7 seater

The 2025 Land Rover Defender 130 is the biggest vehicle in the Defender range.And the P500 variant is the last of the V8s on offer in the line-up with a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 pumping out 368kW and 610Nm.This upper large SUV is big but offers plenty of comfort, refinement and great driving.Which leaves us with the question: is the Defender 130 the best Defender for your family?

Hyundai has detailed its largest combustion SUV, the Palisade, before it goes on-sale in Korea. Expected to arrive in Australia some time in 2025, the three-row SUV ditches its diesel powerplants for an all-petrol based offering, including a new powerful hybrid model with the Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder in its sights. The new-generation Palisade is bigger than its predecessor: 65mm longer (5060mm), 5mm taller and wider, riding on a 70mm longer 2970mm wheelbase. The Palisade rejoins a busy seven-seat segment with the brand also offering the Ioniq 9 electric car and smaller Santa Fe in Australia.In Korea, the Palisade is available in a nine seat configuration with a three-wide front bench. Normally, that would be unlikely for Australia but Hyundai has engineered a twin centre airbag for safety, so it may get in. It is otherwise a seven seater with two front, two middle ‘captain’s chairs’ and a three-wide rear bench.The interior has been completely overhauled in the style of the smaller Santa Fe, with upmarket trims such as Calligraphy getting twin curved 12.3-inch displays, with the centre working as the multimedia touchscreen. Upholstery comes in a variety of colours with top-spec variants getting the choice of black or brown leather in Korea. Huge 21-inch alloy wheels are available optionally. Helping keep the ride plush are the first adaptive dampers ever fitted to a non-N Hyundai SUV. The technology is borrowed from Genesis models. Under the bonnet you’ll find a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder in place of the old 3.8-litre V6, while the more efficient diesel is effectively replaced by the new hybrid system. Petrol alone, the Palisade develops 210kW. The hybrid’s 1.65kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor bumps this to 249kW with combined driving range in excess of 1000km. Electric car-like features include vehicle-to-load (V2L) along with ‘Stay Mode’ that allows the car to idle for long periods of time without compromising on air-con effectiveness. Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed but in Korea, Palisade prices have jumped by up to 15 per cent. If we apply that same increase to the flagship Calligraphy model ($81,719) today, it’s possible a new AWD hybrid could be pushing $95,000 before on-road costs.

If you are in the market for a new SUV, you might want to wait a little bit to get a closer look at some of the new family- and urban-focused machines landing in 2025.

In 2025, no other car company in Australia will offer quite the combination of body styles and powertrain choices for buyers seeking an SUV or crossover with three rows of seating as Hyundai.

Haval H9 still on the cards for Australia as export market sales begin and diesel engine launches.

The CX-80 flagship doesn’t come cheap, with the Azami trim setting you back $74,150 (petrol), $76,150 (diesel) and $87,200 (plug-in hybrid).

The GT is the second most-expensive model in the CX-80 family, with petrol, diesel and PHEV setting you back $68,950, $70,950 and $82,000 respectively,

I’m wondering if it’s common for the oil light in my 2018 Kia Carnival to come on when sitting and idling but to go away when revs go up and the oil is full. Would this mean my oil pressure sensor is stuffed?

You could look at the CX-80 Pure as evidence that the brand’s new 'Mazda Premium' strategy - and the prices associated with it - is still finding its feet in Australia. 

Kia announced the first details of its much-anticipated EV9 GT model at this year's Los Angeles motor show.