EV Reviews

The all-new Porsche Cayenne Electric range begins with this ‘entry-level’ model priced from $167,700 before on-road costs for the SUV body style and $173,500 for the Coupe. While that is a price premium over the existing petrol and hybrid models, it does come well specified. Standard equipment includes: 20-inch alloy wheels Matrix LED headlights Illuminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlid Panoramic glass roof Dual-zone climate control Eight-way adjustable sports seat 10-speaker sound system Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto This new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions. The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too.  Inside, for all the hype around Porsche performance, one of the brand’s standout features, at least in my opinion, has always been interior design.  This new Cayenne looks really interesting inside, with curved screens for the digital instrument display and the multimedia system, as well as the option to add a third screen in-front of the passenger. The overall level of fit and finish, the detail and quality of the materials is exactly what you’d expect from a premium brand and an SUV at this price point. The Cayenne Electric is powered by a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain that makes up to 325kW of power and 835Nm of torque. That’s enough for it to launch 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.  The Cayenne is powered by a Porsche-built 106kWh battery that provides 542km of range. In terms of safety, the Cayenne Electric is equipped with all the features that have become expected, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and full airbag protection.

If at first you don't succeed... Porsche is trying again with turning a popular SUV electric. But after the disappointment of the Macan, will the brand have better luck with its bigger Cayenne. We test drive the new Porsche Cayenne Electric on-road, off-road, through sand dunes and even down an airstrip to put it to the ultimate test.

When the Cadillac Lyriq launched in Australia, it was met with mixed opinions from the road testers of this publication. The style, the price, the apparent target market - question marks above the latter in particular. Would anyone bite? Now, Cadillac’s first EV in Australia has been updated and it brings a new model grade into the fold. This is the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V.  The V denotes the American brand’s V-Series performance models, think of it like BMW’s M. What it means is the mid-size electric SUV now has the option of some bite, even if it lacks the bark, as well as a slightly more menacing look and some other little inclusions. Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive system boasts 459kW and 880Nm instead of ‘just’ 384kW/720Nm, useful for launching near-2.7 tonnes of US-sourced EV (built there in right-hand drive) to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds. You’d expect to be paying a fair chunk for that then, especially given the Lyriq originally launched at more than $120,000 (though now $90,000). Not quite - Cadillac has managed to keep even the quicker version of the Lyriq under the six-figure mark at $99,000 before on-roads. One way it’s managed this is keeping a fairly identical specification between the Sport and the V when it comes to the features and interior. It shares a 92kWh Lithium-ion battery with the Sport grade, now the only other Lyriq available with the Luxury grade gone, though the extra power at hand in the V means a 471km WLTP range instead of the 503km in the Sport. Cadillac says with its 7.4kW AC charging you can add around 32km of range an hour, or 98km per hour of charging with three-phase 22kW AC charging. When using its max 130kW DC charging, ten minutes will add 107km of range, though the brand doesn’t supply a charge time for the standard 10-80 per cent charge. We’d estimate about half an hour. Inside, the inclusions run almost the same as the Sport: Electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with massage function Heated rear seats Nappa leather upholstery Heated steering wheel Ambient interior lighting Acoustic windshield Tri-zone climate control  33.0-inch curved multimedia touchscreen with 9K capability Rotary multimedia control 23-speaker AKG sound system with Dolby Atmos 3 USB-C ports Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Wireless phone charging Where it differs is one of the five drive modes - V-Mode with performance settings and launch control. There’s also a set of adaptive dampers rather than the passive single-mode set on the Sport, plus the brakes are painted red. Sporty! The styling also features darker 22-inch wheels instead of silver 21s, and body-colour trim instead of the Sport’s chrome. Of course, there’s V-badging and interior trim elements too. Black Nappa leather and a combination of chrome, silver and wood-style trim makes the Lyriq’s interior feel more classically upmarket than high-tech, but that seems to suit the brand. There’s a wide screen that incorporates the driver display and multimedia touchscreen which is low and doesn’t impact visibility while also fitting in nicely with the interior, plus there are plenty of physical buttons for controls including the climate and the multimedia. The latter includes a panel of buttons in the centre console and a scroll wheel, which feels like BMW or Mazda was the inspiration - not in any way a criticism as those systems were some of the best. There’s also a Dolby Atmos feature in the already excellent sound system, though the highest quality audio can only be accessed through the native Amazon Music app and not via a phone mirroring player, which is a shame. It shares the Sport’s set of safety features including the six airbags, a little on the low side for a car this size with no front-centre airbag, plus adaptive cruise with lane centering and lane-keep, intersection auto emergency braking (AEB), cyclist alert, front and rear park-assist and automatic park assist. It doesn’t have an ANCAP rating, but its advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) don’t interfere much so it’s a case of swings and roundabouts. The five-year/unlimited km warranty and free roadside assist period is five years, which is now about standard for a premium brand. There's also the usual extra warranty on the high-voltage battery, eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first. Service intervals are a very comfortable 24 months or 24,000km, whichever comes first, but Cadillac’s servicing costs are case-by-case, with no published estimated pricing or capped-price offers. Essentially, despite a couple of missing pieces, Cadillac has fulfilled the premium brief of the Lyriq. But what about the performance brief of the V? A week behind the wheel including one long drive in the twisty surrounds of Melbourne revealed a car that’s a little more nuanced than expected. The standard Lyriq was already fairly brisk for a mid-size SUV at almost 2700kg with its 4.9sec sprint to 100km/h, but the extra power afforded to the V means people watching you take off from the lights are genuinely surprised, especially given the Cadillac’s luxury lean. The acceleration isn’t brutally instantaneous, not shoving you back into your seat as much as quickly spooling into play, and there’s a paddle for ‘regen on-demand’ which can be pulled as firmly as needed to engage the regenerative braking at the desired strength. The SUV’s weight comes into play during enthusiastic driving, but its adaptive suspension does a decent job of balancing comfort on rough roads with control in tight cornering. There’s less body roll and pitching than you might expect from something this comfortable on a highway drive, though the Lyriq-V is still not a super-focused sports car.

Forthing is yet another new Chinese brand that has officially arrived Down Under. It's being imported by Ateco Automotive which also sells Renault, Ram and LDV in Australia. Forthing's first model in Australia is the Taikon 5, which is a mid-size SUV available in both electric and range-extender hybrid guises. Does it have enough pull to draw your attention away from a BYD, Chery or Geely?

Leapmotor hasn’t had the greatest start in Australia, with its first model, the C10, receiving a lukewarm response at best. Since then, each new model has represented a big leap, if you will, over that car. The B10 small SUV has been well received and the B05 hatch that’s coming soon promises to be more of a driver’s car. Later this year Leapmotor will introduce a smaller all-electric SUV, the B03X, that should further improve the brand’s fortunes. It’s already a hit in its native China where it dethroned the Tesla Model Y as the country’s favourite electric SUV after a 15-month reign and European orders are also strong. It faces a challenge in Australia, though, as its competitors include the popular BYD Atto 2 and Jaecoo J5 EV. It is shorter in length than those two models, but roughly the same height and width. It will also be cross shopped with electric hatchbacks like the BYD Dolphin, GAC Aion UT, Geely EX2 and MG4 Urban. Leapmotor is ready for a fight, however. The brand confirmed the B03X will start from $30,000, drive-away, which will instantly make it the cheapest electric SUV in Australia when it arrives in the fourth quarter of 2026. Full pricing and spec is being kept under wraps until closer to the launch but the little EV will be offered in two model grades, both packing a 53kWh battery. Standard gear is generous and while we don’t quite know what each grade will get, it should be offered with LED lights all around, remote entry via an app or NFC card, power folding and heated exterior mirrors, auto air conditioning, synthetic leather seats, heated front seats and steering wheel, power adjust front seats, ambient lighting, rain-sensing wipers and scheduled charging. Tech is covered with a 14.6-inch multimedia display housing most vehicle functions, an 8.8-inch driver’s display, sat-nav, over-the-air updates and a 12-speaker audio system. In news that will be a relief to some, the B03X will also come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, unlike Leapmotor’s first Australian model, the C10 SUV. Safety wise it comes with seven airbags and no less than 21 advanced driver assistance features as well as front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera. Lookswise it follows Leapmotor’s design philosophy to a T. More than many other newer Chinese brands, Leapmotor’s design flows neatly through each new model. There’s a clear link between the C10, B10, B05 and now the B03X. It’s a clean design and on the B03X that means no sharp lines - it’s a rounded look at the front with an appealing headlight signature. Side on it looks tall with a chunky C-pillar and blacked out pillars and frames for a floating glasshouse look. Thankfully the B03X has hidden rather than pop-out exterior door handles which is a win. That’s likely a response to China’s crackdown on pop-out handles. The adorable LED tail-light signature looks like an open mouth and eyes, but not in a creepy way. The cutesy vibe continues in the cabin. You’ll find a smiley-faced Leapy character - Leamotor’s mascot - hidden in a number of spots in the front of the cabin. The interior design is relatively well executed. It’s not groundbreaking but at least it adds a bit more than the cheap minimalism found in some rivals. There’s plenty of soft-touch material on the doors and dash and the interior colour choices include darker hues as well as light greys mixed with a royal blue. Leapmotor claims there are 33 storage spaces in the entire car. I didn’t count but that sounds like a lot. The power window switches are counterintuitive because you press up to put the window down and vice versa. The front seats don’t have a huge amount of upper or lower body bolstering so they’re not particularly supportive but they are comfortable. The gear shifter is on the steering wheel which is becoming common and it frees up console space. That centre console sits a little too high for me. Storage wise there is a long, deep centre bin and an open space under the console. On top there’s a phone charger next to two narrow cupholders. You can fit bottles in the door cavities but not wide ones. Virtually all vehicle functions are housed in the large 14.6-inch multimedia screen, or via two toggles on the steering wheel. Tesla started this nonsense and it seems a bunch of mostly Chinese brands are happy to play follow the leader. The frustrating lack of buttons means diving into menus to find things and spending time to work out how to move your mirrors. However, the multimedia screen is logically laid out and it has clear, crisp graphics. The screen is customisable so you can curate your own home screen. The 8.8-inch driver display is small but clear. The rear seat is surprisingly spacious, with ample head, toe and legroom, but there’s not a huge amount of room across the bench. Two large adults would be fine in the back but three would be a stretch. There’s no fold-down armrest in the centre and no air vents of any kind in the rear which was noticeable on our drive as we had a third person in the rear seat. You do get a USB-A and -C port. The rear seats are flat but comfortable and there’s a handy feature Leapmotor should probably thank Honda for - Magic seats! Pull a lever on the seat base and it flips up on both sides to allow more space to load tall items. Leapmotor says the boot can swallow 510 litres, but I suspect that’s with the multi-level boot floor in its lowest position. That’s more space than the last Australian-made Holden Commodore, by the way. Underneath that is another neat feature - a 105L waterproof bin with a plug so you can hose it out. However, it means you don’t get a spare wheel of any kind. There was no tyre repair kit to be found in our test cars, so presumably you would need to put your charge cables and the repair kit in that under-floor storage. The Leapmotor B03X is a single motor, front-wheel-drive EV delivering 145kW of power and 200Nm of torque. It can cover 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds and has a maximum speed of 160km/h. The 53kWh battery is good for a WLTP driving range of 382km, which is a bit more than the BYD Atto 2, while energy use is 15.7kwh/100km. There’s an 11kW onboard charger for AC charging but DC maxes out at 133kW. At that rate you should be able to top up from 10 to 80 per cent battery power in roughly 21 minutes. The B03X has vehicle-to-load capabilities meaning you can charge or run small appliances with your car. On the road the Leapmotor is quite a competent car. The 8.6sec acceleration time is solid for a car like this. There’s no point in a six second 0-100km/h time for an urban SUV. It can be a little sluggish off the mark which is surprising for an EV. This was evident pulling into traffic via the short motorway on-ramps of Southern Spain where the launch program was held. Ride quality is mostly good but the roads we drove on are pretty smooth. Some uneven road sections proved it’s not all smooth sailing in the B03X but overall it’s compliant. We will reserve final judgement on ride quality until we drive it on Australia’s deeply average roads. Steering is light and dull but that’s not a major issue in an urban runabout and many potential buyers likely won’t care. However, Leapmotor has listened to feedback and will roll out an over-the-air update in a couple of weeks that aims to address the lifeless steering. There are three drive and steering modes including Sport, as well as three regenerative braking modes. We drove this car on some twisty Andalusian mountain roads and it handled much better than expected. It’s certainly a massive improvement over the dreadful Leapmotor C10. It won’t corner like an Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica but it’s also half the price. It’s more in line with an Atto 2. Some wheel skidding and traction loss is possible when accelerating hard or changing direction at the last minute - not surprising given the FWD’s 200Nm of torque - but the Yokohama 18-inch wheel and tyre package does a decent job. Leapmotor says it has a tight 10-metre turning circle and it’s an absolute breeze to park. The advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) are not as loud as some of its rivals, but it is still intrusive, despite Leapmotor working hard on ADAS calibration. The over-speed warning in particular is incessant. But thankfully you can change the levels or turn most ADAS functions off completely via the settings. There’s no Euro NCAP rating just yet but Leapmotor says it is hoping for a maximum five stars.

Three months with the MY26 Skoda Elroq Select 60 have come and gone in the blink of an eye. The segment-straddling, fully-electric SUV has been a pleasure to ‘own’ because of its city-friendly size that would surely make Goldilocks blush. But there is more to the Elroq story than its practicality, as its European nature should mean it is also one for the keen drivers. But is it? That is what we are going to find out in this third instalment of our long-term review of the entry-level Select 60. In part one we detailed its relatively keen pricing and surprisingly high specification, while the second explored its Euro design and aforementioned practicality. To find out more click the links directly below. Now, it is time to go for a drive before I deliver my overall verdict on the Elroq. Let’s go! Simply put, the Elroq is a joy to drive. A lot of EVs these days are not particularly engaging behind the wheel, but this Czech model flips the script with its well-balanced ride and handling. The Elroq Select 60 may lack adaptive dampers, but its MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear suspension delivers a level of suppleness over potholes and speed bumps – without being too soft like a lot of its new Chinese competitors. Some would say it is firm, but it is definitely not jarring. At the same time the Elroq maintains good body control when pushed hard through your favourite set of corners, enough that you will want to drive around them again. Handling in general is strong, offering plenty of confidence, with grip plentiful despite the rear-wheel drive set-up, which is a rarity in the small-car segment. RWD is much more fun than front-wheel drive, as you’re pushed out of corners rather than pulled, plus there is, generally, the benefit of a tighter turning circle, which is perfect for the city. The electric power steering is nice and direct, albeit on the lighter side when it comes to weighting, but I don't mind it around town, where it makes low-speed manoeuvres, like parking, much easier to execute. The steering wheel is a little too thin for my liking, but I got used to it quickly enough. The MY26 Select 60 on test here only produces 150kW and 310Nm from its single electric motor, which is a significant 60kW/235Nm short of other Elroq variants. As a result, the Select 60’s 0-100km/h sprint time of eight seconds flat is 1.4 seconds slower than the other Elroq variants, which you will certainly notice when merging onto or overtaking on the highway. But the reality is most of your acceleration in the Select 60 will be to 40-60km/h and in those instances it will feel very spritely, as most EVs do. Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) levels are predictably good, given the Elroq is an EV that operates almost silently. Some road and tyre noise can be heard at higher speeds, but it thankfully never drones. Where the MY26 Elroq disappoints, though, is with its regenerative braking. Two levels are on offer, with the default the equivalent to engine braking in an internal-combustion model, while the B mode for the single-speed automatic transmission offers stronger energy recuperation. That said, the B mode is still not the equivalent of one-pedal driving, which is an EV signature I have sorely missed over the past three months. Thankfully, Skoda Australia has confirmed the Elroq’s MY27 update introduces a one-pedal option, meaning new owners will be able to drive by just modulating the accelerator pedal. The performance of the friction brakes is strong, should you need to properly use the left pedal. However, the blending between the regenerative and friction braking could be better. Also, the friction brakes start to bite when the right pedal is partly depressed, which takes some getting used to. In what seems to be a shock these days, the Elroq’s advanced driver-assist systems are rather pleasant in the real world. The lane-keep and steering assist functions are relatively well measured, while the adaptive cruise control is nicely calibrated – although it is not particularly energy efficient if you are trying to maximise your driving range (more on that in a moment). There are also no incessant over-speed or driver-attention warnings to combat – hooray! That said, it is a shame surround-view cameras are unavailable in the MY26 Select 60, even as an option. And the reversing camera you do get is shockingly low-resolution, which should not be a thing in 2026. The front parking sensors are also intermittently a little too sensitive in traffic, but it is by no means a deal-breaker. In my third and final month behind the wheel of the MY26 Elroq Select 60 my average energy consumption was 15.8kWh/100km over 1068km, a slightly higher proportion of which was in the city. This more efficient environment meant that result was 0.1kWh/100km and 0.3kWh/100km better than I managed in months one and three. My three-month average was 15.9kWh/100km over 2797km, which equates to a real-world driving range of 371km, based on the MY26 Select 60’s useable battery capacity of 59kWh. That is just 24km short of the MY26 claim and still good enough for a regular urban commuter, but I would personally be paying the premium for the long-range MY26 Elroq, which promises up to 529km between charges. Acquired: May 6, 2026 Distance travelled this month: 1068km Odometer: 3755km Average energy consumption this month: 15.8kWh/100km

Premium electrified people movers are growing in popularity, propelled by the VW ID. Buzz EV, as well as Chinese brands like Zeekr and Denza. The XPeng X9 is the latest, with comparatively keen pricing, a huge list of standard features and impressively advanced tech, including air suspension. Great on paper, but we have doubts on some fronts, given our experiences with the Performance AWD model.

The BMW X1 won the Best Small Car starting under $80,000 category in CarsGuide's 2026 Car of the Year awards, and the line-up has just received a shake-up. While petrol and electric (iX1) versions of this small SUV are still on offer, there is now a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant. Dubbed the X1 xDrive25e, it’s priced from $79,900, before on-road costs. It’s almost $9000 more than the petrol-powered sDrive20i M Sport ($70,962 BOC), which is only front-wheel drive. This sees it compete against other plug-in hybrid rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLA250e ($78,800 BOC) and Cupra Formentor VZe ($68,990 BOC). Audi hasn’t launched a PHEV version of its new-generation Q3 in Australia yet. Our test car is fitted with the Enhancement Package ($5700) which adds the following: Metallic paint Panoramic glass sunroof 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system Heated steering wheel There is a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that powers the front wheels with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, as well as an 80kW electric motor on the rear axle. Total system outputs are 180kW and 477Nm which is good for a 0-100km/h sprint in 6.8 seconds. There’s plenty of power on tap. Around town the electric motor handles almost all of it on its own, but lean harder on the accelerator or deplete the battery charge and the petrol engine steps in to assist. When the petrol engine first fires there can be slight hesitation as the powertrain shuffles how the drive is sent. It’s brief and then things smooth out. The three-cylinder petrol engine has a fun, perky but you can tell it's working hard to shift 1855kg of small SUV. Feeding the electric motor is a 16.3kWh (14.2kWh usable) lithium-ion battery pack which allows for up to 86km of WLTP-claimed electric range. During my urban real-world testing I saw closer to 55km, which isn’t very much by today's standards. BMW claims the X1 xDrive25e has a combined fuel consumption of 3.3L/100km, according to ADR 81/02 testing, though your usage will depend on how often you charge. When the battery was depleted I saw an average of 9.5-10L/100km, which is a fair bit for a car of this size. There is a 47L fuel tank that requires a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded petrol. Charging up the battery pack can only be done by a Type 2 plug that’s on the front-left quarter panel and allows for AC charging at rates up to 11kW. With this a full charge is claimed to take 1.75 hours. Even though it can feel like the turbo three-cylinder engine is working hard, it’s aided by the electric motor. When you boot the accelerator there's plenty of oomph available, plus if you’re feeling frisky, there’s also a ‘Boost’ mode that turns everything to 11. Once the need for speed is over, it’s surprising just how fun this car is to drive, even around town. This is primarily thanks to light, yet direct steering. This version of the X1 comes with the M Sport package as standard, which means it has a sportier suspension set-up with adaptive dampers. It’s generally comfortable and compliant, though harsher bumps can transmit into the cabin with a jolt. There’s a lot of polish to this car and it’s clear it's still a segment benchmark, at least from a dynamic standpoint. The BMW X1 still has a striking cabin with its dual screen set-up, though the 10.7-inch touchscreen multimedia system does look a touch small now compared to some of its competitors. Looking elsewhere there's the classic chunky BMW steering wheel, a generous amount of open storage under the centre console, a handy clamp to hold your phone on the wireless charger, as well as a comically small centre armrest storage spot. Despite being a small SUV, there’s still a generous amount of space in the second row. Plus, the floor is virtually flat, meaning the centre seat isn’t a terrible place to sit. Though the centre seat has a roof-mounted seatbelt which does eat into rearward visibility. Adding to the segment-defying space, it has 490L of boot space with the rear seats upright, expanding to 1495L when folded. Surprisingly for a PHEV there’s even underfloor storage for the charging cables, however there’s no spare wheel. Petrol and electric versions of the BMW X1 have a five-star ANCAP safety rating. It’s unclear whether this will be extended to the PHEV. The following safety equipment is on offer: Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Blind-spot monitoring Rear cross-traffic alert Lane-keep assist Adaptive cruise control Lane-change assist Surround-view camera Front and rear parking sensors Parking assist Dashcam All of the safety systems are well-calibrated and don’t interfere with the driving experience, unless required. Like all BMWs, the X1 xDrive25e is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is standard for luxury carmakers but lacking when compared to mainstream counterparts. The high-voltage battery is also covered for eight years or 160,000km. BMW offers three- and five-year pre-paid service packages which are priced at $1466 and $2493, respectively. The latter equals about $500 per service, which is typical for a European luxury car of this size.

Chinese carmaker Chery Group loves a sub-brand and its Jaecoo nameplate arrived here just over 12 months ago as a more premium option relative to its Omoda sibling. Stand by for Lepas hitting Aussie showrooms any minute as well as iCaur and Freelander in 2027. Think of Jaecoo as a mainstream Hyundai, Kia and Toyota alternative and the J5 on test here as a sharply priced small SUV challenger to the Kona, Seltos and Corolla Cross. At $34,990, drive-away, the J5 SHS-H Summit is a (series-parallel) hybrid five seater promising compelling value, family focused practicality and miserly fuel consumption.  And we spent a week behind the wheel to see if it has what it takes to upset the established order in one of the Aussie new-car market’s most hotly contested segments. Elaborate decoration is notable by its absence when it comes to the Jaecoo J5’s exterior. Broad, largely unadorned surfaces give this SUV a clean, solid, no fuss look with the bold waterfall grille and flower petal-style 18-inch ‘Aero’ alloy wheels the closest things come to embellishment. The interior is similarly minimalist although some visual interest is added via configurable ambient lighting, white perimeter piping and cross stitching on the seats, a diamond pattern on the upper section of the dash and a piano black finish on the front centre console and around the multimedia screen. The colour palette is multi shades of grey, although off-white headlining lifts things a bit.  For its sub-$35K drive-away price the J5 Summit is loaded with standard equipment, the highlights being: All LED exterior lighting Intelligent high beam Roof rails Rain-sensing wipers Heated and power-folding exterior mirrors Glass sunroof (with power sunshade) Power tailgate Synthetic leather trim Six-way power-adjustable (heated & ventilated) front seats Dual-zone climate-control Interior ambient lighting 8.9-inch digital instrument display 13.2-inch multimedia touchscreen Eight-speaker audio Wired & wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay Intelligent voice command We’ll get to safety equipment soon, but without even going there that list of included features is as good or better than pricier hybrid rivals like the Hyundai Kona (from $36,950) or Toyota Corolla Cross (from $37,440), both before on-road costs.  At just under 4.4m long, less than 1.9m wide and a bit over 1.6m tall with a 2620mm wheelbase the Jaecoo J5 packs a lot of capacity into a relatively compact footprint. No shortage of breathing room upfront and the rear is surprisingly roomy with ample headroom and decent legroom (for me sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position). The synthetic leather trim is claimed to “stand up to pet claws and everyday spills” and our always enthusiastic doggo put it to the test without any immediate signs of damage. Heaps of storage with everything from generous door bins (front and rear) to storage bays and boxes, multiple cupholders, pockets and power sources including wireless charging, USB-A and -C ports as well as 12V outlets (front and boot). Speaking of the boot, it boasts an average 314-litre volume to the top of the rear seatbacks, 410L to the roof and even more with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.  There's a big black mark against the lack of a physical spare, though, compounded by the fact Jaecoo puts it right in your face with a spare tyre-shaped cavity under the boot floor and the 12-volt battery plonked in the middle of it. Boo.  The Jaecoo J5 is offered in Australia in petrol internal-combustion, pure-electric and as tested here, series-parallel hybrid form. The SHS-H in the car’s name stands for ‘Super Hybrid System-Hybrid’, which is a self-charging powertrain consisting of a 1.5-litre (105kW/215Nm) turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine working in concert with a single (150kW/310Nm) permanent magnet synchronous motor which together send 165kW/295Nm to the front wheels through a dedicated hybrid transmission. The Jaecoo J5 SHS-H Summit’s official fuel-economy figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 5.6L/100km and over a week of city suburban and some freeway running we saw an impressive average of just 4.6L/100km which equates to a range of more than 1100km. Wow. This hybrid feels more electric than petrol with plenty of surge from rest and more than enough grunt for the cut and thrust of city traffic and easy freeway cruising. It’s commendably quiet, although the ride from the strut front, multi-link rear suspension is firm and sensitive to smaller, high-frequency bumps and thumps. Steering is accurate and road feel is okay, the standard Continental EcoContact 7 rubber is quiet and grippy but the brakes are relatively abrupt on application unless you consciously focus on greasing them in. All around vision is clear and the inclusion of a quality reversing camera and 360-degree overhead view makes parking a breeze. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) tech is extensive covering everything from auto emergency braking (AEB) to rear cross-traffic alert with any warning, assist, detection and prevention measure you can think of in between. The airbag count is seven, including a front centre bag. Most of the crash-avoidance systems work well enough, although lane keeping in adaptive cruise mode is manic with micro adjustments constantly tweaking the wheel in your hands. And the driver monitoring system is overly zealous, which is doubly annoying as it typically slaps you on the wrist with a visual and audible alert when you’re digging into the central screen for functions like ventilation that would be better handled by physical controls. Grrr. Jaecoo Motor Australia covers its cars with a competitive eight-year/unlimited km warranty (including the traction battery) with an initial 12 months of roadside assistance extended for another year each time you carry out a scheduled service at an authorised Jaecoo dealership.  Recommended service interval is 12 months/15,000km and eight-year/120,000km capped-price servicing can be locked in for an average of just over $426 per workshop visit. Not the lowest when you consider a Toyota Corolla Cross service will set you back $255 for each of the first five years. There are around 50 Omoda Jaecoo dealers in Australia covering all states and territories except the NT.

The Zeekr 7GT has become one of the more hyped new cars headed to Australia before the end of 2026, which is surprising because it’s a station wagon. This new entrant into the fully electric arena will sit alongside the very successful 7X in the challenger brand’s line-up as a more low-slung option with seriously sporty aspirations. For this preview drive, right-hand drive cars weren’t quite ready yet, but we were offered the opportunity for a bit more wheel time than we’ve had before, on the track and in the snow. What does it tell us about this intriguing non-SUV option? Read on to find out. I know you’re probably hoping to know how much the Zeekr 7GT will cost, but we still don’t have that specific detail. What the brand did tell us is the fully electric wagon will come in the same three core variants as are available over in China and Europe - a base standard range rear-wheel drive, a mid-spec long-range rear-wheel drive and a top-spec performance-oriented all-wheel drive. If it follows the same pricing structure as it does overseas, the 7GT will be more affordable than its 7X mid-size SUV sibling, with a starting price of around $55,000 if the usual conversion stays true. Expect the range to top out around the $70K mark by the time you walk up to the top-spec all-wheel drive. This means you’re paying combustion car prices for EV performance, with rivals including the Subaru WRX Sportwagon (from $58,490), Skoda Octavia RS (from $64,990 in wagon form), or on the EV front, the Tesla Model 3 (from $54,900 - no wagon available). As to features, we can look to the European market for an idea of what to expect. There, all versions of the 7GT score the dash-dominating 15-inch multimedia touchscreen, and shaped 13.0-inch digital dash, similar to the 7X's. Higher variants get a 35.5-inch head-up display, while other standard kit includes a panoramic sunroof and LED headlights. Inside, trim ranges from black textile on the base car through to a blend of Nappa leather and synthetic materials on the higher-grade cars. In Europe these are able to be chosen either in black or white, while a wider array of interior colours, including sporty suede-style bucket seats. Zeekr even hinted at the possibility of doing a special fourth trim level which could be a range-topping sporty model. One thing is for sure, Zeekr is selling cars on the feeling the interior leaves you with. Like the 7X, the 7GT continues to subvert expectations of how a Chinese car can look and feel from the inside. The commitment to nice materials, solid ergonomics, and even slick software leaves you with the impression that you’re in something European rather than Chinese. This is no doubt largely to do with the fact Zeekrs are at least partially designed next door to Volvos and Polestars at Geely Group’s Gothenburg facilities in Sweden. The same goes for the outside, where the 7GT has the proportions of a sporty Euro wagon, with the more Chinese-leaning design motifs personifying its ‘hidden energy’ design language. To that end, it shares its minimalistic bar-style face with the 7X, familiar frameless doors, but with a bespoke rear design which integrates a bar-style LED below a little lip spoiler on the tailgate, with an edgy split-spoiler adding some intrigue to the roofline. It’s a cool looking machine, with an array of aggressive wheel choices, but I have no doubt that it will continue to set Zeekr apart from the rest of the Chinese pack. How does it drive? We sampled both rear-wheel drive versions (which have 310kW/440Nm) and the top-spec all-wheel drive version (475kW/710Nm) at the track, as well as just the AWD on the snow. What did we learn? Both drivetrains are punchy, and the steering and feedback on offer continues to be a highlight. This car has some attitude behind the wheel, and while the power might sound overwhelming, the somewhat strict stability control keeps things sane. That having been said, when we had the opportunity to turn it off on the snow, even the all-wheel drive version would get super rear-happy, proving it’s got a bit of chaos to share, allowing massive drifts in the right conditions. One big question mark is suspension. The 7GT has been criticised overseas for being a bit soft compared to the kinds of Euro rivals it’s planning to take on, and sadly with only Chinese-spec cars to test this time around on conditions hardly representative of Aussie roads it’s hard to tell how this all-important factor feels this time around. We hope the brand will have at least a regional suspension selection tailored more to the tastes of Aussie buyers by the time it arrives. I wasn’t a huge fan of the reliance on touchscreen menus, which can be a tad fiddly, even with a few shortcut buttons and a volume dial. However, the 7GT impresses with its 456-litre boot capacity (similar to many mid-size SUVs) and up to 65-litre frunk, too. Its electrical architecture also promises up to 450kW of DC charge speed, with a 13 minute estimated charge time from a slightly more common 350kW stack, according to Euro specs. It gets 3.3kW of vehicle-to-load as well. Safety kit is yet to be confirmed, but the 7GT was recently awarded a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating to the latest tough standards, which the brand will no doubt be hoping carries across to Australia’s ANCAP scheme. Expect a so-so five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, but service intervals for the related 7X are only every two years and reasonably priced.