Articles by James Cleary

It’s on X, so it must be right… right? Tesla’s official account on the social media platform has made a post signalling October 1 this year as the launch date for the much-anticipated Tesla Roadster. Sceptics might say they’ll believe it when they see it because the triple-motor EV hypercar has been ‘coming soon’ for close to a decade. Unveiled in concept form as a surprise addition to the brand’s ‘Semi truck’ reveal in late 2017, the sleek 2+2 Roadster was positioned as the fastest production car ever, with a launch originally scheduled for 2020. Claimed to sprint from 0-97km/h (0-60mph) in 1.9 seconds with a maximum velocity of 400km/h-plus and a range in excess of 1000km, the AWD machine generated huge interest with an initial run of ‘Founder’s Edition’ models priced at US$250,000 (~A$350,000). Those putting their hand up for a car from that first batch were asked to pay the full price to reserve their production slot. Purchase of the standard Roadster at US$200,000 (~A$280,000) required a $50,000 deposit. Less than six months later, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced news of a ‘SpaceX Performance Pack’ using 10 cold-air thrusters powered by a high-pressure air tank (replacing the rear seats) to achieve sub-1.0-second 0-60mph acceleration. At the time, Musk said the car would provide "roller-coaster" intensity performance and briefly be able to "fly". With estimated delivery timing for the Roadster progressively slipping further into the future - to 2022 (thanks largely to COVID-19), then 2023, then 2024, then 2025 and most recently (no joke) April 1, 2026, this may be the time Tesla Roadster 2.0 rubber finally hits the road. Musk has previously thanked what he referred to as "long-suffering" Roadster deposit holders during Telsa’s Q3 2024 earnings call and in its Q4 2025 earnings update (released in January this year), Tesla noted the Roadster is in “the final stages of preparation” with Musk adding it would be showcased at a Roadster 2 demo event scheduled for April 1, with production to begin in 2027. Needless to say, that didn’t happen, with the joke seemingly still on those who stumped up a quarter of a million dollars for a Founder’s Edition Roadster nine long years ago. But documents lodged with the United States Patent & Trademark office in February this year indicated Tesla’s second-generation Roadster was getting ready for take-off with two ‘Trademark/service mark’ applications lodged by Tesla; “a triangle design consisting of three flowing, curved lines” creating a simplified impression of the car’s silhouette and “the word ROADSTER in stylized format”. Then in late April, an additional filing added a badge-style polygon logo, again, specifically for the Roadster.  Will this much-hyped, over-promised and so far under-delivered ‘new’ hypercar hit Tesla showrooms before celebrating a 10th birthday?  We might know in just a few weeks but the top comment on Tesla’s X post at the time of writing is telling with ‘Scott’ posting, “Perfect timing for my midlife crisis.”

Honda has jumped onboard the serious off-road bandwagon, releasing a tougher, lifted version of its all-wheel drive Passport SUV. It has been positioned as “the most off-road-capable SUV Honda has ever built”. Designed at the Honda Design Studio in California, developed at the Honda Automotive Development Centre in Ohio and produced at its main US plant in Alabama, the fourth-generation Passport debuted for the North American market early last year. The new Passport TrailSport has been reengineered for extra off-highway ability with upgrades including: Revised suspension with 245mm of ground clearance (+35mm) Increased approach, breakover and departure clearances Extra wheel articulation Amber hood scoop lights More pronounced fender flares Resculpted lower front fascia TrailWatch camera system General Grabber A/T Sport tyres In a launch statement Honda said, “Rather than simply adding taller springs (our) engineers comprehensively re-designed the 2027 Passport TrailSport suspension system to ensure proper geometry for desirable handling and ride characteristics, while substantially improving capability.  “Nearly 70 per cent of the major suspension components were redesigned, including springs, dampers, control arms, stabilizer bars and knuckles.  “The front driveshafts and front subframe were also redesigned to help facilitate the increased ride height and wheel travel.  “A total of 28 suspension and related chassis parts have been redesigned, reengineered or are otherwise new for the 2027 Passport TrailSport,” it said. And Honda was keen to point out the TrailSport’s ground clearance exceeds that of its main North American competitors, the amazingly-named Ford Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch, Subaru Outback Wilderness and Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road. At the same time, the Passport TrailSport’s TrailWatch camera system incorporates front, rear, side and 360-degree views as well as tyre placement graphics to help drivers navigate obstacles outside their natural line of sight. The Passport’s 3.5-litre, naturally aspirated V6 engine (built in Alabama) sends 213kW/355Nm to all four wheels via a 10-speed ‘shift-by-wire’ automatic transmission and Honda’s ‘i-VTM4’ variable torque management all-wheel drive system. Interestingly, the Passport TrailSport, in top-spec Elite trim, will be exported from the USA to Japan from early 2027. But sadly for Aussie off-roaders, that doesn’t mean the export cars will be produced in right-hand drive. Rather they will arrive in Japan in left-hand drive as LHD cars are legally allowed on Japanese roads without restrictions. And much as the Passport TrailSport would fill a yawning gap in Honda Australia’s local line-up, the company is on the record saying it has no plans to launch the car Down Under.

We now know the truth about how long a car battery will last. Austrian battery diagnostics specialist Aviloo has worked out which vehicles perform best when it comes to an EV battery’s state of health (SoH) over time and distance. In its 2026 Certified EV Battery Report the company has analysed more than 500,000 Aviloo ‘Flash Test’ results from 2022 to 2026 across 20 high-volume electric car models in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia to determine the best performers. The flash test is a three-minute diagnostic check that assesses the health and performance of an electric vehicle's high-voltage traction battery. Rather than registering a value reported by the car's on-board battery management system, the flash test “independently calculates SoH using a statistical model trained on hundreds of thousands of comparable used vehicles, factoring in mileage, age, (charge) cycle count, cell voltage spread, energy counters and other diagnostic signals.” In releasing its results Aviloo made the point that, buyers of used internal-combustion cars rely on odometer readings and service records, but was not the most accurate way to tell an EV battery's state.  “The battery is the single most expensive component of an electric car, and the one with the widest variation from vehicle to vehicle. “Two used electric cars with 50,000 kilometres on the odometer might present in what appears to be identical condition but can differ by up to 10 percentage points in battery SoH,” it said. The data reflects three mileage milestones (50,000, 100,000 and 150,000 kilometres), identifying the SoH range covering 99 percent of all independently tested vehicles of that model.  The company made the point, “Battery health varied within each of the 20 models tested, between models and, above all, between individual vehicles of the same model. An average per model therefore says little about a specific car. "SoH can vary by up to 13.5 percentage points between the best and weakest examples of the same model,” it said. As a result the median serves as the reference point in each case. The spread across the 20 models tested was already clear at the 50,000km mark with four examples highlighted for more detailed analysis in line with their different sizes, typical use and battery types. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 had the best SoH of the four models, with range barely falling from 335 to 321km and a spread of 37 kilometres between the extremes recorded. As one of Europe’s best-selling EVs, the VW ID.4’s potential range fell from 373 to 355km, with up to 44km between the best and the weakest vehicle at 150,000km. The Tesla Model Y, the world's best-selling car for the last three years, saw its real-world range fall from 379 to 361km at 150,000km, with a 46-kilometre difference between the best and the weakest example tested. The Nissan Nissan Leaf ZE1, with the smallest (40kWh) battery of the four models highlighted the finding that smaller batteries with more frequent charging cycles age faster on average.  Across all three mileage levels analysed, the Nissan had the lowest SoH of the four models examined in detail, with its real-world range dropping from 195 to 185km. Other models that performed well after 150,000km travelled were the Mercedes-Benz EQA (93.97 SoH), BMW i4 (93.62), Hyundai Kona EV (92.95), Volvo XC40 Recharge (92.79), Ford Mustang Mach-E (92.53) and Polestar 2 (92.46). Some that didn't fare as well were the Renault Zoe (87.33) and Tesla Model 3 (88.94). Commenting on the report Aviloo CEO Dr. Marcus Berger said, “The truth in this data is that averages hide a lot.  “Yes, electric car batteries age better than the myth of rapid wear suggests, but that is not the most important finding.  “What matters is that battery health varies widely between models, and even more widely between individual vehicles of the same model,” he said. The Aviloo Certified EV Battery Report will now be published twice a year, drawing on the company’s global diagnostics database, which holds more than one million independent tests. 

Automotive propulsion specialist Horse Powertrain has pushed the boundaries for off-road enthusiasts with the release of what it’s positioning as a “fully waterproof engine”, the Horse B20.  Not quite ready for James Bond’s Lotus Esprit submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me, but its claimed ability to operate at depths of up to 1.1 metres is still extremely impressive. Developed for “extreme off-road vehicles and deep-water wading”, the B20 is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, ‘Miller cycle’ turbo-petrol engine designed for hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and range-extender (REEV) applications. Horse says it’s “fully compliant with IPX8 (Ingress Protection) waterproofing standards” and is also capable of maintaining continuous and stable power output under extreme off-road high-load conditions including 100 per cent grade climbing. To achieve an IPX8 waterproof rating, the engine uses a sealed waterproof structure equipped with torsional vibration dampers and dedicated engine-transmission sealing. And when the engine is submerged its control system makes automatic adjustments to power output or throttle response.  Available outputs range from 140-185kW and 300-380Nm, with the B20 featuring high-pressure injectors and high-tumble intake ports for an optimal air-fuel mixing and more efficient combustion. Weighing in at a lightweight 130kg, the new engine’s gantry-type alloy block incorporates an integrated exhaust manifold and a simplified balance shaft system for reliable performance in arduous conditions. Introducing the B20, Horse Powertrain Deputy Chief Technology Officer Ingo Scholten said, “This engine is another step forward in advancing modern powertrain technology and a further example of how Horse Powertrain is pushing our industry forward.” Previewed at the Beijing Auto Show in April/May this year, the B20 engine recently found a home under the bonnet of the China-only Geely Galaxy Cruiser 700, an off-road-focused PHEV which also features the Horse ‘3DHT230’ three-speed hybrid transmission. Headquartered in London, Horse Powertrain is a joint-venture between Renault Group (45 per cent), Geely (45 per cent) and Aramco Energy (10 per cent).

Audi's new A2 is a follow-up act 20 years in the making. This time around the A2 is a pure-electric e-tron model, claimed to be the most energy-efficient in the German brand’s history. Its predecessor, the compact, all-alloy people mover-style A2 hatch produced from 2000 to 2005 didn’t exactly catch fire in terms of sales thanks to a relatively high price and its upright, high-waisted design. But the all-new A2 e-tron is a more conventional crossover-style hatch with an ultra-slippery drag coefficient of 0.24. At global launch the car is offered across four power levels - 125kW, 140kW, 170kW and 240kW - matched with one of three batteries - 52, 61 or 84kWh. All are rear-wheel drive, powered by a single permanently excited synchronous motor.  The entry-grade A2 e-tron 125kW has the 52kWh battery onboard and with an energy consumption rating of 13.7kWh/100km boasts a WLTP range of up to 423km. At the top end, the A2 e-tron 240kW is fitted with the largest 84kWh battery, consumes 14.2kWh/100km and has an official WLTP range figure of up to 630km. But the A2 e-tron 140kW fitted with an optional efficiency package has a WLTP-measured consumption of 12.8kWh/100km, making it “the most efficient Audi ever”. Tech highlights include (optional) bi-directional charging - Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) - DC fast-charging capacity of up to 183kW, Audi Assistant (with artificial intelligence) and the ‘Audi Connected Work’ suite including Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams and an AI-based Work Agent. A standard 12.8-inch curved multimedia touchscreen is paired with an 11.9-inch cockpit display and the magnetic Fidlock fastening system is included to provide “smart organisation and modular storage solutions”. On the environmental front, Audi said, depending on configuration, the Audi A2 e-tron features more than 300 components made from recycled materials, including steel, aluminium and plastics.  More than 100 components use post-consumer recycled materials and the car has been developed with end-of-life recycling and reuse as a key focus. Introducing the new A2 Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said, “The A2 e-tron is more than a new model: It represents Audi’s renewal.  “It shows how we are rethinking premium for Europe: using resources more intelligently without compromising on quality, technology, or customer experience,” he said.  European orders for the new A2 are already open with deliveries scheduled to begin in December.   In Germany, the A2 e-tron 125kW is priced from €38,200 (~A$61,600), rising to €51,200 (~A$82,600) for the A2 e-tron 240kW flagship.

Already the world’s biggest carmaker by sales, Toyota is looking to massively increase profit through post-purchase options including software updates, a focus on genuine spare parts and used car sales. That’s according to a report from NikkeiAsia, which said Toyota is aiming to lift profit generated outside new car sales by 40 per cent by 2030. That would represent a figure of ¥3 trillion (~A$26.7 billion) in that financial year with the Japanese giant identifying growth opportunities from the roughly 150 million Toyotas already on the road globally. To put that targeted increase (from the ¥2.1 trillion recorded for the Japanese financial year ending March 2026) into perspective, it would be equivalent to about 80 per cent of Toyota's current annual consolidated operating profit. The report notes an increasing number of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) on the road globally, which are able to be enhanced via over-the-air (OTA) software updates, upgrading or adding features including safety tech, multimedia functionality and powertrain calibration. Toyota's SDV strategy is underpinned by Arene, a software platform developed by the brand’s in-house tech subsidiary, Woven by Toyota, which its CEO Hajime Kumabe describes as “Toyota’s tugboat into the future”. Toyota has launched a paid service that allows GR Yaris and GR Corolla owners to add a cooling function for the electronic control system of their car via a smartphone app. And it’s worth noting the latest-generation RAV4 features the company’s proprietary Arene software platform. But Toyota must surely be aware of BMW’s chequered history with software-based subscription sales.  The German maker’s focus on ‘in-car commerce’ emerged in 2022 in parallel with the proliferation of automotive subscription services and the increasing efficiency of over-the-air updates. Pitching monthly fees in a variety of markets for everything from heated seats and remote engine start to adaptive cruise control and Apple CarPlay was not well received by existing and prospective BMW owners. In fact, a consumer backlash based on peoples’ perception they were paying to unlock a function or capability already present in the car they’d bought led to low take-up rates and the company has subsequently eliminated ‘paywalling’ physical, built-in hardware features.  As well as OTA update-driven sales, the report said Toyota will broaden its spare parts business globally. A recently opened warehouse in Belgium has created a structure that enables parts supply from 16 regional hub warehouses to 50 countries. And in markets like Italy and eastern Europe, where average car ownership is a lengthy 15 years, Toyota plans to ramp up and promote its spare parts supply capabilities. Additional emphasis on lower-priced used cars is also set to lift Toyota Japanese domestic used-car sales from the current 350,000 to 550,000 units by 2030.

Believe it or not, the VW Group’s Spanish subsidiary, Seat, was officially on sale in Australia in the late 1990s with the Toledo liftback, Ibiza small hatch and its Cordoba sedan sibling. And although they never came here, at that stage Cupra was the umbrella under which the brand’s performance variants were marketed. Now, in a case of the offspring outmaneuvering its parent, it looks like Seat is about to be the Volkswagen Group’s first brand casualty as the German giant’s financial woes continue. According to overnight reports out of Europe, VW is considering retiring the Seat brand by 2029 to focus on the future of Cupra, a stand-alone subsidiary for the past eight years. The Autocar report claims the proposal has been approved by Volkswagen's management board, and is due to go before the supervisory board for final sign-off tonight, our time (Friday, September 4). Cupra has sold more than one million cars worldwide so far, now comfortably outselling Seat domestically and globally with the former delivering a record 170,100 cars during the first half of 2026, compared to the latter’s 129,600. The retirement plan would see Seat disappear from Volkswagen Group's brand portfolio by the end of the decade (at which point it will have been in existence for 80 years) with financial resources then concentrated on Cupra. Seat currently offers a three model line-up in its domestic market - the Ibiza small hatch, Arona small crossover-style SUV and larger Leon in hatch and Sportstourer form. There’s been no response from the Volkswagen Group’s Wolfsburg HQ other than a spokesperson telling Autocar, “Internal documents are discussed and approved by the appropriate bodies and that the company wouldn't pre-empt that process.” Seat Cupra UK was more forthcoming, however, saying in a statement, “The entire industry, including the Volkswagen Group and, of course, Seat SA, is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by our commitment to electrification. "The global context has changed significantly, with a strong impact on the automotive sector, particularly over the past year.  “Therefore the Volkswagen Group is working on a transformation plan for the entire Group business to strengthen its competitiveness and efficiency. "The goal is to make the entire Volkswagen Group and respective entities more efficient and leaner and to capture technological synergy potential consistently. “This strategy has been discussed in several supervisory board meetings. "No decisions have been taken at this stage. We will inform (you) about any strategic decisions affecting Seat SA in due time," it said. The report makes the telling point that Volkswagen maintaining two Spanish brands increasingly means spending money developing, marketing and distributing cars that often compete for the same customers. So, the duplication appears ripe for rationalisation as the Volkswagen Group embarks on a massive restructuring program. At the company’s Annual General Meeting in June this year, VW Group Chairman of the Board of Management Dr. Oliver Blume told shareholders significant job cuts are coming in the face of “conflict in the Middle East, shrinking market volumes and increasingly intense competition.” Not to mention US tariffs costing the group a reported €5 billion (~A$8 billion) annually because VW Group built factories in Mexico for export to the U.S, built to take advantage of the free-trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada have become uneconomic. “We don’t earn enough money with our products. Developing a world car in Germany, producing it in Europe and selling it globally – our business model that was successful for decades – no longer works today.” At that stage Blume said, “For Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and our software subsidiary CARIAD we have agreed to cut the number of jobs in Germany by some 50,000 by 2030.” And subsequently, Automotive News Europe reported Blume was expected to ask the group’s supervisory board to approve cutting 100,000 jobs (15 percent of the current workforce), in what is potentially the biggest restructuring in modern German corporate history.

With the aim of putting the once dreaded concept of ‘range anxiety’ firmly in the rear view mirrors it seems electric vehicle hypermiling is a key promotional focus for carmakers around the world. Skoda is the latest brand to wring an extreme number of kilometres from a single EV battery charge, with a team of drivers pushing the recently introduced pure-electric Skoda Peaq seven-seat SUV 936km from the company’s Mladá Boleslav headquarters in northern Czechia, north-west through Germany to the Netherlands. The recently introduced Peaq already has an impressive WLTP-rated combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) range figure of 647 kilometres. Somehow the car’s 91kWh battery was able to cough up an additional 289km of range, setting a new seven-seat EV range record in the process. The run was supervised by certification authority TÜV SÜD with average energy use coming in at 9.2kWh/100km, an exceptional number for a fully-equipped, three-row SUV weighing in excess of two tonnes. Despite its close to 4.9-metre overall length the Czech maker’s new flagship boasts a drag-coefficient of 0.249, which surely assisted in the distance attempt. Skoda said company employees, Marek Jež and Jakub Krs, wanted to test themselves and the new SUV’s range potential. “The aim was to demonstrate what the technology can achieve when pushed to its limits. To maximise the range, we selected the most suitable route and, of course, adapted our driving style accordingly,” said Jakub Krs (Head of high-voltage battery strategy at Škoda Auto). “In everyday use, customers are unlikely to drive the car this way.  Instead, they will take advantage of everything the Peaq has to offer in terms of driving dynamics, onboard infotainment and comfort,” added Marek Jež (Head of the Peaq model series). The car was a stock Peaq 90 which features the 91kWh traction battery (86kWh net), a single 210kW motor driving the rear wheels and its 19-inch wheels were shod with standard low-rolling-resistance rubber. Departing Mladá Boleslav (where the Peaq is produced) at midday on Tuesday August 25, the record team took breaks to change drivers, rest and eat before reaching the Netherlands early on the morning of Wednesday August 26. The big seven-seat electric SUV is expected to land in Australia in 2027, where it would complement the mid-size Enyaq and compact Elroq electric SUVs in Skoda's expanding local EV range. Based on European pricing it will likely sit above the $80,000 mark here, sending a shot across the bows of existing electric three-row SUVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 9 ($119,750) and Kia EV9 ($97,000), both before on-road costs.

After a small ($210) price adjustment across its Qashqai range in August, this month Nissan Australia has dropped the sporty N-Design grade from the small SUV’s local line-up. The out-going flagship was based on the mid-tier Ti spec, adding a panoramic glass roof, hands-free power tailgate, head-up display, 20-inch alloy rims and Alcantara trim on the seats, dash and door panels.  It featured the same e-Power hybrid powertrain as the rest of the range, consisting of a 116kW/250Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine used solely to charge the car’s 2.1kWh lithium-ion battery/inverter and power the electric drive motor. Price at the time of the N-Design’s departure was $54,350, before on-road costs, with the top-spec role now taken by the Qashqai Ti-L e-Power at $53,850, BOC. A Nissan spokesperson told CarsGuide, “The decision was primarily linked to its wheels, which were a key differentiating feature of the N-Design grade and have now been adopted on the Ti-L from MY26.5.” Blind-spot monitoring Rear cross-traffic alert Lane-keep assist Seven airbags LED exterior lights Dual-zone climate control Cloth seats Walk-to/away central locking Adaptive cruise control 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen 12.3-inch instrument display Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Phone charger Native sat-nav Six speaker audio Front parking sensors 360-degree camera view 18-inch alloy wheels 19-inch alloy wheels (black) Synthetic leather seats Eight-way power driver's seat Heated steering wheel Heated front seats Customisable ambient lighting 20-inch alloy wheels Premium quilted leather-accented seats 10-speaker Bose audio Panoramic glass roof (with electric shade) 10.8-inch windscreen head-up display 

Lexus has unveiled an upgraded version of its NX mid-size SUV featuring subtle design tweaks, a revised hybrid system and new battery tech as well as improved body rigidity and better ride quality. Offered across 300h, 350h and 450h+ variants in Japan, it’s likely the same line-up will be offered locally when the new car hits Aussie showrooms in the first part of 2027. The 300h is a 2.0-litre, front-wheel drive series-parallel hybrid with an overall output of 145kW, the 350h is a 2.5-litre hybrid in front- or all-wheel drive producing 140-180kW, with the 2.5L AWD plug-in hybrid flagship 450h+ delivering 215-240kW (with an EV-only driving range of 140km in Japan).  At 4690mm, the new NX is 30mm longer than the model it replaces with width (1865mm), height (1660mm) and wheelbase (2690mm) unchanged.  An exterior design refresh includes integrating reshaped headlights and DRLs with a raised mesh grille which is claimed to improve aero and cooling performance.  Car-spotters should also look out for exterior mirror covers in black rather than chrome and LED tail-lights featuring a ‘Double L Signature’ graphic. Inside, a 12.3-inch instrument display is joined by a 14-inch navigation/multimedia panel with a ‘Sensory Concierge’ combining ‘linear illumination’, music, air conditioning, seat temperature, fragrance and ‘indirect lighting’ to “create a calm and sophisticated atmosphere.” The new car’s compact ‘e-Axle’ which integrates the transaxle, motor and PCU (Power Control Unit) now uses silicon carbide (SiC) in the inverter's power elements to enhance efficiency and improve fuel economy. At the same time the flagship NX450h+ features a new battery pack boasting eight per cent higher output and a 30 per cent capacity increase for additional range and even faster DC charging. By changing battery cell orientation from longitudinal to lateral, body rigidity has been improved and the car’s centre of gravity lowered for improved handling dynamics. Torsional strength has also been improved across the board through “reshaping of the engine block and increased rigidity of the transaxle and engine connection using reinforcing materials.” This also contributes to reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Floor rigidity has been improved by approximately 25 per cent and the suspension towers have been integrated more thoroughly with connected components. The claim is a 30 per cent improvement in overall rigidity “resulting in improved handling, ride comfort and reduced road noise.” In fact, Lexus said the new NX’s performance characteristics have been fine-tuned at the Toyota Technical Centre Shimoyama, west of Tokyo and Germany's Nürburgring. New dampers feature ‘ultra low-speed valves’ for a better balance between handling response and ride comfort. The variable-ratio steering set-up has been recalibrated to adjust to changing demands faster and accelerator control has been revised for a more linear response. The steering wheel itself is also 10mm smaller in diameter. Standard wheels are 18-inch alloy shod with 235/60 rubber with F Sport grades stepping up to 20-inch rims and 235/50 tyres. Active (crash-avoidance) safety has also been “evolved to recognize objects more broadly and from a greater distance, expanding the range of accident scenarios it can address.” Other safety systems have also been upgraded, including: Active cruise control Lane-change assist Pre-collision safety Driver monitoring Adaptive high-beam Blind-spot monitoring Panoramic overhead 3D view  Pricing and exact specification will be confirmed closer to the new car’s launch date but for reference the existing line-up starts at $71,830, before on-road costs, for the 350h 2WD Luxury and tops out at $96,090, BOC, for the 450h+ F Sport.