Car news, 07 May ’25: Luxury car tax facing the chopping block, BYD beats Tesla for best selling EV, and more

Not quite the full-on, game-changing, low-cost EV we were promised, cut-back Model 3 RWD still delivers superb value

Luxury large eight-seat SUV hurtles itself into all-terrain adventure territory and sticks the muddy landing well

The Tesla Model 3 is easily Australia’s most popular premium sedan. Last year, the Chinese-made, American-badged four-door outsold the BMW 3 Series/4 The Tesla Model 3 is the best-selling EV sedan in Australia. Over the next three months and 5000km, we’re going to see if the king deserves its crown.

The launch of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 250 Series in Australia was accompanied by some initially lukewarm feedback — cool styling, shame about the Does the latest version of one of the most popular family 4WDs in Australia deliver on its promises in the long-term experience?

If the timeless Ioniq 5 (2021) was an orbit-shifting moment for global Hyundai design, and the new-generation Santa Fe marked next-level elevation in Handsome second-generation Palisade arrives in top-spec Calligraphy form with an all-new hybrid AWD powertrain, a high-quality interior and two tonnes of luxury.

You’d have to live under a rock to not have noticed the surge of BYD-branded vehicles present on Australian roads. The Xi’an, China-based marque only Sharp pricing, generous specification, handsome styling and a few touches of genuine luxury have catapulted the Sealion 7 to success — but it isn’t perfect

A year after Toyota ditched purely petrol options for its passenger cars and SUVs in favour of an all-hybrid offering, an electrified option has finally Designated a ‘performance hybrid’ with limited efficiency gains, will the LandCruiser 300 hybrid be worth considering over the safe-as-houses diesel?

There are no two ways about it, Tesla’s sales are sliding in Australia. There’s an explanation, of course, with a stop-delivery creating pent-up demand Model 3 swings back into the garage but this time with Full Self Driving (Supervised) for the first time in right-hand drive.

First impressions count off-road, especially when climbing into the insanely hyped up 2025 Toyota Prado Kakadu. This new 250 Series generation, in its Six-figure family 4WD is a fine all-rounder but what's it like at tougher off-roading?

There’s only one contender for most-hyped new car of the past 12 months, and that’s the new-generation Toyota Prado. The big question is whether the The flagship Prado is now a $100,000–plus family 4WD, but is it six-figure good?

BYD is on a mission in Australia – driven by a desire to expand its model range and achieve more than 40,000 sales annually in this market – and the chief New electric mid-sized crossover SUV aims to outdo Tesla Model Y in style and equipment while undercutting it in price. But is the Sealion 7 good enough?

The Altitude is the rockstar of the new Toyota LandCruiser Prado 250 range. Toughest looking, most capable off-road and – by being five-seat only – has a The most capable, off-road suited Prado ever arrives with the new 250 Series, but is the new Altitude worthy of its lofty name?

It’s here. The first new generation Toyota LandCruiser Prado for 15 years, with retro boxy design, more capability, plusher cabin, better tech and price The first new-generation Toyota LandCruiser Prado in 15 years arrives with the weight of expectation heavy on its retro-styled shoulders.

It shouldn’t be surprising, but it turns out that Tesla does listen to feedback. There’s no other way to explain the swag of worthwhile upgrades to the Tesla has listened to feedback: the facelift of the Model 3 addresses a range of criticism to tremendous effect. This is a much better car

Death, taxes and the fact that Toyota’s 70 Series Land Cruiser will get you into the bush and back home again without breaking a sweat: these are the By adding the Hilux’s 2.8L engine and automatic transmission, the 70 Series is now pitched at a broader range of buyers, but is it better than the tried-and-tested V8?

Australia loves the Toyota Land Cruiser, but in 2022 is this agricultural ute still worth it? Read our expert review to find out

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

Australia’s new car sales reached record heights in 2025, pushing a slender 0.3 percent past 2024’s result with a total of 1,241,037 deliveries. The 100 best-selling vehicles in Australia in 2025, from the Ford Ranger ute to the Jaecoo J7 SUV

Hyundai has confirmed its Ioniq 6 N performance sedan flagship will launch in Australia in the first half of 2026, providing the Korean automaker with a Ioniq 6 the latest to join Hyundai ‘N’ performance division with unique styling and driver-focused performance enhancements

A report from the Australian Automobile Association has revealed that this year's second quarter saw the greatest number of electric vehicles to date in This year’s second quarter sees the greatest number of electric vehicle sales to date

Australia’s new-car sales results are in for yet another record-setting March, with 111,617 sales reported through the Federal Chamber of Automobile New-car market shows signs of resilience. Incentive-driven? Probably, with plug-in hybrids having a particularly big March

The Mazda 6e electric sedan has been spied testing on Australian roads, providing the strongest hint yet that the Japanese brand will offer a local rival Chinese-built Mazda 6e could be on the cards for Australia to take on popular midsize electric sedans

The new Mazda EZ-60 has been revealed in China after teaser images earlier in the month. Like the EZ-6 sedan (known as the Mazda 6e in Europe) the EZ-60 Japanese brand gets sleek electric SUV in China, but will it come to Oz?

Fresh from bringing Australian distribution in-house, Xpeng has announced updates to its G6 ‘ultra smart coupe SUV’, headlined by the addition of All-wheel drive and even faster charging boost Xpeng G6’s appeal as brand gears up to launch more models

The all-new third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan – codenamed ‘C178’ (for ICE) and ‘C174’ (for BEV) – has been priced for its imminent Australian

Hyundai's Ioniq 6 sedan is a rival for the Tesla Model 3 and has had key specifications leaked ahead of its imminent 2022 launch

The Y63 generation of Nissan Patrol is coming to Australia at long last, with the order book opening on 27th August and deliveries beginning early next

Popular Chinese carmaker BYD has announced pricing for its seven-seat disruptor, the Sealion 8 plug-in hybrid. The large, three-row SUV will be

BYD Australia has revealed preliminary local details, including a three-grade lineup, for its large Sealion 8 flagship SUV. Expected to be BYD’s largest Seven-seater BYD Sealion 8 PHEV will soon arrive in Australia with three distinct powertrains, lavish equipment, and a peak output of 359kW

September 2025 marks another month of strong, steady vehicle sales in Australia, totalling 106,891 total vehicle sales when combining findings from the While utes remain king in the sales castle, a pair of electric SUVs silently made their mark in September

After six months of intensive research and unwavering dedication, the most accurate and detailed report on the world’s top ten cars last year has been The 10 best-selling vehicles in the world in 2024, from the iconic Toyota Hilux ute to the BYD Qin plug-in sedan.

Thanks for joining us this Wednesday 26th 2025. Notably in car news today: Toyota takes on Lexus in battle for 4WD supremacy, Peugeot’s new GTi gets