Automotive news

• Every car axed in Australia in 2025: All cars, SUVs and utes discontinued

  30-12-2025 23:00 via drive.com.au
  New brands and models are flooding the Australian car market, but plenty of others – from once-popular hatchbacks to rugged utes – left in 2025. Here’s the full list.The Australian new-car market is growing more crowded by the week – with the arrival of new brands, mostly from China – but time is also being called on plenty of old favourites.It has not been a record year for vehicle axings, but there’s certainly no shortage of models – from small hatchba
  
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• Motorsport and governance acknowledged in honors

  30-12-2025 22:31 via autotalk.co.nz
  Automotive industry stakeholders, from circuit owners to franchise experts, feature prominently in the 2026 New Year Honours. Motorsport entrepreneur and track owner Tony Quinn has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM). Quinn is a pivotal figure in the New Zealand automotive landscape, owning Hampton Downs, Highlands, and Taupō International Motorsport Park. His investment has revitalised […]
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• 2019-2023 Ford Escape PHEV recalled in Australia due to fire risk

  30-12-2025 22:00 via drive.com.au
  The fault could cause the high-voltage battery to short-circuit, potentially causing a fire, according to the recall notice.Ford Australia has recalled 477 examples of its 2019 to 2023 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), citing a potential fault with its high-voltage battery.The affected vehicles are stamped 2019 to 2023 models, but may have been sold at a later date.The recall notice, lodged with the Department of Infrastructure, says: “Due to a manufacturing issue, the ce
  
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• Every new car stripped of its safety rating – 2026 edition

  30-12-2025 21:00 via drive.com.au
  Newly-built examples of popular car models, such as the Mazda CX-30 and Kia Seltos, will no longer carry a valid ANCAP score when their 2019 results expire tonight.
  2019 Kia Seltos
  The ANCAP crash-test results for more than 30 vehicles currently on sale in Australia will expire overnight, including the popular Mazda 3, CX-30 and Kia Seltos. Final examples of the current-generation Toyota RAV4, Australia’s best-selling SUV, are also affected, following the expiry of ANCAP results achie
  
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• One in two Queensland mechanics struggling to find skilled workers

  30-12-2025 20:44 via abc.net.au
  
  The automotive repair industry says it is dealing with a major labour and skills shortage, and some mechanics are looking overseas for workers.
  
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• Desperate for workers, some mechanics are looking overseas

  30-12-2025 20:44 via abc.net.au
  
  The automotive repair industry says it is dealing with a major labour and skills shortage, and some mechanics are looking overseas for workers.
  
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• Top news 2025: A Year of regulation and resilience and loss

  30-12-2025 20:12 via autotalk.co.nz
  2025 has proven to be a year of significant regulatory shifts, tragic loss, and high-profile industry shakeups. From historic changes to the Clean Car Standard to major liquidations in Auckland and Hamilton, the sector has faced both relief and adversity. Here is a look back at the top dealer and industry news stories that defined […]
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• Electric car driving range figures can be misleading, but the government’s fix is still years away

  30-12-2025 20:00 via drive.com.au
  Differing testing standards means customers are not always comparing like-for-like EV driving range figures in showrooms.Two different testing standards for electric vehicle (EV) driving range means some buyers are being misinformed in showrooms, but Australia’s solution will not come into full force until mid-2028.Until recently, all new electric cars need to apply an “Energy Consumption” label – as per Australian Design Rule (ADR) 81/02 – that details efficiency m
  
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• 2026 Mitsubishi ASX Exceed review

  30-12-2025 11:00 via drive.com.au
  The range-topping Exceed version of the Mitsubishi ASX has a big legacy to live up to. But the price? Are you sitting down?
  Skip ahead:IntroductionInteriorPrice and cost to ownValue SafetyCompetitorsRunning costsSummary and verdictDriving comfort
  Summary
  The Mitsubishi ASX has owed its enduring success to a set of straightforward attributes. It was cheap, it offered more space than most of its rivals, and it carried the promise of bulletproof Japanese engineering. That has all changed with
  
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• Vacuum maker Dreame unveils 1000hp electric hypercar

  30-12-2025 03:24 via autotalk.co.nz
  Chinese consumer electronics company Dreame Technology will unveil a production-intent electric hypercar at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 7. The vacuum cleaner manufacturer claims its electric vehicle, developed under the internal codename Starry Sky Plan, will produce more than 1000hp (745kW) and accelerate from 0-100km/h in under two seconds. If the […]
  The post Vacuum maker Dreame unveils 1000hp electric hypercar appeared first on Autotalk.
  
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• Top 10 most-viewed Drive TikTok posts in 2025

  30-12-2025 02:00 via drive.com.au
  Among a variety of topics, Drive’s TikTok followers showed interest in new utes, including the 2026 Nissan Navara, as well as why the Toyota LandCruiser FJ isn’t coming here.With 2025 drawing to a close, it’s time to take a look back at the year that was on Drive across our news, reviews, advice, social media and Marketplace content.In this edition, we’ve compiled a list of the most-viewed posts on the Drive TikTok channel in 2025.To stay up to date with the latest car ne
  
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• My First Car: Actress Virginia Gay’s 1995 Honda Concerto

  30-12-2025 01:55 via drive.com.au
  Aussie actress Virginia Gay’s first car was a little-known Honda model with a name that was music to her ears.
  When Australian actress Virginia Gay was cast in All Saints at the age of 24, she knew she had to finally get her driver’s licence and buy a car to get her to work and back. Enter the Honda Concerto. It was purchased just before the global financial crisis in 2006 from a second-hand dealer in the inner west of Sydney, accompanied by her parents – dad Rob and mothe
  
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• 2026 Lexus RZ600e F Sport Performance revealed: More power, but no performance gains

  30-12-2025 01:00 via drive.com.au
  Lexus has revealed a more potent version of the Lexus RZ, with tweaked styling, brakes, wheels, suspension and more.Lexus has unveiled a new flagship version of its dedicated electric SUV, in the form of the 2026 Lexus RZ600e F Sport Performance.The RZ is only the third Lexus model to wear the F Sport Performance badge, after the RX500h and IS500, and an earlier version of the RZ450e, but despite a boost in power, the RZ600e F Sport Performance retains the same 4.4-second 0-100km/h time as the R
  
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• China calls for tighter standards on door handle designs

  30-12-2025 00:00 via drive.com.au
  Confusing and potentially dangerous electronically operated door handles and their mechanical emergency releases have come under scrutiny from Chinese regulators.The rise of electronically operated door handles has prompted Chinese regulators to call for an overhaul of electronic latching systems as a required safety measure.The move to low-profile door handle designs that move to a flat or flush position when a vehicle is in motion, and safety features that prevent doors from being opened into
  
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