SUV

Higher shipping costs mean the EX30 gets a price-bump on release, but one variant is better value than ever.

The top-end luxury electric car market is about to get a lot more crowded.Cadillac is coming to Australia at the end of the year with its Lyriq electric SUV to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQE and BMW iX.The American luxury car brand synonymous with US Presidents, celebrities and royalty has its sights set firmly on the big German brands and will price their vehicle accordingly, said local boss Jess Bala.“We are targeting the European luxury brands and our price will be right in the realm of where their equivalent entries are,” said Bala.That would put the Lyriq’s starting point in the circa-$130,000 range. The Lyriq has some impressive numbers on paper.It uses two electric motors that deliver 373kW and 610Nm to all four wheels. A giant 102kWh battery provides a driving range of up to 530km.The brand couldn’t provide details of what models would be added to the range but said more are coming and it would have a full portfolio.“We listen to customers, we are guided by the segments that are growing and that people are asking for entries for,” said Bala.“Cadillac has made some announcements already, so you’re getting a bit of a hint there but we will definitely make our own announcements locally in the not too far future.”This means vehicles such as the smaller Optiq, seven-seat Vistiq and giant Escalade iQ SUVs could be on the cards for Australia.Sales of electric cars are soaring in Australia, but the growth is being driven mainly by more affordable Chinese brands and Tesla.High-end electric cars from premium bands have been slow sellers, but Bala wasn’t concerned.“No, I think there is still definitely a growth opportunity here as well. It’s still something that is very fluid that is obviously evolving,” said Bala.Cadillac in the US announced it would persist with petrol-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future but Bala ruled out any of those vehicles coming to Australia.The brand didn’t take plug-in hybrids off the table, though.“We will have to watch and see, we don’t have a crystal ball for the next 10 years from now and so I’ll say the plan is now fully EV but we’ll have to continue and watch what the market’s doing,” said a Cadillac spokesperson.

Headlining BMW's new X2 range is the athletic M35i xDrive variant that promises more focus than its predecessor.

Kia has shown the first teaser images of its production EV3 electric small SUV ahead of its full release later this month. As the brand’s electric price leader, the new EV3 will start below the EV5 with Kia promising it will “enhance the accessibility of electric mobility from Kia.” Cheap enough to battle Chinese-made EVs? We’ll have to wait and see. The teasers show details of the EV3’s ‘Signature Star Map’ lighting at the front and back which are almost entirely unchanged from the concept. It appears to have slightly less pronounced flares for the wheel arches but they are still angular and dramatic. Like the concept, the teaser images show the car in a desaturated metallic mint colour we hope will make production to set off the ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy.Kia did not share any further images of the cabin, which is likely to be the most different aspect in the production car. Still, expect eco-friendly materials and plenty of recycled plastics. An onboard generative AI chat system will also feature – a first for the brand. At its reveal in October 2023, Kia was targeting a US$35K start price – around A$54,000. With the EV5 being produced for Australia in China, CarsGuide has estimated the EV5 could start from as little as $57,000. If Kia wants to give the EV3 space to play, a start price below $50K for a base model, perhaps fitted with an LFP battery and around 350km driving range, will be crucial to compete with the BYD Atto 3, MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona electric. Speaking to CarsGuide in November last year, product planning boss Roland Rivero cautioned Kia won’t cheapen its brand by engaging in price wears. “But if you’re developing your brand – and we’ve put a lot of work into that – and getting great product, if you can easily translate that to the customer that this is still great value, like the EV9, then do you really want to play in the puddle that is $30,000, or $25,000?"You just need to make those decisions if you want to play in that price point. If you can stay at $40k-$50k, $50k-$60k, and there’s still value, that’s what we’re looking at”, said Rivero. Details of powertrain, battery chemistry, driving range and Australian confirmation are all yet to be shared. Kia will reveal the final look and more detailed information of its new electric small SUV at 8:00pm on 23 May.

This is the entry into BMW's new X2 range that corrects the relationship this coupe SUV had with its more sensible X1 sibling.

The sheer scale and quality of vehicles on show at the Beijing motor show should have legacy automakers shaking in their boots as they stick to rigid product cycles and old ways of thinking.

Kia's top executive has confirmed key details relating to the much-anticipated high-performance GT version of the brand’s flagship EV9 electric SUV.

Cupra is racing towards its goal to electrify its entire range by the end of the decade with a range of new fuel efficient and electric models on the horizon.

GWM's range is set to expand rapidly, but there are still some overseas models which have been more or less ruled out for an Australian arrival. Here's why.

Nissan just can’t seem to get enough of electrified concept cars, having revealed another quartet of ‘new energy vehicles’ (NEVs) at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show.