SUV

Meet the new models which will catapult Omoda and Jaecoo into Australia's top-10 according to the Chery spin-off's global boss

The mid-range Terramar V is the first variant of the range to gain an on-demand all-wheel drive system. In normal driving, the Cupra will behave as a front-drive car but when acceleration or grip demands some of the torque will be send to the rear wheels. This is a great option in a family-oriented five-seat SUV like the Terramar.

Premium Chinese brand Zeekr is on a roll and could launch a pair of SUVs hot on the hells of the new 7X.

Chery Motors only returned to Australia in 2023 but its already planning a huge expansion with both the Omoda and Jaecoo brands aiming at the more premium end of the market. The Omoda 9 Virtue Super Hybrid is the first offering from that brand, but can this plug-in hybrid SUV offering enough to woo buyers away from the likes of Mazda, Volkswagen and others?

The 2026 Toyota HiLux continues to take shape, with leaks and design sketches now paving the way for a next-generation Toyota Fortuner to take the fight to the hot-selling Ford Everest.

The new Cupra Terramar range kicks off with the S variant of the five-seat, mid-sized SUV, which is priced at $58,490, drive-away.

Diesel as a fuel source might not be dead yet, but the vultures are circling, waiting for their prey to finally stop moving. Don’t believe me? It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see into a future already so clearly laid out, and not just by newcomer brands, but by some of the biggest proponents of diesel engines in the history of the fuel.

Overnight reports out of Germany are pointing to Volkswagen retiring its long-serving full-size, luxury SUV, the Touareg at the end of the current, third-generation model’s life in 2026.

Nine may not logically follow five and six, but in the world of Hyundai's EV sub-brand the large, three-row, dual-motor Ioniq 9 SUV has joined its existing pure-electric Ioniq 5 and 6 stablemates. With a price tag to match its substantial scale it propels the South Korean maker into new territory in the local new car market. Will it make an impact? Andrew Chesterton is on a mission to find out.

The Nissan Patrol has copped its second price increase in four months, with the company blaming Australia’s new emissions laws, among other factors.Each grade of the Patrol has gone up by $5000, meaning the line-up now kicks off from $95,600 before on-road costs for the Ti, increasing to $107,100 for the Ti-L and topped by the tricked-out Warrior at $110,660.The updated version of the Y62 Patrol went on sale in April this year with Nissan increasing the price marginally over the pre-update version. The entry grade Ti increased in price by $1340 with the other two grades only up by $140 apiece.The Japanese carmaker has outlined the reasons for the price hike and one of the key factors is the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES)“There is a price increase across the Patrol range effective August 1st, 2025. A range of factors contribute to the pricing of a vehicle including cost of raw materials, logistics, foreign exchange rates, market dynamics and regulatory considerations such as NVES,” a company statement read.NVES punishes carmakers $100 for every gram of CO2 emitted over a certain threshold for every vehicle sold. The threshold lowers every year until 2030. Carmakers can offset the penalties with sales of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars.Nissan is an electric vehicle pioneer, but it does not currently offer an EV in its line-up. The long-running Leaf ended production last year and stock has since dried up.However, the Ariya mid-size SUV is finally about to arrive in Australian dealerships in September after years of ‘will they or won’t they?’ from Nissan Australia.The Ariya was revealed in production guise back in 2020 but the COVID pandemic pushed back its on-sale date in Japan to 2022.The Patrol is one of Nissan’s best-selling models, with 4287 units shifted to the end of July this year. It’s only outsold by the X-Trail and Navara in Nissan’s line-up.The massive seven-seat SUV rode a wave of interest in off-roaders with towing capability that reignited during the pandemic when people were forced to holiday at home due to border closures.The V8-powered Patrol is one of the highest emitting vehicles on sale in Australia when it comes to CO2. The Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide says the Patrol has a combined emissions figure of 334g/km. Official fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 14.4 litres per 100km.In comparison, the V6-powered Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series emits 235g/km - still deemed ‘worse than average’ by the government - and consumes 8.9L/100km.The LandCrusier is still more expensive than the Patrol, kicking off from $97,990 for the GX and topping out at $146,910 for the Sahara ZX.A new Patrol, the Y63, is set to arrive in Australia late in 2026 and it drops the V8 in favour of a more economical twin-turbo V6.