Automotive news

• 2026 Ineos Grenadier wagon and ute updated with Black Edition, new accessories

  30-01-2026 22:07 via drive.com.au
  For 2026, the Ineos Grenadier off-roader has gained a limited-time Black Edition grade, improved steering and air conditioning, and new accessories.
  2026 Ineos Grenadier Black Edition
  The 2026 Ineos Grenadier four-wheel-drive has gained a limited-run Black Edition grade, along with updates to its steering and air conditioning, and an expanded genuine accessory list.Priced from $122,000 before on-road costs, the 2026 Ineos Grenadier Black Edition – based on the range-topping Fieldmaster &nd
  
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• Slow learners: The most epic driving fails in history

  30-01-2026 21:00 via drive.com.au
  Not everyone passes their driver’s test on the first go, but these drivers have taken failing to the next level.We all know that feeling all too well. The first solo drive where you can play your own songs while listening to the uninterrupted silence of the road, and no nagging instructor telling you to stick to the speed limit even if you’re a smidge under (sorry, mum).How about the first time you drive with your friends on the traditional Macca’s run or late-night cruise to n
  
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• Chery family SUVs join police fleet in NSW, but not to catch criminals

  30-01-2026 08:03 via drive.com.au
  More Chinese cars have earned their stripes in Australia – this time, a pair of Chery family SUVs in NSW – but there are no lights and sirens to be seen.Two plug-in hybrid Chery family SUVs have become the latest Chinese cars enlisted by police forces in Australia.As with an LDV G10 loaned to NSW Police before it, the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 9 Super Hybrids will not be operational patrol cars with lights and sirens, used for chasing stolen cars or writing speeding fines.Instead, they have
  
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• What happens when you put diesel in a petrol car?

  30-01-2026 08:00 via drive.com.au
  Putting diesel in a petrol car is a little rarer than vice versa, but it can still happen. Here’s what happens when you misfuel and what you should do.Putting diesel in a petrol car is a little rarer than putting petrol in a diesel, mainly because the diesel nozzle is often a lot thicker and most of the time won’t fit into a petrol car’s filler point.RELATED: What happens when you put petrol in a diesel car?However, the odd petrol station may use a similar or the same nozzle fo
  
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• Kia would rather have a hybrid Tasman ute than a Ford Ranger Raptor rival

  30-01-2026 07:00 via drive.com.au
  Kia’s Australian arm has called for a ute that incorporates electrification, over one that prioritises performance.
  Kia Tasman S and Ford Ranger Raptor
  The Kia Tasman is only just finding its feet in Australia, but the brand’s Australian representatives have indicated a preference for a hybrid-powered version over a performance model to tackle the Ford Ranger Raptor.There’s no shortage of performance-honed dual-cab utes in Australia – the Ford Ranger Raptor, Volkswag
  
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• 2026 Kia EV4 review: Australian first drive

  30-01-2026 07:00 via drive.com.au
  Kia’s line-up is now saturated with electric vehicles, but the new EV4 sedan is arguably its most convincing model yet.2026 Kia EV4In just three years, South Korean manufacturer Kia has expanded its local range of electric vehicles from just one model to a whopping five.The latest to hit the ground Down Under is the Kia EV4 – a stylised sedan that’s intended to take the fight to the Tesla Model 3s and BYD Seals of the electrified-car world.But, with sales of those two models do
  
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• We ask the Drive team: What car feature can’t you live without?

  30-01-2026 06:00 via drive.com.au
  There’s always something a car aficionado simply can’t live without in their vehicle. We asked the Drive team to tell us about their must-have car features.I must admit, I’ve never thought much about the features of my car that make life more convenient. Well, not since I was a proper adult and could afford a car with air conditioning, power windows and a roof that doesn’t leak (I once owned a 1985 Ford Laser – enough said).But the other day I happened to drive my f
  
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• Fire services called for smouldering mobile speed camera car

  30-01-2026 04:02 via drive.com.au
  Smoke coming from the engine bay of an “operational” NSW mobile speed camera vehicle this week prompted a visit from the fire brigade.
  Image: Facebook.
  Fire crews were called to a mobile speed camera car in Sydney this week after smoke was spotted emerging from under the bonnet.The Hyundai Santa Fe was parked in the north-west Sydney suburb of Kellyville when “the operator of the vehicle noticed smoke from the engine bay” around 10:00am on Tuesday, a Transport for NSW spo
  
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• Woman’s car keyed by vigilante ‘Street Police’ over a parking-spot spat

  30-01-2026 04:00 via drive.com.au
  A woman has come back to a damaged vehicle after the self-proclaimed ‘Street Police’ keyed her car for allegedly parking between two spots.
  Photos: Facebook
  A woman has posted on Facebook in search of the person who keyed her car for allegedly parking between two spots.RELATED: Why do people key cars?The motorist from Glenelg North, a suburb south of Adelaide CBD, posted on the suburb’s community page that she returned to her car with a big scratch on the front quarter panel an
  
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• 2026 Mitsubishi Pajero: Price, engines, release date and everything we know so far – UPDATE

  30-01-2026 03:07 via drive.com.au
  Mitsubishi’s fabled off-road SUV will return this year, replacing the Triton-based Sport model. Here’s everything we know about the new 2026 Pajero.2026 Mitsubishi Pajero render.
  The Mitsubishi Pajero off-road SUV will be revived later this year, with the current Pajero Sport set for a makeover – and a new name – to compete against fresher rivals. Expected in local showrooms towards the end of this year or early next year, the new-generation SUV will be much needed f
  
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• Toyota Kluger police cars called back due to battery gas concern

  30-01-2026 01:53 via drive.com.au
  Toyota Kluger SUVs used by Victoria Police have been called back due to concerns their auxiliary battery could release gases into the cabin.Toyota Australia has issued a ‘customer service exercise’ for 262 current-generation Toyota Kluger V6 vehicles fitted with a specific auxiliary battery for Victoria Police fleet use.According to the brand, the optional Police Pack Battery Kit for the Kluger, exclusive to Victoria Police, was found to have “inadequate” ventilation &ldq
  
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• Audi ute still not happening: ‘The last concept I could imagine’

  30-01-2026 01:02 via drive.com.au
  Six years on from Mercedes-Benz’s failed X-Class experiment, the global boss of Audi has blown out the match on any hopes for a production dual-cab of its own.
  Audi Activesphere concept.
  Audi has scratched out any remaining hopes of an entry into the dual-cab ute market, as a potential sibling to a Mercedes-Benz G-Class-rivalling SUV it is reportedly considering.Mercedes-Benz is the only premium German car brand to mount an attack on the ‘mid-size’ ute category with the X-Class
  
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• Polestar 5 Australian debut pushed back to second half of 2026

  30-01-2026 00:13 via drive.com.au
  Polestar’s halo car was due in the second quarter of this year, but the brand has now confirmed it will come later despite strong interest from potential buyers.The Polestar 5 electric sports car will arrive in Australia in the second half of 2026, the brand has confirmed.Previously, the brand-new model was expected in the second quarter of the year, as reported by Drive in October, but Managing Director of Polestar Australia, Scott Maynard, says it is now on track for later in 2026.&ldquo
  
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