SUV

The Renault Symbioz is a new, small SUV from the French brand. We drove at its Aussie launch this year, but this is the first time we’ve lived with it for a week and I almost feel sorry for the thing. You see, the Symbioz was sparkling clean, fresh from being built in Valladolid, Spain before landing in the middle of a battlefield of Aussie suburbia with a four-year-old who immediately smudged chocolate in the seat and an 11-year old with more appointments and commitments than a prime minister. The Symbioz that I tested for family friendliness is the entry-grade Techno with the mild hybrid system. It was a long week. Here’s how it went... The Renault Symbioz model range is small in Australia consisting of only two grades. We tested the entry-level Techno mild hybrid, although you can get a full hybrid. The list price of the Symbioz Techno mild hybrid is $36,990 before on-road costs, which is a lot more expensive than some Chinese rivals like the Jaecoo J5 or a Chery Tiggo 4, and a smidge more than the Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross or Mazda CX-30. It is, however, more affordable than the hybrid-only Nissan Qashqai. The Symbioz Techno is worth the extra money even if the value isn’t as good as a Chinese SUV, because the difference is higher quality fit and finish and a more enjoyable car to drive. Standard features on the Techno include 18-inch alloy wheels, proximity unlocking, push-button start, a 10.4-inch media screen and 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Google Automated services. The seats are a synthetic fabric and that means chocolate wipes straight off, thankfully. Our test car is fitted with the optional electronic glass roof which turns from transparent to opaque thanks to a dispersed polymer liquid crystal film between the sheets of glass. The beauty of this is that there's no need for a sunshade that could reduce head room. Check out my video here to see it work. Yes, while value isn’t one of the Renault Symbioz’s strengths it does have a lot of compelling attributes. Four attributes stand out as the strengths: the design, quality feel, practicality and the way it drives. I truly believe that the Symbioz is the best-looking small SUV for the price right now. I love the rear design especially with the razor-sharp tail-lights, but the entire vehicle is superbly styled and looks far more expensive than the price tag. The same goes for the interior and not just the design, but the feel of the fabrics and materials, switches and the steering wheel. Many SUVs try to aim for a stylish look, but few achieve the feel. This also goes for the thoughtful layout of this cabin that places everything within reach and where it should be. The practicality of the Symbioz is also outstanding. As a mum to two kids that insist on bringing everything everywhere, a small SUV (it’s 4.4m long) is generally too small for us. But the excellent storage, occupant space and boot, which expands from 460L-592L because the rear row is on rails, has me rethinking that rule.  If you’re a family in an urban setting but need all the storage and room that kids and adults require, then seriously consider the Symbioz. The materials are also easy to clean and feel hard wearing, too. Finally, the way the Symbioz drives is so engaging. Yes the 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine has a bit of the dreaded turbo lag and yes the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission can be a little clunky. In a world of fully electric cars with seamless stop and go, this engine and transmission feels a bit antiquated, but the Symbioz is still so enjoyable to pilot in an old-school way. As much as I love EVs for urban duties like the daycare drop off, grocery shopping and after-school sports dashes, I’d missed how fun these little runs can be in something with great handling and steering and a grunty little engine. Well, as mentioned the price is a bit steep, but you’re getting a nicer car for the money than many rivals. Also the warranty is only five-years/unlimited kilometres, which is falling behind many mainstream brands. Servicing is required every 30,000km or 12 months. You can buy a five-year service package for $2700 which is about $540 a visit and that’s expensive compared to a few rivals. And then there’s the fuel consumption. The mild hybrid isn’t as fuel efficient as the full hybrid and because I drove it like a rally queen, I used an average of 10.5L/100km over about 150km of driving. The official fuel consumption is 6.4L/100km but personally I don’t think they were flying this small SUV to school and pre-school to Scouts to Kung Fu to birthday parties and tutoring all with just 15 minutes to get to all of these places.  With more moderate urban driving, a lower figure is certainly achievable. Finally, the Symbioz has not been rated by ANCAP, but its Continental equivalent, EuroNCAP only gave it four-out-of-five stars for safety. This was partly because it lacks a front centre airbag and front knee airbags, as well as average occupant protection for the driver.

The Porsche Cayenne S Electric is the middle member of the initial three-tier line-up that has launched in Australia in 2026. Priced from $193,000 for the SUV and $194,500 for the Coupe, the Cayenne S Electric is only just over $8000 more than its petrol alternative. For that money you get: 21-inch alloy wheels Matrix LED headlights Illuminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlid Panoramic glass roof Four-zone climate control Eight-way adjustable sports seats Bose surround sound audio system with 14 speakers This new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions. The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too.  The same is true of the interior, with a modern design that keeps the Cayenne Electric contemporary, but also practical and loaded with all the technology modern buyers expect. The Cayenne S has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain that makes 400kW (490kW on Overboost) and 1080Nm and has a 0-100km/h time of a very rapid 3.8 seconds. Range for the Cayenne S is rated at 571km, thanks to its 106kWh battery, which is the most of the range. As for safety, the Cayenne Electric is as well equipped as you should expect a car at this price to be. There are all the features that have become the norm, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, etc. But it’s not the fact that it has all the safety features that’s impressive, it’s the level of calibration, with very good integration.

It may sound far-fetched, but Genesis is hoping to compete with the upper-echelon of bespoke luxury SUVs when its all-new GV90 arrives. But while the idea of the GV90 rivalling the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, there is one key reason why the brand should be taken seriously - the man in charge. Luc Donkerwolke is now the Chief Creative Officer for Genesis, but previously he was the man responsible for designing the Bentayga. He actually left the British brand before the SUV was done, so officially the design credit for the Bentayga is given to SungYup Lee - who is now the design boss for Hyundai. So either way, Genesis and Hyundai have all the skills and experience to design a genuinely luxurious SUV. There is a big difference between designing a premium SUV and being able to sell it. The GV90, which is based on the Neolun concept from 2024, will be an all-electric flagship for the brand and is expected to cost more than $200,000 when it arrives in Australia next year. Given Genesis’ slow sales growth trajectory in Australia since it arrived in 2019, pushing so far upmarket is a risk, but one the brand is actually looking forward to.  “I think our brand actually needs a halo like that right now,” said Tim Rodgers, Product Planning and Development Manager for Genesis Australia. “We haven't quite showcased our full capability in that regard and just how high we can stretch the levels of luxury in a car. The flagship SUV that you mentioned, I think that's ready to turn some heads and opinions about Genesis brand, and I think it's the right time now.” Given the premium nature and price tag, Genesis Australia is most likely to offer the GV90 on a strict order-only basis, which means there will be limited stock in showrooms and customers will be able to order them to their personalised preferences. Again, Rodgers believes this is advantageous for the brand and claims it will actually play to its strengths. “ We do a lot of build-to-order anyway, so it's not really anything new for us. So in that sense actually, we're set up in an ideal situation to leverage that kind of car,” he said.  The arrival of the GV90 as a flagship luxury SUV will follow the launch of the new Magma performance sub-brand. Globally the company has committed to introducing a Magma variant of every model in the range and has begun with the GV60 Magma small SUV. Justin Douglass, Head of Genesis Australia, explained the impact of Magma has already been felt. “ I think when you look at the amount of goodwill towards a brand from the moment that we announced that Magma was coming to life there's been a lot of interest for a couple of years now,” he said. “I think when the production version was shown in November last year, it created an immediate influx of register-your-interests here in Australia. "I think for any brand to have a true performance luxury variant added to their range is always gonna be beneficial and exciting and attract a new customer base, and as I said, create some real emotion and energy around the brand as well. So yeah it's absolutely an exciting addition for the brand.” While the GV90 will act as the flagship for the brand in terms of luxury, the Magma GT is expected to be the halo sports car. The mid-engined coupe was revealed as a concept at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June and Hyundai Motor Group’s global CEO, Jose Munoz, made it clear he wants to put it into production as soon as possible.  Without being confirmed for production it’s difficult for Douglass and Rodgers to commit to Magma GT plans for Australia, but they are both adament it will come here if it’s built in right-hand drive. “ If it was made available to us, absolutely,” Douglass said. Without confirming the Magma GT would be available here, Rodgers suggested right-hand drive production is likely.  ”We act like a global car company because we are,” he said. “There's plenty of models in right-hand drive that we've developed that, maybe on paper don't really make sense, but we've done it because that's what a global car company does, right?”

Hyundai let CarsGuide in on why its Australian division gets special attention from its South Korean parent company. “We’re quite a small percentage of global volume but the level of support we get from Korea is always higher,” said Bill Thomas, Hyundai Australia’s GM of Corporate Communications. “Australia is a hugely competitive market and if you’re doing well here, you will, in theory, do well in a number of different markets which are less competitive. “Also, in terms of customer sentiment, there’s a mixture of European and American buying behaviour.” “So there’s interest from in the makeup of the market, both the competitor set and the customer demand for various types of vehicles.” Globally, Hyundai’s Australian arm outperforms compared to other markets where the South Korean giant plays. “If you look at our market share compared to some of the markets across the world, you’d find that we’re certainly up there amongst the better performing markets,” said Hyundai Australia's General Manager of Product Planning Jonathan Lam. Australia is not just important to the company as a vector for high sales either. Our market has seen the introduction of right-hand drive exclusives, like the first-generation Palisade large SUV, or the last-generation Veloster hatchback. There are new factors drawing Korea’s attention to Australia. Our market has become one of the most competitive in the world off the back of Chinese automakers using Australia as a stepping stone to Europe. It presents an opportunity both ways, as Hyundai has a chance to compete with these new brands often before they debut in larger markets. “The competitiveness of this market means that, yes, we are getting a lot of focus from headquarters,” continued Lam. “So that does actually make our job a bit easier, but at the same time it’s not like we can just ask for something and get it. “We have to make a strong case for every product. Head office won’t accept just anything, we have to be very detailed and structured in terms of the business case.” Lam said that the explosive amount of competition in Australia wasn’t boxing Hyundai into particular price points or segments for its range. “It’s not necessarily just the number of competitors here or how cheap they are” he said. “You could have a segment with fifty competitors, but it’s more to do with which are the ones actually selling in volume.” “We feel our pricing is competitive. Obviously there are competitors which will be cheaper, and there will be some which are more expensive, but I think for us it’s never just pricing which is what is driving market share or sales. Actually if it was just about pricing that would make my job a bit easier.” Lam said "intangible benefits" of the Hyundai brand, whether it was buyer familiarity, dealer and service network, or vehicle design and quality, are helping the company keep close to the front of the pack despite the ambition of new brands in the top-10 rankings. Lam said there were even products in Hyundai’s portfolio which didn’t have to sell in the kinds of volumes which rivals, Chinese or otherwise, might be aiming for. He conceded the Palisade XRT Pro, as a monocoque adventure-focused large SUV was a “quite niche” offering intended to make up around 10 per cent of the model’s volume. Even the Hyundai Inster city-sized electric hatch, which is priced significantly higher than something like the BYD Atto 1, was something the brand was keen to keep around as an alternative for buyers. “Niche products have their place in our portfolio. It’s not a car which is going to appeal to all consumers, but it has a very specific buyer subset who still really likes that car.”

Aussies holding out for Lepas' budget electric SUV will have to wait a little longer. The Lepas L4 small electric SUV will be the Chery sub-brand’s second model to go on sale in Australia.  Lepas had previously said the L4 would launch Down Under in 2026, but it now won’t be available until 2027. The L4 SUV was slated for launch in December 2026, following the Lepas L6 mid-size electric SUV that will arrive in showrooms before the end the year, but now the L4 has been pushed well back into 2027. Lepas has now said it has a view to launching the L4 in the first half of 2027, which could mean a delay of anywhere between one to six months. The L4’s compact size at 4420mm long sees it shaping up as a rival to the BYD Atto 3 Evo ($41,990) and Hyundai Kona Electric ($46,000).  It will use the same battery and electric motor set-up as in the L6, but it has an improved 450km range due to reduced weight. The brand itself was originally projected to launch in mid-2026, but Lepas pushed it back to the late second half of 2026.  It comes as fellow Chery sub-brand Omoda Jaecoo needed to delay the arrival of its Omoda 4 and Omoda 7 electric SUVs to the first half of 2027. Lepas has big plans in Australia. The brand will introduce plug-in hybrid variants of its L6 and L4 models in March and June 2027, respectively. It is unclear if the L4 plug-in lauch will be delayed now, too. The L8 PHEV will then arrive towards the end of 2027 as a large mid-size SUV rival to the 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year Overall Winner, the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento.  There will also be a full-size L9 SUV following after that in 2027.  In 2028, there will be fully-electric variants of the L8 and L9, followed by a budget-focused L2 hatchback.  

Hi-tech Chinese brand Avatr has confirmed it will start taking orders on its 07L electric SUV later this year. The 07L is the first model confirmed for Australia from Avatr. Avatr is Changan’s premium brand aimed at Zeekr and MG's IM Motors. Australia is one of the first right-hand drive markets to get Avatr vehicles, with a few Southeast Asian countries receiving the vehicles first. Avatar will open pre-sales before the end of the year with the first deliveries of the 07L early in 2027. It is a large five-seat SUV and will compete against the slightly smaller Zeekr 7X, Tesla Model Y and Audi Q6 e-tron. Avatr hasn’t revealed any local details of the car yet, but it has launched in China earlier this year, which gives us an idea of what to expect. In China it is available in two grades, with the Max+ version using a single 305kW electric motor to drive the rear wheels. The potent Ultra grades up the ante with three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear, combining for 712kW. Both use a roughly 90kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 725km in the single motor version and 650km in the tri-motor grade. Both ranges are calculated via the more lenient China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC) rather than the benchmark WLTP cycle, so expect real world ranges to drop by at least 20 per cent. 2027 Avatr 07L details Avatr hasn't confirmed local prices, but the Chinese version starts from the equivalent of about $53,000 in Australia and jumps to about $60,000 for the Ultra. Chinese vehicles usually incur about a 20 to 25 per cent price rise in Australia, which would mean the range would likely start at about $64,000 and rise to $75,000 (before on-road costs). If the 07L pricing follows that logic it would be priced similar to the equivalent Zeekr 7X in Australia, which costs $63,900 (before on-road costs) for the single-motor Long Range grade and $72,900 the dual-motor Performance version. 2027 Avatr 07L Chinese prices with Australia conversion Avatr will be joined by Changan, its parent brand next year. Changan hasn’t announced anything official just yet, but it has been on a hiring spree in Australia just like Avatr. It is one of China’s biggest automotive groups, and is of a similar scale to Chery or SAIC, the latter the owner of MG. Changan is also state-owned and its Deepal brand is already available in Australia via vehicle distributor Inchcape. Changan also partners with Mazda, with the Japanese brand sourcing its new range of electric vehicles from the Chinese giant, including the Mazda 6e sedan and incoming CX-6e SUV. There is no indication on what its Aussie line-up could look like, but Changan has a wide range of vehicles to choose from, including a ute.

The GWM Tank 500 might look like a big and bruising off-road-ready SUV, but it’s actually a time machine. How else to describe it? In a world in which the uptake of electrification is booming (so far this year, some 207,000 vehicles with a diesel engine have been sold, compared to 334,000 with some sort of electrification), GWM has fitted its Tank with an all-new and newly developed diesel engine, swimming strongly against the tide in the process. But GWM makes the very solid point that 207,000 is still a very big number, and in the segments this new 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine will compete (it is also fitted to the Cannon Alpha ute), the numbers are even stronger. In fact, the brand’s data shows that, in 2025, some 92 per cent of the large body-on-frame SUV segment was diesel, along with 86 per cent of the ute market. And yes, those numbers have been falling in 2026. But it’s still a big prize. "I know it'll drop, but in that core space there's still an incredible amount of diesel customer base out there. Based on either geography, or how they use it, or their budget, they still want to do it, they still want to drive diesel. And we believe we'll have a technical advantage over many of those brands that have owned that segment for a long time,” says GWM Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, John Kett. "We know that there are still customers there, and even though it's almost a sin to talk about, they're still buying.” All of which is why we find ourselves behind the wheel of this new and diesel-powered Tank. The new engine arrives in two Tank 500 variants, the Lux, currently $65,990 drive-away across the country, and the top-spec Vanta, which costs $71,990, also on the road. GWM says that, given the relatively small jump between the two, most people will end up springing for the flagship. The obvious big rival here is the Ford Everest, in which you can have the entry-level Active with the smaller engine on the road for around $60k at the moment. Everything else though – from Sport all the way to Platinum – will cost you from $70k to more than $90k on the road. It’s hard to accuse GWM of skimping on the features, either. Check our detailed price and features story for the details, but you get a heap of stuff across both grades, and especially in the Vanta. The biggest part of this story, though, is the engine, with the 3.0-litre, four-cylinder unit producing 170kW and an impressive 620Nm. That’s a lot of torque for a four-cylinder engine, too, and while the on-the-road performance doesn’t quite live up to the spec sheet promise, it never feels underpowered, either. To further extol the virtues of diesel donks in this segment, this new powertrain has had exactly the impact on the other critical capability benchmarks you might expect; towing is now 3.5-tonne braked for the first time, and the driving range (helped by the choice of one or two massive fuel tanks) is between 1098km and 1845kms. And with proper low range and twin diff locks, it will go about as far off road as you want to take it, too. Another unexpected perk is GWM’s ability to dodge AdBlue, with the additive simply not required here. Fuel use is a promised 7.1L/100km, which is impressive for a car this size, too. Behind the wheel, the first thing you notice is the level of refinement. I’m sure there’s an office block’s worth of sound deadening on board here, but it works, with this diesel feeling smoother and often quieter than some petrol and even hybrid powertrains I’ve driven recently. Yes, it makes its presence known when you really plant your foot, but if you’re used to diesels being loud, clattering, clanging things, you’ll be pleasantly surprised here. The Tank 500 has been fettled by GWM’s Aussie ride and handling ace, and there is definitely a refreshing sense of cohesion to the drive experience. It feels heavy in places, sure. And the steering can be soft in that way that makes you want to telegraph your inputs a bit, but the body control is strong, and the ride good at smoothing out country bumps and imperfections. In fact, on those sort of flowing, not-too-tight corners, you can pretty easily forget your steering a big bruiser at all. Sharp inputs are never your friend in a car like this, and if you get too aggressive with the steering wheel you can certainly feel yourself swaying, but it's an overall impressive effort, with car matching engine and vice versa. Off the tarmac, the Tank 500 proved ready and willing, too. I’m no Marcus Craft, but with low range engaged and one or both diff locks activated, the GWM walked up every muddy, slippery, rutted climb we threw it at, even wearing its road tyres. The only question mark that remains is towing. A published towing limit is one thing, but how a vehicle feels pulling big weight is another thing entirely. But for that, we’ll have to wait and see. The other boon in the 500 is space, with the three-tow Tank delivering one of the better third-row experiences I’ve had lately. I’m 175cm, and I found that by shifting the second row forward, I had enough room in both rows to get genuinely comfy. I know the third row is mostly reserved for kids, but this is one SUV in which you could definitely get adults back there in an emergency. There’s a piddly 98 litres of cargo space with all three rows in place, but that grows to 795 litres with the second row folded. Drop both rows, and you get a massive 1489 litres. I won’t bore you with the details here, but safe to say all those acronyms you expect to see are present and accounted for, and after covering a heap of kays, none of them felt overly annoying. Its five-star ANCAP rating, earned in 2024, only currently applies to the electrified versions, but GWM is confident it will apply here, too. It’s also covered by a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, with seven years of roadside assistance and seven years of capped-price servicing. Speaking of which, service intervals are pegged at 12 months of 15,000kms, and the first seven years of ownership will cost $3760, or $540 per service.

The all-new Porsche Cayenne Electric range begins with this ‘entry-level’ model priced from $167,700 before on-road costs for the SUV body style and $173,500 for the Coupe. While that is a price premium over the existing petrol and hybrid models, it does come well specified. Standard equipment includes: 20-inch alloy wheels Matrix LED headlights Illuminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlid Panoramic glass roof Dual-zone climate control Eight-way adjustable sports seat 10-speaker sound system Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto This new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look, this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions. The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too.  Inside, for all the hype around Porsche performance, one of the brand’s standout features, at least in my opinion, has always been interior design.  This new Cayenne looks really interesting inside, with curved screens for the digital instrument display and the multimedia system, as well as the option to add a third screen in-front of the passenger. The overall level of fit and finish, the detail and quality of the materials is exactly what you’d expect from a premium brand and an SUV at this price point. The Cayenne Electric is powered by a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain that makes up to 325kW of power and 835Nm of torque. That’s enough for it to launch 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.  The Cayenne is powered by a Porsche-built 106kWh battery that provides 542km of range. In terms of safety, the Cayenne Electric is equipped with all the features that have become expected, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and full airbag protection.

Hyundai's flagship family electric SUV is under investigation for a safety concern in Australia, following similar reports overseas.  The South Korean brand is looking into an issue on its Ioniq 9 in Australia over a potentially dangerous problem with the second-row power-folding seats. It relates to the seat assemblies failing to detect passengers or objects on the seats and continuing to close even when using excessive force. This can lead to the seats squashing occupants and cause serious injury or worse. The Ioniq 9 is Hyundai’s most expensive car on sale, and is its biggest electric SUV offering Down Under. Virtually every Ioniq 9 sold in Australia could be affected by the issue, with more than 100 vehicles being looked into. The issue is expected to be able to be fixed with an over-the-air software update like in other markets, or owners can option to have it resolved at a Hyundai dealer. Owners should take extra care during the folding of seats in the meantime, according to the brand.  In the United States, 5360 Ioniq 9 examples have been recalled, according to reports. The brand said all vehicles recalled have the fault.  It’s not just the Ioniq 9 impacted in the United States, with it also linked to power-folding seats in the Palisade and the Telluride SUVs.  At this stage, only the Ioniq 9 is under investigation in Australia.

XPeng is making it more affordable for Australians to get into one of their vehicles. The Chinese brand is launching the new L03 mid-size coupe-SUV, which severely undercuts the Tesla Model Y, Geely EX5 and Zeekr 7X. XPeng is also adding some variety to the menu with a range-extender hybrid (EREV) version, with Australia being one of the first markets outside of China to get the petrol-electric versions. There are three electric and one EREV L03s to choose from, with prices starting at $41,900 (before on-road costs) for the Standard Range EV and the Power X EREV. The Long Range EV jumps to $46,900 and the range tops out at the dual-motor Performance Ultra grade at $53,900. That entry price puts it at the same price as the Geely EX5 and $17,000 cheaper than the base Tesla Model Y and about $16,000 more affordable than the Zeekr 7X. The Power X EREV version uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine that is used purely as a generator to charge the 37kWh Lithium-ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery and never drives the wheels. Instead, a 178kW/280Nm single electric motor drives the rear wheels. XPeng claims the 37kWh battery delivers an electric driving range of up to 215km calculated by the benchmark WLTP test cycle. The brand claims a total driving range of more than 1000km when the battery and 42-litre fuel tank are depleted. At the max DC charging rate, the battery can be topped up from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes. AC charging tops out at 6.6kW. Standard Range electric versions use a circa-58kWh LFP battery that provides a WLTP rated driving range of up to 445km. It can DC charge up to 193kW, which can fill the battery from 20-80 per cent in 20 minutes. AC charging is up to 11kW. Power comes from a single electric motor that makes 163kW and 280Nm delivered to the rear wheels. Long Range and Performance Ultra grades up this with a roughly 71kWh LFP battery that enables a driving range of 520km (Long Range) and 440km (Performance Ultra). Both can DC charge up to 236kW, which again fills the battery from 10-80 in 20 minutes.  The Long Range grade has slightly more power at 183kW/280Nm, again sent to the rear wheels. Performance Ultra examples have a second motor enabling all-wheel drive, with a total of 285kW on tap. That extra grunt drops the L03’s 0-100km/h time to 4.5 seconds from the 6.6 and 7.5 seconds of the Long Range and Standard Range grades. XPeng is making a big deal about how it is embedding AI into its cars. Bigger vehicles such as the coming G9L have increased functionality, but the L03 has the computing power to bring fully autonomous driving when it is ready. XPeng hasn’t sourced its chips from stock market darling Nvidia, instead XPeng is going it alone and developing and building its own processors it dubs AI Turing chips. The company is planning on rolling out fully autonomous capabilities in 2027, where regulations allow. Australia does not allow that yet, but this could mean it would have similar capabilities to Tesla’s Full Self Driving (Supervised). Tesla’s tech can drive autonomously, but the driver has to be ready to take control just in case. The L03 rides on either 18-inch alloy wheels or 20-inch units depending on specification.  It has LED lighting front and back, with a full length light bar at the rear. It has cornering lights, privacy glass, frameless doors and door mirrors. Inside there are electronically adjustable, synthetic leather-wrapped seats that are heated and ventilated up front, with a massage function on the Performance Ultra grade. A heated microfibre covered steering wheel, wireless charging, ambient lighting, nine-speaker stereo that jumps to 18-speakers in the Performance Ultra. The range-topper also gets active noise cancellation to keep the outside world at bay. The L03 is a mid-size SUV that is a similar size to big names such as the Geely EX5 and Toyota RAV4, but slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X. It is 4650mm long, 1920mm wide, 1600mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2850mm. It has a ground clearance of 144mm and seating for five. The boot can hold 494-litres, which increases to 539L with the under-floor compartment included. There is a front cargo area under the bonnet that can hold 102L. It is rated to 750kg unbraked or 1500kg braked. The L03 can be had in white, two types of black, silver and purple.