The Jeep Wrangler 4xe, Grand Cherokee 4xe, and Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrids have all officially been axed in the US. A Stellantis spokesperson told The Drive, “With customer demand shifting, Stellantis will phase out plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year”. The company said it “continually evaluates its product strategy to meet evolving customer needs and regulatory requirements”. President Trump is firm believer that climate change is a “hoax”, and has set the penalty of failing the country’s CAFE fuel economy target to zero dollars. In addition to this, his administration ended the federal…

Bentley is a brand known for producing truly special cars, and this – the Flying Spur sedan – is the most exclusive of them all. Starting from just under $500,000, the Flying Spur is the most expensive Bentley you can buy right now, at least in base specification. It’s also the rarest on Australian roads – just 10 were sold last year to the end of November, in which time the Continental coupe/convertible and Bentayga SUV chalked up 58 sales each. Nevertheless, Bentley has tinkered with the Flying Spur lineup for 2026. You can no longer buy the V6 plug-in…

Skoda has rung in 2026 by teasing an “Epiq new year”, and confirming the reveals of two all-new electric SUVs. CEO Klaus Zellmer presented the two cars under wraps in a new video published to the Czech brand’s media site today, both of which will be revealed this year. The first is the production version of the Skoda Epiq, a compact electric crossover roughly the same size as the existing Kamiq. Revealed in near-production form last September in Munich, the Epiq boasts the Czech brand’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language and has been tipped by Skoda to offer price parity…

MG Motor Australia has new leadership, as the Chinese auto brand encounters teething troubles as it works towards its previously stated goal of being a top-three marque locally by 2030. Peter Ciao, who has been in the top role since 2018, is moving into an advisory role in which he will “ensure a smooth transition for local staff, dealers, partners and customers”. Parent company SAIC Motor, which has been present in Australia for a decade now, has announced Qing Zhang will head up the automaker’s operations in Australia and New Zealand, which includes leading the MG brand. Mr Zhang will…

Australia’s new-vehicle market might be bigger than it was a decade ago, but it’s also more fragmented. Total sales rose from 1,155,408 deliveries in 2015 to 1,241,037 in 2025, a gain of 85,629 vehicles. Yet over the same span, the top end of the market ceded meaningful share to a growing ‘long tail’ of smaller and mid-size auto brands. The clearest measure is concentration. In 2015, the top 10 marques accounted for 75.9 per cent of all new-vehicle sales. In 2025, the top 10’s share fell to 67.3 per cent. In other words, nearly one in three new vehicles sold last year came from outside the 10 biggest brands, up from one in four back in 2015. CarExpert…

Kia Australia is killing off pure petrol versions of its Carnival MPV and Sorento SUV, as local emissions regulations tighten. The entry-level front-wheel drive V6 powertrain in the Carnival and Sorento is now “limited to dealer stock”, according to a notice published to the brand’s local website. A Kia Australia spokesperson told CarExpert the move is due to the Australian Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), and that stock is expected to be cleared out by the end of March – meaning if you want a V6 Carnival or Sorento, you’d better get in quick. CarExpert can save you thousands…

Chinese brand Omoda Jaecoo will branch out into the seven-seat SUV market this year by introducing a three-row, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the recently launched Jaecoo J8. Up until now, Omoda Jaecoo has only sold SUVs with two rows of seating – the Jaecoo J7 and J8 and Omoda 9 – but that will change later this year when the Chery-owned brand introduces its rival to popular family haulers including the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Mazda CX-80. “Yes, there are plans,” said Chery Australia chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz. “We are evaluating the J8 Super Hybrid 7-seat…