SUV

Just days after Hyundai unveiled the next generation Tucson, details of the mid-size SUV have been confirmed for the South Korean market. Giving us a glimpse at what we might expect from the 2027 Hyundai Tucson when it lands here next year, drivetrains, design elements and features of the SUV have been outlined for its home market. Already known was the new styling and design language, which Hyundai calls ‘art of steel’. The mid-size SUV adopts the ‘H-shape’ lights, which are becoming more common on Hyundai’s new models, with the Tucson overall more upright and squared-off. At 4700mm long, 1905mm wide and 1685mm tall, the length, width, and wheelbase increased by 60mm, 40mm and 30mm, respectively for more interior space, with 1031mm of second-row headroom. Along with being overall bigger and more spacious, the Tuscon takes on a tougher look, with an XRT grade available from launch, with a unique front grille, wheel arch and skid plate for extra protection if off-roading. The biggest confirmation from South Korea is a choice of two powertrains, both with a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine but one with hybrid assistance. In Australia, hybrids are becoming increasingly important for the brand, so it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Tucson go hybrid-only.  If that’s the case, a 180kW total output from the engine and electric motor is the international specification as is a 5.7L/100km combined fuel consumption rate, though those could be slightly adjusted for Australia. Hyundai also says despite the overall larger SUV, the drag coefficient has been lowered from 0.33Cd to 0.30Cd, achieved through active air flaps. Hyundai has also confirmed its AI assistance program called ‘Gleo AI’, described as “an integrated agent powered by a large language model”, will understand “natural, continuous conversation” rather than only simple commands as has been the case with automotive voice controls. New safety features like a redundancy system for the door locks to allow escape and rescue of occupants in emergency situations or a system to brake if the driver mistakenly presses the accelerator should be appealing to the ANCAP-types, while a ‘Memory Reverse Assist’ remembers the vehicle's trajectory during manoeuvres to assist in tricky parking situations. The 2027 Hyundai Tucson is set to be globally revealed in the USA before the end of the year, at which point we expect to learn more information about its Australian arrival.

One of the biggest criticisms of electric cars could soon be relegated to the past. The need to plug in a charging cable could be replaced by the long-awaited arrival of inductive charging - and it has come from an unlikely source. This new game-changing technology isn’t coming from electric vehicle juggernauts Tesla or BYD, but Porsche. The all-new Cayenne Electric SUV is set to become the first car on-sale in Australia with the ability to charge wirelessly. While not available from the initial launch, Porsche Australia has confirmed it will be offered to local customers before the end of 2026. Any initial Cayenne Electric sold will be able to be retrofitted to take advantage of this new tech, with each SUV needing a specific pad on the underside of the vehicle. In simple terms, this inductive charging system uses an 11kW pad that can be placed on the floor of your garage or parking space and you only need to drive over it in order for a connection to be made between the pad and the battery and for charging to begin. The electricity is transferred via a magnetic field, the same way inductive charging works for modern smartphones and similar devices, only on a larger scale. The pad does need to be plugged into three-phase power in order to generate enough power to charge the vehicle, but no wallbox is required. An 11kW output is equivalent to a Level 2 AC charging wallbox, which would add between 40-100km of range per hour. Porsche hasn’t revealed specific charging times for the Cayenne Electric yet. This charging pad measures 1170mm long, 780mm wide and 60mm tall and weighs 50kg and must be installed by a technician. You must be lined up with the pad, but the Cayenne’s camera system is able to detect it and effectively guide you to the right spot via a graphic display on the screen. Once in the right position the Cayenne has to lower itself to get close enough for the transfer of energy; which is likely one of the reasons the entire Cayenne range comes with air-suspension as standard.  Porsche says the car and pad can also detect any obstacles, such as pets, that may walk across the pad and can shut down in order to protect animals or equipment from harm. Wireless charging has long been touted as a potential solution for the perceived inconvenience of plugging in an EV. Porsche is not the first brand to develop the technology, but it is the first to bring it to market in Australia. Porsche Australia hasn’t released pricing, but the system is already available in the United Kingdom, where the charging pad reportedly costs £5355 (approx. $10,000), while the connection for the Cayenne itself costs £1322 (approx. $2500).

As its name implies, the Junior is a city-sized Alfa Romeo SUV and Ibrida is Italian for hybrid, which reflects this car’s 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine working in concert with an electric motor housed in its six-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. But that Junior badge has history on various iterations of the much-admired 105-series Alfa GT coupe that polished the brand’s sporty road and race car cred through the 1960s into the ‘70s. So, is that bloodline strong enough to make an impact on the 21st century Junior? We spent a week behind the wheel to find out. Although it’s classified as a ‘light’ segment SUV, at $46,990, before on-road costs, the Junior Ibrida competes on price with next size up small hybrids like the Hyundai Kona Premium Hybrid ($45,950), Nissan Qashqai ST-L e-Power ($45,850), Renault Symbioz Esprit Alpine ($45,990), Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid S AWD ($47,590) and Toyota Corolla Cross GXL AWD ($44,190), all before on-road costs. When you’re starting to give $50K cost-of-entry a nudge it’s fair to expect a decent basket of standard fruit and included feature highlights for the Junior include: 18-inch alloy wheels LED matrix headlights (plus LED tail-lights and DRLs) Privacy glass Leather-trimmed steering wheel Alloy pedal covers 10.25-inch multimedia screen 10.25-inch instrument display Wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay Six-speaker audio (with digital radio) Climate control air (single-zone) Keyless entry and start Power-adjustable driver’s seat Heated front seats That list’s okay rather than outstanding for the money and relative to the competitors mentioned above. In terms of design, a car’s looks are always subjective, but my two bob’s worth on the Junior is… there’s a lot going on. The nose has strong hints of traditional Alfa with the V-shaped grille, angled heritage typeface branding and offset licence plate.  But then, the slim, angular LED headlights and DRLs as well as the big egg-crate vents lower down state their case for a more contemporary presentation. You may love it, but to me it looks like at least two styling teams couldn’t resolve their differences. Other signature elements like the ‘teledial’-style wheels are in line with the rest of the current Alfa line-up and the rear is dominated by a horizontal tail-light graphic with a moustache-like droop at either end.     Inside there are more hints of classic Alfa in the dual-hooded shape of the instrument binnacle and racy red highlights through the cloth and synthetic leather seats and ambient lighting. It’s a cozy cabin because at just under 4.2m long, close to 1.8m wide and 1.5m tall with a 2562mm wheelbase there’s no denying the Junior’s diminutive footprint.  Up front, the car feels small and rear room is modest even for an SUV of this stature. At 183cm tall, sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my position I’ve got just enough legroom, although headroom is fine. Forget three full-size adults for anything other than short, awkward journeys in the rear. Up to mid-teenage kids will be fine, though.    And when it comes to storage, the front door bins are a decent size with room for medium bottles, there’s a small-ish glove box, a lidded bin between the seats, an extra cavity with adjustable cupholders in front of it and a wireless charging bay ahead of that.   There are USB-C outlets front and back, but the rear space comes up short in terms of practicality. No door pockets, no fold-down armrest, no adjustable air vents and no cupholders. Backseaters have to make do with small map pockets on the back of the front seats. That’s it. Over and above that, the interior feels insubstantial. Push that carefully shaped instrument hood or the front centre console and they instantly shift with an audible creak. The car lacks the solid feel of its key rivals.  Other gripes? I’m not a fan of the vertical rear exterior door handles (on any car), the Apple CarPlay proved flaky with occasional disconnects and a stuttery wireless link and the driver’s door armrest feels as solid as a piece of granite. Boot capacity is an impressive 415 litres, expanding to 1250 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat lowered. There are numerous bag hooks and a 12-volt outlet in there and the floor can be set at two levels for extra space or a flat load surface. No spare tyre, though, just a repair/inflator kit which isn’t good enough. This is a mild-hybrid with the 107kW/230Nm turbo-petrol triple doing the heavy lifting and the 21kW electric motor, powered by a 48-volt lithium-ion battery, playing a supporting role, particularly at slow speeds. The small-capacity engine uses a Miller combustion cycle which effectively shortens the compression stroke relative to the expansion stroke in the name of optimal fuel efficiency. Its official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) economy figure is a thrifty 4.1L/100km but over a week of city, suburban and some freeway running we saw a real-world average of 5.9L/100km. A sub-6.0L/100km result is still easy on the bank balance but beware you pay a price in terms of driveability. This powertrain is unrefined relative to the competition. The car feels on edge, with stilted throttle response and the dual-clutch transmission lacks polish. Even the stop-start function is rough.  There’s enough oomph. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is a reasonably rapid 8.9 seconds, there are ‘DNA’ drive modes and the Junior is well balanced in cornering with accurate steering and good road feel. But it’s not a particularly relaxed drive. The Junior boasts a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) tech and none of the assists, monitors or alerts are overly intrusive, although the speed sign recognition was regularly misfiring, including a 40km/h advisory on the deck of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Back of a bus, perhaps? Six airbags are onboard, the Junior missing out on the increasingly common front centre bag.  Alfa covers the Junior with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assist included for the duration. Servicing is every 12 months/15,000km with each workshop visit averaging just under $670 over the first five years. Not the worst, not the best.    And it’s worth noting there are only eight primary Alfa dealerships and 18 service centres across Australia.

Geely has revealed the heavily updated 2026 EX5 ahead of its global launch. The EX5, which is already one of the best-selling electric mid-size SUVs in Australia, is set for a deeper upgrade than a typical facelift, moving from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive. It also comes with a huge power upgrade, with the current 160kW front-mounted motor being replaced by a 245kW unit on the rear. It also comes with an upgrade to the car’s max speed from 175km/h to 201km/h. The car has also grown in dimensions slightly, now 4636mm long, 1920mm wide and 1670mm tall, making it both taller and wider than the outgoing car. The brand also says the EX5 will make the switch to the latest generation version of Geely’s LFP ‘Aegis’ battery pack. Details are yet to be revealed, but given the company said it will enable the new SUV to charge in just 10 minutes, it suggests an upgrade to an 800-volt architecture. Certainly, it will be an upgrade from the EX5’s current max charging speed of 100kW, which results in a charge time of more than 30 minutes. It is also expected to boost range from the current car’s 410km WLTP from the modest 60.22kWh unit. In addition, with the space above the front axle freed up, the EX5 is set to get an under-bonnet storage area frunk for the first time. Exterior styling has received some tweaks, while maintaining the overall vibe. The front bumper has been redesigned to add a three-dimensional effect, while the rear lower bumper and tailgate-mounted spoiler have also been tweaked. One of the most noticeable changes are the new alloy wheels (available in either 18- or 19-inch designs). The interior has also been tweaked. The new car replaces the odd squircle steering wheel with a new round design also seen in the upcoming Monjaro EM-i, as well as a crystal-look multifunction control dial to replace the current plastic-look unit. There also appears to be re-designed seat trim, new two-tone colour schemes, and ambient lighting throughout. The car appears to maintain the same 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and 15.4-inch multimedia touchscreen as before, as well as the flip-open storage tray and wireless phone charging bay. More details on the new EX5 are expected to be confirmed imminently for the Chinese market, with the brand focusing on its global aspirations. Geely Australia representatives told CarsGuide there was nothing to share yet on the future of the EX5 locally, although added there was more up the brand’s sleeve for the latter half of 2027. This is on top of the company doubling its model range in Australia in the next year. It has confirmed the Emgrand sedan and Monjaro mid-sizer are set to arrive in the first half, and they will be joined by the flagship Battleship 700 hybrid off-roader before the end of 2027. Stay tuned for more on Geely’s rapid range expansion soon as the brand solidifies its top-10 aspirations in the Australian market.

If at first you don't succeed... Porsche is trying again with turning a popular SUV electric. But after the disappointment of the Macan, will the brand have better luck with its bigger Cayenne. We test drive the new Porsche Cayenne Electric on-road, off-road, through sand dunes and even down an airstrip to put it to the ultimate test.

Chery’s Lepas brand is preparing a car that is unlike anything else. Chery Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris said the incoming L2 “is on a different planet” to the current crop of small electric cars. Harris said the L2, which is due in Australia in 2028, is totally different to the BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2 that are currently lighting up the sales charts. “This L2 is absolutely nothing like those cars, not even a little bit. Not even a distant relative,” said Harris. “It’s a hatchback, not a small SUV. It's not like a little micro BEV, it's more Corolla size. It is really handsome, very sporty. It is on a different planet to those other cars.” Details are scarce, with Harris saying it could be available as a hybrid or electric car. “At the moment it's a little bit being decided, and we will probably make a firm decision closer to the time. "Just given how much the market changes at the moment, and who knows what events will happen over the next 12 months and how it might change the powertrain interests of consumers,” he said. Being a small hatchback, it could borrow tech from some of Chery's arsenal of smaller EVs such as the Jaecoo J5 EV or Chery E5. That means it could use a single electric motor to make 155kW and 288Nm and a circa 60kWh battery to deliver a driving range of more than 400km. A lot can change in two years, especially at brands that move as fast at Chery, so the ned product might be completely different. Harris said the design is about 99 per cent locked in, even though it hasn’t been revealed yet. Harris said it has a real sports-luxury look to it, which makes it unlike anything else in that segment. Harris would bring it here in a heartbeat if he could, but it’ll have to wait. “The most exciting for me, and I guess it's more of a personal taste and preference, is L2. I think the design really speaks to me, it has a real sports design look about it. “I think hatchback is super interesting. I don’t think there are a lot of compelling options in the market at the moment, particularly for BEV. So if I could click my fingers and launch the next one tomorrow it would be the L2 every day of the week.” Before the L2 arrives, Lepas will launch the L6 electric and plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV, L4 electric compact SUV, L8 and L9 plug-in hybrid large SUVs.

Nissan is preparing to shake-up the 4WD segment with a new affordable ute-based off-roader. Nissan has already confirmed the Xterra, which Nissan America boss Christian Meunier labelled “badass” on social media. It is also expected to cost the equivalent of $56,000 in Aussie dollars when it launches in the US next year.  Nissan hasn’t revealed the 4WD, which will be based on the US-market Frontier ute, but digital artists AutoYa and from TopElectricSUV have taken recent teaser images and given us a full width view of the tough-looking off-roader. The renders show a bold, aggressive front end with massive air intakes in the grille, coloured LED lights across the bonnet and underbody protection. Wide, muscular haunches and a boxy silhouette follow the trend set by the Toyota Prado, Denza B5 and new Mitsubishi Pajero. The Xterra will be built on a ladder frame underpinning, which is best suited to rough-and-tumble four-wheel drives. You’ll find that tough chassis underneath the Prado, Pajero and Everest 4WDs and nearly all dual-cab utes such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux. It’ll likely use V6 petrol or V6 hybrid power. This will be different from the brand’s 'e-Power' hybrid technology found in the Qashqai and X-Trail SUVs, which use the engine purely as a generator to charge the battery while electric motors drive the wheels. Nissan has promised the Xterra will be a no-nonsense 4WD. “The Xterra represents the DNA of Nissan: affordable, durable and high quality,” Meunier told Automotive News. “We don’t want to over-engineer it and make it overly complicated or expensive. “We’re going to give our Nissan customers everything they need, nothing they don’t,” he said. Bad news? The Xterra will be built in the US for the North American market, with no known plans to bring it to Australia. But another ladder frame ute-based Nissan 4WD has emerged as a possible starter in Australia. The Terrano 4WD is based on the Chinese-built and developed Frontier Pro ute, the latter is expected to be called Navara Pro when it arrives in Australia, and could be Nissan’s local answer to Pajero and Prado. The Navara Pro will use plug-in hybrid grunt, pairing a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with an electric motor with total system outputs of 300kW and 800Nm. It can offer up to 135km of electric range, according to the lenient CLTC test cycle. Nissan has confirmed the new Terrano is “intended for selected global markets”, but hasn’t revealed if Australia is one.

Arguably the year’s most anticipated new model has finally broken cover, and initial reports are promising. After being poured over by the global press and driven briefly under strictly controlled conditions in Japan, the general consensus is that the latest-generation, NU-series Mitsubishi Pajero will be a formidable 4x4 wagon contender when sales commence in December. This is what it has going for it and what concerns still need to be addressed. Strong points include design presence, an unexpectedly refined interior, thoughtful packaging, a competent yet refined on- and off-road chassis tuned with Australian preferences in mind, and competitive pricing. Only the lack of a hybrid powertrain option could hold the new Pajero back, though company executives have indicated one is coming in time. Still, a conditional 10-year warranty, should give popular rival 4x4 wagons like the Toyota Prado, Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X something new to worry about. But it is the choice of an old name that Mitsubishi has resuscitated for its large SUV that might create confusion. Particularly when the advertising tag line screams: “All-New Pajero: The Legend is Returning.” That’s because the 2026 Pajero is not a modernisation of the previous, third/fourth-generation, NM-NX-series 4WD from 2000 to 2021 that the badge and promotion clearly imply. Instead, it is a successor to the smaller, cheaper and less-sophisticated Pajero Sport (now defunct), which was derived from generations of previous Triton utes. That started off as the Challenger initially, in the late 1990s, until the name changed in 2015. As such, expectations of the NU Pajero need to be tempered. Mitsubishi used to offer 4x4 wagon buyers real choice. Despite being smaller and less expensive, the previous Pajero was considered a strong alternative to the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol. This was so even as the latter two grew into the Upper Large SUV category four-wheel drive (4WD) as they changed. Meanwhile, it was the simpler Challenger and Pajero Sport’s job to chase the Prado, as well as the 2000s-era Nissan Pathfinder, Everest, MU-X and the Holden Colorado 7/Trailblazer. It’s true that, although based off the current Triton, the NU Pajero is considerably bigger than the Pajero Sport was, and larger even than the old Pajero. But people expecting an alternative to the full-sized LandCruiser 300-Series and Y63 Patrol giants, which are bigger again, will find the Mitsubishi is not in the same official size category. That point alone should have had the company thinking twice about using the Pajero nameplate. The previous Pajero was a revolution when the NM series debuted at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show. That’s because it was designed and engineered to be at the forefront of large off-road-capable SUV technologies, and did it with such aplomb that it cemented the Mitsubishi’s reputation along the way. Among many progressive features was an advanced monocoque body with an integrated ladder-frame chassis, eschewing the old-fashioned body-on-frame construction for a lighter, more-rigid and roomier solution. The upshot provided the old Pajero with far more car-like on-road dynamics, control and safety than the previous (1981 original and 1991 second-gen) iterations, while still being able to deliver exceptional off-road capability and robustness. This happened years before Land Rover, then under BMW ownership, managed something similar in the full-sized 4WD wagon space with the L322 Range Rover of 2002. Mitsubishi got there first, and it was a revelation LandCruiser and Patrol has never matched. Cash-strapped Mitsubishi reportedly didn’t have the funds to develop another monocoque, truly full-sized Pajero, so upsized and improved the body-on-frame Triton ute and its Pajero Sport SUV offshoot to fill that role. It makes economic sense, because the competition has long done something similar, but it is still a retrograde step from the old Pajero. Already comfortably better than the previous Pajero Sport, whether the NU Pajero will have the same elevated bandwidth of dynamic capabilities when we drive it in Australia remains to be seen. The final old Pajero used a 147kW/441Nm 3.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine dubbed DiD, giving it sufficient low-down torque capabilities as well as adequate on-road performance. On paper, the NU Pajero’s 150kW/480Nm 2.4L turbo-diesel’s outputs exceed the old version. Around 62kW per tonne versus 59.5kW per tonne in the power-to-weight ratio stakes. But how will that translate in actual Australian conditions, especially against the V6 turbo-diesel alternatives as found in the latest LandCruiser and Patrol? And that's not even taking in the electrified big 4x4s from China like the Denza B8 PHEV. With diesel prices still spiking this year, the electrification of the NU Pajero cannot come soon enough. Especially as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) that limits carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions becomes stricter over time. Like we said, the 2026 Pajero falls into line with its popular rivals in being an affordable entry point into 4x4 wagon motoring without having to pay LandCruiser and Patrol prices in order to do so. In all likelihood, a ground-up monocoque-bodied Pajero replacement would have cost a lot more to buy, so Mitsubishi’s decision ultimately does make sense.

My 2014 Mitsubishi ASX is revving up to 1000rpm in Park and it will not reverse at all.

Sometimes when driving my 2024 KGM Rexton feels like it shifts itself into low 4WD for no reason. Pulling over and putting into Park will reset it. Any ideas as to what is happening?