Articles by James Cleary

Volkswagen’s EV assault continues with a new Tourer version of its mid-size ID.7 five-door hatch emerging overnight.

This week’s launch of Renault’s new-generation Megane E-Tech EV is the start of a determined product push for the famous French brand, with Renault Australia’s General manager, Glen Sealey confirming an impressive roster of new or updated passenger and light commercial models arriving here over the next 18 months.

It's the first Renault to wear the 'E-Tech' badge in Australia. The new-generation Megane is a handsome pure EV, small hatch. Yet another electric vehicle newcomer aiming to take a bite out of Tesla's market share as well as other Euros like Cupra and Volvo.

Lexus has added a third-row option to bring seven-seat capacity to Sports Luxury grades of its full-size LX SUV.

You probably know Ford’s Territory nameplate lives on, the most recent compact SUV version developed in China for the domestic market, with significant input from the Ford Australia design team in Broadmeadows.

BMW’s Head of Design, Domagoj Dukec, has released composite images of the i16 hybrid supercar, a replacement for the ground-breaking i8, that we now know missed the production green light courtesy of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

In line with Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda's drive to add more exciting, driver-focused product options to the brand's global line-up the new-generation MR2 mid-engine sports car appears to be on track for a 2026 release.

Chery’s mid-2023 re-emergence in the Australian market has seen the challenger brand go from strength-to-strength with the increasingly popular Omoda 5 small SUV leading the charge and the larger Tiggo 7 Pro SUV recently joining the line-up.But the Omoda 5 is now the subject of a safety recall due to a potential fault in its braking system, with all vehicles so-far sold in Australia impacted.According to an alert issued by the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts, “Due to a manufacturing defect, the bolt securing the brake pipe union may not have been tightened sufficiently. “This could cause the brake fluid to leak and result in reduced braking performance.”In a worst-case scenario the department says, “A reduction in braking performance could increase the risk of an accident resulting in serious injury or death to the vehicle occupants, pedestrians and other road users.”The recall relates to 5901 examples of the Omoda 5 across BX and EX grades, manufactured in 2022 and 2023. Chery recorded 5370 Omoda 5 registrations in 2023 with 515 units sold so far in 2024.It’s worth noting the Omoda 5 scored a maximum five-star ANCAP safety assessment against the independent body’s current testing criteria in late 2023.Omoda 5 owners are advised to contact their preferred Chery dealership to have their vehicle inspected and rectified free-of-charge.Available contact options regarding the recall are: Chery Customer Care - 1800 424 379 / recall@cherymotor.com.au.

January 1, 2024 marked a turning point for Hyundai SUV pricing, with the city-sized Venue and mid-size Tucson ticking up $500, before on-road costs, across all variants.

Kia Australia says “economic increases” are behind price rises for three of its most popular models, the Cerato small sedan and hatch, Seltos small SUV and mid-size Sportage SUV.