Articles by Jack Quick

Honda Australia has dropped a new allocation of its supply-limited Civic Type R hot hatch.The Japanese carmaker has claimed there’s “strong customer demand” for this hot hatch and customers that have signed up will be prioritised.Now with a starting price of $79,000, drive-away, the Honda Civic Type R is $4900 more expensive than it was when it was last on sale. It’s now also over $23,000 more expensive than the top-specification regular Civic variant, the e:HEV LX.A highlight change with this 2025 production run is a new 'Racing Blue' exterior paint colour option. It replaces 'Rally Red' in the colour options. 'Championship White', 'Crystal Black' and 'Sonic Grey' continue to be offered and are all no-cost options.There’s also a new optional carbon-fibre spoiler available for an additional $5300.Power still comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine which produces 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque.This is mated exclusively to a six-speed manual gearbox with drive sent to the front wheels only.It’s still covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years' 'premium roadside assistance'.Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first, and the first five services are capped at $199 each.“Civic Type R has captured the imagination of Australians for generations and continues to represent the pinnacle of performance in small cars,” said Honda Australia Director of Automotive Robert Thorp.“We’re pleased to welcome the new Racing Blue colour providing a genuine performance model halo presence.”Looking beyond the Civic Type R, Honda is soon set to announce model year updates for the CR-V and ZR-V SUVs which will include more hybrid trims and Google Built-In software for the multimedia system.Additionally, the new-generation Prelude is set to launch in mid-2026 and later in 2026 Honda will launch its first electric vehicle (EV) in Australia.

Volkswagen has published its first official teaser image of the forthcoming next-generation T-Roc small SUV ahead of its expected reveal at this year’s Munich motor show in September.

The Techno is the flagship trim in the Australian Renault Duster line-up.

The Evolution is the entry-level trim in the Australian Renault Duster line-up.

There's quick and then there's the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. With a starting price of around $420,000 before on-roads and options, this flagship EV offering is an exercise in over-the-top styling and outrageous pace.

Details for the upcoming model year 2026 (MY26) Hyundai Tucson line-up have arisen online ahead of deliveries commencing in September.Pricing for the 2026 Hyundai Tucson line-up is down by as much as $2500 for carryover variants.It now starts at $38,100 before on-roads for the base Tucson petrol automatic, and extends to $59,600 before on-roads for the Premium Hybrid N Line all-wheel drive. A full pricing table is at the bottom of this story.A highlight of this MY26 update is the discontinuation of the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. This follows the smaller Hyundai Kona ditching the same engine also for MY26.According to sales figures provided by Hyundai Australia, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine was the slowest-selling Tucson engine option. From June 2024 to July 2025 it only accounted for 17 per cent of Tucson sales.For context, the 1.6-litre hybrid engine accounted for 51 per cent of sales and the 2.0-litre petrol engine accounted for the remaining 32 per cent of sales over the same period.Beyond the axing of the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, Hyundai has also discontinued the N Line package for the base Tucson and Tucson Hybrid. This package is now only offered on Elite Hybrid and Premium Hybrid trims.As a result of these changes, the 2026 Hyundai Tucson is only being offered in nine variants. This is down from 17 variants for MY25.The 1.6-litre hybrid engine now also accounts for almost 80 per cent of the variants on offer locally. It’s still offered in front- and all-wheel drive guises, depending on the trim level.Another change for MY26 includes Digital Key 2 functionality now coming as standard across the line-up. This allows you to use your smartphone as a key for the car.The entry-level Tucson variants now also receive 17-inch alloy wheels, instead of the 18-inch units that are currently fitted. Hyundai hasn’t published any imagery for this new wheel option yet.There’s a new Ecotronic Grey Pearl exterior paint colour option available across the line-up, as well as a new Ecotronic Grey Matte finish that’s exclusive to the N Line variants. These paint finishes cost an additional $750 and $1000, respectively. 

Australia doesn't get the full-blooded Dacia Duster, but Renault has just launched the next best thing. With the option of all-wheel drive and a manual gearbox, does this Suzuki Jimny and Subaru Crosstrek rival offer enough to make it stand out from the crowd?

Hyundai isn’t set to go EV-only with its N performance division and a new strategy to keep internal-combustion engines could see them gain a hybrid boost.

Chinese carmakers like BYD are starting to take over market share globally and established players are starting to feel the crunch.

MG’s most affordable electric vehicle (EV) range in Australia will become a lot more complicated and cheaper next year.