Month: January 2020

Of course the Toyota HiLux is Australia’s favourite ute. Heck, it’s our most popular new vehicle full stop. But when we took a deep dive into the top-10 utes of 2019, we found some surprising results. Two in particular stood out as unexpectedly popular models – China’s LDV T60 and America’s Ram 1500 snuck into…

Australia Day is a time for reflection. But instead of our nation’s history and its political impact, we’re going to reflect on cars. Specifically, the cars we’d love to see on Aussie roads as soon as possible. Obviously, we haven’t run any numbers on a business case, and there are valid reasons why some of…

When it comes to hot hatches the heroes are the big boys – Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus ST and Hyundai i30 N – but the smaller siblings are trying to catch up. This year will see the arrival of three new compact hot hatches that will boast the kind of performance we used to…

The much-anticipated Kia dual-cab ute is still under development, but the brand’s Australian arm has hinted that it could also spawn a new large SUV that will appeal to off-road enthusiasts. The notion is that the as-yet-unnamed Kia pick-up would likely see the introduction of a ladder-frame seven-seat SUV, in much the same way as…

Kia Australia has confirmed the Stonic SUV will finally make it to Australia in the fourth quarter of 2021. The new Mazda CX-3-rivalling compact SUV is set to slot in below the hugely popular Seltos model launched in 2019, and will form the entry point to Kia’s SUV line-up. The Kia Rio-based high-riding model, sourced…

With the final Australian-built cars having sold last year, the local high-volume vehicle market has now officially shifted to full imports. As expected, the bulk of the cars are coming from the likes of Japan, South Korea, Germany and Thailand – the latter thanks to our love affair to dual-cab utes like the Toyota HiLux,…

Toyota is preparing a special edition of its LandCruiser this year, and with reports that the large SUV will go hybrid in August, it could be the last chance to get one with a V8. Although the brand is still finalising details, CarsGuide understands the new special edition version will borrow elements from the US-market…

When Subaru’s XV Hybrid and Forester Hybrid launch in Australia in March, they will both combine a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to become the most fuel-efficient members of their respective SUV ranges – but that won’t be enough to put them on the same penny-pinching level as their key rivals. According to…

Australia looks set for a hardcore ute explosion, with Toyota, Ford and Mitsubishi all moving on new tough-truck variants. Reports of Ford preparing to stuff the Coyote V8 engine from the Mustang into its flagship Ranger Raptor got petrol-headed hearts fluttering right across Australia this week. The news, first reported in Wheels Magazine, would see the top-spec Raptor’s outputs increased from 157kW…

Audi Australia will launch its new Q3 Sportback coupe-style small SUV in March with two variants. The entry-level 35 TFSI S Line is priced from $49,900 plus on-road costs, while its limited Launch Edition counterpart checks in at $56,450. The more traditional-looking Q3 is already available with the same two variants but is $3500 and…

If you like your hot hatches with a little more show than go then Toyota might just have the answer for you, with the Japanese giant quietly revealing the GR Yaris CVT concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The Yaris CVT appears to match the look of the hardcore GR hot hatch – complete with…

Update: Since we published this story, Toyota Australia has decided to discontinue the Prius C. There is no doubt Toyota helped pioneer the electric vehicle (EV) movement when it launched its first Prius in 1997, but over 20 years later, does the brand even need its hybrid hero anymore? Sure, the nameplate is synonymous with…

Of the 1,062,867 new vehicles sold in Australia last year, just 45 were locally manufactured – a crazy thought a decade ago, right? While that number may seem miniscule, keep in mind 2019 was the second calendar year after Holden and Toyota stopped making cars in South Australia and Victoria respectively. So, like us, you might be wondering exactly…

Toyota has released the impressive fuel economy figures for its incoming Yaris, with the all-new city car to drink a claimed 3.3 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle.  And that’s impressive. Enough to beat even the Hyundai Ioniq hybrid, which drinks a claimed 3.4L/100km. In fact, our numbers have the Yaris as Australia’s…

BMW Australia has made getting a V8-powered X5 more affordable, introducing a lower-specification M50i Pure version of its popular large SUV. Priced from $136,900 plus on-road costs, the M50i Pure is $15,000 cheaper than its higher-specification M50i counterpart that currently sits atop the X5 range. That said, the M50i Pure still comes armed with the…

BMW Australia has introduced another 3 Series sedan variant for the 2020 model year, slotting the new M340i Pure between the plug-in 330e and performance-focused M340i. Priced at $94,900 before on-road costs, the Pure is $10,000 cheaper than the $104,900 M340i, but still retains its potent 285kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder engine. The second-to-the-top 3…

BMW Australia has ushered in a cheaper version of its V8-powered X6, with the lower-specification M50i Pure the latest addition to the stylish large SUV’s range. While its higher-specification M50i counterpart is priced from $155,900 plus on-road costs (and therefore headlines the X6 range), the M50i Pure is $15,000 more affordable. Critically, the M50i Pure…

Buyers keen on the homegrown Ford Mustang R-Spec better act now, as the limited-edition 500kW-plus coupe is close to being sold out. A Ford Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide all 500 examples have been allocated to dealers since the Mustang R-Spec’s reveal last October, although we understand that doesn’t necessarily mean each one has been sold…