Industry news

Electric cars are back in Honda's plans.Honda has chosen giant engineering and IT firm Tata Group subsidiary Tata Technologies to help develop a future EV and hybrid platform, according to NikkeiAsia.Tata Group owns Jaguar Land Rover and deals with a range of automotive and aeronautical projects, and its Technologies arm specialises in platform development.This will reduce costs for Honda as it grapples with heavy financial losses, expecting to lose $3.29 billion (or nearly $5 billion in Australian currency). Its new EV direction could have huge implications for Australia. This new platform is expected to be used on several new hybrid and fully-electric Honda models.These vehicles are earmarked for sale in Asia and other regions, but not North America.The brand has been undergoing a serious reshuffle of its future product lineup globally, ditching an EV strategy to focus on hybrid cars.The platform could help Honda get into the mainstream EV space at a cheaper rate than its now cancelled ‘0 series’ electric car plans.There is no news on what models will spawn from the platform, but don't expect official announcements anytime soon.The models developed from Honda’s Tata Group partnership will specifically target Asian markets and other non-North American regions, so Australia is a firm possibility.It is likely some of these cars will be built in right-hand drive, smoothing the path for any potential future launch Down Under.Honda is eager to obtain further electrified models in Australia as it faces substantial fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). Honda’s CR-V, HR-V and ZR-V SUV range now features hybrid set-ups, with electrified sales offsetting fines under the NVES emissions scheme. The brand released its Super-One electric city car as its first EV in Australia recently.Models will launch in Asia before feasibly entering Australia, but it is unclear when that might be.

The Geely EX2 is already due for fresh competition in Australia. GAC has confirmed a cheaper variant of its Aion UT electric hatchback will be coming to Australia before the end of the year. The Aion UT launched in April 2026 as GAC’s affordable EV option, starting from $31,990, before on-road costs.It trailed cheaper rivals the BYD Dolphin ($29,990) and Geely EX2 ($26,490) on the sales charts in July.GAC has big ambitions in Australia, with a new base Aion UT expected to narrow the price gap on its closest competitors. The ‘short-range’ Aion UT will have a smaller 44kWh battery compared to the 60kWh unit found in the current grades on sale Down Under. It will offer a driving range of 320km, according to WLTP standards, compared to 430km available on its more expensive siblings. GAC has not revealed output figures for the car, but overseas variants have a front-mounted electric motor making 100kW/145Nm, down from 150kW/210Nm on current Aussie stock.  The cheaper Aion UT could also forgo some of the features on up-specs variants, but more details will be confirmed close to launch. The car has been officially earmarked for Aussie arrival in late Q4 2026, but CarsGuide understands it will launch specifically in December.There is no official news on how much GAC’s new Aion UT variant will cost, but the brand is eager for it to compete with the cheapest rivals on the market. We know it will be offered from less than the $31,990 price tag attached to car's current base grade.It starts in China from 102,000 yuan (or about $22,000), but models imported into Australia usually inherit a 20 per cent hike, so it is more likely to be priced from around $27,000-plus.

Where are you right now? Because that’s where you were when you found out that the price of EVs globally fell below those of hybrids in this historic first for the auto industry.According to a report from car industry analytics company Mobility Global which studied pricing automotive data from around the world the average price of electric vehicles has not only fallen dramatically but has now even dropped below that of hybrids.The report shows that the average global price of an electric car is $52,373, a decrease of nine per cent compared to 2020 EV prices. At the same time the global average price of hybrids increased to $55,204 making them more expensive than EV for the first time.Mobility Global cites the lower cost of EV batteries and the rapid expansion of affordable Chinese electric vehicles on offer as the main drivers of the price decrease.The price of lithium which goes into high-voltage EV batteries has dropped due to a surplus in China which controls about 80 per cent of the market. The cost of an EV’s battery accounts for about 40 percent of the car’s total build price. The lower lithium prices have caused the price of batteries to drop by an estimated 37 per cent since 2020.Australia has recently seen an enormous uptake of EVs. June and July this year saw EV sales break records, securing more than 20 per cent of the market in both months.  While prices have fallen vastly in Australia CarsGuide calculated the average price of EVs is still slightly above those of hybrids locally. Using pricing data from August, 2026 CarsGuide calculated the average price of battery electric vehicles to be approximately $100,135, down from approximately $104,091 in August, 2025. We also calculated the average price of hybrids (including plug-in hybrids) in August, 2026 - approximately $93,767, that’s down from approximately $98,682 in August, 2025.Sounds high? Well, as a reference point CarsGuide also found that the average price of petrol cars in Australia is approximately $90,545.All figures were calculated by dividing the sum total of prices for each category (BEV, hybrid, petrol) by the number of models (including the variants) within the category. That means even the super high end models are counted along with the very cheapest.Still, the price of EVs in Australia has never been so low. The BYD Atto 1 is the most affordable electric car in Australia at a list price of $23,990 for the Essential grade. This is followed by the Geely EX2 Complete for $26,490, the BYD Dolphin Essential at $29,990 and BYD Atto 2 for $31,990.  

GWM is rolling out its new 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine imminently in Australia, but it’s already exploring electrification to further reduce emissions in the future.This electrified 3.0-litre diesel engine may take the form of either a hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV), or both.It is expected to launch locally around 2028 to offset tightening emissions standards.“Fuel consumption has a direct relation to emissions, and we've been able to get low enough to pass the current emission standard without needing AdBlue,” said GWM ANZ Product Planning Manager Timothy Leong to CarsGuide.“In about 2028, that's when it's going to change. But even then, we haven't decided whether it's AdBlue or hybrid or what other technology we might be putting in.”It’s understood GWM is working on more diesel hybrids and PHEVs beyond the ones based on the 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.This likely includes electrified versions of GWM’s existing 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines.It’s understood these electrified diesel engines will be used in body-on-frame vehicles in both the Hi4-T and Hi4-Z PHEV configurations. The former is more off-road focused and retains a mechanical four-wheel drive system, while the latter is more on-road focused motor and prioritises electric performance.The GWM Cannon Alpha, Tank 500 and Tank 300 are already offered with both Hi4-T and Hi-4Z petrol-electric set-ups globally. Only the Hi4-T versions are offered in Australia.It’s understood these future electrified diesel engines may be used in a transverse orientation in other two-wheel drive vehicles across GWM’s line-up.It appears the main reason why GWM is exploring electrified diesel engines is to further reduce CO2 and NOx emissions.The forthcoming GWM Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha with the regular 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine are claimed to consume 7.1L/100km and 7.3L/100km, respectively, according to ADR 81/02 testing.Claimed CO2 and NOx emissions figures for the 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine haven’t been published yet.Another potential benefit GWM may be targeting with its electrified diesel engines is additional performance. Electric motors are known for producing peak torque from a standstill and this may improve initial acceleration and low-speed response.GWM won’t be the only carmaker to be offering electrified diesel engines if it does roll them out in 2028.Chery is launching the Stockman dual-cab ute in Australia before the end of 2026 with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel PHEV. It’s claimed to have total system outputs of 350kW and 800Nm and offer up to 100km of NEDC-claimed electric range.A petrol-electric PHEV version of the Stockman will follow and will rival the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha Hi4-T PHEV and Ford Ranger Hybrid.Audi, BMW, Mazda and Mercedes-Benz, among others, currently offer diesel mild-hybrid powertrains.Mercedes-Benz does offer diesel PHEV powertrains globally in a number of models, but none have ever been offered in Australia.

Is Volkswagen the canary in the coal mine?The German automotive giant, not long removed from its aspirations of taking on Toyota as the world’s largest car maker, is in the midst of a massive overhaul. While nothing has been officially confirmed, reports indicate that as many as 100,000 jobs, four factories and up to 75 models across the Volkswagen Group could go as the operation attempts to right-size.Volkswagen sales are down nearly 20 per cent year-to-date to July in Australia, Cupra has lost over 30 per cent of its sales, Audi is down nearly 15 per cent and Skoda has dropped three per cent. Even Porsche, long seen as the ‘rock’ of the Group is hurting, down nearly 30 per cent.But Volkswagen isn’t alone, there is a growing sense the automotive industry, both in Australia and globally, is on the verge of a major transition. The influx of new brands from China shows no sign of slowing down, there are two more - Lepas and Forthing - set to launch in Australia in August. The reality is, the new car market around the world, but particularly in Australia, is only so big. Adding another 10-20 new brands won’t suddenly increase the amount of people buying cars as dramatically. Especially as data shows the number of driving age people in Australia without a licence is growing as more and more people prefer public transport or other alternatives.But putting the global impact aside and focusing on Australia, it is becoming clear that 2026 will likely be a turning point for the local market. Like I said, Volkswagen Group isn’t alone in suffering a decline in sales.A look at the July sales data shows sales drops this year for Toyota, Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Subaru, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the list goes on. There are some ‘legacy’ brands pushing against the trend, namely Kia and Honda, but the real winners this year are BYD, GWM, Chery, MG, Geely, Omoda-Jaecoo and Zeekr.It doesn’t take an industry analyst to recognise the pattern. As these new Chinese brands have made an impact on the sales charts - all of those listed are within the top 20 selling brands -  those sales have to come from somewhere. As I’ve written before, the new car sales ‘pie’ is only so big so everyone is going to have to get comfortable having a different sized slice of pie compared to previous years. The impact of cost-of-living pressures and the on-going uncertainty around fuel prices has played a major part in the shake-up too, but the idea that things will go back to ‘normal’ in 2027 and beyond, with the Chinese brands fading into the background is ridiculous.The likes of BYD, GWM and Chery are now likely permanent fixtures amongst the best-selling brands, and that will mean every other brand will need to adapt to this new world order. A sales drop is not what any brand wants, but for most it’s something they will need to accept for both this year and moving world order.

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way here.First, we know electric cars are fast, Tesla fans haven’t stopped talking about this since the mid-2010s and there have been countless videos with evidence of the Model S leaving supercharged V8s in the dust at drag strips.Even ‘slow’ EVs feel quick due to their instant application of torque from stand-still. An electric car with a 0-100km/h time of 6 seconds can feel fast because of it.And since I’ve mentioned 0-100km/h, that’s the method we’ll be using to rank which of the electric cars available in Australia is fastest - not their top speed, given you’ll almost never be able to do anything with that.Finally, we are talking about production cars currently available through manufacturers in Australia, so hypercars like the YangWang U9 or anything Rimac is cooking up are off the list.Some of you will be happy to know this means you’re not seeing a photo of the Ferrari Luce here.Conveniently, this means we have five electric cars with a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration figure in under three seconds. Porsche’s frontiering Taycan might soon be on the chopping block according to rumours of an incoming VW model cull, but for now you can still get to 100km/h in a couple of smidgeons over two seconds. That’s if you have almost $300K to spare, given you’ll probably tick one or two boxes on the options list over its $419,000 before on-roads asking price.The Taycan draws power from a 93kWh battery, making 815kW and 1340Nm for all four of its wheels, and even without the Weissach pack removing some weight it’ll manage the run to the tonne in 2.3 seconds.Only second on this list because of alphabetisation, the top-spec Audi e-tron (the Audi RS e-tron GT Performance to give it the proper name) hits 100km/h in a claimed 2.5 seconds, on par with another Porsche.You won’t be surprised to know the e-tron shares a platform with the Taycan, though its most powerful version isn’t quite as vicious - 680kW and 1027Nm draw from a larger 105kWh battery, and it’s not quite as pricey either. A relative bargain at  $309,900 before on-roads, in fact.Tied for second place is this absolute unit, two-and-a-half tonnes of Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen (built in Bratislava, Slovakia, though) capable of hitting 100km/h in 2.5sec thanks to some frankly silly numbers.Its 850kW and 1500Nm outputs are available from even less than the two cars preceding it on this list, $272,100 before on-roads, and the 113kWh battery means the family SUV can travel up to 623km on a single charge, Porsche says.An oil-cooled rear motor, active aero, a drag coefficient of 0.25 and even the ability to tow 3500kg make the Cayenne Turbo a one-of-a-kind family car.England’s Lotus has ruffled feathers by ‘going electric’, likely something that would indeed upset founder Colin Chapman, but staying relevant in the 2020s probably required moving on from popping superchargers on Toyota engines and using them to power (extremely dynamic) cars about the size of shopping trolleys.Lotus claims the top-spec version of the Emeya, a $259,990 four-door grand-tourer with 675kW and 985Nm up its sleeve, can hit 100km/h in a very specific 2.75 seconds. It does weigh around 2.5 tonnes, so imagine how quick it would be if you took the classic quote often attributed to Chapman “simplify and add lightness” to the Emeya.Apologies to anyone hoping for variety in this list - we’ve got three Volkswagen Group cars and two Lotuses with essentially the same specifications.The Lotus Eletre R is two tenths slower to 100km/h according to the manufacturer, but the SUV uses the same 675kW/985Nm dual-motor drivetrain and 112kWh battery, it’s just a little heavier thanks to its SUV shape.It’s also a little more expensive, asking $20,000 more at $279,990 before on-roads.

Chery’s comeback from zero to hero in Australia is truly remarkable, but what has been the secret to its second-time lucky success?  Did Chery stumble onto a genie’s lamp while it was lost in the wilderness and wish for sales success? Because somewhere between 2015 and 2026 the car company, which left Australia with a reputation for low-quality, unsafe vehicles, returned a decade later with a line-up of outstanding cars that have won over Australia.Australian sales until the end of July show Chery to be the eighth best-selling car brand in Australia, with 29,579 vehicles sold. The Tiggo 4 small SUV was the fifth most popular car in Australia last month.This means Chery has overtaken mainstream brands such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Honda and Subaru. It is even starting to creep into the Mazda (currently on 46,960), Hyundai (45,581) and Kia (48,399) bracket.Chery will get even closer to these brands, as they are losing sales and Chery’s market share is increasing. And its ute hasn’t even arrived.When the Chery Stockman arrives it won’t just be another ute, it’ll likely have the same success as BYD’s Shark 6 because it’ll offer the benefit of being a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The edge the Stockman will have over the Shark 6 is it’ll be a diesel PHEV, not a petrol, which will make it popular for off-road use and towing. The addition of Stockman will increase Chery’s sales by at least 1000 per month. Whether it catches Hyundai, Kia and Mazda before the end of the year is yet to be seen, but Chery has come from a lot further back.This time last year Chery had sold only 17,272 cars, and the current year-to-date sales represent a doubling in market share to 4.2 per cent.Toyota is the final boss of the Australian car market and its year-to-date sales of 115,550 make everybody else’s results seem minuscule, even BYD that has reached 60,192. Chery is probably not gunning for the top spot right now, unless that was specifically wished for when it found the magic lamp.For Chery to even reach where it is today in the three years since it returned to Australia in 2023, with one car and no sales in almost a decade seems nothing short of magical.The truth is Chery’s stellar comeback is down to five factors: elevating quality perception through design but keeping retail pricing low; hiring outside automotive designers and engineers from European, United States and Korean car companies; investing big in next-gen electric and hybrid platforms, and mostly important and the reason for all of this - focussing on exports.That’s it! Oh, and just add excellent timing and money, lots of money.The importance of Chery’s export focus can’t be overstated. Exports bankroll the business. Not a lot of profit is made in Chery’s local Chinese market, while bigger than our Australian brains can comprehend, it’s so cut-throat that vehicle manufacturers are struggling to make a decent profit. So ruthless was the price war that in February this year the Chinese government banned car makers from selling below production cost, which they had been doing just to compete with each other. The stomach was eating itself.Chery realised this and put most of its energy into exports and this meant lifting the quality to a standard oversea markets had become accustomed to set by Japanese car makers such as Toyota, Honda and Mazda.This meant hiring designers and engineers from outside China, senior executives from European, Korean, Japanese and American car companies    Steve Eum, Korean born but raised in the United States, is now Chery’s Vice President and General Manager of Global Design having worked for Kia, Hyundai, General Motors and even Ford where he was based in Australia and worked on the Falcon.Eum succeeded Kevin Rice, who had worked on the MX-5 and helped develop the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series.Keeping that premium feel but pricing the vehicles to be among the most affordable vehicles offered in a market is guaranteed to be a sales winning combination anywhere, especially in Australia.Chery’s been smart enough to add sub-brands such as Jaecoo, Omoda and Lepas, which bring more luxury, sportiness and premium electric choices. The Jaecoo J5 for instance is often mistaken for a Range Rover when spotted on the road. That the hybrid and electric technology is outstanding, was also important. Chery’s super hybrids such as the Tiggo 9 and Tiggo 8 are incredibly fuel efficient.   Chery’s timing of having a wide range of affordable electric and hybrid vehicles at precisely the same time as Australian buyers were switching to EVs in record numbers was also key. The fuel crises caused by the war in Iran pushed EV sales to more than 23 per cent of all new cars sold in June and continued through July when it was above 21 per cent.In July 2026 Chery became the first Chinese car maker to surpass 20 million global sales. Sales in Europe for Chery were up by more than 200 per cent and in the UK Chery came in at No.2 for sales in July beating local favourite Ford.And the company hasn’t even started selling in the United States yet, but it will within the next two years.Chery has been very fortunate this time around, but luck is only when opportunity meets skill as they say.Or maybe Chery did find a genie’s lamp. In which case I wonder what its two other wishes were? 

Nissan has confirmed its incoming Y63 Patrol will have six variants to choose from in Australia.The carmaker confirmed the line-up after it accidentally sent placeholder information live on its public website but has since been taken down, according to a Nissan Australia spokesperson.Images of the six-tier line-up were shared on social media showing the potential choices.“While the content was not intended for public release and included placeholder information used during website development, we can confirm the all-new Patrol will be offered in six well-specified grades in Australia,” said a Nissan spokesperson.“The grade names may not be exactly as shown in the screenshots, and some of the information is placeholder content rather than final product details. “We'll share the official model lineup and key specifications later this month.”It is no coincidence that it matches the six-tier Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, with the two expected to go toe-to-toe for Australian 4WD customers.The Patrol appears to top out with a luxury focused version, with the more off-road focused Pro-4X variant one rung down.This flips the script on the LandCruiser, which tops its line-up with the rough-and-tumble GR Sport grade with the full fruit Sahara ZX next variant down.There is no Nismo version, which is available in the US and the Middle East, shown in the leaked line-up. And Australia is expected to gain a Warrior version created by local outfit Premcar in time.CarsGuide spotted an uncamouflaged version of the Patrol was spotted driving through Melbourne CBD this week ahead of its early 2027 launch date.This is after numerous sightings of covered-up versions undertaking local testing ahead of its on sale date.The brand confirmed order books for the new 4WD will open before the end of August, with prices and full specification to be reveal then.Nissan swaps out the Y62’s 5.6-litre eight-cylinder petrol unit for a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol making 317kW and 700Nm, or 19kW and 140Nm more than before.The Y63 Patrol is built on a new platform and is bigger in almost every way. It is now 5205mm long (+35mm), 2030mm wide (+35mm), though the 1955m height remains unchanged.It’s also bigger in the third row, thanks to the rear section and boot being 30 per cent wider than in the Y62.It’s got some high-tech suspension too, with the air suspension system allowing the car to raise up an additional 70mm. This helps improve approach and departure angles when tackling properly tough terrain.

Ford has officially named its new mid-size electric ute ahead of an imminent reveal.Dubbed the Ford Fathom, the US carmaker claims the name is purposely meant to stand out from the crowd and it aligns with the type of buyer it’s targeting with this vehicle.The name is a big step away from Ranchero, which was pegged for a revival in previous reports. Ford claims it did explore this name, but it did not fit the new electric ute.Pre-orders for the Fathom are set to open in the US in early 2027 and at this stage it’s unclear if right-hand drive production is on the cards, but there is a strong hint it will come Down Under.The Ford Fathom is the first vehicle to be built on the US carmaker’s new Universal EV platform. It’s a modular architecture and a series of new vehicles will be based on it.Ford has confirmed the Fathom will have a starting price of US$28,350 (~A$40,330), before on-road costs, with the standard-range battery in the US. This confirms Ford is planning to offer multiple battery configurations.The Fathom’s starting price is also virtually identical to the Maverick hybrid ute in the US.The US carmaker has also confirmed all versions of the Fathom will come with the following:Five seatsVehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilityCargo bedFrunkLarge central touchscreenApple Maps integrationApple CarPlay and Android AutoBlueCruise semi-autonomous driving capabilityAt this stage Ford hasn’t officially revealed the exterior or interior design of the Fathom, but a number of camouflaged prototypes have been captured.It showed the Fathom is notably smaller than the Ranger and more on par with the Maverick for size.There’s a boxy silhouette with slab sides and a stubby glasshouse area.No official details regarding the tub dimensions, payload, towing capacity, battery capacities, range, power or torque have been confirmed yet.At this stage Ford hasn’t confirmed whether the Fathom will be produced in right-hand drive.The US carmaker has previously confirmed however that its Universal EV platform is capable of right-hand drive.Ford has reserved the Fathom name in Australia to use on "motor vehicles, namely, gasoline and electric automobiles, pick-up trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles and their structural parts", according to the trademark filing. This sounds like the just confirmed Fathom and leaves the door open to an arrival in the future.As it currently stands Ford doesn’t offer any electric ute in Australia. The now-defunct F-150 Lightning was never officially offered through local Ford dealers, though some were imported and remanufactured to right-hand drive by third parties.The Ranger is by far Ford’s best-selling vehicle in Australia and it has been the best-seller Down Under overall for three consecutive years. It is now offered in a sprawling number of versions, including the Super Duty and plug-in hybrid (PHEV), but no fully electric offering is available.If the Ford Fathom does come to Australia it will form as a rival to the KGM Musso EV, which is also built on a monocoque platform, rather than a tougher body-on-frame architecture, like the Ranger.

We’re more than halfway through 2026 and I can definitively say that this year's new cars are the ugliest to date.Sure you can argue the plastic fantastic cars of the late 1990s and early 2000s, or the asthmatic land yachts from the mid-to-late 1970s looked the worst, but so far this year what carmakers have been revealing is an assault to the eyes.Suspect number one is the Ferrari Luce.The Italian carmaker’s recent car design has been rather indistinguishable from model to model. For example, if you told me to tell you the difference between a 849 Testarossa and 12Cilindri and Amalfi, I’d really struggle. I say this as a die-hard car fan.But the Luce marked a jagged change in direction for Ferrari. It was designed by creative collection LoveFrom, which was founded by former Apple exec Sir Jony Ive.I’ll admit the interior of the Luce is stunning and the blending of digital and analogue elements is ingenious, but the exterior is a bloated mess. It’s made even worse with the fact it has a Ferrari badge on it.The Luce would make so much more sense with any other badge attached to it.This is just the tip of the iceberg. Five days before the Luce was revealed, Mercedes-AMG revealed its all-new AMG GT 4-Door.Mercedes did receive some negative press regarding the AMG GT 4-Door’s design, it was arguably saved by the reveal of the Luce as the news cycle and people’s attention shifted very quickly.Its design deserved to be roasted more. Like the Luce, the new AMG GT 4-Door is all-electric and it looks just as horrific. The Mercedes is much more flashy and tacky, though.I’ll admit that the overall silhouette is slick and low-sprung, like a performance car should, but the front grille and lighting signatures are a hot mess.Then inside, if you take the Mercedes-Benz badge away, the AMG GT 4-Door doesn't have anything distinguishing it specifically as a Mercedes model.Sure you could argue that the circular air vents or the screen set-up is a Mercedes design trait, but there is more to design language than this.Lastly there’s the new Nissan Juke, which is all-electric and a European-focused model, meaning it’s not coming to Australia.The Juke has always had a polarising design, but this new-generation takes it to the next level.There are so many creases and lines on the outside that it looks like the car has been pre-crashed or perhaps hasn’t fully rendered yet.I will admit that with certain colour combinations the new Juke does look cool, but the lighting, especially the tail lights look silly. They’re mounted so low and are too large.While the new Juke stands out too much, there are a plethora of gargantuan Chinese SUVs with range-extender (REEV) powertrains that are indistinguishable from each other. They’re all large blobs on wheels with ginormous grilles.Examples that have been revealed so far in 2026 include the IM LS9 Hyper, Wey V9X, XPeng GX and the Zeekr 8X. Many more will likely pop up before the end of the year.Although there have been some shockingly bad-looking cars revealed this year, there are still some diamonds in the rough. 2026 also seems to be the revival of the wagon.Some highlights include the new Audi RS5, which is available in liftback and wagon, as well as the new A6 allroad, which has some of the best and most exaggerated rear wheel arches that I’ve seen on a production car for a long time.The new Dacia Striker is a beautiful-looking car that has just the right amount of wagon and crossover SUV design elements. It’s segment-busting in the same way as the Peugeot 408 and previous-generation Subaru Outback are.It’s worth noting once again that 2026 is only halfway through and there is still another six months to go. There’s still time to turn things around in terms of new car design, but I’ll believe it when I see it.