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Chery’s in the middle of a rapid expansion and has no plans to slow down.Chery relaunched in 2023, but the Chinese automotive group has added Omoda and Jaecoo already, has confirmed Lepas will start sales in October and confirmed both iCaur and Freelander will follow soon.What makes it more confusing to many, is the company has a very different approach to its multi-brand strategy than most rivals, with a significant amount of crossover in terms of both vehicles offered and pricing.Lucas Harris, Chery Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, explained the thinking behind the company to CarsGuide.“ So I think one of the differences in our approach to the brands is that established brands' way of thinking, because there are established brands that have multi-brand arrangements, they typically stack them on top of each other,” Harris said.“This one's volume, this one's kind of premium mainstream, this one's luxury, this one's a supercar. And they segment them and separate them really just by price.”“So our approach is less about pricing and much more about trying to create a unique brand image and a unique brand feeling. And, product is a big part of that and you can see quite a big difference in the design of our products across the brands. The idea is to try and have different brands that speak to different sub-sets of consumers.”Freelander will be the first brand to break that mould, with the Jaguar Land Rover joint-venture to be a genuine luxury brand, priced above Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo and Lepas.“It's very much a luxury car and is going to be in that luxury segment and have fit and finish, and be priced accordingly. So totally different from our existing products,” Harris confirmed.The introduction of so many brands does have one major challenge - finding enough dealerships to sell them. Omoda and Jaecoo models may be similar to Chery underneath, the different design has seen the brands operate in separate showrooms.For Lepas, Harris said he hopes to add up to 50 new dealerships by the end of the year, which is changing the way dealers physically carve up the space they have available on the showroom floor.“ Look, when we launched with Chery three and a half years ago I think the timing we were fortunate with, in that there wasn't as many new brands competing for showroom space at that time and so that was good,” Harris said.“And Chery really has been the catalyst for our other brands to come through and have good support from our dealers. So if we look at Lepas, maybe two-thirds of it are existing dealers that want the additional franchise and they like operating and dealing with us. And so they're pretty enthusiastic to put their hands up to get the extra brand.“It is also quite good timing that whilst some of those established brands are now not what they once were. They can't command the same 800 or 1000 square meter showrooms that they used to. And it's becoming increasingly expensive for dealers to do business in Australia."The cost of everything's gone up from, the cost of wages and marketing, the cost of electricity, the property and rent costs are through the roof. So it's really hard for any brand, particularly a suffering established brand, to support those kinds of facilities anymore.”Which is why he’s confident he can find so many new dealers willing to sell Lepas, Freelander and potential future brands Chery Group could add.“ I would say at least every second day I get a phone call from a dealer that I've not dealt with who would like a franchise,” Harris claimed. “And I don't know, obviously they're getting my number from other dealers who are dealing with us. But yes, there's a lot of interest in working with us and it's very flattering.”

The potential new generation of Hyundai’s popular i30 sedan is one step closer to Aussie shores. The brand has priced the new Avante sedan in its local South Korean market ahead of its Australian arrival in 2027.The current i30 sedan sold in Australia is called the Avante in South Korea, so this is likely to be the case for its new generation.It starts from 23,980,000 won (about $24,000), with prices ranging up to 31,520,000 won (roughly $32,000). There is also a high-performance Avante N variant that starts from $33,560,000 won (about $34,000). The i30 lines up as a sedan rival to the Toyota Corolla ($32,585) and Kia K4 ($32,090), both before on-road costs.The Avante is available with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 111kW, and a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, making 117kW.It is expected the car will only be offered with the hybrid set-up here to appease stringent emissions regulations. The new-generation features a bold, outgoing design, with boxy proportions and distinctive body panel creases, matching up with Hyundai’s current design language. The car has a large central touchscreen and pop-up digital driver display instead of a traditional unit embedded into the dashboard. Hyundai confirmed its in-car software has undergone major changes, including Over-The-Air (OTA) updates, and a Gleo AI voice assistant for navigation and climate control. There is no official word from Hyundai on when the new Avante will launch in Australia as the next i30 sedan, but it is expected to arrive in the first half of 2027. There is likely to be more information about its Australian future towards the end of 2026.The i30 sedan currently starts from $30,000 (before on-road costs), but its predicted hybrid-only status will push that price up. Korean pricing can provide a rough indication on where it might land in Australia. Its 23,980,000 won (about $24,000) price tag will probably receive an extra 30 to 40 per cent bump here to account for shipping, import and distribution costs.This means it could be offered from the region of $35,000-plus. 

The Jaecoo J7 just got more expensive for Australian buyers. Jaecoo has trimmed its J7 variants from five to three, with the cheapest ‘Ridge’ petrol grade now $39,990, drive-away - a $5000 jump on the previous ‘Core’. However, petrol and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power are both available from $39,990. The range-topping plug-in hybrid Summit is now the only grade available with a choice of two or all-wheel drive, starting from $47,990. The petrol and range-topping PHEV variants are available in showrooms now, with the mid-spec Track arriving in October. The J7 is the larger sibling of the smash-hit J5 small SUV.It takes on popular family SUVs like the petrol or conventional hybrid-powered Hyundai Tucson ($39,100) and petrol-powered Mazda CX-5 ($39,990), both before on-road costs. The base Ridge grade is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, making 137kW and 275Nm. The first of two PHEV set-ups uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and single electric motor to produce 205kW and 365Nm. The top-spec PHEV adds a rear electric motor, boosting total power up to 260kW and 490Nm. Both PHEV variants are equipped with an 18.4kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, with J7 capable of travelling as much as 100km on electric-only power. The J7 PHEV has a total driving range of up to 1200km when the battery is fully charged and the fuel tank is at capacity. DC charging from 30 to 80 per cent at 40kW takes 20 minutes. The J7 comes as standard with a 10.25-inch digital driver display, but other equipment depends on what grade you buy. The base and range-topping variants have a 14.8-inch central touchscreen, while the mid-spec PHEV has a 13.2-inch unit.You get synthetic leather seats in the Ridge petrol and Summit PHEV grades, with the front seats heated and ventilated. Those grades also receive an electrically operated panoramic sunroof and power tailgate as well. All grades ride on a variant of 19-inch wheels and feature Jaecoo’s waterfall grille as on all its petrol- and hybrid-powered models. 

Geely’s Starray plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV will soon be available with all-wheel drive for Aussie buyers.The increasingly popular Chinese brand has confirmed it will add a new ‘Inspire’ AWD grade to its growing line-up. Starting from $44,990, before on-road costs, it will be $3500 more expensive than the top-grade two-wheel-drive variant. This means it will undercut the smaller Toyota RAV4 AWD PHEV by nearly $20,000.The new variant provides competition for the BYD Sealion 6 AWD ($52,990) and the 2WD-only Chery Tiggo 8 PHEV ($49,990, drive-away).It will arrive in dealerships in mid-September 2026 as the brand’s third Starray EM-i variant, with increased popularity encouraging the brand to broaden offerings.It went on sale in Australia in September 2025, following on from the fully electric EX5 earlier in the year.The AWD Starray uses the same 29.8kWh battery as the 2WD top grade, capable of travelling 130km (WLTP) on electric-only power. This is marginally less than the Inspire 2WD, but Geely has given the AWD a 60L fuel tank (up from 51L), boosting total driving range to 1065km from 996km. This variant boasts the most powerful set-up in the range.It adds a rear motor to compliment a front motor and 1.5-litre petrol engine, to make a combined 220kW and 412Nm.The new set-up means the car can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds, down from 8.2 seconds.It is slightly more thirsty than its 2WD sibling, registering 1.7L/100km for fuel efficiency, as opposed to 1.6L/100km.  Geely has added a five-link rear suspension compared to the four-link unit on other variants for improved comfort and handling, according to the brand. It also has two new all-terrain-focused driving modes called ‘Snow’ and ‘Off-road’.

Audi has introduced the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of its new-generation Q5 mid-size SUV in Australia and it’s claiming it will be more popular than ever.The German carmaker is expecting the new e-hybrid PHEV versions to make up to 40 per cent of the overall Q5 sales mix.Audi claims the previous-generation Q5 PHEV initially made up 10 per cent of the sales mix, but it then grew to around 20 per cent by the end of its lifecycle.This new-generation Q5 e-hybrid has launched much earlier in the lifecycle than the previous version, which was towards the end of its run.The Audi Q5 e-hybrid is the company’s PHEV version of the mid-size SUV. It’s available in both the SUV and ‘coupe’ SUV Sportback body styles.Power comes from a familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor. Total system outputs are 270kW and 500Nm, which is unchanged from the previous-generation model.What has changed however is there’s a larger 25.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack that allows for up to 88km of WLTP-claimed electric range.AC charging has also been upped from 7.2kW to 11kW, but fully charging the battery still takes 2.5 hours due to its larger size. There are now DC fast-charging capabilities.The 2026 Audi Q5 SUV e-hybrid is priced from $96,818, before on-road costs, whereas the Q5 Sportback e-hybrid is $3500 more at $100,318 before on-road costs.This brings price parity with the recently introduced Q5 TFSI quattro 200kW variants.It follows a similar structure Audi introduced when it launched the A5 e-hybrid last year.The previous-generation Q5 PHEV was around $17,000 more expensive than the equivalent petrol-only model. It was also more expensive brand new than the current, new-generation model.As part of Audi’s electrification strategy, it plans to offer combustion (ICE), PHEV and battery electric vehicle (BEV) options in key segments it competes in.With mid-size SUVs, for example, it has the regular Q5 and Q5 Sportback, the Q5 e-hybrid, as well as the Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron, respectively.The German carmaker is still scaling this strategy but other PHEV models it currently offers are the A5 e-hybrid, Q8 TFSI e, as well as the forthcoming RS5. The smaller Q3 e-hybrid is also under evaluation for an Australian launch.In addition to the Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron, Audi offers a number of other BEV models locally, including the Q4 e-tron and e-tron GT.

It was only a matter of time before Volkswagen introduced a factory camper version of its ID. Buzz pure-electric van, and now it’s arrived in the shape of the ID. California Cruise.Offered in short- and long-wheelbase form, the adventurous newcomer is equipped with a host of lifestyle-focused extras, including:2.0m x 1.2m (by 9.0cm thick) folding mattress extending out across the rear seatsLightweight folding table and chair set housed above the mattressVentilation grillesWindow black-out coversOptional panoramic sunroof with light-proof coverNo ‘pop-top’ roof or kitchen unit at this stagePower is supplied by the same rear-mounted single electric motor as the ID. Buzz Pro and Pro+ models, sending 210kW/510Nm to the rear wheels with a 79kWh lithium-ion battery in the SWB and 86kWh pack in the LWB likely to deliver similar range figures of 422km and 452km, respectively.But the electric California Cruise’s signature campsite party trick will surely be its V2L (Vehicle to Load) functionality with up to 3.6kW output to power equipment like lighting, cooking gear or a fridge/freezer box that would typically require a petrol generator.Another special feature up the new camper’s sleeve is ‘California Mode’, which keeps the air-conditioning or heating system as well as interior lighting and USB sockets up and running for 48 hours.Volkswagen has positioned the ID. California Cruise as “an important milestone towards an entirely new generation of all-electric campervans, which will be introduced step by step through to 2028.” Pricing is confirmed in the new model’s German home market at €60,761 (~A$98,300) with deliveries scheduled to start in early 2027.For reference, the current local ID. Buzz line-up starts with the SWB Pro at $75,990, before on-road costs and tops out with the LWB-only dual-motor GTX at $106,990, BOC.  CarGuide contacted Volkswagen Australia for comment on the ID. California Cruise’s potential for local sale and a spokesperson told us, "We are continually reviewing our product portfolio for the Australian market."While we recognise the interest in the Volkswagen ID. California Cruise, we are unable to confirm local availability or timing at this stage for Australia." 

Kia has teased its electric Carnival alternative overseas. The brand has provided a glimpse at its new PV7 van ahead of an official debut on 14 September 2026 at the IAA Transportation.  The PV7 is the bigger sibling of the PV5 that launched in Australia this year. It will tackle the Ford E-Transit Custom van as well as the Hyundai Staria Electric people mover. It would shape up as a cheaper alternative to luxury Chinese competition such as the Denza D9 and Zeekr 009 in Australia. Details are scarce at this stage, with Kia only providing a preview before it receives an official unveiling next month. The PV7 is expected to be available in both cargo and passenger configurations, as Kia stated it is adaptable across commercial and lifestyle applications. The PV7 concept was nearly 5.3m long, which is a little longer than the diesel- and hybrid-powered Carnival.From the outside, it sports a rounded front look, similar to the PV5, while it also features an angular headlight design.Its rear headlights are assembled in a vertical shape, with a chrome-look rear bumper. It will be the brand’s second model to use its dedicated all-electric E-GMP.S platform, following the PV5. Kia has not confirmed what will power the PV7, but the PV5 employs a single electric motor producing 120kW and 250Nm. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks. There is no official word on the PV7 in Australia, but it seems likely Kia would be eager to add another electric people mover to its line-up. The PV7 will launch in the UK next year, so it will be built in right-hand drive, smoothing its potential launch here.Kia recently launched the smaller PV5 Down Under, with the cargo variant arriving first followed by the people mover that has just been approved for local sale.An Australian arrival for the PV7 would come after it launches globally in 2027.We can expect more concrete information around the PV7’s Australian future when it’s officially unveiled next month.

An unexpected carmaker is poised to achieve a historic first in Australia and it may happen as soon as next year.In a first for a legacy – or long-established – carmaker of volume, Skoda is set to have its best seller switch from an internal combustion engine (ICE) model to an electric vehicle (EV).This will beat out other much larger manufacturers to the punch in this country like Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai.Speaking to the Australian press at a snow/ice-driving event near Queenstown in New Zealand, Skoda Australia Brand Director, Lucie Kuhn, revealed that the Enyaq mid-sized SUV is closing in fast on the venerable Kodiaq seven-seater large SUV for the firm's number one slot.“The Kodiaq still remains our best-selling (vehicle),” she said.“But I’m quite sure Enyaq will join it on stage in this electric era, and we will most likely have two heroes… (Skoda is currently) selling 700 units together year-to-date.”Pitch-perfect timing has played a big role in the rise of the European EV, not just in Australia, but also in many other parts of the world, with Skoda essentially relaunching the Enyaq at facelift time to appeal to a wider audience than before.For Australia, that happened when the extensively upgraded Series II models arrived near the end of last year, brandishing a broader model range as well as a long list of improvements.Among these has been the addition of a more conventional SUV Wagon shape to the earlier, higher-spec-only SUV Coupe series.Along with providing a more practical and some say prettier alternative, that also included the arrival of a new entry-level grade with a smaller battery known as the 60 Select, which started from around $55,000 drive-away.Aided by the closely related Elroq EV, which is essentially an Enyaq but with a shorter rear overhang for a more-compact SUV-style appearance, the order influx that Skoda has experienced since the beginning of the Middle Eastern war in March caught it short on stock.In fact, that record could have been broken this year had production supply kept up with demand for the company’s EVs.“(Our sales in Australia) would have been more if we had a better supply of EVs during the little surprises dating from March to June, let’s say,” Kuhn revealed.“It would definitely have been better than last year overall and better than (today’s) numbers.”Kuhn added that, in the second quarter of this year when oil prices spiked to record-highs, the order banks for its two EVs ran as high as 80 per cent, though that has since settled to around 45 per cent.However, the continuing geo-political uncertainty means that demand for electric Skodas may skyrocket soon.“I think every brand that has a mixed portfolio (of ICE and EVs) faced this customer behaviour changes,” Kuhn explained.“The same of course, applies for us, particularly during the period of March to June, let's say, when our EV share boomed up to 80 percent almost, which, of course, caused empty stocks and longer waiting times for fresh production (of EVs).“Now it's stabilising across the industry, and it's stabilising also for Skoda.“So currently we are around 40 to 45 per cent.”Skoda will double the number of EVs it sells in Australia from next year.Already confirmed is the Epiq, which will be its cheapest ever EV in this country (and likely a brand best-seller contender), as well as the Peaq seven-seater SUV, earmarked by 2028. 

Volvo is reportedly working on a next-generation version of its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology and it’s understood it will be applied to a series of vehicles.While it’s virtually guaranteed that this new Volvo PHEV system will make its way into a number of SUVs, new information indicates that it may power a successor to the S60 sedan.Tentatively dubbed the S70, a heavily camouflaged prototype has been spied in China. It’s understood to be based on the Lynk & Co 10.Official details are few and far between for now, but it’s understood it could be revealed before the end of 2026 and may initially be for the Chinese market, like the XC70 SUV.Based on this, digital artist Sugar Design has whipped up some renders of this forthcoming PHEV sedan.The digital renders of the forthcoming, so-called Volvo S70 show it has some design similarities with the XC70 PHEV SUV.There’s a faux front grille, large diamond-cut alloy wheels, flush door handles, as well as an elliptical tail-light design.Another notable design point is the LiDAR mounted on the roof which indicates that the car may have some level of semi-autonomous driving capabilities.No renders of the interior have been made yet, however a spied prototype showed it will have a central roller and button cluster like the new XC70, EX60 and ES90.At this stage we’ve only seen a sedan version of this forthcoming Volvo, however Sugar Design has mocked up what a wagon counterpart would look like.Tentatively dubbed the V70, it looks virtually identical to the S70 renders, but has a longer roofline, as well as a more upright tailgate and tail-lights that look more like the XC70.It’s unclear whether Volvo actually intends to produce a wagon version of the forthcoming S70.If it does, it could be a successor to the V60 which was axed during 2025.No official details about what may power the Volvo S70 and V70 have been confirmed yet, however PHEV power is likely.Given reports have indicated that the Lynk & Co 10 may form the basis of these cars, this potentially points to what may be on offer.The Lynk & Co 10 is powered by a PHEV set-up combining a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors. Total system output is 390kW.The electric motors are fed by either an 18.4kWh or 38.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, allowing up to 100km or 192km of CLTC claimed electric range, respectively.It’s understood that the forthcoming Volvo S70 sedan could be revealed before the end of 2026.Like the Volvo XC70, it’s expected the S70 will likely be aimed primarily at the Chinese market where sedans are still popular. However, export markets may be on the cards.While the S70 seems closer to production reality, it’s unclear whether Volvo actually plans to produce a wagon counterpart. No spied prototypes have been caught yet.If Volvo does plan to launch a new electrified sedan and wagon, the pair would form as successors to the S60 and V60.

Plug-in hybrids aren’t the future - they’re the present.That’s the view of one car company leader, which is backed up by new car sales data from the first half of the year. Audi Australia Director Jeff Mannering believes the time is right for plug-in hybrids (PHEV) to take over from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. It has started already, with Mannering pointing to the latest A5 Avant, with the PHEV accounting for 85 per cent of all sales of the wagon.“ So the consumers answered your question,” Mannering told CarsGuide. “They're actually moving to that car because it’s a better customer outcome.” Industry-wide, PHEV sales are up 118 per cent in the first half of 2026 with more than 64,000 sold.Unsurprisingly, and despite Audi’s positivity, it is the Chinese brands leading the way.BYD, Chery, GWM and Geely lead the way in terms of PHEV volume sold. BYD has the three best-selling PHEV models - the Shark 6 ute followed by the Sealion 8 and Sealion 6 SUVs. Mannering is also seeing a change at the top end of the market. Audi Australia has also achieved price parity between its latest Q5 ICE and PHEV models, showing the closing gap between the two technologies.Mannering admitted the petrol-engined Q5 is likely to be dropped in the near-future, as it no longer makes as much sense to customers when you can by a more powerful but more efficient PHEV for the same money.One of the primary reasons for this is the impact of the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES), which has pushed car makers to offer more affordable low emissions vehicles, like PHEVs and electric vehicles (EVs).“ Yeah and that's why we fought for the price parity, and it was with NVES because we, as a brand, want to be NVES compliant because we don't want to be in a position of paying fines; it's not a great look,” Mannering said.“And we've got our directive to be compliant, and currently, because the levels go down it will automatically change. Now, what happens in the next five years with the government, who lobbies the government on if there's any changes to, what the level is, will determine the mix of all the segments or the mix of the powertrains.”Audi will also continue to push its EV offerings, with the refreshed Q4 SUV to launch in Australia in September.