Industry news

Volkswagen's new Chinese flagship large SUV has been revealed.

Details on Zeekr’s next model for Australia, dubbed 8X, have come to light thanks to the car’s filing with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.The 8X was recently teased by the brand, but the new filing reveals much deeper details.It revealed a five-or-six seater plug-in hybrid luxury car measuring more than five-meters long.The styling is more in-line with the brand’s flagship 9X and 009 people mover, featuring a slotted chrome grille rather than the more sleek grille-free styling of the 7X mid-sizer, X small SUV and 7GT wagon.It also scores impressive specifications for its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, as the brand moves further away from its original EV-only mission.Chinese information confirms a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (205kW) paired to electric motors for an as-yet-to-be-determined total power output. The larger 9X uses a similar set-up with three electric motors and has a combined power output of over 1000kW.It also features enormous battery capacities, ranging from 55.1kWh to 70kWh for pure electric driving ranges of 256km or 328km, according to the more lenient Chinese measuring protocol.Even accounting for the usual differences between this and the more widely-accepted WLTP measurements, it would still make the 8X one of the longest range PHEV on the market.The filling confirms the 8X will be more than five meters long, with a wheelbase of more than three meters, which puts it firmly in the extra large SUV category and even eclipses the Range Rover Sport in terms of footprint.The Zeekr 8X is due to hit the Chinese market in the first half of 2026, so watch this space for full details on the model.Zeekr Australia has confirmed to CarsGuide multiple new models are on its radar for 2026, including the 8X, 9X and the 7GT station wagon it recently showcased at the International EV show in Sydney.The Chinese premium marque, which serves as the premium arm of its Geely parent company and a sister brand to both Polestar and Volvo, had a slow start in Australia last year.Its X small SUV and 009 luxury people mover proved to be niche sellers, but the brand nearly doubled its volume for the year instantly with the arrival of the highly anticipated 7X fully electric mid-size SUV.As the brand builds out its line-up, it could also be bolstered further down the track by the introduction of re-badged models from its Euro-focused Lynk & Co sister brand, which has always specialised in plug-in hybrids.Stay tuned for more on Zeekr’s expansion plans later in 2026.

Tesla has finally extended its warranty period in Australia.

The Australian new car market is going through one of its biggest changes to date.A wave of budget-focused Chinese brands has washed over the market in the past two years, eating away into the sales of many established carmakers.The emergence of new technologies such as hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles will change the cars we drive forever.Despite that, some things have stayed the same. Diesel-powered utes and 4WDs are the dominant force in Aussie motoring, but new models are snapping at their heels.Here are the best selling 100 vehicles in Australia during the past year.

Toyota Australia has responded after Queensland Police alleged an international crime syndicate was targeting its vehicles in the Brisbane region.Between October 20 and December 2, 60 high-end Toyota vehicles, including LandCruisers and Prados, were stolen with the intent to ship the vehicles to the United Arab Emirates, according to Queensland Police. The vehicles were valued at about $9.0M.Several of the vehicles were recovered in Melbourne and Queensland before they headed overseas.Queensland Police have arrested seven men and charged them with more than 300 offences.Brisbane Detective Acting Inspector Russell Joyce said, “This was an extremely complex operation with a disciplined international syndicate allegedly targeting vehicles for personal gain.“The QPS is sending a strong message that offences of this nature will not be tolerated, and police will be relentless in their pursuit of any alleged offender,” he said.Toyota Australia said it has worked closely with the Queensland and Victorian Police to identify the devices used in the thefts.The company said it had implemented security enhancements to counter their effectiveness.In a statement Toyota Australia said, “Toyota is committed to continuously improving vehicle security and has progressively introduced advanced protective measures across its range.“In 2025, Toyota took further steps to enhance security on several models, including the New HiLux, LandCruiser 300 and LandCruiser Prado providing owners with even greater peace of mind,” the statement said.Toyota is going a step further and developing factory approved genuine accessories, which include an additional immobiliser, to combat the issue.The Japanese carmaker is also working on a process to prioritise owners affected by theft to receive replacement vehicles as soon as possible.

Mitsubishi has just slapped a new face on its popular Triton workhorse, but there’s a catch.The new look ute is a special edition only available in Thailand, dubbed the Mega Cab Street Edition. But could it point to a future new look Aussie version?Thailand is where the majority of Aussie-bound utes are built, and the South-East Asian nation is more mad for utes than Aussies, so they sometimes get special treats not for us.It is still very rare that a model gets a completely new face for one variant, which could point to a future facelift for the polarising-looking ute.The current Triton was launched in Australia in early 2024, which means it isn’t due for a proper facelift for a few years yet, but the company might tweak its styling to help boost sales.The biggest change is a new front grille. The Street Edition ditches the three slate grille design of the standard Triton for a blacked-out layout that has shades of the brand’s diamond badge theme.The front lighting signature varies slightly with the bottom fog lights featuring a tweaked shape. And the coloured highlights connecting the three levels of front lighting are gone, too.The lower bumper has been changed to black rather than body colour, which combined with the black grille gives it a meaner look.There aren't the same chrome highlights which feature on several Aussie delivered models.Thai-delivered vehicles are less well equipped than Australian versions, and the Street Edition is a base low-riding version. This means there isn’t much to crow about.It has 17-inch black alloy wheels, and it is only available with a Mega Cab layout, which is a two seat cabin with a sizeable storage area behind (usually called extra cab in Aus).Mitsubishi and other big-name ute makers are under pressure from a wave of new, affordable models arriving from China.These models are often updated very quickly in response to customer demand and feedback, which may force some more established rivals to follow suit and make running changes to vehicles outside the four to five year mid-life update schedule.

BYD has pulled the ever-popular Sealion 6 from its Chinese range, despite its ongoing global popularity.The mid-size SUV, which is known as the Song Plus in China, has sold more than 1.5 million units since it was introduced in 2020. Although the model has ended its run for the Chinese market and will be replaced by the Sealion 06, which syncs the mid-sizer up with the design cues seen on the incoming Sealion 8 three-row SUV.The new Sealion 06 replacement in China is available in both PHEV and fully electric forms, and introduces new tech like an 800-volt battery system for the EV variants, and larger batteries for the PHEV versions.The outgoing Sealion 6 will continue production for export markets, according to reports, and is built in BYD’s Thai facility that makes an array of models for fellow right-hand drive locations throughout Asia.It is unclear how local supply of the popular plug-in hybrid will be affected. CarsGuide has reached out to BYD’s local operation for more detail.The possibilities include continued production of the current car, a switch for Australian-sourcing to the Thai facility, or the model being replaced entirely with a right-hand drive export version of its successor in China.It is worth noting the incoming Sealion 5, which is a more affordable plug-in mid-sizer based on an older architecture, continues to be produced alongside the existing Sealion 6.The Sealion 5 will arrive in our market in the first half of 2026, with an aggressive starting price of just $33,990 before on-roads making it the most affordable new plug-in hybrid model on sale. The current Sealion 6 starts from $42,990 before on-roads.Locally, the mid-size plug-in hybrid amassed over 9000 sales during the course of 2025, finishing well ahead of once favourites like the Volkswagen Tiguan, Honda CR-V, and the MG HS.BYD is on a meteoric sales trajectory in Australia, having moved 52,415 units by the end of 2025, representing a volume increase of 156.2 per cent over 2024. It cements the brand’s place now in Australia’s top 10 favourite automakers, with more to come as sales of the Atto 1 small car, Atto 2 small SUV and Sealion 5 mid-sizer join the range.Stay tuned for more new or updated model activity for the brand as it targets a podium finish by the end of 2026. An update to the Sealion 6 could also be joined by a tweaked or expanded Shark 6 range with some of the well-received features (like differential locks) from its Denza B5 relation.To finish in the top three in Australia, BYD would need to again more than double its sales in 2026, and unseat well-entrenched favourites like Hyundai, or Kia, or Mazda.

A new electric compact SUV is getting closer.

In the years since the likes of GWM and MG established a beachhead for Chinese automotive brands in the local new car market a slew of others have followed.Economics 101 says increased competition in a mature market will quickly stimulate activity, generating big winners and significant losers.And the reality of 2025’s vehicle registration data, compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI VFacts) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), has graphically validated that economic theory.More than 30 of the 60 passenger car and light commercial brands monitored by VFacts and the EVC went backwards in terms of sales volume in 2025 compared to 2024.But the winners were BIG, the top two improvers experiencing spectacular growth; the overall champ almost sending the needle off the clock.Of course, some were coming off a relatively small sales base, with increasing supply and expanding model line-ups inflating percentage figures. So, for context, we’ll also note outright volume increases and only include brands that recorded full-year sales in 2024.Here are our top five countdowns for biggest new car sales winners and losers in 2025.5) Rolls-Royce: Okay, it’s 13 extra cars for 2025 over 2024, but when each one of them retails for a minimum of $700K that’s some handy incremental profit margin. Obviously, for a select few it’s a case of ‘cost-of-living crisis be damned’, with no less than eight extra Cullinan SUVs and the same number of sedans finding a home last year. 4) Mini: A big year for Mini, including a major JCW-focused refresh across the range as well as a burst of sales for the pure-electric Aceman line-up. There were substantial boosts for the Cabrio (+100 per cent), Cooper (+45.2 per cent) and Countryman (+19 per cent).   3) Polestar: It was a case of swings and roundabouts for the Swedish EV specialist with the Polestar 2 liftback dropping sales while the larger 3 and 4 SUVs expanded total numbers by close to 40 per cent. Stand by for the performance-focused Polestar 5 GT’s impact when it arrives here mid-year.2) BYD: Market appetite for BYD’s products grew in parallel with its model range, the Chinese giant’s Aussie line-up expanding from four to eight models. Newcomers like the Atto 1, Atto 2 and Sealion 7 grew its share of the pie dramatically, but the star of the show was the Shark 6 hybrid ute, racking up more than 18,000 sales for the year.1) Chery: The sharply-priced Tiggo 4 Pro small SUV has proved a smash hit for Chery with sales building steadily over 2025, to the point where it’s nipping at the heels of the category-leading Hyundai Kona and MG ZS. Adding the large Tiggo 9 large SUV also delivered handy incremental sales.5) Suzuki: Despite the addition of the Fronx small hybrid SUV mid-year (which captured a handy 1667 sales) the evergreen Japanese brand went backwards in 2025, with stocks of the discontinued Ignis dwindling, Swift sales decreasing and even the cult-favourite Jimny in decline.   4) Jaguar: Kind of a no-brainer given the brand very publicly pulled the pin on production of everything except the F-Pace SUV for 12 months in preparation for a new, more premium range ramping up through 2026 and 2027. The big surprise is sales of the pure-electric E-Pace growing four per cent year-on-year despite the manufacturing halt. Must have been a few in stock.  3) Maserati: Sales volume dropping by close to a third is rarely a good thing but with the Maserati Levante SUV falling off the radar there weren’t enough Grecale SUV buyers ready to pick up the slack. The Granturismo and Grancabrio coupe and convertible GTs were also missing in action creating a low ebb for the iconic Italian. 2) Jeep: Speaking of iconic brands, Jeep has been fighting well-publicised head winds in its US home market thanks to a seemingly ill-advised move to a more premium positioning with prices to match. Despite a slight sales uptick for the Grand Cherokee as it leaves the local stage, serious falls for the Wrangler 4WD and Gladiator ute also took the wind out of Jeep’s sales here.1) Lotus: Who would have thought a brand famous for simplifying and adding lightness in producing race-ready sports cars would be punished for heading down the pure-electric path with a heavy SUV (Eletre) and big four-door GT (Emeya). Even the internal-combustion mid-engine Emira (despite a stay of production execution) dropped by more than 50 per cent.   

Hyundai has placed heavy discounts across its range of electric Kona compact SUVs.