Articles by Jack Quick

Chery has unveiled a facelifted version of the E5 in Thailand, though it’s unclear if or when it will launch in other markets.Thailand is already a right-hand drive market, theoretically meaning an Australian launch of this facelifted Chery E5 could come soon.A Chery Australia spokesperson has confirmed there are no plans to introduce an E5 facelift at this point.Known as the Omoda C5 EV in the Thai market, it picks up a refreshed exterior design. The front end is claimed to be inspired by a shark, featuring striking new LED daytime running lights that are higher up on the front bumper, as well as a bolder faux grille area.Around the back the tail-lights have a zig-zag lighting signature that has an element of Peugeot-like design.Inside has also been given a major overhaul. There’s a larger 15.6-inch touchscreen multimedia display, as well as a revised centre console area and a squared-off steering wheel.In Thailand, only the Max+ version of the facelifted C5 EV has been detailed. It’s powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 155kW and 288Nm.This is fed by a 50.6kWh battery pack, allowing for a claimed range of 422km, according to more lenient NEDC testing.For context, the Australian-specification Chery E5 features a similarly powerful, front-mounted electric motor but a slightly larger 58.9kWh battery pack, allowing for an NEDC-claimed range of 505km.The Chery E5, originally known as the Chery Omoda E5, first launched in Australia in 2024 as an electric version of the C5, which was originally called the Chery Omoda 5.Although the Omoda name has been spun out as its own brand in Australia, the C5/E5 have remained a Chery-badged model locally.Two trim levels are offered in Australia – Urban and Ultimate – that are priced at $38,990 and $42,990 drive-away, respectively.

Even more Honda electric vehicles (EVs) have been given the axe before they made it to production.Sony Honda Mobility, which is a joint venture between Honda and Sony, has indefinitely delayed the launch of the Afeela 1 electric sedan, as well as its follow-up electric SUV model.The company claims that this is due to Honda’s “reassessment of its automobile electrification strategy”, which it announced earlier this month.“SHM will not be able to utilise certain technologies and assets that were originally planned to be provided by Honda at the time of SHM’s initial business planning,” explained the company in a statement.As a result it determined there is no “viable path forward” to bring the Afeela 1 and its SUV counterpart to market.The company is issuing full refunds to those who placed reservations for the Afeela 1 in California, USA.Sony Honda Mobility first revealed a concept version of the Afeela 1 at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in 2023 before revealing it in production guise at CES in 2025.It had been planned for production to commence at Honda’s Ohio production facility by mid-2026. The electric SUV counterpart was set to follow in 2028.In the US, the Afeela 1 had a starting price of US$89,900 (~A$129,500), extending out to US$102,900 (~A$148,300), making it a premium rival to the likes of the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE.Power was to come from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 180kW. The electric motors would be fed by a 91kWh battery pack, allowing for a driving range of around 480km, according to an undisclosed testing standard.A major focus of this EV was its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which used 40 sensors, including LiDAR, AI and visualisations for the driver and passenger.Technology was also another major focus of the Afeela 1. It featured a so-called ‘Media’ bar on the front bumper, an interior panoramic screen display set-up, as well as a yoke-style steering wheel and power-operated doors.While the Afeela 1 and its SUV counterpart may never reach production, Sony Honda Mobility hasn’t ruled out introducing something in the future.“SHM will continue discussions with Sony and Honda regarding its future business plans,” said the company in its statement.This latest Honda-related cancellation follows the Japanese carmaker axing its forthcoming 0 Series of EVs, plus the Acura RSX.

After three years, plus numerous recalls and stop-sales, Ford has finally launched an update for its biggest model in Australia, the F-150. There's now more standard kit plus a new flagship trim, but does it do enough to shake its reputation?

Ford has had many teething issues with its locally converted F-150 pick-up in Australia, which it is hoping to address with a long-awaited update.Ever since the Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra rival launched in Australia in 2023, there have been numerous recalls and stop-sales on the Ford F-150 in order to rectify issues.Examples included defective rear wheel hub bolts, a potentially defective rear-view camera system, non-compliant lighting, among other engine-related issues.Ford International Markets Group Program Director Iain Jones said the Blue Oval, plus its remanufacturing partner RMA Automotive, have added some extra quality control checks to ensure the conversion from left- to right-hand drive is seamless.“To handle this truck is a massive operation and the remanufacturing process is highly complex, and we acknowledge that there have been some teething problems in the first few years of this program,” said Jones.“Quality and safety are non-negotiable at Ford and that’s why we took voluntary actions last year to look after our customers.“Ford Australia and global product development engineers have collaborated with RMA to ensure Ford standards of quality are at the centre of every process that we’ve gone through.“We’ve left no stone unturned to address any issues identified and we’ve added some additional quality control gates and checks into the conversion process to deliver the best product for our customers.”When asked what exact quality control checks have been added, Jones didn’t note anything in particular, apart from saying every process has been checked and tuned.“We’ve gone through every process and really gone into minute details to protect our customers, and obviously some of those issues have also come from the left-hand drive vehicle,” said Jones.“It’s no secret, there’s been issues in the US as well, and … we’re not releasing that to our customers until they’ve got everything from both the US side and our side addressed.“So we’ve … tuned processes, we’ve tuned quality gates in the process and sign-off criteria, and gone through every process.”When asked about how Ford plans to regain trust from potential F-150 customers following the recalls and stop-sales, Ford Australia Product Communications Manager Ben Nightingale said since the last stop-sale lifted in November 2025, sales have been strong.“I would also say the trust is we stopped it,” added Jones.“We deliberately stopped it to protect our customers. And so when we found out there were issues, we stopped the vehicle and stopped the protection of that vehicle.“And so to me, that’s equally the trust. We made the tough call and stopped, and we spent a long time going through this truck and the remanufacturing process to validate everything and get it back to what our customers expect from our quality.”Compared to the pre-update model, this latest F-150 has received some slight changes to the remanufacturing process.One of the largest is the F-150 now operates on a newer electrical architecture. This also means there’s an updated steering rack that’s no longer a Ranger unit.There’s also a new steering calibration that’s been localled tuned, along with the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS).Additionally the headlights are now made as Australian-specification units from the factory and no longer require modifications locally to comply with Australian Design Rules (ADRs).Other tweaks include a new pre-wired high-beam loom, constant 12V power for a trailer plug, locally added fog lights on the XLT, preserved manual headlight adjustment, plus the addition of underbody protection.It still takes around 500 parts and components to remanufacture an F-150 from left- to right-hand drive, including parts for the steering, climate and lighting, among other recalibrations.Ford notes that it takes RMA 22-23 working hours to completely remanufacture an F-150 and currently has the capacity to remanufacture 22 F-150s each business day.There are now three trim levels in the F-150 line-up – XLT, Lariat and Platinum. Pricing starts at $114,950 before on-road costs and extends to $163,950 before on-road costs. Short- and long-wheelbase variants are now priced the same.All F-150s are powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine which produces 298kW and 678Nm. This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a four-wheel drive system.Braked towing capacity is 4500kg across the line-up, whereas payload is between 704kg and 878kg, depending on the trim level and wheelbase length.

The Toyota Prado and LandCruiser have largely been the default choices for family SUVs in rural and remote Australia for decades now but as fuel prices crunch, some alternatives are seeming more desirable than ever.BYD’s premium spin-off brand, Denza, launched in Australia earlier this year with the Prado-sized B5 and LandCruiser 300 Series-rivaling B8 SUVs.Both offer a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) set-up, which combines dual electric motors (one on each axle) with a turbocharged petrol engine that generally acts as a generator to top up the battery pack but is also capable of directly powering the front wheels.Denza claims the B5 and B8 can travel up to 100km and 115km on electric power alone, respectively, according to NEDC testing.If you have the capability to charge at home, whether that be with or without solar, and have a commute of around 100km or less, you can theoretically travel on electric power alone and save massively on fuel costs.Using an electric price of 35c/kWh as a frame of reference, fully charging the B5 and B8’s battery costs $11.13 and $12.88, respectively.For many rural and remote Australians their commutes are considerably longer than 100km and this is where the peace of mind of the petrol engine comes into play.Denza claims the B5 and B8 have a combined range of 975km and 1040km, respectively, both according to the more lenient NEDC testing.The diesel-powered Toyota Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series have theoretical ranges of up to 1392km and 1236km, respectively, when using their ADR 81/02 claimed fuel consumptions.Sure the Denzas offer less overall range on paper, but previous experiences with the Prado and LandCruiser have shown they both consume more fuel than they claim, so expect less overall range between diesel refills.The new Prado also requires AdBlue and, depending on driving style and conditions, consumes around one litre of AdBlue every 500km. This means a full refill could be required every 8500km.Denza claims the B5 and B8 consumes 1.9L/100km and 2.0L/100km, respectively, when the battery pack is between 100 and 25 per cent of charge, according to NEDC testing. These figures are largely arbitrary though as much of the test cycle is driven on EV power.Where the real story is how much fuel is consumed when the battery pack is under 25 per cent charge. Denza claims the B5 and B8 consume 9.5L/100km and 9.9L/100km, respectively.During the media launch for the Denza B5 and B8 where we drove both of these cars on remote highways in the Flinders Ranges locked at 70 per cent battery charge, we saw average fuel consumption figures between 8.0L/100km and 9.0L/100km according to the trip computer read-out.One consideration is that diesel is largely more readily available in remote Australia than petrol. However, both the Denza B5 and B8 only require a minimum of 91 RON regular unleaded petrol.In saying this though, Denza has noted it’s unclear how the B5 and B8 performs on Opal fuel, which is a low-aromatic fuel that doesn’t contain the properties that create a high when sniffed and is more prolific in central Australia.While fuel is a major consideration for budget-conscious car buyers right now, there are a number of other factors that off-road-ready family SUV buyers consider.The Denza B5 has a braked towing capacity of 3000kg, which is slightly under the segment benchmark, however the B8 has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg. The latter matches what the Toyota Prado and LandCruiser offer.Due to the heft of the battery pack, the B5 and B8 are much heavier than the Prado and LandCruiser. Instead of having a kerb weight about 2500kg, the Denzas weigh more than 3000kg.The B8 in particular has a kerb weight of about 3300kg, making it Australia’s heaviest SUV.Payload in the B5 is between 490kg and 600kg, depending on the trim level, which isn’t a great deal as the Prado offers between 580kg and 615kg, depending on the trim level.The B5 only offers a five-seat configuration, whereas the Prado does offer a five- and seven-seat configuration, depending on the trim level.While payload in the B8 is 702kg across the line-up which is more on par with the 650kg-785kg payload the LandCruiser 300 Series offers.The B8 has a six- or seven-seat configuration across three rows, depending on the trim level, whereas the LandCruiser 300 Series has either five or seven seats, depending on the trim level.Both Denzas offer four-wheel drive systems with a low-range mode and, depending on the version, rear and front-locking differentials.Then there’s pricing. The 2026 Denza B5 is priced from $74,990 and $79,990 before on-road costs, whereas the Prado costs between $73,200 and $100,690 before on-road costs.The 2026 Denza B8 is priced between $91,000 and $97,900 before on-road costs, whereas the LandCruiser 300 Series costs between $99,340 and $147,910 before on-road costs.Both Denzas offer a more premium level of specification on par with the likes of Lexus.Where Denza will be fighting an uphill battle against Toyota is with its dealer network. The former is still scaling in Australia and will lean on its connections with BYD to get wide service coverage.Toyota has the largest dealer network out of any carmaker in Australia. It has over 250 locations, whereas Denza is planning to have 25-30 dealers by the end of 2026.While this op-ed has largely focused on the new Denza SUVs, there are a few notable family SUV rivals that also offer PHEV powertrains.Examples include the similarly off-road-ready GWM Tank 300 and Tank 500 PHEVs, as well as more on-road-oriented rivals like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the Chery Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 9 Super Hybrids.

Australians love off-road-ready four-wheel drives, but Ford has kept its biggest and baddest examples off limits Down Under.This could change if there’s enough local customer demand for the Ford F-150 Tremor and Raptor, the Blue Oval will consider launching them in Australia.“It’s one of those things … with the program because of the complexity … you’ve got to re-engineer that whole series again,” said Ford Australia Product Communications Manager Ben Nightingale.“So it’s all customer led. If we get enough demand from the customer saying, ‘Hey, we want this,’ then you realise that we’ve got to look at it but it’s got to make sense.”Noting specifically the F-150 Raptor, Nightingale added it’s a “challenging product to bring in at a price point that’s acceptable”.As it currently stands the F-150 Tremor and F-150 Raptor start at US$64,195 (~A$91,600) and US$79,005 (~A$111,500), respectively. There’s also the fire-breathing F-150 Raptor R with its 5.2-litre supercharged V8 engine, which is priced from US$110,930 (~A$156,500).It’s worth noting that if the F-150 Tremor, Raptor or Raptor R did eventually come to Australia, they would likely be much more expensive as they’re shipped over from the US and converted from left- to right-hand drive in Australia by RMA Automotive.They would also have to be engineered to comply with Australian Design Rules (ADRs).The entry-level, Australian-specification F-150 XLT currently starts at $114,950 before on-road costs.The fire-breathing Ram 1500 TRX, when it was last offered locally, was priced from $249,950 before on-road costs.This discourse regarding the local potential of the F-150 Tremor and Raptor follows Ford’s decision to introduce the luxurious Platinum flagship trim level to the Australian F-150 line-up with the latest update.It’s priced from $163,950 before on-road costs, which is $20,000 more than the now mid-spec Lariat trim and $49,000 more than the entry-level XLT trim.When asked about why Ford went down this route of bringing the F-150 Platinum Down Under instead of the likes of the Tremor or Raptor, Ford Australia Product Marketing Manager Peter Zikas said Australia is a “high series market” for F-150 and even Ranger.“We’ve also had a lot of background feedback from our dealer network that’s consistently from the get go requested more of a high series spec.“So from that perspective, it was a no-brainer that was the way to go.“In a market where it can’t be all things you can’t have multiple series that’s afforded from the US, it was about being pretty granular about it and effectively Platinum is the one that delivers on all those key points.”While Ford could potentially bring the F-150 Tremor and Raptor if there’s enough local demand, the Blue Oval seemingly poured cold water on the larger F-250 or F-350 Super Duty coming to Australia to rival the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD and Ram 2500/3500.“The whole remanufacturing process would have to be looked at, but it’s like the Raptor conversation … whatever the business case is to do that,” said Ford Program Director International Markets Group Iain Jones.“When you start getting into 250s and 350s, then it really starts the big trucks.”“I can honestly say we haven’t had much of that approach around ,” added Zikas.“So for us at the moment, it’s 150 and … Super Duty, essentially … to carry the big load in terms of capability.”

Toyota is reportedly readying a full-blown, off-road-ready rival to the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX.The Japanese carmaker has submitted a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the name TRD Hammer.It’s understood the name could be applied to a new flagship, off-road-ready version of the full-size Tundra pick-up to sit above the existing TRD Pro.This follows a survey that was sent out to Tundra owners in the US, as shared on the Tundras.com owner forum, asking them to rank a series of names for a future vehicle.The list of names included TRD Baja, TRD Iron, TRD Pro-S, TRD Hammer, TRD Bizurk and TRD Quake.In order to rank the names, survey recipients were given the following description – ”This high-performance truck package is designed for off-road enthusiasts, featuring long-travel suspension and 37” all-terrain tyres. With the truck’s unique wide fenders, high-clearance bumpers, and a powerful engine, it achieves exceptional off-road capability and performance.”We mightn’t have to wait long for this new, off-road-ready version of the Tundra to be revealed as at least one camouflaged prototype has already been spied in the US, featuring what appears to be all the above points.At this stage now other official details have been confirmed about this forthcoming off-road-ready Tundra.It’s unclear whether it will feature a different engine or if it will still receive the 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 i-Force Max hybrid engine that’s available elsewhere in the line-up. It could be tuned to produce more power and torque, though the current version already produces 326kW and 790Nm.If it does feature the same engine, this could make the Tundra TRD Hammer more of a rival to the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2.This isn’t the first time Toyota has hinted at creating a Ford F-150 Raptor or Ram 1500 TRX rival.In 2021 the Japanese carmaker showed off the TRD Desert Chase Tundra concept that was created for the SEMA show.It featured 18-inch forged aluminium wheels wrapped in 37-inch all-terrain tyres, TRD-designed long-travel suspension, a wide-body kit, as well as a number of other accessories and features to make it appear ready to be a desert racing support vehicle.If the Tundra TRD Hammer does end up being revealed, it’s unclear if it will ever come to Australia.The Toyota Tundra launched locally in 2024 and is converted from left- to right-hand drive locally by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne, Victoria.Currently only the Limited and Platinum trims are offered. Pricing currently starts at $155,990 before on-road costs for the former and $172,990 before on-road costs for the latter.

Chery is popping out new brands in Australia left, right and centre. While originally part of the model name that marked the Chinese carmaker’s re-entry into the Australian market, Omoda has now been spun off into its own brand under the Omoda Jaecoo umbrella.The 2026 Omoda 9 is the brand’s flagship model and is currently the most expensive Chery model offered locally.It’s only offered in one trim which is priced from $61,990 before on-road costs. This puts it on par with the likes of the BYD Sealion 8, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, as well as the related Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid.Notably however, the Omoda 9 only comes with five seats, making it more of a budget alternative to the likes of the Lexus RX and Volkswagen Touareg.Available as a sole range-topping grade, the Omoda 9 is filled to the gills with kit. Highlights include 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, power tailgate, dual 12.3-inch screens, 12-speaker Sony sound system, head-up display, 50W wireless charger and black synthetic leather upholstery.If this isn’t enough there are luxurious features like a built-in fragrance system as part of the climate control, retractable door handles, walk-away locking, plus heated and ventilated front and rear seats. Now that’s flash for a car that’s under $70K.While there is lots of tech, there is no real defining feature that makes this car uniquely an Omoda. The same can be said for the exterior design, which from some angles can be generic and others it borders on tacky.This extends to the cabin where there's a smattering of interior ambient lighting that can strobe along frenetically to your music if you’d like.While it’s nice having some physical switchgear for features like the climate control and drive modes, it’s frustrating having to tell new passengers where the button is to open the door every time they hop in. The gloss black finish of the steering wheel button sections also get smudgy and gross quickly.Under the bonnet there’s a complex plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and no less than three electric motors – two on the front axle and one on the rear.Total system output is a massive 395kW, which is arguably too much for a car like this. It allows for a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.9 seconds. Pretty wild for a 2.2-tonne SUV.Making up a fair portion of this heft is a ginormous 34kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Omoda claims this allows it to travel up to 169km on electric power alone, which is around the same as what the original Nissan Leaf EV offered. Adding the 70L fuel tank, it’s claimed this SUV can travel up to 1100km, which is useful on long-distance journeys.I took this car on a long-distance trip to my family’s farm, around 350km north west of Melbourne. I could have made it there and back on a full battery charge and tank of fuel, but I ended up refuelling just as I neared Melbourne as I was testing how the engine charges the battery on the move.My sister, who was a passenger for the journey, enjoyed the comfort and plushness the Omoda 9 provides. However, we both noted how high the front seats are positioned and how pinched the seat bases are.If you’re not a car person and view a car purely as a means of transportation, you’ll likely enjoy the driving characteristics of the Omoda 9. It’s insulated, quiet and disconnected from the road, allowing you to be in your own bubble.However, this also means that the Omoda 9 has little feel from behind the wheel. It has some of the lightest steering I’ve experienced. It feels like I’m driving in a video game rather than real life as there’s virtually no resistance.The same can be said for the ride. While wafty and soft, there is a lack of body control and it can get bouncy in the cabin. You do need to remember how heavy this big SUV is, though.In order to counter this there are adaptive dampers as standard. In ‘Normal’ mode it rounds off speed bumps nicely but it takes the car multiple movements to settle over high-speed undulations, whereas in ‘Sport’ mode it’s a little more controlled, but still not enough.The Omoda 9 received a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2025. Standard kit includes eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera.A lot of the safety features work well and stay in the background, only activating when required. The only outlier to this is the driver attention monitor which struggles to detect your eyes when wearing sunglasses. This needs to be turned off using the touchscreen every time you drive the car.Owners are covered by an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with eight years of roadside assistance. Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km and the first eight services totals $3343, which averages out to about $418 per service. Not too bad for a big, plug-in hybrid SUV.

Renault’s forthcoming baby SUV could reportedly be headed to Europe, potentially as a Dacia model.As reported by AutoExpress, Renault is initially targeting the Indian market (which is a right-hand drive market like Australia) with the upcoming Bridger SUV, but the brand is considering exports to other markets.“We are really focused on going out with this car in India, plus left-hand-drive countries, but why not think about extending it to other continents? It’s an open question, and fair to say we are looking at it,” said Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive to AutoExpress.“First of all, currently it’s a Renault for India. But happy to hear that you think it would also be a nice car for Dacia’s line-up. We have not analysed that currently; maybe we evaluate that,” added Dacia CEO Katrin Adt.If the Renault Bridger is rebadged as a Dacia for European markets, this will be the opposite of what the companies currently do.Renault currently badges the Dacia Duster and Bigster SUVs for select markets outside of Europe. The Renault Duster, for example, is offered in Australia.The Renault Bridger has only been revealed as a concept for now, but it’s set to be produced in India from 2027.The company has previously noted there will be a “gradual roll-out to other international markets”. It’s unclear whether Australia is included in these plans, but it’s worth noting that no Indian-built Renault has ever made its way Down Under.Measuring under 4.0-metres long, the Bridger will form as a rival to the likes of the Mahindra XUV3XO, Hyundai Venue and Suzuki Fronx.The Bridger is set to be built on the Renault Group modular platform, or ‘RGMP small’, and will be offered with combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains.It has a boxy silhouette with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, much like the more rugged Suzuki Jimny.We’re yet to see the interior, however, Renault notes there will be 200mm of knee room in the second row, as well as 400L of boot space. These are sizeable figures for a light SUV.

Although the Ford Ranger is currently the best-selling vehicle in Australia for two years running, there's no denying BYD has had a lot of success with the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute.It’s even more of a big deal when Ford CEO Jim Farley comes to Australia to test it out, along with other key rivals to see how they stack up against the Ranger.“They’re totally different animals,” said Farley to Australian media, including CarsGuide, when asked how the Ranger compares to the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.“The [BYD] Shark is a ute, but if you put 500kg in the back, it’s not a Ranger, it’s not a HiLux.“But for someone who doesn’t do that every day and they want electrification, you know, it’s a pretty competitive product.“I have no idea how they make money.“The Great Wall is a very competitive product and I’ve talked to a lot of customers of both and those customers are very educated.“Yet again, [BYD and GWM] haven’t been doing it like our Ranger or the HiLux for decades, so they don’t have all the chassis and all the towing payload and all the experience.“So they’re coming at it with a huge deficit, but it’s a good, solid, competitive product.“I mean I much prefer the Ranger for real work. It’s no competition, but not everyone in buys a Ranger to do the kind of work that we design it for.“There’s a lot of different kinds of customers here.”The BYD Shark 6 ute is by far the best-selling PHEV ute currently in Australia. In 2025 a total of 18,073 examples were sold, making it BYD’s best-selling vehicle for the year, while also outselling a number of diesel-powered rivals like the Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok.While it has a body-on-frame chassis, the Shark 6 has an electric-heavy PHEV powertrain layout with no driveshaft down the middle of the vehicle and no locking differentials. It also has a slightly reduced braked trailer towing capacity of 2500kg.GWM has had success to a lesser extent with the Cannon Alpha PHEV in Australia, but due to how its PHEV drivetrain is configured, it allows for a mechanical four-wheel drive system plus a higher 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.It’s worth noting the Ford Ranger PHEV also has a similar PHEV layout as the Cannon Alpha PHEV and similarly allows for a segment-meeting 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity and a mechanical four-wheel drive system.Ford doesn’t publicly disclose sales figures that split out Ranger PHEV sales from the wider Ranger family, which now also includes the beefy Ranger Super Duty. It’s therefore unclear how popular the Ranger PHEV has been in Australia to date.On paper, where the Ranger PHEV is let down over the Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha PHEV is pure-electric range. It only offers up to 49km of electric range, whereas the Shark 6 offers 100km and the Cannon Alpha PHEV offers 115km, all according to NEDC testing.Another notable disadvantage for the Ranger PHEV over the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is pricing.The Ranger PHEV currently starts at $71,990, before on-road costs, for the XLT and extends to $79,990, BOC, for the Wildtrak.The Shark 6 on the other hand is currently offered in one trim level, priced at $57,900, drive-away.The Cannon Alpha PHEV starts at $51,490, drive-away, and extends to $58,490, drive-away, thanks to a pricing offer that’s set to end at the end of March.