Cars news

• Renault 5 electric hatch one step closer to Australia

  05-09-2024 00:00 via drive.com.au
  The Renault 5 electric hatchback is edging ever closer to an Australian launch with the brand’s local boss confirming it was “working on it now”.The retro-styled Renault 5 E-Tech electric hatchback is one step closer to landing in Australian showrooms with Renault Australia boss Glen Sealey confirming the local distributor was “working on it now”.“I would love to have Renault 5,” Sealey told Drive. “It’s a car I would love to have.”The
  
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• 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV detailed: Plug-in hybrid ute on track for Australia next year

  16-09-2024 09:40 via drive.com.au
  The first hybrid Ford Ranger ute has been detailed – with 45km of electric-only range, and a choice of petrol, electric and hybrid drive modes – ahead of Australian arrivals early next year.Further technical details of the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV ute have been published – with turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid power – ahead of its Australian showroom arrival in the first half of next year.The covers came off the plug-in hybrid Ranger late last year, but Ford has now shared additi
  
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• 2025 Skoda Enyaq price and specs: European Model Y rival arrives

  16-09-2024 09:00 via drive.com.au
  The Skoda Enyaq – a fully electric medium-size SUV – is here, but will initially be available in ‘coupe’ form with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.2025 Skoda Enyaq pricing and specificationsModel range starts with 210kW, rear-wheel drive and 561km driving range ratingTop-spec RS gets 250kW and all-wheel drivePriced from $69,990 before on-road costsPricing for the 2025 Skoda Enyaq mid-sized SUV has been revealed by the Czech car brand, with stock scheduled to arrive in
  
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• Push to make cyclists wear high-vis jackets 24/7 to drive down rising road toll

  16-09-2024 07:15 via drive.com.au
  Politicians are calling for cyclists and e-scooter riders to have to wear reflective clothing at all times for ‘safety reasons’.Cyclists could be forced to wear high-vis jackets as part of a political bid to tackle the rising road toll.The proposal is being made by the Narrogin branch of the National Party of Australia (WA) which would make it compulsory for cyclists and even e-scooter riders to wear a fluorescent vest or jacket on shared roads, reports ABC. The Party said it is
  
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• Tesla robotaxi: First spy photos of autonomous electric car

  16-09-2024 07:00 via drive.com.au
  Yes, this really is a camouflaged prototype of Tesla’s upcoming driverless taxi, seen testing in the California movie studio where it is due to be unveiled next month.Photo credit: u/boopitysmopp on Reddit.The upcoming Tesla autonomous robotaxi – a small electric vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals – has been caught on camera less than a month ahead of its global reveal.A now-deleted photo posted to social media website Reddit by user u/boopitysmopp shows a small, heavil
  
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• ‘Emily in Paris’ season 4: Let’s talk about THAT car scene

  16-09-2024 05:54 via drive.com.au
  Everyone’s favourite trashy Parisienne binge is back for season 4, but this time Netflix’s Emily in Paris goes beyond product placement and features an overt car commercial within the show.The final episodes of season four of Netflix’s wildly successful romantic-comedy series, Emily in Paris, have arrived for your binging pleasure and car lovers will spot one particularly bizarre scene in Episode 10.RELATED: The country with the world’s lowest road toll, revealed
  RELATED:
  
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• Hyundai and General Motors team up to develop new cars

  16-09-2024 03:10 via drive.com.au
  Two of the world’s largest car makers are joining forces to work on future electric products, among other things, to bring down costs.Hyundai and General Motors (GM) have teamed up to develop new cars together in an effort to reduce costs as both gear up to introduce more electric vehicles into their fleets.It’s understood the pact would apply to building all kinds of vehicles – while focussed on electric and hydrogen vehicles, it could also include those powered by petrol.As w
  
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• 2025 BYD Shark ute testing in Australia without disguise

  16-09-2024 02:49 via drive.com.au
  BYD’s new hybrid ute has been photographed in Australia without covering or camouflage for the first time.The upcoming 2025 BYD Shark plug-in hybrid ute has dropped its disguise on Australian roads, ahead of the first production models arriving in showrooms early next year.A blue Shark was spotted by Drive in North Sydney in recent days – on two-week-old NSW registration plates – while a white example has been photographed in Victoria by X (formerly Twitter) user Richard Laxton
  
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• ‘Incredibly dangerous’: Hoon driver caught racing with child in vehicle

  16-09-2024 02:24 via drive.com.au
  ACT Police said the alleged offender was charged with one count of aggravated driving and had his vehicle seized following the incident.A 35-year-old man has been charged with one traffic offence following his alleged involvement in a street racing incident where he was observed“weaving in and out of traffic” while his three-year-old daughter was in the vehicle.According to Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Police, the alleged offender – driving a blue Volkswagen – was i
  
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• 2025 Chery Tiggo 4 Pro review: Quick drive

  16-09-2024 02:15 via drive.com.au
  The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro proves there is life left in the affordable new car, with plenty of equipment for an attractive price. We’ve had a first taste of a pre-production model in closed conditions ahead of its official launch in October.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2025 Chery Tiggo 4 ProThere have never been as few choices for new-car buyers on a budget.
  
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• Nissan Z Warrior trademarked alongside off-road Qashqai, X-Trail, Pathfinder

  16-09-2024 02:00 via drive.com.au
  Nissan is opening the door to a broad expansion of its Australian-developed range of off-road-ready Warrior models, but the trademarks are no guarantee for showrooms.Nissan Australia has filed a series of trademarks that pave the way for a range of new Warrior editions – which could include an off-road-ready Z coupe, and a range of rugged family SUVs.The Japanese car maker last week applied to protect the Z Warrior, X-Trail Warrior, Pathfinder Warrior and Qashqai Warrior names, alongside t
  
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• Lotus to preview future sports car designs with imminent concept

  16-09-2024 01:30 via drive.com.au
  Could this be the long-awaited electric Lotus sports car? A new concept is due to be revealed within hours.Lotus has published a series of teaser videos on its social media channels showing what could be a concept previewing its next electric sports car – a rival to the upcoming electric 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman.Dubbed the ‘Lotus Theory’ – with a production version expected to continue the brand’s tradition of names starting with the letter &lsq
  
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• Australia’s Oscar Piastri wins second Formula One Grand Prix in hard-fought Azerbaijan thriller

  16-09-2024 01:19 via drive.com.au
  A skilled defence of the lead from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc powered Oscar Piastri to his second F1 Grand Prix career victory, in a dramatic race on the streets of Baku.Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesMcLaren’s Oscar Piastri has become the second-ever Australian winner of the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after a determined defence of the lead from the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.The 23-year-old Melburnian started second on the grid, before overtaking Leclerc for the lead on Lap
  
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• 2025 Chery Tiggo 4 Pro price and specs: $23,990 drive-away for new city SUV

  16-09-2024 01:00 via drive.com.au
  Chery has launched Australia’s fourth-most affordable new car, a small SUV with twin widescreen displays and a full list of safety technology, priced from $23,990 drive-away.2025 Chery Tiggo 4 Pro pricing and specificationsOne of Australia’s most affordable new SUVsTwo model grades with 1.5-litre turbo-petrol enginePriced from $23,990 drive-awayNew-car buyers on a budget will have another option to consider from this week, as orders open for the 2025 Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, priced from $2
  
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• Polestar edging away from building hotted-up Volvo hybrids

  16-09-2024 00:00 via drive.com.au
  The Polestar Engineered range of high-performance Volvo plug-in hybrids may not continue into the company’s next-generation cars.The future of Volvo’s range of Polestar Engineered hybrid performance cars is no certainty, and it is yet to be locked in for an encore once the current models reach the end of the line.Launched after Polestar was spun off from Volvo into a standalone electric-car brand, the plug-in hybrid Polestar Engineered models gain power, suspension, braking and styli
  
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• Lamborghini worried about incoming emission laws

  15-09-2024 23:00 via drive.com.au
  A key figure within the Italian luxury brand said it intends to work with government officials to identify the appropriate solution to the upcoming NVES.
  A key figure within Lamborghini said the brand is concerned about the incoming New Emission Vehicle Standards (NVES), with the Italian luxury car maker saying it is working with the Federal Government on finding the appropriate solution.“Yes of course [we are worried], we are looking really deeply into this topic, and we are working with
  
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• ‘More of a sandpapering’: The car wash feature that can do more harm than good

  15-09-2024 22:00 via drive.com.au
  Far too often, we see people with nice cars attacking their paint with this car wash essential. Here’s what not to do and how to save it.Coin-operated, self-service car washes can make maintaining your car’s paint a little easier. But going the extra mile for a deep clean can leave your car damaged rather than refreshed.
  RELATED: The car wash function to avoid at all costsThe soapy car wash brush is the constant brunt of the joke on Facebook car groups. On the group Exotic Car Spotti
  
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• European Union lowers proposed tariffs for Chinese-built electric vehicles

  15-09-2024 21:00 via drive.com.au
  The proposed tariffs will further drop rates for brands such as Tesla and Geely amid an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese-built EVs.The European Union (EU) has announced it will again lower the proposed tariff rates on some Chinese-built electric vehicles, amidst ongoing subsidy investigations into EVs built and imported from the country.According to a Reuters report, Tesla is set to pay the lowest tariffs at 7.8 per cent – down from the 9 per cent planned in August 2024, itself down
  
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• ‘Reliable but not safe’: First responders warn against this kind of car

  15-09-2024 08:00 via drive.com.au
  Thinking about saving money on your first car by buying something older? Think twice, say paramedics who have witnessed the risks firsthand.First responders have pleaded with young drivers to jump into a safer, newer car after seeing the horrors of accidents in older models.RELATED: Which country has the most car accidents in the world?Young people are over-represented in the road toll. Despite making up only 14 per cent of Australia’s driving population, 17–25-year-olds are the thir
  
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• Famous Rob Roy hillclimb goes electric only

  15-09-2024 01:00 via drive.com.au
  The Rob Roy hillclimb will host an electric-car only event – with road-going vehicles encouraged – as one of the first of its kind in Australia.More than 50 electric cars are expected to compete in one of the first officially-sanctioned electric-only motor racing events in Australia at Rob Roy, Victoria, this October.More than two years in the making, organisers from the MG Car Club of Victoria, Tesla Owners Club of Australia and the Australian Electric Vehicle Association will host
  
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• Chef Jamie Oliver puts his Ford Capri on the chopping block

  15-09-2024 00:00 via drive.com.au
  The celebrity chef is ready to serve up his classic Ford Capri after spending big bucks on the two-door sports car.A classic Ford Capri sports car belonging to celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is due to go under the hammer later this month in the UK.Listed on ClassicCarAuctions.co.uk, the 1970 Ford Capri 3000 GT Mark I is believed to be one of only 31 remaining on UK (United Kingdom) roads.It is said to have been in Oliver’s hands for more than a decade, in which time he has reportedly spent mo
  
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• 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado gets wild Wald treatment

  14-09-2024 23:00 via drive.com.au
  The tough off-roader gets even tougher with a body kit and custom wheels from the famed Japanese tuning house.The 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado is due in Australia by the end of 2024, but has already been beefed up by famed Japanese car customiser Wald International.The latest release from Wald International – the Osaka, Japan-based makers of custom body kits and aftermarket wheels – is a wildly modified Prado, known as the Toyota LandCruiser 250 Series in Japan and the United States
  
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• ‘It has character’: How the Ineos Grenadier became an overnight status symbol in Australia

  14-09-2024 21:27 via drive.com.au
  How did a barebones off-roader from a British start-up achieve a cult-like following Down Under – without a shred of advertising?
  The Ineos Grenadier broke cover in 2020, generating a Beatles-like hysteria amongst 4WD enthusiasts. Image: SuppliedDespite a price point that starts north of six figures (from $104,000 before on-road costs and up), the Ineos Grenadier is not your typical luxury SUV.The seats are manually adjustable, there are no vanity mirrors, much of the interior is finished
  
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• Mitsubishi says EV tech not yet suitable for utes: ‘It’s a show pony, not a workhorse’

  14-09-2024 21:00 via drive.com.au
  Workhorse utes and electric vehicle technology are currently at odds with one another, according to a senior Mitsubishi executive.
  2024 Mitsubishi Triton
  Mitsubishi Australia believes electric vehicle (EV) technology has not matured to the point of utilising it on a workhorse ute like its Triton, despite models like the BYD Shark and Ford Ranger soon to offer hybrid power.Speaking to Drive, Mitsubishi Australia boss Shaun Westcott said the shortcomings of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plu
  
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• Mechanics are helping to ease anxiety with this clever new tactic

  14-09-2024 04:00 via drive.com.au
  One Queensland-based car owner was pleasantly surprised by their new mechanic’s clever way of assuring them they weren’t being ripped off.
  A Queensland car owner has taken to TikTok to share their positive mechanic experience after the shop approached their repairs in a much more customer-friendly way.The TikTok user recalled taking their Kia Rio in for repairs, but instead of being left with just an itemised bill, received a video link for all the work that was being commenced on th
  
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• Australian company reveals stealthy mission-ready Special Ops 4WD

  14-09-2024 01:00 via drive.com.au
  South Australian-based manufacturer pulls the covers off a modified version of the Ineos Grenadier off-roader designed to work in Australia’s most extreme conditions – undetected.South Australian-based manufacturer Redarc has shown off a ‘mission-ready’ version of the Ineos Grenadier off-road wagon, designed to operate in Australia’s harshest climates – without revealing its location – at the 2024 Land Forces Expo in Melbourne.Using the four-door wagon T
  
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• Ken Block’s Hoonigan files for bankruptcy

  14-09-2024 00:00 via drive.com.au
  Hoonigan brand hits trouble only 18 months after the legendary founder’s death.The Hoonigan company made famous by the late stunt driver and automotive YouTube star Ken Block has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States (US).Hoonigan is an automotive aftermarket company – selling wheels, suspension and other components – with a number of brands including Fuel Off-Road, KMC, Morimoto, TeraFlex, Rotiform, and Black Rhino.The Denver, Colorado, based company
  
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• 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade: Everything we know so far about the HiLux GR Sport off-road ute rival

  13-09-2024 23:00 via drive.com.au
  Isuzu is set to join the hero off-road ute market with a D-Max tuned by former high-performance Holden specialists Walkinshaw. Here’s what we know so far.
  After years of sitting on the sidelines, Isuzu is preparing to join the Australian-engineered off-road ute market with what is provisionally known as the 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade.The Japanese car maker has previously dipped its toe in the water with various special editions – including the current D-Max X-Terrain flagship – but
  
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• Bridge connecting two Brisbane suburbs to close for more than two weeks, forcing 16km detour

  13-09-2024 22:00 via drive.com.au
  The heritage-listed Walter Taylor Bridge – connecting Indooroopilly to Chelmer across the Brisbane River – has been closed for essential maintenance work until 30 September 2024.A bridge in Brisbane connecting the suburbs of Indooroopilly and Chelmer in the city’s inner south-west has been closed until Monday 30 September 2024 for essential maintenance work.The heritage-listed Walter Taylor Bridge was closed to all traffic from 9:00pm on Friday 13 September 2024 for the works,
  
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• Opinion: Should GWM bring this quirky electric car to Australia?

  13-09-2024 21:45 via drive.com.au
  GWM is considering bringing the 2025 Ora Sport to Australia and asked Drive what we think. Here’s our honest take…It’s not uncommon for a manufacturer to ship a pre-production or left-hand drive variant of a new vehicle to Australia for what the industry calls ‘evaluation purposes’.
  Exactly how far into the process of the vehicle actually going on sale is, at that point in the process, is often difficult to determine. However, it’s also a chance for Australia
  
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