Articles by Jake Williams

Audi has revealed an updated version of its flagship family SUV, the 2020 Audi Q7, in order to compete better with a slew of newer rivals.Featuring updated styling, an all-new dashboard and new drivetrains, the mid-life facelift for the Q7 is more comprehensive in its scope than typical mid-life facelifts by the German luxury brand. Using redesigned headlights with newly-available ‘Matrix’ LED lighting, the Q7 is stylistically more in line with the brand’s newer products including the Q8, thanks in part to the adoption of the new Audi corporate grille. The rear has also been refreshed with new tail-lights and a horizontal chrome strip and new wheels from 19-inches in size are available.Thanks to new styling, the updated Q7 is 11mm longer at 5063mm from nose to tail. Other dimensions, including the 2994mm wheelbase, are unchanged. The Q7's interior has been updated with an all-new dashboard taken from the Q8. The pre-updated model’s tablet-like multimedia system has been shelved for a 10.25-inch touchscreen unit with Audi’s latest software. Multi-colour LED ambient lighting also features, as does newly available trims and colouring. Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ digital dials are standard. The updated Q7 feature a range of petrol and diesel engines, all with new 48V mild-hybrid tech that boosts both performance and efficiency, according to Audi. A 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel is available in 170kW and 210kW forms, while a 250kW 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol will also be available in some markets. Australian drivetrain choices and fuel economy ratings are yet to be announced.  These will soon be followed by the 320kW/900Nm twin-turbo V8 diesel SQ7, and plug-in hybrid Q7 e-tron. As with the just-revealed SQ8 TDI, the Q7 will be available with new active roll stabilisation that reportedly smoothens the ride quality and enhances the car’s cornering ability. All-wheel steering is now optional to increase low-speed agility and both steel and air suspension systems will be available too. Speaking to CarsGuide, Audi Australia spokesperson Shaun Cleary confirmed that the updated Q7 will launch locally in the first half of 2020 with local pricing and specs to be confirmed before then.

The upcoming 2020 Land Rover Defender design has been scooped online after a photo surfaced of the car’s digital dials with its design clearly visible in the centre. Published by Twitter user @landroverpa, the car’s design was previewed by the new model’s instrument cluster, which evidently show the car in the centre. The dials are otherwise clean, and appear to be configurable like other current Land Rover and Range Rover products. A British toy store also published an image of a Lego version of the new Defender, which is due to hit stores later this year. The Lego Defender differs little to the actual car, and features a similar frontal design to the DC100 concept car from 2011. Showing off a modern take on the iconic design, the all-new Defender appears to be much more stylish than the previous model, though still very practical by the looks of things. The Defender’s design appears to take much from the DC100 concept car. The square shape appears to have a rounded nose and big headlights for a more stylish and characterful front end, yet the flat rear with a full size spare wheel add to a more practical rear. The model previewed in the image is a four-door Defender that will reportedly be called the ‘110’, while the ’90’ two-door is also under development as official spy shots have shown. The latest leak of information follows an almost full interior reveal with a stylish but rugged interior with very little in the way of buttons for less confusion in off road driving. Land Rover also recently revealed some "official spy shots" of the car in Kenya, where the brand has joined lion conservation initiatives. Drivetrains for the new Defender are yet to be confirmed, though the DC100 concept cars featured 2.0-litre turbo-diesels with eight-speed automatic transmissions, and petrol options - and possibly the six-cylinder unit from Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘Ingenium’ engine family - will also feature as part of the range that will be sold in the US for the first time in two decades. Australian arrival details are yet to be confirmed. With the car expected to be fully revealed in the coming months, a 2020 arrival is likely.

The drip feed of information in relation to the new 2020 Kia Seltos small SUV has continued, with images of the interior and the car's dimensions now out in the open following its reveal in India.The Seltos features an interior that’s unlike any other current Kia product. Based on Indian previews, the Seltos runs a massive 10.25-inch centre multimedia system that is joined to the driver’s display to create an apparently seamless transition.Underneath the screen are slimline air vents with some stitching surrounding them, while single-zone climate control sits below it. The steering wheel comes from the Cerato, and appears to be finished in the same high-quality leather as many other Kia steering wheels. In addition to the interior, crucial dimensions of the Seltos have also been revealed. The length of the Seltos is 4315mm, the width is 1800mm, the height is 1620mm and the wheelbase is 2610mm. This makes the Seltos 150mm longer, the same width, 55mm shorter and with a 10mm longer wheelbase than the Hyundai Kona of which the Seltos shares a platform with, and considerably larger than the upcoming Hyundai Venue, too. As such you can consider the Kia Seltos a competitor to the likes of the Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan Qashqai, rather than the smaller compact SUVs in this busy part of the market. The ground clearance is 190mm and the boot space is reported as 433-litres with the rear seats up - almost identical to the Qashqai. While these figures are for the Indian-spec model - the car that will launch the brand into that country - the Australian model is unlikely to differ greatly.Indian models use a 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol from the European Hyundai i30 and Kia Ceed - a far cry from the Australian-spec front-drive 2.0-litre petrol/CVT auto and 1.6-litre turbo/seven-speed dual-clutch auto all-wheel drive combinations. In India, a six-speed manual, six-speed auto, seven-speed dual-clutch auto and even a CVT auto will be on offer, which shows the variety in the Seltos’ global drivetrains. The Kia Seltos is due to hit Australia in October with local pricing and specifications to be announced before then.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has launched the fourth-generation GLE SUV into local showrooms, which is priced from $99,900 plus on-road costs - undercutting its chief rival, the BMW X5, by more than ten grand.The new GLE will be offered initially in three specifications in Australia: the $99,900 GLE300d, the $111,700 GLE450 and the $118,500 GLE400d. All prices are before on-road costs.Additional petrol models - including hi-po AMG 53 and 63s - will be launched in 2020. The GLE300d is powered by a 180kW/500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, while the GLE450 uses a 270kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine with a 48V mild hybrid system that can add an extra 16kW and 250Nm over short periods and the GLE400d uses a 243kW/700Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six diesel.All models send their power to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission.  Fuel economy figures are yet to be released, though the GLE300d sprints to 100km/h in a claimed 7.2 seconds, the GLE450 5.7 seconds and the GLE400d 5.8 seconds. Standard equipment includes the company’s MBUX multimedia system with dual 12.3-inch screens, LED lighting with adaptive high beam, 20-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate, 360-degree parking camera, colour head-up display, the company’s ‘Artico’ leatherette upholstery with heated front seats, DAB+ digital radio and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Safety kit is also strong with nine airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with steering assist, lane change assist, blind-spot assist and ‘Pre-Safe Plus’, which is a predictive collision technology. For the first time since the first-generation car to better compete with the BMW X5 and Audi Q7, a third row of seating is optionally available for $3900, which also includes an electrically adjustable second row. A range of optional packages is available including the AMG Sport Package ($9900 - an AMG bodykit, panoramic roof, wireless phone charging and leather upholstery), the Night Package ($4800 - black exterior accents), the Vision Package ($4200 - panoramic roof, wireless charging, 13-speaker Burmester sound system) and the Energising Package Plus ($6200 - multi-contour front seats with massaging, heated armrests, air fragrances).

Toyota Australia has announced upgrades to its top-selling HiLux range for the 2020 model year - a move that was previewed by CarsGuide in April.Standard on all HiLux models is previously unavailable safety tech including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking (AEB) with day and night pedestrian detection and day time cyclist detection, as well as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assistance and road sign assist.These upgrades to the HiLux mean that it matches the Ford Ranger in offering AEB across its entire range, as well as adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning. The SsangYong Musso and Mercedes-Benz X-Class are the only other utes to offer AEB across their entire ranges, while the Mitsubishi Triton offers the potentially life-saving tech on the majority of the models in that range. This leaves utes such as the Mazda BT-50, Isuzu D-Max, Volkswagen Amarok, Nissan Navara and Holden Colorado still unavailable with tech such as AEB, though the latter offers forward collision warning. A new 4.2-inch multi-function display is now standard across the HiLux range to accommodate the speed sign recognition display. The standard 'low ride' 4x2 single-cab cab-chassis and double-cab 2.4-litre turbo diesel models have been discontinued and replaced with WorkMate hi-rider versions that feature the same body and engine configuration with a ride height raised to the same level as HiLux 4x4 models.The move to hi-rider spec for these two WorkMate models means they gain a six-speed manual, which replaces the previous five-speed unit. The 2020 HiLux will hit dealers in August 2019. Single and double cab versions will be available from August 1, and extra cabs will be available from August 26. Pricing for the 2020 HiLux range has increased by between $800 and $875 depending on the variant. Pricing kicks off from $21,865 plus on-road costs.Full pricing details will follow at a later date.

After its global debut at the 2019 North American international auto show, Ford has revealed the final power figures for the Shelby Mustang GT500. The Shelby GT500 will churn out a massive 567kW of power and 847Nm of torque from its 5.2-litre supercharged V8, and will use a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission from Tremec. Its driveshaft is also made from carbon-fibre to save weight. Ford initially claimed the GT500 had 700hp (522kW) at its reveal, and claimed a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.5 seconds and a standing quarter mile (0-400m) time of under 11 seconds - it’s not sure if the car will be quicker than claimed with the newly revealed bump in power. In addition to the new supercharged engine, the GT500 features wider front and rear styling, a large rear wing, bonnet louvres and a black styling package. In the US, the GT500 will be compared with the 595kW/959Nm Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and 480kW/860Nm Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, both of which offer similar acceleration times. Despite the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 being converted to right-hand drive and sold in Australia, the Mustang GT500 will not officially be sold here.According to Damion Smy, spokesperson for Ford Australia, there are “no plans to bring the Mustang GT500 to Australia as it is strictly left-hand drive only”.

Ford has teased a new addition to its GT supercar ahead of its reveal at next week's Goodwood Festival of Speed. While Ford is yet to provide any information to accompany the single image provided, the addition of a huge rear wing and a roof-mounted air intake is obvious, and reeks of even more performance. The upgrades to the Ford GT will likely accompany the twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It will likely produce more than the standard model's 470kW of power and 731Nm of torque. With its extra power, the new GT could eclipse the ‘standard’ GT's claimed 3.2 second 0-100km/h sprint and 348km/h top speed. Initially limited to a run of 1000 units, the Ford GT has been more popular than Ford’s expectations and the company expanded the production run to 1350 cars. Despite this new addition to the range, the updated Ford GT is unlikely to be sold in Australia thanks to its left-hand drive-only status.The new addition to the Ford GT will debut at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which commences on July 4. 

Lexus has revealed a facelifted version of its GX460, which is the more expensive US-market Lexus twin to the Toyota Prado.The GX460 occupies the luxury off-road eight-seater SUV spot in the Lexus North American line-up sitting above the RX SUV but below the LX off roader. More of a mild update than an all-new car, the GX460 ushers in the latest version of the Lexus ‘spindle’ corporate grille, as well as new headlights with LED internals. The rear of the GX460 appears to be unchanged, and is the strongest stylistic link to the Prado as they look almost identical.The interior of the GX460 has remained fairly unchanged as well, with changes limited to new trim choices, new aluminum inserts and new colour choices. The 4.6-litre petrol V8 drivetrain is unchanged, but a new optional Off-Road Package gives the GX460 equipment available on higher-spec local Prados including a 360-degree camera system, a transmission cooler, crawl control mode, fuel tank protection, multi-terrain monitoring and multi-terrain select, which allows drivers to select the terrain they’re driving on and the car will tailor its stability control and four-wheel drive system to suit.The GX460’s active safety tech has been given a big boost with the addition of auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, auto high beam and adaptive cruise control. The suite of safety tech is standard on all GX460 models. The GX460 remains off the cards for Australia as it’s made solely in left-hand drive with markets such as North America, Russia and the Middle East in mind, though some of the car's updates could filter through to a future version of the Prado.

Audi has revealed a new S version of the Q8, which is the latest addition to its stable of performance SUVs which already includes the SQ5 and SQ7. Using the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 diesel engine as the larger SQ7, the 320kW/900Nm SQ8 TDI (as it's officially known) is claimed to be capable of a 4.8 second 0-100km/h sprint - 0.1 seconds quicker than the SQ7 - and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. Like the SQ7, the SQ8 uses a mild-hybrid system that uses a 48-volt lithium-ion battery, as well as a clever alternator that recovers up to 8kW of energy during braking to aid both performance and efficiency when accelerating.The SQ8 uses the same adaptive air suspension system with optional four-wheel steering as the SQ7, as well as a rear-biased sports differential with rear axle torque vectoring and new active anti-roll bars. Naturally, Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic transmission. Some global markets such as North America will receive a V6 turbo-petrol, but Audi Australia has confirmed that we will join Europe in only receiving diesel.More stylistically aggressive than the standard Q8, the SQ8 features deeper air intakes, a more pronounced grille, quad tailpipes and 21-inch wheels (22s are optional) to set it apart from regular Q8 models. Optionally available are carbon ceramic brakes and matrix LED lighting. Inside, the SQ8's changes are more subtle than the exterior with unique interior trims and colour combinations, an S-specific version of the company's 'Virtual Cockpit' 12.3-inch digital dials, embossed S logos, stainless steel pedals and aluminium door sill inlays. Amazon Alexa has also been integrated into the multimedia system for the first time in an Audi. Audi Australia spokesperson Shaun Cleary has confirmed with CarsGuide a “first half of 2020” local arrival for the SQ8 TDI. Pricing and specifications are yet to be announced, but expect a healthy premium over the $128,900 Q8 55 TFSI quattro.

Audi is reportedly developing a new small SUV to sit between existing Q2 and Q3 SUVs that will be based on the next-generation A3 small hatchback.According to a report from AutoExpress, Audi is looking to broaden its range of compact models to help with falling sales of the Q3, and give Q2 buyers a slight step up in size.The project is codenamed Cityhopper internally, and will see Audi apply the Allroad treatment to the A3 that is also used on the A4 and A6 Allroad - raised ride height, plastic bumpers and fender arches, and special badging will feature.However, Audi reportedly won’t use the Allroad name because the Cityhopper is expected to only be offered in front-wheel drive form. Instead of a heavy duty off-roader, it will be more of a cosmetic upgrade like the Ford Focus Active.Measuring around 4300mm in length, the Cityhopper will be 200mm shorter than a Q3, but crucially 110mm longer than a Q2.Under the body the Cityhopper will be the same as the new A3 and will be one of the first models to utilise the VW Group’s new MQB Evo platform, which is an upgraded version of the platform that sits underneath a plethora of cars, including the Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia and Audi TT.Engine choices in the Cityhopper will include a range of turbocharged petrol and diesel powerplants ranging from around 90kW to 165kW. Audi’s 48-volt mild-hybrid tech is likely to be made standard across the range to help further reduce fuel consumption.