Cars news

• 2025 BMW 3 Series price and specs: Big price changes for updated 330i and M340i models

  01-07-2024 03:18 via drive.com.au
  The BMW 3 Series has had price cuts of up to $6000 – and increases up to $8700 – with a minor styling update and additional features.2025 BMW 3 Series pricing and specificationsPrice cut for 330i, increase for M340iMinor styling tweaks and new featuresPriced from $89,900 before on-road costsThe most affordable 2025 BMW 3 Series is now the cheapest it has been in two years, after price cuts of up to $6000 for the updated model due in Australia later this year.However, it follows a $10
  
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• How to make your car warmer in winter

  03-07-2024 08:00 via drive.com.au
  Feeling the chill? Here’s what you can do to warm up your car’s interior cabin faster.
  By the time winter in Australia comes around, the heating system in your car can be a lifesaver to combat the cold.RELATED: Why isn’t my car’s heater working?
  But is there anything you can do to help your car’s interior cabin warm up faster and more efficiently?
  To lend a helping hand during the cooler months, Drive asked the experts to find out how to get your car’s heater
  
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• European lawmakers push for alternative fuels past 2035 – report

  03-07-2024 06:12 via drive.com.au
  Provisions for the use of alternative fuels beyond 2035 could be expanded, under a draft plan from Europe’s biggest lawmaker group.A ban on new-vehicle emissions in Europe from 2035 could be revised to allow the use of alternative fuels such as synthetic petrol, synthetic diesel, and hydrogen – and in turn keep the internal-combustion engine alive amid the onslaught of electrification.According to a report from news outlet Reuters, the European People’s Party (EPP) is pushing t
  
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• 2025 BMW 540d price and specs: Diesel sedan reporting for duty late this year

  03-07-2024 05:42 via drive.com.au
  BMW Australia expands 5 Series line-up with diesel-powered 540d xDrive that is also expected to be enlisted for police duties later this year.BMW’s sole diesel-powered 5 Series large sedan, the 540d xDrive, will land in local showrooms in the fourth quarter of the year, priced at $134,900 before on-road costs.The 540d xDrive slots in above the $114,900 520i that uses a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with 153kW/330Nm on tap, but below BMW‘s all-electric i5 line-up that is priced betwee
  
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• ‘You peanut’: Hoon driver caught on video crashing HSV Maloo into a Perth home

  03-07-2024 05:25 via drive.com.au
  Police said the alleged driver was charged with multiple offences relating to drink driving, driving on a suspended licence and using an unregistered vehicle.A 40-year-old man has been charged with multiple offences following a hooning and dangerous driving incident in Perth.
  According to Western Australia Police, the alleged offender drove his HSV Maloo ute over the centre curbing of a roundabout along Glengarry Drive and Guron Road in Duncraig – a suburb approximately 16km north of Perth
  
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• 2025 Skoda Elroq electric SUV shown in near-production form

  03-07-2024 04:18 via drive.com.au
  Photos of a lightly disguised version of the Elroq, the first of a wave of new electric Skodas featuring a new design direction, have been released with new information ahead of an Australian on-sale expected in 2025.The Skoda Elroq battery electric SUV – the first of six new electric Skodas to be launched by the end of 2026 – has been shown only lightly camouflaged ahead of its unveiling in the third-quarter (July-August-September) of 2024.The Elroq is expected to go on sale in Euro
  
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• Ford Ranger storming ahead of Toyota HiLux in 2024 Australian sales race

  03-07-2024 03:24 via drive.com.au
  The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux are separated by the biggest gap in sales in a decade after the Blue Oval’s ute claimed the annual lead last year.The Ford Ranger has extended its largest-ever lead over the Toyota HiLux on the Australian new-vehicle sales charts – and is well on track to break its annual deliveries record for the second year in a row.After ending the HiLux’s seven-year winning streak in 2023, Ford has reported more Ranger utes as sold in the first half of this
  
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• Australian new-car sales in June 2024: Market hits the brakes after 14 months of VFACTS growth

  03-07-2024 03:06 via drive.com.au
  The longest streak in new-car sales growth in 20 years has come to an end, after the market recorded its first decline in 14 months.A long-forecast slowdown in new motor vehicle sales in Australia appears to have finally arrived, after deliveries decline for the first time in June 2024 after 14 months of consecutive growth, the longest streak in 20 years.June has historically been the biggest month of the year for new-car sales – ahead of the end of the financial year – and it was no
  
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• 2025 Land Rover Defender Octa revealed: BMW M5 V8 power for off-road hero

  03-07-2024 02:31 via drive.com.au
  The Land Rover Defender has been given a hardcore off-road makeover with BMW twin-turbo V8 power, and trick suspension which can detect when the car is airborne.The 2025 Land Rover Defender Octa – the flagship variant with BMW twin-turbo V8 power – has been unveiled ahead of Australian showroom arrivals in the coming months.Octa is the name used for the Defender tuned by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, the team behind the Range Rover Sport SVR/SV and oth
  
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• 2025 Ford Ranger Tremor off-road ute coming to Australia

  03-07-2024 01:00 via drive.com.au
  The Ford Ranger is set to gain a new off-road-ready variant based on the mid-grade Sport, with bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel power.
  South African model pictured throughout.
  The 2025 Ford Ranger line-up is poised to expand in Australia with a new off-road-ready Tremor variant.Government documents show Ford is preparing to introduce a dual-cab Ranger Tremor imminently, with a 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine and four-wheel drive.It will be the ninth trim grade – or 23rd combina
  
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• Biggest EV range yet? 2025 Audi A6 e-tron set for electric car distance PB

  03-07-2024 00:00 via drive.com.au
  Audi’s new A6 e-tron electric vehicle is coming soon, and could beat the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan on driving range.The upcoming Audi A6 e-tron electric car is expected to be the brand’s EV with the longest driving range yet, eclipsing the related Q6 e-tron, as well as the Q4 e-tron, Q8 e-tron, and e-tron GT.Based on the same Premium Platform Electricr (PPE) as the new Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan electric SUVs, the A6 e-tron is a large car designed to compete against the BMW
  
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• Tesla global sales reveal price cuts are working, but not well enough

  02-07-2024 23:14 via drive.com.au
  Tesla has slowed its first decline in global deliveries since 2020 with hefty discounts to clear a backlog of stock, but it is still in negative territory.Aggressive price cuts have begun to correct a sharp drop in global deliveries of Tesla electric cars – which earlier this year recorded their first decline since 2020 – the company’s latest data indicates.However, global deliveries of the US car giant’s vehicles are still down 6.6 per cent so far in 2024 – the fir
  
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• Ferrari announces battery swap scheme for hybrid models

  02-07-2024 23:00 via drive.com.au
  Plug-in hybrid Ferrari models will be able to have their batteries replaced at the eight and 16-year mark – provided owners pay more than $11,000 annually, under two extended warranty programs announced.Owners of hybrid Ferrari models will be able to have their vehicles’ batteries swapped at set dates under two new programs announced by the Italian supercar brand.Ferrari has introduced the Warranty Extension Hybrid for owners of plug-in hybrid models, which – when purchased for
  
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• ‘They just keep going’: Australia’s most reliable cars – according to real people

  02-07-2024 22:00 via drive.com.au
  Mechanics, race car drivers and automotive industry executives reveal the most reliable cars in Australia – based on their real-life experiences.Car reliability is a hard thing to measure, given it can vary so much depending on make, model, conditions, driving habits, maintenance schedule and more.RELATED: ‘Everything just fails’ – the cars that break down the mostStill, it remains high on the priority list of today’s new-car buyers. While many brands offer lengthy
  
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• Fire risk from e-scooter, electric car batteries are top priority for product safety watchdog as incidents rise

  02-07-2024 22:00 via drive.com.au
  A growing number of fires breaking out across Australia has the nation’s consumer advocate worried.Dangers posed by the type of batteries used in most electric cars, e-scooters and e-bikes will be a top priority for Australia’s safety watchdog this year as the number of fires caused by them rockets.Risks associated with the use of emerging technology such as lithium-ion batteries will be a key focus for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) during 2024-25, th
  
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• Do you need home charging to live with an electric car? We’re going to find out: 2024 MG 4 long-term review

  02-07-2024 16:00 via drive.com.au
  Electric vehicles are on the consideration lists of more new-car buyers than ever – but not everyone can recharge them at home. Should that be a deal-breaker? We’re going to find out.2024 MG 4 Excite 51Can you live with, and enjoy ownership of, an electric vehicle (EV) without the ability to charge it at home or the office?That’s the question we’re striving to answer behind the wheel of one of Australia’s most affordable electric vehicles, the MG 4, for a few months
  
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• Do you need home charging to live with an electric car? 2024 MG 4 long-term review

  02-07-2024 16:00 via drive.com.au
  Electric vehicles are on the consideration lists of more new-car buyers than ever – but not everyone can recharge them at home. Should that be a deal-breaker? We’re going to find out.2024 MG 4 Excite 51Can you live with, and enjoy ownership of, an electric vehicle (EV) without the ability to charge it at home or the office?That’s the question we’re striving to answer behind the wheel of one of Australia’s most affordable electric vehicles, the MG 4, for a few months
  
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• 2025 Mini Cooper 5-Door price and specs: More practical stylish hatch now more expensive

  02-07-2024 07:55 via drive.com.au
  Mini Cooper 5-Door prices up with new-generation model due to hit Australian showrooms later this year.2025 Mini Cooper 5-Door pricing and specificationsTwo engine options availableLarger dimensions than Cooper 3-DoorPriced from $43,990 before on-road costs, between $435 cheaper and $3790 dearerMini’s new-generation Cooper 5-Door hatchback will land in local showrooms towards the end of the year with prices increasing by up to $3790 on some versions.Available with two engines – the 1
  
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• 2025 Mini Cooper 5-Door price and specs: More practical stylish hatch in Australian showrooms this year

  02-07-2024 07:55 via drive.com.au
  Mini Cooper 5-Door prices reshuffled with new-generation model due to hit Australian showrooms later this year.2025 Mini Cooper 5-Door pricing and specificationsTwo engine options availableLarger dimensions than Cooper 3-DoorPriced from $43,990 before on-road costs, between $435 cheaper and $3790 dearerMini’s new-generation Cooper 5-Door hatchback will land in local showrooms towards the end of the year with prices increasing by up to $3790 on some versions, but one variant receiving a pri
  
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• ‘Held its ground’: Old Volvo owner claims their car was unscathed after accident

  02-07-2024 07:45 via drive.com.au
  An old Volvo 240 has allegedly driven away undamaged after a collision in Sydney. Cue the cries of “They don’t make ’em like they used to!”…There are few things quite as indestructible as an old Volvo. Often known as the Nokia 3310 of the car world thanks to its unwillingness to die and perhaps its brick-like shape, you can bet that you’re coming off second-best if you have a run-in with this car.RELATED: Helpful or stupid? China introduces robot petrol pumps
  
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• BYD Yangwang U8 spotted in Melbourne, Brisbane: Amphibious plug-in hybrid luxury off-road SUV testing Australian waters

  02-07-2024 06:33 via drive.com.au
  The large SUV is designed to take on the pointy end of the market, unlike its more affordable siblings launched locally to date.Credit: Dennis ZhangThe BYD Yangwang U8 is being shown off in showrooms around the country ahead of an expected Australian arrival next year.A left-hand drive version of the full-sized, plug-in hybrid, luxury off-road SUV, has been spotted in at the brand’s new flagship store in Cremorne, VIC, and at the Fortitude Valley dealership in Brisbane in recent days.This
  
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• Victorian car registration and infringements now more expensive

  02-07-2024 05:46 via drive.com.au
  Motorists are being hit with increasing cost-of-living pressures, with car registration costs now costing more than $900 for most Victorians.Motorists in Victoria will be paying more for their car registration from this month.The change means renewing a single car’s registration for 12 months will now cost more than $900 for the approximately 77 per cent of the state’s population living in Melbourne’s metropolitan boundary.From July 2024, those living in rural Victoria will pay
  
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• New 2025 MG HS family SUV teased, due in Australia this year

  02-07-2024 03:58 via drive.com.au
  MG’s next-generation Toyota RAV4 rival is due to be unveiled next week with the option of long-range plug-in hybrid power.The next-generation 2025 MG HS mid-size family SUV has been teased ahead of an Australian launch due by the end of this year.Scheduled to be unveiled next Thursday, 11 July 2024 at 7:00pm AEST, the first new HS in five years will be available with 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engines, as well as the option of plug-in hybrid technology.As previously reported by D
  
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• Suzuki Jimny, Swift Sport axed in the UK ahead of brand’s first electric car

  02-07-2024 03:00 via drive.com.au
  The Suzuki Swift Sport – and Jimny 4WD – are on the chopping block in the UK to make way for a new electric vehicle twinned with a Toyota.The first Suzuki electric car for global markets will claim the life of the petrol-powered Suzuki Jimny 4WD and Swift Sport hot hatch in the UK – but neither is leaving Australia anytime soon.Suzuki has announced the Swift Sport will depart UK showrooms by early 2025 – “or sooner if dealer stock depletes” – alongside t
  
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• NSW teen charged after allegedly stealing police car

  02-07-2024 02:17 via drive.com.au
  The young offender was charged with nine offences including theft of a vehicle and engaging in police pursuit.A 17-year-old New South Wales teen has been charged with multiple offences following an alleged theft of a police vehicle.According to NSW Police, officers spotted the boy allegedly driving the caged police ute along Muttama Road in Coolac – a rural village approximately 100km northwest of Canberra – on 29 June 2024.Authorities said a police pursuit was initiated but was stop
  
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• Want a 2024 Toyota Prado this year? You might be out of luck already

  02-07-2024 01:01 via drive.com.au
  Toyota Australia hasn’t even officially opened the order book for the new-gen Prado, but it already looks to be a sell-out.Toyota’s hotly-anticipated new-generation Prado off-road SUV might not even be on sale yet, but the chances of parking one on your driveway this year look slim to none.To recap, the Prado is due to launch in the second half of the year, with order books opening in the “third quarter”, according to Toyota, but dealers canvassed by Drive are indicating
  
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• 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet price and specs: CLE300 4Matic takes over from C-Class and E-Class convertibles

  02-07-2024 01:00 via drive.com.au
  The CLE Cabriolet replaces both C-Class and E-Class convertibles, offering a single model with the same equipment level as the CLE Coupe for an $11k premium.The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet replaces both the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class cabriolets in the same way the CLE Coupe replaced the coupe versions of both models in Australia.The Mercedes-Benz CLE300 4Matic Cabriolet comes in a single spec for Australia, joining two existing CLE Coupe choices in showrooms.A Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Cabr
  
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• 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron review: International first drive

  02-07-2024 00:01 via drive.com.au
  Another day, another premium all-electric SUV, but Audi’s new 2025 Q6 e-tron promises new-gen EV tech to blow away rivals. Does it succeed?
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2025 Audi Q6 e-tronAudi was the last big German marque to bring an electric vehicle to Australia with the launch of the e-tron SUV (now Q8 e-tron) in 2020, trailing the Mercedes-Benz EQC
  
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• 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron electric car range explained: Next-gen premium EV still at least six months away

  02-07-2024 00:00 via drive.com.au
  Audi’s new-gen electric cars will start rolling out next year with the Q6 e-tron, slotting in above the Q4 e-tron and below the Q8 e-tron.Audi Australia’s next salvo in the electric car race will land in the first half of 2025 in the form of the Q6 e-tron – a mid-sized electric SUV aimed at stealing sales from the BMW iX3.Revealed earlier this year, the Q6 e-tron measures 4771mm long, 1939mm wide, 1648mm tall, and with a 2899mm wheelbase, making it slightly larger in all dimens
  
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• Imported Japanese ‘kei’ cars stranded in Australia after government blunder

  01-07-2024 23:00 via drive.com.au
  Buyers of pint-sized ‘kei’ cars imported from Japan have been left in limbo after Australian regulators discovered they had wrongly approved hundreds of examples for road use despite not meeting new safety rules.EXCLUSIVEThe Australian Government has slammed the brakes on a number of popular imported ‘kei’ cars – a class of ultra-small vehicles from Japan – after it was found they were mistakenly approved for local roads, and do not meet strict crash-safety re
  
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