Articles by Tom White

Cupra's Formentor PHEV tested!

Is Volkswagen too late to the hybrid game? Australian division disagrees, saying there's still customers best suited to a plug-in hybrid variant.

The new Niro looks super futuristic. Can it cope with the trials of interstate driving in Australia, though? We put it to the test!

Honda's first electric car which uses General Motors battery tech looks promising, but don't expect an Australian launch.

Nissan, usually a contender when it comes to new-car sales thanks to a historically popular catalogue, is currently suffering in the sales charts.Figures released this week show that Nissan sales are down by more than 33 per cent year-on-year, while its September tally was down by 33.1 per cent compared with September 2021.The numbers are understandable, given Nissan’s Australian division has been waiting some time for new-generation versions of its most popular models, like the Qashqai, X-Trail, and Pathfinder SUVs. But its entire catalogue was deep in the red last month, with current models like the Juke, Patrol, Navara, and Leaf all experiencing deep downturns.Nissan Australia says a combination of factors are causing these issues for its range. The brand’s representatives confirmed to CarsGuide that the Juke, Patrol, Navara, and Leaf were all being affected by the ongoing parts shortages issues plaguing the entire industry, but said much of this would be variant-based, and concerned buyers or those already on a waiting list should speak with their dealer for more accurate wait times.Nissan dealers ran out of stock of the outgoing Qashqai earlier this year, and the old Pathfinder sold out in early 2021. Stock of the outgoing X-Trail appears to be running low in Australia, too, and Nissan has also lost its halo GT-R sports car.The Juke is down a whopping 41.9 per cent year-on-year, and even its current best-seller, the 4x4 Navara, is down 16.9 per cent.There’s light on the horizon for Nissan though, with representatives explaining that there were “very promising” pre-order numbers for the new-generation versions of the Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder, all of which are due to arrive in the last quarter of 2022.Each car is expected to launch with purely combustion variants only - the brand’s innovative ‘ePower’ hybrid technology is not expected to join the line-up until later in 2023. Unlike most hybrid models, the ePower setup drives the wheels only with electric motors, using the combustion components as a generator.One thing is clear: regardless of powertrain, expect Nissan’s new SUVs to set you back more than before.The Qashqai, which is sized somewhere between a small and mid-size SUV will start from $33,890 before on-roads, a $3300 jump over the outgoing base model, although it's packed with more technology, and will launch with a new 1.3-litre turbo four-cylinder engine producing 110kW/250Nm, paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Qashqai range tops out at $47,390, an $8300 increase on the outgoing car.The entry-model X-Trail jumps by $6085 with the removal of a base manual variant, now starting from $36,750 before on-roads. Again, the X-Trail will come with a hike in standard equipment, and initial versions will be powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 135kW/244Nm. The X-Trail also drives the wheels via a CVT. The X-Trail range tops out at $52,990.The Pathfinder, however, will continue to be powered by a big 3.5-litre V6 engine (202kW/340Nm) although it swaps out the maligned CVT for a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission. It will cost from $54,190 before on-road costs in Australia, with the range now topping out at $77,890.One of the biggest pieces of news from this month’s sales numbers is the huge boost in electric car sales, although Nissan had no update on the arrival timing of its important Ariya SUV, which is still earmarked for some time in 2023. The Ariya won’t be an EV price-leader either, positioned above cars like the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6 overseas. In the US market, for example, the Ariya starts from the equivalent of AUD$67,500 for a front-wheel drive standard range (347km) version, or $73,850 for the e-4ORCE all-wheel drive version.Stay tuned as we keep an eye on Nissan’s launch plans in 2023.

The mid-size luxury SUV segment is the most conjested when it comes to plug-in hybrids, so how does Volvo's XC60 set itself apart?

Slow sales and lots of rivals: Why Mini says the best is yet to come for plug-in hybrids in Australia.

Mini, the small but ever-recognisable brand, is bucking a major trend in Australia.While some other manufacturers with a strong combustion presence are struggling to make headway with their plug-in models, Mini is way ahead of its own plans.In fact, 41 per cent of three door Minis sold in Australia are now the purely electric version - constituting 11 per cent of the brand’s total.Sitting down with Mini at the launch of the Cooper SE, we asked the brand's representatives why this might be, and what it means for its small but significant footprint in Australia.“Mini buyers are an interesting bunch because they are a mix of both the younger customers seeking a unique style, and older generations who might have had Minis for many years. But when it comes to electric cars, in general you’re talking about a person more open to the technology.” they said.While that might seem to skew younger, it was implied that many Mini customers were along for the brand’s journey into what was next. The brand even noted that most buyers weren’t phased by what appears to be the Cooper electric’s biggest drawback - its very limited 233km WLTP-rated driving range.“Conceptually, Minis are an emotional purchase, especially a three-door hatch which is bought with the heart. The range isn’t as important for a car like this as it might be for other offers in the market. The numbers don’t lie, for our customer the range is sufficient.”The relative success of the Mini electric in Australia is also giving the brand’s local division more sway back at HQ when it comes to selecting which models end up here.“The relative success here definitely helps, yes. We’re far away from Germany, but it would be madness for any brand to say it doesn’t want to keep growing. We’re hoping we can help our customers along that electrification journey.” they said.The next chapter in Mini’s electrification journey, will of course be the next-generation Cooper, which has already been spied in China, where the new car is expected to be built.Not for Australia though, at least that’s what the brand’s local division expects. Stating the brand’s ancestral Oxford factory would continue to be home to right-hand drive models.“The Oxford factory is absolutely part of our future. We have domesticated products across the whole BMW Group, but Oxford will well and truly stay in the mix. Obviously for Australia we will continue to have that right-hand drive synergy with the cars built there,” they said.The current third-generation Cooper Hatch (under BMW ownership) has existed in some form since 2013 and is due to be replaced by an all-new generation model next year.Spy shots out of China show only an all-electric SE trim with revised and slightly more minimalist styling than the current car, although it is still a design which maintains the flat roof, round headlights, and stout hatch rear.Officially, Mini points to its Aceman concept revealed earlier in 2022 for clues on what to expect from the next-generation, and the spy shots out of China seem to confirm the car will inherit the Aceman’s more stripped back interior, with a bezel-free round floating screen, toggle switches, and a re-designed but familiar steering wheel. The tiny 5.0-inch dash is set to be replaced by an entirely holographic display, while the car is expected to switch to a new-generation platform which also underpins the new BMW 1 Series, X1, and X2.The brand retaining its Oxford production plant for Mini models is an interesting move, but also one which is at odds with its BMW parent which is currently building the iX3 electric SUV for Australia at one of its joint-venture plants in China.For reference, BMW has joint-venture partnerships with two Chinese car brands, Brilliance Automotive, and a new partnership with GWM which is yet to produce joint models.Stay tuned as we keep an eye out for next-generation Mini Cooper news.

Western Australia's vast coastal expanses will be able to be visited top-to-bottom by electric cars by early 2024.

Volkswagen's "infinitely modular" MEB platform opens the door to more utes beyond Amarok in the future.