SUV Reviews

When is an EV no longer an EV? Leapmotor's new C10 REEV gains a petrol engine that acts purely as a generator, like the defunct Holden Volt and BMW i3 REx. It goes up against fierce plug-in hybrid rivals like the BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, Jaecoo J7 SHS and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

The Premcar-boosted Nissan Patrol Warrior was an impressive 4WD wagon from its first appearance a few years back.Well, now the entire 2025 Patrol range - including the Ti-based Warrior - has undergone an update.Sure, the changes don't yield any performance gains and they are cabin-based but they do include a new bigger touchscreen multimedia system, wireless charging and an off-road monitor.

The SX is the second rung on the Sportage ladder, sitting above the entry-level S and below the SX+ and GT-Line.

The Mahindra XUV 3X0 is the Indian brand's first small SUV in Australia, taking on the Chery Tiggo 4 and co. Though modern and well equipped, with a punchy 1.2-litre turbo, the front-drive crossover boasts chunky styling and high ground clearance to make it stand out. There's plenty for buyers to like, as our first drive in India reveals, but the pricing also needs to be right for it to succeed.

The S opens the four-model Kia Sportage line-up, and it’s available only with a 2.0-litre petrol or 2.0-litre diesel engine. There are turbo-petrol and hybrid powertrains offered elsewhere in the range, but the entry-level Sportage misses out.

BYD's premium Denza brand is about to hit Australia, and this is likely to be the first model to wear the Denza badge. The Fangchengbao 5, or Denza B5, is a plug-in hybrid off-road five-seat SUV and it's coming to take on the Toyota Prado, Land Rover Defender and more.

The Berry family has now spent two months living with the GWM Tank 500 that didn't make the best first impression. So has a second month in this a hybrid off-road vehicle changed or made up their minds?

The Sportage is Kia's best-selling model in Australia, where it battles heavyweights like the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid in our biggest and most hotly contested segment. In other words, this mid-life update is crucial. So Kia has added more hybrid options, a new look, and new tech and safety in an effort to win over buyers. But is that enough? We put it to the test to find out.

The Jaecoo J8 Track is the entry point to the Chinese brand's new flagship five seat SUV range, and sits below the loaded J8 Ridge variant in the two-tier line-up.The J8 Track is 2WD and costs $49,990 drive-away, which is $5000 cheaper than the all-wheel-drive Ridge.The Track is absolutely rammed with luxury kit.It has 20-inch alloy wheels, heated and ventilated front seats wrapped in real leather and topped off with a massage function.There are dual 12.3-inch displays, one for the multimedia and the other for the driver. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav and a 12-speaker Sony stereo are other highlights.It also has a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, power adjustable steering wheel, a head-up display (that projects vital information such as your travelling speed on to the windscreen in front of the driver) and a wireless device charger.All J8 variants are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 183kW and 385Nm. This is matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels in the Track grade.Jaecoo claims the J8 Track drinks 8.3L/100km, and it needs pricier premium unleaded petrol.The Track variant misses out on the fancy adaptive suspension of the Ridge grade, which reads the road ahead and adjusts each wheel independently. The Ridge exerted excellent body control and soaked up bumps expertly, but the Track falls off in this department with the ride becoming more unsettled with harsher bumps felt through the cabin.The engine has enough grunt for a vehicle this size, it's not a performance car but has leisurely acceleration, and it had no problem overtaking at highway speeds.There were times when the transmission and engine work as slickly together as they should with some delay of power and then rush of grunt all at once.Jaecoo covers the J8 with an eight year/unlimited km warranty and a capped-priced servicing program of the same length that costs $2952 for the Track 2WD with visits every 15,000km or 12 months.

The small electric SUV segment is ramping up. The Kia EV3 is making waves and so is the freshly launched MG S5 EV. But could this perky BYD Atto 2 be their biggest rival yet?