SUV News

China's budget SUV will get hybrid power in Australia.Chery has announced its C5 small SUV will now be available as a hybrid in Australia.Pricing starts from $31,999 (drive-away), so it’s a $2000 price jump on the base petrol variant. It is $6000 cheaper than the fully-electric E5.Chery is axing the range-topping petrol variant of the C5 in Australia to make room for the new hybrid version in its line-up. The brand will replace it with a top-grade hybrid at the same price, starting from $34,990. The brand has no plans to cut the remaining petrol C5, so it will continue as the entry level to the model. A hybrid C5 compliments the petrol and fully-electric (called the E5) offerings of the car already available.This C5 hybrid will take on other small hybrid SUVs like the Hyundai Kona ($36,950, before on-road costs) and the incoming hybrid-only Kia Seltos.Its new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor set-up (165kW/295Nm) trumps the power of the petrol and electric variants of the car on offer. It also provides an improved fuel efficiency of 4.9L/100km compared to 6.9L/100km with the petrol variant. The C5 hybrid adopts much of the same exterior as its siblings, apart from a different wheel design.The cabin also features a seperate 12.3-inch digital driver display and central touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. It has synthetic leather seats as standard, with the front ones heated, as well as dual-zone automatic air conditioning. Top-grade examples add ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and a wireless charger, along with a power sunroof and tailgate.The C5 and E5 have been steady sellers for Chery, but have been nowhere as successful as the smaller Tiggo 4 SUV. Chery finds itself as one of the top-selling brands in Australia, shifting more than 20,000 units up to June 2026. 2027 Chery C5 pricing Australia  

Toyota has too many models? The company’s new global boss seems to think so, and he is sharpening his axe in his hunt to save money. Why is this happening? Which models doesn’t Toyota need?Toyota is the world’s biggest car manufacturer and has been for the past six years running. In 2025 Toyota sold 11.2 million vehicles across its three brands - Toyota, Lexus and Daihatsu.That global dominance is replicated in Australia where Toyota has been the biggest selling car brand for 23 consecutive years.So, you’d think it was doing everything right. And why on Earth would you change anything?Toyota’s Kenta Kon became the new global CEO of the company on June 17, and has hit the ground running as he looks for what could be done better, while he hasn’t mentioned any models by name he’s made it clear there will be cuts.In an interview with Automotive News, Kon said he was touring facilities looking for inefficiencies. It’s enough to send a chill down even the most hard working employee’s spine.“We’ve become increasingly able to identify things that don’t seem quite right, areas where operations have become somewhat inefficient, or where the amount of work that doesn’t directly add value has increased,” Kon told Automotive News.“We’re now at the stage where we can really start addressing them – making corrections and implementing improvements.“If you go to a development division, you see issues such as an increasing number of different specifications and variants being created, which in turn is driving up costs.”Carmakers, as many companies do, often go through a streamlining process where they prune back on activities deemed superfluous in a bid to save money.This cutting back is already happening. The fully electric Lexus LF ZC was axed before it even went into production, just before Kon succeeded Koji Sato as President and CEO. Before the promotion Kon was Toyota’s Chief Financial Officer.Mr Sato is a “self confessed” car guy - a mechanical engineer by trade and a performance car enthusiast. Mr Kon calls himself a “numbers guy”.According to Toyota’s Financial Year 2026 summary, the company sold 2.5 per cent more cars and sales revenue was up by 5.5 per cent, but the operating profit fell by 7.3 per cent.Add to this the billions lost from the bottom line caused by tariffs imposed by the United States, a massive loss in sales in China (a 31 per cent drop in May this year alone), a conflict in the Middle East putting pressure on fuel prices and the sudden huge popularity in Chinese electric vehicles, and even the biggest car girl or guy can see the need to cut back on spending.The axing of the LF ZC is interesting and it happened just as Kon was moving into his new office. This was to be an electric successor to the IS sedan, but perhaps being a sedan was the reason it was axed. SUVs being where the money is these days and all that.In a time when sales are being stolen from right under mainstream brand’s noses by affordable, high-tech and good looking vehicles made by Chinese manufacturers, surely EVs aren’t the models Toyota should be axing?But then Toyota’s EVs haven’t really taken the world by storm. One of the brand’s worst selling cars is the C-HR SUV and the electric version, which recently arrived has done nothing to help sales anywhere globally for Toyota.Toyota’s other electric SUVs, such as the bZ4X, haven’t been major hits either. Toyota’s focus doesn’t appear to be EVs for now. Instead, hybrids are bringing in the money for Toyota.The axing of the LF ZC was also only just one model, but it's a good indication of how Toyota is now in a phase of conservative growth and not willing to take risks.That's not to say the brand won’t make EVs, of course it will, but rather than sedans like the LF ZC they’ll be electric SUVs.Currently Toyota has 23 models in its Australian range. The worst performers are the Yaris, C-HR and GR86, all with less than 1000 sales so far this year.Which models will Toyota axe next? Most likely the C-HR first. This SUV, while great to drive, isn’t selling well here and around the world - even the fully electric version.What about the bZ4X? That’s actually selling well in Australia and globally even if it had a bumpy start with recalls and a battery that didn’t offer enough driving range in the first iteration. Toyota has sold 1526 of them this year. That’s more than the 1340 combined sales of closely priced Volkswagen ID. 4 and its ID. 5 coupe twins.But when you compare that to its Zeekr 7X rival, with 3664 sales for the same period, then you begin to see that EVs are currently really just a side hustle for mainstream brands that make nearly all their income from traditional models.Does it annoy Toyota that it’s not the go-to for EVs when it has been for ICE cars for decades? I’d say it does, a lot. Even if Toyota would tell you it doesn’t and say that it's all about having models for every body - the multipathway powertrain approach is the marketing phrase it uses.Toyota may even feel that it exerts such a colossal influence over people’s purchasing habits that customers will continue to buy what the brand’s range offers. The company may just think that “until we make and sell it, people won’t buy it”.Yes, it’ll lose a relatively tiny amount of sales to BYD, Zeekr and other Chinese rivals but it’ll stay its course and bring in electric versions of its successful models.In the meantime, for Toyota you can probably forget design studies like the LF ZC or wild reborn models such as the Celica or MR2. The Toyota 86 as we know it is also on borrowed time.Yep, if you thought Toyota was boring now… you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular and mainstream in Australia, however many lack a feature that limits their long-distance driving capabilities.And that's a spare wheel. For decades it has been a common-fit item that is extremely handy if you get a puncture out on the open road.What is becoming more popular now, especially in electrified vehicles, is to replace the spare wheel with an inflator kit as this space is usually being taken up by the high-voltage battery.The inflator kits typically include a 12V-powered air compressor and a 'can of goo' which plugs up minor air leaks in the deflating tyre.However, these inflator kits won’t help in every event of a puncture, especially if it’s a more significant one that compromises the tyre sidewall, for example.In these circumstances you’re typically left needing to call a tow truck, which is incredibly painful if you’re away from a town with a tyre repair shop.There aren’t many out there, but here is a rundown of all the new EVs currently available in Australia that have some form of physical spare wheel. The 2027 Chery E5 is the only new EV passenger car in Australia to feature a full-size spare wheel.There is now only one trim level of the E5 (formerly known as the Omoda E5) offered in Australia. It’s priced from $37,990, drive-away.The 2027 GWM Ora 5 has just launched in Australia and it features a space-saver spare wheel across the line-up.At launch two trim levels are on offer, Lux and Ultra, with pricing starting at $33,990, drive-away.The 2027 Hyundai Kona Electric has a space-saver spare wheel available across the line-up.The Kona Electric is offered in five trim levels now and pricing starts at $46,000, before on-road costs.The 2027 Toyota HiLux BEV is the only electric ute currently available in Australia with a spare wheel of any kind. It’s a full-size unit in this case.There are currently three versions of the HiLux BEV offered in Australia, the SR dual-cab chassis, SR dual-cab pick-up and SR5 dual-cab pick-up. Pricing starts at $74,990, before on-road costs.A number of electric commercial vans feature full-size spare wheels as standard.It’s more common for these types of vehicles to feature spare wheels, though they’re not standard in every electric van.A number of companies offer aftermarket spare wheel solutions for many popular EVs, like the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, among others.These kits typically include a space-saver spare wheel, a jack and related tools to get the wheel on and off.As there’s no dedicated spot in the car for this to be stored, this type of kit typically has to go in the boot which sacrifices space for other items.

More than 30,000 Jaguar Land Rover SUVs have been subject to urgent recalls in Australia, according to notices from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts. The largest of these recalls concerns 23,313 Land Rover Defender, Discovery and Range Rover SUVs for the model years 2019 to 2026.“Due to a manufacturing defect, the connection to the driver’s airbag clock spring may corrode over time and lead to an increased resistance in the airbag circuit,” the notice stated.“As a result, the airbag may fail to deploy in the event of an accident.“In the event of an accident, the airbag not deploying as intended could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants.”The second issue relates to the Jaguar F-Pace SUV, Land Rover Defender and Discovery, as well as Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Velar models.It impacts 7152 units from the 2024 to 2026 model years.“Due to a manufacturing defect, the front-end auxiliary drive belt idler pulley may over rotate and cause damage to the oil pressure and temperature sensor,” the notice stated."This may lead to an oil leak and engine stalling resulting in a loss of motive power whilst driving.“An engine stall or sudden loss of motive power could increase the risk of serious injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.”The brand will contact the affected owners of all affected vehicles asking them to contact a dealer and have the work to fix the issue carried out, free of charge. A spokesperson Jaguar Land Rover said these are recalls are a part of a global recall and there have not been any reported incidents of the issue occurring in Australia. 

The winds of change are blowing a gale through the Australian car industry, as new brands and vehicles whizz past old favourites on the sales charts.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries boss Tony Weber said the June result was a paradigm shift for the new vehicle market. “The Australian automotive market has shifted on its axis during the first months of 2026. This year is likely to represent a significant turning point for the Australian automotive industry,” said Weber.BYD is officially a category five storm blowing in the direction of Toyota, Ford, Mazda and others that have dominated the top five selling brands for the past decade.BYD sold 18,881 new cars in June, all of them either electric or plug-in hybrids. This brought its three month total to 34,794 after its much ballyhooed effort to send its own ships packed to the gills with cars to Australia.Toyota had battened down the hatches in June and fortified itself against the fierce onslaught of BYD. It managed 19,124 sales in the past month to hold on to first place.It is understood that Toyota has increased supply going forward and is planning a monster second half of the year.Ford bounced back to third place with 9181 sales. Tesla came roaring up behind the Blue Oval with 8670 sales in June, which is impressive considering it only sells two vehicles.The Tesla Model Y was the best selling vehicle in the country with 8072 examples finding a home in the past month.Stablemates Kia (8005) and Hyundai (7480) held firm in fifth and sixth spots, while Mazda slid down to seventh (7278).Chinese brands finished out the top 10 with GWM (6104), MG (5001) and Chery (4505) muscling out old favourites Mitsubishi (4150), Subaru (2902) and Nissan (2337).A few other Chinese brands are lurking outside the top 10, with Geely 13th with 3507 sales and Chery’s Omoda Jaecoo sub brand 15th after moving 2541 units.Utes still delivered strong results, which is typical for the End of Financial Year period.The Toyota HiLux was the Japanese brand’s best selling model with 5175 sales, and Ford’s Ranger was the second best selling model overall with 5999 sales. BYD’s plug-in hybrid Sark 6 ute was its second best selling model, with 3398 sales.Top 10 selling car brands, June 2026 Top 10 selling vehicles, June 2026  

XPeng has detailed and priced its Mona L03 in China. The keenly-priced new mid-size coupe SUV will rival the Geely EX5 and BYD Atto 3 when it arrives in Australia.The L03 is available with both hybrid range-extender and fully electric powertrains in China, and it sits below the G6 SUV in its line-up.It features a coupe roof profile, similar to the Tesla Model Y rather than the traditional SUV shape of the Geely EX5 or BYD Atto 3.Its interior design typical of Chinese SUVs, with a minimalistic dash layout, a large 15.6-inch central touchscreen devoid of buttons and dials, a floating centre console with dual phone pads and an oval-shaped steering wheel.It features a panoramic glass roof, a 102-litre additional storage frunk and large alloy wheel choices, but unlike some it swaps a digital instrument cluster for a 26.8-inch head-up display.Both the range-extender hybrid and fully electric versions share a 183kW/280Nm rear-mounted electric motor. The electric version is capable of the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.6 seconds, while the range extender can complete it in 6.8 seconds.The electric version is backed by either 56kWh or 69kWh LFP battery, which offer either 525km or 625km of range (although this is according to the more lenient CLTC procedure). The range extender is equipped with a 1.5-litre engine producing 70kW.XPeng says the range extender can travel up to 315km in pure electric mode on its 37.2kWh battery and has a 5.2L/100km fuel consumption when the battery is depleted. Its official combined range comes in at 1330km, according to Chinese standards.The electric version has a claimed energy consumption of 11.9kWh/100km and can charge from 10 - 80 per cent in roughly 19 minutes.Some variants will be have adaptive damping shock absorbers, while all versions will get the brand’s full semi-autonomous active safety suite.The Mona L03 is priced from between the equivalent of $31,000 to $34,000 in electric form, which when the usual import premium is added for the Australian market will place it in competition with the Geely EX5 (from $41,990), BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990) and GAC Aion V (from $42,590).Right hand-drive versions are yet to be revealed, and more is expected to be learned about the model when it makes its international debut later in 2026.XPeng’s new factory-backed division in Australia has been approached for comment about the L03, although CarsGuide understands it is not due on our shores until 2027.The factory-backed operation is expected to deliver on the facelifted mid-sized G6 imminently, and has said previously it will also make good on the previously-expected X9 people mover and G9 large SUV.XPeng has made waves with its much-hyped halo models, including the new P7 sedan and GX flagship SUV in China.

Tesla has reasserted itself as the electric car king of Australia.The American EV maker sold 8670 vehicles in June, its biggest month ever, according to data released by the Electric Vehicle Council. It was so big that it beat the previous best month, which was May, by 26 per cent.It will be in the running to beat all other carmakers in June except for Toyota.Leading the charge was the Model Y SUV, which recorded 8072 of those sales. This will likely make it the best-selling vehicle in the nation when the full sales data gets released tomorrow, as no vehicle in recent memory has hit that figure.The Model 3 sedan chipped in with roughly 600 sales in June.Tesla has asserted its dominance as the premier electric vehicle brand in the country, with a total of 23,588 sales through the first six months. This is equal to a 66 per cent increase through June.Electric vehicle sales have experienced strong growth this year, especially since the Iran war and the resulting high fuel prices.What makes Tesla’s June result even more impressive is that fuel prices across the country had moderated and were effectively back to normal by the end of the month.Tesla has a healthy supply pipeline, with the brand’s local website quoting delivery times for the standard Model Y in July to August. The three-row Model Y L appears to be more in demand with expected delivery times between August and September. The more niche five-seat Model Y Performance won’t land in your driveway until September or October if ordered today.Tesla would be one of the main beneficiaries of the federal government’s Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for electric vehicles.This FBT exemption allows buyers to pay for the vehicle pre-tax and to side-step the 47 per cent FBT rate.The tax break has been a huge hit, with the scheme costing more than 10 times what the government had forecasted. There were calls for the scheme to be axed to help alleviate the predicted budget deficit, and it is perceived to help a greater proportion of well-off Australians.The federal government announced earlier this year it would be walking back the plan, with it to end by March, 2029.

BYD’s latest luxury hybrid SUV could have one trick up its sleeve its rivals don’t.The incoming FangChengBao Titanium 9, or BYD Ti9 as it is likely to be known in export markets, is a three-row plug-in hybrid SUV that is a size-up on family favourites like the Toyota Kluger.It is 5300mm long and has a wheelbase of 3120mm, so it will be a shape up in the increasingly popular large SUV segment in China.It will be similarly sized to the Zeekr 9X which is due in Australia in the next 18 months,.AutoHome has reported the Ti9 will boast a driving range of more than 2300km, substantially more than most cars on the market.There is no news on how big the fuel tank and battery will be to achieve this, but expect it to be a cut above many of its rivals. Chinese media has been suggesting it will be powered by a dual electric motor plug-in hybrid set-up, with power and torque figures still to be revealed, but possibly shared with other recent BYD models. Its smaller Ti7 sibling has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and two electric motors, producing 358 kW and 630 Nm.This could provide an indication for what powers the Ti9. It will be available in six-seat and seven-seat configurations, and is designed for urban and light off-roading environments.The large SUV is likely to be be unveiled in the second half of this year, and go on sale early next year.There is potential for this model to come to Australia, with its smaller Titanium 7 (or Ti7) sibling going on sale in the United Kingdom soon.FangChengBao, or Formula Leopard, is one of BYD’s off-roading sub-brands, but its models do not fall under that name overseas.The Ti7 in the UK will have a BYD badge on it, as might be the case in Australia, while its larger Leopard 5 is sold locally as the Denza B5.There is no official news on whether models like the Ti7 and Ti9 will launch Down Under.The UK launch means they are being built in right-hand drive, so there is a good chance they will eventually make their way over here, as almost every BYD product available in the UK has come to Australia.BYD Australia has previously told CarsGuide the Ti7 is not on its radar, but the brand has demonstrated previously that plans can change quickly. 

China’s GWM has revealed more details and imagery of its updated Tank 300 for the domestic market.As reported by Car News China, a highlight of this update is a longer wheelbase that was previewed by the Tank 300 Hooke Edition prototype that was revealed at the 2025 Shanghai motor show.The location of the front axle has been moved forwards, plus the front overhang has been trimmed, improving the approach angle.According to Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filings, this updated Tank 300 measures in at 4886mm long, 1984mm wide and 1927mm tall, with a 3010mm wheelbase.This makes it 126mm longer, 54mm wider and 24mm taller than the current model.Unlike the Hooke Edition prototype, which had a solid front axle, it’s understood the production version of this updated Tank 300 retains a front double wishbone and a rear multi-link suspension set-up.Another major change is the powertrain options. In addition to the Hi-4T plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option that retains a mechanical four-wheel drive system, a new Hi-4Z PHEV option, which is more electric-centric, is being introduced with this update.Full details haven’t been confirmed yet, but GWM claims it has a 60kWh battery allowing up to 200km electric range, according to an undisclosed testing cycle.For reference, the current Tank 300 Hi4-T PHEV has a 37.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which offers up to 115km of electric range, according to NEDC testing.It’s understood this new Tank 300 Hi4-Z PHEV will share a lot of its componentry with the Tank 400 Hi-4Z PHEV.It has a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and dual electric motors with a total system output of 635kW and 1195Nm, along with a 60kWh battery pack offering up to 200km of electric range.It’s expected the rest of the current powertrains will carry over. These include a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol, a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, as well as a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol.In Australia only the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engines are offered, in addition to the Hi4-T PHEV powertrain.A change the imagery reveals is an altered front fascia. There’s a new grille with Tank lettering, as well as more pronounced recovery points, though it’s unclear if they’re functional.A LiDAR pod can be seen on the roof, indicating that semi-autonomous driving technology may be coming.We're yet to see any imagery of the interior, so it's unclear if there have been any changes.It’s understood this updated Tank 300 will be going on sale in China on July 6 and it’s unclear if or when it will be available to export markets, including Australia.

The rise in popularity of Chinese cars has been so rapid it’s left traditional car companies scrambling to keep up in technology and sales.So now it is a case of, if you can’t beat them join them, with the old big carmakers searching for a Chinese partner in a bid for survival.Here’s who some big established brands are teaming up with to weather the electrical storm.The luxury sportscar maker is already part-owned by Chinese behemoth Geely, which has 17 per cent stake in the company, but there appear to be troubling times ahead and a buy out by Geely could be on the cards.Audi lives a completely double life. There’s the brand with the four-ringed badge, which operates in every country except China, and there's the brand with AUDI logo that is only found in China.AUDI models are completely different to the models sold outside China and are developed in a joint venture with MG's owner, SAICIt’s hard not to be envious of AUDI models, which are fully electric and futuristic looking. How much longer will it be before these highly desirable vehicles are exported to the world?BMW and Great Wall Motors (GWM) formed a joint venture in 2019 and the current Mini Aceman and Mini Cooper are one of the results. You knew Mini is owned by BMW right?The current Aceman and Cooper use a platform developed by BMW and GWM and are manufactured in Zhangjiagang and sold to the world.Ford’s global boss Jim Farley talks of the Chinese car brands being an ‘existential threat’, calling brands such as BYD “the best in the business”, and also admits the need to form partnerships. Farley has even suggested Ford forms joint ventures to build Chinese cars within the United States.Ford’s track record of partnerships with Chinese carmakers isn’t terrific. It recently broke up with Jiangling, which had been making versions of the Bronco SUV that were planned to be sold in Australia.Now the hunt is on for a new partner with Ford rumoured to be talking to Geely, BYD and Xiaomi.The embattled off-road brand, Jeep, may be rescued thanks to a partnership between parent company Stellantis and Chinese car maker Dongfeng.The agreement will see two new Jeep models with Dongfeng platforms built in China and exported globally.Land Rover and Chery have been building cars together in China for a decade now, but recently the relationship went to the next level.Land Rover has given Chery permission to revive the Freelander name. The twist is Freelander won’t be a model but a range of models.The extra twist is Chery Freelanders won’t just be built and sold in China, they’ll also be exported globally.How does Land Rover benefit? Well there’s probably a lot of money changing hands, but more valuable than that would be the use of Chery’s plug-in hybrid and EV know-how and hardware in exchange.Mazda has been criticised for its lack of electric vehicles, but its joint venture with Changam appears to be turning that around quickly, with the agreement resulting in the stunning Mazda 6e and CX-6e EVs.Both fully electric, the 6e and CX-6e, are made in China and use Changan engineering and drivetrains. Mazda’s designers were behind the styling.Mercedes-Benz’s joint venture with Geely is a successful one and the Smart brand of EVs is the result of this relationship. Smart sees Geely handle the engineering and production, while Mercedes-Benz looks after design.Mercedes-Benz is also working on a new Phoenix EV platform to underpin its next generation cars.The famous French brand Peugeot will also benefit along with Jeep from its parent company Stellantis's recent agreement with Dongfeng.Two Peugeots will be underpinned by Dongfeng platforms, and the Concept 6 and Concept 7 Peugeots displayed at the Beijing motor show have given us a glimpse of what’s to come.Geely arguably saved Volvo from demise when it bought the Swedish company off Ford in 2010. Now Geely owns about 78 per cent of Volvo, and while that still gives the Chinese parent company control, it allows Volvo to self-rule and operate out of Sweden.Volvo has flourished thanks to the injection of funds and the autonomy, with the vehicles benefitting from Swedish design and Geely advanced EV know-how.Many Volvo models including the EX40 are now made in China and sold to the world.Volkswagen and XPeng signed an agreement in 2023 to produce vehicles in China and in March this year. The first model co-developed by the two companies - the ID. UNYX 08 has entered production.Volkswagen benefits from the XPeng’s EV architecture and is said to be considering exporting co-developed vehicles direct from China in the future.