Articles by Dom Tripolone

A new hybrid family SUV war is heating up.Nissan has revealed its new X-Trail e-Power hybrid mid-size SUV to challenge the existing Honda CR-V and new Toyota RAV4 which is due to land in showrooms imminently.The Japanese brand lifted the lid on the new family-hauler during the company’s announcement of its global strategy today.Nissan has flagged the X-Trail as a core product for the brand and will heavily promote its 'e-Power' hybrid tech.The e-Power system works more like an extended range hybrid, where the engine is used purely as a generator for the battery and electric motors drive the wheels only.This means it drives in similar fashion to an electric car, but without the range anxiety and mimics the fuel use of conventional hybrids such as the Toyota RAV4.Nissan revealed images of the updated X-Trail, which brings it inline with newer vehicles such as the updated Qashqai small SUV.It features a large lattice work grille with dynamic headlights and lots of label creases down the side.The makeover gives the X-Trail a more modern look compared to the ageing design of the current version.Nissan hasn’t provided any mechanical details of the next-gen X-Trail yet.The current X-Trail e-Power has been on sale in Australia for several years and has found success, but a new design and increased tech could catapult it up the sales charts.It is also likely the next-generation X-Trail will be hybrid only, with purely petrol-powered versions deleted.Carmakers will soon face fines for selling purely petrol powered cars in Australia due to the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Scheme (NVES), which requires cars to emit CO2 below a certain threshold. This threshold gets lower every year until 2030.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking over your car.

Japan’s next big thing is here.Subaru has detailed pricing and specs for the 2026 Trailseeker electric SUV, which will sit above the current Solterra EV.The Trailseeker is a big SUV, measuring about the same size as a Kia Sorento, but it only has five seats.It brings dual motor grunt, which delivers Subaru’s trademark all-wheel drive grip. The two electric motors combine for 280kW and 537Nm (according to US versions), which allow it to sprint to 100km/h from a standstill in about 4.5 seconds.At its heart is a circa-75kWh battery that delivers 533km of driving range in the base version and 488km in the Touring version.The battery can accept up to 150kW of DC power, and up to 22kW when hooked up to an AC charger.Prices for the two-tier range start at $67,990 (before on-road costs) and jump to $73,990 for the better equipped Touring version.2026 Subaru Trailseeker price Australia 2026 Subaru Trailseeker engine/powertrain and efficiency 2026 Subru Trailseeker standard featuresSubaru Trailseeker AWD comes with:18-inch alloy wheelsLED headlights with DRLsPuddle lightsRoof railsSatnav14-inch infotainment high-definition touchscreen7-inch digital information driver displayWireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoDual wireless phone chargersMulti-colour ambient lightingDigital rear-view mirrorSynthetic leather seat trim8-way power-adjustable front seatsLeather wrapped steering wheelHeated steering wheelSubaru Trailseeker Touring AWD adds:20-inch alloy wheelsPanoramic glass roof with electric retractable sunshadeBlue & black leather accented seat trimVentilated front seatsDriver seat and door mirror memory functionAdvanced Park AssistVehicle-to-load (V2L) 220V/1500W power outlet2026 Subaru Trailseeker coloursCrystal white pealDaybreak blue pearl (Optional extra)Sapphire blue pearl (Optional extra)Brilliant Bronze metallic (Optional extra)Magnetite grey metallic (Optional extra)Crystal black silicaTwo-tone crystal white pearl and black silica (Touring AWD only, $1200 extra)Two-tone brilliant bronze metallic, crystal black silica (Touring AWD only, $1200 extra)2026 Subaru Trailseeker safetyThe Subaru Trailseeker has not been tested by ANCAP yet.All Trailseeker variants have:8 airbagsAuto emergency brakingBlind spot monitoringRear cross traffic alertLane keep assist360 degree cameraParking sensors front and backMulti terrain monitorDriver distraction warningDrowsy driver warningTyre pressure monitoringSafe exit warningRadar cruise control2026 Subaru Trailseeker warranty and servicingSubaru covers its vehicles with a five year/unlimited km warranty. The battery is backed by an eight year/160,000km guarantee.It also comes with 12 months roadside assistance and a five year/75,000km capped price servicing program that only costs $984 for the first five visits. Intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km.2026 Subaru Trailseeker dimensions  

A tsunami of electric cars is headed our way.General Manager BYD Asia Pacific Mr Liu Xueliang said 30,000 BYD and Denza vehicles are on the way to our shores in May and June to feed rampaging sales.That’s more than half the vehicles BYD sold in 2025 and almost double what they have sold in the first three months of this year.The Chinese brand is looking to capitalise on the ongoing fuel crisis caused by the Iran war, which is driving Aussies in increasing numbers to buy an EV or plug-in hybrid — two vehicles types BYD has in big numbers.Liu said it was important that the company meets the growing demand and is able to get customers as soon as they place an order.If BYD manages to move those vehicles in the next few months it would have beat its sales for 2025, and it would be the second biggest selling brand in Australia and nipping at the heels of the previously-thought-untouchable Toyota.Mr Liu also said the company is aware fuel rationing might be happening in the future. It would be prioritising getting vehicles to essential workers such as doctors, firefighters and others in the coming months.BYD now has the model range to host those kind of sales figures with the brand launching seven new models in the past six months.These include the BYD Atto 1 and Atto 2 small electric cars alongside the plug-in hybrid Sealion 5 compact SUV, Sealion 8 seven-seat SUV, Seal 6 mid-size sedan and wagon and Denza B5 and B8 4WDs.Early signs of Aussies clambering for BYD and Denzas in 2026 was evident in the March sales figures.The Chinese automaker sold 7217 vehicles in the past month as Australians scrambled to get their hands on plug-in hybrids and electric cars as fuel prices soared.That is a mammoth one month total which beat Ford (7149), Mazda (7156) and Hyundai (6979). Only Toyota (16,574) and Kia (7320) did better than BYD.BYD sales increased by 50 per cent compared to March last year and are up 100 per cent for the year.For the full year, BYD's sales were already up 156 per cent by the end of 2025.

This Chinese brand’s latest announcement is a game-changer.BYD’s luxury arm, Denza, has just announced it would be building its own Flash charging network in Australia, with the first sites at Denza dealers in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide ready to go at the end of the year.BYD’s flash chargers are capable of delivering up to 1500kW of juice to electric cars and replenishing batteries from 0 to 97 per cent in nine minutes.That’s almost four times the power of the most powerful electric charger in Australia, with the first of Ampcharger’s 400kW pylons recently installed at Sydney’s Eastern Creek.The writing was on the wall for the ultra fast charging network coming to Australia with Denza’s local boss Mark Harland previously telling CarsGuide the brand was very interested in bringing it here.The company had also trademarked the Flash branding in Australia.BYD said it would be building the network in major cities, not rural areas.Denza’s coming Z9 GT performance car will be the first vehicle to use the full capacity of the chargers.Denza Australia claims the Z9 GT has a driving range of about 820km — according to the more lenient CLTC testing regime — so the charger could add about 400km of driving range in five minutes.There are a growing number of BYD products in China that can take advantage of these chargers, which should trickle into Australia as the network comes online in the future.Ultra fast charging is the new battleground for Chinese electric carmakers, with Geely also preparing to roll out megawatt charging in China.Geely’s sub-brand Zeekr revealed its new charger recently, with peak charging power registered at 1100kW and maintaining more than 500kW after reaching 80 per cent charge.The brand’s official testing data reveals it can charge a vehicle from 10 to 97 per cent in under nine minutes. Charging from 10-80 per cent takes a little over five minutes, while 10-70 per cent charges are under five minutes.That makes it slightly faster than the BYD Flash chargers, but there is no word on if they will come to Australia in the near future.For now BYD and Denza are the charging kings of Oz.

A new electric car price war is forming.Chinese brand Zeekr is the latest carmaker to slash the price of one of its EVs.In the past week BMW has taken $8000 off the price of its iX1 and iX2 electric SUVs, and Volvo has also stripped out big dollars from its EX30 and EX40 compact electric SUVs.Now the Zeekr X small SUV starts at $48,900, drive-away, for the single motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) versions and $57,900 drive-away for the dual motor all-wheel drive (AWD) grade, and is due to land in showrooms at the end of next month.It is now cheaper than rivals such as the Lexus UXe, Mercedes-Benz EQ and Volvo EX30.That represents a massive saving from the previous $49,990 and $62,990 price tags, both before on-road costs.Zeekr hasn’t taken items out or reduced features to cut the price, quite the opposite, instead the X SUV has received a range of upgrades.Headlining the changes are updates to the base version’s ‘Golden Brick’ battery, which now allows a max DC charging rate of 230kW. This reduces the 10 to 80 per cent charging time to just 18 minutes.The all-wheel drive version maintains the same battery, which can only max charge at 150kW.Both cars also score a 50kW boost to their electric motors with what is claimed to be best-in-class acceleration figures of 5.6 seconds for the rear-drive version, or 3.7 seconds for the all-wheel drive version.The RWD version gets new heated first and second row seats, refreshed steering wheel controls and a 13-speaker Yamaha surround sound system.There is also upgraded safety tech across the range.

Australians are spoiled for affordable electric cars.GWM revealed the Ora 5 electric SUV at the 2026 Melbourne motor, with prices starting from $33,990, drive-away.It will go head-to-head with the BYD Atto 2 ($31,990, before on-road costs) and the MG4 Urban ($31,990, drive-away).The Ora 5 is the second model in the brand’s burgeoning electric vehicle line-up, joining the smaller Ora hatchback.This new breed of electric vehicle has taken the fight to big name mainstream brands, with prices the same or cheaper than the petrol or hybrid alternatives offered by conventional carmakers.The Ora 5 is available in two grades: Lux and Ultra, both using the same 150kW/260Nm single motor to drive the front wheels.At its heart is a circa-58kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of 420km via the benchmark WLTC testing regime.That range trumps the Atto 2 and MG4 Urban by a considerable margin.The Ora 5 continues the cutesy looks of the Ora hatchback, with its rounded shape and bubble headlights. It is also available in some eye-popping colour such as a vibrant blue, deep green and fluoro pink.Inside there is plenty of tech, with big screens and multiple active driver aids.The Ora 5 is expected to land in local showroom from June, 2026.2026 GWM Ora 5 price Australia 2026 GWM Ora 5 engine/powertrain and efficiency 4. 2026 GWM Ora 5 standard featuresGWM Ora 5 Lux standard features18-inch alloy wheelsRoof railsRain-sensing wipersAuto LED headlightsDaytime Running Lights (DRLS)Follow-me-home headlightsLED tail-lightsSmart keyless entryRear privacy glass10.25-inch digital instrument displayFour-way steering column adjustment14.6-inch touchscreenWireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoBluetoothSix-speaker stereoDigital radioFront USB outlets (USB-A & USB-C)Rear USB outlets (USB-C)Synthetic leather wrapped steering wheelSynthetic leather seatsSix-way power adjustable driver's seatFour-way manual adjustable passenger seatSingle zone climate with rear ventsSpace saver spare tyreGWM Ora 5 Ultra adds:Electric tailgatePanoramic glass roof with electric sunshadeHeated side mirrors with auto foldDual-zone climate controlHeated steering wheelHeated & ventilated front seatsDriver memory seatFour-way power adjustable passenger seatWireless phone charger64 colour interior ambient lighting9 speaker stereo6. 2026 GWm Ora 5 coloursThe new Ora 5 is available in five colours including white, black, blue, green and pink7. 2026 GWM Ora 5 safetyThe GWM Ora 5 has not been ANCAP crash test yet.Standard safety equipment across the range includes:Seven airbagsBird’s eye view camera system with transparent viewTyre pressure monitoring systemBlind spot monitorAuto emergency brakingLane keep assistLane departure warningJunction assistTraffic sign recognitionRear cross-traffic alertRear collision alertDriver fatigue monitoringChild presence detectionISOFIX child seat anchors8. 2026 GWM Ora 5 warranty and servicingGWM backs its vehicles with a seven year/unlimited km warranty and the drive battery is guaranteed for eight years/unlimited km.GWM has not revealed servicing costs or intervals for the Ora 5.9. 2026 GWM Ora 5  dimensions  

The Japanese sports car revival is almost complete.Honda has confirmed the price of its new Prelude ahead of its arrival in Australia in the coming months where it will take on the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, Nissan Z and Mazda MX-5 in a suddenly jam-packed affordable sports car category.Available in a single grade, the Prelude is priced at $65,000, drive-away, which is cheaper than Nissan’s twin-turbo V6 Z but more expensive than the other trio.The Prelude is based on the current Honda Civic and gets the same hybrid set-up as its more family-friendly sibling.Honda Australia boss Robert Thorp said the Prelude stays true to the original.“The 2026 Prelude is a bold reinterpretation of an iconic driver’s car for the hybrid era, developed from the same dreams with the same spirit and ambition as the first Prelude back in 1978,” said Thorp.The Prelude is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 104kW/182Nm, paired with an electric motor that is good for 135kW and 315N and helps drive the front wheels. Combined power is a claimed 149kW, which is more grunt than the Civic’s identical set-up pumps out.One of the new Prelude's headline features is the 'S+ Shift', which simulates the sound and feel of an eight speed transmission via a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).Honda claims the tech delivers the power kick during real gear changes and can mimic engine braking.There are also features borrowed from the red hot Civic Type R such as dual-axis strut front suspension, and it has Brembo brakes and a wider track for increased stability.Honda backs its vehicles with a five year/unlimited km warranty and five years' roadside assistance. A capped price servicing plan costs just $199 per visit for the first five intervals.Full Australian details will be revealed soon.

GWM’s first Aussie-focused cars have arrived.The updated Haval H6 has landed in local dealerships, and while there hasn't been any change to standard inclusions or engines there is a big change you can't see.The upgraded H6 is the first of the Chinese brand's vehicles to be tweaked by its local engineering program. Dubbed AT-1, the local ride and handling program is headed up by former Holden engineer Rob Trubiani and it has localised some elements of GWM vehicles, specifically ride, handling and advanced driver assistance features.The GWM local tuning operation follows in the footsteps of Kia's successful program, which has helped grow the Korean marque into a top three selling car band in Australia.The idea is to elevate the H6 to better battle more refined rivals such as the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4.It isn’t just a one size fits all approach for GWM, with the company developing five different set-ups to cover all the different H6 variants from petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power and front- and all-wheel drive.  GWM claims the process hasn’t stopped and it will continue to tinker and tweak the vehicles based on real world insights, customer feedback and usage.GWM Australia's Chief Operating Officer John Kett said he wanted the local outfit to be recognised for influencing the brands global vehicles.“AT-1 reflects the investment GWM has made in our ANZ team and the support we receive from our head office,” said Kett.“With Rob joining the GWM family, we are leading the way, adjusting vehicles on real roads and taking those insights back to China to shape the next generation of products. Our Chinese management is listening and engaged; they want us to push the envelope.”Rob Trubiani said the refinements made to the H6 would make it a more resolved and capable vehicle.“The objective of the AT-1 philosophy is to create a more unified and intuitive driving experience, specifically tuned for Australian conditions. The result is a more cohesive and assured character, with improvements evident across everyday driving scenarios," said Trubiani.GWM is going to roll the program out to more vehicles in its range in the future.

It is official, high fuel prices are driving Aussies to ditch the bowser.Polestar Australia is the latest brand to claim interest in its vehicles has skyrocketed in the past few weeks as the Iran war causes massive pain at the bowser.It is claimed test drive bookings of Polestar vehicles have tripled in the past fortnight, which foreshadows a huge sales boost for the Chinese owned Swedish brand.Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard likened the surge in interested buyers to peak sales periods.“The vulnerable state of our nation’s fuel security has been exposed, and won't magically improve when the current crisis ends. There is a clear sense of urgency from customers, which is driving strong order volumes,” said Maynard."Demand is strongest for Polestar 4 in Australia, but we have seen increased interest across our range. Supply of Polestar 4 remains strong in Australia, including some pre-configured vehicles available for fast delivery through our Spaces network. Limited stock of Polestar 2 is also available for fast delivery.”This fits into the backdrop of surging EV sales in Australia in the past month.More than 15,000 electric cars found a new home in March, which is double what was sold in March, 2025. Electric cars made up about 14 per cent of all new vehicle sales in the past month.Tesla’s Model Y led the pack with 2818 sales, followed by the BYD Sealion 7 (1970), Zeekr 7X (679), Tesla Model 3 (667) and Geely EX5 (606).The brand also delivered a carrot for those considering the switch.Polestar detailed new research that showed buyers could expect to slash their fuel bills by about $100 a month by making the switch.The research from a survey of more than 1000 Aussie drivers — about 80 per cent petrol/diesel/hybrid motorists and 20 per cent EV users — showed the average cost of charging an EV was about $60 a month compared to $150 for others.The research was conducted before the current fuel crisis, so the difference between the two would have increased enormously since then.“Electric vehicles were saving Australian drivers money even before the current fuel crisis,” said Maynard.“Even with the recent federal government cuts to the fuel excise, the availability and security of Australia’s fuel supply remain a critical focus. Our vulnerability has been exposed, and won't magically improve when the current conflict ends.”Polestar Chief Executive Officer Michael Lohsceller said electric cars have a more stable refilling price than others.“What used to be range anxiety is quickly becoming pump anxiety. People are moving away from unpredictable fuel costs to predictable electricity,” said Lohscheller.