Articles by Tom White

As part of its end-of-year financial results, Mazda has revealed exactly when its next-generation CX-3 will launch.Buried pages deep on the company’s presentation materials, the confirmation shows the CX-3 arriving in 2027. It will be built in Mazda’s Thailand facility and will account for a significant part of the company’s volume aspirations going forward.It will launch in Thailand first in 2027, and Mazda earmarks it as an important part of the brand’s strategy to lean further into its Thai factory as an exporter to both Japan and the South East Asian region.The company didn’t reveal any more details about the incoming CX-3, although it notes a plan to expand its hybrid offering from one to four models (which leaves at least two models to be electrified, after the existing CX-50 and planned hybrid CX-5), although does note that this electrification plan will be focused on its larger vehicles.Expect it to follow a similar design theme to the Vision X-Compact concept the brand displayed at the 2025 Tokyo motor showMazda’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Guyton told CarsGuide at the 2025 Tokyo show that the next-generation small cars were the next priority after the brand finishes its hybrid development.“It comes to being a modestly sized company, our return on sales isn’t good enough from a business standpoint,” said Guyton.“Our highest priority has been our large platform products, and finally getting those right, and using those to make some money.“Next priority is the CX-5, which will come to your market soon, and soon-ish thereafter is the hybrid version of that car with Mazda’s own hybrid.“Soon after that next priority is smaller architecture cars,” he said.Mazda also recently told CarsGuide the current version of the CX-3 and 2 hatchback would get a stay of execution until 2027.The information in the brand’s EOFY presentation does at least confirm the existence of the next-generation CX-3 and that it won’t be called the CX-20 as previously speculated.Mazda has long said it won’t abandon its “smaller architecture cars” after its all-important and best-selling CX-5 plans are complete.One thing which could put a spanner in the works for the CX-3 replacement in Australia is both our tough new emissions laws and our stringent safety requirements, which often see models designed for the South East Asian market nixed for an Australian launch.The CX-3’s current 2.0-litre petrol engine (110kW/195Nm) mated to a six-speed traditional torque converter automatic transmission won’t be able to continue in Australia, with Mazda already attracting eye-watering penalties under the new emissions scheme.What this could mean is a delay in the CX-3 launching in Australia if it launches in Thailand without a hybrid system initially.To ease its emissions burden going forward, Mazda noted in its EOFY presentation that it would continue to lean on its Chinese-built joint-venture models, like the Mazda 6e and CX-6e which will launch in Australia imminently.With aggressive pricing, both cars are set to compete with not just traditional rivals, but also Chinese newcomer brands in an attempt to put Mazda in the volume space for low-emissions vehicles.This will no doubt help it offset some of the emissions burden the brand will carry along with the incoming CX-5, which will have a carryover 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in all-wheel drive only.

Geely Australia’s CEO Alex Gu confirmed the brand was considering the company’s new i-HEV technology for our market.Geely’s i-HEV tech, which is a new-generation hybrid set-up consisting of a 1.5- or 2.0-litre engine mated to a hybrid transmission system (DHT), is claimed to be one of the most fuel efficient production plugless systems on the market.The brand declared at the Beijing Motor Show it had achieved a fuel consumption as low as 2.22L/100km when tested in an Emgrand sedan, and claims it can drive under electric power up to 80 per cent of the time despite not needing to be plugged in.Gu said that unlike its Chinese rival brands, Geely wouldn’t be bringing combustion models to Australia and will instead consider i-HEVs as an option to sit alongside its existing fully electric EX5 and upcoming EX2 SUVs, and its plug-in hybrid Starray SUV and Emgrand sedan, with the latter is due in 2027.“For Geely we don’t have a plan to do ICE , but we are planning for the i-HEV,” he said.“For this, we benchmarked Toyota actually. This is very friendly for emissions. It will be in a sedan, SUV, and so on,” said Gu.Gu said it was Geely’s attitude that plug-in systems will be able to “move forward together” in global markets, rather than have plug-ins outright replace ICE and HEVs as they have in some other markets.“This will be the entire way to enter the market. We’re making it very balanced,” he said.Gu wouldn't confirm when the first hybrid models would arrive in Australia.“So far I’m not sure.” he said.“We will have to see what is planned for the global market. So for me, I will push for the Australian market to be the first market to bring i-HEV models,” he said.The Emgrand is not the only car in Geely’s product catalogue that has the new i-HEV hybrid system at the brand’s stand at the Beijing motor show.It also showed off its larger sibling, the Preface sedan, as well as an updated version of its Monjaro mid-size SUV.Both cars, which ride on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, pair a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor driving the front wheels via a hybrid transmission.The Preface sedan consumes 3.98L/100km, while the Monjaro mid-size SUV drinks 4.75L/100km according to the slightly more lenient WLTC method, which cuts fuel consumption nearly in half compared to the turbo dual-clutch versions of both cars.Offering all three levels of electrification will help set Geely apart from its main Chinese rivals, most of which are either plug-in exclusive like BYD, or are also leaning on ultra-affordable combustion models like Chery, MG or GAC.Next for Geely in Australia will be the introduction of the EX2 hatchback, due in the third quarter of 2026, while the Emgrand will join the line-up in 2027. Gu also outlined a seven-seat SUV, something along the lines of the M9 the brand showed at the Melbourne Motor Show, would debut in 2027. In the longer-term Geely has aspirations to offer both a 4x4 and a ute, and would be “studying the market” closely in the meantime.

Sedans aren’t dead, as it turns out, with newcomer brands breathing life into the ailing segment in recent years.The issue for brands like MG, BYD and now Geely, as always, is the venerable Toyota Camry which absolutely dominates the sales charts.How do you knock such a legendary vehicle off its perch? Geely reckons it might be onto something with its hybrid-first Emgrand, set to hit our shores in 2027. Let’s take a look.First up, let's see where the Emgrand sits, and how it might be priced to succeed.At 4806mm long, this offering from Geely is bigger than a traditional small sedan like a Kia K4 or Hyundai i30 sedan, but a little smaller than a Camry. It’s a good format, and with a long wheelbase and seemingly ample interior and boot space, it certainly has the right ingredients.Geely’s people tell us the Emgrand is set to start life in Australia initially as a plug-in hybrid using the brand’s EM-i system, which combines a 1.5-litre engine and hybrid transaxle with a pretty sizeable battery pack under the floor.The version of this car sold in China (from Geely’s hybrid and electric Galaxy arm which also sells the EX5 and Starray SUVs) is priced at the equivalent of $A24,600, reaching up to the low-$30k mark at the more premium end of the spectrum.It's doubtful we’ll see the entry-level car make it to Australia though, so a starting price of around $30k wouldn’t be surprising.For reference, the Kia K4 hybrid is $32,090, the Hyundai i30 sedan hybrid is $33,250, the soon-to-launch BYD Seal 6 starts from $34,990, and the Toyota Camry is priced a little higher, at $39,990, all before on-road costs.As the Emgrand will be a plug-in hybrid first, its closest rival will be the BYD, and this is where things start to get a little technical for the Geely, because it will need to be specified and priced just right to thread the needle between its plugless and plug-in rivals.In my opinion, though, launching with the plug-in isn’t quite the right move, and the Emgrand would be better served using Geely’s new plugless hybrid i-HEV setup instead.This system claims to use as low as 2.2L/100km in the Emgrand (to lenient Chinese measuring standards) and can drive more than 80 per cent of the time in fully electric mode, despite not needing to plug in.Geely’s Australian boss, Alex Gu, told CarsGuide the system was very much on the radar, despite our tough new emissions laws making it difficult for plugless hybrids in the future.What makes more sense for the primary audience of this car though?A ride-share driver would much rather have the convenience of the plugless system doing hundreds of kilometres a day, compared to the inconvenience of needing to plug in.At least the EM-i system this car is set to launch with is claimed to consume as low as 2.9L/100km even when the battery is at the reserve level, so perhaps it won’t matter.The styling is pretty sharp. If you think it looks a little reminiscent of a Volvo S60 with its tall, sharp belt line, distinctive grille, and tidy European proportions, that's because Geely owns Volvo and has no doubt called on its design expertise.Inside things are remarkably restrained compared to some rivals, with an elegant dash layout and nice material choices.It includes a combination of a 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with the brand’s Flyme software, and 10.25-inch digital dash cluster, both of which are present in the EX5.A big bonus compared to the EX5 though, is the presence of a control dial and a few shortcut toggles on the centre console, which help to reduce the dependence on the touchscreen for everything.For what it’s worth, Geely’s software looks a bit better than some of its rivals, but is still clumsy to use with odd menus and poorly used screen real estate.Despite wielding a decent battery size, the Emgrand had plenty of room for my 182cm frame in both the front and rear seats, even with the front seat set to my comfortable driving position.Unlike plug-in sedans I’ve driven in the past, the Emgrand’s GEA platform places the battery under the cabin floor rather than the boot, so it maintains a generous 609 litre boot space. Great for the airport run, no?Powering the Emgrand is a 1.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder engine (82kW136Nm) mated to a hybrid transaxle with an electric motor producing 120kW/210Nm and driving the front wheels. It is backed by either an 8.5kWh or a 17kWh battery pack which provides either 60km or 125km of pure electric driving range, according to the more lenient CLTC measuring standard.It’s hard to see the 8.5kWh version having much of a run in Australia, but 17kWh is much more appropriate. Charging speed is 35kW on DC for the larger battery, allowing a 30-80 per cent top up in 20 minutes. All versions of the Emgrand are capable of vehicle-to-load at 3kW.How does it drive? In our limited test which involved an agility exercise and a 0-100km/h sprint with a moose test, the Emgrand proved remarkably sharp. Its tidy, lower-riding chassis and surprisingly responsive steering is no doubt helped along by a long wheelbase and firmer suspension to make for a fun jaunt compared to an SUV.It’s also quite rapid in a straight line thanks to the primarily electric drive, and like the better batch of plug-ins, the Emgrand seems to maintain enough reserve charge not to take the wind out of the motor’s sails when it’s needed most.Time will tell, however, how the final product fares on more challenging Australian roads, especially when it comes to active safety calibration, which can ruin an otherwise great car.

Audi has finally revealed some details of its incoming Q9 flagship three-row large SUV.The Q9 is an all-new nameplate for Audi, which is expected to fight back against the new wave of more than five-meter long luxury SUVs from Chinese automakers Zeekr, BYD and GWM.Audi says its new large SUV will feature either six- or seven-seat interior layouts, with “premium materials, variable seating with individual electric seats in the second row, and automatic doors”, among other features.The brand said the Q9 aims for “business-class comfort” when chosen in six-seat format, and features a 1.5 square meter panoramic sunroof, standard ambient interior lighting and surround sound.There will be an extensive range of optional interior trims and colour schemes.Practicality will include dual wireless charging pads up front, a new rail system in the boot for securing cargo “in three dimensions” and every variant will include a roof rack as standard.Elsewhere other familiar themes can be seen, with the Q9 featuring a similar steering wheel and tri-screen dash layout as the Q6. The centre console also features a handful of driving function shortcut buttons, although it appears climate and multimedia functions will continue to be controlled primarily via the central touchscreen.The Q9 will be the next Audi to ride on the brand’s new PPC platform and will rival the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS in Europe. Elsewhere in the world it will also have to face a rising tide of five-meter-long three row SUVs from China such as the Zeekr 9X, Wey V9X and BYD Sealion 08.The new flagship will be fully revealed in July and will form part of a new product offensive from Audi, which will include a re-booted A2 e-tron crossover, next-generation Q7, facelifted Q4 e-tron and the RS5.European media has been speculating the Q9 will continue to offer the brand’s signature 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, based on Audi specifically calling out the model’s importance to the US and the Middle East, both less emissions-sensitive markets.In the case of the SQ8, this powertrain produces 373kW/770Nm. Stay tuned for more on the Q9 and its chances for the Australian market. If it does arrive, expect pricing to be north of the Q8’s current $144,400 entry price.

The Zeekr 9X will be Australia’s first ultra-luxury car from China, but will it find an audience?That’s the question I’m asking myself at the brief Chinese preview drive of the monster three-row large SUV that will top the brand’s line-up in Australia later this year.It looks like it has the panache of a Rolls Royce Cullinan or Bentley Bentayga, but on a significantly tighter budget, and with a much more modern approach to what powers it.I'm keen to learn if these are ingredients for success or perhaps a bridge too far for an ambitious luxury brand with only five years of history.First, where will it sit in the hierarchy of Australian luxury SUVs?At a whopping 5239mm long and with a wheelbase of more than three meters, the 9X is an imposing beast of a car, something rammed home by its expansive bodywork, huge chrome grille and boxy roofline.It also has three rows of seating, putting it up against the Audi Q7 ($108,815) at one end of the price spectrum, or the full-size Range Rover (which you need to spend at least $321,000 to get three rows of seats) at the other.Of course, its enormity and grandiose styling would have Zeekr wanting you to think it’s more akin to something like the Bentley Bentayga (from a cool $412,600) or Rolls Royce Cullinian, which will leave you little change from a million dollars.The 9X, meanwhile, starts from the equivalent of A$95,400 in its Chinese home market, suggesting a starting price a bit over $100,000, perhaps even north of $120,000 by the time it lands locally.Zeekr also takes the 9X in a completely different direction from its aforementioned segment rivals, which are powered by everything from 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesels to 6.7-litre V12s, instead offering a dual- or tri-motor plug-in hybrid system, backed by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and a massive battery pack.The result is either 660kW/935Nm of combined power for the base two variants, or 1030kW/1410Nm for the top-spec car, as well as between 300 and 380km of fully electric driving range without even needing the engine.The all important 0-100km/h sprint time? As low as 3.1 seconds. Not bad for a three-tonne SUV.Like I said in my review of its smaller Zeekr 8X sibling, it’s just so much car, even at more than $100k.Every version of the 9X offered in China gets air suspension and a 900-volt architecture, allowing the battery to be charged in nine minutes on a fast enough DC pylon.Every version is clad in lavish full Nappa leather trim and there’s even active noise cancellation.Inside feels impressive, too. The 9X gets a different cabin layout and even a unique steering wheel from the rest of the Zeekr range, befitting its flagship role.Space is gratuitous in all three seating rows, with the third row perhaps surprising me the most. Having spent a decent amount of time in the third row of a Zeekr 009 people mover as part of this same trip, it’s worth asking if you need something this large when the 009 people mover offers a slightly better third row and is fully electric at an equivalent (or perhaps slightly cheaper) price.Still, there are so many luxuries in all three rows. Everything is electrically adjustable, heats, cools and massages you, and there’s shades for all the windows.To top a swish interior off, despite the fact that I fit in all positions at 182cm tall, there’s still 470 litres of boot capacity, and it even has a super suave split tailgate like an old Range Rover. Awesome.Vehicle to load (V2L)? Yep, got that. Full-size power outlet in the cabin? Got that too. Of course, the list of safety kit is exhaustive, but it remains to be seen if the Australian-spec version will also be exhaustive.You don’t want for included kit then, but how does this monolith of an SUV drive?Shock and awe is the answer. A 0-100km/h acceleration test was an expletive-laden experience, with the huge, circa-three-tonne SUV leaning back on its haunches and hurtling forward with terrifying alacrity. It is one of the most intense bouts of acceleration I have experienced in recent memory.The body certainly feels its dimensions when rounding a corner, and interestingly the steering feels a bit more detached than that of the 8X.The 9X stayed surprisingly composed and rode relatively flat during the 'moose test' part of the exercise set up for us during our brief test drive, no matter how unwieldy it looked from outside. Clearly, the air suspension does a lot of dynamic heavy lifting.The enormous monoblock-style wheels transmitted a noticeable amount of thud to the cabin before the adaptive suspension wised up to the speed bump test we subjected it to.But just like the 8X below it, the sheer weight and size of the 9X appears to be its primary drawback. There’s only so much suspension magic that can make up for the sheer density on offer here, and I can’t imagine it’s going to be easy to reliably find 5.2-meter-plus parking spots for such a car in the centre of the city.

Toyota's new CEO says the world's biggest automotive brand would engage in some big changes as it battles shrinking profits in a tough global economy.Chief Executive Officer of Toyota, Kenta Kon, said while Toyota had strong results thanks to “marketing efforts” in several key markets, including the USA where it had a record sales result, the company was expecting operating income to continue to decline due to the conflict in the Middle East and ongoing challenges with US tariffs.Importantly,  Kon earmarked several big areas of change. One is to reduce the amount of time it was taking the brand to deliver new hybrid models, something Australian buyers of the new-generation RAV4 (or even the previous RAV4 during production shortages of COVID) will be familiar with.“Our hybrid customers have been waiting a long time to receive delivery, so we must deliver to these customers more reliably. That’s the first thing we must achieve, because as a manufacturer, that is our biggest mission,” Kon said at a press conference announcing its 2025 full year financial results.Currently, the new RAV4 has a three-to-six month waiting period, depending on model grade.Toyota Australia's Vice President of Sales Marketing and Franchise Operations, John Pappas, recently told CarsGuide the increase in complexity for the new model range across 2WD, AWD, and now plug-in hybrid variants would have an impact.As a result of these delays, plus a dip in supply between the runout of the old model and launch of the new version, Toyota’s Australian sales dropped 19.3 per cent in March, marking an overall drop of 23 per cent down for the quarter year-on-year.Toyota’s long-touted multi-pathway strategy, which has seen the Japanese auto giant move slowly on its roll-out of battery electric vehicles, is something Kenta Kon will be looking to “accelerate” as part of a new mission to “re-organise our production models".This could mark a big change for the company. As to what Kon means, he said while Toyota was “fortunate” to be in a financial position to keep providing its buyers the “convenience” of hybrids, going forward the brand will need to undertake a “review of the model mix".“As we pursue along the line of multi-pathway, that will naturally increase the number of models and that means an increase in the number of parts and specifications which will make this even more complex for customers” Kon said.“So I believe that if we can review that complexity, that would have a major impact.”However, responding to a question on globally plateauing EV demand, Kon said the company’s strategy would still include increased battery electric sales.“Whatever the cars that our customers want, we would like to deliver - if our customers want BEVs we will deliver them good BEVs and that will remain the fundamental part of our strategy,” he said.Adding to Kon’s comments, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Toyota, Yoichi Miyazaki, said the company had to “adjust the sales numbers to actual demand and in areas where BEVs will grow".Interestingly, he noted the brand would continue to lean into its joint-venture operations for fully electric sales success.Miyazaki noted China, which is already a “mainstream market to begin with for BEVs” was already a success story for Toyota off the back of its FAW and GAC joint-venture models like the bZ3X.He also said Toyota’s strategy to roll out both its own and joint-developed models with Suzuki will continue in Europe. Interestingly, he also earmarked the USA as having strong potential for battery electric growth.Miyazaki also declared one thing Toyota won’t do as part of its strategy going forward, despite the need to repair its profits.“There was a time when we only pursued volumes. We will never go back to that, and each of our employees understand that,” he said.Stay tuned to see what impacts Toyota's global strategic changes will have on the local product offering, as Australia's new emissions laws for passenger vehicles inevitably have an impact on the brand's line-up.

Vice President of Zeekr Group Mars Chen said a pick-up truck, or ute is certainly not off-the-table for the luxury brand’s future plans.Chen said it is something the company is having an intense discussion about right now.“But for now, it is just a discussion. You know, we want to redefine every single segment. Once we identify the segment, Zeekr will check how disruptive we can be if we enter,” said Chen.“So pick-up… MPV we’ve already done, roadster is also something we haven’t done yet, we’re only five years old, so in the coming years we have the curiosity to do it, but it’s not a concrete thing.”“At this moment, we are definitely focussed on SUV. As you know, SUV and pick-up are the top two segments in Australia, so based on our studies, 9X will enter toward the end of the year, and 8X the beginning of next year. “No doubt we will make it very clear our intention in the SUV segment.”“Hardcore off-road is definitely one direction, and we’re doing the research, but if we create a G-Wagon style, or Box this isn’t clear yet. Even 8X and 9X is not bad for the off-road segment. They’re not so extreme, but they definitely have some capability,” he said.Chen’s desire to set Zeekr apart from rivals may be the one thing that stops a future 4WD or ute.He said Zeekr might not have enough space to manoeuvre to really set itself apart, considering the multitude of new 4WDs and utes coming out of China.“If we cannot create enough differentiation, of course we won’t just follow or replicate .”“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.”He noted in the premium segment, many well-regarded luxury brands were struggling to find traction with once popular offerings. Chen said the exception tended to be boxy off-roaders, with the G-Wagen and Defender in particular performing above similarly priced options from BMW and Audi.“If we want to be in that segment, we need to be a global brand.”He said Zeekr was still compiling “concrete information” on the ute segment to determine its direction, but specifically called out the Ford F-150 as being a volume-leader, perhaps suggesting Zeekr could look to the US-sized pick-up market for inspiration.The brand’s electrified approach, which sees its 8X and 9X SUVs have monstrous power outputs (up to 1030kW/1410Nm) whilst maintaining a powerful but modestly-sized petrol engine (205kW/410Nm), could be more of a circuit breaker in a segment which is still mainly dominated by V6 turbo or V8 petrol engines.Many rival automakers are investigating the potential of range-extender hybrids for large-size pick-up trucks, as is the case with Volkswagen’s re-booted Scout brand for the Americas.There could be more surprises to come if Zeekr chooses to forge down the ute and 4x4 path. One notable display at the Beijing Motor Show was the Geely-aligned Horse Powertrain stand.The company, which is a joint venture between Geely and Renault and exclusively manufactures engines and hybrid powertrains, was displaying a brand new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine mated to a unique four-speed hybrid transmission housing dual electric motors. The brand’s representatives told CarsGuide at the show this set-up is expressly designed for high-output off-road and towing applications, seemingly uniquely suited to any large Geely or Zeekr 4x4 in the future.

I have been to three Chinese motor shows in a row, and all three times have signalled a shift in the calibre of the cars, which are increasingly setting a global agenda.The first time, I wrote of the sheer scale on display from some of the biggest brands and the amount of interest around carmakers BYD, GWM and Nio compared to the stands of Nissan, Toyota and Honda.The Shanghai Motor Show a year later was full of ambitious new products and a lack of fear to try new things on a global stage.But this year’s Beijing Motor Show marked yet another, unexpected shift, which should continue to strike fear into popular incumbents used to topping charts in regions around the world.This time, things were somewhat scaled back. Gone were the weird and whacky Chinese domestic market specials. The stands were slick, professional and showcased a handful of global-market ready models.Above all, the flavour was international. If the previous two motor shows were experimental and expansion themed, respectively the 2026 Beijing Motor Show was an announcement.Chinese automakers aren’t just for China any more. They have their sights well and truly set at topping the charts around the world.The Geely Group stand was happy to show some older cars, such as the Monjaro SUV and Preface sedan, but also ones that were fully prepared for export, with a variety of fresh hybrid powertrains designed to please international buyers and markets with different emissions settings and charging infrastructure.Even the auto giant’s primary reveal was relatively tame, a concept sedan which previewed its new design language but the message was clear - this is our new unified design for the world, not just for China, and it is powertrain agnostic. You’ll know a Geely when you see it, and it will have exactly what you want under the bonnet.The same could be said for most of the other stands I had time to visit. GAC showed off its global market off-road SUV alongside an array of export-ready models, but it was the more obscure once-domestic-only marques like the luxury HongQi and the off-road-focused 212 which had taken a massive step up in terms of the international allure of their stands.Another very telling shift was the renewed interest in brands like Nissan and Toyota. Not so much the globally-recognised versions of these brands, mind you, but their Chinese joint-venture incarnations, which have created quite some hype in the preceding months in markets outside of China.Nissan’s stand went from a sad handful of dated sedan models in previous years, to absolutely heaving with interest thanks to its Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute and just-revealed Terrano SUV.Nissan has unapologetically re-oriented toward its joint-venture with Dongfeng in China for these models, declaring it has to lean on “China Speed” to reignite interest in its otherwise ailing global footprint.Toyota, meanwhile, showed a stand primarily of joint-venture models with BYD and GAC, many of which, it seems, may start to be exported as more of the world seeks a more electrified line-up than the Japanese juggernaut has previously been keen to offer.With context, this shift makes a lot of sense. Domestically, Chinese automakers have been engaged in a brutal price war, as Beijing’s subsidies shift between production of ‘New Energy’ models to the actual sales pipeline, as the government seeks to rapidly get combustion vehicles off the road.The result has seen the biggest players, like BYD, able to use their scale to sell models at extremely sharp prices in order to squeeze rivals on volume, all seemingly with the objective of being one of the last ones standing at any cost. It has seen a massive contraction in the number of automakers able to stay afloat in China, and with a market quickly reaching a point of ‘New Energy’ saturation, many, including BYD, have sought the refuge and higher margins of export markets like Australia.As it turns out, many of these markets have been ripe for the taking, particularly ones with low barriers to entry, incumbent market leaders not used to such competition, and little to no tariffs.It’s no wonder then, that as I walked around the Beijing Motor Show, I very much felt like every automaker was trying to sell me a car, rather than the local standing next to me.

Geely Australia CEO Alex Gu confirmed the brand is working on bringing a three-row SUV to our market in 2027.“This model, we’ll bring next year,” said Gu, when asked if something like the brand's M9 six-seat hybrid SUV was on the cards.“We’re already in the process, it will be a little bit different from M9. The M9 is a six-seater, but we’ll have a more traditional seven-seater.”Gu hinted the M9 (or something like it) will maintain its plug-in hybrid set-up, which it is sold with in China.“I have noticed other Chinese brands right now rely on ICE [internal combustion engine] but we know that the Australian market is an emissions-sensitive market, so Geely doesn’t have any plans to do ICE, but I’m sure you’ve also heard about our plans to do i-HEV," said Gu.“So actually, we benchmarked Toyota for this,” he said. “It’s very friendly for emissions. It around 2.22L/100km, so this is very good.”Gu was confident this incoming plugless hybrid system, which Geely debuted at the Beijing Motor Show, had low enough emissions that it could be kept for the long-term, even as Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) begin to make it difficult for existing plugless systems by 2028.The M9 could form part of a slowly-but-surely new model roll-out for Geely in Australia, as it takes its time observing the strategy of rivals, according to Gu.The three-row SUV, which is sold under Geely’s Galaxy marque in China and was displayed at this year’s Melbourne Motor Show, measures over five meters long with an enormous 3030mm wheelbase.It rides on Geely’s latest space-maximising GEA Evo platform, and pairs a 1.5-litre petrol turbo four-cylinder engine (163kW/255Nm) with an electric motor in the front transaxle for the FWD models (180kW/350Nm), adding dual electric motors on the rear axle in AWD models (170kW/280Nm x2).There is no mechanical connection between the engine and rear axle for the all-wheel drive system, with the maximum system output for FWD models being 300kW/605Nm and the maximum output of the AWD models being 640/1165Nm.The M9 for the Chinese market is offered with two battery packs, either an 18.4kWh or 41.46kWh pack, which are good for 85km and 185km electric only driving range respectively.Combined driving range, also to WLTC testing, is 1140km for the small battery or 1255km for the long range battery. All batteries are sourced from CATL and use an Lithium-Ferro-Phostphate (LFP) chemistry.DC charging speed allows a 30 - 80 per cent charge in 20 minutes for the standard range, or 15 minutes for the long range battery. Even when the battery is at the reserve level, the M9 consumes 5.7L/100km to WLTC testing, and all versions come equipped with 6kW vehicle-to-load.Expect high-end features like every Chinese car, with the M9 having a 15.4-inch multimedia screen, a 12.66-inch digital instrument cluster, with a 32-inch head-up display and 30-inch roof-mounted entertainment screen for rear passengers on high-grade cars.It even offers 328 litres of boot space, even with the third row up, or 1025 litres with the third row down.As for price, the base M9 for the Chinese market starts from around the equivalent of A$40,000, with the top-spec AWD car topping-out around $55,000. With Chinese cars usually attracting a 15 - 20 per cent premium by the time they land in Australia, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see pricing from $50,000 - $75,000, putting it in direct competition with the Hyundai Palisade (plugless hybrid-only - $76,500 - $89,900) and BYD Sealion 8 ($56,990 - $70,990).A plugless hybrid version, which is effectively a scaled-down version of the plug-in system on the Chinese-market car, would be even more affordable again, without the need for the large CATL-sourced battery. Watch this space.

Zeekr is one of the most interesting brands in Australia right now.The Chinese premium arm of Geely, Zeekr skyrocketed from relative obscurity to mainstream acceptance with its sharply priced and nice-to-drive 7X mid-size electric SUV earlier in 2026.Now though, it’s set to make a bigger, bolder impression with a car that's getting an incredible amount of hype.This is the Zeekr 8X. Imagine a Range Rover Sport, but at likely half the price with more innovative features and a sought-after EV-first hybrid powertrain.Sounds like it’s too good to be true? We’ve sampled it briefly in China to find out, so please read on to see what we think. Oh and a side note: Updated timing suggests we won’t see it hit Australian shores until 2027.First up, let’s talk about positioning and price. The thing that surprised me the most about seeing the 8X in the metal is its sheer scale. This is a massive SUV at more than five meters long. It even eclipses the dimensions of fellow five-seat rivals like the Range Rover Sport, having the visage of something that should have three rows of seating.Instead, the 8X leans into gratuitous interior space and an imposing style which will really set it apart on the road.The asking price? Expect the 8X to start north of where the 7X currently tops out, at $72,900, before on-road costs. For reference, in China, the large hybrid SUV starts from the equivalent of $A77,420 to the equivalent of $A106,183, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see prices north of at least $85,000 locally, topping out well in excess of $100,000.Despite its comparatively enormous price, even for the Chinese market, the 8X has generated massive hype there, preselling more than 10,000 units in the first 30 minutes of going on sale in a result the brand will no doubt be hoping to replicate in Australia. The 7X, which also generated quite a bit of hype, managed to amass more than 2000 pre-sales in Australia.One thing's for sure, even at its relatively high price for a Chinese car, the 8X will make a mockery of the pricing of traditional premium rivals. The most affordable hybrid Range Rover Sport comes in at $181,018, while Audi’s plug-in hybrid Q8 is $154,284 and BMW’s X5 xDrive 50e PHEV is $154,900. Mercedes doesn’t even offer a plug-in hybrid GLE in Australia.If the absurdly plush front seats with dash-spanning multimedia screens and even a leather-clad interior console that seems to reference the Porsche Cayenne isn’t enough to convince you, the VIP-style rear seating with electrically adjustable outer seats complete with footrests should seal the deal.In the Chinese domestic market it even has the option of a slide-out drawer in the centre console that acts as a fridge or heater with a temperature range of -6 to +50 degrees celsius, and a drop-down entertainment screen in the roof mounted between two sunroof fittings, both with powered shades.It’s just a lot of car in every way, and will certainly go for shock factor on the showroom floor.Perhaps one of the most interesting things about it is how conventional it feels compared to some of its Chinese-market contemporaries. It gets traditional door handles, a traditional luxury SUV shape, and a relatively tame approach to its switchgear, even maintaining an array of physical controls to go with its very wow-factor software.If it weren’t for the over-the-top screen real estate, this interior could be in any Euro-market SUV.Okay, you’re wondering, but how does it drive?A fair question. After all, the 8X backs its gratuitous interior with a lot of hardware underneath. The Chinese market version of this car is available with either a 55kWh or 70kWh battery (which, if you keep track of this new era, are sizes normally reserved for fully electric vehicles).These offer either 320km or 410km of pure electric driving range, ignoring the fact that this car also packs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine on top.Power is monstrous, starting from a total 660kW/935Nm and topping out at a terrifying 1030kW/1410Nm for the Performance grade. Even the turbo-petrol engine on its own produces an impressive 205kW/410Nm to back the electric motors.The 8X is primarily electrically powered, with either one or two electric motors on the rear axle depending on the grade, and an additional electric motor housed in a hybrid transaxle on the front, which also mates the engine to the front wheels.To drive, the 8X is an impressive machine. We had a brief test on a high-speed brake and acceleration course, which also featured a “moose-test” agility exercise.Despite its enormous kerb weight of at least 2660kg the 8X lurches forward with incredible, silent pace, living up to its claim of 3.7 seconds to 100km. As with previous Zeekr products, the steering is also a highlight, feeling every bit as European (if a little overly electrically assisted) as its Polestar and Volvo cousins.Its sheer heft seems to be its primary vice though. The frequency-responsive suspension took a moment to adjust to a speed bump test, while the test-drive staff stopped the car every lap to check its brakes weren’t overheating from the brake test, despite regen no doubt playing a significant role.At least it rode surprisingly flat and confident through the left-right-left agility test, if anything busting a cheeky touch of oversteer on the way out, putting to bed the idea it would feel front biased despite no mechanical connection from engine to rear wheels.