We publish a ton of car news during the working week, and it can be tough to keep up with everything – which is the rationale behind this weekend list.
In short, here are some key articles from our news desk since Monday of this week summarised, just in case you missed them at the time.
Lambo’s new high-rider
Lamborghini has taken the Huracan to new heights as it fully reveals its first “all-terrain” supercar at the 2022 Art Basel fair in Miami, Florida.
Dubbed the Huracan Sterrato, this is the final variant in the line of V10 Huracan supercars that started in 2014. Once it goes on sale it will compete against the recently-revealed Porsche 911 Dakar.
Production of the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato will start in February 2023 and be limited to just 1499 units. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet. Powering the Huracan Sterrato is a 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 engine producing 449kW of power and 565Nm of torque.
FULL STORY: 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato revealed in full
BMW pitches a new eco-friendly angle
BMW has flagged the potential to upcycle older cars in greater numbers than today as a means of reducing waste, instead of continually buying new ones.
The idea was put out there by BMW’s sustainability team lead Monika Dernai, at a speech in London reported by Auto Express.
“We really need to think about prolonging the life of cars; not having a used car market where you sell cars to each other, but maybe take a car and extend its lifespan,” Ms Dernai said.
FULL STORY: BMW suggests you keep your old car for longer
Mazda’s supply update
Mazda Australia says supply across the bulk of its range has improved since the third quarter of 2022, to the point where orders placed today should arrive by Christmas.
A spokesperson for the Japanese brand told CarExpert that stock levels and incoming supply of the Mazda 2, Mazda 6, CX-3, CX-5, CX-8, CX-9 and BT-50 are now much better.
“As anticipated, stock levels for the vast majority of the Mazda range have steadily improved since quarter three of this year, with a number of available cars across the dealer network right now,” they said.
FULL STORY: Mazda supply improves across most models
Deluxe ute detailed
Ford has added a new luxurious, top-of-the-range variant to its core dual-cab Ranger ute lineup for 2023.
The Ranger Platinum sits above the Wildtrak, but below the baja-ready Raptor in the lineup and has a number of unique exterior and interior design features from the related, top-of-the-range Everest Platinum SUV.
Pricing for the Ranger Platinum starts from $76,990 before on-road costs, which is $5800 more expensive than the V6 turbo-diesel-equipped Wildtrak, yet $9800 cheaper than the V6 twin-turbo petrol-powered Raptor.
FULL STORY: 2023 Ford Ranger Platinum range-topping variant revealed
The self-parking car is officially here
Mercedes-Benz and Bosch have had their Level 4 autonomous parking system approved for commercial use, allowing some owners to simply walk away from their vehicles and let the car find a parking spot in a specific Stuttgart Airport carpark.
Currently, the approval only extends to the P6 carpark at Stuttgart Airport. The self-parking system is compatible with certain S-Class and EQS models, meaning only a small pool of people will initially be able to enjoy the technology.
It’s the first time a system of its kind has been approved for commercial use, rather than on a trial basis.
FULL STORY: Mercedes-Benz, Bosch autonomous parking system approved
Ralliart returns – with a ute
Mitsubishi’s Ralliart branding is a household name to anyone who loved the ‘90s World Rally Championship, but it’s been largely dormant for a while now.
However, the partially stock Mitsubishi Ralliart Triton AXCR just nabbed a debut victory in the 2022 Asia Cross Country Rally.
As well as being a good promotional tool, it also bodes well for the all-new Triton due in 2023 – since there is no doubt that events such as this one are great test beds for honing performance.
FULL STORY: Mitsubishi Ralliart is back, and it may bode well for the next Triton
Tesla tweaks on the way?
Australia’s best-selling electric vehicle is set to receive some exterior and powertrain upgrades, plus a less complex interior.
Automotive News reports the Tesla Model 3 will receive a mid-life update codenamed Highland, according to four people with knowledge of the project. Tesla is reportedly aiming to cut production costs of the vehicle, and will do so by reducing the number of components.
The updated model will enter production in Tesla’s Shanghai plant in the third quarter of 2023, with the updates also set to filter over to Model 3s produced in the US. All Model 3s sold in Australia are currently sourced from China.
FULL STORY: Tesla Model 3 receiving simplified interior, other updates in 2023
EV van with serious range
An all-electric, pre-production version of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van has covered an impressive 475km on a charge in final-stage testing, with a few miles to spare.
The battery-powered big van will make its world premiere in February 2023 and is confirmed for an Australian arrival “in or around 2024”.
The test route led from the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart to Munich Airport, and back again, with an efficiency of 21.9kWh per 100km – confirmed by a TÜV Süd inspector.
FULL STORY: 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter EV to nudge 500km range
Mazda’s premium push priced
Mazda Australia has announced pricing and specification details for its most luxurious SUV to date, the CX-60, although it won’t arrive until June 2023.
The CX-60 will be offered with new inline-six petrol and diesel engines, but the headline is the new plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Prices range from $59,800 to $87,252 before on-road costs, with a few option packs available above this.
Mazda has stuck to familiar variant nameplates, with the CX-60 available in Evolve, GT and Azami spec levels.
FULL STORY: 2023 Mazda CX-60 pricing, inline-six from under $60k
Chevy beast with an Aussie touch
GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) has lobbed an Australian-developed concept off-road racer based on the updated Silverado pickup.
It comes shortly after Ford’s Aussie-developed Ranger Raptor off-road racing ute won the stock category in the legendary Baja 1000 in Mexico.
The 12-month passion project serves as a neat promotional tool for the incoming Chevy Silverado ZR2, a more off-road-focused variation of the heavy hauler that’ll go on sale in Australia from mid 2023.
FULL STORY: GMSV lobs Australian Chevy Silverado ZR2 Off Road Racer
Mitsubishi Outlander updated for MY23
The 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander petrol range brings a few running tweaks to the company’s big-selling medium SUV line-up, with first arrivals scheduled for Australia during January.
All MY23 Outlanders now feature an expanded autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system that works when reversing, a memory setting for the Auto Hold function, and a HVAC refrigerant update. Prices are up by between $250 and $1000.
The entry-grade Outlander ES gets further additional safety as standard in the form of rear cross-traffic alert and auto high beam.
FULL STORY: 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander updates detailed
Ram’s plug-in pickup nears…
Ram has teased its all-electric 1500 Revolution BEV concept in a short unlisted video on YouTube ahead of its reveal on January 5 at the 2023 CES show in Las Vegas.
The one minute-long video shows brief glimpses of clay models that hint at the concept’s exterior design. We already have an idea of what the Ram 1500 Revolution will look like thanks to a number of previous teaser images, which show it’ll have a double bubble roof and digital side mirrors.
Ram has confirmed the production version of the 1500 Revolution BEV will debut in 2024, and said it’ll “push past” its competition in “areas truck customers care about most” – range, towing, payload and charge time.
FULL STORY: Ram Revolution EV pickup concept teased ahead of January reveal
