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US electric vehicle (EV) brand Lucid has confirmed it will begin producing right-hand drive vehicles at this year’s Munich motor show.As reported by Auto Express, the company’s Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said it’s planning to enter the UK market in late 2026.No further right-hand drive markets have been confirmed yet. This means an Australian launch is still up in the air.Winterhoff told Auto Express it will enter the UK market with a vehicle built on a new “mid-size platform”.Little information about this new platform has been confirmed yet, though it’s reported it could spawn both a Tesla Model 3 electric sedan and Tesla Model Y electric SUV rival.Winteroff said vehicles on this new architecture are scheduled to launch in December 2026 and have a starting price of US$50,000 (~A$75,000).At this stage it’s unclear whether the Gravity large, three-row electric SUV will be produced in right-hand drive.“Right-hand drive requires additional investment,” said Winterhoff to Auto Express.“However, we have recently reopened this plan for the Gravity, as right-hand drive applies not just to the UK but a number of other potential markets, too.“You’ll have to bear with us as to whether or not we go ahead with this.”At the Munich motor show Lucid also announced it is launching in Europe with the Gravity to rival the forthcoming Range Rover Electric. Deliveries are set to commence in early 2026.In Germany pricing for this model will start at €99,900 (~A$176,200) for the entry-level model.If Lucid launches in Australia it will join an ever-growing market that’s becoming more saturated by Chinese carmakers, especially on the high-end EV front.The only other US carmaker that sells only EVs in Australia is Tesla, though almost all Australian-specification models are produced in China. The exception is the new Model Y Performance which will be sourced from Germany.Lucid has some serious impressive hardware, and has more premium vehicles than Tesla.The Lucid Air Grand Touring now holds the Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge.It covered 1205km to beat the previous record of 1045km set by the Nio ET7.

Don’t believe the rumours! The Polestar 2 will live on and is confirmed to get a second generation.The boxy electric sedan is Polestar’s best-selling model and went on sale in 2020 globally before landing in Australia in late 2021.In recent times there’s been speculation about the future of the Tesla Model 3 rival, with some suggesting that it would not live on to see another generation, and others saying it would be replaced but it would adopt the Polestar 8 moniker.Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller clarified the future of the model in an interview with Australian journalists at the IAA Mobility show in Munich.“Yes, new generation, yeah. And that's important, because we have set it up so successfully, right? It has… 180,000 customers at the moment, right? And there will be a Polestar 2 successor for sure, for sure.”Lohscheller also confirmed that the car that will replace the Polestar 2 will indeed be called the Polestar 2.He said if the vehicle was going to change in concept then it would make more sense to adopt a new moniker.“If it was a new car, then we could argue, is that a Polestar 8, but that's not the case, right? And that maybe indicates that we obviously want to keep the Polestar 2 customers, right?”When asked by CarsGuide if the next-gen Polestar 2 would retain its sedan-like liftback body style, Lohscheller would neither confirm nor deny it.“We leave that open. But there are arguments for it. Because obviously, I mean, we call it now, really a fastback,” he said.“I want to have those current Polestar 2 customers back.”“I think we did a great job. And I want to keep them in the family.”Polestar head of design Philipp Römers was also non-committal about whether it would retain its sedan shape.“Let's see. We have some ideas of course, also there. I mean, we always have to do something special and evolve it further, you know. And again, the car was born as a Volvo. So we have to evolve it and separate it more from the Volvo,” he told Australian journalists.“It has to look as like a true Polestar, you know. Be surprised, we have some good ideas, you know?”He said the freshly revealed Polestar 5 could also provide some inspiration for the next-gen 2’s design.“Polestar 5 is such a brand ambassador. And of course, there is a big pool of inspiration also for these kinds of cars.”Römers said there were a number of aspects of the current model he wants to capture for the new version.“That it has character, that it is good looking, that it's timeless. Also that it feels like you want to drive it, you know? And these are the elements which we definitely would keep.”In terms of timing, Polestar is yet to confirm when the next Polestar 2 will be revealed. The current focus for the brand is on the coming Polestar 7 compact SUV which is set for release in early 2028 so the 2 should surface after that.In the meantime, expect more significant updates to the car in the last part of its life cycle.

Leapmotor's upcoming large three-row SUV breaks cover in China - but will it change the brand's fortunes in Australia.

Here’s a question for four-wheel driving enthusiasts: why? As in why do you do it? Serious question.

Ram is preparing to return to the midsized ute market globally, to take on the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, BYD Shark 6, Isuzu D-Max and more, with Australia looming front-and-centre. Expected to resuscitate the long-dormant Dakota badge when it debuts possibly as early as next year, the one-tonne pick-up range will slip underneath the full-sized DT-series 1500 Hurricane dual-cab series in both size and price.

GWM was here before the multitude of other Chinese car brands arrived, which allowed it to build a reputation that could soon see it become a brand as ‘Aussie’ as Toyota with just a few more models — and it’s so obvious what they are. Now you might think that’s ridiculous, but once Australians would have laughed at the idea of swapping their Holdens and Fords for a Toyota, but models such as the LandCruiser, HiLux and Corolla changed their minds, forever.GWM is poised to do the same, but it’ll take more models and the right ones — these ones.GWM’s year-to-date sales (until the end of August) were 34,398, and while Toyota is a long way ahead as expected with 163,491 sales, GWM’s results make it the seventh most-bought brand in Australia. If GWM’s sales keep tracking upwards at the present rate it will overtake Mitsubishi (currently sixth place for year to date sales) in 2026.Catching Toyota is highly unlikely in the next decade if ever, but GWM doesn’t need to beat Toyota to be a successful and loved brand in Australia. If it can aim for what Kia (55,554) and Hyundai (51,957) have now it’ll be safe… well until its Chinese rivals start pecking away at its lead. GWM has an excellent model portfolio already and they are all doing big numbers.The Haval Jolion small SUV has reached 12,278 this year already, the Haval H6 mid-sized SUV is at 9224, the Tank 300 has reached 3271 and the Cannon 4x4 ute has reached 4428 sales. Adding to the overall number are decent sales of the Cannon Alpha ute with 1549 sales and the Tank 500 large SUV with 1021 sales.It would seem that GWM doesn’t really need any new models at all as it has utes and SUVs, which is the way to Aussie sales success. But the models it doesn’t have are so obvious you might not have spotted it and not having them is very ‘un-Chinese’. GWM doesn’t have electric vehicles.Well it has the little Ora hatch, which is cute, but lacks the outstanding refinement, cutting edge EV architecture and dazzling cabin tech Aussies have come to expect from Chinese EVs. Still 432 have been sold this year.GWM has won Australia over already with its regular combustion cars and now it must add good electric models to its range.Fellow Chinese brand MG has done just that and if GWM dawdles with EVs then MG will surge ahead, especially with the launch of its MG S5 and new MG4 Urban electric cars.The electric models GWM needs now are a Jolion EV, a H6 EV, a medium-sized electric sedan to rival the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal and a new-gen Ora that’s better than the current version.    Chinese EVs are known to be exceptional both in technology and value and GWM launching an electric line-up of at least four battery electric vehicles will ensure it can overtake Mitsubishi and possibly even Hyundai, Kia, Ford and Mazda for yearly sales.GWM’s footprint in Australia is now huge with more than 120 dealerships already operating in Australia. The hard part is done, and EVs will be the final piece of the GWM puzzle.Does GWM have the EV know-how and the models? That’s a good question and the company’s Chief Operating Officer John Kett said it does, but we’ll believe it when we drive it.When asked earlier in 2025 where GWM’s EVs are, Kett said they were coming with two or three new ones to arrive in 2026.“Should we do better? Certainly. Are we happy with the progress? Yes. Have we got more Oras and other EV platforms in our plan going forward? Yes, definitely,” he told CarsGuide.Whether GWM can do electric cars as well as MG and BYD really remains to be seen, but if the company is able to produce not only affordable EVs but good ones even then it might even cause Toyota to start looking over its shoulder.

Toyota's S-Class sized electric sedan revealed for China.

Lexus this week revealed the updated IS sedan ahead of a Japanese on-sale date of early 2026.The updates consist of some mechanical changes for more engaging driving and design alterations to emphasise the “signature aggressiveness” of the car, but one thing that hasn’t changed is whether the car can be sold in Australia.The Lexus IS was discontinued for Australia in 2022 due to its inability to pass ADR 85, or ‘Pole Side Impact Performance’, which assesses the car’s ability to withstand a sideways impact into a pole. It’s one of many models that fell victim to ADR 85, including the Lexus RC coupe.Lexus Australia confirmed the IS update does not affect whether it can be sold here.“The updated IS sedan announced this week will be offered in selected markets only. This does not include Australia, which ceased offering the IS in 2022,” a Lexus spokesperson told CarsGuide.While the updated Lexus IS is a clear progression over the refreshed 2020 design, it looks rather different to the first iteration of what is still the same generation that debuted back in 2013.Twelve years on from being revealed, the third-generation IS has been given a more aggressive look, Lexus says, with a new face that bears a wider grille, has new F Sport design features, and is 10mm longer than before (now 4720mm).Inside, the changes are more significant. A 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen is standard across the range, while a completely restyled driver display panel (also 12.3 inches), console and door trims creates a more “driver-focused” interior.The IS now has more functions under the brand’s ‘Lexus Safety System +’ and can support hands-off during highway traffic congestion.

Toyota is currently on a roll with its models gaining its new corporate exterior design and the next in line appears to be the Corolla.Details and imagery of this updated small car have been published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) via CarScoops. Only the sedan has been detailed as it’s the only body style offered in the Chinese market.At the front there is a hammerhead shark-like look that’s very similar to the current Camry, C-HR and Prius, as well as the forthcoming new-generation RAV4.It features a C-shaped daytime running light (DRL) set-up that is joined up by a full-width light bar. The main headlight units appear to be mounted separately under the C-shaped part of the DRLs in a black section that connects up to the lower air intake.The side profile appears to be unchanged besides new 16- and 17-inch alloy wheel options.At the back there’s more black trim around the tail-lights and a slightly reworked bumper.There are no interior images or details provided.According to filing there are both petrol and hybrid powertrains available.The former is a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 126kW, whereas the latter has a 1.8-litre petrol engine that produces 72kW that’s married to a hybrid system with a nickel cobalt manganese (NMC) lithium-ion battery.At this stage it’s unclear whether this update to the Corolla will be for China only, or if it will be available in other markets.Ever since the current, 12th-generation Toyota Corolla was revealed in 2018, it has been made available in a number of different body styles and types, now including a high-performance GR version.In Australia we receive the regular hatchback and the ‘sporty’ version of the sedan. In other markets, including China, there’s a ‘prestige’ version that’s also available.A wagon version of the Corolla is offered in other markets and is rebadged to the Suzuki Swace for Europe.Locally the Toyota Corolla is the best-selling small passenger car by far and has been for a long time.In the first eight months of 2025 a total of 13,145 examples have been sold, which is technically down 25.8 per cent year-on-year.Its closest rival is the Hyundai i30 (7447 sales YTD), followed by the Mazda 3 (7191 sales YTD) and the Kia K4 (3855 sales).

Motor shows are officially back in Australia, and it's all because of electric cars.The Sydney International EV motor show is returning this October to the ICC Sydney, proving the EV show wasn’t just a flash in the pan.The organiser of the show, Ray Evans, said they are expecting about 40,000 visitors to come through the gates over three days.“The exceptional response has proven that Australians are hungry for EV knowledge and options," said Evans."This year we're delivering exactly what the market wants - hands-on experiences with over 100 vehicles, test drives, daily sessions and a New Model Stage.”The show will give potential customers a chance to get up close and personal with some of the newest names in the EV game.Brands such as Farizon, Lotus, Polestar, Smart, Volvo, XPeng and Zeekr will have current and coming models on display.Volvo Australia boss Stephen Connor said the company is committed to a fully electric future."This year we have already introduced three new all-electric models to Australia, and to date our all-electric lineup equates to 40 per cent of our total volume," said Connor.Volvo will have the new ES90 electric sedan on display at the show. Attendees can also check out the $1.2m Rolls-Royce Spectre EV.Some experts have predicted Australian EV sales to balloon to between 15 and 19 per cent next year, according to the show organisers. Currently EV sales only make up about 7.7 per cent of new car sales through the first eight months of this year.The show runs from October 31 to November 2nd and tickets start from $35.00 and are available now from Ticketmaster.