Electric Cars

Subaru has confirmed a three-row, large electric SUV will launch later this year, with underpinnings borrowed from a model from common collaborator Toyota.The 2026 Subaru Getaway, a seven-seat electric car sharing its platform with the Toyota Highlander EV, was initially revealed on April 1 in the US.But it’s no April Fools’ joke, even though Subaru Australia General Manager Scott Lawrence had indicated to CarsGuide just weeks prior that the brand wasn’t looking to Toyota to make a Subaru seven-seat SUV happen.“I can't quite comment on that,” Lawrence said when asked about rumours that Subaru would use a rebadged version of the Highlander EV, the North American-built sibling to the Kluger.“I think there are some really exciting options in that space of seven-seat … That's not one of the priorities to get the seven-seat (across the line).”CarsGuide has contacted Subaru Australia for comment, but the international reveal of the Highlander confirmed the brand is indeed sharing a platform with Toyota.The interior of the Getaway, for a start, is a direct pull from the Toyota Highlander electric SUV. Its specs also mirror the Highlander in many ways, including the two battery options being a 77kWh or 96kWh unit. The long-range 96kWh version (technically 95.8kWh) will be the only one available from launch.Subaru claims the long-range version of the Getaway will be capable of an electric driving range of more than 480km, with a 150kW maximum DC charge rate for 10-80 per cent charging in about half an hour.The Japanese brand also confirms the Toyota-clone interior will have the same 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, plus as much as 1290 litres of luggage space with the third row folded. That last point is something Subaru of America is happy to claim is “more than the Kia EV9”, and on paper it’s correct.While Subaru claims the Getaway will have 313kW and a 0-60mph (0-97km/h) tim of under 5.0 seconds, the entry level’s specs are yet to be determined.It’s not known if the Getaway will ever land in Australia, given Toyota has nixed the idea of the Highlander EV, and the models are built in left-hand drive for North America.

The iconic Smart car has been spied in camouflage ahead of its return in China.The Smart #2 is a tiny electric two-seater city car, and will be the closest thing to the iconic Smart ForTwo made by the brand since.The original Smart ForTwo was on sale in Australia in the mid-2000s, equipped with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine.It is expected to be officially unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show later this month, with a European launch scheduled for 2027.Smart Australia has confirmed there are no plans for the car to launch domestically at this stage, with an immediate focus on Chinese and European markets.If it ever did come to Australia, it would have to be one of the most affordable electric cars in the country to be competitive. It would need to challenge the BYD Atto 1, which has a starting price of $23,990 (before on-road costs). The budget EV space has been growing in Australia, with more offerings representing competitive deals around the $30K bracket.The incoming MG4 Urban and just-launched GAC Aion UT both start from $31,990, while the Chery QQ3 is anticipated to launch with a similar, if not cheaper, price tag. However, the Smart #2 is even smaller than these rivals. This means it would almost be in a league of its own if it were to launch Down Under.There is limited other confirmed information available about the car, but it is rumoured to have a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 30kW, according to CarNews China. It measures up at less than three metres long, with a wheelbase of less than two metres. The #2 is the latest of the brand's reboot, which has seen several vehicles spawn as the product of a joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz. Smart currently has two models on sale in Australia which are the #1 hatchback and the #3 crossover. The more rugged #5 SUV is expected to join the range later this year.

BMW has slashed the prices of its iX1 and iX2 electric SUVs in Australia.The iX1 will start from $77,900 (before on-road costs), while the iX2 will start from $79,900 (before on-road costs).There is a new variant of the iX1, which has a national drive-away price of $79,900.These prices mean both cars are now noticeably cheaper than they were. The previous iX1 started from $86,800 (before on-road costs) and the iX2 started from $87,600 (before on-road costs). This new variant of the iX1 comes with a ‘Sport Collection’ trim level, which includes features such as 19-inch alloy wheels and a white exterior paint. On the inside, there are synthetic leather seats, with the front ones heated, along with a head-up display. These deals make the iX1 and iX2 more price competitive with key rivals in the segment.The Volvo EX40, which recently picked up a price drop of its own, now starts from around the same drive-away price, although only for the single motor variant.Both BMW models are powered by dual electric motor set-up, producing 230kW and 494Nm. All models come as standard with an all-wheel drive system.  They also now come in substantially cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz EQA and Audi Q4 e-tron, which have starting prices of more than $80,000.One of the main changes on the iX1 and iX2 is hardware updates, which BMW said has enhanced power density and battery range. Official driving range for the new iX1 and iX2 have not been revealed just yet, but expect minor improvements on 464km and 395km, respectively as WLTP standards. The current generation of the pair can charge from 10-80 per cent in less than half an hour.The iX1 continues to be an important part of BMW’s EV range, claiming its best-seller status for the past few years. The iX2 has also been a good EV seller for the brand.BMW's X1 range (including the iX1) won the CarsGuide Car of the Year 2026 award for the small car sub-$80K.2026 BMW iX1 and iX2 pricing Australia 

BYD has fired a shot across the bow of some of the biggest car bands in Australia in March.The Chinese automaker sold 7217 vehicles in the past month as Australians scrambled to get their hands on plug-in hybrids and electric cars as fuel prices soared.That is a mammoth one month total which beat Ford (7149), Mazda (7156) and Hyundai (6979). Only Toyota (16,574) and Kia (7320) did better than BYD.BYD sales increased by 50 per cent compared to March last year, just as leading brands sales declined. If the Chinese challenger keeps up this growth it's on track to tackle Toyota off the top spot.It was also a banner month for electric vehicles, with about 15,500 finding a new home, which is about double the amount sold in March, 2025.Tesla’s Model Y led the pack with 2818 sales, followed by the BYD Sealion 7 (1970), Zeekr 7X (679), Tesla Model 3 (667) and Geely EX5 (606).Sales of hybrids and plug-in hybrids were also up, but not at the same rate as electric vehicles.Australians bought 17,953 hybrids in March, and 8215 plug-in hybrids (PHEV).Most of the conventional hybrids were Toyotas with BYD gobbling up the lion’s share of PHEVs.A total of 108,703 were sold in the past month, which is slightly down on the previous March. The latest sales data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows there is still plenty of demand for diesel and petrol cars.The Ford Ranger ute was against the best selling vehicle in the nation with 4452 examples finding a new home.This was followed by the Toyota HiLux (4167), Tesla Model Y (2818), Nissan X-Trail (2438) and Mitsubishi Outlander (2318).The Hyundai Kona (2316), Chery Tiggo 4 (2258), Isuzu D-Max (2167), Hyundai Tucson (2042) and Haval Jolion (2013) rounded out the top 10.China was again the top importer to Australia in March — off the back of the success of BYD, GWM, MG and Chery — beating Japan to the post by less than 400 cars. Japan is still the biggest importer of new cars through the first three months but the gap is shrinking fast.Thailand — where the majority of dual-cab utes are built — sunk to a distant third.Toyota’s bad run continued with sales down nearly 20 per cent compared to the same month last year, and down 23 per cent for the year to date.The Japanese giant will get a boost in sales thanks to the new RAV4 family SUV arriving in dealerships this month.Top 10 selling  vehicles March, 2026Top selling car brands March, 2026

The question over whether Toyota will build a hybrid version of its popular HiLux ute looks to be settled, for now.There’s been talk of a hybrid workhorse ute for years, especially given Toyota’s position as the world’s leading hybrid vehicle specialist and its rollout across the rest of its model range.Beyond popular models like the Corolla, Corolla Cross, Camry, RAV4, Kluger and Yaris, Toyota is about to launch a hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series later this year, and it already offers its Tundra pick-up with hybrid power. In the US you can even get a hybrid Prado!The runaway success of the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute and ongoing interest in GWM’s Cannon Alpha PHEV suggests a hybrid HiLux would be a no-brainer for Toyota.But according to Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas, even though he could ask HQ for a hybrid HiLux, it would have to be able to do what a regular HiLux can do.“We're always talking to TMC (Toyota Motor Corporation) about the various powertrains for every single model. But what's most important for us is that, we can ask for any car, but the problem is going to be making sure that it's fit for purpose for that customer type. And that's what we're going to make sure we're doing,” he told CarsGuide.“It's no good saying, ‘Oh, we've got a hybrid HiLux, tick the box’, and then it doesn't meet the requirements of the customer.“So for us, it's got to be fit for purpose, needs to leave no one behind. And if it can do all those things for us, then for sure, we'll be rallying for a hybrid HiLux. But until that point, we got nothing to confirm.”Pappas was speaking at the local reveal of Toyota’s first fully electric commercial vehicle, the HiLux BEV. With pricing starting at $74,990 before on-road costs, Toyota is targeting mining and construction, big fleets and government with the HiLux BEV, rather than private buyers and sole traders.Despite the massive interest in hybrids and the proliferation of hybrid utes - including an upcoming as-yet unnamed diesel plug-in hybrid ute from Chery to launch later this year - Pappas said the next evolution of the HiLux’s electrification will be hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) tech.“We've obviously got, through our model mix, 50 per cent of our sales are electrified, mainly through hybrids. And our demand on hybrids globally at the moment is doing very well. So the fact that we've been piloting a BEV HiLux for the last 12 months, the next step for us is then to start to pilot the FCEV HiLux.“So we want to really look at what we can learn and pilot through a targeted customer program again, on the FCEV HiLux, because the infrastructure for hydrogen is very, very limited, as we know. So the more we can learn with these things, the quicker we can respond to scale.“So when the time comes we think for that user need that we've got scale, we're ready. And that's really why we're trying to go BEV and then FCEV. And like I said, our hybrid demand on the rest of our vehicles, which we've got, is doing very well. And, you know, we're very happy with how that's going.”Pappas’ predecessor, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide in February that, currently, only diesel-powered engines can achieve the level of towing and Gross Vehicle Mass in a specific price point for light-commercial vehicles.“Developing these kinds of vehicles in a light commercial vehicle (LCV) cost a lot of money.“So, is the timing right for it? Now, I agree. We've been doing it a long time. It's proven technology; but in an LCV right now, for what, where we'd position it, where it would be positioned, is that really right for the Australian market… or other global markets? Maybe it is, but our assessment is not right now, but at some point (yes).”

MG already had an MG4 electric hatchback, but at a moment in time when fuel prices are soaring and demand for electric vehicles is at an all-time high, the Chinese brand is introducing a second. The MG4 Urban is an all-new small car that shares little in common with its namesake. We test drive this new small electric car to see how it performs in terms of value, space and performance.

Any 4WD worth its salt used to need a V8.Think the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series and the soon to be replaced Y62 Nissan Patrol.The LandCruiser’s big beefy 4.5-litre V8 twin-turbo diesel made a hefty 200kW and 650Nm, while the Patrol’s naturally aspirated 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine dished out a meaty 298kW and 560Nm.That’s some hard earned grunt for some big 4WDing, except the new breed of modern 4WDs makes those large capacity engines look breathless and weak.Fast forward to today and the new LandCruiser 300 Series and Y63 Nissan Patrol, with the latter due at the end of the year, both swapping out V8 power plants for more highly strung twin-turbo V6 units.The result? More power, and plenty of it.A Y63 Patrol now delivers 317kW and 700Nm thanks to its potent 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.Those outputs trump the LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre diesel twin-turbo motor that pumps out 227kW and 700Nm.That's just the start, as it’s the new breed of plug-in hybrid off-roaders out of China that are really flexing their 4WD muscle, though.BYD’s Denza sub-brand just launched its B8 off-roader.It uses a plug-in hybrid set-up that combines a turbo-petrol 2.0-litre engine with twin electric motors for a total 425kW and 760Nm.Put that in your tailpipe and smoke it Toyota and Nissan.Denza claims that is good enough to propel it from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds.The B8 also delivers an all electric driving range of about 100km, not bad considering current fuel prices.It is also a proper off-roader with 3500kg braked towing capacity, 890mm wading depth and front and rear diff locks on the top-shelf variant.If petrol power is your thing, the Land Rover Defender Octa Black is the pièce de résistance of 4WDs.It combines a potent 467kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and mild-hybrid assistance with muscular off-road performance and primo luxury kit.The air suspension allows for a 323mm ground clearance and approach and departure angles of more than 40 degrees, along with a ramp angle of 29 degrees and a wading depth of 1000mm.Its manic V8 can propel it to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.0 seconds on the way to a top speed of 250km/h.That’ll leave the B8 eating your dust.Now a new type of 4WD is emerging, but its off-road capabilities may not be up to scratch.Geely’s new Battleship 700 is a big blocky off-road monster with 1000kW on tap thanks to its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and three electric motors.It can complete the benchmark sprint to 100km/h from a standstill in a red hot 3.1 seconds.Details are scarce, but a report from UK publication AutoExpress said it has a wading depth of 800mm, has big ground clearance and the brand is considering expanding its off-road modes, which won't have the big boys shaking in their all-terrains.Chery will launch a diesel hybrid ute this year in Australia and it could spawn a SUV bodied version in the future.It will pair a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine with electric motors to make mega torque numbers. It’ll also have three diff locks and be properly fit for purpose. It could rattle a few cages.

Plug-in hybrids are all the rage at the moment. Sales of vehicles fitted with the fuel-saving technology spiked more than 130 per cent in 2025 and sales were already up more than 60 per cent in the first two months of 2026, before fuel prices started to soar.One company was well ahead of the curve on the plug-in hybrid hype, but unfortunately so far ahead its ground-breaking fizzled before it could take off.That brand? Holden.In 2012 it arrived with a lot of fanfare and hope of appealing to those who still loved a sedan but wanted something more fuel-efficient than the VE Commodore of the day. The Volt promised that, with its 1.4-litre petrol engine used exclusively to charge the batteries, never actually drive the wheels directly.At the time, Holden claimed up to 80km of driving on the batteries before the motor would kick-in, which was also ahead of the curve. There were even reports from the US, where it was developed and sold as the Chevrolet Volt, that owners who recharged regularly wouldn’t even use a full tank of petrol in a year.In theory then, it should have been a popular choice for Australian customers, as petrol prices had started to creep up and customers were looking for more efficient vehicles. As we wrote last week, Holden was pushing to make E85 and LPG a more popular option in the Commodore, but ultimately that fell flat too.The problem for the Volt was it cost $59,990, more than double what the similar-sized Holden Cruze would set you back. The argument at the time was that this cost would be absorbed by the so-called early adopters, the kind of people that spent $10,000 on the early flat-screen televisions (yes, young people, TVs used to not be flat). Whether there simply weren’t enough early adopters or because people were just too reluctant to spend $60k on a car with a Holden badge, sales of the Volt were slow before almost trickling to a halt.At the time, electric vehicles (EVs) were only just arriving and sold in incredibly small numbers. In 2012 just 253 EVs were sold in Australia, so Holden was facing a major challenge in convincing buyers to try this in-between technology no-one else was really selling.But in hindsight, if Australians had embraced PHEVs back in the 2010s, what might the new car market look like today? PHEVs had a few false starts after the Volt was pulled from sale in 2015, but in the last three years it has surged back into relevancy and looks set to continue to grow in the coming years as the government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard incentivises car makers to promote PHEVs and EVs. As 2026 plays out, the growth of PHEVs will be worth watching to see if they continue to grow in popularity even if fuel prices decline to pre-Middle East conflict levels. The pre-’26 growth suggests Australians are ready and willing to make the switch to this technology, a decade after Holden gave up on it.Holden failed in Australia because it didn’t provide the cars we wanted. Or at least that’s what we’ve been telling ourselves. Sure, the Commodore declined as the family car of choice, but Holden tried everything it could to adapt to the changing demands of the local market, only to find itself with the right car at the wrong time.

The GAC Aion UT Luxury is the top-spec of a two-tier launch range for the new Chinese hatchback.Rivalling the BYD Dolphin, GWM Ora and MG MG4 it is still relatively good value, starting from $34,990, before on-road costs.It includes all the impressive kit from the base Premium grade car like 17-inch wheels, a 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen and 8.88-inch digital dash, synthetic leather interior trim, power adjust and heating for the front two seats and a heated steering wheel, whilst also adding a panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, ventilation for the driver's seat, a wireless phone charger and auto folding powered wing mirrors with an auto dimming central mirror.Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard alongside over-the-air connectivity and built-in navigation.The Aion UT Luxury is powered by the same 150kW/210Nm front-mounted motor as the base Premium and offers the same 430km (WLTP) range from its 60kWh battery pack.The interior is relatively spacious even for a car in this class with ample front and rear room, although it comes at a cost to boot space which is a less impressive 321 litres.Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is standard, allowing the battery to charge and/or power external devices but there's no spare wheel in the Aion UT range.GAC covers its cars with an eight-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, with the battery covered form the same time but 200,000km distance.

In the past three months I’ve spent more than 40 hours behind the wheel of the Nissan Ariya e-4orce covering more than 1300km in the process and something has become pretty obvious.The Ariya is an all-rounder. It gets a lot of pass marks, a few please explains, but one feature is hard to ignore.Its greatest selling point is its amazing ownership credentials.Nissan backs its cars with a conditional 10 year/300,000km warranty, which is the best in the game.Buyer beware, though, you need to service your vehicle at a Nissan dealership for every scheduled visit or it reverts to a five-year/unlimited km guarantee.This also applies to Nissan’s roadside assistance program that can be extended for the same 10-year period.Nissan further sweetens the deal with a capped price servicing deal for the first five workshop visits, that will set you back $299 a pop. There isn’t really another area where the Ariya paces the field.Our dual-motor Ariya has an 87kWh battery, which continually falls short of its claimed 487km driving range. We’d bank on about 400km from a full charge.Even if we compare the claimed range with some key competitors — the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV5 and Zeekr 7X — the sub-500km limit isn’t good enough.It also doesn’t have any cost advantages, especially against newer rivals.Our range-topping Evolve e-4orce grade costs $71,840, before on-road costs, which is more than the Model Y Premium ($68,900), and about the same as the Kia EV5 GT-Line ($71,770) and Zeekr 7X Performance ($72,990).The Model Y and 7X have a significantly longer range, more hi-tech features and are faster, while the EV5 is arguably more luxuriously equipped on paper.Electric cars are meant to feel hi-tech, but the Ariya doesn’t feel much different from a petrol, diesel or hybrid SUV.When charging there are next to no readouts to show the progress or applications to whittle away the time as you wait to fill up.DC charging speed is okay at 130kW maximum, but well below the rate rivals can accept.One area the Ariya does show up some of its rivals is build quality.The Ariya we lived with no doubt had a hard life with a year’s worth of weekly media loans with often mechanically unsympathetic motoring journalists behind the wheel.But our test car had no noticeable rattles, no heavily worn surfaces or electrical quirks.The cabin is well put together with top-shelf material used throughout. A particular highlight is the synthetic suede material that covers the dash and door trims. It is soft to touch and breaks up the hard faux wood veneer and plastic surfaces, leaving a premium feel throughout the cabin.It is also good to see the quality extend to the back row, which is where carmakers usually try to cut costs.The cabin is also extremely spacious, with a completely flat floor and giant panoramic sunroof giving it a light and airy feel.I managed to fit two child seats — one front and one rear facing — with ease and the back row has its own aircon vents and charging ports for older passengers.There is a lack of storage options up front. The two narrow glove boxes in the dash are handy, but the top deck of the centre console only has two cupholders and a wireless phone charger with no easily accessible spots for nick-nacks.The boot is on the smaller side. A full size pram will take up most of the space and you’ll likely have to take out the parcel shelf to fit it.For a weekend adventure up the coast I made do with a plane-compatible pram, a range of overnight bags and some totes. Some smaller items needed to be fitted on the front passenger seat floor.As with most electric cars there is no spare tyre, with owners forced to make do with a fiddly repair kit. It simply isn’t good enough for a family car.On the road the Ariya is a solid performer. It exerts great body control through the corners thanks to all the weight of the battery under the floor.Over consistent bumps on the road that weight can get very unsettled, with suspension struggling to keep the car’s circa 2200kg mass in check. A brief drive of the single motor version previously showed a more settled and comfortable ride, thanks to its lighter weight.That weight also dulls its performance. Despite its 320kW and 600Nm the Ariya Evolve e-4orce completes the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint time in 5.6 seconds.I’m okay with that, as this is a family SUV not a potent performance car. So, I would say its performance is right where it needs to be.There are several drive modes, including 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' that can adjust how the power is delivered and the bite of the regenerative braking.The single pedal drive mode — called 'e-pedal' in Nissan speak — is a winner. It allows you to drive with just the accelerator pedal, where you push down to go and lift off to stop. It is easy to get used to and the increased regenerative braking will help add more juice to the battery while you come to a stop.2026 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD Acquired: December 2025Distance travelled this month: 300kmOdometer: 7042kmAverage energy consumption this month: 21.5kWh/100km