Articles by Laura Berry

The little Yugo hatchback made by now long-gone Serbian brand Zastava Automobili appears to be making a return to a market that's increasingly being dominated by new Chinese brands, and in another twist, it won't be electric.Made from 1980 to 2008 the Yugo was popular in the United States, India, Egypt and Eastern Europe. The little car was also sold in Australia before Zastava Automobili ended operations.The Yugo brand, however, has been bought by German university professor, Dr Alexander Bjelic, who plans to resurrect the small hatch that's yet to be named.While a production version is still far off, Dr Bjelic used the recent 2025 Munich Car Design Event to show off a concept version. The catch is, it's a tiny scale model in a plastic box for now with Dr Bjelic aiming to have a full-size prototype ready for the 2027 Belgrade Expo. The model shows off the little hatch’s retro-cool looks with a modern twist on the Yugo hatch. The futuristic looks may be reminiscent of a tiny version of Hyundai's Ioniq 5 electric SUV, but Yugo says its upcoming car will be powered by an internal combustion engine. The brand said an electric variant may also become available at a later point.The original Yugo hatch was known for its affordability but had a poor reputation for reliability and build quality. While the car was sold in Australia along with 76 other countries, it's uncertain whether the resurrected version will be sold in Australia.If the Yugo hatch did make it Down Under it would be up against fierce tiny rivals such as Volkswagen's Polo, the Skoda Fabia, Toyota Yaris, Suzuki Swift, MG3 and Mazda2.Still, if Yugo can price the car lower than its competitors and arrive with a design that looks as good as the concept then it could be onto a winner. 

Audi has announced prices for the new-generation A5, which has landed in Australia with a completely new design and armed with the latest technology, but its arrival means the end of era.The pressure is piling on Audi with the brand discontinuing its internal combustion variants of the A4 and putting all its faith in the new-gen A5 to compete against BMW's 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class. Just to add to the pressure it is also understood this A5 may well be the last version fitted with an internal combustion engine. So this new generation A5 could be a significant one, possibly the last of its kind.With that in mind let’s look at the just-released A5 pricing. The A5 Sedan kicks off the range at $79,900 and steps up to  $114,900 for the sporty S5 sedan. A wagon bodystyle or Avant will only be offered in the S5 grade and for $117,900. A special Edition One of both the S5 sedan and S5 Avant will also be offered at launch for $99,900 and $102,900, respectively.The A5 now begins at about $10,000 less than before, but it's also $8000 more expensive than the previous entry fee into the outgoing A4.Standard features on the A5 sedan include 19-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, proximity unlocking, a power tailgate with gesture control, sport seats with leather upholstery power adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, three-zone climate control, a 14.5-inch OLED media display and an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster, there’s also Apple CarPlay Android Auto and wireless phone charging.Powering the A5 Sedan is a turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 150kW and 340Nm with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Stepping up to the S5 brings more standard features including 20-inch alloy wheels with red brake calipers, Matrix LED headlights with digital OLED tail lights and privacy glass. Coming standard inside is Nappa leather upholstery with diamond stitching, heated and ventilated front seats with massaging function, there are also here heated second row outboard seats, a heated steering wheel, a head-up display ambient lighting, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and a 10.9-inch media display for the front passenger.The S5 Edition 1 comes with extra features including black 19-inch alloy wheels with a five-spoke design, S exterior styling with black elements and gray Audi ring badging, while inside there are heated sports front seats with integrated headrests, stainless steel pedals, a flat top- and bottomed steering wheel, plus microfiber accents and S embroidery throughout the cabin.The S5 is powered by a 270kW/550Nm six-cylinder turbo petrol engine and has Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system delivered through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The S5 also comes with sports suspension with adjustable dampers and a brisk acceleration time with 0 to 100km/h done and dusted in 4.5 seconds. Audi Australia Director Jeff Mannering says the new A5 is a combination of innovation and performance.“The introduction of the new Audi A5 and S5 range highlights our dedication to delivering innovation, luxury, and performance. These vehicles epitomise Audi’s progressive spirit, setting new standards within the premium segment and offering Australian customers a truly compelling proposition in terms of technology, design, and dynamic driving experience.”

In another very clear sign the end of the world is nigh, Mazda has filed a patent for an electric Mazda MX-5 it appears. It's devastating news for anybody who appreciates the perfection that is the MX-5 or indeed anybody who appreciates life at all. 

Want to know which new SUVs have the worst resale value before you buy? CarsGuide’s analytics team of data experts have crunched the numbers to find the models that lose their value the fastest. See if the SUV you’re about to buy is on the list.

Volkswagen has announced it will be deploying thousands of autonomous electric vehicles over the next decade in conjunction with ride share service Uber. 

First we had to get our heads around the multitude of new brands going on sale in Australia, now we’re trying to cope with the massive power outputs of the models as Chinese brand Lynk & Co launches its 900 large SUV with a plug-in hybrid system producing a colossal 540kW.The price is relatively small too with the Range Rover-sized, and also extremely luxurious 900, listing for about $62,000 in China.There is more than a passing resemblance to the Range Rover, with the hulking 900 featuring a set-back cabin, tall windows and rounded rear end. Inside the cabin has a minimal design with a giant media screen spanning most of the dashboard.The 900 has three rows of two seats with the second row able to be turned to face the third. A giant drop-down roof-mounted  30-inch 6K media screen is also available for entertainment. Powering the 900 is a choice of two powertrains. The first is a plug-in hybrid 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four cylinder engine making a 140kW and that in turn is paired to two electric motors: a 160kW unit on the front axle and a 230kW motor at the rear. Total combined output is 530kW.The second is also a plug-in hybrid but it uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine with two electric motors - one at the front making 123kW and a rear motor making 230kW for a combined 540kW.As for battery size the 1.5-litre variant has a 44.85kW unit while the 2.0-litre version has a 52.38kWh pack. According to Lynk & Co both 900 models have a combined range of up to about 1350km (CLTC)The big news really is the price with the 900 listing from $62,000 in China. It's not known if Lynk & Co will launch the 900 in Australia. Currently the company is holding off its arrival into our market until its parent company, Zeekr, establishes itself here.The past two years have seen numerous Chinese car manufacturers enter the Australian market including BYD, Geely, Leapmotor, Deepal and JAC.Zeekr, which is owned by auto giant Geely, recently took control over Lynk & Co and it is expected to arrive in Australia by 2028.Zeekr meanwhile has launched it little X SUV and its 009 people mover and a mid-sized 7X will arrive in 2025, too.  Zeekr's 9X which uses the same foundations as the Lynk & Co 900 may also arrive in Australia.

Slate Auto, a new electric car company backed by tech billionaire Jeff Bezos, has just launched its first vehicle in the United States.

People movers were never cool in Australia, but that’s changing as our evolving tastes take us out of SUVs and into little buses.

Race track? Check. People mover? Check. Wait, what? Yes we took a fully-electric 450kW Zeekr 009 people mover to the race track to see what would happen.

What people mover costs a quarter of a million dollars? The Lexus LM 500h does and we tested it to see if it's the ultimate family car.