Sedan

Sedans used to be the staple of many brands in Australia, from the Holden Commodore to the Toyota Camry, but the SUV boom has seen numbers drop off significantly.Ten years ago, in 2016, the Toyota Camry was the fifth best-selling car in Australia, followed by the Commodore sedan in sixth.Fast forward to 2025, Toyota's sedan was the 35th best-selling car in the country, and the Commodore was nowhere to be seen.In 2026 there have been less than 10,000 mid-size sedan sales in Australia so far compared to mid-size SUVs, where almost 100,000 have already been sold. The Camry is still the dominant player in the sedan-only segment, owning nearly 70 per cent, but it looks like China’s next battleground in Australia will be a shot at shaking its dominance.BYD has led the way in this respect and it already has a fully-electric Seal and the just-launched plug-in hybrid Seal 6 on the market.The Seal in particular made some successful inroads into the sedan space. It accounts for the majority of sales outside of the Camry and the Tesla Model 3.The brand is not stopping there, with a larger Seal 7 plug-in hybrid sedan now approved for sale in Australia.MG is another brand focussing on sedans, having already brought in its MG5 a few years ago and the MG7 in 2026, both to middling levels of success so far.It’s not just BYD and MG that are getting in on the sedan act, however, with Geely confirming its Emgrand sedan next year initially in plug-in hybrid form, but possibly also plugless at a later date.Additionally the China-built Tesla Model 3 remains one of the best-selling EVs in the country.There are also 'legacy' brands pinning their hopes on a strong-selling sedan. Mazda recently launched its fully-electric 6e sedan, which is based on the Deepal L07 (not yet sold in Australia) - another China-made model. The 6e is a crucial model for Mazda as it looks to turn around extensive fines incurred under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) due to its predominantly petrol-powered range.The electric 6e saw its initiative pre-order allocation run out very quickly, starting from $49,990 (before on-road costs), highlighting early signs of it achieving its potential.Korean brands Kia and Hyundai have also seen solid sales from its hatch/sedan models, with the K4 and i30 plugging along with a decent amount of registrations, which will be bolstered thanks to the arrival of desirable plugless hybrid versions of both.As usual, price is a key factor where Chinese sedans are providing an enticing alternative, bucking the trend of sedans becoming more expensive as buyers focus on SUVs.While the Mazda 2 is the most affordable sedan on sale at just $28,490, it is the sought-after hybrid tech luring buyers to newer options.The plug-in hybrid Seal 6, for example, starts from $34,990, which is $5000 more affordable than the plug-less hybrid-only Camry, and it is both larger and offers genuine EV range over the barely more affordable Hyundai i30 plugless hybrid (from $33,250). It will no doubt be a similar story for Geely's Emgrand EM-i which is set to launch in 2027.While SUVs remain the biggest seller in Australia, this new wave of affordable and electrified sedans could see the once bustling segment reignited.The question remains whether this array of new options will just fragment a shrinking part of the market, or whether buyers are now looking for something different from the SUV trend.

Kia has revealed a hybrid version Kia K4 hatch to complement the strong-selling petrol variants remains part of the brand's plans in Australia. The K4 hybrid appears to still be on target for a launch Down Under this year, but timing has not been confirmed, according to local Product Planning Manager Raymond Pok. “We launched with just the petrol variants and we’re pretty keen to get a hybrid as quickly as we can,” Pok told CarsGuide.  “It’s still in the plans, but timing is to be confirmed.” The K4 is a competitive seller in the small car segment, only trailing the Toyota Corolla. It has amassed more sales in 2026 than the hugely popular Hyundai i30 and Mazda3, turning around a deficit to those rivals last year. Currently the K4 is only available with petrol engines.Most of the range comes with a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre unit, with top-spec GT-line models getting a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine.  The hybrid starts from $32,090 (before on-road costs) and comes in hatch or sedan body shapes.Expect the hybrid K4 to have a slight bump on price compared to the petrol version when it finally gets to Australia. There are no confirmed details yet on what the hybrid set-up will look like, but there is a good chance it will be a version of the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol electric motor unit found in other Kia hybrid cars and the mechanically similar Hyundai i30 sedan.This means it's in line for a 1.6-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor, which combines for 104kW and 265Nm. Fuel use in the similar Hyundai i30 sedan is just 3.9L/100km. Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer Damien Meredith revealed 30 per cent of all the brand’s sales at the moment are coming from hybrid models. The K4’s petrol-only lineup could pose problems down the line, with the brand conscious of potential fines leveled at the maker because of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) . “You just have to look at the penalties for NVES on a petrol vehicle versus a hybrid vehicle,” General Manager Marketing for Kia Australia Dean Norbiato said. “For us to be a sustainable OEM in this market, hybrid obviously makes sense from that standpoint.”

BYD has revealed two new flagship models at this year’s Beijing motor show.These are the 2026 BYD Sealion 08 SUV and Seal 08 sedan which shouldn’t be confused with the existing Sealion 8 and Seal sedan as they’re completely different vehicles.As reported by AutoHome, the Sealion 08 is available with either two- or three-rows of seating and measures in at 5115mm long, which is 100mm longer than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.It’s understood it will be offered with both pure electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains. The former will feature BYD’s second-generation version of its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery technology and offer up to 900km of range, according to CLTC testing.Other expected highlights include air suspension and a rear-wheel steering system.The Seal 08 on the other hand is a large sedan that measures in at 5150mm long, 1999mm wide and 1505mm tall, with a 3030mm wheelbase. This makes it larger than a BMW 5 Series sedan.Similarly to the Sealion 08, both EV and PHEV powertrains are on offer. The former also receives a second-generation LFP Blade battery and operates on an 800V electrical architecture, allowing flash charging.The all-wheel drive version is reported to offer over 480kW and have a 0-100km/h sprint time of less than 5.0 seconds.The PHEV version of the Seal 08 on the other hand has a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 115kW with an 200kW electric motor. No total system output has been detailed yet.The electric motor is fed by a 45.36kWh LFP battery pack and will offer over 400km of claimed electric range, according to lenient CLTC testing.Like the Sealion 08, the Seal 08 will offer a rear-wheel steering system that is aimed to reduce the turning circle at low speeds, but increase stability at higher speeds.At this stage it’s unclear whether the 2026 BYD Sealion 08 and Seal 08 will be offered in markets outside of China, or if right-hand drive versions are in the works.BYD only recently launched the Sealion 8 PHEV three-row SUV, as well as the Seal 06 PHEV sedan and wagon in Australia.

Nissan is still on the road to financial recovery and it’s looking for ways to strategically beef up its model line-up, especially as emission regulations crunch, without adding more complexity and cost.The Japanese carmaker already has a long-standing relationship with Dongfeng to produce Nissan models for the Chinese market.Highlight models include the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute, N7 large battery electric (EV) sedan, N6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sedan, as well as the recently launched NX8 EV and range-extender (REEV) SUV among others.As a result, Nissan is looking to export these Chinese-produced vehicles to a number of markets and Australia could very soon be on the menu. For our market the Frontier Pro and N7 have been earmarked, followed by the NX8.Nothing is confirmed, but we got the chance to drive the Chinese-specification Nissan N6, N7 and NX8 on a closed test track in Japan.First let’s discuss the NX8, which is the newest of the bunch. While it’s offered with EV and REEV (Range Extender Electric Vehicle) powertrains in China, we were only able to sample the former.It’s powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 250kW and 310Nm that’s fed by an 81kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. It’s worth noting a smaller 73kWh battery pack is also offered.Claimed range in the model tested is up to 630km, according to lenient CLTC testing. The battery operates on an 800V electrical architecture, allowing a 10 to 80 per cent charge in only 12 minutes.While the NX8 is around the same size as the Pathfinder, which has been axed locally, it only offers five seats. This means there’s plenty of space inside including a sizable boot.A main focus of this large SUV is tech. There is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that is complimented by a dual 15.6-inch touchscreens – one in the centre and another for the front passenger.There’s also plenty of flashy bling on the outside, highlighted mainly by the bold lighting signatures that are dynamic and can change. It’s a cool touch but I doubt this would be offered in Australia.While it was hard to get a proper read on the NX8’s driving dynamics on our one-lap test drive, it’s clear this car is aimed at China. It has an isolated cabin feel with soft suspension and light steering.However, Nissan claims this car is focused on offering dynamics and with 250kW/310Nm it has enough punch to get along at a decent pace.Next up is the N7, which was the first model to be based on the so-called 'Tianyan' architecture. Compared to the NX8, however, the N7 is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 200kW and 305Nm.This is fed by a 73kWh LFP battery that allows for a claimed range of 625km, according to lenient CLTC testing. A smaller 58kWh LFP battery and less-powerful motor combination is also offered in China.Like the NX8, the N7 has a clean design with flashy tech inside and out. It’s clearly identifiable as Chinese due to the ultra-minimal look and lack of physical switchgear.Driving this electric sedan it similarly feels isolated inside the cabin and even on middle undulations requires a number of body movements to settle. If the N7 does come to Australia it will likely require some form of suspension re-tune to handle our rougher roads.Lastly there’s the N6 PHEV sedan which is arguably the ugly duckling of the trio. It’s the most affordable model of the trio in China. Its starting price is ¥94,900 (~A$19,400) – and it looks like it from the outside.While the N7 and NX8 have at least some form of edge and presence in terms of design, the N6’s silhouette is rather plain with no defined character. One element that adds to this is the small wheels not filling the wheel arches properly. It cheapens the look.From a driving perspective, the N6’s focus is efficiency. It features a PHEV powertrain marrying together a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor that’s fed by a 21.1kWh LFP battery.Nissan claims this allows for up to 180km of electric range and once you run out of charge you’ll achieve 2.79L/100km, both according to lenient CLTC. We’ll have to wait and see whether these figures are accurate in the real world.The majority of driving in the N6 is done by the electric motor, however from around 50-60km/h in hybrid mode, the petrol engine turns on the assist. While you can’t feel it turn on, its presence can be heard in the cabin.Like the N7 and NX8, the driving experience in the N6 is floaty and distinctly Chinese-feeling. It’s made worse as the skinny Linglong tyres screech easily in the bends.While Nissan hasn’t officially confirmed any of these Chinese-made models for Australia just yet, they can’t come soon enough.The Japanese carmaker currently only offers one EV in Australia, the Ariya mid-size SUV. It has indefinitely delayed the introduction of the new-generation Leaf small electric SUV and there are no plans to launch the new, European-focused Juke EV.This leaves Nissan stuck between a rock and a hard place as the brand is already facing fines of over $10 million thanks to the Australian government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which penalises carmakers for selling vehicles producing emissions in excess of CO2 targets which become stricter every year.Hopefully Nissan can make a decision on whether to introduce at least some of these EV or PHEV models soon as many legacy carmakers are ramping up their EV and PHEV offerings Down Under to reduce their fleet CO2 emissions.If these Chinese-made Nissans do launch locally, pricing will be a key factor as many Chinese brands are highly competitive in this space.For now, however, watch this space.

Sometimes car companies just get it wrong.Despite all the market research, focus groups, design studies and marketing programs, some cars just don’t sell. Sometimes it’s a case of being the right car at the wrong time, arriving ahead of the curve or after the boom. We looked at that recently with the Holden Volt, a plug-in hybrid that arrived too soon (and for too much money) to be successful, even if the concept was right.But then there are some cars that are just a complete miss, arriving as an undesirable product. They are, to be blunt, the wrong car at the wrong time.Here are some examples of what happens when carmakers get it wrong.The decision to end local manufacturing for Holden cannot have been an easy one for General Motors management, but it was probably an inevitable one. The decision they did not have to make was to destroy the brand equity, not to mention the national pride and love, in the Commodore badge.While most of the cars on this list are obviously bad choices with the benefit of hindsight, the ZB Commodore was an obviously bad choice at the time. It was meant to soften the blow of the departure of the brilliant and beloved VF Commodore, but it only served to rub salt into the wounds.To the nice folks at Opel, GM’s German division, who developed the car (which was known as the Insignia in Europe) this was like having your glass of beer taken away and replaced with water from a muddy puddle with ‘beer’ written on the glass.It wasn’t a ‘Commodore’ in any way, shape or form, despite what Holden PR tried to spin at the time. Holden and GM should have followed the example Ford set with the Falcon and retired the name with dignity rather than slapping it on a sub-par import.Sometimes in life you’re faced with a 50-50 decision to make and the difference it makes in the long run can be enormous, or even catastrophic. That’s the case with Ford Australia and the Territory Turbo.The Territory was an inspired decision, a great example of delivering the right car at the right time. Ford managed to get in on the SUV craze just as it started to rise in the early 2000s, offering buyers who were starting to look for something taller than a Falcon an in-house alternative.The problem was, in 2006 they decided to expand the line-up and made the wrong call on that 50-50 decision. Legend has it that Ford Australia only had the funds to develop a Territory Turbo OR a Territory diesel, but not both at the same time.In the words of the Knight at the end of that Indiana Jones movie: “They chose poorly.”Thankfully they didn’t shrivel up and die in an instant, like the Indiana Jones’ nemesis, but it was a decision that didn’t help the future of Ford’s local models.By the time the Territory diesel did arrive in 2011, along with a facelift, Ford had lost too much ground to imported rivals and by the end of 2016, the Territory was done. While Ford’s decision to add the turbocharged ‘Barra’ engine to the Territory seemed logical, given the high demand for that engine in the Falcon XR6 Turbo, it highlighted the difference between the Falcon and Territory buyer.In the same way a diesel Falcon would have been a terrible idea in 2006, so too did the Territory Turbo prove a costly mistake.The Evoque was a brilliant addition to Range Rovers’ line-up, another demonstration of reading the market to perfection and adding a smaller model when that’s what luxury SUV customers were looking for.Unfortunately, the Evoque Convertible was as bad an idea as the Evoque was a good one. And this was one of those ideas that you really could tell wasn’t brilliant at the time.Sure, the SUV market was rapidly changing at that point and there were some unlikely sales hits, namely Audi’s turbo-diesel SQ5. If a diesel SUV can be a popular performance car, surely a convertible would be appealing, right?Wrong. Very, very wrong.Introduced in mid-2016, the final Evoque drop-top rolled off the production line in 2018. A footnote in the history of Range Rover, and one they’d probably like to forget.As Mazda prepares to launch its second and third EVs, the sharply-priced 6e and CX-6e, it can be easy to forget its first attempt. And they might prefer you did.The MX-30 was a bolder-than-average design, with ‘suicide doors’ that were actually more like ‘choke the front seat occupants if you opened the rear doors’, but it fit nicely into the popular Mazda line-up.The problem was what was powering the MX-30. For starters, Mazda hedged its bets, offering its much-hyped EV with a mild-hybrid powertrain option, just to confuse the issue. Which was needed because the EV only had a small battery and a theoretical driving range of only 200km, but a big price tag of over $66k.While EV sales were starting to increase at this point, so seemingly the time was right, Mazda was behind the times in terms of both capability and cost. It was destined to fail and that’s what it did, quietly pulled from sale after only three years.The American brand’s attempt to crack the lucrative ute (or ‘truck’ if you’re American) market was over before it began. On the one hand you have to give credit to Tesla for not trying to take on Ford, Chevrolet and Ram head on. But, on the other hand, what the heck were they thinking?The Cybertruck was always going to be a niche offering, with Tesla frontman Elon Musk's 250,000 annual sales claim being wildly optimistic (to put it very delicately). As the flop of the F-150 Lightning demonstrated, there is simply not a market for electric utes, whether they look like a traditional ute or something created by the work experience kid after a lot of caffeine.Where Musk and the rest of Tesla management thought they’d find 250,000 people who wanted to look like they just drove out of a 1990s computer game remains a mystery to equal the lost city of Atlantis.Electric utes may seem like a good idea, but their time has simply not come year, but certainly the Cybertruck is not what people want.

Speakers and headset unit work better than they would in most cars of this age.Interior colour isn’t that nice but with a few floor mats it’s perfect. Boot size is awesome for prams and shopping.The gearing is amazing and being able to change gears myself is better for fuel economy and comfort.Cost of fuel per week is only around $80-90 and range is between 700 and 1000km.Hasn’t missed a beat and even small things are fine and easy to fix if you have the knowledge. 

Toyota’s latest collaboration with state-owned Chinese carmaker GAC is off to an impressive start with the launch of the pure-electric bZ7 large, fast-back-style sedan.Vice President of Sales for the GAC Toyota’s joint-venture Peng Baolin has confirmed the company booked over 3100 formal orders for the car within one hour of its official on-sale.While other recent newcomers have claimed even stronger initial interest (hello, 15,000 domestic Xiaomi SU7 sales in 30min), it’s a positive response to a critically important model.With a strong hint of Camry around the car’s face and other elements echoing the smaller bZ4X we already know in Australia, the single-motor, rear-wheel drive bZ7 is a substantial machine at just over 5.1m in long, close to 2.0m wide and 1.5m tall with a generous 3020mm wheelbase.Offered with two LFP battery sizes (71.35kWh and 88.13kWh) across five model grades, the bZ7’s power comes from a 207kW Huawei-sourced motor with claimed ranges of 600km, 700km and 710km, in line with the more lenient CLTC test protocol.A 3C fast-charging rate is claimed to deliver 300km of range in 10 minutes.Priced at ¥147,800 (~A$31,300) for the entry-level 600 Pro up to ¥199,800 (~A$42,300) for the flagship 710 Ultra, specification options include 20-inch wheels, front and rear seats with ventilation, heating and massage functions, the Huawei ‘HarmonyOS 5.0’ smart cockpit and ‘dual-chamber air suspension’ working in concert with an intelligent road surface pre-scanning system.Upper-level Lidar-equipped models boast one Lidar, five millimetre-wave radars, eleven high-definition cameras and 10 ultrasonic radars.It’s worth noting GAC Toyota also produces the smaller bZ3X electric SUV uniquely for China and Toyota Australia’s recently retired Vice President of sales and marketing (now Senior Executive Advisor) Sean Hanley had previously told CarsGuide the company has discussed the possibility of importing Chinese-made Toyotas to Australia.“We’ve certainly spoken about it we’ve not done any formal study to support that cause for Australia at this point,” said Hanley. “Having said that, it’s not something we would rule out in the future.“If we’ve got manufacturing joint operations under the Toyota brand, under Toyota quality, we certainly would never rule it out and we’d be silly to.“But if you’re going to convert left- to right-, you got to have some compelling volume,” he said.

The recently-launched Kia K4 hatchback has just been recalled in Australia due to a seat belt fault, according to a notice from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.It concerns 4817 units in the 2025 and 2026 model years. “The rear centre seat belt anchor buckle may have been incorrectly assembled,” the notice reads."As a result, the seat belt may not properly latch or operate as intended.“In the event of an accident, if the seat belt does not properly latch or operate as intended, it will increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants.”A spokesperson for Kia Australia said there have been no reported incidents of the fault occurring in Australia yet. Owners of affected K4 models will be contacted by the brand and asked to make an appointment with a Kia dealer to have the rear middle set belt anchor buckle inspected, and replaced if needed, free of charge. The K4 was launched in Australia late last year and is available in hatch or sedan body shapes as a petrol-only model.It has made a solid impression in the market in its first few months and outsold the Hyundai i30 and Mazda 3 so far in 2026

The Xiaomi SU7 has continued to put up some impressive order numbers over in China, as the extremely popular electric sedan sells out in around half an hour. According to reports, the brand shifted 15,000 units of its updated SU7 in 34 minutes, selling out stock. Australia still remains unlikely to see the SU7 any time soon. It is rumoured the brand will launch in Europe in 2027, with the rest of the world potentially following afterwards.Sales in China indicate it would provide some serious competition for other performance sedans like the Polestar 3 and the Tesla Model 3 Down Under. A deposit of the equivalent of around $1000 had to be put down to secure an order on the new SU7. The performance-oriented EV is priced from roughly the equivalent of A$45,000 in its home market, rising up to more than $60,000 on higher grade models. The SU7 has undergone a substantial revamp for the new model year, including an increased driving range of 750km (WLTP) from its 102kWh battery, courtesy of an improved platform. The tweaks have improved potential charging time, with 15 minutes of charging adding up to 670km of driving range, while a 10-80 per cent charge-up takes 12 minutes. It has also received a more advanced driver assistance suite, with features such as a laser radar and a new speedy AI computing system for autonomous driving functionality. The SU7's electric motor set-up produces some staggering performance numbers, including a 0-100km/h time of roughly three seconds. The Ultra variant of the SU7 has 1138kW and offers a 0-100km/h time of less than two seconds. It is these figures which have seen high-performance brand Ferrari studying the SU7 as it prepares to launch its first electric car. Xiaomi also recently revealed its juiced-up YU7 GT, the performance variant of the brand's even more popular SUV model.It too boasts some big performance numbers, with the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X rival producing up to 738kW, with a top speed of 300km/h.

Australian new car buyers are searching for the answer to the extraordinarily high fuel prices, and they may have found the answer.