hatchback

Cupra sees success not targeting rivals
By Tom White · 25 Sep 2024
Cupra plots bounce-back from 2024 sales slide, but won't target traditional rivals in its range-wide refresh.
Read the article
Hyundai i30 N 2025: Nurburgring track test
By Tim Nicholson · 23 Sep 2024
The Hyundai i30 N is one of Australia's most popular hot hatches for good reason. It represents exceptional value for money, and it's part of a dying breed - genuinely capable petrol-powered performance hatchbacks. But how does it handle one of the world's most famed and gruelling racetracks? Read on to find out.
Read the article
Meet the new cheapest electric car in Oz
By Dom Tripolone · 20 Sep 2024
The electric car price war might be coming to an end, and MG has won. The Chinese brand has ripped about $10,000 off the price of its cheapest MG4 electric car with a new national drive-away price of $30,990. This represents a drop of about 25 per cent for the MG4 51 Excite.
Read the article
Ford Mustang 2025 review - Australian first drive
By John Law · 19 Sep 2024
If there was any time Mustang should fall from relevance it's now. Yet Ford has invested in the seventh-generation car with more technology, more safety and fresh looks all without sacrificing the signature V8.
Read the article
Mini gives the Cooper and Aceman EV JCW specs
By Samuel Irvine · 18 Sep 2024
Mini will give its electric Cooper and Aceman models the John Cooper Works treatment with a 190kW electric motor, marking the brand's most powerful electric car to date.
Read the article
Cupra says betting on EVs alone is too risky
By Tom White · 18 Sep 2024
Why Cupra says betting on EVs is far too risky in the short term.
Read the article
MG3 2025 review: Excite
By Chris Thompson · 14 Sep 2024
Now in its second generation, the MG3 is thousands of dollars more expensive than before. We jump in the base petrol Excite to find out if the value is still there for this British-branded, Chinese-built hatchback.
Read the article
Hotter GR Corolla spied
By John Law · 12 Sep 2024
A mysterious camouflaged Toyota GR Corolla has been spied testing at Germany’s Nurburgring Nordschleife. Initially thought to be a mid-like facelift (like the GR Yaris just received), more images shared by CarScoops reveal this could be an even more hardcore version of the rally-bred hot hatch. The word on the street is that it is a GRMN version, which stands for ‘Gazoo Racing Meister of the Nurburgring’.So far, the GRMN name has only been rolled out once on a previous-gen Yaris but Toyota is understood to be developing more focused versions of some of its GR models. A GRMN Supra with swan-neck wing and bigger wheels was spied testing in March this year. Toyota is yet to reveal if this is a ‘GRMN’ GR Corolla but the thinly-disguised modifications hint at extra focus. At the front there are few styling changes evident — at least not the sort you’d expect from a facelift. Like Australian cars, it has vents on top of the bonnet though it being camouflaged may nod to a higher bonnet bulge or perhaps carbon fibre construction. The front guards look a little different — possibly wider to hide thicker rubber — and feature more cooling openings. There are vents above the front wheels and an additional outlet for hot air ahead of the wheel arch. Of course, the two most obvious changes are the black, or perhaps carbon fibre, roof (like the GR Yaris) along with a generous rear wing, likely to reduce lift. It appears to use the same multi-spoke alloy wheels as the high performance GR Corolla Morizo model with red calipers behind. Finally, a closer peak inside reveals what appears to be a half roll cage in the back of the GR Corolla. It is possible this is a safety precaution for the test driver, but the neat integration suggests a factory item. Toyota developing an even more track-focused version of the GR Corolla is unlikely to be a huge surprise to hot hatch fans. It is basically customary, with Renault releasing similar special editions of its now-defunct Megane and Clio hot hatches over the years. While more power is always nice, the GR Corolla’s 1.6-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder is already a pretty high output piece of kit, developing an impressive 221kW and 400Nm in facelift guise. Perhaps a minor 10-20kW increase is on the cards but we’d expect Toyota to focus on shedding weight and adding grip for a GRMN version. The GR Corolla updates were confirmed for Australia last month, with both six-speed manual and new eight-speed auto versions due to arrive before the year is out. 
Read the article
Watch out Toyota Corolla and Mazda3
By Samuel Irvine · 09 Sep 2024
Kia’s Cerato successor is edging closer to an Australian release, with homologation documents showing the K4 has been formally approved for sale in Australia.
Read the article
BYD's new small hatch revealed
By Samuel Irvine · 28 Aug 2024
BYD has revealed the first official images of its 2025 Seal 06 GT. Although the name is familiar, this fully-electric hatch is expected to come in hotted-up guise to challenge the likes of the Cupra Born and MG4 Xpower.
Read the article