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Australia could welcome not one but two new electrified dual-cab ute options in 2028, with Hyundai's first proper ute seemingly firming to join a hybrid Kia Tasman 2.0 in Australia.  Both Korean brands have remained relatively tight-lipped on their ute ambitions, but Hyundai has confirmed that sharing its dual-cab with Kia is back on the table, after it was largely ruled out last year. Then, the brand looked likely to share development of an all-new dual-cab with Hyundai in America — a product that would also likely be built there to dodge tariffs. But the brand acknowledges business case challenges, and has already opted to not import products from Europe owing to large shipping costs and unfavourable exchange rates. Whatever the reason, the brand is now more open to sharing with Kia. "If we wanted to bring the speed to market, there's probably only one other option," said Hyundai Australia COO, Gavin Donaldson, before joking about shipping costs from "Tasmania". "We've kept two options open because we think both could technically work," he said. "While we can't confirm, we would probably say if they're looking at something in the States we'd still consider that one because that's definitely on the drawing board. And then the other ones." The timing is perfect, because this week a leaked document confirmed work would begin on a new Kia Tasman in 2028. The documents come from Kia’s Employment Stability Committee – the body is responsible for negotiating factory allocation, Korean factory investments and more. The documents claim the Hwaseong factory, which is responsible for building the Tasman, is slated to review the new Tasman and its derivatives in 2028. That update is tipped to review all aspects of the Tasman, from its design to its powertrain, and even potentially introduce hybrid-petrol power for the first time. In fact, parts of the new update are already being evaluated in Australia. "That's part of the process. There's a normal Product Enhancement process applied to it like any other car. So that's happening now, if you like," Kia Australia’s Chief Ride and Handling Engineer Graeme Gambold recently told CarsGuide.  "And that's not just facelifted exterior styling. That's also different shock absorber technology, probably powertrain options, and a whole lot of things." A hybrid powertrain would make a brand-share arrangement even more appealing to Hyundai, with executives repeatedly stating that electrification was a non-negotiable. That stance has softened slightly, with the brand now favouring speed to market, but a hybrid powertrain remains a key focus. "We'll never say never to a new powertrain at the end of the day because if something means it can come a lot quicker with a different powertrain, then we would say yes. But for us, we think a hybrid powertrain is what we're going to do," Mr Donaldson says. 

A new family SUV from Honda could be headed to Aussie shores. Honda Australia has just teased the Avancier, which is a hybrid large three-row SUV.  While the local branch has not officially confirmed its arrival in showrooms, the announcement is a strong indication that it will.  The Avancier would provide competition for other hybrid three-row SUVs the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Toyota Kluger. It’s expected to be revealed globally in the coming days, but CarsGuide has contacted Honda Australia to find out about the car’s local future.  Honda has revealed limited details on the Avancier, with more information likely to be forthcoming at its official announcement.  The Avancier is a globally targeted model that will feature the brand’s next-generation hybrid technology.  Production on the car is rumoured to begin in early 2027 in Thailand and China, with sales to begin soon after.  Honda will fit the Avancier with three rows of seats, as it targets family buyers. Honda Australia said the Avancier will feature the brand’s new design direction, emphasising "elegant and progressive styling with innovative technology."  It said the car has a bold silhouette, distinctive lighting signature and a confident presence.  Honda Australia has not officially confirmed the Avancier for local launch just yet, but there are strong signs it will arrive. The car will be built in Thailand, which is another right-hand drive market, while importing the Avancier is also more viable because Thailand is relatively close to Australia. The brand will reveal more details in due course.  The Avancier would provide Honda with a dedicated large seven-seater SUV choice in Australia - a segment it currently doesn’t compete in.  Its hybrid status could also provide relief from potential fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).  Pricing remains a while away for the Avancier, but buyers can expect it to be more expensive than the seven-seater CR-V ($54,900, drive-away).  It would also need to be competitive with the Kia Sorento ($51,630) and Toyota Kluger ($62,410), both before on-road costs. 

China has revolutionised new cars and it is only the beginning. The China Society of Automotive Engineers has come together to show carmakers and third-party suppliers aren’t sitting on their laurels and are planning a big 2027. These are the trends and tech to revolutionise it all again in 2027, according to the gaggle of engineers. This game-changing technology is becoming a reality. The futuristic cells are entering the pilot production stage with an energy density of 400Wh/kg, which is more than double that of conventional electric car batteries. Solid-state batteries are said to be more energy dense, less fire prone and faster to charge than current batteries. This means range can be doubled, or carmakers can use batteries half the size for the same driving range as current EVs. This will allow for lighter, more efficient EVs and will make electric utes, 4WDs and sports cars more palatable.  Nearly every carmaker and battery supplier on the planet is working on this. Watch this space. Harnessing the stored energy inside a car’s battery to power homes and neighbourhoods during times of high power demand and emergencies is the holy grail of EV capabilities. This technology isn’t just being trialled in China, but is also being tested in Australia where is is arguably more valuable. V2G when paired with solar can effectively allow owners to live off the grid and to earn money by sending power back to the grid during peak times. The infrastructure is what is holding it up, the majority of electric cars are not yet set up to handle V2G and it can void the warranty if owners try to use the tech now. Chinese carmakers such as BYD, Geely, MG and others are trialling die-casting using a magnesium alloy which is lighter, stronger and better at reducing vibration than current materials. The die-casting method will make for more affordable construction methods thanks to reduced components, while the material will make EVs more efficient and pleasant to drive via increased structural rigidity and reduction of NVH. This new tech could revolutionise mining operations with a group of trucks following a prescribed route - from the mine to port for example - with one elad vehicle and several following it along major roads. This helps reduce the cost of freight, improve safety and reduce fuel use due to the following vehicles benefitting from reduced drag. 3D printing is common, but an emerging tech is 3D printing using metal. It can be used to make vehicle structures and complex single-piece mouldings. There are numerous constraints currently with the technology, but it has the potential to reduce weight from fewer parts used. It can improve strength, durability and crash safety performance by creating a stiffer structure with fewer welds. The engineers society believe there will be significant breakthroughs next year. Low-cost metal powders are expected to be used as building materials, plus layer thickness to make sturdier structures and improved printing performance. This works by cars and infrastructure all talking to each other to help make collaborative scenarios.  This can help improve road safety with advanced identification of hazards and reduced crash scenarios. It can also help reduce traffic with traffic lights prioritising the flow of traffic in real time rather than on set parameters. It also allows for better pedestrian safety with the cars able to effectively see around corners and other blind spots thanks to integration with static infrastructure and public cameras.

MG has just launched its first ute, but it isn’t resting on its laurels, with the odds shortening on more electrified workhorses and a Pajero fighter.

The 2027 Omoda 7 will debut Chery's new hybrid system, which brings a 5kWh battery to a plugless hybrid set-up.

Mitsubishi in Australia says it has its hand in the air for an expanded Pajero family as it plots a new model line that it hopes will elevate it to the upper echelon of off-road brands in this market.

Toyota is gearing up to soon reveal a new-generation version of its Corolla and it has detailed some more information about the powertrains it will have.

Chery has confirmed more details about its new Stockman diesel plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute as pre-orders begin ahead of first deliveries in February 2027.

The incoming D24 Nissan Navara ute may not be the only ute model in Nissan Australia’s line-up for long, according to suggestions from the local arm’s top brass. Nissan Australia has only just launched the new-generation 2026 Nissan Navara, but there’s an international sibling waiting in the wings to join the Australian-focused ute. The Chinese-built 2027 Nissan Frontier Pro, which borrows the Frontier name used for the Navara in the US, has a possibility of joining the new Navara here to fill the electrification gap currently seen in the ute space. With the popularity of the BYD Shark 6, it would also make sense for Nissan to offer a rival plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute here in Australia. The Frontier Pro is a similar PHEV ute, developed by Nissan’s Chinese partner Dongfeng, which sells it in China as the Z9 GE. Rather than replacing the diesel-powered (for now) Navara, it seems there’s room for both models in Nissan Australia’s showrooms. Outgoing Nissan Oceania Managing Director Andrew Humberstone says the strength of the Navara nameplate is just some of the reason there’s scope for the two products to coexist. “Navara as a nameplate is very strong, it’s like Patrol,” he told CarsGuide. “The powertrains can potentially change, but the product name Navara and its heritage here is very strong.” “There’s five generations… it’s got a long history. It’s a trusted brand on its own. We’ve built Warrior on the back of that as well, so we have a real Australian heritage with what we’ve done with this one. “The strength of Navara is something I would not underestimate. If I could use the Navara name or the Patrol name over another name I almost certainly would.” But with Nissan Australia not yet fully committed to the Frontier, it’s unclear whether the brand will look to bring that model here or wait for electrification in the Navara to be a possibility. Even if Navara does end up with hybrid (or any other kind of electrification) in its line-up, Humberstone says the two utes aren’t a case of ‘one or the other’. “I would see them as very different products… if you look at the design. Could those run parallel? Potentially, yeah, there’s no commitment on that product coming in yet, but at the national partner meeting we did discuss it at length. “We think it’s a great product, there’s lots of investment committed to that product. Going forward the markets will be named that are getting that within the next two to three months. And then once we have that we can potentially share more details.” Humberstone has previously said - in mid-2025 - he would like to see both models land Down Under, but this more recent suggestion that both would work in the line-up as parallel offerings shows the brand is gathering more information while keeping it on the cards.

To torture a well worn Mark Twain reference, if Australia’s 2025 new vehicle sales numbers are anything to go by, reports of the diesel engine’s death are greatly exaggerated. According to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries VFacts registration data, for the full calendar year of 2025 diesel-powered vehicles across passenger, SUV and light commercial segments totalled 364,605 units, only 1.7 per cent lower than 2024’s overall number (370,818). In fact, sales of diesel-powered passenger cars were up 1.3 per cent year-on-year (10,372 vs 10,242) with diesel SUV sales rising no less than 6.0 per cent (122,603 vs 115,670). Diesel light-commercial sales were down 5.4 per cent (231,630 vs 244,906) while plug-in hybrid commercials went from zero in 2024 to 20,634 last year. A coincidence that 18,073 examples of BYD’s Shark 6 PHEV dual cab ute found homes last year? We think not. The Ford Ranger was the best selling vehicle in 2025, but it wasn't alone at the top. Traditional diesel-heavy sellers the Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max, Ford Everest and Toyota Prado filled the third to sixth slots on the 2025 overall sales leader board with others such as the Mitsubishi Triton lifting year-on-year volume, too. Only the second placed Toyota RAV4 Hybrid managed to break up diesel's dominance atop the new car sales charts last year. Of course, nothing stays the same forever and given the rapidly shifting form of the Australian new vehicle market and the increasing impact of the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) regime there’s a chance the diesel engine’s status may have changed dramatically by the end of 2026. But for now, it appears diesel power isn’t headed for the automotive graveyard just yet.   Australian diesel vehicle registrations: