Green Cars

Honda’s HR-V small SUV has been an Aussie favourite for more than a decade but a lot has changed lately with the influx of more rivals, many of them new-gen hybrids and electric vehicles.So is the HR-V still outstanding? Or has it been left standing?We’ve tested the newest grade added to the line-up, the top-of-the-range hybrid, the HR-V e:HEV RS. I know, it's catchy right? Let's just call it the HR-V RS from here on.My small family of four lived with it in the inner suburbs for a week and I thought I knew this car well until this test, and there’s a few things you should know, too.First, how much does the HR-V RS cost and is it worth the money? Being the top grade in the HR-V line-up the RS is also the most expensive at $44,400 drive-away, $11,500 more than the petrol-powered entry-grade HR-V, or $4500 pricier than the most affordable hybrid HR-V.    That is a lot of money for a small SUV these days, what with so many feature-packed Chinese SUVs for a lot less.There’s the top grade MG ZS hybrid for $33,888 drive-away, the top of-the-range GWM Haval Jolion hybrid for $38,990 d/a, the top-spec Chery Tiggo 4 hybrid for $34,990 d/a… the list goes on.There are also electric SUVs for less. The Jaecoo J5 is $36,990 d/a, while the excellent MG S5 EV is the pretty much same price at $44,990 d/a.The HR-V hybrid grades are, however, more competitive than the Hyundai Kona hybrid ($36,950-$48,950), and Nissan Qashqai e-Power ($45,640-$54,140), both of which are priced before on-road costs.Features wise the HR-V RS is lacking a few things. The nine-inch media screen looks small now, the seats are heated but you get these on the L grade below, and that goes for almost all the other features, including dual-zone climate control, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker stereo.As for what the RS brings there’s RS body styling elements such as the black mesh grille and the leatherette sports seats.The RS grade doesn’t bring any performance edge to the HR-V. All three hybrid grades have the same output of 96kW and 253Nm, which is plenty of power for a little SUV. Just don’t expect the RS to be any sportier than other grades.The hybrid system combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors. The engine’s primary job is to produce electricity to charge the battery and that powers the motors which drives the wheels.The resulting fuel economy is good but not outstanding. Officially, Honda says the combined fuel consumption is 4.3L/100km. After 330km, the trip computer said my fuel consumption was 5.6L/100km. That came down to a lot of motorway miles, which uses battery charge quickly before the engine is called on to help drive the wheels and charge the battery.On the road the HR-V RS is excellent, and this is the area Honda has the edge over its Chinese rivals, which don’t tend to steer, stop, handle and ride as well as this.The engine can be a bit noisy and will often start up and switch off randomly, unrelated to acceleration. But that’s it charging the battery. For the most part, however, the HR-V is quiet with smooth acceleration at lower speeds and it drives like an EV. At higher speeds the engine assists the electric motors.It's easy to drive with good visibility, excellent stability and a feeling of safety, even on highways between big trucks. The driving position and seats aren't as comfortable as I wanted.Just as an aside, I also recently drove the slightly larger Honda ZR-V and found the seats and driving position to be much better.We used the HR-V for all our daily commutes, the school drop offs, sport and grocery shopping. From a practicality perspective the HR-V is excellent as well. There’s more than enough room for a child seat in the second row and space for somebody to sit in the front passenger seat at the same time. The legroom in the second row is great, too.We were thrown at one point when we discovered that there was no middle seat in the second row. Yes, the HR-V is a four seater only, something I’d forgotten since testing it last.Storage is great with cup holders, door pockets, shelves and trays built into the dashboard, and a deep storage area under the front-centre armrest.I also love the HR-V’s 'magic seats' in the rear which fold up to provide a cavernous cargo area behind the front seats for tall objects.The HR-V's only real impracticality is the rear-door handles which are integrated into the door frame. They're too high for little kids to reach and not easy even for adults to use. It bit my hand on one occasion!From a safety angle the HR-V scored four out of five ANCAP stars in 2022 and part of that lower score was the lack of rear auto emergency braking (AEB), which is important for families with small children. There is forward AEB, lane keeping assistance and a blind spot warning.For child seats there are two ISOFX points and two top tether anchor points in the second row.Finally, I like the look of the HR-V. As with all Hondas there’s a premium look and feel, much like Mazdas. That goes for the interior, too, with the high-quality feel and stylish design.

Could a Jaecoo-badged version of the upcoming Chery Stockman ute be on the cards for Australia?The Chinese-made Chery workhorse is set to enter the super competitive dual-cab market later this year and it will be the first ute powered by a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain.Being part of the massive Chery Group, Omoda Jaecoo could potentially offer its own version of the ute if it can make a business plan stack up.Omoda Jaecoo Australia Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz told CarsGuide Chery Group shares platforms and tech, but he was coy on whether his brand was developing its own version of the ute.“So because we're part of Chery as a group, obviously we share platforms, we share powertrains, we share R&D and technology. So it's always possible that we could have our own version, but nothing's been confirmed at this stage,” he said at the recent Jaecoo J8 launch.When asked if he thought a ute would be a good fit for the brand in Australia, Munoz quickly said “yes.”“I always think that there's always room for another option for the Australian market, and yeah, ultimately the customer will decide whether that product belongs or not.”While not officially confirmed, a Jaecoo ute makes sense given the positioning of the brand. Under the wider Chery banner, Jaecoo is positioned as the adventure brand, although the coming iCaur brand is also undoubtedly an adventure brand.Yet another Chery brand, Jetour, has already detailed its version of the Stockman, dubbed the F700 for China.The Stockman’s powertrain combines a 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine with an electric motor delivering 350kW/800Nm sent to all four wheels.It has an EV-only driving range up to 100km, but this is calculated via the more lenient NEDC test cycle. Expect closer to 80km when tested to the WLTP cycle.Chery Group Australia’s management must also be looking at dual-cab ute sales and considering whether further growth is even possible.The 4x4 dual-cab ute segment has stagnated with year-to-date sales figures to the end of June down 11.1 per cent, or close to 12,000 units. A number of new ute models that have arrived in the past 12 or so months have failed to fire, including the MG U9 and its LDV Terron 9 twin, the JAC T9, Foton Tunland (all from China) and Kia’s Tasman.The only new ute that’s struck a chord with buyers is the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which is now Australia’s third best-selling 4x4 dual-cab behind the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.The Chery Stockman’s strong design and innovative diesel plug-in hybrid setup could help it buck the trend in the ute segment, but could a Jaecoo version do the same? Time will tell.Regardless of whether Jaecoo opts for a ute based on the new ladder-frame platform that underpins Stockman, there is a possibility that the brand could use it to form the basis of a large premium SUV - something Chinese marques are increasingly focusing on.Munoz wouldn’t be drawn on whether a new SUV model built on the platform was in development, but left it open to possibility.“It's certainly always appealing. I wouldn't be able to comment on whether there is something coming or not, but certainly, the powertrain now exists, the platform exists, so anything is possible.”Carmakers typically don’t spend millions developing new platforms and powertrains for a single model, so expect the diesel plug-in hybrid ladder frame to surface somewhere new soon.

This has been a bumper year for super-exciting models strutting the automotive world stage.With competition from China more intense than ever, legacy carmakers are leaning in big time on their unique experiences and strengths to keep consumers interested.But, for reasons both annoying and disappointing (mostly due to prohibitively expensive and anachronistic design rules), not all are destined for Australia.Here are the all-new 2026 all-stars we won’t be seeing in 2027 (or beyond). More’s the pity.The previous Telluride has been a runaway smash hit in its native USA since launching in 2019, and has comfortably outsold its Hyundai Palisade cousin.Kia has long wanted this large three-row SUV for Australia, but a lack of right-hand drive (RHD) and limited factory capacity have thwarted plans past and present.This includes those for the recent boxier redesign, featuring turbo-petrol and hybrid powertrains, extra space and heaps more tech.While VW hasn’t publicly ruled this out for Australia, the first all-electric version of the evergreen Polo may end up costing too much for it to be a worthwhile exercise.Which is sad, because the ID. Polo appears to be a real return to form for a brand that has been in the doldrums for most of a decade.Unrelated to the continuing, sixth-gen Polo that’s almost a decade old, highlights include pleasing aesthetics and a classy cabin offering plenty of surprise and delight features including near-Golf levels of interior space.Plus, the German supermini’s advanced EV architecture should re-establish VW as a technological tour-de-force.And that’s even before considering the coming GTI version.Initial reaction in Europe has exceeded expectations, meaning the ID. Polo is shaping up to be one of this year’s comeback kids.Renault is on a massive roll right now, riding high on electric vehicle (EV) success with the award-winning Megane crossover, Scenic SUV, 4 and 5 E-Tech models.But arguably the cutest, the Twingo city car, won’t make it as far as Australia, despite being offered in RHD for UK buyers, as there’s just no market for tiny city cars.No matter how much critics rave about its styling, efficiency, ride comfort and driving pleasure, this Renault is a Twin-no-go. Such a shame.Built in Morocco on a trick new modular electrified platform shared across several Stellantis nameplates including Opel and Citroen, the Kia Seltos-sized Grizzly is a small crossover/SUV charged with making the world fall in love with Fiat again.Offered in two handsome body styles and three powertrains (petrol, hybrid and EV) choices, it promises to be affordable first and foremost, as well as practical and fun.Sounds perfect for Australia, then, but with Fiat sales on hold for now, who knows if we’ll ever see this intriguing newcomer here.Designed expressly for European markets, the EV2 is the brand’s entry-level electric city car that puts the funk in functionality.But, being sourced from Slovakia means importing it to Australia would be expensive, so Kia remains undecided. Hyundai’s struggle selling the smaller yet premium-priced Inster EV here highlights the risks.That said, the EV2 is usefully larger, looks more sophisticated and offers larger battery choices with decent range. If it’s as polished, efficient and capable as the EV3 and EV4, then perhaps the cute little Kia might find a big audience locally.Revealed in the US back in February, the Highlander goes all-electric for its fifth-generation outing, with production expected to commence in Kentucky before 2027.Closely related to the similar Lexus TZ and Subaru Getaway, as well as the just-released eighth Lexus ES sedan series, it will be Toyota’s first tilt at a full-sized three-row EV SUV.But, in contrast to its comely predecessor that is still being produced and imported successfully to Australia as the Kluger hybrid, we’re unlikely to see the slicker Highlander EV here.This is due to RHD unavailability, though Toyota also probably fears insufficient demand, which is fair given how poorly the exceptional Kia EV9 sells.Great news if you’re missing the old Subaru Outback since the latest version abandoned the crossover wagon template it pioneered 30 years ago.Except if you’re living in Australia, that is, because Renault importers Ateco may not import the conceptually similar Striker that has only just had its global unveiling.A high-riding hybrid wagon with 4x4 availability that would make Volvo XC70 Cross Country owners green with envy, it comes courtesy of Renault’s Romanian sub-brand, Dacia.This guarantees chunky styling, a smart yet utilitarian interior with acres of space, and a tough, go-anywhere attitude that is designed to last for years.That’s the Subaru Outback formula, and there’s probably a market hungry for a non-SUV crossover. But Ateco seems unsure at this stage.

This budget electric SUV was supposed to launch in Australia last year, but we still haven’t seen it yet.The Deepal S05 is a Toyota RAV4-sized electric Chinese SUV has just received a big update.  Deepal is a subsidiary of giant Chinese car manufacturer Changan that has joint ventures with Ford and Mazda.It previously confirmed the S05 would hit Aussie shores in the second half of 2025, but it still hasn’t launched as we head into the second half of 2026.It rivals other affordable electrified SUVs like the Leapmotor B10 and BYD Atto 3.It is closely related to its bigger S07 sibling that has been on sale in Australia since late 2024. So, where is it?The Deepal S05’s upgrades include a more powerful EV model, featuring a single rear-mounted electric motor, producing 200kW, compared to 175kW. Acceleration from 0-100km/h now takes as little as 6.3 seconds. From the outside, there is a new more flowing body, more chrome trim pieces, frameless windows and re-designed 18-inch wheels.It also gains a new 15.6-inch central touchscreen and 256-colour ambient lighting, with wood-grain panels featuring throughout. The EV continues to be offered with a 56kWh battery, with a 10km boost to driving range at 520km, according to lenient CLTC standards, as well as a 69kWh unit with 620km.DC charging from 30 to 80 per cent continues to take around 15 minutes. The brand has also made significant changes to the driver assistance systems in the car, with 26 high-perception sensors and more than 90 driving functions like automated parking.Deepal has not provided any official reasons for why the SO5’s launch has been delayed, but the brand is likely hoping for a better market introduction than the S07.The S07 was plagued by frustrating and invasive active safety technology that forced the brand to make wholesale software changes just months after it went on sale. The car’s driver attention monitor function, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control all came under serious scrutiny.Deepal has stated the S05 is being subject to extensive testing, hinting that this could be the reason behind its delayed arrival. The brand worked swiftly to rectify these issues with a spokesperson telling CarsGuide in 2025 it would undertake more extensive local testing. “We will do more real-world tests in Australia and will make Australian driving scenarios entries into our software data bank and adjust to those live scenarios,” they said. “And that will test all of the system set-ups and that gives us time before we bring the car to market to launch to make sure that sensitivities, system set ups and everything is conditioned to the expectation of the Australian consumer.”The Deepal S05’s original planned launch date is long in the rearview mirror, but the brand remains adamant the car will hit showrooms soon. The S05 launched in the United Kingdom in March 2026, a fellow right-hand drive market. It was also cleared for sale by the Australian government regulator in February this year.A spokesperson for Deepal Australia could not confirm whether the car would arrive in 2026 or 2027, but did reveal the car is undergoing extensive testing in Sydney, with more details coming "very soon". "We're incredibly excited about the Deepal S05, with planning now in its final stages ahead of its Australian launch,” they said."We've already completed more than 100,000km of local testing using engineering vehicles, including extensive software validation and calibration work, to ensure the S05 delivers the best driving experience for our market.”With the car in its final stages of preparation, there is scope for it to go on sale before the end of the year or early 2027. There is no indication of Australian pricing yet, but the new model will be available from 120,000 yuan in China, which is roughly $25,000.Chinese cars usually cop a 20 per cent hike when put on sale in Australia, so it is more likely to start around the $30,000-plus mark.

Xiaomi’s highly-anticipated ultra-luxury SUVs have landed.Skynomad is the smartphone maker’s high-end car sub-brand and will debut with N70 two-row and N90 three-row SUVs in China. The brand will compete in the increasingly popular flagship SUV space, with rivals like the Australia-bound Zeekr 8X and 9X as well as GWM’s Wey V8X and V9X.These luxury Chinese SUVs boast countless outlandish features, and Skynomad is no different, with its interior more like a lounge room than a car cabin.The front seats can swivel around to face the second row, with a table resting on the centre console for playing cards or sharing a meal between passengers.The interior also features a 16.1-inch central touchscreen, an 8.88-inch digital driver display and a TV-like 21.4-inch roof-mounted monitor.The N70 and N90 are powered by range-extender hybrid set-ups.A 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder 112kW engine charges the battery powering the electric motors driving the wheels.The smaller N70 starts with a single rear motor producing 210kW, with a dual-motor all-wheel drive variant adding an extra 100kW. The full-size N90 has two electric motors that combine to produce 310kW as well.Both cars can accelerate from 0-100km/h in under six seconds despite their significant sizes.The cars can be optioned with either a 52kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) or 76kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery.The N70 has a total driving range of up to 1461km, with an electric-only range of 505km, while the N90’s total range is 1705km, with 464km on EV power.These figures are according to the more generous CLTC regime, so don’t expect this efficiency in the real world.DC charging in the N90 from 20 to 80 per cent takes 18 minutes, with the car capable of adding 285km of electric range in just 15 minutes. The N70 is priced from 260,000 yuan (or about $55,000), while the N90 starts from 300,000 yuan (or roughly $63,000) in China.  Chinese cars are usually 20 per cent more expensive in Australia than China, which means they could lob for about $65,000 and $75,000 (before on-road costs) if they ever come here.Xiaomi rose to fame through its SU7 electric sedan that has proved hugely popular in China, while also garnering global attention, including from Ford boss Jim Farley.The brand is scheduled for a European launch in 2027, with arrivals in other markets like Australia not out of the question in the coming years. 

Despite the hype surrounding new cars from China, the world’s largest carmaker has retained the top spot for global vehicle sales in the first half of 2026.Toyota Motor Corporation has reported sales of 5.39 million vehicles worldwide from January to the end of June this year, which puts Volkswagen in second position. The German giant posted a H1 sales score of 4.13 million units earlier this month.Despite softer demand for its products in the critical Chinese market and conflict in the Middle East driving higher oil prices and unsettling supply chains, Toyota recorded the highest first-half sales number for the seventh straight year.But a 2.9 per cent decline from the same period in 2025 marked the first Jan-Jun decrease for Toyota in two years.The Toyota group's global production output for the first half slipped just 0.3 per cent with an output of 5.51 million vehicles.Toyota exports from Japan to the Middle East fell 36 per cent (to 104,093 units), sales in China (including Hong Kong & Macau) were down 17.1 per cent to 694,670 units but the result for North America (including the USA, Canada and Mexico) was almost unchanged at 1.45 million units (+0.9 per cent).Total sales outside Japan dropped by 4.5 per cent (to 4.30 million units).Strong demand for hybrids, particularly in the US, saw global sales of ‘electrified’ Toyota  models grow 9.1 per cent to 2.71 million cars, with pure-electric vehicles up 135 per cent to a record 193,172 units.It’s a similar story in Australia with Toyota facing a plethora of new competitors but retaining a tight grip on the number one sales spot for the first half of 2026.January to June sales for Toyota of 95,141 vehicles in 2026 was down 21.4 per cent on the year prior (120,978 units), with reduced supply of the top-selling RAV4 SUV a key constraint.But earlier this month Toyota Australia announced it had secured an additional 10,000 vehicles for 2026 (mainly RAV4, HiLux and bZ4X), in the process lifting the brand’s full-year sales forecast to 220,000 units, which would put it close to the company’s 239,863 sales number in 2025.

Sometimes, a vehicle facelift doesn’t amount to much. Maybe a nip here, a tuck there, but to be sure you’re looking at the new version, you need to check the badges.To be honest, the revised Polestar 3 SUV is a bit of that, with very little to visually distinguish the facelift from the previous car. But underneath there are some serious upgrades which, in that oh-so-Swedish understated way, serve to make the Polestar 3 an even more tantalising prospect.The Polestar 3 has now moved to 800-volt technology which not only allows for faster charging, it also opens up the prospect of even more performance. A new generation of lithium-ion batteries also means greater range potential.But it’s nice to see that Polestar hasn’t limited its attention to the drivetrain; there’s now a revised anti-roll-bar system and a recalibration of the power steering assistance. Which just goes to show that even though brands like Polestar trade on being an all-electric solution, there are still some engineers in Sweden who know how the rest of a car should work.Meantime, the medium-large SUV space is a very crowded one right now, so the question is whether the new tech – invisible as it is – is enough to keep the Polestar 3 carving out its slice of that market.

Zeekr has announced European details on the 9X flagship SUV ahead of its Australian launch later in 2026.This European-specification version of the Zeekr 9X is slightly different from the Chinese-specification version and it potentially gives a clearer indication of what to expect when it comes Down Under.In Europe the only powertrain available is a range-extender (REEV) hybrid that pairs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and dual electric motors. It has a total system output of 660kW.The electric motors are fed by a 55kWh battery pack which allows for up to 179km of electric range, or up to 737km of overall combined range, according to WLTP testing.This aforementioned REEV powertrain is offered in China but there’s also a version with the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, and three electric motors. It has a heftier total system output of 1030kW.It has a larger 70kWh battery which offers more than 300km of electric range, or up to 1250km of overall range, according to more lenient CLTC testing.Both European- and Chinese-specification versions of the 9X have a 900V electrical architecture and offer rapid DC fast-charging capabilities.The European version has a peak DC fast-charging rate of 330kW. This allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in a claimed 9.5 minutes.In China the Zeekr 9X is offered in a total of five interior colour schemes.For contrast, the European version only comes with two – Charcoal Black or Caramel Brown and Moonglade Blue. Both have Nappa leather upholstery.Like the Chinese-specification version, the European-specification 9X has a six-seat configuration with second-row captain’s chairs.There are two 16-inch displays, a 47-inch augmented reality head-up display, a sliding and foldable 17-inch OLED display, as well as a 32-speaker Naim sound system.Zeekr has confirmed the 9X is launching locally before the end of 2026.It will sit at the top of the Chinese carmaker’s line-up in Australia and be a rival to German players like the Audi Q9, BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS.The 9X is expected to carry a price tag over $100,000, although it is expected to be considerably less than the aforementioned German rivals.It will likely be the most expensive Zeekr offered in Australia though. This title currently goes to the 009 AWD electric people mover which starts at $139,900 before on-road costs.

Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand, has set its sights on competing against the likes of BMW’s M division, Mercedes-AMG and even Porsche eventually with its new Magma sub-brand. The first installment in this new chapter has arrived, the GV60 Magma. While based on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and 6 N, Genesis has given the GV60 a unique twist. We review it to assess its performance, luxury, value and more.

A big change is coming for one of the most iconic sports cars in the world, with the next generation of Mazda’s convertible to go electric.Masahiro Moro, CEO of Mazda, has confirmed the fifth generation of the Mazda MX-5 must be able to forgo a combustion engine in order to be viable."The successor must also be ready for a scenario without a combustion engine,” the CEO told German outlet Auto Motor und Sport.The surprise confirmation raises one of the biggest questions regularly asked in regards to electric sports cars: what about the weight?Moro says the goal weight is between 1000kg and 1200kg. That would keep it close to the low weight of the current ND MX-5, which weighs around 1100kg, depending on the variant.“The challenge for us is to make the basic structure lighter without using exotic materials like carbon fiber.”Earlier this year Mazda’s General Manager of Global Sales and Marketing, Manabu Osuga, told CarsGuide electrification was unlikely for the fifth-generation MX-5.“At the moment, electric is going the opposite direction of fulfilling the MX-5’s (core) concept, as it needs to remain a lightweight sportscar, and electric means heavier,” he told CarsGuide in Melbourne.“We want to make the weight less than one tonne before additional equipment, then with additional equipment 1.1-tonne, but we don’t want it to exceed 1.2-tonne (in total) if it is to be a lightweight sportscar.”European outlets report similar statements from executives, with Christian Schultze, Director of Research & Operations at Mazda Motor Europe telling Dutch publication AutoRAI in February the same thing.“The moment you go fully electric, you fundamentally change the car’s architecture. That means different proportions, a different weight, and a different balance,” he said.An electric version of the fifth-gen MX-5 - which we expect to follow the generational NA, NB, NC and ND names of the first four - is coming, but it won’t be the only drivetrain available.Earlier this year, Mazda also announced the MX-5 would use the upcoming Skyactiv-Z engine, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with hybrid capability.A mild-hybrid would more easily allow Mazda to equip the MX-5 with a manual gearbox, as heavier electrification complicates the system and automatic transmissions become preferred.We won’t see the fifth-gen MX-5 until at least next year, for a launch likely sometime in 2028.