Articles by Dom Tripolone

Nissan was an electric car pioneer, but you probably have never heard of, or seen, its latest EV.The Nissan Ariya had a rocky start, after being blocked from sale in Australia for several years due to it not meeting Australian Design Rules for a rear middle child seat anchor point.Nissan Australia wanted the federal government to bend the rules. It didn't, and eventually the factory implemented the change and it was cleared for sale here.This means Australia doesn’t get a new model but one that has been on sale overseas since 2022.Now that it's here we’ve got the chance to test the range-topping Evolve over the next three months to see how it fares in the real world.The Ariya arrives in Australia as a four-tiered range with the choice of two battery sizes and front or all-wheel drive.It is priced similar to rivals such as the Kia EV5 and Tesla Model Y.Prices start at $55,840, before on-road costs, for the Engage grade and jump $4000 to the Advance variant.Both are fitted with a 63kWh battery that powers a single motor, which sends 160kW/300Nm to the front wheels and delivers a driving range of up to 385km.The $63,840 Advance+ and $71,840 Evolve AWD variants use a bigger 87kWh battery, with the Evolve adding a second motor for all-wheel drive.The single motor in the Advance+ makes 178kW/300Nm and the dual-motor all-wheel drive ups the ante to 320kW/600Nm.That extra grunt drops the claimed driving range from 504km in the Advance+ to 487km in the Evolve.All grades have a max charge rate of 130kW when connected to a DC fast charger, which will fill the battery from 10-80 per cent in 35 minutes in small battery versions and 40 minutes for the larger battery variants.The AC charging limit for the 63kWh battery versions is 7.4kW, which will top the car’s cells up from 10-80 per cent in nine hours. This jumps to 22kW in the 87kWh versions — which is an optional extra in the Advance+ and standard in the Evolve — and drops the 10-100 per cent charge time to four and a half hours.The DC charging times are fairly middle of the pack and are about the same as the Kia EV5, but behind the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4.Our Evolve AWD is packed with kit, along with a plush and well sorted interior fitout.Passengers are greeted by blue Nappa leather wrapped seats that are heated and ventilated up front with the heating function extending to the rear window seats.The driver’s seat is 12-way power-adjustable and the front passenger’s is eight-way moveable.There are high-end items such as blue suede on the dashboard, door trims and front centre arm rest.A huge panoramic sunroof lets the light in, and crucially has a proper headliner cover to block the summer heat.Dual 12.3-inch digital screens dominate the dashboard, with one controlling the multimedia functions and the other the driver’s instruments. The driver’s display isn’t as customisable or high-tech as some newer EVs.A head-up display complements the screens and projects vital information onto the windscreen in front of the driver such as travelling speed and the prevailing speed limit.It rides on 20-inch wheels — a jump up from the 19-inch units on other grades — with aerodynamic wheel covers.There is LED lighting front and back and a two-tone paintwork, with our test vehicle finished in copper with a black roof.The Ariya has the typical modern electric SUV look, which resembles an egg or computer mouse, a style that promotes aerodynamics over good looks.The Ariya is a mid-size SUV, about the same size as a Toyota RAV4. It feels larger inside thanks to its flat rear floor and wheels pushed to all four corners, which helps liberate cabin space.The boot is on the smaller side for a mid-size SUV, holding just 408 litres in our Evolve. This is about 60 litres less than the other variants due to the extra space needed for the second motor.As with nearly every electric car there is no spare tyre, just a fiddly tyre repair kit.Initial impressions from our first month on the road put the Ariya in the middle of the pack in terms of dynamics, but its range is sub-par.After about 500km of driving we are probably looking at 380 to 400km on a single charge in the real world, which is not ideal and well behind rivals, especially considering the size of the battery. We are regularly seeing energy usage of more than 21kWh per 100km.On the road it is a sweet machine with well-weighted and direct steering and there is excellent pedal feel, which combine to deliver confident motoring.I’m a big fan of the single pedal drive mode, too, which ups the regenerative braking to boost energy fed back into the battery and reduces the need to use the brake pedal with the driver just lifting off the accelerator to start slowing down.The suspension struggles at times to control the Evolve’s more than 2200kg kerb weight. The two-wheel drive big battery version weighs about 150kg less and that makes a big difference.It’s not overly fast despite its ample outputs, but this is a family SUV not a red hot performance car, so I think its acceleration is just where it should be — peppy but not extreme.One thing that needs to be mentioned is Nissan's 10-year conditional warranty. If you service your Ariya at a Nissan dealer you'll be covered by an industry-leading 10 year/300,000km guarantee. That's built-in value that is hard to beat.There is also cost-effective servicing, with logbook maintenance required every 20,000km or 12 months costing $299 for each of the first five workshop visits.Next month we’ll dive into more of the Ariya’s practicality and expand on the drive experience after more time behind the wheel.2026 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD Acquired: December 2025Distance travelled this month: 471kmOdometer: 6214kmAverage energy consumption this month: 21.4kWh/100km

BYD has updated its tough looking SUV, the all-electric Fang Cheng Bao Titanium 3.The Titanium 3 is the more road-focused little brother to the capable Denza B5 and B8 4WDs, which have just launched in Australia.There is no word on if the Titanium 3 will come to Australia, but BYD and Denza — which draws in models from a range of BYD sub brands such as Fang Cheng Bao in Australia — have made clear they want to aggressively expand their line-ups and grow sales.The Titanium 3 is fully electric, where the B5 and B8 are plug-in hybrids.Despite only being revealed last year the Titanium 3 has been given a big power boost, with single motor versions making 240kW, a rise of 80kW.Dual motor, all-wheel drive examples now make 375kW and 510Nm, a jump of 65kW.Battery size is not yet known, but the outgoing versions used a circa-65kWh in single motor versions and a roughly 72kWh or 79kWh pack for all-wheel drive variants.Fang Cheng Bao claims every model had a driving range of about 500km, but this was calculated by the generous China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC) rather than the benchmark WLTP test cycle.One of the other big upgrades in China is the addition of Lidar technology. This tech is crucial for semi-autonomous driving, which is a must-have feature in China.The Titanium 3 is a mid-size SUV, with about the same proportions as a Toyota RAV4.It has tough exterior styling that gives it strong off-road appeal, but it isn’t nearly as capable as the B5 and B8 sold in Australia. Think of it more as an SUV with the ability to handle a dirt road.BYD has had huge success with its Fang Cheng Bao range in China. The larger Titanium 7 sold 50,000 units in just 80 days. BYD has debuted the Titanium 7 in Thailand at the Bangkok motor show, which bodes well for an Aussie arrival in the future as Thailand is also right-hand drive.BYD also builds some Aussie-bound vehicles in Thailand, which could expand to the Titanium 7.The Titanium 7 is much bigger than the 3 at almost five metres long.It also ditches full electric power for plug-in hybrid grunt. It uses a familiar set-up with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors. A 35.6 kWh battery pack provides up to 200km of electric driving range.

Ford and BYD could be working together, and people are not happy.The Wall Street Journal reported Ford is considering using BYD batteries in its hybrid vehicles built in overseas factories.These vehicles would be shipped all over the world, including the US.Ford is already using BYD’s Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) batteries in some of its Chinese built vehicles such as the Bronco New Energy electric SUV and range extender hybrid.CarsGuide understands the Bronco New Energy range extender hybrid is coming to Australia this year.Now the recent report shows Ford might be deepening its ties with China just as the US is trying to separate itself from the global powerhouse.US Treasury Secretary Peter Navarro expressed outrage on X.“So @ford wants to simultaneously prop up a Chinese competitor's supply chain and make it more vulnerable to that same supply chain extortion?  What could go wrong here?,” he posted.“Did @ford forget the rare earth extortion already?  BYD is the latest predatory pricing kid on the block.  Aim is to control global EV production--@tesla will be a footnote if this keeps up.”The move by Ford is likely an attempt to shield itself from the waning demand of electric cars. Ford and many other carmakers have axed plans to build several electric models as customers — and governments — turn their back on the technology.Ford has invested heavily in new battery factories in recent years. This includes a new factory to build LFP batteries in the US.This factory will still go ahead and will create cells to power its new range of affordable electric cars.Ford’s global boss Jim Farley has previously confirmed the first model off its new Universal EV Platform would be a pick-up, which he said would be unlike anything we’ve seen before.“I would say it’s a new silhouette. What I mean by that is that it has more room than a RAV4, the bestselling passenger car in the US. That doesn’t include its frunk and pickup truck bed. It is very fast, it’s rear-wheel drive, it’s super fun to drive, and it has a digital experience that no one’s seen—even in China,” Farley told  The Verge’s Decoder podcast last year.

Kia could be working on a new ute.Hot on the heels of the recent Tasman dual-cab ute launch, the South Korean maker could have another ute in the works.The big reason for this? The US.The Tasman is unlikely to be sold in the US due to crippling tariffs, but the brand still wants and needs a ute to sell in one of the company’s largest markets.Sister brand Hyundai has already confirmed it is developing a ute, which is unlikely to be based on the current Tasman.This opens the door to a completely new workhorse developed by Hyundai but spawning a new Kia ute.Digital artist @Theottle on YouTube has crafted some new renders to show what a potential Telluride-styled pick-up truck could look like.The Telluride is Kia’s big SUV, which is a smash hit in the US, but isn’t sold in Australia.The renderings borrow the front end styling from the new large SUV, which give it a nice boxy silhouette paired with a large front grille and huge vertical headlights.There is no clunky side cladding or oddly shaped headlights and grille, which have led to many dumping on the current Tasman styling.It is likely any other Kia ute would be aimed at the US market, so it should use petrol or hybrid power rather than diesel grunt preferred by Australians.The new Kia ute had initially been expected to be a fully electric workhorse, but waning demand for battery powered utes globally, and especially in the US, forced the company to ditch their plans.Kia isn’t alone in ditching its large EV ute plans, with Ford, GM and Ram all ditching the idea in the short term.There is a chance the new Kia ute could be a large American-style pick-up, but it is more likely to be a mid-size ute in a similar vein to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.The Kia Tasman already fills that space in Australia, and it has the potential to add hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even electric power in the future, which likely cancels it out for Down Under.We will more likely see this ute wearing a Hyundai badge.Hyundai Australia boss Don Romano has vowed to have a ute here before the end of 2028.“ My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I'm not leaving until it's coming,” Romano told CarsGuide late last year.“If they produce what we're talking about at this stage and what we're working on, it's gonna be mind blowing, it's gonna be great. And I really mean that, I'm not just blowing smoke.“I just think when you come out with a ute, you know, you can't come out with the same thing. You've got to look at the best vehicles in the market, the best utes in the market, who are the two biggest players. We all know who they are and that's who you have to position yourself with. But you have to bring in some new technology, because a lot of that technology they're using has been there for a while.”

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Sedans aren’t done just yet.Hyundai is reportedly working on a new version of the Sonata sedan, and it has its sights set on the Toyota Camry.Fresh digital renders from ChaFreak on Instagram give us a speculative view on what the new 2027 Hyundai Sonata could look like.It features the brand’s futuristic pixel design, with slim headlights and an angular body with some panel creases and edgy front bumper. It has more of a liftback silhouette rather than a conventional sedan look.There aren't many details about the Sonata just yet, but there are plenty of dots that can be joined.Hyundai is moving towards hybrid, plug-in hybrid and extended-range electric vehicles, so it stands to reason the next-gen Sonata will be available with a number of different power options.Its biggest rival, the Toyota Camry, is only available with hybrid power and a raft of Chinese challengers are fully electric but there are next to no options for plug-in or extended-range hybrids in Australia.Hyundai only offers one variant of the current Sonata, which is the wicked-up N Line version with 213kW and 422Nm on tap.Conventional hybrids rarely bring that kind of performance, but Hyundai could bring some sporty flair to the new Sonata with plug-in or extended-range hybrid power.Extended range hybrids — also known as extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) — use a petrol engine purely as a generator for a battery, with the wheels driven exclusively by electric motors. This is paired with a battery of moderate size, which can also be charged by plugging into a charger.This provides the peppy off the line performance of electric vehicles, but with out the range anxiety and the excess weight of purely electric vehicles.There are question marks on whether Hyundai would bring a new Sonata to Australia, with the current version selling fewer than 400 examples last year.The sedan segment has been given a boost recently with the advent of electric cars, with vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal proving to be some of the strongest sellers.

BYD has created another sub-brand unlike any before it.The Chinese behemoth already has its Denza, FangChengBao and YangWang sub-brands, but now it can add Linghui to the mix according to reports out of China.Linghui eschews the luxury, off-road and performance prowess of its other sub-brand cousins for something much more practical… rideshare operators. That’s what some Chinese media are speculating, anyway.Four new Linghui models appeared in Chinese Ministry Information and Technology fillings, dubbed e5, e7, e9 and M9.These are not new models according to Chinese media, but are reskinned versions of current models already popular with rideshare operators. And in some cases the Linghui models have the same name as the BYD versions.It has been speculated this is to stop the common use of the vehicles in ridesharing, which may be tarnishing the vehicles' and brand’s image for private buyers.The new brand consists of three sedans - the e5, e7 and e9 - and one people mover called the M9.The models are expected to be budget-friendly and reasonably well equipped.The large e9 sedan is based on the BYD Han and has a dual motor set-up with the front motor making 135kW and the rear 150kW.The e5 and e7 are mid-size sedans measuring roughly the same length, but with the e7 featuring a noticeably wider body and extended wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles).The e5 comes with a single 100kW motor and the e7 can be had with the 100kW motor or a 130kW unit.The M9 is a plug-in hybrid people mover, closely related to the Denza D9, the latter expected to land in Australia later this year.There is no indication the Linghui brand or any of its vehicles will be sent out of China.Currently in Australia BYD is bulking out its Denza and BYD range with a number of tough plug-in hybrid off-roaders and budget-friendly, family-focused electric cars.

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