Articles by Byron Mathioudakis

If you’re in a market for a new Hyundai Ioniq 5, then act quickly, because the highly-acclaimed and ground-breaking electric vehicle (EV) is about to become $6400 more expensive to access, thanks to the deletion of the base Standard Range battery grade.Why? It is understood that Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) is making room for the coming Elexio/EO expected here sometime next year.This is the fresh mid-sized SUV EV fraternal twin to the popular Kia EV5, co-developed and built in China through the brand’s Beijing Hyundai joint-venture program with BAIC Motor.The number of Ioniq 5 grades for 2026 has been slashed, from 11 to just four, including the N flagship that now costs around $4600 more than before. The Dynamiq and Epiq variant names are also disappearing – perhaps due the Volkswagen Group’s coming Skoda Epiq EV SUV.“We have nothing to say about future product and nothing has been confirmed at this stage,” HMCA General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Bill Thomas, told CarsGuide.According to a dealer source, the slow-selling, entry-level 125kW single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) 63kWh Standard Range (SR) battery grade, starting from $69,800 (all prices are before on-road costs) is about to be dropped for the 2026 model year.This comes barely 15 months after the Ioniq 5 RWD 63kWh SR was announced, as part of a wholesale mid-cycle facelift in July, 2024.Stepping in its place will be the continuing, more-powerful 168kW RWD 84kWh Extended Range (ER) version, that is now $400 more expensive than before from $76,200, followed by the fresh Elite 168kW RWD 84kWh ER from $81,200, which usurps the previous Dynamiq 168kWh RWD 84kWh ER from $80,800.The upside of the ER is usefully more WLTP range compared to the SR (up from 440km to 570km in its most efficient specification wearing 19-inch wheels), as well as stronger performance, though – as before – torque remains the same in both motors, at 350Nm.Buyers will need to fork out an additional $6400 for a 2026 Ioniq 5 with the rousing 239kW/605Nm twin-motor and all-wheel drive (AWD) ER powertrain.This is because the current mid-spec Dynamiq 84kWh ER AWD from $85,300, its sportier Dynamiq N-Line 84kWh ER AWD from $87,800, up-spec Epiq 84kWh ER AWD from $88,800 and sport/luxury Epic N-Line 84kWh ER AWD from $91,300 will also soon be gone for 2026.All but the latter will be wiped out, to simplify a complex model-walk structure, and replaced by the newly-minted N-Line Premium 84kWh ER AWD grade from $91,700.While all the AWD versions also use the 84kWh ER battery, the added weight of the second motor plus other items means that its WLTP range drops compared to the RWD equivalents, from 570km to about 500km.Additionally, for 2026, all versions adopt the so-called Digital Key 2.0, enabling owners and users to operate their vehicle with a compatible smartphone, rather than having the experience the inconvenience of carrying a regular key fob.Meanwhile, the previously-optional Vision Roof – a fixed panoramic glass roof with an electric sunshade – is now standard equipment in the Ioniq 5 N, accounting for its circa-$4600 price hike. Whether that affects its 3.4-second (on boost) sprint-time to 100km/h from standstill is not yet known.Finally, the highly-controversial digital side mirror that forced drivers to rely on even more screens instead of an intuitive exterior-mirror glance has been discontinued.We understand that Australian production for the 2026 Ioniq 5 range kicks off next month, with cars reaching dealers possibly before Christmas.Stay tuned to find out more.

The Skoda Enyaq 60 Select is the least expensive of the Czechian brand’s mid-sized family SUV EV range, which was facelifted just one year after the series' debut in Australia.For now, it is available only with a rear-mounted electric motor driving the rear axle, and ushers in a new-to-Australia body style in the guise of an SUV wagon shape.Kicking off from $50,990, before on-road costs, the 60 Select is aimed at luring buyers away from popular alternatives like the BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 and Tesla Model Y.The significance of the Enyaq is that it is the first SUV of this size in Australia to use the Volkswagen Group’s advanced 'MEB' dedicated EV architecture at this lower price point, making the entry-level grade usefully less-expensive than the closely-related VW ID.4 Pro from $59,990, Cupra Tavascan Endurance from $60,990 and Audi Q4 45 e-tron from $84,900.To help keep the price down, the 60 Select uses a smaller, 63kWh lithium-ion traction battery, rather than the others’ 82kWh item, as well as a lower-powered electric motor, but the resulting 410km of range and 150kW performance is more than adequate for most people’s needs.Plus, the base Enyaq is fairly-well equipped, with full advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) technologies, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-support help and rear cross-traffic alert.There are also seven airbags, front/rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, keyless entry/start, adaptive cruise control, a 13-inch touchscreen display with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a wireless charger, digital radio, heated front seats, three-zone climate control, a powered tailgate, charging cables, 19-inch alloy wheels, a seven-year warranty and even an umbrella in one of the doors. But no spare wheel, sadly, just a tyre-repair kit.The electric motor by the 60 Select’s rear axle makes 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque, propelling the Czech-built EV from zero to 100km/h (0-100km/h) in 8.1 seconds, on the way to a 160km/h top speed. Keeping all that in check, so to speak, are MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear suspension set-up.With its 63kWh battery, what’s the 60 Select like for efficiency? The combined energy consumption figure for the grade in Europe is 15.1kWh/100km on average, for a WLTP rated range figure of 410km.As a comparison, the $9000 more-expensive 85 Sportline with 210kW/545Nm and a larger, 82kWh battery bumps that up to 547km, and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.7sec.Charging to 100 per cent full from empty at home using just a regular socket might require about 30 hours, or under 10 hours with an optional 7.0kW Wallbox. A 20-80 per cent top-up on a 50kW DC fast charger needs about an hour, or half that time with a 100kW charger.One of the benefits of the smaller-battery 60 Select is that those charging times can be cut roughly by about 20 per cent compared to the 85 Sportline.

Skoda is stepping up by dropping the entry price of the recently-released Elroq SUV down to Kia EV3 money.Available from November and starting from $47,990, before on-road costs (or $49,990 drive-away), the newly-added 60 Select grade undercuts the existing 85 Select by $7000, making it the least-expensive European SUV electric vehicle (EV) in Australia.But the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand still falls short of matching the cheapest Chinese EV SUVs on the market, including the Chery E5 Urban from just $36,990, MG S5 Excite from $40,490 drive-away, BYD Atto 3 Essential from $39,990, Geely EX5 Complete from $40,990 and Leapmotor C10 Style from $45,888.Skoda said while the Elroq 60 Select has a smaller battery than the Elroq 85 Select at 63kWh instead of 82kWh, it remains larger than many of the aforementioned Chinese rivals.Compared to the 85, the 60’s range falls to 395km (from 529km), while using a less-powerful electric motor to drive the rear wheels (down from 210kW to 150kW) means acceleration times from zero to 100km/h slide from 6.6 seconds to 8.0s flat.However, equipment levels remain high, with keyless entry/start, walk-away central locking, LED headlights, digital instrumentation, a heated leather steering wheel, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a 13-inch central touchscreen, reversing camera, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charger, four USB-C ports, digital radio, a door-sited umbrella, heated and power-folding mirrors, 19-inch alloys and a seven-year warranty.On the safety front, the 60 Select includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with follow-to-stop ability, lane assist, rear cross-traffic alert, an exit warning system, fatigue monitor, front and rear parking sensors and turn assist.Plus, the Elroq is larger than many of the smaller SUVs it is priced against or near. Essentially a shorter version of the larger Enyaq, with the same 'MEB' EV architecture, wheelbase and front half of the body, it is classed as a mid-sized SUV as a result.Buyers with slightly deeper pockets can also opt for the 60 Select with the $6000 'Signature Pack', that adds matrix LED headlights, a head-up display, surround-view camera, 12-speaker premium audio package, powered front seats with driver’s memory and massage, powered tailgate, 20-inch alloy wheels and more.According to Skoda Australia Product Manager for Elroq Aline Carrullo, the Australian arm of the brand has been striving to create a more-competitive pricing statement in the EV space for some time and has only recently gained approval from head office in Mladá Boleslav.“It just makes our range stronger,” she told the Australian media at the Enyaq facelift launch in the Hunter Valley last week.“Skoda understands that Australia is one of the most competitive markets in the world… so we want to ensure that (Elroq) stands out for all the right reasons,” she said.Skoda Elroq price Australia: 

Skoda's first EV might be five years old in Europe, but this year's facelift means the Enyaq is now a fierce alternative to the BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 and even Tesla Model Y. Related to the VW ID.4 and Audi Q4 e-tron, the electric Skoda's affordable pricing and smart specification hark back to earlier brand values, making the Enyaq one of the most compelling and enjoyable family EV SUVs, period.

Look out, BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5, Tesla Model Y and other EVs sourced from China, because Skoda from Europe is gate-crashing the value end of the family SUV segment in Australia.

Ram is preparing to return to the midsized ute market globally, to take on the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, BYD Shark 6, Isuzu D-Max and more, with Australia looming front-and-centre. Expected to resuscitate the long-dormant Dakota badge when it debuts possibly as early as next year, the one-tonne pick-up range will slip underneath the full-sized DT-series 1500 Hurricane dual-cab series in both size and price.

The BMW M240i xDrive, one of our favourite coupes, has undergone a revamp, but not where you might expect. A redesigned dash, new screens and updated operating system are the big changes, meaning the big 3.0-litre turbo in-line 'six', all-wheel drive and superb chassis balance remain. But that raises a question: in the four years since release, has BMW's smallest coupe kept up with the times?

Ram is considering a V8 comeback for Australia’s best-selling full-sized American ute, which might include the return of the TRX high-performance flagship.

One of Australia's cheapest SUVs, the Chery Omoda 5, has come in for a much-needed makeover. Now badged C5, there's a new nose treatment, but more importantly, it also adopts independent rear suspension, to hopefully address comfort and refinement issues. Along with other changes, are they enough to make the Chinese crossover more competitive against rapidly improving rivals like the MG ZS?

Australia's big-ute best-seller, the Ram 1500, evolves with the Rebel, as a Ford Ranger Wildtrak-style sporty off-road value proposition. Based on the Laramie Sport and aimed directly at the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2, the Rebel gains a suspension lift and other 4x4-focused gear, yet retains the sophistication that's made today's 1500 a segment favourite. And its twin-turbo six is a gem.