Articles by Tim Gibson

Lexus has given its performance electric SUV a serious boost. The brand has unveiled a special edition RZ600e F Sport Performance variant, with a series of changes to increase the car's sport and race potential.Lexus has not revealed local pricing for the RZ600e F Sport Performance yet, but if it does end up coming to Australia it's expected to sit far above the $121,059 (before on-road costs) price tag on the pre-update RZ450e.It has a dual-electric motor set-up, which has received some tweaking to improve performance. Its front and rear motors produce 167kW and 268kW each to offer a total system output of 313kW.This means the car can shift from 0-100km/h in a sharp 4.4 seconds.It has a 77kWh battery, with a driving range of 525km, according to WLTC testing.The car has undergone some performance-based changes elsewhere, such as its overall height being 20mm lower than the RZ550e F Sport. It has also been fitted with bigger 20-inch brake discs, along with blue aluminium six-piston callipers. To accommodate these brakes, the car rides on 21-inch matte black Enkei aluminium wheels, which is among one of many special edition features on the 600e.There is a suite of new carbon gear, such as front lower, side and rear lower spoilers, a hood bulge, headlamp bezels, roof and rear wings and turning vanes. Additionally, it gets special edition lower door mouldings and large arch mouldings. The exclusives continue on the interior with special edition branding for the shift selector, instrument panel, front cup holders and driver’s seat, among other things.The updated RZ line-up is set to come Down Under in the first half of 2026.The entry-level RZ500e replaces the current RZ450e and will be offered in Luxury and Sports Luxury trim levels. There's also the RZ550e F Sport.All 2026 Lexus RZ trims come with all-wheel drive and offer bigger batteries, more range and faster charging.Other new features include simulated gear shifts, steer-by-wire technology with a yoke steering wheel, as well as more sound-deadening materials and trims, among others.

Jaecoo has announced pricing for the electric version of its J5 small SUV, which will land in dealerships next month. The J5 EV comes as a single Summit variant and starts from $36,990, drive-away for the first 1000 customers.As part of this first offering, buyers will get a free premium paint upgrade on the car. This pricing sees Jaecoo’s latest offering come in cheaper than the similarly sized BYD Atto 3 ($39,990 before on-road costs) and slightly larger Geely EX5 ($40,990 before on-road costs) – at least for the time being. It has not been revealed what the price will be following this initial launch deal, but the brand has suggested to CarsGuide before it was targeting an early-$40k starting pricing. The car’s single electric motor produces 155kW and 288Nm, with a 0-100km/h sprint of 7.7 seconds. Its 58.9kWh battery offers a driving range of 402km (WLTP) and DC fast charging from 30-80 percent in 28 minutes. Jaecoo is the semi-premium arm of Chinese carmaker Chery, which also offers the Omoda brand in Australia.The J5 is the brand's first EV in Australia. It already offers the mid-size J7 and large J8 SUVs.With the EV joining in January, it is expected hybrid and petrol versions of the J5 will launch in March, adding greater variety to the line-up. 2026 Jaecoo J5 EV pricing Australia2026 Jaecoo J5 EV electric motor and efficiency2026 Jaecoo J5 EV Summit standard features: 18-inch alloy wheelsPower tailgateRemote start with air conditioning memoryGlass roof with power sunshadeDual-zone air conditioningSynthetic leatherHeated and ventilated front seats8.88-inch digital driver display13.2-inch central touchscreen8-speaker audio systemApple CarPlay and Android Auto2026 Jaecoo J5 EV safetyThe Jaecoo J5 EV has not been crash tested. Standard safety features: 7 airbagsAutonomous emergency brakingEmergency lane keepingAdaptive cruise controlForward collision awarding360-degree camera2026 Jaecoo J5 EV warranty and servicingThe Jaecoo J5 EV comes with an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for the battery. There is an eight-year capped-price servicing schedule available. Pricing has not been disclosed yet.2026 Jaecoo J5 EV dimensions

Some of Australia's favourite models will see their safety ratings lapse in 2026.

A Ram-badged SUV is in the works, and here is what it could look like.

A popular SUV has been given further off-road pedigree overseas.

XPeng has updated its X9 electric people mover in China as it edges closer to an Australian launch.

Leading US ute brand Ram has put out a safety recall for some of its best-selling vehicles.Ram has issued a recall for its 2025 model year 1500 DT, 2500 DJ and 3500 D2 full-size pick-ups, following a software issue on some units causing safety system warnings not to display. There are more than 1000 units affected by the issue, as per a Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts recall notice. According to the recall notice, the instrument panel cluster may fail to illuminate the visual warnings for the brake system lights, gear selection indicators and other critical safety information. The notice goes on to state a loss of safety system warnings whilst driving could increase the risk of accident without prior warning, causing injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users. The recall notice says owners of affected vehicles will be contacted in writing requesting they contact a Ram dealer to have the vehicle inspected and the work carried out for free. The Ram 1500 is the best-selling full-size pick-up in Australia, with more than 2500 sales so far in 2025. This is more than the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, which are two of the best-selling vehicles in the full-size pick-ups’ native North American market. This is not the only recall notice currently out for the Ram brand, with the Ram 1500 DS impacted by an airbag inflator issue. There are six units affected by the issue, all built in 2019.A recall notice reads a manufacturing defect may cause the left-side curtain airbag inflators to unexpectedly rupture.According to the notice, if the airbag inflator ruptures, compressed gas and metal fragments may be propelled through the airbag cushion towards the vehicle occupants causing serious injury or death.  Ram 1500 undergoes the same extensive remanufacturing process in Australia as many of its other North American rivals, which has coincided with several recall issues popping up in recent times.The rivalling ford F-150 has been subject to several recall notices recently, and slapped with multiple stop-sales orders due to compliance issues. Most recently, the F-150 was part of a recall relating to an ARB driving light accessory which could catch fire.The ARB Solis lights writing harness was subject to corrosion consequent of moisture entering and subsequently generating excessive heat, leading to vehicle fire. 

A budget small SUV's active and passive safety performance has been put under the microscope by Australia's independent crash testing authority, ANCAP, ultimately receiving a one-star safety rating.

An all-new MG has received top safety marks. The MG 7 mid-size liftback picked up a five-star ANCAP safety rating ahead of its Australia launch. It joins the market as a potential rival to the popular Toyota Camry, gearing up to hit Aussie roads early next year, starting from $44,990 (before on-road costs). The car received 88 per cent for adult protection and 85 per cent for child protection as per ANCAP testing.ANCAP noted the MG 7’s comprehensive active safety technologies, such as autonomous emergency braking. In the frontal offset test, good protection was offered for most critical body regions for the driver, apart from the chest and lower legs where it was adequate. It was stated that the front structure of the car presented a moderate risk to occupants of oncoming vehicles, with a penalty applied to its score. According to the full width frontal test, there was good protection for all critical body areas for the driver, with rear passenger chest protection marginal and good elsewhere. In more MG safety news, one of its most popular models has received a safety boost, with its ZS small SUV, shifting from a four-star rating to a five-star. The rating increase for the ZS is due to the addition of a centre airbag, and has pushed adult protection up to 81 per cent. Elsewhere the SUV scored maximum points in the side impact test, with adequate protection for the driver in the oblique pole test and good protection in all other body areas. For child protection, the car scored 84 per cent, but there was poor protection for the 10-year-old dummy’s chest. ANCAP also revealed the GWM Haval H7 mid-size SUV has been awarded a five-star rating.It launched earlier this year as a hybrid rival to the best-selling Toyota RAV4 and has managed 379 sales up to December.The Haval H7 received 89 per cent and 91 per cent for adult and child protection, respectively. In frontal offset testing, adequate protection was offered for the driver chest and lower legs, with good protection elsewhere, including for the front passenger. GWM has issued a voluntary recall over the dislodgement of the driver’s head restraint from the seat back, following what is being described as an anomaly during the full width frontal test.

BYD’s latest flagship has just been spotted in China. Pictures of the incoming Dynasty-D three-row SUV have appeared in a report from Car News China.The brand revealed late last month the car’s launch was going to be delayed until the second quarter of 2026, after being originally scheduled for the end of 2025. It was seen for the first time in April 2025 as a concept car at the Shanghai Auto Show.We already know that it has a plug-in hybrid set-up consisting of a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with front and rear mounted electric motors. The electric-only driving range will be more than 200km.The car has now been spotted in China during road testing where its exterior was kept mostly camouflaged. In keeping with the concept car designs, the large SUV features a sleek body with a sloped roof line and rear spoiler. Curiously, pictures show hidden door handles on the Dynasty D, which are about to be prohibited in China.Mostly notably the images reveal the car will come with rear wheel steering to aid manoeuvrability, given it's over five metres long. With BYD looking to capitalise on its domestic market share, the Dynasty-D has the highest-end equipment, featuring the latest version of BYD's signature autonomous driving software. The system has a LiDAR sensor, 12 cameras and a speedy Nvidia Orin-X computer processing chip. There is also a continuous damping suspension system.The Dynasty-D is not the only large SUV BYD will launch in China next year, with the brand also launching a seemingly similar-sized Sealion 08 in early 2026.Confusingly, the Chinese-market Sealion 08 is distinct from the Australian-delivered Sealion 8 three-row SUV, which is a re-badge of the China-market Tang L SUV.We do not know yet if the Dynasty-D will be launched in Australia, but given BYD’s serious export PHEV push as well as its intention to land a top-three position in the Australian market it is a possibility. The brand has already brought across its Sealion 6 SUV and Shark 6 ute as PHEVs, both of which have been sales successes.A new Sealion 8 SUV will join in January of 2026. There will also be a Sealion 5 mid-size SUV PHEV launching in the first half of next year as a budget option in the BYD range.