Articles by Chris Thompson

When the Cadillac Lyriq launched in Australia, it was met with mixed opinions from the road testers of this publication. The style, the price, the apparent target market - question marks above the latter in particular. Would anyone bite? Now, Cadillac’s first EV in Australia has been updated and it brings a new model grade into the fold. This is the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V.  The V denotes the American brand’s V-Series performance models, think of it like BMW’s M. What it means is the mid-size electric SUV now has the option of some bite, even if it lacks the bark, as well as a slightly more menacing look and some other little inclusions. Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive system boasts 459kW and 880Nm instead of ‘just’ 384kW/720Nm, useful for launching near-2.7 tonnes of US-sourced EV (built there in right-hand drive) to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds. You’d expect to be paying a fair chunk for that then, especially given the Lyriq originally launched at more than $120,000 (though now $90,000). Not quite - Cadillac has managed to keep even the quicker version of the Lyriq under the six-figure mark at $99,000 before on-roads. One way it’s managed this is keeping a fairly identical specification between the Sport and the V when it comes to the features and interior. It shares a 92kWh Lithium-ion battery with the Sport grade, now the only other Lyriq available with the Luxury grade gone, though the extra power at hand in the V means a 471km WLTP range instead of the 503km in the Sport. Cadillac says with its 7.4kW AC charging you can add around 32km of range an hour, or 98km per hour of charging with three-phase 22kW AC charging. When using its max 130kW DC charging, ten minutes will add 107km of range, though the brand doesn’t supply a charge time for the standard 10-80 per cent charge. We’d estimate about half an hour. Inside, the inclusions run almost the same as the Sport: Electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with massage function Heated rear seats Nappa leather upholstery Heated steering wheel Ambient interior lighting Acoustic windshield Tri-zone climate control  33.0-inch curved multimedia touchscreen with 9K capability Rotary multimedia control 23-speaker AKG sound system with Dolby Atmos 3 USB-C ports Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Wireless phone charging Where it differs is one of the five drive modes - V-Mode with performance settings and launch control. There’s also a set of adaptive dampers rather than the passive single-mode set on the Sport, plus the brakes are painted red. Sporty! The styling also features darker 22-inch wheels instead of silver 21s, and body-colour trim instead of the Sport’s chrome. Of course, there’s V-badging and interior trim elements too. Black Nappa leather and a combination of chrome, silver and wood-style trim makes the Lyriq’s interior feel more classically upmarket than high-tech, but that seems to suit the brand. There’s a wide screen that incorporates the driver display and multimedia touchscreen which is low and doesn’t impact visibility while also fitting in nicely with the interior, plus there are plenty of physical buttons for controls including the climate and the multimedia. The latter includes a panel of buttons in the centre console and a scroll wheel, which feels like BMW or Mazda was the inspiration - not in any way a criticism as those systems were some of the best. There’s also a Dolby Atmos feature in the already excellent sound system, though the highest quality audio can only be accessed through the native Amazon Music app and not via a phone mirroring player, which is a shame. It shares the Sport’s set of safety features including the six airbags, a little on the low side for a car this size with no front-centre airbag, plus adaptive cruise with lane centering and lane-keep, intersection auto emergency braking (AEB), cyclist alert, front and rear park-assist and automatic park assist. It doesn’t have an ANCAP rating, but its advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) don’t interfere much so it’s a case of swings and roundabouts. The five-year/unlimited km warranty and free roadside assist period is five years, which is now about standard for a premium brand. There's also the usual extra warranty on the high-voltage battery, eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first. Service intervals are a very comfortable 24 months or 24,000km, whichever comes first, but Cadillac’s servicing costs are case-by-case, with no published estimated pricing or capped-price offers. Essentially, despite a couple of missing pieces, Cadillac has fulfilled the premium brief of the Lyriq. But what about the performance brief of the V? A week behind the wheel including one long drive in the twisty surrounds of Melbourne revealed a car that’s a little more nuanced than expected. The standard Lyriq was already fairly brisk for a mid-size SUV at almost 2700kg with its 4.9sec sprint to 100km/h, but the extra power afforded to the V means people watching you take off from the lights are genuinely surprised, especially given the Cadillac’s luxury lean. The acceleration isn’t brutally instantaneous, not shoving you back into your seat as much as quickly spooling into play, and there’s a paddle for ‘regen on-demand’ which can be pulled as firmly as needed to engage the regenerative braking at the desired strength. The SUV’s weight comes into play during enthusiastic driving, but its adaptive suspension does a decent job of balancing comfort on rough roads with control in tight cornering. There’s less body roll and pitching than you might expect from something this comfortable on a highway drive, though the Lyriq-V is still not a super-focused sports car.

In just a couple of years, it will have been a decade since the current Mazda 3 made its debut. In that time, it’s outlived many a rival to remain one of just a couple of traditional hatchbacks on sale alongside the ever-present Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and, if you count it as a Cerato successor, the Kia K4.  But how does the 2026 Mazda 3 feel in a new car market that looks very different to the late 2010s when it was just a pup?  Refreshingly simple and tactile is the quick answer to that question. But let’s get into why. The specific variant on test here is the Touring hatch, which is the top-spec as far as grades with the smaller 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine go.  It starts from $35,410, before on-road costs, and can be had with the brand’s Vision package for an extra $2000 to add surround-view parking cameras, front cross-traffic alert and driver monitoring as well as traffic support (lane and speed assist) and front parking sensors. It’s worth adding, in my view. The Touring also scores: Leather upholstery  Electric front seats Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Wireless phone charging  Keyless entry and push-button start Dual-zone climate control Two USB-C ports 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen Multimedia control wheel 7.0-inch TFT driver display Digital radio Satellite navigation Paddle gear shifters Back to the engine, the 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre petrol unit falls short on paper compared with the 2.5-litre engine also available (with 139kW/252Nm), but the Touring’s outputs are adequate for a front-wheel drive hatchback. Its 5.9L/100km fuel consumption figure is where some might have doubts over the Mazda 3’s suitability, especially when real-world driving returns a figure in the mid 7.0-litre region, but its lack of a hybrid option means it falls behind its contemporaries regardless of opinion. Still, its six-speed automatic torque-converter transmission is smooth and makes decent use of the modest four-pot. The real treat from behind the wheel is the steering and its ride, though. The Mazda 3 is almost a dynamic benchmark in terms of elevating a capable hatchback into one that’s fun to drive without the assistance of more power. The 3’s steering is direct and weighted just right to be engaging without being tiring, and there’s a level of communication from the front wheels during dynamic driving that you won’t find in a lot of new small cars. While the engine can seem like it’s working hard at times, if you value a car with direct feedback and confidence-inspiring handling, the Mazda 3 will keep you happy. Stepping up to a G25 with the larger engine isn’t a bad move, though. The seating position, control placement and general ergonomics of the cabin make doing anything on the move a breeze, especially the scroll wheel that operates the multimedia screen. It’s on the way out in the next generation if the new Mazda CX-5 is anything to go by, which is a shame. It means not needing to lean and use the Mazda 3’s touchscreen on the move and allows you to navigate both its (ageing but easy) native software or a phone mirroring system. Similarly, the driver display is visually getting on in years, but it’s elegant and shows you what you need to know. It’s also housed in a perfectly shaped binnacle for looking at through the top of the steering wheel. It’s one of the little things that make the interior of the Mazda 3 as impressive as the exterior when it comes to design. The sleek interior manages to blend minimalism and function without sacrificing buttons, a lazy cost-cutting move many manufacturers (including Mazda in its newer models) have started leaning on. Climate controls and a few shortcut buttons around the multimedia control wheel, not to mention the traditional gear shifter, all blend nicely into an interior that rivals (and in some cases bests) the interior design of some highly-regarded European brands. Its gorgeous exterior design does have a downside, though - the boot is relatively small and the rear seat feels tight for adults, plus there’s not a lot of light and the thick C-pillars result in a rather large blind-spot. There are a couple of things to consider if a Mazda 3 is on your list, starting with its safety credentials. Because the current generation was tested in 2019, its maximum five-star rating has expired and it’s unclear how the car would perform against current testing procedures. Mazda has updated the safety kit for the 3 in that time, with some ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) features and seven airbags working to keep occupants safe, the tech is ageing and the 3 is missing a front-centre airbag that can be important in side impacts. The Mazda 3 is covered by the brand’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is starting to lag behind other mainstream brands, while servicing averages $475 for the first seven years (subject to change), every 12 months or 15,000km. Mazda also offers five years of roadside assist.

Ford Australia has revealed a race-inspired pack for the Mustang Dark Horse co-engineered with Triple Eight Race Engineering and its team principal seven-time Supercars Champion Jamie Whincup. The 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse T8 Spec pack is still in the last stages of development, but Whincup was on hand at Ford’s recent ‘Ford Uncovered’ event to present the T8 pack prototype. “I've been wanting to do something like this for many years,” Whincup said. He also confirmed pricing at an apt $138,888 plus on-roads. The new ‘Stang was joined by the reveal of the incoming Ford Bronco Basecamp, Transit City EV, and the announcement of a conditional seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty that will cover the Mustang Dark Horse T8 when it launches. The T8 Spec pack is based on the US market Handling Package and has been tweaked by Triple Eight and Whinup alongside Ford Australia’s engineers to create not only a visual difference but also a tangible difference on the road. Ford Special Vehicles Engineering’s James Holloway didn’t want this to just be a sticker pack. “This wasn't a branding exercise," he said, "this was Jamie Whincup and Mark Dutton sitting in meetings with us, giving their views on what this could be and what it shouldn't be.” The limited edition will be a 250-unit run, with each owner being invited to Queensland Raceway (Triple Eight’s home track) for an experience day with Whincup’s team of drivers and some track time, as well as a run-down of the car. The drivetrain for the Mustang Dark Horse remains unchanged, with a 5.0-litre ‘Coyote’ petrol V8 under the bonnet making 350kW and 550Nm. The Dark Horse T8 Spec Pack is currently only listed with the six-speed manual gearbox. The biggest changes come underneath, in the tyres and suspension. “At the end of the day, the tyre is the only thing that touches the ground,” Whincup said. “You can have the best car and the best driver, but if you've got the wrong tyres, it's not going to be quick.” Semi-slick, track-biased Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres and a series of changes to the springs, the roll bar, the ride suspension and the steering rack are all key to the changes made. “Suspension is what keeps the tyre on the ground. It's a critical part, particularly over bumps and under braking,” Whincup added. “That's where we've been able to bring our knowledge and experience to the Mustang Dark Horse. It's already a nicely balanced car. It not only handles well, but it gives great feedback to the driver, so they enjoy the experience. We wanted to help take that to the next level with T8 Spec 1.” A rear spoiler and an updated front aero splitter complete the look as well as the Triple Eight exterior badging.

Ford Australia has confirmed it will add a new member to its Transit van family in the form of the ‘City’ electric van, a product of its joint venture with Jiangling Motors (JMC) in China. The 2026 Ford Transit City is confirmed for an Australian launch in November this year, with a competitive drive-away price of just $50,000. Confirmed as part of an event the brand called ‘Ford Uncovered’ to announce this and two other new cars, the Bronco Basecamp and Mustang Dark Horse with T8 pack, the new Transit City will be covered by Ford’s new seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Ford also confirmed the launch of its Ford Pro ‘ecosystem’ for businesses and business owners to manage their Ford commercial vehicles or fleets. While not specifically altered for Australia in any major sense, the Transit City has undergone Ford’s global testing and is already available in the UK and Europe. The 2026 Transit City comes in one specification, with a front-mounted 110kW electric motor drawing power from a 56kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Ford says a WLTP city range of 380km is enough to serve the Transit City’s intended purpose of urban and city work and transport. Its 254km combined WLTP range will seem underwhelming to some. The Transit City’s DC charging rate sits at 87kW, allowing a 33-minute charge from 10 to 80 per cent, though Ford says 10 minutes of charging adds up to 68km of range. 11kW AC charging means 5.5 hours to charge from 10 to 100 per cent. Ford quotes a payload capacity of 1085kg, and says its cargo space of 6.4m3 is enough to hold three Euro pallets or two Australian pallets. The Transit City also features an ADAS suite with AEB, front and rear parking sensors plus a rear camera, and adaptive cruise control with lane departure warning. Inside, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen features wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Ford has forgone optional extras to simplify the offering in terms of features. Ford also confirmed it’s launching the Ford Pro ‘ecosystem’ here in Australia, which allows Ford commercial vehicle owners and fleet operators to see data and manage servicing, finance and downtime using Ford’s software. "Our seven-year warranty is a strong commitment to our retail and commercial customers that we've got their backs for longer," said Greg Davidson, Director of Ford’s Customer Service Division. "That's a century of trust, earned one repair, one service, one honest conversation at a time, and Ford Pro builds on that legacy to keep our commercial customers' businesses moving. “Ultimately, this is about giving Ford owners real confidence, not just in the vehicle they've bought, but in the brand they've bought into."

Ford Australia has announced a move to a conditional seven-year warranty/unlimited km warranty, as of September 1, 2026. The confirmation was presented to media at a Ford Australia event called ‘Ford Uncovered’ at which the Blue Oval confirmed the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp, Transit City, Mustang Dark Horse T8-Spec and its Ford Pro commercial customer service. Ford owners will need to service their vehicles at a Ford dealer to access the seven-year guarantee. This puts them ahead of Toyota and Mazda, but behind Nissan, Mitsubishi and MG's 10 year conditional warranties and Kia and Hyundai's unconditional seven years offerings. Nissan, Mitsubishi and MG offer conditional ten-year warranties as long as servicing is undertaken at their service centres. Many brands from China including Chery, Geely and GWM all offer seven year warranties. At the Ford Uncovered event, executives confirmed three new models and variants as well as the new warranty, with President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand Fadi Mawal saying the brand intends to “show what’s next for our customers”. Director of Ford’s Customer Service Division Greg Davidson said the warranty applies to “all customers, all nameplates” retailed from September 1, as a “strong statement to customers that has their backs now for even longer”. “This is about giving Ford owners real confidence, not just in the vehicle they bought, but in the brand they bought into.” The warranty includes commercial customers who now have access to the Ford Pro ‘ecosystem’ in Australia, which allows them to use software to manage their work vehicle or fleet from servicing to finance. “That’s a century of trust earned, one repair, one service, one honest conversation at a time. Ford Pro builds on that legacy to keep commercial customers’ businesses moving,” Davidson added. Ford is now leaning on its 220-strong service centre network in Australia to keep its word on the extra two years of warranty for its customers.

Ford Australia has confirmed the future arrival of the Bronco SUV to Australia, but not as it has historically been known. The 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp will arrive in Australia in the second half of 2027, with the model’s platform unrelated to the T6 Ranger-based Ford Bronco and Escape-based Bronco Sport SUV both available in the US. The Bronco Basecamp is, instead, a product of Ford’s joint venture with China's Jiangling Motors (JMC) and is available in China as the Ford Bronco New Energy. While Australian details are yet to be confirmed as global market development work continues, Ford confirmed the model would retain its EREV (extended-range electric vehicle) powertrain.  This means a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine will act as a range extender to charge the 49kW battery. Ford estimates a driving range of around 800-900km. While not as rugged as the full-size Ford Bronco available in the US, the Basecamp still features an all-wheel drive system thanks to electric motors driving the wheels - the engine doesn’t directly power the wheels. While the Bronco Basecamp’s local launch is around a year away, Ford Australia confirmed the ‘camping’ capability of the Bronco is expected to be a big draw. The roof of the Outer Banks grade is able to pop up to allow more space inside, and a mattress designed to fit the cabin with the seats folded flat is available. Heated and cooled compartments are included, and 6.6kW onboard power means camping gear like cooktops, lights or other equipment is able to be run from the battery. Given the arguable failure of the most recent Ford Escape in Australia, the starting price for the Bronco Basecamp will need to be competitive - and it could be, given its Chinese origins. Ford will want the starting price to sit well below the larger Everest SUV’s entry point of around $60,000. A combination of 130kW and 180kW motors at the front and rear are used in the Chinese market EREV, but Ford engineers wouldn't confirm or hint at local outputs. A full-EV variant is also available in China, though it’s not being discussed openly as a possibility for Australia given Ford’s insistence that the EREV will suit Australian buyers. Ford Australia will confirm pricing and specifications closer to its H2 2027 launch.

Motoring journos spend a lot of time in all manner of cars, and with the increasing pace of change brought on by technology, new brands and electrification, we’re constantly reassessing what a good car should be. The fundamentals stay the same, of course, but car brands are increasingly trying new things. Sometimes they work, sometimes they should go back to the drawing board. Some of these are widespread, and some remain rare oddities, but it would be great if all of them vanished. I need to get this one out of the way first because if I don’t mention how driver assists are ruining the driving experience in some cars, I’ll be called out in the comments. In a lot of cases I actually think driver assists are becoming better tuned and brands are realising we would like easy ways to turn them off, but there are still lane-keeps and driver monitors that would drive a saint to swear. The traditional method of pulling a lever down to ‘drive’ has always worked well, everyone quite naturally knows how to do it. I’ll even concede that the return of column-mounted shifters is a nice way to clear-up space in the centre console, as long as the direction you need to pull the shifter follows logic. But ever since a gear selector dial in a Ford Focus ST-Line wagon caught me off guard in 2019, I’ve seen more odd shifter methods creeping in.  From individual buttons on the dash (Jeep Avenger) to the swipe on the screen for each direction (Tesla), these methods are annoying to use in a hurry. If you’re in the middle of a three-point turn and you have to look at what you’re doing with your hands to get the car into reverse, a designer somewhere has failed. The biggest culprit for weird and unintuitive door handles is, to most people, Tesla. Many have commented on being confused when faced with entry to a Model 3 Uber that’s pulled up to the kerb for a pick-up. Tesla is not alone in this, however. On the inside, the current Ford Ranger and Ford Everest have ‘squeeze’ handles, many new EVs have buttons to open, and other new car doors have handles that open incongruently with how your arm moves as you open the door to exit. On the outside, the Zeekr 7X has exterior buttons on the b-pillars to open the doors electrically, some cars have retractable handles so they sit flush with the door, and others have similar frustrating handles that you must first ‘press’ to pop-out before you can open the door. Not only is it frustrating for your passengers, but it can also be unsafe in an emergency. RFID (short for ‘radio frequency identification’) or NFC (near field communication) functions are pretty handy for plenty of things: contactless payments, building access fobs, even your toll pass or data transfer. More specifically, NFC has been adapted by some brands to cards used to unlock and even start new cars, like the Volvo EX30 or the Leapmotor B10. Tap the card in the right place (like the b-pillar or the driver wing mirror) and the car unlocks, then place the card in the centre console slot and the car starts. No fobs with buttons for unlocking your car on approach or unlocking it from a distance. Inconvenient? Very. Annoying? Yes. And it means you have to find somewhere to keep the card rather than just having the fob on your keyring. The implementation of the central touchscreen in new cars has become an anathema to convenience. It’s now an easy way for designers to create ‘sleek’ environments and for engineers to save money on buttons. It’s also now allowing some manufacturers (Volvo, you again) to move some otherwise out-of-the-way controls to a digital home. The electric seat adjustments that used to sit on the side of the seat or on the door, the side mirror adjustment controls that could once be found by the window, and in some cases the steering column adjustment controls - all now on-screen controls as far as Volvo is concerned. It’s not alone, as some new Chinese brands are doing the same, but it’s especially disappointing from the brand that once made the three-point seatbelt design public domain in the interest of safety over profit. I think cars that make sounds on unlock and lock, akin to a PC or old Macintosh startup sound, are more embarrassing than actually annoying but they’ve made the list nonetheless. I don’t need my car to chime away when I unlock it in the car park at work, especially not when people are already looking at the car and trying to figure out what it is. I’m looking at you, Zeekr and now GWM. Some of them are loud, some of them can be disabled, all of them are unnecessary.

JLR Australia has confirmed pricing for its flagship electric SUV, the Range Rover Electric. Priced from $317,718 plus on-road costs in Australia, the 2026 Range Rover Electric has a three-grade line-up from launch. Built at JLR’s revamped Solihull manufacturing facility, the three Range Rover Electric variants all use a dual-motor, 405kW/850Nm powertrain that draws power from a huge 118.5kWh lithium-ion battery. The Range Rover Electric will wear a 600km claimed driving range figure under NEDC testing, though JLR admits to a real-world range of 535km. The entry-level 2026 Range Rover Electric is the HSE (standing for High Specification Equipment) which is suitably luxurious despite being the ‘cheapest’ of the bunch at $317,718 plus on-roads. The HSE features: 22-inch alloy wheels Synthetic leather upholstery A 13.1-inch multimedia touchscreen A 13.7-inch driver display Wireless phone charger Three-zone climate control  Configurable interior mood lighting Front seat armrests A powered roof blind Gesture-opening tailgate Soft-close doors Starting from $357,718 before on-roads, the mid-spec Autobiography adds: Upgraded digital LED headlights with “signature DRLs” and image projection A sliding panoramic roof An upgraded Meridian sound system 24-way adjustable heated and cooled massage front seats Executive rear seats Four-zone climate control Ambient fragrance diffusion  Illuminated metal Autobiography scuff plates The top grade from launch is the SV, which starts from $417,418 and includes: Serenity or Intrepid exterior theme options Semi-analine leather seats ‘Hot stone’ massage front seats Executive Class Comfort Plus rear seats Body and Soul Seat (BASS) 4D sound system with physical seat vibrations Illuminated metal SV scuff plates Range Rover Managing Director Martin Limpert says the Range Rover Electric is the result of a decade of engineering and development. “Electric propulsion is perfectly suited to the exquisite refinement of Range Rover, elevating the sense of calm and secluded sanctuary for occupants. “At the same time, Range Rover's breadth of capability is uncompromised thanks to the combination of a powerful, adaptable electric powertrain and advanced chassis technologies that make every Range Rover peerless, accomplished and desired.”

Volkswagen has finally launched the new version of its Walkinshaw-tuned Amarok ute, the W600. At its media drive in Tasmania, we test the so-called ‘ultimate driver’s ute’ on the very roads it was developed on!

The entry-price for Cadillac’s flagship electric SUV, the Lyriq, has been locked in at below $100,000 with the brand confirming specifications for a refreshed line-up. In fact, the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq line-up consists of just one variant so far, the Sport, which sits alone as the Luxury variant has been culled. Starting from $90,000 before on-road costs, the Lyriq remains close to the temporary drive-away price of $95,000 that was offered until the MY27 specification and pricing was confirmed. Key specification changes for the Lyriq include tweaks to the battery and drivetrain that mean a tiny bit less power, plenty more torque, a smaller battery and a slightly reduced driving range. The 2027 Lyriq Sport has a 284kW power output and 720Nm of torque, with 0-100km/h taking a claimed 4.9 seconds down from 5.3sec. This is down 4kW and up 110Nm from before. The battery is now a 92kWh unit rather than the 102kWh battery it previously had, though claimed range doesn’t suffer too much. It’s now 503km instead of 530km. Cadillac has also added some impressive tech to its electric SUV, including a 23-speaker AKG Studio sound system with Dolby Atmos (including speakers in the front headrests), plus built-in Google for the 33-inch multimedia touchscreen. Lane centering assist and traffic sign recognition have also been added to its list of driver assistance features. While the Sport grade is the only launch variant, it’s not the only one on the way. The performance-focused Lyriq-V has been teased on the Cadillac website, and while pricing and specifications haven’t been confirmed for Australia, a launch date of 18 September is confirmed. The Luxury grade, which was very similar to the Sport in MY2025/26, has been discontinued and doesn’t seem to be planned at this stage.