Articles by Laura Berry

Things are about to get interesting in Australia as rising superstar Chinese brand, Xiaomi, prepares to launch locally, and if early indicators are anything to go by the newcomer could blow Zeekr, Chery and BYD away. Much like other Chinese brands that started off as a tech company only to switch to EVs, Xiaomi is new to building vehicles, but that inexperience hasn’t stopped it from impressing those who have mastered cars. Despite Xiaomi having never built a car before 2024, it’s making arguably the most desirable cars in China. This is down to the design of the cars - which look frankly beautiful - along with the affordable pricing and the high performance appeal of the vehicles. Xiaomi is known as the “Apple of China” due to its enormous presence in consumer electronics, but in October this year the brand entered its homeland’s top 10 best selling carmakers. The company’s CEO Lei Jun has the approachable geekiness of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. He has taken a very high profile approach to the automotive side of the business, leading keynote addresses and live streams talking directly to customers. With Xiaomi’s electric cars getting such attention Ford’s global boss Jim Farley imported one of the brand's vehicles - an SU7 - to drive back in 2024 so he could see what the hype was all about. Farley was so taken by the car he was reluctant to hand it back. “I don’t like talking about the competition so much but I drive the Xiaomi – we flew one from Shanghai to Chicago and I’ve been driving it for six months now and I don’t want to give it up,” Farley said on the Everything Electric show podcast. Now Xiaomi is poised to take the next step - the world. First Xiaomi will launch in Europe next year. Then in 2028 it will likely be Australia’s turn. Xiaomi hasn’t officially confirmed the Aussie arrival, the signs are clear. CarsGuide recently reported Xiaomi was hiring in Australia, with advertisements appearing for a financial product manager and legal counsel. That not only indicates Xiaomi is assembling a local team, but that it plans to handle business in Australia itself rather than through a separate distributor. Xiaomi’s most popular car is the SU7 sedan followed by the YU7 mid-sized SUV. The SU7 is a rival to the Tesla Model 3, but more luxurious and with an enormous range. We’re talking up to a claimed 900km (CLTC) depending on the battery and the grade. The SU7 Ultra has a ‘shorter’ 620km range, but that’s because its energy priorities are performance focussed, with this grade about to sprint from 0-100km/h in less than two seconds. Only a handful of production cars in the world can boast this kind of rapid acceleration. The vehicle the brand is likely to lead with is the YU7 SUV, which will rival the Tesla Model Y, Zeekr 7X and BYD Sealion 7. In China the YU7 comes in several grades, with ranges of up to 835km (CLTC), and of course there’s a GT performance grade as well that can sprint from 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds. Australia has become a lucrative market for Chinese carmakers thanks to the country’s lack of tariffs and buyers willing to try a new brand in order to own an affordable EV. When it comes to year to date sales in Australia four of the top 10 brands are now Chinese - those being BYD, GWM, Chery and MG. All will be watching Xiaomi’s European entry carefully and preparing for the brand’s Australian arrival. It can really only mean good news for Australian car buyers - not only are Xiaomi’s vehicles cutting edge and stylish but the affordable pricing that will likely be offered will see the rivals try to tempt you away with better deals.

Is Range Rover planning to go even more upmarket and price out a big chunk of its current buyers? It sure seems that way, with Range Rover’s global boss announcing the removal of the brand’s most affordable models - the Evoque and Velar - from its line-up. Welcome to a new era where high end vehicles could become even more out of reach for most. The news of the Range Rover Evoque and Velar’s end came during an interview Range Rover boss Martin Limpert was giving to British motoring publication Autocar. “The Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar will not be replaced when production of the pair ends later this decade,” Limpert confirmed to Autocar. Not replacing them is a seriously strong clue as to Range Rover’s business model for the coming decade. The 2010s and 2020s saw luxury brands such Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and even Range Rover offer affordable entry models into their ranges. For Mercedes-Benz it was models like the CLA small sedan and GLA small SUV for about $60K - expensive for a small car, cheap for a Benz. It was a great way to top up the brand’s annual takings, with the larger more expensive models bringing home the big bucks. Range Rover did the same with the Evoque and Velar. It was a prestige badge on a budget - in this case less than $100K, which is lots, but compared to the $300K starting price of a full-fat Range Rover, it’s nothing. Sales of the Evoque and Velar, which launched in 2014 and 2017 respectively, have tanked in recent years.   The Evoque’s sales fell 78 per cent from a peak of 2732 in 2016 to 614 in 2025. Why did this happen? I think you know why. Well, I think I know why, and it starts with BYD and ends in Zeekr. Yep, one of the common bits of the feedback we’re getting from our readers is that the most desirable cars now for those looking to spend $50-60K are models such as the BYD Sealion 7 and Zeekr 7X.  Chinese cars are not only fitted with the best electric vehicle tech but they’re now among the most beautifully styled high ending things on the road. The upcoming Range Rover GT is a low-slung-wagon-styled SUV and it will be fully electric, but at an expected $175,000 and an arrival date of 2028, it’s probably too much and too late for previous Evoque buyers who are now in a Zeekr. It’s not like Range Rover should care. The strategy of having a car for (almost) everyone is dead - the Chinese have thwarted that plan, so the way forward is to go where those brands can’t - stratospherically high end. Range Rover knows this and will retreat to make big money through the models its core base is buying. Range Rover’s rugged sister brand Land Rover will offer some affordability with models like the Defender Sport. That’s because the off-road niche of Defender is protected by a whole lot of iconic nostalgia that Evoque and Velar don’t have, plus there aren’t any Chinese models that can do what a Defender can with the iconography to go with it. So it’s a strategic retreat by Range Rover out of an area it can’t compete in and doubling down in the places the Chinese brands can’t get them. What will happen to the Land Rover Discovery model? Sales for this once hugely popular model started at a peak of 2470 in 2016 when the new-generation model launched in Australia and fell by 83.3 per cent in a decade with just 413 sales in 2025. The result is worse than Evoque’s numbers for the same period and yet JLR has confirmed work is underway on a new-gen Discovery. Discovery is also a separate sub brand along with Range Rover and Defender. So along with Discovery there’s also the smaller Discovery Sport.  JLR obviously still thinks there’s a place for the Discovery brand, which it presumably sees filling the role of more family focussed suburban duties, while Range Rover fulfils the glamorous high society ones and Land Rover is for the muddy fields. And that leaves no place for an Evoque or Velar, and not really any budget focussed entry point into what will become a more exclusive group. But that’s probably exactly what JLR wants - exclusivity. For now other prestige brands are still selling more affordable models but as consumers migrate to new brands from China they may follow JLR’s move to higher priced ground to save themselves.

Look out Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7, XPeng has updated its G6 and we've tested what we think is the pick of the line-up - the Rear Wheel Drive Long Range.

Australia, you have two weeks before a massive fuel price wave hits us, and this time there’s no government fuel excise relief to save us. The price of Brent crude oil has risen to US$117.35 a barrel. That’s the highest level we have seen in six months, foretelling a looming spike in the cost of petrol and diesel in Australia… again. But this time around it'll hot a lot harder with no cut to the Fuel Excise to cushion the blow.   Brent crude is fascinating. It’s a kind of oil found in 1971 in the Brent oil field in the North Sea, and even though it’s not a particularly special oil in itself, the price of it has become the indicator of the world’s oil price. When the price of Brent crude goes up, oil prices are raised globally and then the clock starts ticking before the increase reaches petrol and diesel prices. The ACCC says two weeks is generally the time for an increase in Brent crude oil price to flow through to a hike in petrol and diesel prices at the pump in your suburb. The price rise process is a chain that starts with a rise in Brent crude price, that causes a rise in refined fuel prices in Asia, that causes a rise in wholesale prices in Australia, which then causes your local service station to raise the price of diesel and petrol at the bowser. Unfortunately, you’re the last link in the chain, and the price rise is passed the whole way along to you. Following the outbreak of the war in Iran on February 28, and then disruption of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, Brent crude’s price went from $72 a barrel the night before military action to $106 on March 20. Australian petrol and diesel prices skyrocketed from an average of 168.1c/litre for 91 RON in NSW in February to 222.5c/litre by the end of March.   The federal government then stepped and cut the Fuel Excise, which ran from April 1 to August 2 and gave us a discount of 32c a litre. The relief came at exactly the right time and sheltered us from the worst of the price hikes. Brent crude’s price during this time hit US$118.03 on April 29. The price of 91 RON could have sailed past 250c/litre. Which is where we are headed for now.  How much will the price of fuel rise? After falling back to a low of US$72.17 on July 1 Brent crude’s price has risen again through September and October to US$117.35 on Monday this week. The last time the price was this high was on April 29 when Brent crude peaked at US$118.03.  We are feeling early October’s Brent price rise now with 91 RON averaging 237c/litre as the month draws to an end.  Early to mid-November could see us reach the highest fuel prices we’ve endured this year. My guess is 91 RON will hit 250c/litre and the highest grade unleaded 98 RON will hit 280c/litre. That’s about $154 to fill up a car with a regular 55-litre petrol tank. The good news is Australian fuel reserves have stayed at the same level since March. According to the Federal government as of October 20 there remains 39 days left of petrol, 31 days left of diesel and 28 days left of jet fuel. If you remember it was the threat of fuel rationing that caused people to start panic buying back in March. And while this time around there doesn’t seem to be the same sense of panic, the rising cost of fuel results in an increase in the price of goods and services, which is a hard pill to swallow for households after being hit by successive interest rate hikes. I don’t know about you, but EVs are looking more attractive. So’s the bus.

Part of being a Polestar 3 owner is knowing that almost everyone you’ll meet will ask you what a Polestar 3 is. But the other part is knowing you have what I think is one of the most exceptional electric SUVs on the planet. Print this out on a piece of paper and hand it to people who ask: The Polestar 3 is the largest SUV in Polestar's line-up It’s called the 3 because it’s the third car from Polestar It takes close to 20 minutes to charge It has a bit more than 600km of range Goodbye now Stuff you don’t have to tell them is that this one, the one we’ve tested, is the cheapest Polestar 3 at $116,700, before on-road costs, and that’s because it’s the kind with just one motor (at the rear for rear-wheel drive) and the smaller battery at 92kWh. Still, that battery in this updated Polestar 3 is bigger than the 82kWh battery in the previous version and that price is less than you would have paid for this SUV last year ($118,420, BOC). This updated Polestar 3 brings some substantial changes and if you’re thinking about buying one your timing is good. Not only has the battery size gone up and the price down, the electric architecture has increased from 400V to 800V, which now allows it to charge at a super-fast 310kW for the Rear motor. Even higher spec Polestar 3s can charge at 350kW now. There aren’t a great deal of 350kW chargers around yet but the Polestar 3 is future-proofed against being outdated by new tech quickly. We only had the Polestar 3 Rear motor variant for a week and despite daily driving with plenty of urban roads and motorways the 604km range (WLPT) was way more than we needed and we handed the SUV back with 350km of range and 68 per cent charge left in the battery. That equates to an energy efficiency of 15.4kW/h/100km. I’ve become used to seeing 20kWh/100km for large SUVs, so this is outstanding. Polestar says you should see between 17.6-21.6kWh/100km, so we did well. The Rear motor variant might be the most affordable Polestar 3 but it has more range than the priciest Performance grade (593km) and a smidge less than the all-wheel drive Dual Motor (635km). This entry-grade Polestar 3 is good value considering it’s a prestige car and a rival to the closely related Volvo EX90 and Mercedes-Benz EQE.  The standout standard features include: 20-inch wheels Active LED headlights Power tailgate Panoramic glass roof Three-zone climate control 14.5-inch display (with Android Automotive operating system) Google connected services Apple CarPlay and Android Auto New-gen NVIDIA computer processor Head-up display 10-speaker audio Wireless charging Nappa leather trim (animal welfare secured) You’d be wise to also check out the Zeekr 7X because it's made by the same Chinese company that owns Polestar - Geely. Yes, Polestar is branded as a Swedish company and while its cars are designed in Sweden, many of Polestar's cars are made in China. However, the Australian-spec Polestar 3 is now sourced from the USA.  Geely owns Polestar, Volvo and Zeekr. The brands share the same tech, but with different designs although I think Polestars and Volvos look the most similar. You can see that especially in the front and rear lighting designs and also in the minimalist interior styling. Polestars are more avant garde than Volvos and nothing proves this more than the Polestar 3 which is this brand’s version of Volvo's tall, boxy and conservative looking EX90 SUV. There are elements to the Polestar 3’s design that make me go “ooohh” and other bits which make me go “huh?”. Things that make me go huh? The integrated spoiler on the bonnet is the biggest one, but so is the side profile and the rear quarter panel treatment. I don’t find it appealing and I think the sloping roofline reduces practicality and the boot’s cargo capacity. But there are lots of “ooohs” as well. I do love how futuristic and prestigious the Polestar looks and there’s also a beefy toughness to the exterior with the muscular rear haunches and the wide body look. That image here of the boot open from the rear shows off how wide this beast is.  That width isn’t an illusion - the Polestar 3 is 1968mm across and that’s not including the wing mirrors which when added bring the total to 2120mm. That's like Bentley-Bentayga SUV wide and the 2985mm wheelbase is also long and limo-like.  And that does equate to a roomy cabin, with enormous amounts of legroom and headroom in the second row even for me at 189cm tall. Boot space behind the second row is 575 litres which is about 100 litres less than the boxier EX90, but there is a 24-litre front boot, too. I love the interior. Not only is it practical with an excellent use of space for storage but the cabin is sumptuous, comfortable and modern. The quality feel is better than so many higher priced rivals. That comfort extends into the serene and effortless driving experience.  Yes, the 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds acceleration time of the Rear motor variant we tested isn’t as brutally quick as the Dual motor’s 4.7sec or the Performance’s 3.9, but it’s definitely not slow. That long wheelbase means ride comfort is lovely, and dynamically the Polestar 3 feels stable and planted thanks most likely to not being a tall top heavy traditionally shaped SUV and more station wagon with a bit of extra ground clearance. The Polestar 3 really benefits from its Volvo connection when it comes to safety, scoring the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2025 with 94 percent for child occupant protection and 90 per cent for adult occupant protection.  There’s AEB (the forwards, rear and junction kind), lane keeping assistance and blind spot warning with steering assistance.   There are also nine airbags, five exterior cameras, one radar and 12 ultrasonic sensors. The Polestar 3 is covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, while the battery has an eight-year/160,000km warranty. That isn’t outstanding compared to mainstream brands. The good news is servicing for the first five years or 100,000km is complimentary with five years' roadside assistance also free of charge. 

Jetour has just launched a massively updated version of its BYD Ti7-rivalling T2, with plug-in hybrid tech boasting 250km of electric driving range ahead of the new Chinese brand’s Australian debut next year. The battle of long-range hybrid SUVs is set to become more intense with Jetour officially releasing its updated T2 SUV with a huge 45kWh battery offering a claimed electric driving range of up to 251km (CLTC). The question is - will we get the new updated version in Australia or the previous one? Known as the Traveller 7 in China and T2 in export markets, it has been given a major overhaul featuring new styling and a large battery for its plug-in hybrid system. In China the updated T2 will launch in two petrol variants and a plug-in hybrid version with a choice of two batteries. The petrol variants consist of a 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission or eight-speed traditional automatic transmission. The plug-in hybrid has a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor with a choice of 26.61kWh or 45.12kWh batteries. The smaller of the batteries is claimed to offer an electric driving range of up to 140km (CLTC), while the bigger has up to 251km (CLTC) according to Chery. CLTC is the Chinese standard of measuring energy consumption and it's often higher than than the benchmark WLTP system. Generally WLTP is more real-world so a 251km CLTC range is likely to be about 200km, which is still impressive. Measuring 4827mm in length, 2006mm wide and 1875mm tall the T2 has kept its boxy looks but has had styling changes to its front end with the old, square headlights replaced with circular headlights joined by an LED lighting strip much like we’ve seen on the Ford Bronco. Now exclusively a five-seater, the T2’s interior has also been given a freshen-up with a chunkier more rugged design, and higher resolution 15.6-inch display. Pricing in China starts at A$30,000 - A$37,000 but we could expect the price for us in Australian to be about $50,000. Jetour is auto giant Chery’s rugged brand and it will launch in Australia in 2027. We’ve seen Chery win over Aussies with models such as the Tiggo 4 small budget SUV and models from its other brands such as the more premium Jaecoo and its remarkably Range Rover-looking the J5. The next stage of Chery’s plan appears to be a move into the lucrative off-road segment with its Jetour range of rugged SUVs in much the same way that BYD has launched its Denza brands. Despite the rugged looks the T2 won't have the off-road capability of the Denza B5 or Toyota Prado and will see its true rivals as the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe. The T2 is very likely the model that Jetour will launch with when it comes to Australia, but will we get the new and updated model with the big battery for the PHEV variant or will the previous version? CarsGuide has reached out to Chery Australia to ascertain if and when the T2 will arrive and whether it will indeed be the updated version that’s launching in China.

Think you’ve been snapped by a camera while holding your mobile phone? Here’s how you’ll find out if a mobile phone detection camera caught you, how these cameras work, the penalties you could face for each state of Australia, the loopholes and what to do if you think the camera got it wrong. We’re not going to ask why you’ve found yourself in this situation where you really want to know if you were caught by a camera holding your phone while driving. You know it’s not just against the law, but incredibly dangerous to hold or use your phone while driving. But we’re not here to judge, just to (Cars) guide you. So here’s a state-by-state and territory-by-territory guide to how you’ll find out if you’ve been caught with your phone while driving, the penalty you’ll pay and ways to use your phone legally while driving. First a little explainer on the mobile phone detection cameras themselves. Mobile phone detection cameras, also known as distracted driver and seat belt detection cameras, come in two forms - fixed and portable. Fixed mobile detection cameras are often located over gantries above motorways and highways. Portable mobile detection cameras are sometimes mounted on a small trailer parked on the side of the road. These have a large boom arm that holds the camera and sensors above the road and often have solar panels. The cameras themselves are about the size of a shoe box and may be accompanied by multiple sensors. If you see one while driving and holding your phone, it’s probably too late, so just don’t be tempted to pick it up at all. Mobile phone detection cameras operate in all states of Australia except for the Northern Territory. The phone detecting technology works by Artificial Intelligence (AI) first identifying the suspected use of a device and snapping an image, which is sent off to a human to verify with their own eyes. What if they make a mistake? More on that below. Here’s how you’ll find out if you’ve been caught by a mobile phone detection camera and the penalty you’ll face state-by-state. In NSW you’ll generally find out if you’ve been caught by a mobile phone detection camera through the post about a week after the offence, although reports say this can also take up to 30 days.  You’ll receive the penalty notice and you’ll be able to check the camera image online through the Service NSW app. The penalty for holding and using a phone while driving in NSW is five points and $410. In Victoria you’ll be notified of any mobile phone detection camera infringement by post, and as with other states, you’ll be able to check the actual camera image online through Fines Victoria The penalty for holding a phone while driving in Victoria is four points and $627. South Australians you’ll find out the bad news through the post and there’s not a standard delivery time. The penalty in South Australia for holding and using a phone while driving is $592, plus an $108 victims of crime levy for adults and $20 for people under 18. You’ll also have three points taken off your licence. Queenslanders you’ll be notified by mail and the notice includes images of the alleged offence. The Queensland Revenue Office handles the infringement and you’re looking at a fine of $1295 and four demerit points.  Tasmanians you’ll also be notified of a mobile phone detection camera offence by post and you’re looking at receiving that infringement within 21 days.  If you want to view the images you can do so online using the photo ID printed on the physical notice in the mail. The penalty for holding and using your phone while driving in Tasmania is $426 and three points. Western Australians you’ll get the infringement notice in the mail, but there are some interesting twists to where you get caught and what you were doing. First if you were snapped by the cameras on the Mitchell Freeway, then from June 1 for six months you'll receive a caution notice. If you’re reading this in late 2026 or 2027 double check this as the period of leniency may have ended. Next, your penalty or penalties vary because WA has two categories for mobile phone infringements - ordinary illegal phone use and serious illegal phone use. Ordinary illegal phone use refers to just holding or touching the phone and the fine is $500 and three demerit points Serious illegal phone use refers to actively using the device to do things such as texting, filming, posting and so on. The fine is $1000 and four demerit points. In the ACT drivers are posted an infringement notice for mobile phone detection camera offences and you should receive this within 28 days. Like Western Australians your penalty depends on how you were using the device which makes sense. So in the ACT if you’re snapped just holding the phone the penalty is $615 and three demerit points. And if you’re actively using the device to message, search or post then you’ll receive a $745 fine and four demerit points. There are no mobile phone detection cameras in the NT, but holding and using a phone while driving is still against the law and police are on the lookout. The penalty for holding and using a mobile phone while driving is $500 and three demerit points. You would have seen plenty of cases in the media where phone detection cameras have detected other things that aren’t phones, or possibly phone shaped, or just a case of somebody maybe scratching their ear.  Even then mistakes can be made and so it’s always important to check the images of you allegedly using your device. You may have just been eating a banana, or yawning, or both. As for loopholes, such as passing the phone to somebody or using the phone in an emergency. This varies around Australia, but if you’re unsure then don’t touch it.  In NSW you can pass the phone to a passenger legally and this is detailed in Transport for NSW mobile phone usage guidelines 2025. That said we have read accounts on forums recently where NSW drivers have had this exemption denied and asked to front-up to court to fight it.  Victoria on the other hand has a blanket rule that says you can’t hold the phone no matter what. The only legal way to use your phone anywhere in Australia while driving is by mounting it in a phone cradle - unless you’re a learner or P-plater then there’s no allowance for ever touching a device even in a cradle. Fully licensed drivers can only use some phone functions. These include GPS navigation, music or podcasts and phone calls - using hands free.  Messaging, scrolling, posting, searching by hand are not allowed even in a cradle. Again as with all this information and guidance given here it’s important to check the rules in your state because they are constantly updated and changed. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are legal to use everywhere in Australia and all new cars these days come standard with these apps. You can make calls and send messages hands free, and listen to music and podcasts using the central media screen as your interface If your car is a bit older you may still have been able to use Bluetooth connectivity to set up your phone and if you’re driving something verging on ancient/classic we suggest an aftermarket Apple CarPlay or Android Auto system.

In a world of more and more electric car drivers are you a Subaru Impreza driver? You either know this already or might know after our quick review of the Impreza 2.0S. Ten years ago the Impreza was one of the go-to small small cars buyers choose, along with the Hyundai i30, Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla. These four small cars ruled suburbia and they’re still Aussie favourites, but the world is changing and now more people are heading to electric cars and hybrids such as the Chery Tiggo 4 SUV and MG 4 hatch. And that reminds me, opting for the Impreza represents a choice not to buy an SUV, too.  In fact, buying one of these is showing a bit of resistance to just doing what everybody else is and that’s pretty great. The 2.0S is the most expensive grade in the Impreza range at $40,990, before on-road costs, which is about $7500 more than the entry-grade 2.0L. Can I just also throw it out there that for less than $8000 more there’s the close-to-perfect-for-the-money sporty sibling to the Impreza - the entry grade Subaru WRX with the six-speed manual gearbox?  I don’t know… you’ve come this far, knocked back an EV, snubbed SUVs… and the WRX is iconic and probably one of the best performance cars I’ve driven for the dollars. Totally up to you. Did I say it had a manual? All right, I’ll stop. The 2.0S is good value and I think the standard features list is better than almost all its rivals with a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, leather seats (heated up front and power driver’s), 11.6-inch media screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, proximity unlocking, 18-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights.  Some quality touches such as the alloy pedal trims and rear door sills with mountain motifs just reinforce the Subaru reputation for making affordable cars that (I think) are so much better than they need to be. That better-than-it-needs-to-be business I’m talking about is apparent in the driving of the Impreza, too. All-wheel drive is completely unnecessary, but the stability and traction it brings makes this a safer and more enjoyable car to drive. Same goes for the horizontally-opposed 'boxer' engine. A very different design to its rivals' powerplants, it sits lower and improves handling. The ride comfort is also lovely for a car at this price, and if that’s what you're looking for the WRX with its harder ride is definitely not for you. Really, the only part letting the side down here is the continuously variable transmission (CVT) which I’ve always felt stifles a car’s ability to lock in power to its wheels and that affects the fun factor for me, big time.  You can’t get the Impreza with a manual, unfortunately, so you’ll have to live with acceleration which isn’t bad but also not great. The Impreza’s four-cylinder engine with its 119kW and 196Nm is more than capable but, yes, the CVT clips its wings. Even with a dull CVT I think the Impreza is a lot more fun to drive than an EV, and being a regular hatch rather than an SUV makes it so lovely to pilot with none of that wobbling raised wagons do through every roundabout and over speed bumps. Talking of SUVs, the Impreza and the Subaru Crosstek small SUV are very closely related in almost every way apart from looks, but the engine and platform are identical.  Even so, the Impreza is much better to drive because of its lower ride height which brings better dynamics.  The only downsides are for those who want to sit a bit higher in traffic and the scrapping of the Impresza's surprisingly low front lip on driveways (occasionally... sorry, Subaru!).    The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in the Impreza does not have a hybrid system and its 7.5L/100km official fuel consumption is looking very high in an era where large hybrid SUVs are boasting 6.0L/100km. I saw that figure go up to an average of 16.5L/100km according to the trip computer and that’s after 177km of motorways, suburban roads and city streets. In the Impreza’s defence this test car had not been run-in and had less than 50km on the odometer at the start of my test and fuel consumption is considerably higher in the first 1000km of a car’s life. So, I’d expect the fuel consumption to drop a lot closer to the 7.5L/100km Subaru says you should see.    This is important. The Impreza was updated with new safety features last year which helped it achieve a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2025.  So, if you’re buying an Impreza make sure it was built after April 2025 as this version received the update which included traffic sign recognition to an already solid list of safety technology. Fortunately, the safety tech is not too intrusive in terms of alerts which are currently a big source of complaints regarding new vehicles. Standard safety features include’s Subaru 'EyeSight' camera-based system, AEB (auto emergency braking), lane keeping assistance and blind-spot warning. All of the expected safety items are covered in the Impreza. Onto another kind of coverage, the warranty, and the Subaru Impreza is covered for five year, unlimited kilometre. Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months. Subaru has capped price servicing for the Impreza and you can expect to pay about $2450 over five years.   That warranty is short compared to many rivals and that service pricing - ouch! It's high. As a prospective Impreza owner, ready to ignore what many buyers are doing in choosing an EV, you’re also picking a hatch over an SUV which is almost the default bodystyle for consumers now. I really like that individualism.  I also like the styling of the Impreza. It’s a pretty little beastie and the new Citron Yellow Pearl paint adds to the insect-like look. You can see my little video on the paint colour, too. It’s not as rare as you might think and many brands use it in their ranges. The Impreza is only offered in hatchback form which is better for practicality than a sedan with the rear tailgate opening wide and offering 291 litres of boot space which also happens to be the same cargo capacity of the Crosstrek SUV. That’s on the smaller side but the Impreza isn’t huge at 4490mm long. Cabin space is good, however, and even at 189cm tall I can sit behind my driving position with legroom to spare and headroom back there is good, too. Cabin storage is more than adequate too with big door pockets, shelves in the dash and four cupholders onboard.

The Tesla Model Y is clearly the new Holden Commodore and the BYD Sealion 7 is the new Mazda CX-5. That’s how much things have changed, and it’s also how unscientific this story is - but I’ve included a table that makes me look as if I've based some of this on facts. Yep, the top 10 best-selling cars in Australia in 2026 looks very different to the top 10 from 2016. What were the big sellers back then and what’s replaced them now? Have we progressed onto better cars or was 2016 the peak and it’s all been downhill since? If you were to travel back 10 years in time and show anybody the top 10 best-selling cars for September 2026, even a car journo would look at you and say: "What’s a Geely EX5?". And you’d tell them it's a fully electric mid-sized SUV that came in at No.8 in the list of best sellers for September, 2026. But do not tell them anything else, you’ll risk altering the time line.  If you look at what car placed No.8 in 2016 you’ll find it was the Mitsubishi Triton ute. The Triton has fallen out of today’s top 10 in fact only two of the cars from the 2016 best sellers are still in the 2026 list, some of them like the Holden Commodore don’t exist at all anymore. Check out the table below for a side-by-side comparison of September 2016 v September 2026 In 2016, all of our top 10 cars had internal combustion engines (ICE) and only the Corolla was offered with a hybrid powertrain.  Currently, three of our top 10 cars are fully electric, five are offered in both hybrid and ICE formats, while only two models are only offered with ICE. The Corolla is gone, well it’s still on sale in 2026, but it’s left the top 10. See 2016 was one of the last years when hatchbacks ruled. The Corolla, Mazda3, Hyundai i30 were the three little kings, with the Hyundai Accent thrown in there, too. But they’ve been replaced now by new small rulers. I would even say the Chery Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion are the new Corolla, i30 and Mazda 3. They are almost exactly the same size, price and target demographic for a Corolla in 2016. Following this gut logic I reckon the Tesla Model Y is the new Commodore. Holden fans won’t like to admit it, but they know I’m right.  The BYD Sealion 7 — that is the new Mazda CX-5. They’ve everywhere and they appeal to people who think they’re a bit better than a RAV4. Who’s now buying the RAV4? That’s a trick question because we all know RAV4 owners go on to buy another RAV4. So the RAV4 is the new RAV4. The EX5 is obviously the new Hyundai Tucson because it's one of the best but under-appreciated cars here. The D-Max is the new Triton. And that’s because the D-Max is no longer the runt of the ute litter, but it's still cheaper than a Ranger. What’s left. Ranger hasn’t changed - the same people are buying it and more of them and the same goes for HiLux. Those folks who would have loved V8 Commodores and Falcons are now in the tough ute group. Basically anyone who’d have a HSV or FPV 10 years ago is in a Ranger Raptor or HiLux GR Sport now. Prado is interesting and I think they are Toyota buyers who don’t want a Kluger and didn’t like their Fortuner but aren’t up for the 300 Series big dog. What do you think? If the Tesla Model Y isn’t the new Commodore then what is?  And were things better in 2016 when everything was ICE? Is our top 10 now looking like a list of best-selling electrical appliances? Are the Ranger and HiLux the last bastions of the best era ever? Or has their time come to move aside because EVs make far more sense? Also as a side note just to reassure you somewhat that not all of this is complete rubbish. Not only was in the same role at CarsGuide in 2016, but I'm pretty sure I also took most of the pictures of these cars from then, too. Stay tuned for my next unscientific round up of what’s what in 2036 when I’ll tell you that the super popular Mooflander Huckster 4 is the new Tesla Model Y.

That new car smell is actually a combination of flame retardant and toxins in the plastics used in your car - from the seats to the dashboard. And according to recent studies the 'gassing off' in extreme heat such as an Aussie summer could be harmful, but there are three things you can do to minimise the danger. Durable, shapeable, adaptable and most of all affordable, plastic took off big time in the 1950s. This ‘miracle material’ found its way into every part of our lives from kitchenware, toys, furniture and clothes to electronics, machinery and medicine. And, yes, cars. The amount of plastics in cars increased dramatically midway through the 20th century with metal components replaced with plastic molded versions that were far cheaper to produce. Fast forward 80-odd years and the problems connected to plastic have become clear from the forever chemicals and additives they’re treated with leaking into our food and water to microscopic parts we’re told are everywhere. With the new understanding of the dangers presented by toxins in plastics especially when heated, we wondered if vehicle interiors might also present a risk to our health. Car cabins are almost completely made of plastic, they get super heated when parked outside in summer and then we go and sit in them with the windows up. What are we doing to ourselves? At first I thought this story was going to be about synthetic leather upholstery such as polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl carbonate (PVC), but after wading through recent scientific studies on the risks of cabin plastics I can tell you the real concern is the foam inside seats, with a secondary concern being plastics in the dashboard and elsewhere. The foam in seats is mixed with a flame retardant and this has been the case since the 1970s. This absolutely makes sense, especially with the risk of participants trapped in vehicles after an accident and with plastic being highly flammable. The problem is flame retardants such as chloro-2-propyl phosphate (TCPP) are toxic and there’s new and growing evidence that suggests TCPP is carcinogenic. There are two important studies from the past two years focussing on the presence of flame retardants. The first research paper published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology in 2024 by Hoehn et al. sampled cabin air in 101 vehicles in the United States over seven days. TCPP was detected in the cabin air of 99 per cent of the vehicles. The study found higher levels of TCPP in hotter conditions. In fact the authors found a 12 per cent increase in the concentration of TCPP per one degree Celsius increase in temperature. The study suggested this increase was due to 'off-gassing' of the chemical due to heat. By the way, the off-gassing of TCPP is the 'new-car smell' we might gloat about when we’ve bought a brand spanker. Yep, you’re literally savoring the stench of flame retardant. Eventually the aroma fades as the car ages, but this raises other concerns about the breakdown and release of the toxins, which leads us to the second study. The second study was published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment in 2025, and analysed dust samples in cars, both new and older, in Czechia. This study found that high levels of flame retardant were found on seats. It was also discovered that banned flame retardant chemicals were also present with researchers concluding that this may have been due to newer vehicles often containing recycled plastics which contained the toxin. The 2025 study also tested collected dust forever chemicals - polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) and found the highest levels on dashboards. So what does this mean and what can we do? Not much, without further research and better alternatives it seems. That's because Australian Design Rules are aligned with UN regulations which require materials to meet burn rate limits and that’s why flame retardants are used. The United States also has burn-rate limits for cabin materials and manufacturers will use flame retardants to meet these. As for these rules changing, you’d have to weigh up the risk of trading the potential for harm to your health through the inhalation of flame retardant for an interior which is now highly flammable thanks to what would be akin to a cabin made of napalm. Obviously a product is needed that's fire resistant and has zero or ultra-low health risks. In the meantime there are three things you can do to prevent inhaling fumes that peak on hot days. First, try to park in the shade which will significantly lower the temperature inside your car. A car park in full sun on a 40C day can see its temperature reach 70C and this will almost certainly see the gassing off occur. Second, ventilate the car before climbing in. So, open the doors, start the car, turn the air con on and air out the cabin before going on your way. In a hurry? Then put the windows down, open the sun roof if you have one, let out the heat and built-up fumes. Third and finally, don’t keep the climate control or air-con on the re-circulate function non-stop. There are times to use it such as in tunnels and smokey conditions, but confining yourself to a small glass room on a hot day with potentially hazardous fumes isn't a good idea. It’s important to remember that while the risk of harmful effects of off-gassing aren’t fully known, the act of just driving your car or being a passenger is most certainly far more dangerous.