Articles by Laura Berry

It’s monstrously powerful, staggeringly quick and charges in less than 10 minutes - it’s the Denza Z9 GT electric wagon and it’s been officially confirmed for Australia.BYD’s luxury division Denza says its Z9 GT will make its local debut at the 2026 Melbourne motor show this weekend with deliveries commencing towards the end of the year. “Australia is a market that demands performance without compromise, and the Z9 GT has been engineered to meet or exceed expectations,” said Denza Australia Chief Operating Officer Mark Harland.“The Denza Z9GT proves that electrification can deliver not just efficiency, but exhilarating performance, extraordinary safety and genuine long-distance usability."Pricing and full specifications have yet to be announced for Australia, but Denza has confirmed that our Z9 GT will be the first from the brand to use the new “blade battery 2.0 technology” and “Flash ultra charging”. This tech gives the battery 1500kW DC charging capability to fill from 10-97 per cent in nine minutes. Australia's current fastest charger can dish out 400kW.Denza Australia also confirmed the Z9 GT will have a range of 1036km (CLTC) and that means the local variant will have the large 122.5kWh battery. Expect about 20 per cent less in the real world.Three motors power the Z9 GT and produce a combined 850kW for a staggering 0-100km/h time of just 2.7 seconds.The Z9 GT will also have air suspension providing what is expected to be a comfortable and luxurious ride.The Z9 GT has a decadent cabin with Nappa leather upholstery massaging and ventilated seats, a 50-inch augmented reality head-up display, premium stereo system, built-in fridge and 128 colour ambient lighting. So how much will the Z9 GT cost?  That will be revealed closer to the models on-sale date but it is expected to be a lot less than the Porsche Taycan’s $181,000 starting price.The Denza B8 large plug-in hybrid SUV is the most expensive model currently of the brand with a list price of $97,990. The Z9 GT could extend beyond the $100,000 mark in Australia for the highest specification.BYD launched its luxury sub-brand Denza in Australia in early 2026 and led its arrival with the B5 and B8 hybrid SUVs. The brand's first fully electric vehicle to come to Australia is D9 people mover with the Z9 GT becoming the fourth model to launch in the brand’s local expansion.

Nissan’s R36 GT-R supercar is coming and will be an all-new beast, well mostly, according to the company’s senior executive. We think you’ll like what hasn’t changed in this next generation. Hint, it will have pistons - six of them!The good news for fans of the iconic ‘Godzilla’ is that not only will the Nissan GT-R be returning soon as the R36, but it will seemingly retain the revered petrol V6 from the R35 - although most likely as part of a hybrid powertrain. That’s according to Nissan North America Vice President and Chief Planning Officer Ponz Pandikuthira in an interview with motoring publication The Drive recently.   “I’d say by 2028 you’ll see some concrete announcements, and hopefully before the decade turns you’ll see an R36 GT-R,” Pandikuthira told The Drive.Pandikuthira said the R36 needed to be on a different chassis to the R35 and that while it was going to be "an all new car” the “powertrain’s going to be mostly new”.And this is where the news gets really good. Pandikuthira suggests that the heart of the R35 — the much loved high output twin-turbo V6 petrol engine — would be transplanted into the R36 but given the hybrid treatment.“If there was a hybrid powertrain, the block of that VR38 engine (which was the engine in the R35 GT-R) would be so great. Why would you throw that away? But maybe the way combustion matter needs to be very different. 
Maybe the heads are very different. Maybe the pistons are very different. So maybe we have to change the top end,” Pandikuthira said.This news puts to rest any rumours that the R36 would be fully electric, but that a compromise might be needed in the form of  hybridisation to meet emissions standards.“The next generation GTR will need some level of electrification,” Pandikuthira said.“So, does it need to be a full EV? Probably not, but it does need to have some level of electrification to meet, to future proof emissions, compatibility.”According to Pandikuthira the R36 GT-R should be with us by 2030, marking five years since production of the R35 ended in August, 2025.The R35 GT-R’s VR38 twin-turbo V6 started off with 353kW when it was first launched in 2007, but power output rose to 419kW by the end of its lifetime in 2025 with the NISMO high performance division version extracting even more. That power was sent to all four wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.On the day the final R35 rolled off the production line Nissan’s global CEO Ivan Espinosa promised the GT-R would return.“To the many fans of the GT‑R worldwide,’ Espinsosa said. “I want to tell you this isn’t a goodbye to the GT‑R forever, it’s our goal for the GT‑R nameplate to one day make a return.”

Don’t for a second put up with politicians trying to shift any of the blame for fuel shortages onto panic buying or people filling up a few jerry cans. The government has not only known about the possibility of running out of fuel, but it ensured it happened through a risky practice that it had been warned about for years.As the war in the Middle East escalates and enters its second month the global economy is creaking under the pressure of petrol and diesel shortages, with Iran permitting very few oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial shipping lane linking oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE to the world. Iran’s holding 20 per cent of the world’s oil hostage wasn’t unforeseen. Fuel security experts have been well aware of the risk for decades. Six years ago CarsGuide published the story I wrote of the risk of a war with Iran causing a fuel shortage. In the story former Royal Australia Air Force Deputy Chief John Blackburn, now a consultant on defence and national security, said Australia's lack of larger fuel reserves was a huge risk.As of late March, 2026, Australia had 30 days of diesel and 39 days of petrol left. Jet fuel was down to just 30 days, too.“The issue is the government doesn’t mandate that industry has to hold minimum stock levels. Most other developed countries do,” Blackburn said.“My view is the government isn’t keen on doing it because it has a free market approach. Now if there are no risks around, then that makes economic sense. But this idea that during peace time we’ll just let the market run and in war time we’ll do something else is outdated because there is no such thing as peace time any more.”So the government knew the risks and was willing to take them and work it out later if a problem ever arose. And when I say government I’m not referring to Labor or Liberal, I’m mean both, because it has been the same policy of both sides over successive governments.  The problem is now here and you can hear the concern in politician voices - this is an incredibly worrying situation that won’t right itself the day after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened. And there has been no attempt by any successive government over the years to change this practice. As Blackburn said, if we were to take up electric cars, which are powered by the electricity we made ourselves, then the fuel supply would be as secure as it could get."If you want to reduce demand you need to diversify the types of energy cars and trucks use… electricity will be absolutely critical to this. The good thing with electricity and also hydrogen vehicles is that we can generate the electricity and the hydrogen in Australia – 100 per cent of it. We don’t have to be 90 per cent dependent on imported diesel, unleaded and jet fuel as we are today.”And as the Government scrambles to produce modelling that will tell us exactly how long we have left before the Hunger Games start, there still doesn’t appear to be any thought going into how we can decouple from petrol and diesel and transition to electric.Because the cars are here and the infrastructure is now rolling out fast. I’ve been writing car news for 15 years and I’ve watched the big take up of EVs and I’ve also watched the government do nothing to incentivise it as well.Chinese brands such as BYD, Geely, Zeekr, Chery, MG and GWM have such production capability that we’ve been told quietly that vehicle supply is not a problem - name a number and it’ll be here on the next boat.That’s a frightening prospect to the Ford, Honda and even Toyotas of this world that are scrambling to work out what to do and which Chinese brand to join because beating them is no longer an option. Look, I have no doubt everything will be fine, but I can’t stress enough that we shouldn’t be letting it get this close again to realise that electric vehicles are the only way to secure our country better from fuel threats. And hydrogen will work for long haul trucks no problem at all - it’s already being tested by big names you’re familiar with already and is just around the corner.In the meantime don’t accept the blame for the fuel shortage - it’s not you using too much, it’s them not buying enough in the first place.

Land Rover’s Freelander is back, not as an SUV, but as a standalone brand in a joint venture with China's Chery.The first model from the new partnership was revealed overnight in China ahead of its debut at the upcoming Beijing motor show.The first model has been called the Concept 97, in recognition of the year the original Freelander was introduced by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).The Concept 97 draws on the Land Rover design identity with its blocky, tall and sophisticated styling while the original Freelander's unique triangular rear three-quarter window is revived again on the new model.The interior also has a familiar look sharing design elements and materials with Land Rover models, but new features we haven’t seen before from the brand include a curved display the full length of the dashboard.There are some features on the large six seater SUV, which won’t make it into production, including the rear-hinged side doors and the most likely the open-plan lounge-like setting in the second row, too.  JLR is already in a partnership with Chery in China; the joint venture sees the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport produced and the JLR-Chery plant in Changsu. When the Concept 97 goes into production it will also be manufactured at the Changsu factory and be produced as a pure EV and hybrid. The Discovery Sport and Evoque will be discontinued to make way for the Freelander model range.Freelander CEO Wei Lan told British publication Autocar at the Concept 97’s preview in China that while the Concept 97 would go into production and be sold initially in China, the plan was to then debut the vehicle markets around the world."International variants are currently in intensive development and shall, after launch in China, make their distinguished entry into the world's foremost markets," Lan told Autocar. "From its very first day of existence, every Freelander product is conceived and calibrated for the diverse demands of markets across the world. We are not exporting a Chinese car to the world but we are building a world car, for the world, from the very beginning."  The Concept 97 is built on Chery’s T1X platform, which also underpins the Tiggo 8 and will support EV, hybrid and range extender variants with 800V battery architecture.The range extender battery has been developed with CATL and features what it calls a world first "Freevoy Range-Extended Hybrid Battery" design allowing the range extender version to be charged at 360kW.The range extender battery has been designed with off-road use in mind and comes with underbody protection and a thermal coating to keep it cool.JLR-Chery plans to have the first Frelander model go into production and on sale  by  mid-2026 before being launched globally. JLR-Chery will then embark on an ambitious growth plan, which it says will see the introduction of a new Freelander model every six months. Will the new range of Freelanders make it to Australia? Nothing has been confirmed but Chery's executives haves been open to bringing more sub-brands into the country.Earlier this year Chery Chief Executive Officer Lucas Harris has said there is more room for additional sub-brands in Australia.“Why not?” Harris told CarsGuide.“Chery is the brand where you never say never.”

Chinese electric superstar brand BYD experienced a sales slump in 2025 and there’s no sign of it stopping in 2026.So, does this mean the carmaker that rose to popularity with such spectacular speed will come hurtling back down again? Not at all.It might seem a little delayed but the final 2025 financial figures are in for planet Earth and BYD has reported a net profit that’s down by 19 per cent compared to 2024. The naysayers are out in force calling it the beginning of the end for the relatively new electric brand, which shot to success so quickly.  For Australians, BYD seemingly appeared out of nowhere in 2022 with the Atto 3 small SUV with the words Build Your Dreams emblazoned across its tailgate. At the time Tesla was the king of EVs, with the Model 3 being bought in such large numbers even locally that for the first time in 28 years the Toyota Camry was knocked off its best-selling-sedan throne. A decade earlier back in 2011 Tesla owner Elon Musk reportedly laughed at the mere suggestion that BYD, the small company that had gone from battery manufacturer to car maker, could possibly ever be a threat. Then in 2024 BYD was crowned the world largest electric car maker, toppling Tesla.BYD’s total number of cars sold for 2024 was 4.27 million, of which 1.77 million were pure EVs beating Tesla by only 4000 units. But a win is a win. The big sales saw BYD rake in A$164b in revenue for 2024, which once the bills were paid resulted in a net profit of $8.5b.Now the 2025 results are in and net profit is $6.9b this time. There’s your 19 per cent drop on 2024. So yes sure, net profit is down, and looking at that bottom line alone might suggest things are going backwards for the brand, but the actual total number of EVs sold by BYD globally was 2.25 million. That’s a 27.9 per cent increase on 2024.BYD’s revenue for 2025 was $168.6b, so up 3.5 per cent on 2024. While not a huge increase it is a slow down and that can be attributed mainly to competition from competitors in China.Geely is BYD’s biggest nightmare.BYD has been lightning fast to develop, produce and bring an array of new models to market, but Geely has the power that comes with the colossal size and resources of a company with many subsidiaries. Much like Volkswagen, giant Geely can draw on a number of its brands from Polestar to Zeekr, and even Geely itself, to take on the smaller BYD.To say that China’s car market is competitive is an understatement. So fierce is the price war between brands in China that the government had to release a statement warning car makers that the low offers and incentives being made to entice buyers weren’t sustainable.  Just to drive home how seriously close the entire market is flirting with disaster, at the start of this year eight percent of dealerships in China were found to sell vehicles 26 per cent under the whole sale price on average. BYD is understood to engage in such practices along with other brands to increase their market share. The government is clamping down on the practices and it's believed the market is now correcting itself.Domination of the local Chinese market vital for BYD, but it knows true success is also being a big player around the world, with the brand stating it hopes to be within the top 3 car brands for Australia in 2026. There are signs it could be well on the way to achieving that goal with BYD selling 5001 cars in January and 5323 in February in Australia, which has it in sixth place of overall sales this year.Globally, however, the first two months have shown a decline in BYD’s sales. In March Reuters reported BYD’s sales had fallen 41 per cent in February compared to the same time in 2025. This could be a result of the Chinese market and the correction taking place.So, it’s far from all over for BYD, the brand is well on the way to establishing itself in Australia and given the sky rocketing fuel prices due to the war in Iran, it's in an excellent position to grow further with alternatives to pure combustion powered vehicles. 

Will the current war in Iran mean a ban on petrol and diesel vehicles? My view is no, it won’t directly cause a ban on combustion cars. But the ban is still coming and the Middle East conflict will fastrack it. For starters a date has already been set for ban on petrol and diesel cars in the United Kingdom, where from 2030 sales of new vehicles with combustion engines will cease. The European Union has a 2035 ban but previous to the Iran war this was watered down.China, which in February was our main source of vehicles, is also focused on building and developing electric cars.As for Australia, only the ACT has set a goal of phasing out the sale of new combustion powered cars by 2035.That could all change now and by this I mean be fastracked.Until now the reasons for switching to electric vehicles were mainly ethical and environmental, with emissions and cleaner air being the carrot. The problem is nobody really  wants to eat a carrot, even if it’s good for us. But faced with the prospect of not eating at all because the weekly fuel bill for two cars is now $300 and the price of groceries is going up because of the soaring cost of transport, that really changes things.Interest in electric vehicles has never been this strong. We can see it in real time by the traffic coming to carsguide.com.au and we know our competitors are witnessing the sharpening of this focus on EVs, too.Towards the start of 2025 there had been a slow down in global interest in EVs and a renewed take up of hybrids. The price premiums attached to electric cars, the limited driving range and lengthy charging times were to blame, but all things early adopters, and even slightly later ones, were willing to endure. The rest of the car buyers were too put off by the downsides of EVs and stuck with the convenience and familiarity of petrol or perhaps bought a hybrid. But now the price of convenience appears to be reaching a point where suddenly an EV sounds like a good idea. At the time of writing 95 RON premium unleaded was $2.70 per litre. An increase of about $1 per litre or 60 per cent in the space of a month. The prohibitive cost now of petrol combined with the looming threat of Australia running out of it in less than three weeks, plus reports of servicing stations already running dry now make an electric car suddenly seem like not such a bad idea after all, even to the most hardcore fans of fossil fuels.The problem is bigger than just consumers not being able to afford petrol, it’s the soaring cost of goods, which are distributed through Australia’s enormous freight network that relies on diesel.The Australian government is responsible for setting such low minimum fuel reserves all in the name of a free market. The current situation could see it either mandate that the industry maintain a higher level or reduce the risk entirely of being held hostage like this again and ban petrol and diesel car sales in favour of electric ones, which can be powered by a fuel we can produce ourselves.The second option wouldn’t be the choice of the $6 trillion-a-year global oil and gas industry. And an industry that’s worth that much has enormous sway.But then the collapse of entire economies wouldn’t be the choice of most governments.Decoupling from oil and gas is impossible in less than 50 or even 100 years. Whether we like it or not the industry pervades every part of our lives. Killing the industry would also see the collapse of entire economies.Plenty of car companies are ready for electric vehicles, especially new Chinese brands, but for many vehicle manufacturers EVs are a side hustle.This scenario play into the hands of new electric brands such as Zeekr with the 7X mid-szied SUV, BYD with the Sealion 7 SUV and even the established Koreans such as Kia with the EV3 small SUV.Does it mean the end of diesel SUVs such as the LandCruiser? Possibly, unless Toyota has an electric version up its sleeve ready to be pulled out in the next 10 years.So what you'll probably see is the EU and UK setting new firm deadlines for the discontinuation of sales for new cars with combustion engines at about 2035 or sooner. Australia will likely follow suit.Industry, freight and agriculture will be exempt until hydrogen infrastructure is in place and that will take much longer.What we may see in the short term is a temporary ban on the use of petrol and diesel passenger cars in order to preserve fuel stock for industry, freight and vital services such as emergency vehicles. That’s a real possibility if the war moves into an uncontrolled phase.So while the permanent ban of new petrol and diesel cars won’t be directly caused by the Iran war, it will be a catalyst for the ban. In the meantime, it’s probably wise anyway to purchase an EV anyway and provide a bit of security and future proofing for your own household, not to mention saving thousands in fuel bills each year.

Despite petrol being more expensive than caviar right now, it could be an opportune time to buy that Ford Mustang or Ranger Raptor, as car dealers will be fighting an uphill battle to persuade customers into high performance cars.I’m well aware that my CarsGuide colleague Tim Gibson has penned a story citing the Mustang and Raptor as two of the biggest petrol blackholes in the known universe but my question to you is: since when was a high performance vehicle a rational purchase? Mind you, this is coming from somebody who has never made a rational car purchase, or possibly any rational purchase for that matter. The same somebody who is currently trying to work out a way to acquire a 1968 Mustang Fastback probably by selling one of her other irrational car purchases to fund it.I’m not suggesting you buy an old petrol car, not unless you like being let down by a car that doesn’t see driving reliably as a priority, but I do think it’s about to be a very good time to buy a new petrol one. See if this situation continues or gets worse, car dealers will start to have rapidly aging stock in their forecourts and that gives you bargaining power. We’re approaching the end of March and that’s significant for three reasons. First it’ll be one month since the Iran war started and fuel prices started to climb, indicating that this thing might not be over as soon as some suggested. Second, the end of any month is known for being a smart time to buy with dealers under the pump to get their sales figures locked in. And third, dealers are still doing plate clearance sales in March — which means they are trying to get rid of 2025 model year cars before nobody wants last year’s model.Combine all of these factors with more people than ever thinking maybe now is the time for electric vehicles, and those car makers without many or any EVs might be starting to stress and dealers feeling the pressure to drop prices on petrol models to encourage buyers.Ford has only one electric car — the Mustang Mach E SUV — and a very limited passenger model range really only consisting of the Ranger, Everest and Mustang sportscar. We’ve been saying for yonks that despite Ford selling enormous numbers of the Ranger, only one hiccup to the model could be a big problem for the brand, which counts on it almost entirely.And now we have the hiccup, which is fuel being outrageously expensive, and Ford not having a decent hybrid or electric version of the Ranger for buyers to go to while other brands such as BYD have the Shark 6 and MG with its soon to launch MU9 EV ready to swoop into the space.What I’m saying Ford, Mazda, Nissan, Honda and even Toyota will likely be under pressure to lower prices and that could mean picking up a Mustang or Ranger Raptor, Mazda MX-5, Nissan Z, Honda Civic Type R or Toyota GR Yaris for less.Having been through plenty of fuel hikes in my time I can tell you that providing the war doesn’t escalate completely out of control then petrol prices will recede to around what they were before now. Besides with the surge in electric cars and the limited infrastructure in place to charge even the current number, you might find EVs aren’t the perfect solution to avoiding high petrol prices.Don’t get me wrong, EVs are fantastic and make far better city commuter cars than those with combustion engines, but I think the knee jerk reaction going on is pretty severe.And we’re feeling the pain of high petrol — we have a regular family car that we drive every day and it costs $150 to fill its 55L tank. We’re more conscious of fuel consumption than ever and it’s making us use the car less. So with this information you might be in a position to get a good deal on a petrol car that you would have bought anyway if you were already in the market.  It’s easy to get caught up in the panic and want to ditch petrol for electric. Psychologically we’re designed to follow what everyone else is doing, so it makes sense especially when fuel costs are rising so high. Moving towards electric is the right way to go long term, but right now if you’ve always wanted a petrol performance car then buy the Mustang, save some money and catch the train until petrol prices return to normal. Which, of course, they will.

GWM’s Ora band confirmed in early March this year it was moving from making just electric cars to hybrids (HEVs ) and pure combustion vehicles, and now three weeks later the Ora 5 hybrid has debuted at the Bangkok motor show. The Ora 5 HEV is the same size as the electric version of the small SUV at 4471mm end to end and 1641mm tall, but is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine combined with an electric motor.The four-cylinder engine and motor produce a combined 164kW and 476Nm. According to GWM the combined fuel consumption is a low 2.3L/100km.Now on sale in fellow right-hand drive market Thailand, which oopens the door to an Aussie expansion.The Ora 5 HEV has the same suspension tune as the EV and comes in two grades.Standard features between the HEV and EV are identical with the top-of-the-range Ultra coming with LED headlights and daytime running lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof, power tailgate and proximity unlocking. Inside, there’s power adjustable front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, air-conditioning, 14.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless phone charging.The electric Ora 5 will come to Australia in mid-2026, but GWM Australia wouldn't confirm if it would be joined by the hybrid variant, too. “HEV represents a new addition to the ORA range expanding beyond its existing BEV offering,” said a GWM spokesperson. “At this stage, the only information we can share is that all options remain under investigation for the ANZ region.”Currently GWM has the Ora small five-door hatch on sale in Australia, having arrived in 2023, and the Ora 5 EV SUV version will be sold alongside it.Pricing for the Ora 5 EV in Australia has yet to be announced, but it will be more than the smaller Ora hatch's $32,990 drive-away starting point.Buyers can expect the Ora 5 EV to come in closer to the Leapmotor B10 and Chery E5, both from $38,990.A hybrid version could drop below the $30,000 mark.GWM has been open about expanding the Ora brand even as it struggled with just the small and aging Ora hatch doing all the heavy lifting.GWM Australia Chief Operating Officer, John Kett, told CarsGuide in 2025 that Ora will grow in Australia and even thrive in the years ahead.“From our perspective, and without announcing our (future) portfolio, we have Ora sitting in the small car segment, and we will have a small SUV next year,” he revealed.“And, we're still considering a mid-size SUV also coming out of the Ora line-up (for Australia).”

Utes are one of the most popular body styles according to Australian new-vehicle sales, but in recent years some of the bigger name models have increased in price.There's a new breed of ute that's undercutting the old guard, and they're mostly from China.So what are the three cheapest utes in Australia?CarsGuide’s reviewers not only know the answer but we also know what they’re like to live and work with day in and day out.Due to the huge number of ute variants available in Australia, we are focusing on the most popular body style and variant - the 4x4 dual-cab pick-up. So something like a Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux or Nissan Navara, but in this case, more affordable alternatives that can get the job done on a budget.Without further ado, here’s the top three most affordable utes in Australia;GWM’s popular dual-cab Cannon in entry-level Premium guise is currently the most affordable 4x4 dual-cab ute in Australia with a drive-away price of $39,490.The Cannon benefited from a significant update in 2025 that introduced revised exterior styling, a fresh looking cabin and a new engine.The Premium has an extensive standard features list including 18-inch alloys wheels, LED headlights and LED tail-lights, roof rails, side steps, damped tailgate, power-folding mirrors, chrome sports bar, a spay-in bedliner and proximity unlocking.Also standard is single-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch media touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, synthetic leather upholstery and a wireless phone charger.The Premium has a 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, four-wheel drive and a braked towing capacity of 3200kg.CarsGuide reviewers like the excellent value and quality of the Cannon, but didn’t like the intrusive steering assistance and the ergonomics of the gear shifter.China's LDV has a newer and shinier ute in its stable now in the shape of the big, bold Terron 9 (a twin of the MG U9), but the ageing T60 Max continues on.Currently priced at $41,042, the T60 is more than $12k cheaper than the most affordable Terron 9.Standard gear includes a 10.25-inch multimedia screen, six-speaker audio, two USB ports, a 12-volt outlet, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paddle shifters, keyless entry, auto emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control.It's powered by a gutsy 160kW/500Nm four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and a 3500kg towing capacity. Payload is 1040kg.We haven't had a chance to review a T60 in a while but CarsGuide reviewers said while safety improvements have helped the ute, the onboard tech is patchy and outdated, and the steering and braking is too heavy. The powertrain might be gutsy but it's still rough on the road.KGM’s (formerly SsangYong) Musso might not have the superstar status of some utes but it’s popular among those after a hardworking machine and its low price has seen it earn a place here in our most affordable top three. As a Korean brand, the KGM is also the only non-Chinese ute on this list. Keep in mind, though, that KGM will bring its next-gen ute to Australia about the middle of 2026 to replace this model and it’ll likely cop a price increase from the $42,500 drive-away price of the current entry-grade ELX.Standard features on the ELX include 17-inch alloy wheels, twin 12.3-inch displays for media and driver instruments, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.There’s also a six-speaker stereo, HID headlights with LED daytime running lights and silver roof rails.Powering the Musso ELX is a 133kW/400Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine with a six-speed automatic. Braked towing capacity is 3500kg.CarsGuide reviewers like the Musso's comfort and space, and its refined driving manners, but didn’t like how some safety items were only offered on top-of-the-range grades. JAC’s T9 arrived in Australia in 2025 and since then the entry-grade Oasis has undergone a price drop of nearly $5000 to land it here in the top three for $42,662 drive-away.Standard features include 18-inch alloys wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights, a sprayed tub liner and sports bar.There’s leather upholstery inside, a 10.4-inch media screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a power driver's seat and wireless phone charging.Powering the T9 Oasis is a 125kW/410Nm 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo-diesel. The braked towing capacity is 3200kg. CarsGuide reviewers like the T9’s tough styling, strong value and its ability to do what will please most people. The things we don't like include the lumpy power delivery of the engine, and the intrusive safety tech. 

What are the cheapest mid-sized SUVs in Australia?There are so many different models in what is one of Australia's most competitive market segments that it can be overwhelming for buyers.Given the family focus of this size of SUV, value for money is one of the main things buyers consider.At CarsGuide we know which models are the cheapest and we can also highlight their pros and cons. So here are the top three most affordable mid-sized SUVs in Australia right now.Chery Tiggo 7 Urban $29,990 drive-awayChery is one of the brands dominating the super-affordable end of the market. The Chinese carmaker is constantly making improvements and refining its models, while maintaining excellent value and the Tiggo 7 at $29,990 drive-away is a great example.The Tiggo 7 is a 4.5m-long five seater and this entry grade Urban has cloth upholstery. CarsGuide reviewers gave the Tiggo 7 high marks for value with a long standard features list even on this Urban entry grade. They include LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights. There’s also 18-inch black alloy wheels, roof rails and proximity unlocking. There are twin 12.3-inch displays - one for your media screen and the other for your instrument cluster. There’s a six-speaker sound system, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s dual-zone climate control with second-row air vents, too.The Urban grade is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with front-wheel drive and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.The Tiggo 7 has a 356-litre boot making it relatively small for a mid-sized SUV. BYD Sealion 5 Essential $33,990 before on-road costsThe BYD Sealion 5 arrived in Australia in 2026 making it the newest SUV in our top three. It's priced from $33,990 before on-road costs for the entry grade Essential. It’s also our only plug-in hybrid here and it's the most affordable PHEV on sales in Australia.This five-seater SUV is our longest here as well at 4.7m end-to-end.Standard features include a 10.1-inch media touchscreen and an 8.1-inch digital driver display, six-speaker stereo, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s proximity unlocking, LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights, plus 18-inch alloy wheels. Also standard is dual-zone climate control with directional vents for the second row.Powering the Sealion 5 is a plug-in hybrid system that combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor to drive the front wheels. CarsGuide reviewers like the Sealion 5 for its value for money, efficiency and for the way it drives, but the engine is noisy when pushed and the rear seats are quite firm.Safety is excellent with everything from auto emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assistance and blind spot warning to rear cross-traffic alert with braking.ANCAP has yet to test the Sealion 5 due to its recent arrival. The Sealion 5 has a 463-litre boot, which is bigger than the Tiggo 7’s but wait until you see the MG HS’s cargo capacity.MG HS Vibe $33,990 drive-awayMG’s HS has the same price as the BYD, but the MG comes with drive-away pricing where the BYD's is before on-road costs.The new-gen HS arrived in late 2024, so this 4.7m long five-seater SUV looks and feels fresh and modern.Standard features for the Vibe include 18-inch alloy wheels, twin 12.3-inch screens for media and driver displays, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights and daytime running lights, reversing camera, proximity unlocking, black fabric seats with power driver’s seat and a six-speaker stereo system.CarsGuide reviewers like the HS's smooth ride and spacious interior.Powering the HS Vibe is 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Reviewers, however, said servicing was overly expensive.We also thought the safety features list was particularly extensive with AEB, lane keeping assistance, front and rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot warning. A downside to the safety tech was the intrusive driver alerts.The HS scored the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2024.The MG HS has the largest cargo capacity here with a 507-litre boot.