Articles by John Law

A new BYD electric car has been revealed in China via filings with the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

With spy shots giving us a glimpse of the next-generation Toyota RAV4, we commissioned digital artist Thanos Pappas to bring the new family favourite to life. 

Geely has locked in an Australian launch for the first half of next year. But the brand hasn’t pledged to be all-electric and its new Galaxy Starship 7 plug-in hybrid family SUV could prove a major headache for the BYD Sealion and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.That’s because the Galaxy Starship 7’s generous 19kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack allows up to 120km of electric-only driving range, which is paired with the 82kW petrol engine, bringing combined driving range to 1420km (CLTC) between a charge and fill.For reference, the electric-only range of the BYD Sealion 6 is 92km, while the updated Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is 86km. These figures are WLTP rated and the CLTC numbers quoted by Geely are typically more generous.The Galaxy L7 is fitted with Geely’s ‘NordThor EM-i Super Hybrid’ set-up, while there are no combined outputs yet, the electric motor will do the heavy lifting at 160kW/262Nm. Geely claims a 0-100km/h sprint of 7.5 seconds and 180km/h top speed. Plug-in hybrid driving range has become the new battleground for Chinese car makers. BYD’s soon-to-launch DM-i set-up claims 2000km in a sleek sedan while XPeng, Chery and others are also getting into the plug-in hybrid game.Dimensions of the Galaxy L7 PHEV put it firmly in the medium SUV segment, with the five-seater measuring 4740mm long, 1905mm wide and 1685mm tall with a 2750mm wheelbase. The drag coefficient is 0.29Cd.Inside there’s a 13.8-inch head-up display, 10.2-inch digital driver’s display, 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, 16-speaker sound system, V2L and ‘Marshmallow’ seats with 14-point massaging, heating and ventilation. Chinese car making giant Geely partly or fully owns several marques including Lotus, Volvo, Smart, Polestar, Lynk & Co and Zeekr and will make an entrance in Australia next year with its EX5, expected to be a cut-price alternative to a Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Geely has a past in Australia, which quickly came to an end about a decade ago. Come half one 2025 when the EX5 launches, it is looking for more staying power. A plug-in hybrid like the Galaxy L7 could be just the ticket. 

Toyota is looking to improve its fortunes in China, releasing its latest joint venture with GAC. 

Peugeot Australia has dumped electric passenger cars for now, having removed the E-2008 from its website despite previously promising the facelift version’s arrival in 2024. While Peugeot is bringing in the E-308 electric hatch, only 14 examples of the BYD Dolphin and MG4 rival are arriving in an ‘exclusive’ program — CarsGuide understands that after those are sold, that will be the end of the E-308 in Australia. The brand has also rolled back its plug-in hybrid range in Australia, discontinuing the funky 408 plug-in hybrid in favour of a mild-hybrid version.After contacting Peugeot Australia about its electric car future, a spokesperson issued the following statement to CarsGuide.“Peugeot Australia is committed to its electrification journey. In addition to our expanding hybrid range, this includes bringing the best range of 100 per cent electric vehicles to the Australian market, as such, the E-408, E-2008 and new E-3008 form part of our consideration for future product in the local market.”The brand had also previously been vocal about its interest in the E-3008, an electric mid-size SUV that CarsGuide sampled at its global media launch in March 2024. The  E-3008 was expected to arrive in Australia’s hotly-contested electric family SUV segment to compete against the Tesla Model Y and BYD Atto 3 with 700km of WLTP driving range.CarsGuide was told the E-3008 was on schedule for the second half of this year at its launch but Peugeot importer Inchcape is now non-commital about the E-3008’s arrival. Next it was the E-208 small car facelift, scheduled to arrive in 2025. In pre-update guise the small car was already sold in New Zealand, however it has now been withdrawn from both markets despite being approved for sale in Australia via the government’s Road Vehicle Register (ROVER). Peugeot sells two electric vehicles in Australia: the E-Partner van ($59,990) and E-Expert ($79,990, both before on-road costs). One of the main barriers has been price, and Peugeot’s importer learned the importance of this when it slashed E-2008 prices by $20,000 — pretty much 30 per cent — back in May. A few days later, the remaining stock had sold out. Looking at Peugeot’s plug-in hybrids, at $67,990, before on-road costs, the discontinued 408 PHEV was a lot dearer than the BYD Sealion 6 Premium ($52,990) and close to the larger seven-seat Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Exceed ($69,290, both before on-road costs). Only 71 new 408s have been registered in 2024. Peugeot is moving to where the industry’s big growth appears to be, introducing an all mild-hybrid 2008 range and promising the new 3008 will arrive with a hybrid system that achieves 4.9L/100km in the combined cycle to target the Toyota RAV4.Hybrid sales have jumped in 2024 and are currently 80 per cent ahead of 2024, while plug-in hybrids have doubled in popularity. Relatively, EVs are growing at a slower rate, up 16 per cent on 2023 so far.With reviews to Australian Design Rules (ADR) in progress now, it’s possible Peugeot will be able to be more nimble and adapt to changing market conditions in the near future. For Peugeot’s immediate Australian plans, the immediate future is mild and strong hybrid with 308, 408, 2008, 3008 and 5008 all getting some form of electrification. For now, more electric vehicles remain off limits. 

So you want to have the biggest ute on the road? You’ll have to pay for it.  Just like here in Australia, the best-selling vehicles in the United States are pick-up trucks. In their case, it’s the home-brewed Ford F-150 and has been for over 40 years. In Australia the F-truck’s Ford Ranger cousin will take top honours this year. 

It seems like the next big thing may not be so big after all.

Spy shots have given us our first glimpse of the next-generation Toyota RAV4 hybrid in camouflage. The RAV4 is a huge deal for Toyota, being one of its biggest sellers globally. In Australia, it is poised to overtake the HiLux this year and challenge the Ford Ranger for top honours in 2025.This first spy picture suggests Toyota isn’t going to mess with the recipe too much. Expect the hybrid powertrain to be the only offering in Australia, with a potential new-gen petrol-electric plug-in hybrid that’s likely to boost driving range over 1000km. The United States is the RAV4’s biggest market, so it is likely to shape the next gen RAV4. It’s expected to be revealed in late 2025 ahead of a market launch in 2026. Expected to retain the same TNGA-K underpinnings as the current car, we’re imaging a similar change for the RAV4 as took place to Camry. More of a deep facelift with powertrain updates than a whole new car. The RAV4’s current shortcomings are mainly related to in-car technology integration, with the driving experience, hybrid efficiency and cabin space still competitive, if not best-in-class. Visually, the RAV4 spy picture reveals that the front bumper is in for a big change. Shaped like the new Camry’s, it appears to have small perforations in a painted panel, similar to the Crown SUV, for a more streamlined appearance.Even the new headlights appear to sit in the same spots, with a familiar outline. This may be a trick of the camouflage of course, and Toyota is certain to update the LED running light signature. The bonnet creases also appear to be more pronounced. It looks to have the same pinched metal detail on its lower third, just behind the B-pillar. The door handles and windscreen look very similar, too. The new RAV4’s wheel arches are more pronounced, but that may just be the camouflage. Where you can detect the biggest difference in body shape is at the rear. The roofline plunges a little more readily, and the belt line kicks up at the rear quarter window, shrinking visual bulk. The vehicle is pictured at a petrol station towing a trailer of some sort. This may be stress testing; it could also hint to Toyota boosting the RAV4’s braked towing capacity beyond the current 1500kg limit. The new-gen RAV4 is mooted to get new powertrains announced at Toyota’s multi-pathway workshop earlier this year, likely a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four cylinder with hybrid boost making up to 200kW. A punchier 2.0-litre turbo could be on the cards, too. Expect a larger battery and more efficient electric motor, helping lower fuel use compared to the current RAV4 AWD’s 4.8 litres per hundred kilometres figure from its 2.5-litre hybrid system. Toyota USA has shown an interest in a hardcore off-road variant, too, claiming the RAV-X concept shown at SEMA is more than just a styling exercise. Perhaps a sand-bashing Toyota Bronco Sport rival is just what the new RAV4 needs to stand out against rivals such as the Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander and Hyundai Tucson.

Toyota has updated its 4WD king for model year 2025 with a host of spec tweaks. 

The Toyota RAV4 hybrid topped sales charts again in November, but it isn’t likely to take the number one spot from the Ford Ranger this year.