Industry news

A new game-changing hybrid engine is coming. The D20 Methanol is a range-extender engine made by global automotive engineering firm Horse Powertrain, a joint venture between Renault and Geely. Horse makes a range of engines, electric motors and transmissions for Renault Group, Geely, Volvo, Proton, Nissan and Mitsubishi. Its latest engine burns 100 per cent methanol fuel, opposed to ethanol alternatives in current mainstream petrol engines. The engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit that produces 105kW (weighing 170kg) to charge the battery.Its sole purpose is to power the battery, with a lightweight electric motor responsible for driving the wheels. The disk-shaped electric motor lies flat, meaning it is 46 per cent shorter than vertically-mounted alternatives.It is said to have 63 per cent better power density, but Horse has not revealed the engine's total power output yet.Horse claims a 40kWh battery can be recharged using less than 20L of methanol fuel, making it one of the most efficient electrified set-ups on the market.  The set-up generates 1kWh of electricity for every 2.1kWh of methanol burned, and can perform cold starts in temperatures as low as -35-degrees. The engine also has less emissions output. It complies with the European Union’s Euro 7 standard, which will become the benchmark later this year. What will the D20 Methanol engine be used in? It is unclear what this new engine will be used for, with Horse remaining coy on which of its carmaker clients will receive it. Range-extenders have become increasingly popular in China, especially in large SUVs, and the D20 could be the latest example of this. Geely might be looking to gain an advantage over other range-extender competition, the Leapmotor D19 and Volkswagen ID. Era 9X.China produces the majority of the world’s production of methanol, and is now heavily investing in renewable ethanol as opposed to coal-based.A low-emissions methanol-fueled car could be ahead of the curve in China for Geely.  There is potential for models featuring this new range-extender set-up to come to Australia in the coming years, but nothing is confirmed at this stage.

Ford has launched its first high-performance Mustang convertible in more than a decade and the most powerful convertible Mustang ever with the introduction of the Dark Horse SC Convertible.Developed by Ford Racing, the new drop-top is powered by the same 593kW (795hp)/895Nm 5.2-litre supercharged ‘Predator’ V8 as its coupe stablemate.It sends its substantial grunt to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and is good for 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds. Now that’s wind in your hair.Introducing the car Ford Racing Global Director Mark Rushbrook confirmed a subtle shift in the newcomer’s personality.“If the coupe is the race-bred side of our DNA, this convertible is the pure street cred part of the formula.“It’s just pure fun, fast, freedom,” he said.To that end, the convertible adds ‘Precision Purple Metallic’ to the Mustang Dark Horse SC colour palette as well as unique brake caliper color options and interior details in Black Onyx and Space Gray.On the perennial question of body rigidity in a high-performance convertible, Ford Racing believes it has the issue covered.Mustang Dark Horse SC Chief Program Engineer Arie Groeneveld said, “Both the Dark Horse SC coupe and convertible have been developed by our Ford Racing engineers.“But instead of prioritizing the convertible for setting lap times, we’ve engineered it to be the ultimate top-down grand touring machine,” he said.The result is what Ford Racing positions as “a set-up tuned for a smooth, comfortable cruise that still stays planted when you lean into the accelerator”.With orders opening in the US before the end of the year, the Dark Horse SC Convertible’s scheduled to hit North American showrooms late in the first half of 2027.Ford Australia has previously stated it has "no news to share on any plans" to bring the Dark Horse SC to the local market, with the left-hand drive-only coupe and now convertible set to remain off limits for Aussie muscle car enthusiasts.

Legacy car brands are “fighting for their lives” in the face of the rise and rise of Chinese cars, according to the boss of one of Australia's most popular Chinese car makers.Lucas Harris, Chief Operating Officer for Chery, has dismissed the suggestion that his and other Chinese car brands are ‘dumping’ new vehicles here. While rival car makers are publicly hesitant to criticise their Chinese, behind-the-scenes the accusations of dumping and surviving on Chinese government support have become increasingly common.Harris believes more established rivals are simply unable to match the likes of Chery in meeting consumer demand and are worried about their long-term survival.“ I would be reluctant to speak poorly about any other particular brands or countries of origins,” Harris told CarsGuide.“And the only explanation I could think of why someone would want to do that is if they were fighting for their lives, and they knew that they couldn't win in a fair fight.” China has become the largest provider of new vehicles to Australia, surpassing Japan and Thailand, as its domestic brands have now established themselves in the local market.Chery the eighth best-selling brand in Australia, just behind GWM, with BYD the closest challenger to Toyota at the top of the sales charts.Even Chery’s off-shoot brands, Omoda-Jaecoo, are enjoying strong sales growth of more than 800 per cent year-to-date (to the end of June), out-selling Honda and Suzuki.Harris is confident Chery’s growth and sales position is sustainable, as it has been on an upward trajectory for more than two years. Which is why he is confident enough to add a fourth brand, Lepas, alongside Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo beginning in October.“I think it's almost 24 or 25 months now where we've consecutively, month-on-month, gone up,” he said.“So we've been putting a lot of effort into trying to have very sustainable sales performance, which is why we don't see these huge peaks and troughs where one month you might do 8,000 and the next month you do 3,000 and then you jump to 6,000 again. It's all over the place. And that sort of volatility and result doesn't give dealers a great deal of confidence either to invest.“So we've really been working on trying to have sustainable, consistent growth over time. So if I say ‘yes, I'm confident,’ it's because we've been doing it for 24 months in a row now. So yes is the short answer to your question."I think that with the introduction of some new models it's going to help. You look at adding the Omoda Jaecoo brand has added a significant amount of incremental volume in a very short period of time. And no doubt when we launch Lepas our intention is to do the same.”

GWM Australia has released pricing and detailed specifications for new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel powered versions of its Cannon Alpha dual cab ute and three-row Tank 500 SUV.And the Chinese brand is clearly determined to upset the established order amongst competitors for both models with aggressive price positioning and a value-focused list of included features accompanying their enhanced powertrain performance.Close to two years ago the petrol-electric BYD Shark 6 offered an instantly popular hybrid ute alternative and Chery’s soon-to-arrive Stockman will offer diesel-electric hybrid power.But while those newcomers have been thinking outside the box, GWM has stayed squarely within it, launching its all-new 170kW/620Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine as a shot across the bows of the market-leading Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.In a launch statement, GWM said, “The message is simple: Australians still want diesel power, and GWM is giving them more of what they want, for less.“Both models will be priced thousands of dollars below comparable competitors, delivering a level of performance, specification and value designed to challenge the established market leaders,” it said.And it’s worth noting GWM is running with an introductory offer of a $2000 drive-away cash bonus or $2000 fuel card on these models until October 30, 2026.GWM is keen to highlight local development work to optimise the new engine’s performance, led by the brand’s Lead Product Dynamics and Integration Manager, Rob Trubiani.In fact, GWM said Australian and Chinese engineering teams have put the vehicles through “an extensive development program focused on optimising performance, refinement and durability for Australian drivers, including ride and handling, engine and transmission calibration, towing performance and software.”The 3.0-litre four produces 26 per cent more power (+35kW) and 29 per cent more torque (+140Nm) than the 2.4-litre turbo-diesel in supersedes. But despite the higher outputs, GWM is claiming combined cycle fuel efficiency of 7.3L/100km for the Cannon Alpha (substantially lower than the 2.4L’s 8.9L/100km) and 7.1L/100km for the Tank 500.Braked trailer towing capacity is 3500kg for both models (up from 3000kg for the Tank 500)  Confirming the pricing and spec details, GWM Australia Chief Operating Officer John Kett said, “When you look at the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 against the established volume players in their respective segments, the difference is clear. “We’re offering a higher level of standard specification, more performance and more technology, while asking customers to pay thousands of dollars less.“That is a proposition we believe Australian customers will find very compelling,” he said.Coffee OS (intelligent cockpit system)14.6-inch central touchscreen (up from 12.3-inch)12.3-inch colour digital instrument clusterWireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoGWM App (vehicle status and selected functions controlled via smartphone)Full ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) suite18-inch alloy wheelsSide stepsRoof railsAuto LED headlights with DRL + electric levellingLED tail-lightsFront grille – chromePower fold exterior mirrorsKeyless entryRear privacy glassOne piece tailgateSpray on tub linerFull-size spare (steel)Synthetic leather trimPower front seatsDual-zone climate controlSix-speaker audioAdaptive cruise controlSeven airbagsBlack styling treatmentFront diff lockPanoramic sunroofFull-size alloy spare60/40 split tailgateNappa leather accented trimHeated and cooled front seats (with massage)Head-up display10-speaker audioFront and rear diff locksLow-range transfer caseAll-terrain mode selection18-inch alloy wheelsElectric sunroofSynthetic leather trimPower front seatsDual-zone climate controlAmbient lighting (seven-colour)Eight-speaker audioBlack styling treatmentNappa leather accented trimHeated and cooled front seats (with massage)Head-up displayAmbient lighting (64-colour)Heated steering wheel12-speaker audioActive noise cancellingPre-orders for the GWM Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 3.0-litre turbo-diesel models are open now with cars scheduled to arrive in dealerships from mid-September.

Lamborghini’s new ballistic hybrid sports car is here. The Lamborghini Revuelto SV is a track-focused plug-in hybrid two-door coupe, expected to claim a place at the top of the brand’s lineup.The car is a juiced up version of the standard Revuelto that fetches a price tag of $987,000, before on-road costs in Australia.Its upgraded sibling will likely break the $1 million mark, with deliveries beginning in early 2027.  There will be less than 2000 Revuelto SV examples available.SV stands for ‘Super Veloce’ (or super fast), and Lamborghini has significant history with the badge on its iconic Diablo, Murcielago and Aventador sportscars. SV models have increased power and less weight, with the Revuelto SV Lamborghini’s most powerful SV model yet. The Revuelto SV uses the same 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 and three electric motor set-up, but output has been boosted to 783kW and 1425Nm. This is 50kW more power and around 400Nm more torque than the standard car.The bulk of this power comes from the V12, but the electric motor set-up contributes 190kW. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.4 seconds, and 0-200km/h in 6.7 seconds, going on to a top speed of more than 345km/h.The Revuelto SV will directly compete with the Ferrari SF90 Stradale ($846,888) that packs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid set-up, making 574kW and 800Nm. Lamborghini’s new sports car has two front-mounted electric motors, with the other one fitted above an eight-speed automatic double-clutch gearbox. The car boasts a 7.3kWh lithium-ion battery, which is nearly twice as big as the unit in the standard Revuelto.There is a new adjustable dampers suspension system that has been race-tuned, designed to improve agility and grip. There are huge carbon-ceramic brakes capable of a 200-0km/h stop in just 116 metres. The Revuelto SV delivers 80 per cent more total downforce than the Revuelto, aiding the car's increased track focus.

Land Rover’s Defender Dakar is a road-legal version of its hardcore 2026 Dakar Rally racing Defender Octa complete with a “flight mode” to ensure perfect landings after doing jumps.In another case of completely-unnecessary-but-we-want-it-desperately-anyway, Land Rover is bringing us a road-going  - or anywhere-going - version of its Dakar Rally D7X-R racing SUV.The Defender Octa is an already bonkers high-performance off-road beast with its 4.4-litre V8 engine (the same found in BMW’s M5) making 367kW and 750Nm, outstanding four-wheel drive capability combined with mind boggling on-road dynamics, but the Defender Dakar goes more berserk.“We’ve pushed our engineers to go further than they’ve ever gone before,” Defender Managing Director Mark Cameron said. “First, we evolved Defender OCTA into D7X‑R and then we asked: could we make the Dakar Rally‑winning D7X‑R road legal? The result is the Defender Dakar.”The Defender Dakar keeps the same V8 engine, transmission and body architecture as the D7X-R and adds a 35-inch all-terrain tyre package with unique 20-inch forged wheels.The ride height is lifted with coil suspension and Bilstein advanced dampers and the track is widened. There’s new modes for sand dunes and gravel, plus there’s flight mode.Flight mode is a sophisticated system that detects the moment the Defender Dakar becomes airborne over hilly terrain. Then, instead of letting the wheels spin freely in mid-air, which will send an enormous amount of shock force through the transmission upon landing, the torque to the wheels is calculated and controlled to ensure a smooth touchdown.     Holding the driver and co-pilot snugly in place are race seats with an optional four point harness. The Defender Dakar is a 2+2 seater with storage for race helmets and a purpose-built spare wheel mount inside the cargo area along with air-compressor. The Defender Dakar comes with the same Dakar Sand and Yanbu Turquoise colour scheme as worn by the D7X-R, with a range of other hues to pick from.Adding to the tough looks is a fixed metal roof with light pods, carbon fibre raised air intakes,  flared wheel arches with exposed rivets, along with metal front under shield and underbody protection.The Defender Dakar made its international debut at the Monterey week in the United States over the weekend with full specifications to be announced at the 2027 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.Land Rover Australia has confirmed to CarsGuide the Defender Dakar will be landing locally and said the price and the number of units being made available will be announced in January 2027.  As a guide, the Defender Octa Black lists ofr $313,800 or about $10,000 more than the regular Octa. Buyers can expect the Defender Dakar to sit above the Octa Black in the range when the model arrives in Australia.

Toyota has proven its no electric car pretender, as it beats all others in the world’s most EV dominant markets.Toyota Europe’s Communications Director Robert Tickner announced the Toyota bZ4X is the best-selling vehicle in Norway and Denmark.These are two of the most cut-throat EV markets with electric vehicles accounting for about 98 per cent of all new cars sold in Norway and more than 60 per cent in Denmark, according to reports.Toyota has bested European locals Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, as well as international giants such as Tesla and Xpeng in the process.The Japanese giant has been heavily criticised for being slow to the electric vehicle market, with it instead betting on hybrids to plug the gap until more people were ready to plug-in.Tickner took a swipe at the haters."Toyota has been criticised by some for not going 'all in' on battery electric vehicles. For me, that's simply a misunderstanding of Toyota's strategy and the reality of true customer demand," said Tickner on LinkedIn.Toyota is now fleshing out its range of battery-powered cars to increasing success, with the company selling 12 EVs in Europe across the Toyota and Lexus brands, according to Tickner.Toyota EV sales trail Tesla, BYD and many others by a massive margin in Australia, but there are green shoots starting to appear.Sales of its bZ4X are up 330 per cent this year to 2075 examples through the first seven months.The company has scrounged around for more stock to help fill orders of the bZ4X. This extra supply is due in the coming months.Toyota just expanded its bZ4X range with the bigger Touring version, which will help boost sales Down Under.Lexus hasn’t had the same success, with its related RZ SUV only selling about 100 examples so far this year. This is still up about 180 per cent compared to the same period in 2025.The new electric version of the Lexus ES sedan is unlikely to be a huge seller.Toyota’s HiLux BEV has just arrived in the country. The all-electric workhorse doesn’t read spectacularly on paper and won’t be replacing diesel utes anytime soon, with it largely pitched to mines and government fleets needing to decarbonise.Toyota has confirmed the C-HR+ electric compact SUV will arrive in Australia in 2027. It shares its underpinnings with the recently launched Subaru Uncharted.Globally there are two configurations and two batteries available.The entry-level model has a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 123kW and is fed by a 57.7kWh battery pack.There’s also a larger 77kWh battery pack available in the front-wheel drive version, which bumps the power output up to 165kW.There is also a range-topping dual-motor, all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 252kW.

Mahindra has globally revealed its latest ute ahead of a launch in its domestic market in April 2027.Dubbed the Mahindra Lifestyler for export markets, the name is a departure from Pik-Up that had been used on the previous-generation model that dates back to 2006. It will be called the Scorpio Lifestyler in India.This new dual-cab ute is aimed at export markets, including not only Australia and New Zealand, but also South Africa, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.It will go up against top-selling rivals the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara, among others.At this stage Mahindra hasn’t confirmed Australian launch timing of the Lifestyler, but it’s expected that export market launches will follow after the Indian launch in April 2027.Mahindra hasn’t provided many details about the Lifestyler just yet, however it’s confirmed to have a new-generation body-on-frame architecture. It’s understood this is shared with the current Scorpio SUV.It’s unclear what will be under the bonnet just yet, but given componentry is expected to be shared with the Scorpio, a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, six-speed automatic and part-time four-wheel drive is likely.In other markets the Scorpio is also offered with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive, but it’s unclear whether these will be offered in the Lifestyler.At its reveal the Indian carmaker chose to show off the Lifestyler in three different versions, including the Valley Edition, Reef Edition and Trail Edition. All show different ways this ute can be set-up with functional or aesthetic accessories.Mahindra hasn’t revealed any photographs of the Lifestyler’s interior yet, it published some computer-generated imagery that gives us a clear indication of what to expect.The centrepiece of the cabin is a new vertically oriented touchscreen multimedia system with a bank of physical buttons for the climate control underneath. It’s very reminiscent of the current Ford Ranger.Other interior notes include a digital instrument cluster, a squared-off steering wheel with prominent buttons, scroll wheels and switches, as well as an electric park brake and large drive mode dial.At this stage Mahindra Automotive Australia hasn’t confirmed specific launch timing for the new Lifestyler yet.It will launch in India in April 2027 with a starting price under 1.98 million Indian Rupee (~A$29,300). This makes it 610,000 Indian Rupee (~A$9000) higher than the entry-level Scorpio in the domestic market.Australian pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, however it’s expected to be more expensive than the Indian-specification model and will likely come with more equipment as standard. The most affordable Scorpio is currently $43,990 drive-away in Australia.The international launches of the Mahindra Lifestyler are expected to be staggered after the Indian launch, however Australia has been identified as a key export market for the ute.

All the road rules are the same from state-to-state, right? Well… noThe vast majority of our road rules are sourced from the Australian Road Rules, but each state and territory has its own variation on these.There are some pretty big distinctions in what the law is and how the law operates in practice.Here are three examples we’ve found. A hook turn is a right-hand turn made from the far-left lane as opposed to the middle, or the right lane. It is used to ensure traffic moves smoothly, especially when there are trams using the same areas. Melbourne has nearly 50 hook turns in its central business district and surrounding areas, but Victoria is the only place you will find them. New South Wales also has similar legislation to Victoria, where under section 34 of the Road Rules, a driver facing a hook turn only sign must turn right from the furthest point they can. While the legislation exists, there are no hook turns on any New South Wales roads, meaning it no longer operates in practice.Turning right across two continuous lines is common practice in New South Wales to enter driveways or another road. In New South Wales, a driver can drive to the right of a dividing lane to enter or leave a road under section 134 of the Road Rules. This is not the case in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia Tasmania and the Northern Territory, where a driver on a two-way road must keep to the left of the centre road under section 132. They can only drive to the right of the centre of the road to overtake another driver or to leave the road when there is no dividing lane or median strip under section 133. Beware New South Wales drivers, it could set you back as much as $3454 if you’re caught. Most states and territories prohibit performing a U-turn at traffic lights unless there is specific signage permitting it.This includes New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT, mirroring section 40 of the Australian Road Rules. Victoria has taken a different approach, where its domestic road rules don’t mention section 40, rather only states disobeying a ‘No U-Turn’ sign is illegal.This can be a potential hazard for Victorian drivers in other states and territories as the lack of signage does not permit a U-turn at traffic lights.In New South Wales, it could set you back up to $2200 for performing a U-turn at a traffic light. 

Are we headed for a world where petrol is only the fuel of the rich, powering their hypercars and luxury super SUVs? It certainly appears that way. And I don’t like it…This week the car world achieved a major milestone - the average global price of electric vehicles fell below that of hybrids for the first time. And before too long we’ll see the average price of EVs drop lower than the price of petrol cars.There’s nothing wrong with that - we’re watching the evolution of the motor car, and a change in buying habits and taste in real time.What could supercharge this process and fundamentally change what fuel we use, however, is the volatility of petrol prices which have spiked dramatically due to the conflict in the Middle East. Covering car news each day is revealing a trend and I’m not too sure I like it. High-performance and luxury car brands are doubling down on their fossil fuel focus, while mainstream brands are pushing the limits to make the most affordable electric cars.At the start of this year BMW announced it would reverse its decision to pivot away from petrol and return to producing V8 and V12 units due to their customer demands.Rival brand Mercedes-Benz did the same thing and scrapped its plan to go completely electric by 2030 and dived back into making V8s.Porsche, too, changed its mind after receiving a walloping from customers who made it very clear that Porsche to them meant power from petrol, not power from the electricity grid.Lamborghini also did an about face on EVs at the start of this year and went back to petrol, adding a hybrid system but only to make more mumbo.Yep, Lamborghini replaced its V10 Huracan which made 470kW with the V8 Temerario which makes 588kW plus another 220kW from its electric motors.Then there’s the mysterious case of Ferrari giving us the breathtaking 12Cilindri with yes a V12, which was closely followed by the even more gorgeous V8 Amalfi, before giving us the all-electric Luce which hurts to look at directly. It’s as if the brand was sending us some kind of message coded in ugliness about being asked to do something against its will. Of course the super high end brands appear completely unconcerned by prohibitively high petrol prices affecting sales or the climate.Bugatti announced an end to the reign of its enormous 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engines in its cars like the Veyron and Chiron, but before we could even think it was going green trumpeted in almost the same breath that it was doing V16s instead.Which it did with its current Tourbillon hypercar that houses a monstrous 8.3-litre V16 engine. Yes it has a hybrid system with electric motors but it’s not to save fuel, it’s to make more power. If you were to ask bespoke high performance vehicle maker Hennessey if it had electric cars the response would almost certainly be, “never heard of her." The brand just unveiled its US spy plane-inspired Blackbird hypercar with a naturally aspirated V8 and positioned it as the kind of vehicle that allows drivers to cover 1300km a day.Just days ago Aston Martin ran into the room boasting it was delaying its EV plans because it had found a loop hole which meant it could keep making V12s. The loop hole being that the brand had to keep V12 sales under 1000 a year.Low volume sales aren’t a worry for brands like these - not when an Aston Martin Vanquish costs more than $700,000. And unlike you and me, that's not the owner's only car… it joins a garage with five other cars in it… at least. Yes we’re talking millions of dollars and all petrol-powered.Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to work out how we can get into an electric car for less than $40,000 because chaotic fuel prices are hurting us and we’re worried about the future resale value of petrol cars. I’m also highly concerned about the air that my children breathe and the thought of having a car powered by burning oil that just to drives to shops, school and work sounds more and more preposterous to me. It’s like having kerosene lanterns in every room of your house rather than light bulbsTo be completely clear, though, I love petrol performance cars and detest electric performance ones. Petrol has a place.My fear is that petrol’s happy place in performance cars will eventually exclude me as the fuel becomes more expensive, rarer and the food of exotic beasts I can’t afford.So what’s left? There’s the Cupra Leon VZx, Ford Mustang, Honda Civic Type R and Prelude, Hyundai i30N, Mazda MX-5, Nissan Z, Subaru WRX, Toyota GR Yaris and GR Corolla and VW Golf R.Watch these models closely, because they are the final 'affordable' petrol performance cars and they are all now endangered.