Small Cars

As part of its end-of-year financial results, Mazda has revealed exactly when its next-generation CX-3 will launch.Buried pages deep on the company’s presentation materials, the confirmation shows the CX-3 arriving in 2027. It will be built in Mazda’s Thailand facility and will account for a significant part of the company’s volume aspirations going forward.It will launch in Thailand first in 2027, and Mazda earmarks it as an important part of the brand’s strategy to lean further into its Thai factory as an exporter to both Japan and the South East Asian region.The company didn’t reveal any more details about the incoming CX-3, although it notes a plan to expand its hybrid offering from one to four models (which leaves at least two models to be electrified, after the existing CX-50 and planned hybrid CX-5), although does note that this electrification plan will be focused on its larger vehicles.Expect it to follow a similar design theme to the Vision X-Compact concept the brand displayed at the 2025 Tokyo motor showMazda’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Guyton told CarsGuide at the 2025 Tokyo show that the next-generation small cars were the next priority after the brand finishes its hybrid development.“It comes to being a modestly sized company, our return on sales isn’t good enough from a business standpoint,” said Guyton.“Our highest priority has been our large platform products, and finally getting those right, and using those to make some money.“Next priority is the CX-5, which will come to your market soon, and soon-ish thereafter is the hybrid version of that car with Mazda’s own hybrid.“Soon after that next priority is smaller architecture cars,” he said.Mazda also recently told CarsGuide the current version of the CX-3 and 2 hatchback would get a stay of execution until 2027.The information in the brand’s EOFY presentation does at least confirm the existence of the next-generation CX-3 and that it won’t be called the CX-20 as previously speculated.Mazda has long said it won’t abandon its “smaller architecture cars” after its all-important and best-selling CX-5 plans are complete.One thing which could put a spanner in the works for the CX-3 replacement in Australia is both our tough new emissions laws and our stringent safety requirements, which often see models designed for the South East Asian market nixed for an Australian launch.The CX-3’s current 2.0-litre petrol engine (110kW/195Nm) mated to a six-speed traditional torque converter automatic transmission won’t be able to continue in Australia, with Mazda already attracting eye-watering penalties under the new emissions scheme.What this could mean is a delay in the CX-3 launching in Australia if it launches in Thailand without a hybrid system initially.To ease its emissions burden going forward, Mazda noted in its EOFY presentation that it would continue to lean on its Chinese-built joint-venture models, like the Mazda 6e and CX-6e which will launch in Australia imminently.With aggressive pricing, both cars are set to compete with not just traditional rivals, but also Chinese newcomer brands in an attempt to put Mazda in the volume space for low-emissions vehicles.This will no doubt help it offset some of the emissions burden the brand will carry along with the incoming CX-5, which will have a carryover 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in all-wheel drive only.

Hot on the heels of Volkswagen’s unveiling of its fully electric ID. Polo, the brand has hinted that a high-performance ‘Clubsport’ version of the little hatch is on the way, according to reports.The ID. Polo is Volkswagen’s first electric variant of the model and it has just arrived in Europe to rival the likes of the BYD Dolphin and MG4 with an entry price of about $41,000. The sporty GTI version is due to launch in Europe next year.Now according to British publication Autocar, Volkswagen is tinkering away on an even sportier ‘Clubsport’ variant.While at the preview drive of the ID. Polo GTI Volkswagen dynamics boss Florian Umbach hinted of what was to come."We are working on something," he told Autocar. "There is certainly more peak power that we can find from the motor and battery hardware that we have and more torque that the front axle could handle also. There is clear potential.” Umbach also revealed that Volkswagen was working on a paddle shift style ‘gear-change’ system for the vehicle similar to what Hyundai uses on the Ioniq 5 N.“This is simply a software thing,” he explained. “It’s all about motor control and an audio soundtrack to match.” There is a catch, however. And that, according to Umbach, is the success of the GTI. If that proves popular then his other ‘dream’ projects like Clubsport have a chance of getting the green light.“These are the kinds of things that the executive board will only let us explore if the GTI is a commercial success, of course. If people respond to this car as it is, we can really take it to the next level.”The ID. Polo has yet to be confirmed for Australia with the local arm saying that neither availability nor timing for the arrival of the hatch were certain.The ID. Polo is shorter in length than its petrol cousin at 4053mm, but wider at 1816mm and taller at 1530mm.Powering the ID. Polo is a choice of three motors making 85kW, 99kW and 155kW, while the GTI version will produce 166kW.Two batteries are offered - a 37kWh with 329km of range and a 52kWh battery will offer up to 454km.Volkswagen has a growing range of electric models in its Australian line-up which includes the ID. Buzz people mover, ID. Cargo van and Transporter, along with the ID. 4 and ID.5 SUVs. 

Toyota's new CEO says the world's biggest automotive brand would engage in some big changes as it battles shrinking profits in a tough global economy.Chief Executive Officer of Toyota, Kenta Kon, said while Toyota had strong results thanks to “marketing efforts” in several key markets, including the USA where it had a record sales result, the company was expecting operating income to continue to decline due to the conflict in the Middle East and ongoing challenges with US tariffs.Importantly,  Kon earmarked several big areas of change. One is to reduce the amount of time it was taking the brand to deliver new hybrid models, something Australian buyers of the new-generation RAV4 (or even the previous RAV4 during production shortages of COVID) will be familiar with.“Our hybrid customers have been waiting a long time to receive delivery, so we must deliver to these customers more reliably. That’s the first thing we must achieve, because as a manufacturer, that is our biggest mission,” Kon said at a press conference announcing its 2025 full year financial results.Currently, the new RAV4 has a three-to-six month waiting period, depending on model grade.Toyota Australia's Vice President of Sales Marketing and Franchise Operations, John Pappas, recently told CarsGuide the increase in complexity for the new model range across 2WD, AWD, and now plug-in hybrid variants would have an impact.As a result of these delays, plus a dip in supply between the runout of the old model and launch of the new version, Toyota’s Australian sales dropped 19.3 per cent in March, marking an overall drop of 23 per cent down for the quarter year-on-year.Toyota’s long-touted multi-pathway strategy, which has seen the Japanese auto giant move slowly on its roll-out of battery electric vehicles, is something Kenta Kon will be looking to “accelerate” as part of a new mission to “re-organise our production models".This could mark a big change for the company. As to what Kon means, he said while Toyota was “fortunate” to be in a financial position to keep providing its buyers the “convenience” of hybrids, going forward the brand will need to undertake a “review of the model mix".“As we pursue along the line of multi-pathway, that will naturally increase the number of models and that means an increase in the number of parts and specifications which will make this even more complex for customers” Kon said.“So I believe that if we can review that complexity, that would have a major impact.”However, responding to a question on globally plateauing EV demand, Kon said the company’s strategy would still include increased battery electric sales.“Whatever the cars that our customers want, we would like to deliver - if our customers want BEVs we will deliver them good BEVs and that will remain the fundamental part of our strategy,” he said.Adding to Kon’s comments, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Toyota, Yoichi Miyazaki, said the company had to “adjust the sales numbers to actual demand and in areas where BEVs will grow".Interestingly, he noted the brand would continue to lean into its joint-venture operations for fully electric sales success.Miyazaki noted China, which is already a “mainstream market to begin with for BEVs” was already a success story for Toyota off the back of its FAW and GAC joint-venture models like the bZ3X.He also said Toyota’s strategy to roll out both its own and joint-developed models with Suzuki will continue in Europe. Interestingly, he also earmarked the USA as having strong potential for battery electric growth.Miyazaki also declared one thing Toyota won’t do as part of its strategy going forward, despite the need to repair its profits.“There was a time when we only pursued volumes. We will never go back to that, and each of our employees understand that,” he said.Stay tuned to see what impacts Toyota's global strategic changes will have on the local product offering, as Australia's new emissions laws for passenger vehicles inevitably have an impact on the brand's line-up.

Toyota is the king of hybrids, and it could be about to install petrol-electric grunt in its small but mighty hot hatch.

The 2026 Mini Aceman could be the perfect Mini - not too big and not too small - and with a fully electric powertrain. But what's it like at urban duties?

Chinese carmaker BYD is making history as it rockets its way up the Australian sales charts that could see it finish in second place by the end of the year.Year-to-date BYD has sold 25,243 vehicles in Australia. Perennial top five seller Hyundai has recorded 25,103 so far, while Ford, the second-best selling brand in Australia last year, has managed 25,920.What’s so impressive is not just how many cars BYD selling, but the speed of its conquest of our market. This time last year BYD had sold 11,974 cars and somehow in the space of a year the brand has pushed past nearly every other carmaker in the country and looks to be headed to finishing second in 2026.The brands that still stand in BYD’s way are Kia with (27,080 cars sold so far in 2026), Mazda (27,526) and of course Toyota (59,675).Toyota is like the final big boss of the Aussie car game and BYD is one hundred per cent not going to beat it this year or possibly ever. It would be fun to entertain the idea that BYD could beat Toyota at some point in the future, but the only way that could happen is if Toyota tripped so badly in the sales race it couldn’t get back up again.We have seen huge brands rise and fall. Holden was once Australia’s top selling brand and today… well, it doesn’t exist.So Toyota’s is a lock for top spot this year, and the reality of BYD taking the silver medal is a very real possibility.That would send shock waves through the industry and mark the end of time for established brands such as Ford, which relies almost entirely on one model — the Ranger ute — to keep it on top.Ford would be anxious and brands such as Mazda, Kia and Hyundai would be feeling the heat, too.   Monthly sales for BYD show just how quickly the brand is striding ahead. In April BYD sold 7702 cars in Australia. Kia sold 6450, Hyundai 6002, Ford 5748 and Mazda 5636.Toyota, by the way, sold 15,185 cars in April.Are we living in unusual times? Interesting times, but not unusual. It seems that every 10 to 15 years a new big force arrives. Kia and Hyundai were the previous big force. Now it’s the Chinese brands' turn, and they're currently elbowing each other out the way to get to the front while the old guard scratches its head wondering what just happened. The catalyst for change has been the switch to electric cars and with Toyota, Ford, Mazda, Nissan and Mitsubishi hardly having an EV between them, Chinese brands have swooped in to offer what people want.BYD, Chery, MG, GWM, Geely and Zeekr are offering outstanding and affordable electric cars and hybrids from hatches and sedans to SUVs and utes.MG and GWM were first on the scene, and both have become a part of Australia’s automotive landscape.BYD has won over Aussies even quicker.Four years ago almost nobody in Australia had heard of BYD, or Build Your Dreams as it was known then. As motoring journalists we were aware of the new brand from China, but hardly saw it as an immediate threat to the likes of MG, which had already won over Aussies with models such as the MG ZS. Nope, in 2022 BYD appeared to be just another Chinese brand hoping to ride the wave of interest in EVs that had taken off in Australia.The popularity of BYD models such as the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute, Atto 3 small electric SUV and Sealion 7 electric SUV have been central to the brand’s success. Crucial to the brand’s continued rise is bolstering its line-up with a multitude of other models, such as the Atto 1 electric hatchback, Atto 2 electric small SUV, Sealion 5 compact plug-in hybrid SUV, Sealion 6 mid-size plug-in hybrid SUV and Sealion 8 seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV.BYD could just make it to second spot this year, but how long it can stay there is another story. Hyundai or Kia could make a comeback, but what is looking even more likely is a challenge from a fellow Chinese brand such as Chery. Chery only has five models but sold 4322 cars in April, and this year it will launch its diesel hybrid ute to rival the BYD Shark 6 and that could add an extra 1000 sales a month. Then again the ute market appears to be headed into troubled waters - again, another story for another day.For now it’s BYD time in the sun and while that might not mean being number one, number two would do.

Actions speak louder than words and the fact Chery has lined up a QQ3 at one of its proving grounds a stone's throw from its Wuhu HQ suggests the small hatch will be announced for our market shortly.Priced in China from the equivalent of just $A14,000, in Australia we think the QQ3 will cost the same as a BYD Atto 1 ($23,990 plus on-road costs), which is remarkable as the much-bigger Chery offers the space of a Toyota Corolla, plus a far longer range, compared to other cheap EVs.Throw in pleasing rear-wheel drive handling, brisk acceleration and class-leading in-car tech and the new Chery QQ3 has all the makings of a big hit. That's if Chery Australia chooses to import it.As it pours with rain, the poor all-electric hatch has already suffered at the hands of other journos, with multiple cone strikes having already made their mark, but the odd minor dent here and there doesn't take the shine off one of Chery's most appealing designs so far.Paying homage to the first-generation Chery QQ, that was little more than a rip-off of the pint-sized Daewoo Matiz, the new curvy QQ3 gains oval-shaped LED lamps, smooth door handles, a floating roof and slanted C-pillars.Measuring in at 4195mm long, 1811mm wide and standing 1569mm tall, the QQ3 has a relatively long 2700mm wheelbase for plenty of space within.For reference, that's 95mm shorter, 41mm wider and 1mm shorter than the BYD Dolphin, with the same wheelbase.Boot space is 375 litres, with a useful 70-litre frunk tucked up under the bonnet. Inside, there's also said to be a further 38 storage areas dotted around the light and spacious cabin, including a 35-litre compartment under the rear seats.Six exterior hues are available with further optional finishes for the roof, the youthful exterior is reflected within and the entry model Chery's cabin surprisingly comes with some advanced big car kit, despite its low price.Headline equipment includes an 8.8-inch instrument cluster and a huge 15.6-inch central multimedia screen which runs a punchy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip for faster, smoother reactions.The tech includes an AI-powered voice assistant and standard Apple CarPlay. As an added bonus, our car also came with ventilated and heated front seats and vehicle-to-load charging (V2L), with the latter able to top up domestic appliances like laptops or e-bikes.In China, two powertrains are available – one with 58kW and 90Nm of torque and another with 90kW and 115Nm of torque.Battery options include a 29.48kWh and a 41.28kWh powerpack, with even the baby powerpack delivering 310km of range. The bigger battery, meanwhile, sees the QQ3 drive up to 420km, but both of those figures are on the more lenient Chinese CLTC test cycle, so expect a big drop off when evaluated using the more stringent WLTP testing.Plug into a DC fast charger and Chery says the QQ3 takes 16.5 minutes for a 30-to-80 per cent top up, with no claim for the more common 10-to-80 per cent charge.Further big car tech includes an optional adaptive cruise that follows the navigation, lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, plus auto parking and 360-degree surround view.We didn't get to experience either, as we only had an extremely limited time behind the wheel, but can report that off the line the 90kW version offers plenty of performance, while a tight and twisty course reveals the rear-drive QQ3 offers enough agility to be fun on a country road.Grip levels and braking performance were impressive, considering the wet conditions.

My 2011 Holden Barina Spark engine overheated due to no coolant. I got it going again and drove it about 10 times at a decent distance. Now it cranks but won't start. It stalled a few times when stopping at a traffic light before it wouldn't start anymore.

Year-to-date registration data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) show ‘electrified’ passenger and light commercial vehicles have crossed a significant tipping point to become a more popular choice than traditional diesel and purely petrol-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) options in Australia.To the end of April, sales of battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles stood at 50,976 units, a 79.2 per cent increase on the same four-month period in 2025 (28,448 units).At the same time, sales of ICE vehicles (including light commercials but not heavy trucks) have dropped 35.9 per cent from 64,991 in 2025 to 47,813 units this year.Tellingly, sales of pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have grown by just over 100 per cent, with key players BYD up 110.8 per cent (25,243 vs 11,974) and Tesla 49.9 per cent year-on-year (8485 vs 5660).Individual (higher volume) stand-out BEV models include the BYD Sealion 7 and Dolphin, Geely EX5, Kia EV3, Tesla Model Y and Toyota bZ4X.And when it comes to hybrids, thanks to better supply of the new-generation version, the ever-popular Toyota RAV4 has come up to its more usual monthly sales rate and has been joined by its big-brother LandCruiser 300 Hybrid.Add in other relatively recent hybrid arrivals like the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid joining now established disrupters like the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha and hybrid sales are set to expand even further. Clearly, April 2026 marked a historical moment in time for the Aussie new vehicle market.

Toyota’s next Corolla is approaching, but the brand is keeping quiet on what we can expect from the next generation of on of the world’s highest selling cars.