Articles by John Law

You’d be forgiven if you’ve never heard of Zeekr but you’ve probably heard of another brand under the Geely umbrella such as Volvo and Polestar.

Polestar is offering a whole pile of money off its electric car as the Chinese-owned Swedish EV specialist looks to shift more metal in Australia. Far from calling it a ‘discount’ – the brand doesn’t like the word – the lower Polestar pricing is valid for orders placed until June 9, 2024 and savings add up to a maximum $15,000. An end-of-financial year special, the offer is also only valid on vehicles delivered by June 30.It brings the price-of-entry of a base Polestar 2 Standard Range Single Motor (SRSM, 546km driving range) to $62,400 before on-road costs – a saving of $5000 making the Polestar $3500 dearer than a Tesla Model 3 RWD. But you can make the deal even better if you forego any options.Omit the popular Pilot pack ($3500), Plus pack ($6000) and Performance pack ($9000, Dual Motor only) for a Pure Spec and Polestar will give you another $5000 cash back after on-road costs. This applies to all grades.Pure Spec models can have 20-inch alloy wheels added. Polestar is also offering $7500 off the base price of Long Range Single Motor (LRSM, 655km driving range) and a whopping $10,000 off the 310kW Long Range Dual Motor (593km driving range). Any option pack can be added and you’ll still receive cash off the price.While the base car’s price is enticing, it’s the fact you can get a 310kW AWD sedan that hits 100km/h from rest in 4.5 seconds for effectively $61,400 before you factor in on-road costs that’s most exciting. It means the Polestar even undercuts BYD’s Seal Performance. Polestar is the latest carmaker to usher in drastic savings to promote EV sales ahead of the end of financial year. BYD cut $8000 from Atto 3 demonstrators, Tesla carved margin from its whole range, Peugeot knocked a third off its e-2008 SUV (which is now sold out) and Nissan chopped a chunk from Leaf pricing.Polestar has delivered 448 examples of its 2 lifted sedan this year, short of the BMW i4 (663) and a long way adrift of Tesla’s dominant Model 3 sedan (6865). The price cut comes as a surprise after Polestar Australia Managing Director Samantha Johnson told CarsGuide “we don’t do discounts” at the updated sedan's launch in August 2023.It remains to be seen if cheaper prices will increase local sales of the Polestar 2.Polestar 2 pricing (before on-road costs, valid until June 9, 2024) 

Toyota and Subaru’s technological partnerships continue to grow following the introduction of second-gen GR86/BRZ and first ever electric models the bZ4X and Solterra.Subaru’s sixth-generation Forester, already on sale in North America, will use a Toyota hybrid system from 2025 and there’s suggestion the Crosstrek small SUV will also use the so-called ‘strong hybrid’ as soon as 2024.A report from Japanese newspaper Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun suggests Subaru could implement a Toyota hybrid system in the current Crosstrek this year, as it targets a hybrid sales share of 70 per cent in Japan by 2030 – with the remainder to be EV. This does go against Subaru’s global commitment to roll out strong hybrids from 2025, however the report might be suggesting the technology will be unveiled later this year before '25 production.The new Forester is expected to be the first Subaru sold in Australia with a Toyota-sourced battery along with other high-voltage electric components allied with Subaru’s signature flat-four ‘boxer’ engine layout. Exact details are still to be determined. "We're very excited about that - I've always said with next-gen Forester it's our number-one selling model in Australia, so we need to put our best foot forward - we believe that strong hybrid technology will be a big shot in the arm", Subaru Australia Managing Director Blair Read told CarsGuide in March.The second-gen XV/Crosstrek was sold in Australia with Subaru’s 107kW e-Boxer mild-hybrid system, which is effectively unchanged for the current small SUV. The e-Boxer mild-hybrid technology isn’t able to compete with Toyota’s efficiency. The Crosstrek hybrid’s ADR combined consumption rating is 6.5L/100km compared to 4.4L/100km of an equivalent Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid. In road tests, CarsGuide has found Subaru’s system to be less efficient in the real world than Toyota’s, with greater gulfs between rated and returned consumption figures.The rumoured Crosstrek hybrid wouldn’t be the first of its kind with the rare North American market Crosstrek plug-in hybrid offered from 2019 with the PHEV system from Toyota’s Prius Prime. It was sold in certain states with strict emissions regulations, including California, as a compliance car. Other brands plan to, or are already using Toyota hybrid tech, including Mazda with its CX-50 and China’s GAC that will launch in Australia next year.Subaru Australia said there was currently no more information to share on future hybrid models yet. The Crosstrek – previously XV – launched locally in May 2023 with a mild-hybrid option.Other future changes for the small SUV include a ‘big block’ 136kW/239Nm 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder and tougher Wilderness variant, though a more efficient hybrid is most enticing with Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) looming.

The xDrive30 is BMW's flagship electric iX2 range and at $85,700, before on-road costs, neatly slides in below the Luxury Car Tax threshold for electric vehicles.

Toyota Australia has confirmed specifications for the 2025 Camry sedan which will go hybrid-only and lose the mid-spec SX trim when it arrives in the second half of the year. The Mazda6 and Hyundai Sonata rival is a favourite with rideshare drivers, so it’s no surprise Toyota is staying strong with the Ascent entry grade and step-up Ascent Sport trim. The flagship SL remains for keen private buyers. Pricing for the sedan will be confirmed closer to the car’s arrival later this year – expect a bump from the current $35,051, before on-road costs, starting price thanks to its fifth-gen hybrid only line-up. “The move to a hybrid-only Camry range reflects the popularity of hybrid with customers, who appreciate the impressive fuel consumption, smooth driveability and agile performance they provide,”  said Toyota Australia VP Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley.“Camry is proof that there is still a market in Australia for sedans, especially when they offer the value, efficient performance and good looks buyers are after”, said Hanley. The move follows record hybrid sales for the brand last month led by the RAV4 medium SUV, with more than 95 per cent hybrid sales share. The Camry’s latest hybrid tech incorporates a new lithium-ion battery and more compact transaxle hooked up to a punchier electric motor. Final outputs are not confirmed, but expect power to climb to 167kW in line with the US-market version.  Fuel consumption is also yet to be confirmed but the Camry hybrid is rated at 4.7L/100km in US EPA combined cycle testing. It is the same width and rides on an unchanged 2825mm wheelbase, though is around 9mm longer at 4914mm. A new interior layout and refreshed visage with crisp LED lighting features hide a largely similar Camry underneath with changes focused on evolution, not revolution. The Ascent features an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless phone mirroring, 7.0-inch digital driver’s display, two rear USB-C charge points, Toyota connected services, new 17-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats, dual-zone climate control, one-touch power windows and an electronic handbrake. It benefits from safety enhancement, including  front and rear parking support brake, blind spot monitoring, safe exit assist, rear cross-traffic alert, driver monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree surround monitor and improvements to AEB and adaptive cruise functionality. The Ascent Sport’s touchscreen swells to 12.3 inches with navigation, wireless phone charger, six-speaker sound system, different LED lighting features, an auto-dimming rear mirror, leather-appointed steering wheel and shifter and power-adjust driver’s seat with lumbar support.Headlining the range is the SL with 18-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, a heated steering wheel, tinted rear windows, air purification, leather-accented upholstery, heated and ventilated seats, power-adjust passenger seat and steering wheel, a sunroof, head-up display and a nine-speaker JBL sound system. 

If you's an SUV hater upset that Volkswagen dropped the Golf R wagon you’ve got something to look forward to because the brand’s cool Spanish cousin is filling the gap with its new 245kW Leon Sportstourer. Timed to coincide with the facelifted Cupra Leon hot hatch range due in April 2025, the long-roof Leon VZx will hit Australian shores a few months later. "We've been really pushing hard for the Australian introduction of the Sportstourer,” said Cupra Australia Head of Product and Marketing Jeff Shafer.“We are now expecting this to enter into Australia next year a couple of months after the Leon and Formentor."The petrol flagship in the Formentor, and we expect it in the Sporstourer, is now a 245kW engine and that's paired with the torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system. So effectively the drift mode and the ability to send torque to wherever it is needed," said Mr Shafer. Those 245kW and 420Nm outputs and torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system are the same that feature in the existing Golf R 20 Years edition which should make the Sportstourer suitably spicy. Final figures aren’t in yet but a 0-100km/h time under five seconds is very likely, giving it a leg up on the front-drive only 221kW Leon VZx hatch. Cupra may also offer the Leon Sportstourer with a plug-in hybrid powertrain as it has seen recent success with the set-up. The facelift will bring a new 19.7kWh battery that should equate to a circa-100km electric-only driving range. The list of performance-oriented wagons in Australia has shrunk though the genre is enjoying a resurgence among enthusiasts. In the affordable camp it’s only the Skoda Octavia RS that offers true performance. The Volkswagen Passat is dead in Oz and very few others remain beyond the Mazda6.Cupra will look to capitalise on the cult appeal of wagons: Audi’s RS4 and RS6’s as well as BMW’s critically acclaimed M3 wagon and soon-to-launch plug-in hybrid M5 Touring.Prices for the updated Cupra models are not confirmed. The current VZx hatch lists at $65,690 drive-away, while the Golf R wagon left the market at $71,990 before on-road costs. A starting price around $75K drive-away for the full-fat Leon Sportstourer VZx seems realistic.

Mitsubishi announced a record operating US$739.8 million profit on Wednesday with the United States a key growth region for the plug-in hybrid specialist. In discussions with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation CEO Takao Kato, AutoNews was told the Japanese brand is working on a new electric vehicle and one-tonne pick-up to capitalise on North American market growth in collaboration with Nissan. "One thing for sure is that it would be extremely difficult for an automaker of our size to survive all on its own", Kato told AutoNews. "I think exploring collaboration with partners is the best strategy", he added.For the electric vehicle partnership, Kato-san indicated it would be an OEM partnership as has been done with the Renault-based ASX replacement in Europe. A version of Nissan’s Ariya Tesla Model Y rival for the United States could happen, though this remains under study. In return, Nissan will develop a plug-in hybrid using Mitsubishi technology currently found in the Outlander and Eclipse Cross PHEVs. The ute is another interesting story. Given the vehicle is targeting the United States, it will need to be built domestically to avoid the country’s high 25 per cent tariff on imported commercial vehicles. Kato-san said unequivocally that the next-gen one-tonne pick-up truck will be developed with Nissan. The current Triton is not sold in North America and nor is Navara, Nissan instead sells the Mississippi-built Frontier as a Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma rival. It is understood the next-gen Navara will move onto the new Triton’s underpinnings, so logic says a similar path will be followed in the North American market. The Navara/Frontier split may continue, with the latter continuing to be slightly larger for US tastes. This could see a US-version of the Triton come to fruition potentially using the L200 name. A spokesperson told CarsGuide Mitsubishi Australia has no involvement in the project so the vehicle is unlikely to come to Australia. And there’s another snag – that being ‘one ton’ in US truck speak means bigger workhorses like the Ford F-350 and Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD. Admittedly, a bespoke heavy-duty US-only Triton and Frontier seem unrealistic. Electrification is certain to play a part, whatever the decision. Mitsubishi is the Alliance project leader in plug-in hybrid and utes so that is definitely under consideration, but Mitusbishi has yet to decide finally on pure electric, plug-in or regular hybrid for its ute. Kato-san also commented on Nissan’s recent memorandum of understanding with Honda, saying he would be open to a similar tie-up with Mitsubishi and another brand. There was no mention from Mitsubishi about the third Alliance partner, Renault. The French marque is also looking to add a dual-cab ute to its stable as a replacement for its Navara-based Alaskan. That vehicle is built in Argentina and sold in Latin American markets.It’s another opening for Mitsubishi to broaden its appeal with a Triton-based Renault ute that could be sold alongside the Mitsubishi product in certain markets. In the United States, Mitsubishi posted a 36 per cent sales increase compared to Q1 2023, shifting 28,403 new vehicles with only four models. The Australian market contributes more than its fair share to Mitsubishi’s bottom line, with 20,188 sales in the first quarter – a 21.3 per cent increase on last year – in a much smaller market. Mitsubishi currently sells five models in Australia with more Triton variants likely to drive sales further. It’s this newfound success in countries like the United States and Australia that has seen Mitsubishi turn its attention to new horizons and away from the slim-margin ASEAN region. The Mitsubishi Australia spokesperson added that there would be more to come by mid-year following a national dealer conference.

This week in the United States, Tesla rejigged its Model Y line-up dropping the Standard Range rear-wheel drive and replacing it with a Long Range RWD for US$44,490. The more interesting development, though, came from CEO Elon Musk who posted the following on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter."The '260 mile' range Model Ys built over the past several months actually have more range that can be unlocked for $1500 to $2000 (gains 40 to 60 miles of range), depending on which battery cells you have."Exciting on the surface, with the ability for existing Model Y owners to increase roving range of their vehicles for a relatively small fee. Elon admitted that unlocking extra range was still subject to regulatory approvals in the United States.  But the idea that Tesla might have been fitting the Model Y Long Range’s circa-75kWh NCM battery pack to the entry model Standard Range for several months without telling anyone – and will be charging for the privilege to unlock the potential – has not gone down so well.In August 2023, Electrek unearthed the phenomenon of software-locked range in Model X and Model 3 base models. In the sedan’s case, Tesla was charging US$10,000 more for the Long Range model despite using the same battery pack as the standard range. At least this time the Model Y is now being advertised as an upgraded Long Range Model, despite the fact its battery size increase was rolled out several months earlier. There’s a reason for software locking range. Not using every kilowatt hour available generally leads to improved battery life. It’s one of the reasons Toyota’s bZ4X has a much larger difference in gross and usable battery size than many less conservative rivals. The choice to limit charging when you don’t need all the range, or top up to 100 per cent for longer drives is what other manufacturers including BYD and MG currently offer. CarsGuide contacted Tesla Australia about whether software-locked ranges are in plans for local models. This article will be updated if the brand responds. The Australian Model Y line-up remains unchanged for now with the base RWD still fitted with a circa-57.5kWh LFP battery. This is consistent with Tesla’s offerings in China, where Model Ys for the Australian market are built. The United States constructs its own Teslas. This doesn’t mean we won’t see abrupt changes soon, however. The reason for using one bigger battery pack in all models may come down to simplified production – something Tesla has been at the forefront of by minising parts per car using ‘Giga pressing’. Tesla has recently announced a pivot away from developing a low-cost smaller EV citing profitability concerns. Software-locked range, power and driver assistance features may prove more profitable in the long-term for the brand.

The eDrive20 is the entry into BMW's electric iX2 range and, for $82,900, before on-road costs, uses one of BMW's fifth-gen electric motors on the front axle developing 150kW/247Nm.

The 2025 BYD Shark plug-in hybrid has been revealed by the brand on Instagram ahead of its official release date of 14 May.Shown in full, the three-image post displays a trio of young men road-tripping, presumably part of the BYD Shark's launch campaign to amplify the promised capability of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival.Given it will be revealed in Mexico, it makes sense it will be a desert-themed trip. More information on the powertrain and stats will be revealed at the release.Which is why we know our guesses were mostly correct, with the Shark staying true to dual-cab norms, with some modern twists.Were given an even better glimpse into the ute's style – the unique blind-like sports bar at the back, underbody protection and unique long wheelbase proportions.We get a little glimpse of the spray-in bedliner again with a picture of the tailgate down confirming BYD's ute won't have any kind of split tailgate like the Cannon Alpha Hybrid does.BYD has promised the 'DMI' or Dual Motor Intelligence plug-in hybrid will offer over 1000km combined driving range. Towing capacity, power and torque figures remain unknown.We can guess outputs will be fairly juicy from the (likely) turbo-petrol 1.5-litre four-cylinder based plug-in hybrid system. BYD's Fang Cheng Bao 5 ladder frame SUV, for instance, pairs its engine with twin electric motors (one at each axle) for 500kW and 760Nm outputs."It is the best of both worlds – 100km range on pure electric, and then switch over to the dual-motor technology. So we're going to have a vehicle of circa-1000km, if not more range, but when you're driving around the city you'll be fully electric", BYD importer Luke Todd has told CarsGuide.More information is due on May 14, 2024.