Honda News

2026 has been a massive year of change for Australia’s new car market. The tide has turned against diesel, and global affairs have pushed more buyers than ever to hybrid and electric cars and into the arms of new brands with more competitive offerings.This has been disastrous for old favourites. In a market where the forever steadfast and market-leading Toyota has taken a nearly 25 per cent hit to its sales figures, something is definitely changing in the mindsets of buyers.Chery, BYD, Geely and Zeekr are up staggering amounts and are stealing sales from Subaru, Mitsubishi and Nissan, which are now looking at a future as former top-10 marques.There are still a handful of big name brands continuing to post gains. It’s a diverse group ranging from Mercedes-Benz to Hyundai.Let’s take a lookAfter years of nosediving down the Aussie new car sales charts, thanks to what the brand would probably describe as a tactical retreat to a more limited footprint and ‘agency’ sales model, Honda seems to have stabilised.The Japanese brand has posted a 5.1 per cent gain year-on-year accounting for a mere 52 units.It’s not a great story looking at the by-the-model numbers, with every car in the brands range posting declines apart from its best-selling CR-V posting a 4.4 per cent gain year-on-year, the ZR-V is up a very modest 0.8 per cent year-on-year and the brand-new Prelude sports car posted an additional 142 units.The Accord sedan has shrunk to a handful of units off of an already-low-base, while the Civic also posted a near 30 per cent decline.Hyundai has had a pretty decent year, even though its initial trailblazing range of EVs have had it tough in the face of new rivals.Up 5.1 per cent for the year, Hyundai’s gains come from its ageing Tucson mid-sizer and high-performing Kona small SUV, which is available with the choice of petrol, hybrid and pure electric power.It also posted solid gains from the addition of the Chinese-built Elexio to its range.The fully electric Hyundai Inster city car, which initially had a tepid reception, has surged back thanks to price-cuts and a renewed interest in electric cars off the back of the fuel crisis. The brand’s once-headline-grabbing Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, with their advanced E-GMP 800-volt platforms, continue to lose their shine.The loss of the i30 has also put a dent in the brands range, while the Venue also continues to tumble down the charts as it struggles to compete with keen new Chinese rivals such as the Chery Tiggo 4.Kia has proven to be a success story in 2026, with its well-received range of electric cars and Tasman ute forming a significant part of the brand’s additional volume.A gain of just 2.7 per cent isn't all good news. The Sportage has not quite enjoyed the same sales growth as its Hyundai Tucson relation, down over a thousand units year on year.The loss of the Cerato has been more than compensated for by the arrival of the K4, which has posted a massive gain of 1958 units year-on-year. The once-heavy-hitting Sorento has lost nearly half its volume.The EV3, EV4, and EV5 have all done well, but the EV6 and EV9, which are its most expensive EVs, have posted steep declines.The controversial Tasman ute is barely doing half the volume Kia had predicted pre-launch, it is still a significant volume-add for the brand, with more than 2000 units sold so far this year.The brand is up 3.4 per cent for the year, accounting for an additional 295 units. It is some of the older models from the brand’s line-up kicking goals.The A-Class and related GLA SUV posted solid gains alongside the electric EQA and EQB, while the GLC mid-size and GLE large SUVs have also done well.It’s not good news for the rest of the brand’s range. Its larger electric vehicles have failed to resonate with buyers. The EQE SUV was the hardest hit so far, down 383 units for the year, and the EQE, EQS and EQS SUV ranges all posted significant declines.Volvo’s story of steady-but-surely continues, posting a modest 2.4 per cent gain in 2026.The ever-popular XC40 continues to kick goals for the Swedish brand, with the model up 16.6 per cent year-on-year despite its age. The soon-to-be replaced XC60 also posted a small 1.8 per cent gain.The EX90, the brand’s new large fully electric SUV, is up 46.2 per cent off a very low base. The new SUV is still outsold at a ratio of three-to-one by its XC90 internal-combustion engined predecessor.The EX30 small SUV, which is a platform-share with the Zeekr X, posted modest gains, up 6.3 per cent.

Honda has a range of vehicles that has rarely been better than it is today.Outside of normal advances that makes every new model safer, cleaner and better equipped, in every measurable metric including for value, driving dynamics, ride comfort, warranty, servicing costs and efficiency, 2026 Hondas generally eclipse their 1980s to 2000s brand-heyday predecessors.Examples include the Prelude sports coupe, Civic series — including the outstanding Type R — and CR-V hybrid.So, why were sales still languishing at around 15,000 units last year when comparable rivals, Volkswagen and Subaru, shifted about 40,000 vehicles each, Mazda 90,000 and Toyota 240,000?In the late 2000s, it was aiming for 80,000 annually. What happened? We pitched this question and more to Honda Australia bosses.Fixing ‘Hondas are too expensive’ perceptionSince shifting from recommended retail pricing to the highly-controversial no-haggle/drive-away pricing 'agency model' in mid-2021, the perception is that its vehicles are now too expensive.Losing the entry-level Jazz light car from the low $20,000 mark did not help. Suddenly, the cheapest Honda was the previous Civic from $31,000 in runout, jumping to $45,000 when the next-gen model appeared for 2022. Ouch.The thing is, every single established model, especially the HR-V, Civic and CR-V, have taken big strides in adopting big generational improvements ever since. And, factoring in equipment levels, rivals like Toyota, Mazda and Volkswagen did close the gap with Honda. A key example of this is the HR-V hybrid from $39,900 drive-away.“For us, and ever since we've transitioned to this (agency) model, the simplicity and the transparency for the customer has been paramount,” according to Honda Australia Director, Rob Thorp. “(These) trump some of the other gimmicks or methods that others maybe choose… it doesn't work for everybody, but for us, that premise is just core to how we want to go to market.“OK. People may have a different view. But we're very firm in the simplicity and transparency aspect.”Smarter marketingHonda admits its marketing has not been good enough to achieve the sales it wants.But Honda Australia President and CEO, Jay Joseph, does not believe that the agency model is to blame.“I would flip your question around, and I respect the question, but I would say, actually, we need to do a better job, explaining to the public, to our customers, the advantages of (agency) one price,” he admits. “Some people think no haggling means, ‘Oh, that means you're just not giving me anything’, but the real advantage is, actually, we're promising you that everybody gets the same price.“You'll never be embarrassed at a barbeque when your neighbour says, ‘Oh, you paid that? I paid this much less’. That won't happen, because we've made that commitment to the buyer.“So, actually, once, if we do a better job, explaining that, I think we're protecting them better than anything else.”Boosting salesAccording to Thorp, better sales results are coming.“We agree with you that, when we look at our current line-up… they all deserve more than what they're currently generating,” he revealed.“But we know that in this current environment, it's just not easy to just lift your volume. It does require all parts of the business to be working harmoniously.“So, whether that's through our network or through our marketing and advertising, through the pricing of the product launches that we have now, all that has to work harmoniously well.”But Thorp says there is no going back.“Last year, we were able to grow 10 per cent year-on-year in a market that's pretty flat and the competition is pretty intense,” he said. “And this year, we're also looking for ongoing sustainable growth and are on track to deliver another 10 per cent as well.“So, we know that there's opportunity for us to expand our volume and our growth, but we also keen to do it in a very sustainable way.“You know, certainly we could discount and damage the brand to achieve that volume growth, but that's not what we want. We want it in a sustainable way, in a way that works for us, for our network, but most importantly, for our customers.And we think our strategy will deliver on that.”Greater visibilityHonda Australia went from over 105 dealers to 75 sales sites since 2021, prompting critics to point to a lack of visibility for consumers who otherwise shop elsewhere.“Brand presence is certainly a factor (of our lower sales)," Joseph admits.“And we won't dismiss or discount that.“As we grow volume, one of the things that we're looking at is, ‘do we have the network necessary to deliver that?’ Is it time for us to grow? That’s one of the questions we talk about.“But that's not how people shop. People don't begin shopping in a dealership anymore. They begin online.“So, really, over the last two years, and this predates my time in the last 14 months, we've been rebuilding a brand, marketing and sales machine, that works together.“Putting those pieces together that Rob (Thorp) was just describing, so that we have a system that works to attract people.“If you think about our jobs, it's actually pretty simple. We're just supposed to be matchmakers. We're supposed to deliver a product to a location where it can be sold, and we're supposed to drive consumer traffic to that location. Now that location happens to be more online now, and we've just put the pieces together for people to conduct those transactions online.“We’re getting some traction with that, we're seeing the result of it, and now we've got new product coming in on top of that.”

While Japanese brands increasingly turn to Chinese partnerships for more affordable and globally competitive models, it doesn’t always work out.According to Nikkei Asia, GAC, which recently launched in Australia and has some of the biggest name joint-venture partners in China, is in trouble.The Guangzhou-based automaker, which counts Toyota and Honda as long-term partners, has been losing money on every single vehicle it sells as it has recently been trying to fight in an aggressive Chinese domestic price war with BYD and others.According to figures published by Nikkei Asia, at one point the company was losing the equivalent of  A$1714 on every single vehicle sold under its own branding. In its annual results announcement for the full year of 2025 reported to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, GAC said its subsequent loss in revenue was due to “intense competition in the automobile industry,” earmarking risks to the future of its business from “increasing survival pressure on automobile enterprises and entering the high-speed shuffling phase of survival of the fittest”.GAC said the level of competition was directly eroding its profit margins, and with Chinese brands approaching 70 per cent sales proportion in the local market, it was placing pressure on joint-venture brands.GAC’s annual results documents also revealed some realities of the Chinese market that is directly contributing to the big push for longer-range plug-in hybrid models, which are increasingly making their way to Australia.“Technical requirements for vehicles eligible for tax reductions and incentives has been raised. The pure electric mode range and energy consumption standards for plug-in hybrid (including range-extended) passenger vehicles have been further tightened,” the company said.“If a company lags in R&D or supply chain fails to meet the standards, its main models may not comply with the new regulations, resulting in the loss of subsidy eligibility or market access To meet stricter safety, range, and environmental standards, enterprises’ mandatory investments in areas such as battery materials, thermal management systems, and low-carbon manufacturing processes will continuously increase. At the same time, the phase-out of purchase tax subsidies has directly reduced profit margins per vehicle, presenting severe challenges to the overall profitability of the industry.”As a result, GAC said the company’s operating profit had declined for two years straight, and had recorded a loss for the first time since listing with the exchange in 2010.Nikkei Asia points out the company had been heavily discounting its Aion-branded vehicles (two of which are sold in Australia - the UT hatch and V mid-size SUV) to keep up with the aggressive discounting of rivals, but was failing to meet volume expectations.The bleak competitive landscape comes as GAC’s long-term joint-venture with Honda is due for renewal by 2028 after 30 years. Honda-branded JV vehicles in China have experienced a slump at the same time as its Japanese parent recorded its first ever financial year loss for the 2025 Japanese Financial Year off the back of expensive global EV investments (amounting to the equivalent of $12.5 billion AUD), which have subsequently been cancelled and written-down.Honda executives have reportedly been taking meetings with GAC, and are yet to make a decision on the future of the partnership, according to Nikkei Asia.It is in stark contrast to Nissan, for example, which is only leaning further into its comparatively successful joint-venture with Dongfeng (with which Honda also has a joint-venture), which has netted a range of well-received models with big global potential, including the N7 sedan, NX8 SUV and Frontier Pro ute.GAC/Honda don’t have plans to export cars to markets like Australia. GAC's joint-venture with Toyota has been more successful in China, and has launched in right-hand drive markets such as Hong Kong.Market troubles in China have only been good news for the Australian market, with many brands seeking higher-margin markets to soak up production capacity and bolster profits, which is part of the reason our new car landscape has become so crowded and competitive.

Honda has announced that it is developing an advanced hybrid set-up for its next-generation Pilot full-sized SUV, to give the Japanese brand a more-effective rival against the Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento, Hyundai Palisade and others.And after nearly a quarter of a century of being a largely North America-only model, it may even come to Australia.Why? To be built upon a new electrification-ready large-vehicle architecture set to debut sometime in 2028, this might be the first Pilot in four iterations since 2002 that is not solely manufactured in left-hand drive (LHD).While flatly refusing to comment on any future product, Honda Australia President and CEO Jay Joseph did reveal that things are changing within the company as it seeks out greater efficiencies globally, that may open the door to vehicles that were previously unavailable here."The right hand drive requirement is a little bit of a challenge for some of the North American product that we have, which was always intended of LHD," he told CarsGuide."But we're becoming more capable, and more adept, at being flexible on that. So that option is opening up."Not a confirmation then that the Pilot or any other US-made LHD-only will definitely come to Australia, but the strongest evidence in years that one of the biggest obstacles that Honda has faced here may soon be reduced, if not eradicated.So, why is the brand's next full-sized, three-row SUV so important?Announced last month as part of Honda’s new-model strategy outlining a focus away from electric vehicles (EVs) to hybrids, it will address the current Pilot’s biggest issue – the lack of a hybrid alternative to the powerful but thirsty 3.5-litre V6 petrol unit, hurting sales and giving rivals a free kick in one of the world's largest markets.In its place will be a V6 petrol/hybrid powertrain, reportedly of 3.0 litres in capacity, acting partly as a generator for the plug-less range-extender electric vehicle tech, charging a sizeable battery that power electric motors via a hybrid transmission, as well as clutching in direct drive to all four wheels as required.Along with dramatic fuel-economy gains, significant weight savings (upwards of 100kg) have also been earmarked for the platform.Additionally, Honda said that it is adopting some Chinese and Indian-market practices and methodologies to make its centrepiece hybrid tech price competitive, ushering in a far-more efficient model development process it refers to as “Triple Half: 50% Reduction”.In a nutshell, compared to 2025 levels, each successive Honda should cost half the amount of money to develop, and build, and in half the amount of time (hence the triple reference), slashing costs and boosting global accessibility along the way.And the Pilot is just the start.The new hybrid powertrain and architecture is also slated for the next Passport (a related but smaller five-seater SUV with some off-road capability), the long-overdue North American-market Odyssey redesign (the current minivan is already eight-years old), and – as reported in CarsGuide recently – the next-gen Ridgeline monocoque-bodied dual-cab ute.Expect to also see it feature in a future Accord (as strongly hinted by the Honda Hybrid Sedan Prototype revealed last month), along with a host of corresponding Acura luxury-brand SUVs.While Honda's American luxury brand that pre-dates Lexus is unlikely to arrive in Australia any time soon, it seems having access to a BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid SUV rival to fill in some big gaps in the local portfolio would be desirable.With 15 new models promised globally between now and 2031 (which do include Acura), the Honda Australia boss indicated that the future range will largely mirror what North America and Asian markets offer.“In general, the North American focus products are well suited to Australia,” Joseph revealed. “The Asia market products are well suited to Australia (too)."I'd have to look at the list to give you an exact number, (but) at least a third of them, maybe half, somewhere in that range (may come to Australia).”By our calculations, that would mean between five and seven or even eight all-new models could arrive by March 31, 2031, Japan's end of financial year (JEOFY) and the deadline for those 15 newcomers.Along with replacements of ageing core existing vehicles, meaning HR-V (confirmed globally for 2028, then Civic, ZR-V, CR-V and perhaps Accord soon after), that leaves room for the Pilot and Ridgeline on top, as well as possibly one of the smaller, sub-HR-V SUVs like the Elevate/WR-V, as sold in India, Japan, South Africa, Brazil and elsewhere.As announced in Honda's widely-reported latest financial results for the most recent JEOFY report ending March 31, the company is reeling from an operating loss of around $A3.7 billion – its first in 70 years.A turnaround is forecast by the end of the 2028 JEOFY, thanks in part to these new-product innovations and several other measures including the highly-publicised cancellation of some EVs, though the coming Super One city car is not one of them.Would the next-gen Pilot hybrid be a worthwhile addition to Honda Australia's range, or it better-served pitching the future Ridgeline as a Shark 6 PHEV foe?

Honda has added a sporty flagship RS grade to its local HR-V line-up, the e:HEV hybrid variant bringing a unique exterior cosmetic package, big rims and an interior makeover to the top of the compact SUV range.Priced at $44,400, drive-away, the newcomer adds a relatively modest $1500 premium on top of the previous top-spec HR-V e:HEV L.Carspotters should look for a ‘Bernina Black’ finish on the RS grille and exterior door mirrors, garnishes on the lower section of the doors and bumpers, 18-inch alloy rims filling the wheel arches and RS badgework.Powertrain outputs are unchanged at 96kW and 253Nm from the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and ‘2-Motor i-MMD’ hybrid system sending drive to the front wheels via a continuously variable auto transmission.The e:HEV RS is offered in the five main HR-V colours - ‘Platinum White’, ‘Premium White Silver’, ‘Slate Grey’, ‘Premium Crystal Red’ and ‘Botanical Green’ as well as the RS-exclusive ‘Crystal Black’.Introducing the new model Honda Australia Director of Automotive Robert Thorp said, “The introduction of the RS is another example of Honda’s focus on hybrid following the expansion of CR-V and Honda ZR-V hybrid ranges. “We anticipate by the end of this year, more than 80 per cent of Honda sales will be hybrid,“ he said. 2027 Honda HR-V pricing 

Honda rejects claims that it has abandoned the affordable end of the new-car market, suggesting that its smallest SUV now stands as the de-facto replacement for the Jazz light car discontinued in Australia back in 2021.Right now, the HR-V in base Vi X automatic petrol-powered grade is cheaper than the current-generation has ever been, dropping to $32,900 (all prices are drive-away).That’s $2000 below what it was when launched in Series II guise in September, 2024, which in turn was $1800 less than the pre-facelift version when that debuted as the all-new third-gen HR-V in early 2022 at a stiff $36,700.The Vi X is actually about $500 less expensive than what the Jazz equivalent was in its late-2000s heyday, when sales nudged 10,000 units annually.Back then, it started from around $21,000 ($33,400 adjusted for inflation in 2026) for the base GLi 1.3-litre auto, while the $23,555 Jazz VTi 1.5L auto cost about $37,500 in today’s money.According to Honda Australia Director Rob Thorp Australian consumers are now responding to the HR-V as a result of the lower pricing over the past 18 months.“The HR-V in particular plays an important role for us as an entry point into the brand,” he told CarsGuide.“And that in itself, for the last year or two, has been a hugely successful model for us, actually. And continues to sell well.”While steady this year, HR-V sales jumped 44 per cent in 2025 to (a still modest) 4817 units, running ahead of the small SUV segment’s 16 per cent growth year-on-year.In contrast, with the light-car class that the Jazz belonged to down by nearly 28 per cent last year, Thorp revealed that the numbers required to sustain the light hatchback would not add up, vindicating his company’s decision to drop it.“At times you have to make really hard business decisions,” he admitted.“Whilst the Jazz was a beloved brand name and was a volume vehicle for us, the reality was, economically, it was really hard. And we had to make a tough yet courageous decision to not continue with it“If you took the economics out of it, I agree. We would have loved to have kept it, but just unfortunately, it didn't work.”Making this worse, the current GR/GS-series Jazz that Australia misses out on would have switched to costlier Japanese-sourcing, since Thai production ceased with the discontinuation of the previous GK version at the beginning of this decade.That Honda has managed to cut the price of the HR-V Vi X by nearly $4000 since 2022 is all the more remarkable considering that it is also imported from Japan, rather than Thailand like its successful predecessor was from 2015.Plus, post-2024 facelift, the small SUV received more safety technology and improvements to the steering, suspension and refinement, making it a better and sharper proposition than before.

Honda is preparing to blow the BYD Shark 6 out of the water, according to reports.The Japanese brand is rumoured to be plotting a V6 hybrid ute to launch before the end of the decade.A report in Auto News states Honda will stop producing its current Ridgeline ute this year and replace it with the new hybrid-powered model from the second half of 2028.It is expected the next-gen Ridgeline will continue to ride on a monocoque chassis, differing from its ladder-frame rivals, but still designed for moderate lifting and towing. Such a hybrid ute from Honda could be the perfect fit for Australia, building on the success of plug-in hybrid utes like the Shark 6.Its more emissions-friendly set-up could provide valuable relief from New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) fines for the brand. The Ridgeline has been a North America and left-hand drive-exclusive model for Honda since its introduction more than two decades ago, so it has never seen Australian shores.Prohibitive import costs from the US, and the need to be built in right-hand drive, appear to cancel it out for Oz at the moment. There were reports Honda was considering importing the ute to Japan late last year. Honda Australia has shown interest in bringing the ute Down Under. Back in 2020, then Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins told CarsGuide the Ridgeline was strongly requested by dealers and customers. He said it would require a significantly improved set-up on the 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine, producing 210Nm and 355Nm to aid towing and carrying capacity.The presumably more powerful hybrid Ridgeline could provide the necessary grunt to make it an enticing proposition in Australia. The Ridgeline’s transformation is the latest in the brand’s game-changing hybrid focus, which will see the introduction of 15 new models launched globally by 2030.

Believe it or don’t we’re almost halfway through the year and that calls for a round up of the cars that have stood out to us in 2026.So, we’ve asked our fellow test pilots around the CarsGuide office which new car has impressed them the most so far. Here’s our half-year top 5, in no particular order.Honda PreludeHonda’s reborn Prelude sports car is a reminder of the magic this iconic Japanese company can perform at a time when new Chinese brands are drawing our eyes away.A rival to the Toyota GR 86, Nissan Z and Mazda MX-5 the Prelude arrived in May with a hybrid powertrain and a drive-away price of $65,000.Based on the Honda Civic, the Prelude has a 2.0-litre four cylinder engine and an electric motor. Combined output is 149kW.CarsGuide contributor Byron Mathioudakis attended the Australian launch.“Firstly, the performance on offer goes far beyond the sum of its published numbers," he said."Secondly, the fluency of the chassis to communicate with the road and driver makes this a true enthusiast’s car. And thirdly, this leaves us wanting more."Long after the sensual lines are out of sight, your mind’s eye keeps looking back, yearning to return to the driver’s seat. All for $65K drive-away, folks."BMW M2 CSBMW’s new M2 CS arrived in May this year loudly announcing that angry performance petrol cars were still well and truly a thing - and a beautiful thing, too.The Competition Sport version of the mighty little M2 takes that little beast's straight-six turbo and squeezes out more grunt - 390kW and 650Nm.The M2 CS has been one of Senior Journalist Chris Thompson’s favourite finds of 2026 so far.“Small enough to still feel like a nimble sports car but it won't bite your hand too hard," Thompson said."Plenty of power and a healthy torque band, but enough compliance in the chassis/suspension that it doesn't feel entirely like driving a race car. Looks fully siq in Velvet Blue Metallic with Gold Bronze wheels."Denza B5BYD’s luxury brand Denza brought its Toyota Prado rival to Australia this year starting at a list price of just less than $75K.Production Editor Jack Quick drove this large super hybrid SUV at its Aussie launch and had this to say:“It rights the BYD Shark 6’s wrongs in terms of off-road capability and has undeniable value with the amount of high-end touches it has. Plus it’s ridiculously fast. However, it’s not perfect as it’s very heavy and has a busy ride.” Kia EV4 GT-LineKia’s fully electric EV4 sedan arrived in Australia in January looking slipperier than an eel.There’s a single motor making 150kW and 283Nm driving the front wheels and you can have it in three grades with the starting list price being $49,990.Deputy Editor James Cleary drove the EV4 and nominated it as one of the cars that impressed him this year."Polarising contemporary Kia exterior design... but I like it,” he said.  “Snappy, user-friendly interior. Strong performance and useful range. A $65K price tag for this flagship is in line with BYD Seal but $10K steeper than comparable Mazda 6e.” BYD Shark 6The BYD Shark 6 was awarded CarsGuide's Best Ute of 2026 and now it has returned with a more powerful engine (a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four cylinder) in the Performance grade.The new and improved plug-in hybrid ute addressed what was lacking in an otherwise outstanding vehicle - towing ability. Braked towing capacity has increased from 2500kg to 3500kg in the Performance.Dual motors (one at the front and one at the rear) combined with the petrol e engine make an impressive 350kW and 700Nm. Carsguide contributor Stephen Ottley was at the launch and said:“For grey nomads and others who have previously ruled it out, the BYD Shark 6 might suddenly be back on more shortlists.”

Honda has priced its newest electric vehicle (EV) in its domestic market ahead of an Australian launch in the second half of 2026.The 2027 Honda Super-One is priced from 3,390,200 yen which translates to just a smidge under $30,000 in Australia.This is around 200,000 yen (~A$1750) more expensive than the top-spec Honda N-One e, which is what the Super-One is based on.It’s likely the Super-One will be a little more expensive than it is in Japan to compensate for shipping costs, among other things.For context, the Honda Civic e:HEV starts at 4,094,200 yen (~A$36,000), whereas in Australia it’s priced from $49,900 drive-away.However, if the Super-One starts from around $35,000, this will put it in contention with rivals like the BYD Dolphin, MG4 Urban and Hyundai Inster.In Japan only one fully loaded version of the Super-One is being offered.It's powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 70kW and 162Nm. Honda claims there is up to 274km of electric range, according to WLTC testing.The Super-One is strictly a four-seater and comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, swollen wheel arches, LED headlights, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 9.0-inch touchscreen touchscreen multimedia system, eight-speaker Bose sound system, as well as a range of drive modes, including a ‘Boost’ mode in Japan.At this stage Honda hasn’t confirmed Australian standard specifications for the Super-One so it’s unclear whether every feature will carry over.When the Super-One arrives, it’ll be the Japanese carmaker’s first EV on offer Down Under.As it currently stands, Honda is growing its hybrid line-up with more hybrid versions of its CR-V and ZR-V SUVs, as well as the new Prelude hybrid sports car.It will likely need to introduce more EVs in the coming years as the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) has tightening targets for vehicle CO2 emissions. EVs are the only vehicles that emit zero tailpipe CO2 emissions.In the first performance period for the NVES which ended at the end of 2025, Honda currently has a fine amount of $2.6 million. It will need to either offset this in following years by selling more vehicles under the CO2 targets or purchase credits from other carmakers that are already under the target.Globally, Honda has cancelled a wide range of EV plans and is pivoting more towards hybrids. This follows diminishing demand for EVs in North America, which is a major market for the Japanese carmaker.

A little peek behind the CarsGuide curtain. At least once a week the whole team gets together to talk about cars. Well, it’s actually to shape the week’s news lists, but it’s also because, unsurprisingly, we all like to get together to talk about cars.Anyway, a recent one of these catch-ups occurred not long after the Beijing show. Now full disclosure, I wasn’t at what might well be the most important show on the calendar these days (but I was in China at the same time, just somewhere else and with another brand, another sign of the significance of that market).Those who were there tell me much the same thing — not only were they shocked by the number of brands, and the number of vehicles unveiled, they were equally surprised at how many of the legacy brands were displaying Chinese-built models.The vehicles in question wore familiar badging, but were also unfamiliar, in that they were mostly produced in partnership with homegrown Chinese brands, sometimes with the latter doing most of the heavy lifting.Or to paraphrase a colleague in the aforementioned car chat, some don’t really look and feel like they belong to the manufacturer on their badge. They look like they’re Chinese cars in fancy dress, or like Aldi groceries — close, but not quite right.There are now lots of legacy brands drawing down on Chinese partnerships to produce cars. Mazda with its 6e and CX-6e (produced with Changan Automobiles). Nissan with a whole bunch of stuff, including the Frontier Pro (produced with Dongfeng). Honda, which has pushed back its in-house EV ambitions to draw on Chinese-developed models instead. Toyota with the bZ7 (developed with GAC), VW with the 9X (produced with SAIC).And to be fair, I’m yet to see, sit in or drive any of them. Some of these cars are destined for Australia, some aren’t. But it does beg the question – what truly makes a manufacturer’s car their car. Is it the badge? The design? The technology? The dynamics? All of the above?And the bigger question is, can legacy brands really hang on to all of the things that make them special if they’re not just built in China, but built in partnership with Chinese brands?Just last week I wrote that legacy brands partnering with China could be a long-term masterstroke, pairing decades of engineering know-how with China’s high-speed, low-cost manufacturing expertise could give traditional marques a real boost. But then two things happened this week that made me ask another question. The first was a chat with VW Australia, and specifically its very knowledgeable Head of Passenger Cars, who told me that the driving dynamics and engineering of its vehicles are what sets them apart from the often-cheaper Chinese competition. And the second was that CarsGuide car chat.And both got me wondering about the impossible choices being faced by some legacy brands in this more-hostile-than-ever environment. Do nothing and face possible oblivion, or dial up their Chinese partnerships for global markets and risk losing their identity.People paid lots more than me will be tasked with answering that. After all, I just like to chat about cars.