Kia is partnering with the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam for the 25th year, and its 130-strong vehicle fleet for the event has more electric vehicles (EVs) than ever. As with last year’s tournament, the Kia tournament vehicle fleet is all-electrified – with 55 EVs and 75 hybrids driving players and officials throughout Melbourne during the major sporting event. Making up those 55 all-electric vehicles are the EV5 and EV9 SUVs, while the 75 hybrids will be divided across the Carnival MPV and Sportage SUV. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. It’s…
-
-
The 2027 Skoda Peaq will debut later this year, becoming the brand’s new flagship and “in fact the largest Skoda model overall”. Riding on the MEB dedicated electric vehicle (EV) architecture, the Skoda Peaq will take the form of a circa-5.0-metre-long all-electric seven-seat SUV, based on the 2022 Vision 7S concept. The Peaq will be to the Kodiaq what the Elroq is to the Karoq – it’s an EV alternative to a similarly sized combustion-powered model in Skoda’s lineup. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Skoda Peaq Skoda Vision 7S Skoda Peaq…
-
Although Mazda is in the midst of launching the 6e and CX-6e electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia and Europe, its upcoming range of EVs that are being developed in-house have been delayed again. The SkyActiv Scalable EV Architecture was announced in 2021, and at the time Mazda said the first model on the platform would be launched in 2025, but this was later pushed out to 2027. According to documents seen by AutoExpress, the timeline has slipped again, with the first EV on the architecture now scheduled to debut in 2028, at the earliest. CarExpert can save you thousands on…
-
Want a V8-powered SUV that’s equally at home in the bush as it is on the blacktop? They’re hard to find in 2026. Also want space for the whole family, including a third row of seats? The contenders can be counted on one hand, and none of them are cheap. Indeed, the likes of the Y62-generation Nissan Patrol are a dying breed. It’s not for a lack of demand though – Patrol sales topped 6000 last year, making it one of the more popular large SUVs in Australia. Rather, decarbonisation and more specifically emissions standards are set to spell the…
-
The 2026 Kia EV6 will start from $72,660 before on-road costs, with price rises of just $70 across each of the four model grades. The modest price increase coincides with updated exterior styling, cabin tweaks and a larger battery designed to deliver improved driving range. The updated lineup is due in showrooms “imminently”, according to a Kia Australia release. Every EV6 is now fitted with the same 84kWh lithium-ion battery pack, replacing the previously offered 77.4kWh unit. The entry-level Air RWD gains an additional 54km of range, and is now rated at a claimed 582km under the WLTP test cycle.…
-
General Motors has been slow in rolling out plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) as it still says electric vehicles (EVs) are the endgame. The company’s CEO Mary Barra also pointed out an inconvenient truth about PHEV technology: a lot of owners don’t use them as they’re intended to be used. “What we also know today with plug-in hybrids is most people don’t plug them in,” Ms Barra said at an Automotive Press Association conference this week. “So that’s why we’re trying to be very thoughtful about what we do from a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid perspective. “We’re mainly investing and…
-
A significantly updated Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan will reportedly be revealed this year, powered by a more powerful V8 petrol engine the automaker has confirmed will use a flat-plane crankshaft. The new engine is part of what Mercedes-Benz describes as the “most extensive update in one generation”. According to Autocar, the current seventh-generation S-Class is set to receive a major overhaul in the coming weeks, including an updated exterior design, a substantially upgraded cabin, and the aforementioned V8 engine. A flat-plane crankshaft not only gives an internal combustion engine (ICE) a distinctive timbre, but also offers performance advantages such as reduced…
-
Honda says its new ‘H’ emblem will be adopted across its lineup in the coming years. Debuting on its 0 Series electric concepts, the borderless badge was originally created to be used on Honda’s electric vehicles (EVs) exclusively. Now, Honda has confirmed the new ‘H mark’ will be rolled out to not only EVs but also “major” hybrid vehicles, starting with the brand’s next-generation vehicles to be introduced from 2027. It’ll be “gradually” rolled out and will also be used at dealerships, in motorsport activities, and in marketing materials. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get…
-
The Ford Bronco RTR is yet more proof the Blue Oval has a big off-roader-shaped hole in its local lineup. Revealed today, the RTR is a new member of the Bronco off-road SUV family, which Ford says delivers “Raptor-inspired high-speed capability with a lower starting price than Badlands Sasquatch”. For context, the Badlands is an “extreme off-roading” variant of the body-on-frame off-roader, while the Sasquatch package brings a higher ride height, more sophisticated automatic four-wheel drive system, and a different final drive ratio, among other changes. RTR Vehicles, meanwhile, is perhaps best known as a tuner of Mustangs, but has…
-
BMW M has offered detailed insights into its first electric performance model ahead of its upcoming global reveal. Due in 2027 – one year earlier than previously thought – the as-yet unnamed model will be an electric counterpart to the iconic M3 sedan, and will be sold alongside its internal combustion-powered ‘brother’. As previously speculated, the M3 EV (and all other Neue Klasse M models) are now confirmed to feature four electric motors – one on each corner, coined BMW M eDrive – and the same ‘Heart of Joy’ drivetrain and dynamics computing system found in the upcoming iX3. Indeed,…