Opinion

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming much more popular and mainstream in Australia, however one EV category has seemingly faltered before it even properly started. The utility, or ute for short, is an incredibly popular body type in Australia and examples have been the best-selling vehicle for over a decade now, but there have only been a handful of electric utes on offer to date Down Under. The first was the LDV eT60 which launched in late 2022 and was priced from an obscene $92,990 before on-road costs, which was more than double the amount of the standard, turbo-diesel-powered T60 dual-cab ute at the time. The eT60 also only offered 330km of WLTP-claimed range, was rear-wheel drive and had a braked towing capacity of just 1000kg. For context, the most popular utes in Australia offer all-wheel drive, as well as a braked towing capacity around 3500kg. LDV admitted the eT60 was aimed primarily at government and business fleets, with only a minimal number of early adopters expected to fork out the cash for one. Since then only two other electric utes have launched in Australia. The KGM Musso EV launched locally in 2025 and unlike many utes, including the regular turbo-diesel-powered Musso, that have a body-on-frame architecture, it has a monocoque platform which is related to the Actyon and Torres SUVs. As a result the Musso EV is much more car-like to drive, but it still offers all-wheel drive and up to 420km of WLTP-claimed range. This monocoque platform does limit the braked towing capacity to 1800kg though, however payload is up to 905kg, depending on the variant. The Korean ute is limited in its potential as a towing rig and makes it better suited for lighter-duty or lifestyle applications. The most recent addition to the electric ute stable in Australia is arguably the most important yet. Toyota has now introduced an electric version of its popular HiLux ute, dubbed the HiLux BEV. In Australia there are three versions of the HiLux BEV, the SR dual-cab chassis, SR dual-cab pick-up and SR5 dual-cab pick-up. Pricing starts at $74,990 before on-road costs and goes up to $82,990 before on-road costs. Each variant is $17,000 more expensive than the turbo-diesel-powered equivalent. While the HiLux BEV has dual electric motors offering all-wheel drive, it only has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg and up to 345km of NEDC-claimed range, depending on the variant. Similar to how LDV positioned the eT60, Toyota has said the HiLux BEV is primarily aimed at government fleets and mining and construction sectors. Only a sliver of projected sales will be from private buyers. For now that’s all the electric ute options in Australia and none offer the same amount of braked towing capacity as its turbo-diesel-powered equivalent. However, that’s soon set to change. China’s MG is launching an electric version of its U9 dual-cab ute in Australia in the second half of 2026. According to approval documents, the MG U9 EV will offer a braked towing capacity of 3500kg. Power will come from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 325kW. The full details haven’t been confirmed yet but overseas it's offered with a 102kWh lithium-ion battery pack with up to 430km of range, according to WLTP testing. LDV had previously confirmed that it would launch the eTerron 9, which is an equivalent to the MG U9 EV, in Australia however this has now seemingly fallen off the radar. Beyond this there are no other electric utes that are locked in for an Australian launch currently. Isuzu previously noted that it plans to introduce the D-Max EV in Australia, but it still hasn’t provided any timeline for when. It’s already offered in other markets, like the UK, and offers a 3500kg braked towing capacity and 1000kg payload, but only 263km of WLTP-claimed range. Additionally it’s unlikely that the full-size American electric pick-ups like the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T will ever come to Australia as demand for these kinds of vehicles is declining in the US and they would need to be re-engineered for right-hand drive applications. This may change with Ford’s upcoming mid-size ute that’s based on its new universal EV platform, as well as the forthcoming Slate small electric ute, but neither are confirmed for right-hand drive production. While all the electric ute options in Australia currently are flawed in some way or another, the sales charts show that punters are still keen on reducing their fuel bills and CO2 footprint with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes. The biggest winner thus far is firmly the BYD Shark 6 which is now available in three variants - Dynamic dual-cab chassis, Premium dual-cab pickup and Performance dual-cab pickup. The latter variant offers a benchmark 3500kg braked towing capacity, whereas the others offer a 2500kg braked towing capacity. Depending on the trim, the Shark 6 offers up to 100km of NEDC-claimed electric range. Likely a key reason for its sales success is how much it costs. The line-up starts at $55,990 before on-road costs and extends to $62,990 before on-road costs. This puts it roughly at the same price as mid-spec diesel versions of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. We’ll have to wait and see whether Australians embrace electric utes, however they’ll likely remain a niche offering for fleets for the time being.

You’re a new-energy world leader Australia, don’t let anybody tell you any differently. You’re on the cusp of a cheap electricity boom which will only supercharge the transition to electric vehicles. I really don’t like the term “new energy” and I’m embarrassed I used it at all, let alone in the first four words of this story. Forgive me, but it’s now what the industry is calling electricity in relation to EVs and hybrid cars.  There’s nothing new about electricity, it’s been keeping the lights on for 150 years, although its success in powering vehicles took longer and this was partly due to not being able to store it in batteries. There’s a lot of emotion in how electricity is produced and also in the viability of electric cars and I don’t really understand why.  If I hear another EV naysayer roll out the tired old line about energy prices being prohibitive to running an electric car I’ll ask them which oil companies or coal mines they own. And the same goes for those who talk about the electricity grid not having the capacity to handle the uptake of EVs. Because neither view is based on actual evidence - well not current evidence. That's because currently batteries installed in both private homes and public community locations are creating the next big change that'll see energy prices drop. Australia is a world leader in both the home installation of solar panels (photovoltaic) and the uptake of home batteries to store the electricity the solar generates. According to the Clean Energy Council, at the close of 2025 a third of residential homes in Australia had roof-top solar.  As of 2026, according to International Energy Agency data, Australia leads the world in photovoltaic (solar) uptake per capita. The affordable price of home solar panels of about $8000 on average for a 6.6kW system (after the Federal Government rebate) has made the technology accessible and popular.   Australia also leads the world when it comes to battery installation.  Global energy consultancy Rystad Energy says energy storage in the form of batteries is surging, with Australia, China, the UK, US and Germany the main drivers. Batteries small enough to power homes or large scale to power entire suburbs store energy from solar or wind. It’s these batteries that take the unpredictability out of renewable energy. The arguments of solar not being readily available at night or on cloudy days are no longer valid when the energy from the previous month has been bottled and ready for use. It’s this availability that's expected to bring energy prices down. That’s because in times of high demand fossil fuel power stations are expensive, especially gas-fired power stations which are often brought online in times of high demand. This is a major cause of high electricity prices. Storage of electricity in batteries works on the same principle as rainwater in a dam for public use or a tank attached to a house for home use. Home batteries are on the pricey side up front, with a decent-sized unit (10-15kWh) costing up to $16,000, but the Federal Government battery rebate can reduce that by $252 per kWh, or about $4000. Yes, that’s an initial outlay of $20,000 for solar and a battery but you won’t be at the mercy of energy providers any more because you’ll be storing whatever you don’t use. If you’re running an electric car and have a wall unit installed you’re laughing. Not everybody can afford that outlay and many houses aren’t new enough to support larger batteries. The good news is massive public batteries are being introduced. They’ll store electricity from renewable sources and supply it to households. It’ll have to be supported by the old ways too - coal and gas-fire power stations - but change doesn’t happen overnight. The cost of construction of a large-scale battery storage station is now equal to that of building a gas-fired plant. This is really important and will help motivate the shift for an industry that’s resistant to change. A report this week by Japan’s Nikkei Asia quoted data showing battery energy storage stations in China cost A$111 per megawatt hour in 2025, a drop of 27 per cent compared to 2024. That cost is almost equal to the A$110 per megawatt from a coal-fired plant.  The key to cost-effective renewable generation and supply of electricity in a way that meets the growing demand of our lives with all our home technology and increasing uptake of electric cars is batteries. Battery tech is now advancing at a rapid pace and that development is led by countries like Australia and China. And this will mean a reduction of consumer energy prices because the cost of its generation is coming down. The final piece of the puzzle are electric vehicles which also operate as mobile power stations. The vehicle-to-load (V2L) function is becoming more common. V2L is offered on a number of models such as the Volkswagen ID.5, Kia EV3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, MG S5, Geely EX5 and BYD Sealion 7, and allows owners to store power in the car or use the electricity in the car’s battery to run appliances.  It’ll be a long time before coal and gas is phased out and it will play a backup role for the new system for many years (or decades) ahead, but it’s nice to know that it now looks like our energy will be cleaner and cheaper. 

Caravans and camper trailers take the adventure out of adventure travel. There I’ve said it. What is supposed to be an activity that takes you away from the comforts of home, offers up some wild challenges and ultimately brings you closer to nature has merely become a temperature-regulated and coddled process of transporting all of the comforts of your home – or at least approximations of them – to another, supposedly more nature-based location. Some caravans are equipped with everything you could ever want – including the kitchen sink – as do some camper-trailers. Camper-trailers are similar to caravans in that they have to be towed, but they do generally have fewer amenities than a caravan, such as a toilet and shower. A caravan is essentially a self-contained house on wheels, with kitchen facilities, beds, seating, storage and some, depending on their size, even have toilets and showers. It has to be towed behind another vehicle. A campervan is a vehicle-and-accommodation package that you drive, but it generally has fewer amenities than a caravan or motorhome – for example, no toilet and shower (unless it’s an outdoors one) – and it is not as big as a caravan or motorhome. It may have a basic kitchen and counter-top, as well as seats that can be moved and folded to become a bed of sorts. There are myriad problems with caravans and camper-trailers and those problems start long before these behemoths turn up at your camp ground to ruin your weekend. The problems start with the drivers. Think about it. Some of these vehicle-and-caravan combinations cost upwards of $200,000 and may weigh in excess of 7000kg. And many of the people who are towing these massive car-and-caravan set-ups actually don’t know how to tow. You don’t need a special licence to tow, or even training or any experience. And people who tow should have to accumulate all of those things before they’re allowed to even think about towing. It takes skill to tow and a lot of these people don’t have any. Best-case scenario, people who tow are annoying; worst-case scenario, they’re downright dangerous. Check out any towing fail videos online and you’ll soon get the idea. Then those same people roll into your camp ground and set up their monstrosity, replete with beds, bathrooms, awnings, chairs, satellite dish, camp kitchen, entertainment area, outdoor shower cubicle, solar panels, dirt-bike trailer, and watercraft storage facility. Not to mention any generators or stereos at full volume. So, what’s the point of travelling away from your home to rough it and have some adventure when you actually take the equivalent of all of your home comforts with you? That’s right, there is no point to it. These recreational road-trains also have a monumental negative impact on natural locations as well because they’re big, heavy and ill-suited to any terrain beyond sealed surfaces, no matter how outlandishly positive the marketing of your “off-road” caravan, camper-trailer or motorhome is. The weight alone is responsible for severe damage to unsealed roads, bush or sandy tracks and combine that with incorrect tyre pressures and the trundling terror behind your 4WD is ripping up the track and ruining it for everyone else. That’s one of the core problems with caravanning: there’s too much stuff. Now you can stay fed and hydrated, heated or cooled, entertained and mollycoddled to your preferred comfortable state of being in the great outdoors. If you have slide-out drawers, a TV, a microwave, a bushy bed and, yes, even the ubiquitous kitchen sink with a stove-top, why should you even bother leaving your house? There's too much technology. How can you enjoy the serenity of the great outdoors when the people in the caravan next door are watching an NRL game at maximum volume on a big-screen TV or blasting Slim Dusty’s greatest hits over their stereo at 9pm? Really, camping should be about small-scale logistics and large-scale fun. Camping in swags, tents, camper-trailers or even caravans should be about enjoying the outdoors in as minimalist a way as you can and without making a fuss. The simpler the better, I reckon. The key is not to overthink, over-plan or over-budget it. One of the great things about camping and caravanning is that you can scale your trip to suit you. The degree of difficulty and discomfort is entirely up to you. Start out small in terms of duration, go on a day trip or an overnighter, and not too far from home to see if you even enjoy camping. Some people simply don’t like it. Start out small in terms of logistics. Just take what you can pack in your car, or if you insist on towing, tow a smallish camper-trailer, just to get a feel for how much skill towing requires. I recommended that you get proper training before you do anything: head to www.tow-ed.edu.au and https://www.getabout.edu.au/ Develop your skills, get some experience but, most of all, have fun.

In the post-Holden era no brand is safe, if the Lion brand can be snuffed out then no brand, regardless of sales or heritage is ever truly safe in the Australian car market. In that context, the recent Investor Day presentation from Stellantis is potentially the beginning of a new era for some of Australia’s most iconic brands - or the beginning of the end. Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Peugeot and more are all facing a radically different future, and not for the first time. The headline figures are great, Stellantis is investing €60 billion into its product range, introducing 60 new vehicles and 50 updated models across its expansive portfolio of brands. But you should expect nothing less from a presentation to investors, Stellantis needs their support to fund this ambitious plan. The problem is, we’ve seen this before, multiple times, from many of these brands and yet these big name brands continue to struggle. It’s clear now the previous leadership pushed too hard, too soon down an electrification strategy, which has hurt sales, particularly for Jeep. As we have previously written, Jeep is a brand that should be thriving in this age of sky-high SUV sales, and yet it is limping along both in Australia and its North American heartland. I won’t get bogged down in the details of Stellantis’ plans (with 110 new or refreshed models it would take some time) but there are some key elements to look at and the impact that they could have on the organisation’s long-term future. Starting with Jeep, there is a clear focus on ‘course correcting’ from its heavy push towards electric vehicles (EVs) with the Recon EV to get a petrol powertrain, while there will also be a new Compass as well as refreshed Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and Gladiator. That’s all positive news, but the first step is to actually execute that plan and then get those cars into the market. The challenge for Jeep in Australia is it has sadly burnt most of its brand equity. Whether it be customers feeling unhappy about recalls, the decision to drop the more premium and more expensive Grand Cherokee or something else, Jeep sales have been in decline for almost a decade. To make matters more difficult, Stellantis Australia also has to contend with the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which will likely lead to hefty fines if the brand completely abandons its electrified models. It’s a Catch-22 for Jeep, and so many other brands: give the people what they want and cop the fines? Or avoid the fines with less-popular models? Which leads to the awkward but fair question to ask: does Jeep have a long-term future in Australia? Officially the company line is it remains committed to Australia, but General Motors was committed to Holden until it wasn’t. No brand is immune from declining sales and at a certain point it no longer becomes viable to remain in the market, as we’ve already seen with Dodge and Chrysler. Jeep sales are down more than 66 per cent in the first five-months of 2026, which puts the brand on course to sell approximately 700 vehicles this year. That is an unsustainable sales volume for a non-ultra-luxury brand. But it’s not just Jeep that has serious question marks over its future in Australia. So many of Stellantis’ brands are struggling - Alfa Romeo is down 46.8%, Fiat is down 24.3% and Peugeot has taken a 35% hit. And all of those are coming off a low result in 2025 too, so the numbers simply don’t look good. Even the ‘great electric hope’, Leapmotor, is struggling compared to its fellow Chinese EV brands. Leapmotor sales are up over 112 per cent, but a total of 529 sales year-to-date in May put it well behind other new Chinese brands. For context, Denza only arrived in showrooms this year and has already chalked up more than 1600 sales. The harsh reality remains that the Australian new car market is only so big and as more new brands come in and take more share of those sales, it means other brands lose out. Stellantis needs to ensure these new generation of Jeep, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and other brands really make a compelling case to would-be buyers or else it will become increasingly difficult to survive.

Not suitable for our vast landscape, too slow to charge and not practical enough are the usual tropes used to dismiss electric cars in Australia, but a new breed of EVs are blowing those arguments away. BMW's ballyhooed new iX3, which is built on its futuristic Neue Klasse EV platform, has achieved an astonishing feat. It has completed a real-world test of more than 800km, which actually beat its claimed 805km WLTP certified driving range. The test was completed in China using a long-wheelbase version of the iX3 50 xDrive, with the standard wheelbase version that uses the same battery and electric motors arriving in Australia in the coming months. The test was completed on public roads across a decent cross section of conditions. It went up and down mountains, through snow, rain and low temperatures, which can all have adverse effects on battery range. Key to this was the big 108kWh battery and advanced electric motors, energy management tech and regenerative braking that increases the car’s overall efficiency. Proof that an EV can achieve a driving range of more than 800km means range anxiety can finally be put to bed. No one should be driving 800km straight without a break. When you do stop at the slowly increasing number of fast chargers, the iX3 can soak up a max DC charge rate of 400kW. This would theoretically allow you to add 350km of charge in just 10 minutes, or to recharge from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes. The new iX3 is 4782mm long, 1895mm wide, 1635mm tall and has a 2897mm wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear axles.  That plants it in the mid-size SUV category, but its long wheelbase means it’ll be roomier inside than any petrol- or diesel-powered alternative. It’s fast, with its two motors pumping out 345kW and 645Nm. This ensures all-paw grip and a brisk 0-100km/h dash time of 4.9sec. The biggest hurdle to the iX3 is the price. This 50 xDrive version will cost $109,900 (before on-road costs) in Australia, which is more expensive than most can afford. There is a cheaper 40 variant with 635km of range, and a $89,900 price tag that makes it eligible for generous tax incentives. As with all car tech, this will trickle down into more affordable cars sooner rather than later. And this is just the start. Volvo will bring its new EX60 with more than 800km of range soon, and there are numerous Chinese makers with similar tech waiting in the wings. This is proof the age of electric cars is right now.

There’s no worse feeling than showing up to the party just as it’s winding down and everyone else is leaving. Well, perhaps showing up a day too early and missing all the fun entirely. I imagine that must be what it feels like for the people that designed the cars on this list. In recent weeks we’ve looked at how timing is crucial in the car industry, with electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid sales spiking as fuel prices soared in March and April, brands like Tesla and BYD have benefited from having the right cars at the right time. And as we’ve also looked at recently, sometimes car makers just completely miss the mark and introduce the wrong car and it was never going to succeed. But today we’re looking at the most unfortunate of vehicles - the cars that had the right concept and had the potential for success, but arrived either too early or too late to make an impact. We took a deep dive into the premature arrival of the Volt, but it’s worth reiterating that Holden was way ahead of the curve when it came to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Unfortunately, too far ahead. Sure, the Volt was overpriced (starting at $59,990 in 2012), but the technology wasn’t far away from what the likes of BYD and GWM are having huge sales success with today. Perhaps if Holden had pursued this technology further, or subsidised it to get more vehicles on the road, things might have turned out differently, but we’ll never know… The arrival of the MG4 Urban is a textbook demonstration of the right car arriving at the right time - a small and affordable EV at a time when people were feeling the pain at the pump. The Chinese brand’s MG7, on the other hand, will likely be a case study in getting the timing wrong. It’s hardly breaking news that sedans (and liftbacks, such as the MG7) are no longer in hot-demand in Australia… or really much demand at all. The BYD Seal and the Toyota Camry are the only exceptions and despite the MG7 looking great, having a punchy turbocharged petrol engine and a competitive asking price, it is likely to sell in very small numbers. MG Australia has sold less than 100 in the first five months of 2026, so it’s likely to be a rare sight on the roads. Buyers are simply too focused on SUVs to consider a sedan. Of course, the sedan was not always an unloved, niche corner of the market. The glory days of Holden and Ford saw Commodores and Falcons dominate Australian driveways. Towards the end, the performance-orientated models, such as the Commodore SS and Falcon XR6/XR8, became beloved, so much so Kia saw an opportunity. The Stinger was a direct rival to the local sports sedans, with a twin-turbo V6, rear-wheel drive layout that gave it solid credentials. The initial ride and handling tuning was slightly off, making it a bit more ‘skid happy’ than a family sedan should be, but overall the Stinger was a good car. Unfortunately its arrival almost perfectly coincided with the beginning of the end of the local sports sedans and the customers Kia was hoping to find had simply moved on. As the likes of Tesla, BYD, MG and Geely dominated the discussion around EVs, it’s easy to forget that Nissan was right at the forefront of this technology. If Nissan launched a small, electric hatch for $39,990 today it would be a great addition for the brand and give its Chinese rivals something to think about. Unfortunately the Leaf arrived too early, before the wider car-buying public had EVs on their radar, and initially launched with a $51,500 price - which was much too much money for a hatchback. In the end, Nissan did give the Leaf plenty of time and opportunity, spending more than a decade on sale, but it was never the right moment for it to find major sales success. A compact SUV, built in India to give it a competitive asking price is arguably exactly what Ford Australia needs now. Unfortunately, they launched the EcoSport way back in 2013. What makes the EcoSport really earn its place on this list is it somehow managed to be both ahead of its time and arrive too soon. When it launched in 2013 it was one of the first compact SUVs on the market, beating the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic, Mazda CX-3 and Suzuki Jimny. But Ford slightly missed the mark with the EcoSport, building a pint-sized SUV rather than a jacked-up hatchback, which is ultimately what the market decided it wanted a decade ago. But Ford would be well-served to have a sub-$30k, fuel-efficient compact SUV at this particular moment in time, especially one that is a bit more rugged and less hatchback, like the EcoSport was, to fit with its Ranger/Everest image.

The honour of placing a V8 engine under the bonnet of a production road car for the first time goes to none other than Rolls Royce. In 1905 a 3.5-litre, 90-degree, side-valve V8 powered the modestly titled ‘Landaulette par Excellence’ and the aptly named ‘Legalimit’, the latter famously governed so its driver couldn’t exceed Britain’s 20mph (32km/h) speed limit (although potential thrill-seekers were offered the option of a higher setting for a hair-raising 42km/h Vmax). Sadly, the Legalimit was an unqualified flop and only one was ever sold with the RR factory ultimately buying it back, anyway. But over the intervening 121 years the engine configuration it pioneered has proved to be anything but a failure and regular reports of its imminent demise have so far proved to be unfounded. After some tinkering by De Dion-Bouton in France and Cadillac in the USA it was everyone’s favourite automotive ground-breaker, Henry Ford, that really got things going with the iconic ‘Flathead’ V8 in the 1932 Model B. It remained in production for more than two decades and its compact packaging, and relatively light weight compared to straight-eight engines preceding it, set the template for the V8’s ongoing popularity. GM then took centre stage in 1955 with the evergreen small block V8, an amazing 113 million have since been produced. Back then, the average fuel price in the USA was around 29 cents a gallon (7.7 US cents a litre) and dinosaur juice was a seemingly limitless resource set to power the globe indefinitely. The mad muscle car era in America, Australia and elsewhere escalated to dizzying heights in the late 1960s and early ‘70s with 5.0-, 6.0-, 7.0- and even 8.0-litre engines in the nose of insanely powerful machines.  But that all changed in 1973 when Arab members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) began flexing their political muscles, putting pressure on the US and other countries that supported the state of Israel. Oil production was progressively cut, which sent global prices through the roof and at the same time multiple western countries were recognising ‘The Environment’, in this context mainly air quality, as an important issue. Which led to one of the V8’s first obituaries being drafted. Downsizing of cars and engines was seen as a necessary evil and the V8 was widely written off as an out-dated, wasteful device best consigned to the history books. Some, like AMC, took a while to get the hang of it, however, producing the smaller Pacer (aka Wayne and Garth’s Mirthmobile) with a six-cylinder and optional V8 engine. ‘Smog Systems’ began to be mandated in multiple jurisdictions, especially California, reducing emissions but strangling performance. Devices like EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valves, catalytic converters and charcoal canisters became de rigueur. When Cadillac introduced its 500 cubic-inch (8.2-litre) V8 in 1970 it was rated at 400hp (298kW) but by 1976 it was a shadow of its former self at just 190hp (141kW).     However, despite 1979’s Iranian Revolution again causing a significant drop in global oil supply, the V8 remained alive in the shadows while six, and most prominently, four-cylinder machines came to the fore. But by the early 1980s the Middle East had settled down and the V8 began to pop its head up above the parapet. Locally, Ford discontinued the XE Falcon V8 in 1982 to much outrage but it came back in 1991’s EB. Holden thought about dropping the V8 Commodore in 1984 but a public ‘V8s ‘til ‘98’ campaign quickly changed the board’s mind. A V8 death notice that looked ready for publication was once again withdrawn.    Exotic quad-cam designs in multiple models from Aston Martin, BMW and Ferrari and as well as Lamborghini, Lexus, Lotus and others moved the V8 game forward in terms of performance, efficiency and cleanliness. The technology trickle down effect meant even garden variety V8s were a viable option thanks to reduced emissions and acceptable fuel economy. But through the 1980s and ‘90s that environment thing started to gain extra momentum. Long-established scientific observations like a diminishing ozone layer, ‘The Greenhouse Effect’ and ‘Global Warming’, as well as a broader appreciation of human impact on the planet became headline issues. The car’s internal-combustion engine was marked as a high-profile target with the V8 often singled out as public enemy number one.       And as we moved into the current century, quirky, off-beat electric car experiments like the GM EV1, Honda EV Plus and Toyota RAV4 EV morphed into a more concerted battery-electric effort driven largely by Elon Musk buying into Tesla and ramping up its planet-saving aspirations. Fossil fuels were pigeon-holed as a limited, unsustainable resource and soon enough the Tesla Model S became the ‘it’ car of the 2010s. Following the S with the Model X large SUV, smaller Model 3 sedan, Model Y medium SUV and Cybertruck pick-up, Tesla grew into the global phenomenon we know today.   Government mandates began to be applied at all points of the globe - ever-tightening emissions standards and target dates for the elimination of new internal-combustion models.  Everyone from Ford and GM to Honda and Nissan, BMW and Mercedes-Benz hit the scramble alarm, terrified they were about to miss an EV boat which five minutes ago they didn’t even know was at the wharf. And the Chinese automotive giant began to wake up and push towards pure-electric propulsion. But then… that fundamental element, consumer demand, began to soften.  Despite the current conflict in the Middle East, after an initial burst of enthusiasm, the global take up rate for EVs is well down on early predictions. The EU is currently mandating a 90 per cent reduction in average tailpipe emissions for new cars and vans by 2035, rather than a full ban on internal combustion engines (ICE).    The UK’s 2030 ‘ICE Ban’ has been shifted back five years and in the USA zero-emission mandates look to be headed for a more ‘gradual’ application while other countries are making similar moves towards regulatory relaxation. So, again the defibrillator paddles have been applied to the V8 engine’s chest and it continues to breathe in and out. Last year GM reiterated its ongoing commitment to V8 power with a US$918 million upgrade across four US facilities involved in V8 engine production with $US888 million also going to its Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York.  And the latest, sixth-generation ‘LS6’ version of GM’s small block V8 has found its first home between the axles of Chevrolet's updated Corvette supercar, the all-alloy 6.7-litre (409ci) unit producing a sizable 400kW/705Nm. Mercedes-AMG has realised its customers don’t want four-cylinder turbos in its heavy-hitting models and the brand’s stupendous 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 lives on. Stunning supercars like the Lamborghini Temerario combine turbo V8 power with electric hybrid punch and its success has spawned the likelihood of a new-generation, V8-powered Audi R8. Bentley, BMW, Ford, Land Rover, McLaren, Porsche and others are also keeping the V8 dream alive.  The GWM Tank 800 SUV, set for a mid-2027 Aussie touchdown, is powered by an all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, working in concert with multiple electric motors. And Formula 1 traditionalists are celebrating FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s determination to reinstall V8s in F1 cars from 2030. So, even though it’s been on death’s door for more than half a century, eight cylinders arranged in a vee continues to be the engine configuration of choice for a significant number of global carmakers. Will it be around in another 50 years? Who knows? Let’s make it a date to check back then.

China may hog much of the automotive headlines nowadays, with its aggressively and allegedly heavily-subsidised cheap vehicle-export strategy. But it is the South Korean carmakers Hyundai, Kia and even KGM (formerly SsangYong) that have come of age this decade, through engineering excellence, bold design, visionary product planning and sheer value for money that is the envy of the rest of the world. In fact, every year since 2020, a Korean vehicle has stood out above all others in some way, showing up anything Japan, Germany, France, Italy and America can do. Korea is the actual fear of the rest of the world, and here’s why. China dominates the electric vehicle (EV) segment in many parts of the world with unfeasibly inexpensive models that have democratised the technology. But the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), which includes Kia, that makes the best affordable EVs, due to progressive technologies that, in models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, have included faster-charging 800-volt architectures, Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) tech and other advancements that were the provenance of high-end European marques like Porsche. And let’s not forget the brilliant ballistic missile that is the Ioniq 5 N, a performance grand-touring hot hatch that redefines what an EV can do. HMG invested billions in electrification well before most other mainstream carmakers during the 2010s, gaining experience with early EVs like the original, Toyota Prius-esque Ioniq, Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV, allowing Korea to forge ahead with next-gen models nowadays. Sticking with the Ioniq 5, this is an incredibly talented mid-sized SUV for a number of other reasons besides breakthrough EV engineering, such as for design, interior packaging and overall sophistication. It still turns heads with crisp, timeless design that plays lip service to Hyundai’s first in-house-developed production car (the 1970s Pony), while it has a loping, relaxed refinement that embarrasses most other SUVs, period. For us, the Ioniq 5 remains a leading candidate for the car of the decade, even though it launched back in 2021. In 2026, the Kia EV3 is arguably the best small SUV EV for the money on a number of fronts, especially where Chinese vehicles struggle with, including unintrusive advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) tech, user-friendly vehicle controls, regional steering and suspension tuning and Australia-wide servicing access. More than the sum of its parts, the EV3 simply behaves and drives like a good car should, with few vices or frustrating surprises. Everybody remembers the Kia Stinger of 2017, an ambitious but ultimately doomed final attempt at a large, rear-drive family sedan in the mould of the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. A glorious failure, it cemented Kia a place in the hearts of performance family sedan fans. Except… its spirit lives on in the award-winning Kia EV6, the just-as-talented but far-sleeker cousin to the Ioniq 5, melding the packaging, practicality and performance of, say, a VF SS or Falcon XR6 Turbo, within an EV proposition. And, guess what, with Millennials and Gen Z buyers rejecting SUVs and crossovers as daggy and boring, it is Kia that is poised to step up with a cool, sleek and sophisticated liftback. So much more mature and charming than a Tesla Model 3. For most of this decade, it has been Korea that has offered Australia’s cheapest new car in the Kia Picanto. Yes, it’s old and one of the smallest on the market, but the Picanto’s proven reliability, solid engineering, decent safety specification, long warranty, dealer-network back-up and decent dynamics make it a dependable and enjoyable runabout. Nowadays the improved second-gen MG 3 is nipping at the Kia’s heels, but Kia has no intention of abandoning the bargain basement in Australia… we hope. Kia has obviously shot itself in the foot with the Tasman because of its kooky, oddball styling. But the sole Korean body-on-frame one-tonne ute is currently the best in its diesel-powered class, with a lovely, refined and roomy interior, excellent workhorse capability, a powerful yet proven and efficient powertrain and pleasing servicing back-up. The Tasman is also impressive to drive, and we do not hesitate to recommend one over its rivals – especially as a long-term ownership proposition. No DPF issues like the Toyota HiLux or engine-belt and transmission problems that reportedly afflicts the Ford Ranger, either. The Kia is a better vehicle than either of these segment best-sellers in our estimation. In North America, the Ford has prised open the car-based, monocoque-bodied, dual-cab ute market wide open with the SUV-derived Maverick, and that’s a deserved success for the hybrid and turbo-petrol-powered pick-up Yet it is Korean minnow KGM that has pioneered the similar concept, but as a battery electric ute, with the Musso EV. Along with being a good-looking, comfortable and refined five-seater family car, it is keenly priced, well equipped, decent to drive and everyday-useable thanks to a WLTP range of between 380km and 420km. Plus, and, in keeping with the Musso heritage, there is some ute functionality on offer, including AWD availability and an 1800kg braked towing capacity. There’s nothing even remotely like it in Australia right now that combines all of the above, except from KGM. Which shouldn’t be too surprising, given that the original Korando all the way back in 1983 was named for the contraction of the term “Korea can do”.

We are now living in the age of the Super Hybrids - vehicles that can drive for at least 1000km on a tank of petrol. We’ve picked five of the best long haulers sold in Australia right now. Super Hybrid is the snazzy buzz word given to plug-in hybrids with large batteries, big fuel tanks and clever fuel-energy management systems, which ensure outstanding efficiency.  They are better suited to cities and suburbs duties than interstate commutes. Super Hybrids allow for long distances between filling up the petrol tank - as long as you plug it in regularly to charge the battery. Here are the top five super hybrids currently sold in Australia. 5. MG HS Super Hybrid - 1000km The MG HS mid-sized plug-in hybrid SUV has a four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, a large 24.7kWh battery and a 55-litre fuel tank, which offer an electric driving range of up to 135km and 1000km combined range, both calculated via the more lenient NEDC test cycle. Combined fuel economy is 0.7L/100km, but this requires you to never let the batter run low and applies to all the cars listed here. 4. GWM H6 GT PHEV - 1183km GWM’s H6 GT mid-sized SUV is a plug-in hybrid, which uses a four-cylinder engine and two electric motors, a huge 35.4kWh battery and 55-litre fuel tank to deliver a long electric driving range of 183km and a combined range of 1183km (both NEDC). Combined fuel consumption is 0.6L/100km. 3. Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid - 1200km The Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is a large SUV, which uses a four-cylinder engine and a single motor driving the front wheels, an 18.4kWh battery combined with a 60-litre fuel tank to deliver 95km of electric driving range and up to 1200km (NEDC) of combined driving range. Combined fuel consumption is 1.3L/100km. The Chery Tiggo 9 and Tiggo 7 Super Hybrids offer similarly long ranges. 2. Jaecoo J7 SHS - 1200km The Jaecoo J7 SHS mid-sized SUV is a plug-in hybrid cousin to the Chery Tiggo 8, and has a very similar driving range. A four-cylinder petrol engine and a single electric motor drives the front wheels, while an 18.3kWh battery and 60-litre fuel tank offer 90km of electric driving range and 1200km of combined driving range. Combined fuel consumption is 1.0L/100km.  1. BYD Sealion 6 - 1250km  BYD’s Sealion 6 plug-in hyrbid is a mid-sized SUV and its the Dynamic Extended range variant, which uses a four-cylinder engine and a single electric motor, is the real long range hauler.  Its 26.6kWh battery and 60-litre fuel tank offer 140km (NEDC) of electric driving range and 1250km (NEDC) combined driving range. Combined fuel consumption is 0.8L/100km.

The internet can be a horrible swamp, and the comments surrounding Ferrari’s unveiling were particularly, though predictably, brutal. “Great thing Enzo can’t see this garbage,” read one. “He’ll be rolling in his tomb,” said another. “This is such a cynical marketing product purely conceived to make money for the company. It hurts me on a cellular level to see Ferrari stoop so low,” wrote another user who clearly needs to get outside more.  Fun fact, though. Those comments had nothing to do with the Luce, Ferrari’s first EV that was revealed to much fanfare and even more furore this week. That was actually the reaction to the Purosangue, the brand’s first SUV, and the model that would – according to the internet at least – definitely, absolutely and entirely destroy the fabled Italian marque. That didn’t happen, though, did it? I recently met an Australian buyer who’d dropped $1.1m on his Purosangue, and he had to wait almost two years for his production slot to open up, such was the demand. It is a massive driver of Ferrari profit, too, and is consistently among the brand's best-selling models, despite a production cap. The point is, the internet was wrong. And I suspect this same Luce storm will die in the teacup in much the same way. Now, I’d be lying if I said my eyebrows didn’t shoot skywards when I first clapped eyes on the Ferrari Luce at its unveiling event in Italy. I can’t say for sure what I expected, but I can say for sure that it wasn’t this.  But having now spent some time with it, and even more time digesting it, I can tell you that the internet is wrong once again. The point has been so painfully missed by the Ferrari Facebook army, who seem to have been expecting an 849 Testarossa with a battery. Ferrari has made it clear this isn’t a vehicle designed to appeal to Ferraristi faithful. It’s designed to appeal to an entirely new audience, and that is not an audience with a poster of a petrol-powered Prancing Horse on their wall. The Luce had to look different to everything else in the Ferrari range, both to appeal to a new buyer, but also (and I suspect more importantly) to ring-fence the rest of the Ferrari range and preserve their fuel-exploding mystique. I think that's also why the Luce is slower than the fastest Tesla and lacks the brand's angriest driving modes – it can't have its EV outshine the lustier, brand-defining models. "This is a different kind of Ferrari. And that was the point. That was the entire purpose of the exercise," LoveFrom (the firm who penned the Luce) co-founder Mark Newson told me. This wasn't supposed to be in the mould of other Ferraris. But I actually think the more pressing question is, if not this design, then what? Is the issue with the Luce, or is merely the fact that it’s electric? If it’s the former, then tell me what design could have possibly pleased the traditionalists? Something more like a Rimac Nevera? Perhaps, but I would argue Ferrari already has cars like that, and that plonking a couple of electric motors on a 12Cilindri would have only riled the web up worse. If it’s the latter – and I think it definitely is – then what the hell is everyone so upset about? There is one electric Ferrari, and nine petrol-powered options in the brand’s regular range in Australia. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it – the fleet is still 90 per cent in your favour.  Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder – or whoever is behind the keyboard – but I can tell you this; the exterior design has continued to grow on me. It is undeniably forward-looking, and I think a pretty bold vision of what a family friendly Ferrari EV can be. Is it my favourite-looking Prancing Horse? No, but it doesn't have to be.  And if the exterior of the Luce is controversial, the cabin isn't. The interior is spectacular, blending elegance and tech in a way that feels really, really special. Will I buy one? Irrelevant, I'm afraid. I can't afford it. And that's one thing the internet masses and I have very much in common.