Thanks for joining us this Monday 30 September 2024. Notably in car news today: Chinese electric vehicle maker Deepal is locked in for launch locally in the fourth quarter of 2024, and Mazda Australia has said “stay tuned” for a potential special-edition Mazda MX-5.
Browse this issue:
- Chinese automaker Deepal launching in Australia Q4, 2024
- Mazda’s next special edition ND MX-5 all but confirmed
- Volkswagen details new Multivan; coming in Q4
- McLaren’s next hybrid hypercar will be called the W1
- Reviewed: 2025 Mazda CX-80
Chinese automaker Deepal will launch in Australia in Q4, 2024
This is the upcoming 2024 Deepal S07 electric SUV
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Deepal, a Chinese electric automaker owned by the Changan Group, will launch in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2024.
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The brand has today confirmed it will be distributed locally by Inchcape, who also distributes Subaru and Peugeot locally.
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The first model to launch for Deepal will be the S07 SUV, a Tesla Model Y-rivalling electric car that will likely launch with a 66.8kWh battery pack and a claim of around 485km of range.
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Deepal will join Polestar, Zeekr, MG, BYD, LDV, Leapmotor and more in Australia as the race to bring more vehicles to market happens quickly in our local market.
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It’s also expected that the larger G318 SUV model will arrive on our shores further down the track.
Mazda all-but-confirmed to introduce limited-edition MX-5 roadster
Another Mazda MX-5 anniversary car could be around the corner!
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If you’re after a special Mazda MX-5, it won’t be long, with Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak telling Chasing Cars to “stay tuned”.
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With the 10-year anniversary of the ND MX-5 generation approaching, it’s very likely that we will see a limited-edition roadster to celebrate the occasion.
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Expect additions such as unique badging, decals and largely aesthetic enhancements if and when it arrives locally.
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Mazda has been known for special-edition MX-5s in the past, including a 10-year anniversary edition of the drop-top sports car in 1999 for the original NA and a twenty 20-year anniversary edition for the model’s third-gen NC model.
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The last special edition was for the model’s 30th birthday with Racing Orange paint, orange brake calipers, Recaro seats and Rays forged wheels.
Volkswagen further details new Multivan that’s coming 2025
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The next-generation Volkswagen Multivan is set to arrive in Australia in entry-grade Life specification in Q1 next year, before a higher-grade Style variant joins the range in Q3.
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Pricing has not yet been announced for the new Multivan, which now sits on Volkswagen Group’s car-based MQB platform that also underpins vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf, as opposed to a commercial vehicle platform of previous generations.
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Promising better handling dynamics and refinement as a result, the new Multivan is said to “target the top selling seven seaters in the Australian market” with a “highly specified” lineup.
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The Life variant will be powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (110kW/360Nm) sending power to the front wheels and mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with a second but as-yet-unconfirmed powertrain to launch with the Style variant later in 2025.
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Standard specification for the Life includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital cockpit and 10-inch media display, as well as a modular and multifunctional seating system that allows various configurations of seating combinations, as well as the removal of all second and third row seats.
McLaren’s next hypercar will be called the W1
This is no high-performance Australian HSV model: the next McLaren hypercar will be called the W1
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British supercar maker McLaren has confirmed the name of its next hypercar will be the W1, following the naming conventions of the previous P1 and F1 halo models.
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The W1 will be the successor to the P1 which was produced between 2013 and 2015, the forebear utilising a hybrid 3.8-litre V8 powertrain. That hypercar made a combined 674kW of power.
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Reports from Automotive News indicate that the new W1 model will also be hybrid, but able to be plugged in. Described as a “melding” between a McLaren Senna and a P1, only 400 units will be built at a price tag of around USD$2.2 million, or AUD$3.1 million.
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The W1 will retain a V8 engine but will use a reportedly much lighter hybrid system. Combined system output is rumoured to be around 894kW, or 1200hp.
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The model will arrive in 2026, but it’s unclear whether any will come to Australian shores.
2025 Mazda CX-80 reviewed
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Chasing Cars contributor Daniel Gardner’s video and written reviews of the 2025 Mazda CX-80 were published, including his thoughts on Mazda’s next premium SUV for its luxury-focused lineup.
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Gardner found the CX-80 to have several positive points, including its strong and efficient powertrains, high-quality interiors and luxurious second row.
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However, Gardner also found that the ride quality was still a little choppy, its touchscreen is only for phone mirroring and annoying driver assistance warnings let the vehicle down somewhat.
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All in all, Gardner said this of the new CX-80: “With the best ride of the lot, the full suite of engines to choose from, and a seven-seat cabin, this latest CX model is the most complete in a growing SUV family at the larger end of Mazda’s expansive range.”
READ: Link to written review
The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Tuesday 1 October at 4.30pm Sydney time.