Luxury Reviews

The most electrified Porsche 911 yet has arrived.Yep, the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S breaks from tradition with the electric motor wedged into its eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission.And then there's the twin electric turbochargers fitted to its 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine.That is one more e-turbo than its 911 Carrera GTS sibling, which debuted Porsche’s new power-boosting T-Hybrid system two years ago, complete with a 1.9kWh battery.In the all-wheel-drive Turbo S it helps it produce an astounding 523kW of power (+45kW) from 6500-7000rpm, and 800Nm of torque from a far broader 2300-6000rpm.Sprinting from zero to 100km/h in the coupe on test here now takes just 2.5 seconds (-0.2s), while 200km/h can be reached in 8.5 seconds (-0.5s) on its way to a top speed of 322km/h (a nice even 200mph).Needless to say, in reality this level of acceleration is neck-snappingly immense in any of the three available drive modes (Normal, Sport and Sport Plus).The PDK whips through its eight gears in a seemingly uninterrupted blur, during which the engine feels like it is always on boost thanks to its newfound electrification.That said, the Turbo S increasingly offers too much straight-line performance for Australian public roads, which have speed limits of up to 130km/h in limited locations.But I suppose it is nice to know you can accelerate faster than almost any other car you come across on your drive.You also can probably decelerate sooner than most other cars thanks to the mammoth carbon-ceramic brakes fitted to the Turbo S.The 420mm front and 410mm (+20mm) rear discs are the largest to be fitted to a street-legal Porsche yet and offer equally immense stopping power.The T-Hybrid system contributes plenty to the Turbo S coupe’s 74kg weight gain, to 1725kg, but the reality is you won’t really notice the difference in a straight line, let alone around corners.Handling wise, the Turbo S does not match the prowess of its track-focused GT3 and GT2 siblings, but it is still a 911, which means it's still among the best when it comes to despatching corners with its high level of AWD grip.The T-Hybrid system also helps to power the new active anti-roll bars, which reduce body roll when cornering hard. They are simply phenomenal when it comes to delivering lateral balance.And if you want even more body control and road feel, the adaptive dampers can be firmed up via a dedicated physical switch at any time, or via the Sport Plus drive mode.At this point the ride comfort is firm enough that you seemingly feel every little road imperfection.I prefer the adaptive dampers in their Normal setting, which is still stiff but can easily be lived with day to day.The 911’s electric power steering is the one of the best available today, with the level of feedback provided almost as good as a traditional hydraulic system.In any of the drive modes it is as direct as you would expect a high-end sports car to be, partly thanks to its brilliant wheelbase-shortening rear-axle steering.The beauty of the Turbo S is its split personality: it can be relatively docile when you are navigating city traffic, or it can be an otherworldly performance machine when you are lucky enough to find an open road.It is this duality that its GT siblings simply cannot match.Now, do not make the mistake of thinking the Turbo S coupe’s T-Hybrid system significantly reduces its fuel consumption because it is performance-focused after all.In fact, claimed fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test is 11.8L/100km, up 0.3L/100km.But in the real world I averaged a reasonable 14.3L/100km over 366km of driving, all of which was very much worth the high fuel bill.Design wise, the Turbo S has had an obligatory nip and tuck as part of this midlife facelift, one that Porsche says makes it 10 per cent slipprier, partly thanks to active aerodynamics front and rear.Either way, the 911’s iconic design elements remain, making it arguably the most recognisable multi-generation sports car of all time.I mean, look at those deliciously wide rear haunches!The 911 is also still one of the most practical sports cars you can buy, with two rear seats, which, while very tight for adults, is still a lot better than not having them at all.You even get two cupholders in the front row, which is two more than you get in most supercars.There are also plenty of physical buttons and switches for nearly all of the key functions, including the all-important climate controls.And let us not forget the frunk and its 128 litres of storage capacity, which is again a lot more accommodating than what you get with the 911’s mid-engine rivals.The price? The new Turbo S coupe costs $577,300 plus on-road costs, which is ‘just’ $39,700 more than its predecessor but more than reasonable against its competitive set, including the Ferrari 296 GTB ($604,000) and Lamborghini Temerario ($534,169).Despite its high price, in typical Porsche fashion several features that should be standard in the Turbo S coupe are not, including its sunroof ($4720), cooled front seats ($2220), Porsche InnoDrive highway assist ($2190) and all-important front-axle lift ($4950).All the regular advanced driver-assist safety features are otherwise present and work well, meaning they will not annoy you day to day, which is increasingly rare in 2026.But you do get shortchanged with Porsche Australia’s three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which while comparable with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Aston Martin, is off the five-year pace of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and other premium brands.

The higher of two pure-electric Mercedes CLA models, and the flagship of the five-model line-up is the CLA350 4Matic electric, priced at $91,300, before on-road costs.

It's laughable the new Bentley Bentayga Speed doesn't have a plug-in hybrid powertrain tucked up under its snout.After all, the luxury British carmaker has invested billions in electrification and gone ahead and developed its own high-performance plug-in V8 from scratch.But to focus on its lack of hybrid is a big mistake, says the British brand. Given the choice, Bentley says buyers of its fastest, most extreme Bentayga would prefer a pure-combustion V8 any day of the week.They might have a point. Even though it misses out on the massive 575kW of power and 1000Nm of torque of the hybrid, the Speed's twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 still musters 478kW and 850Nm. Not exactly meek.Without an extra high-voltage battery, electric motors, inverter and all the extra wiring, the latest 2026 Bentayga Speed is at least 200kg lighter than it would have been if it came with a plug.While some might lament the loss of the old hard-charging twin-turbo 6.0 W12, the uprated twin-turbo V8 is more than up to the task. To earn its Speed badge, engineers threw on some bigger turbos, upgraded the fuel injection system and then lowered the compression ratio.Finally, for the first time Bentley is throwing caution to the wind by adding an Akrapovič titanium exhaust that also shaves off around 12.5kg.Off the line, the Bentayga Speed shrugs off its 2.5-tonne kerb weight by launching from 0-100km/h in just 3.6 seconds – exactly the same as the latest BMW M5 Touring – and 0.3 seconds quicker than the old W12.Top speed rises to 310km/h – 4.0km/h higher than before.The gains keep coming.Since the V8 is 25kg lighter than the old W12, the latest Bentayga Speed also has a better weight distribution, allowing engineers to comprehensively update its flagship SUV's chassis to improve the way it drives.While most of the air springs, adaptive dampers and 48-volt electric active anti-roll bars carry over, for the first time the big Bentley gets rear-wheel steer for extra nimbleness around town or on tight and twisting alpine roads.Highlighting the dramatic changes, for the first time there is something called an 'ESC Dynamic' mode that is said to, in the right circumstances (like a track), allow the driver to indulge in small drifts. It's not quite a proper drift mode but still almost unprecedented in a Bentley.Select 'Sport' mode and the dampers also firm up by 15 per cent, suggesting some serious intent by those honing the new Speed model.In the flesh, the fastest Bentayga adopts a pair of darkened front lights, smoked tail-lights, darker chrome, a larger tailgate spoiler, tweaked front and rear spoiler, plus Speed badging.Large 22-inch wheels are standard, but most will opt for the bigger-still 23s.Within, the Bentley is as glorious as ever and the perfect antidote for those who have grown weary of minimalistic cabins and boring pillar-to-pillar screens.From the lashings of chrome, proper dials and buttons, to the diamond-quilted leather and machine turned veneers, the attention to detail lavished on the cabin delights – but it's the experience behind the wheel that really counts.It's not all good news from the move from W12 to V8.The old twin-turbo 6.0-litre used to develop its peak torque from just 1500rpm, providing almost EV-like responses, while the new engine's 850Nm (50Nm lower) only arrives a little later at 2250rpm, providing a less instant response.The eight-speed auto is also a little slow to downshift, but once on the boil sees the big SUV fly and is accompanied by a far more appealing woofly V8 soundtrack than the old booming W12.We love the optional exhaust' too, which is never silly enough to upset your neighbours and adds plenty of drama with its pops and bangs in its sportiest mode.In its 'Comfort, mode the optional 23-inch rims added an unwanted edge to the ride at lower speeds and became quite busy at low speeds, which doesn't bode well when it arrives in Australia.The good news is, up the speed, and ride comfort is mostly decent, while the steering is accurate and, like many of its best rivals, manages to feel much lighter than it is.On public roads, we didn't get to see if the new Bentayga Speed can drift for England, but other rivals, like the Aston Martin DBX are perhaps even faster and more agile, while the latest Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric is in another league for straight-line performance.As standard the Bentayga Speed bags matrix LED headlights, LED rear lights and a 10.9-inch multimedia screen that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.A head-up display, night vision, park assist and traffic sign recognition are all part of the driver-assist tech.Out of the box the Bentley features a 12-speaker 590W sound system, but there are plenty of reasons to visit the options list.Our car came with the titanium sports exhaust that cost £7740 (A$14,500), the £10,370 (A$19,500) 'Dynamic Pack' that adds carbon-ceramic brakes and launch control and the upgraded £7350 (A$13,800) Naim premium audio.While there's the choice of seven standard colours, 56 extended hues, Bentley can also colour match to any shade under the sun. There are also five standard leathers, a further 10 premium hide options, plus up to eight different veneer trims.While not tested by ANCAP, the Bentayga Speed gets six airbags as standard, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection.The 2026 Bentley Bentayga comes with a three-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, which includes complimentary scheduled servicing for up to five years at no cost up to 100,000km.The latest Bentayga Speed service intervals are likely to be every 12 months or 16,000km, whichever is sooner.When the 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed arrives in the next couple of months it will be priced from $525,000, before on-road costs.That means it will command a six-figure premium over the Aston Martin DBX ($429,000 plus on-roads) and cost significantly more than the Lamborghini Urus Performante ($465,876) but seem an absolute bargain beside both the Ferrari Purosangue ($728,000) and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge ($810,000).

The first of two pure-electric Mercedes CLA models, the CLA200 electric kicks off at $72,200, before on-road costs.

The top-spec hybrid model in the new CLA line-up is the AWD 220 4Matic, sitting at $84,300, before on-road costs, which puts it in the same price ballpark as primo versions of its German ‘Big Three’ rivals, the Audi A3 sedan and BMW 2 Series.

The first rung up the Mercedes CLA ladder above the entry-level 180 is this CLA200 at $68,100, before on-road costs, which puts it in the same price ballpark as its German ‘Big Three’ rivals, the Audi A3 sedan and BMW 2 Series.

The Mercedes CLA line-up kicks off at $66,500 for the entry-level 180, which puts it in the same price ballpark as its German ‘Big Three’ rivals, the Audi A3 sedan and BMW 2 Series.

The CLA coupe-style compact sedan has been a minor player in the Mercedes-Benz passenger car portfolio... until now. An all-new version offering hybrid and pure-electric power is designed to step out of the shadows and take the fight up to its premium Euro rivals.

The Land Rover Defender Octa Black is supposed to be the 'ultimate Defender', but I'll be the judge of that after living with this monstrously capable high-performance luxury SUV for a week.

There's something newer and far more advanced on the horizon, but does the BMW i4 electric liftback still have enough appeal in 2026?