Automotive news

• Best-selling plug-in hybrid cars in Australia in 2025

  08-01-2026 23:33 via drive.com.au
  The BYD Shark 6 ute and other new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) entrants drove a 130.9 per cent sales increase in Australia in 2025, higher than other powertrain types.2025 BYD Shark 6 and 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.More than 50,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) were reported as sold in Australia in 2025, led by the BYD Shark 6 ute and other new entrants. BYD has risen to become the number-one plug-in hybrid brand, with a 50.7 per cent market share from the Shark 6 (18,0
  
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• How to navigate a bushfire if you’re driving a car

  08-01-2026 23:18 via drive.com.au
  As bushfires continue to ravage through various parts of Australia, experts are sharing essential advice on how drivers can stay safe during dangerous weather conditions.Picture: iStock
  While summer in Australia is generally a time of celebration and spending time with friends and family, it’s also one of the most dangerous seasons in the country due to extreme heat and bushfires.And though fire bans are set in place to help reduce the risk, authorities continue to send out warnings as fir
  
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• Ford Everest conquers Toyota Prado in 2025 sales battle

  08-01-2026 23:00 via drive.com.au
  Despite the Toyota Prado’s record year, Ford has once again taken the crown for most-popular large SUV in Australia with the Everest.
  2025 Ford Everest and Toyota Prado
  The Ford Everest has beaten the Toyota Prado for the second year in a row to be Australia’s favourite large SUV in 2025, despite the latter’s highest sales year on record.It was also the first full calendar year of the new-generation Prado being on sale, but the second-generation Everest – which first laun
  
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• 2026 Kia Sportage SX diesel review

  08-01-2026 22:00 via drive.com.au
  Once a commonplace option, the diesel engine is fast disappearing from the medium SUV segment, but Kia persists with the Kia Sportage diesel.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2026 Kia Sportage SXThe 2026 Kia Sportage is one of the last remaining diesel medium SUVs in Australia – at least not without venturing into the more expensive prestige vehicle segment,
  
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• Nio plans New Zealand entry in late 2026

  08-01-2026 21:53 via autotalk.co.nz
  Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio plans to enter the New Zealand and Australian markets in the second half of 2026 through its Firefly sub-brand, as the company expands its focus on right-hand-drive markets. Chris Chen, Nio’s head of global business, confirmed the expansion timeline in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, saying the company […]
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• Kia Sorento and Carnival petrol V6 axed in Australia

  08-01-2026 21:00 via drive.com.au
  The next victim of Australia’s fuel efficiency standard is Kia’s petrol V6 in the Sorento and Carnival, leaving four-cylinder diesel and hybrid options.
  Kia Carnival and Kia SorentoPetrol-only grades of the Kia Sorento and Carnival have been axed in Australia, leaving the models without a V6 engine, a powertrain which has been commonplace throughout their 20-plus-year history.Kia Australia has stopped taking new orders for 3.5-litre petrol V6 versions of the Sorento and Carnival, in
  
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• Australian lender fails High Court removal bid

  08-01-2026 20:25 via autotalk.co.nz
  Australian lender Solvar has been unsuccessful in its attempt to remove itself from a High Court case brought by the Commerce Commission over alleged responsible lending breaches by its New Zealand subsidiary. The Commission alleges Go Car Finance, which specialised in making loans to people with less-than-perfect credit scores buying second-hand cars, failed to comply […]
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• Fuel supply to be restored to Sounds communities

  08-01-2026 20:23 via autotalk.co.nz
  Communities in the outer Marlborough Sounds will have access to a local, reliable petrol supply through a $350,000 grant from the Regional Infrastructure Fund. Not-for-profit community organisation Elaine Bay Fuel Services (EBFS) has received the funding to install a 20,000-litre petrol tank and dispensing infrastructure at Elaine Bay. The project will restore a critical service […]
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• Tesla extends warranty to five years unlimited kilometres

  08-01-2026 07:49 via autotalk.co.nz
  Tesla has introduced a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty for new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles delivered in Australia and New Zealand from January 1, 2026, replacing the previous four-year 80,000 kilometre coverage. The enhanced Basic Limited Vehicle Warranty represents what Tesla describes as a global first, extending comprehensive coverage to critical vehicle components including […]
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• Tesla introduces five-year warranty in Australia

  08-01-2026 06:48 via drive.com.au
  Australia’s top seller of electric cars is finally addressing one of its biggest weaknesses – but its new warranty coverage does not have the endurance it once did.
  Tesla Model 3
  Tesla has become the final Top 20 new-car brand to roll out a five-year warranty in Australia, 27 years after it was pioneered by Hyundai – and more than five years after it became common among most car brands.But it is still three years short of the eight-year/160,000km warranty offered by Tesla in Au
  
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• These Australian cities are now using surveillance cars to enforce parking

  08-01-2026 06:37 via drive.com.au
  More Australian cities have thrown away the chalk they use to mark tyres and replaced it with a fleet of new surveillance cars.Wollongong City Council, located an hour and a half south of Sydney, will throw away its chalk in lieu of new surveillance cars with cameras that capture your number plates.RELATED: Australian state bans ‘unfair’ parking fine practice“Wollongong City Council is embarking on a 12-month trial of new camera technology that will allow compliance officers to
  
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• Common thread: The most popular cars are also the cheapest to insure

  08-01-2026 05:32 via drive.com.au
  Though it’s no secret car insurance policies are getting more expensive, these popular cars are potentially the cheapest to insure.
  Picture: iStock
  There’s no denying ownership fees such as car insurance are an unavoidable expense for most Australians who need a vehicle for their daily commute.Although insurance policy pricing is dependent on several factors including a driver’s history, the rising cost of spare parts and labour, coupled with more complex repairs, has led some
  
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• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV runout includes up to $5000 ‘cash back’ this January

  08-01-2026 04:20 via drive.com.au
  Mitsubishi is offering up to a $5000 bonus on MY24 Outlander plug-in hybrid models for the month of January, but that’s just the start of the savings…Buyers looking for a sharp deal on a family SUV this January can score up to $5000 ‘cash-back’ on new MY24 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV models.The offer applies to all MY24 plug-in hybrid variants, but is split between GSR, Exceed and Exceed Tourer grades, which all receive a $5000 incentive, and ES and Aspire grades, which ca
  
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• Petrol prices accelerate despite cooling inflation

  08-01-2026 04:00 via drive.com.au
  Australia’s fuel prices have seen their speediest increase in almost six months, even as overall inflation unexpectedly eased, new data shows.Transport prices were the third-largest contributor to inflation in the 12 months to November, the Australian Bureau of Statistics’s (ABS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) released on Wednesday showed, with petrol and vehicle maintenance seeing the highest price-hikes in the category.After a 3.8 per cent increase in the year to October, the CPI rose
  
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• Toyota hits back at rising Prado, HiLux, LandCruiser vehicle thefts

  08-01-2026 02:00 via drive.com.au
  New vehicle security measures now in place are intended to curtail thefts of Toyota models by criminals using high-tech devices readily available online.Toyota has updated the vehicle security of its HiLux, LandCruiser, and Prado models as a direct reaction to the increasing number of reported thefts of its models.While exactly what has changed is unclear, the best-selling brand in Australia said it has taken “further steps to enhance security on several models,” which have faced gro
  
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• Volkswagen ID. Buzz sales gather steam after ‘slow start’

  08-01-2026 01:00 via drive.com.au
  The modern electric revival of the classic Kombi is starting to find its feet in Australia – helped by massive discounts – after a sluggish start to sales life.The Volkswagen ID. Buzz has passed 100 sales in a month – and has seen interest triple in three months – amid improved supply and hefty discounts, its maker says.While its $87,990 plus on-road costs starting price is unlikely to see it challenge the Kia Carnival – which accounts for three in four people mover
  
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• Dongfeng Box sold in NZ lacks side airbags, deemed “unrated” by safety authorities

  08-01-2026 00:00 via autotalk.co.nz
  The Dongfeng Box currently on sale in New Zealand has just two airbags and does not match the specification of the vehicle tested by Euro NCAP, leaving it officially “unrated” by both ANCAP and NZTA. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has taken the step of labelling the vehicle unrated on Rightcar.govt.nz.  “NZTA has assigned the […]
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