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• 2025 Smart #5 Brabus is a 475kW Model Y-rivalling electric brute

  14-04-2025 02:30 via drive.com.au
  The first Smart given the Brabus treatment since the brand’s revival as an electric car maker is a seriously powerful return.The 2025 Smart #5 Brabus electric SUV has been unveiled as a performance flagship model packing super-car rivalling power and performance which will be shown at the Shanghai motor show later this month.The Toyota RAV4-sized Brabus edition #5 makes 475kW – up from the regular rear-wheel drive version’s 250kW – with an electric motor on each axle, ena
  
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• GWM reveals its first twin-turbo V8, destined for Tank 4WDs – and may come to Australia

  23-04-2025 13:23 via drive.com.au
  Mourning the demise of the V8 Patrol and LandCruiser? China is here to help, debuting a new twin-turbo 4.0-litre destined for future 4WDs and luxury cars.Chinese car giant GWM has announced plans for its first V8 engine, destined to power future Tank 4WDs – and a new range of super-luxury cars – matched with plug-in hybrid technology.In development for a number of years, the new GWM V8 will displace 4.0 litres – and carry twin turbochargers – in what the brand describes a
  
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• LDV to clash with ACCC in court for alleged vehicle rust of T60 ute and G10 van

  23-04-2025 08:56 via drive.com.au
  Advertisements of the LDV T60 and G10 were allegedly misleading to consumers, claims the ACCC, due to the model’s supposed high propensity for rust and corrosion.The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will pursue legal action against LDV Automotive Australia for allegedly misleading consumers on the “durability” of the T60 ute and G10 van.According to the ACCC release, both models were depicted in advertisements that implied the LDV models “were durable
  
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• 2026 Mazda CX-6e interior, specs revealed: New Tesla Model Y rival shown in China as EZ-60

  23-04-2025 08:55 via drive.com.au
  The rear-wheel-drive Mazda EZ-60 electric and range-extender hybrid mid-size SUV has debuted in full in Shanghai ahead of a likely global launch as the CX-6e.Mazda’s rival to the electric Tesla Model Y and plug-in hybrid BYD Sealion 6 mid-size SUVs has debuted in China ahead of its likely global launch.The 2026 Mazda EZ-60 is a close relation to the Mazda EZ-6 sedan revealed 12 months ago, with both vehicles manufactured in China and co-developed with its Changan Automobile joint-venture p
  
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• 2026 MG CyberX concept revealed as preview to rugged electric SUV

  23-04-2025 07:54 via drive.com.au
  MG’s electric SUV concept with Land Rover-like styling has been revealed, but it is likely a while away from Australian showrooms if it lands locally at all.The MG CyberX concept has been officially revealed at the 2025 Shanghai motor show – one of a swathe of new MG models due in China in the next two years – but a production version is still sometime off appearing in Australian showrooms.The CyberX concept is the second MG introduced under its youth-oriented Cyber brand after
  
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• Audi’s AUDI reveals first model, the MG IM6-twinning E5 Sportback electric car

  23-04-2025 05:20 via drive.com.au
  Sharing its underpinnings with an MG model, the AUDI E5 Sportback is tasked with winning back the hearts and minds of Chinese consumers.Audi’s Chinese sub-brand AUDI has lifted the silk on its first model, the sleek E5 Sportback electric car, as it aims to regain a strong footing in the world’s largest car market.With premium brand sales in China tumbling due to home-grown competition from the likes of Zeekr, Yangwang, and others, Audi’s new move to catch the eye of Chinese buy
  
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• 2026 Lexus ES revealed with electric and hybrid power, confirmed for Australia

  23-04-2025 05:17 via drive.com.au
  The Lexus ES luxury sedan has entered its eighth generation with familiar hybrid power or, for the first time in its 35-year history, electric powertrains.The 2026 Lexus ES luxury sedan has debuted in China with electric power for the first time in its 35-year history, along with a familiar hybrid powertrain.Australian showroom arrivals are due sometime in 2026, with the battery-electric version confirmed to join the Lexus UX300e and Lexus RZ electric SUVs in the brand’s local line-up.The
  
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• Toyota expands electric car line-up with bZ7 large sedan

  23-04-2025 04:59 via drive.com.au
  Toyota has leaned on Chinese partner GAC to develop a production-ready version of the bZ7 sedan, rivalling the likes of the BYD Han.Toyota has officially revealed a new addition to its burgeoning bZ electric vehicle range, with the electric bZ7 passenger car set to take on the likes of the Tesla Model S and Chinese rivals such as the BYD Han.Making its debut at the 2025 Shanghai motor show, the showroom-ready 2025 Toyota bZ7 is the product of Toyota’s joint-venture with one of its Chinese
  
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• Nissan reveals rival to BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute

  23-04-2025 04:53 via drive.com.au
  A new wave of plug-in hybrid utes from China is set to be challenged by a Japanese brand, with help from Nissan’s Chinese division.Nissan has revealed its 300kW rival to plug-in hybrid utes from BYD and GWM, the Frontier Pro, at the Shanghai motor show.And the new ute has been confirmed for sale in “selected global markets within a year”, opening the possibility of an Australian launch.The Frontier Pro is a rebranded version of the Z9, a new Ford Ranger-sized petrol and diesel
  
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• 2025 Zeekr 9X luxury SUV revealed, could be a chance for Australia

  23-04-2025 03:27 via drive.com.au
  The Chinese brand has shown the first official images of its luxury flagship SUV, boasting the latest ultra-fast charging in battery-electric and plug-in hybrid versions.The first official pictures of the 2025 Zeekr 9X flagship luxury SUV have been released ahead of its public debut at the Shanghai motor show.With its design reminiscent of luxury marques – including chrome detailing and imposing grille similar to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan – the Zeekr 9X will be sold with a battery ele
  
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• Nissan GT-R R36 first details, including release date – report

  23-04-2025 03:00 via drive.com.au
  Nissan says the GT-R will be back with hybrid power and boldy promises it will once again be faster than a Porsche 911 around the famous Nurburgring race track.The Nissan GT-R supercar will return packing Porsche-pummelling hybrid power according to the car maker’s United States (US) chief product planner.The Porsche 911-rivalling Nissan R35 GT-R was unveiled in 2007 with the final versions set to be built in Japan this year, the supercar gradually dropped from showrooms around the world w
  
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• Forza Horizon 5 PS5 review: One of Xbox’s best racing games comes to PlayStation

  23-04-2025 03:00 via drive.com.au
  Xbox’s premiere arcade racing game, Forza Horizon 5, comes to PlayStation after three and half years, so it worth a double dip?Imagine for a second that Ford decided to build a Commodore – that’s what it is like now that Forza Horizon 5 is available on a Sony PlayStation console.While Microsoft and Sony have been duking it out in the ‘console wars’ since 2001 when the former’s original Xbox arrived to take on the latter’s PlayStation 2, the release of th
  
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• Tesla income drops 66 per cent this year

  23-04-2025 02:07 via drive.com.au
  Electric car maker misses previous financial forecasts as its profits fall to its lowest since 2020, forcing it to drop its previous sales growth forecast.Tesla has reported a 66 per cent fall in operational income for the first three months (Q1) of 2025, following a global sales decline of 13 per cent over the same period.The United States (US) electric car maker’s income of $US399 million ($AU626 million) from January to March this year was down on the $US1.17 billion ($AU1.83 billion) i
  
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• 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander update to be tailored for Australia, due in showrooms soon

  23-04-2025 01:00 via drive.com.au
  Australia has played a role in the development of the latest iteration of Mitsubishi’s top seller, which will gain revised styling and new interior features.Mitsubishi engineers have replicated a section of an Australian country road at the company’s proving ground in Japan to help develop the latest version of the Outlander family SUV.Visual changes for the 2025 Outlander are mild, but the facelifted model – due in Australian Mitsubishi showrooms between July and September thi
  
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• Suzuki Jimny’s younger sibling revealed

  23-04-2025 00:00 via drive.com.au
  Want a dirt-road-capable Suzuki with a little more comfort than a Jimny? Try this one-off Swift mild-hybrid hatch with lifted suspension and styling tweaks.The Suzuki Swift city hatch has been given the Jimny treatment, with more rugged looks and taller suspension ready for dirt roads and fire trails.But potential customers hoping for one to park alongside a Jimny in the garage should learn it is strictly a one-off, created by Suzuki in the Netherlands for “inspiration” on how &ldquo
  
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• Real-world hybrid car testing reveals some models are less efficient than claimed

  22-04-2025 23:00 via drive.com.au
  New Australian real-world testing of hybrid vehicles against their equivalent petrol models shows not all are more fuel efficient.New testing by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has shown not all hybrid vehicles deliver fuel savings compared to their petrol counterparts – with several using more in real-world testing on Australian roads.Hybrid sales in Australia – and other parts of the world – rose dramatically in 2024, with a 76 per cent increase led by the Toyota
  
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• 2025 GWM Cannon ute adds cheaper model grades with smaller engine

  22-04-2025 23:00 via drive.com.au
  GWM has expanded its ute range with a new entry-level Cannon Premium – using a smaller engine, and available as a single-cab chassis – but some other models have risen in price.The 2025 GWM Cannon ute line-up has expanded with the return of an entry-level grade, the smaller 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, and cab-chassis variants.But prices of existing Cannon variants – introduced earlier this year, when it was known as the GWM Ute – have climbed by $1000.The new Cannon Pr
  
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• 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR long-term review one: Jack-of-all-trades

  22-04-2025 16:00 via drive.com.au
  Mitsubishi’s top-spec Outlander PHEV GSR signs up for duties for three months, but can it cut the mustard under the toughest family conditions?2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSRMitsubishi Australia might be operating with a scaled-back line-up this year, with the Pajero Sport, Eclipse Cross and ASX winding down with replacements to come later, but that just places more importance on existing models.Arguably its most important model still available to buy new in showrooms is the Outlander m
  
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• Leapmotor electric ute not ruled out

  22-04-2025 07:00 via drive.com.au
  A one-tonne ute could be in Leapmotor’s mid-term future, and the brand could turn one around quickly if it sees the need.Chinese electric car specialist Leapmotor could be the latest brand to deliver on an electrified ute, though nothing is expected to materialise for some time to come.In Australia ahead of the 2025 Melbourne Motor Show, Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin revealed the brand will explore expanding its current passenger car line-up to also encompass commercial vehicles,
  
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• Australia’s next world champion? Oscar Piastri takes F1 championship lead

  22-04-2025 04:05 via drive.com.au
  The Melbourne driver became the first Australian to lead the points in 15 years and may be the first to win the world driver’s crown in 45 years.Oscar Piastri has shot to the top of the Formula One world championship points score after winning his third grand prix of the season in Saudi Arabia.The McLaren driver – who hails from Melbourne – won the race after starting second on the grid, beating four-time world champion Max Verstappen to the first corner in a battle which saw t
  
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• 2025 Subaru WRX price and specs: Up to $3500 more for new tech

  22-04-2025 02:00 via drive.com.au
  Recaro seats and greater safety tech have been added to the updated 2025 WRX line-up with minor price rises – and a darker paint option.The updated 2025 Subaru WRX line-up is now in showrooms with more safety tech, infotainment and interior design upgrades on certain model grades.Prices now start at $48,190 before on-road costs for the six-speed manual WRX sedan – or $50,690 for the continuously-variable automatic (CVT) – both up $700.New on all models is an Emergency Driving S
  
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• Mitsubishi ASX price to rise for new model, but will remain ‘good value’ – executive

  22-04-2025 00:00 via drive.com.au
  Mitsubishi has acknowledged its new ASX small SUV – a Renault in disguise – will not be as affordable as its predecessor, but thinks it will be worth the extra outlay.The new Mitsubishi ASX – a rebranded version of the Renault Captur city SUV – will not be as affordable as its decade-old predecessor when it arrives in Australia between October and December this year, the company has admitted.It remains to see if Mitsubishi can keep the ASX below $35,000 drive-away, given
  
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• Tesla’s cheaper, stripped-down Model Y electric car delayed – report

  21-04-2025 23:00 via drive.com.au
  The first examples of the more affordable sibling to the Tesla Model Y SUV – reportedly 20 per cent cheaper to build – have been delayed, it has been claimed.Plans for a cheaper and smaller version of the Tesla Model Y electric SUV – as the company’s long-awaited more affordable model – have hit a speed bump, according to a new report.Reuters claimed production of the new model – said to be codenamed E41 – in the US is now not due to commence until somet
  
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• KGM SsangYong Musso buyer’s guide

  21-04-2025 22:00 via drive.com.au
  The KGM SsangYong Musso won the Best Dual-Cab Ute under $50K in this year’s Drive Car of the Year awards. Here’s everything you need to know about this affordable and practical ute.The KGM SsangYong Musso was crowned the Best Dual-Cab Ute under $50K for its impressive powertrain calibration, refinement and ride quality for its price point.The KGM SsangYong Musso has been a solid success for the brand, ranking as its highest seller consistently. So far this ye
  
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• Best Dash Cam Deals: Must-Haves for Your Vehicle Starting at Just $100

  21-04-2025 19:39 via cnet.com
  
  There are some excellent offers available right now that could save you over $100 on top brands like Vantrue, Nexar and more.
  
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• 2025 Deepal S07 review

  21-04-2025 16:00 via drive.com.au
  Is it Deepal, like people? Or is it Deepal, like Nepal? Or is it Deepal, like your old pal? We answer all of these questions – and more – about one of the latest electric SUVs to come in from China.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2025 Deepal S07If you thought the Australian new car market was chock-full of new brands and options to consider, you woul
  
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• Australian auto start-up hires former top Mercedes-AMG executive

  21-04-2025 03:00 via drive.com.au
  The engineer behind cars including the Mercedes-AMG GT and AMG One hypercar has joined a Melbourne-based automotive tech start-up.An Australian automotive engineering start-up with its sights set on producing components for some of the world’s largest car makers has hired a former top Mercedes-AMG executive.Jochen Hermann – a 27-year Mercedes-Benz veteran who was Mercedes-AMG Chief Technical Officer until 2024 – has joined the Advisory Board of Doftek, a Melbourne-based design
  
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• MG Australia’s entry into luxury car market detailed with IM5 and IM6

  21-04-2025 00:00 via drive.com.au
  With grand ambitions to be an even bigger name in Australia, MG’s new IM5 and IM6 models are tasked with taking on established premium car brands.MG Australia will look to strengthen its market position in Australia with the launch of its IM-branded products – high-end, all-electric vehicles that could be priced close to $100,000.Two models – the IM5 sedan and IM6 SUV – will spearhead the launch, due to arrive in local showrooms later this year, and both models share an e
  
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• Does jumping the queue really cause more traffic?

  20-04-2025 22:00 via drive.com.au
  An argument about people jumping the traffic queue has sparked debate online, but does it really cause more traffic?
  Photo: Reddit
  Everyone knows that feeling: you’re sitting in traffic waiting to make a turn, only to get closer to the intersection and someone jumps in front of you.RELATED: How long must you be in a lane before you can change again?Or perhaps you can see that cars are parked on the road up ahead, so you decide to jump in the right lane, only for people to pass you on the l
  
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• XPeng to launch ‘flying car’ next year, priced at $500,000

  20-04-2025 00:00 via drive.com.au
  The Land Aircraft Carrier combines a ute and drone to allow owners to drive and fly, but regulation and safety are big hurdles to overcome for it to arrive in Australia.Chinese brand XPeng is looking to shake up the automotive market with the launch of its first consumer-ready ‘flying car’ in 2026.However, in its first iteration at least, it won’t look much like the cars from Back To The Future, but instead essentially be a large drone that can be transported in a pick-up truck
  
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