Articles by Tim Nicholson

Toyota has lifted the lid on a new Yaris Cross with a fresh design that should breathe life into the ageing light SUV.However it looks like we won't see this update Down Under according to a Toyota Australia spokesperson."We are always reviewing opportunities to enhance our local line up, however, at this time, there are no current plans to introduce the updated European variant of the Yaris Cross in Australia."The facelift for the UK and European spec Yaris Cross introduces a new front-end design with a honeycomb mesh grille finished in the body colour, integrated into the front bumper.New LED headlight and daytime running light signatures also feature, as does a lower black cladding section, giving the light SUV a more modern look than the current Australian-spec model.Fresh 17 and 18-inch wheel designs and two new paint options - Precious Bronze with black roof and pillars as well as Persian Salt - are also available.Changes are more subtle inside where the Yaris Cross gains platinum coloured door trim and new sports seats on some grades.No changes have been made under the skin. It retains Toyota’s 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain outputting 96kW/185Nm for a 10.7-second 0-100km/h time.The Australian Yaris Cross also uses a 1.5-litre hybrid setup but it has a lower system output of 85kW and 141Nm.Toyota launched the Yaris Cross in late 2020 as a rival to the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke and Ford Puma.It was last updated for Australia midway through last year, gaining additional safety tech and some comfort features.Sales of the Yaris Cross are down by 18.5 per cent in the first quarter of the year, but Toyota has still managed to sell 2456 examples.It is running second in the light SUV sales segment behind the ageing Mazda CX-3 (3489), but it is ahead of the Suzuki Jimny 4x4 (1958), Koia Stonic (1437) and Hyundai Venue (1352).

Denza says its incoming EV tech and charging infrastructure is so good, they will perform as well, if not better, than the brand's DM-i plug-in hybrid technology.In fact, Denza's local Chief Operating Officer, Mark Harland, says charging speeds and total range offered has them thinking twice about importing both PHEV and EV versions of certain models, given the latter delivers similar real-world range and refuelling, and much better performance.Speaking about the brand's incoming Z9 GT, which is offered as both a pure EV and a plug-in hybrid internationally, but will only be offered in electric guise in Australia, Mr Harland said that the brand's fast-charging EVs did the same job as a PHEV."The reason that we're not bringing the DM (PHEV) right now is, if we can offer flash charging and 800 kilometres of range, you're really getting to the point where it's the same kind of range as a DM, and then you're just running a pure EV system," he says."So I can charge it in nine minutes and go over 800 kilometres. It starts to lessen the impact of having a DM. But we're gonna watch, yeah, and if the demand is there, what I know is I can make a call, and I can get supply here pretty damn quick."What Mr Harland is referring to is the brand's 'flash charging', which is now confirmed to begin rolling out in Australia by the end of the year. The technology threatens to change the EV game in our market, effectively tripling the maximum charging speeds currently offered here.BYD’s flash chargers are capable of delivering up to 1500kW of DC charging – enough to take a big battery from empty to effectively full in nine minutes.In the Z9 GT, that means adding 500km of range in about five minutes, and almost fully replenishing its 820km range in less than 10 minutes.The network is expected to be small at first, focusing on metropolitan areas. Central to the idea is to install a big enough central battery to deliver the charge, so that vehicles are not drawing off the grid."It’s something we think can be a real game-changer to the industry, when someone can go for 400 or 500kms in the same time you would fill up at a bowser. They're doing the testing in China to understand the impact on the grid, but they want to back it with a battery, so you’re not drawing off the grid," Mr Harland has previously told CarsGuide. 

BYD concedes it is still experiencing 'growing pains' in Australia, but insists a new $20 million investment will help shore up its fundamentals in keeping its customers' cars on the road.That's the word from BYD's local Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Collins, who says a massive dealership rollout will put the Chinese brand hot on the heels of Nissan, Ford and Toyota in terms of footprint, and which is backed by a massive investment in spare parts and warehousing.The paint is still drying on a new parts warehouse in Victoria, where Mr Collins says the brand has got $20m worth of parts housed and ready to send to dealers when required."I would say, right now, we're probably working harder on service, capacity, parts, supply, all those fundamentals," Mr Collins said."I guess the key points for me, by the middle of this year, we'll have 150 dealers. There are a couple of exceptions, but (almost) every one of those dealers will have full parts and service."We've just, six months ago, built a parts warehouse here in Melbourne, which is 20,000 square meters. We've got $20 million worth of parts sitting in it. We are not shy about stocking parts."We're working really hard to make the experience good. If the car was unfortunately off the road, to make it as short as possible."BYD has come under fire from some owners in Australia on blogs for lengthy delays for spare parts after mechanical issues or accidents, with Mr Collins conceding his brand has faced "growing pains"."I've been pretty open in saying it. With the volume of growth we've had, you know, we've had some growing pains and we haven't eliminated all of those as yet."But we've hired a lot of experienced people, we're putting better processes in place, and our dealer partners are really committed to it. So yeah, there's a lot of facets to it. It's a major challenge."

Toyota is currently experiencing a rare sales dip in Australia, but is it a longer-term issue or just a temporary blip?As the world’s biggest carmaker - and Australia’s number one brand for the past 23 years - you can bet the Japanese giant isn’t just sitting back and waiting for new and old rivals to pounce.Toyota sales were down by 19.3 per cent in March, compared with the same month last year. It still sold 16,574 vehicles, more than double that of second-placed Kia (7320).Brand T finished quarter one with 44,490 units sold, which is a hefty 23 per cent down on the same quarter in 2025.But before you start writing Toyota’s obituary, there are some clear reasons for the drop. The changeover of its two biggest sellers is the main reason. The new RAV4 is now officially on sale but Toyota sold so many of them at the end of last year they didn’t have enough old stock to cover the gap to the new model.That’s why RAV4 sales are down a whopping 72.2 per cent in the first three months of the year.Similarly, Toyota was waiting on some variants of its heavily revised new HiLux ute to come on stream and that’s only just happening now. Sales of the ute took a while to ramp up following its introduction late last year, but it’s now steady, with 4x4 versions only down by 3.3 per cent year to date.Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, John Pappas, said that official VFACTS sales figures don’t tell the whole story, and painted a better picture for the rest of the year.“Looking ahead to the remainder of 2026, as HiLux and RAV4 volumes increase, our monthly results will begin to increase as the year progresses. And whilst VFACTS tells you what has been delivered, it doesn't tell you the full story. What VFACTS doesn't show is customer demand, which remains very strong across the range, particularly with vehicles like LandCruiser 300, HiLux, LandCruiser Prado and, of course, the RAV4.”April will be the new-generation RAV4’s first full month on sale so we will wait and see what the sales figures are come the end of this month.Other popular models with big sales declines include the Kluger (-33.3% YTD), Prado (-46.5%) and Yaris Cross (-18.5%), but other models are enjoying renewed interest.The LandCruiser is up a massive 216 per cent year on year, while the Corolla Cross SUV and HiAce van are in positive territory too. But the biggest surprise is the bZ4X.Toyota's first fully electric car benefited from an update that rolled out a couple of months ago and it has helped turn its sales fortunes around. Following the original version’s launch in early 2024, the EV has been a middling seller, playing second fiddle to a bunch of cheaper, largely Chinese EVs of a similar size.But in March, Toyota sold 447 units, a 598.4 per cent increase. It’s up 300 per cent year to date.Pappas said the updated car had been very well received and added that Toyota expected to sell 5000 examples in 2026. That’s a massive increase from the 1041 it sold for the entirety of last year.The bZ4X will get a further boost from the ‘Touring’ wagon version that is expected to land later this year. Other new low-emission vehicles include the HiLux BEV in quarter two and the RAV4 plug-in hybrid later in 2026.Other new models like the electric C-HR won’t arrive until mid-2027, while Toyota is still yet to confirm if it will launch the all-electric Highlander in Australia. The seven-seat SUV could be a rival for the Kia EV9, if it gets the green light.Other models that Toyota has not confirmed but could be on the radar include the Grand Highlander, which could replace the ageing Kluger, as well as the US-sourced Tacoma pick-up to fill the gap between the HiLux and upper-large Tundra.Toyota also builds a number of EVs in China with joint venture partners GAC, FAW and even BYD. Models like the bZ3 sedan, bZ7 and bX3X crossover are comparatively more affordable than Japan-sourced electric models.Pappas did not rule out importing Chinese-made Toyota models for Australia,“The beautiful thing about being such a global organisation, where you’re represented in 190 countries, and you've got so many manufacturing sources around the world, it really does open us up to having those options available if they become available to us,” he said.“So we're always looking at those types of things. And… I go back to making sure they suit the requirements of the customer. And if they do that, then we're open to looking at those types of avenues.”Japanese rival Mazda has just launched two EVs built in China with its joint-venture partner Changan, while Mitsubishi will offer the Foxconn EV in Australia soon. Nissan is also believed to be considering a number of models for Australia from its partnership with Dongfeng.

EV brand Polestar says Australia's EV "wake-up" moment has arrived, saying its sales are soaring as customers flock to electric vehicles.That's the word from the brand's local chief, Scott Maynard, who says Polestar's sales so far (up 19.5 per cent so far this year despite dropping in March) aren't actually a true reflection of demand, suggesting orders and test drives were even higher."We've seen a real drive into sales. It's just been exciting and a number that isn't necessarily told by last month's results. These things take a little bit of time from point of sale to the point of delivery," he says."So you've not yet seen what we've been pulling in, but our order intake last month was a record for that month in a year, and our current test drive bookings are through the roof. So yes, we definitely see it come right through to the point of sale, which is good."Driving demand, says Mr Maynard, is the echo of international conflicts being felt at home, where fuel supply, not just the price per litre, has become a dinner-table topic across Australia."I don't know that there were too many Australians that were aware that at any one time we hold approximately 30 days of fuel. And you know, one of the, I suppose, interesting side effects to the current tragedy that is playing out overseas is that it is now a number that's etched in the minds of all Australians," he says."I think that it's not the price of fuel, but the availability, as we see service stations run out of the stuff. It doesn't matter what you can pay for fuel if you can't get any."And so the questions around Australia's vulnerability to disruptions to fuel supply will remain after this crisis has come and gone. So it'll be interesting to see what the tail effect on inquiry is to electric vehicles, now that that, I think the wake-up call has been heard."The lingering question, says Mr Maynard, is whether this uptake will continue apace, or begin to settle once the conflict in Iran eases and oil begins flowing again."I think it would be good for Australian drivers if the rate of inquiry was sustained, perhaps not at the same frenetic pace, but still at a reasonable rate that would see the share start to fall in line with other developed markets around the world," he says. "Europe is easily surpassing a 20 per cent share. Asia is on or around 30 to 50 per cent, and we still languish around 10 to 15 per cent, so it would be good to see this as a bit of a catch-up moment for Australia."

The question over whether Toyota will build a hybrid version of its popular HiLux ute looks to be settled, for now.There’s been talk of a hybrid workhorse ute for years, especially given Toyota’s position as the world’s leading hybrid vehicle specialist and its rollout across the rest of its model range.Beyond popular models like the Corolla, Corolla Cross, Camry, RAV4, Kluger and Yaris, Toyota is about to launch a hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series later this year, and it already offers its Tundra pick-up with hybrid power. In the US you can even get a hybrid Prado!The runaway success of the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute and ongoing interest in GWM’s Cannon Alpha PHEV suggests a hybrid HiLux would be a no-brainer for Toyota.But according to Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas, even though he could ask HQ for a hybrid HiLux, it would have to be able to do what a regular HiLux can do.“We're always talking to TMC (Toyota Motor Corporation) about the various powertrains for every single model. But what's most important for us is that, we can ask for any car, but the problem is going to be making sure that it's fit for purpose for that customer type. And that's what we're going to make sure we're doing,” he told CarsGuide.“It's no good saying, ‘Oh, we've got a hybrid HiLux, tick the box’, and then it doesn't meet the requirements of the customer.“So for us, it's got to be fit for purpose, needs to leave no one behind. And if it can do all those things for us, then for sure, we'll be rallying for a hybrid HiLux. But until that point, we got nothing to confirm.”Pappas was speaking at the local reveal of Toyota’s first fully electric commercial vehicle, the HiLux BEV. With pricing starting at $74,990 before on-road costs, Toyota is targeting mining and construction, big fleets and government with the HiLux BEV, rather than private buyers and sole traders.Despite the massive interest in hybrids and the proliferation of hybrid utes - including an upcoming as-yet unnamed diesel plug-in hybrid ute from Chery to launch later this year - Pappas said the next evolution of the HiLux’s electrification will be hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) tech.“We've obviously got, through our model mix, 50 per cent of our sales are electrified, mainly through hybrids. And our demand on hybrids globally at the moment is doing very well. So the fact that we've been piloting a BEV HiLux for the last 12 months, the next step for us is then to start to pilot the FCEV HiLux.“So we want to really look at what we can learn and pilot through a targeted customer program again, on the FCEV HiLux, because the infrastructure for hydrogen is very, very limited, as we know. So the more we can learn with these things, the quicker we can respond to scale.“So when the time comes we think for that user need that we've got scale, we're ready. And that's really why we're trying to go BEV and then FCEV. And like I said, our hybrid demand on the rest of our vehicles, which we've got, is doing very well. And, you know, we're very happy with how that's going.”Pappas’ predecessor, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide in February that, currently, only diesel-powered engines can achieve the level of towing and Gross Vehicle Mass in a specific price point for light-commercial vehicles.“Developing these kinds of vehicles in a light commercial vehicle (LCV) cost a lot of money.“So, is the timing right for it? Now, I agree. We've been doing it a long time. It's proven technology; but in an LCV right now, for what, where we'd position it, where it would be positioned, is that really right for the Australian market… or other global markets? Maybe it is, but our assessment is not right now, but at some point (yes).”

Toyota’s first electric ute arrives in Australia in the second quarter of the year, but don’t expect to see loads of them on the roads.The 2026 Toyota HiLux BEV will be the first all-electric commercial vehicle to join Toyota’s line-up and it will be available in two grades and body styles.It’s a dual-cab-only proposition but it kicks off with the SR in dual-cab-chassis guise from $74,990 before on-road costs. Opting for the ST with a pick-up body style increases that to $76,490, while the top-spec SR5 is pick-up only at $82,990.That base pricing is $17,000 more than the diesel equivalent SR dual-cab-chassis.For now there are few fully electric ute rivals in Australia. The ageing and unloved LDV eT60 was priced from more than $90,000 when it launched, and the KGM Musso Electric starts from $60,000 drive-away, but this is based on a passenger car platform and is more of an urban lifestyle ute.Another electrified ute option, Ford’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Ranger, runs from $71,990 to a hefty $86,990, while the BYD Shark 6 ($57,900 BOC) and GWM Cannon Alpha (from $61,490 drive-away) are other PHEV utes that might be cross-shopped.Toyota says the HiLux BEV has been developed with government fleets, mining and construction sectors in mind, and this is where the vast majority of sales will come from.Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said the carmaker expects to sell 500 HiLux BEVs in 2026. For reference, Toyota sold 51,297 examples of the internal combustion engine HiLux in Australia last year.He added that private buyers and sole traders were not the main focus for the ute.“We're really targeting certain customers at the moment with that HiLux BEV. You know, we've been piloting with certain fleets on that car, and we've had great feedback, no downtime on the vehicle.“I mean, look, if private buyers want to buy the BEV HiLux, go for it. Great, that's awesome. You know, the more we can promote, the better. But we are targeting the first 500 (sales) towards that sort of mining and government type buyer.”The HiLux BEV is a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup based on the regular ICE HiLux platform. The total system output is 144kW of power and 468Nm of torque which is distributed variably between the front and rear axle for on-road driving.Off-roading is aided by Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select traction control system with six different drive modes.It has a 59.2kWh battery capable of 150kW DC fast charging. Toyota says it can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. AC charging with 10kW three-phase power takes 6.5 hours to get from 10 to 100 per cent.Toyota says the final driving range is yet to be determined but at the moment it is 315km on the lenient NEDC cycle. That would put the WLTP figure in the high 200s.Braked towing capacity is 2000kg, less than most of the diesel grades’ 3500kg figure.The HiLux BEV has a uniquely developed suspension setup with tweaked MacPherson strut front suspension and a De-dion rear leaf spring setup to accommodate the rear electric motor, while retaining the live axle setup of the HiLux.2026 Toyota HiLux BEV pricing before on-road costs2026 Toyota HiLux BEV standard specificationFull standard specification is yet to be revealed but Toyota has announced initial specs.SRLED headlampsColoured front bumperPainted exterior mirrors and door handlesSharkfin antennaSide stepsFabric upholsteryAll-weather floor matsPlastic steering wheelShift-by-wire gear shifterDual-zone automatic climate controlPower windowsKeyless entry and startA 1500W inverter in the centre console12.3-inch multimedia system12.3-inch digital instrument clusterFour-speaker audio systemEmbedded satellite navigationVoice commandWireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoDAB+ digital radioTwo USB-C ports in the front and rearSR5LED headlamps with auto-levelingAuto-retracting and heated exterior mirrorsLED foglamps and tail-lightsRear privacy glassLeather-accented upholsteryHeated front seats with powered driver’s adjustmentHeated steering wheelCarpeted floorAuto-dimming rear-view mirrorEight-speaker audio systemWireless phone charger2026 Toyota HiLux BEV standard safety specificationAutonomous emergency brakingRadar cruise controlLane trace assistRear cross-traffic alert‘Rear parking support brake’ (pick-up only)Road sign assistAutomatic high beamPanoramic view monitorFront and rear parking sensors (pick-up only)Tyre pressure monitorEight airbags2026 Toyota HiLux BEV coloursGlacier WhiteFrosted WhiteAsh Slate

Kia’s EV rollout has been a lot more rapid than most of its mainstream, non-Chinese rivals. It now sells the Kia EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6 and EV9 and only recently discontinued the electric version of the underrated Niro small SUV. In short, there’s plenty of choice if you’re a Kia fan that wants an electric car.Fresh off its win for the Best Small Car Under $50,000 category in the 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year awards, I will be living with a top-of-the-range EV3 GT-Line for three months. We are very confident in our award protocols, but a long-term review like this is a great way to see what it’s like to live with the EV3 day to day and to find any chinks in the armour.This review will cover how much the EV3 costs, standard features, driving range and more. Subsequent reviews will highlight how it drives and how practical the interior is.With the oil crisis hitting petrol prices across the country, many buyers are looking for an alternative to a petrol car. Is the Kia EV3 the right first for you?Read on to find out.The Kia EV3 fills the slot left by the Niro EV in Kia’s line-up and it does it with a bit more of an edge.Design is a huge part of the EV3’s appeal and I will cover my thoughts on that in the next instalment of this long-term review. But it’s fair to say it's caught the attention of a lot of my neighbours.The EV3 line-up consists of the Air, Earth and GT-Line grades, with the Air offered in Standard and Long Range. The Earth and GT-Line - my test vehicle - are exclusively Long Range.Pricing ranges from $47,600 before on-road costs for the Air Standard Range and tops out with the GT-Line I am testing at $63,950.There’s a growing list of EVs with similar dimensions and pricing. From the Hyundai Group stable there’s the Hyundai Kona Electric (from $54,000-$71,000), from Europe there’s the Renault Megane E-Tech ($54,990 drive-away) and the rest are from China.There’s the freshly launched Leapmotor B10 (from $38,990 d/a), Jaecoo J5 ($from $35,990 d/a), Chery E5 (from $36,990) and BYD’s Atto 2 (from $31,990 BOC). All of these are a fair bit cheaper than the EV3. But does that automatically mean they are better value?Sitting at the top of the line-up means the GT-Line gets all of the standard gear you’d expect and want. And it would want to given you’re looking at $65k d/a for a small SUV.Here is just some of the standard kit you’ll get at this level:Flush door handlesPower adjustable, heated and folding door mirrorsSteering paddles for regenerative brakingFour USB-C ports12-volt power outletWireless phone chargerVehicle-to-load charging12.3-inch digital driver display and integrated 12.3-inch multimedia displayWired and Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with voice recognitionSat-navDigital radioOver-the-air updatesDual-zone climate controlRetractable luggage screenKeyless entry and startThese features are exclusive to GT-Line or GT-Line and Earth 2WD Long Range:Grade-specific 19-inch alloy wheel designGT-Line two-tone artificial leather seat trim10-way power adjustable driver and front passenger seatsDriver’s seat memoryHeated and ventilated front seatsHeated steering wheelFull LED tail-lights and indicatorsDynamic welcome lightsRear privacy glassSunroofPower tailgateAmbient lightingAlloy sports pedalsThree spoke sports steering wheelExtendable table top in the front consoleEight-speaker Harman Kardon sound systemHead-up displayAuto-dimming rear-view mirrorAnd this is the standard safety gear:Auto emergency braking with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction detectionLane keep assistLane follow assistBlind spot collision assistRear cross-traffic assistDriver attention warning and forward attention monitorOver-speed warningAdaptive cruise controlHaptic steering feedback for lane departureRear occupant alertRear view cameraFront and rear parking sensorsSeven airbagsWhat it doesn’t get is a temporary or full-size spare wheel. You have to make do with a very unappealing tyre repair kit. And it could do with a front view camera which is common in top-spec models.But overall, this is a very generous features list and adds to the value of the little Kia. There’s not much difference between this and rivals of an equivalent grade, but aside from those omissions, you wouldn’t be wanting for anything.All Kia EV3 are two-wheel drive but there are two electric powertrain options. Only the base Air grade is available with the Standard Range, which includes a 58.3kWh lithium-ion battery and a 436km driving range.The Air, Earth and my GT-Line Long Range come with a much larger 81.4kWh battery paired with a 150kW/283Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor.Interestingly, the Standard Rage EV3 is quicker from 0-100km/h than the Long Range, 7.5sec versus 7.9sec in the GT-Line. Might be because the Standard Range is 85kg lighter than the Long Range.The suspension is McPherson Strut up front and a multi-link setup at the rear.There are five selectable drive modes - Sport, Normal, Eco, Snow and My Drive.Kia says the EV3 GT-Line has a WLTP driving range of 563km, but when topped up to 100 per cent, the screen shows 596km. That’s closer to the EV3 Earth Long Range’s figure of 604km.Either way, 560-600km of range is confidence inspiring. My personal preference for an EV is a driving range that starts with at least a five.Around town the multi-mode regenerative braking helps recover some energy, and it never feels too strong, even in the highest setting.Kia says the EV3’s energy consumption is 16.2kWh/100km, but my recorded figure for the month is 16.3kWh, which is pretty spot on. Around town I have seen it drop to 14.I’ve done a bit of regional highway and freeway driving in this first month and those long stretches of road without braking tend to impact efficiency. As a result the range drops faster on the open road.With that in mind, using the battery's usable capacity 78kWh with my average efficiency, I calculated an average driving range this month of 479km. That's a far way off the claim but, again, that included a lot of long motorway driving without stopping.The EV3 has a CCS Type 2 charging port on the driver’s side front fender. AC charging is at 6.9kW for single phase and 10.5kW for 3 phase.Using a common 50kW DC fast charger to boost the EV3 from 10 to 80 per cent capacity will take 79 minutes, according to Kia. But note its charging power maxes out at 127kW.Full disclosure, I have an EV wall charger at home and have not needed to use a public charge station yet. I will do that in the coming months.At seven years/unlimited kilometres, Kia’s had one of the best warranty terms in the business for years now and while it can’t match the 10-year terms of some rivals, many of those are conditional based on servicing at an OEM dealer. I’m looking at you, Nissan and Mitsubishi.The battery warranty is seven years or 150,000km, whichever comes first. You’re more likely to see eight-year terms with rivals.Roadside assistance is offered free for the first year, but that gets extended each year you service at a Kia dealer, for up to eight years.The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000km.Kia offers the EV3 with a choice of three pre-paid servicing plans. Three years for $688, five years for $1308 and seven years for $1929.This service pricing is pretty competitive. In fact, it’s more affordable than the Leapmotor B10 as well as the EV3’s Hyundai Kona Electric cousin.So far, so good. Next month I will go into a lot more detail about the practicality of the EV3 GT-Line, as well as design and a few other key points. But purely based on this first month of living with it, I have to say the EV3 is deeply appealing. More detailed drive impressions will come in part three of this long-term test, but so far it is an absolute pleasure to drive around town and on country roads.Stay tuned for more on the EV3 GT-Line in the coming months. Acquired: FebruaryDistance travelled this month: 810kmOdometer: 5963kmAverage energy consumption this month: 16.3kWh/100km

Back in 2022 Kia launched its first standalone battery electric car, the EV6. It was a hit among punters and reviewers, thanks to sporty dynamics and a unique design. Four years later, a lot has changed in Australia’s EV sector. Is the Kia EV6 still relevant? Or have newer EVs stolen its thunder?

BMW’s first global electric 3 Series has been revealed with a breathtaking driving range of up to 900km.Previewed by CarsGuide late last year but now officially revealed, the BMW i3 is the German giant’s next Neue Klasse (new class) model following the iX3 mid-size SUV that goes on sale in Australia mid-year.The sedan is expected to arrive in Australia in early 2027 and will be sourced from BMW's Munich plant in Germany.The next-gen internal combustion 3 Series sedan, which is based on BMW’s CLAR platform, will likely be revealed later in 2026.The headline news for the new i3 of course is that driving range. BMW says it can achieve EV range of up to 900km, although this is a provisional figure and may change by the time it makes it to production.In the prototype I sat in at the embargoed reveal in November, the mock screen readout showed the battery at 80 per cent capacity with 712km left. That means 100 per cent charge would give you 890km.This is well above the still impressive 805km range of the iX3 in 50 xDrive guise. It also outpaces the Tesla Model 3 Long Range (750km), while versions of the Lucid Air sedan (not sold in Australia) can drive up to 820km.The i3, shown in 50 xDrive guise, uses the same underpinnings as the iX3, which means the sixth generation of BMW’s eDrive, this time with 800-volt architecture. Like the iX3 it uses cylindrical cells for the high-voltage battery. This “cell-to-pack” design means high energy density and, importantly for packaging, reduced battery height.There are two motors, one on each axle, with the rear motor the primary driver for the car, but it is all-wheel drive. Outputs are 345kW of power and 645Nm of torque, matching the iX3.DC charging is technically 400kW, which BMW says can add up to 400km of range in just 10 minutes at a high-powered charging station, but these don’t exist in Australia. AC charging is up to 22kW and the i3 has bi-directional changing capability.The i3 features the same four ‘superbrains’ found in the iX3. It includes the so-called ‘Heart of Joy’, which handles driving dynamics, as well as computers for automated driving and parking, multimedia, and for other functions like vehicle access and air conditioning.Design wise it maintains a sedan silhouette although it loses some of the striking elements of the gorgeous Vision Neue Klasse concept from 2023, like the tail-lights and the low-set glasshouse.The iconic BMW kidney grille and quad headlights take on a new look too. The grille is that in name only - it’s simply blacked-out panels with illumination for the kidneys. Circular headlights are gone and replaced with quad lines and in-set headlights much like on the iX3.The famed Hoffmeister kink remains, and the boot lid kicks up at the edge for a sporty look.At 4763mm long, 1865mm wide and 1482mm tall with a 2897mm wheelbase, the new i3 is 50mm longer, 38mm wider, 42mm higher and with a 46mm longer wheelbase than the current-gen BMW 330 sedan.Inside you’ll find BMW’s Panoramic Vision which projects content and visuals across the entire width of the lower edge of the windscreen. It also has a 17.9-inch central display touchscreen and a multifunction steering wheel with ‘Shy Tech’ controls that appear only when required. There’s also an updated version of its voice control system, a new digital key and an optional 3D head-up display.While BMW previously sold an electric 3 Series in China with the i3 badge, this is the first truly global 3 Series EV. It also marks a return of the i3 badge in Australia after the small tallboy hatchback that was discontinued in 2021.You can expect a Touring wagon version at some point, as well as high-performance electric M3 and lower grade models, too.