Articles by Dom Tripolone

Electric cars are about to change forever as another brand confirms solid-state battery trials in 2027 that put 1000km-plus driving ranges within striking distance. Geely is joining BYD and battery giant CATL in installing futuristic solid-state batteries in vehicles next year, according to Chinese reports. The Chinese behemoth said it would roll out the tech across its brands, which include Geely, Polestar, Volvo, Zeekr and more. Solid-state batteries are often touted as the holy grail of EV cells, they are more energy dense, faster to charge, work better in cold temperatures and are less prone to fire than conventional units. This means brands can install smaller batteries for similar driving range to current EVs, which means they are lighter, more efficient and less of a strain on resources. The reduction in weight and improved packaging that goes with smaller batteries also opens up the possibility of electric performance cars, utes and 4WDs that are all hamstrung by excess weight of current EVs. Makers can also choose to keep the batteries the same size as current units and effectively double the vehicle’s driving range. Driving ranges of more than 1000km have been claimed for the future electric vehicles fitted with these batteries. Geely announced earlier this year that it would start production of its own solid-state batteries after a validation process before installing the new battery type in vehicles for next year. Some reports put Geely’s new cells at 500Wh per kg, which is more than double the average battery. It is also more than double the Golden Brick battery found in some Zeekr 7X models, which have a driving range of close to 500km. The Golden Brick is also immensely fast to charge and suck up 450kW of juice when connected to an appropriate DC charger. This solid-state battery could push the driving range of popular EVs such as the Geely EX5, Volvo EX60 and Zeekr 7X well beyond 1000km. So far no Chinese brand has publicly revealed the results of its solid-state trails, which pours cold water on the idea the batteries will arrive soon and change the game. European makers BMW and Mercedes-Benz have shown off what their prototypes can do. In August 2025, Mercedes-Benz completed a trip from Stuttgart in Germany to Malmo, Sweden without charging. The trip covered 1205km and the prototype vehicle had 130km of range left when it reached its location. Mercedes-Benz Chief Technology Officer Markus Schafer said he wants to have this tech in production vehicles before the end of the decade. “The solid-state battery is a true game-changer for electric mobility. With the successful long-distance drive of the EQS, we show that this technology delivers not only in the lab but also on the road. "Our goal is to bring innovations like this into series production by the end of the decade and offer our customers a new level of range and comfort,” said Schafer. The reality is the tech will come, but it will likely be expensive and reserved for high-end cars before trickling down to more mainstream models. Audi engineers previously told CarsGuide they might never be mainstream and will be a niche application because they are too hard to manufacture currently.

Mazda’s slow roll out of its long-awaited hybrid technology is hurting its CX-5 sales, according to reports. The Japanese giant launched the CX-5, its biggest selling model in two of its largest markets - the US and Australia, this year. Sales have not lived up to the hype so far, with the SUV launching with just petrol power and the hybrid alternative not arriving until late 2027 in the US and likely 2028 in Australia. In the US, sales of the CX-5 have dipped 23 per cent since the model went on sale, according to Nikkei Asia. Mazda US is blaming insufficient stock for the sales blip, but sales of the similar-sized hybrid CX-50 — which uses Toyota's hybrid tech — have skyrocketed during the same period, according to reports. July was the first full month of sales of the new CX-5 in Australia, with sales flat compared to the same month in 2025. This might also be the result of stock not flowing freely just yet, but buyers could also be running to snatch up hybrid and plug-in hybrid alternatives. Sales of hybrid SUVs are up about 13 per cent this year, and plug-in hybrids have jumped almost 200 per cent. Petrol SUV registrations have shed a quarter of sales compared to 2025… read into that what you will. Mazda has always been open about the timing of its new hybrid technology and decided against installing someone else’s petrol-electric set-up in favour of developing its own in-house unit for the CX-5. At the 2025 Tokyo motor show, Mazda’s Managing Executive Officer in charge of Vehicle Development, Product Development, Design and Cost Innovation Naohito Saga said there were no technical issues developing the new hybrid tech but the delay was due to regulatory reasons both within Mazda and global markets. “We need a certain period of development timing, that is why,” said Saga through a translator. “Basically CX-5 will be introduced in Europe and US, so those stringent regulations we need to comply with." Mazda is also aiming to make the new CX-5 Hybrid sweeter to drive than any Toyota. “ Different characteristics . Because what we aim for is the Mazda driving feeling, which is the good feeling when you drive. That is what we are aiming for, so it will be different,” said Saga. When the hybrid does arrive it should be the pick of the litter, with performance to surpass the now defunct turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol engine of the previous generation. Mazda Australia won’t just offer the hybrid in the priciest versions, but will have a broad offering across its grades, according to local boss Vinesh Bhindi.

Toyota has proven its no electric car pretender, as it beats all others in the world’s most EV dominant markets. Toyota Europe’s Communications Director Robert Tickner announced the Toyota bZ4X is the best-selling vehicle in Norway and Denmark. These are two of the most cut-throat EV markets with electric vehicles accounting for about 98 per cent of all new cars sold in Norway and more than 60 per cent in Denmark, according to reports. Toyota has bested European locals Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, as well as international giants such as Tesla and Xpeng in the process. The Japanese giant has been heavily criticised for being slow to the electric vehicle market, with it instead betting on hybrids to plug the gap until more people were ready to plug-in. Tickner took a swipe at the haters. "Toyota has been criticised by some for not going 'all in' on battery electric vehicles. For me, that's simply a misunderstanding of Toyota's strategy and the reality of true customer demand," said Tickner on LinkedIn. Toyota is now fleshing out its range of battery-powered cars to increasing success, with the company selling 12 EVs in Europe across the Toyota and Lexus brands, according to Tickner. Toyota EV sales trail Tesla, BYD and many others by a massive margin in Australia, but there are green shoots starting to appear. Sales of its bZ4X are up 330 per cent this year to 2075 examples through the first seven months. The company has scrounged around for more stock to help fill orders of the bZ4X. This extra supply is due in the coming months. Toyota just expanded its bZ4X range with the bigger Touring version, which will help boost sales Down Under. Lexus hasn’t had the same success, with its related RZ SUV only selling about 100 examples so far this year. This is still up about 180 per cent compared to the same period in 2025. The new electric version of the Lexus ES sedan is unlikely to be a huge seller. Toyota’s HiLux BEV has just arrived in the country. The all-electric workhorse doesn’t read spectacularly on paper and won’t be replacing diesel utes anytime soon, with it largely pitched to mines and government fleets needing to decarbonise. Toyota has confirmed the C-HR+ electric compact SUV will arrive in Australia in 2027. It shares its underpinnings with the recently launched Subaru Uncharted. Globally there are two configurations and two batteries available. The entry-level model has a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 123kW and is fed by a 57.7kWh battery pack. There’s also a larger 77kWh battery pack available in the front-wheel drive version, which bumps the power output up to 165kW. There is also a range-topping dual-motor, all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 252kW.

MG’s latest SUV shows just how much Australia’s car market has changed in the past five years, and it is only a good thing for buyers. The new S6 is an electric mid-size SUV that goes head-to-head with some of the heaviest hitters in the country, including the BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y. Just five years ago there were literally no affordable electric vehicles in this category, now the S6 is just the latest arrival in a long line of cut-price, zero-emission vehicles with a family bent. This influx of models has driven lower prices and more choice, two things putting buyers in the driver’s seat. MG’s S6 line-up consists of just two variants. Both are the Essence grade — MG speak for fully-loaded — with buyers simply choosing between a single rear motor or dual motor set-up. Prices kick off at $49,990, drive-away, for the rear-wheel drive version and step-up to $56,990 for the all-wheel drive version we are testing. This is a decent chunk cheaper than its two big-selling rivals, with single-motor versions of the Model Y starting at $58,900 (before on-road costs) and the Sealion 7 kicking off at $54,990, drive-away. It is pretty much the same price as the entry-level Toyota RAV4 hybrid. The S6 only has two optional extras, $700 for metallic paint and Grey Ivory with Nordic Ashwood faux wood interior trim for $500. You get plenty of standard kit for that low outlay, with 20-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting front and back and roof rails as standard. Step inside and front seat passengers are greeted by power-adjustable seats wrapped in synthetic leather and synthetic suede trim. There is a heating and ventilation function. The rear window seats are heated, too. This is joined by a chunky, flat-bottomed and leather-wrapped steering wheel with heating function. An average-sized 12.8-inch central multimedia screen is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and has in-built sat nav and there is a solid 11-speaker stereo. A slim 10.25-inch digital driver display keeps it simple with vital information and not much else. This is supplemented by a head-up display that projects vital information such as travelling, speed, prevailing speed limit and safety warnings onto the windscreen in front of the driver. MG ticks all the safety tech boxes with plenty of active driver aids and solid crash test scores. At its heart the S6 uses a 77kWh Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) battery that delivers a claimed WLTP driving range of up to 530km in the single motor variant and 485km in dual motor examples. That’s par for the course for mid-size electric SUV, where 500km is the ballpark most aim for. The S6 uses 400-volt electrical architecture, which means it forgoes top-end charging speed. It maxes out at 144kW when connected to a compatible DC charger, which puts it in the same ballpark as the BYD Sealion 7 and Kia EV5 but behind the Tesla Model Y and more premium EVs such as the Zeekr 7X. MG reckons it can top it up from 10 to 80 per cent in 38 minutes. Single motor variants pump out 180kW and 350Nm to the rear wheels, with dual motor examples upping the ante to 266kW and 540Nm combined with all-paw grip. That’s plenty of grunt for a family-focused SUV, but less than other more performance leaning dual motor rivals. The interior is massive, with plenty of room for small and big kids. I had two child seats fitted in the back row, one forward and one rear facing, with plenty of room left for front seat passenger adjustment. The panoramic sunroof is pleasant in winter, and a proper shade will make it bearable in summer. The windows are large, which helps smaller kids in the back see out and helps reduce car sickness. The back pew also has its own air conditioning vents and USB-C charging ports. There are plenty of storage options throughout for knick-knacks, phones and bottles. The boot is a decent size at 581 litres, but the lack of any spare tyre is the chink in every EV’s armour. A fiddly tyre repair kit is a bad result for drivers. Unlike some other rivals, the S6 actually has a few buttons and dials in the centre console for basic controls. The steering wheel mounted buttons are clear and well placed, showing balance is returning to car cabins after years of touchscreen domination. The safety tech is overbearing, and the speed sign recognition routinely picks up the wrong signs. I often had a 35km/h speed warning going off when there is no such speed limit in NSW. MG’s electric vehicles are, in my opinion, the better cars to drive in its range.  The S6 is no different. Despite its dual-motor power it isn’t particularly fast, and that’s okay. Moderate pace suits a sensible family car better, and it has the added benefit of not being an excessive drain on the battery. It has no problem bounding up steep hills or overtaking at motorway speeds. The S6 isn’t the biggest mid-size SUV but it feels large on the road and in underground car parks, luckily an array of sensors and cameras help in tight situations. It feels heavy, and at circa-2000kg, it is hefty. You experience it more acutely at low speeds, where it can feel lumpy and bumpy, especially over our pockmarked roads. This is accentuated by firm, heavy steering that makes driving feel harder than it should. A mega turning circle doesn’t help the experience, either. On the motorway it is a quality cruiser, eating up the kays with ease and in comfort. It has good insulation that keeps the world at bay and adaptive cruise control works well. Sadly, the safety tech is intrusive, loud and a constant distraction. The MG driving range is solid, and judging by our test you can expect to land in the ballpark of the company’s claim. A 10-year/250,000km conditional warranty is the biggest ace up this MG's sleeve. You’ll need to attend a MG dealer every logbook service to keep that warranty period, otherwise it reverts to a seven year/unlimited km guarantee. Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 25,000km, and will cost you $1376 and $1987 for a five- or seven-year plan for the AWD grade, with the RWD version being slightly cheaper.

Another Chinese brand is coming to Australia, and it spells bad news for one local favourite. Changan Automotive has gone on a hiring spree in Australia, with several job ads appearing on LinkedIn during the past several months, as it prepares to launch Down Under. It is one of China’s biggest automotive groups, and is of a similar scale to Chery or SAIC, the latter the owner of MG. Changan is also state-owned and has a range of brands that will be familiar to Australians. It launched the Deepal brand via local distributor Inchcape in 2025 and has joint ventures with several carmakers. The arrival of Changan spells bad news for Mazda, which has a partnership with the giant and relies on it to source its new range of electric cars, including the recently launched Mazda 6e sedan and incoming CX-6e SUV. These vehicles use Changan’s platforms, but have been styled and tweaked by Mazda. Changan versions of the vehicles would be expected to be cheaper than the Mazdas and more premium Deepal versions on sale in Australia. Changan also has the more tech-focused Avatr brand in its stable. There is no timeline yet for when Changan will launch, but it appears to be quite advanced with its hirings. This points to a likely early 2027 launch date. Changan has given no insight into what vehicles might be brought to Australia, but we can look to the UK for some ideas. The company confirmed it would be selling the small E06 electric SUV in the UK, a fellow right-hand drive market. It is related to the Deepal S05 compact electric SUV and a future Mazda spin-off, which are slated for an Australian launch. The company also sells utes in South Africa, including the range-extender hybrid dual cab called the Hunter K50. It would likely be called simply the K50 in Australia as Hunter is already used by JAC. Changan has also trademarked the K50 name here. There is also its range of Nevo branded vehicles, which includes a range of extended range hybrids and electric cars in several sedan and SUV sizes. More information will come to light once Changan officially confirms its arrival to Australia.

Australia’s best-selling car for the past three years has been recalled for a potentially faulty airbag. Ford has recalled almost 14,000 Ranger utes built between November 2025 and July 2026. Only about 8000 of the vehicles have been delivered to customers with the remaining circa-6000 still to be handed over to buyers and will be fixed before being delivered. The company announced the voluntary recall because in the event of a crash, “it may be possible that the side curtain airbags interact with the B-pillar trim during inflation and not deploy as intended”. “If there is interaction during deployment, the B-pillar ramp may detach, increasing the risk of injury to occupants,” a spokesperson said. Ford Australia said it wasn’t aware of any incidents in Australia and said it found out about the issue during routine testing. Ford said customers can continue to use their vehicles in the meantime, and all other airbags will deploy as intended. Affected customers will be contacted by Ford Australia with further instructions. Ford said a fix won’t be ready until mid-September when customers will be urged to organise a repair with their local dealership free of charge. Customers can check if their vehicle is affected by entering their VIN on the Ford Australia Recall and Service Action page at www.ford.com.au/support/recalls/.   Customers can also contact an authorised Ford Dealer or Ford Australia’s Customer Relationship Centre on 13 36 73. This is the 17th recall by Ford this year already and the sixth affecting the Ford Ranger. The Blue Oval has routinely been one of the most recalled brands in Australia, despite a smaller model line-up than most brands. Ford globally has been dealing with quality issues with the brand’s boss Jim Farley quite vocal on the issue. The company set a recall record in the US in 2025. In 2023 Ford reportedly spent US$4.8 billion ($6.8b) on fixing customer vehicles.

XPeng’s new Australia-bound SUV means business, as it is priced to severely undercut key rivals in China. The XPeng G9L, which was recently revealed in China and confirmed to arrive here in the next six months, will cost the equivalent of $55,000 for the range-topping model in China. XPeng also confirmed there will be plenty of cheaper grades to choose from. This means the most expensive G9L will be more affordable than the cheapest Zeekr 8X ($75,000) in China. And the general rule of thumb is: if it's cheaper than its rivals in China, it’ll be cheaper than them here. Chinese cars are usually about 20 per cent more expensive in Australia than in China, so expect the G9L to top out at about $70,000 when it arrives. The G9L is a big five-seat SUV in the domestic market, which follows the latest trend of giant Chinese SUVs with roomy interiors. It is 5120mm long, 1999mm wide and 1795mm tall, with a 3100mm wheelbase, and is bigger than most seven-seat SUVs. It is available with an electric or range-extender hybrid (REEV) set-up. The latter uses a small petrol engine as a generator to charge the battery, with only the electric motor(s) driving the wheels. Both electric and EREV versions will be available in two- or all-wheel drive. The 2WD EV has a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 270kW, while the AWD adds a front-mounted 160kW motor for a combined 430kW. REEV variants have a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine to charge the battery. The single electric motor in the range-extender makes 210kW, with the AWD adding an extra 160kW motor for a combined 370kW. There are several battery options. Two-wheel drive versions use a circa-92kWh lithium iron phospahte (LFP) battery that is good for 702km of driving range, according to the more lenient Chinese test cycle. All-wheel drive versions use a roughly 92kWh Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) unit, which is good for about 660km of range. This can be upped to a 110kWh power plant that boosts range to 755km. REEV versions use a huge 64kW LFP battery for a claimed Chinese verified electric driving range of 435km. XPeng hasn’t revealed what versions will be available here. XPeng HQ has recently taken over from the Australian importer after a several issues, which is now playing out in federal court. The factory-backed operation has grand plans now it is allowed to sell cars here. It already has the updated G6 mid-size SUV and X9 people mover available for order. It has confirmed the L03 coupe-SUV will be next to land, followed by the G9L and L05 mid-size SUV, the latter is from its more affordable Mona range.  The flagship GX, which will likely be called something else when it arrives due to Lexus already claiming that name, will land sometime in the future.

Your next Toyota is about to get more expensive, that's the word from the brand’s top accountant. Toyota released its quarterly financial report, which detailed it was expecting material costs for building its vehicles to jump 1.3 trillion yen ($11.5 billion). That’s bad news for anyone considering a Toyota, as the extra cost to build the cars will be passed on to consumers, according to the brand’s top accountant Akanori Azuma. “The impact of higher material costs, including measures to strengthen our supplier base, is approximately 1.3 trillion yen. We intend to recover roughly half of that through price revisions,” said Azuma. The good news is buyers won’t be hit all at once, with the brand intending to space out the price jumps into next year. “We do not intend to pass these costs on to customers all at once. Rather, we will continue to carefully consider both the timing and the level of price revisions. “Since the effects of price revisions also carry over into the following year, we will closely monitor their effectiveness and respond accordingly,” he said. Toyota plans to make more than 10 million vehicles this financial year, which means that 50 per cent of that cost spread over those vehicles equals about $600 per car. Toyota has been under fire for steep price rises for its new-generation RAV4 Hybrid around the world. In Australia price rises varied, with the base GX version now $3830 more expensive and the Cruiser grade almost $6000 dearer.   Toyota South Africa Motors Senior Public Relations Manager Riaan Esterhuysen said China is the problem. "We intentionally moved it into a more premium space. It occupies or plays in the higher part of the segment now, and that is intentional," he told BizCommunity. "We can't compete with the emerging Chinese brands directly on an entry-level price point. They have changed that market. They have shaped the market or changed the shape of the market by driving customers down to a lower and mid-tier of the segment or taking used car buyers and upselling them." The new RAV4 was the best selling car in Australia in the past month, with 5564 finding a new home. Those numbers aren’t expected to drop anytime soon with the company holding a heavy order book. Supply is the biggest thing holding back the RAV4 and the rest of Toyota’s range from hitting astronomical numbers. Most models have a standard three month wait list, with more popular vehicles stretching out further. Toyota Australia has said it has managed to secure about an extra 20,000 vehicles for this calendar year, with most of that number being RAV4, HiLux and bZ4X vehicles. That increased stock is expected closer to the year's end, so expect an even stronger sales number at the book end of 2026.

Another affordable plug-in hybrid ute is circling the popular BYD Shark 6. GWM has confirmed its new Cannon PHEV (plug-in hybrid) ute will arrive in Australia soon. It will join the pack hunting down BYD’s leading Shark 6, which includes the Ford Ranger Hybrid, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and the coming Chery Stockman. Slightly smaller than the Cannon Alpha, the Cannon ute is the latest vehicle to bring the Chinese brand’s Hi4-T plug-in hybrid four-wheel drive tech Down under. It pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor to make 310kW and 750Nm. This is matched with a 33.1kWh battery that delivers a claimed driving range of 115km, which is calculated via the more lenient NEDC testing. GWM claims it drinks just 2.4-litres per 100km, but as with all plug-in hybrids drivers will need to be disciplined with charging the battery to get close to that figure. GWM claims it can be driven more than 1000km (NEDC) before the battery is depleted and the fuel tank emptied. The Cannon PHEV is ready to rock off-road, with the Hi4-T system using a mechanical four-wheel drive set-up, which is in contrast to some rivals. GWM is also working on a diesel plug-in hybrid Cannon, which is expected to join the line-up at a later date. GWM hasn’t confirmed prices yet, but has said the Cannon PHEV will be one of the most affordable plug-in hybrid utes in the nation. The company hasn’t revealed the line-up either. If it mimics the standard diesel version it will be available in Lux, Ultra and Vanta grades as well as pick-up or cab chassis body styles. We can look to the larger Cannon Alpha for some price guidance. It costs about $10,000 to upgrade from a diesel to plug-in hybrid Cannon Alpha. So that means a plug-in hybrid Cannon could start at about $52,000, drive-away, for the Lux grade or about $55,000 for the Ultra variant. That puts the Cannon PHEV on track to be cheaper than the BYD Shark 6 dual-cab pick-up which starts at $57,990, drive-away, with a cab-chassis version $2000 cheaper. Chery’s coming Stockman, which uses a diesel plug-in hybrid set-up, will be aggressively priced when it arrives later this year. Ford has cut thousands off the price of its Ranger plug-in hybrid, with it now available for $62,000, drive-away.

In the age of electrification some brands are still throwing a petrol party, and Cupra’s latest shin-dig is an absolute rager. VW’s Spanish brand has just launched the updated version of the Formentor small SUV in Australia, and I’m testing the spicy VZx variant. It is priced from $69,990 (before on-road costs), which is $20,000 more than the entry-level Formentor but $25,000 cheaper than the absolute rocketship VZ5 variant due later this year. Under the bonnet of the Formentor VZx is the heart of the Volkswagen Golf R. The tried and tested 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 245kW and 420Nm. This is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives all four wheels. This enables a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.8 seconds. That kind of grunt puts it in some fine company, with rivals including the BMW X1 M35 ($93,900), Lexus LBX Morizo RR ($78,490) and Mini Countryman JCW ($73,990). That means it’s cheaper and just as, or more powerful than its competition. It is a sparkling vehicle to drive. When I crack open the driver’s door of our test car I'm greeted by the optional bucket seats with carbon-fibre backs. They are snug with plenty of lateral support and power adjustment. You sit nice and low in the car with a chunky flat-bottomed steering wheel for a driving companion and alloy pedals for going and stopping. Press the push-button starter on the steering wheel and the 10.2-inch digital multimedia screen lights up with chunky dials and the choice of performance information such as the percentage of power and torque being delivered. It makes a raucous noise, but it isn’t all real with the Formentor using what Cupra terms 'adjustable engine sound modelling', which blends real and fake engine noises in the cabin. In Comfort mode the Formentor VZx is an accomplished daily commuter, feeling more composed and relaxed than in Performance or Cupra modes. The throttle response kicks up a notch in Performance and Cupra and the gear changes get more aggressive. And the suspension stiffens, where bumps and road imperfections are somewhat smoothed out in Comfort, they become harsher and crashier in the more taut modes. Make no mistake, the Formentor is not soft in any mode. That tightness of the suspension means it hugs the bends and slices through the corners. It holds its weight expertly in quick changes of direction and isn't unsettled by mid corner bumps.  Its 1668kg weight makes it feel nimble and light-footed in a world of hefty EVs. There is ample grip from the all-wheel-drive set-up in all conditions, which is aided by the sticky Continental Sport Contact 7 rubber. The steering is sharp, communicative and well weighted, which gives confidence through tight and twisting corners. It is fast enough, with plenty of theatre when you put your foot down. The dual-clutch auto grabs the deep torque reserves low in the rev range to thrust you forward before the power kicks in with a ghoulish roar. There isn’t a lot to dislike about the Formentor VZx. Road and tyre noise is intrusive, especially on Australia’s rough coarse chip roads. It is thirsty, drinking a claimed 8.3L/100km. You’ll see far more than that if you drive it with even a little enthusiasm. It needs the priciest 98RON fuel, too. The cabin is functional with a good mix of premium and hardwearing materials used throughout. Touches of copper, ambient lighting and a large 12.9-inch multimedia touchscreen impress, but the lack of physical buttons and controls does not. You need to dive into the central screen to make minor changes to climate controls or other features. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel make a cold winter’s morning more bearable. In the centre console there is a stubby little dongle gear selector, a few small storage compartments and a wireless device charger and two USB-C ports. A 390W, 12-speaker Sennheiser stereo is excellent with good sound clarity. There is plenty of head, shoulder and legroom up front with excellent seat adjustment to accommodate drivers of all shapes and sizes. The back seat is tightish, but I was able to fit two child seats in the back, however it would be cramped for taller adults.  Boot space is adequate at 420 litres, and it has a space-saver spare wheel. Outside the Formentor is all sharp angles with a menacing countenance.  Nineteen-inch black and copper alloy wheels look the part and our test car has the optional brake package, which subs in 375mm x 36mm cross-drilled ventilated disc brakes with six piston Akebono calipers with copper finishes and Cupra branding up front. The bigger brakes means the space-saver spare can’t be used at the front as it no longer fits. There are dynamic LED headlights and rear lights that run the length of the rear. Puddle lights are a nice to have on dark nights Passengers are protected by 10 airbags and a raft of active driver aids that work as advertised and are not overbearing. The Formentor VZx will automatically apply the brakes if it detects a potential collision with another vehicle. It will warn you if a car is in your blind spot and warn you if a car is approaching from the side as you reverse. An array of sensors will help to keep you centred in your lane. All this is good enough to give it a five-star ANCAP safety rating. Cupra covers its vehicles with a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is merely adequate these days.  A prepaid service package for the first five logbook visits will set you back $2190, with visits coming every 12 months or 15,000km.