Urban

New data has revealed the true impact of the fuel crisis on Aussie drivers as they stop filling up their cars as frequently.Data from novated lease company Maxxia looked at more than 200,000 salary-packaging fuel transactions between February and May of 2026.Gaps between fill-ups for drivers stretched from every 8.6 days in February to every 13.5 days by May. This indicates drivers were travelling less distance and were delaying trips to the bowser, squeezing every last drop of petrol out of the tank before refuelling. This gap has continued to widen even though fuel prices have been lower in the past few weeks.Lower fuel prices have encouraged drivers to fill up their tanks with more fuel, even if those trips still remain somewhat infrequent compared to before the Iran war.Small top-ups gained popularity between February and May, more than doubling in that period.It comes after the federal government tried to alter driver habits during the fuel crisis, running a $20 million advertising campaign.The campaign focused on reduced car use and avoiding lead-footed driving.Maxxia’s data also showed people did cut down on driving between February and May. Very high-use drivers (traveling more than 120km per day) cut their distance driven by 45 per cent between February and April.The data shows commuter drivers (60km-120km), remained steady despite reduced long-distance travel.This highlighed Aussies' dependence on driving to get around, according to Maxxia Chief Executive Officer Antonia Albanese.“For many of our customers, the car isn’t a luxury – it’s how they get to work, visit clients, or support their family,” Albanese said.“For people who can't simply stop driving, that tells you just how hard they're working to absorb these costs.”Fuel prices are expected to rise again in the coming days with the federal government halving the Fuel Excise discount in Australia.Fuel price increases have also coincided with an acceleration in the number of electric cars bought in Australia. There were more than 21,000 EVs sold last month, with budget favourites like the Jaecoo J5 EV and Geely EX5 shooting to the top of the charts. 

A number plate allegedly worth more than $10 million has been spotted in the wild, but you’ll never guess the car that has them on.A picture posted by a Reddit user in Victoria shows the ‘1’ plate appearing on a car worth nowhere near that value. The valuation of this plate would likely extend into the millions in today’s market. The ‘20’ number plate in Victoria was reported to have sold for $2.54 million in 2024.There are rumours the current owner of the ‘1’ plate has been offered more than $10 million, but turned it down.You’d expect a number plate worth more than every production car on the roads would be attached to something suitably exotic. It has been attached so some sought after models throughout the years, but none of them fall into the same ballpark as the potential value of the plates. They have appeared on many other vehicles since then, including a Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Carrera. It seems to have primarily been attached to several Mercedes-Benz models like the E55 and E63 sedans. Most recently the plates have been spotted on a previous generation C43 wagon that seem to have been on the car since at least since 2018.The C43 was originally priced in Australia from $104,400, just over one per cent of the $10 million value attached to the ‘1’ plates. Now you can buy many examples of that generation of the C43 from less than $40,000, which is 0.4 per cent of the plates’ valuation.The '1' number plate has an extensive history in Victoria, according to reports.It was originally produced in 1932 but was forbidden from being put on any cars, with high-ranking Victorian officials disagreeing on who should display the plates on their car. This disagreement saw the plates locked away in a vault for more than a half century. The plates reappeared for the first time in 1984 at an auction, where they were won by a retired mechanic from Ballarat, paying $165,000. The number plate market has become increasingly lucrative in Australia, with the wealthy not just showing off with what they drive, but what plates are displayed on their cars.The NSW "1" plate sold for more than $10m in 2024 at a Lloyd's auction.The Queensland number plate 'Q12020' recently sold for $1 million, even though the seller was only asking $20,000 originally, according to the site.

This month we farewell our Hyundai Inster after several months. Are we glad to see it go or is this a pleasantly charming little city car?Before we continue, it’s worth noting that we did get the Extended Range variant back after it had been crashed into shortly after our second month of testing began. Read our second chapter for more on how it compared to the Standard Range, but we managed to finish our testing with this version of the car which, at least on paper, seems to be the pick of the range.As mentioned in the previous chapter though, the Standard Range version (which is $3500 cheaper than the $42,500 Extended Range we have) is completely fine, and in some ways superior.Having recently driven many of this car’s more price-savvy rivals from China, I noticed how nice and relatively unobtrusive the Inster is to drive.While some more affordable cars, even a size up from the Inster, are full of invasive driver aids, annoying ergonomic features or controls, and sub-standard software, the Inster is refreshingly easy to get along with, and does a bunch of the no-brainer EV driving stuff really well.For example, there are four levels of adjustable regenerative braking, from barely noticeable, to full single pedal mode, and these are nicely tuned so that they feel natural, whatever level of electric motor feedback you might be comfortable with.I’ve already mentioned the nice steering and ride in previous chapters, which makes this car feel a cut above its size bracket let alone its price bracket.The active safety features which helped the Inster earn a four-star ANCAP safety rating (harder than you might think for a car this small) are relatively unobtrusive, or at the very least, easy to turn off.The lane keeping aid, which at times can be a bit heavy handed, can simply be turned down by holding a button on the steering wheel for a few seconds, rather than having to dig through menus on the touchscreen. The rest of the safety kit is relatively tame, saving you menu-diving time on start-up.Then there’s the cabin practicality on offer. The Inster is a car seemingly very aware of its limited footprint. To that end, while you don’t get a centre console box, there are bag hooks hidden everywhere, like on the passenger side of the dash and there are fold-out hooks hidden at the edge of the armrest. Clever.I mentioned in the first chapter how surprisingly spacious the cabin feels in both rows of seating, but one trick this car has is a second row on rails.This means you can roll the seating row forward to either reduce or entirely remove legroom and expand the boot capacity massively.It’s a rare feature on most city cars delivered to Australia, but much more common on Asian-market models, like Kei cars from Japan.It means you can have kids or pets in the second row which don’t need as much space, while maximising boot space, or passenger room when you’re not carrying as much stuff. This makes it versatile, but as you might imagine the airport run isn't it's strong suit.Upsettingly though, there’s no frunk. While it might seem gimmicky, frunks can actually be a useful place to put charging cables when the under-floor storage is hard to access because you’re carrying luggage.I took the Inster for a spirited drive before I returned it to really test out its driving chops, and walked away impressed.The amount of grip on offer and the solid feeling of the suspension is backed up with a good amount of agility in corners. It combines nicely with a bit of drivetrain punch in Sport mode to make for a fun little car to really push, even if the Hyundai N-style carbon-fibre-look digital dash overhaul is a bit ill-fitting.It took a significant amount of work to get the tyres to eke out a squeal, to my surprise, and the suspension travel is limited enough that much of the uncomfortable feeling when the battery starts to ‘float’ the whole body of the car on undulating roads isn’t present.Sure, it’s not objectively fast, but probably quicker than you expect, and it’s always better to drive a slow car at 110 per cent than a fast car at 10 per cent.Efficiency wise, the Inster did pretty well. The final number I pulled from the car after around 1500km behind the wheel was 13.8kWh/100km. It’s lower than many of its larger rivals, which do between 14.5 and 17kWh/100km.As for charging, it can be annoying that the port is on the front of the car, because it means you need to go nose in to some spots. At least it’s on the kerb side for when you're using outdoor roadside chargers.The maximum charging speed is quoted at 120kW, but I’ve never seen it go faster than roughly 70kW, even on stacks capable of 150kW. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t need it. The battery is so small it still charges in half an hour or less.Ownership looks like a decent story, too. Not only will this car cost a lot less in charging compared to a fuel alternative, but the Inster only requires a service every two years or a whopping 30,000km.Unfortunately, Hyundai charges $655 per visit. A head-scratcher given a combustion alternative like the Yaris Cross with so many more expendable fluids and moving parts is more affordable to look after.

A new affordable and super compact electric car has been named ahead of its official reveal, and this one is from Europe rather than China.Dacia has announced its upcoming fully electric compact car will inherit the ‘Spring’ name from its predecessor, which at some stages was the most affordable brand new electric car sold in Europe.Dubbed the ‘New Spring’, as it will be sold for a period of time alongside the outgoing car, the 2027 car will be a ground-up development based on the upcoming Renault Twingo.Expected to wear Dacia’s current angular styling language as opposed to the revived ‘90s aesthetic of the new Twingo from Renault, the Spring is said to keep the spirit of its predecessor.“New Spring keeps the essentials: a 100 per cent electric powertrain, four real seats, and a proper boot Dacia continues to pursue a clear ambition to pave the way for electric mobility that is accessible to all,” said the brand.The current low-cost car is built in China, but the new car will be built in Slovenia alongside the Twingo as parent company Renault looks to avoid tough new tariff structures imposed on Chinese-built vehicles in the EU.Renault has said it is targeting the equivalent of a sub-$30,000 price for the Twingo, but the Dacia model is expected to cost even less.The outgoing Spring was a success in Europe, selling over 200,000 units according to the brand. As recently as 2024 it was made available in right-hand drive to cater to the UK market.It is powered by either a 52kW/137Nm or 72kW/137Nm motor driving the front wheels, mated to a 24.3kWh battery allowing a 225km range according to the WLTP combined cycle.At just 3701mm long, it is even smaller than the most compact electric car sold in Australia, the BYD Atto 1, which measures 3990mm long. Its boot measures 308 litres, which Dacia says is class-leading.The Atto 1 starts from just $23,990 (before on-roads) in Australia, which makes it the most affordable new electric car on sale in Australia. It is also strictly a four-seat offering, and the entry-level version can travel 220km on a full charge, using a 65kW electric motor.The Duster is the only Dacia model on sale in Australia, and it is re-badged and sold as a Renault. The brand’s Australian operation, has said in the past the door is open to more re-badged Dacia models in the future.Ultra compact cars struggle to be sold in Australia as they often fall afoul of either our tough Australian Design Rules or the requirements for a five-star ANCAP safety rating.Mitsubishi trialled its eK X electric city car in Australia several years ago, but ultimately decided it wouldn’t be viable with the built-in-Japan model attracting higher prices than Chinese rivals, and it would have worn a safety rating of three stars or less.

MG is continuing its budget EV push with a new hatchback launching in 2027 set to take on the BYD Atto 1. It is sized for the B-segment, meaning it sits on the smaller end of the hatchback scale. Based on this, it is expected to be smaller than the MG4 and MG4 Urban, so it could end up being the cheapest model in MG's line-up. MG Australia has previously said it does not comment on future models or product details, so it is unclear whether it will eventually make its way Down Under. The local branch has been contacted for comment to see if the new hatchback will launch in Australia. There are limited other details available at this stage, but the brand has provided a couple of teaser images of the new hatch. It will have a bubble-like exterior design, including a pixelated front headlight design. There will be a rear roof spoiler and the rear headlight design is split into four quarters. It lines up as a direct threat to the BYD Atto 1 that currently holds the title for the cheapest EV in Australia, starting from $23,990 (before on-road costs). MG’s cheapest EV in Australia is the recently-launched MG4 Urban, with a starting price of $31,990 (drive-away), so this incoming hatch could be the budget rival MG needs. We will get a closer look at the new hatch early next month. MG’s cheap small cars remain the most popular of the brand’s offerings as it holds onto a place in the top 10 best-selling brands Down Under. Its ZS small SUV is the brand’s best-selling model, followed by the MG3 hatch. Together they contribute nearly half of MG’s sales in Australia. 

Chinese brand Leapmotor has slammed a major rival, labelling MG's MG4 XPower "undriveable" and vowing to produce a better performance EV in the B05 Ultra.That's the word from Leapmotor's Alexis Cieslewicz, Head of Product Marketing in Europe, who is also working on the introduction of the brand's most performance-focused model to date, the B05 Ultra.The just-launched B05, which will arrive in Australia later this year and produces 160kW and 240Nm, is the start of Leapmotor's sportier journey. In China, it has already been joined by an Ultra variant, which ups the outputs to 180kW and 320Nm.Leapmotor in Europe is already planning for more again, potentially further dialling up the power along with adding "extras" in its Ultra, which will arrive in the later stages of next year.For perspective, the B05 in China and Europe are wildly different, with the Euro (and Australian) version being completely retuned by Alfa Romeo at its Balocco Proving Ground. The brand also changed the suspension mounting points to deliver a lower centre of gravity, creating what it says is a "different animal" to the Chinese version.The same, and possibly more, will be done to the Ultra."It is not sure that it will be exactly the one you see in China. In the sense that it is Ultra and it should be Ultra," says Danilo Annese, the brand's Head of Commercial Operations in Europe."We are discussing that (Europe's Ultra) is not that car. It is not the Chinese car, (that) is a body kit. And we want to do it a little bit better than that. But the sky is the limit. Let's see what we can do."When it comes to dialling up the power, though, Leapmotor issued a cautionary tale, shading a major rival by describing its 300kW performance hatch as "undriveable"."I am also looking for a good compromise between power and control," Cieslewicz says. "Because we do not want to have something like the MG4 , which has 470 horsepower, but it is undriveable."

New city cars aren't over yet, as the latest version of Volkswagen's nine-year-old Polo proves. Tested in mid-range 85TSI CityLife guise, the German alternative to the Suzuki Swift, Mazda2 and MG3 has evolved into a roomy, comfy and practical hatch. Great economy and driving dynamics are further bonuses. But there are issues, prompting us to ask if the VW is good value.

GWM has just stepped up its budget EV game in Australia, unveiling the Ora 5 hatchback.There is no official news on a launch for the Ora 5 hatchback, but there is a good chance it will hit showrooms before the end of the year, with deliveries of the SUV variant already beginning.GWM Australia has been contacted for comment to find out launch plans for the car. The Ora 5 hatch shares much of the same design and set-up as its SUV sibling, but it has been given a lower and sportier stance, according to GWM. It differs from the SUV as it does not featuring roof rails. It keeps the same bubble headlight design and general exterior look. GWM also confirmed it has the same 58kWh battery with a driving range of 435km on WLTP standards. The brand did not confirm what will power the hatch, but given it is so similar to the SUV, it is expected to have the same single electric motor producing 150kW and 260Nm. Pricing remains unknown at this stage, but there is potential for it to be priced under the SUV, which starts from $33,990 (drive-away).The news comes after the brand ditched its Ora hatch Down Under earlier this year to make way for the Ora 5 SUV. The Ora faced serious budget competition from other Chinese rivals such as the BYD Dolphin that is priced from under $30,000 (before on-road costs), while the Ora was priced from $35,990 (drive-away).Competition in the EV hatch space has increased significantly, including the arrival of the GAC Aion UT ($31,990, before on-road costs). The Ora 5 is generally bigger than many of these EV hatch rivals.It joins at a time when GWM continues to grow on the sales front and chase down legacy brands in Australia.Chinese competitors such as BYD and Chery have experienced more growth than GWM in 2026, with the affordability proving a key selling point.

For decades Volkswagen Golf has been the generic term for high-quality small hatchback. And as much as the high-riding SUV configuration has become the new car default for compact car buyers this VW still attracts devoted fans. They say quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten but does this modern classic's value equation stack up?

This car will change everything you thought about the humble Toyota Corolla.On the eve of the Corolla’s 60th birthday, the Japanese giant has confirmed the GRMN Corolla is headed Down Under.Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said the new GRMN Corolla is the best of both worlds.“This is truly our GR philosophy in action, and has produced an astonishing high-performance driver’s car that is as at home on the racetrack as it is on the road,” he said.It takes the already red-hot GR Corolla hot hatch, and turns the dial all the way up.Spawned from Japan’s Super Taikyu race series and tuned and tweaked at the Nurburgring race track in Germany — dubbed the Green Hell — the GRMN is the brand’s most driver-focused Corolla of all time.The GRMN has just two seats and a rocket of a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine delivering 221kW and 408Nm.It has upgraded front and rear suspension and fatter Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber for improved performance on track.Toyota has optimised the all-wheel drive set-up for improved torque delivery and tweaked the power steering to give more feedback during high speed cornering.The Corolla GRMN is leaner than the standard manual GR Corolla, having lost 40kg. There is also a unique instrument panel for greater driver concentration and GRMN design touches throughout.Exterior updates include bonnet and fender ducts for increased ventilation, front side spoiler and large rear wing with five step adjustment for increased aerodynamics.It is only available in two colours: matt black or khaki.Toyota Australia said the Corolla GRMN will arrive in limited numbers from 2027.