Articles by Jack Quick

China’s XPeng has been in Australia for more than 12 months and the company has had rapid growth to establish itself from nothing locally.So far the company has 18 dealer locations nationwide and has sold more than 2000 vehicles, despite currently only offering one vehicle, the Tesla Model Y-rivalling G6 electric mid-size SUV.Speaking with CarsGuide, Jason Clarke, who is the CEO of XPeng’s local distributor, TrueEV, reflected on the past 12 months and shared what he wished happened differently.“The only thing I have is I wish we could have moved faster,” said Clarke.“So we’ve had real bursts of productivity and promotion, and then we haven’t, and we’ve been able to source locations and partners, and that doesn’t always work as fast as you want it to happen.“So if I could ask for anything for Christmas, it would be more speed to market and for more models to please more categories for customers.”In 2026 XPeng is finally set to introduce the updated version of the G6. It’ll launch locally late in the first quarter with the first customer deliveries coming onto tap in the second quarter.Additionally the X9 electric people mover is set to launch in the second quarter of 2026 and the G9L large electric SUV will launch in the third quarter of 2026.“To have one model is difficult because you’ve got … different types of customers and a range builds confidence as well with consumers to see what else is there,” added Clarke.“XPeng has so much to offer with its tech and its range. We really would have liked to have promoted that earlier.“It really just comes down to the cost of complying with Australian Design Rules (ADRs) is large.“ got to make sure the demand is there or else the capital outlays are just not going to be worthwhile.“I really believe that they're the only reasons for that, just assessing demand.“So we've got the X9 and the G9 coming in, and forecast for another three models.“We don't know exactly what they are, but, you know, we would be pushing for a smaller SUV, maybe sedan.”XPeng has previously expressed interest in bringing in passenger car models like the P7 and Mona M03.Although Clarke told CarsGuide in June 2025 XPeng would want to take direct control over its Australian operations as soon as late 2025, it’s now unclear when this might happen.“We've been in discussions with XPeng most of this year on how we can optimise the brand in Australia and work together to make that happen,” said Clarke.“It was announced over a year ago that we have a five-year agreement with XPeng, so it's how we work together to expand the footprint, bring in more models and support our customers with best-in-market aftersales.“We're still working through that, but we're pretty close to a formal announcement now on what that looks like moving forward.”

Polestar Australia has spoken out about how it doesn’t currently plan to rejoin Australia’s leading lobby group, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), citing “blatant scaremongering” on the effects of CO2 emission regulations.The Swedish electric vehicle (EV) specialist, along with Tesla, left the FCAI in early 2024 after it opposed the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which came into effect from January 1, 2025 and has tightening CO2 targets for each year until 2029.Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard said the company would not consider rejoining the FCAI until it changes its tune on the NVES.“We’d need to see the FCAI be truly representative of the entire industry, particularly the industry that’s growing so fast and starting to gobble up share,” said Maynard.“While we continue to see the FCAI speak out against programs like the New Vehicle Efficiency and continue to campaign government to alter something that was introduced for all the right reasons and only just catches us up with other markets around the world … we can’t suggest that the FCAI would speak for our brand.“Some of the headlines that have been posted of late about which are blatant scaremongering around extraordinary price rises that could cost Australian drivers billions of dollars, which don’t need to be true.“I can understand why they would feel the need to do that. That’s who pays them, those legacy brands major contributors to the FCAI. So they have to represent them, but they don’t represent us.“So many of these brands have a global catalogue of vehicles that would allow them to do that. It's just that Australia has been a convenient market to sell old technology and provide sufficient volume that they don't feel compelled to either introduce or develop new technology.“And so you could understand why at this point, that makes them quite upset, and they need to, they need to rail against it.“But there's a degree of inevitability that EV uptake will continue to evolve and grow, and that the share of electric vehicles sold in Australia will continue to increase.“And so I'm sure at some point, the FCAI, representing its brands and representing the wider industry, will need to change its position on it. be hard for them to do, but we'll watch.”“As the industry evolves, they'll have to evolve with it, but they seem to be a step behind at the moment, and certainly way behind us.”While the NVES doesn’t restrict the type of vehicles that can be offered in Australia, if the vehicle emits above the CO2 threshold for the specific category, the carmaker can be fined.Conversely, brands that sell vehicles that are under the threshold will be granted credits. These can be sold to other carmakers that aren’t meeting the CO2 targets at a price they determine.Maynard has previously told CarsGuide the company will be opting for the latter as it only sells electric vehicles (EVs) which don’t emit any CO2. However, it won’t be selling its credits to every car brand.As previously reported, the results of the first performance period will be published by the NVES Regulator in February 2026.This report will detail every carmaker’s so-called interim emissions value (IEV), which indicates whether it is either above or below the predetermined CO2 emissions target.

Renault has announced the Duster small SUV is returning to the Indian market in new-generation guise.This Indian-built version of the Renault Duster features some notable differences over the European-built, Australian-specification version.Most notable is slightly different exterior styling, including altered front and rear fascias, revised LED headlights, LED tail-lights that are connected by a rear light bar, ‘Duster’ script written out on the grille instead of ‘Renault’, all-black 18-inch alloy wheels, plus the availability of a panoramic glass sunroof.This Indian-specification Duster is launching in a special Launch Edition guise, which features green exterior paint with yellow highlights.Inside there is a larger 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system that has Google Built-in, interior ambient lighting, plus synthetic leather upholstery with front seat ventilation.Additionally there are new safety features such as adaptive cruise control with stop and go and a proper surround-view camera are offered. This is on top of the standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist and traffic sign recognition.In India three powertrains are set to be offered. A 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 74kW and 172Nm is mated with a six-speed manual transmission, a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 119kW and 280Nm is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, as well as a 1.8-litre hybrid engine.It’s understood all three powertrains offered in this Indian-specification Duster are front-wheel drive only.In Australia the Duster is currently offered with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch and front-wheel drive, or a 1.2-litre three-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive."Renault Australia sources Duster from Europe," said a Renault Australia spokesperson. CarsGuide understands there are no foreseeable changes on this. The European-built Renault Duster only launched in Australia in the middle of 2025. Two trim levels are offered – Evolution and Techno – with both powertrains offered on each.Until the end of 2025 a total of 207 examples of the Duster were sold. While this does place it at the lower end of the small SUV segment in terms of outright sales, it did outsell the Jeep Compass (147 sales) and almost the Renault Arkana (226 sales) even with only around six months of sales.

The Australian federal government is looking to potentially scrap or alter its electric vehicle (EV) tax relief but Polestar Australia has said this could prematurely stunt sales growth.Since July 2022, novated lease buyers of an EVs and previously plug-in hybrids (PHEV) under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles have been exempt from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).The policy will cost $1.35 billion this financial year, or 15 times more than originally forecast, according to the Australian Financial Review.As EV sales continue to gain traction in Australia, Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard said the government shouldn’t change things now.“This is not the time to change the settings that they've got on the FBT relief for electric vehicles,” said Maynard.“So the government's published goal is to see 50 per cent of the market buying electric vehicles by 2035. They're nowhere near that, and they're not tracking towards that.“So I fail to see how the program could be overspent when the results are underdone. The two simply don't line up.“It would suggest that the problem here is that it was under budgeted from the start.“It's great to see the electric vehicle share of the light vehicle market has now risen above 10 per cent for the year and continues to increase.“That's great, but at the first sign of success, I don't think that that would be the time to dismantle or even change the program.”As it currently stands, versions of the Polestar 2 and Polestar 4 are below the LCT threshold and can be exempt from FBT if you get a novated lease.Sales of Polestar cars also went up 38.5 per cent year-on-year during 2025, likely due in part to how the FBT exemption has helped spur growing EV sales.“If the government is seeking to rationalise its expense through FBT subsidies, I feel strongly that it should be looking at the money it's investing in the sale of dual-cab utes before it looks at electric vehicles,” added Maynard.“We all accept that electric vehicles present Australian drivers now with sufficient choice, a lower running cost, and vehicles that are fun to drive and easy to own, and we all accept that there's tangible and measurable health benefits to to the cleaner air that they that they will provide us, and yet we don't think twice about the billions of dollars is that the government is sinking into the sale of dual-cab ute to the point where now, where we're selling one and a half times the utes that we have tradespeople.“We're selling these things with an FBT subsidy of prices in excess of $200,000. That would seem to me to be a much easier win than going after a corner of the market that's doing good things and not enough of them.”Currently vehicles like a single- or dual-cab ute, van, hearse and taxi, among a few others are exempt from FBT provided they are for business purposes and have limited private use.It’s worth noting that utes are still among the best-selling vehicles in Australia and many are diesel-powered.These types of vehicles also have a more lenient CO2 target to hit as part of the government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), though this will still get harder for carmakers to achieve as the years go on and the target is reduced.

Australians love high-performance cars and Polestar says more can’t come soon enough.Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard said he would consider bringing the brand’s BST high-performance offerings if development continues.“I think Australia is a market that loves high-performance product I'd love to see the continued development of some of the BST range,” said Maynard.“We've seen some real interest in that product when it was here previously, and I don't feel that we really gave it its head.“And so to be able to offer up a bit more of the BST line-up as a spin-off, to some of the vehicles that we've either got or are going to get, I think would be tremendous.“I'll take that.”Polestar’s BST line started back in 2022 and to date there have been two limited-edition versions of the Polestar 2 offered globally. Neither came to Australia though.Based on the Polestar 2 Long range Dual motor with the optional Performance Pack, both the Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 and BST Edition 230 gain features like a 25mm lower ride height, stiffer shock absorbers and a front strut bar. They also had unique designs.This is above and beyond standard equipment like the Brembo brakes with golden brake calipers and two-way manually adjustable Öhlins dampers.Power and torque from the dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up remain unchanged over the standard car. Total system outputs were 350kW of power and 680Nm of torque.It’s worth noting that the current 2026 Polestar 2 Long range Dual Motor with the optional Performance package now produces more torque at 740Nm. It can also do the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.2 seconds.At this stage it’s unclear whether Polestar plans to create any more versions of the Polestar 2 BST to rival the likes of the Tesla Model 3 Performance and BYD Seal Performance, among others.The Polestar 2 is getting on in years now and originally dates back to 2016 when it was first revealed as a Volvo concept. It’s been on sale in Australia now since 2021 and already received a major mid-life update in 2024.It’s also unclear whether Polestar plans to officially give the BST treatment to any of its other vehicles.In 2024 Polestar revealed the BST concept which was a hotted-up version of the forthcoming Polestar 6 electric convertible.It featured a swan-neck rear wing, aggressive front fascia, dramatic rear diffuser, bonnet vents, as well as flared wheel arches to accommodate a wider track width.Although the Polestar 6 was previously slated for production in 2026, Polestar has no longer confirmed when it will begin producing examples.The Swedish electric vehicle (EV) carmaker also currently has the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 large electric SUVs and later this year is set to launch the Polestar 5 liftback in Australia.The latter is a Porsche Taycan rival that already offers up to 650kW of power and can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.2 seconds.

Volkswagen Australia has admitted sales of the retro-looking ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo electric vans didn’t get off to the quickest start but it believes the tides are now starting to change.

It’s been almost three years now since the current-generation Volkswagen Amarok has been available in Australia and the company is now finally starting to reveal some details regarding the locally fettled Walkinshaw version.Dubbed the Volkswagen Amarok W600, this new range-topping version of the South African-built and Australian-tweaked dual-cab ute will be fully revealed early in the second quarter ahead of customer deliveries commencing in the third quarter of 2026.Unlike off-road-oriented flagship utes such as the Ford Ranger Raptor, Isuzu D-Max Blade and Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, this new Amarok W600 sits as an ultimate road-going ute, much like the previous-generation Amarok W580S.Based on the Amarok TDI600 Style, the W600 features a number of unique upgrades that are all equipped at Walkinshaw’s new facility in Dandenong South, Victoria.There are new 20-inch six-spoke alloy wheels that are 10-inches wide and are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres.In order to house these larger tyres the wheel arches have been flared, plus there is a new front end with a ‘W’ motif in the grille and a full-width LED light bar connecting the LED headlights.Volkswagen claims that Walkinshaw has made additional changes to the front end of the W600 and will fully reveal the front fascia at a later date.Other tweaks include electric side steps, a dual side-exit exhaust system and exterior Walkinshaw badging.Under the skin there is a bespoke Koni suspension set-up that has been tuned especially by Walkinshaw for this ute. It’s worth noting the rear leaf spring set-up is retained.The dampers use frequency selective damping (FSD) technology which essentially means there is a valve bypass inside allowing the vehicle to maintain comfort if you hit a pothole, for example. There are also Raid shock absorbers which is Koni’s off-road line of shock absorbers.This is the first time Koni has combined this type of shock absorber with this kind of damper.Additionally there is a 22mm rear anti-roll bar fitted to the W600 by Walkinshaw with what it claims is OEM levels of integration.All of the new suspension equipment fitted by Walkinshaw is coloured in Volkswagen’s Lapiz Blue.Inside there is Walkinshaw embroidery on the headrests, as well as aluminium pedals.Despite all these changes, there hasn’t been any under the bonnet. Power comes from an unchanged 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine producing 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque.This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a full-time four-wheel drive system.It’s worth noting that the brakes also remain unchanged in the W600 and although there is a space for a full-size 20-inch wheel under the tub, Volkswagen has decided to stick with a smaller spare wheel.At this stage it’s unclear how much the Amarok W600 will cost. The current line-up caps out at $82,990 before on-road costs for the Amarok TDI600 Aventura.Historically the W580S was around $7500 more than the next most expensive Amarok trim level. If this carries over it could see the go over $90,000 before on-road costs.It’s worth noting that the Ford Ranger Raptor is currently $90,690 before on-road costs. Despite being overtly more off-road-oriented, it features a more powerful 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that produces 292kW and 583Nm.

Fiat looks set to revive a nameplate that was last seen in Australia over a decade ago.A new-generation version of the Fiat Scudo mid-size commercial van has been approved for sale in Australia according to government filings.While Fiat Professional Australia hasn’t confirmed if or when it plans to launch this new Scudo yet, the current approval filing was issued in November 2025 which typically precedes a new car launch by a few months.We’ve reached out to Fiat Professional Australia and will update this story once we hear back.If it isn’t already obvious, this new Fiat Scudo is a rebadged version of the Peugeot Expert. In fact, this van’s Stellantis underpinnings also forms the base of the Citroen Jumpy, Toyota Proace, Opel Vivaro and Vauxhall Vivaro, among a number of others.According to the filing, two versions of the Scudo have been approved for sale in Australia, a standard- and long-wheelbase version, both with a three-seat bench and turbo-diesel power.Said engine is a familiar 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine which produces 110kW of power. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with drive sent to the front wheels only.No versions of the electric E-Scudo have notably been approved for local sale yet. For context, the related all-electric Peugeot E-Expert is already on sale in Australia.All versions of the Scudo have sliding doors on each side of the vehicle and barn doors at the rear.The standard-wheelbase style measures in at 4981mm long, 1924mm wide and 1955mm tall with a 3275mm wheelbase.The long-wheelbase style is 350mm longer overall at 5331mm long, however the 3275mm wheelbase technically remains unchanged.The tare mass for both vans is around 1700kg, gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 3100kg and the braked towing capacity is only 600kg.Other notable inclusions in the approval filing include standard 16-inch wheels with optional 17-inch units, a standard internal partition, front and rear fog lamps, as well as an optional vertical tailgate to replace the rear barn doors.Australians haven’t been able to buy a Fiat Scudo since 2015. This previous-generation model was also rebadged Peugeot Expert, for context.

The writing has been on the wall for years now, but Mazda will cease production of two of its entry-level models as it gears up to launch an all-new replacement, according to reports.

Kia Australia has confirmed the pricing and specifications of its new EV4 sedan ahead of first examples arriving at dealers later this month.The three-variant Kia EV4 sedan line-up starts at $49,990 before on-road costs and extends to $64,690 before on-road costs. This entry price sees it undercut the Tesla Model 3 RWD, but the entry-level BYD Seal Dynamic is cheaper again.All EV4 sedan variants are front-wheel drive and there are two battery pack options available – a 58.3kWh and 81.4kWh lithium-ion battery.The EV4 has received a local ride and handling tune that’s claimed to suit Australian road conditions.It’s worth noting that while Kia is launching the EV4 exclusively in the sedan body style for now, a hatchback body style is set to arrive in the second half of 2026.2026 Kia EV4 sedan pricing Australia 2026 Kia EV4 sedan engine and efficiency 2026 Kia EV4 sedan standard equipment2026 Kia EV4 Air Standard Range sedan:17-inch alloy wheelsTyre repair kitReflector LED headlightsLED tail-lights12.3-inch digital instrument cluster12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system5.0-inch climate control touchscreenWired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoOver-the-air (OTA) software updatesDAB digital radioSix-speaker sound systemSatellite navigationDual-zone climate controlCloth upholsteryExterior vehicle-to-load (V2L) adaptorEV4 Earth Long Range sedan adds:19-inch alloy wheelsAuto-dimming rear-view mirrorCloth and synthetic leather upholsteryPremium mesh front headrests10-way power driver seat adjustmentHeated front seatsInterior V2L socketEV4 GT-Line Long Range sedan adds:GT-Line 19-inch alloy wheelsGT-Line exterior stylingGloss black wheel arch claddingProjector LED headlightsDynamic welcome lightingSunroofPower tailgatePrivacy glassAuto-folding side mirrorsHead-up displayEight-speaker Harman Kardon sound systemWireless chargerThree-spoke premium sport steering wheelHeated steering wheelAlloy pedalsInterior ambient lightingSynthetic leather upholsteryVentilated front seatsTwo-position memory driver seat10-way power front passenger seat adjustment‘Premium Relaxation’ front seatsRelax Mode2026 Kia EV4 sedan safetyThe Kia EV4 hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP just yet, though it received a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating without the Safety Pack and a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating with the Safety Pack.Standard equipment includes:Seven airbagsAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Blind-spot monitoringSafe exit warningRear cross-traffic alertLane-keep assistLane centringLane-change assistDriver attention monitorIntelligent speed limit assistFront and rear parking sensorsReverse cameraKia Connect telematics (SOS emergency calling, remote control and vehicle status monitoring)EV4 GT-Line Long Range sedan adds:Rear AEBBlind-spot view monitorSafe Exit AssistPowered child-proof rear door locksSurround-view cameraRemote Smart Park Assist2026 Kia EV4 sedan dimensions 2026 Kia EV4 warranty and servicingThe Kia EV4 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty.Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Three-, five- and seven-year pre-paid service packages are available and are priced at $688, $1308 and $1929, respectively.