Articles by Tom White

Reports of the death of the V8 engine have been greatly exaggerated. Horse Powertrain, the engine unit spin-off of Geely and Renault, has revealed details of its latest creation, a brand-new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing more than 500kW and 800Nm. The new engine, dubbed the Horse W40, will be paired to an also new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This transmission is designed to accommodate up to 1050Nm of torque and supports electrification to reduce the overall emissions. Horse says at just 200kg of weight and with a compact “hot-V” layout (where the turbochargers sit between the cylinder banks), the Horse W40 offers “unparalleled power and torque density". The engine also features direct injection and shortened intake paths for its twin turbochargers. Meanwhile, the new transmission, dubbed the Horse 8LDCT, features a high-performance wet-clutch system to shorten time between shifts to under 20 milliseconds. Horse Powertrain says the new V8 and eight-speed auto has been specially designed for applications like sports cars, pick-up trucks, and off-road vehicles. It will first appear in an as-yet unseen supercar from Lotus, the Type 135. The CEO of Lotus (which is owned by Geely), Feng Qingfeng, said: “By bringing these technologies together with Lotus’ expertise in lightweight engineering and chassis dynamics, we aim to deliver a new generation of supercar performance, combining outstanding power, efficiency, and the precise, engaging driving experience that defines Lotus.” The powertrain could also be destined for a new flagship 4x4 from Zeekr, which the brand’s Vice President, Mars Chen has spilled some details on. The upcoming flagship, which is also yet to be seen, will take aim at vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz G Wagen and Land Rover Defender, and will take Zeekr in a new direction. The V8 may also open various opportunities for other brands associated with Horse, including Lotus, Zeekr, and Volvo parent company Geely, and its partner, Renault. Horse Powertrain also intends to be a wider contract engine manufacturer, and already has relationships with Mercedes-Benz and Nissan thanks to both brand’s alliances with Renault. The engine manufacturer was only founded in 2022 as a spin-off from Renault’s engine division joining up with Geely, Volvo-associated Swedish engine builder Aurabay, and oil giant Saudi Aramco. The company makes continuations of previous Renault engine designs, alongside an innovative new range of options. The W40 4.0-litre V8 adds to the W30 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 announced earlier this year, alongside the new-age F15 and C15 engines which are four-cylinder units specifically designed to be used in hybrid or range-extender applications. The F15 sits upright, designed to stand in a traditional engine bay, while the C15 sits on its side like a flat engine for rear-drive applications, with a compact rear-drive transmission and short exhaust travel. Horse Powertrain representatives told CarsGuide at the Beijing Motor Show that the C15 was specifically intended to replace rear-drive motor units as an easy way to incorporate a hybrid drivetrain option in a vehicle that may otherwise be an EV, or as a range-extender unit to fit between the chassis rails of a pick-up or 4x4. While Renault and Geely forge ahead with fully electric systems, Horse Powertrain gives both companies a way to hedge their bets and source performance-oriented or hybrid engine units for specific applications.

Hongqi, the latest Chinese luxury brand to launch in Australia, says it wants to build a ute especially for our market. Jim Wu, the boss of Hongqi’s local importer said he was pushing the company’s HQ to build a ute to gain credibility in our market. “I’ve asked if the R&D department can build a ute, pickup for here,” he said. He admitted work had not yet begun full development and was only in the negotiation stage. Wu said Hongqi would make the decision in the next three to six months, and it was Wu’s opinion that 500 - 1000 units a month would be “good volume” to justify its development for Australia. Wu was not keen on the idea of plug-in hybrid power for a potential Hongqi ute, despite BYD’s Shark 6, Chery’s Stockman and JAC Hunter PHEV all leaning on the tech for its range and payload benefits. “I hope every car we bring to Australia is full EV,” he said. Wu added Hongqi’s parent company, FAW, which builds a wide range of heavy commercial vehicles for the Chinese market, would be able to bring significant experience to the table. “FAW, at the beginning they built trucks,” he said. “So from that technology, it’s easy to build a ute.” He said while his distribution business was primarily focused on Australia for now, he planned to include New Zealand in the future, but the request for development for the ute would not necessarily need to depend on other markets for now. Wu said a ute wouldn't benefit the Chinese market, where despite massive interest in 4WDs, utes faced challenges with wider appeal. “In China all the CTP and on-road costs - utes pay I think double. Also, the utes cannot enter the city, so usually not so many people purchase utes.” As to what the ute could be based on, Hongqi recently launched its rugged off-road G919 SUV. Cashing in on the boxy off-road trend, the brash large SUV costs from the equivalent of A$75,000 in China, and uses a range-extender plug-in hybrid powertrain with a huge battery and 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. It has a quad-motor four-wheel drive system with total outputs of 620kW/1320Nm, according to Chinese specs. Its EV-sized 82.9kWh battery grants it an electric driving range of up to 280km to the CLTC standard. The G919 also gets air suspension as well as front, rear and a simulated centre differential lock. Whether a fully electric version will be developed from the range extender remains to be seen. The chunky G919 will go into battle with other hybrid SUV rivals from China like the GWM Tank 700, Geely Battleship 700, GAC Yue 7 and Freelander 8. Should a ute be developed with the quad-motor all-wheel drive system, it could be a unique selling point in the Australian market. Hongqi has ambitious plans despite launching with a tiny dealer footprint and just one product in the E-HS9. Next for the brand will be the E-HS4 which will go head-to-head with the Zeekr X, with a platform Hongqi borrowed from the Leapmotor B10. From there the company is promising at very least a mid-size SUV and large luxury sedan as part of its model roll-out over the next few years. In the Chinese luxury space it will face competition not just from Zeekr, but also from Chery’s Exlantix, GWM’s Wey, and Changan’s Avatr, all of which are plotting launches in Australia in the next 12 months.

Hongqi, which translates to red flag, has launched in Australia. It is China’s oldest car manufacturer and is famous for making Xi Jinping’s state limousine. The brand’s first product is the E-HS9 fully electric large SUV, which it says will cost about $150,000 when full pricing is announced in January, 2027. Hongqi said the E-HS9 is specifically designed to take buyers from BMW or Land Rover, but its pricing places it in rivalry with a range of brands, from Kia’s EV9 (from $97,155) to the Cadillac Vistiq (from $116,000). The indicative $150k pricing buys a single trim level, which comes with an exhaustive list of features and an enormous 120kWh CATL-sourced LFP battery pack. This grants the over-five-meter-long SUV a driving range of 548km, according to the WLTP measuring standard. The E-HS9 puts out a combined 410kW/606Nm from its dual electric motors, although its charging speed from 10-80 per cent is around an hour due to its 140kW maximum DC charging speed. Inside it features a luxurious six-seat layout with leather trim, power adjust for all three rows, quad-zone climate control, as well as ventilation and heating for the first and second rows. It also features a panoramic sunroof, 16-speaker Bose audio and dual 15.6-inch multimedia screens to go with a digital instrument cluster and augmented-reality heads-up display. Outside it scores matrix LED headlights, with other features like LED charge indicator lights on the C-Pillar and the red-line strip atop the bonnet, which the brand uses like an instantly identifiable hood ornament. On the performance front it features air suspension with continuous damping control, seven drive modes including an off-road setting, active grille shutters for cooling and efficiency, and 21-inch wheels (with the demo car equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport tyres). Despite its enormous dimensions (5209mm long, 2010mm wide, 1713mm tall) and imposing kerb weight (2636kg), Hongqi says the E-HS9 can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.5 seconds. Three exterior colours are available from launch, black, white and blue, with the white colour also available with a contrasting black roof. The interior can also be chosen in three colour schemes, brown, black, and two-tone grey/white. The E-HS9 was designed by former Rolls-Royce designer Giles Taylor and incorporates what the brand says is traditional luxury with “modern Chinese character.” Jim Wu, managing director of Hongqi Australia and a former Leapmotor executive said there will be “strictly limited supply” of the large SUV from its January arrival, and that it will have a single-price policy with one fixed drive-away price per state. He said the company would intentionally keep its footprint small to maintain exclusivity and, importantly, profitability for its dealer network. The E-HS9 will have a seven-year and 200,000km whole car warranty, while the original owner will also get a 10-year and one million kilometre battery warranty. The large SUV has a maximum five-star EuroNCAP rating to recent 2025 standards, and Wu said there was no need for it to be re-certified by ANCAP given its small initial volume aspirations. It is equipped with a long list of the usual active safety equipment. The Chinese luxury automaker space is set to heat up in Australia in 2027, with Hongqi just the latest brand to take aim. Zeekr is already established, and could possibly become our markets best-selling luxury car maker next year, while Chery’s Exlantix, GWM’s Wey, and Changan’s Avatr are all also set to enter the fray. All brands are seeking higher profit margins outside of a shrinking Chinese domestic market, which has also been subject to a brutal years-long price war. For Hongqi’s part, it will expand on the range by adding the E-HS4 small SUV in 2027, with at least a mid-size SUV (E-HS5) and sedan to follow in the future.

Tech giant turned automaker Xiaomi continues to ride a hype wave in China despite its viral hit SU7 sports car and YU7 SUV taking a sales hit. After recording head-spinning sales numbers, which well exceeded its capacity to build over the last couple of years, Xiaomi has built on its early viral success to launch its latest pair of luxury SUVs. The N70 and N90 from the company’s new SkyNomad range aren’t quite recording the same six-digit sales figures that saw the brand have year-long waiting lists previously, but with over 70,000 pre-orders for the two hybrid SUVs it is successfully stoking continued interest in its follow-up products. In terms of actual deliveries in its first two months on sale, the SkyNomad range has already clocked up nearly 30,000 units in the Chinese market, making the new range account for over half of the brand’s volume. The company has been building out its production capacity in the meantime, meaning the waitlist for its original cars the SU7 and YU7 have been reduced from over a year to just a few weeks. Waitlists for the new SkyNomad models, despite promising pre-orders, are just one to five weeks in China. Xiaomi has delivered an eye-watering 336,658 deliveries in China so far this year, but is tracking to miss its lofty original 550,000 unit goal. The tech-focused automaker has been heavily impacted by the stagnation and decline of the Chinese new car market after years of booming sales off the back of a brutal price war and a long list of hyped new-car launches. Many Chinese brands are seeking refuge in higher-margin export markets, and Australia is particularly appealing thanks to its lack of tariffs and relatively low barriers to entry. While it was long thought Xiaomi would be years away from a domestic debut, the company was spotted recently hiring for automotive-related roles in Sydney on LinkedIn, and with its new production capacity reducing wait times it should have the ability to canvas right-hand drive production. Xiaomi has been a trend-leader in the Chinese market, pioneering mainstream Chinese performance EVs with its SU7 to the point where rivals are forced to emulate it. While it is late to the large SUV trend, it is betting on an adventure camping angle rather than the usual hardcore off-road or luxury SUV vibe. Both the SkyNomad N70 and N90 are range-extender plug-in hybrids, equipped with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine (112kW) and dual electric motors on each axle, producing 210kW at the front and 100kW at the rear. They are equipped with EV-sized battery packs offering fully electric driving ranges between 351km and 505km measured to the more lenient CLTC standard depending on variant. The N90 offers an ‘Explorer Edition’ atop the range pre-fitted with a pop-up rooftop tent. The N70 is priced from the equivalent of A$46,000, while the N90 which only has the larger of two battery packs can be had from A$59,000 in China. Expect at least a 20 per cent premium if the brand were to bring its large SUV range Down Under. No doubt the brand is aware of latent interest in its SU7 and YU7 for Australia, too. Xiaomi has also made significant moves toward a European debut this year, opening a new centre in Munich. Stay tuned for more on Xiaomi as its automotive plans for our market firm.

While most of its historic rivals are shrinking their footprint, shutting factories and laying off staff across the globe, Honda is going in the opposite direction as it builds out to battle the rise of Chinese automakers. The company announced that it will build a new US$3 billion (A$4.3 billion) factory in the USA, which will be responsible for assembling its family of new large platform vehicles. These new cars, not planned to debut until the 2030s will be hybrids rather than full electrics, with Honda re-purposing its prior investments in a range of fully electric vehicles which it has since cancelled. Located in Ohio next to existing Honda facilities, the new factory has a capacity of 240,000 vehicles a year. It will form an important part of the brand launching 15 new models (wearing both Honda badges and those of its Acura luxury arm) by 2030. The facility will be able to build both pure combustion and hybrid vehicles, but the company’s focus going forward will be hybrids. The brand is upgrading its facilities across the US to prepare them for next-generation hybrid engines and transmissions, including a new hybrid V6 for its incoming large vehicle family. Why does it matter for Australia? Speaking to CarsGuide recently, Honda Australia’s CEO Jay Joseph explained the brand would be more open to sourcing vehicles from across the globe than it has been in recent memory, most of the Australian range is sourced from Japan, with the CR-V and Accord being sourced from Thailand. Joseph said he was aware of the sustained and ongoing demand from Honda’s dealers and customers for the Ridgeline ute, which is built in Alabama exclusively in left-hand drive. He said the Australian division was in early talks with Honda global to make the business case for the soon-to-be-revealed third-generation Ridgeline to be built in right-hand drive. The experienced executive pointed to the Honda MDX large SUV, which was once imported from the USA as proof the brand could make certain US-built models work given the right conditions. The Ridgeline is built on Honda’s large vehicle platform, which is significantly more capable than the passenger car platform underpinnings the CR-V. The Alabama facility, which produces the current Ridgeline, is also slated to produce the next-generation hybrid V6 engine family, according to Honda’s plans. The third-generation Ridgeline will be joined next-generation Pilot and Passport SUVs, with the Passport scoring an even larger variant which the brand internally refers to as ‘Pilot XXL’, which according to industry source Automotive News is set to be at least 200mm longer than the current three-row SUV. The company is also set to reveal a new range of large Acura vehicles to match the expanded Honda range. Joseph told CarsGuide, “these vehicles have a much more capable rear differential and some really cool features we haven’t brought to market yet, using forward radar for some really interesting things when off-roading.” Honda is expected to lean much more heavily into its TrailSport off-road sub-brand as buyers orient themselves toward more capable SUVs. Hyundai is doing the same with its also US-led XRT sub-brand, while Chinese automakers are pumping out ‘boxy’ off-road capable SUVs to compete with historic nameplates like LandCruiser, Patrol, and Pajero. It is unclear at this stage whether the just-announced Honda Avancier will be related to or use components from this large vehicle platform. The Avancier is a re-booted nameplate currently used on an ageing coupe SUV for the Chinese market. The new version will be adorned on a large three-row SUV to sit above the current CR-V and will be built in Thailand, a fellow right-hand drive jurisdiction. While it is expected to launch in Australia, the company has not provided a timeline, although it did say it would use next-generation hybrid technology. While Honda has cancelled its wider range of 0 Series EVs in a dramatic back-down, it will forge ahead with the smaller car from the series, the Alpha, which will be built in India for the world. The production version of the Alpha is due to be revealed on the second of December.

BYD’s Ti 7 has just been approved for sale in Australia, but Jaguar Land Rover has taken issue with the boxy hybrid SUV’s design, seeking to drag its Chinese rival through the courts in Europe. According to media outlets including the UK’s Telegraph and The Guardian, bailiffs acting on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover conducted a raid of BYD’s offices in the Netherlands ahead of an intellectual property court case in The Hague. According to several UK media sources, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) had the court-ordered raids conducted to secure the digital records of the alleged intellectual property theft before BYD had a chance to destroy them. JLR is said to suspect BYD has reverse engineered some of the technology used in its Ti 7 from the Land Rover Defender. The brands faced-off in a court recently, with procedural details of the case being worked through, like how much documentation JLR will be allowed to use, and whether the case even has enough merit to proceed. The case comes as Land Rover seeks to stop BYD from selling the Ti 7 on its home turf in the UK. The car is slated to go on sale in January in the UK, adding to the brand’s existing range which has seen it achieve a similar level of success as it has had in Australia. Without the same protectionist policies as the EU, the UK has seen a mass influx of Chinese automakers, transforming its best-selling vehicle charts. While BYD has experienced explosive growth, so too has Jaguar Land Rover’s joint-venture partner Chery. Chery Group (including its sub-brands Omoda, Jaecoo and Lepas) has captured 8.9 per cent of the UK market in 2026, with the Jaecoo 7 (known as the Jaecoo J7 in Australia) becoming the country’s best-selling new car. Many have likened the design of the Jaecoo J5 small SUV and J7 mid-sizer to Range Rover products, with the J7 attracting the colloquial name of ‘Temu Range Rover’. Chery Group has officially teamed up with Land Rover on the re-booted Freelander marque, now as a separate sub-brand. The Freelander brand, which uses British JLR design mixed with Chinese production, is set to launch in international markets, including Australia in 2027. The BYD Ti7 joins the upcoming Freelander 8 in cashing in on the ‘boxy SUV’ trend taking over China. As Chinese companies seek higher profit margins in global export markets, they have been building larger, more competitive and more aspirational vehicles which they can sell at a higher price-point. And yet still that price-point undercuts many established names from the world’s biggest ‘legacy brands’. Even Zeekr's next move will be to come after the Defender's success specifically with an as-yet-unseen future off-roader. While it’s hard to say the Ti7 doesn’t borrow at least some inspiration from the Defender, so too do vehicles like the Geely Battleship 700, GAC Yue 7, and iCaur V27 (the latter of which being another Chery Group offering). Meanwhile other popular new off-road options in the market, like the GWM Tank 300 and Tank 500 have designs clearly influenced by the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota LandCruiser respectively. Even more established brands have drawn inspiration from Land Rover’s iconic design, with Hyundai’s CarsGuide Car of the Year award-winning Santa Fe clearly paying homage to the British brand’s Discovery 4x4. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it is also an existential threat for Jaguar Land Rover. The historic British brand is embattled on multiple fronts. Not only are new and much more affordable rivals eating into its market share across the world, it has also suffered from a debilitating cyberattack, slowing sales in the lucrative Chinese market, increasing tariff barriers around the world, and delays in bringing new models to market to replace once-popular but ageing nameplates. The Defender 4x4, which many rivals are specifically seeking to emulate, is by far the company’s best-selling vehicle, accounting for 33.9 per cent of the company’s total sales in the 2026 financial year. Ironically, recent developments may push JLR further into the embrace of its Chinese Chery partner, which is busy establishing its own manufacturing footprint across Europe and the UK.

Honda says it wants to grow its sales by nearly 50 per cent in Australia despite its local boss saying “business as usual” is dead in our market’s extremely competitive environment. The brand’s CEO Jay Joseph told CarsGuide Honda plans to hit 20,000 units a year, declaring that is a “healthier place” for the brand to be in the long run. Honda sold 15,383 units in Australia in 2025. Joseph earmarked an evolved product portfolio as an opportunity to grow sales, as the brand had done with its recently-launched Super One city hatchback, which he added had exceeded expectations. Honda has expanded its line-up recently by re-introducing the Prelude sports car, after spending years with a largely SUV-only line-up of the HR-V, ZR-V and CR-V alongside the expensive Civic hatch and Accord sedan. In the future, this expanding line-up may include next-generation products from America, with Joseph earmarking Honda’s next-generation large vehicle platform which underpins the Ridgeline ute and Pilot SUV as possibly being built in right-hand drive. Ironically given the changing market, this may also mean sourcing cars from Honda’s Chinese joint venture, which the company recently re-committed to at a global level. “When I say ‘scan the globe’ I really mean scan the globe,” he said of sourcing Hondas from China, “the economics of that are of course a little different, because for every car maker, except Tesla, the products which come out of China are developed with a joint-venture partner and the best we could do is reap half the profits of that, so we have to be careful about it.” His comments are in stark contrast to some brands that have been far faster to accept Chinese joint-venture models into their line-ups, such as Mazda (6e, CX-6e), Kia (EV5) and Nissan (Navara Pro PHEV). “They start off with a disadvantage, but I would never say never either,” continued Joseph. “If we have the opportunity to bring the right product, which meets customer’s needs, we’d certainly consider it.” “We’ve already done it in Japan, the new Honda Insight is China-sourced, so we’re not opposed to it as a company.” Other automakers turning to Chinese-built low-emissions vehicles is no accident. In the case of Nissan and Mazda in particular, there is an urgent need to bring down their emissions footprint thanks to Australia’s recently implemented New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). It’s proving prohibitively expensive to solve with models built in Japan or South East Asia where emissions laws are comparatively lax. It also exposes a glaring hole in Honda Australia’s current line-up, a fully electric mid-size SUV, which could only be filled by the Chinese-built Honda P7. The P7, which is built alongside joint-venture partner GAC, has struggled for market share in China, with some speculating the tie-up wouldn’t be renewed past its expiry date. Honda re-committed to the deal earlier this year. It also partners with Dongfeng on the similar S7, as well as the more mainstream and affordable e:NS2 crossover. Honda’s own in-house plans also feature electric vehicles too, despite its widely-reported cancellation of three new models, which were planned for a US market entry. The brand said its Alpha 0 concept, which adopts the company’s “Thin, Light, and Wise” design philosophy would still go to production, with the concept appearing as a small SUV and electric alternative to the current HR-V. Interestingly it will be built in India (a fellow right-hand drive market) and exported for a global audience to keep costs low. The new model is expected to be revealed early next year. Joseph also earmarked the CR-V in particular as a model he thinks should be performing better in the sales charts. “For the life of me I can’t understand how that isn’t a top-10 vehicle in its segment,” he said. “The product is absolutely as good if not better than the competition so there has to be something else. We’ve got to tell more people about it. We’ve got to win that upper funnel of awareness and consideration better than we have been. “Because, we convert really well. Every Honda dealer tells me the same thing: Once we get buyers into a test-drive, we win. Once they drive the Honda, they like it better, but it’s a matter of getting them into that test drive.”

The numbers for October 2026 are in, and electric vehicles have officially outsold utes, marking a change in climate for the Australian new car market. A total of 24,845 electric vehicles were sold in October, eclipsing the total ute segment, which accounted for 19,431 units across 4x2, 4x4 and those costing in excess of $100,000. Of those 19,431 utes sold, 327 of them were also fully electric, up 330 per cent from the prior year. There were 6040 electric cars and 19,478 electric SUVs sold in the same period. Electric is now the leading fuel type for cars, and the second best selling fuel type for SUVs after petrol. Electric vehicles are the second best selling fuel type in October, even eclipsing petrol and hybrids for the month, landing within 1000 units of diesel. Year-to-date the Australian market has eclipsed 1 million units, with nearly 1/3rd of them still being petrol (293,298 units) and over a quarter being diesel (258,361 units). Electric vehicles so far account for 205,436 sales, but the fuel type has grown over 175 per cent for the year, where diesel has fallen 16.3 per cent and petrol has fallen 27.6 per cent. The biggest winners in October for electric cars are the Tesla Model Y (3105 units), BYD Sealion 7 (2524 units), Geely EX5 (1789 units) and Zeekr’s 7X (1441 units). Other popular options in the market include the Geely EX2 hatchback (1350 units), Jaecoo J5 EV (1117 units) and Tesla’s Model 3 (945 units). Meanwhile the ute segment is in the midst of a downturn after years of record popularity. Winners for October include the HiLux (5954 units), Ford Ranger (4841 units), BYD Shark 6 (1843 units), Isuzu D-Max (1599 units) and Mitsubishi Triton (1056 units). In total (including 4x4 and 4x2 models) the segment is down 11.42 per cent to 176,240 units from nearly 200,000 units this time last year. The numbers make sense. Diesel has been hit particularly hard by the impact of the war in Iran, which has caused a 94 cent price rise per litre from this time last year. The average price per litre for diesel in Australia is now $2.63, a 55.6 per cent increase on the year prior. This is due to inelastic demand for the fuel type, with private and small business utes competing with the wider commercial sector for the fuel. Meanwhile petrol is currently averaging $2.35 per litre, a more modest 72 cent increase from this time last year. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, this means Australians, on average, are paying $546 more per year for fuel than they were in 2025. Combine this with the government’s current FBT exemption program and New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) forcing an influx of pure electric options to the market, and it’s a potent cocktail for automakers with competitive electric car line-ups. This has benefitted Tesla and newer Chinese brands, which largely have managed to meet the market with hybrid and fully electric vehicles that are at or near price parity with their combustion counterparts from so-called ‘legacy’ brands. A prime example is BYD’s fully electric Atto 1 city car becoming Australia’s most affordable new car earlier this year. For the ute segment specifically, BYD’s PHEV-only Shark 6 and GWM’s Cannon and Cannon Alpha which offer PHEV variants have received significant buyer attention, up 1.6 and 9.2 per cent respectively in a market which has otherwise significantly shrunk.

Zeekr insiders have spoken to Chinese media, saying the brand is plotting a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen rival to debut before 2030. According to Chinese outlet Sina, the insider said the company was currently sourcing suppliers for the project and the design had not yet been finalised. They also said the current timeline would have what will presumably be a boxy 4WD arriving in 2028 or 2029. It will apparently have a “semi-monocoque chassis” with independent electric motors. At this stage, whether the Zeekr 4x4 shares its underpinnings with its parent company Geely’s Battleship 700 remains to be seen. This development builds on comments Mars Chen, Vice President of Zeekr International, made to CarsGuide in May of 2026. “Hardcore off-road is definitely one direction - we’re doing the research but whether we create a G-Wagon style, you know, box SUV, for now that’s unclear. If we cannot create enough differentiation, of course we won’t do it,” he said. He ruled out the idea of any export-only offerings, as the successful BYD Shark 6 was for BYD for a period of time. “For Zeekr, I think we’re going to consolidate more. Every model needs to be global. It makes no sense to customise models just for one country. Even in China,” said Chen. Chen pointed out how the traditional luxury large SUVs were on the downswing globally, but the Defender and G-Wagon continue to perform on the sales charts. “What’s the most interesting option? Number one - G-Wagon, number two Defender.” “Audi is declining a lot, Cadillac almost moving out, even Range Rover is not doing that well.” “But Defender is really strong.” “So if we want to be in that segment, we have to be a global product.” On the topic of 4x4s and pick-ups, Chen said Zeekr wouldn’t bother unless they could “redefine" the segment. “We’ll definitely be checking how disruptive we can be if we enter,” he said. Despite promising signs, like quad motor capability, Zeekr will face tough barriers to entry. Not only will it have to compete with such storied traditional offerings, from the Defender and G-Wagen to the Toyota LandCruiser, it will also face its ambitious contemporaries who are already in the ‘boxy’ SUV space. The obvious example is the Denza B5 and B8, which share their hybrid running gear and ladder frame with the BYD Shark 6, but Zeekr will also have to compete with GWM and its new flagship range. Based on its latest ‘GWM One’ platform, the brand now offers an array of high-end off-roaders in China, including the Haval H10 and Wey Blue Mountain 4x4 flagships. Both are offered with plug-in hybrid power. Other box-style off-roaders are also on the way from GAC and potentially new luxury entrant HongQi. All these new offerings are part of a major push by Chinese automakers to offer more high-end products, as they seek better profit margins outside of their domestic market where sales have been shrinking and a brutal price war amongst brands have harmed the balance books. Things are particularly looking up for Zeekr though. Geely’s luxury arm has been well received in Australia (and other markets) and is looking at the real possibility of being our market's top luxury brand by the end of next year.  That is, if it can overcome potential production bottlenecks to fulfil its volume plans for the upcoming 8X and 9X large hybrid SUVs. Demand for which, the brand says, is exceeding its expectations.

The new Toyota Celica has been confirmed by Toyota’s racing division ahead of an anticipated production car debut for the re-booted nameplate. Toyota Racing announced it would enter two teams and two cars in next year’s FIA World Rally Championship, including the GR Celica Rally1. Confirmation of the existence of the Celica comes after months of speculation and several production mules spotted testing in the wild. No details were confirmed for the new car, other than the version entered into the WRC would comply with the latest regulations. Toyota Racing simply said “drivers will be entrusted with the new GR Celica Rally1 car, returning one of the most iconic names in Toyota rally history to the WRC.” The brand also refrained from sharing images of its new Rally1 machine, leaving us to rely on existing images of the test mule that have been spotted in the wild. This has taken the form of a mysterious camouflaged sports coupe spotted testing in Portugal last year, adopting what appears to be a Yaris front-end with a coupe-style rear. Other prototypes recently seen in Japan also show a long-suspected mid-engine test mule on a test track. It follows on from the official GR Yaris M concept car, which Toyota showed at the Super Taikyu race series. While this car took the form of a race-ready GR Yaris from the outside, it featured a mid-mounted 2.0-litre engine producing up to 450kW in race form. At the time Toyota said the Yaris M concept was designed to remove the weaknesses of front-engined cars in “concentrating the load on the front tires during all driving operations. “In circuit environments this significantly affects tire wear and leads to a tendency to understeer.” Whether these are all Toyota developing the same car in a different form, or a Celica and long-rumored re-booted MR2 as separate vehicles is yet to be determined. Toyota is remaining tight-lipped. Regardless, while the latest WRC rules allow Toyota to move beyond the usual hatchback body style, it still requires the engine to be in the front. Toyota’s Gazoo Racing President Tomoya Takahashi has alluded to the production version of the sports car not materialising until closer to the end of the decade. All efforts are part of Toyota moving away from its ‘boring’ image and promising to continue to invest in “motorsport-bred” sports cars. This has meant continued investment in the 86, proper GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatchbacks, and the GR GT flagship. Toyota is also on the cusp of something fresh in its sports car department, as the Supra, which shared its platform with the BMW Z4 has been discontinued. The GR 86 will also evolve or morph for its next-generation, with the brand saying it will not continue the partnership with Subaru which lends the current car its flat four engine. Will Toyota really have room in its line-up for an 86, Celica, and an MR2? The company has the resources, but whether that makes commercial sense remains to be seen.