Off road

Hyundai’s Australian arm expressed cautious optimism about the company’s range of new ladder-frame 4WD products, despite the announcement at the brand’s recent investor day that they would be designed and built in the USA.Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the Palisade XRT Pro, Hyundai Australia General Manager of Product Planning Jonathan Lam said he wasn’t concerned about the CEO’s announcement for what could be a key new product for the brand.“The way we typically approach it is that we don’t worry too much about sourcing first, we worry about the product first," he said.“What head office does is they look at, okay, what does Australia want, what does Europe want, what does America want and so on.“They put all of that together and take a look. Where do the major markets have overlaps? If we distil one product into two or three projects or even a singular project that’s flexible enough to adapt to these markets around the world, then what would that look like?“Then, based on where the project is going they decide where it should be built in our many factories around the world.“So sourcing isn’t the be all and end all of it, it’s almost really the last step.“Think of it from a different perspective. Even in our current portfolio, there are cars that are built in multiple plants all across the world. So say, Santa Fe, we take it from the Korean plant, but they also manufacture them in America so just because it’s out in public that a certain model might be being designed and manufactured in America, doesn’t mean that it’s automatically off-limits for the rest of the world.”The upcoming family of ladder-frame products from Hyundai has been teased by the Boulder and Crater 4WD concepts.The new frame architecture they use will sit above the brand’s current matrix of H platform city cars (Venue, Inster), K platform small cars (Kona, i30), N platform mid-sizers (Tucson, Santa Fe), and e-GMP platform EVs (Ioniq 3 to Ioniq 9).The company’s global President and CEO Jose Munoz said recently the upcoming frame family, which is also expected to spawn a ute, will account for 50 per cent of the company’s growth aspirations until 2030.The new 4WDs are all expected to use new range-extender hybrid powertrains. The first implementation of this system will be on the updated Santa Fe early next year.While Lam couldn’t comment further on the future 4WD products for Australia, including what they might be or when we might see them, General Manager for Corporate Communications, Bill Thomas, added that Australia in particular gets a helping hand from South Korea.“Over the years, I’m always surprised by the high level of support we get from head office. In theory we’re such a small percentage of global volume, but the level of support we get is always higher.”On the topic of sourcing for Hyundai, when asked if the brand was more open to more vehicles manufactured in China, like the recently launched Elexio mid-size EV, Lam said many factories around the world still had potential to serve right-hand-drive cars to Australia.“We’re not averse to sourcing cars from other countries outside of just South Korea. It’s a big proportion of our current sourcing, but we’re open to sourcing cars from China, Czech Republic, Türkiye.“What’s more important is whether the product is right for our market and whether there’s a financial case to be made for it.”While Hyundai Australia has been lucky to secure some right-hand-drive exclusives, like the first-generation Palisade and the second-generation Veloster hatchback, it has also been forced to make some tough decisions.Recently, this included culling the well-received i30 hatchback from the line-up, as the cost of sourcing the latest version from Europe, where it is built, became prohibitively expensive.Now stripped down to only the go-fast N hatch and sedan range sourced from South Korea, this looks set to continue into the future, with the next-generation sedan already having been spied testing in Australia.Next for Hyundai will be the introduction of the Ioniq 3 electric crossover, next-generation i30 Sedan, and next-generation Tucson mid-sizer, all of which are expected in Australia in the first half of 2027.

Nissan is preparing to shake-up the 4WD segment with a new affordable ute-based off-roader.Nissan has already confirmed the Xterra, which Nissan America boss Christian Meunier labelled “badass” on social media.It is also expected to cost the equivalent of $56,000 in Aussie dollars when it launches in the US next year. Nissan hasn’t revealed the 4WD, which will be based on the US-market Frontier ute, but digital artists AutoYa and from TopElectricSUV have taken recent teaser images and given us a full width view of the tough-looking off-roader.The renders show a bold, aggressive front end with massive air intakes in the grille, coloured LED lights across the bonnet and underbody protection.Wide, muscular haunches and a boxy silhouette follow the trend set by the Toyota Prado, Denza B5 and new Mitsubishi Pajero.The Xterra will be built on a ladder frame underpinning, which is best suited to rough-and-tumble four-wheel drives. You’ll find that tough chassis underneath the Prado, Pajero and Everest 4WDs and nearly all dual-cab utes such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.It’ll likely use V6 petrol or V6 hybrid power. This will be different from the brand’s 'e-Power' hybrid technology found in the Qashqai and X-Trail SUVs, which use the engine purely as a generator to charge the battery while electric motors drive the wheels.Nissan has promised the Xterra will be a no-nonsense 4WD.“The Xterra represents the DNA of Nissan: affordable, durable and high quality,” Meunier told Automotive News.“We don’t want to over-engineer it and make it overly complicated or expensive.“We’re going to give our Nissan customers everything they need, nothing they don’t,” he said.Bad news? The Xterra will be built in the US for the North American market, with no known plans to bring it to Australia.But another ladder frame ute-based Nissan 4WD has emerged as a possible starter in Australia.The Terrano 4WD is based on the Chinese-built and developed Frontier Pro ute, the latter is expected to be called Navara Pro when it arrives in Australia, and could be Nissan’s local answer to Pajero and Prado.The Navara Pro will use plug-in hybrid grunt, pairing a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with an electric motor with total system outputs of 300kW and 800Nm.It can offer up to 135km of electric range, according to the lenient CLTC test cycle.Nissan has confirmed the new Terrano is “intended for selected global markets”, but hasn’t revealed if Australia is one.

Sometimes when driving my 2024 KGM Rexton feels like it shifts itself into low 4WD for no reason. Pulling over and putting into Park will reset it. Any ideas as to what is happening?

GWM will soon have one of the most powerful large SUVs in Australia, with the brand at last confirming its newly developed V8 engine will launch in our market next year.The brand stopped short of confirming which model the engine would be fitted to, but it is almost certain to be the Tank 700, which has already been earmarked for V8 power globally.In fact, the brand has two versions of the V8 engine in development. The first is a high-performance version that will live in GWM's first supercar. The other is being described as a "normal V8", which will find a home in the Tank 700."This is completely opposite to the current environment or trend in China; it does not fit the Chinese market. We developed this V8 to meet the needs of more global users, in markets such as Australia and New Zealand," said company chairman Jack Wei earlier this year.And now we know the V8 engine has been locked in for a 2027 launch in Australia. Asked 'is it coming', John Kett, Chief Operating Officer GWM Australia & New Zealand, replied "Yes. Next year"."(We) will tell you after Christmas which car it is, because we can't announce them all now," he continued.Both models that will feature the V8 appear on the cards for Australia, with the brand's GM of marketing and communications, Steve Maciver, saying the company had its hand up for halo products."We're very lucky, we've got a chairman who's a massive motoring enthusiast, who loves rallying, who loves motorsport. There's an ambition for GWM to be a truly global company, and that's been this ambition from the get-go," he says."What we're seeing, and what is paying dividends for Australia now, is that ultimately we're not just petrol, we're not diesel, we're not hybrid, we're not just EV. So why not a V8? Why not a V8 supercar?"Now, are we going to sell V8s in volume in this country? No. Would we love to have it as a halo car? Absolutely. There's a high- and a low-performance potentially coming, so yes, the V8 could go into a Tank, but it could also potentially go into a hypercar as well."The brand is yet to confirm power outputs, but the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 in development is a popular size and configuration elsewhere, with models from Mercedes-AMG, Audi, Aston Martin and more all using a similar setup. It's not clear if the twin-turbocharging would make its way to the lower-output version.

Geely has confirmed the Battleship 700 off-road SUV for the Australian market.The brand said the large plug-in hybrid 4WD will hit our shores in the second half of 2027 and will top-out the Geely range for the time being.At this stage, few local details can be confirmed, even including the SUV’s name, which may be changed by the time it arrives domestically.Battleship 700 is its Chinese name, while it is alternatively called the Galaxy Cruiser, and debuted under its internal code name of KO11 in Europe.The Battleship 700 is over five meters long making it a rival to everything from the BYD Denza B8 through to the Toyota LandCruiser 300 series, although with styling cues taking inspiration from the Land Rover Defender.Its plug-in hybrid system is closer in design to the Denza B8 than GWM Tank 500 Hi4-T in that it drives the front wheels via a combination of the engine and electric motor, with a purely electric rear motor set-up. It does not feature a driveshaft connecting the transmission at the front to the axle at the rear, and has no transfer case.The brand could confirm the Australian market will receive a high-specification version of the SUV, featuring the full array of off-road features.It will use the most powerful powertrain combination consisting of a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine in the front and a total of three electric motors, one in the front and two in the rear.In China this set-up produces up to 830kW and is the most powerful off-road SUV in its class. It is said to be able to sprint from 0-100km/h in just over four seconds.In place of a driveshaft between the two axles, the Battleship 700 gets a 47kWh battery pack, which is said to provide up to 170km of fully electric driving range.The Battleship 700 rides on a newly-developed ladder architecture for upcoming off-road vehicles from Geely, and features adjustable-height air suspension, off-road specific software modes, an 800mm wading capability and importantly a rear differential lock between the two electric motors.It also features a full-size spare wheel on the swing-open tailgate, an 800-volt electrical architecture for ultra fast charging, vehicle-to-load and a full-size household outlet in the boot.Inside, it scores features like a panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch digital dash, and 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, a fridge/heater under the centre console, standard synthetic leather interior trim and up to 23 speakers for the sound system.It also features the more high-end version of Geely’s software suite (more similar to what appears on Zeekr models), as well as adaptive damping in the suspension.It can automatically park itself, and features a ‘crab turn’ mode to rotate on the spot.The Battleship 700 in 2.0-litre tri-motor form starts from the equivalent of around $56,500 in China, stretching to $81,460 for the top-spec ‘Land Yacht’ version.With the usual additional 15 - 20 per cent added by the time most Chinese vehicles land in Australia, you can expect pricing in the realm of $70,000 - $98,000 by the time it arrives in Australia.The Denza B8 it will compete against costs $91,000 before on-roads in Australia.This places it well at the top of the brand’s range, but it undercuts the Zeekr 8X and 9X luxury SUVs.Geely said it received 43,900 orders within 60 minutes of the order books opening for the car in China on the 15th of September.The Battleship 700 is one part of a massive expansion for the Geely brand in Australia, building off the early success it has achieved with the EX5 and Starray EM-i SUVs.Also in 2027 the brand will also be adding the Emgrand, a Camry-rivalling sedan, and Monjaro mid-size SUV in the first half of the year, doubling its range from three to six vehicles.Geely made its debut in the top-10 best selling brands in Australia for the month of August, not even 18 months after it arrived locally with the EX5.

Aussie buyers will soon have a new fully-electric ute to choose from.The MG U9 EV will be the latest in a limited, but expanding set of electric utes in Australia.Prices for the MG U9 EV will start at $78,990 (before on-road costs).Its main competition will be the KGM Musso EV and the low-volume targeted Toyota HiLux BEV.The Musso EV is about $20,000 cheaper than the U9 EV, and the HiLux BEV is in the same ballpark.The U9 EV joins its diesel sibling that has been available in Australia since September 2025.The MG U9 is powered by two electric motors, making 325kW and 700Nm.This is substantially more performance than the Musso EV (152kW/339Nm) and the HiLux BEV (144kW/468Nm).It has the industry standard 3500kg braked towing capacity and a 685kg payload.It’s equipped with a sizeable 102kWh battery that offers a driving range of 430km, besting the HiLux BEV (240km), both according to WLTP standards.DC charging at 115kW from 20 to 80 per cent takes 42 minutes.The car has all-wheel drive and a four-wheel electric air suspension system.The U9 EV can charge and power external devices directly using its vehicle-to-load system.Its external outlet operates at 6.6kW, with three 2.2kW outlets available in the cabin. Elsewhere inside, there is a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 12.3-inch central touchscreen as well as a wireless phone charger.The ute has an eight-speaker JBL audio system and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.Front seats are wrapped in leather and are heated, while the driver seat is ventilated and has massage functionality.The U9 EV's technology includes a 360-degree camera and hands-free automatic tailgate.The U9 EV will be shown in the metal for one of the first times on September 18, 2026 at the Everything Electric event in Sydney as it edges closer to an official launch.Australia will be the first market to launch the U9 EV globally, which is expected to happen before the end of 2026 or early 2027.Pricing will be revealed closer to U9 EV’s arrival, but it will need to be competitive with the KGM Musso EV ($60,000, drive-away) and the Toyota HiLux BEV ($74,990, before on-road costs).Buyers can expect it to be more expensive than the diesel variant that starts from $52,990, drive-away. 

GWM has finally opened the order books for its Tank 300 Hooke Edition in China, as a massively overhauled version of the 4WD specialised for off-road performance.The brand has opened ‘blind orders’ taking a small deposit from interested buyers ahead of a full specification and pricing release for the Chinese market.The Hooke edition was originally teased a year ago at the Shanghai motor show, teasing significant upgrades for hardcore off-roading. The Hooke edition is named after the Hooke Trail off-road park in the Helan Mountains bordering Inner Mongolia to the west of Beijing. The park is notorious for its challenging trails, and is essentially China’s version of the famous Moab trail, which Jeep products are ‘trail rated’ for.While it was speculated at the time the Tank 300 Hooke Edition would be equipped with GWM’s new 4.0-litre V8, which it was teased alongside in Shanghai, the version just launched in China is equipped with the carryover 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine. Producing 170kW/400Nm, it is mated to a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission with a low-range transfer case.The focus for this new variant is instead a significant underbody overhaul. The usual double wishbone independent front suspension has been replaced with a more rugged solid axle to match a similar set-up on the rear axle.The tweaked layout plus suspension changes mean the Tank 300 can now accommodate up to 40-inch tyres, and its off-road specifications have also been changed as a result. It has a reinforced front axle housing, with stronger control and trailing arms in the suspension. The overall suspension rigidity has been increased by 38 per cent.It also now has a significantly improved approach angle of 41 degrees, while the departure angle remains the same at 34 degrees. It has front and rear locking differentials similar to other high-end Tank 300 grades.The 300 Hooke Edition also comes equipped with downsized 18-inch wheels, redesigned front and rear bumpers, specific black trim for some exterior pieces, pre-wired towing, and a snorkel.The new version expands on an already broad Tank 300 range.In Australia, the 4WD is available in 2.4-litre diesel, 2.0-litre turbo petrol, and 2.0-litre ‘Hi4-T’ plug-in hybrid. The brand is even set to add a V6 version to the Chinese line-up in the near future.In China, the new Hooke edition is also added on top of the ‘Hi4-Z’ plug-in version, which trades away a rear solid axle linkage for dedicated electric motors and a longer EV driving range from a larger battery capacity.The Tank 300 is GWM’s third best-selling vehicle in Australia, ranking behind the Jolion small SUV, H6 mid-sizer, and Cannon ute range. While not one of the best-selling ladder frame off-roaders in Australia, it performs decently for its segment, and sells more than ten times the volume of the Jeep Wrangler from which it clearly takes inspiration.GWM is on a big new model push in Australia, introducing new 3.0-litre turbo diesel variants of some of its ute and 4WD range, as well as expanding on the portfolio of its EV-focused Ora sub-brand, which it needs to bring down its emissions liabilities under Australia’s new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES).It will also introduce an overhauled and tougher-looking version of the boxy Subaru Outback-rivalling Haval H7, as well as new plug-in versions of the regular Cannon ute.Stay tuned for more on GWM’s model range expansion in 2027 and beyond imminently.

Geely has not only put a price-tag on its highly anticipated Battleship 700 4WD, but says it sold 43,900 units within an hour of the books opening in China.The over-five-meter long plug-in hybrid (PHEV) off-roader starts from the equivalent of $41,754 in its Chinese home market, with prices stretching to nearly double that - $81,460 for the flagship ‘Land Yacht’ edition.There are a total of six variants available, across three powertrains and three main trim levels.The entry-level powertrain is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol unit (120kW/255Nm) available in either single-motor front-wheel drive (350kW/605Nm) or tri-motor all-wheel drive (690kW/1165Nm), while the top-spec powertrain is tri-motor all-wheel drive only with a larger 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine producing a total of 830kW/1330Nm.All versions come with a 47.14kWh CATL LFP battery pack, allowing a driving range of up to 305km on the 2WD cars, or up to 280km for the tri-motor all-wheel drive versions, although this is to the more lenient CLTC measuring standard.The three trim levels are dubbed Explorer, Peak and Land Yacht. All versions also get adaptive dampers, while 2.0-litre tri-motor versions score height-adjustable air suspension and a low-range driving mode with a rear differential lock.The big 4WD has no driveshaft connection between the front and rear axles, with that space taken up by the large battery. This makes it closer in layout to rivals like the Denza B5 rather than the GWM Tank 500, with the rear axle being purely electrically driven.This means the Galaxy 700 needs to rely more heavily on its software terrain modes for its off-road prowess.Every variant scores features like LED lights all-round and massive 20-inch alloy wheels, while the large internal screens run Geely’s latest and more high-end Flyme 2 software suite which features some similar features to the system featured in Zeekr models.The Battleship 700 is yet to be confirmed for the Australian market, but Geely choose to bring it here; it would be a no-brainer for it to go with the all-wheel drive versions only.With the usual 15 - 20 per cent premium added to Chinese vehicles by the time they are converted to right-hand drive, compiled and shipped to Australia, we could expect pricing to land in the realm of $70,000-$98,000 if the brand sticks to the higher trim levels.This would easily make it Geely’s flagship, whilst still leaving breathing space above for its Zeekr premium arm and its more road-focused 8X and 9X luxury plug-in hybrids.It would also place it in similar pricing territory to the GWM Tank 500 Hi4-T plug-in hybrid (from $75,990), whilst undercutting the Denza B8 (from $91,000).The Battleship 700 is part of a wave of new box-style off-roaders buying into the Chinese market trend.GAC has also recently priced its similar Yue 7 off-roader in China. It is significantly less powerful and not quite as nicely appointed but is also significantly more affordable than the Geely, starting with a predicted price of A$52,000 to around $65,000 for 4WD versions once the usual conversion is added from its Chinese price.Other options which are expected for an Australian debut in the near future include those from Chery’s iCaur and Jetour brands, as well as from its Freelander joint-venture with Land Rover.Stay tuned for more on the Geely Battleship 700 as the brand is expected to confirm more of its plans for 2027 imminently.

I recently changed the battery in my 2019 Mazda BT-50 and, since then, the Alpine media system no longer works, along with the reverse camera. I have tried changing the fuse in the main fuse box, but that makes no difference.

Aussie buyers have a new 4WD to think about.The Mitsubishi Pajero will launch in Australia with great anticipation in December 2026 when the revived 4WD hits showrooms. Mitsubishi has revealed pricing and specifications for its new model, but how does it stack up to key rivals in the segment?It will face the most fierce competition with the popular Toyota Prado and Ford Everest, so here is how it shapes up against those popular options. The Pajero squeezes under the $70,000 mark, starting from $68,490, which is cheaper than the Toyota Prado, but more expensive than both Ford Everest variants.It continues to undercut the Prado up the grades, with its Exceed starting from $79,990, while the GSR starts from $84,990.The Prado's $73,200 starting price is $4710 more than the base five-seater Pajero ($68,490), with Prado pricing extending to $100,620 on the top grade.The Pajero’s cheapest seven-seater variant is $69,990, more than $10,000 cheaper than the Prado's base seven-seater ($80,665). Both 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre Everest base variants are cheaper than the Pajero and the Prado. The Everest 2.0 starts from $58,990, with prices increasing up to $71,990, while the Everest 3.0 kicks off from $66,990, with the top-spec grade starting from $83,417.The Pajero’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine matches the Prado for power at 150kW, but its 480Nm, is just shy of the 500Nm total in its Toyota rival. The Pajero also has more performance than the 2.0-litre Everest, but the 3.0-litre Everest is the pick of the bunch for outright power with 184kW and 600Nm. All four competitors boast the industry standard 3500kg braked towing capacity. Mitsubishi hasn’t revealed the Pajero’s fuel efficiency, so we don’t know how it compares to its rivals. It will need to offer below 8.0L/100km to be competitive. The closely-related Triton offers as little as 7.5L/100km, so it could beat that figure. The Pajero comes with a rear differential lock and low-range transfer case on all grades as part of its permanent 4WD system.The Prado has a permanent 4WD system, but a locking rear differential is only found on a higher grade of the car.All 4x4 grades of the Ford Everest feature a rear differential lock and a permanent 4WD system.The Pajero's approach and departure angles are similar to the Everest's, along with a competitive ground clearance figure.The Prado's 17.0-degree departure angles is significantly less than the Pajero and Everest, as is its 210mm ground clearance.The Pajero has a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, while higher grades are equipped with dual 14.3-inch display.This beats the Everest’s standard 8.0-inch digital driver display and 12.0-inch touchscreen.All Prado grades match the Pajero’s 12.3-inch central unit, but it only has a 7.0-inch driver display as standard. The Pajero has waterproof black fabric seat trim to start, mirroring other standard fabrics in its rivals. Leather seat trim is available for all further up the range. The Pajero boasts a 10-year/200,000-kilometre conditional warranty, when services are completed on time at Mitsubishi dealers.If buyers opt not to service at Mitsubishi, warranty reverts to a five-year/unlimited-kilometre guarantee. It is also available with a 10-year capped price servicing deal, but we don’t know how much it will cost yet.All new Ford Everests bought from 1 September 2026 are now covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.Ford offers a capped price servicing deal on the Everest of $1596 for the first five years, working out at $319 per annual service. Toyota also offers capped price servicing, for either three or five years, with servicing every six months. The Prado is available with Toyota’s five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, which can be extended to seven years for engine and driveline when the car is serviced at dealers.