Articles by James Cleary

After it received Federal Government approval for local sale this week, a Hyundai Australia spokesperson has told CarsGuide its second-generation (NH2) Nexo fuel cell electric SUV is “launching Down Under in 2026”.

It’s one of those under the table automotive dark arts everyone knows is an industry norm but is rarely spoken about publicly.But Xiaomi Founder and CEO Lei Jun hasn’t held back in describing his company’s detailed analysis of the Tesla Model Y during development of the brand’s YU7 EV SUV.This week, while delivering his annual speech at the Beijing National Convention Centre, Mr Jun confirmed the Xiaomi engineering team had acquired not one but three Tesla Model Ys for the express purpose of disassembly and forensic analysis of every component. And it’s a safe bet the Model 3 underwent a similar breakdown process as part of the Xiaomi SU7 sedan’s production program.Showing multiple side-by-side comparison slides of the YU7 and Model Y Mr Jun said, “We bought three Model Ys at the start of this year, disassembling the parts one by one, and studied every component, one at a time.”And in the face of massive supply shortages resulting from a huge order backlog for the recently released YU7, Mr Lei was effusive in his praise for Tesla's top-selling model and encouraged prospective Xiaomi buyers to consider it. “If you don’t choose YU7, you can consider Model Y. I’m not criticizing the Model Y. The Model Y is a very, very outstanding car,” he said.Within 18 hours of the YU7’s mid-year launch, Xiaomi said it had received around 240,000 orders, with the waiting list quickly pushing out to as much as 12 months. On social media Jun has also recommended the Xpeng G7 and Li Auto i8 as worthwhile YU7 alternatives. Already established as a large-scale global consumer electronics maker and software developer (it’s currently the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer), Xiaomi unveiled the single- and dual-motor SU7 EV sedan in 2024, with the YU7 SUV following this year.The tri-motor SU7 Ultra, currently the fastest EV around the Nurburgring Nordschleife and claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.0 seconds, was recently spotted exiting Ferrari’s Maranello HQ, sparking speculation it’s being benchmarked in the development of the Prancing Horse’s upcoming pure-electric model.And a similarly focused version of the YU7, likely to be called YU7 GT, is expected soon, with a heavily camouflaged version of the car already spotted circulating on the famous German road circuit.   

Chinese Dyson-rival to enter ultra luxury car space.

Chinese auto giant Chery may have kick-started the Chinese push into the Aussie new-car market, but in recent years a slew of other challengers from China have joined it.How’s this for a laundry list of newcomers within the last few years? BYD, Deepal, Foton, Geely, a ramped up GWM Haval, JAC, Jaecoo, LDV, Leapmotor, MG, Omoda, Smart, XPeng and Zeekr, with Aion, Avatr, GAC, Jetour, Lepas, Lynk & Co, Skywell and others waiting in the wings.Phew! Talk about an onslaught… and that’s not even taking into account other arrivals like Cupra from Spain, a reinvigorated Mahindra from India and a reborn Smart from Germany (via China).So, as an established competitor in this market do you adopt a siege mentality, pull the doona over your head and hope it all goes away or embrace the fluidity and look for opportunity in chaos?Clearly Skoda Australia Director Lucie Kuhn is an opportunity seeker because when recently asked about the dynamics of the current market, she told CarsGuide, “The Chinese will be with us. We can’t avoid it.“I think it is obvious that for every OEM in the Australian market right now the situation will be quite challenging. “But it will be for everyone, it’s not only for Skoda. It will also be for the big players a challenge to face mainly an influx from China.“It’s a matter of how you take this topic. Do you perceive it as a threat or an opportunity?” she said.And Kuhn sees Skoda’s relatively small scale as a potential advantage.“When you operate in rather niche volumes the threat of getting somehow harmed is smaller than maybe for the brands that have really significant market share.“The Chinese will grow pretty strong and get their market share; this is obvious. The next three years will be intensive for everyone.” And when asked if the brand’s ‘clever’ positioning still does enough to stand the Czech brand apart with so many new players coming in, her position is clear.“We believe so. I think in (the next three years) we have something to offer, to empower the brand, to increase the awareness, to offer this European value, consistency in products, safety, servicing, the customer experience that is around it. “I am quite sure that we will keep going and growing our sales, as well,” she said. And with a recent product refresh up and down the local Skoda range her confidence appears to be well placed.New products coming into the local Skoda portfolio include the recently launched MY26 Kodiaq (now with a flagship RS version), updated Octavia RS, fourth-gen Superb and the just-arrived Elroq compact EV SUV arriving in tandem with the updated Enyaq medium EV SUV.And soon enough they will be joined by the city-sized Epiq EV SUV and a production version of the large three-row Vision 7S, both confirmed for Australian sale by 2027.

Toyota Australia has released an ‘Aero Performance Package’ option for the flagship GTS grade of its rally-inspired GR Yaris hot hatch.Scheduled to arrive towards the end of this year, the new treatment includes a large duct and grille on the hood to enhance engine cooling, a manually adjustable rear spoiler, a lip spoiler on the nose, fender ducts located between the front wheels and doors as well as ducts on each side of the rear bumper and a new floor undercover to smooth airflow under the car. According to Toyota, design of the new elements has been directly influenced by the brand’s current involvement in the Japanese Rally Championship and Super Taikyu endurance racing, with input from professional driver Kazuya Oshima (who also competes in Super Formula and Super GT categories in Japan).Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the new Aero Performance Package showed how learnings in motorsport fed into the development of Toyota sports cars.“We’ve always said that Toyota Gazoo Racing expertise is used to make ever-better production cars and the GR Yaris GTS Aero Performance Package is clear evidence of just that.“These upgrades make the dynamic GR Yaris even more potent, helping to increase grip, braking and overall performance, while also adding some serious visual flair,” he said.The GR Yaris is powered by a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine sending 221kW/400Nm to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox or eight-speed automatic transmission and Toyota’s ‘GR-Four’ AWD system. Claimed combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel economy is 8.2L/100km for the manual and 9.1L/100km for the auto. The 50-litre fuel tank should be filled with 98 RON premium fuel.Leather and suede accented heated sports front seatsEight-speaker JBL audio (with digital radio)Climate control air conditioningLeather-trimmed heated steering wheelLED headlights, DRLs & tail-lights12.3-inch digital instrument display8.0-inch multimedia touchscreenSatellite navigationAlloy pedal covers18-inch BBS forged alloy wheelsMichelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres (225/40)High-performance suspensionFront and rear Torsen LSDGlacier WhiteLiquid MercuryTarmac BlackFeverish RedWhile the Toyota Yaris has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2020, the GR Yaris (which launched in Australia in 2021) is unrated. But standard active and passive safety is comprehensive.Active cruise controlLane Departure AlertPre-Collision Safety SystemRoad Sign AssistLane Trace AssistAuto high beamBlind Spot Monitor & Safe Exit AssistReversing camera (with guidelines)Front & rear parking sensorsRear cross-traffic alertSix airbagsThe Yaris GR is covered by Toyota Australia’s five-year/unlimited km warranty. If your car is serviced on schedule at an authorised Toyota dealer, powertrain cover is extended to seven years. Emergency assistance is included for seven years. Service interval is six months/10,000km with each service costing $310 over the first five years.The GR Yaris is 3995mm long, 1805mm wide and 1455mm tall with a 2560mm wheelbase.

From European airports and Asian defence forces to US retailers and Australian telcos cyber attacks continue to wreak commercial and personal havoc around the globe.

KGM Australia (formerly SsangYong Australia) has received a tick of approval from the Federal Government for the local appearance of a pure-electric version of its Musso dual cab ute.

It might still be two years away from a scheduled appearance in Porsche showrooms but the German maker’s upcoming ‘K1’ upper large SUV has taken a late turn away from pure-electric propulsion to include internal-combustion (ICE) in its powertrain portfolio.

Skoda Australia has added the finishing touch to its new, second-generation Kodiaq line-up with confirmed pricing and specification for the RS performance flagship version of the large, seven-seat SUV.

While the Toyota Corolla has sailed over 13,000 year-to-date sales (end-August) and its nearest small car rivals, the Hyundai i30 and Mazda3 both sit above the 7000 unit mark, the Skoda Scala is yet to hit triple figures and the Czech brand’s local boss has confirmed it is “under investigation” in terms of a continued presence in the Australian market.Only 97 examples of the wagon-style hatchback have found homes here so far this year, which is down 63 per cent on the same period in 2024.And when asked if the model was under review Skoda Australia Director Lucie Kuhn recently told CarsGuide, “We are right now analysing the product.“It’s actually a very good product. I would say it’s a nice car, very practical for daily usage but the car has limited sales. “It is very interesting, I would say, for rental car companies, but for private users they go in the direction of Kamiq when they make a choice.“So, it’s currently under investigation what we will do with the product. But for now it’s still with us,“ she said.The Scala review comes at a pivotal time for Skoda in Australia, with YTD sales just over 22 per cent down compared to the same period in 2024, which was itself 29 per cent behind 2023 numbers.But Ms Kuhn points to an inflow of new product which she believes will right the ship and have sales increasing strongly within the next 12 months.“In the last two years the product portfolio was coming to the end of its life. And at the beginning of this year we started the change of the portfolio and selling out the older cars. “(We are) now in the middle of our work where we finally manage to sell out the old-generation cars and we are on-boarding the new ones that are currently available.“We have everything new, all new, plus electric which is a completely new area where we haven’t been so active before,” she said. As well as a relatively low profile, comparative pricing may be playing a part in the Skoda Scala’s sales performance. Starting at $33,990 drive-away for the 1.0-litre Select, rising to $45,990 D/A for the 1.5L Monte Carlo, pricing is some way ahead of the dominant segment players.The Hyundai i30 and Toyota Corolla ranges include sub-$30K base models (before on-road costs), but when asked if Skoda might execute a smaller volume, higher profit margin strategy in similar fashion to Honda and Mazda, Kuhn is emphatic.“We started eight months ago where we actually wanted to make our portfolio more affordable to more customers. “So, rather than more top versions like RS, we extended the range. That’s why we have the Select range. We also have the packages which are between Sportline and Select.“The portfolio is more affordable for the customers than it used to be in the past,” she said.