Articles by Laura Berry

Smart, the electric brand formed by automotive power couple Mercedes-Benz and Geely, is hinting that the arrival its smallest car the #2 is near as colour murals appear around the world including Australia.Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Melbourne have all seen advertisements in the form of hand painted murals pop up in their cities recently.Melbourne’s version features the small red two-door hatch against a backdrop of the city’s landmarks including Flinders St Station and a tram with the tagline “It’s back #2.”The only Smart models currently available are the #1 small SUV and the #3 mid-sized SUV. The “It’s back” tagline is referring to the original Smart Fortwo tiny hatch which was popular in Australia when the brand first landed here more than 20 years ago.The Smart #2 is only 100mm longer than the original Fortwo at a diminutive 2792mm end-to-end and also has just two seats but this time around it will be a bench seat which the company says creates more cabin room.The little city hatch will be fully electric and is expected to have a 35kWh battery and about 300km of driving range from a full charge. Fast DC charging from 10-80 percent will take just 20 minutes, Smart says.Smart Global CMO Kang Yi, said the Smart #2 was designed to express individuality and playfulness.“The Smart #2 is the evolution of a revolution,” he said “We designed this vehicle to bring playfulness, premium sophistication, and effortless agility back to the modern urban jungle. By teasing our defining halo product through this unconventional artistic exposure, we are building immense anticipation for its return and showcasing our commitment to creating vehicles that are not just means of transportation, but true expressions of individuality.”The Smart #2 will make its global debut at the Paris motor show in October.As for its arrival locally despite the marketing proclaiming the Smart #2 to be back in Melbourne, Smart's Australian distributor told CarsGuide the vehicle was not confirmed for our market.If it was to launch here it wouldn't be until 2027.

American custom performance vehicle maker Hennessey has revealed the Blackbird - its new spy-plane inspired 354km/h hypercar designed to be driven 1284km per day.Hennessey’s Blackbird, like all of the company’s creations, is special, but it’s not outright power that makes this soon to be launched hypercar unique.Inspired by the iconic SR-71 Blackbird United States spyplane the roadgoing Blackbird is for exactly that - road going - with Hennessey saying that rather than sitting in a garage it’s designed to be driven long distances thanks to its extra levels of comfort and spaciousness over the brand’s current hypercar the Venom F5.“Touring ability is central to the concept. Blackbird is engineered to cover more than 800 miles in a day with a larger glasshouse, gullwing doors, more cabin space than Venom F5, adaptive suspension, strong NVH targets, four cup holders, discreet device integration, and luggage capacity for two full-size carry-on bags plus additional rear-quarter and cabin storage,” Hennessey's press release says.The Blackbird doesn’t have the unfathomable 1355kW output of the twin-turbo V8 Venom F5, Hennessey says again the focus is on the road and engaging, enjoyable driving rather than outright, brutal performance,That said the 637kW made from the Blackbird's naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 is plenty of oomph and can slingshot it from 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 354km/h.Inspired by the spyplane’s stretched sleek body, Hennessey says the Blackbird hypercar car is long and uses a pinched styling bringing together upper and lower surfaces as a tribute to the aircraft’s design.The Blackbird hypercar's vertical rear stabilisers are the biggest SR-71 hat-tip. These stabilisers deploy at 71 mph (114km/h) and lock into place at an angle of 71 degrees. Keeping with the driving focus, the cabin of the Blackbird is free from screens and instead is a sumptuous cabin dripping in retro old school style with analog dials.Just 71 examples of the Hennessey Blackbird will be sold and the asking price is expected to be $3.6 million. The Blackbird will make its public debut at Monterey Car Week on August 14.

In 2016 the global bosses at Range Rover laughed when I asked if the brand famous for SUVs would ever do a car - you know a saloon or wagon. Now here we are a decade later and Range Rover has just revealed its first car - the GT.So, was I onto something top secret they already had planned? Did they know Jaguar would completely stop production in 10 years and saw an opportunity to produce saloons? Or could something else be happening?The laughter still rings in my ears. It was at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and myself and two other journalists were squashed into a tiny interview room with Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) senior global executives. You’d think I’d cracked the most hilarious joke ever, but all I asked was if Range Rover would ever make a car and would I be right in thinking this would happen?JLR’s Global Sales Operations Director Andy Goss laughed the hardest but something told me there was more to it.“I can’t see that happening. But then again Jaguar does have an SUV,” Goss said through his guffawing. Goss has now left JLR and Range Rover has just revealed the GT, and while not quite a saloon it is the most car-like vehicle the brand has ever produced.The official images released last week show a four-door wagon style vehicle with a coupe-like swooping roofline.And yes it’s is more of a crossover vehicle in that it’s a bit of a mash up between an SUV and wagon, and while the dimensions are yet to be confirmed, the GT looks to be about 1.5m tall or about the same height as a BMW 3 Series Touring station wagon, although wider and sleeker.If anything the GT looks very much like Jaguar’s Type 01. And that’s controversial.The Type 01 was to be the mould-breaking new vehicle to reboot Jaguar as it entered a brave new era that completely re-imagined the brand’s approach to its design, technology and philosophy. Jaguar revealed the Type 01 in May after a long teaser campaign that brought us images of hulking great saloons with cartoon proportions. The Type 01 stayed true to the bold concepts with its giant bonnet, low stance, beefy rear haunches and coupe roofline. While it looked very different to what we were used to seeing from Jaguar it was also easy to see the styling to be an over enhanced take on Jaguar’s most iconic car, the E-Type.Under the Type 01’s chiselled exterior was a fully electric powertrain with a massive 120kWh battery, 800V architecture and four electric motors making more than 735kW.It seemed like Jaguar was on the way back to finding its mojo and equipped properly for a new age of electric vehicles.Until Range Rover crashed the party with the GT - the car it may not have been supposed to do and the one that will also be underpinned by the same electric platform as the Type 01.It’s a seriously unusual move for Range Rover to steal Jaguar’s possible last chance to make a comeback. Because of course the Range Rover version will sell better than the Jaguar.It’s almost as if Range Rover doesn’t want Jaguar around any more because it truly does want to branch out into passenger cars and hasn’t been able to because until now.So maybe, just maybe, all the way back in 2016 when I asked those JLR executives about the prospect of Range Rover making a car, they actually were in the early stages of planning one. After all, a completely new vehicle can take from eight to 10 years to go from an idea to production.It’s very possible also that JLR’s senior executives knew Jaguar might not survive the next 10 years given the sales struggles it had been through. The F-Pace SUV was selling well and so was the F-Type sportscar, but a bad decision to invest big in diesel engines, an underwhelming attempt to challenge Tesla with its i-Pace electric SUV, Brexit and saloons that weren’t anywhere near as appealing to buyers as they were in the 1980s saw Jaguar eventually discontinue operations entirely by the end of 2025.The Land Rover side of the business was keeping the lights on with sales of Range Rovers and the Defender proving relatively lucrative, but even that is not enough to survive and so we’ll now see the introduction of cars like the GT.Nobody wants to see Jaguar disappear, nor Land Rover, and I’m well aware of the dangers in journalists speculating about this kind of thing.JLR’s parent company Tata Motors needs to see things pick up and without having been in the room where the discussions take place it appears that every option is being executed from tearing up Jaguar and starting again, building and selling Range Rover electric saloons and wagons and even Chinese joint ventures that allow brands like Chery to use JLR intellectual property, such as the Freelander name.You’re watching JLR pull out all the stops in real time.And that’s my very long way of saying 10 years later, I was right Andy, wasn’t I?

Honda’s HR-V small SUV has been an Aussie favourite for more than a decade but a lot has changed lately with the influx of more rivals, many of them new-gen hybrids and electric vehicles.So is the HR-V still outstanding? Or has it been left standing?We’ve tested the newest grade added to the line-up, the top-of-the-range hybrid, the HR-V e:HEV RS. I know, it's catchy right? Let's just call it the HR-V RS from here on.My small family of four lived with it in the inner suburbs for a week and I thought I knew this car well until this test, and there’s a few things you should know, too.First, how much does the HR-V RS cost and is it worth the money? Being the top grade in the HR-V line-up the RS is also the most expensive at $44,400 drive-away, $11,500 more than the petrol-powered entry-grade HR-V, or $4500 pricier than the most affordable hybrid HR-V.    That is a lot of money for a small SUV these days, what with so many feature-packed Chinese SUVs for a lot less.There’s the top grade MG ZS hybrid for $33,888 drive-away, the top of-the-range GWM Haval Jolion hybrid for $38,990 d/a, the top-spec Chery Tiggo 4 hybrid for $34,990 d/a… the list goes on.There are also electric SUVs for less. The Jaecoo J5 is $36,990 d/a, while the excellent MG S5 EV is the pretty much same price at $44,990 d/a.The HR-V hybrid grades are, however, more competitive than the Hyundai Kona hybrid ($36,950-$48,950), and Nissan Qashqai e-Power ($45,640-$54,140), both of which are priced before on-road costs.Features wise the HR-V RS is lacking a few things. The nine-inch media screen looks small now, the seats are heated but you get these on the L grade below, and that goes for almost all the other features, including dual-zone climate control, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker stereo.As for what the RS brings there’s RS body styling elements such as the black mesh grille and the leatherette sports seats.The RS grade doesn’t bring any performance edge to the HR-V. All three hybrid grades have the same output of 96kW and 253Nm, which is plenty of power for a little SUV. Just don’t expect the RS to be any sportier than other grades.The hybrid system combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors. The engine’s primary job is to produce electricity to charge the battery and that powers the motors which drives the wheels.The resulting fuel economy is good but not outstanding. Officially, Honda says the combined fuel consumption is 4.3L/100km. After 330km, the trip computer said my fuel consumption was 5.6L/100km. That came down to a lot of motorway miles, which uses battery charge quickly before the engine is called on to help drive the wheels and charge the battery.On the road the HR-V RS is excellent, and this is the area Honda has the edge over its Chinese rivals, which don’t tend to steer, stop, handle and ride as well as this.The engine can be a bit noisy and will often start up and switch off randomly, unrelated to acceleration. But that’s it charging the battery. For the most part, however, the HR-V is quiet with smooth acceleration at lower speeds and it drives like an EV. At higher speeds the engine assists the electric motors.It's easy to drive with good visibility, excellent stability and a feeling of safety, even on highways between big trucks. The driving position and seats aren't as comfortable as I wanted.Just as an aside, I also recently drove the slightly larger Honda ZR-V and found the seats and driving position to be much better.We used the HR-V for all our daily commutes, the school drop offs, sport and grocery shopping. From a practicality perspective the HR-V is excellent as well. There’s more than enough room for a child seat in the second row and space for somebody to sit in the front passenger seat at the same time. The legroom in the second row is great, too.We were thrown at one point when we discovered that there was no middle seat in the second row. Yes, the HR-V is a four seater only, something I’d forgotten since testing it last.Storage is great with cup holders, door pockets, shelves and trays built into the dashboard, and a deep storage area under the front-centre armrest.I also love the HR-V’s 'magic seats' in the rear which fold up to provide a cavernous cargo area behind the front seats for tall objects.The HR-V's only real impracticality is the rear-door handles which are integrated into the door frame. They're too high for little kids to reach and not easy even for adults to use. It bit my hand on one occasion!From a safety angle the HR-V scored four out of five ANCAP stars in 2022 and part of that lower score was the lack of rear auto emergency braking (AEB), which is important for families with small children. There is forward AEB, lane keeping assistance and a blind spot warning.For child seats there are two ISOFX points and two top tether anchor points in the second row.Finally, I like the look of the HR-V. As with all Hondas there’s a premium look and feel, much like Mazdas. That goes for the interior, too, with the high-quality feel and stylish design.

Mahindra has expanded its XUV 3XO range in Australia with the introduction of the limited run Black Anniversary edition to celebrate the small SUV being on sale locally for a year.The special edition joins the existing AX5L and AX7L variants and adds exclusive black styling while retaining the same equipment as the top-of-the-range AX7L.Limited to 300 units and with a driveaway price of $27,990 the Anniversary Edition now sits at the top of the 3XO line-up, priced from $27,990 drive-away. All variants of the 3XO are powered by the same 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 82kW/200Nm driving the front-wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.This combination consumes 6.5L/100km on the combined cycle.AX5L grade:16-inch alloy wheelsLED headlights and LED daytime running lights10.25-inch digital instrument cluster10.25-inch media touch screenWireless apple carplayWireless Android AutoDual-zone climate controlSix-speaker stereoSurround view cameraBlack cloth seatsPush-button start AX7L grade in addition to the AX5L’s features:17-inch alloy wheelsHarman Kardon seven-speaker stereoPanoramic glass roofLeatherette upholsteryLED front fog lampsCooled glove box Black Anniversary Edition grade in addition to the AX7L’s features:Gloss black 17-inch alloy wheels Black exterior finishMatte gray roofBody coloured grilleDark wheel centre capsBlack badgingAluminium scuff platesRear luggage trayOptional Stealth Black paint: $490 The Mahindra XUV 3X0 maintains the usual array of active safety equipment like auto emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, as well as traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree camera, and an array of six airbags.Mahindra covers the XUV 3XO with: a seven-year/150,000km warranty; seven years of roadside assistance; and six-years of capped price servicing which comes to a total of $1994.

This Sunday the federal government’s Fuel Excise discount will end and petrol and diesel prices will jump. So by how much will they increase and will we see a return to panic buying and the prospect of fuel rationing we witnessed earlier this year?We’ve known it's been coming for months, but I think for many of us we’d put the impending removal of the Fuel Excise discount at the back of our heads.However, on August 2, the Fuel Excise discount will be discontinued four months after it was implemented on April 1 this year.Let’s do a calculation, which is of course an estimation in this case.The federal government Fuel Excise is 52.5 cents on every litre and the discount given to consumers in April was half of this or 26.3 cents. This was combined with an extra 5.7 cents per litre funded by the states and territories for total of 32 cents off a litre.The discount was already halved on June 30.So you can expect petrol prices to increase by 16 cents. Currently the average price of 95 RON premium petrol in New South Wales as of July 29 is 211c/litre, while diesel is 235c/litre.So you’re looking at an average of 227c/litre for 95 RON and 251c/litre for diesel. That’s in theory.My prediction, and you can hold me to this, is prices will be higher and there are three reasons for this.First, historically the prices spiked way above this a few months ago before the Fuel Excise discount - in March 2026 the average price for 95 RON was 270c/litre.Second, not only is the war in the Middle East still ongoing with the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut, but the conflict is widening with Yemen’s Houthi disrupting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.And finally humans are doomed to repeat their silly behaviour of panic buying. Do you remember that? Blokes with their car and trailer loaded with jerry cans? This behaviour not only drives up prices and depletes reserves faster, but it's a dangerous practice, which could lead to a fire if the petrol isn’t stored safely.If this happens fuel rationing will likely be used to curb any panic buying and ensure vital logistics have the petrol and diesel needed to keep the country running.But of course it’ll happen again and we’re already seeing petrol prices increase dramatically. Just over the course of one week (Thursday July 23-Thursday July 30) the price of 95 RON has risen from an average of 200.5c/litre to 211.6c/litre.There is a glimmer of hope. On July 28 the Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King told ABC Radio National that the situation in the Middle East may cause the government to reconsider the removal of the fuel excise discount.“Well those future decisions will be made at the time, and I know that time is coming, you know, right at us,” Minister King said.“But as we all are aware, this conflict in the Middle East, and it appears to be sadly spreading, just continues to cause instability in that global energy market and those oil prices, and I think your package there before said how they'll continue to fluctuate.“But the Government is very much aware of the pressure the increase in fuel prices does put on Australian families and we have taken action in the past and will continue to monitor how these prices do affect people and seek to deliver that kind of relief as best we can.”When asked directly if the government would extend the fuel excise discount Minister King hinted that it was possible.“We won't rule anything out, and we've done so much around fuel security to make sure there is fuel available for consumers with the fuel and fertiliser security facility, as well as developing the fuel security reserve as well.”Treasurer Jim Chalmers poured cold water on this and on Wednesday it was "never the government's intention" to make the scheme permanent."The fuel excise relief will end at midnight on Sunday," he said."It has played a really important role helping to take some of the sting out of the cost-of-living pressures."It was never the government's intention for that to be permanent."Australia’s current fuel reserves as of July 21 stand at 42 days for petrol, 38 days for diesel and 32 days for jet fuel, according to the federal government.In March this year at the start of the fuel crisis Australia had 37 days of petrol, 32 days of diesel  and 30 days of jet fuel.So we’re in a better place, but not by much and the situation is arguably worse.So what do we do? Don’t panic, for starters.We may find ourselves driving less if we own a petrol car and expediting our plans to buy an electric one - that's what we're thinking of doing in my family.We have two petrol cars that we own. One is our daily driver - a Skoda wagon - and the other is a classic 1950s Ford. We're not going to part with the Ford but we'll probably sell the Skoda soon and buy an electric SUV.The prices of EVs have come down enormously and are almost level with petrol cars with good options like the Geely EX5, MG S5 and BYD Atto 3.Plug-in hybrids are another alternative. The "super hybrids" like the Chery Tiggo 8 and BYD Sealion 6 offer huge driving ranges without using much petrol as long as you plug-in regularly to charge.Or we'll just do what most people will do and just put off buying our next car until we really have to but - depending on what happens after the fuel excise discount is lifted - that might come sooner than we expect.

Mercedes-Benz has given the first glimpse of the upcoming G-Class Cabriolet with its roof folded down, hinting the convertible luxury off-roader’s arrival is imminent.In December last year Mercedes-Benz announced that it would be bringing its G-Class Cabriolet back after the previous version had been discontinued in 2013. The images that were released officially at the time were of a camouflage Cabriolet model with the folding roof in place. Now Mercedes-Benz has released a series of teasers on its social media accounts showing the G-Class Cabriolet folding down its roof automatically.Although nothing is really left to the imagination Mercedes-Benz has persisted with using camouflage around the rear of the G-Class Cabriolet.It is clear the roof folds automatically and quickly, although not quite as compactly as some might have hoped. Rather than storing itself away neatly behind the rear seats, the folded roof sits as high as the top of the spare wheel cover mounted on the tailgate.Mercedes-Benz has not announced when the G-Class Cabriolet will make its global debut, but it is expected to arrive before the end of this year.CarsGuide has reached out to Mercedes-Benz’s local arm asking for confirmation of the Cabriolet’s arrival and the launch timing Down Under, but the company is yet to respond.The signs are positive for an Australian arrival with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius saying at the 2025 Munich motor show that the new Cabriolet will be “sold in almost every market around the world”.Details are scarce, but the model in the teaser video appears to be the top-of-the-range twin-turbo V8-powered G63. Buyers of a Cabriolet version can expect to pay a premium over the current hard-top G63, which starts at $368,400 (before on-road costs). The cabriolet body style may only be available in the range-topping G63 specification and if it does come to Australia it will join the line-up, which starts with the diesel powered G 450d before stepping up to the fully electric G 580.Mercedes-Benz introduced a Cabriolet version of its short wheelbase two-door G-Class in 1979 with production running until 2013.  Mercedes-Benz says the reason for the two-door Cabriolet G-Class’s axing was due to low demand and increasing safety requirements.A four-door version was continued to be made but only available in the exotic Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet specification. This was also discontinued in 2018.

The GAC Aion UT is the first GAC I’ve ever driven, so I went into this review not really knowing what to expect. Sort of like walking through a room in the dark, in a house that isn’t yours.It was full of discovery but without all the falling over and toe stubbing. First, what is the Aion UT? It's a fully electric small hatch that almost crosses into SUV territory with its slightly elevated ride height.At 4270mm long it’s a similar length to the BYD Dolphin, but shorter than an MG4 Urban, but it does match the MG's price at $31,990 before on-road costs. That’s for the entry grade Premium Aion UT tested here. The price is impressive. It’s an electric car for the same money as a petrol car of a similar size, like a Honda HR-V.The Premium grade has an almost identical features list to the top grade luxury, from powered and heated front seats to a 14.6-inch touchscreen. All it misses out on really, is ventilated seats, wireless phone charging and a power tailgate. The Aion UT is not just an affordable small car, it’s more practical than many larger vehicles thanks to clever storage andplenty of cabin space. The UT’s 2750mm wheelbase is on the longer side for cars this small and that’s a good thing for occupant space and excellent rear legroom is the result. Rear headroom is more than adequate too, thanks to a tall and flat roofline.Storage is outstanding with a deep centre console bin and an area underneath for bags. There’s even a hatch under the dash that opens to reveal a netted pocket. There are door pockets, cupholders and a phone tray up front that doubles as a wireless charger if you stump up the extra $4000 for the Luxury grade.The 321-litre boot isn’t enormous but it's large for a car this size with enough space for a week’s worth of shopping for my family of four or a couple of smaller luggage bags.The main practicality downside is the lack of physical buttons in the cabin for functions such as climate control and media. There are none at all apart from on the steering wheel and the window switches.Instead, all controls are accessed through the central touchscreen and not only is that more awkward to use but it's a safety concern. A driver could easily be distracted just trying to turn the cabin temperature down.We lived with the Aion UT for a week doing what families do: from school runs and weekend sports to grocery shopping and family visits. This is a front-wheel-drive electric car with a 60kWh battery and 150kW/210Nm motor. That battery size is good for 430km of driving range (WLTP) according to GAC and after 250km in one week there was 170km left, making that claim accurate. Our average energy consumption was 15.6kWh/100km according to the trip computer, which is less than the official 16.4kWh/100km.In the city and urban areas where we live the UT shines with brisk acceleration, its quiet and smooth nature, good visibility and small size. On motorways, as we found during a trip to a regional area, the UT feels slightly vulnerable among the trucks and the stability was tested in the windy, rainy weather. There were times I wished we were in something larger and higher up.The driving position is let down by the steering wheel's lack of reach adjustment. I got around this by adjusting my seat, although it's not ideal.Also not ideal is a persistent driver alert system that reminds you to slow down and avoid distraction. It activates far too easily and interferes with concentration while driving. It’s not just the driver being hassled either. My front passenger was told on one occasion not to put her feet on the dashboard even though they weren’t - she had her legs crossed and this seemed to trigger the system.Finally the styling of the Aion UT isn’t appealing to me. GAC boasts that the little electric car was penned at its Milan design centre, but Chinese rivals like Zeekr and BYD have much more interesting and beautiful creations.

Mini utes are the next big car trend, but could these small SUV-based utilities be a hit in Australia or prove a very big miss?Just like fashion trends our taste in cars goes in cycles, with often the same style coming back just with a bit of a twist. We’ve been through the people-mover phase a few times, the station wagon a couple of times and now it’s utes. Again.Australia has been a ute-loving nation for a hundred years, from the first early 1930s Holden and Ford utilities to the Commodore and Falcon utes of the 80s, 90s and 00s, and on to the raised off-road utes such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux and then the full-sized American pick-ups such as the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado.Now we are back to small car-based utes again it seems. The twist is it’s not cars such as the Commodore or Falcon, but small and mid-sized SUVs such as Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape. The thing is - will Aussies fall over themselves to get into a baby ute one or walk the other way?If the United States is anything to go by, these little utes could be a big hit here.In the US the Ford Escape-based Maverick baby ute launched in 2021 and has sold out every year since. The company’s next little ute will be the Ranchero - a mini electric ute.Meanwhile Toyota’s own little ute, which is based on the Corolla Cross has been spotted testing, and a larger RAV4-based ute has been mooted, too.BYD is even further ahead and will debut its mini hybrid ute - the Mako - by the end of this year.Finally Ram has the Rampage planned for a US launch where it will sit under the RAM 1500.Ford stopped at bringing the Maverick to Australia years ago. I asked Ford Australia in 2021 if there was a possibility the Maverick would be brought here and was told they weren’t sure “if it measured up”, which I took as them not believing it would meet the expectations of Aussie ute buyers in terms of load carrying and towing capacity.But I think Ford might have had that wrong. Yes, utes such as the Ranger are popular because of their one-tonne load carrying ability, off road credentials and their 3500kg braked towing capacity, but neither a Commodore ute or Falcon ute could meet all those requirements.So perhaps we are ready for these new small utes again? Or has the do-anything, go-anywhere Ranger and HiLux spoilt us too much?If any of the baby utes had a chance it’d be the Maverick. If good looks sell cars, then the Maverick would sell out here, as it does in the US.  The Maverick is 5072mm long, which isn’t tiny but smaller than the Ranger that stretches 5370mm in dual-cab SR5 form.The tray in the Maverick is 1380mm x 1235mm, while a Ranger’s is 1547mm x 1584mm.The Maverick comes in hybrid and petrol variants. The hybrid uses a 2.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor and makes 142kW. The petrol variant uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and makes up to 198kW. Braked towing capacity is 907kg or 1800kg with an option towing package fitted to the all-wheel drive variant.As a comparison the VF Commodore ute has a 1600kg braked towing capacity.The Maverick would work in Australia - absolutely.But Ford is probably very unlikely to bring it here. Instead BYD will launch its hybrid ute, which will be a success and so will other Chinese brands such as Chery and Geely.Another indicator the Australian car market is ready for a change it's the sales of off-road utes, which have been in free fall since the start of 2026.The war in Iran and the fuel price spike has definitely contributed to the decline of in ute sales, and the enormous increase in EV sales may suggest buyers are migrating out of their utes into electric cars. So it's likely the new baby ute trend will be electric and hybrid powered. Would Australia get behind that?Well if the utes look good, then they’ll sell. Otherwise it doesn’t matter how great they are - just look at the Kia Tasman…

In a collaboration between carmaker BYD and fast food outlet KFC, drivers in China can order takeaway though an embedded app in their vehicle.The initiative between BYD and KFC sees the central media display in a BYD vehicle turn into a large menu for the restaurant, similar to a self ordering touchscreen you'd find in-store.The app locates the closest KFC store, sends the order through and navigates the driver to pick up the food.A journalist writing for Chinese motoring publication Auto Home road-tested the app and highlighted the voice interaction as a strength, but that pulling over and putting the vehicle into “Park” to access the full menu was required for safety reasons.   The embedded ordering app is not the first time BYD and KFC have collaborated. In April this year the businesses announced KFC would offer a BYD vehicle charging service at its restaurant locations.Apart from the tasty opportunity for humans to fill up themselves, the chargers are a draw, too. They are the fastest BYD has ever built, delivering up to 1500kW that can provide up to 2km of range a second. The ultra fast chargers are only compatible with second-generation BYD Blade batteries.In April there were already 5000 KFC outlets hosting BYD's chargers and by December the expectation is for there to be 20,000 locations in operation.The numbers are mind boggling and only highlight the sheer scale of commercialisation in China.As for the tech coming to Australia - there’s no word on that. For now, Aussies will have to order their takeaway the old fashioned way and do it through an app on their phone.