Articles by Stephen Ottley

The Porsche Cayenne S Electric is the middle member of the initial three-tier line-up that has launched in Australia in 2026. Priced from $193,000 for the SUV and $194,500 for the Coupe, the Cayenne S Electric is only just over $8000 more than its petrol alternative. For that money you get: 21-inch alloy wheels Matrix LED headlights Illuminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlid Panoramic glass roof Four-zone climate control Eight-way adjustable sports seats Bose surround sound audio system with 14 speakers This new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions. The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too.  The same is true of the interior, with a modern design that keeps the Cayenne Electric contemporary, but also practical and loaded with all the technology modern buyers expect. The Cayenne S has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain that makes 400kW (490kW on Overboost) and 1080Nm and has a 0-100km/h time of a very rapid 3.8 seconds. Range for the Cayenne S is rated at 571km, thanks to its 106kWh battery, which is the most of the range. As for safety, the Cayenne Electric is as well equipped as you should expect a car at this price to be. There are all the features that have become the norm, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, etc. But it’s not the fact that it has all the safety features that’s impressive, it’s the level of calibration, with very good integration.

It may sound far-fetched, but Genesis is hoping to compete with the upper-echelon of bespoke luxury SUVs when its all-new GV90 arrives. But while the idea of the GV90 rivalling the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, there is one key reason why the brand should be taken seriously - the man in charge. Luc Donkerwolke is now the Chief Creative Officer for Genesis, but previously he was the man responsible for designing the Bentayga. He actually left the British brand before the SUV was done, so officially the design credit for the Bentayga is given to SungYup Lee - who is now the design boss for Hyundai. So either way, Genesis and Hyundai have all the skills and experience to design a genuinely luxurious SUV. There is a big difference between designing a premium SUV and being able to sell it. The GV90, which is based on the Neolun concept from 2024, will be an all-electric flagship for the brand and is expected to cost more than $200,000 when it arrives in Australia next year. Given Genesis’ slow sales growth trajectory in Australia since it arrived in 2019, pushing so far upmarket is a risk, but one the brand is actually looking forward to.  “I think our brand actually needs a halo like that right now,” said Tim Rodgers, Product Planning and Development Manager for Genesis Australia. “We haven't quite showcased our full capability in that regard and just how high we can stretch the levels of luxury in a car. The flagship SUV that you mentioned, I think that's ready to turn some heads and opinions about Genesis brand, and I think it's the right time now.” Given the premium nature and price tag, Genesis Australia is most likely to offer the GV90 on a strict order-only basis, which means there will be limited stock in showrooms and customers will be able to order them to their personalised preferences. Again, Rodgers believes this is advantageous for the brand and claims it will actually play to its strengths. “ We do a lot of build-to-order anyway, so it's not really anything new for us. So in that sense actually, we're set up in an ideal situation to leverage that kind of car,” he said.  The arrival of the GV90 as a flagship luxury SUV will follow the launch of the new Magma performance sub-brand. Globally the company has committed to introducing a Magma variant of every model in the range and has begun with the GV60 Magma small SUV. Justin Douglass, Head of Genesis Australia, explained the impact of Magma has already been felt. “ I think when you look at the amount of goodwill towards a brand from the moment that we announced that Magma was coming to life there's been a lot of interest for a couple of years now,” he said. “I think when the production version was shown in November last year, it created an immediate influx of register-your-interests here in Australia. "I think for any brand to have a true performance luxury variant added to their range is always gonna be beneficial and exciting and attract a new customer base, and as I said, create some real emotion and energy around the brand as well. So yeah it's absolutely an exciting addition for the brand.” While the GV90 will act as the flagship for the brand in terms of luxury, the Magma GT is expected to be the halo sports car. The mid-engined coupe was revealed as a concept at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June and Hyundai Motor Group’s global CEO, Jose Munoz, made it clear he wants to put it into production as soon as possible.  Without being confirmed for production it’s difficult for Douglass and Rodgers to commit to Magma GT plans for Australia, but they are both adament it will come here if it’s built in right-hand drive. “ If it was made available to us, absolutely,” Douglass said. Without confirming the Magma GT would be available here, Rodgers suggested right-hand drive production is likely.  ”We act like a global car company because we are,” he said. “There's plenty of models in right-hand drive that we've developed that, maybe on paper don't really make sense, but we've done it because that's what a global car company does, right?”

The all-new Porsche Cayenne Electric range begins with this ‘entry-level’ model priced from $167,700 before on-road costs for the SUV body style and $173,500 for the Coupe. While that is a price premium over the existing petrol and hybrid models, it does come well specified. Standard equipment includes: 20-inch alloy wheels Matrix LED headlights Illuminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlid Panoramic glass roof Dual-zone climate control Eight-way adjustable sports seat 10-speaker sound system Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto This new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions. The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too.  Inside, for all the hype around Porsche performance, one of the brand’s standout features, at least in my opinion, has always been interior design.  This new Cayenne looks really interesting inside, with curved screens for the digital instrument display and the multimedia system, as well as the option to add a third screen in-front of the passenger. The overall level of fit and finish, the detail and quality of the materials is exactly what you’d expect from a premium brand and an SUV at this price point. The Cayenne Electric is powered by a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain that makes up to 325kW of power and 835Nm of torque. That’s enough for it to launch 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.  The Cayenne is powered by a Porsche-built 106kWh battery that provides 542km of range. In terms of safety, the Cayenne Electric is equipped with all the features that have become expected, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and full airbag protection.

One of the biggest criticisms of electric cars could soon be relegated to the past. The need to plug in a charging cable could be replaced by the long-awaited arrival of inductive charging - and it has come from an unlikely source. This new game-changing technology isn’t coming from electric vehicle juggernauts Tesla or BYD, but Porsche. The all-new Cayenne Electric SUV is set to become the first car on-sale in Australia with the ability to charge wirelessly. While not available from the initial launch, Porsche Australia has confirmed it will be offered to local customers before the end of 2026. Any initial Cayenne Electric sold will be able to be retrofitted to take advantage of this new tech, with each SUV needing a specific pad on the underside of the vehicle. In simple terms, this inductive charging system uses an 11kW pad that can be placed on the floor of your garage or parking space and you only need to drive over it in order for a connection to be made between the pad and the battery and for charging to begin. The electricity is transferred via a magnetic field, the same way inductive charging works for modern smartphones and similar devices, only on a larger scale. The pad does need to be plugged into three-phase power in order to generate enough power to charge the vehicle, but no wallbox is required. An 11kW output is equivalent to a Level 2 AC charging wallbox, which would add between 40-100km of range per hour. Porsche hasn’t revealed specific charging times for the Cayenne Electric yet. This charging pad measures 1170mm long, 780mm wide and 60mm tall and weighs 50kg and must be installed by a technician. You must be lined up with the pad, but the Cayenne’s camera system is able to detect it and effectively guide you to the right spot via a graphic display on the screen. Once in the right position the Cayenne has to lower itself to get close enough for the transfer of energy; which is likely one of the reasons the entire Cayenne range comes with air-suspension as standard.  Porsche says the car and pad can also detect any obstacles, such as pets, that may walk across the pad and can shut down in order to protect animals or equipment from harm. Wireless charging has long been touted as a potential solution for the perceived inconvenience of plugging in an EV. Porsche is not the first brand to develop the technology, but it is the first to bring it to market in Australia. Porsche Australia hasn’t released pricing, but the system is already available in the United Kingdom, where the charging pad reportedly costs £5355 (approx. $10,000), while the connection for the Cayenne itself costs £1322 (approx. $2500).

An unlikely contender has emerged in the race to recharge electric vehicles - mining giant Fortescue. It is developing technology that could recharge an electric car in less than a minute, thanks to ground-breaking new technology it is developing. Fortescue wants to make its mining operation in the Pilbara region of Western Australia electrified by 2030 and that includes everything from trains to its 240-tonne haul trucks. Naturally this means developing ultra-fast charging, as the trucks need to remain in steady use. Which is why under its Fortescue Zero brand, the company has invested in cutting edge electric vehicle technology, including motor development, batteries and software. Fortescue Zero is based in England and was previously known as Williams Advanced Engineering, a spin-off from the famous Williams Formula 1 team. Despite the focus on the mining sector, Fortescue Zero has remained involved in motorsport and has just announced it will enter a team in the upcoming 2026/27 Formula E all-electric racing series. Under the slogan ‘from track to truck’, Fortescue Zero is using motor racing to develop technology to recharge its haul trucks quicker. The goal is to use 6000kW charging to replenish the batteries in the trucks in as little as 30 minutes. Fortescue Zero introduced ‘pit boost’ using the 600kW charging into the Formula E series, which allows cars to recharging the batteries by 10 per cent in as little as 30 seconds. Naturally, this kind of ultra-rapid charging would have appeal to EV drivers looking for quicker stops. Currently, 400kW chargers are the most powerful in Australia, but they are only available in limited locations. The majority of the public charging network operates between 50-350kW, although BYD’s luxury spin-off, Denza, has indicated it will build a network of its 1500kW Flash chargers in Australia. Explaining the decision to go motor racing in Formula E, Fortescue Energy and Growth CEO Gus Pichot said it’s about using the platform to innovate faster. “In racing every second counts, and innovations can be the difference between winning and losing,” Pichot said. “The same goes for decarbonising our mining operations.” “We need technology that can operate at extremes and push the limits. Without motorsports as an incubator and proving ground, we would not be as advanced in our decarbonisation journey as we are today.” Switching from diesel to electric power isn’t just about helping the environment. Fortescue claims it can save more than 680 million litres of diesel fuel each year by going battery-powered. With diesel prices rising due to the on-going Middle East conflict, even a 10c per litre increase can add almost $100 million to its annual fuel bill. By converting its fleet of approximately 300 haul trucks to EVs it will not only save diesel and cut emissions, but it will also serve as a test bed for new EV technology for motors, batteries, software and charging that the company could then commercialise as EV sales continue to grow in Australia.

If at first you don't succeed... Porsche is trying again with turning a popular SUV electric. But after the disappointment of the Macan, will the brand have better luck with its bigger Cayenne. We test drive the new Porsche Cayenne Electric on-road, off-road, through sand dunes and even down an airstrip to put it to the ultimate test.

Forget what you think you know.

It’s not the size that counts, it’s how you use it. I’m talking about electric vehicle batteries, of course, because I believe the time has come for us to re-think range. Car makers are racing to provide more and more driving range on a single charge, with anything less than 400km now seen as inadequate. But is that really the case? So-called ‘range anxiety’ has plagued EVs since they first arrived. And as someone who drove those early EVs, when there was little to no infrastructure to recharge them away from home, I can perfectly understand why 150-200km was not enough from a battery. But there have been some major changes since then that mean we need to collectively re-think exactly how much range does our next EV really need. Having more range is nice, of course, but not everyone drives a Toyota LandCruiser with a 1000km range because they don’t need it. And not everyone needs the long legged 108kWh battery in a BMW iX3 or the 100kWh unit in a Zeekr 7X. Many people buy smaller cars, with smaller fuel tanks and that’s perfectly acceptable, and we simply need to change our way of looking at the situation. I’ll give you a real-world example of what I’m talking about. My cousin recently purchased a Honda Super-One, the Japanese brand’s ultra-compact, urban-focused EV. At $36,900 drive-away it’s far from the cheapest EV he could have bought, but he likes the looks and Honda’s reputation. But, in part because of its compact size meaning only so many batteries can be fitted, it has a claimed driving range of ‘only’ 253km. That is a best-case scenario, so a real-world return closer to 200km is likely. I put the only in inverted commas because ever since the reveal of the Super-One the discussion within our industry has often centred on that seemingly limited range figure. For my cousin, 253km or even 200km, will be more than enough to handle his approximate 10km daily commute. And that is likely the case for so many EV buyers, their daily commute will not only be well below what any modern battery can manage, but even a week’s worth of driving around will likely be covered. At the other end of the spectrum, Chinese brand iM Motors, MG’s luxury spin-off, is working on a semi-solid state battery capable of 1000km of range (Skoda is also claiming four-digit range with its new Peaq flagship). On paper that seems like the perfect solution for range anxiety, but according to the executive I talked to about it back in 2025, the reality is very different. “I drive day and night and I’m exhausted but the battery’s still alive,” explained Stephen Xu, sales and marketing director for overseas markets at iM Motors. “Just from my point of view, the battery is, you know, to have long range is useless when you’re in the urban environment]. So that may not be the best choice. You put a very big battery but only use it in the city.” What Xu was saying was that a battery capable of 1000km isn’t a bad idea, but rather that such a battery is only a good idea for specific applications. My cousin, for example, doesn’t need 1000km of driving range to cover his 10km roundtrip. Like I said earlier, the time has come to re-think range. There are now EVs available with range stretching from 250km to approximately 800km, with plenty in between. So depending on what you need, you can choose an EV with a suitable range. You likely wouldn’t buy an eight-seat Kia Carnival if you’re a single person who always drives alone, right? Or you wouldn’t buy a ute capable of towing 4500kg if you live in the inner city and only ever put your supermarket shopping in the boot. Or try to buy a Ferrari if you hate driving above 80km/h and are embarrassed when people stare at you. Basically, we have to take a horses-for-courses approach to EVs and stop insisting that every example must have the longest range possible. If you do a lot of driving and enjoy a weekend road trip or similar, then something with 500km or more is probably best. But if you live in the city or suburbs and rarely go beyond that, 250km is probably fine. This is just another mindset change that we need to adapt to, and many already have judging by the sales success of smaller EVs like the Super-One and BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2. The days of demanding ever-increasing range from every new EV should be behind us, in my opinion. It’s not how big your battery is, it’s how you use your EV that really matters.

The days of being a ‘Holden family’ and buying a new model from the same brand each year are gone. The increasing fragmentation of the Australian car market, as well as the on-going cost-of-living crisis is driving new car buyers to ditch brand loyalty in favour of whatever suits them best. It’s why some of Australia’s most beloved brands are enduring a difficult 2026, with the latest new car sales data showing Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Kia and Hyundai all suffering sales decline as the likes of BYD, GWM, Chery and other relative-newcomers lure buyers away. Hyundai Australia Chief Operating Officer Gavin Donaldson admits it is now the toughest time he can recall in the local industry. “Yeah, I think that's one of the biggest things right now,” Donaldson said. “It's important to try and maintain loyalty. There is some benefit of that, and that's obviously going to be really more driven, probably long-term, about your after-sales experience. It's easy, probably purchasing your car, driving it out, but then how you get looked after if there's ever issues or servicing is going to become more important. “Right now I think there's so much choice there for customers that they have the ability to pick and choose whatever it is. It's just competitive, the amount of brands that are in there now. The market size has also slightly grown. "Like it's 1.2 this year. It's 1.15m, 1.2m, historically grown on the back of immigration more than anything. It's just so competitive at present time. And as we say, customers now have such a wide diversification of choice that it's difficult to get their attention.” Looking at the car sales data year-to-date to the end of August, Toyota is down 17%, Mazda down 15.9% and Ford 14.5%, while BYD is up more than 100%, Chery is up 64.3% and GWM has grown 15.%. It’s clear from these figures that despite the historical success of the likes of Toyota, Mazda, Ford and the other ‘legacy’ brands, the newer Chinese rivals are winning over customers. In that context, Hyundai’s drop of 2.0 per cent can be seen a relatively positive result, with Donaldson admitting brands will need to adjust to selling less volume. But he also doubled down on the idea that after-sales support, specifically the dealer and servicing experience will be the true test for longevity for both the legacy bands and the newcomers. “ There's no doubt the legacy brands are under pressure,” Donaldson admitted. “Most of them are losing share year on year. Does that mean you reset your future levels of share? I don't know. Because it comes down to, I've always said… it comes down to your product portfolio. You can launch cars that the Australian public might see as outstanding and rush to your brand. So for us it's about maintaining a certain level of scale, make sure our dealers are as profitable as they can be, which is also under pressure because of multi-franchising and all that at present time. It's just extremely competitive and I think customers have got great choice. But I think long-term, you've got to be able to provide the overall customer experience to ensure not only selling the car, but there's the long-term servicing as part as well.” Donaldson’s comments mirror similar sentiment from Skoda Australia Brand Director Lucie Kuhn, who recently told CarsGuide 2026 is shaping as a defining year for the future of the Australian automotive landscape. “ The industry will be recalibrating,” Kuhn said. “I think this year it has just started, but I think we have ahead of us another three years at least, maybe three up to five. We'll see when the entire industry will be, let's say, looking for its new normal. Seventy competitors in the market, yeah, it's a lot. And I think every brand will try to find not only its new normal, but find its new viable normal. And viable normal for all the stakeholders, because this is the most complex thing. "It’s not just OEMs, importer, dealers, and still being competitive and attractive enough to the customer. This is what is ahead all of us, and it doesn't matter if it's a legacy brand, but it's also the Chinese entrants, they will have the same thing. Because running like that, it's simply a penetration strategy. It will end up somewhere… and then what?” But Kuhn believes that elements such as the actual driving experience, which is still seen as an advantage for the more experienced legacy brands, will remain a key selling point from Skoda and its like. “To actually meet the expectations of the customers… they expect a level of driving refinement,” she said. But Kuhn, like Donaldson, is resigned to the fact that the days of families being loyal to one car brand for their entire motoring life. “Customers don’t stick to the brands they used to… all their life,” she said.

It has become the great debate in the car industry - have we reached peak ute? Put simply, has the ute market hit its sales limit in terms of volume or can new models and variants attract new buyers to the segment? The answer to these questions is crucial to the future success or failure of some of Australia's most successful new vehicles, as well as highly anticipated newcomers. Looking at the data, it seems like there is a limit on just how many utes Australians are willing and able to buy. In 2025 the ute segment grew only 2.7 per cent over 2024, despite 12 new entrants from several new brands - including Kia, BYD, MG, Foton and GWM. Things have not improved in the first eight months of 2026, sales of utes remain down, especially in the 4x4 segment which has recorded an 13.6 per cent drop. This ‘peak ute’ debate began in January 2025 thanks to comments from then-Toyota Australia boss, Sean Hanley, who admitted he wasn’t confident that more utes arriving would equal more sales overall. “I’m not necessarily sharing a view that it's going to grow astronomically because of the new entrants,” he said. “It may, I could be wrong, but it’ll be interesting to watch. “Looking towards the future, we already know that the number of ute models available to Australian buyers will expand rapidly. “They’ll be competing for an overall ute market that is likely to remain steady, which suggests that the average sales per model will come down as a result.” However, Hanley’s comments have naturally created some push back across the industry, and Volkswagen is the latest brand to weigh in on the debate.  Michael Cenci, Volkswagen Australia Product Manager for the Amarok, suggested that Toyota’s perspective on the ute market is driven out of concern for how the latest generation HiLux will perform, as it is an updated, rather than all-new model. Cenci was talking at the introduction of the new Amarok W600, the locally developed special edition of the German brand’s ute built in partnership with Walkinshaw Automotive Group. Positioned as a ‘driver’s car’ rather than an off-road-focused ute like the Ford Ranger Raptor, Mitsubishi Triton Raider and Nissan Navara Warrior, Cenci believes it gives the brand a chance to find clear space in the segment. “ It's a tricky question,” Cenci admitted. “I personally think that wasn't said from a position of strength. I think since that comment was made, there's been so much innovation in the segment, and so many new players, that I don't think you can honestly say that peak ute was reached three, four years ago, however long it was. "There's always something new. There's always new avenues to explore. We're exploring one right now. We've created a zig instead of a zag, as you said. We're doing stuff that no one else is doing and that's what innovation in the space is all about. So I don't think we've reached peak ute. “In terms of sales numbers, and as you spoke about before, cutting the pie thinner and thinner. Maybe that's one perspective to look at it, but I don't think that was the intention of the comment. I think the comment was more to do with the actual vehicle offering itself. And I don't believe that's true, no.” Cenci is seemingly referring to the success of newer models like the BYD Shark 6, a plug-in hybrid ute from a Chinese brand with no history in the segment which has still managed to become a sales force. This could be interpreted as an opportunity for other brands to broaden their appeal by offering newer, more efficient powertrain choices than the traditional turbo-diesel engine. But it also explains Volkswagen’s attitude towards the Amarok, specifically the W600, which is designed to be deliberately different from its would-be competitors.  “That's the exciting part of the automotive industry,” added Annette Moelhoff, Volkswagen Australia Senior Communications Manager. “It's ever-evolving, ever-changing. I don't think there is such a thing as peak because there's always fresh new ideas and innovative approaches like we've taken with the W600.”