Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Smart News

Five big lessons China has taught Toyota, GM and Ford, from the BYD Shark 6 to saving Volvo
By Byron Mathioudakis · 02 Feb 2025
If you think Chinese car brands can't teach Toyota, Ford or GM anything about making vehicles better, think again!
Read the article
Why 2025 will be a boom for Chinese cars: BYD, MG, Chery, Zeekr and more are set to shake up the new-car market, but should Toyota, Hyundai and Ford be worried?
By Stephen Ottley · 13 Jan 2025
Despite a backwards step in 2024, Chinese cars are on-track to bounce back in 2025 as a flood of new brands enter the market.While brands like BYD, MG, GWM and Chery have already established themselves, a new wave is on the way to challenge Japan as Australia’s biggest car importer.By the end of 2024 there were 12 Chinese brands officially in the Australian market and at least two more have announced plans for entry into our market in 2025 with more expected to follow. Japan, by contrast, only has nine brands in our local market but still comfortably leads the overall production with nearly 379,000 vehicles from Japan sold here in 2024.That compares to 272,139 from Thailand and 176,159 from China. Those figures don’t account for a brand’s national base but rather simply where they are built, so it includes certain Tesla, Volvo and other models from different brands.But while Japan and Thailand still lead the way as the most popular countries for new-car production, China appears on-course to overtake them in the not-too-distant future at the current rate.With the likes of Zeekr, Leapmotor, Deepal, XPeng, Geely, Smart, JAC, GAC/Aion, Jaecoo and more set to grow in 2025, plus expanded product lines from BYD, MG, GWM and Chery, the approximate 96,000 sales difference between China and Thailand could shrink dramatically this year.The industry is well aware of the rapid growth of the Chinese car industry in Australia, with Toyota Australia’s Head of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, commenting this week: “The Australian new-car market has always been one of the most competitive in the world, and 2025 will be no different. We expect to see more new brands and models, which means more choice and even stronger competition, which, in the end, is great for the consumer.“By all reports, there could be a dozen new Chinese car companies arriving in Australia by the end of next year. In the past five years, they have taken more than 13 percentage points of market share from established brands.”Hanley was quick to point out that while these new brands have taken significant market share, Toyota remains the clear leader.However, that growth must come from somewhere and that will force brands across the market to react to this new array of rivals. This is likely to result in increased competition for Australian buyers at a time when cost-of-living pressures are expected to cool the market after record sales in 2024.
Read the article
Another Geely brand backflips on electric-only? 2025 Smart #5 spotted in China with petrol engine, suggesting it could add a plug-in hybrid option and compete with the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV SUV
By Samuel Irvine · 08 Jan 2025
Just days after reports emerged that Geely-owned brand Zeekr plans on introducing two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models in 2025, its sister brand Smart appears to be following its lead.
Read the article
Truly all-new cars released in 2024: What separates the BYD Shark 6 and Kia EV5 from the Toyota Prado and Suzuki Swift?
By Byron Mathioudakis · 27 Dec 2024
Many so-called “all-new” models aren’t all that new. In fact, a sizeable chunk are reskinned versions of what came before, with fresh sheetmetal over the same general hard points.
Read the article
How many car brands are too many? Can Chinese newcomer Geely sustain all its brands in Australia including Lotus, Polestar, Smart, Volvo and Zeekr | Opinion
By Dom Tripolone · 24 Dec 2024
Ask Toyota — the world’s biggest carmaker — and two brands are enough.Yes, Toyota makes trucks under the Hino brand and also has the minnow Daihatsu in its stable, but it is essentially Toyota and Lexus and that’s it.Part of Toyota’s success in Australia is it sells a vehicle for everyone, and every occasion.Lexus rarely steps on its big brother’s toes, with a clear premium divide separating the two.Now Chinese behemoth, Geely, is gearing up for an assault on the Australian market.It has a strong toehold Down Under with Volvo and Polestar, but after that is where things get murky.It also has Lotus, Smart, Zeekr and its home brand Geely to forge ahead with in 2025.Volvo and Polestar have clearly positioned themselves in the luxury space, but Geely, Smart and Zeekr are chasing the same mainstream buyers.All three are electric only, and are launching with semi-premium compact and mid-size SUVs.They are essentially the same vehicle underneath a slightly different styled skin. But electric cars all have similar looks, honed for aerodynamics, which gives them all a same-same-ness despite a tweaked non-grille or headlight treatment.The brands all share motors, batteries and tech features, which helps amortise costs, but can be a challenge when attempting to stand out from the crowd.Geely recently merged two of its brands, Zeekr and Lynk and Co, to reduce internal competition.According to Reuters, Geely boss Gui Shengyue said the integration would make the company more competitive."If we don't integrate , we must face issues such as internal competition ... and redundant investments in many aspects such as R&D, sales, which is stupid," he said according to Reuters.Geely isn’t alone in crowding its own space.The huge Volkswagen Group has Volkswagen, Skoda and newcomer Cupra all lobbing cars in a similar price bracket.The big difference is only Cupra is new, the VW Group isn’t attempting to launch three new brands in the space of 12 months that sell effectively the same cars.It’ll be a challenge for these three Chinese brands to stand out.They also face a wave of competition following them across the sea. GAC, Aion, Xpeng, Skywell, Leapmotor and Deepal are all planning to launch or have launched into the same market space as their compatriots.Not to mention established brands such as BYD, Chery, GWM and MG already with a group of loyal buyers and brand cache.It is starting to feel like China’s car industry is replacing the building industry responsible for towering ghost towns as its biggest economic driver and they need to find export markets quickly to keep the production lines open and the steel mills firing.Australia is a prime target with its lack of tariffs and relatively close proximity to the Chinese mainland.There are storm clouds brewing on the edge of the Australia new car market, though.Electric cars still only make up about 8.3 per cent of new cars bought through the first 11 months of 2024. More EVs have found homes this year than last, but less than 10 per cent is still relatively niche.Private buyers — generally the ones snapping up EVs — are stepping away from new car purchases at an alarming rate.Double digit drops in private buyers in each of the past four months compared to the year before is a worrying trend according to the head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber.“This is a disturbing trend which illustrates how cost of living pressures are impacting households,” he said.Only time will tell if these brands can make it work, but it’ll be a tough slog in 2025.
Read the article
Would you buy this car over its rivals? Why the 2025 Smart #1 and other brands like Zeekr, Geely, Leapmotor, Polestar, XPeng, Aion and Deepal are going to have a hard time against Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and others | Opinion
By John Law · 17 Dec 2024
The Smart #1 is a good car, an impressive one, even — and yes, you pronounce it ‘Hashtag one’. This comes as a surprise as many first efforts from electric car manufacturers fresh to mature markets such as Australia and Europe have been disappointing.So often there’s a compromised suspension set-up, poor steering feel, software bugs or awful driver assistance systems. None of that in the #1, which is packed with technology, has decent driving range and very pleasant steering. It also looks quirky — in a good way, my art director partner tells me — and has one of the best ride and handling balances of any electric car on sale. It is quite good value, too, the Premium I sampled costs $58,900, before on-road costs and has 19-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, power adjust seats with heating, a heat pump, a Beats sound system and luxury ambience to rival Benz’s entry-level EQA, which is $30,000 more expensive. The #1 is also cheaper than a petrol-powered base model Mercedes-Benz GLA 200. You really have to want that Merc badge.Electric stats are decent, the #1 Premium has a 66kWh battery allied with a 200kW/343Nm rear-mounted electric motor for a brisk 0-100km/h sprint of 6.7 seconds and respectable 440km WLTP driving range. A more powerful Brabus variant is available but the regular #1 is plenty fast. There’s also a more distinctive coupe-like #3 available in a lewd Photon Orange paint that really stands out. To be fair, the Smart #1 had its fair share of gremlins. Twice during my week with the car the screen went dark and interfacing with the multimedia system (mostly to disable active safety systems) was like pulling teeth — it would be nice if the cute digital fox actually did something helpful. Hopefully, over-the-air software updates can fix these niggles. There’s also the back seats, which you can’t fold flat from the boot. The pull tabs to raise the backrest end up out of reach when they are folded, so you can’t pull them back up. Annoying and not salvageable by software updates. The real elephant in the room for Smart is the brand’s meaning today. Certainly if the #1 was in a room otherwise filled with Smart’s back catalogue like the minuscule 2.5-metre long ForTwo, or the 840kg Smart Roadster. An ultra-quick back-story of the brand: it started as a 49/51 joint venture between Swatch Watch’s owner, Hayek, and Daimler-Mercedes. The tiny ForTwo launched in 1998 as a response to the new millennium. Efficient, small and affordable but with endless customisation and pops of colour to make the chic urbanite use the car as a fashion accessory as much as a mode of transport. The latter new Mini and Fiat 500 did better jobs, but the Smart was a trailblazer. Smart became a Mercedes subsidiary after that and, in 2019, Chinese automotive giant Geely bought a 50 per cent stake, reinvigorating the range with what you see here — electric-only, semi-luxury SUVs.That’s pretty much the same space as a Volvo EX30, Polestar 2 and Zeekr X, which are all related to both of Smart’s new models. Outside of them, the circa-$60K electric car price bracket includes other small electric SUVs like the Hyundai Kona electric, the Renault Megane E-Tech and BYD Atto 3, with bigger models like the Tesla Model Y, XPeng G6, Deepal S07 and incoming BYD Sealion 7 also in the same price sphere. What a nightmare!Aside from being quite accomplished and having cute animal avatars like the Fox (or optional Cheetah), there isn’t a whole lot about Smart’s ethos that stands out — at least to my radar. There’s certainly less brand cachet than Audi, BMW, Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. That leaves the success of these new entrants, in what will be a shrinking new-car market come 2025, down to a combination of price and brand awareness. Smart has a leg-up on the price game as it is not imported by Mercedes-Benz Australia, which runs a fixed-price agency model. Instead, LSH Auto — one of the largest Mercedes-Benz dealer groups — is importing the cars. This means, in theory, discounting should be possible. Sharing dealership space with Mercs could be good, or could be negative, it all depends on the service and shopping experience. But they will probably be more visible than other new Chinese brands not associated with existing luxury brands. Will Smart succeed? Out of all the new names in the game, the tie-in with a legacy manufacturer gives it a semblance of sales security. However, if the cars don’t stand out to buyers, or aren’t priced right, it could go south fast. Let me know your feelings, are you comfortable taking a chance on an unknown brand? What kind of features would draw you in? Do you care about brand ethos? Have your say in the comments section. 
Read the article
New Chinese electric cars achieve five-star ANCAP safety rating: 2025 Smart #1 and Smart #3 get big boost in battle take on Cupra Born, BYD Atto 3 and MG 4 electric
By Samuel Irvine · 02 Oct 2024
Australia and New Zealand's independent assessor of vehicle safety, ANCAP, has awarded the Smart #1 and Smart #3 SUVs respective five-star safety rating
Read the article
"True off-road capability" and a party trick you won't believe: The all-new Smart #5 is coming to Australia to tempt to you from your Tesla Model Y, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and Jeep Avenger
By Andrew Chesterton · 28 Aug 2024
The Smart #5 is a boxy, adventure-ready electric 4WD that will deliver "true off-road capability" and an all-electric drive experience, with the back-in-Australia brand ripping the covers off its most expensive model to date.Likely more of a "light off-ro
Read the article
Not just another Chinese brand: Australia's newest electric vehicle brand scores heavyweight support from Mercedes-Benz to challenge Volvo, Polestar, BMW, Audi and more
By Andrew Chesterton · 28 Aug 2024
Smart might be the latest Chinese brand to launch in Australia, but its one that arrives with a significant difference, with the marque jointly owned by Chinese giant Geely and German heavyweight Mercedes-Benz.
Read the article