We publish a ton of car news stories during the working week (70-odd as a rule), 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.
Name change for updated Audi EV
Audi’s mid-life update for the e-tron SUV brings not only more power and range, but also a new name.
The 2023 Audi Q8 e-tron will arrive in Australia within six months of its European launch, which indicates a local launch around the middle of next year.
The e-tron and e-tron S become the Q8 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron, aligning them with the combustion-powered Q8 and SQ8.
FULL STORY: 2023 Audi Q8 e-tron – new name, more range for electric SUV
Cost of living hits car buyers hard
It’s no secret that cost-of-living pressures are ratcheting up, with the latest RACV Annual Car Running Costs Survey explaining just how much – quantitatively.
The latest iteration of the motoring club’s more than 50-year old annual survey found that once again the MG 3 Core was Victoria’s cheapest new car to own and run.
But the tallied running costs in the most recent survey are more than $100 higher per month than they were in last year’s survey – equal to a minimum 17.5 per cent jump in the cost of motoring over just a 12-month period.
FULL STORY: The running costs of Australia’s cheapest cars have spiked
BMW finally offers an acceptable warranty
BMW is now offering a five-year warranty across its BMW, BMW Motorrad, and Mini brands in Australia.
The move comes two-and-a-half years after Mercedes-Benz upped its three-year warranty to five, a move since followed by Volvo, Audi, Lexus, Jaguar Land Rover, and Alfa Romeo.
BMW Australia told media “Australia is now a five-year warranty market”. The new warranty officially came into force on November 1, although it’ll be applied retroactively to vehicles registered after October 1, 2022.
FULL STORY: BMW and Mini follow rivals to five-year warranty
Volvo’s swish new EV seven-seater
The successor to Volvo’s XC90 has been revealed in the form of the seven-seat, all-electric EX90 – billed as a new era for the brand as its EV-only future draws ever closer.
Revealed in Stockholm, the new EX90 may have an evolutionary design reminiscent of the car it’s destined to replace, but it’s almost entirely new – as the new ‘grille’ and lights, flush door handles, and roof LiDAR suggest.
Or put into Volvo’s words, it is “a versatile, stylish family car with modern proportions, combined with cutting-edge technology in core computing, connectivity and electrification”.
FULL STORY: 2024 Volvo EX90 revealed
Renault’s reinvention revealed
Renault, seemingly revitalised under the leadership of Luca de Meo, says it sees myriad rapid changes in the car industry as just more potential revenue streams, or “value chains”.
The Renault Group will split into five focused businesses under one umbrella, aimed at becoming a “Next Gen automotive company” with double today’s revenue opportunities by 2030.
It might seem a touch confusing but bear with us as we explain. The five Renault Group companies are called Power, Alpine, Ampere, Mobilize, and The Future Is Neutral, and each will have their own governance and P&L.
FULL STORY: Renault is re-inventing its entire business, here’s how
Everest demand climbs ever higher
Want a new Ford Everest with a V6 turbo-diesel engine? You could be waiting a while.
Ford Australia has confirmed customer demand for the V6-powered Everest Sport and Platinum grades is so high, that it’s currently taking new orders for a fourth quarter 2023 delivery schedule.
“Due to the strong interest in the Next-Gen Everest Sport V6, we are currently facing significant wait times and as a result we are now taking new orders for Quarter 4, 2023 arrivals,” a spokesperson for Ford Australia told CarExpert.
FULL STORY: Ford Everest V6 wait times now at 12 months
Firefighters want EV risks addressed
The United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA) wants governments to help mitigate risks associated with potential electric vehicle battery fires, as sales of EVs grow at pace.
The UFUA’s National Committee of Management today passed a resolution urging Australia’s various levels of government to “develop policy and regulate the management of risks and hazards associated with electric vehicles (EVs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS)”.
Emergencies with EVs and BESS presented significant challenges and threats to firefighters, the community and to the environment, according to UFUA National Secretary Greg McConville.
FULL STORY: Firefighters union calls for government action on EV fire risks
New 4×4 cops price hike
Ineos Grenadier prices have jumped by up to 14.8 per cent or $13,000, with the company saying it’s had to pass on spiking energy, materials and transport costs.
The price of entry for a Grenadier is now $97,000 before on-road costs for the two-seat Utility Wagon, with the five-seat Station Wagon starting at $98,000. The previous entry points were $84,500 and $85,500 plus on-roads.
The price increases will affect those ordering a Grenadier from now, but existing order holders (early brand ambassadors) will be price protected – including on order amendments they might make.
FULL STORY: Ineos Grenadier prices increased by up to $13,000 as order bank grows
Ford Ranger updated already
Ford Australia has detailed the pricing and specification for the updated MY23.5 Ranger ute ahead of production starting in March next year.
Pricing is up by between $250 and $1300, depending on the variant, with the Ford Ranger range now starting at $36,180 before on-road costs for the XL 4×2 single-cab chassis, and extending to $86,790 before on-road costs for the baja-ready Ranger Raptor.
This latest asking price for the flagship Ranger Raptor was reported a few weeks ago, along with a new $3500 power roller shutter option and plastic drop-in bedliner.
FULL STORY: 2023 Ford Ranger updates detailed, prices up
Toyota staple gets some upgrades
The revised Toyota Corolla is in showrooms this month, packing updated tech, a more powerful hybrid, and some cosmetic tweaks.
The changes come with some steep price hikes, however. The Ascent Sport hybrid sedan has seen the loftiest increase at $3785, but even the smallest increase is $2425.
All models get Toyota’s latest-generation infotainment system, though they retain an 8.0-inch touch display. No mention has been made of the new 10.5-inch display revealed in Japan and Europe.
FULL STORY: 2023 Toyota Corolla price and specs
Honda’s third SUV on the way
The Honda ZR-V has been approved for sale, which will give the Japanese brand a crucial third SUV offering in the Australian market.
The variants section of the government approval documents reads “1.5L, HEV”. This is understood to refer to a turbocharged 1.5-litre and a hybrid 2.0-litre four-cylinder.
The documents don’t include images, but Honda revealed the Japanese-market ZR-V in July as a rebadged, tweaked version of the North American HR-V revealed the month prior. This is a larger model than the “global” HR-V sold in markets like Australia and Europe.
FULL STORY: 2023 Honda ZR-V confirmed for sale in Australia, will offer hybrid
Kia killing it, storms up the charts
A strong October of sales growth has seen Kia overtake Mitsubishi on the year-to-date sales charts, and catapult into third position overall with two months to run.
The rapidly growing Kia sold 66,580 vehicles here to the end of October, up 14.5 per cent. That’s behind second-placed Mazda (79,669) and ahead of Mitsubishi (66,505), Kia’s majority shareholder Hyundai (63,392), and Ford (53,298).
Ten years ago, Kia’s market share in Australia was 2.6 per cent, whereas now it sits at 7.4 per cent – almost tripling its slice of the pie in the meantime.
FULL STORY: Kia jumps to third on the Australian sales charts for the year
