Cars

New Chinese brand GAC says it has a secret weapon to crack the competitive Australian market, saying it has learnt from Toyota and will launch with vehicle quality that matches that of the Japanese giant.

Volkswagen has conceded defeat in the fight against Ford’s Ranger Raptor.Just weeks away from revealing the details of the second-generation Walkinshaw collaboration on the Amarok ute Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles boss Nathan Johnson has played down the notion that it will ‘attack’ Ford’s performance ute hero.“We're just trying to enhance the Volkswagen Amarok appeal in terms of what we're doing,” Johnson told CarsGuide. “We're not trying to go and say that we're gonna attack Raptor. Raptor works in its own space and we'd be silly to kind of just say that we're coming after Raptor because Raptor is such a part of the Australian psyche, everyone wants one.“We've gotta play to our own tune here and work what we think will work for Amarok. And I think we've got a pretty good package that's coming.”Volkswagen Australia first partnered with Walkinshaw for the so-called ‘W Series’ Amaroks in the final years of the previous generation ute. While there was always a plan to continue, the two parties haven’t rushed the development of this new iteration, spending more than two years developing the new hero model for the Amarok line-up.“ It's taken a while from face value because we spoke about it quite early on,” Johnson said. “Because to be quite honest with you, the day that we launched Amarok, the first question I had in an interview as a product manager was ‘when is the Walkinshaw Amarok coming?’”While he ruled out a direct challenger to the Ranger Raptor, Johnson was adamant that the long development time will result in a vehicle that is unique in the market and will have its own appeal.“ I think it's a very different scenario ,” he said. “The previous Amarok we were coming to the end of production and it was very different in terms of how we worked on that car and how we pushed it.“This one was very different in terms of, we'd only started production. We're taking a very different approach to this car in terms of the previous one we had to obviously… compromise on a few things that we really wanted to do with our car. With the time period we had and we could have made some decisions to move down different routes, but it probably would've compromised the end product and so forth. So we made the decision not to.“Whereas this time around we've got time, we've got time on our hands and we've been working with Walkinshaw a long time on this to make sure that we can assess everything and make sure that we are working with the right partners, developing all the different bits, the components of the car, and then actually doing a really strong testing program.”Volkswagen reportedly finalised the design of the new Walkinshaw Amarok earlier this year, in April, and has been testing since then.

Our best look at the next-gen Sorento's design yet.

Genesis has set itself a new target — compete with the world’s biggest performance car brands including Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren.To do so, the company has revealed an all-new, mid-engined concept car, which previews a production car set to launch in the near-future.The new Genesis GT Concept was revealed overnight alongside the showroom-ready version of the GV60 Magma, as the new performance sub-brand prepares for its global launch in 2026.Genesis has a history of building stunning sports car concepts only to never build them for customers, but Hyundai and Genesis global CEO Jose Munoz made it clear the GT Concept isn’t just an attention-grabbing one-off.“We’ll get it done for sure,” Munoz said.Luc Donkerwolke, Genesis’ Chief Creative Officer, made it clear that the GT Concept sets a clear path ahead for the brand, setting it on a new path for the next decade as it explores more high-performance cars as well as pushes higher into the luxury market with more bespoke cars.“The Magma GT Concept represents the pinnacle of our performance vision and stands as a symbol of our commitment to true motorsport capability,” Donkerwolke said.“It isn’t defined by raw aggression or uncompromising speed - it is defined by balance. This is a car that feels instinctively connected to its driver, composed under pressure, and meticulously tuned so that every component serves a single purpose to make performance effortless.”He added:  “The Magma GT doesn’t ask the driver to prove their skill; it enhances it. This is not simply a faster Genesis. It is the most complete expression of Genesis performance to date.”No technical details of the GT Concept have been revealed, but the engine note was distinctively that of a V8. This is no guarantee the production version will be V8-powered, as it could simply be that the concept uses Genesis’ existing engine, but nor should it be ruled out.Genesis wants to take the GT into sport car racing, in the popular GT3 class, which would pit it against the Ferrari 296, Porsche 911, McLaren 750S, Mercedes-AMG GT and Aston Martin Vantage, so it will need a powerful engine to compete.There was no timeframe put on when the GT Concept would become a production car, but there are indications Genesis management want it to happen sooner rather than later, which means it’s likely to happen before the end of the decade.

The Mazda6 is on its way out, and a China-sourced electric car is set to take the reins. We've been given a preview drive of the Mazda 6e in Australia before there's even a local spec available. What are the first impressions of this new world for Mazda?

Hyundai has just revealed a wild new off-roader concept at this year’s LA motor show.

This tech upgrade could be a game changer.Chinese-owned Swedish EV brand Polestar will introduce advanced AI voice assistant Google Gemini to its cars. The Gemini update was first seen in a public demonstration on the Polestar 5 at the start-up and technology event in Finland, Slush.Google’s Gemini is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot that can engage with users in conversation. The technology will allow users to have more natural conversations with the car to brainstorm aloud, ask follow-up questions and learn, according to Polestar. It will replace the current Google Assistant in all Polestar cars. Gemini builds on Google Assistant as it is more than a voice assistant, but can answer unique questions.Gemini is normally found in Google’s suite of smart speakers, and will eventually supersede the Google assistant available in older examples. Polestar's head of User Interface and User Experience Sid Odedra said the change will enhance driving experience. “Our collaboration with Google is a great example of how we continue to evolve the digital experience in our cars,” Odedra said. “Gemini brings the next generation of AI voice interaction into the car, and we’re excited to give a first look at how it will enhance the driving experience.”The first look at this new tech was on the Polestar 5, which was recently made available for order in Australia.It is available in dual motor and performance specs, with the latter producing 650kW and 1015Nm, and priced at $193,100, before on-road costs. Gemini will be introduced across Polestar’s line-up with a 2026 Google update.Polestar sells three other variants in Australia, which are the Polestar 2 sedan, Polestar 3 four-door coupe and Polestar 4 SUV.Polestar has seen a modest boost in Australian sales in 2025, rising nearly 39 per cent, up to October 2025 compared to this time last year, equating to over 2000 sales for the year so far. It is expected that a Polestar 6 two-door sports car, that was revealed in 2022 will go into production, after a medium SUV in the Polestar 7 launches. 

GWM has admitted there is still plenty of work left to do to boost the popularity of its entry-level Cannon 4x2 and 4x4 range in Australia. Whilst recording a decent 19 per cent volume rise year-to-date, to just under 7000 units, on the back of a significant diesel engine and transmission upgrade earlier this year as part of 2025 facelift, the keenly-priced Chinese mid-sized ute is only in seventh spot.

Foton is on the comeback trail in Australia, but what comes next won’t be an SUV or a larger and more-powerful ute. Instead, the Chinese brand has at least one new value-focused van under consideration, as it seeks to cement its reputation as a provider of no-nonsense commercial vehicles in this country.

A new budget hatch is set to join the Aussie new car market as Kia has announced pricing and specifications for its updated K4. The K4 now comes as a hatch or sedan, starting from $32,090, before on-road costs, in either form. It keeps its two engine choices, both front-wheel drive, which have been tweaked according to Kia. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine comes in the first four grades in the line-up and produces 110kW and 180Nm, with a continuously variable automatic transmission. The range-topping GT-Line, gets a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, pumping out 142kW and 265Nm with an eight-speed auto. Its price has been bumped up slightly across the range, as the base model S grade is now $2000 more than the previous sedan-only variant, which launched at the start of 2025.The K4 has been embroiled in a tight fight in the small car category, facing tough competition from the Toyota Corolla, the category’s best-seller, which has hit nearly 16,000 sales so far this year.The K4 also trails Hyundai’s i30 and the Mazda 3 which, with nearly 20,000 sales in 2025, combine for almost 40 per cent of the segment, while the K4 has managed a little over 5000 units.  An electric version of the K4 sedan, the EV4 will launch in January 2026, with the hatch variant scheduled for the second half of next year. 16-inch alloy wheelsCloth trim seatsTwo-spoke steering wheelFour-inch driver displayMetal paint finish door handlesFour cupholdersApple CarPlay and Android AutoSix-speaker sound systemSatellite navigationSport grade features:17-inch alloy wheels12.3-inch multimedia screen12.3-inch digital driver displayDual-zone climate controlAuto window defog Sport+ grade features:Synthetic leather seatsHeated front seatsSilver door handlesIlluminated glove boxSolar glass windscreenRain-sensing wipers GT-line features:18-inch alloy wheelsCombined rear lightsFront fog lightsSynthetic leather seats with GT-Line stylingMemory driver seatGloss black window and wheel arch surroundsGloss black grilleGloss black door mirrorsSunroofThree-spoke two-tone steering wheelHeated steering wheelPaddle shiftersAmbient lightingPremium eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound systemVentilated front seatsPowered seatsThe K4 sedan was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, with the optional ‘Safety Pack’ ($2100). Without the Safety Pack, it received a four-star rating. The K4 hatch has not been assessed by ANCAP.Front and rear parking sensorsReversing cameraAuto emergency breakingBlind spot detectionLane keep assistLane follow assistS grade with Safety Pack features:Crossing and direct oncoming lane change detectionSport features:Lane change assistSport+ features:Auto dimming rear view mirrorThe car gets a seven-year, unlimited km warranty.