Articles by Tim Gibson

Kia has revealed a hybrid version Kia K4 hatch to complement the strong-selling petrol variants remains part of the brand's plans in Australia. The K4 hybrid appears to still be on target for a launch Down Under this year, but timing has not been confirmed, according to local Product Planning Manager Raymond Pok. “We launched with just the petrol variants and we’re pretty keen to get a hybrid as quickly as we can,” Pok told CarsGuide.  “It’s still in the plans, but timing is to be confirmed.” The K4 is a competitive seller in the small car segment, only trailing the Toyota Corolla. It has amassed more sales in 2026 than the hugely popular Hyundai i30 and Mazda3, turning around a deficit to those rivals last year. Currently the K4 is only available with petrol engines.Most of the range comes with a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre unit, with top-spec GT-line models getting a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine.  The hybrid starts from $32,090 (before on-road costs) and comes in hatch or sedan body shapes.Expect the hybrid K4 to have a slight bump on price compared to the petrol version when it finally gets to Australia. There are no confirmed details yet on what the hybrid set-up will look like, but there is a good chance it will be a version of the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol electric motor unit found in other Kia hybrid cars and the mechanically similar Hyundai i30 sedan.This means it's in line for a 1.6-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor, which combines for 104kW and 265Nm. Fuel use in the similar Hyundai i30 sedan is just 3.9L/100km. Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer Damien Meredith revealed 30 per cent of all the brand’s sales at the moment are coming from hybrid models. The K4’s petrol-only lineup could pose problems down the line, with the brand conscious of potential fines leveled at the maker because of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) . “You just have to look at the penalties for NVES on a petrol vehicle versus a hybrid vehicle,” General Manager Marketing for Kia Australia Dean Norbiato said. “For us to be a sustainable OEM in this market, hybrid obviously makes sense from that standpoint.”

Renault has added a mild hybrid version of its slow-selling Arkana small SUV to its Australian line-up.This new variant replaces the petrol-only model that was previously on sale. It will start from $41,990 before on-road costs, meaning buyers will have to pay $5000 more than before to get into an Arkana. The price increase does come with some extra gear, with the previous mid-tier Techno grade now kicking off the range now, as well as the addition of mild hybrid assistance. The Esprit Alpine remains the same price at $45,990 (before on-road costs).While Renault is calling this a hybrid, it's not a hybrid like the systems found in Toyota, Honda and Hyundai models. The Arkana’s hybrid system is more akin to a mild hybrid, with its electric motor producing only 3.6kW. It will continue to take on the likes of the Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos, as well as the Mazda CX-30. The Arkana comes in roughly $5000 cheaper than the fully plugless hybrid C-HR, but it is more expensive than the cheapest Kona hybrid and Seltos petrol variants. The petrol-only Mazda CX-30 is cheaper again. It continues to be powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 116kW and 270Nm, representing minor increases on the previous version. All variants of the Arkana Hybrid come with front-wheel drive, meaning there is no all-wheel drive option as on some rivals. Inside the Arkana has a 9.3-inch central vertical touchscreen and a 10.3-inch digital driver display, with wireless phone charging. 2026 Renault Arkana Hybrid pricing Australia2026 Renault Arkana Hybrid engine and efficiency2026 Renault Arkana Hybrid standard features Other standard features include:Wireless phone chargerSatellite navigationElectric tailgateElectrically operated front seatsHeated front seatsSynthetic leather steering wheelEsprit Alpine grade addsPremium eight-speaker Bose sound systemFrameless auto-dimming rear-view mirrorSuede-style and synthetic leader seats with embroidered Alpine ‘A’Heated steering wheelPrivacy glassSlate-look trim19-inch alloy wheelsOpening sunroof2026 Renault Arkana Hybrid safety The Renault Arkana Hybrid has not been crash tested yet. Standard safety features: Emergency auto brakingForward collision warningSafe distance warningLane departure warningLane keep assistLane centringTraffic sign recognitionAdaptive cruise controlBlind spot monitoringRear-view camera360-degree camera2026 Renault Arkana dimensions 2026 Renault Arkana Hybrid warranty and servicing The Renault Arkana Hybrid comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.It has a five-year capped-price servicing plan available for purchase, with firm details still to be revealed.

Volkswagen has officially unveiled its new ID. Polo electric hatch, which will be the brand’s first electric variant of the popular model.The ID. Polo is the latest of the brand’s revamped electric fleet, and will be one of its cheapest EVs.There is no official news yet on the ID. Polo’s potential future in Australia.It would tackle the likes of the BYD Dolphin, MG4 and the incoming GWM Ora 5, as well as the GAC Aion UT, which all start from under $40K.Expect the ID. Polo to have a bigger price tag, given it starts from the equivalent of around $41,000 in Germany and will be subject to additional costs if exported here. It would also be a rival to crossover models such as the Zeekr X and the Renault Megane E-Tech.A spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia said the brand is not able to confirm availability of the ID. Polo or detailed timing at this stage.There will be three electric motor choices producing 85kW, 99kW and 155kW. The launch of a GTI version has been pushed back to next year, and will boost power to 166kW. Lower grade models of the car get a 37kWh battery, offering a driving range of 329km (WLTP), while higher specifications get 454km (WLTP) of range from a 52kWh unit. Additionally, the battery has DC charging capacity at 105kW, but official charging times are yet to be revealed by VW.The ID. Polo follows the brand’s new design direction inside, whcih features the return of physical buttons on the centre console. There's a 10-inch digital driver display and a 13-inch central touchscreen, along with a premium Harman Kardon sound system. The car has vehicle-to-load capabilities, allowing for external devices to be charged from its battery.Measuring at 4053mm long, 1816mm wide and 1530mm tall, the ID. Polo is shorter than the petrol Polo, but bigger in every other dimension, including wheelbase.Pre-sales of the ID. Polo in Europe will begin imminently.

Kia has poured cold water on the prospects of its EV2 budget electric SUV making it to Australia. The EV2 was unveiled at the start of this year at the Brussels Motor Show and it was expected to hit Australia in the second quarter. It was also poised to carry the important tag of the brand’s cheapest fully electric vehicle on sale in Australia. It now looks the brand has backtracked on its prospects to bring in the EV2, with question marks over its competitiveness in Australia. The brand remains keen to bring in the EV2 if the numbers line up so it is not completely off the cards yet. “It has been in our product plan, there is no question about that,” Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer Damien Meredith said.“The reality is we’re still working it out.“If we can, we will, but there are some things that are compounding that are going to make it difficult.”The EV2 lines up as a rival to other small electric vehicles, which often sit at the budget end of a carmaker’s line-up. This includes the BYD Dolphin, MG4 and the outgoing GWM Ora, which have price tags under $40K.The EV2 would also have to be priced less than one of Kia's best-selling electric cars, the EV3, which starts from $47,600 (before on-road costs). This necessary price competitiveness raises complications for the EV2 to launch in Australia, given it is manufactured in Europe. The cost of transporting vehicles from Europe to Australia adds significantly to the price. This has been a major roadblock for brands looking to bring budget-targeting cars from Europe. Costs are further blown out by the fact imported vehicles are subject to import duty and goods and services taxes, all raising the price further.This means EV2 may not be offered at the price it needs to be, according to Kia. “You’re not going to bring a product that’s not competitive for its segment in market and we need to make sure that it is to bring it in,” Kia Australia’s General Manager Marketing Dean Norbiato told CarsGuide. 

Audi has released an updated version of its Q4 e-tron electric compact SUV in Europe.The Q4 e-tron is a direct rival to the BMW iX1 and iX2 as well as the Volvo EX40, along with the Zeekr X.The new model starts in Europe from 47,500 euros, which is around $77,000. Cars imported from Europe incur a substantial price hike on sale Down Under, meaning it will be more expensive than its predecessor. The current generation of the Q4 e-tron in Australia starts from $84,900 (before on-road costs), with prices rising up to $107,500 on up-spec models. There is no official news yet on the arrival of the updated SUV in Australia, but it has been confirmed it will be available for order in Europe from May of this year. Audi Australia when contacted for comment said there were no confirmed timings for the car launching Down Under.Among the key updates for this new model is that it now features vehicle-to-load charging capabilities for the first time. DC fast charging speeds have also increased on the Q4 e-tron, with the car now capable of charging at 185kW, enabling a 10-80 per cent fast charge in 27 minutes. On the inside, the car gets a single panoramic display made up of an 11.9-inch digital driver display and 12.8-inch central touchscreen. The car can also be optioned with a separate passenger display. The Q4 e-tron will come with four power set-ups, with the base rear-wheel drive model featuring a single electric motor, producing 150kW and 350Nm. The highest grade of the car has dual electric motors, boosting power to 250kW and torque to 545Nm for the rear motor and 134Nm for the front one. This is the same output as the current generation.It can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in as fast as 5.4 seconds, coming with all-wheel drive.It will have two battery choices which are a 63kWh unit offering a driving range of up to 451km, while the 82kWh option has up to 578km, representing incremental increases.

BYD's tough looking family SUV could be destined for Australia.The Titanium 7 or Ti7 is a similar size to the Toyota Prado, but its fully-electric set-up means it sits in a largely untapped space of the market. It is from BYD's FangChengBao sub-brand, which is sold wearing Denza badges locally, and spawned the B5 and B8 4WDs.There are also plug-in hybrid versions of the Ti7, which have a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine paired with either single or dual electric motors.This would be a more conventional rival to GWM Tank 300, which has been a popular choice in the Aussie market. The Tank 300 features a more rugged ladder frame chassis as opposed to the lifestyle-focused monocoque chassis on BYD’s example. It is expected this car would appear under the Denza sub-brand in Australia, following the launch of its B5 and B8 off-roaders recently.The Ti7 sits in between the B5 and the B8 in size, measuring at 4999mm long, 1995mm wide and 1865mm tall. Its wheelbase is 2920mm.Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact BYD has trademarked ‘Ti7’ Down Under, but there is no official news yet on its arrival. BYD Australia said the car is not currently on the brand's radar.The Ti7 comes in two variants which are a single electric motor rear-wheel drive, producing 300kW and a dual electric motor all-wheel drive, producing 515kW.Both models are fitted with a 106kWh battery, with the RWD offering 755km of driving range, while the AWD has 675km, both according to more generous CLTC testing standards. On the inside, there is a 15.6-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital driver display, along with a head-up display spanning 26.0-inches along the windscreen. It has a starting price of 220,000 yuan, which is roughly $45,000, but expect a bump on that figure if it ever makes its way to Australia. 

More details have been revealed about the new generation Mk9 electric Volkswagen Golf, with the car said to be “96 to 97 per cent done”. The main change on the new Golf is it will feature a fully-electric set-up as well as a combustion model. In an overseas interview, VW's Head of Technical Development Kai Grunitz said this means there will be two separate platforms for the new Golf. Electric versions of the Golf will be one of the first models to use the new Scalable Systems Platform. The platform is expected to offer super fast charging times and other performance improvements. According to the brand, the new generation Golf will draw inspiration from the iconic Mk4 design, praised for its sporty and sleek design at the time. The electric Golf will take on the Renault Megane E-Tech and a car from its sister brand, the Cupra Born. Combustion versions of the Golf will continue to battle the Hyundai i30 and the Mazda 3.The car remains a few years off an official launch, with tentative plans for 2028 or 2029. As for its potential in Australia, there are no details yet."We’re pleased to see the interest in the Mk9 Volkswagen Golf," a spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia said. "Volkswagen Australia continues to evaluate opportunities for the local market, however we’re not in a position to confirm local availability or timing for Australia at this stage."An electric Golf would have National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) benefits for the brand Down Under, given its Golf lineup currently is exclusively petrol powered. It is unclear what engine the new combustion Golf will be fitted with, but VW recently announced a plug-less hybrid version of the current generation.Its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motor set-up is a possibility for the Mk9.The Golf is currently on sale in Australia with a starting price of $39,290 (before on-road costs), rising to $71,990 (before on-road costs) for up-spec models.It comes with two engine choices, which are a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, producing 110kW and 250Nm, while high-performance variants get a 2.0-litre unit, pumping out up to 245kW and 420Nm. 

Chery’s resurgence in the Australian market has been the product of intense model launches and booming sales to match, and it looks like the Chinese car brand will stay in Australia for good this time. Chery first launched in Australia in 2011, before making a swift exit around four years later, but since it returned Down Under in 2023, it has not looked back. Models such as the Chery Tiggo 4 have been a consistent feature of the best-selling cars in Australia recently, and are up more than 80 per cent for March 2026 compared to the same month in 2025.Part of Chery’s success is down to the affordable nature of many of its models. The Tiggo 4 is priced from $23,990 (drive-away), which is nearly $10,000 less than the Hyundai Kona – a key rival. Chery is putting down more roots in Australia by introducing a series of other brands under its ownership.Omoda Jaecoo has already launched in Australia, and the pair have several models on offer.The recently launched Jaecoo J5 EV has had a flying start to life in Australia, amassing more than 1100 sales so far in 2026, having gone on sale at the start of the year.The Chery family of brands is about to get significantly more crowded in Australia, with plans to introduce Lepas – a youth-focused brand – before the end of 2026. In 2027, the Freelander brand, spawning out of a partnership between Jaguar Land Rover and Chery will also come to Aussie shores. But with many of Chery’s brands sharing the same platforms and set-ups among vehicles, are styling tweaks enough to differentiate products?For example, the Chery Tiggo 4 and the newly announced Jaecoo J5 petrol share the same platform, engine and much of the same equipment, with Chery’s model $2000 cheaper than the Jaecoo. Omoda Jaecoo Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz said the brand will need to ensure it maintains its specific appeal to the market.“We are positioned in what I call a ‘mastige’ market,” Munoz said.“Being able to provide premium technology, comfort at a price point which is never before heard of.“We need to stay focused on our own brand values and make sure we connect with our customers and communicate those values and find our consumer base that way.”Munoz said Chery’s capacity to deliver rapid product cycles and diversity in powertrains enables it to keep things fresh across products in the group.He said the Omoda Jaecoo’s relationship with Chery has been an effective one so far. “Internally, we find our own synergies working together. Certainly there are shared functions and there are completely separated ones as well,” he said“It works well. We’ve got the much-needed support, which is required from shared functions and departments, but also enough delineation that we can position our brands in different points of the market where we can talk to different types of customers.“We’re not going to get everything right, but we can remain open-minded, and we have agility in our organisation.”

Jaecoo, Chery’s premium sub-brand, has announced the arrival of a much-anticipated seven-seat version of its J8 large SUV, which will also feature a plug-in hybrid set-up for the first time. There is no news yet on the pricing for this latest J8 variant, but expect it to be above the $54,990 (drive-away) price tag attached to the all-wheel drive five-seater petrol model currently on sale.The J8 will go into direct competition with the closely-related Chery Tiggo 8 all-wheel drive PHEV and the BYD Sealion 8, which both sit around $50K-$60K bracket.There are limited details available on the new J8, but it will use the same 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up found on the Omoda 9, which is on sale in Australia. The Omoda 9’s three electric motor set-up produces 395kW, so expect a similar figure on the J8 PHEV.Jaecoo has also confirmed the car will have an all-wheel drive system. This will be the first electrified J8 model, with the only other two models being front-wheel and all-wheel drive petrol units.Competing in the large SUV segment, the J8 is approaching one year on the Aussie market, but trails the likes of the Tiggo 8 and the Sealion 8 on sales charts.It has sold less than 200 units this year, compared to the Sealion 8’s more than 1500 and the Tiggo 8’s more than 1000. The brand has decided to bring across a seven-seater J8 due to popular demand for a full-size family car in the lineup. The J8’s announcement comes with the brand continuing to expand its range Down Under, following the well-received J5 EV at the start of 2026, and the soon-launching petrol variant of that car. It is expected the J8 PHEV will launch in Australia in the third quarter of 2026, along with a hybrid version of the J5. 

Chery sub-brand Omoda Jaecoo has signalled its desire to add a ute to its Australian line-up. Earlier this year, Chery unveiled its ‘KP31’ concept, which is scheduled to launch before the end of this year with a diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain. The brand also showed off a monocoque-chassis recreational ute concept late last year in China called 'T1TP', with local Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris keen to bring such a product Down Under. “There have been some type approval documents and that sort of thing that people have found, which has the monocoque chassis P1TP ute,” Harris told CarsGuide previously.“It is absolutely something we are interested in. I think there is an interesting market for that,” he said.Harris went on to say this ute could fit under any of Chery's sub-brands, which includes Jaecoo, but it appears any monocoque ute would be contingent on the success of the KP31.Omoda Jaecoo’s Chief Commercial Officer in Australia Roy Munoz has put his hand up for the brand to receive a ute, and give it a different feel.It would diversify the brand’s portfolio beyond SUVs into the ute game and Munoz said Omoda Jaecoo needs a ute if it is going to compete in Australia. “Given that Chery as a group is working on the ute platform and powertrain, certainly it’s something we have access to under Omoda Jaecoo,” Munoz told CarsGuide.“Obviously Australians have a love of utes and to be a serious contender or player in Australia, you need that as part of your product portfolios.“If we can hit the market with a touch of masstige (mass market prestige) version of that, whatever that might look like, there will certainly be a market for it.“We’d love to see it. Nothing is off the table.”Jaecoo currently has three SUV models on sale in Australia, ranging from the small J5 to the mid-size J7 and the large J8. It looks like there are no plans for an Omoda Jaecoo ute to launch this year with the focus remaining on the success of the KP31 under the Chery name.