Suzuki Fronx Reviews

The time of the purely combustion car is over: The age of the hybrid has begun.Now entrenched as the default choice amongst Aussie new car buyers, demand for fuel-sipping electrified cars has exploded and the new car market has well and truly responded.Hybrid cars in Australia in 2026 will see the market flooded with new and updated options hitting our shores and the lengthy list below contains only the ones we know about right now.Expect even more options to be confirmed over the course of the coming year.For now expect a theme - lots of new Chinese brands offering sought-after affordable electrified alternatives, and so-called ‘legacy’ brands scrambling to play catch-up.Read on to see the best hybrid cars in Australia in 2026.BYD’s largest and most expensive product yet, the seven-seat Sealion 8 is also a new-generation offering in its Chinese home market.Expect a familiar three-variant line-up for this plug-in hybrid in early 2026, with the range extending from a comparatively affordable base two-wheel drive, to a more performance-oriented all-wheel drive which will debut a new ‘DM-P’ powertrain for BYD in Australia, producing up to 400kW/668Nm.The Sealion 8 is expected to start from around $65,000 with prices possibly cresting $75,000 at the top. It features a new interior design language and batteries enabling a range of around 100-150km of range depending on variant.Australia’s favourite hybrid SUV will be getting an overhaul in the first quarter of 2026. It is expected to be one of the best hybrid cars in Australia in 2026 when it comes to sales, although it will be hit with price rises across the range.There’s a dramatically redesigned face and tail, as well as an overhauled interior, both in terms of the look and the tech, but ultimately it is the same size and platform as the outgoing version.The version arriving early in the year will be plug-less hybrid across its expansive range of variants, with more to come later on.KGM - formerly known as SsangYong - will launch its re-booted Actyon upper mid-sized SUV as a hybrid early in 2026.It will take on the likes of the Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota RAV4 as a quirky Korean alternative, also sitting above the Torres in the brand’s range.A plug-less hybrid version bodes well, with plug-ins famously a hard sell for many, but the re-booted Korean upstart will have its work cut out for it in facing popular and affordable Chinese rivals like the Haval H6.Suzuki’s ageing Vitara will get a facelift in early 2026, expected to be the same overall look and feel as the car which has already launched in the also-right-hand-drive UK market.This Vitara scores tightened-up styling on the outside, a new multimedia screen on the inside now with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and, importantly, some form of hybrid powertrain.We don’t know whether we’ll get the 1.4-litre turbo mild-hybrid powertrain or the 1.5-litre full-hybrid powertrain, both available in Europe but there’s a case for both cars being needed by the brand in Australia.Jaecoo - the semi-premium spin-off from Chery, will launch its J5 small SUV in early 2026. It will score a standard 1.5-litre turbo option, but more importantly it will also be available as a 1.5-litre plug-less hybrid. A fully-electric version will arrive first as part of a three-pronged assault on the likes of the Hyundai Kona.It will be the brand’s cheapest hybrid and you can expect a similar hybrid powertrain to the Chery Tiggo 4, consisting of a reasonably punchy electric motor and a hybrid transaxle set-up at the front.The struggling Stellantis joint-venture is no doubt hoping its curious range-extender hybrids will give it the boost it needs in Australia, after a disappointing few months for its cost-leading C10 electric mid-size SUV.The B10 follow-up is in a more compact package, and the range-extender variant will pair an engine with an electric motor - although only the electric motor will drive the wheels. Specs are far from being locked in, so tune back in later next year for more on what you can expect - but this could also be one of the best small hybrid cars in Australia in terms of price.The Sealion 5 is a plug-in hybrid mid-size electric SUV, and if you’re thinking 'isn’t that what the Sealion 6 does already' you wouldn’t be wrong.The Sealion 5 is a more cost-leading offering by the Chinese brand, designed to help it leap up the sales charts again next year by muscling out rival offerings like the Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV.Expect a slightly smaller and more dressed-down alternative to the popular Sealion 6 at a more aggressive price-point, but with less impressive specifications, as part of BYD’s now two-prong assault on the title of best medium hybrid SUV in the sales charts.Toyota’s aspirational off-roader will finally line-up with the rest of the brand’s range by offering a plug-less hybrid variant in 2026.Hardly offering the middling performance of the rest of the hybrid badged Toyotas in Australia, the LC300 will pack a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 borrowed from the US-market Tundra pick-up, which has also recently landed in Australia.Unlike other Toyota hybrids, it also gets a 10-speed automatic transmission rather than the ‘e-CVT’ electrified transaxle, and maintains the same 4x4 hardware, like mechanical linkages to each axle and a low-range transfer case and three differential locks in the GR Sport variant.Wey is GWM’s luxury brand, sitting above Haval in its pantheon of passenger cars and has in the past been ruled an export-to-Europe-only venture.However, the brand has recently locked-in an Australian launch, with its 80 people mover. Expect a range of Wey SUVs to follow in the future.A luxurious plug-in hybrid, the Wey 80 enters an increasingly heated premium people mover space, which will soon be dominated by Chinese challenger brands. In particular it will go head-to-head with GAC’s M8.The relatively popular Lexus ES sedan will get a next-gen overhaul in 2026, again providing it a new lease on life in a world of shrinking sedan market share.The new model moves into new design territory for Lexus, and is set to feature a battery-electric variant for the first time to live alongside what will presumably be a hybrid-only range when it arrives in Australia mid-year.Toyota’s RAV4 will finally score a plug-in hybrid variant in Australia before the end of 2026, despite a PHEV having been available overseas for some time.The new version will land in Australia in two trim levels, as a front-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive. It has a 22.7kWh battery pack, although the official driving range is yet to be revealed for our market.Will it be the best PHEV on the sales front in 2026? Time will tell.Jaecoo, another Chery spin-off brand, will add to its line-up of hybrid SUVs with a plug-in version of the J8.The J8 large SUV launched in 2025 notably missing any form of electrification, which is unusual for a Chinese challenger brand. It is also an unusual offering given its imposing dimensions and five-seat layout, given most in this class are seven-seaters.Specs are yet to be revealed, but given the J8 shares its platform with the Chery Tiggo 9 (currently one of few seven-seater hybrid options), don’t expect it to stray too far from that car’s range and specs.Another car from Chery’s techy Omoda sub-brand, the Omoda 7 could easily be one of the group’s best hybrid SUVs. A key mid-sized offering complete with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Omoda 7 is also set to debut a new styling language for the brand, as well as new features inside and out.Specs are yet to be locked in, but expect to learn more towards the middle of 2026.Want to know what other new models are due in 2026? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below. Best EVs Australia 2026Best Small Cars Australia 2026Best 4x4 Australia 2026Best Ute Australia 2026Best New Cars 2026 AustraliaBest SUVs Australia 2026Best Family Cars Australia 2026

China's GWM is set to launch a new 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine option in the Prado-rivalling Tank 500 SUV in the second half of 2025. It will also feature in the related Cannon Alpha ute.Orders for the new-generation Nissan Patrol Y63 will open in Australia late in 2026, ahead of first deliveries in 2027.An update for the Suzuki Jimny three-door will see it return for local sale in early 2026. It will feature safety technology that's already present in the Jimny XL five-door.A new petrol-electric hybrid powertrain will join the LandCruiser 300 Series line-up in the second half of 2026. A version of this engine already features in the Tundra pickup. Want to know what other new models are due in 2026? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below. Best EVs Australia 2026Best Small Cars Australia 2026Best Ute Australia 2026Best New Cars 2026 AustraliaBest Family Cars Australia 2026Best Hybrid Cars Australia 2026Best SUVs Australia 2026

The electric car onslaught will continue in 2026 with the announcement of more than 20 new models in Australia.

Modern 4x4s are packed with clever tech - but at what cost?

Yet another warning that long wait times for new cars could be back

Back in 1995, the most popular SUV in Australia was the then-new and pioneering Toyota RAV4, way down at number 43. How things have changed, with SUVs sat at seven of the top-10 spots, and then (mostly diesel-powered) ladder-frame-chassis utes making up the difference. Here are 10 reasons why Australia’s (and the world’s) SUV obsession have made motoring worse than in past decades for people who love cars.

The Suzuki Jimny has finally been updated to gain new safety tech and some other simple features that most cars have had standard for years - including a colour digital driver display.The updated 2026 Suzuki Jimny 4x4 has been revealed for its home market in Japan, where pricing is up significantly.Japanese outlet Best Car reports the local pricing has increased by as much as 309,100 Yen, which directly converts to $3178.The pricing increase isn’t so extreme in its raw figure, but for the variant that price applies to it’s an increase of 13.6 per cent. Pricing rose from 1,962,400 Yen to 2,271,500 Yen.In Australia, the corresponding model is the Jimny Lite manual, currently $34,990 drive-away. A 13.6 per cent price jump would see it cost just over $39,700.The update, only available in Japan for now, adds much-needed dual-sensor AEB (autonomous emergency braking) and lane departure prevention. Auto models also gain adaptive cruise control.The Jimny also now supports Suzuki Connect with app functionality, and according to the brand’s Japanese website a colour display replaces the black and white unit currently found between the physical speedo and tacho dials - which remain as such even after the update.Expect to see an Australian market announcement for the updated Suzuki Jimny closer to its 2026 launch.

Sales slide for once popular brands: Mainstream Japanese brands Nissan, Mazda and Suzuki dip in popularity as demand for Chinese brands like BYD, Chery & GWM skyrockets.

What feature of your car annoys you the most? I’ll go first. Our eight-year old Skoda locks itself after about 30 seconds. Sounds good, but it isn't. It’s led to all manner of annoying moments, but locking itself while the keys were inside the car probably wins — don’t ask.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has published its latest round of safety scores and the two vehicles included are re-tested versions of popular hatchbacks based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP.