Articles by Tim Gibson

BYD’s latest and most expensive model is here.The brand has announced pricing and specifications for its new Sealion 8 three-row plug-in hybrid SUV. It starts from $56,990, before on-road costs, for the entry-level front-wheel drive variant, with all-wheel drive pricing starting at $63,990 and $70,990, depending on trim level.This sees the Sealion 8 come in as a cheaper alternative to rivals such as the Kia Sorento and Mitsubishi Outlander three-row plug-in variants. The Chery Tiggo 8 remains the budget option of the segment, starting from $45,990, drive-away.The Sealion 8 comes with two engine choices.The FWD variant is powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine paired with a single electric motor, producing 205kW and 315Nm.It has a 19kWh LFP battery, which offers an all-electric driving range of 103km, according to the NEDC testing cycle (generally more optimistic than the WLTP scale). AWD variants of the Sealion 8 feature a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors, producing a combined 359kW and 675Nm. This dual-motor set-up means the car can sprint from 0-100km in 4.9 seconds.There is a 35.6kWh battery with a driving range of 152km (NEDC). Fuel consumption when the battery is drained is 5.3L/100km for the FWD and 6.3L for the AWD.Standard equipment includes a 10.25-inch digital driver display and 15.6-inch central touchscreen as well as 10-speaker audio.The Premium grade adds a 26-inch head-up display, a 21-speaker high-quality audio system and more. BYD has already unveiled an updated version of the Sealion 8 in China, but Australia will have to wait a while for it.The Sealion 8 is available for pre-order now. 2026 BYD Sealion 8 pricing Australia2026 BYD Sealion 8 engine and efficiency  2026 BYD Sealion 8 standard featuresWireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay15.6-inch central touchscreen10-speaker audio system50W wireless phone chargerHeated and ventilated front seatsSynthetic leather upholsteryElectrically operated trunk doorRain-sensing wipersPanoramic sunroofKeyless entry and start10.25-inch digital driver display21-inch alloy wheelsPremium grade adds:Massage and memory front seatsElectrically operated front leg restsPremium leather upholsteryMassaging second-row seatsHeated and ventilated second-row seats21-speaker premium soundFront footwell atmosphere lightingWelcome light sequence26-inch head-up display 2026 BYD Sealion 8 safetyThe BYD Sealion 8 has not been crash tested. Nine airbags360-degree camera viewFront and rear parking sensorsAdaptive cruise controlTraffic sign recognitionAuto emergency brakingLane keep assistBlind spot monitoringLane departure assistForward collision warningRear collision warning 2026 BYD Sealion 8 dimensions 2026 BYD Sealion 8 warrantyThe BYD Sealion 8 comes with a six-year/150,000km warranty and an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the high-voltage battery. 

Subaru has hiked the price of its affordable BRZ sports car. The cheapest BRZ now starts from $47,890 (before on-road costs), which is a $3600 jump based on 2025 pricing for the entry manual variant. It is almost $10,000 more than when the second-generation launched in 2022 at $38,990.Manual BRZ's are now the same price as automatic examples, having previously been a $1000 less.This price hike has been reflected across the range.The S variant is now $49,190 up from $45,490, while the tS starts from $52,790 - a $2600 increase.It is now nearly $4000 more than its mechanically identical counterpart, the Toyota GR86.The BRZ still comes in significantly cheaper than a comparative 2.3-litre petrol engine Ford Mustang.The Mustang leads the segment for sales, starting from more than $70,000.Subaru has released a special edition of its BRZ in addition to the announcement of these price hikes.It is called the Kiiro and only 95 units will be offered locally. The car is priced to start from $53,590 (before on-road costs), which is $800 more than the re-priced Coupe tS, which usually sits at the top of the range. This special edition BRZ gets an exclusive yellow paint, in line with the Japanese meaning for the word 'Kiiro', along with 18-inch matte back alloy wheels. There are suede and leather accented seats, with black and yellow elements. Yellow stitching is on the leather steering wheel and gear shift boot.There is an interior 'Kiiro' badge with the limited edition number of the specific car and ‘Kiiro’ badging is also visible in matte black on the rear of the car. It will be available in manual and automatic, keeping in line with the rest of the BRZ range. It will also be powered by the 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 174kW and 250Nm found in other BRZ models.The limited edition BRZ tS will hit showrooms later this month. 2026 Subaru BRZ pricing Australia

Ford’s flagship sports car has just levelled up.Ford has announced its new Mustang Dark Horse SC sports car over in North America. This Mustang will replace the Shelby GT500 variant — as the top-spec track-ready edition of the car.Little is known about the technical details of the new muscle car, other than it will be powered by a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 petrol engine.This same engine is fitted to the hardcore Mustang GTD, which makes 608kW, but expect the Dark Horse SC to produce less than that but still more than the Shelby GT500's 567kW.Ford has confirmed a series of big changes to other areas of the car.It has had its suspension overhauled, with adaptive dampers and firmer springs than in the regular Dark Horse.There are also new anti-roll bars, and a lightweight strut tower brace to give the car more poise when handling. There has been some serious weight shedding on this Mustang, equating to 68 kilograms. With the Track package, the car sits on carbon-fibre wheels and there are forged aluminium suspension components, replacing steel ones.The Mustang has undergone some exterior styling changes, with a new aluminium hood featuring an imposing vent. There is a re-worked carbon fibre rear spoiler available, offering a substantial boost to downforce at high speeds. On the inside it gets a flat-bottom leather steering wheel. Alcantara and carbon fibre elements are a constant in the cabin.It is unlikely we will see this full-throttle version of the car in Australia in the short term, with buyers having to settle for the standard Dark Horse variant.It's naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 only produces 372kW (which is 500-horsepower) and 566Nm.

Ford's forbidden off-roader just got better.The Blue Oval has unveiled its Bronco RTR rugged SUV over in the United States, and it looks perfect for Australia.Expected in 2027, it is pitched as a more affordable version of the Raptor Bronco variant, receiving beefy upgrades across the board.It gets the same four-cylinder 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine found in other US Bronco variants, but it has been given some performance tweaks.There is a 1000W cooling fan, as found in the Bronco Raptor, along with software changes as part of an anti-lag system.It has high-clearance suspension with Fox internal bypass dampers and 33-inch tires, which are the biggest-ever fitted to a showroom Bronco.All these features would make this new Bronco at home in Australia as a cheaper off-roading rival to the big hitters of the segment.The emission-heavy engine and left-hand drive manufacture of this Bronco makes it impractical for Ford to launch it Down Under.Australia is getting a Bronco-badged Ford in late 2026.The Australia-bound Bronco SUV will be the one built in China, use a range extender hybrid set-up and will likely be competitively priced. This means it will not be built on the T6 Ranger platform or be the monocoque-bodied Sport SUV, which are both sold in the US.The range extender hybrid Bronco will give Ford some much needed help as it chases New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) credits to offset its sales of high-polluting Ranger and Everest models.The hybrid Bronco in China has a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that is used exclusively to charge the large BYD-sourced Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery, which delivers an electric-only driving range of more than 200km.

This family SUV will have a game-changing new feature.The updated Tucson SUV will receive a 17-inch central touchscreen display and 9.9-inch digital driver display as part of upgrades to the new model, according to reports.The same screen will feature in the coming Ioniq 3 EV, according to new spy pics published by Korean Car Blog.The 17-inch display is the biggest Hyundai has ever put into one of its cars, and bigger than the multimedia screens found in new versions of its main rivals, the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4.Along with the new screen there will be a suite of new technology and software, such as over-the-air updates.There is likely to also be Level 2.5 autonomous driving capabilities and an AI-integrated assistant. There are limited official details on the Tucson.There have also been some rumours on the specifications for the new Tucson.It is expected the new Tucson will only feature plug-less and plug-in hybrid power set-ups, dropping petrol-only variants from its lineup all together. The current Tucson comes with a conventional hybrid set-up, which uses a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and a motor to produce 172kW and 367Nm.Hyundai offers a plug-in hybrid version overseas already.It uses a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 185kW and 367Nm.This is paired with a circa 13kWh battery that delivers a pure electric driving range of about 50km.Expect the battery size to grow in the new versions to fend of Chinese rivals that deliver EV driving ranges of 100km or more.Digital renders by GotchaCars have popped up online, which gives us and indication of what the car is likely to look like .The render shows an upright, squared-off front-end, closed-off grille with an LED light bar and an open lower grille.There are blacked out elements on the grille, roof, mirrors and wheel arches, along with a sloping roofline to give the SUV a sleek presence.

This car could hunt down the Model Y.Kia has unveiled an updated version of its EV6 all-electric large SUV, which has received a serious boost in some key areas.It now starts (before on-road costs) from $72,660, rising up to $99,660, equating to a $70 increase across the four-deep range. It remains a cheaper alternative to some of its electric rivals such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is built on the same platform. The Ioniq 5 starts from $76,200 after its range underwent a significant restructure, cutting the cheapest variant, which started from under $70,000. The EV6 is more expensive than the Tesla Model Y, which was the best-selling EV in 2025.The base Model Y starts from $58,900, with more expensive variants priced at $68,900 and $89,400, before on-roads.But it is significantly cheaper than luxury alternatives such as the Audi Q6 e-tron, which starts at about $100,000.The EV6 continues to be offered in rear-wheel and all-wheel drive specs, which all receive a bigger 84kWh battery compared to the 77.4kWh unit in the previous model. Driving range has received a boost of more than 50km in rear-wheel drive variants, up to 582km in the Air and 560km in the GT-Line, according to the WLTP testing cycle.The all-wheel drive GT-Line’s range is now 522km (up from 484km), while the range-topping dual motor GT variant offers 450km of range — a 26km increase.This means the EV6 boasts more driving range than comparative base and range-topping variants of the Ioniq 5.The rear-wheel drive EV6's driving range is significantly more than a base Model Y, albeit at a significantly higher cost.The all-wheel drive variants still trail comparative Teslas.The EV6 is available with two new wheel designs, which are 19-inch and 21-inch sizing, depending on the variant.Its exterior design has been given a sleeker, coupe-like overall look, with sharp creases in the body work.On the inside, there is a new steering wheel and updated centre console.The car has a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 12.3-inch central touchscreen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now standard across the range. It will now be able to receive over-the-air software updates to implement bug fixes more quickly, bringing it into line with other EVs.Kia has said the updated EV6 will hit showrooms imminently.2026 Kia EV6 pricing Australia

Uptake of electric vehicles stepped up again in 2025.

Mitsubishi's tough new 4WD icon will arrive this year.The new Mitsubishi Pajero will be released towards the end of 2026, according to Japanese outlet Best Car. Mitsubishi Motors president Takao Kato made the announcement at the Tokyo Auto Salon this year.“We will launch a new cross-county SUV in 2026,” Kato said. It has not been confirmed what will underpin this new Pajero, but it is rumoured to be based on the current Triton ute from Mitsubishi.This means it would get a ladder frame chassis, which would give it riugged off-road ability but poorer on-road driving dynamics.The fact Kato said it would be a "cross-country SUV" could mean it would follow in the footsteps of past Pajeroes and use an SUV-like monocoque structure. Land Rover's Defender uses the same setup.Mitsubishi Australia’s GM Product Strategy & Product PR Bruce Hampel told CarsGuide late last year both underpinnings have their pros and cons.“The old Pajero was a monocoque as well, right? So people don't even really think of that nowadays. It was just the Pajero, this durable off-road vehicle. So what are they expecting? Are they expecting another monocoque from us, or is it a body on frame?," he asked.“I think Land Rover has done a lot to prove that it can be achieved with a monocoque. And I guess with a monocoque you get the improvements in terms of the on-road handling, the lack of… body-on-frame shake, without really causing too many limitations off road.“But it's a very expensive car to engineer and develop. Watch this space, which path we head.”The off-road pedigree of the Pajero sees the car shape up as a rugged rival to Toyota’s LandCruiser and the Nissan Patrol. Speculation around a new Pajero has been growing in the past year.It looks like if the new off-roader comes to Australia, it will just be called the ‘Pajero’ and drop the ‘Pajero Sport’ name of the outgoing model.Earlier this month, the brand teased its new Pajero in a video to celebrate its Ralliart pedigree.The video ended with footage of the 2007 Mitsubishi Pajero Evo Dakar Rally vehicle, followed by a shadowy clip of what looks likely to be the new Pajero.CarsGuide spotted the incoming Pajero in camouflage in Western Victoria just before Christmas, likely being tested ahead of a potential local arrival.Production on the last Pajero ceased in 2021, where it was replaced by the Pajero Sport in Australia.The Pajero Sport was axed from Mitsubishi's Australian line-up in 2025, after it failed to meet new Australian Design Rules.Mitsubishi Australia at the time said a replacement would head our way in the future, but was not sure it would be called the Pajero Sport. This lends support to the fact the new off-roader will be called Pajero.

Ford is looking to add new Raptor models to its lineup, according to Ford Authority.The Raptor name represents the high-performance, off-road specialist variants of Ford models.Ford’s Chief Financial Officer Sherry House said more Raptor models are in the works, at the recent Barclays Global Auto and Mobility Tech Conference."I know that some people in the audience here just had a wonderful ride in some of our Raptors, and that's a product that I think that we're going to be doing a bit more of as well," House said. “We're going to be leaning into these products that are just passion products. I mean, these are vehicles that people love.”Adding further fuel to the Raptor fire, is Ford's Dakar rally commitment to the range.The brand fielded its largest amount of Raptor-badged cars ever in the off-road race, with four factory Ford Racing Raptor T1+ full-size pick-ups and four additional privateer Raptors competing on the same core platform."Those privateer entries are a deliberate part of how we grow the Raptor ecosystem globally — sharing technology, data, and durability across customer teams who are pushing the same hardware in the same extreme conditions," Ford said in a press release before the race.There is nothing offical yet on what these new Raptor models could be.The Ranger Raptor ute is the only Ford currently on sale in Australia bearing the iconic name plate, sitting at the top of the best-selling Ranger line-up. One new possibility is a Ford Mustang Raptor. The Mustang is the best-selling sports car in Australia and the Blue Oval’s third best seller behind the Ranger ute and Everest SUV. An Everest Raptor is another possibility, but it would likely need to get the V6 petrol engine found in the Ranger Raptor.There is also a Raptor variant of the Bronco compact SUV, but the Bronco has never been officially sold in Australia. 

Renault has officially revealed its new flagship SUV.The Filante will launch in South Korea in March 2026, before heading to South America and the Gulf states in the 12 months following.We still have no details on a potential Australia launch, but it has been tipped for “global ambition” by the brand and is manufactured in right-hand drive in South Korea, which are good signs.Renault Australia has been contacted for comment as to whether we could see the Filante launch in Australia and when that might be.We have also got new details on the Filante and its specifications.It gets an upgraded hybrid set-up, which uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors.To power the wheels, there is a petrol engine producing 110kW and 250Nm, along with one electric motor producing 100kW and 320Nm.This set-up combines for a total system output of 184kW and 565Nm.The other electric motor starts the petrol engine and keeps the 1.64kWh lithium-ion battery charged.Renault said fuel economy should sit about 4.6L/100km on the Filante.New photos reveal the Filante’s striking exterior design, with a sloping roofline and rear spoiler, along with cut-out grooves on the bonnet and doors.There is a panoramic glass roof and “lounge-style seats”, with three digital screens spanning across the dashboard.The Filante will come with emergency steering assist, a smart rearview mirror and full automatic parking as part of gear available on the new SUV.It will be built on a Geely-developed CMA platform, which underpins vehicles such as the Volvo XC40, Renault Grand Koleos, Polestar 2 and several Lynk and Co models.The Filante will be built at the brand's Busan, South Korea, facility.Renault has already confirmed its Scenic E-Tech SUV down under, which falls under its' ‘International Game Plan 2027’.The Filante is also part of this game plan for the brand.As part of Renault’s strategy, the brand is targeting one in three sales outside of Europe to be for hybrid or electric vehicles by 2027.