Articles by Chris Thompson

The newest automotive engineering facility in the country is Walkinshaw’s huge south-east Melbourne ‘super site’, which has just been completed, according to the company.The facility will house production lines set to continue the company's work converting full-size American pick-ups like the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra to Australian-spec right-hand drive.“Our new Walkinshaw Automotive Group super site is finally finished and we have begun slowly moving in!” said Ryan Walkinshaw in a post on Facebook.Ryan Walkinshaw, whose father Tom Walkinshaw was a key architect in creating fast Holdens wearing his own name and the HSV badge, has continued leading what is now Walkinshaw Group in the automotive engineering and development space.Walkinshaw says the 100,000 square metre facility will “house up to 1500 employees”, and be “capable of manufacturing 20,000+ vehicles a year for Australia”. “It’s one of the top-five largest manufacturing facilities in all of Australia, home to the most advanced engineering centre in the country, six-plus production lines and our Supercars championship racing team Walkinshaw Andretti United.“Proud to be investing and committing our business to a long future here in Melbourne.”This morning, Ram Trucks Australia confirmed it is moving into its new home, securing “the jobs of more than 270 factory workers, warehouse staff, quality inspectors and engineers”.Production is due to kick off in November for the Ram 1500 at the new site, though neither Walkinshaw nor Ram confirmed how many production lines will be set for the American brand.Toyota and Chevrolet are yet to confirm the move into the new Walkinshaw facility at time of publication.

Isuzu’s new 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine takes the mantle from the outgoing 1.9-litre as the smaller option in the brand’s range, but it’s not solely a move for product improvement.

Kia’s new modular van is confirmed for Australia, with the PV5 electric passenger and commercial van to land in mid-2026.Designed on a new dedicated electric platform that will see other models follow, the 2026 Kia PV5 can be configured in many ways across passenger and commercial purposes, with features like a removable front passenger seat, stain-resistant interior materials and a walk-through configuration between the driver and cargo section on some versions.The PV5 sits between small and medium vans in terms of its size, bigger than a Volkswagen Caddy but smaller than a Toyota HiAce or Ford Transit Custom.Due in Australia in Q2 or Q3, 2026, the PV5 will be shown at Mobility Live in Sydney on October 15th and 16th this year.Kia Australia is yet to commence local suspension tuning and will confirm Australian specifications and pricing for the PV5 “in due course”.Kia in its global communications confirmed the PV5 will boast a range up to 416km and feature 30-minute 10-80 per cent fast-charging capability, with ‘up to 16 variants’ able to be configured for multiple purposes.Global specs show the PV5 being 4695mm long, 1895mm wide and 1923mm tall with an antenna, plus a 2995mm wheelbase.Outputs come in at 120kW and 250Nm, with battery sizes either 43.3 kWh, 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh. Passenger, Cargo and Chassis Cab body styles mean the PV5 can be anything from a personal transport, courier get-around, or even mobile base for a business.Kia worked with businesses like DHL Korea, Korea Post, healthcare provider GeoYoung and Milwaukee power tools to implement features and capabilities that would make the PV5 useful across a range of applications.It can also be used for leisure as a transport shuttle or camping van, and the PV5 has vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability to help in numerous situations.As well as the Electric-Global Modular Platform for Service (E-GMP.S) platform it rides on reducing production and development costs, Kia looked at further ways to reduce costs and make the PV5 more durable, including LED headlamps integrated into the front bumper, as well as panels like wheel arches or bumpers being divided into sections for easy replacement.

GWM has confirmed a new variant for its Tank 500 large SUV that adds plug-in hybrid power into the mix.The 2026 GWM Tank 500 Hi4-T Plug-in Hybrid is the second model to join the brand’s Australian line-up with GWM’s Hi4-T plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology after the Cannon Alpha PHEV ute.Just one grade of the Tank 500 PHEV is available from launch, the Ultra, with a temporary drive-away price offering of $77,990, a $2000 discount on its usual $79,990 drive-away price.It brings with it a claimed 120km of electric range, or total 950km of range with the engine in play on the NEDC cycle.14.6-inch multimedia touchscreenAndroid Auto and Apple CarPlayHead-up displayNappa leather interiorPanoramic sunroofHeated and ventilated electrically adjustable front seats with massage functionDual-zone climate controlVehicle to Load (V2L)USB-C ports12-speaker sound systemParking AssistAdaptive cruise controlSurround-view cameraExterior colours:Marble White (no cost)Onyx Silver ($595)Crystal Black ($595)Dune Gold ($595)Interior leather colours:BlackBlue and cream (only with Marble White and Crystal Black exterior)GWM has a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty that covers the Tank 500. The brand also has seven years of roadside assist and seven years capped-price servicing.

A bigger engine designed to be more powerful and more efficient can only be a good thing for the Isuzu D-Max. Isuzu’s also gone to the trouble of adding a new gearbox and some new tech to go with it. But is it still a solid pick in an increasingly crowded ute segment?

When the BMW iX showed up a few years ago, it was a promising look at what BMW seemed capable of when it comes to electric cars. But in the time since the iX launched, there have been big strides in the premium electric SUV space, including new arrivals from European opposition like the Polestar 3 or even a new American in the form of the Cadillac Lyriq.

Since its Aussie arrival close to 12 months ago the fifth-generation Toyota LandCruiser Prado been a popular family options although an awkward boot space in the seven-seat version copped some early criticism. So, what about the five-seat version? Could it be the perfect Prado?

Isuzu has replaced its smaller engine option in both its D-Max ute and its MU-X SUV, with a new 2.2-litre engine coming in to join the larger 3.0-litre.

Toyota has revealed an update for the GR Corolla in its home nation, bringing a sharper-driving and better-sounding car, the brand said.On top of that, Toyota said it has addressed “the supply system for the Japanese-market model” so that the updated 2026 Toyota GR Corolla will be more readily available than previous model years.The “partially improved” GR Corolla has been bestowed with more structural adhesive, an increase of 13.9 metres of application compared to the 18.8 before, totalling 32.7 metres of adhesive in the hot hatch.Toyota said this will “enhance body rigidity while minimising weight increase” to account for more intense track driving. Toyota said it has found overseas circuits generate “more intense vertical and lateral G-forces than circuits in Japan”.To stabilise the G16E-GTS engine’s temperature and outputs, a “high-engine-speed-activated cool air duct” has been added as part of the secondary intake, which draws in air “directly from the front grille” from outside where the air is cooler than in the engine bay.The cooler air will help keep the turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine more regularly able to achieve its maximum 221kW and 400Nm.Finally, Toyota said it’s improved the JBL sound system to deliver what it calls an “emotional motorsports-evoking sound experience even during city driving”.A subwoofer now brings total speakers from eight up to nine, meaning GR Corollas with the JBL sound system come with Active Sound Control, which uses synthesised “sporty sounds” that match the car’s acceleration and engine speed. It also mimics the anti-lag exhaust ‘burble’.As of now, the update is only confirmed for Japan, though as with many changes to the brand’s GR models, it’s likely to hit other markets next time an update is due. Toyota Australia launched an update for the GR Corolla and GR Yaris earlier in 2025.Toyota is also expected to reveal a hotter version of the Corolla to sit above it, potentially as a more limited-edition version under its GRMN badge - a model which had been leaked earlier this week from a dealer event in North America.

Mitsubishi has revealed a new electric car with a familiar name — Eclipse Cross — though this big step forward for the model comes thanks to another brand.