Articles by Samuel Irvine

Ferrari will launch its first-ever electric car in October, CEO Benedetto Vigna has confirmed.The announcement was made at Ferrari’s Q4 and full-year financial results conference, where Vigna refused to give any details of the combustion-free model aside from stating that it would be launched in a “unique and innovative” way.Five more models will launch alongside it next year, one of which will include the 12Cilindri Spider as well as a Roma replacement, which went out of production last year.Prototypes of the electric supercar have been previously spotted testing in Ferrari’s hometown of Maranello, Italy, giving some details of what to expect in terms of design.Surprisingly, the four-door model appears to be an oversized hatchback more than anything, with its fake exhausts undermined by high-voltage stickers indicating that it is, in fact, electric.Vigna has previously confirmed that the electric model will stay true to Ferrari’s core principle of driver engagement, with the EV set to deliver “authentic noise”, suggesting a program similar to Hyundai’s Active Sound+ that synthesises fake engine noises on the Ioniq 5 N is on the cards.A previous report by Reuters speculated its price tag could be as high as €500,000 ($829,580), although this hasn’t been confirmed directly by Ferrari.The move comes as Ferrari announced that hybrid models, such as the plug-in hybrid GTS 296, GTB 296 and SF90 Stradale, made up 51 per cent of its sales last year.Despite rivals such as Aston Martin delaying their electrification plans, Ferrari remains committed to having hybrids and EVs consisting of 80 per cent of its line-up by 2030.It will still produce combustion-engine models beyond then, with the brand’s CEO previously stating he believes synthetic e-fuels are the “way forward” for the brand.Ferrari’s revenue rose 11.8 per cent in 2024 compared to the year prior, with deliveries up marginally by 0.7 per cent to 13,752 in total.Vigna expects “robust growth” in 2025, bucking the trend of a tough economic outlook that many mainstream car brands are facing.

When Tesla CEO Elon Musk called 2025 the “biggest year in Tesla history” at a recent investors meeting, he was right, though not for the reason of becoming the world’s biggest company as he might think.

Audi has reversed the confusing model naming scheme that it assigned two years ago, bowing to feedback from its customers and dealers, the brand said.

KGM will kick off the compact ute segment in Australia after confirming plans to launch its upcoming electric ute locally.

Volvo has revealed pricing for its fully-electric EX90 large SUV.

Kia has confirmed its most affordable and compact electric car yet, the EV2, is on track for a global launch in January 2026.The date was confirmed during Kia’s Q4 investors announcement last week in which it also reported an 11.5 per cent rise in year-on-year profit, partly driven by a 10.9 per cent increase in global EV deliveries of its EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9 models.But unlike its South Korean and Chinese-made siblings, production of the EV2 will take place in Slovakia, where it has already been spotted testing under heavy camouflage by The Korean Carblog.Few details of the EV2's design have been given away aside from the fact that it appears to be a boxy, shrunken down version of the Kia EV3.Like its larger sibling, the EV2 is poised to run on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform using 400-volt architecture. Kia’s EV5 and full-sized EV9 also run on the same platform, albeit with 800-volt architecture.Despite its shared underpinnings, the EV2 is expected to carry less driving range than the EV3’s maximum of 601km (WLTP-rated), with The Korean Carblog foreshadowing a figure close to 480km, likely thanks to a smaller battery than the EV3’s base 58.3kWh unit.The EV2 is still poised to be capable of charging from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just 31 minutes, though, as is the case with the EV3 thanks to DC fast-charging ability.Kia’s global CEO, Ho-Sung Song, has already confirmed to Autocar UK that the EV2 will have a target price of about £25,000 ($50,140) in the UK, a fellow right-hand-drive market.Typically, Australian car prices are much cheaper than the UK’s, although the fact that the EV2 will be built in Slovakia rather than South Korea or China doesn’t do any favours for the Australian market.A lack of a free-trade agreement between Slovakia and Australia as well as longer transport distances could see it land locally at a price comparable to the UK or bypassing Australia altogether.If it does arrive its price is expected to sit between budget EVs like the GWM Ora, BYD Dolphin and MG4, which hover around the sub-$35,000 mark, and more upmarket models such as the Mini Cooper Electric ($53,990, before on-road costs) with which it is expected to be closer to in size.CarsGuide has contacted Kia Australia for an update on the brand's local plans for the EV2.

The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro SUV is now Australia's cheapest mid-sized SUV as the Chinese brand transitions from a three- to a two-variant line-up, cutting the entry price by $7000. Priced at just $29,990, drive-away, a new SE variant will replace the previous Urban ($36,990) entry grade, while an additional SE+ variant will now top the range at $33,990, drive-away, down $12,000 from the previous top-spec Ultimate AWD ($45,990). The former mid-spec Elite ($41,990) is gone altogether.The updated line-up makes it $2010 less than the KGM Ssangyong Korando, which previously held the title of Australia's cheapest mid-size SUV at $32,000, drive-away.It is also now about $4000 cheaper than key rivals such as the MG HS and Haval H6, which start at $33,990 and $33,900 (both drive-away), respectively.The Toyota RAV4 and the Mitsubishi Outlander are at least $10,000 more, with either model starting at $39,760 and $37,760, both at before on-road costs.Unlike its aforementioned rivals, however, the Tiggo 7 Pro remains without a hybrid or plug-in hybrid offering.Despite the substantial price cut, the SE will maintain important features such as the dual-screen 12.3-inch multimedia and digital driver’s display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.An eight-speaker Sony speaker system, 18-inch alloy wheels, a full-sized spare wheel and 16 drive-assist safety systems will remain as well.The SE+ adds a panoramic sunroof, a surround-view camera, a cabin air-filtration system, a power tailgate and heated front seats.As before, power will be sourced from a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that outputs 137kW/275Nm to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Claimed fuel economy is unchanged at 7.0-litres/100km, which is considerably higher than than the entry RAV4 GX hybrid at a claimed 4.8-litres/100km, but 0.5-litres less than the entry-level, petrol-powered Outlander ES.The Tiggo 7 Pro comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating, a seven-year unlimited km warranty, seven years of capped price servicing and up to seven years of roadside assistance.It is available to order from dealerships right now.

Nissan has announced it will offer Australia’s only 10-year/300,000km new-car warranty, doubling the timeframe on its previous five-year/unlimited km warranty.Announced officially today, the offer will stand for all new Nissan vehicles purchased in Australia from January 1 2025.Additionally, it also includes up to 10 years of Nissan roadside assist and five years of flat-priced schedule servicing.That means new Nissan Qashqai, X-Trail, Juke and Pathfinder owners will be charged a flat rate of just $399 each service for the first five services, while Patrol, Navara and Z owners will be charged $499. Owners of the Nissan Leaf EV will pay a flat rate of $349.In total, Nissan estimates savings of up to $1149 on the plan, depending on the model.The warranty extension will also apply to Nissan vehicles purchased new since January 1 2021, providing they have met their service intervals at an authorised Nissan servicing provider at the correct intervals and times.If they haven’t, buyers will have to have their vehicle assessed by Nissan during their next service to determine their eligibility, which will cost an extra $99.Should buyers purchase a vehicle with the warranty offer activated, Nissan has confirmed it will be transferable to the next owner in case of sale.“The new service-activated warranty is Australia’s only 10-year 300,000km warranty and is industry leading. It’s designed to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Peace of mind that Nissan has your back. Peace of mind that Nissan is with you for the long term,” said Michael Hill, Director of Aftersales, Nissan Oceania.Prior to Nissan’s announcement, the longest warranty on offer in Australia was facilitated by MG, which offers a 10-year/250,000km warranty. Mitsubishi was second (now third) with a 10-year/200,000km warranty.Nissan sold 45,284 vehicles in Australia last year, an increase of 14.0 per cent on the previous year.

As deliveries of the Lucid Gravity electric SUV kick off in the US, the American EV brand has revealed more details about its immense charging capabilities.With a monster 123kWh battery, the Gravity’s 926-volt architecture allows for charge speeds of up to 400kW on 1000V chargers, while sustaining speeds of up to 225kW on 500V systems.And with the NCAS port now standard on Gravity models sold after January 31, opposed to the Type 2 CCS port commonly fitted in Australia, all examples will have access to Tesla’s huge US supercharging network, which includes its new 400kW/1000V V4 Superchargers.Essentially, that means owners will be able to replenish up to 320km of range on their Lucid Gravity in just 12 minutes, which claims an impressive 724 kilometres of EPA-estimated driving range.In Australia, the fastest supercharger you will find is about 350kW, though examples are few and far between and practically zero cars are equipped to fully maximise that sort of power.The platform-sharing Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron models are generally considered the fastest-charging EVs in Australia, with maximum charging capacities of up to 270kW. Kia and Hyundai's premium EVs claim up to 350kW charging speeds but in our experience it peaks in the mid-200kW range.Australia’s most popular electric car, the Tesla Model Y, has a maximum charging rate of 220kW.In addition to its ludicrous charging capacity, the Lucid Gravity also supports up to 19.2kW of bi-directional charging ability. That means it has the capacity to charge another EV.Most EVs in Australia with bi-directional charging, also known as vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, often range between 2.0kW and 3.6kW.A Kia EV9, for example, has a V2L of 3.6kW, which is more akin to charging a fridge.It is unclear if we will see the Lucid brand in Australia any time soon. Whether it comes or not is likely to be dependent on the success of its Gravity SUV.The other vehicle in its line-up, the Air sedan, is a premium electric competitor to rivals such as the Porsche Taycan, BMW i5 and Tesla Model 3. It is widely considered to be one of the best EVs on the market in the US with a claimed driving range of up to 823km.Lucid is run by Tesla’s former Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson and has faced considerable financial struggles in recent years, though the brand finally gained momentum in 2024 when it delivered a record 10,241 vehicles.

Claims of battery breakthroughs have lately been reserved for Chinese electric car brands, but this time the news has come from automotive mega-group Stellantis.