Cars news

• The decline and fall of the Russian car empire | Drive Flashback

  17-04-2024 21:27 via drive.com.au
  
  With the Iron Curtain rusted away, the outlook for its car makers is as murky as their tailpipe emissions.This story, by Peter McKay, originally published on 19 April, 1997If there was ever a clear indicator of the deficiencies of the Communist system, it was to try the product – any product – of an Iron Curtain car maker.To drive a Lada, Niki or Skoda was to understand and accept that socialism was a horribly flawed system. Occasionally in western countries a consumer might be stuck
  
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• 2024 Isuzu D-Max: Australian first drive

  30-04-2024 22:00 via drive.com.au
  Isuzu’s brought the D-Max utility in for a nip-and-tuck facelift, and it’s resulted in genuine improvements to an already great dual-cab ute.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2024 Isuzu D-MaxIt could be argued that Isuzu didn’t really need to update the D-Max light-utility vehicle. It was 2023’s third-best-selling ute, and the Japanese car
  
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• 2024 Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition, Leon V Tribe Edition priced for Australia

  30-04-2024 22:00 via drive.com.au
  Spanish car brand Cupra has added two special editions to its line-up with new design details – and in one case, a lower price than the regular model.Two new limited editions have joined the Cupra line-up in Australia based on the Formentor SUV and Leon hatchback, which are due for major facelifts this time next year.The 2024 Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition and 2024 Cupra Leon V Tribe Edition introduce visual changes and extra features to Cupra’s plug-in hybrid SUV, and base-model
  
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• Jeep Cherokee recalled in Australia over fire risk, Grand Cherokee’s wheels could fall off

  30-04-2024 08:15 via drive.com.au
  There are two separate faults affecting the models, both of which could cause an increased risk of an accident, according to the recall notice.Jeep Australia has recalled more than 13,000 examples of its Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs, citing multiple potential faults that could lead to a fire or the wheels falling off.The 10,160 affected Cherokees are stamped 2013 to 2015 models, but may have been sold later.The recall notice, lodged with the Department of Infras
  
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• Jeep Cherokee recalled in Australia over fire risk, Grand Cherokee’s wheel alignment defective

  30-04-2024 08:15 via drive.com.au
  There are two separate faults affecting the models, both of which could cause an increased risk of an accident, according to the recall notice.Jeep Australia has recalled more than 13,000 examples of its Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs, citing multiple potential faults that could lead to a fire or the front wheels “leaning outwards”.The 10,160 affected Cherokees are stamped 2013 to 2015 models, but may have been sold later.The recall notice, lodged with
  
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• 2024 Volkswagen Amarok Style V6 review

  30-04-2024 08:07 via drive.com.au
  The Volkswagen Amarok V6 blends macho looks with a macho driveline and, in mid-specification Style trim, offers nearly everything you could ask for in an adventure-centric double-cab ute.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2024 Volkswagen Amarok TDI600 StyleHere’s a surprising data point. So far this year, the Volkswagen Amarok is the highest-selling individua
  
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• Shredding rubber: Putting Continental’s new MaxContact MC7 to the test

  30-04-2024 08:01 via drive.com.au
  Continental’s new performance tyre has been designed specifically for the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia. So is it any good? Rob Margeit headed to the Contidrom to find out.“Who wants to go first?”After a pause when no one else volunteers, I stick my hand up.“I’ll go.”I get an incongruous round of applause, as if I’ve just volunteered to be the lone rescuer of a bunch of kids lost in an impenetrable forest.If only I was so noble. I’ve don
  
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• 2024 Ford Transit price and specs: Increased payload, towing for price rise on diesels

  30-04-2024 07:38 via drive.com.au
  Increased capability comes at a higher price as the Transit range is pared back for a simpler line-up.2024 Ford Transit pricing and specificationsSix variants including van, single cab-chassis and bus bodies with varying roof heights, diesel engines and single electric versionManual transmission dropped, upgraded entry-level auto, greater payload and towingIn showrooms in late 2024 from $59,990 plus on-road costs.The 2024 Ford Transit large van has been updated, with the starting price up $3000
  
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• 2024 Ford Transit price and specs: increased payload and towing with another price rise on diesel models

  30-04-2024 07:38 via drive.com.au
  Increased capability comes at a higher price as the Transit range is pared back for a simpler line-up.2024 Ford Transit pricing and specificationsSix variants including van, single cab-chassis and bus bodies with varying roof heights, diesel engines and single electric versionManual transmission dropped, upgraded entry-level auto, greater payload and towingIn showrooms in late 2024 from $59,990 plus on-road costs.The 2024 Ford Transit large van has been updated, with the starting price up $3000
  
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• Fresh warning for toll users as service under attack from scammers

  30-04-2024 07:10 via drive.com.au
  The toll company Linkt has issued a new alert reminding people how not to fall victim to cybercriminals.Australian road-toll service Linkt is warning of a new spike in scams targeting its users – with the number of attempts almost doubling between February and March this year alone.The toll provider, which operates across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, said it has seen a “significant increase” in scams this year in which customers are being tricked into paying for routes they
  
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• Tesla to supply largest battery storage facility in Australia

  30-04-2024 04:54 via drive.com.au
  A coal-mining town in Western Australia will soon be home to the country’s biggest battery farm, utilising technology from US electric car maker Tesla.Australia’s largest battery storage facility will soon begin construction using Tesla technology.Located in the southwest of Western Australia, French company Neoen has been awarded a $650 million contract by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to establish a second electricity storage location, consisting of Tesla Megapacks.T
  
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• What do you need for a sim racing set-up?

  30-04-2024 04:00 via drive.com.au
  Thinking about getting into sim racing? Here’s the rig you’re going to need, according to the experts.
  We all here at Drive know all too well the adrenaline rush of pushing an exotic sports car to its limits (or more accurately, ours) on a racetrack, but it comes with very big risks that could set you back tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of dollars.But what if there was a way to replicate the sensation of flying over Conrod Straight at Bathurst in a Porsche 911 or l
  
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• Man charged after five cars stolen from regional disability hub

  30-04-2024 03:24 via drive.com.au
  The vehicles were taken from a community not-for-profit organisation in the town last week.A man has been charged with allegedly stealing five cars from a not-for-profit organisation, which helps provide mobility services for people with a disability.Victoria Police charged the 35-year-old man today with multiple counts of burglary and theft of motor vehicles following the break-in at the Hare Street property last week, located in Echuca – on the Victorian border with New South Wales.
  
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• Man charged after five cars stolen from Echuca disability hub

  30-04-2024 03:24 via drive.com.au
  The vehicles were taken from a community not-for-profit organisation in the town last week.A man has been charged with allegedly stealing five cars from a not-for-profit organisation in Echuca, which helps provide mobility services for people with a disability.Victoria Police charged the 35-year-old man today with multiple counts of burglary and theft of motor vehicles following the break-in at the Hare Street property last week.He has been bailed to appear before Echuca Magistrates’ Court
  
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• Surprise new eight-cylinder engine unveiled by GWM

  30-04-2024 02:30 via drive.com.au
  Big petrol engines are dead? No one told GWM, which has unveiled a new flat-eight cylinder engine – but it is not destined for what you think.GWM has made a splash at the 2024 Beijing motor show by unveiling an all-new eight-cylinder engine.But while the company is bucking the industry trend by developing an eight-cylinder, the bad news – as some may see it – is the engine has been designed for use in a motorcycle.Rather than being a V8, the ‘Souo H8’ engine is
  
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• Not dead yet: New eight-cylinder engine unveiled by GWM

  30-04-2024 02:30 via drive.com.au
  Big petrol engines are dead? No one told GWM, which has unveiled a new flat-eight cylinder engine – but it is not destined for what you think.GWM has made a splash at the 2024 Beijing motor show by unveiling an all-new eight-cylinder engine.But while the company is bucking the industry trend by developing an eight-cylinder, the bad news – as some may see it – is the engine has been designed for use in a motorcycle.Rather than being a V8, the ‘Souo H8’ engine is
  
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• Wagons aren’t dead: Cupra Leon Sportstourer locked in for Australia

  30-04-2024 01:34 via drive.com.au
  Volkswagen thinks wagons are dead in Australia, but its Spanish sibling Cupra disagrees – and has confirmed a new Leon ‘Sportstourer’ for showrooms with Golf R DNA.The void left by the axing of the Volkswagen Golf R wagon in Australia will be filled by its twin under the skin, the 2025 Cupra Leon Sportstourer, due in local showrooms in July or August next year.Sales of wagons in Australia have fallen by more than 80 per cent since the turn of the century, and have claimed iconi
  
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• 2025 Cupra Formentor and Leon facelifts unveiled, still a while away from Australia

  30-04-2024 01:17 via drive.com.au
  VW-owned Spanish car brand Cupra has updated its top-selling SUV – and its hot hatch – with a new look, more power, a drift mode, and a new wagon body style for the Leon in Australia.The facelifted 2025 Cupra Formentor compact SUV – and 2025 Cupra Leon small car – have been unveiled, ahead of Australian showroom arrivals due in April next year.While Cupra has been in Australia for less than two years, the Formentor and Leon were shown in Europe about four years ago, and a
  
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• New 2025 MG ZS caught on camera in Australia – and it’s a hybrid

  30-04-2024 00:00 via drive.com.au
  Australia’s most popular new small SUV is about to go hybrid – with a brand-new model photographed on Sydney streets.EXCLUSIVEThe next generation of the top-selling 2025 MG ZS small SUV has been photographed in Australia – inside and out – ahead of the first local showroom arrivals likely sometime next year.For the first time the ZS is expected to be available with hybrid power, to go head-to-head with top-selling hybrids from Toyota – as well as a growing field of
  
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• Updated 2024 Mercedes Sprinter, eSprinter, Vito and eVito van range detailed

  29-04-2024 23:00 via drive.com.au
  Mercedes-Benz’s van range – including the Sprinter, which accounts for 70 per cent of its sales – in Australia is about to receive an overhaul. Here’s what to expect.The Mercedes-Benz van line-up in Australia is about to undergo its most significant overhaul in some years to help recover a slowdown in sales since the X-Class ute was axed four years ago.Orders are due to open mid-year – ahead of first deliveries between October and December 2024 – for an update
  
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• ‘Monstrosity’: X-rated promo truck angers drivers in Melbourne

  29-04-2024 22:36 via drive.com.au
  An obscene mobile billboard spotted in Melbourne’s inner suburbs has prompted motorists to question the legality of digital advertising on the road.
  A digital billboard advertising a Melbourne brothel has outraged motorists by displaying obscene images on a ‘blindingly’ bright screen at peak hour.Drive has spotted the vehicle twice, both times at around 8.30 in the morning on roads in and around the city’s CBD, and displaying a rotating slideshow of explicit imagery.RELAT
  
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• ‘Monstrosity’: Raunchy promo truck angers drivers in Melbourne

  29-04-2024 22:36 via drive.com.au
  An obscene mobile billboard spotted in Melbourne’s inner suburbs has prompted motorists to question the legality of digital advertising on the road.
  A digital billboard advertising a Melbourne brothel has outraged motorists by displaying obscene images on a ‘blindingly’ bright screen at peak hour.Drive has spotted the vehicle twice, both times at around 8.30 in the morning on roads in and around the city’s CBD, and displaying a rotating slideshow of explicit imagery.RELAT
  
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• New electric-car battery from Tesla supplier claims 1000km driving range

  29-04-2024 22:00 via drive.com.au
  A Chinese company which produces batteries for Tesla and Volvo – among other brands – has showcased a new design at the Beijing motor show claimed to be capable of a 1000km range in certain vehicles.Chinese electric-car battery giant CATL has unveiled a new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit claimed to be capable of providing vehicles with a driving range of up to 1000km on a single charge.CATL is the world’s largest electric vehicle battery maker and currently supplies power un
  
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• 2024 Mazda CX-5 G35 Akera Turbo review

  29-04-2024 16:30 via drive.com.au
  It might be one of the oldest kids on the block, but the Mazda CX-5 still impresses in many ways… especially when it’s sporting torquey turbo grunt.Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2024 Mazda CX-5 G35 Akera TurboThey say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But you can stick a turbocharger on the engine, which is the case here.After more than
  
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• Electric cars vs petrol cars: How do they differ?

  29-04-2024 09:25 via drive.com.au
  Electric cars have more in common with petrol cars than you might think. Here, we look at the similarities and differences between the two.For the uninitiated, there can be a tendency to view electric cars as futuristic spaceships – a foreign species entirely different to the internal combustion engine cars we know and love.The reality is the two have more in common than many might think. RELATED: 2024 Nissan Qashqai Ti e-Power – long-term review “When I’m talki
  
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• 2024 Genesis GV80 price and specs: Model range slashed, entry price up significantly

  29-04-2024 07:00 via drive.com.au
  Genesis has added a sportier ‘Coupe’ body style to the GV80 line-up for the more expensive facelifted range – now available with one engine and one equipment level.The price of the cheapest 2024 Genesis GV80 large luxury SUV has climbed to $130,000 plus on-road costs, a $19,800 jump when compared to the equivalent outgoing variant, to coincide with a facelift and increase in standard equipment.The GV80 model line-up has been slashed to one engine – a 279kW/530Nm 3.5-litre
  
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• 2024 Genesis GV80 price and specs: Model range slashed, entry price up $20,000

  29-04-2024 07:00 via drive.com.au
  Genesis has added a sportier ‘Coupe’ body style to the GV80 line-up for the more expensive facelifted range – now available with one engine and one equipment level.The price of the cheapest 2024 Genesis GV80 large luxury SUV has climbed by $19,800 to coincide with a facelift and increase in standard equipment.The GV80 model line-up has been slashed to one engine – a 279kW/530Nm 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6– and a single equipment level, with the Luxury Pack previo
  
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• Nissan unveils four new electric-car concepts

  29-04-2024 05:47 via drive.com.au
  Two electric vehicles and a pair of plug-in hybrids have been shown as part of the car maker’s new China strategy, including more electric cars than previously.Nissan has pulled the covers off four new concept vehicles at the 2024 Beijing motor show after ramping up its plans for new electric and hybrid vehicles in China, the largest new-car market in the world.Nissan presented two electric vehicles and a pair of plug-in hybrids – collectively referred to by the industry in China as
  
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• 2024 BMW i5 M60 review

  29-04-2024 04:36 via drive.com.au
  Big battery, big power, big driving range and a commensurately big price tag. BMW’s fully-electric 5 Series goes hard on refinement and performance, and is the flagship offering for Bavaria’s classic executive express.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2024 BMW i5 M60 xDriveIt’s the classic BMW 5 Series, now gone fully electric.But not only that,
  
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• Who did it better – the Tesla Cybertruck or Renha Formigao?

  29-04-2024 04:04 via drive.com.au
  Over 40 years before the controversial Tesla Cybertruck debuted, a Brazilian manufacturer was pumping out its own unusually-styled ute.The Tesla Cybertruck has been no stranger to controversy since its polarising design was first revealed to the world in 2019.Now, a lone Cybertruck is trolling the streets of Sydney, its angular design drawing crowds and plenty of happy snaps from passers-by.But, predating the Tesla Cybertruck by five decades was 1978’s Renha Formigao, a fibreglass-bodied p
  
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