SUV

Mazda has been on a rapid expansion in recent years, introducing so many new large SUVs it can be hard to keep up with them all.The CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 form a comprehensive line-up of family-sized SUVs, and will be joined in 2026 by the new CX-5. But as we looked at what was missing from some of Australia’s favourite brands, it quickly became obvious what needs attention with Mazda.At the other end of the size spectrum, the pint-sized Mazda2 and CX-3 are still selling in reasonable volume (the CX-3 is actually the most popular model in its segment), but both suffered double-digit sales declines in 2025.Both are also getting old and there is no public plan to replace them anytime soon. While Mazda may very well be working on replacements, if they aren’t it would leave a huge gap in the brand’s line-up.While Mazda was one of the first brands to embrace the concept of ‘semi-premium’ and shift from a model of selling purely on volume and instead focus on profitability, even if it meant fewer sales, giving up this part of the market would be a risky move.There is no question the city car market is in terminal decline, with the Mazda2 only up against the MG3 and Suzuki Swift these days, but there is still enough volume in the compact SUV market to make a CX-3 replacement viable.More importantly, losing either or both of these models would immediately raise the cost of entry to the Mazda brand, which would lock out many first-time new-car buyers. Instead they will go and buy something else, perhaps an MG3, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro or BYD Atto 1 and get integrated into those brands’ systems — just like countless Mazda2 and CX-3 customers have no doubt done in recent years. The challenge for brands like Mazda in the current market situation is it is incredibly difficult to compete with the new wave of Chinese brands on price, especially at the lower end of the market. This means a generation of buyers will get familiar with these brands and could end up staying for years to come if they have a good experience.Mazda should be well aware of that, because that’s the exact tactic that the Japanese brands used in the 1980s and ‘90s, and it’s what the South Korean brands did in the 2000s. Looking at the sales chart it’s dominated by Japanese and Korean brands, but nothing is static in this market so if Mazda abandons the small car/SUV space, it may not hurt in the short-term, but could have big consequences in the long-term.

The popular Subaru Crosstrek small SUV has just had its price hiked in Australia. It now starts from $36,490, before on-road costs, for the base petrol version, which is a $500 increase.The up-spec petrol and base hybrid have also increased $500, with the top-spec models for both powertrains now $1500 more expensive.This is the second price increase in the last 12 months for the SUV, after a $500 increase on most models in June. The news comes after Subaru hiked the price of its BRZ two-door sports car by up to $3600.The Crosstrek sits as a rival to everything from the Toyota Corolla Cross to the Haval Jolion.The latest price bump sees a hybrid Crosstrek now more than $6500 more than a Corolla Cross, it also has higher starting prices than the Hyundai Kona both in petrol or hybrid forms, as well as the Mazda CX-30.The Crosstrek may sit higher in price than its rivals, but it also features an all-wheel system across the range.As part of the changes for 2026, there are new paint choices, including "Citron Yellow Pearl" and "Sand Dune Pearl".There is also now an emergency stop system as part of the safety gear on board, which brings the vehicle to a controlled stop if the driver is unresponsive.Subaru's crossover continues to be available with two engine choices. There is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 115kW and 196Nm, while a hybrid configuration produces 100kW and 182Nm, both have a continuously variable automatic transmission.On the inside, it features a 11.6-inch central touchscreen display and 4.2-inch digital driver display, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available.2026 Subaru Crosstrek pricing Australia 2026 Subaru Crosstrek engine and efficiency 2026 Subaru Crosstrek standard features17-inch alloy wheels11.6-inch central touchscreen display4.2-inch digital driver displayWireless phone chargerCloth seat upholsteryPower-folding mirrorsKeyless entry and startSix-speaker sound systemR grade gets18-inch alloy wheelsSteering responsive headlightsSports pedalsAuto-dimming rearview mirrorHeated front seatsHeated door mirrorsS grade getsElectric sunroofEngine coverLeather accented seats10-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system2026 Subaru Crosstrek safetyThe Subaru Crosstrek received a five-star ANCAP safety rating.  Standard safety features:9 airbagsBlind spot monitoringLane change assistRear parking sensorsReversing cameraDistraction warningDrowsiness warningAutonomous emergency steeringAdaptive cruise controlLane departure warningLane sway warningLane keep assistEmergency stop systemR grade getsFront view monitorHigh beam assist360-degree cameraSide view monitors 2026 Subaru Crosstrek dimensions  2026 Subaru Crosstrek warrantyThe Subaru Crosstrek comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. 

The Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X are co-developed EV twins under the skin. Subaru has recognised shortcomings in the first version of its electric car and released a comprehensively upgraded version. We drive it to find out if it's now a stronger category competitor.

Many of the regular family SUV favourites have made the best-sellers list for 2025, at a time when more brands are joining the battle for sales. Hybrids have a significantly increased presence on the list, while traditional internal combustion options remain prevalent as well.These are the top five best-selling family cars heading into 2026. The Toyota RAV4 was the second-best selling car overall in 2025 and tops the family SUV list with nearly 52,000 sales, despite a more than 10 per cent drop year-on-year as a new-generation looms.With a starting price of $45,990, before on-road costs, the outgoing RAV4 is available exclusively as a hybrid, which starts from just under $60,000. The hybrid consists of a four-cylinder 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and single electric motor, which produce a combined 143kW. The incoming new-generation RAV4 will remain hybrid only, even introducing a long-awaited plug-in hybrid.Ford’s Everest large SUV is next on this list with more than 26,000 sales in 2025, and a starting price of $59,490, before on-road costs. Based on the best-selling Ranger, the Everest currently features four-cylinder 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel and six-cylinder 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine choices. The 2.0-litre Everest produces 154kW and 500Nm, while the 3.0-litre has 184kW and 600Nm. The Everest range underwent a shake-up last year, with several variants being cut, and the announcement of the 2.0-litre twin-turbo engine will be phased out. Toyota makes another appearance in the list in third position, with its Prado, selling marginally less than the Ford Everest. The Prado is significantly bigger than the RAV4, and is only available with a four-cylinder 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, producing 150kW and 500Nm. It remains one of only a few Toyota models, including the full-on four-wheel drive LandCruiser 300 Series, which do not yet have a hybrid set-up available. The Prado starts from $72,500 before on-road costs, rising to just under $100,000 for the top-spec model. The Hyundai Kona small SUV managed more than 22,000 sales in 2025, with its cheapest petrol variant starting from $32,950, before on-roads ranging up to $71,000 for the top-spec EV. The Kona currently comes with diverse petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains, with petrol and hybrid units vastly outnumbering electric in sales.The 2.0-litre petrol engine produces 110kW and 180Nm, while the 1.6-litre petrol hybrid produces a combined 104kW/265Nm.There are two electric versions of the Kona, producing 99kW/255Nm and 150kW/255Nm.The range also features a sporty 1.6-litre petrol turbo all-wheel drive variant, with 146kW and 265Nm.The Mazda CX-5 rounds out the top five, managing only a few less units than the Kona. The base CX-5 starts from $36,740, before on-roads, and comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, producing 115kW and 200Nm. There is also a 2.5-litre petrol engine, which produces 140kW/252Nm or an all-wheel drive only turbocharged version producing 170kW/420Nm, with the most expensive variant priced at $55,650. All variants have a six-speed traditional automatic transmission.Australia will get a long-awaited new-generation CX-5 in the middle of this year. A hybrid version of this new version will finally debut as far out as 2027.

We're running Hyundai's tiny new electric city car as a long-termer. Here are our first impressions.

Rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants of the Tesla Model Y will now feature a larger central vertical touchscreen as part of a mild upgrade for 2026.The 16.0-inch touchscreen used to only be available on the Model Y's top-spec Performance variant.The change has not bumped up the price for the Model Y.The entry-level rear-wheel drive Model Y remains a price competitive option in the EV space, starting from $58,900, before on-road costs.It is slightly more than the BYD Sealion 7 starting at $54,990 and Kia EV5 at $56,770. Meanwhile, the mid-spec long-range Model Y starts at $68,900.The previous touchscreen in those Model Ys measured at 15.4 inches, smaller than a comparative Sealion 7 at 15.6-inches.Kia’s EV5 has a digital display spanning across the dashboard. It comprises dual 12.3-inch digital driver and central touchscreen displays, along with a 5.0-inch climate control screen. The other change on the Model Y RWD and AWD long-range is both are now fitted with a dark headliner, replacing the light grey headliner.RWD and AWD long-range variants of the Model Y are built in China, with the Performance version is built in Germany. The Model Y was the best-selling electric car in Australia in 2025, with more than 22,000 sales across the year, receiving the nameplate's first major update early in the year. Its strong sales performance last year was boosted by a late flurry, including a bumper September with nearly 4000 units sold - one of the best of any car on sale in that period. 

Mazda has pushed back its in-house EV plans to 2029 as it focuses development of its incoming in-house hybrid drivetrain, according to a new report.Mazda had planned to launch its next-generation Japanese-developed electric car in 2027, but had pushed back to 2028 and now 2029. According to industry source Automotive News this is because hybrid demand is booming in the US, while electric vehicle incentives are being removed.The outlet quoted Mazda’s CEO Masahiro Moro as saying the brand expects EV sales now to only account for 25 per cent or less of its global sales due to changing market forces, particularly in the US.This revises Mazda’s original expectations of 25 - 40 per cent of global volume to be fully electric by 2030.However, while a significant portion of the brand's sales remain in North America and Japan, a significant portion remains in markets like Europe and Australia. Australia is the third largest market by volume for Mazda globally, after the US and Japan, forcing the brand to adapt to our conditions.This means sourcing more low emissions vehicles in the interim to comply with our Euro-inspired New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). This recently-introduced regulation tightens the vice on carbon emissions based on manufacturer’s vehicle sales, under threat of fines for every unit sold which pushes them over a pre-defined CO2 limit.Mazda is one of the most exposed brands in Australia currently. It offers only a limited array of hybrid models, with the majority of its sales still being pure combustion vehicles, like the ever-popular CX-5.A next-generation CX-5 is due, although it will continue on with a petrol engine until the hybrid variant launches in 2027. Unlike the hybrid Mazda CX-50 available in America, which borrows its hybrid tech from Toyota, the new CX-5 will use an in-house Mazda-developed hybrid system the brand calls SkyActiv-Z.In the interim, Mazda has confirmed it will sell the China-built fully electric 6e sedan and CX-6e, both are platform-shares with Changan’s Deepal brand. The brand has earmarked even more models to potentially spawn from this tie-up.Potentially this could include a Mazda take on Deepal’s S09 over-five-meter-long large SUV, or a small SUV based on the more compact S05, which would sit beneath the CX-6e to compete with the likes of MG’s S5.In another potential blow to Mazda in Australia, there are also fresh reports out of Japan that its two entry-level models, the Mazda 2 and CX-3, will cease production over the course of 2026.While these two cars are the oldest models in Mazda’s line-up, they continue to sell well in Australia thanks to regular updates. The removal of these accessible models plus the delay on a hybrid CX-5 could see Mazda tumble down the sales charts in 2026, making the roll-out of its Chinese-built models ever more important. However, Japanese media are also reporting a small car successor is due based on the Vision-X compact car shown at Tokyo Motor Show in 2025. The model will reportedly be built in Thailand as part of a push by Mazda to make the country a new export hub. Again, if this model does come to Australia, it could be as far out as 2028, making Mazda’s short term outlook for 2026 and 2027 more challenging.Mazda has told CarsGuide in 2024 its order of priorities are the new CX-5, its hybrid version, and then “small architecture cars.”Stay tuned for more on Mazda’s plans for 2026 as it faces a rapidly changing new car market. In particular it will need to fend off an aggressive new model strategy from an ambitious BYD, which is plotting a top-three market position by the end of the year.

Volkswagen has a new large SUV in the Tayron. Replacing the Tiguan Allspace and taking on some of the duties left by the departing Touareg, it’s now the brand’s key seven-seat family offering. Does it carve out its own identity?

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BYD premium brand Denza says its B5 and B8 rugged SUVs will take the fight to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, the LC300 and the Nissan Patrol, insisting the Chinese brand has the best technology and powertrains in the world.Asked if Denza was capable of taking on the 4WD household names in Australia, the company's local Chief Operating Officer, Mark Harland replied simply: "I know we can"."It's going to be one customer at a time," he says. "My confidence comes from doing extensive driving of the cars – the B5 and B8."We know we deliver on the luxury. We know we deliver on off-road capability. And the best technology in the world is coming out of China right now, right?"So the things that I know that are important to Australians, we deliver on that."The B5 (from $74,990) and B8 (from $91,000) both occupy an interesting space, in which they will target both mainstream players (Toyota and Nissan), as well as premium offerings, like from Lexus.And that, Mr Harland says, only increases Denza's opportunity Down Under, with the executive suggesting "there are a lot of brands that we can have a crack at"."I also see the market opportunity because at that price point, I think it's just a matter of getting on people's radars and getting them in for a drive," he says."I think that's what's going to be the determining factor, and our powertrain. No one else really has that powertrain. So that's the market opportunity."We've got luxury, we've got the tech, and we've got a powertrain that no one else is really delivering on right now."