Automotive news

• 2026 Subaru Solterra AWD Touring review

  21-01-2026 23:00 via drive.com.au
  Biggest glow-up of 2026? We’re off to a strong start with the massively improved Subaru Solterra AWD Touring.Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2026 Subaru Solterra AWD TouringIt’s rarely good form to speak ill of the dead, so perhaps the less said about the first-generation Subaru Solterra the better.Launched in 2022, the Solterra was Subaru’s ans
  
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• 2026 Jaecoo J5 launch deal extended after first 1000 sold out

  21-01-2026 22:56 via drive.com.au
  The compact electric SUV has seen order books quickly filled since orders opened in December. Launch pricing for the 2026 Jaecoo J5 compact electric SUV has been extended to another 1000 customers, after the first 1000 vehicles sold out. The $36,990 drive-away deal will include premium paint, usually a $600 option, with orders at the launch price available to be placed until April 30 or until allocations are exhausted.After that, the model will be priced at $35,990 before on-road costs
  
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• Aston Martin hands back F1 safety car job

  21-01-2026 22:33 via drive.com.au
  Changes to the cars and their drivers will not be the only difference Formula One fans will notice on the grid this year. Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
  Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
  Aston Martin will not renew its deal as one of two suppliers of F1 safety and medical cars for the 2026 season, leaving a series of Mercedes-AMG performance cars to assist the grid when racing begins in Melbourne in March.The British car maker has held a joint contract with Mercedes-AMG since 2021, with
  
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• Renault Group posts third straight year of growth

  21-01-2026 22:22 via autotalk.co.nz
  Renault Group has recorded its third consecutive year of global sales growth, driven by international expansion and accelerating electrification across its Renault, Dacia and Alpine brands. The Group sold 2,336,807 vehicles worldwide in 2025, up 3.2% on the previous year, outperforming a global market that grew 1.6%. All three of Renault Group’s brands posted growth, […]
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• ‘Is this legal?’: Smart car driver caught beating the parking system

  21-01-2026 21:30 via drive.com.au
  Known for their cute and tiny size, Smart cars are perfect for fitting in narrow spots, but this owner has taken it one step further.
  Photo: Reddit
  The Smart ForTwo is easily one of the most recognisable cars that has ever been sold in Australia, and even since its introduction into the market in 2003, there has yet to be anything even close to its short dimensions.RELATED: Highway Patrol caught blocking footpath and drivewayDespite its comedic appearance, the Smart is renowned for its ability t
  
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• MG slipped from seventh to tenth on the sales chart in 2025 marking two years in decline

  21-01-2026 20:27 via drive.com.au
  MG sales continue to fall, and 2025 saw the brand trend downwards for the second year in a row.MG scraped into Australia’s top 10 on the new car sales charts in 2025, but its position is at risk, with Chinese competitors building sales.MG finished last year with an 18.4 per cent drop in full-year sales compared to its result in 2024.That marks the second year in a row MG has posted a sales drop, selling 41,298 new cars in 2025, against 50,592 in 2024, and an all-time high of 58,346 in 2023
  
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• Luxon announces 7 November election date

  21-01-2026 19:27 via autotalk.co.nz
  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November. “Continuing the recent tradition of announcing the election date early in the year ensures New Zealanders have certainty,” Luxon says. The Government has set key parliamentary dates, with the House rising on 24 September and Parliament dissolving on […]
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• BYD Sealion 8 pricing reveal set for Friday livestream

  21-01-2026 19:27 via autotalk.co.nz
  BYD New Zealand will announce pricing for its new Sealion 8 seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV during a livestream event on Friday morning. The event, scheduled for January 24 at 9am, will feature host Richard Edwards and BYD NZ Country Manager Warren Willmot revealing details of the large SUV. The Sealion 8 represents BYD’s entry into […]
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• New mobile phone and seatbelt cameras being trialled in Victoria

  21-01-2026 19:11 via drive.com.au
  December’s trials were just the latest of the Victorian Government’s trials of new fixed mobile phone and seatbelt cameras.Victoria has been trialling new fixed mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras. The fixed cameras were trialled on the Maroondah Highway from 17 November 2025 to 31 December 2025. However, this is not the first time such cameras have been trialled in Victoria, having previously been trialled on CityLink tollways in Melbourne, Drive understands.Drive
  
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• 2026 Volvo EX60 electric SUV revealed with 810km range, due in Australia from this year

  21-01-2026 18:30 via drive.com.au
  Volvo will use Tesla-style manufacturing tech – and reset benchmarks for driving range – with an electric counterpart to its best-selling XC60 SUV.Volvo has revealed the EX60, a mid-size luxury SUV which has the potential to become Australia’s longest-range electric vehicle (EV) when it arrives in showrooms over the next 12 to 18 months.The EX60 is the electric counterpart to the petrol-powered XC60 SUV, and represents an important step forward for Volvo electric cars in its te
  
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• Rolls-Royce could have an electric Cullinan in showrooms before 2030

  21-01-2026 08:00 via drive.com.au
  The luxury manufacturer is set to add its second electric vehicle to its line-up, a super-sized SUV which could be priced close to $1 million.Rolls-Royce’s most popular model, the Cullinan SUV, looks set to go electric, with a new battery-powered model spotted testing in Scandinavia. This EV will be the second offered by the manufacturer as it works to have a fully electric vehicle line-up by the end of 2030.Wrapped in a camouflaged livery and tested in alpine conditions, the pre-prod
  
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• Mazda MX-30 rotary range-extender axed in Europe after two years on sale – report

  21-01-2026 07:00 via drive.com.au
  Mazda’s first rotary-engined production car since the 2012 RX-8 – the MX-30 R-EV – has been axed in Europe, but it will remain available in Japan.
  The rotary-engined Mazda MX-30 range-extender electric vehicle has been discontinued in Europe after just two years on sale.According to an Autocar report, a Mazda spokesperson said the MX-30 R-EV – launched in 2024 – has been axed for a “combination of reasons”, such as “consumer trends” and &ldqu
  
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• 2026 BMW iX xDrive 45 review

  21-01-2026 06:00 via drive.com.au
  The revised version of BMW’s all-electric large SUV, the iX, brings big improvements to driving range and charging, but at a higher cost.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2026 BMW iX xDrive 45When BMW’s iX first launched in Australia back in late 2021, the all-electric large SUV entered a market with a vastly different landscape.Electric vehicles (EVs)
  
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• This subconscious driving act will score you a three-demerit-point fine

  21-01-2026 04:30 via drive.com.au
  There are many subconscious driving habits that are obviously against the law, but this innocent action could cost you an arm and a leg.There are plenty of subconscious habits many drivers are guilty of that could make them a few hundred dollars poorer and their licence a few demerits heavier.RELATED: More than 50 per cent of Australian drivers fess up to a hit-and-runIt could be a quick tap of your phone, a misjudgement of your speed or even not paying attention to a red light – whether y
  
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• Kia Niro axed for good in Australia, updated model to skip local showooms

  21-01-2026 04:00 via drive.com.au
  The rug has been pulled from under the first hybrid car sold by Kia in Australia, the Niro small SUV, with the reveal of an updated model that will not be offered locally.
  Updated Kia Niro, plus old vs new.
  The Kia Niro small SUV will be dropped entirely from Australian showrooms with the end of the current iteration’s production run, amid slow sales and internal competition from other Kia models.Electric power has already been axed from the compact Niro in Australia, but it has been confi
  
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• RARE DEALER PRINCIPAL OPPORTUNITY – GREG TIMS

  21-01-2026 03:37 via autotalk.co.nz
  The post RARE DEALER PRINCIPAL OPPORTUNITY – GREG TIMS appeared first on Autotalk.
  
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• GWM sets new sales record in 2025

  21-01-2026 00:57 via drive.com.au
  GWM secured its spot as Australia’s seventh most-popular new car brand, landing a new sales record in the process.
  GWM Haval Jolion
  GWM secured its spot as Australia’s top-selling Chinese brand in 2025, ahead of rivals like BYD in eighth spot and MG, which finished in tenth place.The result marks an improvement over 2024, not just in rank (when GWM came tenth), but also in terms of sales volume, with GWM posting a significant 23.4 per cent boost.With 52,809 sales in 2025, GWM finishe
  
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• 2024-2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 recalled in Australia

  21-01-2026 00:06 via drive.com.au
  The fault could cause damage to the transmission wiring harness, potentially leading to a “sudden loss” of motive power, according to the recall notice.Mercedes-Benz Australia has recalled 18 examples of its 2024 to 2025 Mercedes-AMG E53, citing a potential fault with its transmission wiring harness.The affected vehicles are stamped 2024 to 2025 models, but may have been sold at a later date.The recall notice, lodged with the Department of Infrastructure, says: “Due to a manufa
  
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