Articles by Dom Tripolone

Big, burly dual-cab utes are the flavour of the month, but this new generation of rugged workhorses could spawn a 4WD battle royale.The Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X have largeky had the ute-based SUV market to themselves since Toyota axed the Fortuner late in 2025, but that could soon change.BYD's Denza has just launched its Shark 6-based B5 off-roader Down Under, which is ready to shake-up the Japanese establishment.It likely won't be the only Chinese brand to enter the fray.Chinese maker Chery is one of the latest makers to confirm a dual-cab ute, with its currently unnamed workhorse due to arrive later this year.For now codenamed — KP31 — the ute uses a revolutionary diesel plug-in hybrid set-up, which consists of  a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine paired with an electric motor or two and a sizeable battery.There is a chance it could spawn an SUV version down the line, according to Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris.“It would be amazing if we could get an SUV on that platform,” said Harris.“It’s not something that’s been spoken about or in the plans now, but at the rate things change and develop, you never say never.”For now Chery’s focus is on making sure the ute is a success before they forge ahead with any spin-offs.“I believe Chery has one chance to prove that we can build and deliver a highly capable ute,” said Harris.“And so to do that, it needs towing capability, payload capability, all-terrain capability. Particularly all-terrain capability, you know, you get people towing caravans on the beach. You really do need the torque and power delivery that a diesel gives you down low to be able to do those things.”“I think we need to prove, and I am very confident that Chery can prove with KP31, that we’ve got some credibility in that space and can deliver a competent and capable vehicle,” Harris said.Chery's Korean rival Kia is also believed to be working on an SUV version of its Tasman ute.It is unlikely the SUV will appear before the vehicle’s facelift, which is believed to be 2028-2029.Kia Australia’s GM of Product Planning Roland Rivero previously told CarsGuide the focus for now was on the ute."Globally, we've got to make Tasman a success first and foremost," Rivero says."Once it is, and we're confident it will be, then we can look at growing variants and look at the ability to turn around an SUV."As you might have heard at the launch from our engineers, it's not difficult because the platform is already there. We're not starting from the ground up but we've got to get it right for the ute first and foremost."

The federal government has halved the fuel excise for three months.The headline-grabbing cut will reduce fuel prices by 26.3 cents a litre when it comes into effect next Wednesday.That will push the average national price of diesel below the $3 mark to about $2.86, according to today's price.Unleaded petrol will drop to about $2.27, but prices are likely to continue rising until the excise cut comes into effect.This temporary fuel relief will save families roughly $20 per trip to the bowser, according to Treasurer Jim Chalmers.“What we’re announcing today will reduce the cost of a 65-litre tank by about $19. So it is a substantial cost-of-living relief. It is timely, it is temporary, and it is responsible,’’ said Dr Chalmers.The average tradie driving a dual-cab Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger could expect to save about $21 when filling the tank to the brim.“The cost of what we are announcing today is $2.55 billion, depending, of course, on the amount of demand in the system over that three-month period.“But the initial costing is $2.55 billion, and the revenue foregone by delaying the increase in the heavy vehicle road user charge is about another $53 million.”The government made it clear this would be a temporary cost saving measure and warned a prolonged war with Iran would have dire economic impacts.It revealed its four point plan to tackle the fuel crisis if it gets worse.Currently Australia is at level 2 of the four point plan, which is a long way off fuel rationing.Level 4 is where the government moves to protect critical services including emergency services, utilities and key industries. The plan states fuel will be allocated fairly across states and territories.

Australia is getting short changed on some of the world’s cheapest electric cars.High fuel prices are pushing people who never would have looked twice at an EV to consider the zero-emissions tech, but Australia is missing out on some of the most affordable electric cars.China is rife with circa-$10,000 electric cars that provide decent driving range and fast charging in a small and cheap package.The latest model to launch in China is Wuling’s next-generation Hongguang Mini EV, which is priced the equivalent of about $9000.It is a mini four-seater that has a claimed driving range of more than 300km — calculated on the more generous Chinese test cycle — thanks to a super low energy consumption of 8.9kWh per 100km.DC fast charging allows you to top the battery up to 80 per cent in about half an hour.It is very little, measuring 3268mm long, 1520mm wide, 1575mm tall and has a wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear wheels — of 2190mm.That put its in Japanese 'Kei Car' (city car) territory, and its single electric motor makes only 30kW.The Hongguang Mini EV isn’t alone, there is a booming market in China for this type of vehicle.The QQ Domi from Chery was revealed last year.It is a pint-sized electric hatchback measuring just 3.7m long and 1.7m wide, which is just bigger than a Kia Picanto but smaller than a Suzuki Swift.Its nearest EV competitor would be the larger BYD Atto 1, which is called Seagull in other markets.In China it launched at the equivalent of about $13,000. Chinese cars are usually 20 per cent more expensive here than the home market, which would mean it could lob in at about $16,000.Chery’s QQ3 is another budget friendly EV, which is priced to the equivalent of $14,000.It has a circa 300km driving range, and is much bigger than the Wuling. There is a choice of either a 58kW and 90kW electric motor.Chery has been testing one of its QQ models Down Under as part of its global development.The Chinese brand’s Australian Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris is very interested in something from that range.“I think having a very small and then a small hatchback would be a game changer,” said Harris.“I think there’s a huge amount of potential in those segments, and at the moment I think those segments are a little bit stale and not that interesting.“So if we could bring something like the QQ, I think it’d be a huge amount of opportunity,” he said.There is one thing standing in the way of these tiny cheap electric cars… Australian Design Rules (ADRs).Mitsubishi recently considered its little eK X EV Kei Car for Australia but it wouldn’t meet safety regulations and it would be too expensive to bring it up to scratch with ADRs."The reality is that the car meets Japanese safety regulations. The reality is that it does not meet ANCAP five star, and will not meet ANCAP five star. We'd probably get three stars," said former Mitsubishi's Australian CEO Shaun Westcott back in 2024.The Hongguang Mini EV only has two airbags and electronic stability control in its safety arsenal, which doesn’t cut the mustard here.It also lacks side impact protection, which means it won’t meet ADRs. This same rule forced Lexus to axe the IS sedan and Nissan to discontinue the GT-R.

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is preparing for an all in brawl.The big, bad and brawny SUV is king off the road, but it is about to have a lot of new competitors that’ll bring luxe interiors, potent performance wearing new and iconic names.One new entrant has already landed in showrooms while two more big names are expected in the next two years.Here are the biggest challengers lining up to take on Australia’s default big 4WD.The LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol have been in a Rocky and Apollo Creed-style slugfest for decades.Now a new version of the Patrol, dubbed Y63, has been revealed and is due in Australia towards the end of next year.The bruising off-roader switches out its V8 engine for a potent 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6, which makes 317kW and 700Nm.Those outputs trump the LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre diesel twin-turbo motor that pumps out 227kW and 700Nm.Nissan has also assured us it will be 24 per cent more efficient than the outgoing V8, which puts its usage about 11L/100km that will ease some of the pain at the bowser.It'll be swimming in new tech and have proper off-road ability.The return of the Pajero completes the big three of Japanese 4WDs, which dominated Australian regions for so long.The new Pajero hasn’t been confirmed yet by Mitsubishi but big blocky 4WD test vehicles have been spotted around the world, including in western Victoria by CarsGuide.The new vehicle will replace the now defunct Pajero Sport off-roader, and it is believed it'll drop the Sport name and be simply called Pajero.There are still a lot of unknowns, but it is believed to be based on the current Triton ute, which means a rugged ladder frame and diesel grunt.Expect it to use a version of 2.4-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine, but it could make more than the 150kW and 470Nm in the Australian-specification Triton.The door has been left open for the new Pajero to use an SUV-like monocoque platform like the Pajero’s of old, but it is more likely to be based on the Triton.It is expected to be revealed this year with Australian sales to follow not long after.This one delivers the biggest curveball to the big three Japanese 4WDs.Denza, which is a sub-brand of BYD, has just launched the B8 and slightly smaller B5 off-roaders in Australia.Denza Australia’s COO Mark Harland told CarsGuide people are trading in a range of vehicles including LandCruisers and Prados as they switch to the new Chinese entrant.The B8 has a lot going for it.It uses a plug-in hybrid set-up that combines a turbo-petrol 2.0-litre engine with twin electric motors for a total 425kW and 760Nm.Denza claims that is good enough to propel it from a standstill to 100km in 4.8 seconds. It is fitted with a circa-37kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery, which delivers a claimed EV-only driving range of 100km.It is also cheaper than the LandCruiser, starting at $91,000, before on-road costs.The B8 has a braked trailer towing capacity of 3500kg and a wading depth of 890mm. The base seven-seat version only gets a rear diff lock, while the more expensive six-seater variant features a front and rear diff lock set-up. Wading depth is 890mm.

MG is offering you more car for less.The Chinese brand has locked in prices for its new MG4 Urban, which is not to be confused with the MG4 hatchback.The MG4 Urban is notably bigger than the MG4 hatchback at 4395mm long, 1842mm wide and 1551mm tall with a 2750mm wheelbase.That puts it up against popular rivals such as the BYD Atto 3, Kia EV3 and Chery E5.Despite this, it comes in cheaper than the MG4 hatchback, at $31,990, drive-away, or about $4000 cheaper than the base MG4 hatchback. It is also significantly less than the BYD Atto 3's $39,990, before on-road costs, starting price.The reason according to former MG Australia boss Peter Ciao is the MG4 Urban is more of an all rounder and balances the drive experience with standard equipment, compared to the standard MG4 that has a greater focus on driving dynamics and engineering.So, expect plenty of glitz and glamour inside, but a dulled down drive experience. A big part of that is the switch from the MG4’s rear-wheel drive set-up to a more city-focused front-wheel drive layout.This switch to front-wheel drive allows for numerous cost saving methods such as the use of a less sophisticated torsion beam rear suspension and simpler packaging with less components and a lower weight.It will be available in two variants, with the standard range versions priced at $31,990 and the long range at $34,990 (both drive-away).At the heart of the Standard version is a 43kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of 323km (WLTP), while the 54kWh battery bumps the range up to 415km.MG claims both versions can accept up to 150kW via a DC charger, which can replenish the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in about 30 minutes.MG covers its vehicles with a conditional 10 year/250,000 warranty, which requires owners to service their vehicle with MG or it reverts to a seven-year/unlimited km guarantee.The MG4 Urban will land in dealerships next month.

BYD could soon have some serious company in Australia.Chinese brand Nio has just launched its BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2 rivalling pint-sized electric car in Thailand, with a starting price of the equivalent to $35,000 in Australia.This adds fuel to the fire of a potential Australian expansion, as Thailand is a fellow right-hand drive market.The Nio Firefly was approved for sale in Australia by the federal regulator back in August last year, which is often the final hurdle before a vehicle goes on sale.The filings to federal government were updated in November when right-hand drive production was confirmed.There have also been pre-production cars spied on Australian roads.It has been radio silence on an Australian launch since then, but now that right-hand drive production and sales have commenced it could lob onto our roads soon.CarsGuide has contacted Nio's global operations for more Australian details and will update the story with its response.Homologation details published by the federal government last year show two variants will be offered in Australia.Power comes from a single electric motor that makes 105kW and 200Nm, which is fed by a circa-42kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery that provides a driving range of up to 330km via the benchmark WLTP test cycle.It uses 14.5kWh/100km and offers 100kW DC charging for a 10-80 per cent charge in 29 minutes as well as either 7.0kW or 11kW AC charging with a vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature.The Firefly also has the benefit of Nio’s battery swap technology. This allows owners to simply swap the battery when it has run low instead of recharging it. Nio claims this can take about five minutes, which is similar to refilling a petrol or diesel vehicle but not as expensive.The Nio Firefly is a small hatchback measuring about four metres long, 1780mm wide and 1560mm high.Homologation details published by the federal government hint that the Nio operation will be factory-backed with approval holders and contact details attributed to the head office in Shanghai, China.No signs of a dealer network have been sighted in Australia, yet.

China is starting to flex its off-road muscles.Geely is the latest Chinese brand to launch a rough and tumble four-wheel drive in the form of the Battleship 700.It follows the classic 4WD design formula, with a big blocky shape, square shoulders, prominent retro roundish headlights, monster wheels and a spare tyre on the tailgate.There are hallmarks of the Defender, 70 Series and some GWM Tank models in its looks.Geely, like all Chinese 4WD brands, is betting big on plug-in hybrid power to usurp diesel’s dominance in the heavy off-roader segment.Geely’s set-up uses three electric motors, but it hasn’t provided full details.We can look at some of its siblings from Geely's other brands, such as the coming Zeekr 9X.It uses a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and three electric motors to make a whopping 1000kW sent to all four wheels, which enables it to sprint from zero to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds.That’s double the Land Rover Defender Octa Black, which is a beefy off-road monster that pumps out 457kW and 750Nm from its 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and mild-hybrid assistance.It also dwarfs the Toyota LandCruiser’s 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel six-cylinder engine and the coming Nissan Patrol’s 317kW/700Nm 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.With that much electric grunt, you need a big battery.The 9X can be had with either a 55kWh and a 70kWh unit, with electric only driving range of up to 380km via the more lenient China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC).The 9X — like the Battleship 700 — is built on Geely’s 'SEA-S' platform, which uses 900V architecture.This means it will be incredibly fast to charge, with the 9X claiming a 20-80 per cent refill in 8.5 minutes. UK outlet Autoexpress has also confirmed the battleship 700 is planned to land there in 2028.This puts it clearly on Australia’s radar as it is another right-hand drive market, is closer to China and has a large 4WD buying pool.The report said it has a wading depth of 800mm, has big ground clearance and the brand is considering expanding its off-road modes.

The federal government’s emergency fuel plan could devastate ute and 4WD owners.Documents acquired by former crossbench senator Rex Patrick reveal the government’s emergency fuel response plan, which could include fuel rationing.The documents, which paint a worst case scenario, show a $40 limit on fuel would be enforced. This would limit workhorse utes to extremely short daily driving ranges.Average diesel fuel price in NSW on Thursday 25th of March is $2.957, which buys you about 13.5 litres of diesel.Most dual-cab utes have 80-litre fuel tanks, which means $40 fills up about 16 per cent of a tank.More concerning is that drivers could be restricted to a little more than 100km of driving.Most dual-cabs use somewhere in the vicinity of 8.0 litres of fuel per 100km driven, according to lab tests.In the real world those figures are much higher. CarsGuide’s GVM road tests — which includes significant driving time at the vehicle’s maximum payload — paints a far worse picture.In those tests fuel usage on popular utes such as the new Toyota HiLux and the Volkswagen Amarok jumped to 10 litres per 100km.So, if you use a ute to haul a load or equipment or if you tow, you could be sweating if fuel rationing is enforced in Australia.Factor in a lot of tradies living in major city urban fringes and regional areas and any measure could slam the brakes on those industries.Energy Minister Chris Bowen has currently ruled out implementing the $40 fuel limit, and told Sky News the proposal is out of date.“This plan has existed since 2006. It’s got various ways things might roll out, which governments can work with. It’s sort of a suite of options.“I’ve pointed to this plan in the past and been saying, look there are preparations in place for the very worst case... in that sense, it’s a bit of an out of date document in terms of that $40 approach,” he said.

There is good news for those wanting to splash out on a new luxury car.The Australian government has signed a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union that removes the five per cent import tariff that was slugged on all vehicles built on the continent.Australia has not removed the Luxury Car Tax (LCT), which was believed to be a big part of the drawn out negotiations, but it has sweetened the deal for European-soured EVs.The LCT on European cars has been raised to $120,000, up from roughly $91,000.These two measures will slash thousands off the price of some electric cars, with the coming BMW iX3 likely to be about $10,000 cheaper than expected.There has been no movement on the LCT for petrol, hybrid or diesel powered vehicles, with those machines hit with the 33 per cent tax on every dollar over the roughly $80,000 threshold.These measures could entice other carmakers to bring their electric cars to Australia, which may have previously been considered too expensive.Head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries Tony Weber said this was a win for Australian new car buyers.“The removal of the tariff is a positive outcome for Australian consumers and brings European vehicles in line with those imported from other major markets such as China, Japan, Korea and Thailand,” said Weber.Weber called for the removal of the LCT altogether.“The change to the Luxury Car Tax is incremental and leaves in place an outdated measure that no longer reflects the structure of the Australian automotive market.“Luxury car taxes were first introduced in Australia nearly 40 years ago to protect a domestic manufacturing industry which no longer exists. It serves no clear purpose other than raising revenue and continues to impose unnecessary costs on consumers,” said Weber.

Toyota’s mini LandCruiser FJ has finally launched overseas, with a very sharp price.The rough and tumble 4WD has launched in Thailand — where it is built — with prices starting at the equivalent of about $55,900 Down Under.That puts the mini 4WD on par with lower grades of the new RAV4 hybrid, which unlocks off-road adventuring at a bargain price.Toyota is still blocking the FJ LandCruiser for coming to Australia for now.Toyota Australia’s former Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley told CarsGuide at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show it would not be available to Australia because the 2.7-litre petrol engine only adheres to Euro 5 emissions regulations.“The LandCruiser name in Australia would be very appealing, but the hardcore reality we are facing in our country… variable regulations, new criteria, new vehicle efficiency standards,” said Hanley.“It’s not about NVES, it’s just about regulations.“We’re moving to Euro 6 emissions standards. That’s the reality,” he said. The culprit is a 2.7-litre petrol engine, which was previously found in entry-level HiLux variants, that makes 120kW and 246Nm in the FJ LandCruiser.There are rumours out of Japan Toyota may install the same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine with mild hybrid assistance as the current Toyota HiLux ute and Prado 4WD.This would likely deliver a huge performance bump to a max of 150kW and 500Nm, but a detuned version could be used to further lower emissions.Any diesel FJ LandCruiser won’t be available until at least 2029, according to reports.Hanley said at the time if the FJ LandCruiser’s engine did meet Euro 6, which the HiLux’s engine with AdBlue does, the company would be more likely to consider it for Australia.“If it was Euro 6, I would reconsider it,” said Hanley.“If it does turn out to be a Euro 6 engine, and if it does turn out to be that way, which it could… then that’s something we could re-examine.”Pocket-sized off-roaders are the flavour of the month, with Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover working on a small G-Wagen and Defender, respectively.Both those are expected to be electric, with plug-in hybrid power a possibility depending on buyers’ tastes.BYD’s Denza has shown 4WDs are willing to embrace plug-in hybrid power for off-roading, with the recent launch of the B5 and B8 Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series rivals.