SUV News

Australia’s electric vehicle buying frenzy appears to have already subsided.That’s the view of one of Australia’s leading electric vehicle brands, BYD, which says its mix of models has already started to normalise despite the on-going fuel crisis. Sales of EVs jumped in March and April, as the price of petrol and diesel spiked amid conflict in the Middle East.In March EV sales were double what they were in March 2025, jumping to 14.6 per cent of the total market. That figure rose to 16.4 per cent of total sales in April, while searches on CarsGuide classifieds for EVs rose 230 per cent in March. Autotrader reported a 631 per cent jump in people searching for a new EV to buy in March.But the peak of this EV boom may already be behind us according to BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins, which is telling because the brand only offers EVs and plug-in hybrid (PHEVs).“I'll tell you what we've seen,” explained Collins. “What we saw was that in March there was a big uplift. Our mix went from 50/50 PHEV/EV to 70 per cent EV and 30 per cent PHEV. Definitely March, absolutely. April it started to come off, that mix came off, and the huge spike was coming off, and I would say now is pretty much back to normal.”However, he added that even though the sales split had returned to its previous levels, overall demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles remains high as fuel prices appear unlikely to drop dramatically any time in the near-future. And Collins believes that this is all part of a long-running shift towards EVs and PHEVs.“I think the baseline from where we were in January, February to now is higher. So I think it's been one of those events that has actually changed the momentum. But I don't think it's true that, we're riding on the sort of a . Some people are saying, ‘Yeah, we're riding the wave of this, petrol, fuel crisis thing.’ Yes, there was a short period where it went really strong, but even prior to that, the trajectory was pretty obvious.”BYD has certainly benefitted from the current situation, finishing second on the April sales charts. Its 7702 sales that month put it only behind Toyota for the month, as buyers flocked to its line-up of ‘new energy vehicles’ including the most-affordable EV on sale today, the pint-sized Atto 1.BYD’s biggest EV success story is the Sealion 7, with the mid-size SUV not only the second best-selling EV in the country, behind only the Tesla Model Y, but is also amongst the most popular models in its class - which includes the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Mitsubishi Outlander.As of the end of April sale, BYD was the fifth best-selling car brand in Australia, behind only Toyota, Mazda, Kia and Ford. The brand is aiming to have 30,000 new cars delivered by the end of the financial year, starting with a shipment of 4800 new vehicles aboard the BYD Zhengzhou, a company-owned car carrier due to arrive in Australia at the start of June.

KGM has detailed updates for its Torres and Actyon SUVs in South Korea.The 2027 KGM Torres with the regular 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine now comes with an eight-speed Aisin-sourced torque-converter automatic transmission, instead of a six-speed Aisin unit.The all-wheel drive petrol version now also receives off-road terrain modes in addition to the existing drive modes.The Torres is still also offered with hybrid and electric powertrain options.There are revised front and rear fascias, as well as new exterior paint colours and interior colourways.Inside, the Torres looks much more like the Actyon now. It receives a two-spoke, hexagonal steering wheel, as well as an updated screen set-up for the digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system.A number of key criticisms have also been addressed.There’s now wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a bigger gear selector, a physical switchgear cluster for the dual-zone climate control, as well as dual wireless chargers.It’s worth noting that the KGM Actyon also picks up the aforementioned updates, as well as the eight-speed automatic transmission.We’ve reached out to KGM Australia to see when we can expect these updated Torres and Actyon models will arrive Down Under. We’ll update this story once we hear back.KGM, which was previously known as SsangYong, launched the Torres in Australia in 2024 and was followed by the related and slightly larger Actyon in 2025.The South Korean carmaker has since launched hybrid and electric versions of the Torres, as well as a hybrid version of the Actyon.In the first four months of 2026 KGM has sold a total of 74 Torres examples and 80 Actyon examples. This is down considerably over top-selling rivals like the Toyota RAV4 (7571 sales), Hyundai Tucson (6842 sales) and Kia Sportage (5743 sales).

Stellantis, owner of Jeep, and Jaguar Land Rover have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to “explore opportunities to collaborate on product development in the United States”.Antonio Filosa, CEO of Stellantis said: “By working with partners to explore synergies in areas such as product and technology development, we can create meaningful benefits for both sides while remaining focused on delivering the products and experiences our customers love.” Meanwhile PB Balaji, CEO of JLR said: “As we continue to evolve JLR for the future, collaboration will play an important role in unlocking new opportunities. Working with Stellantis allows us to explore complementary capabilities in product and technology development that support our long‑term growth plans for the US market.”The tie-up comes as both companies face a tough tariff environment in the US, with Stellantis being embattled there in previous years with its previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, focusing largely on the European operation. JLR, meanwhile, could gain a foothold in the lucrative US market, where it does not currently have a manufacturing footprint.The partnership marks a major change in strategy for embattled Stellantis, which posted a A$37 billion dollar loss in 2025. Its house of 14 brands includes diverse marques from Jeep to Peugeot and Maserati. Under Tavares the US operation suffered, particularly Jeep. The brand pivoted to a more premium position, which didn’t resonate with buyers. Locally, it even resulted in the Grand Cherokee being pulled from sale as Jeep chose to focus on its more competitive offerings.JLR recently ended production of Jaguar models as it gears up for a major re-boot of its luxury passenger car brand, with the company still managing to post good results for 2025 off the back of record sales of the popular Defender and surging global sales of its new Range Rover Sport.The brand even claims that it has taken over 32,000 expressions of interest globally for its upcoming Jaguar Type 01 GT car.A bruising cyberattack, which shut down the brand’s factories in late 2025, has had an impact on the JLR’s bottom line. New tariffs in the US have caused the UK based company to post a 99 per cent profit slump in the first months of 2026.Both companies, which have been rivals in the past, have also turned to their Chinese joint-ventures for more global resilience.Stellantis has made clear its plan to lean on more partnerships, particularly with its Leapmotor joint-venture, and more recently, a new tie-up with Dongfeng to build more Peugeot models in China.Jaguar Land Rover has re-booted the Freelander marque as part of its joint-venture with Chery. The first model, the Freelander 8, pairs the design motifs from the previous Freelander small SUVs with an 800-volt architecture from Chery, plotted to be offered in both range extender hybrid and fully electric forms.Unlike previous Freelanders though, the new Chery-based model is an over-five-meter long three-row SUV. The tie-up has global aspirations and will exist independently of both Land Rover and Chery, and has been confirmed for an Australian launch.

The Toyota Prado-esque Haval H9 won’t be allowed into Australia.One of GWM’s guaranteed hits, the chunky 4WD that would probably cost a fraction of its Japanese inspiration rivals seems to have been knocked back for our market.Planned to land locally this year, we understand that the H9 instead makes way for a pair of brand-first seven-seater hybrid SUVs, the H7 Plus and H10, although neither are officially confirmed as yet.Disappointing news for 4x4 fans wanting a handsomely proportioned, off-road-engineered value option, perhaps, but the odds are stacked against the H9.Looking exactly like what a rugged and ready Toyota Prado rival should, the body-on-frame 4WD wagon, now two-years old in China, shares its chassis and some mechanical parts with GWM’s actual proper off-road brand Tank’s 500 sold in Australia since 2024, along with the related Tank 300.The latter, in particular, has been a success for GWM, attracting a diverse buyer set. And therein lies the problem.Haval is a value-for-money SUV brand proposition, not an off-road offering. This means the rugged, Tank-esque H9 does not fit with the rest of the range, creating fears that it would muddy the waters for buyers who are still getting used to GWM’s sheer proliferation of sub-brands that will soon add Wey (luxury) alongside Ora (electrification), Cannon (ute) and Tank (4WDs).Furthermore, due to their shared parts, sizing and visual similarities, the question of sales cannibalisation between the Tank and Haval is clearly keeping GWM’s Australian product planners up at night, particularly when the added cost of model complexity is thrown into the mix.Plus, just facelifted this year in China, the H9 now looks similar to one of the several facelifted H7 Plus versions, which has conveniently gained the company’s vaunted Hi4 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) tech. And that’s scheduled to come to Australia before the end of the year as a long-wheelbase seven-seater adjunct to the volume-selling H6 five-seater mid-sized SUV.Or, in other words, right in the heart of the family-car market in this country fight now.Not only would this broaden Haval’s market reach against rival Chinese seven-seater SUV PHEVs like the recently-released BYD Sealion 8 and Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid, it gives GWM another low-emissions hybrid to help it better meet New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) requirements.Fewer fines, more potential buyers. This is something that the 2.4-litre turbo diesel and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol-powered H9 would actively work against, sealing the model’s fate in Australia, at least for this generation.According to GWM Australia Public Relations Manager, Justin Stefani, it makes more sense to choose the H10 over the H9.“If we don't bring in the H9, there's potential for bringing H10 in,” he revealed at the China Auto Show in Beijing late last month.“The option is there… it’s just how we play the chessboard, right?”As reported last month, the H10 is Haval’s monocoque five-metre flagship SUV, offering three rows of seating, and is slated to arrive in early 2028 at this stage.It has only been announced with GWM’s four-cylinder turbo-petrol PHEV powertrains, though other varieties are expected to follow in time.GWM Australia Marketing Manager, Steve Maciver, added that he is cognisant of the potential confusion of offering a Tank-like Haval.“That’s the bit that we have to work through,” he admitted. “You know, we're developing a very, very clear master brand position in GWM with Wey sitting at the head of that. How those brands across Haval, Tank, Cannon, Ora and Wey play.“It's about bringing personality, purpose and a role to each of those brands.“We've got to be clear on what Haval stands for. That's where those product decisions are really important for us to make sure we get that right.”

Volvo has detailed the pricing and specifications of its new EX60 mid-size electric SUV ahead of its Australian launch late in 2026.This BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC EV rival is an electric counterpart to the XC60, which has been the Swedish carmaker’s best-selling vehicle for over 15 years now.Dubbed a game changer, the Volvo EX60 debuts the brand’s new SPA3 dedicated electric platform, which runs on an 800V electrical architecture. It also offers the most range and quickest charging of any Volvo EV to date.It’s priced from $86,990 before on-road costs for the Ultra P6 RWD trim and $101,990 before on-road costs for the Ultra P10 AWD trim.This starting price is notably more affordable than the BMW iX3, though the German carmaker is launching with the range-topping 50 xDrive trim first, whereas Volvo is launching with mid-spec versions.It’s understood the range-topping EX60 P12 AWD with 810km of WLTP-claimed range, as well as a more affordable, entry-level model will be launching in Australia in 2027.2027 Volvo EX60 pricing Australia 2027 Volvo EX60 drivetrain and efficiency 2027 Volvo EX60 standard equipmentUltra P6 RWD:21-inch alloy wheelsMatrix LED headlightsElectrochromic glass roofPrivacy glassHeat pumpHeated wiper blades11.4-inch digital instrument cluster15.04-inch OLED touchscreen multimedia system28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound systemThree-zone climate controlDigital Key and key cardHeated steering wheelSynthetic leather upholsteryHeated and ventilated front seatsHeated outboard rear seatsUltra P10 AWD adds:All-wheel driveAdaptive suspensionNappa leather upholstery2027 Volvo EX60 safetyNine airbagsAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Blind-spot monitoringFront and rear cross-traffic alertLane-keep assistLane centringAdaptive cruise controlTraffic sign recognitionDriver attention monitorFront and rear parking sensorsSurround-view camera2027 Volvo EX60 warranty and servicingVolvo hasn’t fully detailed the ownership package for the EX60 just yet, though it currently offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.Logbook servicing will likely be detailed closer to the EX60’s local launch late in 2026.

BYD’s big rival to the Toyota Prado is another step closer to Australia with the hybrid SUV hitting showrooms in the United Kingdom before the end of this year.A large, rugged, seven-seater SUV is one of the final pieces in BYD’s Australian plan and with the arrival of the Ti7 (or Titanium 7 as it’s also known) in fellow right-hand drive market the UK this year, plus BYD has trademarked the Ti7 name in Australia, we won’t be waiting too long it seems.UK models often give an accurate insight into what we can expect here ahead of their arrival and the Ti7 that’ll soon be on the streets of Britain shouldn't be much different to the one that will be here on the streets of Brisbane.What will definitely stay the same are the vehicle's dimensions. The UK spec vehicle is 5146mm long, 1995mm wide and 1865mm tall. Two electric motors - one positioned on the front axle and the other at the rear - provide all-wheel drive and are supported by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine.Quicker than any Toyota Prado ever the Ti7 can sprint from 0-100mm/h in a staggering 4.8 seconds.A 35.6kWh battery offers up to 127km of pure electric driving range. While the only variant arriving in the UK is expected to be a plug-in hybrid, a fully electric version of the Ti7 with flash charging is sold in China.Australia is likely to get the PHEV version, given the popularity of similar models such as the large BYD Sealion 8 SUV.The Sealion 8 is a large seven seat SUV with a very smiler PHEV powertrain and so it’ll be interesting to see if the Ti7 will arrive wearing a BYD badge or a Denza one.Denza models in Australia are sourced form its Denza premium range and Fangchengbao adventure brand in China.The Ti7 falls under the Fangchengbao brand in China, as do the B5 and B8 sold by Denza in Australia, but reports state BYD will claim the new rugged looking SUV for its own.A BYD spokesperson explained to UK outlet Autocar this was because the Ti7 doesn' share the B5 and B8's rugged ladder frame underpinnings. This means the Ti7 won't be suited to off-roading and will be a road focused family SUV with tough looks.Following this logic it's likely the Ti7 will wear a BYD badge in Australia, too.CarsGuide reached out to BYD Australia for confirmation of the model’s arrival and when we’ll see it here, but the brand has yet to respond.

A new budget electric compact SUV from Europe is on its way to Australia, with specifications of the Skoda Epiq revealed overseas. The Epiq is a rival to other budget EVs from the Suzuki e Vitara to the Kia EV3, along with other Chinese competitors such as the BYD Atto 3 and MG4. Skoda has previously confirmed it will arrive in Australia next year. Volkswagen Group Australia has been contacted for comment to find out exact launch timing.The car will need an affordable price tag in Australia to be competitive. It will be built in Spain, which means it will be on the cheaper end of European exports.It will be available with three different power set-ups in Europe, producing 85kW, 99kW and 155kW, all using front-wheel drive. It comes with 39kWh and 55kWh battery choices, offering driving range of 310km and over 440km, respectively. DC charging from 10-80 per cent can be as fast as 24 minutes. The Epiq is Skoda's first model to sit on Volkswagen Group's new MEB+ platform, which is specifically designed for compact EVs.The platform is also capable of bidirectional charging, so it can power external devices and redistribute power to the home or the grid. There is a tablet-sized 13-inch central touchscreen and compact digital driver display, with several physical buttons on the steering wheel and centre console. A panoramic sunroof and electric sun blind can be selected as an additional option.Skoda said the car will offer significant storage options, including a 475L boot and 25L front space. It measures up at 4171mm long, 1798mm wide, 1581mm high, with a wheelbase of 2601mm, which is in line with many of its rivals in the segment. Skoda has also announced there will be a limited edition variant of the car launching after the car's initial market launch.It will feature standout red interior and exterior elements, while keeping the car's most powerful electric set-up offered.

There is good news for car buyers as brands slash the price of EVs to boost demand as competition increases.Hyundai is the latest brand to offer some very generous discounts across its range of quality electric vehicles.The Korean maker has cut prices and deleted on-road costs, with some models now more than $13,000 cheaper.Leading the discounts is the electric version of the popular Kona compact SUV.The Kona EV Standard Range is now $45,990 drive-away, which is about $13,000 cheaper depending on what state you are in.This version uses a circa-48kWh battery to deliver a driving range of up to 370km.The Extended Range version is now $50,990, or about $12,400 cheaper, and lifts the driving range to more than 500km.Better-equipped Premium Extended Range versions and sporty looking N-Line examples are between $11,600 and $12,900 more affordable.Hyundai has also sliced thousands off the recently launched Elexio mid-size SUV.The China-sourced EV, which is related to the strong-selling Kia EV5, is down to $57,990 for the base version and $59,990 for the Elite version that comes with more stuff as standard.The Elexio packs an roughly 88kWh battery that delivers a driving range of up to 562km.Both grades use a single motor to make 160kW/310Nm sent to the front wheels. Hyundai is also getting generous with its pint-sized Inster. The Standard Range version is now about $4300 cheaper at $38,990.The base Inster is well suited to city motoring, and an ideal second car. It is one of the shortest cars on the market and has seating for four.A little 42kWh battery enables a driving range of up 327km. It is extremely light for an EV and its 71kW and 147Nm electric motor makes it feel peppy.The critically acclaimed Ioniq 5 medium SUV has also been given a big price cut.A base Ioniq 5 RWD is now about $10,500 cheaper at $71,990, and the Elite grade now starts at $78,990, which represents a saving of almost $9000.Fully loaded Ioniq 5 N-Line Premium AWD is now $87,990, or almost $11,000 cheaper.The Ioniq 5 was crowned CarsGuide’s 2026 Best SUV Under $130K, with single-motor 168kW/350Nm and dual-motor 239kW/605Nm versions impressing.Driving range varies from 495km for the heavier dual-motor version to 570km in the base RWD example.The catch? You need to be quick as customers must take delivery by the end of the month.Hyundai electric car deals 

With a flood of new and affordable Chinese automakers hitting the Australian market, Geely’s Australian CEO Alex Gu explained why its strategy is a little different from that of Chery, MG or GAC.Geely, which has such brands as Volvo, Zeekr, and Polestar under its ownership umbrella and ranks as one of China’s top-selling carmakers, said it will continue to approach the Australian market slowly.“This is culture-wise,” Gu said.“Geely is fully committed and we keep patient on the market penetration. Once we decide to enter into each individual global market, we are present to be a success.“Success is not only the volume booming. Success is also customer satisfaction and partner satisfaction.“So, you’ve noticed that for the Australian market, we’ve only launched two models up until today for example other have launched 10 models, five models, six or eight models.“Of course, they have been in the market longer, but Geely, even with two models you can notice from the VFACTs number, we try to bring ‘star’ models into each segment so we can make it successful.“EX5, you can already see, in April it will be a top-three BEV SUV. Starray EM-i? Same story. Now we are aiming to bring in EX2. These days we are taking pre-orders, which are very good figures.“So we’ll focus on our current models, but you can believe that after we bring all new models we will study the segment fully and those models as ‘star’ models for the segment.“We don’t want to make chaos. So we’ll bring each model to a segment in a significant position. This is our target," he said.Despite its more measured model roll out, will Geely have a model in every segment like some of its rivals have recently declared?“It’s a hard thing to do,” said Gu. “Even some mainstream brands, they don’t have a model in every segment. So for Geely, again we will study the market, study what customers want.“So it’s mutual success, for Geely and for our partner, and for the market,” he said.The brand was planning to have a seven-seat SUV, an off-roader (as previewed by the Geely Battleship 700 concept) and a ute, according to Gu.Gu said models need to sell more than 1000 units to be considered a success."From my perspective, 1000 a month is a milestone for a new model, especially in mainstream segments.”Gu said it is well known Geely is “aiming to be top five” globally.“For the Australian market of course we have a target, each market needs to support this goal. At least for the Chinese brands in the market, we are always mentioned as the number one Chinese brand," he said.From there Gu said it becomes a game of “how to challenge the global top three brands”.One area Geely was particularly focused on was consistent parts supply.Gu said it was essential for the brand to properly plan for its parts distribution centres (PDC), so that “when there is an order, we need to guarantee how to get it within 24 hours from the PDC to the customer”.He also noted Geely had an expansive dealer network already, up to 48 locations, with a plan to “exceed 80” despite only having the two models on sale currently.Gu said the brand would sell any purely petrol or diesel models. Instead the brand would focus on EVs, plug-in hybrids and conventional plugless hybrids.Geely’s next model will be the EX2 electric hatchback, which is due to arrive in the third quarter of 2026. The Emgrand plug-in hybrid sedan will arrive in 2027. Gu also confirmed a seven-seat SUV (something similar to the Geely M9 shown at the Melbourne Motor Show recently) is also in the plan for the next 12 to 18 months.

Ford has announced a plan it hopes will win back European buyers by launching five new “rally bred” small cars before the end of the decade.In an ambitious attempt to regain the large share of Europe’s market it once had, Ford is playing the performance card hoping its historic connections to motorsport and adventure will appeal to buyers.“Ford has more than a century of racing heritage particularly in the world of rally, Europe’s native racing format,” the announcement said. “Combining that off-road DNA with on-road performance, Ford will create rally-bred vehicles tailored to Europe.” The announcement launches a new campaign centred around the slogan 'Ready Set Ford' and promises to bring new models in areas that Ford believes are its strengths, those being 'Build, Thrill and Adventure', according to the brand.All this is happening as Chinese brands such as BYD flood the market with electric and plug-in hybrid cars.Ford’s announcement is high on slogans and promises it’s low on details, although five new models have been confirmed including a baby Bronco off-road SUV to be built in Spain in 2028.The baby Bronco will be a 'multi energy' model according to Ford’s statement, suggesting it will be offered in several variants, possibly hybrid and fully electric.Also revealed in Ford’s announcement was the coming of a new fully-electric small SUV described as having “rally bred design language and drive dynamics in an urban-friendly package”.Two more sporty multi-energy models will also be launched - so called 'rally-bred' SUVs or crossovers. These will join and complete Ford’s new European passenger car line-up by 2029.The new models could see the revival of the Fiesta and Focus nameplates. Both models were axed within the past five years as Ford redirected its energy to SUVs.Ford’s ambitious strategy is designed to combat the current threat from new rivals the company faces in Europe. Small affordable electric and hybrid cars from Chinese carmakers are rapidly growing in popularity and Ford has seen its share in the European market dwindle from about nine per cent to less than four per cent.Will Australia see any of these new Ford models? It’s possible given some will be produced in right-hand drive for the UK.Ford may also need to review its skeletal offering in Australia, given the local downturn in the off-road ute market that it relies on heavily for sales.