Adventure

Looks can be deceiving. The all-new iCaur V27 might appear to be a distant relative of the Mercedes G-wagen but beneath its rugged, good looks lurks a large SUV that's happier on-road than extreme overlanding out in the bush.On sale in Australia from February next year, the iCaur V27 will be the first of a full range of models that will also include a still-to-be-released smaller mid-size V25 and, later on in 2028 or 2029 the baby Suzuki Jimny-rivalling V23 should rock up.Proving to be a hit worldwide, in little more than two years the baby V23 has gone on to sell 160,000 and Chery hopes its huge popularity will translate over in Australia.Measuring in at 5045mm long, 1976mm wide and 1894mm tall, the V27 shares a footprint with the GWM Tank 500 and is a little bigger than the Denza B5 (4888mm long, 1970mm wide and 1920mm tall).It's the latter, that one exec from iCaur told CarsGuide is the real rival it is targeting Down Under.Which is a bit odd as on paper at least, the iCaur V27 isn't a real match.Not only is the V27 based on a more car-like monocoque, it lacks height-adjustable air suspension which means ground clearance is limited to a paltry 224mm. Both the approach (24-deg) and departure (23deg) angles are also severely lacking compared to the Denza's 39 degrees.iCaur says its V27 can wade water depths up to 600mm, a little off the 790mm the Denza B5 can traverse.Available with only a range-extender hybrid powertrain, in some markets a 185kW rear-wheel-drive version will be an option but in Australia we think we'll just get the all-wheel-drive V27.Unlike a typical plug-in hybrid, the small 1.5-litre four-cylinder combustion engine only acts a generator when the 34.3kWh battery is depleted. Combined with a pair of electric motors driving each axle, total power is 335kW, while torque is around 505Nm for a quick 0-100km/h dash of 5.9 seconds.That's more than a second adrift of the more powerful Denza B5 that can also tow 3000kg, compared to the 1600kg the V27 can haul.With a full charge, iCaur says the V27 can cover up to 150km on EV power alone on the NEDC test cycle, while a 60-litre tank extends the total range to around 995km.Usefully, the battery is capable of DC charging up to 60kW, although a 20-80 per cent top-up still takes around 30 minutes.Vehicle-to-load charging or powering of domestic appliances is also available at up to 6kW.Naturally, the chunky exterior styling is reflected within, with a stepped dashboard, large rotary dial and proper physical controls. Like other Chery brands, the driver gets a pillar-box slim 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, but taking pride of place is a freestanding 15.4-inch infotainment that's runs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 processor.Both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included.Like the smaller V23, there are toggle auxiliary switches on the roof ready for accessories like an additional light bar.Dual wireless chargers are also present, as well as 50 different storage compartments, and a large 715-litre boot that includes a hidden 40-litre compartment for valuables.Perhaps disappointingly, considering its size, a third row of seats isn't even an option but handily if you drop the second row you open up a cavernous near-two-metre-long load area with up to 1818 litres of space.It's hard not to like the twin-pane panoramic roof, plus the generous head- and legroom in the second row. Overall, the V27 impresses in and out.Giving us a limited chance to experience the iCaur V27 behind the wheel, we tested the large SUV over a muddy and slimy obstacle course with a car shod with grippier all-terrain tyres.As soon as we eased the V27 off the line, the first iCaur destined for Australia instantly impresses, mainly because of the nature of its powertrain as it feels just like an EV, as only the electric motors drive all four wheels.That means there is instant torque, with plenty of power off the line. Over the lumps and bumps the magnetic adaptive dampers did a good job of providing a decent ride.Driving only in a mud-friendly off-road mode (there's are eight other driving modes available), traction was remarkable thanks to its locking electronic rear differential, although grippier tyres probably did most of the heavy lifting.We weren't allowed to try the tank turn feature, nor even permitted to escape the facility and drive on public roads, so our first positive impressions should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt, but precise steering and those car-like underpinnings, proper multi-link rear suspension and the smooth, punchy powertrains bode well for Australians.If you tow heavy loads or go further off-road, the Denza B5, Land Rover Defender or default Toyota Prado will all prove a better bet, with the V27 only able to haul 1600kg (braked). For reference the B5 can tug 3000kg.There is no word on how iCaur will kit-out its flagship SUV locally, but expect a power tailgate, LED front and rear headlamps, electric-fold mirrors, a trick multi-colour ambient lighting and six-way adjust heated and ventilated synthetic seats to all be standard.With seven airbags, a 540-degree surround camera, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, front and rear collision alert and blind-spot warning, plus an advanced adaptive cruise control, iCaur has designed its V27 to achieve full marks in future Euro NCAP and ANCAP testing.iCaur has been timed to land just a few months after fellow Chery-owned Lepas will rock up in Australia. Even though there has been no official confirmation, we'd be amazed if the 4x4 brand didn't match the eight-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty Jaecoo models come with, even though it will be sold via a different dealer network.Locally, the V27 is priced from just 200,000 Chinese yuan (A$40,000), but it's not known what the range will kick off from. The insider told CarsGuide that its V27 will be positioned lower than the Denza B5 ($74,990-$79,990), with the prediction it could trouble small mid-size SUVs with a price tag of around $65,000 plus on-roads.

Kia has sharpened the pencil on its slow selling Tasman ute.The Korean brand has knocked thousands off the price of most grades in the range until June 30, with some sharp drive-away deals.So far the Tasman has only mustered about 1600 sales, which is a long way behind its yearly 20,000 target. The segment leading Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux that have sold about 15,800 and 13,500 so far this year, respectively.There are some big deals to be had on top-tier Tasman versions.The range-topping Tasman X-Pro 4WD dual cab is now priced from $64,990 drive-away, which is more than $10,000 off the previous $74,990 (before on-road costs) price tag.The X-Line 4WD dual-cab variant is also more than $10,000 cheaper at $59,990. Similar big discounts apply to the mid-tier SX+ 4WD dual-cab.Entry-level S and SX 4WD dual-cabs also get some meaningful discounts that drop the price to $49,990 and $51,990, respectively.Kia has also wiped thousands off the price of hard working single cab chassis variants for ABN holders.The base S grade now starts at $39,990 drive-away for the two-wheel drive S with an alloy tray included. If you want 4WD it'll cost you $45,990. Both deals represent several thousands off the non promotional price.The Tasman is powered by a 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel four-cylinder engine that makes 154kW and 440Nm.All versions can tow 3500kg and most can carry a one tonne payload.Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith told CarsGuide it needed to do more to boost sales and it had several ways to do that, which now appears to be sharp deals.The Tasman ute has been critically acclaimed for how it performs its duties, but Meredith said there were several issues holding back the new ute.“I think once you’re inside it, it's fantastic,” said Meredith. “I think you know the exterior of the car is very polarising. Some people love it, some people don’t. And that’s had an effect.“I think you’ve got to be upfront and honest that the competition that’s out there is quite dramatic. “When we were planning this six years ago, the competition wasn’t as great as what it is right now.“So did we plan correctly? We planned as well as we possibly could, but the competition is hot, and there’s a polarising look to the vehicle.“We’ve fallen short. We know the facts.“The fact of the matter is we’ve got to make Tasman a better success in Australia than it is at its current level,” said Meredith.2026 Kia Tasman deals 

Iconic off-road brand Jeep may have been thrown a lifeline to be rescued from its current struggles in the form of Chinese carmaker Dongfeng with which it will build future models.Jeep’s parent company Stellantis has signed a new agreement which will see the joint venture currently known as Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile (DPCA) produce two Peugeot models and two Jeeps.The A$1.7 billion agreement will not only allow Stellantis to be more competitive locally in China with the models made at Dongfeng Wuhan plant but will also see these models exported globally.Speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit last week Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the partnership with Dongfeng was part of the company’s new strategy for the future. "Stellantis has been growing this last year, creating a clear view of being attractive for long-term partnerships to many players," he said."We are attractive because we are strong in many regions, we are attractive because of our scale, and mostly because we have unbelievably strong brands, so our level of appeal is big."We understand that by working with a set of partners to build a roadmap of technological improvement, supply chain improvement and maybe capacity utilisation. These are really good topics to work together and create benefits."Stellantis already has an existing separate agreement with Dongfeng and has produced the Peugeot 4008 and 5008 in China. The new joint venture will see Dongfeng’s Concept 6 and Concept 8 both shown at the recent Beijing motor show underpin two new Peugeot models.As for the two Jeep models both are expected to be 'new energy' (plug-in) vehicles but the platforms underpinning them is currently unknown. Filosa is expected to reveal more on this at an investor conference this week in the United States.Dongfeng currently has a large array of off-road models in its portfolio from the Rich 7 dual cab ute to the hardcore MHero SUV. The company also displayed what it calls the "first new energy all terrain extreme off-road concept vehicle - the MHero M-Hunter" at the Beijing motor show. It’s a model which may fit Jeep’s go-anywhere ethos well if it was to be chosen as the basis for a new model.Production of the new Jeep and Peugeot models will begin at the Wuhan factory in 2027.It could be the shot in the arm Jeep and Peugeot needs both globally and in Australia.Year to date sales of Jeep vehicles in Australia have reached just 249, a 65 per cent drop over the same period in 2025.Peugeot’s performance locally has been somewhat better but still underwhelming with 320 units registered year to date representing a 32.3 per cent decline compared to 2025.Stellantis will be looking to the new joint venture to give what are well known brands the technological innovation needed to compete in an auto landscape which is appearing to swing to Chinese dominance.  

Fuel prices are coming back down slightly at time of writing, but this whole Middle East conflict has been a massive wake-up call for all of us.Australia is as vulnerable as any country to changes in fuel supply and/or prices.But you can reduce your 4WD's fuel consumption – and thus cut your fuel costs – by better managing your driving style and your 4WD.Fuel consumption depends on many factors – including individual driving style, the conditions, the load – but there are myriad ways you can at least reduce your vehicle’s fuel consumption so that you’re ultimately forking out less at the service station.Improving fuel consumption boils down to reducing the stress on your vehicle’s engine: the less stress and strain on your engine, the better it will perform and therefore the less fuel it will use.Here are some tips to slash your fuel bills – and most of it is common sense, really.Read on.The lighter a vehicle is, generally speaking, the less fuel it should use.A whole lot of extra weight onboard your 4WD – whether that be people, gear, pets or a load of job-site tools and materials you’re actually not using on any given day – places far greater demands on the vehicle than if it was unladen, and that excess weight will result in increased fuel usage.If you use your 4WD as a daily driver or if you rarely go out bush in it any more, do away with the bullbar, winch, roof-top tent, tray canopy (if it’s easy enough to get on and off), heavy-duty spare-wheel carrier, MaxTrax (be honest: you’ve never used them), long-handled shovel etc. Delete anything and everything that adds extra bulk to your vehicle, for now at least.All of that gear adds extra weight to your vehicle and thus increases fuel consumption. Again, this is all common sense stuff.On bitumen, recommended tyre pressures on a 4WD will generally be from around 30 psi (pounds per square inch) and up but always check the tyre placard on your vehicle to make sure.Always check tyre pressure when your tyres are cold (i.e. the vehicle hasn't been driven for about three hours) and only use a tyre-pressure gauge from a reputable company, such as ARB or Ironman 4x4, to get an accurate reading to make sure you're running at recommended pressure.If your tyres are under-inflated, rolling resistance increases and so too does your 4WD’s fuel use, simple as that.For reference, Michelin’s in-house tyre experts have described rolling resistance as “the resistance experienced by your car tyre as it rolls over a surface. The main causes of this resistance are tyre deformation, wing drag, and friction with the ground. The higher the rolling resistance is, the more energy to overcome it is needed.“A 30 per cent increase in rolling resistance generates between 3 and 5% of fuel overconsumption.”Rolling resistance is decreased when a tyre’s pressure is increased.No specific PSI tyre pressure figure can be applied every time to every vehicle on every different type of terrain or in every different driving scenario. Your optimum tyre pressure will change according to the vehicle, the load onboard, the terrain your vehicle is traversing, the time of day, the amount of time you've been driving on those tyres on that day, the size and type of tyres you're using and myriad other variables.However, there are various approximate tyre-pressure ranges that work best on different terrain and if you operate within those parameters, you will be able to drive off-road sensibly and safely.Note: If you want to know how to deflate and inflate your tyres, read this yarn.Another thing to think about is unsprung weight (tyres) and rolling resistance. If you’re driving around on big heavy Mud Terrain tyres, then of course your fuel use is going to suffer, so it’s time to throw on a set of road-friendly SUV tyres or mild all-terrain tyres.Worth noting is the fact that larger wheel sizes generally decrease fuel economy due to increased the weight and rolling resistance. Steel wheels are heavier than alloys so swap those out for the time being if you want to further decrease your fuel consumption.Drive with supreme patience and consideration.This is easy to accomplish: simply delete your heavy right foot.No more hard acceleration, no stomping on the brakes – drive smoothly and safely.Unless you’re urgently delivering a heart in an esky to an awaiting transplant patient at a hospital, there’s no need to drive like your pants are on fire.As I tell my kids about driving: just imagine your job is to make sure that everyone on the road at the same time as you arrives at their destination safely – no matter how determined they appear to not want to arrive at all.As mentioned earlier, improving fuel consumption boils down to reducing the stress on your vehicle’s engine, and one of the ways to achieve this is to ensure that your vehicle is well maintained, in terms of all components, fluids, filters etc.The better your 4WD is running, the less fuel it should use.When you head out, bunch the things you have to do for the day together, so you’re doing one trip, instead a series of shorter trips, with the extra driving, stop-starting, parking etc involved in those. Common sense? Of course it is.A hybrid vehicle – one with a traditional fuel source (petrol or diesel) and electric power – is a cheaper alternative to an EV and it yields better fuel economy and less environmental impact than a standard petrol or diesel engine vehicle.Hybrids, right now, offer the best of all possible worlds; currently there are still simply so many variables involved with using an EV as your vehicle of choice in Australia – range anxiety, long distances, lack of charging stations, the actual time it takes to charge – that, outside of the city, it doesn’t make as much sense as a daily driver as a hybrid does.Hybrid powertrains are claimed to improve fuel efficiency, boost torque, improve responsiveness and overall output.Is it time you consider something like a BYD Shark 6? Yep, join the queue.

The ute market has peaked in Australia, and some new and established workhorses could struggle.Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer Damien Meredith said the ute market appears to have peaked, with a flat result in quarter one this year showing growth will be tough to find.That spells bad news for the Kia Tasman, which was launched last year with a sales target of 20,000 per year. It is on track to sell less than 5000 in 2026, which is a a far cry from the segment-leading Ford Ranger and strong-selling Toyota HiLux and BYD Shark 6.Meredith said “of course” they were concerned about the Tasman’s performance.When quizzed if the Tasman would be here in three years if sales didn’t improve, he simply said: “I believe so”.The Tasman ute has been critically acclaimed for how it performs its duties, but Meredith said there were several issues holding back the new ute.“I think once you’re inside it, it's fantastic,” said Meredith. “I think you know the exterior of the car is very polarising. Some people love it, some people don’t. And that’s had an effect.“I think you’ve got to be upfront and honest that the competition that’s out there is quite dramatic. “When we were planning this six years ago, the competition wasn’t as great as what it is right now.“So did we plan correctly? We planned as well as we possibly could, but the competition is hot, and there’s a polarising look to the vehicle,” he said.Kia is currently the third best-selling car brand in the nation this year, but it acknowledges it needs to do more to get the Tasman in more hands.“We’ve fallen short. We know the facts,” said Meredith.“What’s happening in the world over the last 35-40 days hasn’t helped. But we can’t use that, we can’t use anything as an excuse.“The fact of the matter is we’ve got to make Tasman a better success in Australia than it is at its current level,” said.A facelift to give the Tasman more conventional styling is still at more than a year or two away, according to CarsGuide’s previous reports, but there are other levers the brand can use.Kia is a volume seller, so some sharp discounts might be on offer for the dual-cab ute in the coming months to help stimulate demand and attract fleet buyers.Kia’s headquarters has been canvassing Australian owners on how to improve the product.The Korean brand also revealed plans for a plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute for the US market, which could be a possible replacement for the slow-selling Tasman.Meredith said they have their hand up for all types of powertrains in the brand’s global armoury."We're open to everything, but first and foremost we've got to make what we've got a success."

Denza, BYD's premium sub-brand, has brought its plush B5 PHEV to Australia. The top-spec B5 Leopard is a luxury body-on-frame 4WD wagon with five seats, 16 drive modes, a low-range gear-set on the rear axle, and front and rear diff locks. It has a packed standard features list, a premium-style interior, about 100km of electric-only driving range, and real off-road adventure potential.

China is coming for some of the world’s best off-roaders.GAC, which just launched in Australia, has whipped the covers off its new Yue 7 four-wheel drive.The 4WD was previously teased with the codenamed T75 prototype.It is a plug-in hybrid, which puts it on a collision course with new arrivals such as BYD’s Denza B5, as well as conventional diesel-powered favourites such as the Toyota Prado.Its styling resembles several well known 4WDs, with shades of Land Rover’s Defender, the new Toyota Prado and some newer Chinese options just as the Chery iCaur V27 and Jetour T2.It has a blocky, masculine style with chunky all-terrain tyres, a tailgate-mounted spare tyre as well as roof racks and other off-road accessories.Pixel-like headlights give off strong Hyundai Santa Fe vibes and flared wheel arches add to its muscular appearance.It also shows roof-mounted lidar hardware, which points to advanced safety and self driving features.Only the exterior was showcased at the show, with full details to be revealed closer to its third quarter launch.It is expected to use the same plug-in hybrid set-up as the E8 people mover, which combines a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor to make 274kW and 630Nm. This is matched to a circa-25kWh battery that can deliver an electric driving range of about 100km.It is believed this 4WD will spawn a ute, which would come to Australia.The ute is due in 2027 and the company’s local CEO Kevin Shu previously said it was likely we’d learn more about it at the Beijing show.

A cut-price 'badass' new four-wheel drive is drawing near.Nissan has confirmed its new Xterra 4WD, which Nissan America boss Christian Meunier labelled “badass” on social media.Word is the Japanese brand is targeting a sub-$40,000 price tag in the US, or circa-$56,000 in Aussie dollars.Nissan has promised the Xterra will be a no-nonsense 4WD, which will be underpinned by a ladder frame to boost off-road performance.“The Xterra represents the DNA of Nissan: affordable, durable and high quality,” Meunier told Automotive News.“We don’t want to over-engineer it and make it overly complicated or expensive.“We’re going to give our Nissan customers everything they need, nothing they don’t,” he said.It’ll likely use V6 petrol or V6 hybrid power. This will be different from the brand’s 'e-Power' hybrid technology found in the Qashqai and X-Trail SUVs, which use the engine purely as a generator to charge the battery while electric motors drive the wheels.Bad news is it will be built in the US for the North American market, at least for now.It is based on the US-market Frontier ute, which is different from our Navara and the coming China-sourced Frontier Pro dual-cabs.But that’s not the end of the story. CarsGuide understands the Chinese-market Frontier Pro will feed a similar 4WD SUV for Asia-Pacific markets.This means Australia should still get a chunky off-roader to challenge the Toyota Prado and incoming Mitsubishi Pajero.It would pack plug-in hybrid punch, with a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine and an electric motor combo producing 300kW and 800Nm.This would put it on a collision course with BYD’s new Denza B5 4WD.

Last week Hyundai revealed a boxy, new SUV concept that gives us a glimpse of what to expect from its next dual-cab ute.Multiple digital artists have now taken the Hyundai Boulder concept and given it the ute treatment, giving us a better look at what this ute might look like.Imagery from Russian outlet Kolesa shows this new Hyundai ute will have the bold and upright front-end treatment of the Boulder SUV concept, but have other design elements that are reminiscent of the Kia Tasman dual-cab ute.Alternatively, imagery from Brazilian digital artist KDesign AG show this ute being a slightly upsized version of the Tasman and more of a rival to US mid-size pickups like the Chevrolet Colorado, Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier.Hyundai has confirmed that it plans to launch a mid-size pick-up in the US in 2030. It will also be built in the US which indicates it’s focused at North America and makes an Australian launch unclear in the short term.While the Boulder-based ute is confirmed to be built on a ladder-frame architecture, it’s unclear whether it will be related to the South Korean-built Kia Tasman, which also has a ladder-frame chassis.A range-extender (REEV) hybrid powertrain has been floated by overseas reports.At this stage it’s unclear how much of the Boulder SUV concept’s other design features will carry over to the production ute version. It has 37-inch mud-terrain tyres and a roof-mounted light bar.Previous patent imagery has shown the Boulder-based ute could feature detachable doors, much like the Jeep Gladiator.It’s understood a different Hyundai ute is set to launch in Australia before 2030. Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano told CarsGuide late last year the brand would have a ute ready by the end of 2028."My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I'm not leaving until it's coming,” Romano said in November 2025.“If they produce what we're talking about at this stage and what we're working on, it's gonna be mind blowing, it's gonna be great. And I really mean that, I'm not just blowing smoke.”

Subaru has revealed a new version of the off-road-ready Forester Wilderness over in the US.The Subaru Forester Wilderness Hybrid is the first time a Wilderness model has been equipped with a hybrid powertrain. To date they’ve only been offered with purely petrol power.Using the same hybrid powertrain as the regular Forester Hybrid, it marries together a 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine running the Atkinson/Miller cycle with electric motors to produce a total system output of 145kW.Subaru claims this powertrain provides up to 25 per cent better fuel economy than the regular Forester Wilderness, which is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine producing 134kW in US-spec guise.Although it has a different powertrain, the Forester Wilderness Hybrid retains all the upgrades the regular model receives.These include upgraded suspension giving an increased ground clearance of 246mm, as well as improved approach, breakover and departure angles.Additionally there are raised, ladder-type roof rails with a static load rating of 360kg, as well as 17-inch matte black wheels wrapped in Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tyres.Other standard equipment includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 11.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, grey synthetic leather upholstery, as well as all-weather floor mats and a boot mat.At this stage the Forester Wilderness Hybrid is set to launch in North America in late 2026. It’s unclear if it will be offered in other markets at this stage."The latest Subaru global unveilings are exciting, and while they’ve generated plenty of interest, we’re unable to comment on future product," said a Subaru Australia spokesperson.Subaru only recently introduced the Wilderness moniker in Australia with the larger, new-generation Outback.Unlike the regular Australian-specification model, it receives a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine which is more powerful than the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine.Like all Wilderness models it picks up unique looks and off-road upgrades, however, the Australian-specification model retains highway tyres, not all-terrain tyres like the US-spec model receives.