Car news, 17 Apr ’24: Near-production BYD ute shown without any camouflage, Nissan Qashqai gets a brand-new look, and more

The new-look Nissan Qashqai arrived in Australia in February with the Japanese carmaker answering the public’s calls for more hybrid trims. Hallelujah! Qashqai hybrid is a great, efficient drive but there’s absolutely no reason to spend mid-size SUV money on top-spec N-Design.

The third-generation Nissan Qashqai small SUV first landed in Australia last year and did so with a promise that a fuel-sipping hybrid system would follow Nissan’s latest small SUV drives like a pure EV but travels nearly 1000km in a single tank. So what’s the catch?

Two years after it was revealed in Europe, the new J12-generation Nissan Qashqai small SUV is finally ready for delivery to Australian buyers in a The popular small SUV steps at last into the 2020s with a fresh new look, techier cabin and a more capable new platform.

Read Jake Williams's expert review of the 2018 Nissan Qashqai, covering Qashqai prices, design, dynamics, practicality and value in Australia.

The Nissan X-Trail has never been a bundle of laughs … unless the original model’s dogged understeer and wobbly body shimmy over corrugations fuelled your With front-drive versions of hybrid medium SUVs making up more than half of sales, Nissan Australia has doubled its X-Trail e-Power line-up with three new FWD variants, lowering prices and fuel use.

There’s plenty of evidence that, in the current era, Japan is opting to continue along a consciously traditional and measured car-making lane, rather than The cheapest Nissan medium SUV mightn’t offer everything you want, but brings almost everything a traditionalist buyer needs for around $43K on road.

Underpinning a large part of the Nissan’s brand rejuvenation and volume plans for 2030 is its Chinese joint-venture with Dongfeng – the combined brains

Tuning a dual-cab Ute for Australia presents an enormous challenge for suspension engineers, given just how broad the talent spectrum needs to be to make The first all-new Navara in over a decade becomes a joint-venture vehicle with the Mitsubishi Triton, defined by its classy styling makeover and much-needed suspension improvements

The drawn-out and well-documented five-year gestation of Nissan Australia’s all-important Ariya model might’ve dampened this EV crossover's impact on the Long-awaited Nissan electric’s big-battery, front-driver appears to be the pick of its range. But can it keep up with the rest of the EV pack?

Intimate model-sharing among workhorse utes has been an intrinsic part of the commercial-vehicle landscape for at least 50 years now – far more so than All-new Navara morphs into a model-share with Mitsubishi, delivering unique styling details, an overhauled suspension tune and a Warrior flagship.

Nissan will always go down in history as the OG OEM for mainstream EVs – even though it wasn’t the first. Its original-generation Leaf (2010-17) was the Almost four years since it began production, the Nissan Ariya has finally reached Australia, filling an important EV niche in Nissan’s expanding enviro-friendly line-up

The new-generation Y63 Nissan Patrol won’t arrive in Australia until 2026 — but Chasing Cars has completed an early test of the new-gen four-wheel drive The next Patrol impresses with a torquey twin-turbo V6, sweeter handling, and a well-built interior — but real-world fuel savings over the old V8 are slim

Think of utes ready to hit the tracks, steep ascents and rocky escarpments straight out of the box and usually the Ford Ranger Raptor or Toyota Hilux GR The Navara Pro-4X offered plenty in standard guise, but does the top-spec, Premcar-tuned Warrior variant make the formula even better?

On 1 January, 2025, the Australian Government will introduce NVES, or the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. With Australia wanting to target net zero The 11-year-old Y62 Nissan Patrol gets a tech boost to drag it up to date, though its V8-powered days are numbered.

It’s always a good sign when you feel a bit sad having to hand a car back, as was the case for us with the new Z Nismo – the most fun we’ve had in a More power, more grip, more focus – and more fun. But could you really justify an extra $18,200 for the Nissan Z Nismo over a base automatic Z?

When I was in high school, my parents owned a 2007 Nissan Navara D40 ST-X with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine. They nicknamed it Yamato, It’s not as hard-core as the off-road focused, Premcar-tuned Warrior, so what makes the regular Navara Pro-4X one of the best lifestyle utes in the segment?

Thanks for joining us this Thursday, March 27th 2025. Notably in car news today: First look at Nissan’s future plans for Australia, Kia preparing

Nissan has digitally unveiled the first of several all-electric concept vehicles, with the front-runner known as the ‘Hyper Urban’ concept, potentially A funky city-focussed EV SUV from Nissan has just been unveiled with a radical design featuring four scissor doors

Local importer has high hopes for the reimagined Qashqai, which sold strongly in the late 2010s but receded in recent years.

The Nissan Qashqai is set to arrive in Australia later this year with a series hybrid powertrain option, pricing is still to be confirmed

Substantial powertrain and cabin upgrades are in store for the Nissan Qashqai later this year when it arrives in Australia

The third-generation Nissan Qashqai is headed for Australia in 2022 with the option of a hybrid powertrain to challenge the Toyota C-HR.

With its range extender setup, e-Power operates more than an EV than a traditional hybrid but without the added hassle of charging.

The new Nissan Qashqai will arrive in Australia in early 2022, though local prices, engines and specs are yet to be locked in.

Nissan's popular small SUV is all-new for 2022 with the Qashqai adopting more connectivity and two electrified powertrains.

Nissan have revealed the new Qashqai will arrive in 2021 with an upgraded interior and a ranger extender EV powertrain

Nissan has re-introduced its Ti e-Power variant to the recently facelifted Qashqai model range, as a new entry-level hybrid priced from $47,165, before 2025 Nissan Qashqai Ti facelift gains cheaper Ti e-Power trim

Thanks for joining us this Thursday May 01st 2025. Notably in car news today: Volkswagen Amarok receives major price cuts, GM recalls Cadillac, Chevrolet

Thanks for joining us this Monday, February 17th 2025. Notably in car news today: Renault bringing Dacia-branded Duster SUV Down Under, Nissan reveals a Notably in car news today: Renault bringing Dacia-branded Duster SUV Down Under, Nissan reveals a new trim level of Qashqai, and more.

Nissan’s first-ever plug-in hybrid vehicle, a PHEV version of the Navara ute – called the Navara Pro PHEV – will go on sale in Australia in 2027, in the Nissan will soon introduce its second Navara built by another manufacturer, this time from China with a plug-in petrol-based hybrid technology at its core

Nissan is determined to revive its global sales fortunes – streamlining its model line-up while dramatically trimming average development times – and a Nissan is on a warpath to global sales redemption, starting with a virtually all-new, fifth-generation X-Trail medium SUV, set to arrive in Australia in late 2027

Flagship offroader from Nissan bids farewell after a monumental 13 year run, but don’t worry, there’s a new one on the way