Kia Ceres Reviews

A new report has shed light on which electric vehicles (EVs) maintain the highest percentage of battery life over time.Swedish car marketplace Carla has published results from a study into battery life of electric cars, using data from 10,000 battery tests on EVs in Sweden between 2022 and 2026.The results may come as a surprise to some, with the best brand for battery health after 10,000km travelled being Kia, and the second best being Hyundai with 96.8 per cent and 95.4 per cent battery health, respectively.The next brands down were premium marques Mercedes-Benz (95 per cent) and BMW (94.5 per cent), with Ford (94.3 per cent) sitting above Geely Group brands Volvo (94.2 per cent) and Polestar (93.7 per cent).Volkswagen Group vehicles took up the next four positions, which in order included Audi (92.9 per cent), Skoda (92.6 per cent), VW (92.4 per cent) and Porsche (90.9 per cent).Tesla, which is often quoted as a brand with impressive battery degradation figures in other studies placed 12th in the Swedish study, with its cars maintaining 90.2 per cent battery health after 10,000km.The grouping of various brands together comes as little surprise given each parent company will source batteries from similar places and use familiar chemistries and heat management methods.Another graph from the same study shows average battery degradation between the first 50,000km (94.39 per cent) and the next 50,000km was negligible, at just over 2 per cent. Average battery health of the 10,000 cars tested by 100,000km was 92.35 per cent.More interesting is the breakdown by model, with the study showing the car with the least overall battery degradation was the Kia Niro EV, which maintained 97.25 per cent of its battery capacity.The Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV6 also scored well, with the next model down being the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar 2.The popular Tesla Model Y also maintained 92.18 per cent of its battery capacity on average over 10,000km, although ranked 18th in the study, below many VW Group, BMW, and Geely Group products.It is worth noting that this study does not simply transfer across to the Australian market. Many of the EVs delivered to Sweden are built in Europe which often use different battery suppliers to the versions of the cars sold here.In addition, Sweden’s cool climate may produce different results to our hot climate, with different demands placed on temperature management systems, and different pressures placed on batteries while discharging or charging.However, more Australian cars using batteries from Chinese suppliers may actually be an advantage. Lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from CATL (China’s largest battery supplier) are now pervasive across EVs from many brands sold in Australia. The Swedish study compared the performance of these Chinese CATL LFP batteries, Korean LG Chem batteries and two different types of Japanese Panasonic batteries, all in the Tesla Model 3 to control for model differences.The CATL cells had the highest average battery health, maintaining 93.3 per cent, the LG Chem cells were next at 91.5 per cent, and the Panasonic NMC batteries ranked lower at 89.8 and 88.2 per cent respectively.One factor worth keeping in mind is BYD’s lack of a major footprint in Sweden despite launching there in 2022, leaving it off the study. Not only does this exclude BYD from the ranking system, but it also leaves its batteries out.BYD sells its signature LFP ‘Blade’ batteries to many brands for cars sold in Australia, including Kia, KGM, and even entry-level versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.The study confirms several things - battery degradation is often over-stated, with almost all cars maintaining over 90 per cent capacity at the 100,000km mark, and newer chemistries and temperature management systems are having a notable improvement on battery life across all makes and models.Previous stories of cars losing up to 50 per cent of their capacity were often limited to early-generation NMC batteries using air-cooled technology. Almost all new EVs sold, particularly in Australia, use liquid-cooled cells.In other good news for Aussie EV owners and those considering a second hand EV, the Carla study is not the first time EV batteries have performed better than expected when surveyed en-masse.In Australia, auction house Pickles recently shared data based on its battery health scoring which showed EVs with between 80- and 120,000km were maintaining a battery health score of around 91 per cent.

A new report from the Australia Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) has shed light over fresh concerns regarding long car repair and refund wait times in Australia.Dealers admitted customers face significant delays to get their cars fixed in Australia, especially EVs. It can take between six and eight weeks for an issue to just be diagnosed due to workshop backlogs.The association said some manufacturing faults can even take months or years to be correctly diagnosedDealers are now refusing to accept tow-ins or diagnostic work for vehicles they did not originally sell due their backlogs.They blamed long wait times on sourcing parts like electric car batteries that cannot be air-freighted and must be shipped instead.Dealers have also pointed the finger at car manufacturers that dispute or mull over approving warranty requests.The report said that only manufacturers can provide remedy for design faults, leaving dealers helpless to appease customer expectations of a swift resolution. The report stated concerns over manufacturers denying reimbursement claims and failing to meaningfully engage with dispute processes. Carmakers are required to make parts and repair available for a reasonable time after purchase, but this is a vague stipulation.The report sets out several Australian Consumer Law reform recommendations to rectify these issues. It said manufacturers should be required to respond to buyback requests within a fixed period.If the manufacturer fails to respond with written confirmation of indemnity, it is deemed to have accepted responsibility. Manufacturers should also be required to join legal tribunal proceedings for alleged manufacturing or systemic defects. The report called for further clarification of consumer guarantees regarding battery degradation and replacement thresholds. This would recognise the inevitable delays of sourcing EV components and developing software solutions.The Australian EV boom is in full swing, with sales surging in the wake of skyrocketing fuel prices and increasingly stringent environment regulations. More EVs will hit the roads in the coming months, with the industry likely to be placed under further strain.

Electric car buyers in Australia are facing a new concern.There are demands for increased responsibilities for car manufacturers to correctly state how long EV batteries should last, according to a report from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA). The report warns that buyers could face a “wave of litigation” when EV batteries need replacement outside of warranty as their cost could exceed the vehicle’s remaining value.One particular dealer said Chinese-built cars are “not holding their charge” or are “blowing up on fire”.The report suggests manufacturers should be required to define acceptable battery thresholds or disclose the expected degradation of a unit. Most batteries carry an eight-year or 160,000km manufacturer warranty, but dealers are looking for greater clarity on what this means.The new initiative would require manufacturers to provide clear indicators of acceptable battery performance.A battery would be considered to be performing at an acceptable level if it has at least 70 per cent of its total capacity remaining after more than eight years, for example. The EV driving range debate continues to rage on and it remains a substantial roadblock for buyers considering switching from petrol- and diesel-powered cars. Many EVs now boast more than 500km of driving range, but people have also started to recognise that most journeys do not require significant amounts of driving. The convenience and accessibility to home and public charging have also increased the convenience of EVs. Reported driving range figures on a particular car can vary greatly depending on the testing cycle used. The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is viewed as the most accurate standard available. Its testing figures often come in noticeably lower than the older New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the even more generous China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC).As much as these systems do their best to mirror real-world driving, they can never be truly accurate because of the different ways people use their cars.Consumers often experience range anxiety or disappointment when EVs fail to achieve the range advertised in brochures, according to AADA. AADA has put forward a series of reforms for the Australian Consumer Law to adopt, but it remains to be seen whether any of these will make their way into legislation. 

Modern-day off-roaders are impressive, no doubt about that: they’re generally quite comfortable on-road and often quite capable off-road.But are they so good at doing 4WD things that they effectively rob any off-roading challenge of, well, the challenge part? Are they such a great blend of driver-assist tech and 4WD mechanicals that the driver is merely along for the ride?Read on.Off-roading in a contemporary off-roader (AWD or 4WD) can be such smooth sailing that you’d be forgiven for thinking “What’s all the fuss about?”Driver-assist tech with direct off-road applications – such as the 360-degree camera or vehicle-info read-out (displaying driveline/diff lock indicators, steering, pitch and roll angles etc) – is taking on ever more significant roles as it all improves.But invasive technology, finely-tuned off-road traction control and even overbearing drive modes can turn what might have been a technically difficult section of 4WDing into almost a point-and-enjoy-the-ride kind of driving experience because new off-roaders are simply that good.Don’t get me wrong, driver-assist tech is great, especially when it works as it should: being consistently effective when it really counts.Off-road traction control, hill-descent control, track cameras, transparent bonnet functions and more are welcome additions to any off-road vehicle.The Kia Tasman is a good example of a 4WD with an off-road traction control system that is so smoothly well calibrated the driver is nigh-on redundant.But if a vehicle’s off-road traction control system is patchy in its application, safe controlled momentum from a reliable base of traction is difficult to accomplish or sustain – and that can be annoying at best and dangerous at worst.The flip-side of that issue is that if the off-road traction control system is so finely tuned the only danger may be that the driver is rendered near-obsolete. The onboard tech does all the thinking for the driver, as well as adjusting engine output, transmission settings and traction control to best suit the terrain. So if you’re the driver you have an existential crisis on your hands in the form of “Why am I even here?”The same goes for hill-descent control; if you’re not in charge of modulating the vehicle’s speed and direction down a hill then shouldn’t you be in a passenger seat enjoying the view?Can you even call yourself a 4WDer if your vehicle does all the work for you?And what if your off-road vehicle has its own eyes watching the track ahead?A track camera (aka 360-degree view camera, or surround-view camera) has the potential to greatly enhance driver vision while you’re 4WDing on bush tracks, cresting steep hills, or traversing sand dunes on beach adventures.What started as more of a novelty for me, the track camera has taken on an increasingly important role. Sure, I still prefer to get out of the vehicle and check the track ahead myself or get a human spotter to do the work for me, but the view afforded by a track camera / 360-degree view camera will usually help the driver to maintain vision, especially if forward visibility is compromised, say for instance up and over the crest of a steep rocky hill, or if your vehicle is edging towards a steep rocky drop into a creek bed and you can’t discern your driving line.Helpful, but still robbing the 4WDer of another bit of responsibility, purpose and challenge.The same can be said for the transparent bonnet function. Can’t figure out what that is even though the tech’s function is literally in its name? (Literally.)Let me explain.This driver-assist tech is designed to help the driver see the correct driving line to take through challenging terrain or over an obstacle without being able to see with their naked eyes what’s under them.Being able to see the track in front of your vehicle is a definite advantage and visibility in some off-roaders is impacted due to the forward-view-restricting design of the cabin or the size of the vehicle’s bonnet, but the transparent chassis function is designed to address that issue.As with onboard cameras, I still prefer to stick my head out the window and have a look at the track, or actually stop the vehicle, get out and have a decent look at the track ahead before I proceed.If your off-road vehicle is working the gears for you, adjusting the speed for you and even looking for you, then how dare you have the audacity to sit in the driver’s seat.The problem with all of this tech – beyond its annoying over-effectiveness – lay in the fact that it’s all more difficult to address failures or damage in the great outdoors than it is to bush-repair an older traditional 4WD.Modern 4WDs are a mass of electronics, sensors, wiring, motherboards etc and those components may be vulnerable to damage, especially in harsh Australian conditions.And the efficacy of driver-assist tech may be impacted by the ingress of bulldust, mud or water. If onboard sensors are compromised or damaged in some way, then you’re at the mercy of nature.Imagine this: You and your family are on a weekend trip away in the bush and you’re currently 80km from the nearest town. You drive through an innocuous-looking creek crossing – the water seems to be about shin-deep. However, some of that muddy water splashes onto one of the vehicle’s onboard sensors and your 4WD automatically goes into the equivalent of ‘limp home’ mode.Bloody uh-oh.Old-school 4WDs can be more easily fixed in remote areas as opposed to trying to get a new vehicle running again which may require someone in your touring group to have a computer engineering degree or have a team of specialists choppered in from Germany.And that’s why old-school 4WDs – or even new old-school 4WDs (like the Suzuki Jimny or Jeep Wrangler) – continue to enjoy such enduring popularity and still fetch sky-high prices on the second-hand market.A real purpose-built 4WD with a full ladder-frame chassis, rigid (live) axles front and rear, and diff locks has always been admired by those in the know; basic and solidly reliable powertrain and mechanical components are the way to go.Any serious 4WDer has a soft spot for something like a Toyota LandCruisers (70, 80,100 Series, anyone?), Nissan Patrol, Land Rover Defender (the old ladder frame kind), Mitsubishi Pajero, even Jeep Gladiator. The old way of doing things is even sought after by some newer examples on the market like the Ineos Grenadier, Jimny and Wrangler.Resolving issues on those old-school 4WDs can be completed with a little bit of common sense, some ingenuity and a bit of hard work. A stack of spares, duct tape, cable ties and some welding skills will help you get a whole lot further than nothing at all and you’ll likely be able to patch up your 4WD, continue your trip and reach civilisation or at least the nearest town.The good news is no matter how clever your off-roader’s software, cameras and sensors are, it’ll still need you to press the ‘Start’ button.Or will it?

This popular small electric SUV is about to get a huge update in Australia.Kia has announced its strong-selling EV3 will be available with all-wheel drive (AWD) from September.The GT-Line AWD will sit at the top of the EV3 range, starting from $66,490, before on-road costs.This is roughly $3500 more than the front-wheel drive (FWD) GT-Line (from $63,950), and almost $20,000 more than the base model.An AWD set-up gives the EV3 the edge over its sister car, the Hyundai Kona Electric that remains FWD-only, with its premium variant priced from $60,000.AWD is rare in small electric SUVs, with the new Subaru Uncharted one of few notable examples and wears a $59,990 price tag.Many of the EV3’s budget competitors such as the BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990) and Geely EX5 (from $41,990) are also FWD-only.Driving range on electric AWD cars tends to be less than FWD models because they require more power and are heavier, but not the EV3.The EV3 AWD gets the same 81kWh battery as other EV3s, which delivers a driving range of 559km, according to WLTP standards. This is only 4km less than the front-wheel drive GT-Line.Power comes from a dual-electric motor system producing 195kW and 385Nm, which is a decent step up on the single motor 150kW/283Nm set-up in other variants. It completes the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint in 6.6 seconds. The car gets other upgrades, including larger brakes and suspension and steering tuned for Australian conditions.There is a single screen on the inside consisting of a 12.3-inch driver display and 12.3 multimedia screen. It also features a head-up display.It gets a premium eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, with heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. There is a wireless phone charger and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.The EV3 is Kia’s second-best selling EV behind the EV5 currently, and was one of the brand’s best-selling models in June.It was awarded the Best Small Car Starting Under $50,000 at the 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year awards.2027 Kia EV3 GT pricing  

The winds of change are blowing a gale through the Australian car industry, as new brands and vehicles whizz past old favourites on the sales charts.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries boss Tony Weber said the June result was a paradigm shift for the new vehicle market. “The Australian automotive market has shifted on its axis during the first months of 2026. This year is likely to represent a significant turning point for the Australian automotive industry,” said Weber.BYD is officially a category five storm blowing in the direction of Toyota, Ford, Mazda and others that have dominated the top five selling brands for the past decade.BYD sold 18,881 new cars in June, all of them either electric or plug-in hybrids. This brought its three month total to 34,794 after its much ballyhooed effort to send its own ships packed to the gills with cars to Australia.Toyota had battened down the hatches in June and fortified itself against the fierce onslaught of BYD. It managed 19,124 sales in the past month to hold on to first place.It is understood that Toyota has increased supply going forward and is planning a monster second half of the year.Ford bounced back to third place with 9181 sales. Tesla came roaring up behind the Blue Oval with 8670 sales in June, which is impressive considering it only sells two vehicles.The Tesla Model Y was the best selling vehicle in the country with 8072 examples finding a home in the past month.Stablemates Kia (8005) and Hyundai (7480) held firm in fifth and sixth spots, while Mazda slid down to seventh (7278).Chinese brands finished out the top 10 with GWM (6104), MG (5001) and Chery (4505) muscling out old favourites Mitsubishi (4150), Subaru (2902) and Nissan (2337).A few other Chinese brands are lurking outside the top 10, with Geely 13th with 3507 sales and Chery’s Omoda Jaecoo sub brand 15th after moving 2541 units.Utes still delivered strong results, which is typical for the End of Financial Year period.The Toyota HiLux was the Japanese brand’s best selling model with 5175 sales, and Ford’s Ranger was the second best selling model overall with 5999 sales. BYD’s plug-in hybrid Sark 6 ute was its second best selling model, with 3398 sales.Top 10 selling car brands, June 2026 Top 10 selling vehicles, June 2026  

A little over three months has come and gone and I’m parting ways with the Kia EV3 GT-Line.The little electric SUV was awarded Best Small Car Starting Under $50,000 at CarsGuide’s 2026 Car of the Year awards in February. But living with a car really reveals its strengths and weaknesses. Is the EV3 still deserving of the title?There are a lot of items in the positive column for the EV3, but it’s not without its flaws.I’ve covered a lot of this in my first two review instalments with the first one looking at how it stacks up for value-for-money, especially compared to its rivals, and what the aftersales experience is like.Part two focused on how practical the EV3 is, as well as looking at efficiency.In this final instalment I deep dive into the drive experience and give my final verdict.Let’s get to it!Kia’s current model line-up is pretty solid. I’m yet to drive a modern Kia that’s not great behind the wheel. From the K4 and Sportage through to the Sorento and even the Tasman ute, Kia knows how to build a driver’s car.That’s helped by the fact Kia continues to develop local ride, handling and steering tunes through a dedicated localisation program led by renowned specialist, Graeme Gambold.The purpose of this is to improve the global tune of a model to ensure it performs well on Australian roads.Thankfully the EV3 doesn’t deviate from this proven formula. While many EVs can feel like generic whitegoods on wheels, the EV3 engages the driver. It’s not a performance car, but it’s engineered to add some joy to the small electric SUV set.It is an SUV so you do get some level of ride height in the EV3, and the amount of seat and steering wheel adjustment means you should easily find your perfect driving position. Visibility is mostly good, too.One thing the EV3 does well is accelerate. So many EVs have an unnecessary amount of power and torque and when paired with cheap tyres, it results in chirping tyres and an unpleasant experience.But with 150kW and 283Nm from the permanent magnet synchronous motor, the EV3 GT-Line delivers smooth, linear acceleration. It’s not jerky, just pleasant, and will dash from 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds, which is more than fine.Do note though the tyres can spin when accelerating too enthusiastically in wet conditions.Steering has a light feel but it is sharp and engaging. With a 10.4-metre turning circle, the 4.3-metre long EV3 GT-Line is also a dream to park. You can easily navigate tight urban streets and small parking spaces. The only letdown on that front is the fact that there’s no front parking camera or a surround camera view. This is a surprise, especially for the flagship grade.The EV3 doesn’t feel top-heavy in corners so there’s minimal body roll. That can make driving on a dynamically challenging road more fun than you might think. Again, it’s no hot hatch, but there’s enough there to keep you interested.The ride is compliant and the EV3 handles crappy Australian roads pretty well. There’s that local tune shining again. It’s hard to escape the impact of harsher bumps, but day to day it’s hard to fault.However, on undulating patches of country roads at speed, the EV3 bounces a little. That’s when you feel the two-tonne weight of this car. This sensation is not unusual for an EV with the battery pack under the floor. But, carmakers are getting better at addressing this so it is something for Kia to work on.In the three-and-a-bit months I have lived with the EV3, I have done multiple country road trips and with the exception of a few things like the aforementioned bounciness, it’s proven to be an excellent highway, freeway and backroad cruiser. It has surprised me how at home it feels on a road trip.It’s, unsurprisingly, a deeply competent city car as well. Not just on the road, but the overall interior packaging I detailed in part two, as well.The Kia EV3 was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2025. It scored pretty well across all four crash categories, including 83 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 86 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 78 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 81 per cent for Safety Assist which covers advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).I detailed the standard safety equipment in part one of the review series and it’s packed with gear, although the lack of front camera or spare tyre let it down a little.On the road, the lane keeping aid is okay - not perfect, not terrible. It does tug at the wheel a little too much to keep you in the lane, and it tends to drift to the left more often than not. But it’s the other driver aids that leave a bad taste.The overly sensitive overspeed warning is infuriating. If left on, it beeps loudly as soon as you’re 1.0km over the limit and doesn’t shut up. Thankfully you can turn the overspeed warning off by holding the steering wheel volume button for a few seconds.In ridiculous news, the driver attention and distraction monitor is distracting. It beeps even when you’re not remotely distracted. For example, when checking your blind spot or looking left at an intersection. It has even activated when I've been staring straight ahead and not at all tired.To turn this off, you have to create a shortcut via the ‘favourite’ icon on the wheel to ADAS in the Settings menu, select Driver Attention and turn two toggles off. I also turned the overspeed warning off while I was in this menu as it made more sense.The problem is, I had to do this every single time I drove this car. If a safety feature is distracting, is it safe? No, it’s not.I appreciate Kia is far from alone and there are plenty of brands that have awful calibrations of these systems. Sister brands Hyundai and Genesis use the same systems and deserve a dressing down, too. But Kia was once a leader in this technology and now it’s worse than many new Chinese brands on this front.Most European carmakers and some Japanese brands have managed to develop this tech so it doesn’t annoy the driver. It can be done. Kia, please look into this.I didn’t drive as much in the final month as I did in previous months, but I ended up with an average energy efficiency figure of 16.6kWh/km. That’s a little more than Kia’s official claim of 16kWh, but not by much. Over the three months, it’s stuck pretty closely to the claim and there’s no reason to doubt these figures.According to our calculations, this month’s real-world driving range was 470km, factoring in useable capacity and efficiency.Each time I charged at home using our 7.0kW wallbox the screen would show a figure in the high 500s, which is ideal for city driving and the odd road trip. Acquired: February 2026Distance travelled this month: 355kmOdometer: 7286kmAverage energy consumption this month: 16.6kWh/100km

Kia’s hybrid revolution is picking up pace.The South Korean giant is preparing its new Sportage mid-size family SUV for 2027, and it is likely to follow in the footsteps of the smaller Seltos.Kia’s new Seltos, which is due in Australia later this year, will only use hybrid power as it prepares to wean itself off petrol.The new Sportage is expected to follow suit and go hybrid only. It is expected to come as a conventional self-charging hybrid and as a plug-in hybrid.Now the new Sportage has been spotted testing wearing heavy camouflage in Korea by YouTube channel Healer TV, which puts it on track to enter production late next year.Digital artist AutoYa on YouTube has given a glimpse of what the next-gen Sportage could look like.It borrows heavily from the new Seltos, with its flush door handles, floating roofline and new rear taillight design. Its headlights are borrowed the bigger Telluride, but there is a strong chance it will grab the 'star map lighting' from the Seltos instead.It is also expected to grow in all directions, just like the Seltos, and because new-generation cars seldom get smaller.There aren’t any official details yet, but we can look at the incoming new Hyundai Tucson that shares the same platform as the Sportage.The Tucson is due to break cover this year and is expected to be available with only hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.The current Tucson comes with a conventional plugless hybrid set-up, which uses a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and a motor to produce 172kW and 367Nm.Hyundai offers a plug-in hybrid version of the mid-sizer overseas already.It uses a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 185kW and 367Nm, paired with a circa 13kWh battery that delivers an electric driving range of about 50km.Buyers should expect driving range to at least double and performance to grow to match the new wave of Chinese rivals.We also know the Tucson, and likely the Sportage, will get a massive 17-inch central multimedia screen and a 9.9-inch digital driver display. This is a move away from the brand’s current dual 12.3-inch screens.Thankfully it appears the carmakers will resist the urge to move all the controls within the touchscreen and will maintain physical buttons and dials, as seen in spy shots of the new Tucson interior.

Fuel prices in Australia are about to rise again. The federal government has announced the Fuel Excise cut will continue at a lower rate until the start of August.The original 50 per cent discount equated to 32 cents per litre off fuel prices, but this was due to end on the 30th of June.The government will now extend a smaller discount of 16 cents per litre until the 2nd of August. This announcement means fuel prices will increase across the board in addition to any other fluctuations from external factors. A 16 cent increase will see diesel fuel prices increase back above the $2 per litre mark across the country, having been more than $3 per litre at times over the past few months. The diesel-powered Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes remain two of the best-selling cars in Australia.E10 petrol will also creep up towards the $2 point as a result of this decreased discount. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not ruled out further extensions to the Fuel Excise discount in the future if circumstances require it. "Of course we do live in a volatile world. Were there to be a massive global shock, my government will always respond,” Mr Albanese told Sky News. The news comes as rumours of an end to the Iran war heat up, with the conflict being the key driver of high fuel prices. There is still no freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz - the key gateway for many ships carrying oil globally.It has seen electric vehicle uptake in Australia soar, with budget Chinese options like the Jaecoo J5 EV and Geely EX5 growing by more than 200 per cent between May and June 2026. Tesla experienced a record-breaking month in May, shifting 6433 units - its highest sales number since the Electric Vehicle Council started collecting data. The government will also increase the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge to 16 cents per litre, with it being free since April. 

The 2026 Kia PV5 Cargo is the first time Kia’s built an electric van, and it’s coming with a futuristic design, low price, and competitive electric driving range to take on rivals like the VW ID.Buzz Cargo, the Renault Kangoo E-Tech or Peugeot E-Partner. We took a test drive at the Australian launch in Sydney’s industrial inner-south to find out how the PV5 handles its intended environment.