SUV News

GWM has unveiled its upgraded Haval H6 GT plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV in Australia.It will start from $52,990 (drive-away), which is $1000 less than the outgoing H6 GT, and $2000 more than the most expensive regular H6.The H6 is a rival for several other Chinese PHEV alternatives, such as the MG HS and the Chery Tiggo 7, but the GT’s sportier posturing sees it line up closely to the BYD Sealion 6.Another of the car’s rivals is the Jaecoo 7, which is Chery’s premium sub-brand, and also comes as a plug-in hybrid.It will also be a new competitor for the incoming Toyota RAV4 PHEV due to arrive in showrooms later in the year.It comes in cheaper than the base all-wheel-drive variant of the Sealion 6 after adding on-road costs, while the front-wheel-drive J7 is priced from $43,990 (drive-away).The AWD H6 GT continues to be powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol and electric motor set-up, producing 321kW and 642Nm. This represents a boost in power compared to standard H6 PHEV models, but it is pumping out less torque in contrast.The new set-up means the car can shift from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster than the outgoing model.It has a 35kWh battery, offering an electric-only driving range of 183km, according to more generous NEDC standards. Total driving range sits at nearly 1200km, with fuel consumption of 0.6L/100km, both those numbers have also been calculated using NEDC.Upgrades continue inside, with the 14.6-inch central touchscreen utilising a new snappier operating system. There is also now a wireless phone charger, with the car now featuring the same re-designed interior from the recently-upgraded H6.The H6 has proven to be a popular choice in the mid-size SUV segment, with its petrol and hybrid options outselling the likes of the Chery Tiggo 7 and PHEV-exclusive BYD Sealion 6.

Nissan is still on the road to financial recovery and it’s looking for ways to strategically beef up its model line-up, especially as emission regulations crunch, without adding more complexity and cost.The Japanese carmaker already has a long-standing relationship with Dongfeng to produce Nissan models for the Chinese market.Highlight models include the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute, N7 large battery electric (EV) sedan, N6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sedan, as well as the recently launched NX8 EV and range-extender (REEV) SUV among others.As a result, Nissan is looking to export these Chinese-produced vehicles to a number of markets and Australia could very soon be on the menu. For our market the Frontier Pro and N7 have been earmarked, followed by the NX8.Nothing is confirmed, but we got the chance to drive the Chinese-specification Nissan N6, N7 and NX8 on a closed test track in Japan.First let’s discuss the NX8, which is the newest of the bunch. While it’s offered with EV and REEV (Range Extender Electric Vehicle) powertrains in China, we were only able to sample the former.It’s powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 250kW and 310Nm that’s fed by an 81kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. It’s worth noting a smaller 73kWh battery pack is also offered.Claimed range in the model tested is up to 630km, according to lenient CLTC testing. The battery operates on an 800V electrical architecture, allowing a 10 to 80 per cent charge in only 12 minutes.While the NX8 is around the same size as the Pathfinder, which has been axed locally, it only offers five seats. This means there’s plenty of space inside including a sizable boot.A main focus of this large SUV is tech. There is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that is complimented by a dual 15.6-inch touchscreens – one in the centre and another for the front passenger.There’s also plenty of flashy bling on the outside, highlighted mainly by the bold lighting signatures that are dynamic and can change. It’s a cool touch but I doubt this would be offered in Australia.While it was hard to get a proper read on the NX8’s driving dynamics on our one-lap test drive, it’s clear this car is aimed at China. It has an isolated cabin feel with soft suspension and light steering.However, Nissan claims this car is focused on offering dynamics and with 250kW/310Nm it has enough punch to get along at a decent pace.Next up is the N7, which was the first model to be based on the so-called 'Tianyan' architecture. Compared to the NX8, however, the N7 is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 200kW and 305Nm.This is fed by a 73kWh LFP battery that allows for a claimed range of 625km, according to lenient CLTC testing. A smaller 58kWh LFP battery and less-powerful motor combination is also offered in China.Like the NX8, the N7 has a clean design with flashy tech inside and out. It’s clearly identifiable as Chinese due to the ultra-minimal look and lack of physical switchgear.Driving this electric sedan it similarly feels isolated inside the cabin and even on middle undulations requires a number of body movements to settle. If the N7 does come to Australia it will likely require some form of suspension re-tune to handle our rougher roads.Lastly there’s the N6 PHEV sedan which is arguably the ugly duckling of the trio. It’s the most affordable model of the trio in China. Its starting price is ¥94,900 (~A$19,400) – and it looks like it from the outside.While the N7 and NX8 have at least some form of edge and presence in terms of design, the N6’s silhouette is rather plain with no defined character. One element that adds to this is the small wheels not filling the wheel arches properly. It cheapens the look.From a driving perspective, the N6’s focus is efficiency. It features a PHEV powertrain marrying together a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor that’s fed by a 21.1kWh LFP battery.Nissan claims this allows for up to 180km of electric range and once you run out of charge you’ll achieve 2.79L/100km, both according to lenient CLTC. We’ll have to wait and see whether these figures are accurate in the real world.The majority of driving in the N6 is done by the electric motor, however from around 50-60km/h in hybrid mode, the petrol engine turns on the assist. While you can’t feel it turn on, its presence can be heard in the cabin.Like the N7 and NX8, the driving experience in the N6 is floaty and distinctly Chinese-feeling. It’s made worse as the skinny Linglong tyres screech easily in the bends.While Nissan hasn’t officially confirmed any of these Chinese-made models for Australia just yet, they can’t come soon enough.The Japanese carmaker currently only offers one EV in Australia, the Ariya mid-size SUV. It has indefinitely delayed the introduction of the new-generation Leaf small electric SUV and there are no plans to launch the new, European-focused Juke EV.This leaves Nissan stuck between a rock and a hard place as the brand is already facing fines of over $10 million thanks to the Australian government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which penalises carmakers for selling vehicles producing emissions in excess of CO2 targets which become stricter every year.Hopefully Nissan can make a decision on whether to introduce at least some of these EV or PHEV models soon as many legacy carmakers are ramping up their EV and PHEV offerings Down Under to reduce their fleet CO2 emissions.If these Chinese-made Nissans do launch locally, pricing will be a key factor as many Chinese brands are highly competitive in this space.For now, however, watch this space.

The demise of the Ford F-150 Lightning, the electric version of America’s favourite pick-up truck, is a painful lesson not just for the Blue Oval, but the entire automotive industry.When it was first announced the Lightning made a lot of sense. Ford knew it wasn’t going to convince F-150 buyers to swap into a compact electric SUV, so the company would just make their truck electric.Except, as Ford would find out the hard way, the American market wasn’t ready to shift to electric vehicles (EVs) in the majority, and certainly not the pick-up truck buyers.So the news that the Ford F-150 Lightning would be disappearing from both US and Australian roads was not really a surprise. But it’s the latest demonstration that multiple carmakers may have fallen into the same trap and could pay a similar price to Ford.What is that trap? That would be to build large electric vehicles.“The American consumer is speaking clearly and they want the benefits of electrification like instant torque and mobile power," explained Andrew Frick, President of Ford model e, the brand’s  electric division, about the decision to drop the Lightning.“But they also demand affordability… rather than spending billions more on large EVs that now have no path to profitability, we are allocating that money into higher-returning areas.”It seemed like the right idea only a few short years ago as EVs became more accepted as a concept, but sales were still relatively small due to a lack of choice.Go back five years and most of the EVs on sale were either small cars or SUVs, like the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, with the rest of the market segments largely ignored. It was a logical move, as a smaller car is more efficient (on average) than a larger one.The problem is that left so much of the new-car market without an EV choice. What would someone looking for an electric ute or electric family-sized SUV do? So, being driven by the need to fit consumer tastes, carmakers tried to cater to them.And thus we had the likes of the F-150 Lightning, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, Audi e-tron, Kia EV9 and, more recently, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 all arrive to cater to the audience that wants a ‘big EV’.The problem is, and where this became a trap, is that building a larger EV means a larger asking price, and there simply aren't enough people willing to pay big bucks for an EV. At least not now, especially as the current fuel price drives more demand in EVs.The people have voted with their wallets and it's easy to see where the core EV buyers are spending their money. BYD has already sold 1481 Atto 2s in the first three months of 2026, with another 1082 Atto 1s. The mid-sized BYD Sealion 7 has managed 4468 sales, the Zeekr 7X a healthy 1725 and the Geely EX5 1437.Kia is perhaps the best demonstrator of this trend, the small EV3 has managed 861 sales so far this year, while the mid-sized EV5 has found 1148 buyers. But the bigger EV6 has notched just 77 sales and the huge EV9 has managed to move just 18 units in 2026.And that’s not because Australians don’t want big SUVs, the new plug-in hybrid Denza B8 has already out-sold the EV9 with 75 sales since arriving, while the aging Nissan Patrol is still going strong (1383 sales) and the Toyota LandCruiser shows no signs of slowing down (2857 sales).And this isn’t driven simply by the ongoing fuel crisis. Looking back at the 2025 data it shows the same pattern, Australian motorists looking for an EV are looking for smaller, more affordable models rather than the big ones. In 2025 Kia sold 4787 EV5s and 2597 EV3s but just 348 EV6s and only 269 EV9s.The solution, or so it seems at this point, is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Buyers looking for a bigger vehicle but still looking to cut their fuel bill are tending towards PHEVs and other hybrids, such as the BYD Shark 6, BYD Sealion 8 and Chery Tiggo 9.Obviously there will still be more large EVs coming our way, the most high-profile being the new electric Toyota HiLux, but all current signs indicate that this is a small percentage of the market and unlikely to change in the near future.

Nissan is pledging 'badass is back' with its new Xterra 4WD, with the V6-powered off-road-ready SUV pledging a return to pared-back simplicity in the segment.That's the word from the Chairman of Nissan Americas, Christian Meunier, who posted a teaser image of the new Xterra to socials with the simple caption "badass is back."Launching as a proper ladder-frame SUV that will share its ute underpinnings with the Frontier ute, the Xterra would promise to offer a real point of difference in the 4WD space, with the brand expected to roll out a choice of V6 petrol or V6 hybrid, and no four-cylinder option. That's the engine line-up in the States, at least.In Australia, the vision is a little more clouded. While not officially ruled out, the Xterra is being built in the USA, where it will also underpin the next-generation of America's ute, which means getting this game-changing 4WD in Australia might prove challenging.But hope is not lost. CarsGuide understands that, while the Xterra will feed a Frontier in the USA, the Chinese-market Frontier Pro will feed a similar 4WD SUV for Asia-Pacific markets, which suggests a version of the Xterra, or something similar, is on the cards for us.And despite the fact that a V6-powered anything is unlikely in Australia these days, power in our China-derived version won't be a problem. The vehicle it will be based on, the Frontier Pro ute, combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor to produce a total 300kW and 800Nm. It should also prove something of a bargain, given the cheapest PHEV variant of the Frontier Pro will be offered with launch pricing of just 219,900 yuan in China, or the equivalent of just over $47,000 AUD.The new vehicle is being developed under the code name S20 PHEV SUV, and given Nissan Australia's deepening relationship with the brand's Chinese joint venture, that model is a much better chance to launch in our market.Confirmation of the Frontier Pro ute for Australia is expected imminently, while reports suggest the SUV version is being specifically developed for international markets.

Mitsubishi has finally confirmed timing and critical details surrounding the new Pajero, locking in a true off-road 4WD that will launch before the end of the year.The brand had only so far confirmed a new large SUV was coming, leaving plenty of guess work to be done as to whether it would be a monocoque road-focused vehicle, or a true rival to vehicles like the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol – not to mention newcomers like the Denza B5 and B8.But now we know the latter is the case, with Mitsubishi's president, Keisuke Kishiura, confirming that 4WD capability will be at the heart of the Pajero's development. And in more good news, the brand's most senior executive also locked in a 2026 launch for the new 4WD.Camouflaged examples of the new model have already been photographed in Australia.The executive specifically called out the off-road prowess of the old Pajero to US outlet Automotive News, saying "the Pajero is a cross-country SUV that combines fully-fledged off-road capability with the ease of handling and comfort of a passenger car", before adding:“We plan to launch the new cross-country SUV within the year.”Whether or not that also confirms the new model will be called the Pajero – which we believe it will be – we'll leave up to you, but it certainly locks in the off-road prowess, and fuels reports the model will be built using the Mitsubishi Triton's ladder-frame chassis.If it gets the Triton's underpinnings, expect the Pajero to use a version of the ute's 150kW and 470Nm 2.4-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine. “For me, the Pajero is an object of admiration,” Mr Kishiura told Automotive News.“Thanks to its off-road capability, allowing it to tackle any weather or road surface with confidence, its reliability, which withstands even the harshest conditions, and its ride quality and comfort that minimise fatigue on long drives, the Pajero has been cherished by customers around the world.”

Zeekr is well and truly on the map after a slow start in Australia, largely thanks to its award-winning 7X , and the premium arm of Geely is no doubt hoping to double down on that success with its next product, the 8X.The 8X is an upper mid-sized luxury SUV that leans more into the grandiose styling of the 009 people mover than the futuristic and sleek 7X.With lofty ambitions and impressive specs, expect the Zeekr 8X to take aim at five-seat SUV rivals like the Range Rover Sport, Audi Q8, and Lexus RX, but perhaps not at the same lofty price points.With Zeekr keen to capitalise on the success of the 7X, does the 8X deserve the same hype? Take a look at what we know so far.How big is the Zeekr 8X and what will it compete with?The Zeekr 8X is a large five-seat SUV. It measures 5100mm long, 1998mm wide and 1780mm tall. This makes it slightly larger than a Range Rover Sport, Lexus RX, or Audi Q8, and firmly in the large SUV category with five seats.In Zeekr’s range it will sit above the mid-size fully electric 7X, but below the flagship three-row 9X. It forms part of a larger trend of big luxury SUVs launching from Chinese brands. Other options in this space include the Denza B5 and Jaecoo J8, but expect to see more before long.The 8X will move Zeekr into hybrid territorySo far, Zeekr’s offerings in Australia have been purely electric, including the X small SUV, 009 people mover and the 7X mid-sizer.The 8X is unique in the range thanks to its headline-grabbing plug-in hybrid set-up.Pairing a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (205kW/410Nm) to dual electric motors on each axle, Zeekr claims the standard versions of the 8X produce a combined 660kW/935Nm and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds, making it faster and more powerful than the equivalent PHEV versions of the Range Rover Sport and Audi Q8.That’s not to mention the tri-motor flagship performance version, which produces a combined 1030kW/1410Nm thanks to double the output on the rear axle, allowing an even lower 0-100km/h sprint time of just three seconds.In addition, the 8X is equipped with either a 55kWh or 70kWh battery pack with a 900-volt architecture allowing ultra-fast charging and either a 320km or 410km EV driving range respectively (according to China's lenient CLTC testing procedure).Expect a pricey SUV, but it will still represent solid value compared to rivalsWe don’t know which variants of the 8X will land in Australia at this stage, nor do we know how much the large SUV will cost. We can speculate, however, based on information we know.Expect it to start north of the 7X, which currently ranges from $57,900 before on-road costs for the most affordable base variant, to $72,900 for the top-spec Performance grade.It could be significantly more expensive, too. For reference, the Chinese-market 8X starts from the equivalent of A$77,420, stretching to the equivalent of A$106,183, suggesting starting prices locally north of $90,000 for an entry-level 55kWh dual-motor version.This would well and truly move Zeekr into premium pricing territory, but even then, with at least double the electric driving range and double the power of its most direct rivals from Europe and Japan, there’s an argument for value.The new styling comes with new featuresThe 8X moves Zeekr’s interior design up a notch, with a plush leather-clad interior covered in digital tech.The digital instrument cluster measures 13.02-inches, while there are dual screens spanning the centre and passenger side of the dash for the multimedia functions.It features a 44-inch holographic head-up display for the driver, and an 8.0-inch screen on the centre console for adjustment of rear climate features and seat controls. Some variants are also equipped with a roof-mounted 17-inch rear entertainment screen.Wheels are enormous, measuring from 20- to 22-inches, and the rear seats have electronic adjustment with footrests on the outboard positions. It also has a 9.5-litre drawer, which can either be a heating compartment or refrigerator, with a range between -6 degrees and 50 degrees.It is due in Australia during 2027 and is expected to be the brand’s next big volume sellerSpeaking to CarsGuide recently, the brand’s local Managing Director Frank Li said the 8X would be one of a slew of new models headed to our market in 2027, which is also set to include the Euro-flavoured 7GT electric station wagon and 9X flagship three-row SUV.He said the local division hadn’t received confirmation on when each of these new cars will arrive and in what order, but brands like Zeekr are quick to move on right-hand drive production once the Australian arm locks in its business case.Plus, Australia has been earmarked as an important stepping stone for Zeekr’s global ambitions.At any rate, we expect to learn more imminently, as the brand is expected to make more announcements around the Beijing Motor Show at the end of April.

Sometimes car companies just get it wrong.Despite all the market research, focus groups, design studies and marketing programs, some cars just don’t sell. Sometimes it’s a case of being the right car at the wrong time, arriving ahead of the curve or after the boom. We looked at that recently with the Holden Volt, a plug-in hybrid that arrived too soon (and for too much money) to be successful, even if the concept was right.But then there are some cars that are just a complete miss, arriving as an undesirable product. They are, to be blunt, the wrong car at the wrong time.Here are some examples of what happens when carmakers get it wrong.The decision to end local manufacturing for Holden cannot have been an easy one for General Motors management, but it was probably an inevitable one. The decision they did not have to make was to destroy the brand equity, not to mention the national pride and love, in the Commodore badge.While most of the cars on this list are obviously bad choices with the benefit of hindsight, the ZB Commodore was an obviously bad choice at the time. It was meant to soften the blow of the departure of the brilliant and beloved VF Commodore, but it only served to rub salt into the wounds.To the nice folks at Opel, GM’s German division, who developed the car (which was known as the Insignia in Europe) this was like having your glass of beer taken away and replaced with water from a muddy puddle with ‘beer’ written on the glass.It wasn’t a ‘Commodore’ in any way, shape or form, despite what Holden PR tried to spin at the time. Holden and GM should have followed the example Ford set with the Falcon and retired the name with dignity rather than slapping it on a sub-par import.Sometimes in life you’re faced with a 50-50 decision to make and the difference it makes in the long run can be enormous, or even catastrophic. That’s the case with Ford Australia and the Territory Turbo.The Territory was an inspired decision, a great example of delivering the right car at the right time. Ford managed to get in on the SUV craze just as it started to rise in the early 2000s, offering buyers who were starting to look for something taller than a Falcon an in-house alternative.The problem was, in 2006 they decided to expand the line-up and made the wrong call on that 50-50 decision. Legend has it that Ford Australia only had the funds to develop a Territory Turbo OR a Territory diesel, but not both at the same time.In the words of the Knight at the end of that Indiana Jones movie: “They chose poorly.”Thankfully they didn’t shrivel up and die in an instant, like the Indiana Jones’ nemesis, but it was a decision that didn’t help the future of Ford’s local models.By the time the Territory diesel did arrive in 2011, along with a facelift, Ford had lost too much ground to imported rivals and by the end of 2016, the Territory was done. While Ford’s decision to add the turbocharged ‘Barra’ engine to the Territory seemed logical, given the high demand for that engine in the Falcon XR6 Turbo, it highlighted the difference between the Falcon and Territory buyer.In the same way a diesel Falcon would have been a terrible idea in 2006, so too did the Territory Turbo prove a costly mistake.The Evoque was a brilliant addition to Range Rovers’ line-up, another demonstration of reading the market to perfection and adding a smaller model when that’s what luxury SUV customers were looking for.Unfortunately, the Evoque Convertible was as bad an idea as the Evoque was a good one. And this was one of those ideas that you really could tell wasn’t brilliant at the time.Sure, the SUV market was rapidly changing at that point and there were some unlikely sales hits, namely Audi’s turbo-diesel SQ5. If a diesel SUV can be a popular performance car, surely a convertible would be appealing, right?Wrong. Very, very wrong.Introduced in mid-2016, the final Evoque drop-top rolled off the production line in 2018. A footnote in the history of Range Rover, and one they’d probably like to forget.As Mazda prepares to launch its second and third EVs, the sharply-priced 6e and CX-6e, it can be easy to forget its first attempt. And they might prefer you did.The MX-30 was a bolder-than-average design, with ‘suicide doors’ that were actually more like ‘choke the front seat occupants if you opened the rear doors’, but it fit nicely into the popular Mazda line-up.The problem was what was powering the MX-30. For starters, Mazda hedged its bets, offering its much-hyped EV with a mild-hybrid powertrain option, just to confuse the issue. Which was needed because the EV only had a small battery and a theoretical driving range of only 200km, but a big price tag of over $66k.While EV sales were starting to increase at this point, so seemingly the time was right, Mazda was behind the times in terms of both capability and cost. It was destined to fail and that’s what it did, quietly pulled from sale after only three years.The American brand’s attempt to crack the lucrative ute (or ‘truck’ if you’re American) market was over before it began. On the one hand you have to give credit to Tesla for not trying to take on Ford, Chevrolet and Ram head on. But, on the other hand, what the heck were they thinking?The Cybertruck was always going to be a niche offering, with Tesla frontman Elon Musk's 250,000 annual sales claim being wildly optimistic (to put it very delicately). As the flop of the F-150 Lightning demonstrated, there is simply not a market for electric utes, whether they look like a traditional ute or something created by the work experience kid after a lot of caffeine.Where Musk and the rest of Tesla management thought they’d find 250,000 people who wanted to look like they just drove out of a 1990s computer game remains a mystery to equal the lost city of Atlantis.Electric utes may seem like a good idea, but their time has simply not come year, but certainly the Cybertruck is not what people want.

Genesis Australia has officially unveiled the updated version of its GV60 small electric SUV.It will start from $88,300, before on-road costs, which represents a substantial price drop compared to outgoing variants, wearing price tags of more than $100,000.The key reason for the reduction is the fact the GV60’s base model is rear-wheel drive, as opposed to all-wheel drive.It will closely rival the BMW iX1 and iX2, with those models also receiving substantial price drops, now coming in slightly cheaper than the GV60, and both have AWD.Price drops are a continuing trend in this segment with the Volvo EX40 now available from under $50K.It will also provide competition to the Zeekr X.There have been some significant upgrades to the new GV60, including an improved 84kWh battery, now offering a driving range of 561km (WLTP).DC fast charging for the car from 10 to 80 per cent now takes 18 minutes, courtesy of an 800-volt platform.There is also a new front bumper to reduce the drag co-efficient to a slippery 0.28 on the GV60, according to Genesis.The car’s single electric motor produces 168kW, which is somewhat of a downturn on the 234kW available on the outgoing base variant of the car.On the inside, the GV60 has a combined 27-inch digital driver display and central touchscreen as well as wireless phone charging capabilities.In addition to this new model of the GV60, there will be a performance-focused Magma version.Some details are confirmed for the Magma variant including outputs of 448kW/700Nm and an all-wheel drive driveline.This is substantially more than the outgoing Lux Performance variant's 360kW/700Nm.We also know it will have an electric limited-slip differential, drift mode and a virtual gearshift system, likely similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N's.More information on the Magma GV60 is expected to be revealed closer to the line-up’s official launch in June.2026 Genesis GV60 pricing Australia  

Honda has become the first Japanese car manufacturer to offer a Chinese-built model for sale in its domestic market.The all-new Honda Insight, a mid-size, pure-electric crossover has been produced in right-hand drive at the joint-venture Dongfeng Honda plant in Wuhan, China.Riding on the same ‘e:N Architecture F’ front-wheel drive platform as the Honda e:NS2 it’s based on, the Insight is powered by a 150kW/310Nm permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, the compact five-seater using a 68.8kWh NMC battery and boasting a WLTC-rated range of 535km.Claimed 20 to 80 per cent charge time is approximately 40 minutes on a ‘standard’ 50kW charger.At close to 4.8 metres long, a bit over 1.8m wide and just under 1.6m tall the fourth-generation EV is appreciably larger than its hybrid predecessor, last seen in Australia over a decade ago.Offered in a single variant, the Insight features an ‘Intelligent Heating System’ (coordinating cabin, seat and steering wheel heating), 12-speaker Bose audio, genuine leather trim, an aroma diffuser, ambient lighting, a 12.8-inch central media screen, 9.4-inch driver information display, an 11.5-inch head-up display, multi-view camera system, an integrated dashcam, a slide and tilt glass sunroof, LED active cornering lights, 18-inch alloy rims and ‘Honda Sensing’ active safety.Given the Insight’s RHD availability CarsGuide contacted Honda Australia for comment on the car’s potential for local sale and a spokesperson said, "We’re constantly evaluating options from Honda’s global line up which we feel would be suited to our Australian customers however we do not have any new models to announce just yet."Japanese pricing of ¥5,500,000 (~$48,100) means if it did come to Australia the Insight would offer an interesting alternative to premium mid-size EV SUVs like the Deepal S07 (from $53,990), Hyundai Elexio (from $58,990), KGM Torres EVX (58,000, drive-away), Leapmotor C10 EV (from $49,888), Renault Scenic E-Tech (from $55,990) and Skoda Elroq (from $47,990). Speaking to Nikkei Asia about the car’s likely appeal to Japanese buyers, Honda Head of Development development Kunihiro Koike said, “We manage the Insight's quality according to global standards."We will continue to consider introducing vehicles manufactured overseas into the domestic market," he said.

GWM’s Haval SUV division has officially named its new boxy flagship off-road SUV ahead of its public debut at next week's Beijing Motor Show.Now called the GWM Haval H10, more details have come to light about the model thanks to its filing with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.These details confirm the H10 will be available with two plug-in hybrid powertrains based on either a 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine. EV driving range sits at around 180km on the more lenient CLTC cycle.In addition, the H10 will be available in two lengths; 5138mm long for the five-seat version or 5299mm long for a three-row six-seater, with additional space added to the very rear of the SUV’s body rather than an increase in wheelbase.Some off-road specs have also appeared, with the boxy off-roader having an approach angle of 24 degrees and departure angle of 30 degrees for the five-seater version.This new large SUV will ride on the brand’s new 'GWM One' platform, which also underpins the incoming Wey V9X luxury SUV and the as-yet-unseen Tank 900 to round out the company’s three main passenger car brands.While trim-by-trim specs are yet to be revealed, expect this new SUV to use an 800-volt battery architecture for ultra-rapid chargingWhile the H10 may look like a stark departure from the Haval SUVs available in Australia, it builds on the blocky appearance of other models offered in China like the H5 mid-sizer, H9 large SUV and Raptor off-roader.GWM’s local division has said the Haval brand is aimed more at the passenger car side of the market, with some models, like the Raptor or H9 likely having too much crossover with the Tank range to make sense locally.This could mean the H10 may never see Australian shores, with more likely GWM One candidates being the V9X as a luxury flagship, or the Tank 900 as the brand’s most aspirational and capable off-roader.Expect to learn more about GWM’s future new model plans for the Australian market after the Beijing Motor Show before the end of April.For now, we know the brand is planning the launch of its luxury Wey arm later in 2026, and will launch the Ora 5 small SUV to bolster its electrified offerings.The brand has also suggested its incoming 4.0-litre V8 hybrid powertrain would be the perfect fit for towing and off-roading in Australia, but the launch product for it is yet to be determined.The Haval H10 arrives to help GWM defend its reputation as one of China’s favourite off-road brands.It is facing intense competition in this boxy hybrid 4x4 space from the likes of the Denza B5 and B8, Chery with its Jetour range and upcoming diesel hybrid ute as well as new offerings from Geely and GAC which have been teased in recent weeks.