Articles by Jack Quick

Subaru locks in more hardcore off-road variants of its core SUV range.

The SsangYong name is now dead in Australia after almost 30 years.

Subaru Australia will have a richer hybrid line-up with its new, sixth-generation Forester and it expects its electrified variants will outsell the petrol variants.Subaru Australia General Manager, Scott Lawrence, said it expects the hybrid sales split to widen as time goes on.“Ultimately, customers will decide, and we have got a really firm view that we need to give customers options,” said Mr Lawrence.“That’s why we have petrol range as well as a hybrid range.“What will be interesting to see how that changes over time.“We see good demand for both, maybe slightly stronger in hybrid, but as time goes on, we do see that customer demand changing towards hybrid.”In 2024, Subaru sold a total of 13,445 examples of the Forester. Only 1718 examples were equipped with a hybrid powertrain, equalling only 12.8 per cent.It’s expected this year’s figure will rise with the introduction of the new Forester. First deliveries are set to take place in early July.Compared to the outgoing Forester Hybrid, this new-generation model is considerably more electrified. It features Subaru’s new Strong Hybrid technology rather than mild-hybrid technology.Using a 2.5-litre flat-four petrol engine as a base (up from the 2.0-litre in the outgoing model), it’s paired with a 90kW/276Nm electric motor and a 1.1kWh battery pack.Total system output is 145kW, which is 9kW more than the standard 2.5-litre flat-four petrol engine the Forester receives.Subaru claims combined fuel consumption for the Forester Hybrid is 6.2L/100km, which is 27.4 per cent better than what the regular Forester claims (7.9L/100km).It doesn't compare to favourably to its main rival, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD, which produces more power (163kW) and drinks less fuel (4.8L/100km).The new Forester Hybrid is claimed to be able to travel over 1000km on a tank of petrol. It has a 63L fuel tank.At launch Subaru is offering the Forester Hybrid in three trim levels – AWD Hybrid, AWD Hybrid Sport, and AWD Hybrid Touring.Pricing for the hybrid models starts at $46,490 before on-roads, and extends to $55,990 before on-roads.Compared to the equivalent petrol variants, the hybrids are between $3000 and $6500 more expensive. It’s worth noting, however, that some trim levels have differing standard equipment.As examples, the Forester AWD Hybrid Sport and AWD Hybrid Touring gain larger 19-inch alloy wheels and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. These don’t feature on the equivalent petrol variants.Another difference is the Forester Hybrid doesn’t come with a spare wheel as standard. Instead it has a tyre repair kit.Subaru Australia however is offering the Forester Hybrid with an optional tow ball-mounted spare wheel accessory. At this stage it hasn’t detailed how much this costs.

Subaru Australia has announced the prices for the new, sixth-generation Forester mid-size SUV ahead of deliveries commencing in early July.

After a four-year hiatus, Renault Group has confirmed the Alpine brand will be returning to Australian shores. Its first model since the A110 sports car that was sold locally from 2018 to 2022, will be the new A390 electric ‘coupe’ SUV that was revealed overnight in France.

China’s new car market has advanced exponentially over the past few decades, but now GWM’s Chairman has indicated the industry is in an unhealthy state due to incessant price cuts.As reported by Chinese publication Sina Finance, GWM Chairman Wei Jianjun said the industry already has its own “Evergrande”, referring to the Chinese property developer that faced a multi-billion dollar debt crisis and collapsed amid liquidation.“If it continues like this, the safety of China’s auto industry will be seriously threatened,” said Mr Wei to Sina Finance in an interview translated to English.“Now, Evergrande in the automobile industry already exists, but it has not collapsed.”He didn’t specify any Chinese carmakers in particular, but said some of the “main manufacturers” are focusing too much on pursuing market value and raising their stock prices.Mr Wei also warned how the excessive and prolonged price war between rival Chinese brands, especially for those selling electric vehicles (EVs), risks cutting corners on safety and reliability.“Some products have been reduced from 220,000 yuan to 120,000 yuan in the past few years,” said Mr Wei to Sina Finance.“What kind of industrial products can be reduced by 100,000 yuan and still have quality assurance? Well this is absolutely impossible.”Suppliers in particular have been struggling to survive, according to Mr Wei, due to ongoing pressure to lower prices.Following Mr Wei’s latest comments, shares in BYD, Leapmotor, Nio, Geely have tumbled by up to 9.5 per cent.In China, BYD recently announced a wide range of subsidies and incentives across a number of its models. Its cheapest model, the Seagull electric hatchback, now starts from 55,800 RMB (~A$12,000).Geely also announced a range of similar incentives in China to further entice buyers.

There are more and more Chinese car brands entering the Australian new car market seemingly every day.

The Mahindra XUV3XO has been approved for sale in Australia ahead of its imminent local launch.Measuring in at under 4.0m long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m tall, this light SUV will rival the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic, Mazda CX-3 and Toyota Yaris Cross, among others.According to government approval documents, this Indian-produced SUV has been approved for sale in three trim levels – AX3L, AX5L and AX7L.All three of these trim levels will be powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine producing 82kW of power and be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.This means we’re getting the weakest of the engine options offered.In India there’s a more-powerful version of this 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 96kW/260Nm, as well as a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that produces 85kW/300Nm.None of the manual transmission option will be offered either.According to the approval documents, the XUV3XO has a tare mass of about 1400kg and has a braked towing capacity of 750kg. Payload is also about 400kg.There is little information regarding what separates the three trim levels, but the AX3L and AX5L get 16-inch wheels wrapped in 205/65 tyres, and the flagship AX7L gets 17-inch wheels wrapped in 215/55 tyres.All XUV3XO examples have MacPherson front suspension, however, unlike Indian versions of the XUV3XO which have torsion beam rear suspension, the Australian-specification versions are approved for sale with multi-link rear suspension.At this stage Mahindra Australia hasn’t confirmed pricing of the XUV3XO range, though it’s expected to start around $25,000 before on-road costs.Exterior features are likely to include single- and dual-tone paint, alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, rain-sensing wipers, a small rear spoiler and roof rails.Inside, the XUV3XO is likely to carry synthetic leather upholstery, twin 10.25-inch displays for the central multimedia display and digital driver’s display, keyless entry and push-button start.Safety features include six airbags, a surround-view camera, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning.The Mahindra XUV3XO is a facelifted version of the XUV300, which was never offered in Australia.It’s built on the same platform as the KGM Tivoli (formerly SsangYong Tivoli), which was sold in Australia from 2018 to 2020, when stock of the then-current model dried up.

Mazda revealed its Chinese-built EZ-60 electric (EV) and range-extender (REEV) SUV last month with limited details, but now more information on the car’s EV powertrain has been confirmed.

Nissan is still wading through its financial turmoil, but is reportedly still working on a new GT-R to replace the R35-generation model that finished production last year.As reported by Auto Express, this new GT-R will form part of a revitalised Nismo high-performance car line-up.The Japanese carmaker is reportedly focusing on Nismo, as well as Patrol and Juke as three key nameplates to focus rebuilding its brand around.“I see a future for Nismo. It’s very clear,” said Nissan AMIEO Region Vice President Marketing & Mobility, Arnaud Carpentier to Auto Express.“We will put this in the centre of the brand… We have Nismo, Patrol and Juke.“Those strong nameplates for the brand are the equity. This is how we thrill our customers, so it will for sure come.”Mr Carpentier didn’t detail exactly what the new Nismo line-up will look like, but did confirm a new GT-R is part of the plans.“There are people working on this,” said Mr Carpentier to Auto Express.“When, how, honestly, this we don’t know. But today, we don’t just need to make a sports car, but to do one with a powertrain that we foresee in the coming years.“If it is electric or electrified, it needs to remain a sports car.“ if you end up with the same performance as an EV SUV, this is an issue... We need to reinvent the notion of a sports car.”At this stage it’s unclear whether the R36-generation GT-R will be fully electric.In 2023 the Japanese carmaker revealed the wild Hyper Force concept which previewed an all-electric GT-R.It was powered by a dual-motor setup producing over 1000kW of power. These electric motors were fed by a solid-state battery pack.Previous reports indicated that this new GT-R will be released during 2028 alongside when Nissan planned to produce solid-state batteries.Given the financial turmoil, it’s now unclear if this timeframe is off.