Car news, 05 May ’25: HiLux back on top and Tesla tanks for April sales, new electrics inbound for Volkswagen, and more

Numbers. They’re a dizzying discussion point for Leapmotor, the fresh-faced China-originated “new energy vehicle” start-up predominantly owned (a Stellantis’s Chinese electrified upstart brand lob a new choice into the hotly contested hybrid midsize SUV landscape, with a 1150km range claim.

Just over three years after the ‘premium’ CX-60 arrived in Mazda’s Australian showrooms, followed by two rounds of suspension revisions – the most recent In an attempt to offers buyers more choice, Mazda has introduced a fourth CX-60 powertrain – a 2.5-litre four-cylinder with rear-wheel drive, saving $6000.

Following a faltering premium push, Mazda’s much-anticipated Large Product cars have shifted down market. Along with a cheaper entry price ($50,240 for More cylinders for the cash than any rival, is the cut-price Pure the answer to Mazda’s Large Product sales slump? We’re not convinced

It’s rare and admirable to see a bit of humility from a car company. That’s what we are seeing from Mazda in relation to its CX-60 SUV. Prices were Unsuccessfully pitched as a luxury SUV, Mazda has pivoted the CX-60 to pitch a lot of metal – and engine – for the money. Frankly, that is the right call.

Biding your time, waiting for the right moment to deploy something – be it a spicy email, a coming-out revelation, or a mid-sized electric SUV that needed Four-and-a-half years after it launched in Europe, Volkswagen’s original ID-badged SUV arrives following an extensive mid-cycle update, carrying a value-for-money price

Leapmotor might sound like something you’d name a windup toy frog, but it’s another demonstration of China’s rate of progress; Leapmotor first started in The Leapmotor C10 isn’t a leap forward for motoring, but it is a promising start for a budding brand striking at exactly the right time.

Mazda has long been an off-beat carmaker, smaller in scale but broader in thinking than many of its rivals, so in many ways it's perhaps not a surprise An all-new six-cylinder SUV in 2023 is exciting for buyers but was it the right move from Mazda? We're testing a CX-60 for 10,000km to find out.

Mazda’s CX-60 midsize SUV has proved to be one of the most confounding cars I’ve driven in years. The everyman Japanese brand has carved out an enviable While there’s goodness in the inclusions and finish of Mazda’s CX-60, this six-cylinder petrol's drive experience lacks the required polish

The top-selling electric vehicle in Australia is the Tesla Model Y: in the first nine months of 2023, 23,457 Aussies took one home. There are strong VW says its ID4 and ID5 electric SUVs have what it takes to compete with the best-selling Tesla Model Y. We take an early drive in the GTX flavour of the coupe-style ID5

Mazda surprised many when it confirmed in 2020 that it would invest in a new longitudinal, rear-biased platform supporting standard six-cylinder engines – Mazda’s debut luxury SUV, the five-seat CX-60, flexes a pair of superb six-cylinder engines and hybrid nous – but poor ride quality is a rare miss for the brand

Volkswagen’s landmark electric SUV succeeds in blending the familiar with the futuristic with its foray into attainable mainstream EV motoring

Mazda will soon burst into the luxury SUV segment with its first plug-in hybrid – the RWD-based CX-60 midsizer. We’ve driven it

Smallest Leapmotor yet promises clever interior space, decent electric range, and a headline-in-the-making price tag. But there’s a catch

Volkswagen has seen what the Australian ute market has been offered, with trendy black sticker pack options offered from seemingly most manufacturers. With new black-themed exterior styling cues and a limited run of just 300 units, is the new Edition version of the Multivan special enough to justify the $82,990 asking price?

It’s a study in sensibleness, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 Evolve. That's hardly a sexy opening statement to send you sprinting to a Mazda dealer, but in today's We live with the expected sales star of the new-generation Mazda CX-5 line-up, but is the $43K Evolve grade simply too spartan for 2026 buyers?

There’s plenty to like about this new-generation Mazda 6e – the lower case ‘e’ signifying its electric propulsion. It might not be a Mazda in the truest The brand’s first proper EV gets birthed from a Chinese joint-venture, bringing refined dynamics, rear-drive balance and strong value, but also some jarring flaws

Thanks for joining us this Friday January 31st, 2025. Notably in car news today: next-generation Volkswagen Tiguan detailed, and the next Lexus LS could Notably in car news today: next-generation Volkswagen Tiguan detailed, and the next Lexus LS could become a family hauling seven-seat hybrid SUV.

Thanks for joining us this Tuesday, April 1st 2025. Notably in car news today: Chinese automakers battle for title of fastest EV-charger, Mahindra’s new

Finally, Volkswagen has announced pricing for its first electric cars, the ID.4 and ID.5. There’s a nice surprise in store for those who have waited, After years of delays, Volkswagen has finally released ID.4 and ID.5 pricing, and the numbers come as a pleasant surprise

Plucky Japanese brand Mazda hedged a sizeable bet on its Large Product Architecture which underpins ‘premium’ products such as the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and Mazda is going on a product offensive after lukewarm Large Product Architecture reception to drive volume in key segments

Volkswagen has confirmed that Australia will secure the higher-output facelifted versions of the long-awaited ID4 and ID5 SUVs when the pair launch in “Faster and more efficient” versions to arrive for Australian debut in Q2 2024.

Thanks for joining us this Tuesday January 7th 2025. Notably in car news today: Ford Australia tops 100,000 sales for the first time since 2008, and Every important car news story breaking today, one convenient read

Thanks for joining us this Wednesday 23 October 2024. Notably in car news today: tough new Isuzu D-Max Blade revealed, Mazda confirms pricing for latest In car news: tough new D-Max Blade unveiled, Mazda prices new CX-70 and CX-80 SUVs, and more.

With less than a year to run until the Volkswagen ID4 and ID5 midsize electric SUVs arrive in Australia, the brand says it will explicitly target the

Volkswagen’s electric SUV strategy will reportedly see the updated ID4 and ID5 sold alongside an electric Tiguan

Thanks for joining us this Friday, February 7th 2025. Notably in car news today: Jimny three-door and other Suzuki models retired due to ADR regulations, Notably in car news today: Jimny three-door and other Suzuki models retired due to ADR regulations, Nissan looking for new suitors as Honda merger deal falters, and more.

Australians bought more electric vehicles (EVs) in 2024 than ever before, with 91,292 sales eclipsing the 2023 total (87,217) by 4.7 percent, in an The best-selling electric vehicles in Australia, from the chart-topping Tesla Model Y to the least popular EVs on the market

Mazda could introduce a suspension update for its freshly launched CX-60 and CX-90 SUVs as part of its continuous vehicle improvement strategy that Continuous improvement process could introduce SUV suspension revision in response to media/customer feedback

As Mazda Motor Corporation continues to fine-tune the dynamics and overall calibration of its Chinese-made, all-electric Mazda 6e sedan in preparation for Mazda admits that lessons have been learned about launching its Large Product Group architecture models before they were ready for market

Mazda has confirmed that an influx of more premium, next-generation SUV models led by the CX-60 midsize SUV will not necessarily mark the end of its Choice is key and new-generation models can ‘coexist’ alongside existing line-up says Mazda

The decision to bring its new CX-60 midsize luxury SUV to Australia was a simple one for Mazda, according to the brand’s local senior executives. It’s all

This week we discussed how Subaru is sending more BRZs to Australia and finally got behind the wheel of the Mazda CX-60.