People Mover

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its VLE luxury people mover, as it seeks to fight back against Chinese rivals in the segment.Several major Chinese brands have recently unveiled their next-generation luxury people movers, some of which will end up in Australia.BYD’s luxury arm Denza has recently introduced its D9 electric people mover to battle the Zeekr 009, while the XPeng X9 is also scheduled for a launch some time this year.The Zeekr 009 has paved the way for more luxury electric people movers to enter the Aussie market, with the trend catching on to some of the segment favourites.An electric version of the Hyundai Staria is on the cards for Australia, as it looks to hunt down the runaway leader of the segment, the petrol and hybrid-powered Kia Carnival.Mercedes-Benz has not provided a firm arrival date for the car, but it is featured on the brand's Australian website, which could indicate the people mover is under consideration.A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Australia said the VLE is yet to be confirmed for a domestic launch.Considering the price of its rivals, expect a price tag well north of $100K.The brand already offers its diesel V-Class and electric EQV and eVito Tourer people movers Down Under.Like many of these people movers, the VLE gets the latest in lavish luxury equipment.It will come in six- and eight-seat configurations, with electric seat adjustability.There is a 14.0-inch central touchscreen display, along with a 14.0-inch front passenger display and 10.25-inch digital driver display.To add to the glamour, rear passengers get a retractable 31.3-inch screen, which can be used to stream videos or play computer games.There will be two electric motor set-ups available on the VLE.The single-motor variant produces 203kW and is rear-wheel drive, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version packs 300kW, shifting the vehicle from 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds.The 115kWh battery offers a driving range of more than 700km, according to the WLTP testing cycle.Cheaper grades of the VLE will launch next year, featuring an 80kWh battery.The VLE is built on an 800-volt platform and is capable of charging at 320kW, giving it snappy recharge times, with 355km of driving range able to be added in 15 minutes.According to Mercedes, the people mover has a braked towing capacity of 2.5 tonnes.

Australia's increasingly crowded people-mover segment has welcomed another new entrant, with the Denza D9 locked in to take on the GAC M8, Zeekr 009, XPeng X9 and Lexus LM.The third model in Denza's Australian line-up – joining the B5 and B8 4WD SUVs – the D9 starts at $85,990 before on-road costs for the FWD variant, and steps to $95,990 for the AWD.It's the third in what Denza promises will be a five-model line-up in Australia by early 2027.Both D9 models are electric and both share a significant 103.3kWh 'Blade' battery. The FWD makes use of a front-mounted electric motor producing 230kW and 360Nm. The AWD then adds a second rear-mounted electric motor, increasing total outputs to 275kW and 470Nm.The big battery means solid driving range, with the AWD returning 480kms on the WLTP cycle, and the FWD delivering 520kms. When it comes time to plug in, the D9 is set up for 200kW DC fast charging, 11kW AC charging, and arrives with a vehicle-to-load (V2L) connection.Inside, there's three rows of seating for a total of seven passengers, with the two chairs up front joined by two captain’s chairs in the second row. At the back, there are three seats in a bench layout.Second-row passengers get massaging seats and Denza is promising space aplenty no matter where you sit, with more than 900mm of legroom even in the third row.Tech in the cabin is strong too, with a 15.6-inch infotainment screen, a second 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a third 12.0-inch head-up display. A 14-speaker stereo provides the audio, and a fun touch is the on-board fridge, which doubles as a hotbox, and can be chilled to -6 degrees celsius, or warmed to 50 degrees celsius.Denza concedes the D9 won't produce masses of volume for the brand in Australia, but insists the model will do its part in establishing BYD's premium arm in our market.“We’re introducing a new standard of practical luxury," says Denza Australia COO, Mark Harland.“The Denza D9 offers all occupants first-class comfort, advanced technology, and everyday usability without compromise."

BYD has unveiled its Linghui M9 plug-in hybrid people mover as a new rival in the growing segment, CarNews China reports.It is unlikely we will see any models from Linghui in Australia, with it primarily designed to target sales in China for ride-sharing and taxi services. Denza, another sub-brand of BYD, will launch its D9 people mover in Australia this year, effectively ruling out the M9's potential Aussie arrival.The D9 will be a competitor for the best-selling Kia Carnival, which comes in petrol and plug-less hybrid guise.The people mover market in China has become increasingly diverse in recent times with electric, hybrid and range-extender models.Geely unveiled its Galaxy V900 luxury range-extender people mover in late January, with the electric Xpeng X9 also competing for sales in the space. There's also the recently launched GAC M8 and Zeekr's 009.The M9 features a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 115kW and an electric motor, producing 200kW. This set-up is derived from the one found on the BYD Xia DM-i people mover, which launched last year. If it employs the same 20.4kWh battery, it can be expected to offer an electric-only driving range of around 100km, according to the CLTC testing cycle, but in the real world, it will likely be around 80km. The M9 is slightly longer than the Xia DM-i, but otherwise, it is dimensionally identical, and has a wheelbase of 3045mm.It also looks much like the DM-i with the same overall design, including a similar grille and front light cluster.It is anticipated the car will be a high-specification model like many of its rivals, with single and double sunroofs, as well as rear cameras available. The M9 is one of four models recently announced from the brand, which are re-skinned versions of already-existing models in China.The other three models from Linghui are all-electric sedans known as the e5, the e7 and e9. 

BYD’s Denza has updated its D9 electric people mover once again bringing more power, a bigger battery, plus refreshed looks.A new listing on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), as reported by Car News China, shows the 2026 Denza D9 EV now makes more power than ever.The single, front-mounted electric motor in the front-wheel drive version now produces 340kW, which is an increase of 110kW over the outgoing model.The all-wheel drive version also has a total system output of 410kW, which is an increase of 135kW over the outgoing model.While the battery specifications and claimed range figures are yet to be revealed, the MIIT filing notes the D9’s kerb weight has increased by 100kg to 3015kg. This indicates it may feature a larger battery, meaning more range.The D9 EV currently comes with a 103.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery which allows for up to 620km of range, according to lenient CLTC testing.It’s worth noting the D9 also comes with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, however Denza technically treats it as a different model and hasn’t revealed any new updates for it yet.Beyond the changes under the skin, the D9’s exterior has received a minor refresh. The most obvious change is the front grille design.The MIIT filing also details a range of different grille and alloy wheel designs that are available.The D9 EV continues to measure in at 5250mm long, 1960mm wide and 1900mm tall with a 3110mm wheelbase. This makes it just a little bit larger than a Kia Carnival.It’s unclear whether there are any changes or updates to the interior.At this stage Denza hasn’t officially confirmed if or when the D9 will come to Australia. However, it does feature on the company’s local website, along with what appears to be the Z9 GT, in blurred images that are captioned ‘Coming Soon’.Camouflaged prototypes of the D9 have also been spied testing around Australia. It’s unclear whether they are fully electric or PHEV versions.The luxurious people mover space has been taking off in Australia over the last 12 to 18 months. A step above the mainstream Kia Carnival, the electric Zeekr 009 was one of the first, along with the hybrid Lexus LM.Now there’s also the GAC M8 PHEV people mover which is arguably the closest rival to the Denza D9.

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The Toyota Tarago, axed half a decade ago, could make a return according to reports out of Japan.Renderings of a next-gen version of the once-popular people mover by Japanese magazine Best Car suggest we may see a 2027 Toyota Tarago revealed before the end of this year.The outlet, which has insider sources at Toyota and is regularly close to the mark on matters of the brand, says the design will be inspired by the original but its platform and running gear will be much more contemporary.With development already underway according to Best Car, reports say the next-gen Tarago — called Estima in its home market — will come with a full battery electric power or a plug-in hybrid option.Chances are, it’ll ride on the GA-K platform, which is a version of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) now almost ubiquitous in the brand’s line-up.There’s not too much more information on the incoming Tarago, aside from Toyota plans to try and keep costs low by using as much of its existing production line resources as possible to produce the new people mover.The plug-in hybrid version of the Tarago will likely use the same 1.5-litre petrol engine and battery as existing PHEV models, and like its BEV version will likely be available as all-wheel drive.Best Car has previously guessed the new Tarago will come in at 4900mm long, 1850mm wide, 1750mm tall and with a 3000mm wheelbase.There’s no guess as to what it’ll look like inside, but most of the details in the outlet’s rendering line up with Toyota’s current design language with nods to the original — save for perhaps the missing ‘c-shaped’ headlights we would estimate the brand would implement.

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