Browsing: Automobiles

Of the 83,805 electric vehicles (EVs) sold in Australia to October this year, more than half were SUVs and most of them were mid-size.That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, given SUVs overtook passenger cars as the nation’s most popular new vehicle type almost a decade ago in 2017.And given medium SUVs have long been the single biggest new-vehicle segment – in terms of both sales and the number of models competing – it’s only natural that mid-size electric SUVs are also the best-selling EVs.CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.The…

With few exceptions like Volvo and Polestar, most automakers oppose the European Union’s plan to ban sales of new combustion-engine cars from 2035. Although the legislation doesn’t explicitly outlaw ICEs, it requires that vehicles emit zero emissions. In practical terms, that amounts to the same thing. Well, unless hydrogen-burning engines and synthetic fuels manage to break through in just nine years.From the beginning, BMW has pushed back against the proposed cut-off date, warning that Europe’s automotive industry could implode. If the ban goes ahead unchanged, tens of thousands of employees could lose their jobs. Munich also doubts that markets will…

Let’s just say things have escalated with my 2023 Subaru BRZ project car since the last update. I’ve been slowly building up the BRZ, first with a track day at Laguna Seca, then with some basic mods like a Recaro bucket seat, new tires, and a Brembo Pista big brake kit to complete the treatment. But it was finally time to put it all together for our YouTube channel, so we took it to a track day and tested all the mods I’ve put on it so far. Keen viewers will quickly realize that most of these mods have already…

The BYD Atto 1will be one of the first Australian-market models from the Chinese automaker without a rotating infotainment screen, a previously standout feature for the brand.Originally pitched by the automaker as offering optimum performance for different features, the feature enabled screens to rotate 90 degrees between a portrait orientation and a horizontal landscape position. However, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto only worked in the latter position.British outlet Autocar reports a greater emphasis on smooth app integration is the reason BYD is phasing out the feature.CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.“We are…

When talking about brand heritage, MINI is a brand with a lot to lose. Almost everything about the original car comes in at nothing short of “iconic,” whether you’re talking about the car’s affable front fascia or the truly spartan interior prominently featuring circular gauges. It’s the latter we’re focused on today — in particular, how the early design impacted where the brand is today. Indeed, the circular OLED display found in modern MINIs is arguably the best homage yet to the original. But such simplicity is deceptively hard to get right, apparently. Matthew Potter, Director of Interaction Design at…

When a car looks this good, it’s hard to ignore. It’s called the SP40 Restomod, and it takes inspiration from the 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster. A low-volume car manufacturer in Argentina called Iconic Auto Sports is responsible for the beautiful build.  Under the hood is a third-generation Ford 5.0-liter Coyote engine that makes more than 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, and it features stainless steel long-tube headers, mufflers, and tailpipes. The engine pairs with a five-speed Tremec TKO 500/600 manual transmission, and the car has an independent front and rear suspension.   Mustang GT350R brakes provide…

Spanish brand Cupra is getting a signal honour when it comes to a new family of small, affordable electric vehicles (EVs) from the Volkswagen Group.Rather than playing follow-my-leader to parent firm Volkswagen itself, Cupra will lead the development of the ‘MEB+’ platform which will be used for a quartet of impending models, all hailing from this Iberian outfit, as well as Volkswagen and Skoda.And its take on the format, the Cupra Raval, will be first to the market. Not only that, but the Raval will be sold in Europe at a highly competitive price – making it a tempting EV…

Gesture Control never arrived quietly. BMW introduced it in 2015 on the then-new G11 7 Series, framing it as the next step in keeping a driver’s eyes on the road and hands free of extra motions. On paper, that logic made sense: instead of reaching for a button or searching for a dial, you’d make a simple hand movement in mid-air and the car would respond. It sounded neat. It even felt futuristic the first few times you tried it. And kids loved it.But once the novelty faded, something else became obvious: most drivers stopped using it. And after nearly…

With the European Union breathing down automakers’ necks to slash emissions, the diesel engine is gradually fading. Its market share has plunged from over 50 percent in the pre-Dieselgate era to just eight percent in the first ten months of the year. That puts diesel in fourth place among drivetrains, far behind hybrids, gasoline, and even plug-in hybrids. Yes, for the first time ever, PHEVs are outselling diesels on the continent. But Audi isn’t ready to retire the TDI just yet. The company has been selling diesel-powered cars since 1989 and even won Le Mans eight times with a TDI endurance…

The new seventh-generation Subaru Outback is coming to Australia in 2026, bringing more brutal styling, slight price rises, and new, more rugged Wilderness variants.Announced yesterday, the five-variant Outback range now starts at $48,990 before on-roads, up $4800 on the outgoing model.Launching Australia with the arrival of the new Outback is Subaru’s previously US-only Wilderness sub-brand, designed to bring more hardcore off-road-focused modifications to the Japanese brand’s SUV range. Subaru says to think of it like the enhancements STI brings to performance, but for off-roading instead.Two Wilderness variants will be offered at launch, and with their turbocharged boxer engines, they effectively replace the turbo…