Car Reviews

The Kia Cerato-replacing K4 is bigger and bolder than its predecessor and comes to market with a lot more standard gear and safety equipment.From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Pricing for the Sport has increased by more than $6000 over the equivalent Cerato grade, but Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The Sport is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine offering up power and torque of 112kW/192Nm. This drives the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.The carryover 2.0-litre unit consumes 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.The K4 comes with a lengthy safety features list across all grades, including auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (with stop & go functionality), lane keep assist, lane follow assist, multi-collision braking, ‘Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist’, driver attention warning, ‘Intelligent Speed Limit Assist’, a front centre airbag and more.

The entry-level Leapmotor C10 Style arrives with a headline drive-away price-tag of just $47,500.

The Kia K4 replaces the long-running Cerato and the new model has increased in size to the point that it’s straddling small and mid-size car dimensions.From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Kicking off the range is the base S, which has gone up in price by more than $3500. Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The S is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine offering up power and torque of 112kW/192Nm. This drives the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.The carryover 2.0-litre unit consumes 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.Standard gear in the S includes a 4.0-inch LCD driver’s instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch multimedia screen, over-the-air updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, rear-seat air vents and USB-C ports, digital radio, customisable driver profiles and manual air conditioning.You can opt for a 'Safety Pack' ($2100) that adds a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 5.0-inch air con display, dual-zone climate control and an expanded AEB system with junction turning and crossing and direct/oncoming lane change detection.

The Macan Turbo is a true EV monster. We’re talking 430kW (470kW with launch control), 1130Nm and a sprint to 100km/h that’s as fast as a Carrera Cup race car – just 3.3 seconds.It’s twin-motor, all-wheel drive and offers the kind of brutal acceleration that gives you a little facelift every time you step on the accelerator.The cost is a not-insignificant $184,400, but because it’s the performance model, you get performance kit as standard, like the 'Porsche Electric Sport Sound', the 'Sport Chrono Package' and a performance-focused 'Sport+' drive mode.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which helps deliver a 616km claimed driving range, while its 800V architecture is set up for 270kW DC high-speed charging, which will take 21min to go from 10 to 80 per cent. It will also accept 11kW AC charging, which should take 10 hours to go from empty to full.

The 4S is probably the performance sweet spot in the Macan Electric range, with its dual-motor set-up generating 330kW (380kW with launch control activated) and 820Nm, and a blistering sprint of just 4.1 seconds. That’s not as powerful or as fast as the Macan Turbo, but it sounds like plenty to us - plus it’s substantially cheaper. You’ll be parting with $149,300, and for that you’ll get the same 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as the lesser models, as well 20-inch alloys and the 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard, but you’ll also find LED matrix headlights, a better Bose stereo, a panoramic roof and four-zone climate control.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, and rides on a 800v architecture, and in the case of the 4S, you can expect a claimed 619km driving range.But there is a downside. While the cheaper Macan’s boot opens to reveal 540 litres, that number drops to 480 litres in the 4S or Turbo.

The Macan 4 ($134,400) is the second rung on Porsche’s new electric SUV ladder, and is also the cheapest way into a dual-motor, AWD version, with a second electric motor upping the grunt to 285kW (300kW with the launch function) and 650Nm — enough to complete the sprint to a brisk 5.2 seconds.Apart from the second motor, it largely mirrors the spec of the entry-level, and rear-wheel-drive, Macan, meaning a 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Outside, there are 20-inch alloys, while inside you’ll find synthetic-leather seats that are heated up front, and Australian cars get things like the clever 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which in the 4 means a claimed 624km driving range.When it comes time to recharge, the Macan rides on an 800V architecture, and is set up for 270kW DC high-speed charging, which will take 21min to go from 10 to 80 per cent. It will also accept 11kW AC charging, which should take 10 hours to go from empty to full.

The new Macan Electric range opens with the simply named Macan, which lists at $128,400, before on-road costs. A reminder here that the old entry-level Macan with an ICE powertrain would have set you back less than six figures, so this one represents quite the jump.That money gets you 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.It rides on 20-inch alloys, has synthetic-leather seats that are heated up front and Australian cars get things like the clever 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard.The entry-level Macan is the only model equipped with a single rear-mounted electric motor, and it will make a total 250kW (265kW with launch control activated) and 563Nm, which is enough to push the cheapest Macan to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which helps deliver a solid driving range. In the case of the entry-level Macan, that’s a claimed 654km.

The appropriately named Summit is the top variant for the Jeep Avenger range, adding some more creature comforts to the existing features from the Limited, and coming in with a hefty (for a light SUV) $60,990 asking price.

The middle variant in the Jeep Avenger family, the Limited, might be the best value in the range for those seeking function without the bells and whistles.

The GT-Line is the flagship model in Kia’s EV5 range, and as such it gets pretty much everything Kia could throw at it, including 20-inch alloys, auto-flush door handles, a panoramic sunroof, two-tone seats which are now billed as offering "premium relaxation", wireless phone charging, fingerprint recognition, a heated steering wheel and an augmented-reality head-up display.