Articles by Jack Quick

Volkswagen will give its ID.4 mid-size electric SUV a major update in late 2026, according to reports.

Overnight Nissan revealed the new, Y63-generation version of its high-performance Patrol Nismo ahead of an imminent launch in the Middle East.

Skoda Australia has detailed the pricing and specifications for its new-generation Superb liftback and wagon ahead of first deliveries starting imminently.This new Superb continues to now only be offered in a single range-topping Sportline trim level in either liftback or wagon body styles.Pricing starts at $67,990 before on-roads for the liftback and extends to $69,690 before on-roads for the wagon. A full pricing table is at the bottom of this story.This is a $2400 price rise for the liftback, but Skoda has included a lot more equipment that was previously locked away in option packages as standard.Power in the new Skoda Superb comes from a new version of the Volkswagen Group’s venerable EA888 turbo-petrol engine. It also features in the new Skoda Octavia RS, as well as the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Tiguan R-Line.This 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine produces 195kW of power and 400Nm of torque. This is technically 9kW less than the previous-generation version, but 50Nm more.This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which has one more ratio than the outgoing Superb. Power is still sent to the ground through an all-wheel drive system.Skoda claims the new Superb can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.6 seconds in sedan guise and 5.7 seconds in wagon guise. This is 0.3 seconds faster than the old version.While it’s faster, the new Superb is also claimed to be more fuel efficient. In sedan guise claimed fuel consumption is 7.7L/100km, while wagon guise is 7.8L/100km.On the dynamics front, the Superb picks up Dynamic Chassis Control Plus which is essentially Skoda-speak for adaptive dampers. It’s an updated version which features two independently controlled valves, and allows for 15 stages of configurability. There’s now also progressive steering.Outside there are slimmer Matrix LED headlights, new 19-inch Torcular alloy wheels, gloss black exterior highlights, dynamic indicators, and a hands-free power tailgate.Inside there are new sport seats with integrated head rests that are also electrically adjustable, heated, ventilated, and have a massage function.Other interior highlights include a heated steering wheel, 10-inch digital instrument cluster, 13-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 12-speaker Canton premium sound system, wireless charging with ventilation roll-up rear sunshades, and heated outboard rear seats.As expected with a Skoda there are a range of ‘Simply Clever’ features. These include configurable Smart Dials, a display cleaner, electrically retractable luggage compartment cover, fold-down outboard rear seat head restraints, and a fold-down rear centre armrest with integrated cupholders and a tablet holder, among countless others.On the safety front, the Superb gains an upgraded autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane centring, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, driver fatigue detection, surround-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, and semi-autonomous park assist.The new Skoda Superb is available in a total of seven exterior paint colours – Carmine Red, Graphite Grey, Pure White, Desert Green, Pebble Silver, Cobalt Blue and Midnight Black. All paint colours are no-cost options, with only Carmine Red costing an extra $770.The Skoda Superb is now the last mainstream large passenger car offered locally before looking at premium options. Historic rivals like the Holden Commodore, Chrysler 300, Kia Stinger, and even the related Volkswagen Passat have all been axed locally.

Skoda is currently celebrating its 130th anniversary and to commemorate the milestone the brand is launching a special-edition model in Australia.

When is an EV no longer an EV? Leapmotor's new C10 REEV gains a petrol engine that acts purely as a generator, like the defunct Holden Volt and BMW i3 REx. It goes up against fierce plug-in hybrid rivals like the BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, Jaecoo J7 SHS and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

MG5 now no longer the affordable option it once was.

China’s Geely, like many carmakers, is privy to rebadging vehicles between its brands.

Audi has globally revealed the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of its new, third-generation Q5 mid-size SUV ahead of a launch in European markets in the third quarter of 2025.Available in both Q5 and Q5 Sportback guises, the PHEV powertrain is offered with two different system output tunes – 220kW/450Nm and 270kW/500Nm. This is unchanged from the previous-generation model, with Australia only getting the higher tune.Both new Q5 PHEVs feature a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 185kW and an electric motor integrated into the dual-clutch automatic transmission.Audi claims the 220kW version can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.2 seconds, whereas the 270kW version can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.1 seconds. Both claims are regardless of the body type.A big change with the new-generation Q5 PHEV is it now gets a larger 25.9kWh (up from 17.9kWh) battery pack that’s claimed to offer up to 100km of electric range, according to WLTP testing.The previous-generation Q5 PHEV only offered 55km of electric range, according to lenient NEDC testing.The peak AC charging rate has been increased from two-phase 7.4kW to three-phase 11kW. This allows the battery charge to charge from 0-100 per cent in 2.5 hours.In addition, Audi has increased the regenerative braking performance. The car’s electric motor can now recover up to 88kW of power when slowing down and feed this into the high-voltage battery.Audi claims 90 per cent of the deceleration process can now be done by the electric motor regenerative braking, meaning the hydraulic wheels braked are only used for harder braking manoeuvers.There are now also three levels of regenerative braking that can be chosen with the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. There’s also an automatic mode that uses navigation data to predict how much regenerative braking to use.Two drive modes are available, EV and hybrid. The former operates exclusively on battery power at speeds up to 140km/h until the charge is depleted.Hybrid mode, on the other hand, operates strategically to choose which energy source is the most efficient depending on how and where you’re driving. In the city it’ll use EV power and at higher speeds it’ll use the petrol engine.Like many PHEVs, the car is capable of charging the battery using the petrol engine when on the move. Below speeds of 65km/h the battery charge is maintained, but above this speed the battery can be charged up to 75 per cent.As standard the car comes with sport suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers, under centre console storage, 15W ventilated wireless charger, two USB-C ports in the front and rear, tri-zone climate control and sport front seats with leather/artificial leather upholstery, and sliding and reclining second-row seats.Opting for the 270kW version gets you LED headlights ‘plus’ and LED tail-lights.Boot space for the regular Q5 PHEV is 438 litres with the second row upright, expanding to 1358 litres with the seats folded.With the Q5 Sportback PHEV, on the other hand, it has 433 litres of boot space with the second row upright, expanding to 1300 litres with the seats folded.Pricing for the Audi Q5 PHEV in Europe starts at €63,400 (~A$113,200), and extends to €74,300 (~A$132,650).At this stage it’s still unclear if or when the new Audi Q5 PHEV will be coming to Australia. We’ve reached out to Audi Australia and will update this story once we hear back.The outgoing Audi Q5 55 TFSIe PHEV first arrived locally back in 2023 and is offered in both regular wagon and Sportback body styles.The regular combustion-powered third-generation Q5 range still hasn’t launched in Australia yet, despite it being revealed in September last year. It’s still expected to arrive in the second half of 2025.

Genesis has detailed the local pricing and specifications for its updated Electrified G80 electric sedan.

Ineos Automotive is reportedly in talks with Chery to set up a deal that’ll see it be able to use one of its platforms for its delayed Fusilier off-roader.As reported by Autocar, the British multinational carmaker is eyeing a range-extender (REEV) platform from Chery’s iCar (aka. iCaur for export markets) off-road brand.It’s expected Ineos will repurpose iCar’s upcoming V27 REEV.At 4.8m long and just under 2.0m tall, this off-roader is slightly larger than the original Fusilier concept, but still smaller than the existing Grenadier wagon.The iCar V27 reportedly has a total system output of 335kW in dual-motor all-wheel form and comes with either a 22kWh or 33kWh battery pack, depending on the variant.It uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine as a generator when its battery pack runs out of the charge.The V27 can reportedly travel up to 200km on electric power alone, according to CLTC testing.It’s unclear where Ineos will build the Fusilier if it’s based on the same platform as the iCar V27.It could repurpose its facility in Hambach, France, to assemble the Fusilier with iCar platforms sent over from China.The car could also be built over in China, but if it is the case it would attract tariffs in Europe.The original Ineos Fusilier was revealed back in early 2024 and was claimed to offer both electric and range-extender options.Initially planned for a 2027 launch, Ineos pumped the brakes on development last year due to cooling demand for EVs and uncertainty around tariffs.At this stage it has been radio silence on this front until now.If Ineos does launch the Fusilier it will finally give it a crucial low-CO2 model that’ll see it comply with tightening emissions regulations in Europe and the UK.The company currently manages the regulations by selling some Grenadier models as commercial vehicles, allowing it to qualify as a low-volume manufacturer which has less strict emissions regulations.In Australia, Ineos sells the Grenadier as a NB1 medium goods vehicle in Australia which allows it to be exempt from the recently implemented New Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES).It also allows it to be exempt from certain safety regulations for autonomous emergency braking and pole side impact performance.