Articles by Jack Quick

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming much more popular and mainstream in Australia, however one EV category has seemingly faltered before it even properly started. The utility, or ute for short, is an incredibly popular body type in Australia and examples have been the best-selling vehicle for over a decade now, but there have only been a handful of electric utes on offer to date Down Under. The first was the LDV eT60 which launched in late 2022 and was priced from an obscene $92,990 before on-road costs, which was more than double the amount of the standard, turbo-diesel-powered T60 dual-cab ute at the time. The eT60 also only offered 330km of WLTP-claimed range, was rear-wheel drive and had a braked towing capacity of just 1000kg. For context, the most popular utes in Australia offer all-wheel drive, as well as a braked towing capacity around 3500kg. LDV admitted the eT60 was aimed primarily at government and business fleets, with only a minimal number of early adopters expected to fork out the cash for one. Since then only two other electric utes have launched in Australia. The KGM Musso EV launched locally in 2025 and unlike many utes, including the regular turbo-diesel-powered Musso, that have a body-on-frame architecture, it has a monocoque platform which is related to the Actyon and Torres SUVs. As a result the Musso EV is much more car-like to drive, but it still offers all-wheel drive and up to 420km of WLTP-claimed range. This monocoque platform does limit the braked towing capacity to 1800kg though, however payload is up to 905kg, depending on the variant. The Korean ute is limited in its potential as a towing rig and makes it better suited for lighter-duty or lifestyle applications. The most recent addition to the electric ute stable in Australia is arguably the most important yet. Toyota has now introduced an electric version of its popular HiLux ute, dubbed the HiLux BEV. In Australia there are three versions of the HiLux BEV, the SR dual-cab chassis, SR dual-cab pick-up and SR5 dual-cab pick-up. Pricing starts at $74,990 before on-road costs and goes up to $82,990 before on-road costs. Each variant is $17,000 more expensive than the turbo-diesel-powered equivalent. While the HiLux BEV has dual electric motors offering all-wheel drive, it only has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg and up to 345km of NEDC-claimed range, depending on the variant. Similar to how LDV positioned the eT60, Toyota has said the HiLux BEV is primarily aimed at government fleets and mining and construction sectors. Only a sliver of projected sales will be from private buyers. For now that’s all the electric ute options in Australia and none offer the same amount of braked towing capacity as its turbo-diesel-powered equivalent. However, that’s soon set to change. China’s MG is launching an electric version of its U9 dual-cab ute in Australia in the second half of 2026. According to approval documents, the MG U9 EV will offer a braked towing capacity of 3500kg. Power will come from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 325kW. The full details haven’t been confirmed yet but overseas it's offered with a 102kWh lithium-ion battery pack with up to 430km of range, according to WLTP testing. LDV had previously confirmed that it would launch the eTerron 9, which is an equivalent to the MG U9 EV, in Australia however this has now seemingly fallen off the radar. Beyond this there are no other electric utes that are locked in for an Australian launch currently. Isuzu previously noted that it plans to introduce the D-Max EV in Australia, but it still hasn’t provided any timeline for when. It’s already offered in other markets, like the UK, and offers a 3500kg braked towing capacity and 1000kg payload, but only 263km of WLTP-claimed range. Additionally it’s unlikely that the full-size American electric pick-ups like the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T will ever come to Australia as demand for these kinds of vehicles is declining in the US and they would need to be re-engineered for right-hand drive applications. This may change with Ford’s upcoming mid-size ute that’s based on its new universal EV platform, as well as the forthcoming Slate small electric ute, but neither are confirmed for right-hand drive production. While all the electric ute options in Australia currently are flawed in some way or another, the sales charts show that punters are still keen on reducing their fuel bills and CO2 footprint with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes. The biggest winner thus far is firmly the BYD Shark 6 which is now available in three variants - Dynamic dual-cab chassis, Premium dual-cab pickup and Performance dual-cab pickup. The latter variant offers a benchmark 3500kg braked towing capacity, whereas the others offer a 2500kg braked towing capacity. Depending on the trim, the Shark 6 offers up to 100km of NEDC-claimed electric range. Likely a key reason for its sales success is how much it costs. The line-up starts at $55,990 before on-road costs and extends to $62,990 before on-road costs. This puts it roughly at the same price as mid-spec diesel versions of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. We’ll have to wait and see whether Australians embrace electric utes, however they’ll likely remain a niche offering for fleets for the time being.

Cupra has officially confirmed it will be introducing a fire-breathing, purely petrol-powered version of the Leon Sportstourer wagon in Australia in September. The Leon Sportstourer VZx will complement the existing VZe plug-in hybrid (PHEV) trim. Examples are in production now and order books will be opening shortly. Pricing will start from $67,490 before on-road costs, making it $2500 less than the VZe PHEV trim and $2500 more than the equivalent Leon VZx hatchback. This car is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 245kW and 420Nm, which is 24kW and 20Nm more than the equivalent Leon VZx hatch. It’s mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system. Cupra claims the Leon Sportstourer VZx can do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds. This car essentially revives the Golf R Wagon in Australia under the Cupra brand as it’s powered by the same EA888 engine and has the wagon body style. The hi-po Golf wagon was axed locally back in 2023. The Leon Sportstourer VZx receives 19-inch black and copper forged alloy wheels, LED headlights, a hands-free power tailgate, adaptive dampers, Sennheiser sound system, leather-appointed upholstery, as well as heated front seats with memory function as standard. There's also a panoramic glass sunroof for an extra $2000, as well as the $7600 Extreme package which adds larger Akebono six-piston front brakes, Sabelt front bucket seats and matrix LED headlights, among other minor tweaks. Cupra is soon set to celebrate its fourth anniversary in Australia and its line-up is currently going through a refresh. The Leon hatchback and wagon, as well as the Formentor small SUV have now received mid-life updates, plus the Terramar and Tavascan mid-size SUVs launched over the last 18 months. The Born electric hatchback and Ateca small SUV have both been axed in Australia, but the Raval small electric hatchback is set to launch locally during 2027. Until the end of May, Cupra has sold a total of 975 cars, which is down 22.2 per cent year-on-year. Its best-seller has always been the Formentor, but it’s keenly followed by the Terramar and Tavascan mid-size SUVs.

Mitsubishi was a pioneer in the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) space, launching the first PHEV SUV back in 2013, the Outlander PHEV. Thirteen years on the Japanese carmaker still offers the Outlander PHEV. It’s a new-generation model, however the fundamentals are still there. For 2026, the Outlander PHEV received an update that brings a larger 22.7kWh (up from 20kWh) lithium-ion battery pack, increasing the NEDC claimed range to 103km (up from 84km). That translates to 86km on the more real-world WLTP protocol. Additionally there’s a higher total system output of 221kW (up from 185kW). Other changes include a new Australian-specific ride and handling tune, new power steering mapping, new steel bonnet fenders, as well as new Bridgestone Alenza 001 tyres. These mirror what the Outlander petrol line-up received last year. A lot of changes are well received and do improve the driving experience. Most notable is the new ride and handling tune and updated power steering mapping. The ride is much less bouncy and brittle, plus the steering doesn’t feel overly light anymore, especially at higher speeds. However, the ride still isn’t perfect and there’s a lot of head toss in the cabin when you go over pimply urban roads and big bumps. Part of this is likely due to the large 20-inch alloy wheels in this Exceed Tourer trim, though I’ve driven plenty of other similarly sized SUVs with wheels this big and generally they aren’t as crashy. Another change that isn’t the best is the price. The Outlander PHEV is now up to $2700 more expensive than it was, depending on the trim level. As a result this top-spec Outlander PHEV Exceed Tourer is now priced from a mind-blowing $74,490 before on-road costs. For context, this is around $10,000 more expensive than the top-spec Chery Tiggo 9 and Omoda 9 from China, and the forthcoming Toyota RAV4 PHEV. For this price you get adaptive LED headlights, a hands-free power tailgate, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, larger 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 12-speaker Yamaha sound system, two 240V powerpoints in the cabin and leather upholstery. Notably the Outlander PHEV Exceed and Exceed Tourer trims are exclusively offered with five seats now. If you want a seven-seat version you need to opt for the cheaper Aspire trim. The lack of third-row seats at this level isn't great, but they have always been crammed and basically for kids only. In the cabin it’s nice to have the larger 12.3-inch touchscreen which better suits the dashboard compared to the pre-update model. I also appreciate how many physical buttons there are for key functions, including the climate controls. In the Exceed Tourer there is brown leather upholstery as standard which is a little light and dull for my liking. I much prefer the black leather-appointed upholstery that comes in the Exceed. The extra electric range is welcome, but compared to rivals it’s still lacklustre. The Chery Tiggo 9 offers 170km of NEDC claimed range, the Omoda 9 offers 169km (NEDC), and the Toyota RAV4 PHEV offers up to 154km (NEDC). A full battery charge offers around 80km of real-world electric urban driving with an as-tested energy consumption of 20kWh/100km. Mitsubishi could likely eke more electric range by doing away with the dual-motor all-wheel drive. The amount of power the car currently produces is more than enough and for the most part it’s wasted in urban environments. When the battery runs out of charge, the Outlander PHEV does a good job of operating as a hybrid as it leaves a fair chunk of reserve charge for tootling around EV mode at low speeds, but when its 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine fires up it sounds like a buzzy vacuum cleaner from the cabin. Fuel consumption isn’t a strong suit. The engine frequently consumes around 10L/100km so it can charge up the battery pack, though it switches off again once there’s enough charge or if you're coming to a stop. AC charging is available with a Type 2 plug at rates only up to 3.6kW, meaning a full charge takes up to 6.5 hours. Not bad if you can plug it in overnight while you sleep but not great if you’re in a rush. For DC fast-charging there’s still a CHAdeMO plug. The Outlander PHEV is now the only new car sold in Australia with this plug standard. It has been phased out in favour of the more popular Type 2/CCS combination plug. It’s getting harder to find chargers that have CHAdeMO plugs at public stations, but if you do, a full charge will take 32 minutes. For safety, the Outlander PHEV has a five-star ANCAP rating based on testing conducted in 2025. It features all the expected safety features and picked up an emergency SOS calling function with this latest update. Like all Mitsubishis, there is a 10-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, but that's conditional provided you service within the dealer network. If you don’t this drops back to five years of coverage. There’s also 10 years of roadside assistance. Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km and the first 10 services are capped. They total $5498 which averages out to $549.80 per service. That’s a lot compared to its rivals.

The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker AWD Touring is the flagship version of this electric SUV line-up in Australia. It’s now priced from $69,990, before on-road costs, following a $4000 price cut it received before its arrival. This flagship version is priced identically to the related Toyota bZ4X Touring which is only offered in a single, range-topping trim. It’s still priced competitively against many rivals like the Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4 and Zeekr 7X. There are cheaper rivals out there but they typically don’t offer all-wheel drive. Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a healthy total system output of 280kW. This is enough to send it from 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, making it the fastest production Subaru model ever offered in Australia. The electric motors are fed by a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack sourced from CATL. Claimed range for this entry-level model is 488km, according to WLTP testing, which is notably less than the entry-level model due to its larger 20-inch alloy wheels. Standard equipment includes LED headlights, a hands-free power tailgate, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, dual wireless chargers, a digital rear-view mirror as well as blue and black leather-appointed upholstery. The Subaru Trailseeker received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP on the related, European-spec E-Outback and Toyota bZ4X in 2025. The entire line-up receives the full safety suite, which is great peace of mind. Highlights include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, driver attention monitoring, front and rear parking sensors as well as a surround-view camera. Like all Subarus, the Trailseeker is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is getting rather lacklustre for a mainstream brand now. The warranty coverage for the high-voltage battery is eight years or 160,000km, which is standard across many brands. Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The first five services are capped and total $984.18, averaging out to around $197 per service.

Toyota’s new CEO has only just stepped into power but is already looking to streamline the brand’s line-up of vehicles in a bid to reduce costs. As reported by Automotive News, Toyota CEO Kenta Kon officially joined the board on June 17 and has been touring facilities and looking for areas to improve efficiency. “We’ve become increasingly able to identify things that don’t seem quite right, areas where operations have become somewhat inefficient, or where the amount of work that doesn’t directly add value has increased,” said Mr Kon to Automotive News. “We’re now at the stage where we can really start addressing them – making corrections and implementing improvements. “If you go to a development division, you see issues such as an increasing number of different specifications and variants being created, which in turn is driving up costs. “If there are areas within those activities that aren’t truly value-adding work, or where work isn’t being done efficiently, then we need to take a closer look at them. “We need to start addressing those issues now and begin making improvements. “Some changes may be relatively straightforward, but honestly, there aren’t many that will be easy. Many of them may take time.” At this stage Mr Kon hasn’t identified any specific vehicles or variants that the brand is looking to cull to minimise costs and maximise efficiency. However, the Japanese carmaker recently scrapped the production version of the Lexus LF-ZC concept, which was an electric sedan. It reportedly did this due to a global slump of electric vehicle (EV) sales. This all follows Toyota losing the title of Japan’s most valuable company by market capitalisation, marking the end of a 22-year streak. Mr Kon was previously the CFO of Toyota Motor Corporation and has dealt with tariff burdens in the US and the threat of new and emerging Chinese carmakers on a global scale. Toyota is also reportedly expecting a 20 per cent drop in operating profit this fiscal year, which will mark the third year straight of declining earnings. In Australia, Toyota is still on top of the sales charts but experienced supply constraints on some of its top-selling models, including the RAV4 and HiLux. It has since locked in 10,000 more vehicles which will reduce wait times. The Japanese carmaker is now expecting to sell a total of 220,000 vehicles in Australia during 2026.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has locked in the launch of the new CLA Shooting Brake wagon to complement the current sedan body style. This marks the first time the CLA Shooting Brake has hit Australian shores since it was discontinued in 2019, when the second-generation model arrived. A Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesperson has confirmed the new CLA Shooting Brake will launch locally before the end of 2026. It will also be offered with mild-hybrid petrol and electric powertrains that already feature in the CLA sedan, which just launched locally. At this stage local pricing and specifications for the CLA Shooting Brake are yet to be locked in. It’s expected the electric CLA Shooting Brake will be the most affordable electric wagon in Australia by a considerable margin once it arrives. This title currently goes to the Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo at $204,100, before on-road costs, and is followed by the BMW i5 M60 Touring at $219,900, before on-road costs. The CLA sedan line-up currently starts at $66,500, before on-road costs, for the entry-level mild-hybrid petrol trim. The most affordable electric sedan trim is $84,300, before on-road costs. It’s expected the Shooting Brake wagon body style will be a little more expensive than the sedan. Mild-hybrid versions of the CLA are powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with differing levels of power, depending on the trim level, plus a 22kW electric motor that’s powered by the 48V battery pack. Power is sent to either the front or all wheels, depending on the grade, by an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The electric versions of the CLA has a variant with a single, rear-mounted electric motor, plus another with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive set-up. Mercedes-Benz Australia said it can’t disclose a projected sales split between the mild-hybrid petrol and electric CLA trims, however there have been more inquiries for the latter than expected.

The Honda ZR-V Hybrid was previously only offered in a single, range-topping grade, however the Japanese carmaker has introduced a number of cheaper hybrid trims. Check out how the most affordable hybrid fares on Australian soil.

The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker AWD is the entry-level version of this electric SUV line-up in Australia. It’s now priced from $63,990, before on-road costs, following a $4000 price cut it received before its arrival. This entry-level model sets the Trailseeker apart from the related Toyota bZ4X Touring which is only offered in a single, flagship trim level locally. The pricing is also competitive against many rivals including the Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4 and Zeekr 7X. There are cheaper rivals but they typically don’t offer all-wheel drive. Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a healthy total system output of 280kW. This is enough to send it from 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, making it the fastest production Subaru model ever offered in Australia. The electric motors are fed by a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack sourced from CATL. Claimed range for this entry-level model is 533km, according to WLTP testing. Standard equipment includes LED headlights, a hands-free power tailgate, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual wireless chargers, a digital rear-view mirror and synthetic leather upholstery. The Subaru Trailseeker received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP on the related, European-spec E-Outback and Toyota bZ4X in 2025. The entire line-up receives the full safety suite, which is great peace of mind. Highlights include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, driver attention monitoring, front and rear parking sensors as well as a surround-view camera. Like all Subarus, the Trailseeker is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is getting rather lacklustre for a mainstream brand now. The warranty coverage for the high-voltage battery is eight years or 160,000km, which is standard across many brands. Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The first five services are capped and total $984.18, averaging out to around $197 per service.

Subaru's newest EV in Australia is its fastest production model yet locally and with more than a sprinkling of all-terrain wagon looks, it's essentially an electric Outback. But how does the Trailseeker fare in the real world?

Nissan has launched a new small SUV in Japan that has previously been off limits and it could make its way to Australia. The Nissan Kicks is now being produced in right-hand drive in Japan for the domestic market. It’s also produced in Mexico and Brazil for North and South America, respectively. Given Japan is a right-hand drive market, this theoretically makes an Australian launch for the Kicks a step easier. There’s even more merit as the related Juke small SUV has been discontinued in Australia. Additionally, the new-generation, all-electric Juke is European-focused and not coming to Australia. This makes Nissan’s smallest model in Australia the Qashqai, which is now only offered with an e-Power hybrid powertrain. The most affordable Nissan model now locally is the entry-level X-Trail ST 2WD at $38,140 before on-road costs. “Nissan Australia continuously evaluates vehicles from across our global portfolio for the Australian market; however, we have no announcements to make regarding future product plans at this time,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson. In Japan the Kicks features a new, third-generation e-Power hybrid powertrain, like the Qashqai. It’s available in either single-motor front-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive forms. All versions have a 1.4-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that acts purely as a generator to top up the battery pack. This second-generation version of the Kicks is much more upmarket than the previous version and features more American-like design cues. Inside there are dual 12.3-inch screens that are integrated into a singular housing and run on Google Built-in. Standard safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, as well as a surround-view camera.