Articles by James Cleary

Having confirmed Australian specification just last month, Chery has now set local pricing for its two-model Omoda E5 line-up, the new EV SUV applying the price thumb screws to established players in the small and medium EV SUV segments.

You've set a new-car budget ceiling of $30,000. Your preference is for a small five-door hatch rather than the ubiquitous 'compact SUV' and with fuel price surges now a painfully regular part of life you like the idea of a hybrid.

It looks like the already swelling ranks of mid-size hybrid SUVs is set to expand even further with the emergence of a Subaru trademark for the name ‘e-Outback’ pointing to an upcoming electrified version of the evergreen Aussie family favourite.As reported by AutoGuide Subaru has registered the term e-Outback with the Japan Patent Office, a clear signal a new variant of the five-seat crossover wagon could be heading our way sooner rather than later.While it’s possible an e-Outback would follow the path already established by ‘e-Boxer’ mild-hybrid Subaru Crosstrek and Forester models it’s more likely the newcomer will adopt a full series-parallel hybrid powertrain as used so successfully in its corporate cousin, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.Toyota owns 20 per cent of Subaru (as well as smaller stakes in other Japanese carmakers like Isuzu, Mazda and Suzuki) and technology, even model sharing, is common between the two brands.Already, shared models like the Subaru Solterra / Toyota bZ4X BEV twins and the long-established BRZ / GR86 sports cars are in market here and Subaru is on the record saying future Subaru hybrids would start to adopt Toyota's drivetrain technology.Reports out of Japan point to an upgraded version of the Crosstrek small crossover using hybrid tech from the Toyota Corolla Cross could arrive before the end of this year with a revised Forester featuring a Toyota-sourced hybrid powertrain set for launch in Japan in Q2 2025.A complete move away from Subaru’s focus on horizontally-opposed ‘flat’ engines would be a marketing challenge and it’s likely the e-Outback will retain its boxer engine and adopt Toyota’s hybrid transaxle in place of the current CVT auto.Of course, another, less likely scenario is the e-Outback arrives as a pure battery-electric  vehicle, but conflict with the Solterra would seemingly rule that possibility out.Powered by a (138kW/245Nm) 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder engine in its three lower grades and a (183kW/350Nm) 2.4-litre turbo four in top-spec XT trim the current Outback returns between 7.3 and 9.0L/100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption cycle.By comparison, the RAV4, which dominates the medium SUV segment and is now offered in hybrid form only, boasts an official combined cycle figure of just 4.7L/100km.CarsGuide has contacted Subaru Australia for comment on the e-Outback’s potential for the local market and this story will be updated in line with any response. 

Denza Z9 EV and hybrid to monster Porsche

The Cross Turismo is the wagon version of Porsche’s Taycan electric performance luxury sedan and there are three versions offered in Australia, the Taycan 4 ($197,400), Taycan 4S ($223,400) and Turbo ($309,800). All prices are before on-road costs.

Despite the Taycan being a pure-electric vehicle Porsche applies its iconic ‘Turbo’ designation to the most powerful twin motor versions of the car. And this is the range’s performance flagship until the Turbo GT arrives in the third quarter of 2024.

Despite the Taycan being a pure-electric vehicle Porsche applies its iconic ‘Turbo’ designation to the most powerful twin motor versions of the car.

Cost-of-entry to the ‘one-from-base’ Taycan 4S is $215,700. Highlight spec additions include ambient lighting, soft-close doors and an ‘Intelligent Range Manager’ which uses the nav and onboard systems to optimise energy use.

The current (first) generation Porsche Taycan, the German brand's first pure-electric car, has reached mid life. But far from suffering a crisis it's been upgraded with more power so it's even faster. It also charges more rapidly with an extended range and a cosmetic refresh. The dynamics have been tweaked and the standard features list has lengthened as prices have gone up. Take a ride with us.

With Porsche soon to celebrate the fifth birthday of its ground-breaking Taycan performance EV sedan and wagon, the storied German carmaker is confident its future EV strategy is on track.