Luxury

Lexus Australia is introducing a new entry-level version of its NX plug-in hybrid (PHEV) mid-size SUV.The 2026 Lexus NX450h+ Luxury AWD is set to be available from late September and is priced from $84,500 before on-road costs.This is $12,800 more than the entry-level NX350h Luxury 2WD, and $11,500 less than the flagship NX450h+ F Sport AWD.As part of this introduction, Lexus has axed the entry-level NX250 trim, making the NX350 F Sport the only non-hybridised variant on offer locally.All other carryover trims have received a $100 price rise. The line-up now starts from $71,700 before on-roads for the NX350h Luxury 2WD and extends to $96,000 before on-roads for the NX450h+ F Sport AWD.A full pricing table is at the bottom of this story.This new NX450h+ Luxury AWD is powered by the same 2.5-litre PHEV powertrain as the NX450h+ F Sport AWD. It has a total system output of 227kW of power and is claimed to be able to sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds.The two electric motors are fed by an 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Lexus claims this allows for an electric range up to 87km, according to comparatively lenient NEDC testing.Owners can AC charge at rates up to 6.6kW, which at this speed will see the battery fully recharge in 2.5 hours.Lexus hasn’t confirmed the full specifications for the NX450h+ Luxury AWD just yet.Standard equipment that has been confirmed includes a power tailgate, keyless entry and push-button start, surround-view cameras, wireless phone charger, heated steering wheel, leather-accented upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats with eight-way electric adjustment, and heated outboard rear seats.The NX450h+ Luxury AWD is now Lexus’ third PHEV offered in Australia. It follows the recent introduction of the RX450h+ Sports Luxury AWD in April.

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It’s utter rubbish that a space saver saves enough weight to warrant it. My full size spare weighs 7kg more than the space saver. I threw out the saver wheel and carry the full size spare in my Audi A5 Sportback. I weigh 79 kg, plenty of drivers weigh 7kg more.

Mercedes-Benz is bolstering its electric car range with a couple of special editions.Dubbed the EQA 250+ City Edition and EQB 250+ City Edition, the duo pair some flashy exterior styling with a more curated equipment list.Both are priced to sit underneath the luxury car tax threshold, which opens the door to them being exempt from the fringe benefits tax when they are acquired on a novated lease.The EQA compact electric SUV starts at $80,700 (before on-road costs) and the EQB compact seven-seat electric SUV kicks off at $85,400.Both ride on 19-inch alloy wheels and have the AMG Line exterior styling pack included as standard. Dark tined glass, LED headlights and a wide range of driver safety tech.Inside there are synthetic leather and cloth wrapped seats with power adjustment for the front seat passengers. This is paired with a Nappa leather steering wheel.There is a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, wireless device charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and ambient lighting.Both include augmented reality navigation and a finger print reader to access individual driver settings.The variants are powered by a single electric motor that makes 140kW and 385Nm and drives the front wheels.A 70.5kWh battery delivers a driving range of up to 578km in the EQA and 564km in the EQB. Both ranges are calculated on the more lenient NEDC test cycle rather than the benchmark WLTP test regime.Both models come with one year of free charging at Chargefox public stations.

American giant GM, which is in the midst of launching Cadillac as an EV-only brand in Australia, is determined to take on China, and win, when it comes to battery technology, announcing a new way of “layering” its batteries, which can reduce the number of cells by as much as 75 per cent, reducing both weight and cost.

The hardest, fastest M4 that has ever been has arrived in the shape of the M4 CS, which sheds weight, increases power and activates just about every performance add-on you can think of. In less happy news, it also ups the price significantly. So is the BMW M4 CS the best pound-for-pound performance car around? We put it to the test to find out.