Electric Reviews
Jaecoo J5 EV 2026 review
Read the article
By Emily Agar · 25 Jan 2026
Yet another Chinese EV for our shores. How will the Jaecoo J5 EV stand out from the crowded pack?
Nissan Ariya 2026 review: Evolve e-4orce long-term | Part 1
Read the article
By Dom Tripolone · 23 Jan 2026
Nissan was an electric car pioneer, but you probably have never heard of, or seen, its latest EV.The Nissan Ariya had a rocky start, after being blocked from sale in Australia for several years due to it not meeting Australian Design Rules for a rear middle child seat anchor point.Nissan Australia wanted the federal government to bend the rules. It didn't, and eventually the factory implemented the change and it was cleared for sale here.This means Australia doesn’t get a new model but one that has been on sale overseas since 2022.Now that it's here we’ve got the chance to test the range-topping Evolve over the next three months to see how it fares in the real world.The Ariya arrives in Australia as a four-tiered range with the choice of two battery sizes and front or all-wheel drive.It is priced similar to rivals such as the Kia EV5 and Tesla Model Y.Prices start at $55,840, before on-road costs, for the Engage grade and jump $4000 to the Advance variant.Both are fitted with a 63kWh battery that powers a single motor, which sends 160kW/300Nm to the front wheels and delivers a driving range of up to 385km.The $63,840 Advance+ and $71,840 Evolve AWD variants use a bigger 87kWh battery, with the Evolve adding a second motor for all-wheel drive.The single motor in the Advance+ makes 178kW/300Nm and the dual-motor all-wheel drive ups the ante to 320kW/600Nm.That extra grunt drops the claimed driving range from 504km in the Advance+ to 487km in the Evolve.All grades have a max charge rate of 130kW when connected to a DC fast charger, which will fill the battery from 10-80 per cent in 35 minutes in small battery versions and 40 minutes for the larger battery variants.The AC charging limit for the 63kWh battery versions is 7.4kW, which will top the car’s cells up from 10-80 per cent in nine hours. This jumps to 22kW in the 87kWh versions — which is an optional extra in the Advance+ and standard in the Evolve — and drops the 10-100 per cent charge time to four and a half hours.The DC charging times are fairly middle of the pack and are about the same as the Kia EV5, but behind the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4.Our Evolve AWD is packed with kit, along with a plush and well sorted interior fitout.Passengers are greeted by blue Nappa leather wrapped seats that are heated and ventilated up front with the heating function extending to the rear window seats.The driver’s seat is 12-way power-adjustable and the front passenger’s is eight-way moveable.There are high-end items such as blue suede on the dashboard, door trims and front centre arm rest.A huge panoramic sunroof lets the light in, and crucially has a proper headliner cover to block the summer heat.Dual 12.3-inch digital screens dominate the dashboard, with one controlling the multimedia functions and the other the driver’s instruments. The driver’s display isn’t as customisable or high-tech as some newer EVs.A head-up display complements the screens and projects vital information onto the windscreen in front of the driver such as travelling speed and the prevailing speed limit.It rides on 20-inch wheels — a jump up from the 19-inch units on other grades — with aerodynamic wheel covers.There is LED lighting front and back and a two-tone paintwork, with our test vehicle finished in copper with a black roof.The Ariya has the typical modern electric SUV look, which resembles an egg or computer mouse, a style that promotes aerodynamics over good looks.The Ariya is a mid-size SUV, about the same size as a Toyota RAV4. It feels larger inside thanks to its flat rear floor and wheels pushed to all four corners, which helps liberate cabin space.The boot is on the smaller side for a mid-size SUV, holding just 408 litres in our Evolve. This is about 60 litres less than the other variants due to the extra space needed for the second motor.As with nearly every electric car there is no spare tyre, just a fiddly tyre repair kit.Initial impressions from our first month on the road put the Ariya in the middle of the pack in terms of dynamics, but its range is sub-par.After about 500km of driving we are probably looking at 380 to 400km on a single charge in the real world, which is not ideal and well behind rivals, especially considering the size of the battery. We are regularly seeing energy usage of more than 21kWh per 100km.On the road it is a sweet machine with well-weighted and direct steering and there is excellent pedal feel, which combine to deliver confident motoring.I’m a big fan of the single pedal drive mode, too, which ups the regenerative braking to boost energy fed back into the battery and reduces the need to use the brake pedal with the driver just lifting off the accelerator to start slowing down.The suspension struggles at times to control the Evolve’s more than 2200kg kerb weight. The two-wheel drive big battery version weighs about 150kg less and that makes a big difference.It’s not overly fast despite its ample outputs, but this is a family SUV not a red hot performance car, so I think its acceleration is just where it should be — peppy but not extreme.One thing that needs to be mentioned is Nissan's 10-year conditional warranty. If you service your Ariya at a Nissan dealer you'll be covered by an industry-leading 10 year/300,000km guarantee. That's built-in value that is hard to beat.There is also cost-effective servicing, with logbook maintenance required every 20,000km or 12 months costing $299 for each of the first five workshop visits.Next month we’ll dive into more of the Ariya’s practicality and expand on the drive experience after more time behind the wheel.2026 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD Acquired: December 2025Distance travelled this month: 471kmOdometer: 6214kmAverage energy consumption this month: 21.4kWh/100km
Subaru Solterra 2026 review: AWD Touring
Read the article
By Laura Berry · 22 Jan 2026
The Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X are co-developed EV twins under the skin. Subaru has recognised shortcomings in the first version of its electric car and released a comprehensively upgraded version. We drive it to find out if it's now a stronger category competitor.
Hyundai Inster 2026 review: Extended range long-term | Part 1
Read the article
By Tom White · 21 Jan 2026
We're running Hyundai's tiny new electric city car as a long-termer. Here are our first impressions.
Polestar 4 2026 review: Long range Single motor
Read the article
By Tom White · 15 Jan 2026
Like a few brands lately, Polestar made waves when it arrived in Australia, but has since struggled to capitalise on the original hype.One of its issues is that it arrived with just the one product, the Tesla Model 3-rivalling Polestar 2, which seemed inherently limited in how well it could do.But the brand has fleshed-out its range now with the sporty Polestar 3 mid-size SUV, and the car we’re looking at for this review - the Polestar 4. Does it have what it takes to keep building this premium challenger brand in an increasingly tough landscape? Let’s find out.First up, what exactly is the Polestar 4? The Swedish brand pitches this EV up as a direct rival to the new electric Porsche Macan, but one glance at the pictures and you might have noticed that this car isn’t an SUV.After driving it, I find the assertion that the Polestar 4 is some kind of ‘crossover’ even harder to believe. Really it’s a slightly pumped-up segment-bender which is definitely closer to an executive sedan than a standard mid-size SUV. Then again, its long roof and high bootline make it feel like some sort of coupe.I am all for this. SUVs are a dime a dozen, and cars like this with genuinely interesting proportions are hard to come by. Plus, as I’ll explore later, it has benefits when it comes to actually driving it.We also have to talk about the rear window. The Polestar 4 doesn’t have one, instead forcing you to rely on a digital rear vision mirror. You get used to it but it never seems to make up for the missing depth perception a real mirror provides.How much does the Polestar 4 cost? The car we're driving is my pick of the range. It’s a Long Range Single Motor with the pricey (but worth it) Plus Pack.The Long Range is, in fact, the base car, starting at $78,500 before on-roads, while the Plus pack adds a further $8000 of kit bringing the total to $86,500.Once you’ve ticked the boxes to get to this point, Polestar tries to tempt you into a Dual Motor - which doubles your power (from 200kW to 400kW) for $88,350 - but don’t go for it. Once you add the missing items, you’re at almost $100,000 and at that price this car makes a bit less sense.Having said that, the Polestar 4 impresses compared to rivals. The aforementioned Porsche Macan EV starts from a whopping $129,800 while only offering slightly more power and range. Based on the segment-bending design of the Polestar 4, I’d also consider its closest rivals to be the BMW i4 (eDrive 35 - $88,000), Mercedes-Benz EQE (300 - $136,600), or perhaps even the equally strange Hyundai Ioniq 6 in specced-up Epiq guise ($82,000). Interestingly all of those options offer similarly long driving ranges, but it certainly makes the value case for the Polestar and its 620km WLTP range evident.Standard kit at this money is fine, you get the recycled(ish) interior trim, big screens, big wheels, ambient lighting - basically the lot - but it’s worth splurging for the Plus Pack because you just get so many luxurious and convenient additions it makes it hard to say no.Sure there’s the (very good) Harmon Kardon audio system, but you also score the fancy illuminated door trims, cool-looking light grey contrast trims, high-end LED headlights, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, tri-zone climate, additional power adjustments for the front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated seats, as well as 22kW(!) AC charging capability.I mean, come on. I know they ‘get you’ with it - the Plus should have been its own trim level, but seriously, if I was already spending this much I’d be ticking that box.Maybe the real sell is this car's driving range, though. The Polestar 4 can travel ridiculously far on a single charge. It feels nearly akin to just driving a petrol car. In my time with the car covering a significant distance, I was always impressed with how much range was left every time I turned it on.I even took to charging it like I use a petrol car - just once every week or two as required. Thankfully, despite its enormous battery, it also charges relatively quickly. The maximum charging speed of 200kW should see the Polestar 4 charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hour, but on the more prolific 150kW charging stations, I was seeing around 40 minutes.The 22kW AC charging rate available on the Plus Pack is a rare addition - only a handful of cars in Australia can do this. Unfortunately, there are fewer chargers that can, which makes this more of a future-proofing feature.Of the WLTP-claimed 620km range, my car was reporting closer to 590km in the real world according to my back-of-the-napkin numbers. With this much driving range you won’t notice the small deficit. I scored 16.4kWh/100km of energy consumption, which is not bad for a car this size.Here's some food for thought on the battery front though: Polestar claims to be the sustainability brand, and yet this car seems emblematic of the brand’s mission butting heads with its need to be a luxury automaker.Sure, a 100kWh battery gives it an enviable driving range, and the brand publishes a quite thorough emissions report which claims that the Polestar 4 is more carbon efficient than a combustion car or even a plug in hybrid (if you go by BMW’s similar emissions report for its 530e, for example).My issue with this is that 100kWh could be three or four plug-in hybrids instead of one Polestar 4. Which of those two options will theoretically remove more carbon from the atmosphere over 20 years? The maths kind of speaks for itself.The Polestar 4 is very nice to drive, giving off big luxury sedan vibes rather than the occasionally overbearing nature of some SUVs in this class. As you sit comparatively low in it, it hides the weight of the batteries well, and its 200kW motor provides plenty of immediate thrust while not being as overwhelming as, for example, the Tesla Model 3 Performance.So it’s a better tourer than a lot of EVs in my opinion. It’s also pretty quiet on the open road, and the attention to detail in the driver feedback and inputs is as European as they come, whether it's the sleek steering feel, or the smoothly integrated regenerative braking. Not too much, not too little.The ride is also relatively plush, offering a degree higher comfort than we’re usually used to from EVs with batteries this big. It’s not perfect though, and some terrain can catch it off-guard, making you feel the heft for a harsh moment.Still, it’s an impressive machine which manages to avoid the extremes.A final note on the ownership piece for this car. Polestar offers a five year and unlimited kilometre warranty with matching roadside assist, which is only really okay these days. However, it will cost you nothing to service the car for those first five years or 100,000km, which is pretty compelling, especially when combined with potentially ultra-low running costs from a home solar system.
Toyota bZ4X 2026 review: AWD
Read the article
By Jack Quick · 09 Jan 2026
Toyota was late to the game with its first EV, the bZ4X, so let's find out whether this mid-life update has improved the package.
Tesla Model Y 2026 review: Performance
Read the article
By Andrew Chesterton · 29 Dec 2025
The thing about performance cars – traditionally speaking, at least – is that you always know when you're in one. Sure, you can try to go easy on the accelerator, like if you're trying to sneak away from the house early in the morning without waking your neighbours, but a proper ICE-powered performance model will still never let you get away with it.There is always a tell. Whether it's an exhaust that barks into life with rabid Cujo intensity every time you fire it up. Or suspension so firm it's like the shocks have been filled with adamantium. Or even a big and bulging wing staring back at you every time you glance in the mirror. There's always something that feels like a price to be paid for having access to all that punch.But here's where it gets interesting. Because the Tesla Model Y Performance is one of the fastest cars I've driven this year. And yet, for 90 per cent of my time with it, I forgot I was driving anything other than a placid and friendly electric SUV.And I do mean fast. The Model Y Performance – the latest Tesla Juniper product to arrive in Australia – delivers proper supercar pace. As is always the case with Tesla, the details are a little murky. The brand doesn't quote torque figures, for example, and there are other mysteries.But we do know the brand claims a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds. That's a lot of outright speed for your $89,400 investment. For reference, the blisteringly quick and super competent Porsche Macan Electric Turbo will knock off the same sprint in 3.3 seconds and asks $184,400 for your trouble. At the other end of the pricing scale is the Zeekr 7X Performance. Its sprint takes 3.8 seconds, and it lists at $72,900. Then there's the Kia GT Line, at $99,590, which also delivers a 3.5-second 0-100 sprint.Delivering the Model Y Performance's punch is a dual-motor AWD system which produces 343kW, which is fed through the big 21-inch wheels wrapped with Pirelli P Zero rubber. The set-up feels designed to channel all of that grunt into the tarmac efficiently, and it works, even under flat-footed acceleration, with no squealing or slipping from the tyres.But despite the big wheels and an adaptive suspension system that still feels too firm in places, the Tesla's most surprising party trick is its ability to coast around calmly and (mostly) comfortably when you don't want to unleash the full might of its electric motors.I was at the launch of the regular Model Y Juniper, and with gentle throttle inputs, this Performance feels largely the same. Like the rest of the Y range, this go-fast version carries-over the improvements that addressed most of what I didn't like about Tesla's best-selling model.The steering is far less darty and annoying than in the old Y, and it rides better (though not as nicely as the non-Performance, though that's a pretty understandable by-product of the go-fast add-ons). I'm even getting used to turning my head to the side every time I want to check how fast I'm going, owing to Tesla's steadfast refusal to fit a driver display or head-up projection.I can't abide the silly the gear selector that's now on the screen, though (you slide your finger forwards to select drive, backwards to select reverse, and you tap the screen to go into Park), and the air-conditioning is among the worst and most confounding systems I've ever used. It blows so hard (and yet not so cold) that on a sweltering Sydney day I pulled over and got out to make phone calls.And, of course, there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. I miss it, definitely. But I have to say Tesla's native and Google-powered navigation is probably the best in the business, and the broader tech offering is very strong, too. Using my phone as the key gave me access to all sorts of functions (temp in the cabin etc), and just unlocking, getting in and going is super easy – which, believe it or not, is not something you can say about all of its rivals.But back to the performance of the Performance. It's really something – proper push-you-back-into-the-seat stuff – and it doesn't feel unsuited to the car. Whether in a straight line or cornering, the power comes on thick and strong, but the rest of the car feels buttoned down, stiff enough through the chassis and ready to respond. Competent across the board, really, and more nimble than its 2.0-tonne weight would suggest.Be warned, though. There is a total lack of fanfare involved here. It feels more like one of those superfast rollercoasters that propel you into the future rather than a properly engaging and emotional experience, like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, for example.But it offers big performance bang for buck, and its ability to putter through traffic – complete with a claimed 580km driving range – before teleporting you into another dimension is one hell of a party trick.For the record, though, a four-year, 80,000km warranty is entriely underwhelming by today's standards, even if the battery is covered for eight years and 192,000km.
Leapmotor C10 2026 review: BEV Design
Read the article
By James Cleary · 23 Dec 2025
Leapmotor hit the Aussie new-car market in early 2025. One of what feels like a never-ending wave of new challenger brands arriving from China in the last 18 months.And its C10 is yet another option in the crowded mid-size SUV segment, in this case offered in petrol-electric hybrid and pure-electric form.Its sharp pricing and generous spec were marked as big pluses in our first drive reviews. As was its space-efficiency and comfy drive characteristics.But another unifying theme was its relatively unrefined ADAS crash-avoidance systems. Which, to its credit, the brand has addressed head-on with an over-the-air software update.Timely then, to get behind the wheel and see if that high-tech tweak has made a discernible difference to an already solid package.At $49,888, before on-road costs, the top-spec C10 Design grade we’re testing here undercuts the Tesla Model Y RWD Single motor ($58,900, BOC) by the best part of $10K and puts the heat on other electric SUVs in its orbit like the Cupra Tavascan ($60,990), Kia EV5 Air 2wd Long Range ($61,170) and VW ID.4 Pro RWD ($59,990). And that price includes a heap of standard features like 20-inch alloy wheels, a (fixed) panoramic glass roof (with power sunshade), dual-zone climate control air, electric front seats (heated and ventilated), 12-speaker audio, a power tailgate, synthetic leather seat trim and multi-colour (interior) ambient lighting.There’s also adaptive cruise, built-in sat nav, a 360-degree camera view, a heated steering wheel and heaps more. Impressive for a car sitting under the $50,000 threshold.Not too many straight edges on the C10 with curves and soft character lines the order of the day in terms of exterior design.While the flush-fit door handles deliver obvious aero benefits, the way they flip out and hinge from the front gets a black mark from me. They’re an ergonomic miss that force you to twist your wrist at an awkward angle to more or less push the door open. The entire handle pulling out parallel to the body is always a better solution.The cabin is minimalist to the max. Virtually no physical buttons and the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and 14.6-inch central screen are the only standouts in a sea of smooth, mid-grey surfaces. If you like Tesla’s cabin design ethos you’ll be onboard with the C10. But before you even get inside, access is weird. For a start, the ‘key’ is a sizeable plastic card which needs to be held against the driver’s side exterior mirror to lock or unlock the car, which obviously isn’t ideal if you want to open up the boot or passenger side doors.Owners have access to a smartphone app which includes a proximity unlocking function, but even that sounds overly complex just to get in the car. That said, the interior is super spacious for a car just over 4.7m long with a 2825mm wheelbase. Lots of breathing room up front and sitting behind the driver’s seat, set to my 183cm position, I have hectares of leg, head and shoulder room.There are cupholders all over the place, map pockets, big bins in the doors as well as a lidded cubby between the front seats and another storage area underneath the ‘flying buttress’ centre console.There are multiple USB-C and USB-A jacks, a wireless phone charger and 12-volt power for other devices, but, shock, horror… no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay functionality. That’ll be a deal-breaker for some.Boot space is handy at 581L with the 60/40 split-fold rear seat upright and 1410L with it lowered but another black mark goes against the lack of a physical spare tyre. A repair/inflator kit is your only option, which isn’t good enough.Outputs from the rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor, powered by a 69.9 LFP battery, are 160kW/320Nm and Leapmotor quotes a WLTP range of “up to 425km”.Maximum DC charge rate is a relatively modest 84kW for a claimed 30-80 per cent charge time of “approximately 30 minutes”. AC charge rate is 11.0kW and V2L (Vehicle to Load) functionality is a welcome addition.Official WLTP energy consumption is 18.5kWh/100km and during our week with the car we saw a dash-indicated figure of 13.4kWh/100km, which is excellent for a roughly 2.0-tonne SUV.Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration is 7.5 seconds and the C10 feels sharp with the ability to effortlessly negotiate city and suburban traffic. Steering weight is adjustable through ‘Light’, ‘Standard’ and ‘Sport’ settings, although none of them add any meaningful road feel to the equation. Ride comfort, however, is terrific and all signs of the previous, overly assertive ADAS crash-avoidance systems are gone. Lane keeping, lane centering, even the over-speed warning, deliver subtle inputs and only when required.The C10 BEV is also quiet (even for an EV) with the 245/45 Dunlop e.Sport Maxx rubber remaining low-key with wind noise minimal, even at freeway speeds.The C10 is covered by a six-year/150,000km warranty, which is competitive and includes roadside assist for the duration, while the drive battery is covered for eight years/160,000km.Service is recommended every 12 months/20,000km which is more frequent than some pure-electric competitors (typically at two years/40,000km). And capped-price servicing is available for five years at $2000, or $400 per service, which is on the high side for an EV, even in this class.Crash-avoidance safety systems include auto emergency braking (AEB) front and rear, blind-spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver fatigue monitoring and tyre pressure monitoring.There are seven airbags onboard, including a front centre bag, three child seat top tether points across the rear seat (as well as ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions) and multi-collision brake to minimise the chances of subsequent impacts after an initial crash. The C10 scored a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment from testing in 2024.
Porsche Macan 2026 review: 4S long-term | Part 2
Read the article
By Justin Hilliard · 19 Dec 2025
It’s now been two months of ‘owning’ the new Porsche Macan 4S Electric, but I’ve been an absent parent for most of the past month as I was on holiday.My Macan has been in good hands, though, as some other CarsGuide staff members, Production Editor Jack Quick, Senior Journalist Chris Thompson and Contributing Journalist Byron Mathioudakis, took custody.That said, I’m here to deliver on my promise of deep diving the latest Macan’s design and practicality in this second instalment of my long-term review of the premium mid-size SUV, with the first having introduced it (see link directly below).I’ll also provide a brief update on the team’s average energy consumption and real-world driving range with the 4S for the month.Let’s get to it!Yes, it’s true: when the Macan Electric was revealed, I did not like its exterior design, which is normally not something I’d say about a Porsche.I still think the first-generation Macan has a stunning, timeless look, so the second generation felt like an unexpected step or two backwards.But to be fair to Porsche, my negative opinion of the new model was based on seeing it in pictures, videos and traffic.So, when I got the keys to my 4S, I had some serious time to rethink my stance.Point being, I now firmly believe that the latest Macan’s exterior looks awesome — largely.I’m still not 100 per cent convinced by its rear end, which I continue to find a little awkward, but darker paintwork — like my test vehicle’s Copper Ruby Metallic — does a good job of hiding some of those details, like the chunky tail-light section and equally chunky plastic bumper insert.Ironically, a lighter colour will do a much better job of showing off some of the Macan’s signature elements, like its creased body work and side blades.Either way, I really like the front end. It’s a contemporary evolution of its predecessor, one that feels muscular (those haunches) and hi-tech (those four-point daytime running lights).A particularly interesting aspect of the 4S is its standard 20-inch wheel and tyre package, which mercifully has high-profile rubber for better ride comfort — but it does come at the cost of not looking particularly sporty due to the pronounced side walls.You take the good with the bad, I guess.Inside, the new Macan is at its most familiar with its general layout, which is no bad thing as its forebear was pleasing to my eyes.But where it does separate itself is with the overdue introduction of a fully digital instrument cluster and the unrequested option of a passenger display, which flanks the continuing central touchscreen of the same size. If you count the available head-up display, that’s four screens in the first row!But I firmly believe that the passenger display is overkill, especially considering it’s a $2700 option. Even if it was included for ‘free’, I wouldn’t be a fan as it’s a waste of space given the front passenger can easily engage with the fully functioning central touchscreen instead. The former’s privacy screen is neat, though, as it reduces driver distractions. The touch-capacitive panel on the centre console returns, albeit with far fewer ‘buttons’, but it does retain its haptic feedback, which plays a key role in optimising its usability.The buttons that remain, though, are the critical ones for the climate controls. There’s also a physical volume knob, all of which demonstrate that Porsche hasn’t lost its sensibilities, unlike some other legacy brands.This technology teams with high-quality materials to deliver the premium feeling that you’d rightly expect for six figures.One of the obvious advantages of the Macan making the switch to a fully electric platform is the packaging benefits that come with being an EV.Interestingly, though, for a mid-size SUV the latest Macan doesn’t have a huge amount of space in the second row. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice improvement over the original, but it’s not as palatial as some of its competitors are (think Polestar 4).Behind my 182cm driving position I have two inches of legroom and two centimetres of headroom, both of which are enough to not to feel cramped – but, again, these are below-average measurements for the class.Another thing to note is that the outboard rear seats are bucketed, making them more supportive for their occupants, but the downside is that the middle seat is uncomfortable to use due to the protruding bolsters.A small central tunnel is also present, somewhat reducing foot space should there be three people in the second row, which is a possibility.If the middle seat is not in use, the fold-down armrest and its two cupholders can be used instead. Alternatively, the C-pillars unexpectedly have extra padding and make for better armrests than you’d expect. The rear door bins can also accommodate a regular bottle each.Curiously, there are no map pockets affixed to the front seat backrests, but you do get central air vents with touch-capacitive climate controls with haptic feedback, plus two USB-C ports.The front row features a decently sized central bin, the lid of which doubles as the central armrest. Ahead of it are two cupholders and a large, open storage tray with a 12V power outlet and another two USB-C ports above.A wireless smartphone charger is also present and accounted for. It even comes with its own sliding lid. A large glovebox is also on hand, but a sunglasses holder is not.The front door bins are interesting as they go beyond the usual accommodation of a regular bottle with a small upper cubby. You might quickly forget it’s there, though.The Macan’s ‘regular’ boot is enclosed by an always handy power-operated tailgate.Inside is a solid 540L of storage space, which can be expanded to a flat 1348L when the 40/20/40 split-folder rear bench is stowed, an action that’s made easy by the manual release latches in the boot area.If you want to raise the rear bench, though, you still need to walk around to it to do so the old-fashioned way.Either way, there is a small load lip to contend with, but at least it has scuff plates to deal with any challenging cargo.Sadly, underfloor storage is largely unavailable as it’s taken up by electrical gubbins and a Bose subwoofer in my test vehicle’s instance.That means you cannot store the removable parcel shelf there, and you can forget about a spare wheel, which is particularly disappointing in Australia. That said, four tie-down points are on hand for securing loose loads alongside one bag hook. You even get a three-pin power outlet, which can be handy for vacuuming the carpet if need be.In the CarsGuide team’s second month with the Macan 4S, we averaged 18.7kWh/100km over 844km of driving, which equates to an impressive real-world driving range of 513km based on the battery’s useable capacity of 96kWh.That’s a minor 0.1kWh/100km improvement over what I achieved in month one, so there is no denying that the Macan 4S can consistently deliver a confidence-inducing driving range in the real world.And with that we’ve reached the end of this second part of our long-term review. In the third and final edition, I will share my driving impressions and overall verdict. See you then!Acquired: October 13, 2025Distance travelled this month: 844kmOdometer: 6050kmAverage energy consumption this month: 18.7kWh/100km
Geely EX5 2026 review: Inspire long-term | Part 3
Read the article
By Tom White · 14 Dec 2025
Three months in with our Geely EX5, is having an electric car at the price of an internal combustion engine car too good to be true?