Month: January 2020

GM is reviving the Hummer brand in the most spectacular fashion, today confirming its first product would be an ell-electric truck, or ute, with power outputs and performance numbers that can scarcely be believed. Hummer will exist as a sub-brand under the GMC brand, with the first model now officially known as the GMC Hummer…

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has confirmed the Mazda CX-30’s five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating will carry over to the local model. As previously reported in November last year, the CX-30 notched a near-perfect 99 per cent in the adult occupant protection test, making it the highest ranked model in that category…

After investing $US500 million ($A744 million) in electric vehicle (EV) start-up Rivian last year, the first fruits of the tie-up will sprout in the form of an emissions-free crossover for luxury American brand Lincoln. Built on Rivian’s bespoke electric car ‘skateboard’ platform – which will also underpin the RT1 ute and R1S large SUV –…

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will cease production of its X-Class range from the end of May. CarsGuide recently reported that the X-Class posted poor sales figures in 2019, rendering it non-competitive against key rivals in the dual-cab ute segment. Last year, Mercedes-Benz sold just 15,300 X-Class utes worldwide. In the same period, Toyota sold…

Toyota’s performance revolution is under way, with the brand having at last pulled the covers off (and let us get behind the wheel of) its first hot hatch in decades, the GR Yaris. But with plans to give the go-fast treatment to every core model in its range, now is the perfect time to take…

Ford in Australia could be cooking up a new baby Raptor, trademarking the name “FX4 Max” with the Australian Intellectual Property Office.  The name was registered in December 2019, with final approval scheduled for June this year, but the listing doesn’t describe exactly what Ford will be doing with the freshly minted trademark, first uncovered…

TomTom has published its 2019 traffic index, which ranks 416 cities across 57 countries for urban congestion and provides key insights into traffic related issues. Sydney ranked 86th on the index with a rating of 33 per cent, making it the most congested city in Australia ahead of Melbourne (30%). However, Sydney-siders noticed a one…

Toyota is readying a GRMN- badged Supra, with the most powerful sports car in the brand’s stable to produce close to 300kW of power. That’s the word out of Japan, at least, where solid reports suggest the super Supra could be unveiled as early as this year.  Japan’s Best Car reports the GRMN (Gazoo Racing…

Lotus has revealed its new Evora GT410 overseas, a softer version of the GT410 Sport, with the brand’s local division studying its potential for an Australian introduction. CarsGuide understands that the local Evora GT410 Sport – the only variant available in Australia –differs from its international counterpart, and already offers a number of specification changes…

Let’s face it, when the sports-car bubble bursts, it bursts hard – real hard. You only need to look back to 2019 to get the latest example of that fact, with Australian sales down a massive 20.8 per cent. Indeed, the entire sports-car segment relies upon new releases to keep it ticking over every year,…

Subaru Australia has been forced to recall 721 examples of the Impreza small car and XV small SUV over a potential issue with their seatbelts. Affecting MY19 vehicles, one of the two locking mechanisms in their rear seatbelts might not lock as intended during an accident, due to a manufacturing defect. If this does occur,…

BMW is pushing heavily into the hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) market with development of its own fleet of X5 large SUVs, and believes that the alternative powertrain could be at price parity with petrol engines soon. Speaking to The Telegraph, BMW vice-president for hydrogen and fuel-cell technology Dr Jurgen Guldner said FCEVs will be…

It’s an age-old question: who are the worst drivers? Well, general insurance provider AAMI and not-for-profit organisation Australian Road Safety Foundation reckon they have the answer: parents. According to new AAMI data that analyses 340,000 insurance claims made during the 2018/2019 financial year, most car accidents happen between 1.00pm and 4.30pm, a timeslot that coincides…

Rivian’s R1T ute and R1S SUV will reportedly be cheaper than expected when they officially go on sale overseas from the end of this year, with Australian deliveries to start about 18 months later. According to Reuters, the emerging electric vehicle (EV) specialist’s previously announced $US69,000 ($A102,128) starting price for the R1T will actually apply…

Volkswagen is prepping its next-generation Caddy light-commercial vehicle (LCV), which will be fully unveiled in February and available in Australian showrooms in early 2021. According to the brand, the fifth-generation model will be a built from the ground up with “no screw … left untouched”, and represents a step up in styling and connectivity. As…

General Motors will pour $US2.2 billion ($A3.26 billion) into transforming its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant into an electric truck-producing facility, which could point the way forward for the local Holden Colorado ute. According to GM, the plant will “produce a variety of all-electric trucks and SUVs”, with overseas reports point towards an emissions-free Hummer pickup as…

The mystery of which Toyotas will get a performance makeover appears to be solved, with whispers from Japan suggesting the RAV4 SUV will be next to wear the GR badge. Japanese media have detailed the GR rollout, with the Supra and plug-in Prius both in line for a extra performance. But the biggest news, at…

The current iteration Suzuki Jimny could soon disappear from showrooms and transform into a commercial vehicle, according to an overseas report. Autocar India claims the Jimny will be axed in Europe, a result of tightening passenger car emissions regulations to be introduced in 2021, with dealers already told to stop taking orders for the pint-sized…

In automotive years, the Nissan 370Z is old – really old. You have to go more than 11 years back in time, to December 2008, to find when it went on sale globally. Crikey. And when you remember the 370Z is no more than a major redesign of the 350Z that preceded it, you realise…