Articles by Dom Tripolone

The mini Toyota FJ LandCruiser has been toughened up by the Japanese maker’s aftermarket accessory brand.Modellista, which is part of Toyota, has turned its attention to the mini 4WD to beef up its image and capabilities.It has released a body kit and a range of accessories that make it look seriously mean.The kit includes a new front bumper guard and front and rear under body protection to guard against ruthless off-road tracks.New overfender details, fender garnishes and side mouldings give the FJ LandCruiser more street appeal. There is illumination for the front T-O-Y-O-T-A badging, a bonnet garnish, roof spoiler and Matt Olive 18-inch alloy wheels.Inside, you can kit out the FJ LandCruiser with LED lighting around the dashboard, in the footwells and throughout the cabin.Bad news is the FJ LandCruiser is still off the cards for Australia for now.Unfortunately, the FJ LandCruiser has been ruled out as it is fitted with a petrol engine that does not meet our emissions regulations, according to former Toyota Australia VP of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley.“It’s just about regulations,” he said.“We’re moving to Euro 6 emissions standards. That’s the reality.”The door has been left ajar for the FJ to head our way in the future, though.Hybrid versions are to be built in India for domestic and export markets later this decade, according to reports.Petrol-electric power would put it back on the menu for Australia, and Indian production would likely keep the price below $50,000.

XPeng is coming for Tesla, with its new tech-heavy mid-size SUV.The brand’s factory-backed operation has confirmed the updated G6 electric SUV will arrive from July 1.The new three-tier range will consist of a single-motor and rear-wheel drive standard-range and long-range and a dual-motor performance options.XPeng will reveal prices for the refreshed Tesla Model Y rival on July 1.This isn’t just an update, but a substantially new version compared to the current example.Headlining the changes is a new peak DC charging speed of up to 451kW, a substantial leap compared to the current version’s 280kW max.The company said it can now refill the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in about 12 minutes, with up to 427km of range added in 15 minutes.There are currently no chargers in Australia able to deliver that amount of juice, with the fastest charger maxing out at 400kW.The Standard Range version uses a new circa-69kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 480km. DC Charging rate is capped at 382kW.XPeng has swapped out the 87kWh Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NMC) battery from the current long ranger for a new roughly 81kWh LFP battery for the Long Range and Performance examples. This battery can handle the max 451kW charge rate.The LFP battery pushes the driving range to 525km and 510km, respectively for the Long Range and Performance variants. The current Long Range is 570km.LFP batteries are cheaper to make than NMC packs, so the new Long Range could be cheaper than the outgoing version at $59,800, before on-road costs.The Standard Range’s single motor makes 185kW and 440Nm, which jumps to 218kW/440Nm in the Long Range. Dual motor Performance ups the ante to 358kW and 660Nm.All grades are packed with safety and tech features. There is a 15.6-inch central display paired with a 10.25-inch digital driver screen.Advanced self-driving tech matches Tesla's, which still requires the driver to be in control of the car at all times.

Not suitable for our vast landscape, too slow to charge and not practical enough are the usual tropes used to dismiss electric cars in Australia, but a new breed of EVs are blowing those arguments away.BMW's ballyhooed new iX3, which is built on its futuristic Neue Klasse EV platform, has achieved an astonishing feat.It has completed a real-world test of more than 800km, which actually beat its claimed 805km WLTP certified driving range.The test was completed in China using a long-wheelbase version of the iX3 50 xDrive, with the standard wheelbase version that uses the same battery and electric motors arriving in Australia in the coming months.The test was completed on public roads across a decent cross section of conditions. It went up and down mountains, through snow, rain and low temperatures, which can all have adverse effects on battery range.Key to this was the big 108kWh battery and advanced electric motors, energy management tech and regenerative braking that increases the car’s overall efficiency.Proof that an EV can achieve a driving range of more than 800km means range anxiety can finally be put to bed.No one should be driving 800km straight without a break.When you do stop at the slowly increasing number of fast chargers, the iX3 can soak up a max DC charge rate of 400kW.This would theoretically allow you to add 350km of charge in just 10 minutes, or to recharge from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes.The new iX3 is 4782mm long, 1895mm wide, 1635mm tall and has a 2897mm wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear axles. That plants it in the mid-size SUV category, but its long wheelbase means it’ll be roomier inside than any petrol- or diesel-powered alternative.It’s fast, with its two motors pumping out 345kW and 645Nm. This ensures all-paw grip and a brisk 0-100km/h dash time of 4.9sec.The biggest hurdle to the iX3 is the price. This 50 xDrive version will cost $109,900 (before on-road costs) in Australia, which is more expensive than most can afford.There is a cheaper 40 variant with 635km of range, and a $89,900 price tag that makes it eligible for generous tax incentives.As with all car tech, this will trickle down into more affordable cars sooner rather than later.And this is just the start.Volvo will bring its new EX60 with more than 800km of range soon, and there are numerous Chinese makers with similar tech waiting in the wings.This is proof the age of electric cars is right now.

Ford’s revolutionary ute is coming closer to a reality as prototypes have been spotted testing.Ford’s new electric ute has been spotted testing by US outlet Autopian in California.The dual-cab ute is heavily camouflaged, but it is believed to be smaller than the Maverick, which is an SUV-based ute in the US a size under the Ranger.The new ute is ditching a ladder frame chassis for a new EV platform that will be more SUV-like. This means it won’t be a heavy-hauler or rock crawler, but an urban workhorse designed to carry logs and timber rather than a boat.Images of the tray show a small cargo area, closer in size to what was available in a Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon ute.The new brand-defining ute is likely to be called Ranchero, with the name trademarked in Australia for use on a pick-up truck. It’s also a throwback to an old car-based ute from the US discontinued in the late 1970s.Ford is so serious about its new electric ute that it has assembled an entire “skunkworks” team in California to develop the new low cost electric vehicle platform which will underpin it.“We recruited the most technically skilled and creative professionals from inside and outside Ford to drive a radical change in how we develop an electric vehicle,” said Ford boss Jim Farley last year. “The work of this highly talented team has evolved into a critical enabler of our electric vehicle strategy. These electric vehicles will be lower cost, and not compromised in any way.”The upcoming ute is believed to be the first vehicle to be built on this platform, with a launch date set for 2027. Other bodystyles will also be spun-off from it.Ford is aiming for a circa-US$30,000 (A$42,600) price tag.These small SUV-based utes are the must have item overseas right now.Ford’s Maverick is a smash hit in the US, BYD is preparing its Mako to sit under the Shark 6 and Toyota’s Corolla Cross-based ute has been seen testing in South America recently.

BMW is forging ahead with technology that is the anti-battery electric vehicle.The German company — along with Toyota and Hyundai  — is one of the biggest proponents of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV).These are a different type of electric vehicles, which use hydrogen to create electricity that powers motors and they have no need for a big heavy battery. Water is the only tailpipe emission.BMW has made several advances that bring them closer to surpassing battery electric vehicles.A new hydrogen storage set-up for the iX5 FCEV, which fits into the same space used for the brand’s latest batteries, is to be fitted to its range of Neue Klasse electric vehicles.This means it is more efficient to produce a hydrogen variant and doing so won't compromise interior space. BMW even claims FCEVs can now be built on the same production line as battery-powered electric cars“Think of it as installation Tetris,” said BMW board member Dr Joachim Post.The hydrogen storage system can also hold enough fuel to deliver a driving range of up to 750km, can be refilled in under five minutes and is significantly safer, according to BMW.The German giant has also started production of what it calls the "Energy Master" which is a key component to be used in its coming iX5 Hydrogen.It is effectively the brain of the hydrogen power set-up, managing the fuel cell system, battery and electric drive motors.BMW is planning on launching the iX5 Hydrogen in 2028, and the company plans to expand its offerings.It said the new fuel source stands for "electric driving with long range and fast refuelling, diversifies energy sources and reduces dependence on a single infrastructure or raw material supply chain”.

We’re missing out on some of Toyota’s best vehicles.Toyota is the world’s biggest carmaker and the best-selling brand in Australia by a country mile.One of the reasons for its success is its vast range that covers more buyer types than any other brand.That doesn’t mean it has a car for everyone, there are still models in its global range that would be a hit Down Under if they ever arrived.Here are three of the must-have Toyota models for Australia.Toyota FJ LandCruiserLast year Toyota broke the internet when it revealed its sub-$45,000 mini FJ LandCruiser.It is the size of a RAV4, but with the off-road ability of a HiLux. Australians would love it.Unfortunately, the FJ LandCruiser has been ruled out as it is fitted with a petrol engine that does not meet our emissions regulations, according to former Toyota Australia VP of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley.“It’s just about regulations,” he said.“We’re moving to Euro 6 emissions standards. That’s the reality.”The door has been left ajar for the FJ to head our way in the future, though.Hybrid versions are to be built in India for domestic and export markets later this decade, according to reports.Petrol-electric power would put it back on the menu for Australia, and Indian production would likely keep the price below $50,000.Toyota AlphardThe people-mover segment isn’t dead, it's just completely dominated by the Kia Carnival.But you don’t have to look far to see a grey imported Toyota people-mover humming around the suburbs of Australia’s big cities.The Alphard is already made in right-hand drive for Japan and other South East Asian markets. Not to mention, its luxury Lexus LM sibling is also on sale in Australia.The Alphard is a big, boxy-styled, roomy and luxurious hybrid-powered family-hauler that would appeal to big suburban families looking to tap into Toyota's reliability and low running costs.The Alphard is a bit premium, but there is the sportier looking Vellfire and the smaller Voxy and Noah people-movers that could also work well.Your move Toyota.Toyota's mini uteThis one is hot off the presses.A little Corolla Cross-based ute has been spotted testing in Brazil.The company has been linked to a new SUV-based ute for some years now, with some suggesting it could be based on the Corolla Cross or even the bigger RAV4.This model is Corolla Cross sized, uses hybrid power and is a lifestyle-focused ute in the same mould as the Ford Falcon and Commodore utes of the past.So think suburban workhorse rather than weekend adventurer.For now it is expected to be a Latin America model, but North American executives have also hinted at a SUV-based ute to battle the Ford Maverick. This would likely be bigger than the one spotted and based on the RAV4 instead.

This car will change everything you thought about the humble Toyota Corolla.On the eve of the Corolla’s 60th birthday, the Japanese giant has confirmed the GRMN Corolla is headed Down Under.Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said the new GRMN Corolla is the best of both worlds.“This is truly our GR philosophy in action, and has produced an astonishing high-performance driver’s car that is as at home on the racetrack as it is on the road,” he said.It takes the already red-hot GR Corolla hot hatch, and turns the dial all the way up.Spawned from Japan’s Super Taikyu race series and tuned and tweaked at the Nurburgring race track in Germany — dubbed the Green Hell — the GRMN is the brand’s most driver-focused Corolla of all time.The GRMN has just two seats and a rocket of a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine delivering 221kW and 408Nm.It has upgraded front and rear suspension and fatter Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber for improved performance on track.Toyota has optimised the all-wheel drive set-up for improved torque delivery and tweaked the power steering to give more feedback during high speed cornering.The Corolla GRMN is leaner than the standard manual GR Corolla, having lost 40kg. There is also a unique instrument panel for greater driver concentration and GRMN design touches throughout.Exterior updates include bonnet and fender ducts for increased ventilation, front side spoiler and large rear wing with five step adjustment for increased aerodynamics.It is only available in two colours: matt black or khaki.Toyota Australia said the Corolla GRMN will arrive in limited numbers from 2027.

Toyota's new mini ute has been spotted on public roads.Following on from the reveal of the little FJ LandCruiser, the company has now shrunk its ute.The Japanese brand has been leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that have led to a small SUV-based ute, and now there is proof it is really happening.Brazilian outlet BlogAuto has captured a small camouflage ute undergoing testing, some digital renders from kdesignag on Instagram give us an idea what it could look like without camouflage.and it is believed to be based on the Toyota Corolla Cross compact SUV.That means it is likely based on Toyota’s TNGA-C platform, which also forms the base for the Toyota Corolla, Prius and C-HR, too.Using that platform means the ute could have petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.US outlet AutoNews first broke news of a Corolla-based ute in the works in 2024.It claimed sources said a Corolla-based ute would debut in 2027. At the time Toyota US’s Chief Operating Officer Mark Templin said the company was looking at a small ute, according to The Japan Times."We could really do well in that segment, so we’re trying to do it,” Cooper Ericksen, a senior vice president in charge of planning and strategy at Toyota Motor North America, said in a separate interview with The Japan Times. "It’s a matter of timing,” he said.SUV-based utes have had a renaissance recently, following the segments decline earlier this decade when vehicles such as the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore utes were hits Down Under.The Ford Maverick in the US is the best example. It is based on the Ford Escape SUV and has been a runaway success in North America.Unfortunately the Corolla Cross-based ute appears to be a Latin American model only for now.However, Toyota is also thought to be working on a larger RAV4-based ute recently.Toyota’s North American Chief Executive Officer Tetsuo Ogawa said it is definitely a consideration.“But for the compact truck? Definitely, we have such demand,” Ogawa said in an interview with AutoNews. “A RAV4-based pickup is an opportunity for us, and the dealers are waiting. “Maybe they say we need today or tomorrow, but it takes time.”

Australia will have an EV from the maker of the iPhone by the end of the year, this could be it.Foxtron is a joint venture between iPhone maker Foxconn and car manufacturer Yulong, and it will build electric cars for Mitsubishi for markets including Australia.Mitsubishi Australia General Manager Product Strategy and Product Public Relations Bruce Hampel told CarsGuide in April, “We’re on track for having our BEV [Battery Electric Vehicle] in market by the end of the year.”Mitsubishi hasn’t revealed the Foxtron model its electric car will be based on, but the new mid-size Cavira SUV would be the perfect fit.Mid-size SUVs are the most popular on the market, and would give Mitsubishi a genuine rival to the strong selling Tesla Model Y, Zeekr 7X and BYD Sealion 7.In Taiwan there are two variants of the Cavira, a single rear motor version that makes 186kW and 350Nm. It is paired with an circa-82kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 578km via the more lenient WLTC testing regime.A dual motor version ups the ante with 349kW and 700Nm, which drops the 0-100km/h sprint time to 3.8 seconds from 6.9 seconds.It uses the same battery to deliver a driving range of up to 538km.Both can accept a max DC charge rate of 175kW, and an AC charging rate of 11kW.It has a big boot and a front cargo area under the bonnet, which add up to almost 700-litres.The interior features a minimalist design like most new electric cars. There is a big 15.6-inch tablet-style central display and a medium-sized 12.3-inch digital driver display.It is capable of over-the-air updates, which applies software improvements to the car in the same way your smartphone updates.It starts at the equivalent of about $55,000 in Taiwan, and it would be very competitive at a similar price in Australia.Another option of a Foxtron-sourced car for Mitsubishi is the Bria compact SUV. It is smaller than the Cavira, but has plenty going for it.The Bria is offered in two variants, both with a 57.7kWh LFP battery delivering a claimed range of up to 516km.One version is powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 171kW. The other has a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 299kW. The latter can do the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 3.9 seconds.We’ll know more about Mitsubishi’s first Foxtron-based model in the coming months.

Affordable cars are back with a vengeance. Chinese carmakers are rushing to fill the void left by the exodus of cheaper options from mainstream brands a few years ago.The Jaecoo J5 petrol is the latest budget-friendly small SUV to land in Australia, and it joins the J5 EV already on sale and a hybrid version is due to arrive later. Jaecoo is Chery’s more design-focused sub-brand.The two-tier J5 petrol range starts at $25,990 drive-away for the Track grade we are testing here, and $29,990 for the fully-loaded Summit variant.That starting point makes it one of the cheapest small SUVs on the market, and roughly $10,000 cheaper than options from big name brands such as Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. It joins the Chery Tiggo 4 ($23,990 drive-away), MG ZS ($22,990 drive-away) and GWM Haval Jolion ($26,990 drive-away) at the pointy end of the new-car battleground.Jaecoo has invested in the right spots to make the J5 feel more expensive than it is.The first thing you notice is its design. It’s a sharp-looking compact SUV, with a large waterfall grille, boxy silhouette, multi-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels and dynamic LED lights front and back. It looks like a Range Rover, and that can only be a good thing.Step inside and your eyes are instantly drawn to the massive 13.2-inch tablet-style multimedia screen, which is compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the 8.8-inch digital driver display. The cabin has a clean, functional design, but look a bit closer and a few things stand out.The centre console has what looks like twin wireless device chargers, but is just two empty slots to put your phone. You’ll need to jump up to the Summit grade to get the cordless charger.There are wide slabs of hard plastic on the dash, doors and beneath your eye line.A lack of physical buttons for controls means you’ll need to jump into the central touchscreen to change simple functions such as the air-con.The cloth-wrapped seats are manually adjustable and reasonably comfortable. If you pony up for the Summit you’ll get power adjustable synthetic leather-wrapped seats with heating and ventilation functions up front.There is a handsome flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in synthetic leather with haptic controls.Overall its a fairly spartan cabin with a few wow features, but more than enough to impress at this price point.The higher grade adds a fixed panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, dual-zone air-con and increased storage options.The J5 is roomy. There is decent head, shoulder and legroom in both rows, and a 480-litre boot is generous for this size of car. There are good storage options up front with two cup holders, a covered storage bin and a lower deck on the centre console can hold plenty of knick-knacks. The back row has its own air-con vent and USB-C charging point.There is no spare tyre. There is room for one, but instead the Jaecoo comes with a fiddly tyre repair kit, which is unacceptable in a petrol car that doesn’t have a battery taking up the space.A special mention has to go to the Bluetooth speaker, with multiple phone calls commenting on how bad the audio quality is.Power comes from a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 108kW and 210Nm. This is matched to an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels.Fuel use is a claimed 7.5 litres per 100km, which isn’t great for a small turbo-petrol motor, but it does only require the cheapest unleaded petrol. Our short loan showed that figure is achievable, especially if you do a lot of highway kilometres.On the road the J5 is no dynamic masterpiece.The engine-transmission combo looks decent on paper but the two don’t gel well in the real world. The CVT tends to rev to extreme measures when asked to accelerate with little in the way of increased forward momentum, before it finds the right ratio to deliver the oomph required.In stop-start traffic it is also indecisive and noisy. The combo works best when cruising at motorway speeds.The suspension is too firm, and you’ll feel it through your seat as it crashes over bumps and lumps of all sizes. Cabin noise is intrusive.The flip side is a car that holds its weight well through corners with little to no body roll.The steering is light and vague with little feedback, and doesn’t inspire confidence on a tight, twisting road.Jaecoo has ticked all the safety boxes with the J5 packed with active driver aids.There are seven airbags across both rows, and the J5 will automatically apply the brakes if it detects a potential collision. It will warn you if something is in your blind spot and if a car is approaching from the side as you reverse.A variety of sensors will help keep you centred in your lane and tug the steering wheel to keep you in the right spot.Most of it works well in the real world, with a distinct lack of bings and bongs. The driver attention warning is a bit sensitive and the lane keep assist is a bit jerky, but overall a big improvement over earlier Chery group products.One of the J5’s biggest selling points is the eight-year/unlimited kilometre warrant, which is one of the longest in the business. There is an eight-year capped-price servicing program that requires workshop visits every 12 months or 15,000km. Total cost for the eight visits is $3326, and be aware the sixth and eighth visits are about $700 and $600, respectively.