuan, which is the equivalent of more than $75,000, so it is on the premium end of the ute market.