SUV

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. 

The Subaru Forester Touring is the top-spec Forster, with the mid-size SUV available in petrol and hybrid options at this level.

It isn’t easy being green, but BMW is taking a huge step forward with its incoming EVs.

The Subaru Forester Sport is a mid-spec variant of the mid-size SUV that adds visual extras and more features in petrol and hybrid versions.

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The Lux is now the entry-level trim in the local 2026 GWM Haval H6 line-up.

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Alfa Romeo is about to start deliveries of its first electric vehicle (EV) in Australia though it expects the hybrid version will outsell it.The Alfa Romeo Junior is the smallest car from the Italian carmaker since the tiny MiTo and Giulietta hatchbacks and locally it’s being offered with both mild-hybrid and all-electric powertrains.“We do foresee … the mild-hybrid is probably going to be the higher mix out of the two,” said Stellantis Australia Product Manager Bridget Thomson to CarsGuide.“ giving the options for people on both stages of their electrification journey. So probably more of the Ibrida (mild-hybrid), but definitely not discounting the Elettrica (electric).”Earlier this month Alfa Romeo confirmed the pricing and specifications for the local Junior line-up.While there are two powertrain options being offered, both are only available in a single, fully-loaded trim level.The Junior Ibrida (mild-hybrid) starts from $45,900 before on-roads costs, while the Junior Elettrica (electric) starts from $57,900 before on-road costs.In Ibrida form, the Junior is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine running the Miller cycle which is augmented by a 48V mild-hybrid system featuring a 21kW electric motor integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Total system outputs are 107kW of power and 230Nm of torque. Alfa Romeo claims it can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.9 seconds and the top speed is 206km/h.The Junior Elettrica, on the other hand, is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque.Despite having more power and torque, it’s 0.1 seconds slower to 100km/h than the mild-hybrid version. It takes 9.0 seconds.The electric motor is fed by a 54kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which allows for a claimed 407km of range, according to WLTP testing.The battery pack can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 100kW, which allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.As noted above, the Junior Ibrida and Elettrica are both fully loaded and share the exact same standard specifications.The only differences with the former is it has visible dual exhaust tailpipes and paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. The latter also picks up a Mode 3 AC charging cable as standard.Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, the 'Leggenda Scudetto' front grille, LED tail lights, two-tone black roof, hands-free power tailgate, dual 10.25-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker sound system, wireless charger, black cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat.The only option beyond premium paint is a sunroof which costs an additional $1990.Alfa Romeo has been experiencing a sales slump in Australia so far in 2025. A total of 282 vehicles were sold in the first six months, down 24.0 per cent year-on-year.