This week on Chasing Cars: Grand Cherokee unveiled, Forester specs released and Supra reviewed

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From November onwards I’m considering renaming our wrap up to the Chasing Cars Christmas Wish List because I’m pretty sure that’s how you all treat it anyway. 

And I’m not just talking about the Toyota Supra we reviewed this week or Toyota’s trophy truck take on the Hilux but also some solid cars and SUVs to haul the kids to school in.

Because the fact is when you blather on to your significant other about the Isuzu MU-X’s approach angle they’ll fall asleep before your rehearsed pitch is out – but start with its new five-star ANCAP rating and you might just win them over.

We at Chasing Cars take pride in equipping you with the tools to convince yourself and those around you that your expensive ‘want’ is in fact a ‘need’. And we speak from personal experience. 

Jeep Grand Cherokee unveiled

We saw the seven-seat Jeep Grand Cherokee L back in January this year but it’s taken until now to see the five-seat version, and it didn’t disappoint.

Both are coming to Australia with the Grand Cherokee here a few months after the Grand Cherokee L lands in the first half of 2022 and they are more different than you might expect.

The shorter Grand Cherokee will also be released in a 4xe plug-in hybrid version offering around 40km of pure electric driving. 

Turns out that combining a turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors has also made it pretty damn quick with a combined power output of 280kW, matched with 637Nm of torque. Grunty V6 and V8 options will also be offered.

Jeep has put a lot of effort into making this Grand Cherokee better built than the last, putting it through a range of torture tests all over the world – and even in outback Australia – to help improve the less than stellar reputation of its predecessor.  

Subaru Forester specs released

The fifth-generation Subaru Forester has been a strong seller in Australia due to its extensive safety equipment, real-world practicality and off road capability.

All three have been improved in the recent facelift and with a starting price of $35,990 before on-road costs, it won’t even break the bank. 

This week the full list of inclusions on each variant was released, with Subaru Australia opting to include equipment like a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen and swivelling LED headlights as standard.

The first few 2022 Foresters are arriving on dealership lots now but sadly the on-sale date has been pushed back from October to November due to ongoing supply issues.

Toyota Supra reviewed

A lot of Toyota Supra reviews out there dwell on a lot of hot air surrounding the origin of that car and while its BMW underpinnings may not have that iconic Toyota DNA, the end result is a bloody fine sports car as we found out.

With a turbocharged straight-six up front and power sent to the rear, the Supra is part of a dying breed and could be the last coupe we see from Toyota without electrical assistance of some form.

Churning out a fairly frightening 285kW and 500Nm at peak boost, the Supra is bloody quick on the straights. And turn into a corner at speed and you’ll find the short length and wide stance give the Toyota a phenomenal amount of mechanical grip.

Overall we thought the Supra was a damn fine sports car, especially in its latest form. Head to our YouTube channel to see the full review. 

Cars and SUVs we reviewed this week:

Alongside the Toyota Supra, we had a look at a number of SUVs which all had their own unique twist.

Over on the Chasing Cars YouTube channel, contributor John Law reviewed the Hyundai Venue Active small SUV which offers a lot of safety and handy features for not much cash.

Deputy Editor Nathan Ponchard spent some time with Mazda’s first EV, the MX-30 small SUV, to see if it could redeem its very restrictive driving range of 200km.

On the main site we shared a written version of our Hyundai Tucson Diesel review, you can also watch a video version. 

Editor Tom Baker reviewed the recently updated Mazda CX-30 small SUV which is an incredibly attractive buy if you can get over the – in my opinion – absurd amount of plastic cladding glued on the sides.  

Other car and SUV news that happened this week:

• The Ford Maverick pairs the rugged versatility of a dual-cab ute with the smooth driving dynamics of a passenger car and even has a frugal hybrid engine. We had a chat with Ford to see if it could come down under and gave our own take on the issue.

• Genesis provided the full specs on the fully electric GV60 midsize SUV which comes loaded with some amazing new tech and a drift mode for all you hooligans out there.

• Toyota unveiled the GR Hilux this week which is a purpose-built race car designed to take on the Dakar Rally. It features a carbon-fibre body and the same engine as the incoming 300 Series Land Cruiser. 

• The next-gen Nissan X-Trail midsize SUV has some very encouraging signs that it will blow the current yawn-inducing model right out the water, so we had a chat with Nissan about when it’s coming and detailed what the Aussie range might look like.

• Around the same time in late 2022, we are expected to see the new Nissan Pathfinder large SUV arrive in Australia. We’ve had a look at what’s new and the goodies available on each grade.

• The Isuzu MU-X continues to be a quiet achiever in the sale charts and now it’s earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating, making it a great choice for adventure-seeking families who need those seven seats.

• Rivan chief executive officer RJ Scaringe said this week that right-drive markets were absolutely on the agenda in the latest positive sign that the EV-only start up will come to Australia.

• While the Jeep Grand Cherokee is getting a hybrid version in Australia the Wrangler will not, which is a shame since it blends some genuine off road ability with 50km of petrol-free driving for the commute.

• In some very sad news Audi has been forced to discontinue the R8 supercar due to some homologation issues that have made the slow-selling supercar not viable in our market.

• The Ford Escape plug-in hybrid is set to arrive a whopping 18 months behind schedule at some point before July next year. Arriving in sporty ST-Line guise and with 56km of electric range it could be a fun and smart pick for buyers.

• McLaren unveiled the 720S Daniel Ricciardo edition very quickly after his long-overdue Monza win last month. Dressed in the signature McLaren F1 colours, only three will be made.

• Volvo is bringing the C40 Recharge small SUV to Australia, which is essentially an EV only version of the beloved XC40. It’s also the first of many Volvos that won’t feature a leather option.

• Just when you thought it was dead, the Chrysler 300 will return once again in both 300C Luxury and the V8 SRT version so beloved by our mates on NSW’s Highway Patrol unit.

• The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was teased this week, well ahead of its October 26th reveal date. A flat-plane crank V8 crank that can rev to 9,000rpm is expected. 

• Caterham has launched the Seven 170 which takes the idea of a lightweight sports car to some pretty insane territory at 440kg, it weighs less than half of a Mazda MX-5!