Articles by Tim Nicholson

Honda has finally outed the full production-ready version of its reborn Prelude sports car and the good news is, it’s locked in for Australia.

If you need any more proof that China is becoming the dominant force in Australia’s automotive landscape, consider this.In the first six months of this year, 102,938 Chinese-made vehicles have been sold in Australia. Flash back five years to 2020, Chinese vehicle sales totalled just 11,055 in the same six-month period.That’s an 831 per cent increase in just five years. At this rate, China will overtake Thailand as the number two country of origin in Australia by next year. Japan is currently number one for imports, but for how long?Clearly a large number of Australians have no issue buying Chinese-built cars.The top 10 car brands for the first half of the year include Chinese giants GWM and BYD in seventh and eighth place respectively, while Tesla - which only imports cars to Australia from China - is ninth and SAIC-owned MG is just outside the table in eleventh.Yet looking at some of the commentary around this trend you’d be mistaken for thinking otherwise. There’s still a lot of negativity around Chinese brands and models despite the appetite for them here in Australia. But is it warranted?Honestly, it’s complicated.I appreciate some people have a moral issue buying a Chinese car given the long list of alleged current and historical human rights abuses carried out by the Chinese government. This is understandable.However, you could argue that if you take a stand against a particular country for historical human rights abuses there wouldn't be many countries left to buy cars from. The US isn’t exactly covering itself in glory when it comes to human rights at the moment.Other people take issue with the perceived quality of Chinese-made vehicles, in terms of build quality, materials and what they’re like to drive. And some of this concern is absolutely valid.The first crop of Chinese cars to hit Australia were, largely, awful. GWM, back in 2009 when it was just called Great Wall, served up some stinkers. The V240 SUV and X240 ute were terrible to drive, had poor build quality and the ute was even engulfed in an asbestos scandal.MG’s reboot as a Chinese-owned marque started in 2013 with the already dated MG6 sedan, but before it, Chery’s terrible trio of the J1 and J3 hatches and the J11 SUV ensured an early exit for the brand.Even some more recent attempts have been less than successful. Poorly calibrated advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) impacted Chery’s relaunch here a few years back with the Omoda 5, while even Deepal’s own company executives admitted the S07 EV was the most annoying car on sale in Australia thanks to incessant beeping and ADAS intervention.And, having driven a large number of Chinese cars currently on sale in Australia, I can confirm it is a mixed bag of good, bad and in between.But things are changing fast. I spent some time recently in China driving a raft of new models from BYD. While the test track was far too limited to develop decent drive impressions, it’s clear the overall quality of their cars has improved significantly. The interior design, materials used and even things like seat design impressed a lot of us hardened Aussie motoring writers.MG is on a roll at the minute, too. While I am yet to drive one myself, everyone that’s tested the MGS5 EV, including our very own Laura Berry, has raved about it. It’s like an SUV version of the already impressive MG4, only even better.GWM is consistently improving its models as it goes and having driven cars like the Tank 300 diesel and Haval H6 GT PHEV, I can confirm this to be true. Hiring noted former GM Holden engineer Rob Trubiani to tune its products will only help further.The quality of Tesla’s product improved greatly when Australian sourcing shifted from the USA to China a few years back.Granted, there are still some decidedly average cars in many of the Chinese brands’ model range.But to dismiss all cars from China is to fight a losing battle. Check those sales numbers again. Very soon half of the brands in the top 10 will be from China. GWM, MG and BYD all have ambitions for the top five or top three and some of the legacy brands aren’t doing much to stop them.I have had some alarming conversations with executives from legacy brands about China’s rise. I won’t name names, but multiple execs from top 10 brands have dismissed the popularity of Chinese brands in Australia and their potential to take over the industry. There is a sense from some that buyer loyalty will ultimately lead people back to long-standing brands.But this ignores the fact that hundreds of thousands of Australians don’t care about loyalty and they just want a good deal. And they are getting that in spades from the Chinese carmakers, much more than they are from the Japanese, Korean and European brands that have dominated for so long.So I guess what I am saying is, it might be time to get over the anti-China bias. Because you’re missing out on some pretty good cars. And in a few years there might not be as many non-Chinese brands to choose from.

After six generations the Subaru Outback looks set to be dropped in markets like the United Kingdom and the European Union because of emissions regulations.

XPeng's small sedan is a smash-hit in China, as the local importer eyes its options for the Australian market.

There's no shortage of options in the mid-size family SUV market, but one brand that doesn't get as much attention as something like a Toyota RAV4, is Mahindra and its XUV700. Offering seating for seven, a lengthy standard features list and punchy powertrain, the Indian-made SUV might be the dark horse of the segment.

High-end off-roaders are few and far between in Australia, but China's answer to the Range Rover and Lexus LX could be headed Down Under soon. The Fangchengbao Leopard 8 - likely to be called Denza B8 internationally - could be a more affordable, plug-in hybrid alternative to the luxury 4WD set.

Fiat is bringing back petrol power to its iconic 500 hatchback after committing to going electric only.The bambino was a petrol-only model from when it was reborn in 2007 until parent company Stellantis launched the second-gen version of the modern era as an electric vehicle, the 500e.Fiat will use the 500e as the basis for a new mild hybrid petrol version that will begin production at Fiat’s spiritual home in Turin, Italy in November this year.Official images reveal that the new 500 will look much the same as the 500e, although the petrol car gets a tweaked grille to aid air flow.The move to retrofit the 500e as an internal combustion engine variant comes after sales of the 500e and the related Abarth 500e hot hatch have slowed, leading to multiple production pauses at the Mirafiori plant.The 2007 petrol 500 went out of production a few years ago after no longer meeting Europe’s emissions standards.Fiat’s new 500 will be offered in hatchback and cabriolet body styles, and in good news for motoring enthusiasts, it will also be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox.It is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder ‘Firefly’ mild hybrid petrol engine, likely the same unit found in the new Panda. The mild hybrid setup is a 12-volt system that Fiat says helps improve fuel efficiency, however official fuel figures are yet to be confirmed.Inside the 500 comes with Fiat’s Uconnect 5 multimedia system linked to a customisable 10.25-inch touchscreen, as well as a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.A spokesperson for Stellantis Australia told CarsGuide the mild hybrid 500 is not under consideration for Australia, for now.If it gets the green light for Australia it will compete against other micro and light combustion-powered hatchbacks including the MG3, Suzuki Swift and Kia Picanto.Fiat CEO and Global CMO of Stellantis Olivier François described the return of the petrol 500 to the Turin plant as a win.“Bringing the 500 Hybrid back to Mirafiori is a promise kept - a win driven by a committed team that chose to bet on the customer and the future,” he said.“This factory is more than just a production site; it’s Fiat’s home, the beating heart of a story that began in 1957 with Dante Giacosa and today stands as a hub of Stellantis innovation in Europe. Our industrial plan for Italy puts Mirafiori and the 500 at the center of our revival. In November, we’ll celebrate this milestone with the special edition ‘500 Torino’—a tribute to the city, its workers, and our roots. Turin means Fiat, and Fiat means Turin. That’s why the official launch will take place here, in our city.”

There are not too many tiny EVs on sale in Australia, but that could change if BYD launches the Seagull. It would have to come in at about $25,000 to help it snatch sales, but it could be an exciting addition to the line-up. How does this perky bird handle a makeshift racetrack in China? Read on to find out.

The BYD Seagull could be Australia’s cheapest electric car, but there’s no guarantee the little EV will make it Down Under.BYD is actively working on a business case for the Seagull, there are a number of things standing in its way.CarsGuide drove the Seagull in China recently and it is a fun, funky and surprisingly spacious little electric hatch with loads of personality.BYD Australia Senior Manager Product Planning and Pricing Sajid Hasan said the company is deep into a business case for the tiny EV.“We’re just working through the final stages of the business case, so we want to make sure that if we launch this product, that we can have it set at a price that is competitive and meets the customer's expectations,” he told CarsGuide.There are a few factors complicating the business case. One is the fact that it would have to be priced lower than its stablemate, the BYD Dolphin small electric hatch, which is already one of the most affordable EVs in Australia.The Dolphin Essential now starts at $29,990 before on-road costs and given the Seagull is smaller, it would have to kick off somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000.The other consideration is the fact that there are technically two different versions of the car. There is the Chinese domestic market Seagull and there is a right-hand-drive market version called the Dolphin Surf.The Dolphin Surf looks exactly like the Seagull, but there are key differences to underpinnings. It measures about 200mm longer than the Seagull and has more safety gear.The Chinese Seagull comes with a 55kW electric motor and a choice of a 30.1kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery or 38.9kWh ‘Blade’ battery for a driving range of 305km and 405km respectively on China’s lenient CLTC protocol.A Dolphin Surf ups power to 65kW or 116kW and the top grades have a 43kWh battery. The driving range is up to 322km on the more realistic WLTP protocol.Hasan cautioned that it’s unwise to assume the price of the Chinese-market Seagull (equivalent of US$12,000) would transfer across to Australia unchanged, given “we wouldn't be getting the left-hand-drive domestic-market” version here.At today’s exchange rate, a UK-spec Dolphin Surf starts from £18,650, which converts to AUD$39,000. It’s unlikely the price would be anywhere near that if it gets the green light for Australia.He said the micro/light passenger car segment is a challenge for BYD as it is dominated by affordable internal combustion engine cars like the Kia Picanto and MG3 that start from around $20,000.Other factors complicate keeping a car like this super affordable in Australia, Hasan said.“Dealer delivery fees can be quite expensive for some brands and BYD doesn't charge any dealer delivery. So the difference between our recommended retail price to our driveway price is pretty much the bare minimum when… compared to many other brands.”Keep an eye on CarsGuide.com.au for updates on the BYD Seagull/Dolphin Surf’s Australian fate.

Plug-in hybrids are growing in popularity and availability in Australia, particularly among the family SUV set. BYD already has the Sealion 6 in this space, but could a slightly smaller Sealion 5 be the perfect size for your family?