Prestige & Luxury Cars

The M badge here tells you that this is the high-performance member of the new X3 family.

Lexus has entered the fray with its new plug-in hybrid powertrain for its popular mid-size SUV, the NX. Will it prove to be a winning combination?

The 30e version of the BMW X3 family SUV doesn’t just fill a medium price-point (in this case $104,100) it’s the model that most fully adopts the mantra of electrification for this model. Instead of a mild hybrid, the 30e goes all the way with a plug-in hybrid driveline based on a 2.0-litre petrol engine, an electric motor and a 19.7kWh battery pack.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed its all-new CLA, the brand’s most technologically advanced EV yet.

The entry-level price-point in the new X3 range, the 20 costs $86,100 before on-road costs and is a full-sized SUV with two rows of seats for a total of five passengers. There’s no seven-seat version.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has addressed the EV-only Macan shaped elephant in the room with news of a complimentary SUV model line, including internal-combustion variants, set to arrive before the end of the decade.

The brutally powerful all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class has made its Australian debut and it comes with quite the price-tag.Called the Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology, the charged-up beast will set you back a cool $249,900 before on-road costs, while the limited-run Edition One is $299,900.That opening price puts it right up there in Benz’s catalogue, but it’s still not the German brand’s priciest SUV - that title is held by the Mercedes-Maybach EQS680 which is $327,990. The electric Geländewagen sits somewhere between the regular EQS450 SUV ($195,900) and the Maybach version.In terms of rivals, there really are none for the G-Class, but even more so for the electric version. You could look at other high-end electric SUVs like the Lotus Eletre which is $279,990 for the R version. Or something with a combustion engine, like the V8-powered Land Rover Defender Octa ($291,542).But the electric G-Class is more than its price tag. It packs quite the punch from its all-electric powertrain - the first time in the model’s 45-year history it’s been powered by electricity.Maintaining its ladder-frame underpinnings, the G580 features four individually controlled motors located near the wheels, all powered by a 116kWh lithium-ion battery delivering a WLTP range of around 473km.Combined outputs for the big Benz are 432kW of power and 1164Nm of torque.Mercedes says the 0-100km/h acceleration time is 4.7 seconds, before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 180km/h.The 400-volt system allows for a charge from 10 to 80 per cent battery capacity in about 32 minutes on a fast charger. The official energy consumption figure is 30.3kWh/100km.Given the off-road chops of the G-Class, Benz says the G580 can still “confidently traverse 45-degree slopes and drive along 35-degree angles”, and it has virtual diff locks generated via torque vectoring.There are various driving modes from ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Individual’ for driving on regular roads, to ‘Trail’ and ‘Rock’ for off-road driving adventures.One of the G580’s tricks is the G-Turn function, which is when the wheels on either side of the vehicle spin in opposite directions, and that in turn makes the G580 do a full 360-degree turn on the spot, but Benz says this should only be activated on loose or unpaved surfaces off-road.A G-Steering function helps manoeuvre in tight spots with the wheels turning at different speeds, which causes slight oversteer and ensures a much smaller turning circle.Despite retaining the regular G-Class’s retro cool ‘block-of-flats’ design, Benz has added some touches to aid aerodynamics, like vents in the flares over the rear wheel arches, a small roof spoiler and more.Inside it gets the full MBUX multimedia setup including all-digital displays and a new Offroad Cockpit function. It also gets a ‘transparent bonnet’, which uses cameras to show a few under the front of the car during off-roading.It wouldn’t be a Benz without numerous options and options packs and they include a Night Package, Superior Line Interior Plus Package and a Manufaktur Exterior Package.The Edition One grade is based on the AMG line and gets blue calipers, different paint, and more high end interior materials exclusive to the grade.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the price and specs for its all-new E 53 AMG Hybrid sedan as order books officially open for the upgraded model.

Lamborghini’s incoming electric car could offer up to 1491kW of power and 980-volt architecture according to Oliver Blume, CEO of the brand’s parent company, Volkswagen Group.Speaking at the company’s annual media conference, Blume said the Lamborghini EV will use a synergised electric platform that is being led by fellow VW subsidiary Porsche for upcoming Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini electric cars, according to Autocar. The “very specific setup for Lamborghini” will “allow for up to 2000hp (1491kW) and 980 volts”, said Blume.Lamborghini’s CEO Stephen Winkelmann has previously alluded to the Lamborghini EV providing over one megawatt (1000kW) of power, which will be a key plank in the development of the all-new model in addition to driver feel and emotional engagement.980-volt architecture will be far and away unlike anything ever produced by VW Group before. Currently, most VW Group EVs use 400-volt architecture, which is the case for most of the EV market.Chinese EV firms such as BYD are working on 1000-volt architecture, while its rivals in China Nio and Xiaomi – which are currently off-limits to us – use the technology in China.The Xiaomi SU7 prototype, which set the record for the fastest lap time on the Nurburgring for a four-door sedan, carried 800-volt architecture and a total power output of 1139kW.High voltage platforms work by delivering rapid advancements in power generation, efficiency and charging time by increasing the rate of energy transferred from its charging unit over a shorter period.Battery efficiency is improved by reducing the opportunities for energy to be lost in the power transfer process, while thinner cables and fewer electric components reduces the weight of the car, increasing its time off the line.Blume confirmed the new Lamborghini model, the name of which remains unconfirmed for now, would be assembled at Lamborghini’s facility in Sant’Agata, Italy, but stopped short of confirming where the platform and its batteries would be built.Lamborghini’s EV is set to evolve into a production car from the Lanzador concept that debuted in 2023 by 2030.Should it closely mirror the Lanzador concept in design, it will carry twin electric motors for an all-wheel drive set up and a body silhouette that closely mirrors the Urus SUV.Unlike its rivals Aston Martin and Bentley, Lamborghini has no plans to delay its first EV but has confirmed it will keep its three new hybrid models – the Revuelto, Urus SE and Temerario – on sale for as long as it can.

Mercedes-Benz has announced the return of the entry-level GLC 200 variant for Australia, bringing down the entry cost of its most popular model by $14,400.