SUV Reviews

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB follows the successful formula of the original GLB and its electric EQB sibling. It's still boxy and spacious for a smaller SUV but now has way more tech and represents better value for money. The line-up features two mild hybrid and two electric grades. It kicks off with the base mild hybrid, the front-wheel drive GLB200. It's more affordable than the model it replaces and features a much greater level of standard gear than its predecessor, including: Keyless entry and start 10.25-inch driver instrument display 14-inch central multimedia touchscreen Google Maps Digital radio Heated and power-adjustable front seats 360-degree camera Head-up display Black synthetic leather Ambient lighting Heated front seats Privacy glass from the B-pillar back Power tailgate Panoramic fixed glass roof Automatic climate control 19-inch alloy wheels Both mild-hybrid versions of the GLB are powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with 48-volt mild-hybrid tech that includes a 1.3kWh lithium ion battery. The front-wheel drive GLB200 delivers 120kW/250Nm for an 8.7-second 0-100km/h dash time. It uses an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and consumes 6.1L/100km of premium unleaded. Standard safety gear is extensive and it works well on the road with few interventions. Like all grades, the GLB200 has seven seats but Benz says only people up to 171cm tall should sit in the third row. The second row seat base rolls forward and back to make it easier to get into the back row.

The Mercedes-Benz GLB is back for its second generation and this time it’s available with either a mild-hybrid or battery electric powertrain. It’s also packed with new tech. Is the EV the pick of the line-up?

As the old children’s story told us - slow and steady wins the race. If the likes of BYD, Chery and GWM are the Hare, Geely may end up being the automotive equivalent of the Tortoise. Now in its second year in the Australian market, the brand has expanded deliberately slowly. It started with the EX5 electric mid-size SUV, added the similar-sized Starray plug-in hybrid (or Super Hybrid as they like to call it) and then earlier this year the smaller EX2 electric SUV. Now comes its latest addition, the Starray all-wheel drive (AWD), which joins the existing front-wheel drive offerings. There’s only a single, high-grade variant of the AWD model available, the Inspire. It’s priced from $44,990, before on-road costs, and features the same equipment as the Inspire front-wheel drive that starts at $41,490 (while the Complete FWD still kicks-off the range at $37,490). Standard equipment includes: LED headlights and tail-lights 19-inch alloys Keyless entry and ignition Panoramic sunroof Power tailgate Power-adjustable front seats with heating A 15.4-inch multimedia touchscreen  Ambient interior lighting A 16-speaker, 1000-watt premium sound system   In terms of design, there isn’t anything noticeably different about this new AWD model, with the same inoffensive exterior and functional cabin. But what it lacks in design flair, inside and out, it compensates for with space.  For this size of SUV the Starray is roomy, especially in the second row, so it makes it a genuine family car option in this mid-size SUV segment. As for cargo space, the main boot area remains 428 litres, however with the introduction of the rear-mounted electric motor, this AWD variant has 72L less underfloor storage than the FWD models. That rear motor adds not only all-wheel drive but also more performance. Power is up 80kW (to 220kW) and torque is up 150Nm (to 412Nm), so there is notably more punch when you put your foot down. Unfortunately, while there is a new multi-link rear suspension set-up, Geely continues to stick with the more European-orientated tuning for the ride and handling. While it’s better than the usual softly sprung approach for the Chinese domestic market, the firmer Euro-spec doesn’t suit Australia’s patchwork roads. The ride can sometimes feel too ‘floaty’, lacking composure and control, while at other times it can feel too firm and hit bumps harshly.  Then there’s the steering, which is too light and vague most of the time, then hyperactive when the lane keeping assistance is activated. Obviously a mid-size SUV like this doesn’t need steering dynamically-tuned for spirited driving, but it shouldn’t feel this numb when you’re on the move. But Geely Australia management is adamant local ride and handling tuning is not on the agenda, at least any time soon, despite other Chinese brands (most notably GWM) investing heavily in the practice. Instead, the brand says it can call on experience from other brands Geely owns, such as Lotus, but it’s not clear exactly what involvement those engineers have or can have on any upcoming Geely models. The same need for improvement can be said for the active safety features, which require further development and tuning to make them more seamlessly integrated into the driving experience. As it stands, the Starray offers up a steady stream of beeps, bongs and other alerts when it feels things aren't in order. The lane keeping assistance is perhaps the most irritating, as it struggles to maintain any consistent path in the lane. So as much as the steering can feel numb, when you activate the adaptive cruise control, lane keeping starts as well and the steering wheel begins to tug in your hand as it wanders around the lane. So, if Geely does get the Lotus engineers to help with the handling, perhaps Geely-owned Volvo could lend its expertise to the safety calibration and integration. But while it may have its weaknesses, where the Starray will impress buyers is in their hip pocket. Not only is it amongst the more affordable mid-size SUVs, hybrid or otherwise, with a 29.8kWh battery and a 60L fuel tank it has a claimed EV range of 130km and a combined range of 1065km - with a claimed fuel economy figure of just 1.7L/100km. Of course, achieving that figure in the real-world and not the test cycle is almost-impossible, but still you should expect to see good returns, below 4.0L/100km if you drive in the urban setting. Our test drive took us three hours south of Sydney and we managed to get approximately two hours of that drive done on EV power before it ran out. Once it was depleted, the petrol engine had to do most of the work and after some twisty roads up and down some mountains, we saw a relatively-high return of just over 5.0L/100km. Given most buyers will spend time in the city and suburbs, it’s unfair to judge the fuel economy on a single open road drive, so instead we’ll reserve final judgement until a more representative test. But its efficiency, and ability to run on electric power alone, will no doubt be a major selling point for the Starray and help Geely continue its slow climb up the sales charts. As many Australians feel on-going financial pressure and look to save on their weekly budget, a cheaper up-front price coupled with (theoretical) lower running costs, particularly on fuel, the Starray will look very attractive.

The new BMW iX3 is the first production model to arrive on BMW’s new Neue Klasse EV architecture. Has BMW actually managed to make its next generation of EVs feel like a proper Bimmer?

The Mazda CX-6e Azami tops the electric SUV range in Australia, listing at $56,990. That’s only three grand more than the GT($53,990), but that’s because you don’t get a whole bunch more stuff. Both models get the following as standard: LED lights Panoramic glass roof Black Maztech trim Heated and ventilated front seats A massive 26.45-inch multimedia screen Head-up display Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 21-speaker stereo You do get bigger 21-inch alloys on the Azami, which we like, and digital wing mirrors, which we don’t, so we think the cheaper GT is the better bang-for-bucks purchase here.   There’s a single motor at the rear axle, making 190kW and 290Nm, while its 78kWh LFP battery, producing a WLTP driving range of up to 484kms. The CX-6e is covered by Mazda’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is a little underwhelming by today’s standards, though the battery is covered for eight years or 160,000kms.

The Skoda Epiq is a new entry EV that will join the compact Elroq and mid-size Enyaq SUVs from the middle of next year, with pricing estimated to inhabit the space between $35,000-$40,000. Developed alongside the Cupra Raval, Volkswagen I.D Polo and ID. Cross, the Epiq has more in common with the small VW SUV, although all four share the MEB Entry platform and come with the same battery and powertrain tech. We got some time behind the wheel at compact SUV's global launch to see how it will fit into Australia's ever-growing EV landscape. In Europe, the Skoda Epiq comes in three flavours – the Epiq 35, Epiq 40 and flagship Epiq 55. The base Epiq 35 and mid-spec 40 come with a smaller 37kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that is combined with either an 85kW (35) or 99kW (40) e-motor driving the front wheels, each producing an identical 267Nm of torque. The lower-powered Skoda hatch accelerates from 0-100km/h in 11 seconds, with the Epiq 40 carving a second off the same sprint (9.8 seconds). For those who need more performance, the Epiq 55 obliges with the combination of a bigger 52kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery and a punchier front electric motor that pushes out 155kW and a more muscular 290Nm of torque for a brisk 0-100km/h dash of 7.1 seconds. Whichever Skoda Epiq you choose, the small SUV comes with remarkable efficiency for an EV, with either version capable of averaging around 13kWh/100km. That means the Epiq 35 and 40 with the LFP battery can drive up to 310km on a charge, while the Epiq 55 with the NMC powerpack travels up to 441km, bettering the BYD Atto 2 with the longest range (430km), despite having a significantly smaller battery (52kWh vs 65kWh). Slashing real-world energy consumption is the heavily revised MEB Entry platform that has been redesigned to save weight, with even the flagship version tipping the scales at 1544kg, which isn't bad for an EV. A BYD Atto 2 with the bigger battery fitted weighs 176kg more. Helping it slip through the air easily, the Epiq also comes with some trick aero tech that slashes its drag coefficient to 0.275. Achieving that figure for an upright SUV wasn't easy and needed active air shutters behind the front bumper that only open when the battery needs cool air. Other additions include a set of wind-cheating wheels and a pair of air curtains that channel air through the bumper and around the front wheels. An optimised flat underfloor that leads air to a rear diffuser, plus a rear tailgate spoiler and tail-lights and wheel-arch cladding's that have all been fine-tuned in the wind tunnel complete the extensive aero tweaks. Choose the most basic Skoda Epiq 35 and DC charging is capped at just 50kW, which isn't the best for how long you'll be hanging around a fast-charge, with the benchmark 10 to 80 per cent top-up taking 33 minutes. A better bet is paying more for the Epiq 40 that can accept a 90kW charge for a quicker 25-minute recharge. The Epiq 55, meanwhile, thanks to its different chemistry, can be charged at up to 105kW for the quickest 24-minute 10 to 80 per cent refill. Using the standard 11kW AC charger a 10-100 per cent top-up takes four hours for the entry and mid-spec Epiq and around 5.5 hours for the Epiq 55. While its sister car, the Cupra Raval hatch, stuns you with its design, the Epiq wins you over with its classy cabin that mixes high-quality materials with loads of space and slick, intuitive tech. Even though it's not as big as some of its rivals at 4171mm long, 1798mm wide and 1581mm tall, the Epiq's designers have managed to squeeze in generous rear head- and legroom, plus a huge 475-litre boot. If that's not enough those seats drop to provide up to 1345 litres of space, while under the bonnet lurks a 25-litre capacity storage bay to swallow all the cables. Despite being an entry Skoda, you'll still find an umbrella stashed in the door and an ice scarper in the boot, but it's the cabin's general look and feel that edges it over all its rivals. The large 13-inch Android-powered touchscreen is also intuitive and easy to use and even comes with a clear 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster. As well as proper buttons on the multi-function steering wheel, there's also a row of useful physical buttons below the centre console's vents. A large, central under-armrest bin, capacious door pockets and useful cupholders cement a deeply impressive cabin. Developed by a team of Cupra engineers sharing all the same parts bin items as the sporty Raval, it might be tempting to think the Skoda Epiq should drive like the little Spaniard that blurs the boundary between an EV and a hot hatch. Instead, the Epiq feels more grown up – not that it isn't an engaging steer, it's just the MacPherson struts up front and the torsion bar rear axle have been set up with a clear comfort bias, rather than outright thrills. The steering is precise and the ride remains smooth and controlled. Over some really challenging, bumpy roads you occasionally wish for some more pliancy from the dampers, but adaptive dampers are not an option, and our car rode on large 20-inch wheels, with the expectation things will improve on smaller rims. What was unexpected is how quiet and refined the Epiq is, giving the impression of a bigger, more expensive car. Behind the wheel, drivers can alter the amount of brake regeneration using a pair of steering wheel-mounted paddles that provide a one-pedal mode. It's also worth mentioning that, unlike many rivals in the class, all the driver assist tech seemed to work unobtrusively on the European roads, while the in-car tech is intuitive, clear and easy to use on the move. We've already mentioned the Skoda Epiq isn't as entertaining behind the wheel as a Cupra Raval, and some Australians might feel the entry models with a 310km range won't be enough. There's also a fear Skoda Australia might deny us both the Epiq 35 and 40 Down Under and only bring the flagship Epiq 55. If it does, the Skoda is likely to be priced well above $40,000, where the small entry EV will butt heads with the larger Skoda Elroq (from $48,990) and then start to look very expensive beside the bigger, more spacious, faster-charging BYD Atto 3 Evo. Since it's too early for prices and full specifications, we're forced to look at what's happened with the Skoda Epiq in Europe where the small all-electric EV is available in three different trims. Choose the Epiq and there are six different paint options. Standard on the Skoda Epiq are: 18-inch alloy wheels Multifunction steering wheel Black roof rails Ambient lighting Climate control Manual height-adjustable front seats 13-inch multimedia system 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster Variable boot floor LED tail-lights Rear parking sensors Mid-spec models in Europe add: Heated front and rear seats Digital key Reversing camera Privacy glass High-grade variants get: 20-inch alloy wheels Orange mirrors, window trim and seatbelts Three-spoke sports steering wheel with paddles for brake regen Contrasting black roof Options on the entry and mid-spec models include large 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a full-width panoramic roof and an electrically retractable tow bar (the Epiq can tug up to 1200kg braked). The Skoda Epiq has yet to undergo crash tests by either Euro NCAP or ANCAP but, when it does, expect it to be awarded the full five stars for protection. Standard safety kit includes: AEB, adaptive cruise Lane-keep assist Blind-spot monitoring Front and rear cross-traffic alert Traffic sign recognition Predictive speed sensor Exit warning Like any other Skoda, the all-new Epiq arrives with a comprehensive seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with eight-year/160,000km protection for the high-voltage battery, plus a further 24 months roadside assistance. The expected service interval for the Epiq should be every 24 months/30,000km, whichever comes earlier. Like the bigger Elroq, the new entry Skoda EV will come with either a pay-as-you-go fixed price servicing, or the option of pre-paid eight- and 10-year service packs for an additional cost on purchase.

The Mazda CX-6e range opens with the GT, which lists at $53,990 before on-road costs, and is — in our opinion — the pick of the two-grade line-up. That’s because, aside from bigger alloys and annoying digital wing mirrors, it gets the same and pretty generous equipment as the flagship Azami. That includes things like: 19-inch alloys LED lights Panoramic glass roof Black Maztech trim Heated and ventilated front seats A massive 26.45-inch multimedia screen Head-up display Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 21-speaker stereo There’s a single motor at the rear axle, making 190kW and 290Nm, while its 78kWh LFP battery, producing a WLTP driving range of up to 484kms.

If you’re on the hunt for a spacious, family friendly SUV, you’ve never been more spoiled for choice. You can now pick big SUVs in all sorts of formats. Five seats, seven seats, petrol, diesel, electric, hybrid. There’s so much choice it can be overwhelming. This car, which I have for my next long-term test, is Volkswagen’s new Tayron. It replaces the Tiguan Allspace, but follows the same formula, effectively being a stretched Tiguan allowing space for a third row of seating. Only, this one doesn’t get three rows of seating, trading it away to facilitate large plug-in hybrid (PHEV) batteries under the floor. It’s an SUV that asks - do you prefer your extended family or kid’s friends over 100km of electric driving range and glorious boot space? Is it worth the trade? I’ve been finding out. I'm testing the Elegance, which is the more affordable of the two plug-in hybrid grades. Its priced at $62,390 before on-road costs. It sounds like good value when you compare it to the equivalent combustion version, which is only $2000 less at $60,390, but the eHybrid loses both the third row of seating and all-wheel drive traction in favour of its electric driving range. On that topic, the eHybrid version comes with a 19.7kWh battery pack granting it a 116km driving range (WLTP), but more on that later. Not so long ago, only plug-in hybrids from China would offer that kind of electric driving range at this price, so the Tayron highlights how competitive the market is. This is especially true when you consider it against its natural rival, the Kia Sorento, which, in its most affordable plug-in hybrid form is $71,175 before on-roads. However, it keeps all-wheel drive and its third seating row. Another key rival is the BYD Sealion 8 Dynamic AWD, from $63,990 (BOC), another three-row SUV. Other rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger are only available as plugless hybrids in Australia, but other competitors are more affordable like the Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid (FWD - $45,990 drive-away) and Jaecoo J8 (AWD - $59,990 BOC). This version sits in middle of the Tayron line-up, bringing with it highlights including 19-inch wheels (with efficient Hankook Ventus Evo tyres), synthetic leather interior trim with power adjust for the driver and front passenger, memory settings, as well as heating, ventilation, and even massage settings, which is already a solid level of inclusions. However, our car also has the ‘Sound and Vision’ pack ($4200) which adds upgraded Matrix headlights and animated rear light clusters, an even larger multimedia touchscreen (from 12.9-inch to 15.0-inches), a premium audio system and a sportier steering tune. But wait, our car also has the panoramic sunroof, which adds another $2100 to the price. That brings the total for ours to $69,690, which is approaching premium territory.  You don’t want for cabin luxuries at all though, and it comes with the usual air of Volkswagen refinement. While you can probably live without all-wheel drive, missing out on the extra seating changes the value dynamic. Then again, losing them brings massive benefits, making this version of the car one of the more practical choices in the segment.  One such benefit is the enormous 705-litre boot which makes our largest CarsGuide case look tiny. The sheer volume of space here makes it a really clever family hauler, because you could fit a pram and loads of luggage without issue, but in some other mid-to-large SUVs that might be a squeeze. There is also a ridiculous amount of room for passengers in the second row. There's heaps of airspace between my knees and the back of the front seat set to my driving position. I’m 182cm tall, for reference. It has some clever additions like window shades built into the rear doors, dual USB-C outlets, and rear heated seats with a rear climate zone. It does all of this while being as narrow as a regular mid-size SUV (1866mm), unlike the now-discontinued Touareg or a size-up rival like the Hyundai Palisade, both of which are more than 100mm wider. This pays dividends when it comes time to park it in a tight city or unit-sized parking spot. In the cockpit, storage is solid, but there are also annoyances. I like the huge door storage which is carpeted, so things don’t rattle around. I also like the versatile centre console trench. This is a single area that extends under the armrest console, and features a removable dual cup holder with spring loaded edges, and a single divider piece you can slot in where you please. This is an excellent use of space. In addition, the centre console area is well utilised, with dual wireless phone chargers covered by a flip-open shelf for additional storage. It’s even rubberised, so objects don’t slide around on it, and the phone chargers are partitioned so they also can’t slide around. This is a lot better than the new Toyota RAV4, which also has a lot of storage, but some of it is tightly packaged. Physical buttons also make a return to the steering wheel, with VW hearing loud and clear that owners didn’t like the weird haptic controls from some new-gen cars. Sadly, this doesn’t extend to the touchscreen. The optional screen in this version is enormous, almost comically large for the space it takes up, and, frustratingly, it doesn’t feature physical switchgear for the climate controls. There is a single multi-function dial on the centre console, which can be used to adjust volume or drive mode by default, but you can add other settings in the somewhat convoluted menu system for themes. For a while I’ve heard that this Volkswagen multimedia system can be prone to glitches, but in the past I’ve only experienced minor ones. However, the day I picked this car up, I experienced a doozy. It was an unseasonably hot day, and I figured I’d crank the air conditioning. Easy, right? Just hit auto on the touchscreen and away you go. Wrong. The car started blowing warm air on to me. I figured the AC wasn’t actually in the correct mode, so I used the touchscreen-based menu to try and figure out what was going on, and despite pressing a whole bunch of settings (MAX mode, full fan speed, auto on/off, minimum temperature) nothing happened. I gave up, assuming the air conditioning was glitching, only for it to spring to life a full five or so minutes later and blast me with the cold air I had asked for earlier. Very strange. I have other gripes with this system, too. Not only does it feel unsafe jabbing my way through an unfamiliar menu while trying to drive, but even things as basic as switching back to Apple CarPlay can be annoying. The shortcut is in a tiny system tray at the top, and jabbing at it while you’re driving isn’t easy. Then there's the collection of confusing sub-menus for various functions. I find the theme setting particularly fiddly. Thankfully, Volkswagen’s excellent digital dash continues to be a highlight. It’s fast, customisable, and shows the correct information in style. The touchscreen really tarnishes an otherwise lovely Volkswagen cabin experience. It feels like the brand has taken the wrong lessons from user experience design from Tesla and Chinese rivals. I have decided to run a bit of an experiment on this car given I have it for a longer period. Picking it up with a full charge and full tank of fuel, I decided to see how much combined range it gets in two circumstances - if you simply run it in electric mode then use the engine, then, once refuelled and recharged, when purely using hybrid mode instead. I’m curious to see which setting will yield more range, if any. Regardless, running it in pure electric mode has yielded some pretty solid results. I ran the battery down until the engine was forced to turn on, which happened at exactly 100km according to the odometer. That’s a good result, considering the official WLTP figure is 116km and my drive included a freeway stint, which isn't the most efficient way to use the electric motor. With a full tank now near-depleted in my first month with the car, total range for EV + hybrid comes in at around 700km. Keep in mind, the hybrid has a smaller 45-litre fuel tank compared to the combustion version’s 58-litre tank. Once the battery had drained to the reserve level, the Tayron also remained reasonably fuel efficient considering the extra hardware it drags around. For the month, mine has produced a figure of 5.4L/100km. So while it might not be the best value plug-in hybrid mid-sizer out there, it features tech from this generation of vehicles, with an appropriate electric driving range and decent fuel consumption, even with the battery drained. Stay tuned for the next chapter where I’ll delve a bit more into the Tayron’s driving characteristics, the kinds of lifestyles it might best suit, the kind of people who shouldn’t buy one, and the results from my EV mode vs hybrid mode test. Acquired: August 2026 Distance travelled this chapter: 588km Odometer: 1275km Average fuel consumption this chapter: 5.4L/100km

Arriving three years after its launch, the Ferrari Purosangue Handling Speciale isn't an unhinged track-focused creation in the same vein as the latest 296 Speciale. Instead, it's the Prancing Horse's answer for those current Purosangue owners who wish their four-seat, four-door Ferrari drove more like a lighter supercar. What's wild is the Purosangue was hardly a dynamic dunce and, even without the €40,000 ($A65,000) option ticked, it remains in contention as one of the sportiest SUVs ever, but as the Ferrari nudges middle age the upgrade could help it maintain its edge. Under the bonnet, engineers have left the glorious naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 well alone, with it still producing 533kW and 716Nm of torque for an identical 0-100km/h sprint of 3.3 seconds and a 310km/h top speed. The current car's eight-speed dual-clutch rear-mounted transaxle-style transmission also carries over but now punches home more aggressive upshifts over 5500rpm in Race mode and can kick down for the optimum gear around 25 per cent quicker than before. Further recalibration of the valved sport exhaust, meanwhile, provide for a noisier cold start and extra V12 noise when you're in the mood to annoy the neighbours. Achieving its aim of adding extra nimbleness to the 2033kg Purosangue, engineers say the big Ferrari benefits from all the work that went into developing both the F80 hypercar and upcoming Luce EV that all share the same active suspension. The suspension differs from usual active or adaptive dampers by using 48-volt motors to apply force to each individual wheel and reduce the pitch or drive associated with accelerating or braking. The same system effectively cancels out body roll too, with the tech able to adjust the trick dampers every 0.05 seconds. Without any hardware changes, engineers say the HS calibrations slash body movements by 10 per cent – crucially – without any penalty in ride comfort. A subtle advertisement that you've ticked the box for the HS upgrades, the sharper Purosangue comes with black diamond cut alloy wheels, black carbon-fibre fender shields, special kick plates, satin black exhaust tailpipe finishers and a black Prancing Horse. Inside, all models come with a Handling Speciale plaque but no other changes. Ferrari says it won't offer the pack retrospectively, with it only available from the latest 2027 Model Year Purosangue as a factory option. Behind the wheel, the Ferrari SUV still takes time to adjust to, not least once the V12 fires up. It's still hard to compute that such an exotic soundtrack accompanies something with four seats and a reasonable 473-litre boot. Select first gear via the oversized carbon paddles and the Purosangue smoothly shifts away and, if we're completely honest, it doesn't feel as fast as its claimed figures suggest. Of course it is, we're just spoilt by both turbocharged V8s and, whisper it, EVs. To extract the best from the Ferrari SUV, you have to drive it like a proper supercar. Luckily on a proving ground owned by the carmaker's former owner, we can stretch the Purosangue's legs. It's then you find how noise regulations have muted some of the Ferrari's voice. Over some narrow undulating blacktop that mimic an Italian country road, grip mustered from the wide rubber is overwhelming, while the body control is exemplary both when cornering and under hard braking. The Ferrari, of course, still isn't a supercar on stilts, it scuffs its snout too easily and feels too nose-heavy for that but it's still easy to extract plenty of joy from the driving experience and provides lots of confidence to push. Does it matter that it wouldn't be able to keep pace with a Cayenne Turbo Electric? Or an Aston DBX feels like it offers added mid-gear punch for more effortless overtakes? Probably not, the Italian still feels special in a way the other fast SUVs just can't. Fuel consumption is unaffected with the new pack and remains high at 17.3L/100km which limits range, even with a large 100-litre tank, to around 578km. What could be a problem is whether most owners will be able to tell the difference between a car that is and isn't fitted with the fancier suspension tune? Again, we doubt it, but when most owners easily spend between $100,000-$200,000 on options to make their Purosangue their own, what's another $65,000 in the mix? In Australia buyers are given a wide range of colour choices, with its classic Ross Corsa (Ferrari red), Blue Pozzi (navy) and Giallo Modena (bright yellow) all included in the price. Most ignore the free hues and splash out on premium colours that include everything from shades lifted from classic racing cars to more daring four-layer paints, like Rosso Magma. Standard features in the Ferrari Purosangue include: 22-inch front and larger 23-inch rear alloy wheels Carbon-fibre roof Power-closing rear doors Electric tailgate Leather and Alcantara seats Twin screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 21-speaker Burmester sound system Four heated, massage seats Safety hasn't been neglected in the family-friendly V12 wagon, even though there's no official EuroNCAP test or ANCAP crash test result. Standard safety kit includes: Auto emergency braking (AEB) Adaptive cruise Lane-keep assist Blind-spot monitoring Rear cross-traffic alert Traffic-sign recognition Hill-descent control Every Ferrari arrives with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with the option of extending coverage for up to seven years at the point of purchase. Also available is Ferrari's 'Power20' protection, which covers the engine, transmission and all other major mechanical and electronic components for 20 years from the point of purchase. The recommended service interval is 12 months/20,000km, and there's also a seven-year capped-price servicing program, called '7-Year Genuine Maintenance', which allows you to prepay for all your servicing needs.

The Nissan X-Trail has been well-liked since its inception 25 years ago and the current generation has done reasonably well in an increasingly crowded mid-size SUV market. While not the front-runner in terms of sales - the Toyota RAV4 holds that title, of course - the Nissan X-Trail is one of a few mid-size SUVs to break the 1000-sales mark this year so far, a feat increasingly achieved by newcomer Chinese models. To strengthen its place in the market, Nissan has broadened the X-Trail offering to include more affordable (and more efficient) two-wheel drive versions of its e-Power hybrid grades, as well as a style-focused soft-roader version called the Rock Creek. Starting with the most visually obvious addition, the X-Trail Rock Creek is a $48,315 ask, before-on roads, for its single seven-seat grade. The Rock Creek uses the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the rest of the combustion-powered range, with 135kW and 244Nm driving all four of its wheels. It’s built on the same spec as the ST-L, but adds plenty of unique styling and black trim, with orange accents and stitching inside, plus a unique set of 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, ballistic nylon-trimmed seats are joined by a step-up from the donor ST-L in the form of a 12.3-inch driver display and 10.8-inch head-up display. The front seats are comfortable, spacious and ergonomically sensible, and the second row has a decent amount of room and some adjustability to account for the third row. That back row is, however, pretty useless for adults due to the cramped space. Nissan says the Rock Creek has the same 465 litres of boot space as other seven-seat grades, measured from floor to roof with the third folded flat. The 2WD e-Power on the other hand starts from $45,990 in ST-L grade, $50,915 for the mid-spec Ti and up to $54,715 for the Ti-L. They’re all five-seaters with equipment matching that of their 4WD counterparts. That means the ST-L gets some basics like leather-accented trim and a surround-view camera, while the Ti gets a sunroof and head-up display, and the Ti-L gets all the fruit like a Bose 10-speaker sound system and heated seats even in the second row. The five-seat e-Power has 575L of boot space with all the seats up, 10 litres less than the five-seat petrol. The e-Power 2WD has very similar outputs to the e-Power 4X4, with 150kW and 330Nm from its front-mounted electric motor. The same 106kW/250Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine powers the very small 2.1kWh battery, but not the wheels. Regardless of grade, the X-Trail uses a 55L fuel tank and can run on 91RON unleaded fuel, though Nissan recommends 95RON for the e-Power. The 4X4 petrol Rock Creek sips 7.8L/100km on the combined cycle according to the claim, though with some off-roading and unsealed road driving the trip computer shower 9.7L. The 2WD e-Power should use 5.4L according to the specs, but 6.2L was the displayed rate on the drive. You shouldn’t need to try hard to get better figures than those we saw on the launch, as test-driving involved a combination of fast driving on twisty NZ roads and gentle off-roading around Lake Wakatipu and the Rees River. The current X-Trail has always been easy to work with from behind the wheel and the front-drive versions don’t lose much of the smoothness and urge the all-wheel drive version of the hybrid X-Trails boast. While it doesn’t feel like the lightest SUV, the steering is accurate enough to take any guesswork out of cornering and the electric motors get the mid-sizer moving quickly. Traction doesn’t suffer much without the rear wheels in play, though given the limited drive time in each grade on the launch it’s possible very wet conditions or rough roads could show up flaws. The Rock Creek on the other hand should be safe as houses when it comes to light off-roading, given its 4x4 system, though its on-road prowess is somewhat dulled by its petrol engine. Compared to the e-Power, the Rock Creek handles and rides similarly on the road, but its acceleration feels lacklustre and its efficiency takes a big hit. The X-Trail has a maximum five-star safety score from ANCAP, though this was tested in 2021 under more lenient criteria. Its 'Pro-Pilot' driver assistance systems remain, as mentioned, subtle and exist to prevent genuine mistakes rather than remind you constantly how to drive. Seven airbags join a series of features like front and rear AEB, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and a driver monitor that’s based on inputs rather than a visual sensor. Pretty much everything from a safety perspective is the same across the variants, though the Rock Creek gets a spare wheel rather than a repair kit as in the e-Power. Nissan offers a 10-year/300,000km warranty as long as you service with authorised Nissan dealers. Otherwise it’s five years and unlimited kilometres. You also get a flat price of $399 for any X-Trail grade at the first five services. These will come up every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.