Articles by Jack Quick

BMW has confirmed it’s introducing the new limited-run X5 Shadow Edition to Australia that’s now available for delivery at dealers. This new X5 special edition is the latest in the line of Shadow Edition models. There was a 3 Series version in 2017, a 1 Series version in 2019 and an X7 version in 2020.

The Kia Tasman ute has been awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on the current 2023-2025 testing protocols.It achieved 85 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 85 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 74 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 80 per cent for Safety Assist.It’s worth noting the Tasman’s five-star rating only applies to certain 4x4 dual-cab pick-up variants. The X-Line and X-Pro, as well as the entry-level S 4x2 dual-cab pick-up remain unrated.This also applies to the forthcoming single-cab and dual-cab chassis variants that are due to arrive later this year.ANCAP noted the Tasman “performed well” across the crash protection and collision avoidance tests.Specifically, high scores were achieved for the low risk of injury the adult and child dummy occupants received during the frontal offset crash test.The safety authority also noted the Tasman has a “moderately low” crash compatibility risk, which for its size and mass it did “very well”. This test assesses the risk the test vehicle has to potential crash partner vehicles and their occupants.A penalty was applied, however, in the full width frontal crash test when the pelvis of the driver dummy slipped beneath the lap section of the seatbelt.“Fleet buyers and potential Tasman customers across the country have been eagerly awaiting the Tasman’s safety rating, and this five-star result will be welcome news,” said ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg.“With such strong market presence and consumer demand, it’s pleasing to see manufacturers continuing to prioritise safety in this segment.“The dual-cab shopping list is already healthy, and we expect to see it grow further with other new contenders entering the market in the coming months.“Consumers and fleets should check the ANCAP website regularly to ensure they have all the information they need to make an informed, and safe, purchasing decision.”As standard the Kia Tasman receives safety features like seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit warning, adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limit assist, driver attention monitoring, reversing camera, as well as front and rear parking sensors.All models also receive an emergency SOS calling function.Stepping up to the SX gets you Highway Drive Assist 2 which combines adaptive cruise control and lane centring. It also includes an assisted lane change function.Opting for the X-Line and above gets you additional features like reverse AEB, a surround-view camera and side parking sensors.The flagship X-Pro variant also gains a Ground View Monitor, which is helpful to see under the car when off-roading.It’s worth noting that all Tasman variants also have ISOFIX points and top-tether child seat anchorages on both outboard rear seats.There’s no top-tether point on the middle rear seat, so ANCAP doesn’t recommend installing child seats in this position.

Jeep has detailed the pricing and specifications of its updated Gladiator ute ahead of examples arriving at local dealers this month.

Geely has detailed an updated version of its EX5 electric SUV over in China that comes with the option of a larger battery pack.As reported by Car News China, presales of this long-range Geely EX5 are set to start on July 24. In the Chinese domestic market this electric SUV is called the Geely Galaxy E5.Highlighting this update is the availability of a larger 68.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack that’s claimed to offer 610km of range according to lenient CLTC testing.This bolsters the existing 49.5kWh and 60.2kWh LFP battery pack options. Only the latter is offered in Australia and it offers up to 440km of range according to WLTP testing.All versions of the EX5 are powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque.Beyond the larger battery pack, there are also two new exterior paint colours. They’re called ‘Dawn Blue’ and ‘Evening Forest Green’.In Australia there are five exterior paint colours offered. They’re called ‘Arctic White’, ‘Shadow Black’, ‘Volcanic Grey’, ‘Moonlit Silver’ and ‘Aquatic Green’.At this stage it’s unclear whether this updated Geely EX5 with the larger battery option will ever be offered outside of China.“While we cannot confirm any additions to the Geely Auto Australia range at this time, we are continuously monitoring market trends and consumer behaviours to ensure our product range aligns with the preferences of local customers,” said a Geely Auto Australia spokesperson.The Geely EX5 launched in Australia earlier this year in two trim levels - Complete and Inspire - as a cut-price rival to the likes of the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV5. It starts at $40,990 before on-road costs.The Chinese carmaker has just opened a register your interest portal on its website for its next vehicle, the Starray EM-i, which is essentially a plug-in hybrid version of the EX5.It’s set to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025 and be a rival to the likes of the BYD Sealion 6 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

It’s been over five years now since COVID lockdowns started and in some way it feels like a lifetime ago. For a lot of people buying new cars during this period, however, there were long wait times. COVID lockdowns were a key reason for this, but another major reason for delays was the global shortage of semiconductors.

GWM Australia has confirmed the pricing and specifications of its new Haval H7 mid-size SUV ahead of deliveries starting in August.Positioned above the Haval H6 and H6 GT but below the Tank 300, the Haval H7 is exclusively being offered at launch in a single, range-topping Vanta trim with a hybrid powertrain.It’s priced from $46,990 drive-away, which is $3000 more than the Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid and $10,000 cheaper than the Tank 300 Ultra Hybrid.Despite the rugged looks, the Haval H7’s hybrid powertrain is only offered in front-wheel drive configuration. It features a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor with total system outputs of 179kW of power and 530Nm of torque.GWM claims the Haval H7 has a combined fuel consumption of 5.7L/100km. For context, the H6 Hybrid with the same powertrain is claimed to consume 5.2L/100km.The Haval H7 measures in at 4705mm long, 1908mm wide and 1780mm tall, with a 2810mm wheelbase. This is slightly wider and taller than a Haval H6, also with a 72mm longer wheelbase.Despite the longer wheelbase, the Haval H7 has a smaller boot than the similarly sized Haval H6. It has 483L of boot space with the rear seats upright, compared to 560L.The Haval H7 has a braked towing capacity of 1500kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg.On the outside the Haval H7 features 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, LED tail lights, heated side mirrors, a hands-free power tailgate, as well as a panoramic glass sunroof.Only four exterior colours are being offered at launch – Hamilton White, Dusk Orange, Moon Grey and Golden Black. All the colours apart from Hamilton White cost an additional $495.Inside there is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, eight-speed sound system, wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, leather-accented upholstery, eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, four-way electrically adjustable front passenger seat, as well as heated and ventilated front seats.On the safety front there are seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, a surround-view camera system, as well as front and rear parking sensors.The GWM Haval H7 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the high-voltage battery pack is covered by an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.Additionally, there’s five years of roadside assistance and five years of capped-price servicing. At this stage GWM hasn’t disclosed how much servicing will be.

Long-wheelbase versions of cars are very popular in China and the latest to get this is the popular Tesla Model Y electric SUV.Imagery and initial specifications of the so-called Tesla Model Y L have surfaced on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) as published by Car News China.The Tesla Model Y L measures in at 4976mm long, 1920mm wide and 1668mm tall, with a 3040mm wheelbase.This makes it around 180mm longer and 45mm taller than the regular Model Y, with a 150mm longer wheelbase.As a result of this extra length and the higher rear three-quarter section, Tesla has been able to fit a third row to the Model Y L. Car News China reports this car has a six-seat configuration, likely with second-row captain’s chairs.This isn’t the first time Tesla has fitted a third row of seating into the Model Y. In pre-update form, a seven-seat option with the standard wheelbase was offered in certain markets, including the US. It wasn’t offered in Australia.Power in the Model Y L will reportedly come from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 340kW of power. This is 9kW more than the standard-wheelbase Long Range AWD.Thanks to the extra length the Model Y L reportedly has a kerb weight of 2088kg, which is around 100kg more than the standard Model Y Long Range.Car News China reports the Tesla Model Y L will be launching in China during its Autumn (September to November).It’s unclear if it will ever be offered outside of China, though it’s worth noting all versions of the Australian-specification Model Y are currently made in China.We’ve reached out to Tesla to see whether the Model Y L will be offered locally. We’ll update this story once we hear back.Despite the updated Model Y ‘Highland’ launching in Australia earlier this year, Tesla has been experiencing a big slump in sales locally.In the first six months of 2025 the company sold a total of 14,146 vehicles, which is down 38.8 per cent year-on-year.In June however, Tesla sold a total of 3457 Model Y examples, making it the third best-selling car for the month. It was behind only the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

So far in 2025, China’s GWM has been setting new sales records again and again despite the overall new car market cooling down.Momentum for the Chinese brand has been gaining slowly but surely and it’s now setting its sights on sustaining a top five placement by 2030.In order to do this it would likely see GWM topple brands like Mitsubishi and Hyundai, as well as another established Chinese brand in the shape of MG.Earlier this year the Chinese carmaker set a lofty target of selling at least 50,000 new cars in Australia during 2025.In the first six months of 2025, the brand has sold a total of 25,189 new vehicles, which puts it on track to achieve its target. This is helped by GWM achieving its best ever monthly sales in June.GWM is the seventh best-selling brand in Australia so far in 2025.It’s ahead of brands like MG (21,674 sales) and Isuzu Ute (21,883 sales) but still behind Mitsubishi (33,379 sales).BYD (23,335 sales) is catching up quickly, however, with astronomical year-on-year growth of 144.6 per cent. For context, GWM’s year-to-date sales are up 17 per cent year-on-year.Rounding out 2025, GWM plans to sell a total of around 8000 examples of the Haval H6 in the second half, bringing total annual sales to 15,000.A mid-life updated version of the Haval H6 just launched in Australia. Initially only hybrid variants are available, though petrol versions are arriving in August and new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants are launching in September.Beyond the Haval H6, GWM is launching a vast number of new vehicles in Australia.The Chinese carmaker has confirmed the Haval H7 is launching in August and the Tank 500 PHEV is arriving in October.Beyond these, GWM Australia and New Zealand Chief Operating Officer John Kett said the company is expecting to have a total of three electric vehicles (EVs) on sale by the end of September 2026.One of those will likely be the Ora hatchback, which is set to get an update soon. Another could be the Ora Sport liftback that’s been earmarked for a local launch for years now and the other could be a production version of the Haval Xiaolong SUV prototype.

China’s GWM has had a cracking start to the year in Australia and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Suzuki is reportedly readying a safety upgrade to its Jimny three-door off-roader that’ll launch in August.As reported by Japanese blog Creative311, this will bring the Jimny three-door’s safety equipment in line with the longer Jimny XL five-door.All Jimny three-door examples will reportedly receive a dual camera brake support system for the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system.This will replace the single-camera set-up that’s currently fitted to the Jimny three-door.There will also reportedly be a pause function added to the traffic sign recognition system. This system isn’t offered on any Jimny model in Australia.Additionally, automatic Jimny three-door models will reportedly receive adaptive cruise control, reverse brake support, as well as a backward false start prevention function.No other changes are reportedly made to the Jimny three-door as part of this update, though Creative311 notes there will be a “significant price increase”.We’ve reached out to Suzuki Australia regarding when the upgraded Jimny three-door will come to Australia. When we hear back we’ll update this story.The current Jimny three-door, along with a number of other Suzuki models, currently doesn’t comply with a new Australian Design Rule (ADR), ADR 98/00, stipulating specific requirements for AEB systems.It’s understood Suzuki stockpiled examples of the Jimny three-door before ADR 98/00 came into effect from March 1, 2025. It’s unclear how much stock Suzuki has left.The Japanese-built Suzuki Jimny three-door doesn’t comply with this ADR, but the Indian-built Jimny XL receives the more sophisticated dual-camera AEB system that does comply, allowing it to still be sold locally.The Suzuki Jimny remains the Japanese carmaker’s best-selling vehicle in Australia.In the first six months of 2025 a total of 4365 examples of the Jimny were sold, which is down 7.3 per cent year-on-year.The current, fourth-generation Suzuki Jimny was first unveiled in 2018. Although there’s a kei car version sold in Japan with 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine, all versions sold in Australia are powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.Suzuki previously teased that an electric version of the Jimny was in the works, but it’s unclear if this is still part of the carmaker’s plans.Locally, Suzuki is planning to introduce the Baleno-replacing Fronx small SUV in September.It’s going to be backing this up with the Vitara Hybrid and the e Vitara in the first quarter of 2026. The latter will be the brand’s first electric vehicle (EV).