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Nio has confirmed expansion plans for its new Firefly hatchback, with a right-hand drive version expected to launch before the end of 2025.

The Golf R swings with the heavy-hitters of the hot hatch world and Volkswagen has given it an '8.5' series boost in terms of performance, tech and spec. Are these upgrades enough to take it to the top of the compact hot rod class? CarsGuide attended its local launch to find out.

There are more and more Chinese car brands entering the Australian new car market seemingly every day.

Like music and fashion, the types of cars we drive tend to evolve with each generation. We are currently living in the age of the SUV, but for much of the 20th century, Australians loved the sedan.

Small SUVs are bigger than ever - both in terms of sales and sheer size. We pit two of Australia's biggest-selling small hybrid SUVs against each other to determine which one comes out on top. Is it the Toyota Corolla Cross or the Hyundai Kona?

Having owned a few VW Group products, both the safety tech and infotainment system have been quite familiar to myself. That being said, the tech is excellent even when compared to the newer (more problem-prone) MK4 Octavia range. I've rarely had any issues with the infotainment display, while the wired CarPlay connectivity never skips a beat. The 9.2" infotainment display is paired with a sharp 10.25" digital drivers display, both of which pretty quickly for a system that was updated many years ago. Only bug bear is CarPlay doesn't feed through GPS directions to the driver display, something available in the more recent generation.On this specific 2020 model, I have Travel Assist, Lane Assist, Blind Spot Monitor, Adaptive Cruise and Emergency Brake Assist, leading the car to travel semi-autonomously on those long slogs across town on the M1. It all works brilliantly, though it can be confused with roadwork zones and poor line markings.If I could rate the practicality of this car beyond a 10/10, I would - it's simply the most practical, brilliant interior of any vehicle I've ever had. There's all the space you come to except from a wagon (heaps of head and shoulder space across the rear bench, loads of leg room front and rear, a super practically shaped boot).Then there's everything to delight you, such as the two-sided boot liner that means you can hose out the floor after a beach day, or the numerous tie-down hooks and standard netting that keeps your groceries secure. We inspected quite a few SUVs, and yet none of them came close to the space we have in the Octavia.It's simply a brilliant machine and I wish more families took advantage of the space a wagon.Trading up from a Polo GTI, we were keen for another sporty vehicle with a load more practicality. On that front, the RS 245 delivers in spades - heaps of punch off the line, loads of torque in the middle bands for overtaking on highways, and very reasonable efficiency around town (currently averaging 8L/100km in our long-term average). Picking this car up second-hand, the standard 19" rims had already been swapped out for the 18" rims featured here and I believe the ride has improved as a result of this - something to consider if you picked one up.Only issues I've really had with the driving experience of this vehicle have been in regards to road noise (still coarse on most freeways or highways, even with Pilot Sport 4s on the car), and some typical DSG lag when crawling at low speed with the stop-start system flicked on (I usually have it off in traffic).Is this as cheap as a Camry Hybrid to run? Definitely not. It's an excellent quality vehicle and the servicing requirements match this. That being said, Skoda dealers have fixed-price servicing and you're often fairly aware of what you'd be looking at in advance.Fuel economy has been great (currently averaging 8L/100km), insurance is reasonable in the current environment and overall running costs are very reasonable overall.Only major issue I've had occur so far has was a ripped-off oil sump after hitting a particularly nasty pothole on the Mornington Peninsula. Aside from this, nothing has so far gone wrong or had any failures.

The infotainment screen has a lot of different driving options, from the lane-keeping assist function, active cruise adjustment and MG Pilot. FM and digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The car will not drive unless the driver seat belt is fastened. The driver is able to adjust most driving functions to suit their driving needs through the infotainment touchscreen, which needs to be a bit more reactive.The cars interior is minimalist as most of the controls has to be accessed through the touchscreen. There are a control buttons for the radio volume, air-conditioning on/off only, front and rear window demister. and home screen reset. The front seats are comfortable in this model. In the Essence, the drivers seat has electric adjustment, which in our case is very handy. There are two cup holders and ample storage. The rear seat has 60/40 split rear and the cargo has ample area for storage but no spare wheel.Driving the MG Essence puts a smile on your face. With rear-wheel drive, 150kW and 250Nm, the MG is very responsive from the start, and to have to change lanes there is always enough response.One pedal driving is a great option as it saves the wear and tear on the brakes and can add charge back to the main battery.The running costs of the MG compared to our last car is like chalk and cheese. I charge the MG on average once a month from home. I run the battery 80% to 20%. The charging takes about 20 hours from a normal domestic power outlet. I get approximately 250km between charging at a cost of approximately $10.The servicing is every two years at approximately $1200 over a four-year period.Insurance for the MG was a bit of a challenge to start with as when I bought the car in September not all insurance companies had this model on their books, but it finished ok.I have had quite a few new cars over my driving years. Comparing the MG EV to the ICE-powered cars is probably not fair as there is a lot less to have problems with on EVs as they are more electronic than mechanical. But I have been driving this car now for five months and the only complaint I have is the infotainment touchscreen is a bit slow to react.

After three months living with the Suzuki Swift GLX Hybrid, is this the pick of the light hatch segment, or should you look at the Toyota Yaris or MG3 instead?

The GTI is the Golf line-up’s fastest, most sporty variant to use front-wheel drive. It also builds on a rich tradition as the make and model that arguably invented the whole hot-hatch genre decades ago.

Lexus might not be the obvious brand to launch a potent hot hatch/SUV, but that's precisely what it's done with the LBX Morizo RR.