Automotive news

• Mazda 6e EV may not undercut $55K Tesla Model 3 on price

  11-02-2026 22:51 via drive.com.au
  UK pricing for Mazda’s first electric sedan shines a light on how the model may be positioned in Australia.The price for the Chinese-built Mazda 6e electric sedan has been revealed in the UK.The UK-spec Mazda 6e offers a first glimpse of how the right-hand-drive model might be positioned in Australia when it launches in the coming months.In the UK market, the cheapest Mazda 6e will be priced above the entry-level Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive.Australian pricing for the Model 3 RWD starts
  
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• Investment Boost driving spending and productivity, Willis says

  11-02-2026 22:03 via autotalk.co.nz
  The Government’s Investment Boost policy is prompting firms to bring forward spending and increase the scale of projects, according to new survey data from Inland Revenue Department.
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• 2026 Genesis Electrified GV70 review

  11-02-2026 22:00 via drive.com.au
  Is this Australia’s most overlooked electric car? Here’s why the freshly updated electric Genesis GV70 deserves more attention from prestige SUV buyers.
  Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps
  2026 Genesis Electrified GV70It’s been a chaotic few years for the electric-car market – exploding in popularity, before slowing, and now starting to pick u
  
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• Toyota RAV4-based ute being held back by US politics – report

  11-02-2026 21:39 via drive.com.au
  An American Toyota executive confirmed a compact ute is on its way, provided political conditions keep affordability in check.
  Toyota HiLux
  A Toyota North America executive just confirmed a checklist of pending conditions that could make or break plans for sub-HiLux sized ute.Talk of a smaller ute model, based on the SUV underpinnings of the RAV4, has circulated for some time.At a recent National Automobile Dealers Association( NADA) seminar in the United States, Mark Templin, the executive vice
  
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• Trade Me Motors eyes AI search tools after property division breakthrough

  11-02-2026 21:30 via autotalk.co.nz
  Trade Me Motors is weighing up artificial intelligence search tools after its property division became the first in New Zealand to launch a ChatGPT integration. Trade Me Property’s new app, built within OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform, lets users search for properties through conversational queries, with results displayed on an interactive map. Trade Me Motors industry relations […]
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• Trade Me Motors eyes AI search tools

  11-02-2026 21:30 via autotalk.co.nz
  Trade Me Motors is weighing up artificial intelligence search tools after its property division became the first in New Zealand to launch a ChatGPT integration. Trade Me Property’s new app, built within OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform, lets users search for properties through conversational queries, with results displayed on an interactive map. Trade Me Motors industry relations […]
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• Lexus brings connected services to New Zealand

  11-02-2026 21:23 via autotalk.co.nz
  Lexus will introduce connected vehicle capabilities to New Zealand for the first time with the launch of the all-new ES sedan in mid-2026. The Lexus Connected Services system introduces safety and convenience technologies designed to enhance the ownership experience throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle. Only Lexus vehicles fitted with an active Connected Services system will provide […]
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• BYD targets 2027 for solid-state battery production

  11-02-2026 21:10 via autotalk.co.nz
  Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD plans to begin producing solid-state batteries in limited batches by 2027, according to information from the company’s Investor Relations Department. The timeline follows what BYD describes as several breakthroughs in key areas including battery life and fast charging capabilities. Chinese media outlet Cailian Press reports the company is advancing sulfide-based […]
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• Ford becomes official vehicle partner of Canoe Racing New Zealand

  11-02-2026 21:02 via autotalk.co.nz
  Ford New Zealand has partnered with Canoe Racing New Zealand (CRNZ) as the national sporting body’s official vehicle provider, supplying a fleet of Ford Ranger Hybrid Stormtraks to support day-to-day operations and travel for training and competitions. The partnership reinforces Ford New Zealand’s commitment to the Kiwi sporting community, extending from grassroots initiatives to elite-level […]
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• 2027 Hyundai Tucson revealed in greater detail with less disguise

  11-02-2026 20:07 via drive.com.au
  Design updates, new technology, and engine changes are on the cards for Hyundai’s second most-popular SUV in Australia.The camouflaged 2027 Hyundai Tucson has been spotted testing, without the previous large black coverings obscuring the vehicle’s features.The Tucson medium SUV is expected to follow Hyundai’s new design language and include its new Pleos infotainment system, with the possibility of going hybrid-only amid reports of its Kia Sportage sibling doing the same.Spy ph
  
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• Ford reports largest quarterly earnings miss in four years

  11-02-2026 20:04 via autotalk.co.nz
  Ford Motor Company posted its largest quarterly earnings miss in four years when reporting fourth-quarter results, with adjusted earnings per share of 13 cents falling 32% below analyst expectations of 19 cents. The Detroit-based automaker’s disappointing performance was largely attributed to unexpected tariff costs of approximately US$900 million related to auto parts credits not taking […]
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• Westpac forecasts strong GDP growth for 2026

  11-02-2026 20:03 via autotalk.co.nz
  Westpac economists have forecast strong GDP growth for 2026 in an upbeat new report, predicting the New Zealand economy will accelerate significantly from current levels. “After growing an estimated 1.8% over 2025, we expect economic activity will lift by 3.3% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027,” Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said in the Economic […]
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• Touchscreens ‘wrong’ for primary car controls: iPhone designer

  11-02-2026 19:11 via drive.com.au
  Jony Ive, who designed the Apple iPhone and the Ferrari Luce’s interior, said touchscreens are “the wrong technology” for main car controls.
  Photo: iStock
  The man who designed the Apple iPhone, and the interior of the new Ferrari Luce electric vehicle, has claimed touchscreens should not be used as a primary interface in cars.Jony Ive, who worked for Apple between 1992 and 2019, said touchscreens in cars should not be compared to touchscreen smartphones, which were revolutionis
  
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• What do these strange stop signs actually mean?

  11-02-2026 19:00 via drive.com.au
  Stop signs with three black circles aren’t a common sight in Australia, but here’s what to do when you encounter one.Australian roads feature plenty of road signs with surprising meanings, but one that continues to baffle motorists is the red stop sign with three black dots.Predominantly used in New South Wales, these look just like regular red stop signs, but the word ‘STOP’ is obscured by three black circles arranged in the same layout as a set of traffic lights.
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• 2026 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator price and specs: Updated 4x4s with special anniversary edition

  11-02-2026 06:47 via drive.com.au
  A $2000 price increase will bring further standard features and a return of some vibrant colours to the Wrangler SUV and Gladiator ute.
  2026 Jeep Wrangler RubiconJeep Australia has released details for the 2026 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator Rubicon, including a range of updates and expanded standard features, and a $2000 price increase for its off-road four-wheel-drive models.It has also launched an 85th Anniversary Special Edition of the Wrangler Rubicon to celebrate the brand’s history.Upd
  
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• 2027 Toyota Highlander EV seven-seat SUV revealed, not for Australia as Kluger EV

  11-02-2026 06:27 via drive.com.au
  An electric successor to the Toyota Kluger has debuted in the US, but there are “no current plans” to offer it in Australia.The Toyota Kluger seven-seat family SUV has gone electric-only in its next generation – but the new model won’t be sold in Australia.Revealed in the United States as the 2027 Toyota Highlander, there are “no current plans” to sell the three-row electric SUV – a rival to the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 – in Australia, the brand
  
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• New Toyota HiLux advertisement breaches rule over featuring dogs in the back of a ute

  11-02-2026 06:13 via drive.com.au
  A Toyota HiLux ad has been found to have breached advertising standards, just months after another Toyota ad was pulled from air.Another Toyota ad has been found to have breached Australian advertising standards, just months after a GR Yaris ad was pulled from air.This breach – involving the new 2026 HiLux – is the fourth time since 2016 that Toyota has been found by the Ad Standards Community Panel to have breached free-to-air TV advertising standards. The advertisement’s
  
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• When did Aussies become obsessed with SUVs?

  11-02-2026 05:00 via drive.com.au
  We all know the SUV is king of the Aussie roads, but which car started the country’s addiction to these big, high-riding models?We all know that the SUV is a ubiquitous part of Australian roads, with the car type comfortably becoming the country’s most beloved.Between January and December 2025, 733,831 SUVs found new homes in Australia, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of the country’s new car market last year.RELATED: Are SUVs really safer than smaller cars?And though
  
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• Toyota RAV4’s Suzuki sibling unveiled in new-generation form

  11-02-2026 03:02 via drive.com.au
  Suzuki has swapped the badges on Toyota’s new RAV4 to create a flagship plug-in hybrid for Europe, but it has not been confirmed for Australia.Suzuki Across (European model). Image credit: CarScoops
  The rebadged Suzuki version of Toyota’s popular RAV4 SUV will follow its donor vehicle into its new generation.Suzuki has revealed photos and details of its new Across, the company’s mid-sized plug-in hybrid SUV, based on the new RAV4, which is due in Australian showrooms in March.T
  
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• Volkswagen Group hits five million electric drive milestone

  11-02-2026 02:27 via autotalk.co.nz
  Volkswagen Group has produced five million electric drive units worldwide, marking a major milestone in the company’s global electric vehicle rollout. The milestone spans production at the Group’s plants in Győr, Hungary; Kassel, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Zuffenhausen, Germany, underscoring the scale-up of electric drivetrain manufacturing across multiple brands and regions. The Kassel plant alone […]
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• One-off Isuzu D-Max Australian concept up for sale

  11-02-2026 00:49 via drive.com.au
  Special D-Max surfaces online for sale nearly 10 years after its debut, and is priced less than a new, top-spec Isuzu ute.Isuzu Australia’s D-Max Concept X – a special build to promote the rugged ute – is for sale and priced below a current top-spec X-Terrain.Listed on my105.com, the Isuzu D-Max Concept X is listed for $65,000 and located in Welshpool, Western Australia.According to the listing, the D-Max Concept X has travelled only 385km, but is not road registerable due to t
  
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• 2026 BYD Shark 6 Dynamic cab-chassis price leaked

  11-02-2026 00:48 via drive.com.au
  BYD’s tub-less Shark 6 ute will strip features – including basics such as heated seats – to hit a lower price, but it’s not that much cheaper than the pick-up version.
  BYD Shark 6 Premium pictured.
  The cab-chassis version of the 2026 BYD Shark 6 ute will remove more equipment than just its tray when it arrives in Australian showrooms in the coming weeks.Details published on industry price guide Redbook reveal the Shark 6 cab-chassis will be badged Dynamic, priced from $55
  
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• Cupra Leon PHEV wagon adds Extreme Package ahead of VZx AWD, PHEV hatch arrivals

  11-02-2026 00:46 via drive.com.au
  The Cupra Leon Sportstourer VZe has gained the VZx hatch’s Extreme Package in Australia ahead of the arrival of the VZx AWD wagon and the Ve PHEV hatch.Cupra has added its Extreme Package to the Leon Sportstourer VZe plug-in hybrid wagon, joining the Leon VZx hot hatch.Now available to order for $7600 – equivalent to the added cost on the VZx hatch – the Extreme Package for te Leon Sportstourer VZe adds Brembo front brakes, front ‘CUP’ bucket seats, matrix LED headl
  
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• Watch: Heartland marks 150 years of banking and finance

  11-02-2026 00:28 via autotalk.co.nz
  Heartland Group has marked 150 years in banking and finance, reflecting on its evolution from a small regional building society into a trans-Tasman specialist lender spanning household, rural, commercial and motor finance. The group traces its origins to Ashburton in 1875, when the Ashburton Permanent Building & Investment Society recorded £233 in mortgage lending in […]
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