SUV

BYD is gatecrashing the growing plug-in hybrid (PHEV) market with the Sealion 6 - a five-seater family-sized medium SUV. With two 1.5-litre petrol engine choices, at least one electric motor and a large battery for up to 92km of EV-only NEDC-rated driving range around town, or about 1100km per tankful of fuel, it should prove popular, especially when factoring in pricing and equipment levels.

Volkswagen is giving families more room for free.The German brand has slashed the price of its seven-seat Tiguan Allspace by between $2000 and $2500 depending on the variant.This price cut brings it in line with the five seat Tiguan SUV, effectively giving buyers seven seats for the price of five.Australia’s new car market is shifting towards buyers with many car makers starting to offer sharp discounts as years of supply issues untangle and cost of living pressures clampdown on demand. The Tiguan Allspace now starts at $43,990 (before on-road costs) for the base Life variant powered by a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that makes 110kW and 250Nm.If you want a punchier 132kW/320 2.0-litre turbo petrol motor it’ll set you back $47,990.Buyers wanting more oomph can choose the Allspace Elegance ($57,090) or the fully-loaded Allspace R-Line ($60,590) that use a 162kW/350Nm turbo petrol engine.The Tiguan and Tiguan Allspace are nearing the end of their lives with replacement models arriving next year.VW will be swapping out the Tiguan Allspace for the seven-seat Tayron at the end of 2025 and an all-new Tiguan is likely to land in showrooms this time next year.The new Tayron is expected to be bigger than the current Allspace and more aligned with the Skoda Kodiaq.There are no details yet on the family-hauler but expect it to use a variety of petrol engines and there is the possibility for a plug-in hybrid set-up to match the next-generation Tiguan five-seater. 

After being rumoured and teased, the 2025 Kia EV6 facelift has finally been unveiled in South Korea. A discreet nip and tuck of the front end with new lighting features is mated to an updated cabin design and larger 84kWh battery providing a few extra kilometres of driving range for the refreshed EV6.Australian details have yet to be confirmed but we do know the refreshed Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5 rival will hit local shores in the fourth quarter (October to December inclusive) of this year. Led by the Air and GT-Line variants, Kia will introduce the flagship GT locally a few months after the more attainable trims. Changes outside include a new front mask featuring full-width LED lighting that attempts to link the EV6 to the latest EV9 and EV5 design language. It gives the impression of a longer bonnet, while the bumper and valance have been tidied up for a sleeker appearance. The coupe-like EV6 remains a distinct offering next to the rest of Kia’s EV range. At the rear not much has changed for the 2025 EV6, which retains its textural chrome ring on the tailgate that links into the LED tail and brake lights. There are new futuristic alloy wheel designs in both 19- and 20-inch sizes. Further changes lurk inside with the multimedia touchscreen and digital driver’s display now integrated into a single curved display module. There’s an updated operating system straight from the EV9 that features wireless smartphone mirroring. A newly-designed two-spoke steering wheel now features low-gloss switchgear and attractive airbag cover. There’s also a fingerprint reader that will allow registered drivers to start the EV6 without a key. That feature is not confirmed for Australia. Overseas images show greater interior customisation than what’s previously been offered in Australia with a two-tone black and brown leather and light option. An upgraded 84kWh lithium-ion battery pack – the same as the Ioniq 5 – replaces the previous 77.4kWh unit. It increases driving range from 475km to 494km for rear-drive models with 19-inch wheels while the 10-80 per cent ultra-rapid charge time remains at 18 minutes. There are no changes to the EV6’s outputs with the rear-drive model producing 168kW/350Nm and the twin-motor AWD up at 239kW/605Nm. Kia has not detailed changes to the flagship GT model yet. In South Korea, Kia claims to have tweaked the settings of the EV6’s frequency-selective dampers. It’s unclear whether the same changes will be made to Australian cars given Kia’s local ride and handling program. Other improvements include improving insulation for the electric motors and adding strengthening material to the body. Australia pricing will be revealed closer to the EV6’s launch. The current line-up runs from Air ($72,590) to GT ($99,590, both before on-road costs).

Toyota and Subaru will co-develop three more electric cars in the next few years.The two Japanese companies are fresh off the launch of the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X electric SUV twins and have confirmed more models are on the way.Subaru boss Atsushi Osaki said the company wanted to reduce its risks on EV investment by partnering on future models according to Automotive News.“At the moment, it is quite difficult to predict how things will go from here with EVs. There is a huge risk for us to go it alone in this field. We have held talks with Toyota and have agreed that it is better to reduce risks through joint development,” said Osaki.Subaru Australia’s then Managing Director Blair Read told CarsGuide earlier this year there will be more co-developed electric cars before the company goes it alone.“Within the first wave of EV products there will still be some co-development. That partnership has provided some really great results for both brands and meant advancements in technology and engineering but also respecting brand differences,” said Read.“As part of the investment out to 2028 there will be a number of those new models that will be Subaru unique and with Subaru unique engineering.”Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley has previously said the company is aiming to launch three electric models by 2026, which matches the timeline for co-developed models. It is believed one of the future models could be an electric version of the seven-seat Toyota Kluger SUV.Subaru has been missing a large family SUV in its local line-up since the short-lived Tribeca was cut from its local range.The model could be an electrified version of the Subaru Ascent, which is sold in America in seven- and eight-seat layouts.That model is expected to be built in the US, where large SUVs are more popular. The electric Kluger is slated to be produced in the company’s Kentucky factory.Another model could be a compact SUV dubbed the bZ3X, which is a similar size to the Toyota Corolla Cross and Subaru Crosstrek.The bZ3X was shown at the 2024 Beijing auto show and would be a good fit for the Australian market.A third SUV could be slightly smaller and cheaper replacement for the Solterra and bZ4X to better match the Forester and RAV4 SUVs.Subaru is also borrowing Toyota hybrid technology for its range of cars.The Japanese brand is expected to install Toyota’s popular petrol-electric tech into the Forester and Crosstrek SUVs next year.

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