1978 Porsche 924 Reviews

Hybrid power is now mainstream for Aussie buyers.  It's an important choice for buyers transitioning from petrol- and diesel-powered cars to full EVs.Hybrid-powered cars are also important for brands as they seeks alternatives to internal combustion cars that incur fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).There are broad categories of hybrid cars in Australia, and each one has its own benefits for buyers.Here's a look at what hybrids are available, and which one might suit you best.Mild hybrid power is the first stage of electrification for cars.Mild hybrid cars can't drive on EV power alone, because they only use a small, low-voltage battery (usually) 48-volt, with a less than 1kWh capacity.The electric motor usual powers certain electrical features and the starter motor.They don't need to be charged, but they also don't offer noticeably better fuel efficiency than standard petrol- and diesel-powered cars.The popular Toyota HiLux ute is available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, while Suzuki and Renault offer mild hybrid set-ups on some of their models.Conventional hybrid, plug-less hybrid or self-charging hybrid cars are popular in Australia.The engine works seamlessly with a bigger electric motor to maximise fuel efficiency.A conventional hybrid usually runs on electric-only power at low speeds or for short distances when cruising at higher speeds. The engine will kick in at higher speeds or when more power is needed, blending petrol and electric power.This makes fuels efficiency in urban environments or star-stop traffic better than what a petrol- or diesel-powered car would achieve.The battery in a conventional hybrid is charged by the engine and from regenerative braking, meaning the car doesn't need to be plugged in.The conventional hybrid car's battery is smaller than those in plug-in hybrid and fully-electric cars, and still requires a petrol engine to run.Toyota provides conventional hybrid set-ups on the vast majority of its Australian line-up, including its RAV4 SUV and Camry sedan.Other popular brands Kia, Hyundai and others also have affordable conventional hybrid variants on its popular models.Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs take hybrid power to the next level because they are equipped with a much larger battery and a more powerful electric motor set-up.PHEVs have a long electric-only driving range, with some capable of exceeding 200km, before the engine is needed to drive the wheels. Most new PHEVs have an EV range of at least 100km.This means daily commuters will rarely have to fill-up on fuel if they charge the battery every night.PHEVs also boast significant combined driving range as they have a regular sized fuel tank to power the engine, resulting in ranges of north of 1000km before the fuel tank and battery are depleted.Carmakers often claim PHEVs drink less than 2.0L/100km of fuel, but that requires owners to constantly charge their batteries and never let it deplete.Once the battery is depleted fuel use will skyrocket, as the small engine has to move around a heavy vehicle weighed down by the battery and electric motors.PHEVs suit a buyer with access to charging facilities, who also want outstanding fuel efficiency.Bigger Chinese vehicles usually employ PHEV set-ups, including the BYD Shark 6 ute and incoming Zeekr 8X and 9X.Range-extender hybrids, also known as Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV) or Extended-Range Electric vehicle (EREV), are gaining popularity globally.They are feature similar hardware to PHEVs, but work in a different way.The engine in a REEV's is used as a generator for charging the battery, and the wheels are driven by the electric motor, or motors, only.REEV's have an EV-sized battery that can also be plugged in to charge, giving these cars a driving range comfortably exceeding 1000km.Leapmotor's B10 and C10 SUVs use REEV set-ups in Australia, but the incoming Forthing Taikon 5 and the XPeng L03 will also employ the set-up when they hit showrooms.Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ hybrid system in the X-Trail and Qashqai SUVs employ REEV tech on a smaller scale, using the engine to power a small battery that powers the wheels, but this battery cannot be plugged in to charge.

The flagship model grade of the new Porsche Cayenne Electric line-up is the Turbo. And while it doesn’t have an actual turbocharger, it has plenty of performance.Surprisingly, the Cayenne Electric Turbo is actually cheaper than the existing Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, starting at $259,800 for the SUV and $272,000 for the Coupe. As the flagship it comes fully-loaded with equipment, including:22-inch alloy wheelsUnique lower front bumperPorsche Active Aero Dynamics with active AerobladesHD-Matrix LED headlightsPanoramic roof with variable light controlAdaptive sports seats with 18-way adjustment14-speaker Bose premium sound systemWhile this new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions, giving it a more modern look.Inside, is a very contemporary and practical cabin, with curved screens for the digital instrument display and the multimedia system, as well as the option to add a third screen in-front of the passenger. The overall level of fit and finish, the detail and quality of the materials is exactly what you’d expect from a premium brand and an SUV at this price point.Performance is always a high benchmark for any Porsche with a ‘Turbo’ badge and that’s no different for the Cayenne Turbo. Its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive electric powertrain can make a staggering 850kW of power and 1500Nm of torque, although that power is only on boost and it typically uses ‘only’ 630kW.With the full 850kW in use, the Cayenne Turbo has a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 2.5 seconds, which is hard to believe for such a big SUV. The extra performance does come at a small cost, with the Cayenne Turbo having the lowest driving range of the line-up (only 5km less than the Cayenne), at 537km. This is courtesy of a 106kWh battery that Porsche builds itself at a special factory specifically for the Cayenne.As for safety, the Cayenne Electric is as well equipped as you should expect a car at this price to be. There are all the features that have become the norm, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, etc.But it’s not the fact that it has all the safety features that’s impressive, it’s the level of calibration. Yes, the speed limit warning will go off if you speed, but generally the other safety systems were very well-behaved and understated during our drive.

The Porsche Cayenne S Electric is the middle member of the initial three-tier line-up that has launched in Australia in 2026.Priced from $193,000 for the SUV and $194,500 for the Coupe, the Cayenne S Electric is only just over $8000 more than its petrol alternative. For that money you get:21-inch alloy wheelsMatrix LED headlightsIlluminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlidPanoramic glass roofFour-zone climate controlEight-way adjustable sports seatsBose surround sound audio system with 14 speakersThis new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions. The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too. The same is true of the interior, with a modern design that keeps the Cayenne Electric contemporary, but also practical and loaded with all the technology modern buyers expect.The Cayenne S has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain that makes 400kW (490kW on Overboost) and 1080Nm and has a 0-100km/h time of a very rapid 3.8 seconds.Range for the Cayenne S is rated at 571km, thanks to its 106kWh battery, which is the most of the range.As for safety, the Cayenne Electric is as well equipped as you should expect a car at this price to be. There are all the features that have become the norm, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, etc.But it’s not the fact that it has all the safety features that’s impressive, it’s the level of calibration, with very good integration.

The all-new Porsche Cayenne Electric range begins with this ‘entry-level’ model priced from $167,700 before on-road costs for the SUV body style and $173,500 for the Coupe. While that is a price premium over the existing petrol and hybrid models, it does come well specified.Standard equipment includes:20-inch alloy wheelsMatrix LED headlightsIlluminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlidPanoramic glass roofDual-zone climate controlEight-way adjustable sports seat10-speaker sound systemWireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoThis new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions. The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too. Inside, for all the hype around Porsche performance, one of the brand’s standout features, at least in my opinion, has always been interior design. This new Cayenne looks really interesting inside, with curved screens for the digital instrument display and the multimedia system, as well as the option to add a third screen in-front of the passenger.The overall level of fit and finish, the detail and quality of the materials is exactly what you’d expect from a premium brand and an SUV at this price point.The Cayenne Electric is powered by a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain that makes up to 325kW of power and 835Nm of torque. That’s enough for it to launch 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds. The Cayenne is powered by a Porsche-built 106kWh battery that provides 542km of range.In terms of safety, the Cayenne Electric is equipped with all the features that have become expected, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and full airbag protection.

One of the biggest criticisms of electric cars could soon be relegated to the past.The need to plug in a charging cable could be replaced by the long-awaited arrival of inductive charging - and it has come from an unlikely source.This new game-changing technology isn’t coming from electric vehicle juggernauts Tesla or BYD, but Porsche. The all-new Cayenne Electric SUV is set to become the first car on-sale in Australia with the ability to charge wirelessly.While not available from the initial launch, Porsche Australia has confirmed it will be offered to local customers before the end of 2026.Any initial Cayenne Electric sold will be able to be retrofitted to take advantage of this new tech, with each SUV needing a specific pad on the underside of the vehicle.In simple terms, this inductive charging system uses an 11kW pad that can be placed on the floor of your garage or parking space and you only need to drive over it in order for a connection to be made between the pad and the battery and for charging to begin.The electricity is transferred via a magnetic field, the same way inductive charging works for modern smartphones and similar devices, only on a larger scale.The pad does need to be plugged into three-phase power in order to generate enough power to charge the vehicle, but no wallbox is required. An 11kW output is equivalent to a Level 2 AC charging wallbox, which would add between 40-100km of range per hour. Porsche hasn’t revealed specific charging times for the Cayenne Electric yet.This charging pad measures 1170mm long, 780mm wide and 60mm tall and weighs 50kg and must be installed by a technician. You must be lined up with the pad, but the Cayenne’s camera system is able to detect it and effectively guide you to the right spot via a graphic display on the screen.Once in the right position the Cayenne has to lower itself to get close enough for the transfer of energy; which is likely one of the reasons the entire Cayenne range comes with air-suspension as standard. Porsche says the car and pad can also detect any obstacles, such as pets, that may walk across the pad and can shut down in order to protect animals or equipment from harm.Wireless charging has long been touted as a potential solution for the perceived inconvenience of plugging in an EV. Porsche is not the first brand to develop the technology, but it is the first to bring it to market in Australia.Porsche Australia hasn’t released pricing, but the system is already available in the United Kingdom, where the charging pad reportedly costs £5355 (approx. $10,000), while the connection for the Cayenne itself costs £1322 (approx. $2500).

If at first you don't succeed... Porsche is trying again with turning a popular SUV electric. But after the disappointment of the Macan, will the brand have better luck with its bigger Cayenne. We test drive the new Porsche Cayenne Electric on-road, off-road, through sand dunes and even down an airstrip to put it to the ultimate test.

LG has made a battery breakthrough that could bring down the costs of electric cars further, as the race to develop more efficient technology heats up.Electrical technology company LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have announced a breakthrough in the development of Lithium Manganese-Rich (LMR) batteries. The breakthrough ensures better stability of the battery making it recharge more fully, lengthening its life time while also reducing the costs of production.You’ve heard of Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate batteries (LFP) and Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) batteries, well LMR batteries are the next generation of how electric cars will store their power.As the name suggests, LMR batteries contain lithium and manganese metals, but the advantages to them are hard to ignore.LMR batteries are super energy dense, which means they can be used for high performance cars that want colossal grunt, and for long driving ranges for everyday cars. They also don’t contain cobalt.  Currently cobalt is of great ethical concern regarding how it’s mined, the environmental factors of the material and the sheer cost. OK, we’re going to get a bit technical. So hold on. A barrier for LMR batteries until now is the recharging issues - they require a tonne of voltage to charge, but this destabilises the cathode and that means oxygen is lost and this causes the crystals to warp. Basically, the battery loses the ability to hold its charge over time, while capacity also fades. LG has worked out how to build LMR batteries that don’t need a high voltage to charge and this retains the structural integrity of the crystal structure and so there’s minimal battery fade over time.This is huge, but it’s very early days and the development is still in the research phase. LG is celebrating the breakthrough.“This research addresses one of the key challenges facing LMR batteries,” an LG Energy Solution spokesperson said in a press statement. “It demonstrates that stable battery life can be secured even in large-format cells by effectively suppressing gas generation, providing an important foundation for growth in the next-generation LMR battery market.”    Currently NMC batteries, which use cobalt are in high-powered or bigger cars that demand lots of grunt. Autobahn cruisers like the Porsche Taycan, big family SUVs, such as the Kia EV9 or long-legged EVs such as the Zeekr 7X need NMC batteries to provide substantial range and power.But NMC batteries are also why these vehicles are so expensive - the high cost of producing them from sourcing materials to making them is passed onto the consumer.LFP batteries don’t use cobalt, which is excellent, but they aren’t as energy dense as NMC batteries and that’s adequate for small cars and suburban family SUVs, but more range and power would be better.LMR batteries could replace LFP and NMC altogether, and this will reduce the price of EVs while ensuring long range and good driving performance, while not losing charging capacity over time.That’s why LG is celebrating this breakthrough and you can bet car companies will be watching the progress very closely. 

Passenger media screens aren’t appealing to most car owners, a recent report into new and emerging car technology has revealed.Screens in cars are the current big thing, and quite literally, too, with media displays growing larger. The Cadillac Optiq SUV for example has a 33-inch horizontal display. But we’re now in the era of front passenger displays, as well.Often found in more premium vehicles the dashboard integrated screen allows the front passenger to see and control media, sat nav and other functions including watching movies in some cases. Porsche’s Taycan features a passenger media display in a cockpit full of screens.A multitude of screens may look impressive but in reality owners of vehicles that had them found the technology unappealing according to a new report by United States automotive analysts JD Power.  The JD Power 2026 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study reported that many owners of vehicles with passenger screens didn’t use them.    “More than one-third (35 per cent) of owners industrywide who have a passenger screen say they have never tried to use it, while just six per cent say they use it every time they drive.” It was also found that vehicles with passenger media screens experienced more instances of technical problems.The study found the technology owners placed the most value in was often the kind that was integrated so well into the functions of the vehicle that it was barely perceptible other than making the driving experience better.  JD Power Director of Customer Success Doron Hikry said, “The technology customers value most is often the technology they barely notice because it simply works.”“Smart ignition and smart climate control make everyday driving easier without demanding the driver’s attention, while more automation and additional screens don’t necessarily translate into a better experience. “For automakers, the opportunity is to prioritise technology that makes driving simpler, not more complicated. The features that solve real problems without adding effort or stress for the driver are the ones resonating most with customers,” he said.CarsGuide’s own reviewers have found similar results with proximity unlocking and smart ignition high on our lists of great technology. Low on our lists? Controls that were once accessed with physical dials and buttons being replaced by screens. We’re talking about climate control and sound system volume, especially.Regulators are keeping an eye on some of these features, with EuroNCAP and ANCAP considering expanding on physical control requirements in the future.A host of other frustrating features in many new cars like electronic doorhandles were recently banned by Chinese regulators, with the changes expected to flow through for cars sourced from China in our market.

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way here.First, we know electric cars are fast, Tesla fans haven’t stopped talking about this since the mid-2010s and there have been countless videos with evidence of the Model S leaving supercharged V8s in the dust at drag strips.Even ‘slow’ EVs feel quick due to their instant application of torque from stand-still. An electric car with a 0-100km/h time of 6 seconds can feel fast because of it.And since I’ve mentioned 0-100km/h, that’s the method we’ll be using to rank which of the electric cars available in Australia is fastest - not their top speed, given you’ll almost never be able to do anything with that.Finally, we are talking about production cars currently available through manufacturers in Australia, so hypercars like the YangWang U9 or anything Rimac is cooking up are off the list.Some of you will be happy to know this means you’re not seeing a photo of the Ferrari Luce here.Conveniently, this means we have five electric cars with a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration figure in under three seconds. Porsche’s frontiering Taycan might soon be on the chopping block according to rumours of an incoming VW model cull, but for now you can still get to 100km/h in a couple of smidgeons over two seconds. That’s if you have almost $300K to spare, given you’ll probably tick one or two boxes on the options list over its $419,000 before on-roads asking price.The Taycan draws power from a 93kWh battery, making 815kW and 1340Nm for all four of its wheels, and even without the Weissach pack removing some weight it’ll manage the run to the tonne in 2.3 seconds.Only second on this list because of alphabetisation, the top-spec Audi e-tron (the Audi RS e-tron GT Performance to give it the proper name) hits 100km/h in a claimed 2.5 seconds, on par with another Porsche.You won’t be surprised to know the e-tron shares a platform with the Taycan, though its most powerful version isn’t quite as vicious - 680kW and 1027Nm draw from a larger 105kWh battery, and it’s not quite as pricey either. A relative bargain at  $309,900 before on-roads, in fact.Tied for second place is this absolute unit, two-and-a-half tonnes of Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen (built in Bratislava, Slovakia, though) capable of hitting 100km/h in 2.5sec thanks to some frankly silly numbers.Its 850kW and 1500Nm outputs are available from even less than the two cars preceding it on this list, $272,100 before on-roads, and the 113kWh battery means the family SUV can travel up to 623km on a single charge, Porsche says.An oil-cooled rear motor, active aero, a drag coefficient of 0.25 and even the ability to tow 3500kg make the Cayenne Turbo a one-of-a-kind family car.England’s Lotus has ruffled feathers by ‘going electric’, likely something that would indeed upset founder Colin Chapman, but staying relevant in the 2020s probably required moving on from popping superchargers on Toyota engines and using them to power (extremely dynamic) cars about the size of shopping trolleys.Lotus claims the top-spec version of the Emeya, a $259,990 four-door grand-tourer with 675kW and 985Nm up its sleeve, can hit 100km/h in a very specific 2.75 seconds. It does weigh around 2.5 tonnes, so imagine how quick it would be if you took the classic quote often attributed to Chapman “simplify and add lightness” to the Emeya.Apologies to anyone hoping for variety in this list - we’ve got three Volkswagen Group cars and two Lotuses with essentially the same specifications.The Lotus Eletre R is two tenths slower to 100km/h according to the manufacturer, but the SUV uses the same 675kW/985Nm dual-motor drivetrain and 112kWh battery, it’s just a little heavier thanks to its SUV shape.It’s also a little more expensive, asking $20,000 more at $279,990 before on-roads.

Porsche Cars Australia has produced a unique version of the 911 Turbo S to mark 75 years of the iconic German brand’s presence in Australia.Dubbed the Porsche 911 Turbo S Land Down Under, the one-of-a-kind supercar's specification and presentation are the result of a collaboration with Porsche Sonderwunsch (Special Request), the Style Porsche design team and Sydney-based contemporary artist, Werner Bronkhorst.The car features dual Chromaflair colour gradient paintwork and elements inspired by the country’s landscapes and “the distinct character of the Southern Hemisphere sky”.Applied by hand, the exterior finish transitions from “the warm amber tones (Terra Australis Red) of an outback sunset to pale blue (Southern Cross Blue) as day fades into night”.Porsche said, “Chromaflair pigments use ultra-thin flakes to create a dynamic colour-shifting effect that changes with light and viewing angle.“Each flake features an opaque, reflective aluminium core encased in a glass-like transparent layer, whose varying thickness produces different perceived colours.“Applied across seven layers by hand, the finish required over 300 hours of craftsmanship,” the company said.For anyone following this special 911, the script ‘See ya later mate’ has been applied to the rear of the car in a typeface developed by Werner Bronkhorst, the message only revealed when the rear wing extends either via engagement of Sport Plus driving mode or auto-deployment at speeds above 80km/h.The exterior theme continues inside with a combination of Dark Night Blue, Kalahari and Coolibah Brown leather trims, the latter conceived specifically for this project.The centres of the Adaptive Sports Seats Plus feature Bronkhorst ’s distinctive brushstroke style with each of 14,417 perforations arranged to form a “coherent visual pattern.”The roof lining features an embroidered Southern Hemisphere constellation map showing the night sky as it appeared over Uluru in 1951, the year Porsche first arrived in Australia.After its world premiere today in Sydney, the 911 Turbo S Land Down Under will embark on a “curated journey” to select locations across the country.