Articles by John Law

The Smart #1 is a good car, an impressive one, even — and yes, you pronounce it ‘Hashtag one’. This comes as a surprise as many first efforts from electric car manufacturers fresh to mature markets such as Australia and Europe have been disappointing.So often there’s a compromised suspension set-up, poor steering feel, software bugs or awful driver assistance systems. None of that in the #1, which is packed with technology, has decent driving range and very pleasant steering. It also looks quirky — in a good way, my art director partner tells me — and has one of the best ride and handling balances of any electric car on sale. It is quite good value, too, the Premium I sampled costs $58,900, before on-road costs and has 19-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, power adjust seats with heating, a heat pump, a Beats sound system and luxury ambience to rival Benz’s entry-level EQA, which is $30,000 more expensive. The #1 is also cheaper than a petrol-powered base model Mercedes-Benz GLA 200. You really have to want that Merc badge.Electric stats are decent, the #1 Premium has a 66kWh battery allied with a 200kW/343Nm rear-mounted electric motor for a brisk 0-100km/h sprint of 6.7 seconds and respectable 440km WLTP driving range. A more powerful Brabus variant is available but the regular #1 is plenty fast. There’s also a more distinctive coupe-like #3 available in a lewd Photon Orange paint that really stands out. To be fair, the Smart #1 had its fair share of gremlins. Twice during my week with the car the screen went dark and interfacing with the multimedia system (mostly to disable active safety systems) was like pulling teeth — it would be nice if the cute digital fox actually did something helpful. Hopefully, over-the-air software updates can fix these niggles. There’s also the back seats, which you can’t fold flat from the boot. The pull tabs to raise the backrest end up out of reach when they are folded, so you can’t pull them back up. Annoying and not salvageable by software updates. The real elephant in the room for Smart is the brand’s meaning today. Certainly if the #1 was in a room otherwise filled with Smart’s back catalogue like the minuscule 2.5-metre long ForTwo, or the 840kg Smart Roadster. An ultra-quick back-story of the brand: it started as a 49/51 joint venture between Swatch Watch’s owner, Hayek, and Daimler-Mercedes. The tiny ForTwo launched in 1998 as a response to the new millennium. Efficient, small and affordable but with endless customisation and pops of colour to make the chic urbanite use the car as a fashion accessory as much as a mode of transport. The latter new Mini and Fiat 500 did better jobs, but the Smart was a trailblazer. Smart became a Mercedes subsidiary after that and, in 2019, Chinese automotive giant Geely bought a 50 per cent stake, reinvigorating the range with what you see here — electric-only, semi-luxury SUVs.That’s pretty much the same space as a Volvo EX30, Polestar 2 and Zeekr X, which are all related to both of Smart’s new models. Outside of them, the circa-$60K electric car price bracket includes other small electric SUVs like the Hyundai Kona electric, the Renault Megane E-Tech and BYD Atto 3, with bigger models like the Tesla Model Y, XPeng G6, Deepal S07 and incoming BYD Sealion 7 also in the same price sphere. What a nightmare!Aside from being quite accomplished and having cute animal avatars like the Fox (or optional Cheetah), there isn’t a whole lot about Smart’s ethos that stands out — at least to my radar. There’s certainly less brand cachet than Audi, BMW, Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. That leaves the success of these new entrants, in what will be a shrinking new-car market come 2025, down to a combination of price and brand awareness. Smart has a leg-up on the price game as it is not imported by Mercedes-Benz Australia, which runs a fixed-price agency model. Instead, LSH Auto — one of the largest Mercedes-Benz dealer groups — is importing the cars. This means, in theory, discounting should be possible. Sharing dealership space with Mercs could be good, or could be negative, it all depends on the service and shopping experience. But they will probably be more visible than other new Chinese brands not associated with existing luxury brands. Will Smart succeed? Out of all the new names in the game, the tie-in with a legacy manufacturer gives it a semblance of sales security. However, if the cars don’t stand out to buyers, or aren’t priced right, it could go south fast. Let me know your feelings, are you comfortable taking a chance on an unknown brand? What kind of features would draw you in? Do you care about brand ethos? Have your say in the comments section. 

Renault revealed an epic, all-paw concept car at the 2022 Paris Motor Show that's visually related to the new 5 hatchback.

Four years after Japan axed the Estima, Australia lost one of its unique and much-loved Toyota nameplates: Tarago. From a ground-breaking mid-engined minivan released in 1990, the Tarago (or Previa, in other English-speaking markets) would transport humans for nearly 30 years. The Granvia replaced it in theory, but not in spirit. Rather than a clever people-mover, it was a fancy van. Japanese magazine BestCar reports that since the Estima (as Tarago is known at home) ended production in 2015, there have been discussions about a reboot. Now, it looks like it could be back as an electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid as early as 2027. It all comes down to Toyota’s investments in new, efficient and compact combustion engines revealed earlier this year at the multi-pathway workshop. In the new Tarago’s case, BestCar reports it will use a version of the GA-K platform (from Camry, RAV4, Kluger and more) allied to a 1.5-litre petrol-based range extender hybrid. Much like BestCar has discussed before with a mooted next-gen Corolla hatch and RAV4 medium SUV, the plug-in electrified version of the Tarago is thought to be capable of travelling over 1000km between charges and fill-ups with around 220kW and 400Nm. Reportedly, there is a battery electric model in development as well, featuring Toyota’s next generation ‘bipolar’ lithium-ion battery technology. Expect twin-motor AWD and around 650km of electric-only driving range. One of the Tarago’s calling cards was its eight-seat capacity. It remains to be seen whether that will be rejuvenated, but for now BestCar is estimating the new Tarago will measure 4900mm long, 1850mm wide, 1750mm tall and ride on a 3000mm wheelbase. The render image you see here by BestCar’s designers captures the original egg-shaped Tarago’s design. It has twin sliding doors and a sleek, aerodynamic shape.The report suggests it will sit alongside the larger Alphard, with a more chic form factor that ought to help it steal some sales from the likes of the Kia Carnival, Volkswagen Multivan and ID.Buzz. How it deals with the deluge of ultra-luxe Chinese minivans, we’ll have to wait and see. A new take on the Tarago was previewed way back in 2017, with the Fine Comfort Ride concept at the Tokyo motor show. It was said to be a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle like the Mirai, however FCEVs have yet to take off in earnest. It seems Toyota parked that project.Following the lukewarm reception of the bZ4X, it seems like Toyota has changed tack, looking for dynamic platforms that make it easy to switch from plug-in hybrid to combustion and to battery electric vehicles. The brand’s latest model, the Urban Cruiser twinned with the Suzuki e Vitara, is built on a converted combustion car platform developed by Suzuki, for example. It also helps streamline tooling, if combustion and battery-electric vehicles can be built in the same factories. Discussion about the new Tarago remains purely speculative for now, but with a raft of new options sailing out of China, it could be the perfect time for Toyota to reboot its ground-breaking people mover. 

Following its Australian launch in August 2018, the Toyota Corolla is now six years old and therefore approaching its replacement. 

Toyota has revealed its latest electric car, the Urban Cruiser.  The new model is twinned with the Suzuki e Vitara, a crucial model for the smaller Japanese brand to keep a foot-hold in Europe as emissions regulations tighten. It’s the same recipe for much larger Toyota, which needs more EVs than just the bZ4X to survive. 

The fourth and final piece of the full-size, US-sourced pick-up puzzle has slotted into place in the shape of the Toyota Tundra Limited. We've spent a week behind the wheel to see if its brawn, capacity and equipment justifies a solid price tag.

Lexus has locked in pricing for its first ever hot SUV.  The trailblazing Lexus LBX Morizo RR, the brainchild of master driver and ex-Toyota President Akio Toyoda, will arrive in Australia in the first half of 2025 priced from $76,490, before on-road costs. 

The replacement for the MG ZS electric SUV is inching closer to sale in Australia.

Is this the car that could turn Peugeot’s fortunes around in Australia? It’s a ute, the category of vehicle that has been the best-seller in Australia since 2016 with either the Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger taking top honours. 

Mazda’s sports car revolution is in full swing with CEO Masahiro Moro promising the Iconic SP is on its way to production.