Articles by Jack Quick

Renault is soon set to reveal a new concept car that will preview a potential urban compact SUV targeted at the Indian market.The Renault Bridger concept is set to be revealed on March 10 and it will measure under 4.0-metres long. Cars in India that are under this threshold receive tax breaks as they have a smaller footprint and are generally more fuel efficient than larger cars.Vehicles like the Mahindra XUV3XO, Hyundai Venue and Suzuki Fronx are all under 4.0-metres long.Ahead of its official reveal, the French carmaker has revealed some teaser photos of the Bridger concept.It appears it will have a boxy and squared-off exterior design with a prominent spare tyre mounted on the tailgate. This gives it a similar look to the Suzuki Jimny XL.No other details about the Bridger concept have been announced yet. Given it’ll be a concept, it’s unclear whether there will be any details surrounding its powertrain, nor its off-roading potential.Renault typically reveals a concept show car a year or so before it reveals the production counterpart. However, it’s unclear just yet if Renault actually intends to do a production version of the Bridger concept.In India, Renault currently offers four vehicles and they’re all made domestically – the compact Kwid that is rebadged as the Dacia Spring for European markets, the Triber small people mover, Kiger small SUV, and the new Indian-specification Duster which is notably different from the Romanian-sourced, Australian-spec Duster.It’s unclear whether a production version of the Bridger concept, if it ever actually happens, will be offered outside of India.No Indian-made Renault models are currently offered in Australia, though there is a growing demand for small crossover SUVs. The Chery Tiggo 4, for example, is climbing up the sales charts in Australia.The smallest SUV Renault currently offers in Australia is the Megane E-Tech which is an electric crossover. The Captur small SUV currently isn’t offered locally and it’s unclear if it will return in facelifted guise.This also means the most affordable Renault you can currently buy in Australia is an entry-level Duster, which is priced from $34,990 drive-away.If the production version of the Bridger concept comes to Australia it could serve as a new, entry-level Renault model for the French brand.

Geely has officially teased its hardcore four-wheel drive rival to the Land Rover Defender ahead of an expected reveal later in 2026.Photos of the 2027 Geely Galaxy Starship, which has also previously been referred to as the Geely Galaxy Cruiser or Battleship, have been published online showing the four-wheel drive’s production body work.It has a boxy silhouette that’s reminiscent of BYD’s premium Denza B5 and B8 models, as well as the GWM Tank 300, Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Ford Bronco, among others.Little information about the Starship/Cruiser has been confirmed just yet but it’s understood to be based on a version of the platform that already underpins the Zeekr 9X and Lotus Eletre PHEV.According to Autocar, power will come from three electric motors which are fed by a hefty 70kWh battery pack, allowing for an electric range of over 350km, according to lenient CLTC testing.There’s also a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine which acts as a generator to top up the battery pack.Geely revealed the concept version of this off-roader back in 2025 at the Shanghai Motor Show and earlier this year the UK Marketing Director Tianxiao Yan confirmed the production version will eventually launch in the UK, seemingly confirming right-hand drive production.Speaking to UK media, the marketing boss said Geely will “definitely launch that car in the UK.” Given the brand’s apparent keenness to increase its presence in Australia, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the model here in the future, too.“While we cannot confirm the addition of any new models to the Geely Auto Australia line-up at this stage, we continuously assess market trends and consumer behaviours to ensure our product portfolio reflects the preferences and needs of local customers,” said a Geely Auto Australia spokesperson back in January 2026.Geely’s namesake brand launched in Australia during 2025 and it already offers the EX5 electric SUV and Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV.In the second half of 2026 Geely will also launch the EX2 small electric hatchback to rival the likes of the BYD Atto 1, GWM Ora and MG4, among others.It’s worth noting that all the Geely vehicles currently in Australia or soon to launch in Australia are part of the brand’s Galaxy line-up in China.This further fuels speculation that eventually the Geely Galaxy Battleship will come to Australia as a flagship offering.

Virtually every non-hybrid and electric Hyundai vehicle in Australia received a $750 price hike from February 1, 2026.Hyundai Australia explained this price hike is due to global economic factors, such as U.S. tariffs, as well as local policy, such as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).The $750 price hike applies to the Hyundai Venue, Sonata, Staria, Staria Load, as well as pure internal-combustion (ICE) versions of the i30, Kona and Santa Fe.It notably doesn’t include high-performance Hyundai N vehicles like the i20 N, as well as the i30 N hatch and sedan.Pricing tables for all the Hyundai vehicles affected by this price hike are at the end of this story.As recently revealed, Hyundai Motor Corporation Australia (HMCA), which includes luxury arm Genesis, was behind the target for the first NVES performance period which finished at the end of 2025.In fact it was the fourth worst-performing brand, behind Mazda, Nissan and Subaru and is at risk of paying a fine of over $4 million at the end of 2027 unless it can offset it by beating the tightening targets in following years, or buying credits from other carmakers.HMCA imported a total of 39,863 vehicles during the 2025 performance period and this equates to a fine of $106 per vehicle.As noted above, Hyundai is attributing this $750 price rise at least in part to NVES, therefore meaning some of the fine amount is being passed on to buyers.Hyundai is far from the first brand to admit this. Ford and Nissan have also had price hikes that are at least in part related to the tightening CO2 standards in Australia. 

China’s BYD has revealed details of the forthcoming Seal 07 EV sedan ahead of its imminent launch in the domestic market.The 2026 BYD Seal 07 EV is a fully electric counterpart to the Seal 07 DM-i plug-in hybrid sedan which is already offered in China.Slotting above the Seal and Seal 06 EV, the Seal 07 EV measures in at 4995mm long, 1910mm wide and 1495mm tall, with a 2900mm wheelbase. This makes it a fraction larger than a Toyota Camry.Power comes from a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 240kW and is fed by a 69.07kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) 'Blade' battery.BYD claims the Seal 07 EV can travel up to 705km on a single battery charge, according to lenient CLTC testing. It also has a CLTC claimed energy consumption of 10.8kWh/100km.For context, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD offers up to 750km of electric range and a claimed energy consumption of 12.5kWh/100km, both according to more stringent NEDC testing.In terms of design, the Seal 07 EV shares many of its highlights with the Seal 07 DM-i. These include a closed-off front fascia with narrow headlights, a full-width rear light bar, flush door handles, a panoramic glass sunroof, plus a roofline that plunges down at the rear.Inside there is a digital instrument cluster, a 15.6-inch central touchscreen multimedia system, wireless charger, dual cupholders and a row of physical buttons for key vehicle controls.At this stage it’s unclear whether the Seal 07 EV will ever come to Australia. BYD already offers the smaller Seal electric sedan which is more of a rival to the Tesla Model 3.However, BYD has previously been spied testing the Seal 06 DM-i sedan, as well as Seal 06 DM-i Touring wagon in Australia.Both of these are notably plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and were approved for local sale by the government regulator in January 2026. This approval usually happens only a few months before a vehicle goes on sale.BYD currently doesn’t offer any plug-in hybrid sedans or hatchbacks in Australia. It only sells the Sealion 5, Sealion 6 and Sealion 8 PHEV SUVs, as well as the popular Shark 6 PHEV dual-cab ute.

Subaru's high-performance STI division has a deep and rich history, but the name has never officially been applied to the low-slung BRZ two-door coupe. The top-spec tS is the closest we've got to date and this one is filled to the gills with STI-tuned accessories and goodies.

A number of popular car brands in Australia are at risk of paying fines in excess of $10 million for not meeting tightening emission standards if they don’t correct course quickly.

The 2026 Denza B8 7S is the entry-level version of the line-up and offers seven seats, as the name suggests.Priced at $91,000 before on-road costs, this notably just undercuts the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold. It’s also cheaper than the likes of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, among other premium rivals like the Land Rover Defender, Lexus LX and Mercedes-Benz GLS.As a base there are 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, soft-close doors, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 18-speaker Devialet sound system, tri-zone climate control, leather upholstery, plus heated and ventilated seats in the first and second row.Total system outputs are a meaty 425kW and 760Nm. They need to be as the B8 has a kerb weight of 3.3 tonnes. Despite this, Denza claims it can still do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds.Feeding the dual electric motors is a 36.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery. Denza claims it allows for an electric range of 115km, according to NEDC testing.Additionally, there’s a 91L fuel tank. Denza claims this allows the B8 to have a total range of 1040km, according to NEDC testing.The Denza B8 received a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted on the related B5 in 2025.There are 14 airbags which notably includes coverage for the third row, plus autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, and a surround-view camera.The Denza B8 is covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty, whereas the battery pack is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. There’s also three years of roadside assistance.The first five years of servicing totals $3762, which averages out to just over $750 per service.

Jaecoo has announced it surpassed 1000 Australian orders for its new J5 EV around a month after examples started arriving at local dealers.The Chinese carmaker is offering the J5 EV at $36,990, drive-away, with free premium paint for the first 2000 orders.“The response to the Jaecoo J5 has exceeded our expectations,” said Omoda Jaecoo Australia Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz.“Hitting 1000 orders so quickly shows Australians are moving fast when an EV delivers the right mix of modern design, advanced technology and outstanding value.“We’re seeing customers act early to secure their place in the queue,” he said.Although Jaecoo claims to have 1000 orders now of the J5 EV, in January a total of 215 examples were sold.Over the same period BYD sold twice as many examples of the Atto 2 (562 sales), however MG sold 132 S5 EVs and Leapmotor sold 43 B10s.The Jaecoo J5 EV is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 155kW and 288Nm.It’s fed by a 58.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack which can be fast-charged from 30 to 80 per cent in 28 minutes at rates up to 130kW.Jaecoo claims the J5 EV can travel up to 402km on a single charge, according to WLTP testing.While the electric version of the J5 launched in Australia first, there are also hybrid and petrol versions due to launch later this year.

Renault’s budget subsidiary brand, Dacia, has confirmed it is launching hybrid all-wheel drive versions of the Duster and Bigster in the UK.This therefore means that right-hand drive versions of the Duster and Bigster will exist with this new hybrid all-wheel drive powertrain and theoretically makes it closer to an Australian launch.However, for now it’s unclear whether this will ever actually happen.Renault launched the Duster in Australia last year under its namesake brand and it’s currently offered with two-wheel drive automatic and all-wheel drive manual powertrains.The Bigster hasn’t been confirmed for Australia, nor its Renault-based counterpart for global markets which is called the Boreal.To date this new hybrid all-wheel drive powertrain for the Duster and Bigster was only confirmed for markets in mainland Europe with a petrol and LPG bi-fuel set-up. It appears the UK-spec models will only have a petrol tank.As a base this new powertrain uses the familiar 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with a 48V mild-hybrid electrification that drives the front wheels, but adds an independent electric motor on the rear axle. Total system outputs are 113kW, which is 17kW more than the standard version.The petrol engine is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, whereas the rear-mounted electric motor has a two-speed transmission.The electric motor is fed by a 0.84kWh lithium-ion battery pack which allows the Duster and Bigster to travel short distances on electric power alone.Dacia also offers a regular hybrid powertrain for the Duster and Bigster which has a four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to dual electric motors and a 1.4kWh battery, as well as an automatic transmission that includes four gears for the petrol engine and two for the electric motors. It is front-wheel drive only, however.Renault has previously disclosed it plans to launch six new or refreshed models over the next 18 months in Australia.“Now that’s one on average every three months, or one once a quarter,” said Renault Australia Managing Director Glen Sealey back in September 2025.Beyond the Scenic E-Tech and updated MY26 Trafic that are already confirmed for Australia, it’s unclear what these other new or updated Renault models will be for our market.“When we look at those six new models to come, there’s a bit of water under the bridge, there’s currency, there’s regulatory changes, there’s tariff changes rolling around the place,” said Sealey.“What I can say … they may vary between now and then.”

China’s Leapmotor has detailed more on the forthcoming A10 small electric SUV ahead of its imminent launch in the domestic market.