Articles by Jack Quick

The Lux is now the entry-level trim in the local 2026 GWM Haval H6 line-up.

The Subaru BRZ two-door coupe could be the next sports car to be going all-electric. As reported by Autocar, the Japanese carmaker is considering developing the third-generation model with electric power in mind. This was confirmed to the British publication by Subaru global EV product boss Inoue Masahiko, who also noted it had already been heavily investigated in the past with Toyota, which helped co-develop the BRZ and 86/GR86 twins. “We did consider electrifying the BRZ and GT86, but the win-win relationship is more important, and for the moment we can’t get the kind of benefits for both sides,” said Masahiko to Autocar. Subaru and Toyota have committed to developing a raft of electric cars together. Toyota has been linked to numerous future electric sports cars, with rumours of a Celica and MR2 return, and a battery-powered BRZ/GR86 could now be another. The BRZ hasn’t been offered in Europe since the first-generation model was discontinued in 2020. The second-generation BRZ was never offered there despite the second-gen Toyota GR86 twin continuing on in limited numbers. This potential electric third-generation model could see it return to Europe. Subaru Europe boss David Dello Stritto told Autocar that the company’s “options are open”. The BRZ has always remained on sale in Australia. Late last year it picked up a minor update that saw manual versions receive a ‘Sport’ drive mode and tS variants get a full-size spare wheel. The Japanese carmaker revealed the Subaru Sport Mobility Concept in 2023 at the Japan Mobility Show showcasing a two-door sporty-looking electric coupe. At the time Subaru claimed this concept was merely just a design exercise, but it could inform what the next BRZ will look like. No powertrain details were provided with the Sport Mobility Concept besides it being electric. Despite lagging behind other carmakers to launch its first EV, Subaru has now been revealing more and more. The Subaru Solterra, which is a twin of the Toyota bZ4X, was originally revealed back in 2021 and after many delays it arrived in Australia in 2024. It’s since been facelifted globally, though it’s unclear when this will arrive locally. Subaru has revealed the Trailseeker earlier this year which is a larger version of the Solterra/bZ4X and is a twin to the Toyota bZ4X Touring. It will be called the E-Outback in Europe. Although Toyota has confirmed the bZ4X Touring will arrive in Australia during the first half of 2026, Subaru hasn’t detailed any information regarding when to expect the Trailseeker locally. Earlier this month Subaru also revealed its third EV offering, the Uncharted ‘coupe’ SUV. It was co-developed with the Toyota C-HR+. At this stage it’s unclear whether the Subaru Uncharted will be offered outside of Europe, however with the introduction of the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) this compels carmakers to bring more low-emissions and EVs to Australia in order to avoid fines.

China’s Deepal hasn’t launched the S05 small SUV in Australia yet but a new super long-range electric version is reportedly set to be revealed in China tomorrow.

Australia’s peak motoring body has detailed its latest batch of data from real-world fuel use testing.

China’s GWM has slowly but surely been ramping up how it’s localising its cars for Australian conditions and it has now reached a major milestone. After hiring ex-GM Holden Chief Engineer Rob Trubiani as its new Product Engineering Manager in March this year, the Chinese carmaker has now taken up a permanent residency at the Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria. This iconic facility is currently owned by Vietnamese carmaker Vinfast, but was previously owned by Holden where countless Australian classics were developed. It’s worth noting that GWM hasn’t given any indication on whether it actually plans to purchase the Australian proving ground from Vinfast. As a result of taking up this long-term permanent residency, GWM now has the ability to use Lang Lang as a “cornerstone” for its local product development. GWM’s engineering teams have already been using Lang Lang, but this residency now allows for “even greater opportunities for collaboration, faster iteration, and more ambitious goals”. This means the Chinese carmaker can now engineer dedicated ride and handling packages, undertake full vehicle integration and execute precision tuning for its vehicle line-up under Australian conditions. “With full-time access to Lang Lang now secured, this is far more than symbolic, it’s a statement of intent,” said GWM Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Chief Operating Officer John Kett. “When Rob presented the idea of establishing Lang Lang as our home base for local development, it was met with overwhelming support, both locally and from our global leadership. “Rob has been relentless in defining what the true GWM feel should be for our markets, and with the right tools now in place, we’re confident this investment will deliver improved products right here on home soil.” “Lang Lang is an iconic proving ground, one of the best in the world,” said Trubiani. “It’s an absolute dream to be back, developing great cars specifically for Australian and New Zealand drivers. “I know this track like the back of my hand, having spent a considerable amount of my career here with Holden. “The intimate knowledge I have of the road network, combined with understanding the high-performance benchmarks required here, is key to ‘Aussifying’ our vehicles and ensuring what we develop here translates directly to real-world driving. “LLPG provides me the ability to push vehicle dynamics to the edge, identifying precisely where we can optimise and improve. “We’re not just tweaking cars, we’re transforming them to deliver the confidence, control, and comfort that local drivers deserve.” In a few months GWM will show off Trubiani’s work, currently codenamed ‘AT1’, which will demonstrate ride and handling tweaks from local feedback. The Chinese carmaker will also detail how Trubiani’s expertise is already showing potential at shaping future global programs. This means Australia could form a part in developing GWM cars globally. This latest development follows a very fast cadence of new vehicle launches in Australia recently, as well as a spike in vehicle sales. In the first six months of 2025 GWM has sold a total of 25,189 vehicles, which is up 17.0 per cent year-on-year. Moving forward GWM has already laid out its plan to become a sustained top-five brand in Australia by 2030.

Alfa Romeo is about to start deliveries of its first electric vehicle (EV) in Australia though it expects the hybrid version will outsell it. The Alfa Romeo Junior is the smallest car from the Italian carmaker since the tiny MiTo and Giulietta hatchbacks and locally it’s being offered with both mild-hybrid and all-electric powertrains. “We do foresee … the mild-hybrid is probably going to be the higher mix out of the two,” said Stellantis Australia Product Manager Bridget Thomson to CarsGuide. “ giving the options for people on both stages of their electrification journey. So probably more of the Ibrida (mild-hybrid), but definitely not discounting the Elettrica (electric).” Earlier this month Alfa Romeo confirmed the pricing and specifications for the local Junior line-up. While there are two powertrain options being offered, both are only available in a single, fully-loaded trim level. The Junior Ibrida (mild-hybrid) starts from $45,900 before on-roads costs, while the Junior Elettrica (electric) starts from $57,900 before on-road costs. In Ibrida form, the Junior is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine running the Miller cycle which is augmented by a 48V mild-hybrid system featuring a 21kW electric motor integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Total system outputs are 107kW of power and 230Nm of torque. Alfa Romeo claims it can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.9 seconds and the top speed is 206km/h. The Junior Elettrica, on the other hand, is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque. Despite having more power and torque, it’s 0.1 seconds slower to 100km/h than the mild-hybrid version. It takes 9.0 seconds. The electric motor is fed by a 54kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which allows for a claimed 407km of range, according to WLTP testing. The battery pack can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 100kW, which allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. As noted above, the Junior Ibrida and Elettrica are both fully loaded and share the exact same standard specifications. The only differences with the former is it has visible dual exhaust tailpipes and paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. The latter also picks up a Mode 3 AC charging cable as standard. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, the 'Leggenda Scudetto' front grille, LED tail lights, two-tone black roof, hands-free power tailgate, dual 10.25-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker sound system, wireless charger, black cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat. The only option beyond premium paint is a sunroof which costs an additional $1990. Alfa Romeo has been experiencing a sales slump in Australia so far in 2025. A total of 282 vehicles were sold in the first six months, down 24.0 per cent year-on-year.

Audi is reportedly set to unveil a new electric sports car concept at this year’s Munich motor show in September ahead of the production version expected to launch in 2027. Speaking with German newspaper Bild, Audi CEO Gernot Döller referred to this car as “TT Moment 2.0”. Döllner said the car will be “a highly emotional sports car – not a TT, not an R8, but something in between”. It’ll form as a new halo model and an “identity builder” for the German brand, with Döller noting it’s critical for Audi to correct its trajectory following software issues and a current line-up that’s not resonating with buyers. “I don’t want to beat around the bush; we have to get back on track now,” said Döller. Although only the concept version of this Audi electric sports car will be unveiled in September, Döller made it clear that “the car will be built”. It’s expected this concept version will likely have some wild design elements that mightn’t make it to the production version. However, the design language this sports car will receive is expected to filter down to the rest of Audi’s line-up. At this stage no other details are confirmed about this new Audi electric sports car, however previous reports indicated a TT successor could be based on the forthcoming Porsche 718 EV. This could see it share the same platform and electric powertrains with the Porsche, though tweaks are expected to differentiate the two. Audi has been without a sports car halo ever since the TT ceased production in 2023 and the R8 ceased production in 2024. Sure there’s the Audi RS e-tron GT and the RSQ8 Performance, but neither of these cars are dedicated sports cars as there are regular non-performance versions of both. In Australia Audi has been experiencing a sales slide. A total of 6839 vehicles have been sold so far this year, which is down 16.4 per cent year-on-year.

The polarising Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup could soon be getting a little sibling. Speaking with Business Insiders, Tesla Engineering Vice President Lars Moravy confirmed the company is already looking at a mini Cybertruck. “We always talked about making a smaller pickup,” said Moravy. “I think in the future, as more and more of the Robotaxi comes into the world, we look at those options and we think about, OK, that kind of service is useful not just for people, but also for goods. “We've definitely been churning in the design studio about what we might do to serve that need for sure.” This potential mini Tesla Cybertruck could be perfect for international markets, like Europe and the UK, as the current full-size Cybertruck isn’t being offered in certain markets due to its hefty kerb weight and trapezoidal design. Currently the Tesla Cybertruck is only offered in the US, Canada and Mexico, as well as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The regular Cybertruck still hasn’t launched in Australia yet, though Tesla’s Country Director for Australia and New Zealand Thom Drew said earlier this year it’s “never been off the table”. Tesla Australia has also been briefed on changes required for the Cybertruck to be approved for sale locally, though there’s no timeframe of when it’ll actually go on sale. If this potential mini Cybertruck is offered in Australia, it could sit alongside the full-size Cybertruck and align more closely in size to the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. There’s only one electric mid-size ute offered in Australia currently, the LDV eT60. The full-size Ford F-150 Lightning is also offered and converted from left- to right-hand drive by AusEV. Looking to the future, LDV has previously locked in the new eTerron 9 electric ute for Australia and there’s an electric version of the Isuzu D-Max coming.

Toyota is the world’s largest carmaker and it continues to top sales charts in many markets. In order to stay on top it needs to continually update and refresh its product offerings. To give a glimpse of what’s coming up, Automotive News has detailed what the Japanese carmaker has in the pipeline for North America over the next few years. One highlight is the Kluger - called Highlander in other markets - which is reportedly being reengineered as an electric vehicle (EV) and will retain its current name. Automotive News speculates the reason for this is because sales for the current, internal combustion Kluger in North America have been cannibalised by the larger Grand Highlander. This electric Kluger is reportedly set to arrive at Toyota dealers in the US in early 2026. It’s unclear if it will be offered in other markets. This follows a report indicating the current Kluger is due for a mid-life update that will see it adopt a similar face to the current Camry and forthcoming RAV4, as well as plug-in hybrid power in the Chinese market. Sitting above this Kluger EV is the forthcoming bZ5X which is reportedly on track to start production at the company’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant in the second half of 2025. This likely means a reveal is imminent. Automotive News speculates the bZ5X will be larger than the Kluger EV. This means the former will likely have a larger third row and a large battery pack, theoretically meaning more range. Toyota is also reportedly still working on a Corolla-based unibody ute, which will give the Ford Maverick a proper hybrid rival. It’s not due to launch in North America until 2027. At this stage it’s unclear whether it’ll be offered in markets outside of North America. Toyota is also reportedly working on launching an electric sedan to sit alongside the Corolla and Camry. A North American launch is reportedly unscheduled, but could be in 2027. Models that are reportedly set to be refreshed over the next few years include the bZ4X, Camry, Corolla, Corolla Cross, Crown, Crown Signia, Grand Highlander, GR Corolla, GR86, Prado, Prius, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Tundra and 4Runner. It’s expected production of the GR Supra at Magna Steyr’s plant in Austria will end in 2026, though Automotive News reports Toyota could extend its life by sourcing a different engine. The current model has a BMW-sourced engine. Toyota recently detailed the GR Supra Final Edition for markets like Europe, Japan and North America. Toyota Australia, on the other hand, has the GR Supra Track Edition which just went on sale locally. Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell sedan is also reportedly set to remain largely as-is for the foreseeable future, only receiving minor tweaks. Beyond what Automotive News has reported for Toyota’s new product launch calendar in North America, the Japanese carmaker is also set to launch a new version of the top-selling HiLux ute imminently. This new HiLux will reportedly still be based on the IMV-0 platform, which previous versions of this platform have formed the basis of this ute for over 20 years.

The GWM Haval H6 has always been a solid budget buy, but this latest update sees it duke it out with segment stalwarts like the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.