Automotive news

• 2024-2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT recalled in Australia

  29-01-2026 23:06 via drive.com.au
  The fault could cause the electric performance car’s side airbags not to deploy as intended in a collision, according to the recall notice.Porsche Cars Australia has recalled six examples of its 2024 to 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, citing a potential fault with the electric performance sedan’s side airbags.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
  
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• 2026 Polestar 2 review: Australian first drive

  29-01-2026 23:00 via drive.com.au
  The Polestar 2 has been treated to a mid-life update, with a faster infotainment system, some new trim, paint and wheel designs, and a larger battery for the entry-level grade. Is it enough to convince buyers in a burgeoning EV market, though?2026 Polestar 2When the Polestar 2 electric sedan was first introduced in Australia, it faced little competition aside from Tesla. It made a splash and was the first car from the brand to arrive on our shores.Although not strictly what you’d call affo
  
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• BMW M5 V8 cuts power to meet emissions rules

  29-01-2026 21:47 via drive.com.au
  BMW will detune the V8 engine in the M5 and XM, but overall outputs won’t change, ahead of stricter Euro 7 emission regulations in Europe.BMW has announced that the twin-turbo V8 engine at the heart of the plug-in hybrid M5 is set to be detuned to meet new Euro 7 regulations.The current 430kW output of the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine in the M5 will drop to 400kW.The new emissions regulations don’t become mandatory for all vehicles in the European Union until November 2026,
  
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• ‘Use your eyes’: What I wish I knew on my learner’s permit

  29-01-2026 21:30 via drive.com.au
  Sharing the road with learner drivers can be frustrating, but some Aussies are helping them out with their best tips for learning to drive.
  In a car-loving country like Australia, it’s common to come across drivers on their L-plates on many a car trip.And while no one likes getting stuck behind a learner motorist who may be a bit too cautious, a Reddit user recently invited Australian drivers to share their essential advice for novice motorists venturing onto local roads.RELATED: These are
  
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• 2026 Ford Ranger ute’s cheapest model cuts fuel use ahead of bigger update

  29-01-2026 20:04 via drive.com.au
  Upgrades to the Ford Ranger ute have cut fuel consumption – and, in a move that will help avoid government fines, CO2 emissions – from the models popular with fleets.The most affordable versions of the Ford Ranger ute have gained fuel-saving auto engine stop-start technology – along with minor design and feature changes – ahead of a wider-reaching ‘MY26.5’ update due mid-year.Ford has applied a number of small tweaks – and deletions – to Model Year
  
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• 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe update to change most controversial details

  29-01-2026 19:07 via drive.com.au
  Changes to the controversial design of the Hyundai Snata Fe will arrive as part of a planned mid-life update for the model.
  2027 Hyundai Santa Fe spy shots
  When the current generation Hyundai Santa Fe arrived in 2023, its boxy design divided opinion.Rather than push though an early redesign, Hyundai has stayed the course with the current model but has a mid-life update planned for 2027.Spy shots of the updated Santa Fe reveal Hyundai is unlikely to be planning a minor refresh.The comprehensive c
  
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• 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class revealed: Luxury flagship overhauled with dozens of upgrades under the skin

  29-01-2026 18:45 via drive.com.au
  The updated Mercedes-Benz S-Class may look the same, but the brand says it has tweaked more than 50 per cent of the components in its luxury saloon, including a brand-new V8 engine.Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off a thoroughly overhauled S-Class range, but from the outside, you could be forgiven for asking what has actually changed.The German brand’s range-topping luxury flagship may still share its outgoing model’s code (W213), but the updated S-Class has been significantly upd
  
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• Polestar to bail out rival car brands that can’t meet CO2 emissions targets

  29-01-2026 08:02 via drive.com.au
  Electric-only brand Polestar is using its bargaining power to help other car makers that haven’t met emissions targets – but it’s being choosy about who it deals with.Polestar is in talks to sell emissions ‘credits’ to other car manufacturers struggling to avoid hefty fines under the Federal Government’s tough CO2 targets for new vehicles.It comes as federal regulators prepare to reveal which car companies met their targets – and which didn’t &ndas
  
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• Early BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC EV sales outstrip supply

  29-01-2026 07:00 via drive.com.au
  New-generation dedicated EVs from BMW and Mercedes-Benz are enjoying sell-out sales success overseas.
  2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW iX3
  The cross-town rivalry between German luxury brands, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, appears to have sparked a new battleground.Overseas reports indicate that the newest versions of the BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology, both electric medium SUVs, are clocking up sales that exceed supply.Carscoops reports that BMW’s planned 2026 production allocatio
  
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• Opinion: I drove the BYD Shark 6 off-road, and I found a big problem

  29-01-2026 05:16 via drive.com.au
  Despite being the talk of the town and darling of many positive reviews and awards, my first experience with the BYD Shark 6 off-road didn’t quite reach the ‘top of the hill’.It was a long wait before I had the chance to review the BYD Shark 6 properly off-road, and I was excited to try out this first-time plug-in hybrid ute in some proper terrain, as this would give me a chance to test out some of its forward-leaning technology that flies in the face of convention and traditio
  
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• When should kids learn the road rules?

  29-01-2026 04:00 via drive.com.au
  Just because they’re not old enough to drive, it doesn’t mean kids are too young to learn road safety. But what rules should they know and at what age? Drive finds out.There’s nothing worse than a back-seat driver. Except maybe a back-seat driver who is about three years old. Trust me, I know this from experience.My oldest daughter was perhaps a little more observant than most toddlers, particularly while she was strapped into her car seat.From telling me I needed to keep both
  
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• Omoda, Jaecoo, and now Lepas: Chery explains its multi-brand strategy

  29-01-2026 03:42 via drive.com.au
  Having multiple brands covering the same product segments will appeal to a broader range of customers, according to Chery Australia.
  Jaecoo J5, Omoda 4 and Lepas L8
  Chery will field no fewer than four car brands in Australia by the end of the year, most of which will sell small and mid-size SUVs, but the Chinese marque believes offering customers some overlapping choices is the key to its success.Whereas some companies, such as the Volkswagen Group, will use individual brands for broader market
  
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• Tesla Model S, Model X to end global production

  29-01-2026 03:12 via drive.com.au
  Time has finally been called on Tesla’s trailblazing Model S and Model X electric cars after an estimated three-quarters of a million sold globally, clearing the way for production of human-shaped robots.Tesla will axe the Model S sedan and Model X SUV by the middle of 2026, after up to 14 years in production – and six years since the last examples reached Australia – to clear the way for new ‘humanoid’ robots.The Model S and Model X were the US electric-car giant&r
  
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• Toyota Kluger electric seven-seater could debut next month

  29-01-2026 02:52 via drive.com.au
  Toyota will unveil an all-new model in the US in February, which appears to be an electric iteration of its seven-seat Kluger SUV.
  Electric Toyota seven-seater teaser
  An electric version of the Toyota Highlander seven-seat SUV, sold in Australia as the Kluger, appears to have been teased ahead of its global reveal next month.The 2027 Toyota Highlander EV, previewed by the bZ Large SUV concept, is believed to be the subject of a low-light teaser released by the brand this week, captioned “S
  
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• Tesla axes Model S and X for robot production

  29-01-2026 02:04 via autotalk.co.nz
  Tesla will discontinue the Model S sedan and Model X SUV globally next quarter as the company pivots towards artificial intelligence and robotics manufacturing. The decision has no impact on New Zealand buyers, as both models have only been available in left-hand drive configuration for the past few years. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk confirmed […]
  The post Tesla axes Model S and X for robot production appeared first on Autotalk.
  
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• Volkswagen Golf GTI to live on beyond current generation with petrol – report

  29-01-2026 00:39 via drive.com.au
  Tighter new emissions controls in Europe won’t stand in the way of the petrol-powered hot hatch models, with Volkswagen confirming updates are on the way.The iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch looks set to live on beyond the current generation Mk 8.Development work confirmed by Volkswagen’s head of chassis development and driving dynamics, Sebastian Willmann, will see the current 2.0-litre hot hatch engine – used in the Golf GTI and Golf R – live on.When asked by A
  
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