Sedan

The 2026 Polestar 5 Performance is the top-spec version of this new flagship electric grand tourer (GT) in Australia. It’s priced from $193,000, before on-road costs in Australia. While this isn’t a small amount, it’s around $65,000 less than the Porsche Taycan GTS, which offers comparable levels of performance. Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive set-up with outlandish total system outputs of 650kW and 1015Nm. The 0-100km/h sprint is claimed to take just 3.2 seconds. The electric motors are fed by a sizeable 112kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which allows for up to 565km of WLTP-claimed range. Thanks to an 800V electrical architecture, peak DC fast-charging is available at rates up to 350kW, whereas AC charging is offered at rates up to 11kW. Standard equipment includes the following: Gold exterior and interior highlights 21-inch forged alloy wheels MagneRide adaptive dampers Matrix LED headlights Brembo brakes Panoramic glass sunroof 4+1 seating configuration 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster 14.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system Google Built-in and Google Gemini Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Head-up display 21-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system Digital rear-view mirror Microsuede headliner 'MicroTech' upholstery made from recycled materials 12-way power-adjustable front seats Heated front seats Heated rear seats Heated steering wheel Even though this is a lot of standard equipment, if you want genuine Nappa leather, you’ll need to fork out an additional $12,000. Like many luxury cars, there are a series of other cosmetic-related optional extras too which further inflate the price. The Polestar 5 hasn’t been crash tested by ANCAP or EuroNCAP yet and is therefore unrated. However, a full suite of safety kit comes as standard across the line-up. This includes the following: Eight airbags Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Blind-spot monitoring Rear cross-traffic alert Lane-keep assist Lane-change assist Adaptive cruise control Driver attention monitoring Intelligent speed-limit assist Front, side and rear parking sensors Surround-view camera The Polestar 5 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,00km. This is fairly standard for premium brands. Every Polestar 5 comes with five years of roadside assistance and logbook servicing is required every 24 months or 30,000km. At this stage Polestar hasn’t announced servicing pricing for the Polestar 5.

The 2026 Polestar 5 Dual motor is the entry-level version of this flagship electric grand tourer (GT) in Australia. It’s priced from $171,000, before on-road costs. This is around $10,000 less than the entry-level Porsche Taycan, which is notably rear-wheel drive only. Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive set-up with healthy total system outputs of 550kW and 812Nm. It’s enough to send this car from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds. The electric motors are fed by a sizeable 112kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which allows for a WLTP-claimed range of up to 670km. Thanks to its 800V electrical architecture, peak DC fast-charging is available at rates up to 350kW, whereas AC charging is only offered at rates up to 11kW. Standard equipment includes the following: 4+1 seating configuration Matrix LED headlights Brembo brakes Panoramic glass sunroof 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster 14.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system Google Built-in and Google Gemini Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Head-up display 10-speaker sound system Digital rear-view mirror 'MicroTech' upholstery made from recycled materials 12-way power-adjustable front seats Heated front seats Heated rear seats Heated steering wheel Even though this is a lot of standard equipment, if you want genuine Nappa leather, you’ll need to fork out an additional $12,000. Like many luxury cars, there are a series of other cosmetic optional extras that further inflate the price. The Polestar 5 hasn’t been crash tested by ANCAP or EuroNCAP yet and is therefore unrated. However, a full suite of safety kit comes as standard across the line-up. This includes the following: Eight airbags Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Blind-spot monitoring Rear cross-traffic alert Lane-keep assist Lane-change assist Adaptive cruise control Driver attention monitoring Intelligent speed-limit assist Front, side and rear parking sensors Surround-view camera The Polestar 5 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,00km. This is fairly standard for premium brands. Every Polestar 5 comes with five years of roadside assistance and logbook servicing is required every 24 months or 30,000km. At this stage Polestar hasn’t announced servicing pricing for the Polestar 5.

Xiaomi, the tech giant turned car manufacturer, has quietly gone official in Australia as hiring has begun for positions in its automotive division, laying the groundwork for a future launch. The brand, made famous for its smash-hit-in-China SU7 sedan and YU7 SUV, is still thought to be years away from a local debut, with the new positions in legal and automotive financing early steps in its local arrival. Despite its overwhelming success in China, which has seen models with hundreds of thousands of units on back-order as its Beijing factory struggles to keep up with demand, Xiaomi is seeking export markets to make its business sustainable into the future as the Chinese new car market faces a contraction after years of explosive growth. The two new positions available on LinkedIn are located in Sydney, and come shortly after the brand announced its roll-out plans across continental Europe. Xiaomi is yet to lock in firm plans for right-hand drive markets, despite eyeing a Japanese debut. The news of local position hiring seems to confirm this will be part of the company’s future direction. Xiaomi currently offers the SU7 four-door coupe and YU7 mid-size SUV both as performance-oriented fully electric cars. It also recently launched its SkyNomad range of large hybrid SUVs, consisting of the two-row N70 and three-row N90, both use a 1.5-litre range-extender hybrid set-up. Xiaomi is positioned as a tech-luxury marque in China, and competes directly with the likes of Zeekr, XPeng, and the also-yet-to-arrive-in-Australia Nio. Xiaomi will face some tough barriers to entry. It will be comparatively late to the Australian market compared to its Chinese rivals, and is only just overcoming a production bottleneck at its Beijing factory ahead of its European debut. Wait times for the YU7 at its launch in China extended beyond a year, although this has now been brought down to just a handful of weeks. The YU7 was moving 40,000 units a month in its peak in December 2025, according to figures reported by Chinese media. The much-hyped SUV, which has styling and performance features influenced by everything from the Tesla Model Y to the Ferrari Purosangue, amassed 240,000 orders within 18 hours of going on sale. The success of Xiaomi’s automotive division has caused rivals to respond by launching similar performance-oriented models, like Geely’s Galaxy TT, MG’s MG07 and the Luxeed RX from Chery’s joint-venture with Huawei. Xiaomi’s take on the explosively popular large SUV segment goes in a different direction to its rivals with its Range-Rover inspired new products betting more on adventure than straight-up luxury, featuring a pop-up roof tent version from launch. Other expansion plans from Xiaomi recently include its acquisition of a large ownership stake in battery supplier Sunwoda, and the establishment of a research and development centre in Munich, Germany. The brand has also been spotted testing an updated version of its SU7 Ultra high-performance model at the Nurburgring featuring a new aero package. The company also hasn’t been without its dramas, from delivery bottlenecks frustrating customers in China to various quality issues and several fatal crashes whilst vehicles were being operated under self-driving software. All of which the brand is rapidly addressing ahead of its international debut. Regardless, expect to learn more about Xiaomi’s future automotive plans in Australia imminently.

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.

BYD’s ultra-luxury YangWang division has teased an upcoming flagship sedan, in an unprecedented move for the brand. The teaser image reveals an ultra-luxury sedan, complete with hints of rear-hinged ‘suicide’ doors, a two-tone paint scheme and much more traditional design cues. A translation of the post has Yangwang promising the sedan will “outline the grandeur of the East” and will be an “ultra-luxury executive flagship sedan.” The new model will sit above YangWang’s existing line-up of non-SUVs, including the U7 four-door GT and U9 hypercar. It will debut in the United Arab Emirates in November of this year, according to Chinese media. The same outlets also say the sedan will be five and a half meters long and cost in excess of two million RMB (A$430,000). It is understood BYD is plotting a market entrance for YangWang in Australia, and has previously brought Chinese-market examples of the U9 and U8 SUV Down Under as a preview of what to expect in the future. In fact, the U8 recently appeared in government approval documentation for our market, equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and four electric motors, producing a combined 880kW. Torque is yet to be revealed, but in China it produces more than 1280Nm. For now, BYD’s local spokespeople are quiet on the timing for the launch of the YangWang brand locally. The brand sits above the already-established luxury Denza marque, although it is unclear at this stage what branding the models will wear. The flagship sedan has a distinctly lower likelihood of an Australian launch given how small the demand for sedans is locally, it should showcase impressive drivetrain and interior tech for the brand. It is, of course, expected to be able to fully utilise BYD’s ‘flash charging’ technology, and could even debut solid state battery tech for the brand. At the rear its styling is reminiscent of category stalwarts like the Bentley Flying Spur, while the overall silhouette and blocky face feels as though it could have been influenced by Jaguar’s upcoming and highly controversial Type 01 GT. Meanwhile, the teaser and official camouflage images clearly show the brand’s signature headlight profile, also seen on the U8 SUV. Expect to learn more about YangWang’s new flagship at its November reveal.

The factory audio head unit was pretty basic, so I upgraded to a colour display that starts up with the Ford logo. Gives the car a next-level feel every time I fire her up. There's no built-in Bluetooth, so I sorted that with an adapter that plugs into the old-school Apple cable, and now music and calls are hassle-free. On the safety side, she's well equipped with airbags, ABS brakes and stability control, which keeps me feeling safe and confident on the road. The interior is spacious and comfortable, with plenty of legroom front and rear, so the family can stretch out on long road trips. The boot is generous for a sedan and easily swallows the weekly shop, luggage and gear for a weekend away. The interior wrap gives the cabin a fresh look, and the weathershields let me keep the windows cracked for fresh air, even when it's raining. The 4.0L straight-six has bags of grunt and pulls smoothly through the gears, whether I'm around town or cruising on the highway. The steering feels sharp and confident, and she holds the road nicely for a big Aussie sedan. Thanks in part to the soundproofing pads I added, the cabin is quiet and comfortable, so long drives are a breeze. The FG Falcon's bold, muscular lines still turn heads, and with the white paint, ceramic coating, black alloys and aftermarket LED side repeaters, dark smokey tail-lights and carbon fibre spoiler she looks a treat. Running costs have been very reasonable for a big six-cylinder sedan. Fuel economy sits at around 8.0L/100km on the highway, as long as the fuel system is well maintained and I drive smoothly on the throttle. Parts are cheap and easy to find and mechanics know these cars inside out, so regular servicing won't break the bank. In 10 years I've never had an accident or a claim, so there havn't been any nasty surprises.  She's been bulletproof. I've owned her for 10 years and she's covered over 233,000km with me, taking her to 310,226 km on the clock and she has never let me down or left me stranded. Solid as a rock, with no rattles, squeaks or dramas. Car's been serviced on time, every time and still starts first go and runs smoothly. For a car this age and with this many kilometres, it's a true blue legend and I plan to keep her for life.

Tech is great for a 2007 vehicle. Heated seats, electric driver's seat, heated/cooled cupholder, 'Mygig' head unit with a car-thumping premium factory audio system. Plenty of airbags, traction control and stability control. The cargo space is very large, easily fits a family of five plus luggage for a big road trip (we did one back in 2012 in our first Avenger). The 2.4-litre engine has a pleasant personality, although the four-speed auto seems to hold it back. But you get used to the characteristics and work around them to get the most out of the drivetrain. The steering is definitely more relaxed than sporty despite being marketed as 'sports steering' and the suspension is quite comfy. I have lowered my current Avenger which rides noticeably better than my previous non-lowered one. The car is very quiet and composed although you can hear some rumbling from the suspension over bumps.  Unfortunately, running costs have been quite high as the car had been sitting undriven for years prior to me purchasing. Nothing major has failed, just age-related components/preventative maintenance and the car only had 113K genuine km on it when purchased in early 2025. My first Avenger lasted to almost 400K km with no issues. Worst I've replaced on either was an alternator and wheel bearings, otherwise just oil changes, tyres and brakes and driving them. I do the servicing myself (at 5000-8000km intervals) as its super easy. Insurance can be tricky as most won't insure it for much money and I'm sure the fact there aren't many examples left in the country doesn't help. Fuel economy is quite good, I can stretch well over 800km on a full (62L) tank on a highway stretch without drama. Car will easily sit in the 7.0L/100km zone and a few times reached low 6.0s on the display (not measured at the tank but my guess would be low 7.0s).  Both my Avengers have been indestructible in terms of reliability with my first one lasting nearly 400K km with no major issues. Car still had a lot of original parts on it until 2025 when it died. The second (current) one has been mostly reliable except when the window regulators failed and alternator bearing started failing, causing the car to be off the road waiting on parts. Otherwise its been flawless. I've done a lot on preventative maintenance to ensure its reliable after sitting for a number of years neglected. If the first Avenger is anything to go by this one has another 250K km of trouble-free motoring left to go. Worth noting my Avengers were only 10 VIN (Vehicle Identification Numbers) apart and identical spec except colour. But they ended up in different states before somehow coming back to me.

The technology is fantastic in this car, the premium Bose 12-speaker system absolutely thumps loud and clear while the multimedia screen is snappy and crisp. The safety systems are too invasive and frustrating. The boot space is quite large and easy to load up. That said, it would be more practical as a liftback. The handling and response from the eight-speed dual-clutch auto and 2.5-litre turbo engine are great. The car pulls like a train; effortless and punchy pick up. Sips fuel for a performance/sporty car. I've reached as low as 5.8L/100km on the highway and city driving sits around 10L/100km. Some services can be on the expensive side for not much extra work being completed. Insurance can be expensive and some won't cover as I'm under 25 years old. Reliability has been mostly decent, the only issue I've had is with the transmission causing a violent clunk/jolt a few seconds after start up which has required some serious attention. The car has had three transmission 're-learns', a full rebuild with many new components, two fluid flushes and will be going back to the dealer soon to be assessed again. I've been told a complete transmission replacement is the next step. All before the car has hit 40K km. I have had wireless Android Auto drop out a few times but it seems to be rare. 

The Porsche Taycan officially has hot competition in the form of the Polestar 5 electric grand tourer. Essentially a concept car come to life, read on to see how it performs on Aussie roads.

Volkswagen’s new China strategy is in the works, and it could be a game-changer for the brand in Australia.  The German carmaker is evaluating selling some of its China-only models in Europe, according to a report from UK outlet Autocar.  It comes as brands face increasing pressure to offer models at competitive prices to fight off ultra-affordable Chinese competition.  “For the future, we’re getting ready for bringing one or more vehicles in from China,” Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Thomas Schafer told Autocar.  Volkswagen Group remains one of the biggest carmakers in the world, with its footprint spanning Audi, Cupra and Skoda, among others. Volkswagen Group Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume said in October 2026 the company is under “enormous pressure” from Chinese competition.  VW positions itself as a high-volume, low-margin company, but Chinese carmakers like BYD and Chery are eating into this segment because of high European production costs.  Consultancy firm AlixPartners recently said Chinese brands can build EVs for $11,000 less than European rivals, giving them a competitive advantage on pricing.  Volkswagen has a deep China presence via major joint ventures with SAIC Motor, owner of MG and LDV, as well as FAW and Volkswagen Anhui. VW will now look to lean into this presence that has seen them build cars in China at an affordable enough price to compete with Chinese peers.  The brand has already started to sell China-developed models globally, including in Australia, such as the Cupra Tavascan mid-size SUV.  "We’ve radically rethought the vehicles and worked with partners here and there ,” Schafer said.   “We’ve set up vehicles that are completely cost-competitive in the Chinese market. “We’re starting now to export to the global south and countries that have easier access from China than Europe, such as Australia and the Middle East.” It’s unclear what China-only models are under consideration for Europe. The VW boss promised any new models would not replace the current crop of offerings on sale in Europe.  Autocar speculated new European models could include the ID. Unyx 09 electric sedan co-developed with XPeng and the ID. Aura T6 large size SUV. Schafer ruled out the ID. Era upper-large SUV for the European market as it would be unsuitable due to its size. It’s unlikely Australia will see the impacts of this move for some time. The announcement does mean some previously China-only EVs will be built in right-hand drive, easing any local arrival. China is a left-hand drive market, so engineering to right-hand drive often requires substantial and sometimes prohibitive investment.  This news follows dramatic reports in July 2026 that VW Group is targeting up to 50 per cent fewer models. A spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia told CarsGuide at the time this decision would have no immediate impact on the local branch.  It’s likely to be a similar story with this latest announcement, but any models under consideration could provide the local branch with some renewed momentum.  Volkswagen sales are down more than 23 per cent to the end of September 2026 compared to September 2025, while Audi, Porsche and Skoda have also suffered declines.  VW models imported into Australia from China should be cheaper than those imported from Europe, and could provide buyers with some further affordable European-influenced choice.