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Built in China in partnership with Changan, the CX-6e joins the 6e sedan as part of a renewed EV push for Mazda Australia, which needs to get its emissions footprint down to comply with tougher regulations.The brand is giving the CX-6e its best shot at success with keen starting prices. The base GT grade starts at $53,990 (before on-road costs), making it one of the most affordable new electric mid-size SUVs from a mainstream brand.It is more affordable than the Kia EV5, Nissan Ariya and Tesla Model Y, but remains pricier than the Leapmotor C10, Geely EX5 and GAC Aion V.Deliveries for this new Mazda SUV will start in September.2026 Mazda CX-6e priceMazda’s new CX-6e from launch will only be separated by two different trim levels sharing the same battery and powertrain.2026 Mazda CX-6e powertrain and efficiencyLike its Mazda 6e sedan sibling, which has already launched in Australia, both launch variants use the same motor and battery combination.The CX-6e is rear-wheel drive only for now, equipped with a 190kW/290Nm electric motor.It is powered by a 78kWh LFP battery pack, which grants it a WLTP-rated driving range of 484km. Efficiency is yet to be revealed, but expect it to be marginally more than the lower-riding 6e sedan’s 15.9kWh/100km.Charging is completed in around 24 minutes (from 10 - 80 per cent) thanks to a peak 194kW charging speed, while the slower AC charging peaks at 11kW for a 0 - 100 per cent charge in eight hours.2026 Mazda CX-6e standard featuresSee the array of standard features below, with only a few luxury items separating the top-spec Azami from the base GT at the time of launch. Interestingly, the CX-6e gets a different interior treatment from the 6e, with an enormous multimedia screen spanning both front seats, and a large holographic head-up display replacing a standard digital instrument cluster.2026 Mazda CX-6e optional featuresThere are no significant optional features in the CX-6e range, with only the ‘Warm Beige’ alternate interior trim being offered as a $1000 option available on both the GT and Azami.2026 Mazda CX-6e coloursThere are seven colour options available for the CX-6e, including the brand’s signature Soul Red and an all-new colour not available on the related 6e sedan, Nightfall Violet Mica.Otherwise the standard colour palette includes machine grey metallic, aero grey metallic, airstream blue metallic, crystal white pearl mica, and jet black mica.In the case of the 6e, only the back, white, aero grey and crystal blue shades are no-cost, with the rest of the colour options able to be chosen at $595. Crystal blue is not available on the CX-6e.2026 Mazda CX-6e safetyThe entire array of active safety equipment is standard on the CX-6e range, including auto emergency braking with vulnerable road user detection and intersection braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver monitoring and radar cruise control.These join front and rear parking sensors, as well as the 360-degree parking suite.The CX-6e is yet to be rated by ANCAP.2026 Mazda CX-6e warranty and servicingExpect the CX-6e to be covered by Mazda’s standard five year and unlimited kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assist.The CX-6e can now be ordered, with the brand also replicating its strategy of offering pre-order customers a free spec upgrade to the Azami level at the price of the GT.This scheme has been expanded from 300 units for the 6e (which sold-out in two weeks) to 1000 units for the CX-6e.

Electric vehicle sales are booming in a way they never have before in Australia. Buyer options have increased significantly in 2026, with more affordable choices also appearing more regularly. There were 15839 electric vehicle sales for March in 2026, up from 8385 compared to this time last year, representing a near 89 per cent year-on-year growth. Established SUV players such as the Tesla Model Y lead the way with 2818 sales, along with the BYD Sealion 7 (1970). There are also some new competitors climbing up the sales charts, such as the Zeekr 7X performance SUV, which managed 679 registrations for March, having launched late last year.The Tesla Model 3 sedan (667) continues to be present among the top sellers despite its prolonged downturn.The SUV trend continues as Geely’s EX5 (606) and the Kia EV5 (587) are next on the list, before BYD’s presence resumes with the Atto 2 small SUV (572). Another new EV making an early impression is the Jaecoo J5, which launched at the start of this year and achieved 569 sales last month. The BYD Atto 1 (488) and Atto 2 (466) also make the list along with the Kia EV3 (461). Hatchbacks are proving popular amongst EV buyers as well. The MG4 (451) remains among the strongest selling EVs, as does the BYD Dolphin (373). The Toyota bZ4X is also experiencing an upturn to 447 sales for March and BYD is represented again with its Seal sedan (337) to round out the top 15. Top selling electric cars Australia March 2026

GWM’s first Aussie-focused cars have arrived.The updated Haval H6 has landed in local dealerships, and while there hasn't been any change to standard inclusions or engines there is a big change you can't see.The upgraded H6 is the first of the Chinese brand's vehicles to be tweaked by its local engineering program. Dubbed AT-1, the local ride and handling program is headed up by former Holden engineer Rob Trubiani and it has localised some elements of GWM vehicles, specifically ride, handling and advanced driver assistance features.The GWM local tuning operation follows in the footsteps of Kia's successful program, which has helped grow the Korean marque into a top three selling car band in Australia.The idea is to elevate the H6 to better battle more refined rivals such as the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4.It isn’t just a one size fits all approach for GWM, with the company developing five different set-ups to cover all the different H6 variants from petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power and front- and all-wheel drive.  GWM claims the process hasn’t stopped and it will continue to tinker and tweak the vehicles based on real world insights, customer feedback and usage.GWM Australia's Chief Operating Officer John Kett said he wanted the local outfit to be recognised for influencing the brands global vehicles.“AT-1 reflects the investment GWM has made in our ANZ team and the support we receive from our head office,” said Kett.“With Rob joining the GWM family, we are leading the way, adjusting vehicles on real roads and taking those insights back to China to shape the next generation of products. Our Chinese management is listening and engaged; they want us to push the envelope.”Rob Trubiani said the refinements made to the H6 would make it a more resolved and capable vehicle.“The objective of the AT-1 philosophy is to create a more unified and intuitive driving experience, specifically tuned for Australian conditions. The result is a more cohesive and assured character, with improvements evident across everyday driving scenarios," said Trubiani.GWM is going to roll the program out to more vehicles in its range in the future.

Plug-in hybrids are here to stay. That’s the opinion of Skoda Australia director Lucie Kuhn, who believes that while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) may be a so-called ‘bridging technology’ towards fully-electric cars, the ‘bridge’ could last at least a decade.PHEV sales have risen sharply in recent years, making a comeback after many brands that previously offered the technology abandoned it in favour of a focus on fully-electric vehicles (EVs). But PHEVs, which use an internal combustion engine to support an electric powertrain, have been given a second chance thanks to longer electric-only driving range and a push from Chinese brands, such as BYD and Chery, that have made them more affordable.Under Kuhn’s leadership, Skoda Australia has introduced the Kodiaq PHEV with plans for the Superb PHEV wagon to follow soon. She believes this is the right time to introduce PHEV options, primarily because of the slow uptake of EVs in Australia.“Yes, I think so, and we actually had this observation also from Europe, where time has shown that the transformation hasn’t proceeded as fast as we all expected. And it's actually the same situation we observe here also in Australia,” Kuhn said.“Especially in a country with some relatively high geographical distances, I think we still will have a relatively big portion of customers still not being fully ready to go on their fully electric journey and rather go for some interim solution, a kind of solution that provides them a confidence that they can drive the car on a daily basis, on an electric mode, and when they go a little bit more further for some holidays or longer trips, then they can simply switch on the combustion engine and keep going.”Skoda has managed to, unintentionally, coincide the launch of the Kodiaq PHEV perfectly with a sudden spike in fuel prices, further enhancing the appeal of the large SUV that can drive up to 110km on battery and return a claimed fuel economy of just 1.9L/100km.But Kuhn still believes there is a barrier for buyers to overcome with EVs, and the introduction of more PHEVs will help bridge the gap between pure internal combustion engine options and the electric future. Exactly how long the bridge will be is unclear, but Kuhn is confident it won’t be a short-term solution. Instead she said it could last a decade or longer, assuming the Federal Government remains supportive of the technology.“ I think it's first a mental barrier, to overcome this and change this way of thinking and go fully electric. But it might also be driven legally. So the legislation is also something what will decide finally if the PHEV will be a long term technology,” Kuhn said.“Right now we consider it as a bridging technology, but we are speaking a long bridge, like 10 years at least. This is how long it will be minimally. But of course if at some point the government says I don't know, like Europe said, from 2035, no more combustion engines at all, or actually nothing that produces some pollution, then of course it's logically the end of the PHEV technology as well. But currently we don't have this, let's say, kind of global statement, it's currently only in Europe, but also Europe might reconsider, this kind of decision and maybe even bring it a little bit more forward there. The time will show, but the bridge in Australia is really long, at least 10 years.”Currently PHEV models generate credits for car makers under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard and will continue to do so for another five years. Whether the government chooses to extend that stance will ultimately determine the viability of PHEVs in the Australian market.

The Toyota HiLux ute has been subject to an urgent recall due a power steering issue. It concerns 13,390 examples of the HiLux for the 2025 and 2026 model years. “The operation of the Electronic Power Steering System (EPS) may be impacted due to incorrect fitment of its wire harness during the installation of Toyota Genuine Bull Bar or Nudge Bar with light bar combination,” the notice reads. “During installation, the EPS wire harness ground connection may have been re-installed incorrectly. This may cause a poor electrical contact, potentially resulting in a sudden loss of power steering assist whilst driving.“A loss of power steering assist whilst driving, could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.”Toyota Australia said it is aware of one customer affected by the issue, who presented safely to a dealer, where the recall was actioned.The carmaker will contact affected owners to book an appointment at an official dealer to inspect the vehicle and rectify it if needed for free. The HiLux is Toyota’s most popular model in Australia and managed nearly 50,000 sales last year. It has continued this momentum into 2026, having already managed nearly 9000 sales up to March. 

Last week Hyundai revealed a boxy, new SUV concept that gives us a glimpse of what to expect from its next dual-cab ute.Multiple digital artists have now taken the Hyundai Boulder concept and given it the ute treatment, giving us a better look at what this ute might look like.Imagery from Russian outlet Kolesa shows this new Hyundai ute will have the bold and upright front-end treatment of the Boulder SUV concept, but have other design elements that are reminiscent of the Kia Tasman dual-cab ute.Alternatively, imagery from Brazilian digital artist KDesign AG show this ute being a slightly upsized version of the Tasman and more of a rival to US mid-size pickups like the Chevrolet Colorado, Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier.Hyundai has confirmed that it plans to launch a mid-size pick-up in the US in 2030. It will also be built in the US which indicates it’s focused at North America and makes an Australian launch unclear in the short term.While the Boulder-based ute is confirmed to be built on a ladder-frame architecture, it’s unclear whether it will be related to the South Korean-built Kia Tasman, which also has a ladder-frame chassis.A range-extender (REEV) hybrid powertrain has been floated by overseas reports.At this stage it’s unclear how much of the Boulder SUV concept’s other design features will carry over to the production ute version. It has 37-inch mud-terrain tyres and a roof-mounted light bar.Previous patent imagery has shown the Boulder-based ute could feature detachable doors, much like the Jeep Gladiator.It’s understood a different Hyundai ute is set to launch in Australia before 2030. Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano told CarsGuide late last year the brand would have a ute ready by the end of 2028."My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I'm not leaving until it's coming,” Romano said in November 2025.“If they produce what we're talking about at this stage and what we're working on, it's gonna be mind blowing, it's gonna be great. And I really mean that, I'm not just blowing smoke.”

GAC’s Chief Technical Officer Masato Katsumata and CEO Kevin Shu explained one unique dynamic between China and Australia that will keep putting our small market in the limelight for Chinese brands.GAC has arrived in Australia fast, and as a factory-backed operation rather than dipping its toes in the water via a distributor like BYD or XPeng. When asked why the brand has committed so much resources to Australia so quickly, Kevin Shu explained there were two main factors at play - preparedness, and the value of feedback from more advanced markets.“As you know, GAC has been successfully received in regions: South East Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and , and this is why GAC is ready to enter into the European market, and the Australian market.”“Once we’re successful in the Australian market and then the European market, we can feed back to the Chinese domestic market, giving us powerful planning and marketing to help the domestic operation grow,” he said.He agreed the kind of feedback received in Australia was essential for research and development to make cars better, even in their home market.But more interesting was the company’s true advantage over its once-dominant Japanese and Korean rivals, according to the brand’s Chief Technology Officer Masato Katsumata, who was previously a senior executive at Toyota for decades.“From my experience at a Japanese OEM, typical Japanese companies have to think about the US market first," said Katsumata."But typical Chinese manufacturers haven’t got that kind of intention. In the future, obviously , but for the time being we can focus on the rest of the global market. So that means in the case of Toyota or another Japanese company - they have to make a concept for the US market first. So, the Australian customer preference might be close to the American customer plus a bit of the European taste.“But they have to start with the US and then adjust it to the European direction. This is their strategy, how to develop a car for Australia.”“But, for Chinese brands it’s different because the base in the US is nothing when it comes to development, so therefore more and more these brands can simply purely focus on the Australian market first.“This flexibility to not have to think about the US market gives us more and more flexibility to think about customers outside the US - this is another strength of the Chinese automaker today.”Katsumata confirmed the current tariff structure keeping Chinese brands out of America for the time being meant the knowledge and feedback from Australian media and buyers became much more valuable toward the future aspirations of brands like GAC. Despite coming relatively late to the piece in the Australian market GAC has ambitious plans, with the goal of becoming a a top ten seller locally in its first five years, according to Shu.GAC already sells four models in Australia with the launch of the Aion UT hatchback, which joins the Aion V mid-size SUV, M8 people mover, and Emzoom small SUV. In 2026 and beyond it is plotting a large SUV and a new ground-up ute model to bolster its offering.

Subaru has confirmed a three-row, large electric SUV will launch later this year, with underpinnings borrowed from a model from common collaborator Toyota.The 2026 Subaru Getaway, a seven-seat electric car sharing its platform with the Toyota Highlander EV, was initially revealed on April 1 in the US.But it’s no April Fools’ joke, even though Subaru Australia General Manager Scott Lawrence had indicated to CarsGuide just weeks prior that the brand wasn’t looking to Toyota to make a Subaru seven-seat SUV happen.“I can't quite comment on that,” Lawrence said when asked about rumours that Subaru would use a rebadged version of the Highlander EV, the North American-built sibling to the Kluger.“I think there are some really exciting options in that space of seven-seat … That's not one of the priorities to get the seven-seat (across the line).”CarsGuide has contacted Subaru Australia for comment, but the international reveal of the Highlander confirmed the brand is indeed sharing a platform with Toyota.The interior of the Getaway, for a start, is a direct pull from the Toyota Highlander electric SUV. Its specs also mirror the Highlander in many ways, including the two battery options being a 77kWh or 96kWh unit. The long-range 96kWh version (technically 95.8kWh) will be the only one available from launch.Subaru claims the long-range version of the Getaway will be capable of an electric driving range of more than 480km, with a 150kW maximum DC charge rate for 10-80 per cent charging in about half an hour.The Japanese brand also confirms the Toyota-clone interior will have the same 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, plus as much as 1290 litres of luggage space with the third row folded. That last point is something Subaru of America is happy to claim is “more than the Kia EV9”, and on paper it’s correct.While Subaru claims the Getaway will have 313kW and a 0-60mph (0-97km/h) tim of under 5.0 seconds, the entry level’s specs are yet to be determined.It’s not known if the Getaway will ever land in Australia, given Toyota has nixed the idea of the Highlander EV, and the models are built in left-hand drive for North America."The latest Subaru global unveilings are exciting, and while they’ve generated plenty of interest, we’re unable to comment on future product," said a Subaru Australia spokesperson.

The iconic Smart car has been spied in camouflage ahead of its return in China.The Smart #2 is a tiny electric two-seater city car, and will be the closest thing to the iconic Smart ForTwo made by the brand since.The original Smart ForTwo was on sale in Australia in the mid-2000s, equipped with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine.It is expected to be officially unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show later this month, with a European launch scheduled for 2027.Smart Australia has confirmed there are no plans for the car to launch domestically at this stage, with an immediate focus on Chinese and European markets.If it ever did come to Australia, it would have to be one of the most affordable electric cars in the country to be competitive. It would need to challenge the BYD Atto 1, which has a starting price of $23,990 (before on-road costs). The budget EV space has been growing in Australia, with more offerings representing competitive deals around the $30K bracket.The incoming MG4 Urban and just-launched GAC Aion UT both start from $31,990, while the Chery QQ3 is anticipated to launch with a similar, if not cheaper, price tag. However, the Smart #2 is even smaller than these rivals. This means it would almost be in a league of its own if it were to launch Down Under.There is limited other confirmed information available about the car, but it is rumoured to have a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 30kW, according to CarNews China. It measures up at less than three metres long, with a wheelbase of less than two metres. The #2 is the latest of the brand's reboot, which has seen several vehicles spawn as the product of a joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz. Smart currently has two models on sale in Australia which are the #1 hatchback and the #3 crossover. The more rugged #5 SUV is expected to join the range later this year.

BYD has confirmed pricing and specifications for its Seal 6 sedan and wagon pair.The new plug-in hybrid pair arrive in one grade each. The Seal 6 Sedan Essential is the price leader at $34,990 (before on-roads) with a smaller 10.08kWh battery, and the Seal 6 Touring Premium steps up to $39,990 before on-roads with a larger 19kWh battery pack.The sedan can travel 55km in EV mode, while the wagon can travel 100km in EV mode, both according to the generally more accurate WLTP standard.Both cars share the same plug-in hybrid powertrain, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Specs for this powertrain were not revealed, but pre-approval documents show the engine producing 70kW/120Nm with the electric motors producing either 120kW/210Nm or 160kW/260Nm. Total combined outputs are either 130kW or 163kW.According to Chinese specifications, the Camry-rivalling pair can charge at a maximum rate of 48kW on a fast DC charger for a sub-30-minute charge time, and are equipped with vehicle-to-load, allowing the battery to externally power devices.Combined driving range is expected to exceed 1300km for both variants according to preliminary figures.The sedan offers 550 litres of boot space, while the wagon offers up 670-litres.Standard equipment on both cars is set to include an 8.8-inch digital dash, a 12.8-inch central multimedia screen, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and over-the-air features.Other features available on the Seal 6 overseas include a wireless phone charger, interior ambient lighting, and full synthetic leather interior trim.Orders for the Seal 6 Sedan and Touring wagon begin on the 9th of April.The pair will go into battle against local rivals like the ever-popular and plugless hybrid-only Toyota Camry (from $39,990), the mild-hybrid Skoda Octavia (from $43,990), the combustion MG7 (from $44,990), placing the aggressive sub-$40,000 pricing in good stead amongst its rivals.It will also serve to bolster BYD’s seemingly ever-growing line-up, as a hybrid alternative to the existing Seal EV sedan (from $46,990).The growing line-up is a significant part of BYD’s strategy in Australia to rival Toyota in every category, which the brand’s executives told CarsGuide would be a key part of the brand’s ambition to clinch a top-three position in our market by the end of 2026.Denza Chief Operating Officer Mark Harland, who previously held senior roles in BYD before ascending to the head of its luxury arm, told CarsGuide in 2025: “Toyota has something like 95 per cent of the segments in Australia covered by at least one variant, and if we want to ever be number one we need to have vehicles available in those segments too.”Spurred on by meteoric fuel prices in recent weeks, BYD is already making good progress on its goal - more than doubling its sales year-on-year to the latest figures. It has now leapfrogged GWM to become Australia’s favourite Chinese automaker, and is ranking sixth in the Australian market so far in 2026 after finishing 2025 in eighth position.