Articles by Tim Nicholson

GWM local ride and handling program to kick off this year, may also incorporate ADAS systems improvements.

MG will take another swipe at Tesla and XPeng by launching the IM electric car sub-brand in Australia this year.

The GWM Tank 300 has been a huge hit thanks to genuine off-road ability and keen pricing. But a lack of a diesel engine kept some buyers away. Not anymore! The diesel version is on sale now, but is it the pick of the powertrains?

When will GWM launch more EVs to challenge BYD and MG?

Every new Chinese auto brand that launches in Australia has bold ambitions and even bolder sales targets. Some claim they want to be the top brand in Australia, others declare they will usurp much-loved brands in the top 10 sales charts in nothing flat.

Fresh details of the right-hand-drive version of GWM’s updated Haval H6 have recently surfaced in Chinese media.CarsGuide has previously reported on the facelift to the Haval H6, but the latest information reveals that there will be some differences between the domestic market H6 and the version it seems Australia will get.According to Chinese site IT Home the right-hand drive version will be revealed at the Bangkok International Motor Show later this month.While it will carry over much of the Chinese version’s design, there are a few key differences. The headlights are the same but there are changes to the grille, while at the rear, the tail-lights on the RHD run the width of the car, running across the entire tailgate. The Chinese model has split tail-lights.Other changes compared with the pre-facelift model include a redesigned front apron.Bigger changes over the outgoing version are found inside. The current model has a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display and a 10.25-inch multimedia setup housed at the top of the dash.But the new RHD H6 features a bigger 14.6-inch digital multimedia screen using GWM’s Coffee OS 3.0 ‘intelligent cockpit system’.The centre console gets a redesign as well, while the H6 adopts a new two-spoke steering wheel design.The heavily revised Haval H6 will roll into local GWM dealerships in the second quarter of this year, although more specific timing is yet to be revealed.It’s also unclear if the H6 will cop a price increase when the updated model arrives. Currently the mid-size SUV starts at $33,990 (drive-away) for the entry grade petrol Premium and tops out at $45,990 for the Ultra hybrid.It is expected the updated H6 will continue to be offered in petrol and hybrid guise, but GWM has announced plans to increase its plug-in hybrid offerings in the next two years so expect a PHEV version as well.The plug-in hybrid version of the related Haval H6 GT has also just gone on sale in Australia, priced from $55,990 drive-away.The H6 competes with a long list of family SUV rivals, including the MG HS, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5 and many more.It was the eighth best selling model in the mainstream medium SUV segment last year, with 8973 sales. GWM is expecting a boost in sales when the updated version arrives.

The brutally powerful all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class has made its Australian debut and it comes with quite the price-tag.Called the Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology, the charged-up beast will set you back a cool $249,900 before on-road costs, while the limited-run Edition One is $299,900.That opening price puts it right up there in Benz’s catalogue, but it’s still not the German brand’s priciest SUV - that title is held by the Mercedes-Maybach EQS680 which is $327,990. The electric Geländewagen sits somewhere between the regular EQS450 SUV ($195,900) and the Maybach version.In terms of rivals, there really are none for the G-Class, but even more so for the electric version. You could look at other high-end electric SUVs like the Lotus Eletre which is $279,990 for the R version. Or something with a combustion engine, like the V8-powered Land Rover Defender Octa ($291,542).But the electric G-Class is more than its price tag. It packs quite the punch from its all-electric powertrain - the first time in the model’s 45-year history it’s been powered by electricity.Maintaining its ladder-frame underpinnings, the G580 features four individually controlled motors located near the wheels, all powered by a 116kWh lithium-ion battery delivering a WLTP range of around 473km.Combined outputs for the big Benz are 432kW of power and 1164Nm of torque.Mercedes says the 0-100km/h acceleration time is 4.7 seconds, before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 180km/h.The 400-volt system allows for a charge from 10 to 80 per cent battery capacity in about 32 minutes on a fast charger. The official energy consumption figure is 30.3kWh/100km.Given the off-road chops of the G-Class, Benz says the G580 can still “confidently traverse 45-degree slopes and drive along 35-degree angles”, and it has virtual diff locks generated via torque vectoring.There are various driving modes from ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Individual’ for driving on regular roads, to ‘Trail’ and ‘Rock’ for off-road driving adventures.One of the G580’s tricks is the G-Turn function, which is when the wheels on either side of the vehicle spin in opposite directions, and that in turn makes the G580 do a full 360-degree turn on the spot, but Benz says this should only be activated on loose or unpaved surfaces off-road.A G-Steering function helps manoeuvre in tight spots with the wheels turning at different speeds, which causes slight oversteer and ensures a much smaller turning circle.Despite retaining the regular G-Class’s retro cool ‘block-of-flats’ design, Benz has added some touches to aid aerodynamics, like vents in the flares over the rear wheel arches, a small roof spoiler and more.Inside it gets the full MBUX multimedia setup including all-digital displays and a new Offroad Cockpit function. It also gets a ‘transparent bonnet’, which uses cameras to show a few under the front of the car during off-roading.It wouldn’t be a Benz without numerous options and options packs and they include a Night Package, Superior Line Interior Plus Package and a Manufaktur Exterior Package.The Edition One grade is based on the AMG line and gets blue calipers, different paint, and more high end interior materials exclusive to the grade.

Another plug-in hybrid family SUV has entered the market in Australia, but it has a familiar face. The GWM Haval H6 GT has been around for a few years already, but does a PHEV powertrain help or hinder the Chinese coupe-style SUV?

If you’re keen on a hybrid from an established brand but want something other than a Toyota, there might be a few more options on the horizon soon, with Kia set to ramp up its plug-in hybrid offerings.

The Kia Cerato is no more. Welcome to the Kia line-up, the new K4.It is bigger than the Cerato in almost every dimension and has a bigger cabin as well as a sleek new exterior design. From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Compared with the Cerato GT, pricing has increased by more than $6100, but Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The GT-Line uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, matched with an eight-speed torque converter auto. With power and torque outputs of 142kW and 264Nm, it is down slightly compared with the outgoing Cerato GT’s 150kW/265Nm figures, but the K4 GT-Line is no full-fat GT. As a result, fuel consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is down by 0.2L to 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres.As the flagship grade, the GT-Line gains the most standard gear and on top of everything that’s included on the Sport+, you get a premium Harman Kardon eight-speaker audio system, a three-spoke premium steering wheel, artificial leather seats, eight-way power driver’s seat, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, heated steering wheel and a wireless charging pad.You also get a more premium interior with two-tone synthetic leather, a two-tone three-spoke GT-Line steering wheel and more soft-touch materials.