Articles by Samuel Irvine

XPeng has officially launched its updated X9 people mover in China ahead of its Australian launch in the fourth quarter of this year.After only arriving on the Chinese market in January 2024, the overhauled 2025 XPeng X9 will carry the same launch price of 359,800 yuan (A$77,059) as its predecessor in China despite adding a suite of major upgrades.Four different grades have been confirmed: Long Range Max, Ultra Long Range Max, AWD Performance Max and the top-spec Starship Edition.Built on 800-volt architecture, the X9 now comes with the option of two larger batteries – a 94.8kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack, up from the previous 84.5kWh unit, or a 105kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery, up from the previous 101.5kWh unit.A single-motor, front-wheel-drive configuration remains standard across the range.Driving range varies from a claimed 650km on the Long Range Max to a range-topping 740km on the Ultra Long Range Max, while the AWD Performance Max and Starship Edition both clock in at 702km. These figures are claimed under the more lenient CLTC cycle.XPeng has added active rear steering, which means the X9’s 5.3-metre frame has a turning radius of just 5.4-metres.Inside, XPeng claims to have significantly increased the amount of soft-touch and 'premium' materials, while improving acoustics through additional sound insulation.NASA-inspired “zero gravity” seats have also been introduced, which the brand says are significantly more comfortable than the previous ones. They come standard across all grades in the first and second rows, with a 10-point massage function or optional 16-point.The third-row seats now carry electronically adjustable headrests and backrests and can be folded completely flat, offering significant additional space.Soft-close doors are now standard for the first row, while the 21.4-inch rear passenger screen is now blue light-resistant and carries a tilt function. Uniquely, it also comes with a microphone-less karaoke system.A 10.8-inch fridge/warmer, 220V power outlet, “surround-style” air-conditioning and one-touch electronically folding seats also join the third row.According to CarNewsChina, XPeng has told buyers of the pre-facelift X9 that they will be able to upgrade certain features, such as improved sound insulation and zero gravity seats.The move suggests a similar approach may follow in Australia when the updated G6 arrives later this year after it was revealed for the Chinese market in March. According to the brand, a suite of powertrain and tech upgrades means the G6, which launched in Australia in October last year, is 34 per cent new.Exact pricing and launch timing for the X9 on the Australian market remains unconfirmed, however, XPeng’s local CEO Jason Clarke previously confirmed to CarsGuide it would be aimed to sit under the luxury car tax threshold of $91,387 for ‘fuel-efficient’ vehicles. That means its starting price is poised to significantly undercut its key rivals in the Zeekr 009, which starts at $135,900 before on-road costs, and the Lexus LM, which starts at $160,272 before on-road costs.Expect more information, including a full list of pricing and specifications, closer to the X9’s official launch in Australia later this year.

In a rapidly changing new-car market, Australians are increasingly getting to know an array of electric vehicle technologies.

Ford has detailed pricing and specifications for the incoming Transit Custom Trail, a more lifestyle-oriented, all-wheel-drive variant of its popular work van.Slotting into the now four-variant strong line-up alongside the Trend, Sport and Double Cab at $61,990 before on-road costs, the 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trail is destined to go head-to-head with the new Volkswagen Multivan, which it undercuts by $14,000.Arriving in a single long-wheelbase specification, the Transit Custom Trail will carry the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox as its siblings. It produces 125kW/290Nm.Ford says where Transit Custom Trail differs, however, is its active all-wheel-drive system, which can anticipate and respond to wheel slip between the front and rear axles.It says the electronically controlled clutch in the rear axle, meanwhile, can provide traction like a locked 4x4 system without binding in turns.In terms of design, the Transit Custom Trail also carries its own unique flair.That includes a Trail-specific front grille and skid plates, black wheel arch mouldings and side strips, silver painted rocker trim, standard LED headlights and daytime running lights, unique 16-inch matte black alloy wheels, underbody protection and yellow exterior decals.Inside, it carries synthetic leather seat trim with unique Trail embossing on the driver’s seat and yellow stitching that extends to all three seats. Dual passenger seats come standard, but you can opt for a single passenger seat as a $150 option.As with the rest of the Transit Custom line-up, the Trail gets a 13.0-inch multimedia display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as a 12.0-inch digital driver’s display.It also maintains key safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, reverse brake assist, front and rear parking sensors and reversing camera.First deliveries of the Transit Custom are expected by the fourth quarter of this year, with a full list of detailed specifications expected closer to then.Ford has sold 755 Transit Customs as of March this year, an increase of 37.3 per cent on the same period last year.

The Subaru Solterra is one of three new models unveiled by the Japanese carmaker at the New York motor show overnight, and it's promising significant improvements on driving range, power and tech.For the 2026 model year, the Toyota bZ4X-based Solterra sports a new design, including a smoother front grille, an illuminated black-and-white Subaru badge, fresh LED headlight signatures and S-U-B-A-R-U letter branding at the rear.Subaru has also dropped the black plastic wheel arches in favour of more uniform body-coloured panelling, while also adding newly designed 18 and 20-inch alloy wheels.Under the bonnet, the Solterra’s previously 71.1kWh lithium-ion battery has been traded for a slightly larger 74kWh unit, which the brand says will deliver a 25 per cent improvement in range.Currently, Subaru claims the Solterra will cover up to 414km under the WLTP cycle, with this latest announcement suggesting that figure will grow closer to 517km.Power is up too, with punchier dual electric motors delivering a maximum total output of 248kW, up from 160kW. Torque figures remain unconfirmed, but Subaru said the changes will see the car dash from 0-97km/h in under five seconds on the new top-spec XT grade.Inside, the central multimedia screen has increased from 12.3 to 14.0-inches. It is now also flanked by two 15W wireless charging pads.As before, the Solterra will offer Subaru’s trademark symmetrical all-wheel drive with X-mode configurable driving modes that include snow/dirt and deep snow/mud. Ground clearance is still rated at a welcome 212mm.Pricing is yet to be confirmed, nor is an official launch for the Australian market, although it is expected to attract a premium over the current two-variant line-up, which starts at $69,990 before on road-costs for the base AWD, if it lands here.Subaru has sold 43 Solterras in the first three months of this year, a decline of 70.3 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Subaru has announced a suite of updates for the model year 2025 WRX.Pricing now starts at $48,190 before on-road costs for the WRX AWD manual sedan, up $700 from last year.That still undercuts the likes of the Hyundai i30 N Premium sedan which kicks off at $52,000.In raising the prices, however, Subaru has added new standard safety features across the line-up, including a driver monitoring system that uses facial recognition to assess signs of drowsiness or distraction and caution the driver.A new 'Emergency Driving Stop System' is also now standard across all variants. It autonomously brings the vehicle safely to a stop in instances where the driver is unresponsive.On higher grade tS variants, a larger 12.3-inch digital driver's display is now standard. An analogue unit with a smaller central screen will remain standard for entry-grade and mid-spec variants.The same goes for Recaro front sports seats, which provide eight-way electronic adjustments on the driver’s seat and four-way manual adjustments for the passenger seats on tS.There is red 'WRX' embroidery on the dashboard for the new WRX AWD tS Spec B and AWD tS Sport Lineartronic CVT, while the latter also now carries dark grey alloy wheels.Finally, Subaru has added 'Galaxy Purple Pear' as an additional colour option to replacement from 'Solar Orange Pearl' across all WRX sedan variants.Subaru has sold 415 WRXs to March this year, a modest decline of 16 units, or 3.7 per cent, on the previous year. Overall, Subaru’s sales have fallen 9.4 per cent in the same period.

Hyundai has detailed pricing and specifications for the Inster small electric SUV, as order books officially open around the country.Starting at $39,000 before on-road costs, the Inster is more expensive than Chinese rivals such as the GWM Ora ($35,990 drive-away), MG MG4 ($37,990 before on-road costs) and BYD Dolphin ($29,990 before on-road costs), though it does carry an array of standard equipment in return.At just 3825mm long, 1610mm wide and 1575mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2580mm, the Inster is at least 400mm shorter than its nearest rival, the Ora. That said, it is slightly taller than the MG4 and Dolphin, while it's longer between the wheels than all three.The Inster will arrive in three trims: the entry-level Standard Range, the mid-spec Extended Range and the top-of-the-line Inster Cross.Two battery options will be made available. On the Standard Range that includes a 42kWh lithium-nickle-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery that offers 327km of driving range. Power and torque, meanwhile, are claimed at 71kW/147Nm, with power being sent to the front wheels through a single electric motor mounted to the front axle.A range-wide 120kW DC fast charging capability sees the Inster’s battery replenished from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes, while an AC charge rate of 10.5kW sees a full charge take up to four hours and 35 minutes.The Standard Range will carry 15-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, a glossy black radiator grille, silver skid plates on the front and rear and tinted glass across the car.Inside, there is a standard four-seat configuration with a driver’s bench seat. It has six-way manual adjustments and recycled cloth upholstery, while the rear seats can be folded into a 50:50 split.Additionally, there are twin 10.25-inch displays for multimedia and driver’s display functions, single-zone climate control with a heat pump, a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters for regenerative braking, wireless charging, push-button start and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability.For an additional $3500 and a total price of $42,500 before on-road costs, the middle-of-the-road Extended Range adopts a larger 49kWh NMC battery that increases output to 85kW/147Nm.Total driving range subsequently increases to 360km, while there are 17-inch alloys wheels fitted as standard.It carries the same safety suite as the Standard Range, which includes blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance assist with junction turning, lane-keeping assist, highway driving assist, rear cross-traffic alert and driver attention warning.The flagship Inster Cross utilises the same 49kWh NMC battery as the Extended Range, but adds an additional suite of standard features, taking the total price to $45,000 before on-road costs.Those features include heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, 64-colour ambient lighting, a sunroof with a manual shade, roof rails, Inster Cross-exclusive skid plates and bumpers, a privacy rear door and flat-folding seats.Additional safety technology over its Standard and Extended Range siblings includes a surround-view monitor, parking collision avoidance assist, a blind-spot view monitor and parking sensors.Inster Cross customers can opt for the no-cost Roof Basket Option Pack, which adds a roof basket, a black two-tone roof and a black a-pillar finish. It does, however, reduce range to 293km and mean you’ll lose the sunroof.

Toyota Australia has announced a suite of upgrades for its popular LandCruiser 300 Series in exchange for range-wide price increases of up to $2029.Starting with the base-grade, five-seat GX, it now starts at $97,990 before on-road costs, $999 more than it did last year.In return, it adds additional advanced driver-assist features, including lane trace assist with steering wheel vibration, emergency steering assist and emergency driving stop. Parking lines have also been added to the GX’s reverse camera.Its multimedia screen has been downgraded from 9.0-inches to 8.0-inches (as with the GXL), thought it now has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which has also been standardised across the line-up. Additionally, its semi-analogue 7.0-inch driver’s display has also been upgraded to a fully digital unit.Next up, the seven-seat GXL’s price has risen to $110,820 before on-road costs, a rise of $2029. It adds safe exit assist over the GX, as well as a rear parking support brake that helps detect obstacles when reversing out of parking spaces.The GXL carries the same new multimedia and digital driver’s display configuration as the GX, while its two-zone climate control has been upgraded to four-zone. Additionally, the centre console is now a cool box, with suede-like upholstery, an eight-way electronically-powered driver’s seat with lumbar support, 40/20/40 split-folding second-row seats and a second-row centre armrest also now standard.Stepping up to the popular VX grade, it is now priced at $122,510 before on-road costs, up $1519 on last year. It adopts a new 12.3-inch digital driver’s display to match its carryover 12.3-inch multimedia unit, while a HDMI port replaces the existing DVD/CD player for media playback.Toyota has also added a power tailgate, as well as eight-way powered adjustments to the VX’s front passenger seats, which maintain synthetic leather upholstery, as well as heating and ventilation functionality.Despite a $1119 price rise, Toyota has made no updates to the Sahara grade. It keeps its leather-accented upholstery, ventilated outboard seats, dual rear passenger screens, a 14-speaker JBL system, a head-up display and heated steering wheel over the VX.The flagship five-seat GR Sport is now priced at $146,410 before on-road costs, $1369 more than last year. It adds a puddle light on the inside of the tailgate, while maintaining exclusive front and rear locking differentials, a e-KDSS electronic sway-bar disconnect and unique GR styling.Headlining the LandCruiser 300 Series range, as before, is the seven-seat Sahara ZX. It features a unique grille and bumper design, 20-inch alloy wheels, a carbon-look steering wheel, a tailgate kick sensor and a Torsen rear torque-sensing limited slip differential.Again, despite an $1119 price rise equating to a new starting price of $146,910 before on-road costs, Toyota has made no additional changes to the Sahara ZX.As before, all LandCruiser 300 Series variants are powered by a 3.3-litre twin-turbo-diesel V6 engine that sends 226kW/700Nm to all four wheels through a ten-speed automatic transmission.

Chery has announced its popular small SUV, the Tiggo 4, has been given a modest upgrade for the 2026 model year.Still priced at just $23,990 for the Urban or $26,990 (both drive-away) for the flagship Ultimate, the Tiggo 4 remains Australia’s cheapest SUV, undercutting the MG ZS and GWM Haval Jolion (both priced at $26,990 drive-away), despite the new updates.Headlining the changes are new 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels and a redesigned rear end, which adds a LED tail-light bar that brings the car into line with the rest of the Chery line-up. The Ultimate grade also gets a 15W wireless charging pad.As before, both variants carry dual 10.25-inch LCD screens for multimedia and digital driver’s display functions. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Chery’s voice command assistant, come standard.The Ultimate steps things up with a surround-view camera, synthetic leather seats and ambient lighting.As before, the Tiggo 4 Pro is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that delivers 108kW/210Nm to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Combined fuel consumption is claimed at 7.4L/100km, while carbon emissions are quoted at 168g/km.All Chery vehicles are covered by a seven-year/unlimited-km warranty, along with seven years of capped-priced servicing and up to seven years of roadside assistance.The Tiggo 4 Pro has helped launch Chery to mainstream contention this year, with 3338 sales in the first three months of the year, or more than 5200 since the car launched in Australia roughly six months ago.Now the most popular model in Chery’s catalogue, the brand’s sales have risen 216.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.Interested buyers can test drive the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro at the brand's showrooms from today.

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