Kia Telluride Reviews

Hybrid power is now mainstream for Aussie buyers.  It's an important choice for buyers transitioning from petrol- and diesel-powered cars to full EVs.Hybrid-powered cars are also important for brands as they seeks alternatives to internal combustion cars that incur fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).There are broad categories of hybrid cars in Australia, and each one has its own benefits for buyers.Here's a look at what hybrids are available, and which one might suit you best.Mild hybrid power is the first stage of electrification for cars.Mild hybrid cars can't drive on EV power alone, because they only use a small, low-voltage battery (usually) 48-volt, with a less than 1kWh capacity.The electric motor usual powers certain electrical features and the starter motor.They don't need to be charged, but they also don't offer noticeably better fuel efficiency than standard petrol- and diesel-powered cars.The popular Toyota HiLux ute is available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, while Suzuki and Renault offer mild hybrid set-ups on some of their models.Conventional hybrid, plug-less hybrid or self-charging hybrid cars are popular in Australia.The engine works seamlessly with a bigger electric motor to maximise fuel efficiency.A conventional hybrid usually runs on electric-only power at low speeds or for short distances when cruising at higher speeds. The engine will kick in at higher speeds or when more power is needed, blending petrol and electric power.This makes fuels efficiency in urban environments or star-stop traffic better than what a petrol- or diesel-powered car would achieve.The battery in a conventional hybrid is charged by the engine and from regenerative braking, meaning the car doesn't need to be plugged in.The conventional hybrid car's battery is smaller than those in plug-in hybrid and fully-electric cars, and still requires a petrol engine to run.Toyota provides conventional hybrid set-ups on the vast majority of its Australian line-up, including its RAV4 SUV and Camry sedan.Other popular brands Kia, Hyundai and others also have affordable conventional hybrid variants on its popular models.Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs take hybrid power to the next level because they are equipped with a much larger battery and a more powerful electric motor set-up.PHEVs have a long electric-only driving range, with some capable of exceeding 200km, before the engine is needed to drive the wheels. Most new PHEVs have an EV range of at least 100km.This means daily commuters will rarely have to fill-up on fuel if they charge the battery every night.PHEVs also boast significant combined driving range as they have a regular sized fuel tank to power the engine, resulting in ranges of north of 1000km before the fuel tank and battery are depleted.Carmakers often claim PHEVs drink less than 2.0L/100km of fuel, but that requires owners to constantly charge their batteries and never let it deplete.Once the battery is depleted fuel use will skyrocket, as the small engine has to move around a heavy vehicle weighed down by the battery and electric motors.PHEVs suit a buyer with access to charging facilities, who also want outstanding fuel efficiency.Bigger Chinese vehicles usually employ PHEV set-ups, including the BYD Shark 6 ute and incoming Zeekr 8X and 9X.Range-extender hybrids, also known as Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV) or Extended-Range Electric vehicle (EREV), are gaining popularity globally.They are feature similar hardware to PHEVs, but work in a different way.The engine in a REEV's is used as a generator for charging the battery, and the wheels are driven by the electric motor, or motors, only.REEV's have an EV-sized battery that can also be plugged in to charge, giving these cars a driving range comfortably exceeding 1000km.Leapmotor's B10 and C10 SUVs use REEV set-ups in Australia, but the incoming Forthing Taikon 5 and the XPeng L03 will also employ the set-up when they hit showrooms.Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ hybrid system in the X-Trail and Qashqai SUVs employ REEV tech on a smaller scale, using the engine to power a small battery that powers the wheels, but this battery cannot be plugged in to charge.

If you’re an EV buyer in 2026, you need to know about this. The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) has revealed the state of play for electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Australia in 2026. This is the 10th year of the ‘State of EVs’ report as more buyers bought EVs than ever before Down Under. The report analysed the 2025-26 financial year, and how buyer trends and infrastructure, among other things, have changed in that time. It called for several policy reforms, including targeted equity-based policy to assist economically-disadvantaged Aussies reap the benefits of EV driving.Australia’s charging landscape is diverse, it is also complex and fragmented and needs major investment, according to the report. In June 2026, there were 4268 public charging locations, which is 235 per cent more than June 2025There were 11,602 public charge points in June 2026, up 175 per cent compared to June 2025The EVC said there needs to be more research into how owners charge EVs and where they need them most. “Australia still needs substantial public charging investment, but the task is not as simple as just installing more fast chargers,” the report reads.  “Most charging happens where vehicles already park—at homes, apartment buildings, workplaces, destinations, kerbsides and depots.”The report calls for a nationally-coordinated charging roadmap and scaled infrastructure deployment.This news comes after NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury told CarsGuide in December 2025 Australia’s charging infrastructure was lagging behind. “We’re nowhere near. We’ve got nowhere near enough public charging,” NRMA spokesperson Khoury said. “There are lots of areas that don’t have energy that comes from outside the energy grid so you’ve got to create energy sources at those locations.”The EVC is calling for the government to implement a range of new rules in Australia. It wants a targeted equity-based policy to help all Australians use EVs and take advantage of the cost savings with EV adoption.The report states that EVs have lower running costs than petrol- and diesel-powered cars, with less maintenance, seeing a typical driver saving roughly $3000 per year. The EVC said this figure did not include the substantial increases to fuel prices in 2026, with savings calculated today even higher. It said the federal government needs to implement an updated New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) for cars sold beyond 2029 to align with 2035 emissions reduction targets. NVES is a set of emissions rules that imposes fines on cars sold that emit high levels of CO2 into the atmosphere. Developing a car takes a brand several years to complete, meaning carmakers need to know the rules these models will need to follow.It also said there should be a national road-user charge that does not deter EV uptake.This would differ from the current system proposed by the New South Wales government from 2027 that the EVC said would slow EV sales.The New South Wales government wants a road user charge to make up for lost fuel excise revenue and ensure all road users contribute to maintenance. The EVC found a fully-electric or PHEV car was bought every 100 seconds on average in the first half of 2026, with one in four new car sales using an electric powertrain.The report reads cost-of-living pressures, soaring fuel prices and greater EV choice has contributed to a sharp increase in electric car uptake in 2026. Fully-electric and PHEV sales accounted for 25.8 per cent of new car sales up to June 2026, increasing from 12.1 per cent up to June 2025There are 196 combined full EV and PHEV models on sale, compared to 153 models in 2025There were 157,957 electric and PHEV sales in H1 2026, up 177 per cent from H1 2025Australia’s EV uptake is now in line with the global average, according to the International Energy Agency“So, at a time when fuel prices are fluctuating and cost-of-living continues to bite, it’s no surprise that EVs have become a popular choice,” the report states. “As of June 2026, drivers have never had a greater choice of EVs in Australia.”Australia recently got its new cheapest electric car in the BYD Atto 1 that is being offered from $19,990 (drive-away) until December, 15 2026.

Australia is about to receive a wave of new EVs before the end of 2026.EV sales are surging in Australia as brands beef-up their line-ups to provide further choice.Here is a look at some of the best models still to arrive this year.GAC will launch an ultra-affordable variant of its Aion UT electric hatchback before the end of 2026.This Standard Range variant is priced similar to the popular Geely EX2 that starts from $26,490 (before on-road costs).It should start at less than $30,000 drive-away when it gets here, given the current variant on sale starts from $31,990 (drive-away).It’s equipped with a 44kWh battery instead of a 60kWh unit, offering a driving range of 320km, compared to 430km, according to WLTP standards.GAC hasn’t confirmed performance output yet, but in China its front-mounted electric motor produces 100kW and 145Nm, which is less than the 150kW/210Nm available now.Kia will introduce its first fully-electric people mover, the PV5 Passenger, to the Australian market in 2026.The PV5 Passenger is the people mover variant of the PV5 Cargo already on sale Down Under. Its performance matches the PV5 Cargo, with a single electric motor making 120kW/250Nm and its 71.2kWh battery expected to offer around 416km of range (WLTP).Kia hasn’t provided a more specific launch date than Q4 2026, but it’s likely to be closer to December.The Korean brand hasn’t revealed pricing yet either, but Cargo starts from $55,990 (before on-road costs), so buyers can expect the more expensive Passenger variant to sit between $60,000 to $70,000.The much-anticipated Zeekr 7GT wagon is due to land in Australian showrooms in Q4 2026.The fully-electric Euro-styled wagon will target a similar reception to its 7X mid-size SUV sibling that has taken the Aussie market by storm so far. The 7GT is available in a rear-wheel drive configuration, making 310kW/440Nm, as well as an all-wheel drive variant, with 475kW/710Nm. We still don’t know how much it will cost, but it could sit around the $55,000 mark, coming in cheaper than the 7X SUV.XPeng is looking to make the most of its new factory-backed operation Down Under.The brand will launch its L03 electric mid-size SUV in December 2026, priced from $41,900 (before on-road costs). This means it’s cheaper than the Tesla Model Y ($58,900) and the Zeekr 7X ($57,900), while matching the Geely EX5’s starting price ($41,900). The L03 comes as standard with a single electric motor, producing 163kW/280Nm, and a 445km driving range from its 58kWh battery. There will also be a hybrid range-extender variant of the car that uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine to charge the battery and a single electric motor, making 178kW/280Nm.An updated Chery E5 small SUV will hit Aussie showrooms in late 2026.The E5’s budget-friendly status pits it against the BYD Atto 3 ($41,990) and Jaecoo J5 ($36,990, drive-away). It offers the same performance as its outgoing model, with 155kW and 288Nm, while its 59kWh battery offers 430km of WLTP driving range. It now has a larger 15.6-inch central touchscreen display and an auto-dimming mirror.The EX60 is the fully-electric counterpart to the XC60 - Volvo’s best-selling car of all time.The mid-size SUV will start from $86,900, and will tackle the BMW iX3 ($89,990) in the increasingly competitive electric SUV segments. The RWD variant produces 275kW/480Nm, while the AWD makes 375kW/710Nm. Performance increases up to 500kW and 680Nm on the more expensive P12 variant due in 2027. Its initial variants will be equipped with either an 83kWh battery offering 610km or a 95kWh unit offering 660km of range, according to WLTP standards.GWM is about to launch a new hatchback variant of its Ora 5 EV in Australia. The Ora 5 hatch will rival the BYD Dolphin and MG4 Urban in the affordable EV space. It’s expected to have the same single motor found in the SUV variant, making 150kW/260Nm. GWM has confirmed it has a 58kWh battery with a 435km driving range (WLTP). 

EV prices are at an all-time low for Aussie buyers. The BYD Atto 1 is available from $19,990 (drive-away) until 15 December 2026, making it the most affordable new car on sale in Australia. This makes it cheaper than the petrol-powered Kia Picanto hatch that previously held the title.While the Kia Picanto’s retail $19,190 price is lower, this does not include on-road costs that push its drive-away cost in excess of the $20,000 mark.Other budget-focused players are also gathering steam like the Geely EX2 ($26,490), MG4 Urban (from $29,990 as a limited offer) and the incoming GAC Aion UT Standard Range.It's not just affordable EVs getting cheaper, SUV segments aren't far behind.Fuel prices have driven EV demand, but government rules are having a different sort of impact. The Australian federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) has brands seriously thinking about what models they introduce to the market Down Under. This is because cars sold that emit high levels of CO2 now incur significant fines, and count towards each brand's fleet total.Pure combustion cars, whether they are petrol or diesel powered, generally fall foul of emissions regulations which has seen brands remove those models from their line-up in favour of hybrid or fully-electric alternatives. Head of the EV Council and Origin Energy E-mobility GM Chau Le told CarsGuide NVES was driving competitive pricing for electric vehicles in Australia. “Thanks to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, we now have over 100 EV models in Australia and across quite a number of segments from affordable, smaller cars all the way to larger SUVs,” Le said. “In each of these segments, EVs are becoming competitive, but we're not quite there yet in some of the segments. “We're still a bit out, but with more EV models coming in and improvement in battery technology, it's only a matter of time until we're competitive across all segments.”Kia Australia’s General Manager Marketing Dean Norbiato told CarsGuide in May 2026 the Korean brand was pivoting its popular Seltos SUV to hybrid-only due to potential NVES fines. The outgoing Seltos SUV is sold in Australia with both petrol- and hybrid-powered set-ups. “You just have to look at the penalties for NVES on a petrol vehicle versus a hybrid vehicle," Norbiato said. “For us to be a sustainable OEM in this market, hybrid obviously makes sense from that standpoint.”Kia's sister brand, Hyundai, has also signalled its intent to switch much of its incoming range of next-generation vehicles to hybrid-only.Expanding EV options doesn't automatically boost buyer demand, according to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries Chief Executive Tony Weber. “The impact it has had has been on the supply of vehicles. And we now are in a market in Australia where there's 132 EVs on sale in the country, and there's 80 plug-in hybrid models,” Weber told CarsGuide. “What NVES doesn't do is address the demand issue. And therein lies the challenge for the industry.”Electric car sales are not surging in all areas of the market, and the ute segment is still dominated by diesel-powered options.  The popular Ford Ranger had a slow August 2026 due to an ongoing recall preventing deliveries. It was still the sixth best-selling car in the country, while the Toyota HiLux held a place in the top three. The plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 has been a game-changer for the segment in Australia, and it has been one of the few utes to see sales growth in the last 12 months. Even though the Shark 6’s sales have grown significantly, buyers are still primarily choosing diesel options. BYD’s ute has sold only roughly a third of the units compared to the Ranger in 2026. Weber said demand is not driven by NVES, but external factors like the price of petrol and the subsidisation of EVs.He said the technology needs to be available before buyers make the jump.“Now, you can argue, and quite rightly, that NVES has had an impact, say in the ute market, because we're now seeing plug-in hybrids,” Weber said. “The question I have is whether those products would have come to the market anyway, because what also drives change in markets is competition."I think people will buy the car that meets their needs and wants and until the technology can actually satisfy those people in those segments, that will limit what they buy. “This is one of the great barriers as we move forward on that pathway to zero-emission vehicles.”Electric cars outsold petrol- and diesel-powered cars for the first time in a single month in August 2026.The SUV segment has been the latest to see a surge in EV sales, with three of the top 10 for August 2026 being fully-electric. SUVs show how technology reaches an enticing level to boost buyer demand. Many models now boast driving range exceeding 450km and there are now three-row options at more price points. Utes remain a difficult segment for fully electrics to crack, with towing and driving range key aspects of a buyer’s decision.  The BYD Shark 6 initially launched with a 2500kg braked towing capacity - short of the industry standard 3500kg. BYD has since introduced a performance grade that reaches the 3500kg, but it is the most expensive in the range, starting from $62,900. The Toyota HiLux BEV launched in May 2026. It only offers a 240km (WLTP) driving range and a 2000kg towing capacity, despite being the most expensive variant in the range ($74,990).The recently-revealed MG U9 will launch in Australia the fourth quarter of 2026 with a 3500kg towing capacity and 430km driving range, but it carries a $78,990 price tag.It costs buyers noticeably more money to drive out of the showroom with an electric ute than a diesel-powered one.As technology improves and demand picks up, this gap will shrink. 

Kia has added another pure-electric van to its light commercial line-up with the larger PV7 joining the recently-released PV5.Unveiled at this week’s IAA Transportation exhibition in Hannover, Germany the newcomer is underpinned by the same ‘E-GMP.S’ 800-volt platform as its smaller sibling with Kia Australia confirming the PV7 will launch locally in late 2027.Presented in Cargo commercial and multi-row Passenger variants, Kia said the PV7 is designed for “fleet, logistics and shuttle operations to small- and medium-sized businesses and personal mobility.”Currently offered in Cargo (van) form here, the PV5 is due to be joined by a seven-seat Passenger (people mover) version in Australia before the end of 2026.Available globally with a choice of 71.5kWh and 96.2kWh NCM (nickel cobalt manganese) batteries the PV7’s powertrain delivers up to 200kW/420Nm to the front wheels, with an all-wheel drive variant “planned as a future addition”.The PV7 Long Range Cargo boasts a 460km-plus WLTP range and its 800V electric architecture enables 10-80 per cent charging in around 25 minutes using a 350kW DC fast charger.Kia plans to expand the PV7 line-up to 23 variants globally following its 2027 launch to include Cargo (Compact, Long, High Roof) and Passenger (Compact, Long) variants, a Cab Chassis for specialist applications and a range of conversion models.The next size up PV9, also riding on the E-GMP.S platform is set to further expand Kia’s PBV (Platform Beyond Vehicle) line-up in 2029.The PV7 Cargo is available in two- and three-seat configurations globally, the Long model offering up to 6.1m³ (VDA) of cargo space with the High Roof upping capacity to 8.0m³. Maximum payload for the PV7 Cargo Long is 1165 kg which also features a 550mm load height and capacity for up to three (800×1200mm) Euro pallets.Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality enables the PV7 to power and charge tools, business equipment and other devices and Kia said floor materials can be tailored to different applications, with a choice of dual ‘twin-swing’ rear doors for confined spaces or a conventional lift-up tailgate.The PV7 Passenger is designed for crew transport, shuttle and rental services, tourism and family use and can accommodate up to nine occupants (with an 11-passenger version offered in Korea).Unveiling the PV7, Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song said, “By bringing together hardware developed for specific applications, business-tailored software and dedicated PBV services, the PV7 goes beyond the vehicle itself to deliver a complete business solution that helps customers achieve greater productivity, flexibility and long-term value.”Confirming its Q4 2027 launch, Kia Australia said, “Like any other local Kia product, PV7 will undergo our extensive ride & handling program, ensuring it suits local roads and conditions.”The company said further details on local trim variants, features and pricing will be announced in due course.

Kia has sharpened the price for one of its most popular SUVs.The outgoing version of the Kia Seltos is now in run-out in Australia and the company is offering a series of drive-away pricing offers.These drive-away pricing offers span the entire line-up and are valid until September 30 and while dealer stock lasts.With this in mind, the 2026 Kia Seltos line-up is currently priced as follows:Kia Seltos S FWD: $33,990Kia Seltos Sport FWD: $37,590Kia Seltos Sport+ FWD: $40,690Kia Seltos Sport+ AWD: $43,940Kia Seltos GT-Line FWD: $46,790Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD: $49,640All prices are drive-awayBeyond the Seltos, Kia Australia is offering plenty of other offers and deals on the Picanto, Stonic, K4, EV3, EV4, EV5, Sportage, Sorento, Carnival and Tasman.The outgoing Kia Seltos is currently available in four trim levels - S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line.All versions are available with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 110kW and 180Nm. It’s mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with drive sent to the front wheels only.The Sport+ and GT-Line trims can also be had with a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 146kW and 265Nm. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.There is no hybrid powertrain available, like many of its rivals, but this will change with the new-generation model that will land soon.The outgoing Kia Seltos first launched in 2019 and it received a facelift in 2022.A new-generation model was revealed in 2025 and will launch in Australia before the end of 2026.Locally this new-generation model will be hybrid-only and be direct competition to the Toyota Corolla Cross and Hyundai Kona, among others.According to local approval filings, both front- and all-wheel drive hybrid versions have been approved for sale.Both come with a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor set-up. Total system output is 118kW for the front-wheel drive and 169kW for the all-wheel drive.The Kia Seltos has historically been one of the South Korean carmaker’s best-selling vehicles.In 2025 a total of 9223 Seltos examples were sold, which is up 18.6 per cent year-on-year. It was only outsold by the Kia Carnival (10,948 sales) and the Sportage (19,137 sales).Until the end of August, a total of 4458 examples have been sold, which is down 27.3 per cent year-on-year.For context, a total of 16,916 Hyundai Kona examples, 15,033 GWM Haval Jolion examples, 11,822 MG ZS examples, 8779 Toyota Corolla Cross examples and 5210 Subaru Crosstrek examples were sold over the same period.

LG has made a battery breakthrough that could bring down the costs of electric cars further, as the race to develop more efficient technology heats up.Electrical technology company LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have announced a breakthrough in the development of Lithium Manganese-Rich (LMR) batteries. The breakthrough ensures better stability of the battery making it recharge more fully, lengthening its life time while also reducing the costs of production.You’ve heard of Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate batteries (LFP) and Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) batteries, well LMR batteries are the next generation of how electric cars will store their power.As the name suggests, LMR batteries contain lithium and manganese metals, but the advantages to them are hard to ignore.LMR batteries are super energy dense, which means they can be used for high performance cars that want colossal grunt, and for long driving ranges for everyday cars. They also don’t contain cobalt.  Currently cobalt is of great ethical concern regarding how it’s mined, the environmental factors of the material and the sheer cost. OK, we’re going to get a bit technical. So hold on. A barrier for LMR batteries until now is the recharging issues - they require a tonne of voltage to charge, but this destabilises the cathode and that means oxygen is lost and this causes the crystals to warp. Basically, the battery loses the ability to hold its charge over time, while capacity also fades. LG has worked out how to build LMR batteries that don’t need a high voltage to charge and this retains the structural integrity of the crystal structure and so there’s minimal battery fade over time.This is huge, but it’s very early days and the development is still in the research phase. LG is celebrating the breakthrough.“This research addresses one of the key challenges facing LMR batteries,” an LG Energy Solution spokesperson said in a press statement. “It demonstrates that stable battery life can be secured even in large-format cells by effectively suppressing gas generation, providing an important foundation for growth in the next-generation LMR battery market.”    Currently NMC batteries, which use cobalt are in high-powered or bigger cars that demand lots of grunt. Autobahn cruisers like the Porsche Taycan, big family SUVs, such as the Kia EV9 or long-legged EVs such as the Zeekr 7X need NMC batteries to provide substantial range and power.But NMC batteries are also why these vehicles are so expensive - the high cost of producing them from sourcing materials to making them is passed onto the consumer.LFP batteries don’t use cobalt, which is excellent, but they aren’t as energy dense as NMC batteries and that’s adequate for small cars and suburban family SUVs, but more range and power would be better.LMR batteries could replace LFP and NMC altogether, and this will reduce the price of EVs while ensuring long range and good driving performance, while not losing charging capacity over time.That’s why LG is celebrating this breakthrough and you can bet car companies will be watching the progress very closely. 

Kia’s updated family SUV is edging closer to Australia.More details of the new-generation Kia Sportage are starting to appear as it gears up to reignite its rivalry with the Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV4.The Kia Sportage shares many of its underpinnings with the closely-related Hyundai Tucson that has just been revealed with a bold new design overseas, which gives us clues on what to expect.The new Sportage could have some big changes in store as Kia prepares to unveil its new family SUV.The Sportage is currently available in Australia with petrol, diesel and conventional hybrid set-ups.Kia has been placing increased emphasis on hybrid power in Australia as it grapples with the impacts of potential fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).Kia announced its smaller Seltos SUV would only be a hybrid-only model to appease emissions rules, ditching its petrol-only variant in Australia. The Sportage should follow the same path.Hybrid Sportage variants are more popular compared to petrol and diesel versions, which should light the way forward for the Korean brand to go hybrid-only.Kia also introduced a cheaper hybrid grade of the Sportage earlier this year, further expanding its petrol-electric lineup.The current hybrid Sportage uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and electric motor, making 169kW and 350Nm.It's realistic to expect the Sportage will employ a similar set-up when it arrives here.Digital renders from artist AutoYa on YouTube show the Sportage with a sharp new look, featuring distinctive creases across the front and sides of the car.It also has a continuous vertical and horizontal front light bar in a similar design to the one on the new-generation Seltos.The new Sportage will also get a different look inside that could feature Hyundai group’s snappy new multimedia system as in the Tucson.Official pricing news remains a while away, but the current hybrid Sportage range kicks off from $44,450, before on-road costs.The Sportage will need to continue to be competitive with the new-generation Toyota RAV4 hybrid ($45,990) and the current Hyundai Tucson hybrid ($42,850).It's too early to say exactly when the new Sportage will land Down Under.It could run on a similar timeline to the Seltos that was announced in late 2025, before officially launching in late 2026. If Kia reveal more details on the new Sportage later this year, we can expect the Sportage to arrive in late 2027.

EVs are more than just cars in Australia.They can charge devices, power houses and even earn their owners money, as Australia's energy grid undergoes a once-in-a-generation transformation.Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is the final step to fully unlock this potential for electric cars Down Under.V2G is a type of bi-directional charging, a technology that comprises vehicle-to-load (V2L), vehicle-to-home (V2H) and V2G.It allows an electric car to use its battery to send its power back into the energy grid, rather than just power external devices, or charge home batteries.V2G allows owners to charge up their EVs at cheaper times and sell it back to the electricity grid at more expensive times.Rooftop solar, of which Australia has some of the highest uptake in the world, can also be used to charge an EV effectively for free and transfer the stored electricity to the grid for pure profit, especially when an abundance of sunlight has home battery systems fully charged.V2G is not far away in Australia, but there remains roadblocks to its full-scale uptake. Many car manufacturer warranties do not support V2G use as they do not cover battery damage caused by third-party set-ups.Rapidly transferring energy on incompatible vehicles can cause substantial wear on the battery and cause other safety issues. There is also debate about which safety protocols V2G should abide by in Australia as the tech faces regulatory hurdles.The latest ISO 15118-20 protocol is deemed safer than the original ISO 15118-2 for example, but it will need longer to be fully implemented in Australia.Manufacturers are starting to alter their warranties and are undergoing extensive trials for the technology with electricity providers. We are likely to see a full-scale uptake of V2G in Australia within the next couple of years, as regulatory approvals and car warranties catch up, but there is still work to do to make them safer and more efficient. Hyundai and Kia are expected to prepare major announcements for the tech within the next few months.Some models already on sale with V2G capability may be able to use the technology via a software, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but it is unclear exactly which models will be eligible.The federal government has shown a keen interest in V2G as part of its energy policy and has recently committed substantial investment towards establishing a network through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) which currently helps to fund other EV technologies like public DC fast chargers.

Kia has teased its electric Carnival alternative overseas. The brand has provided a glimpse at its new PV7 van ahead of an official debut on 14 September 2026 at the IAA Transportation.  The PV7 is the bigger sibling of the PV5 that launched in Australia this year. It will tackle the Ford E-Transit Custom van as well as the Hyundai Staria Electric people mover. It would shape up as a cheaper alternative to luxury Chinese competition such as the Denza D9 and Zeekr 009 in Australia. Details are scarce at this stage, with Kia only providing a preview before it receives an official unveiling next month. The PV7 is expected to be available in both cargo and passenger configurations, as Kia stated it is adaptable across commercial and lifestyle applications. The PV7 concept was nearly 5.3m long, which is a little longer than the diesel- and hybrid-powered Carnival.From the outside, it sports a rounded front look, similar to the PV5, while it also features an angular headlight design.Its rear headlights are assembled in a vertical shape, with a chrome-look rear bumper. It will be the brand’s second model to use its dedicated all-electric E-GMP.S platform, following the PV5. Kia has not confirmed what will power the PV7, but the PV5 employs a single electric motor producing 120kW and 250Nm. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks. There is no official word on the PV7 in Australia, but it seems likely Kia would be eager to add another electric people mover to its line-up. The PV7 will launch in the UK next year, so it will be built in right-hand drive, smoothing its potential launch here.Kia recently launched the smaller PV5 Down Under, with the cargo variant arriving first followed by the people mover that has just been approved for local sale.An Australian arrival for the PV7 would come after it launches globally in 2027.We can expect more concrete information around the PV7’s Australian future when it’s officially unveiled next month.