SUV

The Tesla Model Y is clearly the new Holden Commodore and the BYD Sealion 7 is the new Mazda CX-5. That’s how much things have changed, and it’s also how unscientific this story is - but I’ve included a table that makes me look as if I've based some of this on facts. Yep, the top 10 best-selling cars in Australia in 2026 looks very different to the top 10 from 2016. What were the big sellers back then and what’s replaced them now? Have we progressed onto better cars or was 2016 the peak and it’s all been downhill since? If you were to travel back 10 years in time and show anybody the top 10 best-selling cars for September 2026, even a car journo would look at you and say: "What’s a Geely EX5?". And you’d tell them it's a fully electric mid-sized SUV that came in at No.8 in the list of best sellers for September, 2026. But do not tell them anything else, you’ll risk altering the time line.  If you look at what car placed No.8 in 2016 you’ll find it was the Mitsubishi Triton ute. The Triton has fallen out of today’s top 10 in fact only two of the cars from the 2016 best sellers are still in the 2026 list, some of them like the Holden Commodore don’t exist at all anymore. Check out the table below for a side-by-side comparison of September 2016 v September 2026 In 2016, all of our top 10 cars had internal combustion engines (ICE) and only the Corolla was offered with a hybrid powertrain.  Currently, three of our top 10 cars are fully electric, five are offered in both hybrid and ICE formats, while only two models are only offered with ICE. The Corolla is gone, well it’s still on sale in 2026, but it’s left the top 10. See 2016 was one of the last years when hatchbacks ruled. The Corolla, Mazda3, Hyundai i30 were the three little kings, with the Hyundai Accent thrown in there, too. But they’ve been replaced now by new small rulers. I would even say the Chery Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion are the new Corolla, i30 and Mazda 3. They are almost exactly the same size, price and target demographic for a Corolla in 2016. Following this gut logic I reckon the Tesla Model Y is the new Commodore. Holden fans won’t like to admit it, but they know I’m right.  The BYD Sealion 7 — that is the new Mazda CX-5. They’ve everywhere and they appeal to people who think they’re a bit better than a RAV4. Who’s now buying the RAV4? That’s a trick question because we all know RAV4 owners go on to buy another RAV4. So the RAV4 is the new RAV4. The EX5 is obviously the new Hyundai Tucson because it's one of the best but under-appreciated cars here. The D-Max is the new Triton. And that’s because the D-Max is no longer the runt of the ute litter, but it's still cheaper than a Ranger. What’s left. Ranger hasn’t changed - the same people are buying it and more of them and the same goes for HiLux. Those folks who would have loved V8 Commodores and Falcons are now in the tough ute group. Basically anyone who’d have a HSV or FPV 10 years ago is in a Ranger Raptor or HiLux GR Sport now. Prado is interesting and I think they are Toyota buyers who don’t want a Kluger and didn’t like their Fortuner but aren’t up for the 300 Series big dog. What do you think? If the Tesla Model Y isn’t the new Commodore then what is?  And were things better in 2016 when everything was ICE? Is our top 10 now looking like a list of best-selling electrical appliances? Are the Ranger and HiLux the last bastions of the best era ever? Or has their time come to move aside because EVs make far more sense? Also as a side note just to reassure you somewhat that not all of this is complete rubbish. Not only was in the same role at CarsGuide in 2016, but I'm pretty sure I also took most of the pictures of these cars from then, too. Stay tuned for my next unscientific round up of what’s what in 2036 when I’ll tell you that the super popular Mooflander Huckster 4 is the new Tesla Model Y.

Toyota is preparing for a record-breaking fourth quarter after a slow start to the year. Toyota Australia Vice President National Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said the Japanese carmaker will sell over 220,000 vehicles in 2026. Until the end of September, Toyota has sold a total of 152,944 vehicles, which is down 15.9 per cent year-on-year. In order to reach this target, Toyota has to sell over 67,000 vehicles before the end of 2026, or roughly 23,300 per month. The Japanese carmaker claims it’s on track to once again be the best-selling brand in Australia. This will make it the 31st consecutive year. For reference, the second- and third-best selling brands year-to-date are currently Ford (61,104) and Mazda (58,865). At the end of 2026, Toyota also claims it will have led the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment for 48 unbroken years. The way that Toyota claims it will be able to deliver this record-breaking fourth quarter of vehicle sales is thanks to increased vehicle supply across multiple in-demand model lines, including the HiLux, Prado, LandCruiser, RAV4 and bZ4X. In September Toyota sold a total of 4624 examples of the RAV4 mid-size SUV, which is up 81 per cent on the same month last year. Toyota has sold 31,209 RAV4 examples year-to-date, which is down 11.1 per cent year-on-year. Toyota sold 2006 Prado examples in September, which is its second-best monthly sales result for this model in over 12 months. A total of 15,665 year-to-date sales means it’s down 28.3 per cent year-on-year. With the introduction of the new bZ4X Touring trim, overall bZ4X sales year-to-date are up 331.8 per cent, year-on-year. A total of 2919 examples were sold until the end of September. While Toyota may be gearing up for a record-breaking fourth quarter of vehicle sales, it likely won’t be enough to top its overall yearly record. In 2024 Toyota sold a total of 241,296 vehicles and this is roughly 20,000 more than what it’s projecting for its 2026 sales. Pappas notes the reasons for this include slower monthly sales results for the RAV4 and HiLux. Thanks to increased supply, Toyota claims the average wait time for many of its models is now down from three-to-six months, to three months.

Chinese EV specialist Li Auto looks like it’s on the march towards the Aussie new car market with news the rapidly expanding brand is setting up operations in Malaysia, having already confirmed it will produce right-hand drive versions of two of its most high-profile models. Offering an eight-model line-up in China, across pure-electric SUV and people mover options, as well EREV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) SUVs, Li Auto has already stated it will produce its electric Li i6 five-seat SUV and Li Mega EV people mover in RHD for sale in Hong Kong, Singapore and other ASEAN nations before the end of 2026. The move into Malaysia (another RHD market) means Li Auto is almost certainly following a well-trodden path for new challenger brands on their way to opening up shop Down Under. The Li i6 is the entry-point to the Li Auto range, measuring just under five metres long, close to 2.0m wide and around 1.6m tall with a 3000mm wheelbase. But this swoopy SUV is no bare bones base model, featuring a 15.7-inch HD dual screen for backseaters, 20-speaker premium audio and multimedia driven by a high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon chip set. Highly configurable Nappa leather seats, ambient lighting, power everything, a panoramic roof and close to 730 litres of boot space (with all seats up) mark it as a high-end blend of luxury and practicality. Offered domestically in (250kW/425Nm) single-motor rear-wheel drive and (400kW/660Nm) dual-motor all-wheel drive form, the i6 features an 87.3kWh LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery and supports ultra-fast DC charging for a 10 to 80 per cent top up in less than 15 minutes. Maximum CLTC range is 720km. The Li Mega is a futuristic, strongly aero-influenced (Cd 0.21) luxury people mover offering seven seats including two fully rotating captains chairs in the second row. At over 5.3 metres long, just under 2.0m wide and a bit over 1.8m tall with a 3300mm wheelbase it’s a substantial machine offering everything from heating for all seven seats (ventilation and massage function on the first two rows) multiple large screens, Dolby audio and a dual-purpose refrigerator, to a massive panoramic roof, Nappa leather upholstery and one-touch power doors. With dual electric motors producing overall outputs of 413kW/542Nm this 2.8-tonne beast can blast from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds.  Its 103kWh NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) battery is good for a quoted CLTC range of 710km and the car’s 800-volt architecture delivers a peak charge capacity of 520kW for a 10-80 per cent charge in just over 10 minutes. The Li i6 single-motor starts at ¥249,800 in China with the dual-motor at ¥269,800. Taking import and distribution costs into account those prices would likely translate to around A$70,000 and A$75,000, respectively, putting it in the same price ballpark as large EV SUV players like the Ford Mach-E (from $65,990), Kia EV6 (from $72,865) and Lexus RZ (from $84,500). The Li Mega costs ¥509,800 in China, which would potentially end up at around A$140,000 here, mixing it with the XPeng X9 (from $89,900) and Zeekr 009 (from $115,900).  CarsGuide has contacted Li Auto through its Beijing HQ for comment on the Li i6 and Li Mega’s potential sale in Australia.

Lexus has announced its TZ three-row electric SUV will land in Australia in 2027.  The TZ is a luxury version of the new all-electric Toyota Highlander announced in February 2026 that was ruled out for an Australian launch by Toyota. The current hybrid-powered Highlander is on sale in Australia as the popular Kluger, but the next-generation will be electric-only. The TZ lines up as a rival to other three-row EVs the Hyundai Ioniq 9 ($119,668) and Kia EV9 ($97,155), both before on-road costs.  Lexus Australia hasn't confirmed local specification details for the TZ.  It's designed around a “driving lounge” concept that prioritises passenger space, seat flexibility and comfort.  The TZ was first revealed in the United States in May 2026.  It uses dual electric motors, providing a total system output of 300kW, compared to the Ioniq 9’s 314kW and the 160kW of the EV9’s base grade. Aided by an all-wheel drive system, the TZ can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 5.4 seconds.  Lexus has given the TZ a huge 96kWh battery, offering a WLTP driving range of 530km.  The car can DC charge at 150kW, meaning a 10 to 80 per cent juice-up takes about 35 minutes.  The car will be configured in a 2-2-3 layout, with second-row captain chairs and three seats in the back row, but there is also expected to be a six-seat option It's likely to have the same 14.0-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital driver display as the new Highlander EV.  The TZ will launch in Japan in late 2026, ahead of its Australian arrival in 2027.  It’s unclear exactly when the TZ will arrive here, but it could be as early as the first quarter of 2027.  Lexus will show off the TZ for the first time at the Melbourne Cup on November 3, 2026.  Lexus will reveal official pricing closer to the TZ’s launch, but buyers can expect it to be more than $100,000, which is similar to its rivals.  Lexus will also show off an ultra-exclusive grade of its RZ 600e electric performance SUV at the Melbourne Cup in November 2026.  The Japanese brand announced RZ 600e F Sport Performance in December 2025, with it now revealing there will only be nine examples sold in Australia.  It has different 21-inch alloy wheels and a yoke steering wheel as well as sports suspension that’s been lowered by 20mm.  The car boasts a suite of new carbon elements, including the spoilers and on the bonnet.  It has dual electric motors that combine to produce a total system output of 313kW, with a 0 to 100km/h acceleration time of 4.4 seconds.  It’s also equipped with a 77kWh battery that has a quoted driving range of 525km. 

The Mazda CX-6e range opens with the GT, which lists at $53,990 before on-road costs, and is — in our opinion — the pick of the two-grade line-up. That’s because, aside from bigger alloys and annoying digital wing mirrors, it gets the same and pretty generous equipment as the flagship Azami. That includes things like: 19-inch alloys LED lights Panoramic glass roof Black Maztech trim Heated and ventilated front seats A massive 26.45-inch multimedia screen Head-up display Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 21-speaker stereo There’s a single motor at the rear axle, making 190kW and 290Nm, while its 78kWh LFP battery, producing a WLTP driving range of up to 484kms.

If you’re on the hunt for a spacious, family friendly SUV, you’ve never been more spoiled for choice. You can now pick big SUVs in all sorts of formats. Five seats, seven seats, petrol, diesel, electric, hybrid. There’s so much choice it can be overwhelming. This car, which I have for my next long-term test, is Volkswagen’s new Tayron. It replaces the Tiguan Allspace, but follows the same formula, effectively being a stretched Tiguan allowing space for a third row of seating. Only, this one doesn’t get three rows of seating, trading it away to facilitate large plug-in hybrid (PHEV) batteries under the floor. It’s an SUV that asks - do you prefer your extended family or kid’s friends over 100km of electric driving range and glorious boot space? Is it worth the trade? I’ve been finding out. I'm testing the Elegance, which is the more affordable of the two plug-in hybrid grades. Its priced at $62,390 before on-road costs. It sounds like good value when you compare it to the equivalent combustion version, which is only $2000 less at $60,390, but the eHybrid loses both the third row of seating and all-wheel drive traction in favour of its electric driving range. On that topic, the eHybrid version comes with a 19.7kWh battery pack granting it a 116km driving range (WLTP), but more on that later. Not so long ago, only plug-in hybrids from China would offer that kind of electric driving range at this price, so the Tayron highlights how competitive the market is. This is especially true when you consider it against its natural rival, the Kia Sorento, which, in its most affordable plug-in hybrid form is $71,175 before on-roads. However, it keeps all-wheel drive and its third seating row. Another key rival is the BYD Sealion 8 Dynamic AWD, from $63,990 (BOC), another three-row SUV. Other rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger are only available as plugless hybrids in Australia, but other competitors are more affordable like the Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid (FWD - $45,990 drive-away) and Jaecoo J8 (AWD - $59,990 BOC). This version sits in middle of the Tayron line-up, bringing with it highlights including 19-inch wheels (with efficient Hankook Ventus Evo tyres), synthetic leather interior trim with power adjust for the driver and front passenger, memory settings, as well as heating, ventilation, and even massage settings, which is already a solid level of inclusions. However, our car also has the ‘Sound and Vision’ pack ($4200) which adds upgraded Matrix headlights and animated rear light clusters, an even larger multimedia touchscreen (from 12.9-inch to 15.0-inches), a premium audio system and a sportier steering tune. But wait, our car also has the panoramic sunroof, which adds another $2100 to the price. That brings the total for ours to $69,690, which is approaching premium territory.  You don’t want for cabin luxuries at all though, and it comes with the usual air of Volkswagen refinement. While you can probably live without all-wheel drive, missing out on the extra seating changes the value dynamic. Then again, losing them brings massive benefits, making this version of the car one of the more practical choices in the segment.  One such benefit is the enormous 705-litre boot which makes our largest CarsGuide case look tiny. The sheer volume of space here makes it a really clever family hauler, because you could fit a pram and loads of luggage without issue, but in some other mid-to-large SUVs that might be a squeeze. There is also a ridiculous amount of room for passengers in the second row. There's heaps of airspace between my knees and the back of the front seat set to my driving position. I’m 182cm tall, for reference. It has some clever additions like window shades built into the rear doors, dual USB-C outlets, and rear heated seats with a rear climate zone. It does all of this while being as narrow as a regular mid-size SUV (1866mm), unlike the now-discontinued Touareg or a size-up rival like the Hyundai Palisade, both of which are more than 100mm wider. This pays dividends when it comes time to park it in a tight city or unit-sized parking spot. In the cockpit, storage is solid, but there are also annoyances. I like the huge door storage which is carpeted, so things don’t rattle around. I also like the versatile centre console trench. This is a single area that extends under the armrest console, and features a removable dual cup holder with spring loaded edges, and a single divider piece you can slot in where you please. This is an excellent use of space. In addition, the centre console area is well utilised, with dual wireless phone chargers covered by a flip-open shelf for additional storage. It’s even rubberised, so objects don’t slide around on it, and the phone chargers are partitioned so they also can’t slide around. This is a lot better than the new Toyota RAV4, which also has a lot of storage, but some of it is tightly packaged. Physical buttons also make a return to the steering wheel, with VW hearing loud and clear that owners didn’t like the weird haptic controls from some new-gen cars. Sadly, this doesn’t extend to the touchscreen. The optional screen in this version is enormous, almost comically large for the space it takes up, and, frustratingly, it doesn’t feature physical switchgear for the climate controls. There is a single multi-function dial on the centre console, which can be used to adjust volume or drive mode by default, but you can add other settings in the somewhat convoluted menu system for themes. For a while I’ve heard that this Volkswagen multimedia system can be prone to glitches, but in the past I’ve only experienced minor ones. However, the day I picked this car up, I experienced a doozy. It was an unseasonably hot day, and I figured I’d crank the air conditioning. Easy, right? Just hit auto on the touchscreen and away you go. Wrong. The car started blowing warm air on to me. I figured the AC wasn’t actually in the correct mode, so I used the touchscreen-based menu to try and figure out what was going on, and despite pressing a whole bunch of settings (MAX mode, full fan speed, auto on/off, minimum temperature) nothing happened. I gave up, assuming the air conditioning was glitching, only for it to spring to life a full five or so minutes later and blast me with the cold air I had asked for earlier. Very strange. I have other gripes with this system, too. Not only does it feel unsafe jabbing my way through an unfamiliar menu while trying to drive, but even things as basic as switching back to Apple CarPlay can be annoying. The shortcut is in a tiny system tray at the top, and jabbing at it while you’re driving isn’t easy. Then there's the collection of confusing sub-menus for various functions. I find the theme setting particularly fiddly. Thankfully, Volkswagen’s excellent digital dash continues to be a highlight. It’s fast, customisable, and shows the correct information in style. The touchscreen really tarnishes an otherwise lovely Volkswagen cabin experience. It feels like the brand has taken the wrong lessons from user experience design from Tesla and Chinese rivals. I have decided to run a bit of an experiment on this car given I have it for a longer period. Picking it up with a full charge and full tank of fuel, I decided to see how much combined range it gets in two circumstances - if you simply run it in electric mode then use the engine, then, once refuelled and recharged, when purely using hybrid mode instead. I’m curious to see which setting will yield more range, if any. Regardless, running it in pure electric mode has yielded some pretty solid results. I ran the battery down until the engine was forced to turn on, which happened at exactly 100km according to the odometer. That’s a good result, considering the official WLTP figure is 116km and my drive included a freeway stint, which isn't the most efficient way to use the electric motor. With a full tank now near-depleted in my first month with the car, total range for EV + hybrid comes in at around 700km. Keep in mind, the hybrid has a smaller 45-litre fuel tank compared to the combustion version’s 58-litre tank. Once the battery had drained to the reserve level, the Tayron also remained reasonably fuel efficient considering the extra hardware it drags around. For the month, mine has produced a figure of 5.4L/100km. So while it might not be the best value plug-in hybrid mid-sizer out there, it features tech from this generation of vehicles, with an appropriate electric driving range and decent fuel consumption, even with the battery drained. Stay tuned for the next chapter where I’ll delve a bit more into the Tayron’s driving characteristics, the kinds of lifestyles it might best suit, the kind of people who shouldn’t buy one, and the results from my EV mode vs hybrid mode test. Acquired: August 2026 Distance travelled this chapter: 588km Odometer: 1275km Average fuel consumption this chapter: 5.4L/100km

LDV has reintroduced turbo-diesel power to its large, seven-seat D90 SUV range with fresh availability of 2.5-litre four-wheel drive diesel models alongside existing 2.0-litre turbo-petrol variants. Diesel was deleted from the local line-up with the arrival of substantial D90 facelift in late 2024, but the new diesel SUV borrows its powerplant from the LDV Terron 9 ute, sending 163kW/520Nm to all four wheels, compared to the 160kW/480Nm of its prior-generation predecessor. All D90s are eight-speed automatic only. The D90 range now consists of three grades across five models (three petrol and two diesel), priced from $43,674 to $58,937, both before on-road costs, for private buyers. ABN holders save a minimum $2184 at the entry-level and close to $3000 on the diesel flagship while a launch offer slashes an additional $4500 off the recommended drive-away prices for private and business buyers until October 31, 2026 (while stock lasts). In 2025, the turbo-petrol D90 was boosted with Miller Cycle combustion tech (to improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption), variable valve lift, high-pressure direct injection and a balance shaft module to reduce engine vibration. Outputs of 184kW/410Nm lifted braked trailer towing capacity to 3000kg in two- and four-wheel drive form while the new 4WD-only D90 diesel models pushes that number to 3500kg. LED headlights & tail-lights Twin 12.3-inch displays (multimedia and instruments) Synthetic leather seats Apple CarPlay / Android Auto / digital radio / Bluetooth connectivity Eight-speaker audio Multi-zone climate control Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for manual gear selection 18-inch alloy wheels Steel spare wheel Sensor key and push-button start Electrically folding and heated power side mirrors Roof rails Side steps Fender flares Six airbags Adaptive cruise control Rain-sensing wipers Lane-keep assist Lane-change assist Lane departure warning Rear cross-traffic alert Blind spot warning Traffic sign recognition Fatigue reminder and attention assist Tyre pressure monitoring Hill descent control (off-road use) Hill hold assist Rear view camera Front and rear parking sensors The higher Executive grade feature additions like a sunroof, power tailgate, ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, rear privacy glass, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and more. And as its name implies, the new Luxe flagship diesel adds extra standard equipment including: Panoramic sunroof 360-degree camera view JBL premium audio Heated, ventilated & massaging front seats 20-inch alloy wheels (shod with Continental tyres) Front and rear differential locks Power tailgate (with kick sensor) All four-wheel drive models feature off-highway systems including Crawl Control, a rear differential lock and selectable terrain modes. Confirming the diesel D90’s reintroduction LDV Australia General Manager Dinesh Chinnappa said, “Customers have been asking for the return of diesel power to the LDV D90 ever since it was paused from our line-up two years ago.” “Customers have also been asking for a top-tier model, which is why we have introduced the LDV D90 Luxe diesel. “With the revised LDV D90 range we are offering a wider range of price points and giving customers the choice of petrol or diesel power,” he said.

Arriving three years after its launch, the Ferrari Purosangue Handling Speciale isn't an unhinged track-focused creation in the same vein as the latest 296 Speciale. Instead, it's the Prancing Horse's answer for those current Purosangue owners who wish their four-seat, four-door Ferrari drove more like a lighter supercar. What's wild is the Purosangue was hardly a dynamic dunce and, even without the €40,000 ($A65,000) option ticked, it remains in contention as one of the sportiest SUVs ever, but as the Ferrari nudges middle age the upgrade could help it maintain its edge. Under the bonnet, engineers have left the glorious naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 well alone, with it still producing 533kW and 716Nm of torque for an identical 0-100km/h sprint of 3.3 seconds and a 310km/h top speed. The current car's eight-speed dual-clutch rear-mounted transaxle-style transmission also carries over but now punches home more aggressive upshifts over 5500rpm in Race mode and can kick down for the optimum gear around 25 per cent quicker than before. Further recalibration of the valved sport exhaust, meanwhile, provide for a noisier cold start and extra V12 noise when you're in the mood to annoy the neighbours. Achieving its aim of adding extra nimbleness to the 2033kg Purosangue, engineers say the big Ferrari benefits from all the work that went into developing both the F80 hypercar and upcoming Luce EV that all share the same active suspension. The suspension differs from usual active or adaptive dampers by using 48-volt motors to apply force to each individual wheel and reduce the pitch or drive associated with accelerating or braking. The same system effectively cancels out body roll too, with the tech able to adjust the trick dampers every 0.05 seconds. Without any hardware changes, engineers say the HS calibrations slash body movements by 10 per cent – crucially – without any penalty in ride comfort. A subtle advertisement that you've ticked the box for the HS upgrades, the sharper Purosangue comes with black diamond cut alloy wheels, black carbon-fibre fender shields, special kick plates, satin black exhaust tailpipe finishers and a black Prancing Horse. Inside, all models come with a Handling Speciale plaque but no other changes. Ferrari says it won't offer the pack retrospectively, with it only available from the latest 2027 Model Year Purosangue as a factory option. Behind the wheel, the Ferrari SUV still takes time to adjust to, not least once the V12 fires up. It's still hard to compute that such an exotic soundtrack accompanies something with four seats and a reasonable 473-litre boot. Select first gear via the oversized carbon paddles and the Purosangue smoothly shifts away and, if we're completely honest, it doesn't feel as fast as its claimed figures suggest. Of course it is, we're just spoilt by both turbocharged V8s and, whisper it, EVs. To extract the best from the Ferrari SUV, you have to drive it like a proper supercar. Luckily on a proving ground owned by the carmaker's former owner, we can stretch the Purosangue's legs. It's then you find how noise regulations have muted some of the Ferrari's voice. Over some narrow undulating blacktop that mimic an Italian country road, grip mustered from the wide rubber is overwhelming, while the body control is exemplary both when cornering and under hard braking. The Ferrari, of course, still isn't a supercar on stilts, it scuffs its snout too easily and feels too nose-heavy for that but it's still easy to extract plenty of joy from the driving experience and provides lots of confidence to push. Does it matter that it wouldn't be able to keep pace with a Cayenne Turbo Electric? Or an Aston DBX feels like it offers added mid-gear punch for more effortless overtakes? Probably not, the Italian still feels special in a way the other fast SUVs just can't. Fuel consumption is unaffected with the new pack and remains high at 17.3L/100km which limits range, even with a large 100-litre tank, to around 578km. What could be a problem is whether most owners will be able to tell the difference between a car that is and isn't fitted with the fancier suspension tune? Again, we doubt it, but when most owners easily spend between $100,000-$200,000 on options to make their Purosangue their own, what's another $65,000 in the mix? In Australia buyers are given a wide range of colour choices, with its classic Ross Corsa (Ferrari red), Blue Pozzi (navy) and Giallo Modena (bright yellow) all included in the price. Most ignore the free hues and splash out on premium colours that include everything from shades lifted from classic racing cars to more daring four-layer paints, like Rosso Magma. Standard features in the Ferrari Purosangue include: 22-inch front and larger 23-inch rear alloy wheels Carbon-fibre roof Power-closing rear doors Electric tailgate Leather and Alcantara seats Twin screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 21-speaker Burmester sound system Four heated, massage seats Safety hasn't been neglected in the family-friendly V12 wagon, even though there's no official EuroNCAP test or ANCAP crash test result. Standard safety kit includes: Auto emergency braking (AEB) Adaptive cruise Lane-keep assist Blind-spot monitoring Rear cross-traffic alert Traffic-sign recognition Hill-descent control Every Ferrari arrives with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with the option of extending coverage for up to seven years at the point of purchase. Also available is Ferrari's 'Power20' protection, which covers the engine, transmission and all other major mechanical and electronic components for 20 years from the point of purchase. The recommended service interval is 12 months/20,000km, and there's also a seven-year capped-price servicing program, called '7-Year Genuine Maintenance', which allows you to prepay for all your servicing needs.

The Nissan X-Trail has been well-liked since its inception 25 years ago and the current generation has done reasonably well in an increasingly crowded mid-size SUV market. While not the front-runner in terms of sales - the Toyota RAV4 holds that title, of course - the Nissan X-Trail is one of a few mid-size SUVs to break the 1000-sales mark this year so far, a feat increasingly achieved by newcomer Chinese models. To strengthen its place in the market, Nissan has broadened the X-Trail offering to include more affordable (and more efficient) two-wheel drive versions of its e-Power hybrid grades, as well as a style-focused soft-roader version called the Rock Creek. Starting with the most visually obvious addition, the X-Trail Rock Creek is a $48,315 ask, before-on roads, for its single seven-seat grade. The Rock Creek uses the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the rest of the combustion-powered range, with 135kW and 244Nm driving all four of its wheels. It’s built on the same spec as the ST-L, but adds plenty of unique styling and black trim, with orange accents and stitching inside, plus a unique set of 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, ballistic nylon-trimmed seats are joined by a step-up from the donor ST-L in the form of a 12.3-inch driver display and 10.8-inch head-up display. The front seats are comfortable, spacious and ergonomically sensible, and the second row has a decent amount of room and some adjustability to account for the third row. That back row is, however, pretty useless for adults due to the cramped space. Nissan says the Rock Creek has the same 465 litres of boot space as other seven-seat grades, measured from floor to roof with the third folded flat. The 2WD e-Power on the other hand starts from $45,990 in ST-L grade, $50,915 for the mid-spec Ti and up to $54,715 for the Ti-L. They’re all five-seaters with equipment matching that of their 4WD counterparts. That means the ST-L gets some basics like leather-accented trim and a surround-view camera, while the Ti gets a sunroof and head-up display, and the Ti-L gets all the fruit like a Bose 10-speaker sound system and heated seats even in the second row. The five-seat e-Power has 575L of boot space with all the seats up, 10 litres less than the five-seat petrol. The e-Power 2WD has very similar outputs to the e-Power 4X4, with 150kW and 330Nm from its front-mounted electric motor. The same 106kW/250Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine powers the very small 2.1kWh battery, but not the wheels. Regardless of grade, the X-Trail uses a 55L fuel tank and can run on 91RON unleaded fuel, though Nissan recommends 95RON for the e-Power. The 4X4 petrol Rock Creek sips 7.8L/100km on the combined cycle according to the claim, though with some off-roading and unsealed road driving the trip computer shower 9.7L. The 2WD e-Power should use 5.4L according to the specs, but 6.2L was the displayed rate on the drive. You shouldn’t need to try hard to get better figures than those we saw on the launch, as test-driving involved a combination of fast driving on twisty NZ roads and gentle off-roading around Lake Wakatipu and the Rees River. The current X-Trail has always been easy to work with from behind the wheel and the front-drive versions don’t lose much of the smoothness and urge the all-wheel drive version of the hybrid X-Trails boast. While it doesn’t feel like the lightest SUV, the steering is accurate enough to take any guesswork out of cornering and the electric motors get the mid-sizer moving quickly. Traction doesn’t suffer much without the rear wheels in play, though given the limited drive time in each grade on the launch it’s possible very wet conditions or rough roads could show up flaws. The Rock Creek on the other hand should be safe as houses when it comes to light off-roading, given its 4x4 system, though its on-road prowess is somewhat dulled by its petrol engine. Compared to the e-Power, the Rock Creek handles and rides similarly on the road, but its acceleration feels lacklustre and its efficiency takes a big hit. The X-Trail has a maximum five-star safety score from ANCAP, though this was tested in 2021 under more lenient criteria. Its 'Pro-Pilot' driver assistance systems remain, as mentioned, subtle and exist to prevent genuine mistakes rather than remind you constantly how to drive. Seven airbags join a series of features like front and rear AEB, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and a driver monitor that’s based on inputs rather than a visual sensor. Pretty much everything from a safety perspective is the same across the variants, though the Rock Creek gets a spare wheel rather than a repair kit as in the e-Power. Nissan offers a 10-year/300,000km warranty as long as you service with authorised Nissan dealers. Otherwise it’s five years and unlimited kilometres. You also get a flat price of $399 for any X-Trail grade at the first five services. These will come up every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Leapmotor has priced its BYD electric SUV smasher in Australia.  The Leapmotor B03X small SUV will start from $29,990 drive-away until December 31, 2026, making it the Chinese brand’s cheapest car on sale.  The range-topping ‘Design LR’ grade will start from $33,990 (drive-away). The B03X takes on the busy affordable EV segment. It's priced to compete with the BYD Atto 2 SUV ($31,990, before on-road costs) and the GAC Aion UT hatchback ($31,990, drive-away). It will arrive in showrooms in November 2026.  The base ‘Style’ grade uses a single electric motor producing 130kW, while its more powerful sibling delivers 145kW. Both make 200Nm. This roughly matches the BYD Atto 2 (130kW) and the GAC Aion UT (150kW), but the B03X loses out to these rivals in torque (290Nm and 210Nm, respectively).  Acceleration from 0-100km/h can be as fast as 8.6 seconds, with a top speed of 160km/h.  The entry-level car is equipped with a 39.8kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, offering up to 292km of driving range. The top grade relies on a 53kWh battery that has 382km of range, according to WLTP standards.  With DC fast charging at 133kW, a 30 to 80 per cent charge takes about 16 minutes, but the Style grade can only charge at 100kW, so it will charge more slowly The car can directly power devices and tools using its vehicle-to-load system that can supply 3.3kW.  There is a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and 8.8-inch digital driver display inside, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.  Design LR examples swap fabric seats for synthetic leather ones, while also boasting heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.  Buyers will need to choose the top-spec car for other useful features like a 360-degree camera as well as front parking and side collision sensors.  The base B03X has a six-speaker sound system, but its more expensive sibling has a 12-speaker unit, and rides on 18-inch alloy wheels compared to steel ones.  Leapmotor backs its B03X with a six-year/150,000km vehicle warranty and an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the high-voltage battery.  There is an eight-year capped-priced servicing deal, with intervals every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.