Articles by Jack Quick

Hot off the back of the BMW iX3 reveal, the German carmaker is expected to reveal a new 3 Series sedan and then a new X5 large SUV.

Toyota doesn't rule out sourcing models from Chinese joint-ventures in the future for Australia.

Although it’s only just arrived in Australia, Nissan will axe the Ariya electric SUV in the US.As reported by Automotive News, the Japanese carmaker will pause US-bound production of its Tesla Model Y rival for the 2026 model year.“This decision enables the company to reallocate resources and optimize its EV portfolio as the automotive landscape continues to evolve,” said Nissan in a statement to Automotive News.An unnamed person with knowledge of the decision told Automotive News the Trump administration’s 15 per cent import tariff has hurt the profitability of this Japanese-made electric vehicle (EV) in the US.Federal $7500 EV tax credits are also set to expire in the US at the end of September, with EV demand anticipated to fall after this.It hasn’t helped that US sales of the Ariya have been slow ever since its introduction in 2022. There have been plenty of price discounts and incentives to get buyers over the line.Nissan Senior Director for EV strategy and transformation Trisha Jung told Automotive News the US market is currently undergoing a shift.“When you look at what’s going on between incentives and the value that the vehicle is bringing brandwise, and economically long term, the fact is has a different valuation today than it did before,” said Jung to Automotive News.“We have a major shift in the demand curve, so we’ve got to understand what that means in terms of customer demand, volume, price point.“We just need to make sure we have a setup that’s sustainable for the company, the dealers and the consumer.”At this stage it’s unclear whether the Ariya will ever return to the US market.However, Nissan could reportedly be pausing Ariya sales to redirect resources for the launch of the forthcoming, new-generation Leaf electric crossover. It’s due to launch in the US later this year.Battery shortages could limit supply of the new, Japanese-made Leaf for the US. An unnamed person told Automotive News that initial allocation for the US will be limited to 500 units per month.As noted above, the Nissan Ariya is only launching in Australia now despite being offered in other markets for three years. It was originally revealed in 2020.There are four variants on offer with pricing starting from $55,840 before on-roads and extending to $71,840 before on-roads.At this stage the new-generation Leaf is set to launch locally in the Japanese 2026 financial year (April 2026 to March 2027).

Tesla has officially launched its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) semi-autonomous driving function in Australia and New Zealand and it’s now available for public use.Australia and New Zealand are the first right-hand drive markets to receive FSD (Supervised). The EV carmaker had previously only offered it in left-hand drive markets, like the US.In order to use this technology you need to own a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y with the newest Hardware 4 (HW4) camera system.You also need to have purchased the $10,100 FSD (Supervised) package. A subscription option is also coming soon for $149 per month for eligible vehicles.If both of those boxes have been ticked, eligible customers will be able to enable FSD (Supervised) with an over-the-air (OTA) update when connected to WiFi.Using the on-board Tesla Vision surround-view camera system and a neural network, FSD (Supervised) “attempts” to drive to destinations by following road curves, stopping and negotiating intersections and roundabouts, making left and right turns.It’s also able to stop at traffic lights and stop signs, plus it reacts to other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists on the road.Like regular adaptive cruise control, it’s able to keep a set distance between a car in front. However, the system is able to conduct lane changes as well.Tesla stresses that FSD (Supervised) “does not make the vehicle autonomous” and it’s a “hands-on feature” that requires you to be fully attentive behind the wheel. You need to be ready to take immediate control of the vehicle.The car uses its cabin camera to read how much attention the driver is paying to the road ahead.Tesla claims it doesn’t require full visibility of the driver’s eyes in order to monitor attentiveness. This means the system stays fully active while wearing sunglasses, for example.If the cabin camera can’t see the driver’s hand and arm locations, the central touchscreen will prompt the driver to periodically apply slight force to the steering wheel.If a driver repeatedly looks away from the road, prompts will play saying to pay attention to the road. If these are ignored, they escalate in intensity, then display an alert message saying FSD (Supervised) is unavailable for the current drive.In the worst case scenario, the car will sound a continuous chime, turn on the hazard lights and bring the car to a complete stop.Tesla notes that drivers can be suspended from using FSD (Supervised) if improper use is detected. Five strikes are granted.At this stage Tesla hasn’t detailed how older vehicles will be able to receive FSD (Supervised) approval despite owners being able to buy the package for years. It’s likely a retrofit option will be offered eventually.Test drives of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y examples with FSD (Supervised) are now available at Tesla dealers around Australia.

Toyota Australia has confirmed some initial details about the coming LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid ahead of its arrival in March 2026.

Renault only offers a handful of passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles in Australia but it claims it will thrive under the recently imposed federal government emissions regulations.

The Evolve is the flagship trim in the Australian Nissan Ariya line-up and the only one offered with all-wheel drive.

Ford Australia has confirmed it’s currently enforcing a stop-sale for its Mustang Mach-E electric SUV.

US electric vehicle (EV) brand Lucid has confirmed it will begin producing right-hand drive vehicles at this year’s Munich motor show.As reported by Auto Express, the company’s Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said it’s planning to enter the UK market in late 2026.No further right-hand drive markets have been confirmed yet. This means an Australian launch is still up in the air.Winterhoff told Auto Express it will enter the UK market with a vehicle built on a new “mid-size platform”.Little information about this new platform has been confirmed yet, though it’s reported it could spawn both a Tesla Model 3 electric sedan and Tesla Model Y electric SUV rival.Winteroff said vehicles on this new architecture are scheduled to launch in December 2026 and have a starting price of US$50,000 (~A$75,000).At this stage it’s unclear whether the Gravity large, three-row electric SUV will be produced in right-hand drive.“Right-hand drive requires additional investment,” said Winterhoff to Auto Express.“However, we have recently reopened this plan for the Gravity, as right-hand drive applies not just to the UK but a number of other potential markets, too.“You’ll have to bear with us as to whether or not we go ahead with this.”At the Munich motor show Lucid also announced it is launching in Europe with the Gravity to rival the forthcoming Range Rover Electric. Deliveries are set to commence in early 2026.In Germany pricing for this model will start at €99,900 (~A$176,200) for the entry-level model.If Lucid launches in Australia it will join an ever-growing market that’s becoming more saturated by Chinese carmakers, especially on the high-end EV front.The only other US carmaker that sells only EVs in Australia is Tesla, though almost all Australian-specification models are produced in China. The exception is the new Model Y Performance which will be sourced from Germany.Lucid has some serious impressive hardware, and has more premium vehicles than Tesla.The Lucid Air Grand Touring now holds the Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge.It covered 1205km to beat the previous record of 1045km set by the Nio ET7.

Mazda offers plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powert in its CX-70 and CX-90 large SUVs in other markets, including the United States, however they’re still not locked in for Australia.