SUV

Nissan has confirmed its popular Qashqai small SUV will be going hybrid-only in Australia in the first half of 2026.

Australia is the only country in the world that offers all four SUV offerings from Mazda’s premium Large Architecture platform.

The good news for customers is bad news for businesses. As more and more car brands, especially those from China, arrive in the Australian market and offer cheaper models than the existing ‘legacy’ brands, it makes life harder to offer competitive models.

Effectively an electric counterpart to the Karoq, the Skoda Elroq is the Czech manufacturer’s second EV SUV to arrive in Australia, following the larger Enyaq.

One of Australia's cheapest SUVs, the Chery Omoda 5, has come in for a much-needed makeover. Now badged C5, there's a new nose treatment, but more importantly, it also adopts independent rear suspension, to hopefully address comfort and refinement issues. Along with other changes, are they enough to make the Chinese crossover more competitive against rapidly improving rivals like the MG ZS?

The TDI Quattro Sport is the upper mid-grade version of the new-generation Q5, offering the all-wheel-drive diesel engine with a sportier appearance.

The Qashqai Ti e-Power is now Nissan's cheapest hybrid, but does an EV driving experience justify the circa-$50K asking price?

Genesis has confirmed pricing and specifications for the updated G80 line-up for 2026, with a new variant topping the range.The 2026 Genesis G80 line-up now uses the ‘Signature’ naming as other new and updated Genesis models, with a starting price of $104,200 before on-road costs for the 2.5T Signature RWD — the same pricing as before.A new variant, called simply Black, is also introduced to the line-up and, while Genesis calls it the ‘crown’ of the G80 variants, it’s slightly cheaper than the Signature Sport.The G80 Black introduces mostly design changes, and uses the same V6 powertrain as the Signature Sport.This line-up is separate from the G80 Electrified, which was updated earlier this year.Two drivetrains are available in the G80 line-up, the base model running with a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with 224kW of power at 5800rpm and 422Nm of torque from 1650-4000rpm. Genesis says it uses 9.0L/100km with a 95RON minimum fuel requirement.The 3.5 variants, Signature Sport and Black, both have a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, which drives all four wheels via the same transmission and makes 279kW of power at 5800rpm and 530Nm of torque between 1300-4500rpm. Genesis claims 11.0L/100km combined fuel efficiency, with a 95RON minimum.Standard for 2.5T Signature RWD:19-inch alloy wheelsPanoramic sunroofMicro Lens Array (MLA) LED headlamps with High Beam Assist (HBA)Dynamic welcome lightLED taillights + Reverse guide lightsAuto folding, heated & electro-chromatic side mirrorsNappa Leather appointed interiorSuede headlining, pillar & rear shelf trimsOpen pore real wood garnish18-way front seats (driver & passenger)Heated & ventilated rear outboard seatsHeated two-tone leather steering wheelHeated Front Console ArmrestUV-C Sanitizing ConsolePower rear outboard seats (40/20/40 split)Power door latch - soft close doorsRear armrest console controlsRear wireless phone chargerActive road noise cancelling3.5T Signature Sport AWD adds:20-inch sport alloy wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyresSport exterior stylingDark chrome exterior garnishesSport seat quiltingThree-spoke sport steering wheelCarbon interior garnishAlloy pedals 3.5T Black AWD adds20-inch alloy wheels (Black exclusive)Monoblock Black brake callipersBlack G-Matrix front grilleDark tinted ‘GENESIS’ emblem and letteringDark tinted chrome body claddingDark tinted Genesis emblem on steering wheelBlack seat quilting and Nappa leatherBlack Ash real wood interior trimBlack aluminium speaker grilleBlack garnishing, bezels and switchgearExclusive welcome & goodbye animationMatte paint - $2000ABS10 airbagsactive bonnet lift systemBlind-spot collision avoidance-assist-rear/sideBlind-spot view monitorDriver attention warningEmergency stop signalHighway driving assist 2Intelligent speed limit assistForward collision avoidance-assist 2Lane keeping assist-lineLane following assist 2 with hands on detectionManual speed limit assistPre-active adjustment safe-seat -front passengerPre-safe seat belt: front seats with front & rear seatbelt pre-tensionersParking collision-avoidance assistParking distance warning-forward/side/reverseRear cross-traffic collision avoidance-assistRear occupant alert: radar typeSmart parking assist - remote smart parking assist 2Safe exit assistSmart cruise control w/ stop & goMachine learning + nav-based smart cruise controlSurround view monitorTyre pressure monitoring systemForward attention warningGenesis offers five years and unlimited kilometres of warranty for privately owned cars, with complementary servicing (every 12 months or 15,000km) for 5 Years / 75,000km, and roadside assistance for 10 years at unlimited kilometres.

The TDI Quattro is the second tier in the new Audi Q5's launch line-up, and the first grade to come with all-wheel drive.

Skoda has leveraged its 'Simply Clever' brand positioning in the Aussie new-car market to engage with buyers focused on Euro quality and functionality more than badge superiority. It's move towards building a broad line-up of battery-electric models has stepped up a notch with the arrival of the Elroq compact electric SUV. CarsGuide attended the local media launch for a full drive impression.