SUV News

Nissan Australia has confirmed sweeping changes to its model line-up effective immediately, as formerly key models are axed in favour of a more hybrid-focused product mix.The 2026 Nissan Pathfinder large SUV and the Nissan Juke small SUV will be the last of their kind sold in Australia indefinitely, while the brand is also putting a hold on the arrival of the new Nissan Leaf electric small SUV until further notice.Along with dwindling sales, the models’ powertrain options make them incompatible with Nissan Australia’s hybrid-heavy plan, the outgoing regional boss has said.Nissan Oceania Managing Director Andrew Humberstone told CarsGuide the Pathfinder and Juke are being given the axe while the new Leaf, which in its new form is a small SUV, won’t arrive in showrooms for the foreseeable future either.That plan, he said, involves a lot more e-Power electrification to, presumably, balance out the effects of the incoming diesel-powered D27 Nissan Navara ute and the rather large Y63 Nissan Patrol in terms of Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which bring fines for models that pollute more and award credits for selling low-emissions vehicles.With Juke and Pathfinder out, Nissan’s line-up is down to six badge names: Qashqai and X-Trail, the small and medium SUVs with hybrid ‘e-Power’ options, Navara and Patrol which fall under the light commercial vehicle category, plus the electric Ariya and the low-volume Nissan Z sports car.“We're going to see a natural dispersion between product and what's coming in, what's going out,” Humberstone told CarsGuide, “so we have to manage that in order to make those tough decisions now for the future.“Juke will no longer be in market, Pathfinder will no longer be in market. Leaf, we're going to, in essence, indefinitely delay at this moment.“We’ll continue to bring in, obviously Navara, which is more NVES-appropriate than the previous version, as is the new Patrol.”Behind Mazda Australia, Nissan is in second place for the largest looming fines as of the most recent February 1, 2026 figures.According to the NVES Regulator, Nissan Australia racked up $10.76m in potential fines between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Nissan must offset this by selling more low-emission vehicles, or buy credits from other manufacturers, in order to avoid the fines becoming a reality.The plan, according to Humberstone, is to create a model line-up that consists of mostly hybrid variants, thus the introduction of the e-Power-only Qashqai range last year.In addition, a more affordable version of the Nissan X-Trail is set to arrive with 2WD e-Power hybrid in the hopes of increasing hybrid sales of the model.“In addition to that, in the bridging strategy we're focused on when we see circa 75 per cent of all the registrations being, which is within the EV/hybrid space, and that's where we're putting all our energy in the short-term.“So that means the full range of Qashqai now is coming with e-Power technology, which is our hybrid. We’re seeing it with X-Trail… we now want to expand that with a 2x4 hybrid version.”Nissan’s financial situation has been the subject of much speculation, but Humberstone says one of the final things he leaves Nissan Australia with before his departure to a posting in France from April 2026 is this plan to future-proof the model line-up.He said the tumultuous state of the industry means difficult short-term decisions are needed to put the business in a better position in the medium- and long-term.“I would say even within the next six, seven months, you're going to start seeing the benefits of the work. The natural cleansing needs to be done. The sooner you do that, the better. “I believe our timing was perfect, given the volatility of what's been going on all over the place, and the number of competitors and more recent stuff that's going off at the moment around the globe.“We're here to stay in Oceania, and we're committed to the market. There's product investment being made. It's done. So there's no speculation on that.”Humberstone’s replacement is Steve Milette, who was President of Nissan Canada for more than five years, and is currently Division Vice President for Dealer Network Development, Customer Resources, Training and Customer Experience for Nissan and Infiniti’s entire North America region.He takes up the much shorter title of Managing Director of Nissan Oceania on April 1, and is expected to continue overseeing the plan to increase Nissan Australia’s hybridisation of the model range.

Audi has detailed its next model for the Chinese market, the E7X large SUV.The new model, marketed under Audi’s joint-venture marque with MG owner SAIC, is more than five meters long and has an “industry first” 109kWh battery pack from CATL.This allows the large SUV a driving range of 715km according to the more lenient CLTC testing cycle.It also features a 900-volt electric architecture for ultra-fast charging, plus the signature Audi ‘quattro’ all-wheel-drive system. The brand claims it can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds.Two versions of the E7X have already been announced, a rear-wheel-drive version producing 300kW/500Nm and an all-wheel drive that adds a 200kW motor to the front axle, and produces 800Nm of torque.Unlike many other Chinese-built SUVs in this size category, the E7X is only a five-seat proposition, rather than the three-row six-seaters from rival brands. In this sense it is a closer rival to the likes of the smaller and also fully electric Xiaomi YU7 or the more size-equivalent but plug-in hybrid Zeekr 8X.Audi’s SAIC joint-venture sub-brand ditches the brand’s historic four-ringed logo in favour of an illuminated AUDI badge. It also has a distinct design language to specifically appeal to the Chinese market, with its own face and LED light structure.If it follows on from the previous E5 Sportback, will have a tech-laden interior, too.Expect to learn more about the E7X at its official unveiling at the Beijing Motor Show in April.As for export markets, don’t get your hopes up, with the SAIC joint-venture vehicles both expressly designed for China, although it is notable the brand has registered the E7X name in Europe.Despite high hopes for the Chinese market, the brand’s E5 Sportback has failed to deliver significant sales so far in China compared to domestic rivals from IM Motors, Zeekr, Nio, and Xiaomi.Therefore, a lot is riding on the E7X to deliver more volume for the brand’s fledgling China-specific arm.Audi had a better result than expected in 2025 according to its latest financial release, in what it said was a particularly tough year. While much of its focus will be on building out its Chinese offering, the brand will also follow up a strong 2025 with more important new global models in 2026.This is set to include the new flagship Q9 SUV, a re-booted Audi A2 e-tron, as well as a next-generation Q7 large SUV.

Volkswagen’s new ID. Cross all-electric city SUV has just been unveiled in lightly camouflaged guise overseas, with the model targeted for a launch later this year. We don’t know yet whether the ID. Cross will make its way to Australia, but there are already several other models under the electric ID banner here. The brand has its ID. 4 and ID. 5 mid-size SUVs as well as the ID. Buzz people mover and van. Volkswagen Australia has been contacted for comment as to when we might see the ID. Cross launch in Australia.A spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia said the brand is currently exploring the possibilities and feasibility of introducing the ID. Cross in Australia, but no decisions have been made yet. The new model would provide an all-electric small SUV rival in what is a growing segment Down Under. The five-seater would compete with the likes of the BYD Atto 2 and Leapmotor B10 as well as cars a half-size up like the Kia EV3 ahead of the more size-equivalent EV2 arriving.We know so far the ID. Cross has three electric motor set-ups, which produce 85kW, 99kW and 155kW respectively, serving as an electric alternative to the T-Cross combustion SUV.It comes with two battery choices, which are 37kWh and 52kWh. Details on the driving range for the car are yet to be revealed by VW. It will also get DC fast charging at 90kW, with the larger battery option offering charging at 105kW, indicating a charge time in the mainstream benchmark half-hour range. It will start in price overseas from 28,000 euros, which is around $45,000, but expect a price jump is on the table if it makes its way to Aussie shores as the numbers rarely line up.The ID. Cross appears in camouflaged photos in the Netherlands with a bubble-like design and a sloping roofline much like that of the current T-Cross combustion car. It has a rectangular rear light design and the rear VW badge illuminates in line with other ID models. Few other details have been revealed about the car at this stage, with the launch planned between September and December this year in Europe.This latest ID. Cross continues VW’s push towards electrification of its range, with the brand recently announcing an ID. Polo hatch, with an ID. Golf also mooted to live alongside the re-branded ID.3 Neo electric car.Stay tuned for more on Volkswagen's new model plans for the remainder of 2026 in Australia soon.

This Chinese brand is doing something special for Australians.Hot on the heels of the launch of the special edition Zeekr 7X Black Edition, the local arm's Managing Director Frank Li said constant communication with its buyers would allow even more “co-creation” specialised for the Australian market.“Zeekr is a brand which is moving very fast, usually the facelift comes within one or two years, and the very strong research and development team and design team give us the capability to move with that kind of speed,” said Li.“The key point is co-creating with our customers. We’re not only trying to sell products here, but we’re trying to build a community. We’re trying to get more engaged and listen to customer demand and suggestions, and we take that on board for the product."Zeekr said when launching the new 7X Black Edition, that the new variant was based expressly on customer feedback that there should be a blacked-out version of the car, which was previously missing.But Mr Li said the constant “co-creating” with its buyers was happening more frequently behind the scenes and reached beyond just new variants.“For software, we’re doing over-the-air updates based on customer feedback, and on the hardware front, we’re trying to push for even more features .”One thing that wasn’t a problem in customer feedback, Li says, was anything to do with range or power.“With powertrain, battery and electrification, our customers are actually quite satisfied” he said.Li added that the 800-volt platform used by the 7X was already enough to “have the highest charging capability” on Australia’s fast-charging network. Li revealed what Aussie fans are screaming out for.“The biggest feedback is on software, features like auto-parking, these are the kinds of capabilities we will be improving in the future,” he said."Customers want more choice. Some don’t get a lot of use out of the auto door feature, but they want all-wheel drive, so they’re asking for the ability to separate those two features out, so this is one example of something we have under discussion.”The 7X is also notable for having an animated LED light bar in its Chinese home market, which adds a degree of character to its design missing from Australian-delivered vehicles.Because of more strict Australian Design Rules (ADRs) around frontal lighting features, the animated bar is replaced by a gloss panel on locally-delivered versions.Li said while the brand was always in discussions on these types of limitations, it seemed the regulations would still stop some popular features from its Chinese home market.“If we could bring these features to the Australian market, we would love to do so,” he said.Many other Chinese brands also have an element of rapid turn-around, which allows them to bring updates, facelifts, or even deeper upgrades to Australia in usually never-before-seen timeframes.While this generally means a much more competitive new car landscape, it can also sometimes mean rapid depreciation for early adopters. On the flip side, these early adopters can also be rewarded with significant software fixes while getting in at a lower initial price-point.As often a global launch-pad for Chinese brands though, feedback from the Australian market is taken very seriously by even the biggest players, such as BYD, Chery and GWM.The 7X has been a resounding success for the Chinese premium brand.The new EV has more than doubled its sales after only a handful of months since launch, and now accounts for the lion’s share of the brand’s volume Down Under. With 1046 units delivered in the first two months of this year, it has also rapidly shot to near the top of the category for similarly-sized SUV rivals, or similarly-priced EVs.This comes as no surprise to Mr Li though, who said the product will speak for itself.“Zeekr brings customers an option where they don’t need to compromise between tech, luxury, drive experience, and the cost,” he said.“Before 7X came along these four elements have been in conflict. It’s very hard to get them all, so usually you have to compromise.“So, we have very strong ambitions and forecasts for 7X, but the product and time will tell.”

In Audi’s latest round of financial results for 2026, the German luxury brand confirmed “the focus” would be on its latest and largest product, the Q9 flagship SUV.

What a month! The war in the Middle East has created serious panic for commuters stung by soaring fuel prices.A way out of that spiral is getting into an electric vehicle (EV), and there are still several models available at heavily-discounted prices to make the transition from internal combustion engines easier.Here are a handful of electric bargains we found online at a minimum of 30 per cent off retail, with odometers capped at 10,000km for that fresh-car feel. Many had barely breached 2500km.To be sure, there must have been at least three examples at the lower prices advertised to make this list at the time of publishing. Most are dealer demonstrators, and all will bring savings if you depend on your vehicle on a daily basis, since the bulk of their early depreciation has already occurred.Kia Niro EVThe second-gen Niro launched in 2022 from an eye-watering $65K, putting punters off from what was a pleasant, competent and likeable mid-sized crossover EV. Sales stalled, and Kia discontinued it. But there are still a handful of MY23 demos at under $40K. That’s over 40 per cent off retail!New price: $65,300 before ORCSeen for: $36,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Hyundai InsterCharming, chuckable and ideal for urban commutes, the Inster can be had for over 33 per cent off retail if you’re willing to snap up one of the demos doted around the country.New price: $43,500 drive-awaySeen for: $28,990 drive-away (MY25, demo)Renault Kangoo E-TechAbout a half-dozen demo examples of Renault’s terrific little Kangoo E-Tech from 2023 are still available for under $40K, representing another 40 per cent saving. The little French van is also indecently fun. What a bargain!New price: $66,500 before ORCSeen for: $38,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Hyundai Kona ElectricSpacious, agile and refined, the electric version of the Kona small SUV punches above its weight, as reflected by its current mid-fifties price point. Which means that a 30 per cent saving with just 3000km on the odo make this a no-brainer buy.New price: $54,000 before ORCSeen for: $38,000 (MY24 demo)Audi Q4 45 e-tronOne of our favourite premium EV SUVs, the Q4 e-tron combines high couture with sophisticated engineering, for an on-brand luxury experience that will have you seeking the long way home.New price: $93,000 drive-awaySeen for: $66,000 drive-away (MY25, demo)Ford Mustang Mach-E SelectThe Mustang Mach-E is an enigma. Disregard the baggage associated with the pony-car image and instead revel in a sporty, dynamic and surprisingly practical family car with ample range. Yes, it’s the pre-facelift model, but the savings are worth it.New price: $73,400 drive-awaySeen for: $50,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Jeep AvengerArguably the most athletic Jeep in history, the Avenger is a sweet-driving, decently packaged and well-presented city-sized SUV with relatively minor off-road capabilities. Built in Poland, it’s related to the Peugeot 2008 EV.New price: $53,990 before ORCSeen for: $37,000 drive-away (MY24, demo)Subaru Solterra TouringSubaru’s version of the Toyota bZ4X has really struggled to secure buyers, with the up-spec Touring launching at nearly $84K before quickly being reduced to $77K. Though facelifted and improved, there are loaded demos advertised in the low-fifties drive-away, offering a lot of EV for the money.New price: $76,990 before ORCSeen for: $53,000 drive-away (MY24, demo)Fiat 500eItalians know how to make a chic urban runabout and Fiat’s stylish 500e is no exception. Rapid yet refined, its small battery is quick to charge, still provides over 311km of WLTP range and the handling is a lot of fun.New price: $52,500 before ORCSeen for: $36,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)

After a long wait the Skoda Enyaq RS SUV and Coupe have been confirmed to arrive in Australia in the third quarter of 2026.The brand previously offered the Enyaq RS Coupe in limited volume from December 2024, but this updated model will expand the range with the addition of the SUV bodystyle.“The Enyaq RS and Enyaq Coupé RS distil the best of Skoda: effortless electric performance, long‑range confidence and generous technology, all wrapped in a distinctly RS design,” explained Lucie Kuhn, Brand Director for Skoda Australia.“They’re engineered for Australian life: quick to charge, easy to live with and exceptionally well equipped.”The Enyaq RS SUV will be priced from $75,490 and $76,490 (both prices exclude on-road costs), but Skoda Australia has confirmed that a national drive-away deal will be offered, but announced closer to launch.Full details for this new flagship, high-performance variants have just been confirmed by the Australian arm of the Czech brand, with a 250kW/545Nm, all-wheel drive powertrain headlining its credentials.But despite being capable of sprinting 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds, Skoda also claims the Enyaq RS will be able to drive up to 523km on a single charge, thanks to its 9kWh battery. Maximum DC charging is 185kW, which Skoda claims is enough to recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes.Befitting its role as the performance hero of the range, the Enyaq RS will also come equipped with Volkswagen Group’s Dynamic Chassis Control.Unique elements for the RS include 21-inch alloy wheels, glossy black exterior highlights and RS design black leather and leatherette seat trim. There’s also the exclusive Mamba Green hero colour to further set it apart.Further equipment includes a 13‑inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 5.3‑inch digital instrument display, heated and ventilated front seats, tri-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging and a Canton premium sound system.Plus there’s Skoda’s trademark ‘simply clever’ touches, including an umbrella stowed in the front door, hands-free power tailgate and cargo nets and other storage devices in the boot.

Fuel prices in Australia are soaring, meaning fuel efficiency in vehicles is a more important consideration than ever. Hybrid cars offer the potential for superior fuel efficiency compared to internal combustion power without the big price premium if fully electric or plug-in hybrid options. This makes them an increasingly attractive option for buyers given the current global climate. Hybrid sales are already booming in Australia, but will increases in fuel prices accelerate the shift away from pure internal combustion cars? NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said that while hybrid sales are increasing, an even swifter transition is less than clear. “If you’re driving a standard vehicle with a 55-litre tank, compared to what we were paying before the war began to now, it’s a $45 increase on one tank of petrol. That applies regardless of whether it’s hybrid or petrol,” Khoury said. “Historically speaking, looking at what happens after an oil shock, it certainly opens up their consideration. “No doubt that if this crisis continues and these prices hang around for weeks or months, Australians will look at those alternatives more seriously.” Below is a comparison between popular petrol and hybrid choices in each segment to see how they stack up in a changing fuel context. Fuel cost has been calculated using current data from the New South Wales’ government’s average fuel price for unleaded 95 petrol and diesel. Toyota’s Corolla hybrid hatch offers superior fuel efficiency and driving range compared to the Kia K4 petrol model. The Corolla is also cheaper to fill up with fuel thanks to its smaller tank and offers a substantially bigger driving range. The Kia Seltos is a petrol-only variant, but despite its bigger fuel tank, it has less driving range than the Toyota Corolla Cross, courtesy of the hybrid powertrain. The bigger fuel tank means the Seltos is also more expensive to fill up. The mid-size CX-5 has a non-turbo charged petrol engine, which sees it offer an impressive estimated driving range of more than 800km, but once again the Toyota competitor’s fuel efficiency wins out in the RAV4 hybrid. The Toyota Kluger continues the Japanese juggernaut’s fuel efficient theme, with a hybrid set-up offering a driving range of more than 1122km, which is significantly more than the MQ QS, despite both cars costing a similar amount to fill up at the bowser. Utes are some of the worst affected by the fuel price increase as many of them are powered using diesel engines, with diesel fuel rising more than petrol. It has now risen to well beyond the $2.60 mark per litre. The BYD Shark’s plug-in hybrid set-up uses petrol, which makes it an affordable option, given the price of diesel. It should be noted that the Shark 6’s fuel efficiency is significantly reduced when the battery is not charged. It’s a similar story for the GWM Cannon Alpha, which should be noted is no longer on sale, but remains one of limited plug-less hybrid utes in Australia. 

GWM’s much-hyped V8 engine is still not locked in for Australia as the company mulls how it will introduce such an engine when emissions regulations are starting to bite.The Chinese giant announced the existence of a new 4.0-litre V8 engine at last year’s Shanghai motor show, claiming that it has “solved problems overseas companies couldn’t solve” when it comes to higher capacity engines.The announcement was a shock given every other manufacturer is downsizing their internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains or moving to electrification.Speaking with journalists in Melbourne recently, GWM ANZ Chief Operating Officer John Kett said the newly developed V8 was still a chance for Australia, but the company has to determine how that will work with the New Vehicle efficiency Standard (NVES) now in play.“We'd love to turn that V8 story that we spoke about last year into something. We got visibility around certainly V8 ICE. Not sure if we can pay the NVES penalty, but we want to think about that too and how that would work. And we don't have anything more in our plug-in hybrid V8, but it's certainly still there.”Questioned on whether the V8 was guaranteed for Australia, Kett said:“I would say the technology is there. We haven't made a final decision.”He added GWM needs to keep pushing its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and EV models, including Ora, for the V8 to get over the line.Currently there are a number of PHEV models in GWM’s growing portfolio, including the H6 and H6 GT PHEV, the Tank 500 and soon-to-launch Tank 300, as well as the Cannon Alpha ute. A plug-iun version of the smaller Cannon ute has also been confirmed.Ora consists of just one niche hatchback model for now, but GWM confirmed two to three new Ora models to launch in 2026, including the Ora 5 crossover.The V8 could find its way under the bonnet of the Tank 700 SUV or the coming Tank 800 flagship, but that’s yet to be confirmed.Kett said he understands that messaging could get confusing for GWM which claims green credentials while planning a V8, but suggested there could be other ways to bring the big engine to market.“I'm not sure how we explain them in this world, that we're a green company and we have a V8, but I'm sure we'll work our way through that, right?“We certainly see in the upper-large segments what they're getting away with, and the opportunity for us. So if it ends up being a narrow build or a limitation on how many we bring in, but certainly in our portfolio, there's a car we could take. It's just the economics piece.”He said one option could be to introduce the engine in very limited numbers, but he would like it to be broader. Another option was to charge V8 customers for cost of NVES, but that too is far from a certainty.“So maybe it has to pay for it, maybe we just have to say outside of V8 will be neutral and a bit of credit, V8 customer are just going to have to pay for the tax that goes with that right? That economically makes sense. I'm not sure PR wise or corporate wise, whether they would like that. That's the economic side.”GWM ANZ Head of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver has faith that the company will be able to introduce the V8 in healthy numbers, but it comes down to economic sense.“If we can build a business case and there's demand there, we're not going to limit. We'll sell as many as we can get our hands on. And we're pretty confident we'll get support from the factory for us to do that.“We have to get that hybrid and plug-in hybrid and EV part of the portfolio right. And we think we've got today, a good setup of product technology to take us there. But again, knowing what's coming in the pipeline, we will add a significant number more plug-in hybrids, EVs into that space, and we're confident we'll grow that.“And if we can do that, it really firms up V8 for us. But we're still going to make the business case as we do with any new car coming up.”In other words, watch this space.

Despite a slow start in Australia in 2025, Chinese luxury brand Zeekr says it is unsurprised by the success of its third product, the 7X mid-size electric SUV.The 7X launched in Australia in late 2025 to some fanfare, more than doubling the brand’s yearly sales tally in just a few months, and in 2026 it now accounts for more than 60 per cent of its volume.When asked about the 7X's relative runaway success had come as a surprise to the local division, Zeekr Australia’s managing director Frank Li told CarsGuide success was the brand’s “assumption”.“The 7X is not just popular in Australia, but also it is the first Zeekr global model, so we’ve had very good achievements in both the domestic and international markets including Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia,” said Li.Li also noted the 7X was particularly suited to the Australian buyer, suggesting that as a reason that it was more popular than the rest of the brand’s line-up, and also why it is getting the just-announced Black Edition pack especially for our market.“ is perfect for the Australian customer archetype so that’s also why we’re bringing the Black Edition based on customer feedback,” he said.Mr Li added the order bank for 7X was significant, and deliveries will remain high, at least for the first half of 2026 as the order books are filled.“Initially we were facing some challenges on supply last year, especially in December from the global battery shortage, but this has been resolved. There are several thousand 7Xs currently on a ship right now, so supply isn’t an issue at the moment,” he said."Last month we delivered 628 7Xs, which is good momentum, and next month the delivery number will be higher.“We’re still a new brand so we’re focused on how to deliver as much as we can as fast as we can so we can get our pre-order customers into the car earlier.“So that’s our first priority. We’re also working on a better customer experience which includes sales delivery and after sales.” he said, hinting at a wider showroom footprint and more service locations."Are there storm clouds on the horizon for Zeekr as it fills the initial surge of demand for 7X? Mr Li was quite candid.“Honestly, we’re not pushing too hard on new orders,” he said, adding that Zeekr’s strategy would be bolstered by both customer satisfaction and rising fuel prices.“First of all, for EVs, the market penetration has been climbing up and petrol prices are now climbing higher. I think Zeekr brings customers an option where they don’t need to compromise between tech, luxury, drive experience, and the cost.”“Before 7X came along these four elements have been in conflict. It’s very hard to get them all, so usually you have to compromise.”“So, we have very strong ambitions and forecasts for 7X, but the product and time will tell,” he said.Zeekr’s numbers are on the rise in 2026, with the brand delivering 1046 units in the first two months of the year.This puts the electric mid-sizer ahead of some heavy-hitting luxury segment contemporaries including the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and the Lexus NX, whilst also staying well ahead of some electric price competitors like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Toyota bZ4X, and Kia EV6.Zeekr will  build on its momentum later in 2026, with Mr Li adding there will be updates for its Zeekr X small SUV and a new variant for the 009, while also confirming the just-revealed 8X is very much on the cards for Australia in the future, although maybe not until 2027.