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Chery has announced its latest sub-brand, and its got sights sets on the hugely popular Kei minicar segment in Japan.EMTA will launch in the second half of 2027 and feature a fully-electric lineup.A Kei car will come first, followed by a hatchback and SUV, with a larger model also in the works down the track.It is clear at this stage EMTA’s cars will specifically target the Japanese market, but the brand is considering overseas expansion. Kei cars have to meet strict rules, which restrict dimensions and power outputs.Chery has not shied away from adding a crowd of sub-brands in Australia. Omoda Jaecoo is already here, with Lepas, iCaur and Freelander scheduled to arrive over the next 12 months.A spokesperson for Chery Australia said there were no plans for any models under the EMTA name to launch in Australia.There have long been calls for Kei minicars to be introduced in Australia, with their cute proportions turning heads and the increasingly busy streets of capital cities requiring smaller vehicles. The news comes after Chinese rival BYD announced it is planning to launch its Racco Kei car in Japan in the middle of this year.The Kei car has been a strong segment in Japan for many decades, with it suiting the packed traffic conditions of city streets. There are several roadblocks in the way of these cars launching Down Under, but it mainly comes down to failing to meet Australian design standards and likely low safety scoring. Currently Chery exclusively offers SUVs across its lineup, so a Kei car would certainly provide some more variety. Chery Australia confirmed it was reviewing plans for its QQ hatch to launch Down Under as a small car option, with momentum gathering for a 2027 launch.

Kia’s head of global product planning has fired a cheeky shot at rival brands, said he believes no brand is as well-prepared as Kia for the world’s unpredictable automotive market.Spencer Cho, Kia’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Business Planning Subdivision, said it’s impossible to know what the industry might look like in the future, but being prepared for as many possibilities as reasonable is the best answer.Speaking with Australian media at the launch of the new-generation 2026 Kia Seltos, Cho said that he thinks no one can know how global events will affect the industry.Trying to predict the events that might change the way brands need to operate is impossible, he said, but understanding what needs to be done to respond can’t be known until after the fact.“Let me put it this way. If I can say that I can expect everything… that's not possible,” Cho said.The US-Israel war in Iran and the effects it has had on global oil shipping is front-of-mind for Cho.“No one can expect this kind of war will happen, and also a couple years ago for Russia and Ukraine, no one can expect that kind of thing.”"But what we are doing is we carefully monitor the market demand or market changes. And development of product takes quite some time. We should create very sound product strategies, and we have to maintain those strategies in a consistent manner.”Rather than scrambling to respond to changes in the industry, Cho said Kia has built enough options to be able to react quickly in a ‘here’s one we prepared earlier’ manner.“Thankfully, we studied the EV transition quite earlier than any other brand. There are also some ups and downs, but the transition and the trend stays the same, just the differences are a little bit of this slow down. So speed might be the difference.”He says the key is not drastically changing for short-term gain, rather slightly adjusting without removing options for the future. Essentially, giving EVs a boost shouldn’t mean forgetting to continue ICE development, he said.“But we stay in the course to maintain the development of the planned EV models entering each global market, step by step. Yet we're still developing the all new ICE models as well as you see in the new Seltos. “So one of the key strengths we have is all the technologies, the diesel or gasoline or hybrid and plug-ins and EVs.”“So we have all the options in our hands. “Certain market ups and downs… hybrid is rising, we can provide hybrid models. If EV is coming, we can provide EVs. So thankfully, we have all the technologies in our hands, and we have the all the product lineup as well.”Cho took a cheeky swipe at rivals, too, rare for a senior executive. He said Kia’s strength globally is its range of cars available from the budget end, Picanto for example, through to hybrids, plug-ins, and more expensive performance cars or large electric SUVS.“So that's probably one of the strengths Kia has compared to other brands. I don't know whether you can name any other OEMs better than us in the case of the product line-up as of today.”

Toyota’s GR Yaris hot hatch is about to receive some performance enhancements in Australia.It will launch next month, with a spokesperson for Toyota Australia confirming there will be no price change for the new GR Yaris.The car will continue to start from $55,490 (before on-road costs).It will now have a smaller steering wheel diameter of 360mm, down from 365mm. This smaller steering wheel has been designed to offer a more comfortable grasp for the driver when cornering. Steering has been given a further tune courtesy of an expanded operating range for electric assistance. There will also now be steering wheel-mounted switches positioned separately, with illumination to aid visibility and use under race conditions. The range-topping GTS will ride on new high-performance Bridgestone Potenza Race tires as part of the upgrades. There have been some minor design tweaks for the car to give it a sharper look. Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said these minor upgrades were designed to provide the marginal improvements needed for racing success. “When you’re racing, improvements are measured in tenths of seconds and these upgrades to the GR Yaris are designed to deliver the sort of performance enhancements that can make a difference,” Pappas said.The upgrades were inspired by Toyota’s recent success at the World Rally Championship. It will continue to be a rival to the Hyundai i20 N and the Volkswagen Polo GTI Down Under.All GR Yaris variants use a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 221kW and 400Nm. Toyota’s hot hatch could be about to undergo a serious change before the end of the decade.There have been rumours of a new hybrid set-up coming to GR Yaris in 2028 similar to recently-announced performance grades of the LandCruiser 300 4WD.The brand did not confirm whether such a variant was in the works, but its potential announcement could coincide with the arrival of the new all-electric Yaris coming in 2028.

There is good news for car buyers as brands slash the price of EVs to boost demand as competition increases.Hyundai is the latest brand to offer some very generous discounts across its range of quality electric vehicles.The Korean maker has cut prices and deleted on-road costs, with some models now more than $13,000 cheaper.Leading the discounts is the electric version of the popular Kona compact SUV.The Kona EV Standard Range is now $45,990 drive-away, which is about $13,000 cheaper depending on what state you are in.This version uses a circa-48kWh battery to deliver a driving range of up to 370km.The Extended Range version is now $50,990, or about $12,400 cheaper, and lifts the driving range to more than 500km.Better-equipped Premium Extended Range versions and sporty looking N-Line examples are between $11,600 and $12,900 more affordable.Hyundai has also sliced thousands off the recently launched Elexio mid-size SUV.The China-sourced EV, which is related to the strong-selling Kia EV5, is down to $57,990 for the base version and $59,990 for the Elite version that comes with more stuff as standard.The Elexio packs an roughly 88kWh battery that delivers a driving range of up to 562km.Both grades use a single motor to make 160kW/310Nm sent to the front wheels. Hyundai is also getting generous with its pint-sized Inster. The Standard Range version is now about $4300 cheaper at $38,990.The base Inster is well suited to city motoring, and an ideal second car. It is one of the shortest cars on the market and has seating for four.A little 42kWh battery enables a driving range of up 327km. It is extremely light for an EV and its 71kW and 147Nm electric motor makes it feel peppy.The critically acclaimed Ioniq 5 medium SUV has also been given a big price cut.A base Ioniq 5 RWD is now about $10,500 cheaper at $71,990, and the Elite grade now starts at $78,990, which represents a saving of almost $9000.Fully loaded Ioniq 5 N-Line Premium AWD is now $87,990, or almost $11,000 cheaper.The Ioniq 5 was crowned CarsGuide’s 2026 Best SUV Under $130K, with single-motor 168kW/350Nm and dual-motor 239kW/605Nm versions impressing.Driving range varies from 495km for the heavier dual-motor version to 570km in the base RWD example.The catch? You need to be quick as customers must take delivery by the end of the month.Hyundai electric car deals 

More details have been revealed about the new generation Mk9 electric Volkswagen Golf, with the car said to be “96 to 97 per cent done”. The main change on the new Golf is it will feature a fully-electric set-up as well as a combustion model. In an overseas interview, VW's Head of Technical Development Kai Grunitz said this means there will be two separate platforms for the new Golf. Electric versions of the Golf will be one of the first models to use the new Scalable Systems Platform. The platform is expected to offer super fast charging times and other performance improvements. According to the brand, the new generation Golf will draw inspiration from the iconic Mk4 design, praised for its sporty and sleek design at the time. The electric Golf will take on the Renault Megane E-Tech and a car from its sister brand, the Cupra Born. Combustion versions of the Golf will continue to battle the Hyundai i30 and the Mazda 3.The car remains a few years off an official launch, with tentative plans for 2028 or 2029. As for its potential in Australia, there are no details yet."We’re pleased to see the interest in the Mk9 Volkswagen Golf," a spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia said. "Volkswagen Australia continues to evaluate opportunities for the local market, however we’re not in a position to confirm local availability or timing for Australia at this stage."An electric Golf would have National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) benefits for the brand Down Under, given its Golf lineup currently is exclusively petrol powered. It is unclear what engine the new combustion Golf will be fitted with, but VW recently announced a plug-less hybrid version of the current generation.Its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motor set-up is a possibility for the Mk9.The Golf is currently on sale in Australia with a starting price of $39,290 (before on-road costs), rising to $71,990 (before on-road costs) for up-spec models.It comes with two engine choices, which are a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, producing 110kW and 250Nm, while high-performance variants get a 2.0-litre unit, pumping out up to 245kW and 420Nm. 

Leapmotor’s B05 small electric hatch has been approved for Australia, according to Federal government documents seen by CarsGuide.Just six months after its Munich motor show debut, the Leapmotor B05 has now been cleared to land in Australia where it will rival the MG4 and BYD Dolphin.The Australian Federal Government Road vehicles standards website published approval details on April 20 of a vehicle made by Leapmotor with the “marketing designation” B05. Publishing the approvals notices is the normal transparent process for all imported vehicles and typically indicates that a model will soon arrive in Australia. The document also lists some details which help us find out in advance a few specifications of the upcoming vehicle.   According to the published approval documents the vehicle is fully electric with a 160kW motor;  it’s a four door, five-seater measuring 4430mm in length; and has multi-link rear suspension.That 160kW output is identical to the power produced by the two other electric models Leapmotor currently sells in Australia - B10 small SUV and C10 mid-sized SUVWhile the B10 and C10 are both SUVs the B05 is a small hatchback and Leapmotor boasts that it has a 50:50 weight distribution and that even balance is a good sign the car will be fun to drive.Ahead of the B05’s debut in Munich Leapmotor’s vice president Cia Li said the car would be a “gift” for young people  "We want to build a dream car for young people who refuse to settle, conform, or be ordinary!" Li said.Leapmotor has been in Australia since late 2025 arriving first with the C10 mid-size SUV. Since then the brand has added the B10 small SUV and a hybrid version of the C10 to its local line-up.Pricing is yet to be announced for the B05 but Leapmotor will likely price it to be competitive with the MG4 which starts at $37,990 driveaway and extends to $55,990 for the top grade.

The iconic Smart car has been spied in camouflage ahead of its return in China.The Smart #2 is a tiny electric two-seater city car, and will be the closest thing to the iconic Smart ForTwo made by the brand since.The original Smart ForTwo was on sale in Australia in the mid-2000s, equipped with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine.It is expected to be officially unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show later this month, with a European launch scheduled for 2027.Smart Australia has confirmed there are no plans for the car to launch domestically at this stage, with an immediate focus on Chinese and European markets.If it ever did come to Australia, it would have to be one of the most affordable electric cars in the country to be competitive. It would need to challenge the BYD Atto 1, which has a starting price of $23,990 (before on-road costs). The budget EV space has been growing in Australia, with more offerings representing competitive deals around the $30K bracket.The incoming MG4 Urban and just-launched GAC Aion UT both start from $31,990, while the Chery QQ3 is anticipated to launch with a similar, if not cheaper, price tag. However, the Smart #2 is even smaller than these rivals. This means it would almost be in a league of its own if it were to launch Down Under.There is limited other confirmed information available about the car, but it is rumoured to have a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 30kW, according to CarNews China. It measures up at less than three metres long, with a wheelbase of less than two metres. The #2 is the latest of the brand's reboot, which has seen several vehicles spawn as the product of a joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz. Smart currently has two models on sale in Australia which are the #1 hatchback and the #3 crossover. The more rugged #5 SUV is expected to join the range later this year.

Australia is getting short changed on some of the world’s cheapest electric cars.High fuel prices are pushing people who never would have looked twice at an EV to consider the zero-emissions tech, but Australia is missing out on some of the most affordable electric cars.China is rife with circa-$10,000 electric cars that provide decent driving range and fast charging in a small and cheap package.The latest model to launch in China is Wuling’s next-generation Hongguang Mini EV, which is priced the equivalent of about $9000.It is a mini four-seater that has a claimed driving range of more than 300km — calculated on the more generous Chinese test cycle — thanks to a super low energy consumption of 8.9kWh per 100km.DC fast charging allows you to top the battery up to 80 per cent in about half an hour.It is very little, measuring 3268mm long, 1520mm wide, 1575mm tall and has a wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear wheels — of 2190mm.That put its in Japanese 'Kei Car' (city car) territory, and its single electric motor makes only 30kW.The Hongguang Mini EV isn’t alone, there is a booming market in China for this type of vehicle.The QQ Domi from Chery was revealed last year.It is a pint-sized electric hatchback measuring just 3.7m long and 1.7m wide, which is just bigger than a Kia Picanto but smaller than a Suzuki Swift.Its nearest EV competitor would be the larger BYD Atto 1, which is called Seagull in other markets.In China it launched at the equivalent of about $13,000. Chinese cars are usually 20 per cent more expensive here than the home market, which would mean it could lob in at about $16,000.Chery’s QQ3 is another budget friendly EV, which is priced to the equivalent of $14,000.It has a circa 300km driving range, and is much bigger than the Wuling. There is a choice of either a 58kW and 90kW electric motor.Chery has been testing one of its QQ models Down Under as part of its global development.The Chinese brand’s Australian Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris is very interested in something from that range.“I think having a very small and then a small hatchback would be a game changer,” said Harris.“I think there’s a huge amount of potential in those segments, and at the moment I think those segments are a little bit stale and not that interesting.“So if we could bring something like the QQ, I think it’d be a huge amount of opportunity,” he said.There is one thing standing in the way of these tiny cheap electric cars… Australian Design Rules (ADRs).Mitsubishi recently considered its little eK X EV Kei Car for Australia but it wouldn’t meet safety regulations and it would be too expensive to bring it up to scratch with ADRs."The reality is that the car meets Japanese safety regulations. The reality is that it does not meet ANCAP five star, and will not meet ANCAP five star. We'd probably get three stars," said former Mitsubishi's Australian CEO Shaun Westcott back in 2024.The Hongguang Mini EV only has two airbags and electronic stability control in its safety arsenal, which doesn’t cut the mustard here.It also lacks side impact protection, which means it won’t meet ADRs. This same rule forced Lexus to axe the IS sedan and Nissan to discontinue the GT-R.

It might so far only be known for a single dual-cab ute, but Chinese brand JAC has big plans for Australia, recruiting the dynamics engineer behind models like the VE and VF Commodore to prep its vehicles for local conditions.Michael Barber, now of Multimatic but formerly of Holden, has been tasked with tuning the model's next ute, the T9 Hunter plug-in hybrid, for sale in Australia, but the project will likely balloon from there, with JAC confirming a host of new vehicles on the cards for Australia. "There's a huge range, including trucks. There are passenger cars. There are small electric vehicles, which we're also considering," says Ahmed Mahmoud, Managing Director of JAC Motors Australia."We can access the majority of those. We just need to make sure they're fit for purpose, five-star ANCAP, all of those things."They're the requirements of the average Australian. You can't just bring junk into the country, right? "If you're going to bring something in, you've got to make sure that it fits the brand and what we're trying to do. But it's also not going to be ripped apart from an ANCAP or a driving perspective."Next to arrive for the brand will be a Ford Everest-style ute-based SUV that rides on the T9 platform, though it's unclear whether it will take the diesel powertrain or the new and potent plug-in hybrid system. It is expected to arrive within the next 12 months.Beyond that, the brand says "we have options for small passenger cars and SUVs in that hybrid or full electric space".Top of the list would surely be the JS6 PHEV - a mid-size SUV that pairs a to deliver a 120km all-EV driving range, and a total 1150kms on a tank of fuel and a charged battery. A bigger JS8 SUV offers three-rows of seating.Also on the table is the smaller E30X city EV, a direct rival to models like the BYD Atto 2 and GWM Ora. With a Holden flavour to the ride and handling, and a growing product portfolio, it makes JAC the latest Chinese brand to lean on local expertise to produce fit-for-purpose vehicles in our market."(Barber) is contracted to do a lot of the testing," Mr Mahmoud says.

The future for this standout small car doesn't look so promising.Skoda Australia director Lucie Kuhn admitted sales of the Scala are not enough to keep the Mazda3 rival in stock. In 2025 Skoda Australia sold just 249 Scala, which ironically was more than the Superb (199) but well-short of even the second worst-selling small car, the out-going Kia Cerato, which still managed to find 1094 buyers. The overall small car market was down more than 20 per cent.Instead, the Scala is now an ‘order only’ option for customers and dealers who really want one of the small cars, with Kuhn admitting its long-term future is uncertain. “ Scala is currently a model that we are running some analysis on it,” she said. “Because you are exactly right, the segment is very small here in Australia. We will probably keep the car going, probably just being available in a factory order. Just because you might always have customers that might be interested in having the car, but the volume is relatively small, I would say.”Skoda is committing to another slow seller, though.Where once the mighty Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon fought for sales supremacy, now a single, unlikely, survivor remains. And it has no plans on giving up the fight.The Skoda Superb is the only ‘large car under $70,000’ still on sale in 2026. Even the medium sedan segment is a shadow of its former glory days, with the Skoda Octavia competing against the Toyota Camry, BYD Seal, Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord.But Skoda has no plans to give up on its sedans and wagons anytime soon. Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the new plug-in hybrid Kodiaq SUV, Kuhn said the brand remains committed to its sedans and wagons.“I  think this is something that the customers say,” Kuhn said. “The market is obviously going in more and more in the direction of SUVs year-by-year, this share is growing. But if you have a look in the car parks or on the streets, you still see plenty of sedans and plenty of wagons. So this is where we feel and see our opportunity that, in spite of the new car sales trend is growing and getting more into the SUV direction, there is still a massive car park of the sedan and wagon drivers. And this, we feel is an opportunity because as you said, we are one of the best brands who offer this kind of choice.”Skoda is so determined to give Australian buyers who shun SUVs choice so much so that it will actually expand the Superb line-up in 2026. The Czech brand is adding the new Select plug-in hybrid (PHEV) wagon variant alongside the existing Sportline sedan and wagon.This new option shares the same 110kW/350Nm PHEV powertrain as the Kodiaq and will be priced from $66,990 drive-away.