Articles by Byron Mathioudakis

Smart is back as an EV-only brand, with the #3 Brabus being the fastest, most expensive... and most compelling? Not only does the dual-motor AWD small SUV look like a Mercedes-Benz GLA AMG 45, it goes like one too, with blistering acceleration and athletic dynamics to match the racy styling. A Mercedes and Geely co-op, the #3 is related to the Volvo EX30, so brims with lots of safety and tech.

The small-car segment is stagnant at the moment and consumers are starting to wonder where the replacements for the ageing Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Hyundai i30 are, amongst others. Well, some are coming, others may not, and Kia may just have the answer you seek.

There’s no love lost between these two competitors!Hyundai and Kia may belong to the same family, but to the outside world they are fierce rivals that fight tooth and nail against each other.In fact, they were bitter enemies for decades, until Kia’s bankruptcy during the Asian financial crisis of 1997 led to Hyundai’s takeover (outbidding a determined Ford), to create what we know today as the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG).Since then, both brands have risen to global prominence, particularly in electric vehicles (EVs), sharing technologies which Hyundai has long maintained that it led the development of.Fair enough, but Kia was first with a seven-seater EV SUV in the striking shape of the highly-acclaimed EV9 in 2023. In North America — the market it was designed to conquer — it is now firing on all… electrons. It’s a big hit.Almost two years later, Hyundai has responded with the Ioniq 9, claiming that while it may share DNA with the colossal Kia, much has changed and improved in the interim years, creating a superior product.With Australian sales set to commence before the middle of next year, here are nine reasons to wait for an Ioniq 9 instead of buying an EV9 right now – and three good reasons to stick with the Kia.This one’s a no-brainer, since the Ioniq 9’s 110.3kWh allows for a WLTP range of up to 620km, versus the 99.8kWh version of the EV9’s current-best effort of 512km.Range anxiety is less of a concern in the newcomer.The Hyundai EV SUV’s grander dimensions are music to the ears of many potential buyers of family-sized three-row SUVs.For the record, the Ioniq 9 measures in at 5060mm long (+50mm over the EV9), 1980mm wide (no difference), 1790mm high (+35mm) and with a 30mm-extended wheelbase of 3130mm.Not only does that translate to more room for humans, it also means more space for luggage. Some 620 litres (preliminary figures) to 1323L, versus the EV9’s 573L to 1233L, depending on whether they’re in seven or five-seater modes.Hyundai said this is the longest-wheelbase vehicle of any model it produces.When the Ioniq 9 launches sometime in the second quarter of next year, the most powerful version with dual motors is expected to offer about 320kW of power. The Kia equivalent, in the meantime, musters 283kW.Yes, the intriguing EV9 GT has been announced for North America with power figures that are expected to be north of 360kW, but there is no confirmation of it coming to Australia just yet.Hyundai said the Ioniq 9 breaks new ground for the brand with its elevated interior quality and presentation, calling the cabin a “natural lounge” that provides a “calm and caring space”.Of course, we’ve only seen (and driven) specially-prepared prototypes of the Hyundai, so we won’t know for sure if the production versions are as alluring. But the brand is making a big song and dance about this, as well as the acoustic laminated side glass, triple door seals, reinforced body structure and available Active Noise Cancellation tech.That EV9 GT promises to provide some outstanding acceleration and speed, but in HMG’s hierarchy of sub-brands, the Hyundai N division is the apex performance predator, focusing on eclipsing BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG’s efforts.N’s first EV model, the Ioniq 5 N, pushes out boundaries like a nuclear blast. If they apply the same brilliance to an Ioniq 9 N, it would be one heck of an electric family hauler.At the Ioniq 9’s reveal party, Hyundai admitted that the delay in getting its version of the EV9 to market had to do with redesigning and/or evolving the E-GMP architecture in a number of areas.These have led to the introduction of a revised front power electronics (PE) system for better suspension control and packaging, changes to the rear PE’s gear ratios for more effective hill climbing, a new two-stage inverter to boost efficiency, dynamic torque-vectoring tech for improved handling and stability, a rough-terrain traction-control set-up with AI assistance, self-levelling dampers for a more-isolated ride, second-gen regenerative braking control and more.Plus, the floor is now flatter to enhance comfort and cargo capacity.The Ioniq 9’s body debuts the use of aluminium in new areas of a Hyundai, including in the front, side and rear panels.Of course, this makes for a lighter yet stronger body, and lowers the centre of gravity in the process, boosting dynamics as well as overall efficiency.Hyundai has managed an impressive drag coefficient of 0.26 Cd for the most aerodynamic version of the Ioniq 9 (smaller wheels, digital exterior mirrors), compared to the EV9’s 0.29 Cd.EV6-aside, many of Kia’s latest EVs are beginning to look like Matryoshka dolls, or Russian dolls, in their samey, cookie-cutter way. The coming EV3 seems to be a shrunken version of the recently-released EV5, which looks like a smaller EV9.In contrast, the Ioniq 9’s design appears to have nothing to do with the crisp Ioniq 5 hatch and ultra-smooth Ioniq 6 sedan.That all said, here are three reasons to just go out and buy the fabulous EV9.In the metal, the Ioniq 9 is a pleasant design, with a few provocative styling elements, but it plays it safe.Meanwhile, the EV9 is a stunning piece of automotive design, with breathtaking lines that perfectly and precisely telegraph the brilliant advanced electrification tech underneath, whilst also being timeless and utterly original – at least until its cookie-cutter siblings came along.Is there a more-stunning three-row SUV in the world today?The two extra years in Kia’s seven-year warranty is all the peace of mind you need, especially when Hyundai refuses to budge from five years.Word on the street is that the EV9 GT will shoot to 100km/h from standstill in less than 4.5 seconds, while no Ioniq 9 for now can dip below 5.2s – at least, not until an N version comes on stream. We can only dream!

Last week, Ford dropped a bombshell by announcing the Ranger Super Duty line of tough workhorse utes. This week, we’ve learned that it will incorporate the big North American-market F-250 Super Duty’s eight-stud, steel wheel and all-terrain tyre package.

Here are a few of our favourite special-edition and/or unique ute grades denied to Australian buyers.

Not all Holden models disappeared when we thought they did. During the brand’s 72-year lifespan as “Australia’s Own”, a handful continued to exist elsewhere, even after their Australian-market production ceased. That's why we're highlighting the Holdens that were engineered and/or made in Australia at some point, but later continued on in other countries for a little longer.

Earlier this month, Hyundai unveiled its first all-electric three-row SUV in the shape of the Ioniq 9, but there’s much more to it than meets the eye. Expected to start at under $100,000 and due in Australia by the middle of next year following nearly half a decade of intense engineering development, it will arrive more than two years after the closely-related and highly-acclaimed Kia EV9’s global

Ford needs a less expensive model under the Ranger and Everest, that buyers want, preferably to operate in a segment that is not saturated with rivals, while offering a far-more economical powertrain than a diesel engine in order to meet increasingly stringent NVES regulations. To paraphrase one of the company’s most successful-ever advertising campaigns, the Ford Maverick is the answer.

Hyundai is putting the finishing touches to its breakthrough range of dual-cab utes, offering elevated levels of design, engineering, capacity, capabilities and choice against competition as diverse as the Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6, Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning.

Hyundai has finally pulled the covers off the long-awaited Ioniq 9. Set for Australia by the middle of next year, pricing and local-market specification details have yet to be revealed, though we understand that a sub-$100,000 entry cost is likely, to challenge the closely-related Kia EV9 Air’s $97,000 before on-road costs starting point.