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An Indian-built Toyota LandCruiser FJ would include a plan to introduce petrol-hybrid powertrains, potentially opening the door to an Australian launch for the cut-price off-road hero, according to new reports.A new Toyota production facility in India’s Maharashtra region is expected to come online in 2029 – some three years after production of the petrol-powered FJ will commence elsewhere – with the delayed start expected to pave the way for new petrol-electric powertrains.That’s the word from Rush Lane, which reports that the FJ is slated for production at the new facility, both for domestic sale and for export markets. Thailand, where most of Australia’s utes are manufactured, is the other major production hub.Australia is unlikely to source cars from India, but the publication’s local sources suggest petrol and hybrid variants will be produced. Once those powertrains are developed, they would likely be produced at all production facilities.It’s the hybrid that would be of most interest to Australia, with Toyota here so far ruling out the FJ almost exclusively because of its basic petrol engine that wouldn’t meet tightening regulations. Without it, the brand says the FJ would be “very appealing”.“The LandCruiser name in Australia would be very appealing, but the hardcore reality we are facing in our country… variable regulations, new criterias, new vehicle efficiency standards,” the brand's then VP of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley has previously told us.“We have to look very carefully at our product portfolio. What do we think we’re going to need? What are we going to sell in numbers? What do customers want and need?“Customers need that bigger LandCruiser. Customers need that LandCruiser ute. Customers need that HiLux. So we’ve got to be very carefully planned on our product portfolio moving forward.“It’s not about NVES, it’s just about regulations.“We’re moving to Euro 6 emissions standards. That’s the reality,” he said.A petrol-hybrid powertrain by the end of the decade might well put the FJ back on Australia’s hit list, where – according to recent price expectations in Japan – it would undercut everything from the Denza B5 to the GWM Tank 300.In Japan, the FJ will reportedly start at around $4.5m yen, which converts to just under $40,000. 

There’s no denying that utes are very popular as platforms for adventure touring and off-roading.However, spend any time on our nation’s road and you see just as many, if not more, vans being used as the conveyance of choice for weekend wanderers, big road trippers, and the like – afterall, #vanlife is not a hashtag for nothing.So, does a van have greater potential than a ute as an adventure vehicle?Read on.A van, even an all-wheel drive van, is not as well set-up for off-roading as a 4WD ute, no matter how impressive the marketing for the van is or how often they mention “adventure” in the advertising.But, if hard-core off-roading is not part of your plan, a van has plenty to offer.In terms of engine and transmission, power and torque outputs, driver-assist technology and day-to-day useability, vans and utes are fairly even.But it’s in the areas of 4WD set-up, ground clearance, off-road angles and load-space where the major difference lies between utes and vans.A 4WD ute, by rights, is the better off-roader and should always have better off-road driver-assist tech, ground clearance, off-road angles, and wheel travel than a van.Again, if difficult off-roading is not part of your plan, then these issues (above) don’t matter – and, besides, a van is better set up for use as a live-in adventure platform largely because of its load space.A ute’s tub/tray, as standard, is not closed in so the extent of your packing is not limited by your vehicle’s roof-line – as it is in a van – because a ute’s tub/tray doesn’t have a roof. You can load beyond the top edge of a ute’s tub, and tall or awkwardly shaped loads aren’t a problem.However, unless a ute has a lockable cover on its tub/tray, security from thieves and protection from the elements remain a serious issue. Thankfully, numerous examples of OEM or aftermarket tub coverings are available (hard or soft tonneau covers, roller shutters, aluminium lids etc) for utes.Or you can buy an aftermarket canopy to be fixed to your ute tub, and some of those options are lockable. The problem is a canopy is not an engineered-at-vehicle-origin solution, so while it offers much better security, water- and dust-proofing than having no cover at all, it’s no match for a van’s factory built-in load space. Vans have plenty of positives for adventure in their favour, even as standard.Take, for instance, the Ford Transit Custom Trail, which has been designed for use as an adventure vehicle. The Trail can be optioned as a two-seater with hard-wearing plastic everywhere – ready for the messiness of work and life – as well as charge points (USB-A and -C) and storage (including a van-favourite dash-top slot for logbooks etc, outboard moulded cupholders and a nifty pop-out cupholder).The load space includes access via a barn door at the rear and the Trail can be optioned up to have a sliding door on both sides.The cargo area is substantial – 3002mm long (to the bulkhead; 3450mm long if load-through hatch is used), 1392mm wide (between wheel arches) and 1425mm high (floor to roof). Easily big enough for work equipment or recreational gear. It can cope with four Euro pallets (1200mm x 800mm each) and it has a listed maximum load volume (with the bulkhead) of 6.8 cubic metres.Load height through the rear barn doors is 531-585mm, depending on how much weight (driver, passenger etc) is already onboard.The load space has a metal bulkhead (with window and load-through hatch), load area protection kit (full height walls and moulded floor), LED lights and eight tie-down loops.Payloads in vans can range upwards of 1000kg, while payloads in utes (e.g. a single-cab) can be upwards of about 1000kg. (US pick-ups can manage more – with listed payloads of 1759kg and up – but in this yarn mainstream utes are the focus.)But a van’s rear load space could be considered a distinct advantage – or at least a major point of difference – over a ute.A van can be big, for example the cargo space in a 2021 long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 is 3061mm long, 1709mm wide, and 1391mm high; with 1265mm between the rear wheel-arches, so a 1165mm standard Australian pallet will easily slot in. Official cargo volume in the Vito is 6.6 square metres.Vans are built to carry loads and as such there is plenty of space in the rear, and amenities back there include tie-down points (with which to secure your load), lighting systems (halogen or LED), wood panelling on the interior walls and rear door, rubber or vinyl matting, or other grippy protective surface on the floor of the cargo area, and even power points.The load spaces in vans are ripe for customisation to house bedding, and extra storage for an adventurous person or couple.And the rear load space may provide open access to the driver and front passengers(s), or it may be separated from the cabin of the van by a bulkhead with a built-in cargo barrier.Access to that fully secure load space may be via sliding doors on either side of the van or by using the rear door, which might be 180°-opening rear twin barn doors (with window), or a single lift-up tailgate, and either of those can be fully locked open so a forklift can be used to place a heavier load in the cargo area.So while there’s no problem with permitted access, the load space is fully lockable, so theoretically secure, and the contents may be concealed.The cabins of utes and vans are similar in that they can be set up as mobile offices, with an immediate ease of use and comfort as priorities: think cloth seats, durable plastic surfaces and storage spaces aplenty including a lockable glovebox, dash-top slots (for log books, general paperwork etc) as well as door pockets and bottle-holder, a cup-holder at each end of the dash, and a centre console bin.With fuel prices so high, is a van more appealing than a ute in terms of how much fuel it will use?As a sweeping generalisation, vans are regarded as offering better fuel economy than utes, especially around town (with approximate average fuel use of 6.5–9.5L/100km), but utes are more aerodynamic than vans, so may produce better fuel-use figures in combined travel, for example, highway, bush tracks etc (with approximate average fuel use of 8.5–11.0L/100km (diesel); or 10L/100km, petrol).Vans may be lighter than utes, especially sans load, but weight and aerodynamics will change dramatically when either vehicle has undergone the fitment of aftermarket equipment (say, a bullbar, roof rack, storage pod etc) and/or a fit-out for camping and touring.Rather than DIYing your own home-away-from-home, an option well worth considering is going for a pre-built camper and using off-the shelf outfitters. The chances are – unless you’re very handy on the tools – building a rig yourself will take up a lot of your time, will likely incur additional expenses and is far less convenient for you than a built-to-order van.Sydney-based Aussie company Trakka is a fine example of a business whose sole focus is to produce top-quality purpose-built adventure-travel vehicles. Trakka is a family-owned and -run boutique business established in Sydney in 1973, and specialises in the Australian design and conversion of motorhomes, campervans and special-purpose vehicles.Its wide range of products includes the latest-generation Akuna range with the MY25 spec.The Akuna is based on the Volkswagen Crafter mid-wheelbase van, and is equipped with advanced safety and comfort features, updated multimedia system, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine (130kW/410Nm), and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is available with VW 4Motion all wheel drive or front wheel drive.Akuna highlights include 5120Wh (10,000Wh and 15,000Wh options) total energy storage, AC 4000W / DC 840W total output power, an 800w solar roof set-up, high-tech fibreglass reinforced thermoplastic composite material, vinyl rubber-backed floor covering, maximum storage overhead lockers, 170L fridge/freezer, integrated 140L fresh- and 80L grey-water tanks built across the vehicle for more even weight distribution, a 15L hot water tank, and switch-operated electronic grey-water dump valve.The Akuna, as standard, is 6840mm long, 2720mm high and 2050mm wide and has 200mm of ground clearance.GVM is 4000kg and towing capacity is 3000kg.So, that’s a home away from home on wheels and ready for action.Is it time to re-think your ute purchase? Is a van or ute best for adventure? Ultimately, it comes down to which one best suits your lifestyle, but increasingly a van makes the stronger case of the two as an all-purpose adventure and touring vehicle.

Sure, the Chinese automotive industry is a global giant right now, but it hasn’t been that way for all that long. While Toyota has been pumping out passenger cars since the 1930s – and Mercedes-Benz for even longer still – China’s factories only really fired up in the 1980s, and only then in tiny numbers.Before that, the country produced mostly commercial vehicles. But in the late 1980s, the Chinese government decided to pump up the country’s automotive manufacturing capabilities. The only problem was, it didn’t really know how to. And so it made what would be a game-changing decision.While the county had largely locked out international companies, a decision was made to allow Chinese marques to partner with global brands in joint ventures, giving the local brands a chance to learn at the hands of the global giants, and giving said giants the chance to tap into one of the world’s biggest markets, which was undergoing a middle-class boom.The biggest change arrived with the 1994 Automobile Industry Policy, which was designed to  attract global OEMs to China, though with ownership of new companies restricted to no more than 50 per cent.GM, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Nissan, VW, Toyota and more all jumped at the chance to tap into the Chinese market, and things happened fast. By 2009, China had gone from being an automotive minnow to the single biggest manufacturer of vehicles anywhere in the world.Now, hindsight is 20:20 and all that, but it wasn’t hard to see where all this was going. The Chinese brands soon had the know-how, and suddenly the international brands weren’t all that necessary. Several have since shuttered.At the same time, a shift in taste was occurring in China’s domestic market. On my first trip there, back in around 2013, everybody wanted a foreign badge. On my last trip, about three weeks ago, almost every car on the road was Chinese.Why am I telling you all this? Because it feels a little bit like history is repeating, only in reverse.Now China holds the cards when it comes to building high-quality, low-cost EVs and PHEVs, and legacy brands are only too happy to learn from them.Nissan had bet a sizeable chunk of its future on its partnership with Dongfeng, and specifically the plug-in hybrid Frontier Pro ute and its SUV sibling. The Chairman of the Nissan China Management Committee and President of Dongfeng (Nissan’s primary partner in China) Ma Zhixin recently explained how the brand would lean more into its Chinese manufacturing connections in a new push to be more globally competitive, in an interview with Chinese media.“My return to the Chinese market is to do my best to get Nissan’s business back on track, and bring China’s excellent products and technologies to the world”, said Zhixin.So too says Nissan’s new global boss, Ivan Espinosa, who recently told the media that “China will play a very important role in Nissan Global’s future.”Mazda recently dialled back its own EV ambitions, pushing the launch of its first in-house EV back to 2029. Instead, it has partnered with Chinese brand Changan Automobiles on the Mazda 6e and CX-6e SUV, both of which will soon launch in Australia with Mazda badging.Honda has started importing EVs made in China through Dongfeng Motor back into Japan (something previously largely unheard of). The Hyundai Elexio is made by Beijing Hyundai, a partnership with BAIC. The Kia EV5 is made in China through a partnership with the Jiangsu Yueda Group.It's almost as though China has cracked the cut-price manufacturing code, and the legacy brands want to learn how it's done, all while planning their own in-house models further down the track. Which all sounds a bit familiar.What they do with that skill set remains to be seen, but history does have a funny way of repeating sometimes.

Is Toyota becoming the new Holden? And I don’t mean in a good way.The Japanese brand has dominated the Australian market for more than a decade. In 2025 almost one in every five new vehicles sold was a Toyota.So surely the brand can’t be in trouble, right? Surely Toyota is too big to fail? Well, it’s only early but there are some warning signs that the brand won’t find the going quite as easy as it has in recent years.Sales are down more than 20 per cent in the first four months of 2026. Toyota has lost almost five per cent of its market share, down to 15.9 per cent from over 20 per cent at the end of last year.Make no mistake, Toyota is still in a very strong position, comfortably ahead of its nearest rival on the sales charts, but that doesn’t mean there should be any complacency from the brand. As the people that used to work for Holden will no doubt tell you, there are no guarantees in this business and fortunes can suddenly change for even the biggest brand.Holden failed for many reasons, but key amongst them was an over-reliance on the strength of the ‘badge’ and a lack of investment into key products and segments. Management at Holden and General Motors felt they could rely on the popularity of the Commodore and supplement with re-badged Daewoo models, such as the Captiva, Epica, Viva and Barina. Holden seemingly felt that it could offer these sub-par products and Australian customers would accept them because of the Lion badge on the front. That worked, for a time, with Holden sales remaining strong and some of those mentioned models selling in big numbers.But eventually word spread that these were not good quality products, on par with what people felt Holden had offered in the past. And so Holden customers or would-be customers went looking for alternatives.In many cases that alternative was likely a Toyota, be it a HiLux, RAV4, Prado, Camry or any of the other popular models the brand has.I’m not suggesting that Toyota’s current line-up is on the same level as the rebadged Daewoo models Holden sold, but there has been a trend to recent Toyotas and that’s ‘facelifted’ or ‘updated’ models, rather than all-new vehicles.The prime example of this is the new RAV4, which is an update of the previous model, but has a less powerful hybrid engine, which now requires more expensive premium unleaded petrol for only marginal fuel economy improvements.The same goes for the HiLux, the beloved ute skipped the newer TNGA-F underpinnings used by the Prado and Tundra and instead still sits atop the same basic architecture that dates back to the mid-2000s.In some respects it’s easy to understand why Toyota is taking this ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach. Both the RAV4 and HiLux are amongst the most popular cars in the country, so why radically change them? Especially when Toyota needs to invest billions into new technology under its ‘multi-pathway’ strategy for future models.But when you look at the latest sales data, there is a distinct possibility Toyota is losing ground to rival brands because it isn’t making new cars that are as compelling as before.Sales of some of Toyota’s key models are down significantly so far this year. The Corolla is down 17.7%, the Yaris Cross has slumped 29%, Prado sales have plummeted by more than 40%, the Kluger is down 20.1%, plus the RAV4 is down 57% (albeit during the handover to the new model), and even the HiLux is down 11.1%, with a new model arriving at the end of 2025 with a limited line-up that has now expanded. Even the seemingly permanent sales success of the 70 Series LandCruiser has taken a dive, down 52.7 per cent in 2026, following a 13.6 per cent decline last year.Holden invested heavily in the VE/VF Commodores and it still wasn’t enough to keep the buyers coming back. If Toyota isn’t careful, its strategy of evolutionary improvement may end up costing it dearly.Looking further at the sales data there are several notable brands on the rise. BYD has more than doubled its market share in the first fourth months of 2026 compared to 2025. Chery has almost doubled its share over the same period and GWM has improved as well.In short, the talk from some of these new Chinese brands that they want to take on Toyota is starting to look less and less like bravado and more reasonable. At the same time Toyota sales are in decline, BYD sales are up 110.8 per cent, led by the popularity of its all-electric Sealion 7 SUV and backed up by the on-going sales strength of the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute as well as an expanding line-up of hybrid and electric vehicles at highly-competitive prices.As we have written before, the Chinese brands have taken a page from the Japanese and South Korean brands that came before and are offering some of the most-affordable new cars on the market to lure buyers into the brand, potentially creating return customers in the future.It is clear that the likes of BYD, GWM and Chery have Toyota in their sights and are doing what they can to close the gap. Much in the same way Toyota targeted Holden and eventually ended its reign.Toyota is certainly in no danger of collapsing like Holden did, and it has the tools it needs to reverse its sales skid, but it must act. Relying on past success for future success is no plan and some bigger risks might be required to stay ahead of the pack.

GWM is readying a second full-sized ute, and its first that would directly challenge the big US pick-up trucks internationally, as defined by the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra, with V8 hybrid power and economy.While North America is the obvious prime target for this as-yet unnamed model, Australia is also part of the mix, with the Chinese brand hoping to offer a high-specification dual-cab ute, perhaps for well-under $100,000, within the next two years or so.And we’re talking about a factory-built right-hand-drive (RHD) proposition here, not the costly remanufactured program that has lately priced the US utes out of reach for many Australian consumers.The top big GWM ute is expected to offer a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that can reportedly deliver around 735kW of power and over 1200Nm of torque in its highest tune.And even the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 PHEV alternative puts larger-engined rivals to shame, with an impressive 385kW and about 800Nm mooted.Plus, the ace up the sleeve is the high-economy/low-emissions benefits of hybrid electrification, differentiating this from the other full-sized pick-up competition.According to GWM Australia Public Relations Manager, Justin Stefani, the company had intended to break into the North American market with the big ute by about now, until the 2024 US election and the current administration’s war on imports via the implementation of severe tariffs put the whole project on pause for the time being.“Last year, we were told that the V8 was highly aligned to a future larger pickup truck for our introduction to the US market,” he revealed to the Australian media at last month’s China Auto Show in Beijing.“That was actually parked due to the fact that Trump came in. That was very clear that they were unsure what was going on with tariffs.”Whether the new GWM ute flagship would have any connection with the brand’s first full-sized pick-up, the King Kong Cannon, is unclear, as this is mainly a China-only model, down to its 2.0-litre turbo/manual-only powertrains.However, as the latter was only launched in 2021 and remains in production, there could be quite a lot of similarities and/or carryover parts, especially given how similar their size and dimensions would end up being.Whatever the case may be, the new full-sized pick-up would be substantially bigger than the existing P500 Cannon Alpha, which – as the larger of the two utes GWM is currently selling in Australia that also includes the P300 Cannon – already has a broader footprint and body than the Ford Ranger and most other medium-sized competition.To help amortise the vast costs behind bringing the international full-sized pick-up to fruition, it is part of an ongoing project using an all-new separate-chassis architecture that may also underpin the imminent Tank 800 three-row 4WD wagon.With the US market still up in the air, Australia’s role in supporting the big Chinese pick-up’s road to production is more important than before.“If that is on table, we would definitely look at potentially an F-150 sized ute,” Stefani said.“In terms of (GWM) going into the US...that was parked. So, that’s not to say we're not going to ever go to the US market, it's just (we're) trying to get some clarity as to what's going on with tariffs. Once that settles down they will understand (how to proceed).”Whether the full-sized ute’s dimensions and braked towing capacity exceed those of the big American alternatives, which are roughly around 5.5 metres in length and 4.5 tonnes in capability, are yet to be revealed.It appears GWM sees a gap in the Australian market, particularly in rural areas, as the original and highly-successful “Eats Utes for Breakfast” Ram 1500 from late last decade was forced to vacate its circa-$80,000 to $90,000 price point after the original DS series gave way to the more-advanced but far-more expensive DT series some three years ago.Since then, the least-expensive DT 1500 starts from $109,950 (all prices are before on-road costs) for the newly-announced Express Edition.Then it’s a step up to the $114,950 F-150 XLT SWB, and then a big jump to the $134,500 Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium and MY26 Tundra Limited Hybrid from $155,990.

GWM is set to replace the controversially designed H7 hybrid mid-sized SUV sooner than expected with a variation of a Chinese-market alternative.Offering completely different styling, three-row seating availability and a tech-heavy plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) system, it is expected to launch in Australia later this year as the 2027 H7.It is based on the Menglong – which translates to Raptor in China – that launched back in 2023 in China, rather than the second-gen Big Dog of the same vintage that Australia knows as the existing H7. The 2027 H7 has been recently facelifted with a new nose treatment as well as the addition of a long-wheelbase version known as the Plus.Whether that suffix transfers over is yet to be confirmed. The Menglong/H7 is also known as the V7 in some other markets.According to a GWM spokesperson speaking to Australian journalists at the China Auto Show in Beijing, we should expect to see both the five-seat and seven-seat models in time.“We will probably see the long-wheelbase model as well as the short-wheelbase version of the (Menglong),” he said.In China, the Menglong/H7 Plus features GWM’s latest Hi4 PHEV powertrain, with a four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, two electric motors for all-wheel drive and a large battery pack underneath offering decent EV-only range of at least 140km.This would make it a direct rival to other seven-seater SUVs, like the BYD Sealion 8 PHEV, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Kia Sorento PHEV and Chery Tiggo 8 PHEV, suggesting a starting price north of $60,000.In contrast, the Big Dog-based H7 as sold in Australia right now is a smaller five-seater SUV with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol hybrid system driving the front wheels only, despite its chunky styling suggesting 4x4 capability. It's offered as a single grade only, that currently starts from $46,990 drive-away.Like the latter, the Menglong/H7 Plus is a monocoque-bodied SUV (related to the H6) with a transverse engine layout, meaning it will probably be a largely on-road-only proposition, though with some off-road clearances and additional technology for light 4x4 duties in line with its boxy, rugged styling.This makes sense for GWM, since the visually similar Tank 300 and its larger 500 cousin are proper 4WD SUVs with tough body-on-frame construction, meaning they appeal to a different type of consumer compared to the more urbane H7 Plus.The availability of a seven-seater PHEV model also opens the Haval up to a broader audience, so it should prove more popular than the existing model.With just 369 sales in the first four months of this year in Australia, the current H7 trails the H6’s 5000-plus result by a considerable margin.

Honda has made a transformative global u-turn ditching its electric-car strategy to gamble on hybrids and it could have huge implications in Australia. The brand said it will reallocate resources towards a new hybrid strategy beginning in 2027. It will see 15 new hybrid models launched globally by 2030, with the North American market a priority. This does not necessarily mean other, smaller markets such as Australia will be ruled out from receiving these models down the track.This hybrid push could be timely for Honda Down Under as the brand grapples with New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) fines. The brand has already introduced several new hybrid models to combat NVES, including beefed up and more affordable hybrid lineups for the CR-V and ZR-V SUVs. EVs are still an area of interest for Honda, with the Super One city car launching soon.Honda will abandon the majority of ‘0 series’ EV plans globally, which were expected to get underway this year as part of its hybrid switch-up. While plans for the 0 Series mid-size SUV and Saloon EV concepts have been torn up, the local branch has not dismissed the remaining Alpha small SUV scheduled for launch next year.Honda has unveiled two concept models that will form the basis for its revamped hybrid strategy. A sedan and Acura SUV prototype. These cars will sit on an all-new platform and feature an electric all-wheel drive set-up. The brand hopes these models will cost 30 per cent less than the current generation of Honda hybrids. It is also aiming to improve fuel economy by more than 10 per cent.This substantial shift for Honda will require the Japanese giant to reconfigure its existing infrastructure to develop parts for the new hybrid vehicles. Its joint venture partnership with leading electronics manufacturer LG will now shift focus from EV battery production to hybrid battery production. Honda also said it will lean further into cost competitiveness opportunities from Chinese manufacturing - something many brands have embraced in an increasingly competitive market.

Nissan may have finally bounced off rock bottom as the embattled Japanese giant executes its turn-around plans and posts promising results off the back of new model launches.Its grand turn-around plan, dubbed Re:Nissan has seen the company need to take drastic measures to reverse a financial slide into oblivion, including shuttering some of its factories, and turning more than ever to its Chinese joint-venture with Dongfeng for new model launches.It is not just the exciting new Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute and successful N7 sedan from China that have shown promising results for the brand. It also posted smaller declines in the last quarter of its financial year both in Japan and North America.Europe and the rest of the world didn’t perform as well for the brand, but make up a smaller portion of its overall sales. The brand also noted that US tariffs had a huge impact on its bottom line for the financial year.The company is predicting a return to an operating profit off the back of new and refreshed model line-ups across all the markets it plays in, predicting a 20 billion yen (a little over 175 million AUD) net income off the back of a brutal A$4.7 billion dollar loss to the end of this Japanese Financial Year, described as “extraordinary non-recurring losses” related to the brand’s realignment according to the company’s CFO George Leondis.CEO Ivan Espinosa said the company was tracking ahead of its goals for the end of the year, as it enters the “final year of Re:Nissan”.The brand is banking on higher demand for its range of incoming new-generation offerings, which in the financial year 2026 will include the NX8, N7, and Frontier Pro as export models from China, new models also from China based on the Terrano PHEV off-road concept and Urban PHEV concept small SUV (many of which are likely for an Australian arrival).Outside of that, the brand will also launch the new Tekton in India, Infiniti QX65 in the US, Elgrand people mover in Japan, as well as the Rogue e-Power in the US and Kicks in Japan.The confirmation of the Kicks launching in Japan opens the door to the previously overseas-only model launching in Australia thanks to its availability in right-hand drive. It could potentially serve as a replacement for the recently-discontinued (and relatively unpopular) Nissan Juke as the brand’s new entry-level SUV.Meanwhile the new-generation Leaf, which has undergone a radical transformation to a crossover SUV instead of a hatchback, has been delayed indefinitely for an Australian arrival, with the brand earmarking competitiveness issues in the small EV space and a focus on mass-market e-Power hybrids going forward. It leaves the mid-sized Ariya as the brand’s sole fully electric offering in Australia.Other new products to look out for from Nissan for the our market include the next-generation X-Trail, due in 2027, which will ride on an updated platform, feature a wider track width and new suspension, as well as feature the latest and more efficient version of the brand’s e-Power plugless hybrid tech.Nissan continues to take a battering in the Australian market, with the brand down 32.2 per cent year-on-year. It has seemingly permanently dropped out of the top-10 in Australia, making way for new entrants like BYD and GWM.By the end of April 2026, Chery was also now in the top-10, ranking eighth, leaving just Mazda (6th), Isuzu (10th), and Toyota (1st) the only remaining Japanese players in the list.

The people mover segment in Australia is about to be shaken up again, with the XPeng X9 approved for sale in Australia.The X9 has been on the cards for sometime Down Under, but this latest news confirms it is not far away. A spokesperson for XPeng Australia said the brand is still working through logistics and timings, but will share updated information as soon as it's accurate.In addition to the hugely popular Kia Carnival, the electric-only X9 will take on Zeekr’s 009 and the Denza D9, along with the Hyundai Staria, which could also be getting an all-electric set-up. It will arrive in two-wheel and all-wheel drive variants, but only with full electric power, meaning the range-extender version available in China will not launch in Australia.The car comes with a single front-mounted electric motor, producing 255kW, or a dual electric motor set-up, which adds a rear motor to produce a combined 395kW. This is slightly more power than the models currently on sale in China. It measures 5316mm long, 1988mm wide, 1885mm tall and has a wheelbase of 3160mm, making it longer and taller than the Carnival. The car comes with 20-inch wheels, but other specification details remain scarce at this stage.It is expected to have a battery holding around 100kWh, with an electric driving range of more than 700km, according to more generous CLTC standards. Official pricing details have not been revealed yet. It starts in China from ¥360,000 (~$70,000) but expect this figure to be higher in Australia.Using before on-road costs pricing, the Denza D9 starts from $85,990, while the premium-pitched Zeekr 009 is more expensive at $115,900.This will be the XPeng’s first model put on sale following its separation from, and ongoing legal proceedings against, distributor TrueEV, which has scheduled court dates for October.The brand is also planning to bring across an updated version of its G6 mid-size SUV as well as the GX luxury large SUV.

If technical approvals issued by the Federal Government are any indication BYD is about to make two additions to its local line-up in the shape of the M9 luxury hybrid people mover and V9 large pure-electric commercial van.Badged BYD Xia in its Chinese domestic market, the seven-seat M9 is essentially a dressed-down version of the pure-electric Denza D9 people mover.It's set to be introduced in two grades here both using the same ‘DM-i’ Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV) powertrain combining electric propulsion with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine operating as a battery generator only. Drive goes to the front wheels only via single-speed auto transmission.A substantial machine, measuring more than 5.1m long, close to 2.0m wide and more than 1.8m tall with a 3045mm wheelbase, its arrival will surely rattle the cage of premium electrified rivals like the GAC M8, Zeekr 009, XPeng X9 and Lexus LM, not to mention its recently released Denza D9 corporate cousin.The base M9 features a 20.4kWh LFP battery and 191kW version of the generator engine for a 100km electric-only range according to the more lenient CLTC protocol. While the top-spec version ups battery capacity to 36.6kWh and engine power to 218kW with a CLTC EV range of 218km. Official fuel consumption for the flagship is 4.9-5.0L/100km and claimed combined (petrol-electric) range is 1163km.  With the M9 priced between ¥206,800 (A$42,300) and ¥269,800 (A$55,200), standard features in China include 128-colour ambient lighting, a fragrance system, up to 28-speaker audio, a 15.6-inch central multimedia display, 12.3-inch instrument screen and a 26-inch head-up display with a 12.3-inch passenger entertainment screen optional.The seat arrangement is ‘2+2+3’ with the front power seats heated and ventilated with a massage function. Second-row captain’s chairs feature extending leg support, folding tables, ventilation and integrated audio while the reclining third row can be folded electrically and the boot measures a useful 470 litres with all seats up. Meanwhile, the BYD V9 van (badged E-Vali in other export markets) is powered by a 150kW/550Nm electric motor, measures a fraction under 7.0m long and close to 2.8m tall with a 4550mm wheelbase for a cargo volume of up to 17.9 cubic metres. So, big EV rivals like the Farizon SV, Ford Transit BEV, LDV eDeliver 9, VW e-Transporter and even the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter will be in its sights.A gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4250kg and a tare weight of 2920kg translate to a total load capacity of 1330kg and braked trailer towing capacity is a useful 1.5 tonnes.The battery is likely a 126kWh LFP unit with the van boasting a maximum 188kW charge capacity.BYD Australia has been contacted for comment on the M9 and V9’s potential launch timing, price and local specification.