SUV

Holden may be gone, but – as Opel/Vauxhall’s recently-announced Frontera reminds us – it’s clear that a handful of the old names survive. They grace other, inevitably newer models from both within and beyond the broader GM family that once, of course, also included Holden. What do they look like today? Would fans of their Australian namesakes even recognise any sort of connection?

BMW is preparing to launch the next-generation X3 mid-size SUV in Australia early next year. Only two variants will be available from launch – X3 20 and X3 M50 – with prices starting from $84,500 (before on-road costs), which is $1400 more than the current price of entry.

Forget the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, the reborn Mitsubishi Pajero is reportedly set to dial up the luxury, making it more of a rival for the Lexus LX and LandRover Defender, according to new reports.

Porsche says its incoming electric-only Macan isn't being affected by the global EV slow-down, as buyers place hundreds of orders sight-unseen.

Get ready, because 2024 is going to be a big yea for small cars. Specifically, small SUVs and crossovers.

The Suzuki Fronx mild-hybrid is on its way to Australia for a 2025 assault against other small and/or entry-level SUVs, including the Kia Stonic, Hyundai Venue and MG ZS.

Booming Chinese brand has revealed its updated answer to the all conquering Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.The new MG HS mid-size SUV broke cover at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed overnight with a massive advancement of the plug-in hybrid version leading the charge.It sports a sleek new design with a new grille design, dynamic headlights and plenty of body creases in all the right places.The new HS is also longer and wider than before, but is shorter thanks to a more contoured roof. MG has stretched the wheelbase - the distance between the front and rear wheels - to make for a roomier cabin.MG Australia hasn’t revealed local specification but has confirmed it’ll arrive in showrooms before the end of the year.In the UK, the HS will come with either a petrol engine or a plug-in hybrid set-up.The plug-in hybrid combines the standard petrol engine with a potent electric motor to make a combined 223kW, which is about 34kW more than the current HS plug-in hybrid.MG has more than just extra oomph to boast about, a new 24.7kWh battery now delivers a driving range of up to 120km on pure electric power that is about double the range of the outgoing version.The petrol-only version makes 125kW and 275Nm in the UK. MG hasn’t revealed fuel use figures for either variant.MG also hasn’t officially revealed the interior details of the next-generation HS, but said it has two 12.3-inch displays: one for the multimedia and the other for the driver’s instruments.And an image of the front seats shows a reworked cabin with soft touch materials covering lots of surfaces and textured inserts on the doors. Synthetic leather wrapped seats have extra side bolstering and there is contrast stitching. There also appears to be a camera pointed directly at the driver.MG hasn’t revealed prices but it is extremely rare for new models to get cheaper, so expect a significant rise on the current version’s $30,990 drive-away starting price.The Chinese maker recently launched its new 3 small hatchback in Australia and its price rose by about $6000 compared to the older model, so budget more for a new HS, too.MG has firmly established itself as a mainstream brand in Australia and is a constant in the top 10 sellers list.The HS has been the weak point in its local line-up, despite being in the most popular new car segment in the country.The new model should boost its popularity against red hot rivals such as the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage.MG previously confirmed to CarsGuide earlier this year it was also planning on bringing a larger seven-seat family SUV soon. This would fill one of the biggest holes in its local line-up.

Porsche says residual values and battery degradation come with many 'myths' and 'speculation' but reassures buyers that its EVs are as serviceable as combustion models.

The top five electric SUVs updated for 2022

The Hyundai Inster is on track to be the cheapest electric car in Australia.Hyundai has revealed a $31.5m won ($33,700) starting price for the Inster in Korea, where it is named Casper Electric.The South Korean brand hasn’t revealed Australian prices yet but a direct conversion would put it at a circa-$33,700 starting point. This would undercut the current cheapest EV cohort that includes the $35,990 drive-away GWM Ora, $38,890 (before on-road costs) BYD Dolphin and the MG4 at $40,990 drive-away.Hyundai’s chances of keeping the prices down work in our favour thanks to a free-trade agreement between Korea and Australia and a relatively short shipping route.Previous reports have put the Inster at between €20,000-€25,000 ($32,000-$40,000), so the Inster is on track to land within that range.Hyundai Australia has confirmed the Inster will land locally in early 2025 and it will be offered in standard and long-range versions.The standard range uses a 42kWh battery to provide a driving range of about 305km. Long-range versions use a 49kWh to deliver a driving range of up to 355km.The Inster is fitted with 400-volt charging architecture, compared to the more potent 800-volt set-up found in its bigger electric cars such as the Ioniq 5.This is cheaper but means it can only accept 120kW max rate of charge, compared to the 800V tech that can theoretically suck up to 350kW of juice.The brand claims it can replenish the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in half an hour.Both use a single electric motor that makes 71kW in the base versions and 85kW in the bigger battery variant. Both make 147Nm of torque.The Inster is based on the Korean-market-only Casper petrol-powered SUV rather than the company’s modular electric car platform. Hyundai has managed to stretch the EV’s wheelbase - the distance between the front and rear wheels - by 180mm compared to the petrol version.Inside the Inster is more spacious than its tiny footprint would have you believe with plenty of head and legroom in both rows. It only has seating for four, though.Fit and finish is excellent with high-quality materials used throughout and plenty of tech features such as a 10.25-inch multimedia screen and a digital driver display of the same size.Buyers can also expect a wide selection of safety tech as standard.