The program gives buyers a pre-determined future resale value for their new Tesla based on customer-agreed parameters including loan term and annual mileage. It isn't available to rideshare drivers.

In a statement, Tesla said the program allows customers to have their final loan payment covered by the vehicle's trade-in value, meaning no out-of-pocket expense to finalise the loan provided the vehicle meets mileage and wear-and-tear guidelines.

The announcement comes after Tesla Australia posted a 66.7 per cent year-on-year sales increase in the first six months of 2026, led by the Model Y despite Model 3 sales falling 14.1 per cent.

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The result follows a 24.8 per cent sales slump for Tesla in Australia in 2025, when the company recorded its second consecutive year of global sales declines and was overtaken by BYD as the world's biggest electric vehicle (EV) seller.

In a dramatic turnaround, Tesla's global sales rose 16.3 per cent year-on-year in the first half of 2026, while in Australia the brand led a broader resurgence in EV sales.

In March, the Model Y L arrived in Australia as a new six-seater version of Tesla's SUV.

The Model Y became the first EV to top Australia's overall monthly sales charts in May, regardless of powertrain, before repeating the feat in June and again relegating the Ford Ranger to second place.

The Model Y also helped drive electric vehicles to a record 23.3 per cent share of the Australian new-car market in June, marking the third consecutive monthly record as EV demand accelerated following record petrol and diesel prices.

The mid-size Tesla SUV was one of three EVs in the June top 10, joined by the BYD Sealion 7 SUV in fourth place and the BYD Atto 2 small SUV in ninth.

Nine of the 10 top-selling models in June offered some form of electrification, either as a hybrid or electric vehicle, including the second-placed Ford Ranger, third-placed Toyota HiLux, eighth-placed Hyundai Kona and 10th-placed GWM Haval Jolion.

MORE: Explore the Tesla showroom

The full-size luxury sedan's discontinuation was officially announced in Lexus’ largest market, the US, in 2025. Shortly thereafter at October’s Tokyo motor show, Lexus revealed two concepts wearing the LS name, pointing towards an entirely different shape for the Japanese luxury brand's next-generation flagship.

However, the existing LS will continue into 2027, when the current, fifth-generation model will turn 10 years old.

“The Lexus LS will receive a minor technical update with updated vehicles due to go on sale in Australia towards the end of the year,” said a Lexus Australia spokesperson.

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Japanese outlet Creative Trend reports the updated LS will be launched in Japan in September and will feature a reinforced floor tunnel and vibration-absorbing material for the rear crossmember, changes claimed to result in improved ride comfort and steering.

Lexus will also reportedly add a panoramic glass roof, available as an option alongside the dated single-pane sunroof of the current model. It's unclear if this will be a single fixed-glass panel or an opening, dual-pane panoramic sunroof; if it's the latter, it won't be the first Lexus model to simultaneously offer a choice of single-pane and dual-pane sunroofs.

However, Creative Trend reports that the updated LS will miss out on the latest generation of Lexus’ suite of active safety and driver-assist technology, which is called Lexus Safety System+ 4.0 and promises more “human-like active safety interventions”, despite this being introduced in the smaller new-generation ES.

The LS will also reportedly stick with the Toyota premium brand's current generation of infotainment technology and its existing 12.3-inch touchscreen, instead of moving to a larger 14-inch display and the new Arene software platform like the ES.

Perhaps the most noteworthy change for the updated LS is the reported removal of the twin-turbocharged 3.4-litre petrol V6 engine used in the LS500.

This will leave just the LS500h, which features a 3.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid V6 powertrain.

It’s unclear how much life is left in the current LS, and what shape its successor will take.

The LS was Lexus’ debut model back in 1989, and every generation since then has taken the shape of a full-size sedan.

At last year’s Tokyo motor show, however, Lexus revealed a coupe-like SUV wearing the LS nameplate, as well as a bizarre six-wheel people mover.

Toyota also announced last year it was spinning off Century into its own brand, which will slot in above Lexus in the Japanese giant's pecking order.

MORE: Explore the Lexus LS showroom

The iCar V25 – or iCaur V25, as it’ll be known outside China – has appeared in a Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) certification filing, and Chery has simultaneously released some early exterior images of the new mid-size SUV.

While Chery hasn’t confirmed the V25 for Australia yet, it has previously confirmed the iCaur brand for a local launch early in 2027. It’ll join the Chery and Omoda Jaecoo brands already offered here, with Lepas arriving later this year and Freelander also due in 2027.

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Per CarNewsChina, the MIIT filing lists a total length of 4636mm on a 2820mm wheelbase, with the unibody V25 measuring 1920mm wide and 1855mm tall.

That makes it 36mm longer and 65mm wider than the Toyota RAV4, on a 130mm longer wheelbase. The V25 rides on 19- or 21-inch alloy wheels.

The V25 features an EREV powertrain, with a 115kW turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine serving as a generator to recharge the 33.68kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery rather than driving the wheels directly.

Electric-only range is between 145km and 150km on the WLTC cycle, with fuel consumption listed at 1.52L/100km. Maximum towing capacity is 1800kg with an optional towing package.

The V25 slots in neatly between the electric V23 small SUV and the flagship V27 EREV large SUV, though its styling more closely resembles the former.

Nevertheless, all iCaurs have a boxy body and chunky D-pillar treatments, with the V23 and V25 both featuring round headlight clusters and squared-off external spare wheel carriers.

The iCar brand was launched in 2023, and is being sold outside China as ‘iCaur’ to avoid trademark disputes with Apple.

Thus far, the V23 and V27 have been revealed in right-hand drive form, making them shoo-ins for a local launch. The former is slightly shorter than the Mazda CX-3, while the latter is larger than a Denza B5 or Land Rover Defender 110.

The other iCar product is the 03, a small SUV offered as an EV but not consistently sold as an iCaur in export markets; in some countries, it's badged as a Chery or Jaecoo. It’s also available in right-hand drive.

MORE: Chery’s electrified off-road brand iCar confirmed for Australian launch in 2027

The additional immobiliser follows security upgrades introduced in Japan in March, as well as anti-theft measures rolled out in Australia in January 2026. Toyota is yet to announce local pricing for the accessory.

Toyota previously announced the mid-year updates for the LandCruiser Prado, LandCruiser 300 Series as well as the HiLux – the latter not part of the latest confirmation – with sales and marketing boss John Pappas revealing the news to CarExpert in April.

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“We have said we have added protective measures across our range over time, and then we further enhanced security measures on the LandCruiser [300], the HiLux and the [LandCruiser] Prado, and we’re adding an additional immobiliser in the middle of this year," Mr Pappas said.

“The thefts are not a Toyota issue only, it's a total industry-wide issue that involves OEMs, it involves government, it involves industry bodies, police – it's a total ecosystem of everybody involved.”

Toyota didn't detail the previous security measures, saying it didn't want to provide information that could assist potential thieves. It instead referred to them as 'advanced safety measures'.

The upgrades apply only to newly purchased vehicles, with no over-the-air updates available for existing owners. Toyota has also added a physical steering-wheel lock to its range of genuine accessories as an additional theft deterrent.

Car-theft rings targeting Toyota vehicles have been thwarted by authorities in both Victoria and Queensland, with police saying thieves used tools acquired online to steal the vehicles.

Victoria Police said in March 2026 key-cloning technology was being used to steal one in three vehicles, with the LandCruiser, HiLux, RAV4 and Corolla among the most frequently targeted.

“Our intelligence estimates as many as 30 cars are being stolen using key cloning technology in Victoria every day,” deputy commissioner of regional operations Bob Hill said in a media statement.

Advanced theft rings have also been using electronic devices to access vehicles through the OBD (on-board diagnostics) port. This allows thieves to effectively take over the vehicle, including unlocking the doors and starting the engine.

The method can also disable the vehicle's GPS tracking capability, including Toyota's connected tracking service.

Victoria Police has recommended fitting an OBD-port blocking device to prevent thieves plugging cloning tools into vehicles as one of a number of measures to reduce car theft.

Approximately 32,000 vehicles were stolen in Victoria in 2025, the highest annual total since 2001 and an increase on already record theft rates in the state.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) said Victoria's $243 million in insurance claims for stolen vehicles was greater than the combined total of every other Australian state and territory.

MORE: Explore the Toyota showroom

The Prelude name returned to Australia in May 2026 after an absence of more than two decades, and while the brand has said a hot Type R version of the born-again coupe is not imminent, it isn't ruling out offering more options for buyers of the hybrid sports car.

“We are looking at different ways in which we could add, I guess, layers to the Prelude over its lifecycle,” Honda Australia director Rob Thorp told CarExpert.

This could include tuning parts from Mugen, which has already revealed a Mugen-equipped version of the new Prelude in Japan.

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It adds front and rear under spoilers, a rear spoiler, rear diffuser treatment, and carbon-fibre side skirts, while other Prelude parts from Mugen include a sports exhaust system.

Mugen Japan announced Garage IMMI as its new Australian distributor in June, in what is believed to be its first official Australian distribution agreement in many years.

“The Mugen side of the business is an interesting one,” Mr Thorp told CarExpert.

“It's one that we haven't really been able to lean into much locally yet, but we're working on things.”

Mugen – now trading as M-TEC – was founded in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of Honda founder Soichiro Honda, and is responsible for performance upgrade packages for Honda road cars, while also competing in motorsport including Formula 1.

Its Australian catalogue extends beyond the Prelude, with parts for a wide range of Honda models including the current Civic Type R, as well as older vehicles such as the S2000 sports car and the original Honda NSX.

The comments from the Honda Australia director come only weeks after rival Nissan – with which Honda is discussing a potential global partnership – announced plans to open its first local Nismo Performance Centre Melbourne later this year.

It will be the first outlet for Nismo (which stands for Nissan Motorsports and is the company's official performance arm) outside Japan, with plans to expand across Australia and New Zealand.

It will offer performance parts for the Nissan Z coupe, as well as historic models such as the legendary R32 Skyline GT-R.

Similarly, Toyota Australia has said it is exploring stand-alone showrooms for its GR (Gazoo Racing) performance division to showcase models such as the GR86 coupe, and potentially future revivals of the MR2 and Celica sports cars.

MORE: Explore the Honda showroom

A spokesperson from the automaker said it became aware of the issue when a customer contacted a dealer after cross-checking the build date while trying to insure their BYD.

"The dealer was contacted by the customer and we jumped on it," a BYD spokesperson told CarExpert.

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"What's happened is the date that's recorded in our CRM system – which is where the dealers get the information from – the date that was put in our system was the date the vehicle left the factory. It should have been the date of manufacture."

While the date of manufacture was correct in government systems, the incorrect data was manually entered into BYD's systems, meaning the issue was caused by human error.

The difference in build year could impact resale value when owners decide to sell their vehicle later on, as well as insurance and other costs.

"The initial response was $1100 [compensation], which was a preliminary response which we thought was fair and reasonable," the spokesperson said.

Nearly 900 of the 1265 affected owners have been contacted by BYD, with attempts continuing to reach all customers, while around 630 have accepted the offer of $1100.

Yet the automaker is now in the process of recontacting affected owners to offer them the option of a full refund – a move it says is the right thing to do despite there being no operational issue with the vehicles.

"On further examination, we thought the fairest thing to do was to offer a refund of the full transaction price and they will have the opportunity, if they wish, to purchase another vehicle," said the spokesperson.

"We want to make it as fair and faithful to the original transaction price. If they bought their car while there was a cashback offer – and that offer no longer exists – we will make good on that offer.

"This is about making sure the customer doesn't have to spend $1 more than their original transaction."

The issue comes as BYD enjoys record sales growth in Australia, having delivered just 243 fewer vehicles than market-leading Toyota in June.

Its best-selling model year-to-date has been the Sealion 7 electric SUV, followed by the recently expanded Shark 6 dual-cab ute range and Atto 2 small SUV.

The spokesperson told CarExpert the way the automaker has responded is important for a brand that launched in Australia relatively recently, with its first local customer cars landing in 2022.

"I would like to think that our level of transparency and our swiftness to respond and offer customers a full refund on a vehicle that has no defect is an honourable one, and is the right thing to do," said the spokesperson.

"We're owning it – this was not an act of deceit – this was not deceitful behaviour, this was an administrative error we were quick to jump on.

"At the end of the day, we're a relatively new brand in Australia and the only way we're going to build on our success is by being a trusted brand, and to do that we'll be making the right decisions for our customers."

MORE: Explore the BYD showroom

Called "shadow patrol cars", these vehicles wear reflective, colour-matched markings that are designed to be less visible than regular patrol cars during the day, albeit still reflective at night when light hits them. They also lack the roof-mounted light bars seen on traditional marked police cars.

They're therefore more stealthy than marked police cars, but more visible than unmarked units.

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There are two examples each of the Subaru Outback, Toyota Kluger, and Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series wearing this new 'shadow' livery, and all of them will be equipped with speed detection equipment, alcohol and drug testing equipment, and safety equipment required by officers for investigating collisions.

They'll be deployed in metropolitan and regional areas for both routine road policing and targeted enforcement operations, with officers on board looking out for drivers speeding, not paying attention, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or otherwise driving dangerously.

"These will serve as a deterrent effect for those people who probably think they can get away with their behaviour because they know when they can pick a patrol car," said SAPOL commissioner Grant Stevens at a press conference.

"These vehicles at night will be more apparent when you shine a light on them, but we want to keep people guessing in terms of where we are and what we're doing so that those people who ignore the rules are going to find it much harder to avoid police.

"If you're doing the right thing, you've got nothing to worry about."

As of July 6, 2026, a total of 61 lives have been lost on South Australian roads so far this year, with drink-driving being a contributing factor in 10 per cent of these lives lost, drug-driving contributing 21 per cent, and "dangerous road users or behaviours" contributing 36 per cent.

First came a set of sweeping changes at the start of the year – significant price cuts, more power, longer range, and extra standard equipment among them.

And now we have this: the 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring, a new adventure-ready flagship variant that's more practical, more powerful and more versatile than the AWD model on which it's based, without costing a whole lot more.

It helps that a longer tail makes it look more like a lifted wagon than a generic electric SUV, too.

Toyota isn't alone in offering a rugged alternative to the Tesla Model Y, though. The related Subaru Trailseeker follows the same formula, serving as the Touring’s counterpart – just as the Solterra does to the regular bZ4X.

So which, if either, should you be lining up to buy? We headed to the national launch in Brisbane to find out.

How much does the Toyota bZ4X Touring cost?

Priced from $69,990 plus on-road costs, the Touring sits atop the updated bZ4X EV range in Australia, commanding a $2000 premium over the bZ4X AWD.

It's also more expensive than the base version of the related Subaru Trailseeker, which starts from $63,990 before on-road costs. Confusingly, the top-spec Trailseeker is also known as the Touring, and is priced identically to its Toyota twin.

Electric wagon-like SUVs are a rare breed, so there are few other direct rivals. However, buyers may also cross-shop the Zeekr 7X (from $57,900), Kia EV6 (from $72,660), or even the top-selling Tesla Model Y (from $58,900), even if none offers quite the same outdoorsy wagon flavour – all prices exclude on-road costs.

Not sold on an EV? Then take your pick from the plentiful mid-size SUVs offering all-wheel drive, decent ground clearance, and family practicality.

To see how the Toyota bZ4X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Toyota bZ4X Touring like on the inside?

From the front seats forward, it's identical to the bZ4X AWD.

So it probably won't win any design awards, nor is it particularly vibrant.

The Touring can at least be had with a khaki interior, although that's nowhere near as fun as the blue trim that's standard in the Trailseeker.

Toyota also cedes ground to Subaru when it comes to ergonomics.

Both models feature a 7.0-inch digital instrument panel positioned high up and close to the windscreen, in theory keeping your eyes from wandering too far from the road.

However, taller bZ4X drivers may find the display partly obscured by the top of the circular steering wheel, forcing them to lower the wheel to a less comfortable position, duck their head to view key information, or ignore the screen altogether.

Subaru, meanwhile, has introduced a squared-off steering wheel for better visibility of the display. It's an imperfect solution to a problem that needn't exist, but it's an improvement nonetheless.

Aside from that, the bZ4X and Trailseeker are virtually identical inside.

And if you're of the right stature to avoid the aforementioned ergonomic issue, there's plenty to like about the Toyota's cabin.

The front seats, for example, are trimmed in soft synthetic leather and offer ample electric adjustment and generous cushioning, making them well suited to long-distance comfort. Three-stage heating and ventilation also help take the edge off hot and cold weather.

Soft-touch finishes either side of the driver elevate comfort levels further.

It's pretty easy to get your head around the layout and controls, too. Audio volume and cabin temperature are adjusted using prominent rotary dials, while key driving functions sit right where your left hand falls naturally on the centre console.

In other words, you don't have to go fossicking through the infotainment touchscreen to complete simple tasks.

Even if you enjoy that sort of thing, there's not much point playing with the screen, as while its visuals are crisp, functionality is limited.

There's no Google integration, nor an extensive selection of native apps. Sat-nav is standard, but it's not the most advanced system going around.

As such, most owners will default to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as they tend to in most new vehicles anyway. And there's something to be said for the bZ4X's straightforward simplicity in an era of increasingly complex infotainment interfaces.

It's difficult to excuse the absence of a glovebox, though. Storage elsewhere is likewise lacking, as the lower tray, armrest compartment, and door bins are all smaller than you'd expect from a family SUV.

Twin wireless phone charging pads and a set of sunken cupholders help, but Toyota could've made far better use of the space available.

It's a different story in the second row, where the benefits of stretching the bZ4X start to be realised.

For context, the Touring is 140mm longer than other bZ4X variants, although that extra length is entirely behind the rear axle.

However, it also has a 20mm taller roofline, which translates to generous headroom in the back, even with the inclusion of a panoramic glass roof.

Rear legroom was already very good, and remains so, while there's adequate room to squeeze your feet under the front seats.

The middle seat is perfectly usable, too, courtesy of a flat floor.

In terms of actual comfort, the bench is a little slippery but soft enough to sink into over longer journeys, and the outboard seats are heated. The backrest reclines quite far back for those chasing some shut-eye.

So, all in all, the Touring makes for a comfortable family hauler.

Rear amenities include air vents, two USB-C outlets, map pockets, a fold-down centre armrest with integrated cupholders, and drink bottle slots in both doors.

In addition to passenger space, cargo capacity is a key drawcard of the bZ4X Touring. The boot has expanded by 151 litres to a total of 603L – a best-in-class figure ignoring the Model Y, which isn't subjected to the same measurement method.

Better still, the boot aperture is wide, there’s no load lip, and the hands-free tailgate aids accessibility when your hands are full. Toyota has also fitted a vehicle-to-load (V2L) power outlet in the boot, allowing you to power external appliances (eg: camping gear) directly from the high-voltage battery.

Let's pray you don't cop a flat tyre while exploring the great outdoors though, as the Touring isn't equipped with a physical spare wheel – crazy, we know.

To see how the Toyota bZ4X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

The bZ4X Touring packs a more powerful dual-motor electric drivetrain than the bZ4X AWD, quoting total system power of 280kW (up from 252kW).

It allows the Touring to accelerate to 100km/h from rest in just 4.5 seconds, shaving 0.6 seconds off the claimed time of its smaller stablemate.

However, driving range drops from 517km to 488km on the WLTP cycle, and achieving that figure requires a degree of restraint.

As with the regular bZ4X, DC fast-charging tops out at 150kW, while 22kW AC charging is fitted as standard.

To see how the Toyota bZ4X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Toyota bZ4X Touring drive?

Believe it or not, the bZ4X Touring is perfectly suited to, well, touring.

Beyond being practical enough to swallow five people and their luggage, it offers effortless overtaking power and a supple ride that should help long road trips fly by.

The latter quality came as somewhat of a surprise considering we've previously criticised the standard bZ4X for being a bit firm, but it appears as if the chassis and suspension changes made for this lifted, more adventurous variant have worked a treat.

Having said that, we'll need to spend more time with the Touring to confirm this, as these impressions are purely based on a couple of hours behind the wheel on some of Queensland's smoother country roads.

I can at least speak with some certainty on the performance available, as road conditions are unlikely to change the fact the bZ4X Touring is a seriously rapid SUV. More importantly, it's quick in a way that's approachable, not in a way that's going to scare the bejesus out of either you or your kids.

That's an important distinction, as some dual-motor EVs simply aren't equipped to handle their immense thrust, whereas this one feels stable and self-assured.

However, despite its stability under throttle, the bZ4X Touring could benefit from stronger brakes. The current stoppers aren't hugely effective, and the car's weight makes itself known through noticeable dive under braking.

Being an EV, the Touring features regenerative braking, with four levels of intensity controlled via shift paddles. There's instant deceleration when you lift off the right pedal, but even the strongest setting falls well short of true single-pedal driving.

Given the brakes themselves aren’t especially convincing, stronger regen would be welcome.

The bZ4X Touring's extra size is also apparent when the road turns twisty. Its chassis has clearly been tuned for comfort and versatility rather than sporty handling, resulting in pronounced body roll through corners.

Still, grip isn't lacking, even with relatively skinny 235mm-wide Bridgestone tyres, while the combination of accurate steering and all-paw traction inspires confidence.

Yet ultimately, the Touring feels secure rather than athletic, preferring relaxed cruising to being hustled along a backroad.

A commanding driving position, large mirrors, generous rear window and excellent outward visibility also make it easy to place on the road, with no obvious blind spots to undermine confidence.

You might want to turn the music up when travelling cross-country, though, because the absence of powertrain noise brings road roar to the fore, especially on coarse-chip surfaces. That's no dealbreaker, given the kids in the back will likely drown it out anyway.

At least the safety aids don't add to the noise. The driver monitor, lane-keep assist, and overspeed warning systems were all well-behaved throughout our brief drive, reinforcing the Touring’s easygoing character.

Further, there's Toyota's latest semi-autonomous driving tech, which reduces fatigue over longer freeway journeys.

As for how the Touring handles urban duties, I can't really tell you, due to the nature of the press launch route. It remains to be seen whether the extra length and ground clearance make a meaningful difference to how the Touring drives and parks in town.

I can't offer insights into how it fares off-road either, which is slightly disappointing given the Touring's adventure-focused upgrades and Subaru DNA.

With that in mind, stay tuned for a more comprehensive road test further down the line.

To see how the Toyota bZ4X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Most of the same stuff you get in a bZ4X AWD, with the exception of unique 20-inch black alloy wheels, front and rear skid plates, ladder-style roof rails, resin black wheel-arches and bonnet trim inserts, as well as a rear window wiper.

2026 Toyota bZ4X 2WD equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Tyre repair kit
• LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Headlight cleaners
• Puddle lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Rear privacy glass
• Gloss-black wheel-arches
• Keyless entry and start
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Electric parking brake
• 1500W inverter in cargo space
• 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Satellite navigation
• 8-way power driver’s seat
• Heated front seats
• Leather-accented steering wheel
• Heated steering wheel
• Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
• Paddle shifters
• 6-speaker sound system
• 2 x wireless phone chargers
• 2 x front USB-C outlets
• 2 x rear USB-C outlets
• Dual-zone climate control
• Electrochromatic rear-view mirror
• Toyota Connected Essentials
• • SOS emergency call
  • Automatic collision notification
• 1-year complimentary access to Toyota Connect+ incl.
• • Stolen vehicle tracking
  • Remote adjustment of locks, climate control
  • Connected Navigation

AWD adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Rear spoiler
• Fixed panoramic glass roof
• X-Mode with 3 x off-road modes
• Semi-autonomous parking assist
• Driver’s seat memory
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Digital rear-view mirror
• 9-speaker JBL sound system

Touring adds:

• Unique 20-inch black alloy wheels
• Front and rear skid plates
• Ladder-style roof rails
• Resin black wheel-arch cladding
• Rear window wiper

To see how the Toyota bZ4X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Toyota bZ4X Touring safe?

The Touring holds the same five-star ANCAP safety rating as the standard bZ4X, based on testing conducted last year.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking
• • Pedestrian detection
  • Daytime cyclist detection
  • Intersection turn assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Emergency steering assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver monitoring camera
• Lane-keep assist
• Parking Support Brake
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safe exit assist
• Surround-view camera
• Speed sign recognition

To see how the Toyota bZ4X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Toyota bZ4X Touring cost to run?

The bZ4X Touring is backed by Toyota's standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, as well as separate warranties for the electric motors and high-voltage battery.

On first glance, the servicing costs seem quite reasonable, but it's worth keeping in mind that some EVs have longer intervals of up to two years/40,000km. Or, in Tesla's case, no set intervals at all.

Beyond that, you still have to pay extra for roadside assistance at Toyota – despite the fact that most brands throw it in for free.

To see how the Toyota bZ4X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Toyota bZ4X Touring

The Touring is a clever evolution of the updated bZ4X, which was already very good in its own right – if only Toyota did it first.

A stretched rear-end works wonders for the appearance and practicality of Toyota's family EV, while a raised ride height and extra power broaden its appeal further.

It's not like any of the changes have introduced new compromises, either, although the few shortcomings already present in the bZ4X remain.

But while the Touring is hugely convincing, Subaru has already pulled this trick with the Trailseeker, which offers much the same package with a more adventurous brand image, a lower starting price, and a smarter steering wheel solution.

It's the lower starting price that really stands out, as $70k plus on-road costs is getting up there for this type of car.

For that reason, I'd forfeit some luxuries and settle for the base Trailseeker AWD.

Still, both twins are among the best options in a crowded segment, recapturing the spirit of the all-purpose wagons we loved piling into as kids.

Interested in buying a Toyota bZ4X? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

Click the images for the full gallery

MORE: Explore the Toyota bZ4X showroom

"Due to a manufacturing defect, the roof-rail airbag inflators located on the left and right roof rails above the headliner may experience inflator end cap separation or an inflator sidewall split," the company says in its recall notice.

"If the end cap separates from the roof-rail airbag inflator or a sidewall rupture occurs, compressed gas and inflator components may be propelled into the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of serious injury or death."

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• A total of 7 vehicles are affected, produced between 2018 and 2019
• The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) list is attached here
• The original recall notice is attached here

If you own an affected vehicle, Premoso will contact you in writing and advise you to schedule an appointment with an authorised dealer to have the required rectification work carried out, free of charge.

If you have any further questions, you can contact the Walkinshaw Group on (03) 9265 9500.

MORE: Explore the Chevrolet Silverado showroom

Honda Australia opened orders for 100 examples of the Civic Type R at 3:00pm on July 6, marking the first time the performance hatch has been available to order since last year, when the previous allocation sold out.

“Half of them went the first day, and I think our expectation is that that allocation will go pretty close [to being exhausted] by the end of the month,” Honda Australia director Rob Thorp told CarExpert.

The model-year 2027 Type R is priced at $85,000 drive-away (and available in one of four exterior paint colours – Sonic Gray, Championship White, Crystal Black and Racing Blue), which is $500 less than before, but still well above its $72,600 drive-away launch price in 2022.

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Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine sending 235kW/420Nm to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

While Honda previously ruled out more Type Rs for Australia in 2026, Mr Thorp suggested this allocation may not be the final one – though any future vehicles could cost more as Australia's tightening emissions laws increase compliance costs.

“I'm pretty comfortable that there's going to be more, but I'm not really in a position to confirm how much,” the Honda boss told CarExpert.

“We’re always talking to the factory to see what we can do to get as many as we possibly can, because the demand out there is still pretty strong, but it’s just trying to find that right balance at the moment.”

Supply of the Japan-built Type R for Australian showrooms is influenced by a variety of factors, Mr Thorp said.

“It's not a single factor, it’s a blended consideration that we have to make to determine what and when we can bring it in.

“It's a delicate balance. There are some production restrictions globally that we have to work within, and so hence why we're taking the vehicle in batches, and at the same time for us it's also trying to balance a few things.

“Part of it's also trying to balance the emission regulations as well, that the nature of the vehicle does attract a hefty individual penalty, which, when you apply against a portfolio, you can certainly manage, but we have to be careful with how we manage that.”

Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) was introduced in 2025 and imposes financial penalties on auto brands whose fleet-average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions exceed prescribed targets.

The allowable CO2 limits tighten each year until 2029, meaning the Type R's official combined emissions rating of 273g/km attracts progressively larger penalties. Those costs may be partially offset by Honda's lower-emission hybrid models and the electric Honda Super-One due in Australian showrooms later this year.

Even so, that may not be enough to prevent the Type R's price rising beyond today's $85,000 drive-away figure, potentially making the current allocation the last opportunity for enthusiasts to secure one at that price.

“The other part of it is trying to balance the demand that's out there with a supply that we can actually get,” Mr Thorp said.

“And a part of it is also trying to balance the emission regulations as well.”

MORE: Explore the Honda Civic Type R showroom

These images of the new Seagull come from BYD's filings with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and were published by Autohome and then Car News China. 

They show a pint-size electric vehicle (EV) that maintains the current model’s design philosophy, but has some notable styling changes, including wider headlights, a single shoulder line along the side, a less pronounced upward kink to the side window line, a longer rear overhang, and tail-lights that no longer stretch across the entire width of the car.

BYD has also relocated the charging port to the rear fender, and deleted the plastic wheel-arch protectors.

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Measuring 4205mm long, 1810mm wide, 1570mm tall, and riding on a 2650mm wheelbase, the new Seagull has grown significantly. Compared to the current Seagull/Atto 1, the new model is 215mm longer, 95mm wider, 20mm lower, and has a 150mm longer wheelbase.

The new Seagull will be available with five seats, whereas today's car is sold as a four-seat hatch in most markets. Despite the increase in dimensions, kerb weight remains largely the same as before, with the base spec tipping the scales at 1180kg and the better-equipped variant weighing 1255kg.

Regardless of spec, the new Seagull rides on 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/60 tyres, although buyers do have a choice of wheel designs if they're willing to pony up some extra cash.

At launch in China, the new Seagull will be available solely with a 95kW electric motor driving the front wheels. That sits roughly between the 65kW/175Nm and 115kW/220Nm motor outputs available in Australia-bound Atto 1 vehicles, but is significantly gutsier than the 55kW/135Nm offering currently used in base models in China.

No details about battery pack options were revealed in the regulatory filing, although we know the new Seagull will once again use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) units from FinDreams.

It's unclear at this stage whether BYD intends to bring the new Seagull here as a replacement for the current Atto 1, which was launched locally in 2024 after going on sale in China in 2023.

In addition to being known as the Atto 1 locally and the Seagull in China, the affordable EV is also sold as the Dolphin Surf in Europe, and the Dolphin Mini in Latin America.

MORE: Explore the BYD Atto 1 showroom

The company has also had to scale back its electric vehicle (EV) ambitions after the Japanese automaker axed most of its futuristic-looking 0 Series models shortly before their planned release.

At the same time, the introduction of Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) and record fuel prices have made market conditions even more challenging.

Even so, the brand is finally on track to reach the 18,000 annual sales target it set when it controversially switched to a fixed-price agency sales model in 2021, eliminating price negotiation across its now 84-strong national dealer network.

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Honda Australia's current CEO Jay Joseph arrived from Honda's US operations at the same time Robert Thorp was promoted to the position of director in April 2025. After more than a year with new leadership, has the brand finally turned a corner? We sat down with Mr Thorp to find out.

Honda Australia posted just 0.8 per cent year-to-date sales growth after June 2026, a record month for new-vehicle sales in Australia. So why are you so happy?

Yes, when you look at the year-on-year growth, we are up maybe one per cent, but it doesn't always reveal the full story.

The underlying business is really strong at the moment, and June in particular was our highest order intake in four years. They were real customers at the end of those orders – it wasn't us relying on non-private purchased business.

So whilst the year-on-year growth doesn't look strong, the health of the underlying business is really good, and the fact we've got that high order intake gives us a lot of confidence that what we're doing within the business, and the improvements we're making, are starting to deliver rewards.

I guess for us it's sort of further validation that what we've got planned for the second half of the year, where we do expect to see some retail growth year-on-year, means we're trending the right way.

So we've just launched the updated CR-V and ZR-V, both of which have expanded hybrid lineups. Prelude has added some incremental growth, and then we've got Super-One, so each of those models we think will start to translate to genuine year-on-year growth by the time we get to the end of the year.

How much were sales up by last month?

The order intake was about 20 to 25 per cent higher than this time last year.

What do you put the growth down to? Because the two models you mentioned, the CR-V and ZR-V, were the only two Honda models to see sales increase – and only by small margins

The numbers are factually correct. Don't get me wrong, because that's actually what we delivered in June, but the underlying order demand, some of which hasn't been delivered to customers yet, is what's actually giving us cause for joy.

I think it's not really just one thing that we're seeing drive that sort of performance, it's a combination of factors. That's an improvement in the business that we've been driving for some time. New product – which absolutely helps – and the expansion of the hybrid range have been really important for us.

Launching a model like Prelude generates a lot of interest, and it's added incremental levels of demand, but it's also things like our ongoing relationship with our network, which we're investing quite heavily in and trying to ensure they're engaged with the Honda business.

It's things like we've really expanded our network training programs to ensure that when you walk into a Honda centre, there's genuine help and support there for you.

It's our ownership programs, which I think are finally getting a bit of traction in the market, and our low-price servicing is a great example of that. You know when you purchase a vehicle with Honda, you've got that certainty of care for years to come.

So it's a combination of these things, but they all add layers of incremental improvement to the business. I think that June number, that underlying demand that we're talking about, is validation of the improvements we're making. We're starting to see some results come through.

The new Prelude found 86 customers last month, and 228 buyers since orders opened in April 2026. Are you happy with Prelude sales so far?

To be honest, I think the first couple of metrics that were really important for us were just the level of inquiry and interest in the model itself, and we had a huge number of EOIs [expressions of interest].

We've had so many people walk into showrooms, the website traffic’s been enormous, and Honda centres have had a lot of people come in. Admittedly, not everyone's there to buy, but they're curious, and they're kicking a few tyres.

But the level of demand and interest in it has been extraordinary.

We always knew that it would take a bit of time to curate that audience and then convert it into retail, so it was going to be a bit of a slower build-up. That being said, the conversion metrics, the test-drive metrics and the pure delivery metrics are pretty much all on-point, and it's been a very successful launch for us thus far.

Do you believe the Prelude's $65,000 drive-away price is right?

Everyone does this too, but we've taken care with all of our model launches recently to try and ensure we arrive at the right price in the market.

The way our model works is that it's a drive-away price, so it's all-inclusive. We don't play games with a retail price and then all the add-ons, which sometimes gives the perception that we're more expensive than the competitors.

But from a drive-away price point, we're very careful to make sure the number is the right one for consumers in the market, and that number isn’t just what you pay for the product, but the ownership experience as well.

That low-price servicing, as of today, is $199 per service for five years, which I think is pretty much the best in the market, and if you do that you automatically extend it to an eight-year warranty, which I think is a wonderful package.

So, whether it’s the Prelude, the CR-V or the ZR-V, we've taken real care to make sure we get those price points right within the market, while also protecting customers' investments from a residual value point of view, which is a really important aspect of our business model.

Where are you at with adding more EVs to the lineup? You mentioned the 0 Series Alpha might be a candidate. Is that any closer?

Yeah, we’re looking at that. I'm not in a position to confirm anything product-wise in the future, whether that’s EVs or hybrids or anything else for that matter. But what I can say is that we're very actively putting our hand up to be in the conversation for any model that is produced globally, as to whether or not we can bring it here locally.

Not everything is going to work every time, for various reasons. Whether it be manufacturing or R&D, it’s very expensive, as you can appreciate, bringing a car to market.

So there’s got to be a market here – it has to make economic sense – but anything that’s available globally, we're definitely in the conversation to see whether or not we can make it work, and that's across every type of powertrain, body shape, style, segment, fast and slow.

Is the focus still hybrids? Has the fuel supply crisis changed your strategy?

Not really. I think our strategy has been actually pretty firm and consistent for a while, in that we had always had the approach that we would want to expand into hybrid before pushing into EVs.

That hasn't really fundamentally changed and, you know, pre-fuel crisis, post-fuel crisis, that strategy does remain consistent.

Certainly, these moments do require you to pause and think, and there are some small pivots, certainly for the remainder of this year.

Just by virtue of hybrid sales strength, our ICE [internal combustion engine] demand has really pulled away, and so we're changing our product mix and arguably leaning harder into that strategy with hybrid, and for us that's working.

To look at the new CR-V and the new Honda ZR-V, in June itself, 96 per cent of our sales of those two models were hybrid in nature, which just shows that the strategy for us is actually working.

If we had a BEV [battery-electric vehicle] that'd be great. We just don't have one available at the moment. Super-One will hopefully fill that gap, but the fuel crisis hasn't caused us to make fundamental shifts to our product lineup or strategy.

It does require some micro-adjustments with our plans, I guess. Where it does add layers of difficulty is just the cost base of the business, whether it be logistics, supply and so on, which is very difficult to manage.

How to manage that inflated cost base is awkward, because there are some elements consumers may be able to absorb, but there are other parts where ultimately your profit gets squeezed, and that's where it gets quite tricky. We're having a battle at the moment.

You mentioned it'd be nice to have an EV. Given the record growth in EV market share to almost a quarter of the market, do you feel Honda's missing out?

Certainly, if I could wave my magic wand, would I have one in that sort of medium or small SUV segment? Probably, yes. But that being said, I can't wave that wand.

We've got to deal with what's in front of us. We still fundamentally believe in our hybrid strategy.

I still believe fundamentally that, for the vast majority of people, the transition to hybrid is still a more natural transition than going from an ICE environment to a BEV.

I still think that there's going to be a sizable market for both to be successful, and so for us hybrid is where it's at, and that's what our priority is.

Speaking about EVs, you mentioned Super-One. How close are you to announcing the price? Any indication of where it will be positioned in the market?

I would love to [tell you] because I'm very eager to get this one going. The interest has been phenomenal, and I can't say anything today, but we're not far away.

I can say that we’ve done a fair bit of work. It’s probably not too dissimilar to our pricing approach with Prelude, CR-V and Honda ZR-V.

We spent a fair bit of time studying the market, speaking to our network. We've even spoken to some consumers, we've listened to a lot of media commentary, as well as observed pricing overseas.

We're very comfortable that when we announce pricing, which will be very soon, it will be the right number for the market.

I can say that, in speaking to a number of our close network partners, and where we're planning to pitch it, they're very confident that it'll attract a significant number of customers to showrooms and convert into a good volume of sales.

Why do you think BYD is currently so successful? Honda only has a few nameplates relative to Toyota, and BYD is ramping up its model range. Does that make you want to expand the lineup?

I don't really want to comment too much on BYD or other brands. I think, to be fair to them, what they've done has been pretty extraordinary, and I must admit it is difficult to really put a finger on why, in the space of a handful of years, they've been able to just explode in terms of their numbers.

I think one day it'll make an interesting case study for a university course on marketing or something else, I reckon.

So, look, I don't want to speak to that too much, but my hat's off to them all, they've done a great job. For us, I think, to answer that sort of question – model expansion or focus – actually our strategy is a bit of both.

I’d say in the short term, over the next 12 to 18 months or so, our priority is to really solidify our current lineup, and I think we've got, in CR-V and HR-V in particular, really well-known, established and trusted nameplates that have a history of real success in those segments.

I think those two models in particular do have growth potential in the current environment.

I think our biggest challenge is just getting more people to test-drive them, because once you drive them, there's an innate quality that a spec sheet doesn't really explain properly. You have to go and feel it.

MORE: Explore the Honda showroom

After arriving here in electric guise in January, priced at $36,990 before on-road costs, Omoda Jaecoo Australia launched the petrol-powered J5 small SUV range in June.

There’s just one piece left of the puzzle: a hybrid, which Omoda Jaecoo Australia says is coming soon.

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Priced at $25,990 drive-away in base Track trim, the J5 is among Australia's cheapest SUVs, undercut only by the MG ZS Vibe 1.5L ($22,990 drive-away), the Mahindra XUV3XO AX5L ($23,990 drive-away), and the Tiggo 4 from Omoda Jaecoo's sister brand Chery ($23,990 drive-away)

There's also the base manual version of the Hyundai Venue, priced at $23,750 before on-roads but currently being offered for $25,990 drive-away. GWM is also currently offering the base Haval Jolion Premium for $23,990 drive-away.

For a rundown of the Jaecoo J5 EV, see our price and specs article.

Pricing

Drivetrains and Efficiency

The Jaecoo J5 features MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension.

Dimensions

The Jaecoo J5 is a small, five-seat SUV.

Servicing and Warranty

The Jaecoo J5 is backed by an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance is included, and if you service within the Omoda Jaecoo network this can be extended to up to eight years.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Service pricing is as follows:

Safety

The Jaecoo J5 has yet to be assessed by independent safety authorities ANCAP and Euro NCAP.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver monitoring system
• Integrated Cruise Assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Emergency lane-keep assist
• Multi-collision brake
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe exit warning
• Speed sign recognition
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Surround-view camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Front, front-side, front-centre, and curtain airbags (7 in total)

Standard Equipment

There are just two members of the petrol-powered Jaecoo J5 lineup.

The J5 Track comes standard with the following equipment:

• 18-inch alloy wheels in 235/55 R18 tyres
• Automatic projector LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Remote start
• Proximity entry and start
• Electronic parking brake with auto hold
• 8.88-inch digital instrument cluster
• 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• 6-speaker sound system
• Cloth upholstery
• Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
• 'Premium' steering wheel
• Air-conditioning with rear air vents
• Power windows with auto up/down
• LED interior lighting
• 1 x front USB-A outlet – charge and data transmission
• 1 x front USB-C charging outlet
• 1 x rear USB-A charging outlet
• 1 x front 12V outlet

The Summit adds:

• Power tailgate
• Panoramic glass roof with power sunshade
• Bonnet insulator
• 8-speaker sound system
• 50W wireless phone charger
• Leatherette 'pet-friendly' upholstery
• 6-way power-adjustable front seats
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Gloss-black centre console trim
• Soft-touch dashboard and upper front door trims
• Dual-zone climate control
• Illuminated vanity mirrors
• Colour-adjustable ambient lighting – dashboard and front doors
• Second-row arm rest
• Cargo cover
• 1 x 12V outlet in boot

Colours

All petrol Jaecoo J5s have a black interior.

Alpine Green is the standard exterior paint finish, with Arctic White, Carbon Black and Stormy Blue available for an extra $600.

MORE: Explore the Jaecoo J5 showroom

With its wagon shape, raised ride height, and black plastic wheel-arch protectors, the new Dacia Striker channels the spirit of the original Subaru Outback, although, sadly, there's no accompanying regular wagon version.

With ground clearance of 190mm in front-wheel drive models, and 200mm in all-wheel drive variants, the Striker has the elevated stance of a regular SUV. However, at just 1.53m tall, it's only around 30mm taller than a Volkswagen Golf wagon. 

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Measuring 4.62m from tip to tail, the Striker is the longest Dacia to date, eclipsing the Bigster, which is just 4.57m long, but stands considerably taller at 1.7m. Depending on the variant, the Striker rides on either 17-, 18- or 19-inch wheels.

The functional cabin is enlivened somewhat by a swathe of coloured fabric on the dashboard, and ’starkle‘ plastic on the doors and wraparound trim. There's an ice scraper concealed in the dashboard, removable cupholders, and an optional sliding drawer under the centre arm rest.

Boot space is rated at 600L, and higher trim levels have a three-part multi-level boot floor that can be used to prevent items from sliding around or keep valuables out of sight.

A standard 7.0-inch optical reflection instrumentation display is positioned ahead of the driver, while a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen lives in the centre of the dashboard.

Among the available accessories are an aerodynamic roof box, and a pet seat. There's also a water bottle, children's blanket, and a multi-purpose storage net that doubles as a shopping bag, all of which can clip into one of nine YouClip anchor points located throughout the interior.

In Europe, Dacia will offer the Striker with three drivetrains. Entry-level variants feature the 103kW Mild Hybrid-G or Eco-G setup that combines a 48V mild-hybrid system, a 0.8kWh battery, and 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine that can consume either petrol or LPG. 

Next up is the Hybrid 155, which has a 81kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a 37kW electric motor, a high-voltage starter/generator, a 1.4kWh battery, and an automatic electric transmission with four gears for the petrol engine and two for the electric motor. Total output for this drivetrain is 114kW.

Lastly there's the Hybrid 150 4x4 that features a 103kW/230Nm 48V mild-hybrid 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine driving the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, and a 21kW/87Nm electric motor coupled to a two-speed transmission on the rear axle.

This system is rated at 110kW, and includes hill descent control, as well as five drive modes (auto, eco, snow, mud/sand, and off-road).

While Dacia is moving into larger vehicle categories, it is still pricing its products aggressively. In Europe, the Striker will start from €25,000 (A$41,050), undercutting the Skoda Octavia wagon by around €4000 (A$6500).

Dacia's push upmarket has so far been successful, with the related Bigster leading the European C-segment (small) SUV sales race for the first half of 2026. The automaker is planning to release a third C-segment model to complement the Bigster and Striker some time in 2027.

Although Dacia isn't present in Australia, one of its models is sold in Australia, where the smaller Duster SUV is rebadged as Renault.

MORE: Explore the Dacia showroom

In the green corner is the 2026 Suzuki Jimny XL automatic, the five-door version of the Japanese small-car brand’s iconic little off-roader.

With part-time four-wheel drive, low-range gearing, and an endearing old-school design, the Jimny continues to solidify its status as a lovable weekend toy with some serious off-road chops.

This generation of Jimny launched in 2018, while the five-door XL you see on test here joined the range in 2023. While its three-door counterpart received a safety update for 2026, the XL remains unchanged – aside from the addition of the limited-run Rhino in June.

Notably, the Jimny XL is built in India, whereas the three-door maintains its Japanese origins. They both offer the same running gear, though the XL brings an extra level of practicality to an otherwise compromised package.

In the beige corner is the new kid on the block: the 2026 Renault Duster Evolution 4×4. Launched in 2025 as a never-before-seen nameplate in Australia, the Duster promises off-road capability but lacks the mechanical goodies found in the Jimny.

In all-wheel drive form, it is manual, which is a key difference between these two cars on test.

That said, it’s newer, has more modern interior fittings, and is physically larger than the Jimny, which should make for a more comfortable cabin.

Although badged as a Renault in Australia, the Duster is a model from the Renault-owned Dacia brand. That means it’s built in Romania, which is why it may look like an odd fit within the rest of the sleek, modern Renault lineup.

You’ll notice some inconsistencies between the two models in this comparison. Obviously, one is the transmissions, but another is that the XL auto is the most expensive Jimny variant on sale locally, while the Duster Evolution is technically an entry-level grade, as the top-spec Techno 4×4 manual had not yet arrived at the time of writing.

All that aside, these two SUVs both promise ‘work hard, play hard’ lifestyles, meaning they should be competent for day-to-day driving but a blast during weekend off-road adventures. How do they really stack up?

How much do they cost?

The Duster on test here is a base-spec vehicle, and it’s exactly $1000 cheaper than the Jimny XL auto, which is the most expensive Jimny you can currently buy. The Jimny costs $37,490 and the Duster $36,390, both before on-roads.

Generally though, the Duster is more expensive than the Jimny, but not by much – it tops out at $37,990 before on-roads for the Techno 4×4.

For those interested, the Duster starts at $31,990 before on-roads for the base Evolution 4×2 auto, while the cheapest Jimny is the stripped-back three-door Lite manual 4×4 for $30,490 before on-roads.

What are they like inside?

Both interiors are fairly simple and dominated by hard plastics, but each feels unique.

Upon first impressions, the Duster is better sorted inside. The more spacious cabin created by the larger exterior dimensions immediately gives you a greater sense of roominess, while all of its tech looks much more modern.

There are reasonably sized screens for the touchscreen infotainment system and the digital instrument cluster, both of which are operated using buttons on the steering wheel – albeit with one exception. There’s a curious stalk behind the wheel, which houses audio controls.

This is the main way to skip audio tracks or change volume, and you’d be forgiven for missing it at first. It isn’t new for Renault, but given most Australians aren’t that familiar with the French brand, it’ll take a second to adjust.

The Suzuki, meanwhile, is far more traditional. All the buttons are where you’d expect them, and the largely tech-averse setup makes it appear much less intimidating.

In fact, the large climate controls, angular design, and exposed (probably fake) bolt heads play into the cute-tough vibe of the Jimny’s exterior, like it’s trying to convince you to take it bush-bashing. And it makes a persuasive case.

It does feel very cramped though, and your front passenger will seem especially close. Suzuki has tried to extract as much space as possible within its smaller, boxier exterior, as evidenced by the non-existent centre console and the centrally located window switches – the latter presumably intended to reduce bulk in the plastic door cards.

That said, there’s a loveable charm to the Jimny’s interior. The gauge cluster is particularly characterful, with two large dials bolted to the dash, and there’s still a useful cluster screen showing only the most vital vehicle information.

However, its infotainment screen is arguably what makes the cabin look the most dated. We like that there’s wireless Apple CarPlay (though only wired Android Auto), but its graphics look pretty old, and it can be slow to load and respond to inputs.

Of course, this is all fairly antiquated compared to the Duster, which also offers wireless Apple CarPlay but has the added advantage of greater comfort. There’s still a fair bit of plastic – annoyingly on the door armrests in particular – but it boasts a cleaner design.

Sure, this erodes some of the exterior’s mild ruggedness, but we’d much rather be in the up-to-date Renault for daily driving than the Suzuki. Where it feels like you sit on top of the Jimny’s seats and not in them, the Duster feels pretty much like any mainstream car.

Both cars also stick with tried-and-tested cloth for their seat upholstery, which will be more durable in the long term, if not a little stain-prone.

Additionally, our Jimny tester was fitted with carpet floor mats, which was unfortunate in the muddy off-roading you’ll see we tackled later on. Rubber mats were fitted to our Duster, but they’re optional in both cars; $149 for the Renault, and $293.68 for the Suzuki.

Storage options are limited in both models, as is often the case in light SUVs. The Jimny does have cupholders, but they’re behind the centre console to make room for the low-range shifter and almost feel like they’re meant for second-row occupants… and maybe they are.

It’s a similar story in the Duster, though you get two cupholders that are somewhat nestled under the central armrest. This armrest can get in the way when interacting with the long-throw gear shifter.

Renault has at least considered additional storage options here, with several cubbies for smaller items like phones or wallets. There are also small pockets in the door cards, along with a handful of so-called YouClip points for various accessories, like phone holders.

A final note on the front of both cars’ cabins is usability. As mentioned, the Jimny is traditional and easy to get accustomed to, but the Duster has a bunch of sparsely labelled buttons on the climate control panel and steering wheel. These aren’t impossible to use, but they’ll take a second to get used to.

Unsurprisingly, the Duster offers greater second-row space, but the Jimny can fit a pair of fully grown adults with relative ease. A big reason for this is the Duster’s wider body, which allows the fitment of a three-person rear bench seat, making it a five-seater – the Jimny can only seat four.

There aren’t too many amenities to speak of in the rear of either model – not even a fold-down armrest in the Duster – but Renault has fitted two USB-C ports and a YouClip point that can hold a small storage tray. The Suzuki? No armrest, no USB outlets, and not even air vents.

Similarly, the Duster’s boot is much more usable. Cargo space extends much further towards the front of the car, and the roof-mounted hinges mean the tailgate doesn’t get in the way when open, unlike the Jimny’s side-hinged setup.

Neither car’s seatbacks fold down completely flat, but you do get reasonably sized spare wheels in both – under the floor for Renault, and on the tailgate for Suzuki. It is mildly amusing that the Duster’s emergency jack is completely exposed inside the boot.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Duster has the edge on outright performance, and it even has some form of electrification in its mild-hybrid system. It does, however, require more expensive fuel, though it offers a more user-friendly full-time all-wheel drive setup.

During our week with the cars we put them through much of the same driving conditions. Plenty of highway stints, some time spent in the inner-city, and a long afternoon spent off-roading in Victoria’s Mt Disappointment State Forest.

The fuel economy for both cars matched or beat their manufacturers’ claims before we hit the trails, but after that consumption skyrocketed, before settling within about 1.5L/100km of their official combined numbers. Given the Jimny’s asthmatic four-pot has to work harder to get things moving and has no turbo or hybridisation to help it out, it’s much less efficient than the mild-hybrid Duster.

How do they drive?

This is where you’ll find the biggest difference between the two. Of course, that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that compared to the Duster the Jimny is a bit like a mobile garden shed.

The Suzuki's on-road flaws waste no time in making themselves apparent. For one, its steering is incredibly vague, requiring constant correction on the highway and much more lock during parking manoeuvres than one should reasonably expect.

It’s also deceptively heavy for a car as small as the Jimny is, which can also make navigating carparks a chore. In contrast, the Duster’s steering is weighted appropriately and feels quite direct.

While it isn’t necessarily robust, the Duster behaves predictably, making it easy to hop in and drive, even if you’re unfamiliar with it. The Jimny requires a fair bit more thought and concentration, and it takes many minutes to feel genuinely comfortable – if you get to that point at all.

The Duster’s pain-free motoring talent was made abundantly clear throughout the week, especially on the first day, when I hopped in and drove across the Melbourne CBD at peak hour like it did it every day. It happily darts through narrow streets and around sharp bends, while soaking up bumps nicely.

At no point during this lower-speed driving did the Duster feel unsettled. Tram tracks were never an issue, and there’s simply a degree of confidence to the Duster’s ride that you’ll notice when you tackle speed bumps or clatter over manhole covers.

The Jimny’s handling, meanwhile, is aptly described as wobbly. There is a lot of body roll around even the slightest turns, and it feels as if those pizza-cutter wheels could fold under the car if you hit a bump the wrong way. Of course, that’s an exaggeration intended to give you an idea of how flimsy it feels.

Heaven forbid you have to drive it on a 110km/h freeway, particularly in windy conditions, as the Jimny could almost pass as a light aircraft in terms of its weight and the ungodly 3500rpm racket it makes at cruising speed. This is where it makes the Duster look like a Bentley – a comparison further solidified by its performance.

Neither car is quick, but the Duster boasts a characterful turbo three-pot that’s more than capable of getting it up to speed before the end of a freeway on-ramp – the Jimny… not so much. If you block your ears and close your eyes, full-throttle provides no more than gentle acceleration.

Its naturally aspirated four-cylinder is wheezy and underpowered, but it isn’t the only reason the Jimny is slow. Holding it back further is the four-speed automatic, which is antiquated and struggles to keep the engine in its ideal operating range.

The aforementioned engine speed on the freeway is one thing, but we often found that even at 60km/h it would kick down at the sight of a slight incline, and the spaces between gear ratios aren’t exactly tight. This at least makes for a good laugh, and as objectively poor as everything we’ve already mentioned is, the Jimny is a hoot to throw around.

It’s just so different from everything else on sale, and its drawbacks give it an endearing, old-school quality that makes you understand why it has such a cult following. Yes, it’s louder than the Duster on the move and, yes, it’s scarier to drive alongside big trucks, but if you don’t do much freeway driving, you’ll be totally fine.

That said, the Duster is a much better all-rounder and feels just like any other small SUV once you’re on the move. The compact dimensions of both cars makes them easy to place on city roads, and the Jimny has a slight advantage when it comes to outward visibility – but it does miss out on blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assist.

Everything starts to make sense once you hit the trails, however. Despite its longer wheelbase and therefore reduced rampover angle compared to the three-door, the Jimny’s mountain-goat status isn’t lost with the XL, which is still more than happy to be thrown at any rock, puddle, hill climb or hill descent you could imagine – provided a Ranger hasn’t already been through and torn everything up.

Its narrow track makes it easy to avoid ruts that would trouble larger 4×4s, and its generous ground clearance means it rarely scrapes. The Duster, meanwhile, is still quite capable and more stable with its wider track, but its biggest drawback is greater ride-height variation due to its independent suspension, which doesn’t provide much leeway off-road, despite its good approach and departure angles.

This meant it was often forced to sit out some of the more challenging trails, while the live-axle Jimny scampered on ahead with its 'fixed' ground clearance. Mind you, the Jimny falters when loaded up with four adults, and not just because of its wheezy engine. Its piddly payload quickly diminishes its advantage in ground clearance with a load on board – the Duster just about gets by in this area.

And while the Suzuki's automatic transmission is reasonably competent at low speed, it takes quite a bit of force to get the low-range shifter into position. That said, switching between 4×2 and 4×4 is nice and easy, which is fortunate, given you’ll have to swap back to 4×2 once you’re back on the tarmac.

The Duster is undeniably more fun with its manual gearbox, though the shifter’s throw and the clutch pedal’s bite point are both vague. It’s still easy to drive both on- and off-road, even if it takes a second to get used to, and you have the advantage of full-time all-wheel drive that eliminates some of the messing about when hitting different surfaces.

Both four-wheel drive systems seem solid, with both cars able to pull themselves out of most trouble, even in the very wet conditions on our test. The Duster impressed us as it continued to power along outside its comfort zone, while feeling more mature than the relatively agricultural Jimny.

Again, this gives credence to the Duster’s all-rounder status. The Jimny isn’t great on the road but excels on the trails, whereas the Duster is pretty good at everything.

It's also slightly better on the safety front, as we had two instances of phantom autonomous emergency braking warnings while driving the Jimny. Still, it’s impossible to deny that the Suzuki is a lot of fun – perhaps more so overall than the more civilised Renault.

What do you get?

The Duster may be $1000 cheaper than the Jimny, but it boasts a much more impressive list of standard equipment.

2026 Suzuki Jimny XL equipment highlights:

• 15-inch alloy wheels
• 15-inch alloy spare
• Automatic projector LED headlights
• Front fog lights
• Fabric upholstery
• 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• 4-speaker sound system
• Tilt-adjustable steering column
• Power windows
• Climate control
• 50:50-split/folding rear seats
• 2 x 12V outlets

2026 Renault Duster Evolution equipment highlights:

• 17-inch diamond-cut ‘Adventure’ alloy wheels
• Continental Cross Contact 215/65 R17 tyres
• Spare tyre (215/70 R16)
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Automatic LED headlights with halogen high-beam
• Rear fog light
• Grey door mirrors
• Fixed roof rails
• Electric parking brake
• 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – wireless, wired
• DAB+ digital radio
• Wireless phone charger
• 2 x front USB-C outlets
• 2 x rear USB-C outlets
• 1 x front 12V outlet
• 1 x boot 12V outlet
• 6-speaker Arkamys sound system
• Cruise control and speed limiter
• Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Height and reach adjustable steering wheel
• Power windows with one-touch auto up/down
• YouClip accessory points: 1 x rear centre console, 2 x boot, 1 x inside of tailgate
• Remote central locking

Are they safe?

The Suzuki Jimny XL doesn’t have an ANCAP safety rating, and the three-door Jimny’s three-star rating from 2019 has now expired. The Duster matches those three stars, and both results were derived from Euro NCAP testing.

2026 Suzuki Jimny XL auto safety equipment highlights:

• 6 airbags, incl:
  • Front
  • Front-side
  • Curtain
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking (over 60km/h)
• Hill descent control
• Hill hold assist
• Lane departure warning
• Reversing camera
• Rear parking sensors

2026 Renault Duster Evolution safety equipment highlights:

• 6 airbags, incl:
  • Front
  • Front-side
  • Curtain
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Pedestrian detection
• Cyclist detection
• Driver attention alert
• Lane-keep assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Reversing camera
• Rear parking sensors

How much do they cost to run?

Both cars are covered by five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranties, though the Duster has longer 30,000km service intervals than the Jimny’s 15,000km gaps. Renault is available with a pre-paid scheduled servicing plan that is cheaper than Suzuki’s capped-price plan.

CarExpert’s Pick

Objectively, and for the sake of a clear comparative result, the Duster is the winner here.

A big reason for that is because it still feels like a car, as rhetorical as that may sound. It presents decent road manners and a high level of interior sophistication, and while it has its fair share of hard, scratchy cabin plastics, it doesn’t detract from the Duster’s vibe.

It’s simply more mature and much more substantial. You could very easily live with the Duster day-to-day, even in manual guise, as its clutch and gearbox are user-friendly enough – neither are by any means sharp or precise, but that means they’re unintimidating.

Better yet, the Duster can go surprisingly far off-road if need be. Its all-wheel drive system is relatively competent, and while its ground clearance may not stack up to the Jimny's, it’s far more capable than just about every mainstream compact SUV alternative.

On the other hand, the Jimny is wobbly on the road, has vague steering, and is incredibly slow. It’s rare that a new car available in 2026 requires you to counter-steer to stay in a straight line on the freeway, yet here we are.

Its interior is also cramped and cheap-feeling, and it generally feels very old once you get it alongside a vehicle like the Duster. Buying it as a daily driver is therefore highly illogical, particularly if you go for a top-spec five-door like the one you see here.

The once-cheap Jimny no longer stacks up in terms of value for money either. The Duster we tested is better-equipped, nicer to drive, and feels newer in every respect, yet it’s cheaper – not to mention more affordable to service, which is crazy given the Jimny's utilitarian powertrain and the reputation of Euro cars for high maintenance costs.

That said, the Jimny is a blast off-road even in stock form, and often a good laugh on-road with its impossible sluggishness and unpredictable ride – especially if you’re a glass-half-full kind of person. There aren’t many cars out there with this level of character, and it’s easy to see why the Jimny is so popular among the off-road community.

It therefore makes a lot of sense to get a Jimny for use as a weekend off-road toy, and making it your own via the aftermarket is certainly enticing. But if you want something for that and everything else, get a Duster.

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MORE: Explore the Suzuki Jimny • Renault Duster showroom

If you've decided the combination of driving using only electricity for your everyday commuting and parent-taxi duties while having the flexibility of fuel for longer journeys and holidays makes a PHEV the perfect choice for your family, then this is the list for you.

Some large SUVs sacrifice their third row of seats in plug-in hybrid form, which we’ve covered in a separate article here, but all of the PHEV SUVs listed below incorporate seven seats across three rows.

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Families come in all shapes and sizes, so if you’re looking for an everyday seven-seater with good third-row access, or want to install four or five child seats simultaneously, your options start to become limited.

All the cars in this list vary in terms of the number of child seats that can be installed, boot size and how well prams fit in, legroom and, importantly, battery range. But depending on your family's needs you should be able to find what you're looking for.

Here are my top five picks of the best large seven-seat plug-in-hybrid SUVs for families, having driven hundreds of cars with my family onboard over the last 10 years.

BYD Sealion 8

The seven-seat BYD Sealion 8 is understandably a very popular plug-in-hybrid SUV with families, providing top-tether anchors for all five rear seat positions and enough room to comfortably fit five child seats across the back seat at once.

The Sealion 8’s outboard second-row seat has a tilt function for third-row access. Several cars with similar systems enable you to access the third row without removing a child seat, but that didn’t work with the child seat I installed. For families that need daily access to the third row, the BYD is capable of being a full-time four-child seat car.

If you are putting your lanky teens in the back, rest assured the nine airbags include side curtain airbags that extend to third-row occupants, making the Sealion 8 the only large plug-in-hybrid SUV on this list that can fit five child seats AND has third-row airbags.

Interior space is excellent in the Sealion 8. With forward-facing child seats in the third row and rear-facing child seats in the second row, there is still room for a 182cm-tall driver up front. With forward-facing child seats in both rear rows, a 188cm-plus driver can sit up front.

The Sealion 8 Dynamic FWD’s 103km of electric range (152km for Dynamic AWD and Premium AWD variants) should be plenty for most families to cover a few days of driving between charges.

Boot space is excellent too, able to fit five bags of shopping when using all three rows of seats, or a single pram and two bags of shopping beside it.

MORE: Explore the BYD Sealion 8

Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is a premium seven-seat plug-in-hybrid SUV with a beautiful interior that is well soundproofed (at least from outside noise!).

With side curtain airbags extending to the third row (as with the Sealion 8, but unlike the other SUVs on this list), you can confidently seat passengers back there. However, unlike the all-electric EX90, the XC90 has no third-row top-tether points, so you can’t install child seats back there.

The central second-row seat has a built-in booster seat that Volvo says is approved for children who weigh 15-36kg and measure at least 97cm tall. That's fantastic for families as their child grows, or whose kids spring surprise play dates on them at the school gate.

All three second-row seats have top-tether anchors and there is room to install three child seats across the rear bench. The second-row seats also slide, enabling you to distribute legroom as you need it.

The Volvo's third-row seats are comfortable for adults too, so you can use the XC90 as a proper seven-seater.

Having around 50km of battery range, the XC90 will likely need a daily recharge depending on how much driving your family does. With all seven seats in use, you’ll comfortably fit a single pram in the boot.

MORE: Explore the Volvo XC90 showroom

Kia Sorento

The seven-seat Kia Sorento has top-tether anchors for all five rear seats, and you can fit five child seats in the back at once. For third-row access, you do need to remove a child seat from the second row, making this an everyday four-child seat SUV.

With forward-facing child seats in the third row and rear-facing child seats in the second, a 180cm driver can sit up front. If you have forward-facing child seats in both rear rows of seats, there's room for a 186cm driver.

The seats are spacious in the third row of the Sorento, but Kia does not provide third-row airbags, which is a consideration when putting anyone in those seats.

Around 60km of battery range may provide a day or perhaps two between charges.

The large boot holds 18 bags of shopping when you’re only using five seats, or five shopping bags with all seven seatbacks upright. Families with young infants can fit in a single pram when using all seven seats.

MORE: Explore the Kia Sorento showroom

Chery Tiggo 8

The Chery Tiggo 8 is an affordable seven-seat PHEV. However, it has no top-tether anchors in the third row of seats, so you can’t put any child seats back there. It has no third-row airbag coverage either, so you may want to consider putting passengers back there at all.

In the second row, things are looking up. Three slim child seats fit comfortably across the rear bench, and the seats are split 60:40. There's also a sliding mechanism so you can distribute legroom as required.

Speaking of which, legroom is tight. With rear-facing child seats fitted, only a 162cm driver can fit in front, increasing to a 180cm driver in front of forward-facing child seats.

For third-row access you do need to remove a child seat in the second row, making the Tiggo 8 an everyday two-child seat SUV. Considering kids are in their child seats for seven or more years, that could matter to you.

With 90km of battery range, the Tiggo 8 will probably give your family a couple of days between charges.

The boot holds 15 bags of shopping when you’re only using five seats, or four shopping bags with all seven seats in place. Families with a young infant can fit a single pram in the boot while still using all seven seats.

MORE: Explore the Chery Tiggo 8 showroom

Chery Tiggo 9

Like the Tiggo 8, the Chery Tiggo 9 has no top-tether anchors and no airbags in the third row of seats, making it a five-seat SUV with an occasional-use third row.

Three child seats fit comfortably across the second-row bench seat, and the Tiggo 9 has slightly more legroom than the Tiggo 8. A 186cm driver can sit in front of a forward-facing child seat in the second row, but if you have rear-facing child seats in the back that reduces to about 182cm.

As in the Tiggo 8, third-row access requires removing a child seat in the second row, making the Tiggo 9 an everyday two-child seat SUV.

The third-row seats are pretty compact for adults. I was fine at 162cm tall, but many kids surpass that height before their teen years.

With up to 170km of electric range, the Tiggo 9 may well have a big enough battery for a whole week of school runs between recharges, depending on how much other driving your family does.

I found that 15 bags of groceries will fit in the boot of the Tiggo 9 when using two rows of seats, but if you're using all seven seats that number reduces to five shopping bags or a single stroller.

MORE: Explore the Chery Tiggo 9 showroom

MORE: Top five large five-seat PHEV family SUVs in 2026

MORE: Top 10 mid-size PHEV family SUVs in 2026

For MY27, the Karoq will be offered exclusively in 110TSI Select and 110TSI Sportline trims, priced at $38,990 and $44,990 before on-road costs respectively – both up $500 on MY26.

There have been no changes to standard equipment, but the options list has changed slightly.

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The base Select will now be available with an optional Signature Pack for $2900. This adds:

• Hands-free power tailgate
• Keyless entry
• Rear privacy glass
• Chrome roof rails and window surrounds
• Front door scuff plates
• USB outlet in rear-view mirror
• Heated steering wheel with paddle shifters
• Emergency Assist
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Travel Assist with Adaptive Lane Guidance

The Ultimate Pack, previously exclusive to the now-defunct Sportline 4x4, has migrated to the 110TSI Sportline. This costs $3900 and adds:

• Leather/leatherette upholstery
• Power-adjustable front 'Comfort' seats with memory and power lumbar
• Auto-dimming exterior mirrors with memory

A panoramic sunroof remains a $2000 option on the Sportline.

Steel Grey solid and Moon White metallic paint finishes are available for no extra cost, while Black Magic Pearl and Graphite Grey, Smokey Silver and Race Blue metallic finishes cost an extra $300.

Phoenix Orange and Velvet Red metallic finishes are slightly pricier, costing $770.

The Karoq serves as Skoda's Toyota RAV4 rival in Australia, though at 4390mm long and 1841mm wide on a 2638mm wheelbase, it's significantly shorter than its mid-size SUV rivals – so much so that the closely related Cupra Ateca is actually classified in Australia as a small SUV.

Skoda introduced a slightly larger SUV in Australia last year, the electric Elroq, but it may not replace the Karoq as had previously been expected, with local executives expressing a desire for a new-generation Karoq.

It wouldn't be the first combustion-powered Volkswagen Group model to get a stay of execution and a facelift. Fellow Volkswagen Group brand Seat has facelifted its ageing Arona and Ibiza, which are not sold here and had previously been rumoured to be headed to the chopping block, while Volkswagen will do the same with its existing Polo.

The Karoq is one of the oldest models in the mainstream mid-size SUV segment, having entered production in 2017 and arrived in Australia in 2018. A facelifted model was launched here in 2022.

To the end of June, Skoda has delivered just 137 Karoqs in Australia this year, down 48.1 per cent on the same period last year. The electric Elroq has pulled past it, notching 302 deliveries in the same period.

The Karoq is currently one of the lowest-volume models in its segment, besting only the Peugeot 3008 (92) and KGM Korando (87) among vehicles that have been on sale for the whole year so far. It's also barely ahead of the 'small' Cupra Ateca (110 units).

Pricing

MORE: Skoda Australia keen for next-generation Toyota RAV4 rivalMORE: Skoda Karoq: Brand's oldest model may get a new generation, eventuallyMORE: Explore the Skoda Karoq showroom

In a statement released on Friday afternoon, Australian time, the German auto giant said the executive board has presented to the supervisory board a 12-point plan to help revitalise the world's second-biggest automaker, but didn't go too far into the details.

A report at the end of June indicated that CEO Oliver Blume was keen to close four factories in Germany, and fire up to 100,000 staff. The company's statements to the press today only hinted at this proposal. 

This is likely because any job cuts and plant closures are still being considered by the supervisory board, half of which, under German law, are elected by employees. 

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However, the company did confirm it plans to reduce production capacity to nine million vehicles per year, down from the current 10 million cars per year. This represents a significant cut in manufacturing capability, which was expanded to 12 million vehicles per year just before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Most of the reduction in capacity will come in China and Germany, which lines up with the June report, as well as the company's ongoing "realignment" of its Chinese division.

Some parts of today's plan are being implemented "with immediate effect", including a pledge to "gradually" trim the group's model offerings by 50 per cent, as well as reduce variant complexity – think trim levels, equipment packages and drivetrain options – by 75 per cent.

Volkswagen has offered no indication as to which models will be cut, simply saying it will concentrate on "the most attractive market segments".

Like rival Toyota, Volkswagen caters for its most important markets with a variety of regional and global models. In China, it has three joint ventures, with SAIC, FAW and JAC, and each of these produce unique model offerings.

For example, in the small/mid-size sedan space (4.6 to 4.7m) Volkswagen offers the Bora, Sagitar, Sagitar S, Lamando, Lavida, and Jetta VA7.

It will also reduce overlap in platforms, electronic architectures, and software, all of which will be "harmonised and concentrated to meet the requirements of the western and eastern hemispheres".

On top of all this, the automaker says it will "focus on the automotive core business". It recently raised €7.4 billion (A$12.2bn) by selling off a majority stake in Everllence, formerly known as MAN Energy Solutions, which mainly produces large diesel engines for marine and stationary applications, as well as industrial turbines and compressors. 

There continue to be rumours about the company's desire to offload Lamborghini and Ducati, both of which are under the control of Audi.

According to Arno Antlitz, the Volkswagen Group's chief financial officer, the previously agreed-to rounds of cost-cutting "are not sufficient in the current economic and geopolitical environment". He said the company needs to "fundamentally realign our business model and achieve structural, sustainable improvements", while also "accelerating technology development and decision-making".

In a prepared statement, Group CEO Oliver Blume said the goal of the plan, which currently lacks a snappy name, is to "make the Volkswagen Group the most attractive automotive company in the world" by 2030.

MORE: Explore the Volkswagen showroom

The Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker era of Aston Martin – spanning roughly 20 years, beginning in the 1990s – arguably returned the British marque to highs not seen since the DB5 of the 1960s.

Aston Martin has always lived in that space between the likes of Porsche and Ferrari, bridging the gap between high-end sports cars and supercars with stunning vehicles, and powered by V8 and V12 engines in the modern era.

The V12 Vantage of 2009 remains, in my opinion, one of the most spectacular cars to be produced in recent times – combining its smallest car with its largest engine of the period.

But tightening emissions laws, increasing performance, and changing expectations of technology from buyers were among the reasons Aston Martin turned to Mercedes-AMG to supply it with V8 engines for its new generation of models.

As a lover of the Callum/Fisker era, it felt like the British automaker lost something when it turned to these brutish German engines. Of course, these powertrains are fantastic in AMG models, but, from the outside at least, it felt like the wrong choice for Aston Martin.

The interiors were also a misstep initially, with squircle steering wheels and brushed aluminium surfaces like those found in a Ford Fiesta, and an outdated infotainment system.

To its credit, the company listened to the critics and has continued to develop the Vantage.

The result is this: the 2026 Aston Martin Vantage S, which receives significant chassis upgrades, as well as changes to the powertrain, exterior, and driver controls – building on the positive updates the company has already made to the model.

Along with revised Bilstein DTX dampers, for the S, engineers have removed the bushings from the rear-end and hard-mounted the body to the subframe, while softening the transmission mounts and rear springs.

On the outside, the Vantage S gets a new aerokit with a more prominent rear lip spoiler, bonnet vents, gloss black highlights, and smoked tail-lights.

Finished in stunning Xenon Grey metallic paint, this particular vehicle features carbon-ceramic brakes, 21-inch Y-spoke forged alloy wheels in satin black, a gloss black roof, and additional black highlights.

But the question here is whether these changes have returned the Aston Martin to its rightful place as one of the most desirable high-performance sports cars available. So, we spent some time in the Vantage S to find out.

How much does the Aston Martin Vantage cost?

The Aston Martin Vantage range is priced from $410,000 before on-road costs – with the Vantage S costing just $10,000 more.

However, the vehicle on test here has more than $110,000 worth of options fitted, sitting pretty at $530,170 plus on-road costs. Which means this Vantage S costs about $1170 more than the Aston Martin DB12 S Volante at the time of writing.

Add fees, taxes, and rego costs, and the Vantage S will cost approximately $726,000 drive-away based on a Melbourne address.

Away from Gaydon, that kind of money will get you the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, McLaren Artura, or the Maserati MC20 – either the Coupe or Cielo. The Ferrari Amalfi is also due to arrive in Australia in late 2026, priced from around $500,000 before on-road costs.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Aston Martin Vantage like on the inside?

Our Aston Martin Vantage S has a decent list of options, most of which are related to the interior.

These include S-specific highlights in red, plus red seatbelts, an interior jewellery pack in satin dark chrome, ventilated seats, a heated Alcantara steering wheel, and semi-aniline leather with Alcantara trim, contrast stitching and red piping.

From behind the wheel, it’s clear Aston Martin has paid particular attention to the cabin – ensuring it feels special, but without losing functionality. And while it’s mostly hits, there are some misses.

The steep angle of the infotainment screen means it’s more prone to catching the sun, making it hard to read when the circumstances aren't right. There’s also lots of piano-black plastic on the centre stack, which, when the light hits it in certain areas, appears wavy – just as it does in some Toyota models. 

And, though I was specifically told there was “no fake chrome anywhere inside,” I’m almost certain that some of the small ornamental trims are indeed chrome-coated plastic.

The knurled thumbwheels – while metal, and excellent – do have some sideways deflection during use that could be fixed with inexpensive rubber O-rings. It’s a little frustrating, because these are so close to being perfect.

While crisp to look at and easy to use – and certainly an improvement on the systems of a few years ago – the infotainment system failed to load Apple CarPlay a couple of times during our time with the Vantage. We also tried poking around to use CarPlay Ultra, but didn't have any luck with it, with everything just appearing like standard CarPlay.

Then there are the seats, which are comfortable and supportive, with the Alcantara ensuring you’re locked in during hard cornering. However, the driver’s pew seemed to shift ever so slightly forward and backward as I accelerated and braked, which was a little disconcerting.

To be sure, these aren’t significant issues, and the interior is a properly lovely place to find yourself, if you’re so lucky.

Aside from the relatively minor complaints above, the fit and finish is superb, as you would reasonably expect – exceeding my own expectations. A lot of time, money, and consideration have clearly gone into making this cabin truly exceptional.

In fact, the Aston Martin Vantage S is home to my favourite piece of switchgear ever fitted to an automobile.

The red anodised drive mode selector that surrounds the start/stop button is tight and has a substantial mechanical click to it, making it an utter joy to use. The material, the knurling pattern, and the snickety action feel more akin to military aviation than a luxury sports car.

I found myself switching between driving modes unnecessarily, just for an excuse to engage with the red dial. It was the thing I pointed to and made each of my passengers try out, with the same level of enthusiasm that is normally employed by trainspotters – quickly dispelling any illusions my passengers may have of me being cool for pulling up in an Aston.

The milled metal drive selector is almost as satisfying, with a heavy notchiness to it that makes it feel anything but flimsy. Another driver interaction that’s a genuine joy to use.

Behind the thick Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel are the paddle shifters – also metal – which provide a gratifying muted click during engagement.

Throughout the cabin, almost all of the major touchpoints are either high-quality metal, leather, or Alcantara. Everywhere else, it’s satin carbon-fibre.

Along with the high-quality materials, there’s a tautness about the interior, in the same way you find with the cabin of a Porsche 911. That is possibly the highest praise that could be levelled at this cabin. But there's a substantial quality to the Aston Martin that goes beyond.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that is clear and bright, and despite the occasional connection issues with my iPhone, I appreciated the use of the Aston Martin font on the screen – making the technology feel classy and high-end.

Thankfully, there aren’t many reasons to dive into the menus in the infotainment screen, due to the centre stack of buttons and the four knurled thumbwheels controlling audio volume, fan speed, and temperatures for the dual-zone climate control.

Many automakers tend to claim their vehicles have premium sound systems, but this Bowers & Wilkins audio system is on another level. Listening to podcasts felt like a waste of good audio engineering, so I spent my time behind the wheel going through a catalogue of some of the best-produced albums of the modern era just to make the most of it.

Ingress and egress don’t demand the kind of effort that supercars often require. The shoulderline is quite high, however, with the bottom of the door window being literally at the top of my shoulder. The result is a feeling of security and privacy, but it also discourages cruising with your elbow on an open windowsill. Rearward visibility is also limited, forcing the driver to take more time to conduct head-checks during lane changes.

Finding my ideal driving position took some time, with multiple adjustments required during my first day with the Vantage – but once it came together, it felt very right.

Being a two-seater, there’s a decent amount of room under the surprisingly heavy rear hatch. Certainly enough for two weekend bags, and then some, allowing the Aston to be used as a grand tourer. Another feather in its cap.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

The Aston Martin Vantage S is powered by a 4.0-litre V8, with twin turbochargers in a 'hot-vee' configuration.

Sourced from Mercedes-AMG, the engine sends 500kW of power and 800Nm of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

According to Aston Martin, the Vantage S can reach 100km/h from a standstill in 3.4 seconds, on a top speed of 325km/h.

While our overall fuel consumption ended up at 19.3L/100km, we recorded around 12L/100km on the majority of our trips in the vehicle – matching the company's combined claim of 12.1L/100km.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Aston Martin Vantage drive?

Curiously, despite being borrowed from AMG, the Vantage's powertrain has somewhat of a different character on the road.

It's less like an anvil dropped from a bridge, and more like the mallet of a stone sculptor – with the driver being the point chisel. Strength and precision; robust and artisanal.

Mercifully, the Aston Martin Vantage S can be driven slowly, calmly. There’s plenty of theatre from that V8 pretty much all of the time, but it can be driven lazily around town. Cabin insulation is very good, too, contributing to the feeling of luxury.

A bit of weight on the throttle though, and the twin turbochargers kick in, sending the car towards the horizon line with frightening speed. Above 4000rpm, this thing is missile-fast.

The engine is spectacular, delivering a thick wave of torque before the turbos spool up, and you’re riding a tsunami of power. All with that marvellous V8 soundtrack.

Behind it, the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission acts just like the auto in your aunt’s BMW during city driving, rolling through gears without fanfare. Yet it snaps violently when called upon – with the rear-end scrambling to find grip from the 325-section tyres as it punches through gears.

While beautifully sedate when you need it to be, and savagely quick when you want it to be, the Aston doesn’t like being driven in between.

The middle ground doesn’t seem to suit the tuning of the car, as if it doesn't entirely understand what you’re trying to achieve, with the transmission getting confused and holding gears.

Whereas some cars are fuzzy on the outer edges, the Vantage is sharp – only losing focus when you try to access six-tenths of its potential. This isn’t so much a criticism as it is a heads-up.

What it does mean is you can cruise peacefully in traffic, then unleash hell for a few short moments when the road opens up. Stay on the throttle for anything longer than that, and you’ll be front-page news.

In traffic, you do have to be aware of its dimensions. For what is the company’s 'entry-level' model, for want of a better term, the Vantage isn’t small. But that seems to be the case nowadays with pretty much any coupe with eight cylinders or more.

However, the 360-degree camera makes parking in tight spaces quite an easy affair, which isn't always the case with cars with high shoulder lines and wide rear guards.

One feature we would like to have had was a nose lift, just to help avoid potentially damaging the front carbon-fibre lip on steep driveways and car park ramps.

Also, we did notice there was an occasional prominent clicking noise from somewhere near the back of the car under moderate acceleration. We weren’t able to establish whether this was the differential binding under torque load, or if it was the hard mounts of the subframe settling, or some other bushing under the car. It wasn’t ever a concern, but I would have preferred to know what it was.

The chassis is really wonderful, though. The 30-profile tyres and hard-mounted body mean impacts from speed humps and road imperfections are transferred to the occupants, but the Bilsteins take that initial shock out of the hits, so there’s never any wincing or bruised ribs. Tellingly, there’s no comfort mode available from that perfect red dial – just Sport, Sport Plus, Track, Individual, and Wet.

It also means there’s instant communication to and from every corner of the car, helped by direct inputs from the steering and accelerator. It’s not at the level of the 911 GT3 by any stretch, but the Aston Martin can also relax – something the Porsche has a hard time doing.

Around bends, the body of the Vantage S remains flat and stuck to the road surface, with torque-vectoring technology helping to propel the vehicle through and out of corners. The front-end is pointy without being nervous, with tremendous amounts of grip, assisted by the Aston-specific Michelin tyres.

With the V8 mounted almost entirely behind the front axle, the Aston Martin is more or less a front/mid-engined car – allowing it to take corners in a way that is neutral and predictable.

We’d love to be able to tell you how the chassis reacts when truly pushed to its limit, or even close to it, but we frankly couldn’t get within a cooee of that limit on public roads. Wide-open throttle also wasn't achievable during our test – though not through lack of trying.

Most of the time, I was driving in Individual mode, which gives the driver the ability to choose from settings relating to the accelerator, suspension, steering, and exhaust. The sports exhaust button was also pushed each time I left my neighbourhood.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Vantage is the sound from those black tailpipes. It makes all the right noises both on and off throttle, at a level that can be heard, though not to the point of being antisocial.

The massive carbon-ceramic brakes are excellent, with a good balance of pedal progression and outright performance, and without any squeaks or squeals. Again, these weren’t able to be used to their full potential, but even when cold I appreciated having that level of braking performance available to access.

That chassis, coupled with that powertrain, equates to a roaring, bracing driving experience that is akin to supercars with much higher price tags.

The Vantage has broad capability. It can be used to commute in traffic like a Ford Mustang GT (which is no insult), and unleashed as a sports car on mountain roads, at a supercar track day, or for a weekend away up the coast with your partner.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Aside from the coupe and convertible body styles, Aston Martin has two variants of the Vantage on sale – the standard model, and the Vantage S.

2026 Aston Martin Vantage standard equipment highlights:

• ‘Swan Wing’ frameless doors
• 21-inch five-spoke forged alloy wheels in gloss silver
• Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres
• Matrix LED high- and low-beam headlights with auto high-beam
• LED daytime running lights
• Signature full-width LED tail-lights with dynamic indicators
• Chrome exterior highlights
• 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, and Bluetooth
• 10.25-inch digital instrument display
• Apple CarPlay Ultra
• Android Auto
• App functionality
• Wireless phone charger
• Natural voice control
• 360-Watt 11-speaker Aston Martin audio system
• Two USB ports
• 12V socket
• Automatic two-zone climate control
• Heated seats
• Electric tilt and reach steering column adjustment
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Ambient lighting
• Laminated windscreen with clear noise-insulation layer
• Door-integrated puddle lighting
• Anodised aluminium sill plaques with Aston Martin wings
• Keyless entry
• Keyless start/stop button
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers

Aston Martin Vantage S adds:

• Vantage S-specific styling package
• Gloss black exterior highlights
• Full-width rear decklid spoiler
• Lower Body Package with front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and decklid spoiler
• Hand-crafted S badging on both front fenders
• Heated sports steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara
• Alcantara seats, headlining
• Painted brake calipers in black, red or Aston Martin Green as standard
• S-specific throttle pedal weighting and software tuning
• Recalibrated launch control
• Solid-mounted rear subframe
• Enhanced Bilstein adaptive damper software

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Aston Martin Vantage safe?

As with most high-end luxury vehicles and supercars, the Aston Martin Vantage remains unrated by either ANCAP and its sister organisation, Euro NCAP.

Standard safety features:

• 4 airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Brake assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Forward collision warning
• Driver monitoring system
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree cameras
• Traffic sign recognition
• Door exit assist

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Aston Martin Vantage cost to run?

Aston Martin offers a relatively short three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty on its new cars, with complimentary roadside assistance for the duration.

Service information isn't published for the Vantage in Australia, with pricing available upon request from dealerships.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Aston Martin Vantage S

As with music and fashion, there are trends in the automotive industry that come into popular culture, before fading out and returning decades later.

Being a lover of the Callum/Fisker models, I had initially thought the AMG powertrain was the wrong fit for Aston Martin. But then I remembered the V8 Vantage built between 1977 and 1989 – available with a 6.3-litre V8 making 336kW, if you can believe it. It was more brutish than earlier Astons, blurring the lines between muscle car, British sports car, and supercar.

And that’s exactly what the latest Vantage S is. The company is tapping into its past, but from an era I didn’t immediately associate with the Aston Martin badge. Come at it from that approach, and the vehicle makes a lot of sense. Even more so after you drive it.

This car combines one of the best interiors I’ve experienced, with a monster twin-turbo V8 powertrain, a spectacular chassis, and a frankly stunning body. I can’t recall getting so many looks from passers-by as I did driving this thing, with the metallic gunmetal grey paint looking like it was infused with liquid mercury under the sun.

Then there’s the drive-mode selector dial, which is pure art for those of us with a penchant for automatic diving watches and military aviation.

On the road, the Aston can turn into a properly engaging weapon – and a fun one at that, which isn’t always the case with supercars. Yet, while its performance is surely impressive, that isn’t its best attribute (it isn’t far off, mind you).

No, it’s that the Vantage S is, thankfully, not on all the time. There is a controlled anger that sits just under the surface, with all the presence of an English gangster wearing a tailored suit – that expensive cloth hiding lean muscle. A level of respect is demanded at all times, thanks to a temper that is easily accessed.

It almost feels like Aston Martin engineers made a list of their favourite attributes from across the industry – and beyond – and put them all into one car. Which is a wonderful aim, but the fact they’ve been able to combine them to make such a cohesive and engaging package is a formidable achievement.

It takes the very best aspects of muscle cars, sports cars, supercars, and GTs, and combines them all within a stunning and sophisticated coupe body. Yes, the Vantage S is indeed special, and worthy of your money – if not, your love.

It’s a new era at Aston Martin.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Aston Martin Vantage S. Click here to get a great deal.

Click the images for the full gallery

MORE: Explore the Aston Martin Vantage showroom

Priced from $130,000 plus on-road costs, the 2027 Genesis GV60 Magma is available to order now.

The new GV60 flagship boasts stratospheric outputs of up to 478kW/790Nm from its dual-motor electric powertrain, and is claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds. Its claimed 0-200km/h time is an equally rapid 10.9 seconds, and its top speed is 264km/h.

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If those specs sound familiar, its because the GV60 Magma shares its running gear with the manic Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6 N performance EVs from sister brand Hyundai, right down to the 84kWh battery pack and electronic limited-slip differential (e-LSD), as well as the Virtual Gear Shift and Drift Mode functions.

With a design said to be inspired by motorsport, the GV60 Magma is externally distinguished by its available Magma Orange hero paint, Magma-signature three-hold front bumper, black 'Genesis' badging, 21-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in 275mm-wide Pirelli P Zero performance tyres, and model-exclusive rear wing.

Indeed, there's plenty of new aero goodies, including side skirts with three-hole detailing and a diffuser in the lower section of the rear bumper, while the "streamlined aesthetic" is accentuated by contrasting gloss-black elements throughout.

In addition to the hero orange paint, a range of gloss-finish paints are available alongside three additional matte paint options – Matterhorn White, Makalu Grey, and Ceres Blue.

Inside, highlights include Magma-specific appointments like flourishes of orange throughout the suede-like Chamude upholstery with plaid-like pattern, with the contrasting accents applied on the trim stitching, quilting, and seatbelts.

The steering wheel is also a Magma-exclusive design, incorporating a black Genesis emblem and orange accents for the drive mode and boost buttons. Other controls are finished in gloss-black and dark metal.

If the Magma Orange interior accents are too much for you, a more subtle Ash White option is also available.

Keeping the cabin quiet when there are low-profile performance tyres underneath can be challenge for EV makers, but Genesis says the GV60 Magma's refinement is "exceptional" thanks to laminated acoustic glass, reinforced door sealing, and Active Noise Control.

Compared to the standard GV60, the Magma picks up unique displays for the 27-inch Integrated Wide Display, with a special Magma Mode transforming the instrument cluster into a three-circle dial layout – showing driving data including motor and battery temperatures, road speed, and lateral force.

The head-up display likewise shows similar key content for performance driving, as well as regen braking level and remaining boost time right in the driver's line of sight.

Other digitised highlights include the aforementioned Virtual Gear Shift function, which "finetunes motor output, torque, and regenerative braking to mimic the gear shift feel and dynamics of a high-performance combustion-engined vehicle," while also playing engine sounds inside the cabin.

Smart regenerative braking 3.0 offers enhanced functionality and usability by drawing upon map data and traffic flow to optimise regen braking force, and operates over the full speed range rather than up to 9km/h like the pre-facelift GV60 lineup.

As with the wider Genesis range, the GV60 Magma is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty, and five years or 75,000km of free scheduled servicing.

24-hour roadside assistance is thrown in for up to 10 years with no mileage limit, while the Genesis To You concierge service is also complementary for five years or unlimited kilometres – including courtesy vehicles.

Pricing

Standard Equipment

2027 Genesis GV60 Magma highlights:

• 21-inch forged alloy wheels
• 400mm front brake discs
• 360mm rear brake discs
• Rear limited-slip differential – e-LSD
• Electronic Control Suspension
• Drift mode
• Virtual Gear Shift
• Drive modes – Sprint, GT, MY Drive
• Launch control
• 'Micro Lens Array' LED headlights incl. Dynamic Welcome Lighting
• Intelligent Front Lighting System – Adaptive high-beam
• Tailgate mounted spoiler
• Front bucket seats incl. power adjustment
• Suede/leather-appointed seats
• Suede headliner
• Suede pillar trim
• Leather-appointed dashboard, doors
• 27-inch OLED integrated cluster, infotainment display
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• Genesis Connected Services
• Magma multimedia display
• Navigation incl. augmented reality, live traffic
• 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio
• Head-up display
• Wireless phone charger

Click the images for the full gallery

MORE: Explore the Genesis GV60 showroom

Speaking to CarExpert, Honda Australia managing director Rob Thorp said the Japanese brand is looking to add more models and compete in more segments as it pursues more sales growth after recording a claimed 25 per cent increase in new vehicle orders in June 2026 – its highest monthly result in four years.

“Our plans are to look at ways of how we can expand the lineup and push into segments where we're not currently represented,” Mr Thorp said.

“That's part of our approach; we're looking globally to see what we can find that would work here locally.”

Looking for your next car? We'll help you research and compare so you choose with confidence.

Honda Australia currently offers just six nameplates, including the new Prelude hybrid sports coupe launched earlier this year, with the recently updated CR-V and HR-V SUVs leading the company's sales.

That number will increase to seven when the Honda Super-One electric hatch arrives later this year, with local pricing and specifications yet to be announced.

In contrast, market leader Toyota currently offers 21 nameplates in Australia, while BYD – which rocketed to second on the sales charts again last month – has expanded its range from six nameplates a year ago to 11 today.

Asked whether Honda would add more nameplates or broaden its existing model lineups, Mr Thorp said it would be “definitely a combination of both”.

He wouldn't share further details, but Honda Australia has not ruled out releasing the 0 Series Alpha electric SUV, the only surviving model from Honda's three-vehicle 0 Series EV strategy after the other two were cancelled before reaching production.

There's also the question of the next-generation US-built Honda Ridgeline dual-cab ute, after Honda Australia previously ruled out the current model, which is approaching a decade on sale.

Mr Thorpe said he would not comment on specific models, but when asked about adding a ute to the local lineup last year, Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph told CarExpert: “Do we need one? Not necessarily, but if we have one it needs to be the right one.”

Other overseas Honda models that could be considered for Australia include the V6-powered Passport SUV and the larger three-row Pilot, which also has a V6 and shares its platform with the Ridgeline.

Honda Australia remains focused on hybrid models, and Mr Thorp said the current fuel crisis has not fundamentally changed the brand's product strategy, even as EV sales reach record levels.

“If we had a BEV [battery-electric vehicle], that'd be great. We just don't have one available at the moment. Super-One will hopefully fill that gap, but the fuel crisis hasn't caused us to make fundamental shifts to our product lineup or strategy.

“If I could wave my magic wand, would I have one [an EV] in the medium or small SUV segments? Probably, yes. But that being said, you know, I can’t wave that wand."

Sales of EVs in Australia reached a record 16.4 per cent market share in April 2026, rising to 19.9 per cent in May, and 23.3 per cent in June. By comparison, EVs accounted for 10.3 per cent of Australian new-vehicle sales in June 2025.

Unsurprisingly, Mr Thorpe said Honda Australia's first EV in the Super-One couldn't come soon enough, but reiterated his commitment to hybrid vehicles.

“We've got to deal with what's in front of us. We still fundamentally believe in our hybrid strategy,” he said.

“I still believe fundamentally that the vast majority of people... the transition to hybrid is still a more natural transition than going from an ICE [internal combustion engine] environment to a BEV.”

In the first six months of 2026, sales of Honda hybrids increased by 30 per cent, and almost two-thirds of new vehicles delivered by the brand were powered by petrol-electric drivetrains as updates to the CR-V and HR-V boosted demand.

“For the remainder of this year, just by virtue of hybrid sales strength, our ICE [vehicle] demand has really pulled away, and so we're changing our product mix, and actually arguably leaning harder into that strategy with hybrid, and for us that's working.”

Mr Thorp said he believes there remains significant opportunity for both hybrid and electric models in Australia.

“I still think that there's going to be a sizable market for both to be successful, and so for us, hybrid is where it's at, so that's what our priority is.”

Watch this space for our full interview with Honda's local MD on Sunday (July 12), when we'll publish the latest instalment in our Expert Insights series.

MORE: Explore the Honda showroom

The popular large off-road SUV lineup now starts at $102,800 before on-road costs for the entry-level Defender 90 D250 S three-door (up from $98,400 plus on-roads), and is topped by the five-door Defender 110 P635 OCTA Black flagship at $314,300 plus ORCs – previously $313,800 plus ORCs.

In some overseas markets, the power output of the range-topping OCTA’s BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre mild-hybrid petrol V8 has been trimmed by about 70kW to meet the tougher Euro 6e-bis emissions standard, but that won’t be the case in Australia where outputs will continue to be 467kW and 750Nm.

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That means our Defender OCTA will continue with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.0 seconds, while Europe’s detuned version now takes 4.4 seconds but compensates somewhat for that with a deeper engine note following tweaks to its exhaust system.

For 27MY, the “toughest, most capable Defender ever” continues with 6D Dynamics suspension, OCTA Mode, the choice of all-season or off-road tyres, and the option of Chopped Carbon Fibre interior and exterior elements.

However, the OCTA is also now available in Woolstone Green paint, alongside existing colours including Sargasso Blue, Borasco Grey, Patagonia White Matte Wrap, Charente Grey, Petra Copper, and Narvik Black.

Both the Defender OCTA and OCTA Black add a gloss-black tailgate spoiler, while the Chopped Carbon Fibre Exterior Pack becomes an OCTA Black option.

Released in 2020 as the first car-based (monocoque) version of a model that dates back to 1948, the L663-series Defender continues to be available in three body lengths, including the three-door 90, the five-door 100, and the three-row five-door 130.

New for 27MY is the Vertex trim positioned alongside the X equipment grade, above the S and X-Dynamic SE, but below the Trophy and OCTA. Available with both the 90 and 110 body styles, it adds “tough luxury” features including more rugged extended front and rear bumpers, a larger profiled grille and revised fog lights, all finished in a Shadow Atlas Matte colour.

The new Vertex trim also adds a gloss-black tailgate spoiler, contrasting yellow front brake calipers and exposed rear recovery eyes, body-coloured lower cladding, and new 22-inch diamond-turned Satin Dark Grey wheels with Carpathian Grey contrast, with the option of 22-inch gloss-black or 20-inch Satin Dark Grey wheels.

Vertex vehicles can be had in Fuji White, Santorini Black, Woolstone Green, Borasco Grey or Carpathian Grey exterior paint, as well as in a Patagonia White matte wrap.

Inside, Vertex buyers can choose from Windsor leather and (new) Forged textile trimmed seats – available in either Ebony or Caraway/Ebony – or Ultrafabrics seat upholstery in Light Cloud/Lunar.

Separately, a new Extended Exterior Pack is available as an optional visual upgrade for X-Dynamic SE, X-Dynamic HSE and V8 vehicles, comprising the Vertex’s extended bumpers in Shadow Atlas Matte, rear spoiler and body-coloured spare wheel cover.

The pack is available with the choice of four wheel options: 20-inch and 22-inch gloss-black, 20-inch Satin Dark Grey, and 20-inch diamond-turned with Gloss Dark Grey contrast.

Meantime, the Defender 110 Trophy Edition that was relaunched in 2025 and added accessories such as the Expedition Roof Rack, Deployable Roof Ladder and Raised Air Intake can now be had in Santorini Black paint, which joins Deep Sandglow Yellow and replaces Keswick Green.

The 27MY Defender 110 also brings a new six-seat option comprising a 2+2+2 layout with two luxurious captain’s chairs in the second row, each offering extra contouring, bolster cushions, individual armrests, manual recline function, and twin floor cupholders behind the centre console.

The configuration is also claimed to improve access to row three, increase legroom for all rear passengers, and provide cargo space between the captain’s chairs. 

Also new for 27MY is a new Namib Orange exterior colour for the Defender 90 and 110 in S, X-Dynamic SE, X-Dynamic HSE and X trims, while the Patagonia White matte wrap is now also offered on the X and Vertex, in addition to V8 and OCTA variants. 

Across the Defender range, all paints are available with matte protective film and, for the first time, gloss protective film “for even greater durability”. Previously only available in a matte finish, Land Rover says the self-healing film provides protection from scratches, stone chips, scuffs and fading, and has the ability to “repair micro-scratches over time”.

A range of factory-fit accessories has also been introduced for the Defender, including an integrated Expedition Roof Light, a Tail Door Gear Carrier providing 60 litres/12kg of extra cargo capacity on the tailgate, and a Tail Door Spoiler (standard on Vertex and part of the Extended Exterior Pack).

Fresh accessory packages include the Explorer Pack (expedition roof rack, side gear carrier, raised air intake, deployable ladder), Adventure Pack (integrated air compressor, portable rinse system, external side gear carrier), and Urban Pack (bonnet decals, black fixed side steps, dark rear scuff plate).

Also new is a Technology Pack available for the S, X-Dynamic SE and X-Dynamic HSE trims, comprising some of the most popular Defender options, including a domestic power outlet, head-up display, Meridian Surround Sound System, and Clear-Sight Interior Rearview Mirror.

2027 Land Rover Defender pricing:

Finally, the 2027 Defender range scores a new in-car connected speech service that’s claimed to use AI-driven conversational intelligence to make “voice interactions with the vehicle more natural, more effortless and more human”. 

Always on standby and activated by a ‘Hey Land Rover’ prompt – despite the fact the automaker’s name has been dropped from the Defender’s official title – it provides generative AI-powered answers to questions asked in a natural voice, allowing users to “enjoy intuitive interactions using everyday language”.

The 27MY Defender lineup is available to order now, ahead of first Australian deliveries later this year.

MORE: Explore the Land Rover Defender showroom

"The Skoda Scala will not continue into the MY27 model year in Australia. However, MY26 stock remains available through the Skoda dealer network while stocks last," a spokesperson told CarExpert.

The news comes after the Czech brand confirmed a number of model year 2027 (MY27) price and spec changes across its lineup, including a number of running changes for its all-electric Elroq and Enyaq SUVs.

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While the brand's spokesperson didn't give a clear answer as to why the small hatchback is being culled from the Australian lineup, a quick look at the sales figures likely tells the story.

So far in 2026 just 59 Skoda Scalas have been registered in Australia, with just two finding homes last month – the model was down 88 per cent in June, and now lies 22.4 per cent down year-to-date.

By comparison, the related Skoda Kamiq small SUV attracted 414 registrations in the first half of this year, when sales were up 6.4 per cent. The Kamiq now lies second only to the Kodiaq (487) large SUV in Skoda's in-house sales race.

The Scala's lacklustre sales performance so far this year is clear when compared to its segment rivals, such as the Toyota Corolla (7314 sales, down 21.9 per cent), Kia K4 (4467, up 67.7 per cent) and Mazda 3 (4080, down 27.1 per cent).

Even the more expensive Volkswagen Golf enjoys exponentially more sales than its Skoda cousin, recording 1248 registrations so far in 2026 (down 24.6 per cent).

The Czech-made Skoda Scala is offered in two variants in Australia, the 85TSI Select and the slightly spicier 110TSI Monte Carlo – priced from $33,990 drive-away and $45,990 drive-away, respectively.

The Select is powered by an 85kW 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, while the Monte Carlo boasts a – you guessed it – 110kW 1.5 TSI four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. Both grades drive their front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as standard.

While it competes in the same segment as the Golf, the Scala rides on an elongated version of the Volkswagen Group's lower-cost MQB A0 platform that underpins light-segment models like the VW Polo and Skoda Fabia.

Speaking of, the smaller Fabia hatch continues into MY27, maintaining Skoda's presence in Australia's compact passenger car market. No price changes are coming for the Czech brand's light hatch, though all versions will get an upgraded driver monitoring system with an interior camera for better warning accuracy.

MORE: Explore the Skoda Scala showroom

That makes the Hunter Australia's cheapest PHEV ute, undercutting the popular BYD Shark 6 Dynamic ($55,900 plus on-roads), the GWM Cannon Alpha Lux Hi-4T ($59,990 plus ORCs), and the Ford Ranger Hybrid XLT ($71,990 plus ORCs).

“This isn't a trade-off between price and capability. It's proof that premium performance, advanced hybrid technology and genuine capability don't have to come with a premium price tag," JAC Motors Australia managing director Ahmed Mahmoud said in a press release.

"We didn't build Hunter to undercut the market. We built it to disrupt it and reset what Australians should expect from a PHEV ute."

JAC says registrations of interest for the Hunter are now open, with test drives to commence imminently.

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Based on the diesel-powered JAC T9 dual-cab, the Hunter has undergone more than 100,000km of Australian testing involving "durability runs, towing, load-carrying, hot weather, and on- and off-road evaluation". That's up from the 50,000km of testing reported by the Chinese brand in May 2026.

The Hunter's local testing process is headed by former Holden engineer Michael Barber, and JAC says it has "implemented all of Michael's recommendations from the program" ahead of the model's showroom debut next month.

Powering the Hunter is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine paired with two electric motors, one for each of axle. Peak power and torque figures are quoted at 360kW and 1010Nm – higher than those of the flagship Shark 6 Performance.

Electrical energy comes from a 31.2kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, providing an electric-only driving range of "up to 100km" based on NEDC testing. The Hunter also offers a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, and a 915kg payload.

JAC's PHEV ute will be sold in two grades: the Hunter Pro and Hunter X. Standard equipment for the flagship grade include front and rear differential locks, a surround-view monitor, adaptive cruise control, and leather-accented upholstery. A sunroof can be added as a $1500 option.

A 10.4-inch infotainment touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital instrument display are also standard. While diff locks are fitted in the Hunter X, they can be optioned in the base Hunter Pro for an additional $1888.

JAC is also offering a launch deal for the first 1000 Hunter buyers, who can now reserve a vehicle for a refundable $1000 deposit.

Those customers will be given the choice of a free home vehicle charger or a $500 accessories voucher, though the latter will only cover minor accessories such as exterior protection and floor mats. Other items, such as a basic nudge bar and a tow bar, cost $1284 and $1453, respectively.

2026 JAC Hunter pricing:

MORE: Australian tuning could go global for new Chinese PHEV uteMORE: Explore the JAC Hunter showroom

The Chinese luxury auto brand's all-new flagship four-seat coupe, first shown in concept form in April 2025 as an electric rival for the Porsche 911, will spearhead the UK launch of Denza, BYD's premium brand, later this year when first local deliveries will take place.

Denza, already on sale in Australia with the large plug-in hybrid B5 and B8 off-road SUVs and the D9 electric people mover, also announced an even faster Racing version of the Z Coupe, fitted with a massive rear wing and semi-slick tyres, and claimed to hit 100km/h in a staggering 1.96 seconds.

The all-wheel drive Z Coupe has a claimed top speed of 186mph (299km/h), while the Racing version is claimed to reach 349km/h (220mph). And even more powerful Special Edition producing 1451kW is also in the works.

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Denza says the Special Edition will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 1.7 seconds, matching the claimed time of the Aspark Owl, currently the world's fastest-accelerating production car.

The Z Coupe's design is the work of former Audi designer and current BYD design chief Wolfgang Egger, and follows the electric Z Spider, a 1000hp (746kW) Porsche 911 Cabriolet rival revealed at the Beijing motor show last April.

Both body styles have been confirmed for sale in the UK, with the Z Coupe starting from £142,900 (A$276,064) before on-road costs, and the Spider priced from £159,900 (A$308,906) before on-roads.

That's comparable with the UK price of £144,000 (A$278,189) for the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Coupe, which is priced from $449,000 plus on-road costs in Australia. The 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet starts from $412,300 plus ORCs.

The Racing will be priced from £172,000 (A$332,282) plus ORCs in the UK, which is £1000 less than the UK price of the Porsche 911 Turbo that starts from $482,500 plus ORCs in Australia.

Denza Australia is yet to confirm the Z Coupe, Z Spider or Racing for local showrooms.

The Z Coupe is based on the same BYD e3 platform as the Denza Z9 GT electric grand tourer, a four-door Porsche Taycan rival due to go on sale in Australia later this year.

The two-door Z models also share the Z9 GT's high-speed flash-charging capability, which Denza says can recharge the battery from 10 to 97 per cent in about nine minutes. The advanced fast-charging network will be rolled out across Australian Denza dealers later this year.

The Z Coupe and Spider use a 76kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery – smaller than the Z9 GT's 122.496kWh unit – with claimed driving ranges of 409km and 399km respectively.

The Racing has a claimed driving range of 380km and uses conventional coil-spring suspension, while the standard Z Coupe and Spider are fitted with air suspension.

All models feature magnetorheological dampers, as previously seen in Australia on Ferrari, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) and Chevrolet Corvette models, with predictive road-sensing technology.

The Z supercars will also be the first Denza models without a physical steering rack, instead using steer-by-wire technology with no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels.

All UK vehicles will feature carbon-ceramic brakes with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, which can be finished in one of four colours.

There will be 10 exterior paint colour options, while the Spider's fabric roof will be available in a number of colours, and UK buyers will also be able to choose from 10 interior colour schemes.

Inside, there's an 8.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch central infotainment touchscreen with Google Built-in. A 12-speaker audio system is fitted to the Coupe and Racing, while the Spider receives a 10-speaker setup.

MORE: Explore the Denza showroom

Speaking to That's Business with Alan Kohler on the ABC, Ampol CEO Matt Halliday said profits from petrol sales are declining as EV sales reach record levels amid continued uncertainty over crude oil supplies from a war-torn Middle East.

Domestic fuel production has come into the spotlight following conflict in the region, given Australia now has only two operational oil refineries, which together produce around 20 per cent of the nation's fuel needs – Ampol's Lytton refinery in Brisbane, Queensland, and Viva Energy's refinery in Geelong, Victoria.

Mr Halliday said that while said that while diesel and jet fuel production will remain a matter of national fuel security, the future of petrol in Australia remains less clear.

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"How you adjust your production to produce more diesel and jet [fuel], and less petrol over time, is an important challenge that needs to be solved because it becomes less profitable," the Ampol CEO told Mr Kohler.

"There's a point at which making petrol and refining petrol becomes more challenging, and as soon as you have to put that petrol that you're making in Brisbane, for example, on a ship and send it somewhere else – that becomes very, very expensive.

“The bigger challenge for Australia is in diesel and jet, where there is no real solution that is economic at the moment. So we're going to need fuel security and fuel supply for a long time to come.”

After record fuel prices in April 2026, sparked by conflict in the Middle East disrupting global oil shipments, high running costs continue to flow through to Australia’s broader transport sector.

The higher price of diesel in particular has had a knock-on effect across the economy, contributing to higher prices for supermarket goods and other essentials.

It also saw EVs claim a record market share of 16.4 per cent in April, increasing to 19.9 per cent in May and 23.3 per cent in June, with the Tesla Model Y topping overall vehicle sales in May, the first EV to do so, and again in June.

Sales of petrol-powered vehicles over the same three months fell 30.1, 30.3 and 29.0 per cent respectively, with their market share dropping to 24.8 per cent in June.

Mr Halliday said that while profits from petrol may be becoming thinner, Ampol's public charging network – which includes more than 350 charging bays nationally across service station forecourts and shopping centres – can make money, though perhaps not as much as by selling petrol.

"It's still too early to make a definitive call on this, but when we look at the addressable market, we see that EV charging can be a profitable business," the Ampol boss said.

"The business model works. Margins are certainly lower, but customers need to charge more frequently."

Mr Kohler put it to Mr Halliday that if all of Ampol's petrol customers switched to EVs tomorrow, the business would make less money because of the lower margins.

"We're increasingly encouraged by the fact that we think we can make reasonable returns out of this part of the business, leveraging our convenience offer [shopping centre partnerships] and leveraging the footprint that we have [service station forecourts] to make good returns over time.

"That will take time, so at the moment we're effectively building capability because the size of the [EV] fleet is about one or two per cent of the light passenger fleet, but it's growing. We want to get our business model set and scale it – that's what we're doing now."

The Ampol boss said that doesn't necessarily mean an EV charger at every one of the company's service stations.

"No – it's very much location-dependent – where do we think the EVs are going to be," he said.

"We track postcodes and data and where the EVs are arriving, what those journeys look like, and from our fleet customers in particular, where the locations are that they need so they can put an EV in the hands of their employee."

"It's a replication of the current model, but there are some areas where you can't get grid connectivity and some areas where we think, actually EV uptake's just not going to hit the requisite levels for some time."

MORE: Australia's fuel excise cut extended to keep fuel petrol, diesel prices under control

“Due to a software issue with the Lithium-ion Battery Controller (LBC) the vehicle may enter a fail-safe mode whilst driving or when the driver is using regenerative braking. This could lead to a loss of motive power and prevent the vehicle from charging,” says the recall notice.

“A loss of motive power may increase the risk of an accident, causing serious injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.”

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• A total of 13,795 vehicles are affected, produced between 2022 and 2026
• The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) list is attached here
• The original recall notice is attached here

It's the first recall for the current fourth-generation X-Trail, and the first in more than a decade for the popular mid-size SUV after the previous-generation model was recalled due to a faulty back-door stay.

The X-Trail is Nissan Australia's best-selling model, outselling the outgoing Patrol off-roader and Navara ute so far this year.

“Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by Nissan requesting them to contact their local authorised Nissan dealer to have the software reprogrammed, free of charge,” says Nissan.

Concerned owners can contact Nissan on 1800 035 035 or via email at csc@nissan.com.au.

MORE: Explore the Nissan X-Trail showroom

Speaking to media, Renault Australia General Manager Glen Sealey has revealed the Megane E-Tech Esprit Alpine will begin arriving in local dealerships in the first quarter of 2027.

With a 160kW/300Nm electric motor driving the front wheels, the Esprit Alpine comes with exterior highlights and 20-inch alloy wheels.

The 67kWh battery has a claimed WLTP range of up to 500km, while the 0-100km/h sprint is said to be covered in 7.6 seconds.

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Inside, there’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, plus unique trims and upholstery.

The updated Megane also features maximum DC fast-charging at up to 165kW – up from 35kW – and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability.

As part of the Megane E-Tech facelift, the vehicle receives sportier styling including new headlights and tail-lights, a slightly larger battery, and 20mm-higher suspension.

Renault discounted the outgoing Megane E-Tech to $49,990 drive-away earlier this year, equating to an approximate discount of up to $12,000, which Mr Sealey says has been a successful strategy for the model.

“The current Megane, we have a handful of cars left in dealer stock, and that’s it,” Mr Sealey said.

“The new Megane, which we’ll bring out in H1 next year, will be an Esprit Alpine specification, [with] pricing yet to be confirmed.

“But we think that [lower pricing strategy] will work better for us.”

While the new version will be a higher grade, the Renault Australia boss says the company is working on keeping pricing competitive.

“We realise that you have to compete in the marketplace. It’s a dynamic marketplace, it’s a disruptive marketplace, and if you can’t compete with some level of attainability, you’re not going to compete,” he said.

“So, yes, we will be competitive on the car, but will we be at the same level as today? No.”

Exact pricing and specifications for the 2027 Renault Megane E-Tech Esprit Alpine will be announced closer to the model’s Australian launch.

MORE: Explore the Renault Megane E-Tech showroom

Under increasing pressure from a wave of new Chinese brands, independent importer Inchcape announced earlier this month it was dropping Peugeot from its portfolio – almost two years after doing the same to Citroen.

During a media conference with Glen Sealey, the general manager of Renault Australia – which falls under the Ateco Automotive umbrella – CarExpert asked about the health of the French automaker in this market.

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“First and foremost, there’s significant investment going into Australian product,” Mr Sealey responded.

“There’s investment into new products coming in – new Duster, new Scenic, new Symbios, rejuvenating the existing range of Arkana drivetrain, that same drivetrain going from Master into Trafic, and more models coming through.

“So, the investment from the OEM is coming in, and the interest is coming into the Australian market,” he said.

“[Renault in France] do see Australia as a very important right-hand drive market."

Renault Asia-Pacific Oceania General Manager Arnaud Mourgue touched on the significance of Australia for the company.

“It’s an important market – it’s probably the third largest, if I’m not mistaken, right-hand-drive market for Renault. So, we are happy to push our assets in Australia,” Mr Mourgue explained.

“And from our perspective, we see that model revitalisation coming through,” Mr Sealey said.

“We see that there’s space in the market for the brand, with European heritage, European handling, design, ADAS calibration that works, good driver/human interface, and some emotion in the driving.

“We see that there’s still a market in there, there’s still a space for that in the Australian market.

“So, we think we’re actually going to go pretty well with all that under our belt,” Mr Sealey said.

In August 2024, Inchcape announced it was shutting down the Citroen brand in Australia, after operating in this market continuously for more than a century.

At the time, it’s understood Inchcape said it was focusing its attention on the more successful Peugeot brand – but in recent weeks, the distributor also dropped Peugeot.

However, the parent company of both French brands, auto giant Stellantis, has confirmed Peugeot will remain on sale here, saying the brand has "a strong future in Australia, supported by a robust product pipeline and a clear long-term strategy".

Commenting on the forthcoming Renault Megane E-Tech Esprit Alpine, Mr Sealey referred to Australia as a "dynamic marketplace" and a "disrupted marketplace", saying there is a need to keep pricing attainable for automakers to remain competitive here.

MORE: Explore the Renault showroom

Renault says the cab/chassis version will allow the fitment of a tray or pantech cargo boxes – competing with the likes of the Iveco Daily.

While exact details of the Australian vehicles haven’t been announced at this stage, in Europe the Master is available with a 120mm-wider rear track to help support motorhome bodies.

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In the UK, the Master cab/chassis is offered in single-cab and dual-cab forms, as well a ‘platform cab’ which allows for the fitment of pantech or refrigerated bodies with low floors for easier loading – rather than retaining the standard chassis rail height of the van on which it’s based.

As with the Master van, cab/chassis derivatives can be optioned with either a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, or with the E-Tech electric powertrain.

The new-generation Master is already on sale in Australia in four diesel grades: a mid-wheelbase variant with a standard roof and a manual transmission, the same configuration with a nine-speed automatic transmission, a long-wheelbase auto variant with a standard roof, or a long-wheelbase auto variant with a high roof.

Two electric Master E-Tech van options are also arriving here in the first quarter of 2027 – a mid-wheelbase variant with a standard roof, and a long-wheelbase variant with a standard roof.

Announced in May 2026, the new Renault Master lineup is priced from $55,990 before on-road costs, increasing to $79,990 before on-roads for the long-wheelbase E-Tech.

MORE: Explore the Renault Master showroom