Articles by Andrew Chesterton

Chinese brand Leapmotor's most performance-focused model to date is firming for an Australian launch, with the B05 Ultra on the cards to follow the regular B05's launch later this year.

Leapmotor has performed a welcome about-face on its controversial keyless entry system, with the brand to introduce physial keys on all future models.

Leapmotor's flagship SUV, the D19, is firming for Australia, with the PHEV version promising a mega EV-only driving range that would free most owners from the daily plug-in.The D19 is a sizable – we're talking more than 5.2m in length and 1.9m in width – six- or seven-seat large SUV, that promises to be a more road-focused alternative to models like the Denza B8, LandCruiser 300 Series and Lexus LX.There are three powertrains on offer, including the choice of a dual-motor or triple-motor EV, or a plug-in hybrid REEV solution.It's the latter that is the most interesting, with Leapmotor fitting a giant battery to the D19 that would free PHEV owners from having to plug in every day.On board is a choice of 63.7kWh or 80.3kWh LFP batteries, with the latter delivering an all-electric driving range of up to 500kms under CLTC testing, which is admitedly known to be more leniant than Australia's WLTC measurements. That should convert to around 400kms in our market, which is still an impressive number for any plug-in hybrid vehicle. Speaking of our market, Leapmotor says the model "would work" in Australia, with a local launch firmly on the cards, and that – at its fastest – a launch here could occur early next year."The D19 is a car that has been, just this moment, launched in China. So we have already run the opportunity study for multiple regions," says Leapmotor International's Global head of Brand Strategy, Product and Marketing, Francesco Giacalone."In Australia, it could work. The Middle East, of course, is a market. South America is interested. "Definitely it's a flagship right now. And wherever there is appetite, we will try to be there. The localisation for overseas is nine to 12 months after what has happened in China. If tomorrow morning we say, ‘you know what, we want D19’, that is nine months."In terms of pricing, nothing has been confirmed for our market, but in China, the REEV model starts at 210,800 CNY, which is around $45,000 in AUD.Like all Leapmotor REEVs, the battery is used to power an electric motor or motors, which in turn is used to drive the wheels. Also on board the D19 is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine which is used to recharge the battery, or to provide power to the motor.In the D19, the system produces a total 300kW and 520Nm, and the brand is promising a total driving range of around 1300kms with a full tank and a full charge.Also available are dual-motor or tri-motor EV versions, making 410kW/625Nm and 540kW/745Nm respectively, and which promise a range of up to 720km, and a sprint to 100km/h in less than four seconds in the tri-motor variant.

The all-new Mitsubishi Pajero hasn't even arrived yet, and already competition in the off-road space is heating up, with Nissan at last confirming an SUV version of the Frontier Pro SUV that will put a target on the back of 4WDs in Australia.The question is, is the Nissan product about to beat Mitsubishi at its own game?Mitsubishi largely pioneered plug-in hybrid technology in Australia, but the brand has previously ruled out adapting the technology for its diesel engines. Instead, all reports point to the incoming Pajero – which is expected to use the Triton as its base – using the powertrain from the brand's ute.That means 2.4-litre bi-turbo diesel engine and eight-speed automatic, though some reports point to a plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain also being under development. Nissan, though, is set to abandon diesel, with the ute version of the Frontier Pro adopting a plug-in hybrid powertrain that would make the SUV version among the most powerful vehicles in its class.Its 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a transmission-mounted electric motor produce up to 320kW and 800Nm combined.The concept version of the SUV is to be revealed at the Beijing Auto Show, seemingly answering the question of what our market might receive in answer to the US-built (and V6-powered) Xterra.Built in partnership with Dongfeng, the SUV is reportedly built on what the group calls its Star Core platform, which can be paired with ICE, hybrid and EV powertrain options.The Frontier Pro looks set to soon be locked in for our market, with the reports pointing to an early 2027 launch date. If so, that would make the SUV version – which is being developed for export markets – a sure starter for Australia, too.Will diesel or plug-in power win the battle between Nissan and the new Pajero? Only time will tell.

Nissan is pledging 'badass is back' with its new Xterra 4WD, with the V6-powered off-road-ready SUV pledging a return to pared-back simplicity in the segment.That's the word from the Chairman of Nissan Americas, Christian Meunier, who posted a teaser image of the new Xterra to socials with the simple caption "badass is back."Launching as a proper ladder-frame SUV that will share its ute underpinnings with the Frontier ute, the Xterra would promise to offer a real point of difference in the 4WD space, with the brand expected to roll out a choice of V6 petrol or V6 hybrid, and no four-cylinder option. That's the engine line-up in the States, at least.In Australia, the vision is a little more clouded. While not officially ruled out, the Xterra is being built in the USA, where it will also underpin the next-generation of America's ute, which means getting this game-changing 4WD in Australia might prove challenging.But hope is not lost. CarsGuide understands that, while the Xterra will feed a Frontier in the USA, the Chinese-market Frontier Pro will feed a similar 4WD SUV for Asia-Pacific markets, which suggests a version of the Xterra, or something similar, is on the cards for us.And despite the fact that a V6-powered anything is unlikely in Australia these days, power in our China-derived version won't be a problem. The vehicle it will be based on, the Frontier Pro ute, combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor to produce a total 300kW and 800Nm. It should also prove something of a bargain, given the cheapest PHEV variant of the Frontier Pro will be offered with launch pricing of just 219,900 yuan in China, or the equivalent of just over $47,000 AUD.The new vehicle is being developed under the code name S20 PHEV SUV, and given Nissan Australia's deepening relationship with the brand's Chinese joint venture, that model is a much better chance to launch in our market.Confirmation of the Frontier Pro ute for Australia is expected imminently, while reports suggest the SUV version is being specifically developed for international markets.

Mitsubishi has finally confirmed timing and critical details surrounding the new Pajero, locking in a true off-road 4WD that will launch before the end of the year.The brand had only so far confirmed a new large SUV was coming, leaving plenty of guess work to be done as to whether it would be a monocoque road-focused vehicle, or a true rival to vehicles like the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol – not to mention newcomers like the Denza B5 and B8.But now we know the latter is the case, with Mitsubishi's president, Keisuke Kishiura, confirming that 4WD capability will be at the heart of the Pajero's development. And in more good news, the brand's most senior executive also locked in a 2026 launch for the new 4WD.Camouflaged examples of the new model have already been photographed in Australia.The executive specifically called out the off-road prowess of the old Pajero to US outlet Automotive News, saying "the Pajero is a cross-country SUV that combines fully-fledged off-road capability with the ease of handling and comfort of a passenger car", before adding:“We plan to launch the new cross-country SUV within the year.”Whether or not that also confirms the new model will be called the Pajero – which we believe it will be – we'll leave up to you, but it certainly locks in the off-road prowess, and fuels reports the model will be built using the Mitsubishi Triton's ladder-frame chassis.If it gets the Triton's underpinnings, expect the Pajero to use a version of the ute's 150kW and 470Nm 2.4-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine. “For me, the Pajero is an object of admiration,” Mr Kishiura told Automotive News.“Thanks to its off-road capability, allowing it to tackle any weather or road surface with confidence, its reliability, which withstands even the harshest conditions, and its ride quality and comfort that minimise fatigue on long drives, the Pajero has been cherished by customers around the world.”

Kia has confirmed critical details of the brand's upcoming ute, and seemingly inadvertently spilled on Hyundai's plans for a BYD Shark 6-fighting dual-cab.

You can almost feel the warmth, can’t you? You know, as Australia’s many thousands of EV owners bask in their collective smugness as fuel prices shoot skyward and the world continues its hell-in-a handbasket spiral.Sure, their smiles looked a little strained as the queues for public chargers grew and grew over the Easter break, but that aside, you’d have to declare the EV faithful the winners over the past couple of weeks.I spoke to someone from Tesla the other day who told me demand had been running hot, possibly hotter than ever before, since fuel costs began spiking. One of the Korean brands told me that almost all enquiry is focused on its EV models. And in March, EV sales were 86.2 per cent higher than they were in the same month last year.That staggering result inspired FCAI (the organisation that releases the monthly sales data) Chief Executive, Tony Weber, to ponder if “it is too early to determine whether this represents a structural shift in the market. More consumers are considering EVs due to the disruption to fuel supply caused by conflict in the Middle East, along with the review into the fringe benefits tax concession for EVs.”I can answer that for Mr Weber. It is permanent. And if for some reason it’s not, then Australian consumers need their heads read.My favourite question about EV take up (admittedly not one phrased by me) is to imagine a world where the EV came first, and then, some years later, some bright spark pitched a shift to internal combustion engines.“It will be amazing,” they would say. “We only need to replace the low-maintenance electric motor, with its handful of moving parts, with this engine, which has about 2000. Sure, the servicing needed will be much higher, we will need to fill it with oil, and we’ll need to turn fossils into a very expensive, volatile — and, as it turns out, very price sensitive — fuel source. But you will get a louder, slower, harsher and more annoying vehicle as a result. "And the best part is refuelling them. You know how you currently plug in at home, sometimes using nothing but sunshine? Well now you get to go to a petrol station and pay whatever extortionate number is on the board, and probably be muscled into buying two Kit Kats for a dollar by the person behind the counter."How do you honestly think that conversation would go?Now, I'm not suggesting each and every vehicle in Australia should be an EV. My magic wand would grant an exemption to most supercars, and to a handful of sportcars and hot hatches. Heavy trucking and regional areas would get a pass, too. As would anyone needing to do lots of heavy-duty towing. Some utes get a pass, too. But let's be honest, there are plenty of dual-cab owners who have never carried anything heavier than a bag of groceries.Everyone else? Electric works, believe me. If you drive a beige small car, an SUV of any size, live in a city (which is most of us), and especially if you have access to home charging, an EV is likely the right fit.And it's not just me that thinks so. Look at CarsGuide's Car of The Year awards. Best Small Car Under $50k? Kia EV3. Best Medium SUV Under $60k? Zeekr 7X. Best Medium SUV Under $130k? Hyundai Ioniq 5. Best Ute? The BYD Shark 6. All either electric or partly electric, and all among the very best vehicles in the country.So if you're not on board the EV train by now, the problem is very likely with you.

The Zeekr X is a small SUV that's big on stuff and – compared to its sibling vehicle, the Volvo EX30 – low on price. Is that enough to kickstart the X's sales in Australia? We put the updated model to the test to find out.

One of Australia's few remaining petrol V8 engines has reached the end of the line, with the final shipments of the Y62 Nissan Patrol landing ahead of the arrival of the Y63 Patrol and its V6 engine.The latest dispatch from Nissan also locks in a 2026 launch for the Y63 Patrol, which is an early mark from its planned early-2027 arrival, putting an official end date on one of Australia's most iconic 4WDs.Nissan dealers have begun contacting customers, telling them that "our limited final allocation will be arriving in the next few months...before the new V6 models arrive at the end of the year".The V6 in question is the most powerful production engine the brand has ever offered – a 3.5-litre unit derived from the power plant in the GT-R that produces a sizeable 317kW and 700Nm, dwarfing the 298kW and 560Nm produced by the soon-to-be-defunct V8 of the Y62 Patrol.Independent testing in the USA found the Patrol – badged Armada in America – can sprint from zero to 60mph (96.5km/h) in 6.16 seconds. That's significantly faster than the Y62 Patrol, which takes more like 7.0-7.5 seconds to complete the admittedly slightly longer 100km/h dash.Crucially, this latest dispatch appears to confirm the models will arrive at the end of the year. It was thought orders would open in 2026, with deliveries beginning in 2027, but it appears the models will be on the ground and on sale before year's end.There had been talk of the Y62 and Y63 Patrols crossing over, such is the sustained popularity of the V8 model, but it would appear that is no longer the case, with the last of the eight-cylinder models now en route to Australia.Examples of the Y63 Patrol have already been spied in Australia, as far back as November last year.