Subaru News

They’ve said the quiet part out loud. For over a year there has been growing tension and stress amongst the established car companies as more and more Chinese brands not only enter the Australian market, but have near-instant sales success. This has led to several off-the-record, and unsubstantiated, remarks about the ‘government support’ that helps the Chinese brands and a general angst between the two sides of the industry. But publicly executives from the establishment have put on a brave face and talked confidently about their future - until now. Duncan Tait, Group Chief Executive of Inchcape, the distributor of Subaru in Australia, has admitted the brand is facing a “challenging situation in Australia” as sales have plummeted 29 per cent in the first nine months of the year. Tait explained that Inchcape will need to make major changes to turn around its fortunes in this country, as the landscape continues to shift. “Australia remains a challenge - our key brand (Subaru) has underperformed, with deteriorating competitiveness in a rapidly-evolving market,” he admitted. “We are taking further decisive action there, alongside our existing restructuring activity. We are confident these actions will improve our business in Australia over time, but we expect the current challenges in that market to continue impacting our performance there.” Inchcape has already announced it is relinquishing the Deepal brand in Australia, handing it over to its Chinese owners, Changan. In the wake of the company’s decision to also drop the Peugeot brand, this leaves Inchcape’s automotive portfolio with only Subaru and Foton. “We continue to focus on ensuring Inchcape has a portfolio of brands aligned with our strategic growth objectives, and I would like to thank Changan for its partnership and wish the brand continued success in the Australian market,” said Colin Christie, Managing Director, Inchcape Australasia. The public acknowledgement of the challenges facing these so-called ‘legacy brands’ is a first, but Subaru is far from the only brand feeling the pain as the likes of BYD, GWM and Chery accumulate increasing market share. Hyundai recently announced it has dropped plans to offer the European-sourced Ioniq 3 electric car in Australia, citing difficulty getting it competitive against an array of more-affordable Chinese rivals. Even best-selling brands Toyota, Ford and Mazda have suffered double-digit sales decline in 2026, while the likes of Nissan (down 33 per cent), Mitsubishi (down 30 per cent) and Volkswagen (down 25 per cent) have all seen their sales plummet. Such dramatic drops inevitably leads to questions around the long-term plans for these brands that were once favourites amongst Australian buyers. But with more and more Chinese brands arriving in Australia, the “challenging situation” and “deteriorating competitiveness” of certain brands will become increasingly important to watch, as no brand is guaranteed a place in such circumstances.

Subaru is preparing to break away from Toyota and control its own electric car destiny. The Japanese brand has so far co-developed a range of EVs, including the Solterra, Trailseeker and Uncharted SUVs currently on sale in Australia, with the world’s biggest carmaker. But it has always had ambitions to develop its own EVs, and that day is fast approaching, according to reports in AutoNews. Subaru has shown an electric car prototype to Japanese media, with several technologies showcased. The prototype wore the shell of an old-gen Subaru Outback, but what was underneath was quite different. It had two electric motors enabling all-wheel drive grip, pumping out 380kW and delivering a 0-100km/h time of less than four seconds. The vehicle is also capable of over-the-air software updates, which are commonplace in Chinese electric vehicles and allow the car to be improved as time goes on. A Panasonic battery powers the prototype, and it is 25 per cent lighter than the previous battery and the company is targeting a 20 per cent increase in energy density. Subaru said it had developed these technologies in half the time it usually does, which would help it keep pace with the rapid development of EVs from China. Other carmakers such as Nissan are embracing what is termed “China Speed” to help shorten new car development times. Subaru executives didn’t provide any firm dates on when the EV would enter production, but 2029 would be the earliest. Subaru is developing a whole new electric vehicle platform to underpin its next-generation of zero-emissions vehicles. Inchcape has long had the contract to distribute Subarus in Australia, but the company’s global boss was not happy with the company’s performance Down Under. In a recent quarterly earnings announcement Inchcape Group Chief Executive Duncan Tait took aim at Subaru’s lack of competitiveness. “Australia remains a challenge - our key brand (Subaru) has underperformed, with deteriorating competitiveness in a rapidly-evolving market,” he said. Subaru has taken too long to deliver hybrid versions of its key vehicles, its electric car range is not selling as well as its Toyota siblings and it can’t compete with Chinese examples on price or performance. News that a new in-house developed EV is still years away won’t be welcome news.

Subaru has announced that it will discontinue what has long been a unique selling point - its long-serving flat ‘boxer’ engine. The engine — known for its iconic rumbling exhaust note and low, compact profile — paired to the brand’s long-lived symmetrical all-wheel drive system, has defined Subarus since the 1980s. While there’s no end date for the engine in Australia just yet, the brand has announced it will pull all of its combustion offerings from the European market by the end of 2027. In their place, Subaru will continue on with an EV-only line-up. The brand has also announced that it will develop its own electric vehicles, separate from its current stable of Toyota platform-shared nameplates, from the Solterra mid-size SUV (based on the bZ4X) to the Uncharted (based on the electric C-HR+). This may seem like the end of Subaru as we know it. The brand’s identity has been tied to its iconic set-up, which has helped to make its versatile range of crossover-styled vehicles such a hit. But the writing has been on the wall for the boxer engine for some time, despite Subaru’s efforts to modernise it. While standard four-cylinder engines can be made to burn leaner, the flat engine design’s more complicated cylinder heads, uneven exhaust system, and compromised oil distribution makes it inherently less emissions-friendly than a regular old inline-four, and that excludes Subaru’s commitment to mate these engines with the additional burden of all-wheel drive. To give you an idea of the impact this has, a current hybrid Subaru Forester produces combined emissions of 140g/km, while the equivalent Toyota RAV4 hybrid AWD produces 25 per cent less emissions, at 105g/km. The Toyota even saves two litres of fuel per 100km (which, at the time of writing, is about $5 worth). In today’s strict new vehicle efficiency standard (NVES) environment, that’s a huge difference, which could cost Subaru a fortune in fines, purchased credits, or investment in EV sales. All of which makes it nearly impossible for Subaru to keep its iconic long-serving engine family in emissions-sensitive markets. If you’re a Subaru owner like me, you’ll agree that it’s the end of an era, but I would also argue that it’s a development that will finally set the brand free. By dumping the now antiquated technology (sorry Subie fans) it allows Subaru to finally re-think its range and, hopefully, become interesting again. After all the brand was long a perfect fit for adventure curious buyers, something that it is slowly losing ground on as both Chinese and traditional rivals fight for more of a slice of the profitable market segment. Just take a look at GWM’s upcoming H7 off-road family SUV, or the entire coming Jetour and iCaur brands dedicated to the cause from Chery. Even Hyundai wants a piece of Subaru home turf with its upcoming range of XRT and XRT Pro adventure variants of SUVs like the Santa Fe and Tucson, as does Nissan, earmarking once US-market exclusive Rock Creek versions of its X-Trail for Australia. It really is an adapt-or-die moment for Subaru, the question is how does it stand out in such a crowded market and how does it hold onto its identity? I’d argue it needs to hold onto the lifted wagon aesthetic typified by its Outback and Forester which has long made it a smart choice in a busy field. Leaving the long roof behind and chasing the more common coupe-style as seen on cars like the current Uncharted would have Subaru risk losing its identity in a sea of rivals. Plus, while I’m usually an advocate for brands going EV only for the better of the environment - is that truly the right fit for Subaru at this time? Perhaps a range-extender hybrid powertrain will help it maintain its adventure ready appeal. Renault and Geely-backed Horse Powertrain, which is keen to sell engines to other brands, even showed off a range-extender-specific four-cylinder engine at the most recent Beijing motor show which is designed to have an ultra-flat profile when laid on its side. Not a boxer, but halfway there. It’s all worth considering for Subaru, and while I don’t see a world where the iconic Japanese brand makes it back into Australia’s top-10 automakers, the death of the boxer finally offers it a way to reset in the midst of an existential identity crisis.

The recent Everything Electric show in Sydney provided an unintentional visual metaphor for the Australian car industry - and one brand in particular. Tucked away behind two towering, no-expense-spared Zeekr and Geely stands was a much more modest Subaru showcase. The Japanese brand had its electric range on display, the Trailseeker, Solterra and the new Uncharted, but many people I spoke to at the show didn’t even know that Subaru was there. And that feels very much like what is going on with the brand itself, the former favourite of so many Australians is now at risk of fading into the crowd and if that happens there is no guarantee for its long-term future here. Which would be sad not only for fans of the Forester, Outback and co. but also anyone who enjoys good cars. It had been a long-time since I had last driven a Subaru, but recent time in the Trailseeker and Uncharted has me scratching my head why more people aren’t considering them as electric vehicles (EV) sales soar. The Trailseeker starts at $63,990 plus on-road costs, which I concede does not make it an EV bargain by today’s standards. But the high-grade Touring is priced from $69,990, which is just $1090 more than the Tesla Model Y AWD Premium Long Range. The Trailseeker makes 280kW of power, takes just 4.5 seconds to run 0-100km and has 533km of range. By comparison the Model Y has 220kW, takes 5.9 seconds and has 551km of range. So, on paper, the two are closely matched in the key areas. However, the Subaru has a far more functional and intuitive cabin, thanks to its button-filled, traditional car design ethos. To be fair, the Tesla is a much younger, more tech-savvy company, but it takes its cost-saving-disguised-as-minimalism design approach to a level that just looks cheap to me. Maybe this is a sign I’m getting old, but the Trailseeker is a much more user-friendly car to drive, and for older buyers, those with $70k to spend on an EV, it makes a lot of sense. It also just drives nicer than the Model Y. The Trailseeker is a joint-venture between Subaru and Toyota, two companies with decades of experience developing, engineering and fine-tuning cars. The Model Y is only the fifth car Tesla has made - ever. That is painfully obvious when you drive the two on the road. The Subaru is quieter, with better insulation from both the outside world and the mechanical sounds of the car. It is also more composed and pleasant to drive, with nicely tuned steering and a comfortable, controlled ride than the Model Y simply doesn’t match, in my opinion. The problem for Subaru (and so many other legacy brands) is Tesla is the ‘Esky of EVs’, with the brand seemingly the default choice for so many buyers when they go looking for an electric car. Sales of the Model Y have been huge this year, and while it has many good attributes and I’m not suggesting people shouldn’t buy them, it’s surprising just how far away the Trailseeker is in terms of sales. Subaru has sold 517 Trailseeker since it went on sale in June, which is an average of 129 per month, while Tesla is selling an average of 3166 Model Y per month. So while they may be similar on paper and the Subaru has an edge on the road, where it really counts - sales - the Model Y is leaving the Trailseeker eating its dust. This is very-much indicative of the wider challenge Subaru is facing, as it is getting overwhelmed not only by Tesla but also the influx of Chinese brands that can offer either something equivalent or something for even less money. Subaru sales are down 29 per cent, despite having a relatively fresh line-up, with the new Forester arriving just last year and the Outback earlier this year. The Forester, Crosstrek and Outback remain the brand’s three most popular models, but all three are down dramatically in 2026. As I have written previously, Subaru’s decision to evolve the Outback from a more-conventional wagon to a line-blurring wagon/SUV is a calculated risk. Unfortunately it appears to be a risk that it is not paying off, with Outback sales down 42 per cent in 2026. The compounding problem is, while these traditional petrol and hybrid models are struggling, the brand’s new electric options aren’t filling the gaps. The Solterra, Trailseeker and the Uncharted are all appealing cars in their own way, but obviously Subaru has not made a compelling case to Australian buyers yet. The challenge for the brand is to turn this around and get the attention onto its EV options to try and, if not compete against the likes of Tesla in pure volume, not get overshadowed by Geely and Zeekr like it did at the Everything Electric show. Subaru still sells more cars than Zeekr and is only a few thousand sales behind Geely, at the time of publication, so it’s not too late to turn it around. But getting more attention for its appealing electric options should be a priority if Subaru doesn’t want to fade into obscurity.

What kind of adventure vehicle will best suit you, your partner and your family depends on your collective needs, wants and lifestyle. But the old adage rings true as much here as it does elsewhere: buy what you need, not what you want. If you want to head to your favourite campsite in the nearest National Park, which is accessible via a well-maintained gravel track with only some minor corrugations in the track surface then a standard AWD will certainly do the trick. Bonus: a set of aggressive all-terrain tyres will boost its adventure potential even more. If you want to travel way off the beaten track, tackle gnarly terrain (signposted ‘4WD-only’) and live like off-grid adventurers for a weekend or week then obviously a 4WD with decent all-terrain tyres, low- and high-range 4WD, diff locks and plenty of ground clearance is your best bet. The core difference between the two drivetrain types – AWD and 4WD – can be boiled down to this: an AWD is a vehicle that drives all of its wheels, all of the time, while a 4WD uses a driver-selectable system to mechanically engage the drive to all four wheels. (For a comprehensive explanation of the two systems, read this. Vehicles with a permanently engaged AWD system have been designed and engineered for daily driving on the blacktop with occasional use on dirt or mild off-road conditions. These vehicles are usually lighter and lower than a 4WD. 4WDs (aka 4x4s) are generally bigger, heavier, more robust and better suited to slow, hard-core off-roading, think Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, Nissan Patrol or Ineos Grenadier. In the modern market, the Nissan Patrol (4WD), Subaru Outback (AWD), and Hyundai Palisade XRT (AWD) offer a decent spread of comfort and capability – on- and off-road – and each in their own right holds plenty of appeal as a daily driver and potential adventure vehicle. So, what do you need to know when buying a family car for adventure? Read on. An AWD is fundamentally safer to drive on-road than a 2WD or even 4WD in challenging conditions (wet weather etc) on sealed surfaces or even dirt or gravel tracks. Rather than a transfer case, AWD vehicles use a drive system with a limited-slip differential or an electronically controlled clutch that directs torque to whichever wheel needs it most to achieve safe, optimum traction, while still allowing for a rotational difference between front and rear axles. Some AWD systems work better than others, but the principle goal remains the same: get torque to and traction at the right spots in order to keep the vehicle’s driver and passengers safe. AWDs also sit lower on the road than their 4WD rivals and have dimensions – length, width and height – that bolster the vehicle’s potential for stability in ordinary driving conditions, as opposed to 4WDs which generally have a higher centre of gravity and are heavier and more cumbersome. To further boost their capability for safe driving in traction-compromised situations, AWDs – think Subaru Crosstrek and the like – often have a variety of drive modes (including Normal, Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud) that adjust engine torque, throttle response and traction control, among other things, to suit the road surface and conditions the vehicle finds itself. It’s important to keep in mind here that not all AWDs – or 4WDs for that matter – are equal; some AWD systems, like Subaru’s X Mode in the Subaru Outback Wilderness, are able to help the vehicle tackle terrain so challenging that it would otherwise seem out of an all-wheel drive’s realm of capability. X Mode’s snow/dirt and deep snow/mud options – each tweaking acceleration, off-road traction-control activity and front and rear axle limited-slip function, among other things, to suit the terrain – add another level to the Outback’s capability. AWDs are also cheaper on fuel than 4WDs and this adventure slice of the market will only become more competitive as more hybrids and EVs enter the chat. So, what is an AWD capable of? It depends on the vehicle’s all-wheel-drive system and its ground clearance, off-road angles and tyres. Light off-roading – well-maintained gravel roads and dirt tracks in dry conditions – is absolutely fine because that’s well within an AWD’s capabilities and it results in very little wear and tear on the vehicle, minimal risk of damage to the vehicle or, more importantly, the occupants, and little to no stress for the driver and passengers. In their favour is the fact that AWDs are capable of staying planted on wet and slippery surfaces, bitumen, dirt or gravel. An AWD’s off-road capabilities can be improved with a set of decent all-terrain tyres but those still won’t turn it into a rock-crawling beast. In an AWD it’s best to avoid driving on anything beyond a well-maintained dirt track in dry weather and certainly do not take on any ‘4WD/high ground clearance only' tracks, sand driving or rock crawling. Anything more rigorous and you risk damage to the vehicle’s underbody, at a minimum, and mechanical damage and personal injury, at worst. Hard-core rock-crawling is the realm of vehicles with low- and high-range 4WD, larger and grippier tyres, locking diffs, and more ground clearance, more underbody protection and more wheel travel than AWDs. Avoid driving an AWD on sand, other than very firm-packed sand, and even then I wouldn’t spend much time on that surface. Sand driving puts heavy stress on a vehicle, and AWDs don’t have a lot of ground clearance, so they’re prone to bellying out on tall crests in between deeper wheel ruts on a beach. An AWD is a good all-round vehicle with ample potential as a daily driver, family taxi and weekend adventure machine and it will accomplish all of those duties, comfortably, capably and safely. These vehicles are designed for use on sealed surfaces roads with some dirt or light-duty off-road use thrown into the mix, and can reliably handle the demands of wet-weather driving. AWDs have plenty of potential for adventures, but there’s no substitute for real 4WD and diff locks when it comes to off-roading that’s beyond well-maintained gravel tracks or firm sand. A 4WD makes the most sense as a great all-purpose vehicle because it can be big and tough and it has a drivetrain, mechanical and suspension set-up engineered to get you anywhere you want to go. A 4WD in the traditional sense has a transfer case with high- and low-range 4WD, as well as larger and grippier tyres, more ground clearance and more wheel travel than a conventional AWD car. Hopefully, your 4WD also has locking diffs. 4WDs also now have such sophisticated driver-asst aids – such as off-road traction control, hill descent control and crawl control (like cruise control but for low-speed 4WDing) – that even a beginner 4WDer can look and feel like an off-road expert. But mostly a 4WD’s off-road appeal and capability all boils down to the fact that it has the gearing, torque, grip, wheel articulation, and underbody protection needed to tackle legitimate off-roading. And those in-built mechanical and engineering attributes make 4WDs a whole lot of fun because they give the driver and passengers the ability to drive (legal) tracks and to reach places people may otherwise not be able to reach using any other ground-based transport. Alas, sometimes even a vehicle with low-range 4WD, off-road drive modes and diff locks can be hampered by something fundamental – as was the case on a recent test of the MGU9. That ute is comfortable and well behaved on-road but its off-road flaw – a lack of ground clearance – was swiftly exposed on even the most innocuous of bumpy terrain. Very disappointing. But, all in all, a 4WD is engineered to cope with the worst life can throw at it – including towing 3500kg or more. These vehicles are big, sturdy and offer the driver and passengers a real sense of comfort, safety and security. A 4WD gives the driver a high driving position, ample visibility, and an inherent feeling of being in control at all times on the road. A 4WD is roomy, so, as well as people and dogs, it’s able to carry a lot of gear (groceries, camping stuff, sporting equipment). Some 4WDs have seven or eight seats, so there’s the opportunity to transport even more people. The trade-off is that 4WDs are big and heavy compared to AWDs, so can be more challenging to drive in and around town than their lighter, more nimble counterparts. You might want a 4WD but chances are you don’t really need one. An AWD makes a lot of sense, particularly if you're being realistic about how you'll use the vehicle. Overall, an AWD is cheaper, more fuel efficient and a better all-rounder than a 4WD. Buy what you need, not what you want.

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 2025 There were 11,602 public charge points in June 2026, up 175 per cent compared to June 2025 The 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 2025 There are 196 combined full EV and PHEV models on sale, compared to 153 models in 2025 There were 157,957 electric and PHEV sales in H1 2026, up 177 per cent from H1 2025 Australia’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.

Subaru has done what no other carmaker has and fixed one of the biggest problems facing electric car owners in the process.  Subaru has revealed a new accessory that will allow you to fit a spare tyre under the floor. The majority of electric cars currently come with a tyre repair kit, which is fiddly to use and worthless on serious punctures, resulting in customers usually needing a tow. Subaru has revealed a new accessory for the Trailseeker electric SUV. The genuine spare tyre accessory kit will fit a space saver spare underneath the boot floor, maintaining the low floor height without taking away the standard cargo space. Subaru said it can be fitted to new orders or existing vehicles and is priced at $1145. No other carmaker has a similar accessory. Boss of Inchcape, Subaru’s Australian importer, Blair Read said the new accessory will help Australians use their vehicles as they really want to. "What we're hearing from customers is that Trailseeker offers something genuinely different. "They love the idea of an EV that still feels ready for a weekend away, a road trip or an adventure beyond the city limits,” said Read. The Trailseeker is a big five-seat SUV, and is related to the Toyota bZ4X Touring. Being a Subaru it lives up to its outdoorsy theme, with all-wheel drive grip thanks to two electric motors combining for 280kW and 537Nm. It has Subaru’s X-Mode that improves grip in various road surfaces and inclines and declines. It also has 211mm of ground clearance to help it hop over the rough stuff. The Trailseeker is priced from $63,990, before on-road costs, and rises to $69,990 for the Touring grade. At its heart is a circa-75kWh battery that delivers 533km of driving range in the base version and 488km in the Touring. There is plenty of standard kit included, such as heated, power adjustable synthetic leather-wrapped seats, a heated steering wheel, power tailgate, 14-inch multimedia screen and plenty of safety tech. When it comes to electric cars that come with a spare tyre the list is a short one. The Chery E5 is the only EV that comes with a full-size spare. GWM’s new Ora 5 comes with a space-saver spare, as does the Hyundai Kona Electric. Toyota has fitted a full-size spare tyre to its HiLux BEV ute. There are a number of commercial electric vans that have a full-size spare, including several Farizon vans, Ford E-Transit, LDV eDeliver 5 and 7 and the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter and eVito.

Car makers are always coming up with new features in the name of making our driving time more comfortable, convenient or safe but sometimes the result is the opposite. Yep, as car reviewers there’s a list of well known, very annoying features that we could really do without. So here’s a quick collection of the most annoying new car features... and please feel free to add your own to this never ending list.  Massive glass roofs look amazing in a car dealer’s showroom but on the road during an Australian summer they make you feel like a rotisserie chicken - not to mention the dangers of sun exposure in this part of the world. Thankfully some roofs have retractable shades and some have decently thick ones to cut down the light and heat.  The Tesla Model Y has an expansive fixed glass roof and no screen to shield its occupants from that furnace in the sky. This sounds super irresponsible to anybody who hasn't experienced the nightmarish intrusiveness of modern safety alerts that are supposedly designed to reduce speeding and distraction, but trust us.. We’re talking about speed warning alarms, which activate at 2km/h over the posted speed limit (often falsely), distraction alerts that are triggered by the driver looking out for pedestrians and overly aggressive lane keeping assistance that feels like a sudden arm wrestle. The systems in our opinion become potentially a safety issue in themselves. Kia and Hyundai have been criticised in the past especially for over zealous safety alert systems, but pretty much every new car now has them - some worse than others. Do you know how many people used to say, “I wish my car’s door handles weren’t so easy to use, I want something that’s awkward and confusing to operate, something so flimsy it feels like it might snap off in my hand”? I’ll tell you - nobody. With the advent of electric vehicles came door handles that retracted flush with the car’s body to improve aerodynamics and in turn energy efficiency, which is all very good but it came at the price of functionality. Is it really necessary - I mean you can’t tell me regular door handles create that much drag?   Possibly the worst door handles I’ve ever encountered are on the Cadillac Optic. They’re as thin as a pencil and make opening the Cadillac super heavy doors ridiculously difficult. Another case of re-inventing something that wasn’t broken, the camera wing mirror is more a case of car designers saying "look at what we can do" rather than actually improving upon the simplicity and effectiveness of a piece of shiny glass. Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Gensis GV60 can be had with camera mirrors - yeah, no thanks! Can’t wait for my bathroom mirror to be replaced by a camera and a screen. Anyone that’s needed to get something from the boot in a hurry because it's raining but had to stand there getting soaked waiting for the electric tailgate to slowly open, will tell you that it would have been quicker to open it themselves. And as for the gesture tailgates that require a swoosh with your foot top open - they seem to work about 50 per cent of the time.   An all-time low for me and gesture tailgates was when I was trying to take a Christmas tree out from the boot of a Mazda CX-70 and somehow my moving foot told it to start shutting without me realising it until it closed down on me. The car basically ate me alive.  Car companies have tried to integrate digital assistants into their cars to carry out functions such as opening the windows or lowering the cabin temperature. The problem is getting the voice assistant to listen to you, understand you or even do anything is almost impossible which is a lot like being the parent of a teenager. Myself and the rest of the motoring media are to blame for encouraging car companies to do away with easy-to-use buttons and dials and move all the functions to a screen that forces the driver to step through three pages of a menu just to turn the climate control down.  Yes, for years we praised cabins with “minimalist interiors” and “cleanly designed, button-less dash boards”. Well careful what you wish for, because now all I want is a knob for the stereo volume.   The Geely EX5 has a very cleanly designed button-less dash, which isn't a good thing after all. Some cars play little musical greetings when you sit down in the driver's seat. I find these as enjoyable to listen to as those birthday cards that play songs. As with door handles and wing mirrors, steering wheels never needed re-inventing but again and again car companies try to do so. Peugeot, Subaru and Geely have dabbled with not-round steering wheels but the worst we've seen is possibly the yoke in the new Lexus RZ550e F Sport. Seriously car companies - stop it.  Ok there’s so many more features I loathe but let's end on a really good one - tyre puncture repair kits. These usually involve a small compressor and canister of goo which is used to fill a flat tyre sealing the puncture and have you on your way. Sounds great, but it isn't. I’ve been on the side of the road in the bush with a puncture and used the repair kit only to watch all the good squirt out through the hole in my tyre sealing nothing but my opinions on how useless these devices can be.

Japan’s carmakers are finding ways to fight back against the growing might of Chinese auto brands. Outside of Toyota most Japanese carmakers are not big enough, or rich enough, to balloon out to the size of some of the new Chinese powerhouses. Relatively small manufacturers such as Mazda, Mitsubishi and Subaru don’t have the resources to overhaul their collective ranges and invest in electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid technology all at once. Instead they are borrowing from others. Subaru joined forces with Toyota to build EVs, Mazda with China’s Changan and Mitsubishi with Taiwan's Foxtron, the latter is part of the company that builds iPhones. They now have the tech but predicting demand for electric cars is proving difficult for all manufacturers. Mazda and Subaru have found the solution. Mazda is developing a new way of producing cars that would allow one production line to make internal-combustion engined vehicles, hybrids and electric vehicles depending on demand. Subaru is also working on flexible production lines to help it make the most of its modest production resources, without having to build new factories or re-tool old ones. This would help the pair adjust to lulls in EV demand without having to mothball production lines, which has impacted other major makers such as Ford and Volkswagen. Subaru Managing Executive Officer Ikuo Watanabe told US outlet Autonews it would be able to adapt to changes in tariffs of exchange rate fluctuations to shuffle production between factories around the world. “Demand trends are uncertain and we cannot predict which powertrain, battery-electric, hybrid or internal combustion engine, will sell well and when,” Watanabe said.  “Making an investment decision on one specific technology poses the greatest risk.” Mazda has pushed back its own in-house developed electric cars until 2029, with it instead relying on Changan’s production to deliver its reskinned EVs.  Hybrid versions of its CX-5 SUV won’t arrive in the US until late 2027 before rolling out to other markets, including Australia. But it already has a plan in place to build all its different powered vehicles on the same line when they are available towards the end of the decade. Former Toyota boss and now head of Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Koji Sato recently called for the country’s carmakers to join forces or risk oblivion, according to Autonews. “Unless things change, we will not survive,” Sato said. He is calling for all brands to have uniform parts to help reduce costs and complexity across the industry. Japan’s automakers believe this will help them tackle China’s scale and speed.

Are we headed for a world where petrol is only the fuel of the rich, powering their hypercars and luxury super SUVs? It certainly appears that way. And I don’t like it… This week the car world achieved a major milestone - the average global price of electric vehicles fell below that of hybrids for the first time. And before too long we’ll see the average price of EVs drop lower than the price of petrol cars. There’s nothing wrong with that - we’re watching the evolution of the motor car, and a change in buying habits and taste in real time. What could supercharge this process and fundamentally change what fuel we use, however, is the volatility of petrol prices which have spiked dramatically due to the conflict in the Middle East.  Covering car news each day is revealing a trend and I’m not too sure I like it. High-performance and luxury car brands are doubling down on their fossil fuel focus, while mainstream brands are pushing the limits to make the most affordable electric cars. At the start of this year BMW announced it would reverse its decision to pivot away from petrol and return to producing V8 and V12 units due to their customer demands. Rival brand Mercedes-Benz did the same thing and scrapped its plan to go completely electric by 2030 and dived back into making V8s. Porsche, too, changed its mind after receiving a walloping from customers who made it very clear that Porsche to them meant power from petrol, not power from the electricity grid. Lamborghini also did an about face on EVs at the start of this year and went back to petrol, adding a hybrid system but only to make more mumbo. Yep, Lamborghini replaced its V10 Huracan which made 470kW with the V8 Temerario which makes 588kW plus another 220kW from its electric motors. Then there’s the mysterious case of Ferrari giving us the breathtaking 12Cilindri with yes a V12, which was closely followed by the even more gorgeous V8 Amalfi, before giving us the all-electric Luce which hurts to look at directly. It’s as if the brand was sending us some kind of message coded in ugliness about being asked to do something against its will.  Of course the super high end brands appear completely unconcerned by prohibitively high petrol prices affecting sales or the climate. Bugatti announced an end to the reign of its enormous 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engines in its cars like the Veyron and Chiron, but before we could even think it was going green trumpeted in almost the same breath that it was doing V16s instead. Which it did with its current Tourbillon hypercar that houses a monstrous 8.3-litre V16 engine. Yes it has a hybrid system with electric motors but it’s not to save fuel, it’s to make more power.  If you were to ask bespoke high performance vehicle maker Hennessey if it had electric cars the response would almost certainly be, “never heard of her." The brand just unveiled its US spy plane-inspired Blackbird hypercar with a naturally aspirated V8 and positioned it as the kind of vehicle that allows drivers to cover 1300km a day. Just days ago Aston Martin ran into the room boasting it was delaying its EV plans because it had found a loop hole which meant it could keep making V12s. The loop hole being that the brand had to keep V12 sales under 1000 a year. Low volume sales aren’t a worry for brands like these - not when an Aston Martin Vanquish costs more than $700,000. And unlike you and me, that's not the owner's only car… it joins a garage with five other cars in it… at least. Yes we’re talking millions of dollars and all petrol-powered. Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to work out how we can get into an electric car for less than $40,000 because chaotic fuel prices are hurting us and we’re worried about the future resale value of petrol cars.  I’m also highly concerned about the air that my children breathe and the thought of having a car powered by burning oil that just to drives to shops, school and work sounds more and more preposterous to me. It’s like having kerosene lanterns in every room of your house rather than light bulbs To be completely clear, though, I love petrol performance cars and detest electric performance ones. Petrol has a place. My fear is that petrol’s happy place in performance cars will eventually exclude me as the fuel becomes more expensive, rarer and the food of exotic beasts I can’t afford. So what’s left? There’s the Cupra Leon VZx, Ford Mustang, Honda Civic Type R and Prelude, Hyundai i30N, Mazda MX-5, Nissan Z, Subaru WRX, Toyota GR Yaris and GR Corolla and VW Golf R. Watch these models closely, because they are the final 'affordable' petrol performance cars and they are all now endangered.