Browsing: Automobiles

The iX3 configurator is live, which means it’s time for the inevitable next step: building one ourselves. On paper, BMW’s first Neue Klasse SUV already makes a strong case with big range, new tech, and a completely rethought design language. But a configurator is where the abstract becomes personal. Paint, wheels, interior trim, option packages, and a few painful checkbox decisions can quickly turn a promising EV into either a smartly optioned daily driver or a very expensive exercise in opulence. Overall, the iX3’s pricing and options sheet makes it relatively safe to play with, though. Building Our iX3: Paint,…

Mercedes-Maybe wants to ‘always offer the V12.’   The new Maybach S680 for the United States has a 621-horsepower V12. The powertrain is not available in all markets due to regulations.   Automakers are doubling down on combustion engines. Despite the effort to get consumers to buy electric vehicles, people can’t seem to quit gasoline. Some buyers are harder to convince than others, like those who want a Mercedes-Maybach.   During a media roundtable for The Devil Wears Prada 2, Maybach boss Markus Bauer revealed, “it’s hard to convince” someone who wants a V12 to buy a V8. The automaker…

The Ford Bronco is finally coming to Australia, but it won’t be the hardcore off-roader many have been waiting for.Instead of the US-built Bronco based on the Australian-developed T6 ladder-frame platform, this market is set to receive the Chinese-built Bronco New Energy – an extended-range electric SUV with a big battery, a long claimed driving range, and what could be very sharp pricing.CarExpert understands the Bronco New Energy is due to arrive in Australia either late this year or early in 2027, with pricing expected to start from around $48,000 and stretch to just under $60,000.Another source has told CarExpert…

Article SummaryBMW somehow sold two i3 electric hatchbacks in the first quarter of 2026.Production ended in June 2022, when a BMW i3 Sedan was launched in China.The i3 name returns this year for a 3 Series electric sedan built on the Neue Klasse platform.If you know where to look, interesting details often hide in otherwise unexciting corporate documents. That’s the case with BMW’s quarterly statement, where the i3 makes a surprising appearance. No, not the new electric 3 Series sedan from the Neue Klasse lineup, but the quirky hatchback launched some 13 years ago.BMW stopped building its inaugural EV in…

Mercedes-AMG is “doubling down on combustion engines again.” A new wave of V8 models with extra power will begin to arrive near the end of 2026. AMG is also planning a six-cylinder C-Class. Mercedes’ performance division hasn’t decided whether the four-cylinder, plug-in hybrid powertrain will continue. Earlier this decade, AMG’s future seemed to revolve around downsized combustion engines with a heavy dose of electrification. Models like the C63, with their complex four-cylinder plug-in-hybrid powertrains, were touted as the natural evolution. However, sales didn’t meet Affalterbach’s expectations, as buyers longed for the good old days of loud V8 engines. Thankfully, Mercedes’…

Shown in a shadowy image, the new Lexus SUV is set to be revealed a few hours from now. Looking at its shape, the Luxury brand’s new model will be a three-row electric SUV model. It will wear a TZ nameplate and will be closely related to the recently revealed 2027 Toyota Highlander electric vehicle, which will portray how the smaller two-row Lexus RZ shares components with the Toyota bZ. Subaru collaborates with Toyota on EVs; they also have their own three-row model known as the Gateway. The TZ is expected to be differentiated from other models by its unique…

Sometimes, the simplest choice may be the right one.It’s probably fair to say the mid-size SUV segment is getting saturated at this point, and while more competition is overall a better thing for buyers, whittling down that choice can be difficult.Here we’re reviewing the 2026 Hyundai Tucson HEV FWD, which means it’s the entry-level front-wheel drive hybrid variant in the range, priced from less than $43,000 before on-road costs.Hyundai is now an established player, having been in the Australian market since the early 1990s. In that time, the Tucson has grown in popularity with local buyers, becoming one of the…

Article SummaryRosso Corsa Uni (P7K) costs around $5,000 over base through BMW Individual and is available on both the G90 M5 sedan and G99 M5 Touring.The color reads more serious than other M5 reds — darker, closer to blood than tomato — and works especially well on the Touring’s long roofline.Around 150 Individual colors are available for the M5, but Rosso Corsa is the only red in the lineup that reads as genuinely distinctive rather than simply vivid.Rosso Corsa doesn’t really belong to BMW. But that’s exactly what makes it interesting. The color — paint code P7K, Rosso Corsa Uni,…

Ford has issued a recall for 179,698 vehicles for seat bolts that may loosen or fall out.  The recall affects the 2024-2026 Ranger and Bronco. The issue is related to the supplier performing a torque check on the bolts before the adhesive had cured. Ford has issued a recall for 179,698 vehicles. Certain Ford Broncos and Rangers could have front seat height-adjust pivot link bolts that may loosen or fall out of the pivot joints. The recall affects the 2024-2026 Ranger and Bronco. According to the recall report, the issue was caused by a supplier that initiated a torque check…

The Australian Government will gradually reduce incentives for electric vehicles (EVs), but they won’t be dropped entirely.The existing Electric Car Discount (ECD), as the government calls it, will continue in full until March 31, 2027. Under the scheme, EVs provided by employers to employees, including under a salary packaging arrangement, are exempted from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT). This is contingent on the EV falling under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles, which currently sits at $91,387.From April 1, 2027 to March 31, 2029, the full FBT exemption will continue to apply, but only for EVs costing $75,000…