Sedan

Volvo is confident that it will rule the premium EV world with a two-tiered approach moving forward. While all will encompass the Swedish brand’s core pillars of safety, efficiency, technology and luxury, where they are positioned in terms of price and size will determine which platform each model will employ.

Whoever said sedans were a thing of the past clearly didn’t get the memo.Electric sedans have invigorated the segment and it looks like another one is set to join the growing throng of EV sedans.At the very end of a livestream reveal of its refreshed XC90 SUV, Volvo dropped a teaser for a new model, with the caption confirming the ‘ES90’ nameplate.The brief video showed the silhouette of a sleek four-door model with a sloping, almost fastback-like rear and a boot lip, but beyond that it’s difficult to make out any other details.This model has long been rumoured but now it looks set to join the growing Volvo line-up to take on the likes of the Tesla Model S or Model 3, depending on its eventual size, the Mercedes-Benz EQE and BMW i4.Volvo didn’t reveal any other details but it’s highly likely the ES90 will be based on the same SPA2 architecture that underpins the similarly positioned Polestar 4 sedan, as well as the Volvo EX90 SUV.That model is offered with two powertrains that could point to what the ES90 will get. The rear-drive single-motor Polestar has a rear-mounted motor delivering 200kW/343Nm, and a 100kWh battery for a driving range of 620km. The Dual Motor Polestar 4 adds another motor to the front for all-wheel drive and ups the outputs to 400kW/686Nm. Driving range is 590km.Volvo has another large sedan in its line-up, the S90, and while it remains in production for some markets, it was discontinued in Australia in 2019. The related V90 wagon and the smaller V60 wagon were dropped from the local line-up in 2021. The S60 medium sedan remains on sale Down Under.Whether the ES90 completely replaces the S90 remains to be seen, but given Volvo’s push to full electrification by 2030, and the slowing market for internal combustion sedans, it’s likely.Pre-production has already begun in China, suggesting that it will be built there. Volvo is owned by Chinese automotive giant, Geely Holdings. While sedan sales have dropped in recent years, electric sedans have given the old school body style a second chance against the influx of high-riding SUVs.Some of the biggest selling EVs in Australia are sedans. This year alone, Tesla has sold 14,600 examples of the Model 3, while the relatively new BYD Seal has already found 5033 homes. Even the more premium BMW i4 has shifted 1454 units.Given the teaser campaign for the ES90 has just begun, expect more tidbits to be dropped by Volvo in the coming months.

Australia hasn't had what you'd call a love affair with the Porsche Panamera. Not compared to the on-going romance with its iconic sibling, the 911 and even its SUV stablemates. So, will the redesign of this sedan launch an arrow from Cupid's bow for Australian families?

Audi has revealed the 2025 RS3 with a smattering of visual and chassis upgrades for the hyper hatch and sedan.It is still packing the same output of 294kW/500Nm as the pre-facelift RS3 model thanks to the legendary 2.5-litre TFSI engine, which also powers the RSQ3 SUV. It remains the only five-cylinder engine still in mainstream production.This could be the last outing for Audi's venerable five-cylinder power plant, though there's a possibility it will live on after this RS3. Audi has not made any official promises yet, though.For 2025, the RS3 gains an even sportier look. A new front splitter is complemented by chequered front and rear headlight signatures that are a nod to the RS3’s performance pedigree, in addition to redesigned side air intakes and carbon detailing.Inside, RS sport bucket seats are clad in Nappa leather, while a new-look, flat bottom steering wheel swaps out physical buttons for haptic controls — something Volkswagen is moving away from.A new chequered flag button allows you to quickly access performance mode, while an RS button allows for instant access to the self-configurable RS Individual mode.Other changes are more minor and mirror the updated A3 model, such as redesigned air vents and an even smaller gear selector.Underneath, the RS3 gets more precise tuning of its chassis control systems, which Audi says will help optimise track performance.Audi says this is confirmed by its record-setting lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife of 7:33.123 minutes, more than five seconds quicker than its price-point competitor, the BMW M2.Changes include brake torque vectoring, which help the car avoid understeer when entering corners at high speeds, while also making more power available when driving in and out of bends.The RS3 comes standard with new C-rated Pirelli tyres, which can be upgraded to the more performance-oriented Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R for those seeking more grip on the track.It’ll do 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds, smashing the Golf R (4.8 seconds), edging ahead of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S (3.9 seconds) and even besting its bigger RS4 brother.Power is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, with the RS3 capable of hitting a top speed of 290km/h.Deliveries for the RS3 will commence across Europe from next month, while Audi Australia told CarsGuide that the RS3 won't be available in Australia until some time next year. Pricing for the RS3 will start in Germany at €66,000 (A$108,741), with the sedan being €2000 (A$3295) dearer.The current model is priced from $95,715 for the hatchback and $98,215 for the sedan, both before on-road costs.

Pricing for the all-new Kia K4, the successor to the long-serving Cerato small car, has been released in the US.According to the Kia US media release, the new K4 will come in five variants: LX, LXS, EX, GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo.Pricing for the entry-level LX trim will commence at US$21,990 (A$33,328), rising to US$28,090 (A$42,574) for the top-spec variant we currently know as the GT.For comparison, the current base-model Cerato S starts at $27,060 in Australia, while the top spec GT-Turbo Cerato will set you back $36,860 (all prices listed above are before on-road costs).It is expected that the K4 will start closer to $30,000 in Australia when it is released in the first quarter of 2025.In the US, the K4 will have a choice of two powertrains, a 110kW/264Nm 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine or a 142kW/264Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.The latter is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, replacing the current Cerato’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.It is likely these will be the same powertrains offered in Australia, given they are currently available in Cerato models, though Kia is yet to confirm this officially.Kia has not announced plans for a hybrid variant in the US, though it is likely that one will be offered for the Australian market at some point in the near future.The K4 will be significantly bigger than the Cerato, offering what Kia says is “class-leading” legroom within the small car segment, as well as greater headroom and a body as wide as some medium-size sedans.Like the Cerato, the K4 will be offered with the option of a sedan or hatchback.Inside, the Kia K4 gets a completely new look, including a multi-screen dashboard that boasts two 12.3-inch displays integrated into one continuous panel. A third, 5.0-inch display provides climate controls. Apple Carplay and Android Auto will come as standard, along with wireless charging.The outgoing Cerato is Kia's second-best selling model and Australia's second-best selling small car priced under $40,000, owning a 24.1 per cent share of the market, second only to the Toyota Corolla.It has enjoyed record sales this year to date, increasing 241 per cent from 3105 sales this time last year to 9811 this year. If Kia gets the formula right, there's every chance the K4 could secure the same level of popularity.Expect more details closer to the Australian launch.

Mazda’s newest EV is breaking out of China and is going global. The Japanese brand has surprisingly confirmed the EZ-6 will become a global model and will be available in China and Europe from northern hemisphere autumn.

Peter Rawlinson, CEO of American electric car company Lucid, shared a graph showing how far ahead the brand’s technology is compared to key rivals.

2000km. That’s the range Chinese automaker BYD is claiming with its new plug-in hybrid (PHEV), the Seal 07 DM-i.

The 2025 BYD Seal was revealed in official images last Friday, signalling more bad news for Tesla as the Chinese EV-maker looks poised to climb global sales charts. 

Let’s talk sleepers. In fact, what is a sleeper car? In the motoring world, a sleeper is a vehicle that hides its performance potential from the world, only revealing its true potential when the driver nails the throttle.