Articles by Laura Berry

BMW has been testing its mysterious Heart of Joy driving dynamics computing system in a prototype ahead of its roll out in new vehicles, and the results according to the German brand are “not just to the next level, but another one beyond that.”First revealed to the world at the 2023 Munich Motor Show as a small black box the Heart of Joy is a computer, which manages many of a vehicle’s systems from steering, braking and suspension to power and battery usage. The plan is for the system to be installed in the next generation of all-electric cars that BMW calls its Neue Klasse.Now BMW has revealed that it has been testing the Heart of Joy in a prototype vehicle called the Vision Driving Experience at a United States test track.“The Heart of Joy enables us to take driving pleasure not just to the next level, but another one beyond that,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW, responsible for Development. “In addition, we are further increasing efficiency, and therefore boosting range, as in future the driver will brake almost exclusively using energy regeneration. This is Efficient Dynamics squared.”Admittedly the Heart of Joy sounds mysterious and almost unreal, but according to BMW’s engineers the system makes real world driving more comfortable and smooth through the reduction of noise and vibration, and the clever incorporation of controls and functions due to lightning-fast computing.Energy consumption is also improved. BMW said recuperation through braking and an integrated drivetrain returning a 25 per cent increase in efficiency.The computing software for the Heart of Joy was developed by BMW with processing speeds claimed to be 10 times faster than previous systems.“Working in tandem with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software, the Heart of Joy computes all the driving dynamics functions with a whole new level of speed and precision,” BMW’s press release reads. “The software has been developed entirely in-house on the back of experience in the field of driving dynamics amassed by BMW engineers over more than a century.”The Vision Driving Experience vehicle, which is being tested at BMW’s Spartanburg test track in the US, can develop up to 18,000Nm. Well, that’s the theoretical limit of the computing software and its ability to manage all that torque. That’s about the same amount of torque produced by a top fuel dragster and in reality unlikely to appear in any road car soon.The Vision Driving Experience vehicle, which BMW is clear to point out is for testing the software only, won't turn into a production vehicle. That said the Vision Driving Experience vehicle will make it world premiere at the 2025 Shanghai motor show in April.

Volkswagen is about to show the world its new little electric SUV that will effectively take the place of the combustion engined T-Cross.

Utes are Australia’s most popular type of vehicle, but which models offer the best resale value when the time comes to selling them? CarsGuide’s analytics team crunched the numbers so that we could bring you this exclusive report. 

Those aspiring to be Mercedes-Benz owners may be in for a shock with the prestige brand recently axing its A-Class small sedan, while increasing prices across its entire range by up to $6000. The A-Class sedan made its Australian debut in 2019 and joined the A-Class hatchback to compete with the likes of Audi’s A3 sedan and Sportback. The A-Class is also the most affordable entry point into Mercedes-Benz’s entire Australian line-up.Mercedes-Benz says the discontinuation only affects the A-Class sedan and the hatch will remain on sale.“The A-Class sedan is currently still on sale in Australia, however factory orders have been closed,” a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told CarsGuide. “Customers can order locally available stock. The A-Class hatchback is currently still available for factory and stock order.”  The A-Class sedan and hatch have been a success story for Mercede-Benz with the total sales for 2024 reaching 1997 — about 50 more cars than the year’s sales for the C-Class sedan.The reason for the sedan’s departure Mercedes-Benz says is to make way for electric and hybrid models which will be the new entry points into the brand.“Mercedes-Benz will introduce a new range of entry-level vehicles built on the all-new, electric-first MMA platform. The upcoming CLA will lead this range, which will include a four-door coupé, a shooting brake, and two SUVs.” The A-Class hatch might remain but it’s also now expensive with the price rising by $600 to $57,500. Actually, every model in Mercedes-Benz’s entire line-up (there are 64 of them) has seen a price increase with the most expensive Maybach S 680 vlimbing by $6000.Entry into the C-Class sedan range is now $92,600 (up by $1200), while the E-class starts at $132,000 (up by $1586). Mercedes-Benz’s smallest and most affordable SUV the GLA 200 is now $63,600 (up by $700). Mercedes-Benz told CarsGuide the price increase was caused by several factors but would not go into detail.“As pricing is a dynamic topic that is influenced by a wide range of factors, we can’t provide any further comments,” a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told CarsGuide.  You can see our table below for the full list of price changes. Prices listed are before on-road costs but include LCT and GST

Chinese auto giant Geely has revealed that it has extensively tested its new electric EX5 SUV in Australia to develop suspension for local conditions ahead of the vehicle’s launch this year.The revelation is an insight into just how serious the car manufacturer is taking its brand launch in Australia with the EX5 being its first model to come here.Head of Geely Auto Australia Li Lei said the company has an understanding of what Australian consumers want in a vehicle.“Geely is extremely proud of the work the Australian team has done to make the Geely EX5 fit-for-purpose for the local market,” he said. “We now have a great understanding of what Australian car consumers need in a vehicle, how they use it and what features they love,” said Lei. “We wanted to ensure the car offered a great experience for Australians and these adjustments will deliver a smoother ride over rough surfaces, improved stability for long-distance journeys, and the durability to handle variable loads — all while maintaining the comfort, confidence and reliability consumers expect." Car makers such as Ford and Toyota have calibrated suspension for Australian conditions for decades and the use of local engineering teams to ensure vehicles are adapted to our varying roads has been one of the secrets to the success of brands such as Kia and Hyundai. Geely doing the same signals the car maker is gearing up to be competitive against these brands.The EX5 could be the sharpest weapon in Geely’s armoury, too. At 4615mm long the EX5 is the same size as Toyota’s RAV4 and with a similar price tag, expected to be between $49,000-$55,000. The difference is that the EX5 is electric while the RAV4 is a petrol-hybrid.Not only will that allow the EX5 to compete with the RAV4 and other combustion powered mid-sized SUVs such as the Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester, but it will also be able to rival electric SUVs such as the Tesla Model Y and Leapmotor C10.  “The beauty of this car is that it can compete. It’s an SUV, we’re not compartmentalising ourselves into the battery electric vehicle (BEV) space. We’re expecting people from legacy brands to come and look at this vehicle as well,” a Geely spokesperson told CarsGuide recently.The EX5 will offer a front mounted motor producing 160kW and 320Nm, and offer a range of up to 430km.Australia has seen electric vehicles become more mainstream over the past two years. Chinese brands such as BYD, MG, Leapmotor, Deepal, Zeekr, Smart have warmed the local market up to new names and tech and won over many Australians, priming the market for Geely, which is expected to  make a major impact on our automotive landscape.  

Ford needs to find out how Chinese battery makers produce such outstanding batteries and then become better at it for the company’s survival, the company’s global boss said recently.

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Ford really is serious about redirecting its energy away from EVs and into even more hardcore combustion vehicles. The company’s global boss revealed plans for a high-performance, ultra off-road capable Raptor supercar. Yes, one that you can buy - from a dealership.The revelation comes following a Top Gear interview with Ford CEO and president Jim Farley recently. “We’re in the middle of creating something, so we don’t have all the answers yet, but the question is should Ford make an off-road supercar?” he told Top Gear. “Not a version of a car, a standalone supercar,” Farley said.Ford’s intentions to pursue high-performance adventure vehicles came to light at the Detroit motor show early in 2025 when Farley told Automotive News he wanted the brand to be akin to Porsche but for off-road. “Ford wants to be the number one undisputed off-road brand in the world,” Farley said. “We want to be the Porsche of off-road.”Becoming the Porsche of off-road is ambitious and a tad confusing for consumers (and journalists), it’s clear Ford is serious about going hardcore at a high level.Ford recently finished on the podium of the Dakar Rally with its Raptor T1+. While this rally beast might have passing resemblance to a Ranger Raptor the Raptor T1+ is actually a ground-up build entirely designed for off-road racing. Powered by Ford’s 5.0-litre Coyote V8 with a dry-sump oil system, and featuring front and rear double wishbone suspension the Raptor T1+ uses a steel space frame and carbon fibre body panels.Could this the T1+ inspire a production vehicle people could buy? Surely it’s as hardcore and high performance as it gets?"Yes, the Raptor T1+ at Dakar represents the ultimate Raptor in many ways,” Farley told TopGear. “And we’re learning a lot from that both in terms of the competition but also in terms of feedback from customers, so all I can say is stay tuned…”The Ford Ranger has been the best-selling vehicle in Australia for the past two years. In 2024 Ford sold 62,953 Rangers and while the sales of Raptor versions aren’t reported by the car maker it’s clear the variant is also popular despite its entry price of $90,440.