Car News

The car landscape has dramatically changed in the past 10 years, with new brands entering the fray and dynamic market conditions shifting buyer wants.Data from 2016 shows how different the cars were captivating the attention of Aussies only a decade ago.The Toyota HiLux led the way, and the Ford Ranger was not far behind, but there was a theme of hatchbacks dominating the other top places. The Toyota Corolla took out second place, while the Hyundai i30 was in third and the Mazda3 sat in fifth. Toyota continued to feature down the list with the Camry sedan, followed by the Australian built Holden Commodore. Further down list, the SUV revolution can be seen to take shape in Australia, starting with the Mazda CX-5. After the Mitsubishi Triton ute in ninth place, there were three SUVs in the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-3.The best-selling brands in 2016 has changed a lot compared to today. Toyota is still parked up at the top of the charts, but several big names have now been replaced by Chinese carmakers.Mazda and Hyundai occupied second and third, while Holden secured fourth. The Japanese duo of Mitsubishi and Nissan followed next, with Volkswagen being the only European brand in the top 10 after that. Subaru came ninth in the standings, with Kia finishing in 10th, highlighting the brand’s rapid development in Australia. Top selling cars 2016 Top selling brands 2016 In 2021, there were clear changes to the market, but also some consistent themes.The HiLux and Ranger duopoly was in full swing at the top of the standings, with Toyota’s ute still edging Ford’s.Third position showed SUVs were taking over as the RAV4 picked up a huge chunk of sales.There were still examples of a past market, with the i30 and the Toyota Corolla hatches sandwiching the D-Max ute.Further down, SUVs increase their presence further, with the Mazda CX-5, Toyota Prado and MG ZS all making up the top 10, along with the Triton ute. Pure internal combustion power remained a dominant player, with best-sellers such as the RAV4 and Corolla still yet to make its full hybrid transition. Top selling cars 2021 Toyota was still on top as a brand in Australia, while Mazda and Hyundai continued their holding in the top three. Ford was hot on the heels of Hyundai, followed by Kia which had surged up the sales charts in five years to claim a spot in the top five. Mitsubishi and Nissan still occupied high places in the standings as did Volkswagen. The big shift was the appearance of the only Chinese brand in the top 10, in MG. This foreshadowed what we see today where BYD is fast approaching a potential top-two finish in Australia.Subaru picked up a 10th place finish. Top selling brands 2021 Fast forward to 2026, and only three top 10 sellers from 2016 remain. The Ranger and HiLux continue their battle at the top of the standings, but they are in decline.Some unfamiliar names a few years ago are emerging as top choices for Aussie motorists.The Chery Tiggo 4 small SUV has emerged as the best-selling SUV in 2026 to date.Hyundai's Kona is next on the list followed by the D-Max Ute.Mitsubishi's Outlander large SUV is sitting sixth, while the long-awaited launch of the new Toyota RAV4 has resulted in a burst of sales for the popular family car.The Mazda CX-5 remains a regular feature at the top of the sales charts, with GWM's Haval Jolion sitting in ninth currently.Rounding out the top 10 is Ford Everest.This data only represents the first four months of the year, but it does show the general trends of where the market is headed.Top selling cars 2026 (up to April)Top selling brands 2026 (up to April)There are no surprises in the top four best-selling brands so far, with Toyota out in front, followed by Mazda, Kia and Ford.A monster month from BYD has pushed the Chinese giant brand into fifth, overtaking Hyundai. This is despite the brand not having a single car in the top 10 best sellers.The final four highlight the success of Chinese brands in Australia as GWM, Chery and MG are all present, along with Mitsubishi.Former mainstays Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen are gone, and Holden has closed up shop completely.

Polestar global CEO Michael Lohscheller has shed fresh light on the upcoming new-generation Polestar 2, confirming launch timing, bodystyle and positioning within the Swedish EV maker’s line-up.Asked when the much-anticipated newcomer will hit showrooms, Lohscheller told CarsGuide, “The middle of 2027, which is super fast considering we just announced it.“We started in the first quarter of last year, right? So, that’s speed which is not common in the industry,” he said.And on the subject of the new 2’s body shape he added, “Look, obviously it will be a complete new car. “There will be new technology in there but why change a winning team because Polestar 2 was very, very successful.“For us, it’s the basis of our brand. I mean, it’s a bit like Golf was for VW back in the day.“We have more than 200,000 people driving Polestar 2 and we want to keep them. Therefore the (sedan) bodystyle will be similar,” he said.When it comes to positioning for the next-gen car, Lohscheller gives a thumbnail outline of the brand’s emerging line-up.“It depends on whether you look at size or price, but I would say the Polestar 7 is a compact SUV (also due in 2027) and the 2 is a larger sedan. Those to me are the two entries into the range price-wise.“Some prefer SUVs, some sedans but this is how you come in. Then we have the Polestar 4, which is a bit bigger, also a bit more expensive. Then you have the Polestar 3 and up to the Polestar 5. Our numbers don’t align. We are like Apple. “People ask me will you call (the new 2) the Polestar 8 and I say no, no way, it’s a 2,” he said.Lohscheller was also at pains to point out that although the company will always look for synergies within its Geely parent’s product portfolio, the new Polestar 2 will stand apart from Geely, Volvo or Zeekr models that may ultimately use its EV-specific platform.“It will be a very different car and the reason is we start obviously with the design here (in Sweden) and we put our Polestar DNA into the car.“There are things only Polestar will have - chassis tuning, some of the driving characteristics and that is ‘us’. We are not giving that away.“There are other areas where we will use things together, and it’s very beneficial that we have access to the best technology in the world.“But we will do Polestar, with Polestar DNA,” he said. And it’s worth noting Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard supports Mr Lohscheller’s position, previously telling CarsGuide, "The 2 will be a dynamic looking car, but it won't take on a full SUV platform. That gong goes to Polestar 7 which we see a bit later on."We'll get access to it as soon as the rest of the world does. So we'll be online when Europe is.“It just takes a little bit of time to get them here. So we're hopeful to see them on the ground in 2027," Maynard said.

Jaguar’s first car since the brand’s total reboot will be called Type 01, the British brand has confirmed ahead of the luxury GT’s debut at the Monaco E-Prix this weekend.Almost 18 months ago Jaguar declared it was wiping the slate clean and starting again with a completely new direction and models for what it called “the new era”.Since then we’ve seen a controversial ad campaign, a new Jaguar logo, design concepts of large swooping electric limousines, and a preview drive of its GT saloon prototype.It’s the GT saloon that will wear the Type 01 badge, which according to Jaguar: “references legendary predecessors, ‘0’ is for zero tailpipe emissions, ‘1’ for the first of a new generation”.The word 'Type' is a designation Jaguar has historically used on its vehicles and dates back to the 1951 Le Mans winning  C-Type racecar. Over the decades there’s also been the iconic E-Type and most recently the F-Type.“We have reimagined Jaguar for a new era, with inspiration from what has gone before,” said Jaguar Managing Director Rawdon Glover “Our engineers have achieved this with a vehicle that looks and drives like no other electric car, yet reflects a unique provenance. The Type 01 name is part of that story – for me, the zero also signifies a complete brand reset, and the ‘1’, our first car for a new chapter, a ‘one of a kind!’” Jaguar said the Type 01 will make an appearance at the Monaco E-Prix on May 16, this weekend, albeit wrapped in a camouflage design.Earlier this year CarsGuide had the opportunity to meet and pilot the prototype of the Type 01. The imposing and sleak saloon meaures 5200mm long, just 1400mm tall and has a wheel base of 3200mm.We were told the prototype has a split battery that allows the cabin section to sit low while still retaining a large overall capacity of 120kWh for a range of up to 700km.Two motors at the front produce 706kW, while a smaller rear motor makes 260kW. Combined torque is 1300Nm.The Type 01 is expected to make its official and undisguised debut later this year.

Nissan Australia has shown just how good hybrid cars are after completing a 1300km lap of Tasmania on a single tank of fuel in its Qashqai e-Power hybrid.It’s a shot across the bows of $40-55K hybrid rivals the Honda HR-V e:HEV, Hyundai Kona Hybrid, MG ZS Hybrid, Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and Toyota Corolla Cross, which all deliver a driving range of 1000km or less.  The Qashqai e-Power is a Range Extender Electric Vehicle (EREV), with its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine operating as a battery generator only.Its official fuel consumption figure of 4.1L/100km and 55-litre tank convert to a theoretical range of 1341km, so the Tassie lap confirms that distance between fills as a real-world possibility.Nissan said the journey began with the car brimmed in Geelong, Victoria before boarding the Spirit of Tasmania car and passenger ferry for the trip to Devonport on Tasmania’s north coast.According to Nissan no ‘hypermiling’ techniques were applied, with the subsequent fuel stop-free clockwise lap including a mix of open road running, urban congestion “and a number of challenging hillclimbs” all covered in accordance with posted speed limits.Highlights included Launceston, the Bay of Fires and Freycinet to the state’s capital Hobart, the Huon Valley on the southern tip and a return to Devonport via the wild west coast.The Qashqai e-Power’s trip meter sat at 1209.2km when it arrived back in Geelong and ultimately travelled 1303km before refuelling. Indicated average fuel consumption was 4.5L/100km (which can vary from an actual pump-to-pump figure).Commenting on the exercise, Nissan Oceania Managing Director Steve Milette said, “This trip isn’t laboratory testing, this is the real world and real conditions.“Now more than ever Australian drivers are looking for fuel efficiency that doesn’t compromise driving enjoyment, and this 1300km real-world journey shows the Nissan Qashqai e-Power delivers,” he said.

Lotus is powering its way back into the supercar game with its new ballistic sports car, and it has just been confirmed for Australia.The codenamed Type 135 appeared in a teaser video ahead of its scheduled launch in 2028.It will be a V8-powered hybrid, producing at least 725kW, putting it up against high-profile supercars such as the V12-powered Lamborghini Revuelto plug-in hybrid. It would also be up against other V8 hybrids in the segment, such as the Lamborghini Temerario. Lotus Australia has confirmed the car will make its way to Aussie shores. It has already received several inquiries, with potential for it to land in Australia around 2030. There are limited other details available on the Type 135 at this stage, with an official name still to be revealed. There is speculation this car will revive the ‘Esprit’ name, given Lotus renewed the trademark three years ago.The Type 135 will be the first V8-powered car made by Lotus since the Esprit, which concluded production more than 20 years ago.The car matches a Lamborghini’s wide posture, with a poised stance to highlight its high-performance potential.  It has dual exhausts mounted halfway up the back of the car, giving it a striking presence. We do not see a front shot of the car in the teaser video, but expect it to be mid-engined like Lotus' other models.We should learn more about the Type 135 before the end of the year. The brand, which is now owned by Chinese giant Geely, currently sells its fully-electric Emeya and Eletre as well as the petrol-powered Emira Down Under. We can expect the Type 135 to be the most expensive model on sale when it gets here, eclipsing the range-topping Eletre’s price tag of $279,990 (before on-road costs). Lotus is shifting its focus towards PHEVs, with the Type 135 potentially the first model of this new direction. 

GWM will give its Cannon Alpha dual-cab ute and its very closely-related Tank 500 SUV a handy performance and economy boost with a big new internal combustion engine (ICE) transplant.Due in August, the 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit is a coup for the local distributor, as Australia will be the first market in the world to receive it, according to a company spokesperson.Final specifications and outputs are yet to be divulged, but in the Chinese-market 2027 models, the big four-pot diesel will deliver around 170kW of power and 620Nm of torque, pushed to the rear or all four wheels via a beefed-up version of the company’s in-house nine-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.This will be the first diesel application of any description in the 500 SUV, which has only been available here with a 258kW/615Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol hybrid since its 2024 Australian release and, more-recently, a 300kW/750Nm plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) option dubbed Hi4-T.The same plug-in hybrid set-up is also available in the Cannon Alpha, which is the larger and newer of two Cannon utes GWM sells in Australia, but the 3.0-litre unit will supplant the existing 135kW/400Nm 2.4-litre turbo-diesel, suggesting that price rises are coming as a result of the switcheroo.As announced at last month’s China Auto Show, hybrid and PHEV diesel versions will also be offered in various models across each of GWM’s sub-brands, as required, in the near future, including with the 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel unit serving the entry-level P300 Cannon utes.“Maybe the first quarter of 2027,” according to GWM Chief Technology Officer Nicole Wu. “That really depends on the real situation in each market.”The company has already released some data pertaining to the 2.4-litre TD hybrid as found in the 2027 Tank 500, making a combined 145kW and 500Nm, though electric motor outputs have not yet been announced.Local timing for these electrified iterations has yet to be confirmed.That said, the latest diesel seems very efficient.In both the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 versions that will launch in China later this year, the 3.0-litre engine is actually more economical than the 2.4-litre, according to the (comparatively lenient) Chinese combined average fuel-consumption cycle numbers.In the ute it returns 7.1 litres per 100km with 2WD and 7.3L/100km with 4WD, as opposed to 8.1L/100km in the smaller diesel 4WD alternative, while the SUV’s equivalent 3.0-litre versus 2.4-litre figures are 8.4 and 8.6 respectively.As a result, the coming 3.0-litre hybrid and PHEVs stand to be very frugal.Better still, the big diesel slices nearly 5.5 seconds off the P500 Alpha 2.4-litre TD’s 0-100km/h sprint time, coming in at 10.6s. In the Tank 500, the corresponding figures see a 4.4s drop, to 10.1s.Note, however, that the Hi4-T PHEV in both vehicle types is still the sprint champion of the range at just 7.4s (Alpha) and 6.9s (Tank 500), while still being able to return a theoretical 1.7L/100km and 2.2L/100km respectively.Which probably makes offering the 2998cc 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engine option in the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 redundant for our market, particularly with record-high fuel prices, but GWM has left the door open by revealing that it is “…not decided yet for Australia.”For the record, in the SUV, it makes 260kW and 500Nm, manages the 0-100km/h time in 7.3s and averages 11.5L/100km.

Geely Australia’s CEO Alex Gu confirmed the brand was considering the company’s new i-HEV technology for our market.Geely’s i-HEV tech, which is a new-generation hybrid set-up consisting of a 1.5- or 2.0-litre engine mated to a hybrid transmission system (DHT), is claimed to be one of the most fuel efficient production plugless systems on the market.The brand declared at the Beijing Motor Show it had achieved a fuel consumption as low as 2.22L/100km when tested in an Emgrand sedan, and claims it can drive under electric power up to 80 per cent of the time despite not needing to be plugged in.Gu said that unlike its Chinese rival brands, Geely wouldn’t be bringing combustion models to Australia and will instead consider i-HEVs as an option to sit alongside its existing fully electric EX5 and upcoming EX2 SUVs, and its plug-in hybrid Starray SUV and Emgrand sedan, with the latter is due in 2027.“For Geely we don’t have a plan to do ICE , but we are planning for the i-HEV,” he said.“For this, we benchmarked Toyota actually. This is very friendly for emissions. It will be in a sedan, SUV, and so on,” said Gu.Gu said it was Geely’s attitude that plug-in systems will be able to “move forward together” in global markets, rather than have plug-ins outright replace ICE and HEVs as they have in some other markets.“This will be the entire way to enter the market. We’re making it very balanced,” he said.Gu wouldn't confirm when the first hybrid models would arrive in Australia.“So far I’m not sure.” he said.“We will have to see what is planned for the global market. So for me, I will push for the Australian market to be the first market to bring i-HEV models,” he said.The Emgrand is not the only car in Geely’s product catalogue that has the new i-HEV hybrid system at the brand’s stand at the Beijing motor show.It also showed off its larger sibling, the Preface sedan, as well as an updated version of its Monjaro mid-size SUV.Both cars, which ride on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, pair a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor driving the front wheels via a hybrid transmission.The Preface sedan consumes 3.98L/100km, while the Monjaro mid-size SUV drinks 4.75L/100km according to the slightly more lenient WLTC method, which cuts fuel consumption nearly in half compared to the turbo dual-clutch versions of both cars.Offering all three levels of electrification will help set Geely apart from its main Chinese rivals, most of which are either plug-in exclusive like BYD, or are also leaning on ultra-affordable combustion models like Chery, MG or GAC.Next for Geely in Australia will be the introduction of the EX2 hatchback, due in the third quarter of 2026, while the Emgrand will join the line-up in 2027. Gu also outlined a seven-seat SUV, something along the lines of the M9 the brand showed at the Melbourne Motor Show, would debut in 2027. In the longer-term Geely has aspirations to offer both a 4x4 and a ute, and would be “studying the market” closely in the meantime.

The cheapest LandCruiser will start at the equivalent of just $40,000, with pricing for the incoming LandCruiser FJ being reported in Japan.That makes it the cheapest LandCruiser in the family by some margin, and Toyota clearly expects it to make a splash, with Thailand manufacturing almost doubling, and production expected to expand to India.That's the latest from Japanese media, where Creative 311 has the scoop on the FJ's price tag in Japan, which is expected to be officially confirmed on May 15.In Japan, the FJ will start at around $4.5m yen, which converts to just under $40,000. That kind of pricing would position the FJ below its Chinese rivals in the space, including the GWM Tank 300 ($48,990).But... there is a sizable catch. The LandCruiser FJ isn't confirmed for our market, where Toyota executives have suggested the model's 2.7-litre petrol engine wouldn't meet its regulation standards, specifically the fact it meets Euro 5 standards.“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?"Clearly aimed at tackling rough stuff on a budget, the FJ is equipped with a proper part-time 4WD system and a rear diff lock as standard kit. Also interesting is that, in Japan, only the paint colour is an option, with the Toyota otherwise delivered in a standard trim level.Would the LandCruiser FJ work in Australia as a cut-price off-road option?

Is your family prepped for the apocalypse, yet? If not then perhaps you need a Fortress - a military-inspired tactical ute built by United States custom car builder Rezvani.The Fortress is the latest model to be built by Rezvani. Only shadowy teaser images have been released ahead of its reveal in a month's time, but if the company’s previous models are anything to go by the this will be a very wild truck.From what we can see the Fortress is a large dual-cab pickup with futuristic styling, but unlike the Tesla Cybertruck it has what appears to be an open tray bed without a large canopy. As with all of Rezvani’s creations the vehicles use a base car for the foundations before being heavily modified. In the case of the Fortress, Rezvani may have used the Jeep Gladiator as it has with past models.From what we can see in the images, the Fortress features a high bonnet crowned with an enormous air intake scoop.Minimal LED lighting is seen in the form of a roof top light bar, small headlights and strip lighting across the grille’s top edge and at the rear minimalist taillights take the form of elongated vertically positioned arrows.Set to be revealed in June the Fortress is billed by Rezvani as the “ultimate tactical off-road truck” and is said to be available with a range of James Bond style enhancements including electrified door handles, smoke screen function and body panel armour.If you think that all sounds a bit over the top, you should check out Rezvani’s past models. There’s the Jeep Wrangler-based Tank which Rezvani calls an XUV or Xtreme Utility Vehicle which looks as though it's been pulled off a sci-fi movie set.The Tank which lists in the US for more than A$500,000 comes with some extreme options, too, including protection of electromagnetic pulse weapons. There’s also the Dark Knight SUV which is based on the Lamborghini Urus; or the Beast which uses the Corvette C8 sports car as a starting point; and then there's the Hercules which is a heavily customised Jeep Gladiator but with, wait for it… six-wheel drive.Will the Rezavni Fortress come to Australia? It’s unlikely that it would pass our strict Australia Design Rules, especially those with electrified door handles. 

GWM is preparing to add more grunt to its tough Tank 300 4WD, with the Ford Everest now in its sights.A new V6-powered Tank 300 variant has just appeared in Chinese sale approval documents ahead of its full launch before the end of 2026.Its 3.0-litre turbo-petrol engine produces 265kW, which is a decent step up on the 2.0-litre unit's 162kW available in Australia. It has not been confirmed for Australia, and without hybrid power, it will have a tough time slipping under our emissions regulations.It is also expected to only be available in left-hand drive due to engineering restrictions. The V6 Tank 300 sports a different honeycomb front grille design to other variants, but it otherwise bears a similar resemblance to its siblings. It would continue to rival the diesel-powered Ford Everest and Toyota Prado, along with BYD sub-brand Denza’s new B5 plug-in hybrid SUV. GWM’s Australian approach could be more likely to include the diesel hybrid and plug-in hybrid set-ups planned for next year.The Tank 300 should receive these new engines, but it is unclear whether they will come Down Under.GWM has regularly tinkered with its Tank 300 lineup in Australia, which at one stage had petrol, diesel, hybrid and PHEV options.Having now cut the hybrid model, there could be room for the more powerful V6 in the range to accompany the soon-approaching 3.0-litre diesel.GWM also filed details of an updated 2.0-litre turbo-petrol version, boosting power from 162kW to 175kW.