Plug-in hybrid

Jaecoo has just given its Toyota RAV4 competitor some special flair.  The brand has unveiled the Jaecoo J7 Black Edition as the range-topping grade for the mid-size SUV, starting from $49,990 (drive-away).  It’s $2000 more expensive than the plug-in hybrid all-wheel drive grade of the J7 ($47,990) and is $10,000 more expensive than the base PHEV grade of the car ($39,990).  The new sleek and blacked-out J7 is much cheaper than the bigger BYD Sealion 6 AWD ($52,990) and AWD PHEV grades of the Toyota RAV4 ($64,015), both before on-road costs. The Black Edition will arrive in Aussie dealerships in November 2026 as a permanent fixture, with no scheduled departure date. The car features a suite of blacked out exterior finishes that replace chrome details, including on the vertical grille, wheels, mirrors and roof rails.  Inside the cabin, there’s a dark headliner and pillar trims, while the car keeps its 14.8-inch central multimedia screen and its 10.25-inch digital driver display.  Seats are wrapped in a synthetic black leather, with heating and ventilating functionality in the front ones.  Omoda Jaecoo said the new look is designed to provide a more striking presence on the road.  The Black Edition’s PHEV set-up is the same one found in the J7 Summit AWD grade, which combines a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and two electric motors to make 260kW and 490Nm.  This means it also has the same AWD system that has an electric motor on each axle. This is more power than AWD grades of the Toyota RAV4 that only produce 227kW, with the Japanese brand not quoting a combined torque figure for the car.  It’s a minor step up on power over the most powerful BYD Sealion 6 example that has 253kW and 550Nm.  The car can DC charge from 30 to 80 per cent in about 20 minutes.  The J7 is one of three models sold under the Jaecoo name, joined by the J5 small SUV and J8 large SUV. The J5 small SUV launched in January 2026, with its EV variant surging to become the brand’s best-selling model.  The J7 is the second-best selling model in the line-up, followed by the J8 and the Omoda 9. The Omoda 9 three-row SUV is currently the only Omoda-badged model remaining on sale, but buyers can expect two new models from next year.  The Omoda 4 small SUV and the Omoda 7 mid-size SUV are both scheduled to arrive in the first half of 2027. 

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

BYD's recently expanded Shark 6 PHEV range now includes a cab-chassis variant. But does this new work-focused offering have the payload/towing capabilities to attract tradies and hardcore adventurers alike?

BYD has smashed through a sales milestone. The brand said it has made more than 50 per cent of its total revenue from export markets, rather than from its domestic sales in the Chinese market. This is due to BYD’s efforts in the last several years growing both its exports and its overseas manufacturing efforts in order to escape a stagnant Chinese new car market, which has contracted after a long period of explosive growth. The brand’s sales in China declined by 12 per cent, but it grew its exports by a whopping 137 per cent, to well over half a million units, according to BYD’s third quarter numbers for 2026. The Chinese market has reached a level of saturation and stagnation after several years of a bruising price war, which many competitors have pointed the finger at BYD’s aggressive domestic pricing strategy, overseas markets have become a crucial battleground for their future growth aspirations. Profit margins on vehicles sold in Australia, Europe and South America are exponentially higher than cars sold domestically in China. This is part of the reason sticker prices in the Chinese market are significantly lower than those we see in other markets. Price tags for the Australian vehicles generally attract a 15 - 20 per cent premium over the equivalent spec offered in China. Part of this will be down to right-hand drive conversion costs, and higher compliance costs for vehicles to meet Australia’s notoriously strict design standards and high bar for a maximum five-star ANCAP score. One analyst, as quoted in Nikkei Asia’s analysis of BYD’s latest sales numbers, said the company earns “roughly 10 times more profit per vehicle abroad than in China”. A part of this is vehicles sold in developed markets like Australia are offered in higher trim levels than they are in the Chinese domestic market, although the slew of larger, more expensive 4WDs and growth of luxury sub-brands like BYD’s Denza or Geely’s Zeekr are also massively helping to buff profit margins. GWM proclaims that it has doubled its average sale price in the last seven years in Australia as it has introduced pricier, better-featured vehicles, both from its Haval SUV brand and its Tank off-road brand further up the price scale. “The year-on-year increase in volume has also come with new cars at more expensive price points. If we can do that at the same time as showing customers value no matter the price then we’re on the right track." the brand’s Executive General Manager of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver told CarsGuide recently. GWM is set to introduce its dedicated luxury arm Wey into Australia before the end of 2026. While Chinese brands continue to dominate the sales charts in Australia, where the barrier to entry is significantly lower, automakers like BYD, Geely, and Chery are facing tariffs in Europe and the USA as those jurisdictions move to protect their own domestic automaking capabilities. This is putting a cap on their respective ambitions, but each brand is also moving to diversify and acquire manufacturing capacity not only across Europe, but also in other strategic markets like South Korea and closer to home in South East Asia. Legacy automakers are feeling the crunch. Domestically this means household names like Subaru and Nissan dropping out of the race to be a top-10 automaker by sales, but internationally it means a massive squeeze in profit margins, big expenditure in research and development, and a large reduction in market share. This has resulted in many large international brands like Volkswagen and Nissan resorting to closing factories or cutting jobs by the thousands, with some brands needing to embrace Chinese joint-venture partnerships more closely to build more competitive models for export. Nissan, for example, shut down its historic Oppama factory in Japan as part of its Re:Nissan business overhaul, as it looks to reduce its capacity by a million units. As of the end of September 2026, the top-10 rankings in Australia are: Toyota (152,944 units) BYD (76614 units) Ford (61104 units) Kia (60800 units) Mazda (58865 units) Hyundai (56009 units) GWM (44959 units) Tesla (41705 units) Chery (38022 units) MG (36832 units)

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

HongQi - China’s oldest car brand and most historic luxury marque - has priced its upcoming G919 off-roader, a new rival to the Mercedes-Benz G Wagen and Land Rover Defender. The model debuts a rugged new direction for the HongQi brand, which is traditionally known for its luxury SUVs, sedans and limousines, as well as being the brand of choice for Chinese government officials and dignitaries. The pricing, starting from the equivalent of $75,000 makes the G919 a high-end offering in the Chinese market, with pricing stretching to $91,500 for the top-spec limited edition. If it were to come to Australia, with the usual premium added for Chinese cars, expect a starting price close to, or more than, $100,000. The G919 is only available as a range-extender plug-in hybrid, pairing a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with quad electric motors for total system outputs of 620kW/1320Nm, according to Chinese specifications. It is also equipped with an enormous 82.9kWh battery pack, for a CLTC range of 280km. Its 800-volt architecture even allows it to fast charge in as low as 12 minutes from a compatible DC pylon. The axle-mounted quad motor system allows it to have more fine torque vectoring control of each wheel, for theoretically a high level of off-road ability. Unlike some hardcore boxy off-roaders in this class, the G919 has independent suspension all-round instead of solid axles, although it remains equipped with front, rear and a simulated centre differential lock as well as air suspension. The G919 is big, measuring 5135mm long, 2050mm wide, and 1950mm tall, with a 2900mm wheelbase. Off-road figures grant it a 220mm minimum and 290mm maximum ground clearance, with a 30 degree approach angle, 32 degree departure angle, and 20 degree breakover angle. Its wading depth is 900mm. The SUV has massive 20-inch wheels, clad in Continental CrossContact all-terrain tyres. Because of its sheer size and five-seat internal layout, the G919 also has a huge boot capacity of 950-litres with all seats up, or 2120L with the second row folded flat. Living up to its boxy shape, it even has a full-size spare wheel on the swing-open tailgate. Inside is reminiscent of most of its rivals, with generous soft-touch and leather-clad trims, as well as a 17.3-inch central multimedia touchscreen, a matching rear entertainment screen, large digital instrument cluster, as well as a 7.3 litre fridge. The centre console features physical switchgear for the differential locks, an aircraft-look shift lever, and some physical toggles for various controls under the touchscreen. HongQi’s first hardcore off-roader will need to face-off against some experienced competition in this size and price category. Some of its main potential rivals include the GWM Tank 700, Geely Battleship 700, GAC Yue 7 and Freelander 8, all of which are earmarked for an Australian launch. On the topic of launching in Australia, HongQi is yet another brand to announce it will hit Australian shores imminently, although its first product will be its more traditional e-HS9 plug-in hybrid large SUV. The e-HS9 currently serves as the flagship of HongQi’s SUV range, and is even more enormous than this G919 at over 5.2 meters in length. Elsewhere, the brand’s portfolio ranges from the HS3 small SUV through to a small bus, as well as ultra-high end limousines used by Chinese state officials. Stay tuned for more on HongQi’s roll-out plans for the Australian market imminently, as the launch of the e-HS9 is due before the end of 2026.

Mazda's long-awaited 2.5-litre petrol-hybrid engine won't just power the CX-5, but will find its way into the brand's larger products, like the CX-70 and CX-90, when the in-house-developed Skyactiv-Z hybrid set-up arrives next year. Mazda has been chasing its own hybrid solution globally for some time – in the US, the CX-50 Hybrid used a system borrowed from the Toyota RAV4 – and the launch is finally nearing, with 2027 earmarked for the engine to arrive. The first port of call will be the already-confirmed Mazda CX-5 Hybrid, but new reports suggest the engine will then be quickly fitted to other Mazda SUVs, including the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90. In Australia, those models can be had with a choice of 3.3-litre petrol or diesel, both fitted with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. And both models have struggled for sales traction in Australia this year – the 70 has found just 182 buyers, while the 90 has found 470 homes. The CX-5, for contrast, has sold 15,273 units. The CX-60 (3566 sales) and CX-80 (1,931 sales) both offer the additional option of a 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid powertrain. That sales result is reflected overseas, and especially in America, where fresh reports have emerged that those models could now borrow the CX-5's powertrain to boost sales. The brand has flagged the expansion in its latest Integrated Report, where its English translation reads: "We will also expand HEVs to four models", before later revealing a roadmap for its in-house hybrid that says it is "considering deployment of component technologies to large models". Mazda has previously flagged the importance of developing its own technology, including in the EV space, rather than relying on partnerships. "If we don't do anything at all...we're going to end up becoming a company which will purchase technology. If we do that, we'll have no value as a Mazda brand," Hiroshi Ozawa, Mazda's Technological Strategy Officer, has told CarsGuide.

Toyota recently announced it’s planning to ramp up sales of its zero- and low-emissions vehicles in Australia, but Polestar claims it’s still aiming to be under the average. The Japanese carmaker is aiming to have 30 per cent of its local sales be battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) by the end of 2030. “Surely that’s a conservative view, given that we’re at 25 per cent now,” said Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard. “So by the end of the decade, if you’re building 30 per cent, I would expect the market could well be running ahead of that. “So you’re still aiming to be behind.” Until the end of September this year, sales of EVs, PHEVs and FCEVs made up 27.8 per cent of the overall market share. A total of 265,870 were sold until the end of September, which is up 132.2 per cent year-on-year. There are a number of key drivers for this increase in zero- and low-emissions vehicles sales including the increase in fuel prices, more options from new brands at lucrative price points, as well as the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for EVs, among others. The Tesla Model Y stands out as a major reason for why sales of zero- and low-emissions vehicles have grown so much. A total of 35,930 examples have been sold until the end of September, which is up 108.4 per cent year-on-year. This firmly makes it Australia’s best-selling EV. In fact it was the best-selling car overall during May, June and August this year, beating the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Toyota RAV4. With the launch of the facelifted bZ4X earlier this year and the recent addition of the new bZ4X Touring, Toyota is currently experiencing record sales of its EV. They’re almost five times more than the same point in 2025. Toyota also already has the fleet-oriented and low-volume HiLux BEV and in mid-2027 will launch the C-HR BEV as a smaller electric SUV. While 100 per cent of Polestar’s vehicles are EVs, local sales are down 10 per cent year-on-year. A total of 1681 vehicles were sold until the end of September. Polestar’s best-seller has been the Polestar 4 for a considerable period now and it’s soon gaining an SUV body style with an actual rear window. This should see sales for this model increase further.

Audi Australia has confirmed local pricing and specification details for the German maker’s much-anticipated, fifth-generation Audi A6 Allroad, with headline news including availability of ‘electrified’ turbo-diesel and petrol hybrid models as well as a scheduled arrival in the first half of 2027. The A6 Allroad e-hybrid quattro ($127,900, before on-road costs) is an all-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid combining a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine and an electric motor integrated into its seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission for overall outputs of 270kW/500Nm. Its 20.7kWh (usable) battery is good for a combined cycle electric-only range of up to 87km (and an electric top speed of 140km/h) with 11kW AC charging capacity enabling a 0-100 per cent top-up in 2.5 hours. As its name implies, the A6 Allroad TDI quattro ($137,900, BOC) is also all-wheel drive, this time a mild-hybrid powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine supported by a belt-driven alternator/starter/generator and electrically-powered compressor for outputs of 220kW/580Nm. In launching the new-from-the-ground-up Allroad Audi said this is “more than $10,000 in additional standard equipment compared with its predecessor”, the standard equipment list for both variants including: S line interior Nappa leather sport front seats Leather sport steering wheel Matt brushed shift paddles Aluminium inlays Stainless steel pedals Black headlining Electrically-adjustable front seats (heated/ventilated/massage) Four-zone climate control Dynamic ambient lighting Panoramic glass roof (with switchable transparency) 11.9-inch ‘virtual cockpit’ instrument display 14.5-inch OLED multimedia display 10.9-inch front passenger display Head-up display  Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto  Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System (16-speaker/685 watts) Matrix LED headlights OLED tail-lights 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels (e-hybrid 21-inch) Equipment for home and public AC charging And standard safety includes: Adaptive cruise control Active lane assist Autonomous emergency braking Front cross-traffic assist Front and rear turn assist Side assist Rear cross-traffic assist Lane departure warning  360-degree camera view Park assist plus Speed sign recognition Front dash camera Nine airbags (including front centre bag) Tyre pressure monitoring. The new Allroad is 84mm wider than the previous model with adaptive air suspension offering a height adjustment range of 55 millimetres.  In dynamic mode, the Allroad lowers 20 millimetres “to support stability and handling” and offroad and offroad+ modes raise the suspension by 15 millimetres “with revised damping and traction control characteristics designed to improve capability on uneven or low-grip surfaces.” An additional 35mm lift is available at speeds up to 35 km/h for even more extreme terrain. Standard all-wheel steering sees the rear wheels turn up to five degrees in the opposite direction to the fronts at slow speeds reducing the turning circle by almost a metre to 11.4 metres.  At higher speeds, the rear wheels can turn up to two degrees in the same direction as the fronts for added stability. Introducing the new Allroad Audi Australia A6 Product Manager Peter Strudwicke said, “The Audi A6 Allroad has always occupied a distinctive position in our portfolio, combining the practicality of an Avant (wagon) with the confidence and capability of quattro all-wheel drive.” “The introduction of the e-hybrid is significant for our market. Together with the advanced V6 TDI, it gives customers two compelling interpretations of the Allroad, while delivering the performance and refinement they expect from Audi,” he said. 2026 Audi A6 Allroad option pricing:

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chery have confirmed the global plans for their joint-venture, the Freelander 8. The 2027 Freelander 8 has now been shown to international media in the global-market spec that will first make its way to the UAE, then to Australia and New Zealand, before it heads to Europe and the UK. The British-derived and Chinese-built model draws on the heritage of the original off-roading SUV from Land Rover, but is being developed and built in China with input from JLR. While not fundamentally different in many ways, the left-hand-drive (LHD) global specification features a 2.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine paired with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system instead of the 1.5-litre engine range-extender EV drivetrain in China. With specifications for right-hand markets yet to be confirmed, Australian details for the Freelander, including its price, will be confirmed closer to its launch date. Given the timing laid out by Freelander International CEO Lucia Mao, Australia should expect details of the model sometime ahead of its Australian launch, which will follow the UAE’s Q1 2027 launch. The Freelander 8’s LHD global drivetrain boasts a 460kW/662Nm output that allows the large SUV to hit 100km/h in a claimed 5.8 seconds. Clearly speed isn’t the goal, but the 110km electric-only driving range and its 886km total driving range with a fully charged battery and fuel tank (under CLTC testing) join what the brand calls a ‘world-first’ intelligent off-road system in a luxury adventure vehicle. Compatriot rivals like BYD and Geely have also used similar terms for describing their tech-forward off-road systems before. Its 34.12kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes or less according to Freelander, though again these specifications apply to the UAE with Australian details to be confirmed. Head of Freelander for Australia and New Zealand Kym Mellow spoke to international guests at the reveal of the global Freelander 8 in Wuhu, Chery’s home city in China. His short speech detailed two potential customers he spoke with about Freelander 8 who were looking for a more tech-forward off-roader. “They don’t want to give anything up,” Mellow said, “they want to keep the design and the capability they love and add the intelligence and comfort they’ve been missing.” The tech in the Freelander 8 is certainly a statement, with a huge 1.2-metre long 46.3-inch 8K LED screen and a 15.6-inch centre display in the front, as well as a 17.3-inch optional entertainment screen for rear passengers. Zero-gravity seat options, the choice of a five-seat or plush six-seat layout and the use of Nappa leather and real wood aim to make the cabin feel a step above other compatriot premium brands.