Articles by Tom White

Tom White
Deputy News Editor

Despite studying ancient history and law at university, it makes sense Tom ended up writing about cars, as he spent the majority of his waking hours finding ways to drive as many as possible. His fascination with automobiles was also accompanied by an affinity for technology growing up, and he is just as comfortable tinkering with gadgets as he is behind the wheel. His time at CarsGuide has given him a nose for industry news and developments at the forefront of car technology.

Rugged family SUV’s wild interior
By Tom White · 16 Jul 2026
Freelander, the new Land Rover spin-off and joint-venture with Chery, has revealed the interior of its much-hyped upcoming debut Freelander 8 large SUV.Following on from previous drip-fed information about the upcoming SUV, the interior reveal shows a design that blends traditional elements of Land Rover with the new-age tech-forward cabin design of its Chinese contemporaries.The Freelander 8 features a stepped dash design with its most eye-catching feature being the 46.3-inch surround display, which serves as both the digital instrument cluster for the driver and an information panel spanning the width of the car.Previously unseen features include the new steering wheel, which inherits some of the look of the current Land Rover range, complete with the bar-style ‘Freelander’ logo in place of a badge as seen on Defenders and Range Rovers, and the chrome D-shaped lower spokes, linking the otherwise-independent joint-venture to the mainline brand.The Huawei-backed tech suite also includes a large 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, although there are an array of physical shortcut buttons below it, with dual control dials on the centre console. This should help the brand with anticipated Chinese regulations seeking to curb touchscreen-dependent interiors.Other Land Rover-linked features include the door cards, which inherit some of the minimalism and design motifs seen on other current Land Rover products, complete with ambient lighting and what appear to be push-to-exit door handles.The images shown also preview an array of premium materials, with a suede headliner and what appears to be at least synthetic leather for the seat trim.The Freelander 8 looks nothing like a Chery, with its distinctive look giving the Freelander more independence from other Chery-platformed vehicles like the boxy SUVs from its Jetour or iCaur brands.Freelander was spun off from Land Rover’s mainline range, which has now been broken down into sub-brands Defender, Range Rover, and Discovery.Executives from Chery told CarsGuide earlier this year that Freelander would be coming to Australia as another stand-alone Chery-aligned brand and would establish its own dealer network.The Freelander joint-venture project is expected to spawn a range of models below the Freelander 8 in the near future.The Freelander 8 is expected in Australia some time in 2027 and is a range-extender hybrid large SUV.At over five meters long, and with three rows of seating, it is a far cry from the original Freelander small SUV, which debuted in the late 1990s. It is tailor-made to take advantage of a boxy 4WD craze currently washing over the lucrative mainland Chinese market.Full powertrain details are yet to be confirmed, previous information confirms a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, at least dual electric motors and an 800-volt 60.33kWh battery, which grants it 221km of electric driving range according to the more lenient CTLC measuring standard.It will boast a 2000kg towing capacity despite its enormous weight, and will at least feature a central simulated differential lock and some kind of off-road ability to live up to its Land Rover-associated name.Stay tuned for more on the Freelander brand as it nears its Chinese launch.
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Oz-bound Chinese Pajero rival's tech teased
By Tom White · 15 Jul 2026
Freelander, the Land Rover spin-off brand, has teased more details for its debut Freelander 8 three-row hybrid SUV ahead of its Chinese launch.Already confirmed for Australia, the Freelander 8 revives the once-budget Land Rover nameplate as a true Chinese joint-venture vehicle.Riding on a Chery platform, the new SUV inherits key design motifs from the original Freelander, which launched in 1998.As part of a wind-up to its Chinese launch, the brand has revealed an array of new images on its Chinese social media channels, teasing its interior, revealing details of its tech suite, and also showing off various trim packages and colours which will be available.Teasing the interior in an abstract image, Freelander confirmed the new car will have “the largest surround-view gallery” screens in its class, with a large 16.5-inch central touchscreen, a dash-spanning 46.3-inch digital information screen, which includes the driver’s instrument cluster, and a sought-after Qualcomm 8397 central processing chip.Several software widgets were also shown, with an array of off-road displays, showing pitch and yaw angles, a compass, differential lock status, battery status, as well as steering angles.It is available in an array of eight colours including two silvers, gold, purple, black, copper, white, blue, and will offer both two-tone wheel designs, as well as a more contemporary black-pack look.The Freelander 8 is due to hit the market in China imminently and comes alongside news that Jaguar Land Rover will stop manufacturing its mainline vehicles (from the actual Jaguar and Land Rover brands) in China.The factory that once produced these vehicles is being retooled for the Freelander brand project. It is expected to spawn an entire range of vehicles using tech from both Chery and Huawei.The Freelander 8 measures 5118mm long, 2050mm wide and 1898mm tall with an enormous wheelbase of 3040mm.It will be sold exclusively as a plug-in hybrid using a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (115kW)  mated to at least two electric motors, but technical specifications on power outputs are yet to be revealed as the brand trickles information out on the SUV as it nears its launch.The battery is confirmed to be an 800-volt 60.33kWh unit, which grants the large SUV up to 221km of range according to the more lenient WLTC measuring standard.Chinese specs confirm the six-seater will have a 2000kg towing capacity, and we now know it will have at least some form of centre differential lock.Yin Tongyue, Chairman of Chery Auto told Australian media in May the Freelander brand will be introduced to both Australia and New Zealand. Interestingly it will be established as a brand independent of both Land Rover and Chery in Australia.
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Hyped Chinese brand reveals Zeekr 8X rival
By Tom White · 14 Jul 2026
Xiaomi has finally revealed its highly anticipated new SUV sub-brand, SkyNomad, as details of its first model are revealed via regulatory filings.The N90 is 4960mm long, 1998mm wide and 1765mm tall placing it firmly in the large SUV category. It features a seven-seat version to rival to the likes of the GWM Tank 500 and BYD Sealion 8. There is also a five-seat version which could be more of a rival to the hotly anticipated Zeekr 8X that's due in Australia next year.Like the 8X, the SkyNomad N90 is exclusively a plug-in hybrid in contrast to Xiaomi’s previous two fully electric offerings, the SU7 GT and YU7 SUV. It uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 112kW mated to either a single electric motor (210kW) or dual electric motors (210kW rear + 100kW front).Like other recent Chinese hybrid large SUVs, the SkyNomad N90 uses large batteries, either a 52kWh or 76kWh unit for driving ranges of either 270km or 380km respectively to CLTC standards. Fuel consumption with the battery at reserve charge level (a required metric in China) ranges from 5.7L/100km to 6.1L/100km.Off the back of the filing reveals, Xiaomi has shared official images of the new car on its social media and opened a pre-order web portal.Unlike the sporty vibe of the 8X or the off-road focused bent of the GWM range, the SkyNomad N90 instead focuses on lifestyle, featuring a camping edition with a pop-up roof tent as part of its initial approvals.Its styling is also a massive departure from the sleek sporty lines of its SU7 and YU7, moving to a more traditional luxury SUV shape. The only related feature is the DRL strip which cuts through the middle of the front light clusters, while the side profile and rear box light fitting is more in keeping with Chinese luxury SUV trends.Inside it features a plush leather-clad design, and an unusual seating arrangement for three-row versions of 2 + 2 + 3. Images show reversible front seats and a centre console that transforms into a table.While the interior is yet to be fully unveiled, the images also show the usual large central touchscreen and digital dash, with a centre console that features its own touch control panel for middle-row passengers.The camping version, meanwhile, features a projector built into the roof of the boot, and a corresponding screen that unfurls from the roof above the front seats.Regulatory filings also show an array of wheel designs, from high-end 20-inch two-tone versions to a smaller 19-inch design with plastic aero covers.Xiaomi’s auto division has been overwhelmingly successful in China, with the SU7 and YU7 having attracted a massive waiting list as orders have exceeded production capacity by hundreds of thousands of units.As such, export markets have been bottom of the brand’s priority list for the time being. This may not be the case forever, as it invests with its BAIC partner on expanded capacity at new factory units.Even still, the brand has said it has global aspirations at some stage in the future.Stay tuned for more on Xiaomi and its new SkyNomad sub-brand as it nears its official Chinese launch.
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Mega upgrades for popular seven-seat hybrid
By Tom White · 13 Jul 2026
Thanks to regulatory filings in China, we have what might be our first look at an updated version of BYD’s Sealion 8 three-row hybrid SUV.Known as the Tang and Tang L in China, the new version of the car filed with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology adopts similar styling to BYD’s flagship Great Tang SUV, which debuted earlier this year.This means a refreshed light profile in the front with a single light bar panel, a smoother profile across the body, tweaked rear light bar designs, more subtle logo work and an overall more premium feel. It also scores either 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels in fresh designs, and replaces the electronic pop-out doorhandles, now banned in China, with flush-set handles.For now, the new version of the car has only been filed in fully electric form equipped with a 300kW single electric motor, while the Sealion 8 version we get in Australia is only a plug-in hybrid.At over five meters long, the Tang has grown slightly over the outgoing model. Its interior is yet to be revealed, but is likely to include at least some of the cabin styling and features from the Great Tang flagship luxury SUV.It features a new steering wheel design, passenger-side entertainment screen, plaid leather seat trim, with an evolution of the geometric dash features which the Sealion 8 originally brought to the Australian market.It is likely it could be some time before such upgrades make it to our market, as BYD’s model strategy continues to diverge between its Chinese domestic line-up and its export market models.For example, Australia won’t receive the major updates to the BYD Atto 3 seen in the Chinese market. Instead, we’ll be getting the ‘Evo’ facelifted version, which has already debuted in Europe.Meanwhile the existing Sealion 8 has had a fairly robust year in Australia, having moved nearly five and a half thousand units in the first half of the year. This number was significantly boosted by a ship arrival, which accounted for 1961 units in June alone, but even without this boost the Sealion 8 has racked up more registrations than popular rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe (3089 units), Kia Sorento (2752 units) and the ageing Toyota Kluger (2475 units) so far in 2026.In its current form in Australia, the BYD Sealion 8 is priced from $56,990 before on-roads for the entry level front-wheel drive Dynamic, to $70,990 before on-roads for the AWD Premium.It produces either 205kW/315 in base FWD form, or 359kW/679Nm in AWD form as combined figures generated from its 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and either single or dual electric motor set-ups.BYD has shot to second position in the Australian new-car sales charts in the first half of the year, off the back of a massive model range expansion as well as dedicated ship deliveries to our market.It is already 10,000 units ahead of the previously second-placed Ford, having jumped 124.1 per cent year-on-year. It is second only to Toyota, although it appears to be closing the gap with Toyota down 21.4 per cent thanks to delays in the arrival of the new RAV4.Expect to learn more about the BYD Sealion 8 shortly as the official Chinese reveal nears.
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Once-popular forbidden Honda upgraded
By Tom White · 10 Jul 2026
Honda has rolled out upgrades to its Fit hatchback, which was known as the Jazz in Australia.Once one of our markets most popular hatchbacks, Honda Australia discontinued it in 2021 and has since cited the shrinking market share for hatchbacks and higher entry price of the new model as reasons that it has yet to return.Despite this, the new fourth-generation model has been on sale in the UK for some time and has now been updated in its home market of Japan.Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the new version has tweaked styling and variant structures, as well as upgraded materials inside and out, with an upgraded multimedia suite.In addition, the RS variant scores sportier gloss-finish design touches, while the range-topping Crosstar gets SUV-like plastic overfenders, with a higher level of standard inclusions for this update like a heated steering wheel and front seats.The new Fit continues to be available in Japan with two powertrains, either a 1.5-litre dual-motor plugless hybrid (90kW/253Nm) or a 1.5-litre petrol (87kW/142Nm) with a CVT automatic. In Japan, the Fit can be had in front- or all-wheel drive layouts in any variant and with any powertrain, while in the UK it can only be had as a front-wheel drive in hybrid form.In Japan the Fit range spans from the equivalent of $16,084 for a base front-wheel drive non-hybrid to $26,320 for the range-topping Crosstar e:HEV AWD. In the UK the pre-update Jazz version starts from a much more expensive A$52,388 for a base e:HEV Elegance, and tops out at an eye-watering $56,868 for the top-spec Crosstar e:HEV.At the time of its discontinuation, the locally-sold Honda Jazz was one of the most affordable new cars on sale in Australia, with a starting price of just $14,990 before on-roads for an entry-level VTi manual, with the top-spec send-off VTi Limited Edition priced at $19,990 before on-roads.The entry-point to the Honda range now is the Fit-related HR-V Vi X small SUV, which is priced from $32,900 drive-away.Honda has said it won’t return to the hatch segment with the Jazz, but it will return with its fully electric Super-One city hatchback, which is due in Australia before the end of the year.The Super One is priced lower than the Jazz, in the UK anyway, from the equivalent of $36,704.Whether it has what it takes to challenge the growing array of Chinese offerings in the electric hatchback space, spanning from the similarly-sized BYD Atto 1 ($23,990 BOCs) to the BYD Dolphin ($29,990 BOCs) and MG4 Urban ($31,990 drive-away) remains to be seen.Honda is in the process of expanding on its range of plugless hybrid offerings in Australia as it looks to improve its fortunes since it changed its business model to an ‘agency’ style from a traditional dealer model in 2021 coinciding with the discontinuation of the Jazz.
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Zeekr's incoming 7GT scores top marks
By Tom White · 10 Jul 2026
Zeekr’s incoming 7GT electric station wagon has secured a maximum five star EuroNCAP score ahead of its expected imminent arrival in Australia.The 7GT has been tested to the latest EuroNCAP standards, which sync up with ANCAP’s toughest-ever new rating regime that was just introduced to Australia.The sporty electric wagon is one of the first cars tested under the new system, and it scored highly across all four new testing pillars.These include Safe Driving (79 per cent), Crash Avoidance (89 per cent), Crash Protection (93 per cent) and Post-Crash Safety (95 per cent).While the maximum EuroNCAP score is a strong indicator for how the wagon will perform under the ANCAP system (as the destructive testing in Europe often forms the basis for ANCAP’s assessment), it is no guarantee. ANCAP’s assessment takes into account local specifications and can also involve local validation for active safety equipment, which is more intensely scrutinised under the new rules.The 7GT was partially marked down in the Safe Driving category for placing some core controls in the multimedia touchscreen. Overall the 7GT scored higher than the BMW iX3, which was the first car rated five stars to the new rating system.The 7GT is due in Australia imminently, being one of three new Zeekr models earmarked for Australia in the short-term. It is likely our market will receive the 9X large luxury hybrid SUV first, with the 7GT to be next.Both will arrive before the brand’s most hyped new car, the 8X large five-seat SUV, which is a smash-hit in China. The plug-in hybrid 8X will be aiming squarely at premium rivals with pricing likely to start close to, if not more than, $100,000.The 7GT should be priced in the region of $55,000 to $70,000 by the time it arrives in Australia, and is available in either rear-wheel drive form (370kW/545Nm) or Performance all-wheel drive form (585kW/812Nm), according to Chinese specifications.It is also offered with either a 75kWh battery pack (702km range, CLTC) or a 103kWh battery pack (880km range, CLTC). It also has a 900-volt electrical architecture, allowing it to charge in less than 20 minutes on a compatible DC charger.Expect to learn more about the 7GT as we approach its launch window, which is expected to be either late 2026 or early 2027.The brand told CarsGuide official pre-orders for the wagon will become available to buyers imminently.
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BYD tried to buy part of this big brand
By Tom White · 10 Jul 2026
BYD tried to buy a share of Renault in a dramatic shot at a foothold in Europe, according to a new report in French media outlet Les Echos.According to the publication, BYD sought not just a joint production or factory deal, as Chery has secured in some locations with Renault’s partner Nissan, but actual ownership in the French giant as a shareholder.The deal didn’t work out under former CEO Luca de Meo, who was famous for guiding a re-structure of the previously dysfunctional Renault Nissan Alliance.According to several outlets, this was because Renault had already entered into an agreement with Geely to save its ailing Korean factory (formerly the Renault Samsung Motors factory), which now produces both Renaults and Polestars for Asian markets.Geely and Renault also co-own Horse Powertrain with Saudi Aramco, a spin-off of both company’s combustion engine divisions, which builds both engines and hybrid transmissions for future models both inside those two companies and for sale to other manufacturers outside of them.When BYD had a second crack at a Renault deal, it was turned down with involvement from French president Emmanuel Macron, with the government controlling 30 per cent of Renault voting shares and fiercely protective over its manufacturing footprint on the continent.The key benefit for BYD in this deal was obviously a way to avoid a tough tariff structure for Chinese built cars in Europe, while Renault would have access to its signature affordable Blade batteries, which it already sells to other manufacturers Tesla, KGM and Hyundai Group.Renault’s rejection of a BYD ownership stake won’t be a fatal blow for the Chinese giant in Europe. BYD already has a factory in Hungary and is seeking to establish a second base, with many analysts believing it will be in Spain and possible locations also including France and Germany.BYD needs such a foothold as it seeks new global opportunities off the back of a shrinking new car market in China over the course of 2026, and major profitability issues for even some of the biggest groups after a bruising domestic price war.
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New era for car safety in Australia dawns
By Tom White · 09 Jul 2026
BMW’s incoming iX3, which wears the brand’s dramatic Neue Klasse design aesthetic, is the first car to be tested to ANCAP’s new safety regime.The iX3 scored a maximum five stars, scoring relatively highly across the safety body’s four new categories.The new categories include, Safe Driving (which rates driving support systems), Crash Avoidance (which rates hazard mitigation technologies), Crash Protection (which rates the vehicles crash structure and physical safety hardware) and Post Crash (which rates how well the systems on board the car assist first responders following a crash).“Over three decades of ANCAP influence, this is the most comprehensive ratings framework we’ve applied. We have again stepped up our assessment to capture and evaluate the many ways a modern car can protect its occupants and other road users,” ANCAP Chief Executive Carla Hoorweg said.“The BMW iX3 is the first model we’ve put through this new rating process, and its specification and performance have captured the essence of the new requirements.”It is unsurprising the BMW iX3 ranked so highly to the new standards, as it is designed to comply with EuroNCAP safety procedures, which ANCAP’s procedures are largely based. The iX3 was physically tested in Europe for the EuropNCAP score, which was applied to the ANCAP scale.ANCAP’s new rating system places more emphasis on safety systems calibrated well enough that car buyers are likely to leave them on.“Systems that irritate rather than improve the drive experience will be marked down, with lane keep systems now assessed on how naturally they interact with the driver, including steering response and driver override effort,” said Hoorweg.“The ‘smart coupling’ of driver alertness with safety system intervention is also now assessed. Vehicles that enhance – or minimise – their response according to the driver’s level of alertness are rewarded,” she addedIn what may come as a relief to many new car buyers, the Safe Driving pillar also scrutinises the existence of physical controls, although for now it is limited to only core functions like indicators, hazard lights, horn, gear selector and headlights.Some of the most frustrating touchscreen-based systems, like climate and multimedia controls, will get a free pass.The safety body also now ranks the accuracy of speed limit assist systems, which are also a frequent source of irritation in new vehicles.The iX3 ranked well enough for Safe Driving (71 per cent), marked down for the lack of some occupant detection features, some distraction monitoring function, and the adaptive cruise not responding entirely to road features like roundabouts.It ranked more highly in Crash Avoidance (83 per cent), with its auto emergency braking and lane keep systems scoring highly across most categories.It also scored well for Crash Protection (86 per cent) - which now involves extra crash dummies for more thorough testing. It was marked down slightly for vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility for presenting a “moderate risk to occupants of an oncoming vehicle if struck”.The Post Crash Pillar was the iX3’s highest ranking category (95 per cent), scoring high across all categories including its eCall feature, high-voltage battery isolation function and door handle functionality.Other new elements of ANCAP’s testing regime for the next few years include a new crash barrier test, more robust avoidance assessments, the assessment of rollover injuries, new “pothole” test which assesses the ability of the driver to maintain control of the car when avoiding road hazards, more intense whiplash testing, a motorcycle t-bone test, and “serious component failures” also carry a more dire penalty.The five-star ANCAP rating applies to both the 50 xDrive and 40 variants of the new iX3.
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The best-selling EVs in Australia revealed
By Tom White · 08 Jul 2026
Electric cars are finally having their mainstream moment in Australia, and now make up over 16 per cent of Australia’s new car market.Sales have significantly jumped year-on-year, helped along by a much wider availability of more affordable models, but also an unprecedented fuel crisis, which has made the cost of running a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle front of mind for many.This surge of new options has also seen the list of top-selling electric cars undergo a significant re-shuffle, with new brands featuring heavily.Tesla notably takes the crown for the best selling EV in Australia for the first half of 2026, with its Model Y achieving 20,396 total registrations according to Electric Vehicle Council data. This is due to an eyebrow-raising 8072 unit tally in June thanks to a literal boatload of cars arriving.Next down the charts is BYD with its smash-hit Sealion 7 mid-size SUV. The Sealion 7, which is a key rival to the Model Y, can be had at a more keen $54,990 price-point with similar specs to the Tesla that starts from $58,900 before on-roads.Alongside the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, the Sealion 7 is a major part of BYD’s success story in Australia over the past year.The next two players down compete at the entry-level to their respective segments.Geely’s EX5 clocked up 6756 registrations in the first half of 2026, a quiet achiever in an extremely competitive part of the market. While it goes into battle against a range of rivals in the $40,000 price bracket, it has more than doubled the sales of its closest rival, the previously-popular BYD Atto 3, and it sold 20 times the volume of the similar Leapmotor C10.Below the EX5 is the Jaecoo J5. While this model is now available with petrol power, it is the EV version that has been on sale longer and managed to secure fourth position for the first half of the year, racking up 6113 units.This is no doubt largely thanks to the electric version’s extremely keen $36,990 before on-roads price-tag and generous dimensions for a small SUV, making it the sweet spot for many first time EV adopters. It also undercuts the Atto 3 and Leapmotor B10, and has good visibility in the market thanks to Omoda Jaecoo’s rapidly expanding dealer network.Rounding out the top five electric cars in Australia for the first half of 2026 is the Zeekr 7X. A smash hit for Geely’s premium arm. The 7X stands out for its radical design and strong specs at a generous price point (from $57,900 before on-roads). As a result, the brand tells us that it is attracting not only aspirational buyers, but also buyers who were previously driving BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes.Previous top-sellers, the Model 3 and BYD Atto 3, have now dropped out of the top five, amassing a little over 3000 sales each. Kia’s also-popular EV5 mid-size and EV3 SUVs fell short of the list with less than 3000 sales each.All of the electric cars in the top five for the first half of the year were built in China, with the exception of the Performance grade of the Tesla Model Y (which would account for only a small proportion of its sales), showing the country’s leadership in the electric car space.Mainstream brands are struggling on the EV front, with cars like the Toyota bZ4X mid-size SUV amassing just 1718 sales. Volkswagen is in a similar position, with its similar ID.4 amassing just 1183 sales.Even MG, which was the original Chinese-backed success story in Australia, has tumbled down the charts. Its MG4 hatch has lost hundreds of sales year-on-year. Its S5 and S6 electric SUVs are struggling to compete with newer players, amassing just 1713 and 647 sales respectively.The share of EV sales in the Australian market will inevitably grow as tough new emissions laws start to shape the line-ups of most brands.
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Dramatic 'cyberpunk' Hyundai detailed
By Tom White · 08 Jul 2026
Hyundai’s Chinese joint-venture has revealed more details on its upcoming Ioniq V coupe as it nears its overseas launch.The new member of the Ioniq family moves the brand in a new design direction, but with the same retro-futuristic vibe found with the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 SUVs which are sold in Australia.The wedge-shaped coupe features a new headlight signature, with thin strip-style LEDs rather than the blocky pixel LED light fittings the Ioniq brand is known for. Interestingly, these styling motifs are also seen on the upcoming Avante (likely to be called the i30 sedan in Australia), suggesting a new design direction for Hyundai.The Ioniq V also features frameless doors, and an interior that's virtually unrecognisable for a Hyundai, with a dramatic and minimalist dash and new octagonal steering wheel. Like the recently launched Elexio, which is also a Chinese-built joint-venture model, the Ioniq V features a multimedia screen spanning both the centre and passenger side.In this case it's a whopping 27 inches and has a 4K resolution. It also features a head-up display sunken into the dash, similar to the one perched atop the dash in the Elexio.The brand also revealed the car’s exterior colour palette, which will include seven colours, from the usual white, silver, grey, and black, to more adventurous shades like gold, green and purple.The company also confirmed it will use an array of local suppliers in China, like sourcing its 800-volt battery from CATL, its self-driving system from Momenta, and various software and hardware components from other Chinese companies.At 4900mm long, 1890mm wide, and 1470mm tall the Ioniq V is similar in size and four-door coupe design to the Polestar 4. Hyundai says its design allows for an 86 per cent usable floor area ratio.Hyundai Australia told CarsGuide the incoming Ioniq V is “under study” for the time being. It is likely it will be significantly more affordable than the outgoing Ioniq 6 (which started from $67,300 before on-roads), which could help the company comply with tough new emissions rules as some of its pricier Korean-sourced models struggle for sales in the face of cheaper options flooding the market from China.The Elexio, Hyundai’s first China-sourced model for Australia (priced from $58,990 before on-roads), has gone on to register 639 units since its recent arrival, nearly tripling the tally of the more expensive Ioniq 5’s year-to-date sales.The next Ioniq model for Australia will no doubt be the Ioniq 3, although it will be sourced from Europe, casting doubt on whether it will be price competitive with Chinese rivals.Hyundai’s renewed push into the Chinese market with its BAIC partner (which has had $1.1 billion USD invested in it) will also spawn a larger and also more dramatically styled SUV to join the Ioniq V at a later date, with 20 new models planned in total.The company has racked up 94,697 units in China so far in 2026, making it a minor but growing player in the world’s second largest market.Expect full specs and more information for the Ioniq V to be revealed closer to its launch later this year in China.
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