This week on Chasing Cars: ID5 unveiled, A8 facelifted and Peugeot’s electric push

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With most of NSW and Victoria unleashed from lockdown, car launches have been coming thick and fast with lots of new cars set to launch before the year’s end.

The Mitsubishi Outlander, Audi SQ5 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 have all launched in Australia in the space of two weeks, and rest assured there are plenty more on the way.

The SEMA show took place this week in Las Vegas, and that meant a whole heap of awesome concept cars from Ford and Jeep – some of which are even coming in production form.

On the review front, we pitched two snarling performance SUVs from Jaguar and Alfa Romeo head-to-head and had a look at the very swish Mazda CX-8 Asaki LE large SUV. There’s lots more to cover so without further ado let’s jump into it.

Audi A8 and S8 facelift unveiled

Audi unveiled the facelifted version of the A8 that has been updated with new exterior styling. Starting at the front, the A8 now boasts more sensitive Matrix LED headlights that can accurately light up the lane ahead without blinding other drives. New and the rear OLED taillights alert inattentive drivers by flashing prior to a potential rear-end collision

The A8 is also 18mm longer (5190mm) in short-wheelbase form, while the long-wheelbase A8 L stretches a further 140mm (5,330mm) for added legroom in the rear seats.

Of course, the latest updates and appearance will carry over to the brutally fast S8 with its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 420kW of power and 800Nm of torque.

With around 60 percent of all A8s sold in China, Audi has cooked up the market-exclusive A8 L Horch that adds even more length and luxury in the second row – hinting at a potential Maybach-like brand that could be rolled out across the range.

Volkswagen reveals ID5, but it’s unlikely for Australia

The latest vehicle to be spawned from Volkswagen’s MEB platform is the ID5 that offers a coupe-shaped alternative to the ID4 with up to 520km of range.

Inside the ID5 is just as striking, with a modern interior design that features a huge 12.0-inch touchscreen in the centre with in-built software to guide users to charging stations along their journey.

Volkswagen will offer a single-motor version with a 77kWh battery along with the more performance-orientated AWD ID5 GTX that can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

Peugeot Australia launches first electric models

After previously revealing its plans exclusively to Chasing Cars, Peugeot has kicked off its foray into electric vehicles with plug-in hybrid versions of the 3008 midsize SUV and 508 sedan, with both slated to arrive early next year.

The 3008 is likely to be the more popular of the two and is available exclusively in top-spec GT Sport trim with a sticker price of  $79,990 (before on-road costs).

Likewise, the 508 GT Fastback will be the only variant available with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain priced from $76,990 before on-road costs.

Peugeot claims an all-electric range of 60km for the 3008, and 55km for the 508 which should be enough for most to complete the daily commute.

In 2022, Peugeot has promised to bring its first all-electric vehicle to Australia and while nothing and yet been decided the e-2008 small SUV, e-208 hatch and EV commercial van range are all under consideration.

All the cars and SUVs we reviewed this week:

Over on the Chasing Cars YouTube channel, we put out five reviews and one news video this week covering reports that the Ioniq 5’s battery will grow in 2022.

Kicking off the week of reviews, we had a mega comparison between the Jaguar F-Pace SVR and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio which are two fantastic but often overlooked performance SUVs.

Next, we put the new Mitsubishi Outlander under the microscope in both video and written form, and while it has some issues there is a lot to like inside and out – plus it’s more affordable than many of its rivals.

Next, we turned to the Mazda CX-8 Asaki LE to find out how much seven-seater you get for $69,290 (before on-road costs).

We also reviewed the Skoda Octavia Limited Edition, which isn’t cheap at $50,490 driveaway, but what you get is a well-specified, comfortable sedan with a huge amount of practicality.

Finally, deputy editor Nathan Ponchard reviewed the facelifted Audi SQ5 Sportback that has been enormously popular in previous years due to its sheer grunt and stylish look.

Other car and SUV news we covered this week:

• The Kia Sportage midsize SUV has been priced from $34,690 driveaway in Australia and will be released in 11 variations later this month.

• Toyota released more details on the BZ4X that promises 500km of range thanks to a 71.4kWh battery pack, the fully-electric midsize SUV is set to arrive in Australia in the latter half of 2022.

• After all my whinging last week Ford has announced that the next-generation Ranger will be unveiled on November 24 so stay tuned.

• How much will the Toyota GR86 cost in Australia? The pricing has not yet been announced but we pulled out the calculator and found it will likely cost around $35,000 for a base manual, read the full story to find out why.

• Mitsubishi unveiled the Outlander plug-in hybrid that boasts 87km of all-electric range while still being able to carry seven people. Expect it here in early 2022.

• Volkswagen has updated its timing on the facelifted Polo hatch which is now set to arrive in Australia between late March to early April with updated safety and technology features – and the hot GTI variant will also be returning to our shores at the same time.

• The all-mighty GMC Hummer has been rumoured to offer  538km range following a leak in Chevrolet’s phone app, though the vehicle has yet to be officially detailed for sale.

• Ford pumped out a number of uber-cool models for SEMA this week and the best of the lot was the Bronco DR – or Desert Racer – that is built to take on the Baja 1000 rally and features a slew of serious modifications including a Mustang V8 under the bonnet.

• Jeep has unveiled a few special models of its own, including the Wrangler Overlook concept that features seven seats and retains its removable roof.