Industry news

Chinese car makers should take note: Toyota is the big boss in the Australian car industry game and its just-launched new-generation RAV4 mid-sized SUV will lead the Japanese fight back.The latest industry sales data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and EV Council suggests Chinese-sourced cars are poised to overtake their Japanese rivals in Australia for the country-of-origin title for 2026.Year-to-date sales (until the end of March) of new cars in Australia show that 77,695 cars sold were made in China (some imported by , while 71,596 were produced in Japan.That’s a 51.4 per cent increase compared to the same quarter last year for China, and a 25.4 per cent decrease for Japan.So, is this it for the Japanese giants? Is this the beginning of a fall from being the world’s largest automotive powerhouse and the country that makes the cars Aussies have bought the most for decades?Not yet, and nobody should underestimate Toyota’s strength. Because while it is clear other Japanese brands such as Honda and Suzuki have seen better days in Australia, Toyota is not about to roll over.If anything, the company has a few aces up its sleeve and one of them is the RAV4.The new-generation RAV4 just launched here in Australia in April and it’s Toyota’s not-so-secret weapon to win back Australians. In 2025 the RAV4 was the second best-selling vehicle in Australia, behind the Ford Ranger ute.That is not bad for a car which had been on sale since 2018 and was competing against much more modern, newer SUVs.The new-generation RAV4 is likely to become the number-one best-selling car in Australia in 2026.Speaking at the launch of the new RAV4, Toyota Australia CEO John Pappas announced his expectations for the SUV’s sales and said that the orders even early on were high.“Before we wholesaled the car, we had about 10,000 orders already taken,” Pappas said.“So that gives us a good indication on the demand at that early point before actually launching it.“We expect to do around 40,000 this year and then next year, we expect to do over 50,000 RAVs.”It’s a realistic number that Toyota will almost certainly hit and possibly sail past.In 2025 51,947 RAV4s were sold when it came home second in the annual sales race.The closest mid-size SUV rivals to the RAV4 in 2025 were the Mazda CX-5 (22,742 units sold), Mitsubishi Outlander (22,459), Tesla Model Y (22,239) and Hyundai Tucson (20,145).Chinese rivals such as the BYD Sealion 7 (13,410 units sold in 2025) and GWM Haval H6 (13,217) are far behind RAV4 and may not ever reach sales as high as the 50,000 Toyota expects from its mid-size SUV.The combination of Toyota’s RAV4 and its new HiLux ute, plus other popular Toyota favourites such as the Corolla, Corolla Cross, Yaris Cross Camry, Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series should comfortably see Toyota as the best-selling brand again for this year.Last year Toyota sold 239,863 vehicles in Australia, making it the best-selling car brand for 2025. And compared to its Japanese cousins such as Honda, Nissan Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki, Isuzu and Mazda, Toyota is doing the heavy lifting — with those seven others accounting for a combined 300,695 sales. That’s a total of 540,558 Japanese made cars sold in Australia last year.Could the Chinese competitors outdo this with their own combined tally? The monthly sales figures for 2026 say they will and this year could be that tipping point year. But RAV4 and Hilux could stop them.Ask the same question this time next year and it’s almost certain that if the Chinese brands continue their seemingly unstoppable march, the Japanese will be beaten. The battle is not just about high volumes, but in the case of Chinese car makers it’s the vast number of different brands (22 at last count) and the proliferation of models – especially affordable electric ones. Yes, 2026 could be the last year that the Japanese brands rule Australia and a lot hinges on the RAV4’s success this year, otherwise the Chinese win might just come earlier.

Jaecoo, Chery’s premium sub-brand, has announced the arrival of a much-anticipated seven-seat version of its J8 large SUV, which will also feature a plug-in hybrid set-up for the first time. There is no news yet on the pricing for this latest J8 variant, but expect it to be above the $54,990 (drive-away) price tag attached to the all-wheel drive five-seater petrol model currently on sale.The J8 will go into direct competition with the closely-related Chery Tiggo 8 all-wheel drive PHEV and the BYD Sealion 8, which both sit around $50K-$60K bracket.There are limited details available on the new J8, but it will use the same 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up found on the Omoda 9, which is on sale in Australia. The Omoda 9’s three electric motor set-up produces 395kW, so expect a similar figure on the J8 PHEV.Jaecoo has also confirmed the car will have an all-wheel drive system. This will be the first electrified J8 model, with the only other two models being front-wheel and all-wheel drive petrol units.Competing in the large SUV segment, the J8 is approaching one year on the Aussie market, but trails the likes of the Tiggo 8 and the Sealion 8 on sales charts.It has sold less than 200 units this year, compared to the Sealion 8’s more than 1500 and the Tiggo 8’s more than 1000. The brand has decided to bring across a seven-seater J8 due to popular demand for a full-size family car in the lineup. The J8’s announcement comes with the brand continuing to expand its range Down Under, following the well-received J5 EV at the start of 2026, and the soon-launching petrol variant of that car. It is expected the J8 PHEV will launch in Australia in the third quarter of 2026, along with a hybrid version of the J5. 

Toyota is not overly concerned with the influx of Chinese car brands in Australia’s top-10 best-selling brands list, despite their increasing market presence.At the end of the first quarter of the year, Toyota remained well out in front with 44,490 units sold, but that represents a 23 per cent drop on the same period last year.Just outside the top five, the Chinese giants are waiting to strike. BYD (17,541) was the sixth best-selling carmaker for the quarter, followed by GWM (14,878), while Chery (11,736) is now in ninth place, and MG (10,595) rounds out the top 10, keeping Isuzu Ute and Subaru out of the list.All four of these Chinese automakers have aggressive targets and plans to grow significantly in Australia, with BYD hoping to one day be the new top brand.Despite the encroaching Chinese brands, Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said he “respects all of Toyota’s competitors”, but highlighted Toyota’s strong product offering and aftersales and customer support as brand strengths.“For us, it's not just about selling a car for us, right? You know, for us, it's all about the customer experience. It's about, you know, making sure that we've got great products, first and foremost, that we can service our customers with,” he told CarsGuide.“But it's also about the brand experience. It's about the aftersales support we give them. It's about the warranty. It's about the resale of the vehicle. It's about the whole end-to-end value proposition that we can enable a great experience at every single touch point with our customers, and that's what's most important for us.“It's not just about the sale of a new vehicle. We want to make sure that we can look after them the whole way across the journey. And you know, we've got an extensive dealer network that is the best in the business that continues to provide that excellent care for our customers. And it's about how we contribute to society as well. So for us, it's a whole end-to-end proposition. For Toyota, that's what it's about.”Some newer Chinese carmakers including BYD have faced scrutiny from owners and pundits over a lack of planning in the early stages of their entry to the market. Parts warehouses took too long to ramp up, parts supply and distribution was poor and customer service was also lacking.Many of the brands including GWM, Chery and BYD have acknowledged these issues and have since put in place measures to address them.Pappas highlighted recent investment in Toyota's parts centres across the country, including in WA, NSW, Victoria and Brisbane, and ways of further improving the customer experience.In terms of wait times for new Toyota deliveries, Pappas said it was currently between three-to-six months, with some exceptions.He dismissed the threat of some of the newer Chinese brands that have ample stock of models and short or no wait times.“We know that our customers, from a wait time point of view –three to six months – if you can give them clarity within that period, it's okay. And that's where we're at at the moment.”

“If we keep waiting for perfection, we will never start.”I read that quote somewhere years ago – apologies to whoever said it – and the moment I heard it I thought about electric cars.There’s been a lot of talk about electric cars for a long time, but for obvious reasons interest has been higher in recent months.The ongoing global oil crisis has driven petrol and diesel prices higher, and as a knock-on effect electric vehicle (EV) sales surged to nearly 15 per cent of the total Australia new-car market in March. That was an almost five per cent improvement on where the local EV sales share had seemingly settled for well over a year. And yet the majority of the market remains powered by some form of internal-combustion engine and there remains a number of vocal critics of EVs.The oil crisis has highlighted previous government decisions to gradually reduce our energy independence with fossil fuels and focus instead on renewable energy.This is another area where critics love to bash EVs and question their long-term suitability.But it makes me wonder if there were people so vehemently anti-automobile over 100 years ago?There were almost certainly people questioning the commonsense of switching to a horseless carriage that is powered, effectively, by a series of small explosions, and fuelled by a highly flammable liquid that would need to be dug out of the ground, refined and then transported and sold across national networks.Why not just stick with a horse that can eat grass?Or why replace the telegram with a telephone.How on earth would you create an interconnected network of telephone lines across nations, with each house having their own handset?Surely that would have been considered a greedy play by the newly formed telephone industry back in the day.Obviously I’m being a bit facetious, although I’m sure there was pushback on cars and telephones, like there is with so many things in life.Part of what pushes us forward as a species in challenging ourselves and others to always do better.Take the, very reasonable, claim from the anti-EV crowd that many of the rare earth materials used in batteries are damaging for the environment in both who it is produced and used.Cobalt is a prime example and is a troubling material, with serious question marks over how it is mined. Which is why more and more battery manufacturers are switching to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, as they contain no cobalt. It’s just one of a number of evolutionary changes manufacturers are making to improve EVs.And make no mistake, EVs will only get better and better. Less harmful production methods, smaller, more efficient batteries, more range and even better public charging infrastructure.The recent NASA Artemis II mission to go back to the room is another reminder of humankind’s ability to evolve technology at a rapid rate.Looking back at the computers used in the Apollo missions had a tiny fraction of the computing power that your mobile phone has.I’m old enough to have used five-inch floppy disks with computers that could only store 360kB of data, and now my children have access to tiny USB flash drives capable of holding 2TB of data.Electric cars have only become a mainstream alternative in the last 15 years. Think about how fast smartphone technology has moved in that time.Electric vehicles are not perfect now, and anyone who claims they are a faultless solution is kidding themselves, but there is no reason why they will simply not get better and better over time.To be clear, I am not saying everyone needs to drive an EV as soon as possible. Or even that EVs are the one-size-fits-all solution.To borrow a line from Toyota, I genuinely believe the future is a ‘mutli-pathway solution’ that mixes technologies including EVs, carbon neutral fuels and hybrids.But we must use this current crisis as a moment to make a definitive and long-lasting change.If you’ve been sitting on the fence about an EV, now is the time to reassess your decision. Because if you’re waiting for the perfect time, we will never get there.

Chery sub-brand Omoda Jaecoo has signalled its desire to add a ute to its Australian line-up. Earlier this year, Chery unveiled its ‘KP31’ concept, which is scheduled to launch before the end of this year with a diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain. The brand also showed off a monocoque-chassis recreational ute concept late last year in China called 'T1TP', with local Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris keen to bring such a product Down Under. “There have been some type approval documents and that sort of thing that people have found, which has the monocoque chassis P1TP ute,” Harris told CarsGuide previously.“It is absolutely something we are interested in. I think there is an interesting market for that,” he said.Harris went on to say this ute could fit under any of Chery's sub-brands, which includes Jaecoo, but it appears any monocoque ute would be contingent on the success of the KP31.Omoda Jaecoo’s Chief Commercial Officer in Australia Roy Munoz has put his hand up for the brand to receive a ute, and give it a different feel.It would diversify the brand’s portfolio beyond SUVs into the ute game and Munoz said Omoda Jaecoo needs a ute if it is going to compete in Australia. “Given that Chery as a group is working on the ute platform and powertrain, certainly it’s something we have access to under Omoda Jaecoo,” Munoz told CarsGuide.“Obviously Australians have a love of utes and to be a serious contender or player in Australia, you need that as part of your product portfolios.“If we can hit the market with a touch of masstige (mass market prestige) version of that, whatever that might look like, there will certainly be a market for it.“We’d love to see it. Nothing is off the table.”Jaecoo currently has three SUV models on sale in Australia, ranging from the small J5 to the mid-size J7 and the large J8. It looks like there are no plans for an Omoda Jaecoo ute to launch this year with the focus remaining on the success of the KP31 under the Chery name. 

Hyundai has renewed its commitment to the Chinese market at this year’s Beijing motor show, claiming it’ll launch 20 new models over the next five years.The South Korean carmaker is officially spinning out its all-electric Ioniq brand and its first dedicated model is the Ioniq V electric liftback.A production version of the recently revealed Venus concept, the Ioniq V has an angular design that from some angles is reminiscent of a Lamborghini Temerario, but with an extra set of doors.Ioniq claims it offers up to 600km of electric range, according to lenient CLTC testing. No other official powertrain details have been provided yet.The Ioniq V measures in at 4900mm long, 1890mm wide and has a 2900mm wheelbase. This makes it around the same size as a Sonata sedan.It features a 27-inch central touchscreen that flows into the front passenger compartment, as well as a head-up display.Ioniq notes that the V's suspension tune is optimised for comfort and stability, as well as low road and wind noise in the cabin.A Hyundai Australia spokesperson said there are no plans to introduce the Ioniq V locally.Despite this, there is precedent for Chinese-built Hyundai products to launch in Australia. The Hyundai Elexio mid-size electric SUV launched locally earlier in 2026.Beyond the Ioniq V, the brand has confirmed it will launch an SUV model in China in the first half of 2027. No further details have been provided but it will likely be based on the Earth concept, which is a boxy SUV.Hyundai claims its further model launches in China will focus on the mid-size to large vehicle segments, with both electric (EV) and range-extender (REEV) powertrains.“China is an essential market for Hyundai Motor Company,” said Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jose Munoz.“The world's most demanding EV consumers, the fastest development cycles, the deepest battery supply chain, and an advanced innovation ecosystem. That is why we are tripling down on our commitment to China.“With significant investments into Beijing Hyundai, 20 new models coming over the next five years, the official launch of our Ioniq brand in China and the unveiling of Ioniq V, this is the most committed, the most ambitious, and the most exciting chapter we have ever written in this market.“China is where the future of mobility is being defined, and Hyundai intends to help define it, In China, For China, and ultimately, for the world.”

BYD has revealed two new flagship models at this year’s Beijing motor show.These are the 2026 BYD Sealion 08 SUV and Seal 08 sedan which shouldn’t be confused with the existing Sealion 8 and Seal sedan as they’re completely different vehicles.As reported by AutoHome, the Sealion 08 is available with either two- or three-rows of seating and measures in at 5115mm long, which is 100mm longer than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.It’s understood it will be offered with both pure electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains. The former will feature BYD’s second-generation version of its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery technology and offer up to 900km of range, according to CLTC testing.Other expected highlights include air suspension and a rear-wheel steering system.The Seal 08 on the other hand is a large sedan that measures in at 5150mm long, 1999mm wide and 1505mm tall, with a 3030mm wheelbase. This makes it larger than a BMW 5 Series sedan.Similarly to the Sealion 08, both EV and PHEV powertrains are on offer. The former also receives a second-generation LFP Blade battery and operates on an 800V electrical architecture, allowing flash charging.The all-wheel drive version is reported to offer over 480kW and have a 0-100km/h sprint time of less than 5.0 seconds.The PHEV version of the Seal 08 on the other hand has a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 115kW with an 200kW electric motor. No total system output has been detailed yet.The electric motor is fed by a 45.36kWh LFP battery pack and will offer over 400km of claimed electric range, according to lenient CLTC testing.Like the Sealion 08, the Seal 08 will offer a rear-wheel steering system that is aimed to reduce the turning circle at low speeds, but increase stability at higher speeds.At this stage it’s unclear whether the 2026 BYD Sealion 08 and Seal 08 will be offered in markets outside of China, or if right-hand drive versions are in the works.BYD only recently launched the Sealion 8 PHEV three-row SUV, as well as the Seal 06 PHEV sedan and wagon in Australia.

China is coming for some of the world’s best off-roaders.GAC, which just launched in Australia, has whipped the covers off its new Yue 7 four-wheel drive.The 4WD was previously teased with the codenamed T75 prototype.It is a plug-in hybrid, which puts it on a collision course with new arrivals such as BYD’s Denza B5, as well as conventional diesel-powered favourites such as the Toyota Prado.Its styling resembles several well known 4WDs, with shades of Land Rover’s Defender, the new Toyota Prado and some newer Chinese options just as the Chery iCaur V27 and Jetour T2.It has a blocky, masculine style with chunky all-terrain tyres, a tailgate-mounted spare tyre as well as roof racks and other off-road accessories.Pixel-like headlights give off strong Hyundai Santa Fe vibes and flared wheel arches add to its muscular appearance.It also shows roof-mounted lidar hardware, which points to advanced safety and self driving features.Only the exterior was showcased at the show, with full details to be revealed closer to its third quarter launch.It is expected to use the same plug-in hybrid set-up as the E8 people mover, which combines a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor to make 274kW and 630Nm. This is matched to a circa-25kWh battery that can deliver an electric driving range of about 100km.It is believed this 4WD will spawn a ute, which would come to Australia.The ute is due in 2027 and the company’s local CEO Kevin Shu previously said it was likely we’d learn more about it at the Beijing show.

The all-new Mitsubishi Pajero hasn't even arrived yet, and already competition in the off-road space is heating up, with Nissan at last confirming an SUV version of the Frontier Pro SUV that will put a target on the back of 4WDs in Australia.The question is, is the Nissan product about to beat Mitsubishi at its own game?Mitsubishi largely pioneered plug-in hybrid technology in Australia, but the brand has previously ruled out adapting the technology for its diesel engines. Instead, all reports point to the incoming Pajero – which is expected to use the Triton as its base – using the powertrain from the brand's ute.That means 2.4-litre bi-turbo diesel engine and eight-speed automatic, though some reports point to a plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain also being under development. Nissan, though, is set to abandon diesel, with the ute version of the Frontier Pro adopting a plug-in hybrid powertrain that would make the SUV version among the most powerful vehicles in its class.Its 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a transmission-mounted electric motor produce up to 320kW and 800Nm combined.The concept version of the SUV is to be revealed at the Beijing Auto Show, seemingly answering the question of what our market might receive in answer to the US-built (and V6-powered) Xterra.Built in partnership with Dongfeng, the SUV is reportedly built on what the group calls its Star Core platform, which can be paired with ICE, hybrid and EV powertrain options.The Frontier Pro looks set to soon be locked in for our market, with the reports pointing to an early 2027 launch date. If so, that would make the SUV version – which is being developed for export markets – a sure starter for Australia, too.Will diesel or plug-in power win the battle between Nissan and the new Pajero? Only time will tell.

Chery has revealed an update for its flagship Tiggo 9 large SUV in China ahead of the Beijing auto show.It’s worth noting that this Chinese-spec version of the Chery Tiggo 9 is equivalent to the Jaecoo J8, which is sold in Australia.Despite sharing the same name, the Australian-specification Chery Tiggo 9 is sold in China as the Chery Tiggo 9X. The two cars are based on the same architecture and share a lot of components, though have different styling.This Chery-badged update for the Tiggo 9 is likely is a precursor to a Jaecoo-badged update for the J8. However, this is yet to be confirmed.The major change with this update is a revised exterior and interior design. On the outside there’s a new grille insert with vertical slots, plus a new LED headlight signature and a full-width rear light bar.Inside the cabin is now dominated by a giant 30-inch central touchscreen, which spills over into the front passenger space. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 chip.Other highlights include interior ambient lighting, interior fragrance system and so-called Queen’s co-pilot 2.0 front passenger seat that reclines back and a leg rest.Five- and seven-seat configurations continue to be offered.At this stage Chery has only detailed the updated version of this Tiggo 9 with a carryover 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. It’s understood the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version with the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine will follow at a later date.The Jaecoo J8 launched in Australia last year and is currently only offered with the aforementioned 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and in five-seat configurations. Globally a PHEV and seven-seat versions are offered.With the Australian-specification Chery Tiggo 9, it also launched last year and is only offered with PHEV power and seven seats as standard. A new, front-wheel-drive Elite version has been introduced to complement the flagship all-wheel-drive Ultimate trim.