The 2026 Skoda Kamiq Select is a five-door hatchback designed for running the mean city streets (and those equally cruel suburban roads) in comfort, but without spending buckets of money.

It seems like everyone is buying SUVs and dual-cab utes nowadays, but there is still a minority of the population who realise they don’t need to drive something the size of an apartment block to work each day.

Or, at least, the household doesn’t need a second large vehicle when only one person is using it most of the time.

The good people at Skoda call the Kamiq a small SUV, but sorry, I’m calling them out – it’s a hatchback, just like its sibling, the Skoda Scala. It’s a mere five centimetres taller and has some extra ground clearance over the Scala. So it’s a high-riding hatchback, at best.

They’re trying to tell you it’s a small SUV because people want SUVs. But really, as you’ll soon discover, this hatch is as much car as most people really need.

As the quirky Czech brand within the Volkswagen Group, Skoda has based the Kamiq on the company’s MQB A0 platform, shared with no less than a dozen models across four brands – including the Volkswagen Polo, Audi A1, and the aforementioned Scala.

While cynics will think this is just penny-pinching on the part of Volkswagen Group and its brands, what it really means is this platform has been developed to meet the needs of buyers spending Audi levels of money.

But are you really getting Audi quality for Skoda money? Let’s find out.

How much does the Skoda Kamiq cost?

The 2026 Skoda Kamiq Select is priced from $33,990 before on-road costs, making it the best-value variant in the Kamiq lineup – and the same price as the closely related Skoda Scala.

However, at the time of writing, Skoda is offering the Kamiq for $29,990 drive-away for a limited period – a roughly 16 per cent discount over the typical drive-away price – making the vehicle significantly better value.

To see how the Skoda Kamiq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Skoda Kamiq like on the inside?

The cabin is one of the best things about the Kamiq – and really, shouldn’t that be one of the most important things when deciding on a new car?

Close your eyes and you could easily think you’re sitting in a Cupra or an Audi, which is no bad thing. There’s lots of crossover between Volkswagen Group models at this end of the price scale, and – along with the company’s accountants – Skoda buyers are the ones who benefit most.

Not only are the materials of good quality, but the manufacturing has been completed to a high level, so no weird rattles or abstract parts that look as if they could be a problem in the future.

What’s more, everything falls to hand easily and is relatively intuitive to use.

A centrally located 8.25-inch infotainment touchscreen works well with the eight-speaker sound system, while the 8.0-inch digital display ahead of the driver relays plenty of information in an easily readable format.

Ergonomics are also top-notch, making for a comfortable long commute into work or a painless jaunt to the nearest shopping centre. I particularly enjoyed the seats and the pared-back cloth upholstery.

“This is all I need,” was the overriding thought every time I jumped behind the wheel.

My only minor annoyance came from the pedals, which were too close together. Not to the degree that it would turn me off buying one, but it raised a red flag a handful of times during my week with the Kamiq. However, my feet are a little wider than most, and my foot coordination isn’t about to win me a starring role in the Bolshoi Ballet.

The slightly raised ride height meant jumping in and out of the car was a breeze, making the Skoda a particularly good option for those with some laugh lines around their eyes or those with limited mobility.

Like most small hatchbacks (and light SUVs, if you insist on calling it that), the back seats are fine for transporting small people over small distances. Anything beyond that, and your passengers may spring a mutiny.

Boot space is 400 litres if you’re using the back seats, and 1395L with the seats down, which is about par in this segment and good enough for a few big bags and Ikea flat packs.

To see how the Skoda Kamiq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The Skoda Kamiq is powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine producing 85kW and 200Nm, driving the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

To see how the Skoda Kamiq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Skoda Kamiq drive?

I’m old enough to remember when Volkswagen debuted the dual-clutch transmission, and it was a revelation. It suited the Mark V Golf GTI perfectly, and felt like the first proper advancement in transmission technology since the sixth gear became a thing.

Then, the Volkswagen Group fitted it to pretty much every car across all of its brands.

That was around 20 years ago, and more traditional automatic transmissions are now doing a better job than VW’s DSG ever did – at least, for commuting. And yet the German auto giant insists on its use, even when we know it only suits some types of cars.

Unfortunately, the Kamiq ain’t one of them.

There’s no doubt the dual-clutch has improved markedly in recent generations and is far more user-friendly now at low speeds. But rather than being good all the time – like a conventional automatic – it’s great sometimes, and sub-par the rest of the time.

My second drive in the Kamiq forced me to pull out into heavy, fast-moving traffic. No problem, I thought, just find a gap.

I found a gap, squeezed the throttle… squeezed a little more… still nothing… and then finally the turbo kicked in and the tyres squealed like I’d shown them an inappropriate picture on my phone.

Over the coming days, that situation repeated itself. Perfectly acceptable gaps in traffic quickly disappeared, putting me in danger and annoying the cars around me – or worse – simply because the powertrain couldn’t keep up with my perfectly reasonable demands.

The 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine is very laggy, and there’s a very real and noticeable pause between what is asked of it and what it delivers. None of which is helped by the dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Because of this delay, the temptation is to push down harder on the throttle, so when the turbo does kick in, it’s now running maximum boost and suddenly the front wheels are breaking traction – making you look like a fool, and putting your licence at risk in Australia, where wheelspin is a capital offence.

The addition of the automatic start-stop feature – which cuts the engine when at a stop to conserve fuel and reduce emissions – just increases the delay. The actual time on a stopwatch would be minimal, but at a green light in peak-hour, it feels like a millennium.

The supposed advantage of a three-cylinder turbocharged engine is that it offers the power of a four-cylinder, but with the fuel economy of a three-cylinder. Yet, in my time with the Kamiq, I only managed 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres – almost 22 per cent above the claim – which really isn’t any better than most four-cylinder engines.

Whereas a larger engine probably would have given me instant torque off-the-line, the turbo lag meant pushing the small engine harder – negating the benefits.

Having said that, those annoyances were relatively minor in the overall scheme. And while the powertrain didn’t suit my personal driving style, I have no doubt there are many people out there who would find it perfectly acceptable.

Once you’re moving, the Skoda is downright lovely. The shifts are responsive, the engine – when on boost – is responsive and strong, and the on-road dynamics are more akin to something in a much higher price bracket.

Perhaps it was because I was enjoying my time with the Kamiq Select so much that those issues with the powertrain were amplified more than they normally would have been.

Engine aside, the Kamiq actually rides and handles really well, and seems to be perfectly suited as a suburban commuter car.

The suspension is well-damped, but still provides relatively good response and feedback at all speeds, and – along with the easier ingress and egress – the raised ride height definitely gives it an advantage over more traditional small hatches.

The brakes are also decent and confidence-inspiring, all of which – once you’re moving – adds up to a genuinely enjoyable driving experience.

To see how the Skoda Kamiq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The entry-level Kamiq Select comes with most features expected nowadays, with the option to add more technology and styling with the $5200 Signature Pack.

Kamiq Select equipment highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Auto LED headlights
• LED front fog lights
• LED tail-lights, rear fog lights
• LED ambient lighting
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Keyless entry and start
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• Auto-dimming driver’s side mirror
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• 8.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay
  • Wireless Android Auto
• 8-speaker audio
• 4 x USB-C ports
• Dual-zone climate control

Optional Signature Pack ($5200) adds:

• Travel Assist
• Lane Assist with Adaptive Lane Guidance
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Electric tailgate with hands-free operation
• Park Assist
• 18-inch black alloy wheels
• Rear privacy glass
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• LED ambient lighting
• Chrome roof rails
• Chrome window surrounds
• Fabric upholstery (lodge interior)

Kamiq Monte Carlo adds:

• Auto LED Matrix headlights with Dynamic Light Assist
• 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit
• 10-speaker premium audio
• Gloss black exterior trim and badging
• Aluminium pedals
• Power-adjustable driver’s seat
• Heated front sports comfort seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Panoramic glass roof with electric sunblind

To see how the Skoda Kamiq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Skoda Kamiq safe?

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program – better known as ANCAP – lists the Skoda Kamiq as being unrated, with its previous five-star score from 2019 having expired in the time between us driving the car and publication.

Standard safety features include:

• 7 airbags incl. driver’s knee
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) incl. pedestrian detection
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane Assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Driver fatigue detection

Kamiq Monte Carlo adds:

• Lane Assist with Adaptive Lane Guidance
• Adaptive cruise control
• Travel Assist (adaptive cruise control and lane centring)

To see how the Skoda Kamiq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Skoda Kamiq cost to run?

The Kamiq is covered by Skoda’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Skoda offers service packs of five or seven years for the Kamiq, costing $2990 and $3990 respectively, with maintenance required every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres (whichever comes first).

To see how the Skoda Kamiq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Skoda Kamiq

There’s plenty that impresses with the Skoda Kamiq, and particularly with its limited-time price of $29,990 drive-away, it comes across as a real bargain in this space.

While I like the exterior styling, it’s pretty generic by today’s standards, but that same pared-back ethos makes the interior of the Kamiq a lovely place to spend some time in.

Arguably, the design is a generation old now, but the quality of the cabin is about as good as it gets. Add to that the sub-$30k drive-away price, and it becomes a very likeable car indeed.

There are compromises, however. I found myself continuously frustrated with the powertrain, which seemed less suited to city driving than the rest of the package. Fuel economy also disappointed, and probably was the result of my sticking my boot into the throttle because I wanted more than what it was able to give.

Which makes me think the Kamiq Monte Carlo with the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is really the one you want. But at $44,990 drive-away, that ain’t small change.

For what is a 50 per cent premium for some performance and styling changes, I think I’d rather just pocket the money and learn to live with the Select’s shortcomings…

And that’s just comparing the Skoda Kamiq Select to the Kamiq Monte Carlo. Considering it borrows more than a sprinkling of magic from the likes of Volkswagen, Cupra, and Audi, the Skoda shines as one of the most impressive and likable cars in this bracket.

The Kamiq’s pricing means it’s now part of a very exclusive club, shared with one or two Japanese cars and a handful of Chinese vehicles. Parking the Skoda next to some of those in the price segment makes the Kamiq look like one of the best value cars on the market – certainly from European manufacturers.

For owners, it’s also flying in the face of the mid-sized SUV trend. Sometimes being a rebel isn’t riding a Harley-Davidson, but cruising around in a hatchback from Czechia.

Ultimately, if you want a cheap car that doesn’t make you feel like a cheapskate every time you drive it – and something you’d be happy to park next to your in-laws’ BMW X3 at Christmas – then the Skoda Kamiq is very hard to look past.

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MORE: Explore the Skoda Kamiq showroom

Unlike the unconventional looks of the – unconventionally named – bZ4X, the C-HR+ adopts a more stylish appearance, keeping in step with the company’s newfound taste for sharp lines and edgy designs.

Despite the familiar name, the 2026 Toyota C-HR+ doesn’t share any exterior features with the existing C-HR hybrid. In fact, it’s larger than its hybrid namesake in virtually every direction, and only slightly smaller than the bZ4X – which could give the updated version of the latter an issue when it arrives in dealerships.

The exact product offering for the C-HR+ in Australia has yet to be confirmed, but in European markets it comes with a choice of 57.7kWh (54kWh usable) or 77kWh (72kWh usable) batteries, with front- or all-wheel drive. We got behind the wheel at its European launch in Portugal to see what it’s like.

How much does the Toyota C-HR+ cost?

Pricing and equipment levels are yet to be announced, but Toyota Australia has confirmed it will be offered in two model grades, with pricing expected to undercut the bZ4X’s base price of $55,990 before on-road costs.

What is the Toyota C-HR+ like on the inside?

As you would expect, it all looks and feels very Toyota on the inside of the C-HR+, and the quality of the materials and the build seem to be to a very good standard.

Aesthetically, it is a little drab inside, as it seems Toyota’s designers haven’t fully grasped the concept of adding lighter colours to lift cabin ambience.

That aside, there’s an acceptable amount of cabin space, with a driver’s seat that is electrically adjustable on higher grades and provides sufficient support and adjustability to get comfortable.

A smallish – but thankfully round – steering wheel feels good in your hand and has hefty banks of proper buttons along either side of the airbag, within easy thumb reach. Plenty of scope for adjustment over reach and rake is another plus, though it’s far too easy for the wheel to obscure part of the 7.0-inch digital instrument display.

More annoyingly, two of the most important parts of driving an EV – battery charge percentage and range remaining – are the items most easily blocked by the wheel, depending on your seating position.

The 14-inch touchscreen is positioned up high and falls within easy reach. Toyota’s native infotainment system isn’t that complicated, and we like that it retains proper rotary dials affixed to the display for adjusting cabin temperature on either side. These have a neat little digital display that shows the setting.

The centre console is a sensible affair, as well, with two wireless charging pads on top, ahead of the same rotary drive selector used by the bZ4X. There’s a pair of cupholders in the middle, and the broad central armrest is hinged on both sides, so it’s just as easy for the driver to open as the passenger.

Beneath the centre console is an additional stowage area, along with USB charging ports.

Even though the C-HR+ has a rakish profile, the amount of rear passenger space is respectable, though access via the rear doors could be better. As the battery is sandwiched into the floor, there’s less distance between it and the seat base, which does leave your legs lacking support.

Headroom is fine, and there’s enough legroom for adults of average height, but the front seats are placed low, which doesn’t leave much room to stretch feet out underneath them.

Boot space is quite close to the slightly larger bZ4X, at 416 litres.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Toyota C-HR+ is available with three powertrains, though it’s not yet confirmed as to which ones will be available when the car is launched in Australia. 

Unless Toyota Australia is chasing a lower price point, it may choose to drop the smaller 57.7kWh battery and only offer the larger-capacity version, which also comes with a notably longer driving range.

All versions get the usual 11kW AC charge rate, though we do think the optional 22kW is a worthwhile consideration for some buyers, depending on how and where they usually charge. 

Compared to other manufacturers such as Hyundai and Kia, the maximum DC fast-charge rate is much lower at 150kW, though with a claimed 28-minute charge time from 10-80 per cent, it seems the Toyota can maintain a consistent charge rate during the session.

How does the Toyota C-HR+ drive?

As we’ve come to expect from Toyota, the C-HR+ is a very sensible and somewhat predictable car to drive. The front-wheel drive model we tested first was equipped with the larger battery and had a 165kW motor with an output that suited the car’s chassis.

In urban settings, it drives very well, with suspension that is firm but not stiff. The damping seems well-sorted, and it rides over speed humps without losing composure. 

Once you get a little out of town and find some bends, the body control stays well in check, with little to no roll during direction changes. That firmness in the ride never goes away, though it isn’t fidgety either.

Performance from the mid-level motor is sufficient but it stops short of corrupting the steering or instigating any unwanted torque steer. 

You get four levels of selectable energy recuperation via chunky paddles on the back of the steering wheel. In its lowest setting, there’s an effective sail mode that’s good for highway driving. However, when it’s dialled the other way, it stops short of offering a true one-pedal driving feel.

Switching to the more potent dual-motor version proved that the ride doesn’t suffer adversely with the larger wheels (20-inch rims in this case). While the jump in torque from 269Nm to 385Nm doesn’t seem that extreme on paper, the switch up to a 252kW output makes the C-HR+ feel very different.

Pick-up at virtually any speed is rapid, almost too much so for the target buyer, but it always feels quite controlled, and the feel through the brake pedal is nice and consistent. 

The steering is accurate but doesn’t provide the kind of feedback that makes it all that much fun or more involving to drive than anything else it goes up against. It’s very much a Toyota in that sense – very good in most areas, but ultimately a little bland.

What do you get?

Australian specifications for the Toyota C-HR+ are not yet confirmed, although in other markets the car is sold as the Mid (FWD, smallest battery), Mid+ (FWD but with the big power pack) and High (AWD dual-motor with the larger battery) specifications, with more equipment loaded in as you walk up these powertrain levels.

The list below is by no means exhaustive, but we’d expect the basic car to come with all the items mentioned, plus more.

Options and/or standard kit on the higher-grade cars include 20-inch wheels, dual wireless smartphone charging pads in the front, and a nine-speaker, 800-Watt JBL Premium Audio setup with a 9.0-inch subwoofer included.

2026 Toyota C-HR+ equipment highlights:

• 14-inch infotainment screen
• 7-inch driver’s digital cluster
• 64-colour ambient interior lighting
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
• Voice control
• Six-speaker audio system
• Dual-zone climate control
• Heated front seats and steering wheel
• Heat pump
• Eco-friendly interior materials
• Safe exit assist
• Blind spot monitor
• Adaptive high-beam system
• Parking support brake
• Autonomous emergency braking

Is the Toyota C-HR+ safe?

The Euro NCAP and ANCAP results for the Toyota C-HR+ have not yet been announced but, given the suite of safety features that it comes with, we would expect it to score highly.

How much does the Toyota C-HR+ cost to run?

Judging by the aftersales support the company offers for the bZ4X, the C-HR+ ought to be covered by the standard five-year, unlimited-distance warranty, which can be extended to seven years for the powertrain, as long as the vehicle is serviced annually within the Toyota network.

Furthermore, Toyota offers the industry-standard eight-year performance guarantee on the battery pack itself, asserting that it will still have at least 70 per cent of its initial capacity after that period. There’s a warranty on the battery for five years, which can be extended to 10 years provided the car has its annual battery check.

Toyota’s service interval for EVs is normally every 12 months or 15,000km, so we’d expect the C-HR+ to fall into these parameters when it is eventually confirmed for sale here.

CarExpert’s Take on the Toyota C-HR+

There’s plenty to like about the C-HR+, from its crisp design to its overall size and packaging, so much so in fact that it quickly becomes a more appealing prospect than the bZ4X, even when taking the slight size differences into account.

That could become an even easier decision to make when the full price and product offering for the C-HR+ is announced, and while the dual-motor version packs a punch, the real sweet spot seems to be the front-wheel drive 77kWh variant.

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The 2026 Zeekr X officially lands Down Under in May, bringing a range of changes across the board and promising sharper pricing – more on that shortly – to keep the compact electric SUV competitive in an ever-changing market.

Headline changes include more power, new battery tech with faster charging in the base model, enhanced equipment levels, and new personalisation options.

Pricing hasn't been confirmed yet, but Zeekr's promise of under $50,000 drive-away for the base grade and less than $60,000 drive-away for the 365kW all-wheel drive flagship on test here points to thousands in savings over the current model. Even if it's small compared to other EVs at this price point, there's plenty of value squeezed in.

CarExpert scored a first drive of a pre-production MY26 Zeekr X AWD ahead of its official launch in the coming months – here are our initial thoughts.

How much does the Zeekr X cost?

Zeekr Australia will announce pricing for the MY26 X lineup at the Melbourne motor show on April 10 – though the company has indicated it will start at under $50,000 drive-away.

For reference, the outgoing model starts from $49,900 for the RWD and $62,900 for the AWD – both plus on-road costs.

So, if Zeekr hits the above price points (including on-road costs) for each variant as promised, the updated model will be thousands cheaper than before.

To see how the Zeekr lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Zeekr X like on the inside?

The changes here are minimal and, like the exterior, the overall interior design is one of the X's strong points.

A redesigned centre console and new touch-capacitive shortcuts on the steering wheel hub are the key hardware changes, with the rest of the new-ness coming from significantly enhanced specifications.

Both the RWD and AWD variants now come standard with heated front and rear seats, as well as a 13-speaker Yamaha-branded premium audio system.

Opt for the AWD we have on test, and you also get a new massage function for the front row of seats to go with the existing ventilation, and there's a fridge compartment under the front centre armrest.

A grey interior is now the standard colourway, with 'White' now available as an option for both grades. In the AWD, you can also opt for a new Black interior with Red seatbelts – sporty.

It all presents very well, and the quilted and perforated leather upholstery is gorgeously presented, right down to the flourishes of brightwork integrated into their respective designs. The quilting extends into the doors as well, which is a nice touch, with everything feeling quite high-end indeed.

Our test car's optional White interior really pops against the new Onyx Black paintwork, and the ice cube-like LED ambient lighting – configurable in many a colour – adds a cool ambience when the sun sets (or you go through a tunnel).

Display tech is another talking point, with the 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system carrying over for the updated model.

The slim driver's instrument binnacle shows key information like speed, assistance graphics and various widgets in a conventional position relative to the steering wheel, but its slim aspect ratio limits the breadth or detail of information you can put in the driver's line of sight.

It's augmented by a projector-type head-up display which doubles up most of that info with a simpler layout for ease-of-use, which is helpful. Annoyingly, like the mirrors, you need to adjust this via the touchscreen rather than having quick access to adjustment.

Speaking of the touchscreen, it's big, bright and offers crisp resolution. I enjoyed its snappy response too, but maintain that too many functions are still embedded here, even with shortcuts for functions like demisters, door lock/unlock and parking cameras now featuring on the steering wheel.

Drive modes, seat ventilation and massaging controls (for both rows, mind you) shouldn't be buried here. Many of these require adjustment on the fly and it takes too much digging to find in reasonable time, so you'll often mis-press if you try to do it on a bumpy road.

Not to mention that if you spend too much time trying to do any of this on the move you'll fire up the driver attention monitor which incessantly beeps and bongs at you while cutting the audio of whatever you're listening to – more on that later.

I also had issues with wireless Apple CarPlay using my iPhone 17 Pro Max. It generally did most things fine, but for some reason our test car couldn't hear any voice commands I tried to dictate using Siri. The microphone button on the steering wheel worked, and people could hear me on calls, but I couldn't ask it to set a destination, call or text someone, nor ask it to play a song like I can do in any other car.

At least the 13-speaker Yamaha premium audio offers clear, deep sound with various options for surround effects and equaliser settings. The 'Theater' setting was a touch echoey but did give that concert hall feel – though it doesn't match the Gothenburg Hall of a Volvo Bowers and Wilkins system.

The optional 'automatic' doors (price TBC) also took some getting used to. Getting into the car, they don't really open wide enough, but when you get out they open wide even if you're parked in the street, which can be a little frightening the first time you do it on a busy road.

That said, it uses sensors to prevent bumping into neighbouring vehicles in carparks, which I tested a couple of times and didn't have to get insurance on the phone.

Despite its teeny city-friendly dimensions, the Zeekr X's 2750mm wheelbase means it has better second-row accommodation than similarly sized hatchbacks and crossovers.

At 6'1" tall, I could fit behind my driving position with ease, meaning two taller adults can fit in the back just fine. With that said, the small rear windows and chunky front seats hinder outward visibility a bit, which is something to consider if you have nausea-prone kids.

Speaking of little ones, ISOFIX and top-tether points are there to anchor your child seats, and other amenities include a fold-down armrest with cupholders, rear air vents, a USB-C charging outlet, map pockets behind the front seats, and bottle holders in the doors.

Luggage capacity is also up, with Zeekr quoting an 18 per cent increase to 404 litres with the rear seats in place. It expands to 1247L with the seats down, but it's still a small cargo area compared to other EVs at this price point.

To see how the Zeekr lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The 2026 Zeekr X AWD is powered by a dual-motor electric drive system, outputting 115kW of power on the front axle and 250kW at the rear, for a total system total of 365kW – that's 50kW up on the old model.

The extra grunt in both models has only translated to a 0.1-second improvement in the AWD's claimed 0-100km/h claim, while the change from ADR (NEDC) to WLTP range claims sees the figures shift to lower but likely more realistic figures.

Full details like claimed energy consumption are still to be confirmed, but we saw 16-17kWh/100km with a focus on suburban and city driving, climbing to 18-19kWh/100km at speeds around 100-110km/h on the open road.

The base RWD benefits from a new LFP battery with a higher DC fast-charging capacity, while the AWD retains its 150kW DC charging cap but doubles its AC charging speed to 22kW.

To see how the Zeekr lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Zeekr X drive?

While we had the Zeekr X for a week in total, my busy schedule meant I only spent a trio of meaningful days with the pre-production vehicle, which largely centred around daily commuting to and from the office as well as getting to and from the airport.

I was quite critical of the pre-update Zeekr X AWD, as I felt that while it was insanely quick for the money it lacked the finesse and overall refinement of the Volvo EX30 with which it shares its underpinnings. This new one seems a little better, but I have a number of carryover complaints.

First, the good. The AWD has plenty of performance under foot even if you dull down the 'Acceleration' setting to 'Normal' or 'Comfort' modes. I floored it in 'Sport' and it was so fast I triggered the on-board dashcam 'SOS' setting. Woops...

The AWD rides a little better than I remember, too. Where the outgoing vehicle felt a little wobbly and lacking in body control, the new model strikes a better balance between comfort and dynamism, though having just stepped out of the Volvo EX30 Cross Country, which offers a beautiful ride/handling balance in all conditions, I can't say that Zeekr has quite nailed it with this remix.

It steers nicely too, again allowing you to toggle a handful of settings (all via the touchscreen, annoyingly) to adjust the weight and feel. I actually liked Sport, which is more to my tastes. Given how small the tiller is, you'd expect this car to steer quickly, but the X's steering rack isn't as sweet as the Volvo's.

General refinement is pretty good. Despite riding on big 20-inch forged alloys and skinny rubber, the Zeekr X maintains a relatively quiet cabin even on the freeway, while you don't hear too many knocks and thuds from the suspension over the lumps and bumps of daily life.

While the cabin is generally a quiet place to be – keeping in mind there's little powertrain noise save for the faint whirring of the e-motors – the ambience is often upset by the infuriatingly intrusive driver assistance systems, despite Zeekr bringing in a new 'Zeekr AD' suite of sensors and technologies.

Several systems were very annoying and overzealous during my time with the car, to the point where I'd be yelling at the car in frustration or annoyance. And, to be clear, I don't do that very often, despite the perception of some that I'm a bit of a diva.

The overspeed warning and driver attention monitor will jump at any chance to audibly alert you that you've exceeded the detected speed limit or glanced away from the road for too long, which is annoying when it's picking up a school zone out of school times or keeping a side street's limit when you hit a main road.

Even more annoying is the fact it'll cut the audio of the music you're listening to when it bongs, and try to compete with phone calls too. The fact that it's so persistent when you're just doing a head-check and even when driving at the signed limit really grates over time.

Then there are the lane assist and lane change assist functions, which also don't work as well as they should. The cruise assist feature with lane-centring regularly jerks the steering wheel when you're not anywhere near the lines or there's a curve in the road, while the auto lane change assist will wrestle you if you try to change lanes yourself.

Adaptive cruise control worked fine, and once I switched the lane change assistant off there were far fewer complaints, save for the alert telling you to hold onto the steering wheel even though your hands haven't left it for the last 20 minutes of straight highway – the X hasn't adopted capacitive sensors on the tiller to avoid this.

These could all have been issues with our pre-production test vehicle's calibration, but that's what I was given. I was perhaps more disappointed because the Zeekr 7X we currently have as a long-termer doesn't really suffer any of these issues at all.

To see how the Zeekr lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Let's run through the MY26 changes, and then do a refresh on the pre-update model's spec.

Exterior changes include:

• New Khaki Green matte, Onyx Black colour options – AWD
• 20-inch alloy wheels in Black – AWD
• Available automatic doors – AWD

Interior changes include:

• Heated front, rear seats
• Massaging front seats – AWD
• Onboard fridge under front-centre armrest – AWD
• Touch-capacitive steering wheel shortcuts
• 13-speaker Yamaha surround sound system

Grey is now the standard interior option, with white available as an option on both the RWD and AWD. The AWD is exclusively available with the option of a black interior with red seatbelts.

2025 Zeekr X RWD equipment highlights:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• 235/50 R19 Continental EcoContact 6 tyres
• Two-tone exterior paint – black roof, mirrors)
• Frameless side mirrors:
• • Heated
  • Auto-dimming
  • Power-folding
  • Memory function
• Panoramic sunroof
• Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) functionality
• Semi-autonomous park assist
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Black/grey “leather-free” interior upholstery
• 6-way power driver's seat
• 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• • Apple CarPlay – wired, wireless
  • Android Auto – wired, wireless
• Wireless phone charger
• 7-speaker sound system
• Auto-dimming frameless rear-view mirror
• Dual-zone climate control
• Rear air vents (B-pillar mounted)
• 5G-WiFi hotspot
• Connected services – 5yr subscription
• Over-the-air software update capability
• Zeekr App functionality
• • Sentry mode
  • Pet mode
  • Rest mode

Zeekr X AWD adds:

• 20-inch forged alloy wheels
• 245/45 R20 Continental EcoContact 6 Q tyres
• 24.3-inch augmented reality head-up display
• 6-way power-adjustable passenger seat
• Driver’s seat memory
• 4-way power lumbar support
• Heated, ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• 13-speaker Yamaha sound system
• ‘Ice Block’ LED ambient lighting

To see how the Zeekr lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Zeekr X safe?

The pre-update Zeekr X achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on 2024 testing by sister firm Euro NCAP, and this is expected to carry over.

All X vehicles also receive the brand's new Zeekr AD driver assistance suite, which incorporates five HD cameras, five millimetre-wave radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors dotted around the vehicle, as well as Remote Parking Assist "for tight urban conditions".

Standard safety equipment for MY25 models includes:

• 7 airbags (incl. front centre)
• Autonomous emergency braking (front and rear)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic lane change
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver attention monitoring
• Front and rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane-centring
• Lane-keep assist
• Evasive Manoeuvre Assist
• Surround-view camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Low-speed pedestrian warning sound
• Digital video recorder

It's worth noting that Euro NCAP has confirmed the Zeekr X was the first vehicle to be used for experimental 'research tests' as the European and Australian crash testers develop upcoming 2029 protocols that will provide a deeper evaluation of how advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) interact with each other.

You can read more on that here.

To see how the Zeekr lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Zeekr X cost to run?

Zeekr Australia covers its range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for private buyers, but commercial and fleet customers only get a three-year, 120,000km warranty.

It's unclear whether the updated 2026 range will receive any adjustments to service pricing. The pre-update Zeekr X AWD quoted $4220 over eight years or 160,000km of scheduled maintenance.

To see how the Zeekr lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Zeekr X

To be frank, I was a bit disappointed that the new Zeekr X hasn't addressed a lot of the assistance tech quibbles I experienced with the last one – even if the overall package has improved quite a bit.

Based on our drive of a pre-production car, it needs a bit of tweaking to ensure drivers aren't infuriated by incessant beeping and bonging, while the occasionally inconsistent lane assist systems could also use some work.

Beyond that, the Zeekr X AWD offers blistering pace for a sharp (projected) price, a plush cabin design with wonderful materials and upmarket detailing, and a fairly resolved ride and handling package that feels more chunky hatchback than SUV.

The sharper pricing also makes this much better value than before, but the market is now so competitive that I fear many EV buyers at under $60,000 will be looking at larger cars with more range. That's my other main complaint – 400km is merely average in 2026, with even the larger Zeekr 7X offering 480km in base form, which is around the same ballpark ($57,900 plus ORCs) as this X AWD.

We'll withhold giving this vehicle a final rating due to the test car being pre-production and without having full pricing and spec on hand as yet. But I will say the new X improves on the old one somewhat, but while it's much better value than before, the safety tech gripes still need attention.

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Interested in buying a Zeekr X? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

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MORE: Explore the Zeekr X showroom

Now, not so much – the small city car has fallen out of fashion over the past decade and, until recently, the list of models still available to buy was dwindling.

However, there's surely still a place for compact, frugal motoring. After all, cities aren't getting any smaller. That's especially true in China.

So, it should come as little surprise that Chinese automakers are driving a revival of the city car, albeit with an electrified twist.

First came the GWM Ora, BYD Dolphin, and MG 4 – all EVs, of course. Then came the BYD Atto 1, a cheaper, battery-powered alternative to the Japanese shopping karts we all grew up with.

But wait, there's more! MG is having another crack with the MG 4 EV Urban, and Geely wants a piece of the action with its upcoming EX2. And, in case that wasn't enough choice, newcomer GAC will sell you this – the Aion UT.

GAC's fourth model to launch Down Under is comparable to a Corolla in both size and price, but features a whole lot more standard equipment. Oh, and it's fully electric, which comes in handy during a fuel crisis.

None of the above selling points are likely to sway the SUV crowd, but perhaps this might: the Aion UT will seat five adults in comfort, and doesn't feel like a bucket of bolts on the road.

That's not to say this is a small car to end our obsession with big cars, and you'll find out why in this review.

How much does the GAC Aion UT cost?

Until April 9 this year, GAC will offer the Premium variant for $30,990 drive-away and the Luxury flagship for $35,990 drive-away. This is limited to the first 600 units.

It's unclear whether GAC will then choose to extend the offer – as many automakers do – but if not, pricing will revert to the values listed in the above table.

While it's not the cheapest EV in Australia, the Aion UT certainly isn't far off. The smaller, more basic BYD Atto 1 starts from just $23,990 plus ORCs, while the brand-new MG 4 EV Urban will open at $31,990 drive-away when it arrives in showrooms sometime this month.

Other direct rivals include the GWM Ora (currently priced from $33,990 drive-away), BYD Dolphin (from $29,990 before on-roads), and to a lesser extent electric versions of the Mini Cooper.

To see how the GAC Aion UT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the GAC Aion UT like on the inside?

The interior of the Aion UT feels very generous in many regards... unless you like buttons.

Measuring in at 4270mm long, 1850mm wide and 1575mm tall on a 2750mm wheelbase, it's 105mm shorter than a Toyota Corolla hatch but 60mm wider and rides on a 110mm longer wheelbase.

As such, the cabin feels properly spacious, both up front and in the second row. There's plenty of separation between driver and passenger, while five adults can occupy the car without issue.

Beyond an abundance of space, the Aion UT also impresses with its high level of standard equipment. Our top-spec test vehicle presented with all the fruit of a much more expensive vehicle – I'm talking a heated and ventilated driver's seat, heated passenger's seat, panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, and a power tailgate.

So, how is it so cheap? Well, there are a couple giveaways.

For one, scattered hard interior plastic finishes and fake stitching give away the Aion UT's budget origins. With that said, the materials aren't all that bad overall – padded leatherette wraps around the mid-section of the cabin, including where your elbows naturally rest.

You can also choose from a variety of different interior colourways, one of which is pink to match the Midnight Lavender exterior paint option – much more interesting than the usual 50 shades of black.

The seats are great, too. Trimmed in perforated leatherette, both front pews offer pronounced bolstering for both thighs and torso, plus a wide range of electric adjustment.

The same can't be said of the steering wheel, which tilts but doesn't telescope, limiting your ability to get truly comfortable.

I was also surprised to find flaws in the climate control system – an equally important contributor to driving comfort. Not only are the climate controls screen-based (more on that soon), but the system itself struggles to actually cool the cabin down in a timely manner, at least in my experience of driving the Aion UT on a warm autumn day in Sydney. Adequate air-conditioning seems like a basic fundamental that all new cars should nail, so GAC has some work to do in this regard.

Coming back to the topic of screens, this is yet another new model that prioritises minimalist design over a user-friendly layout.

Like many of its rivals, the Aion UT features a huge central infotainment touchscreen, smaller digital instrument display, and next to no physical controls. As a result, simple tasks like switching on seat heating, retracting the overhead sunshade or adjusting A/C fan speed require more effort than is necessary.

However, the GAC interface is still more user-friendly than many. A shortcut bar along the base of the middle display provides quick access to popular functions, and the screen is quick to respond to touch and swipe inputs.

Alternatively, voice commands work quite well, which is a little surprising considering you'll find a few rough Chinese-to-English translations littered throughout the infotainment sub-menus.

But, as previously mentioned, the Aion UT makes up for a slight lack of polish with a strong set of features. On the technology front, you get native navigation with live traffic data, connected services, an integrated app store, and over-the-air software updates.

There's also the option to ignore GAC's toys altogether and take advantage of wireless smartphone mirroring. You needn't worry about running out of charge, as a wireless phone charging pad can be found atop the floating centre console, while USB-A, USB-C and 12V power outlets are also within reach.

Moving across, the steering column-mounted driver's display is visually sharp and highly functional, with the capability to switch between maps, media, efficiency and ADAS information. Such adjustments can be made using buttons and rollers on the steering wheel, although these are poorly labelled.

While the tech feels a bit unfinished in some ways, there's nothing lacking in the cabin storage department. Top storage options include a wide lower tray, deep centre console bin and roomy glovebox. Sure, you can find those in other small cars, but the Aion UT has more tricks up its sleeve – an additional semi-hidden compartment under the main air vents, plus phone 'slots' in each door card.

Practicality is likewise a standout strength of the second row.

The rear doors open wide to reveal a highly inviting set of back seats boasting more legroom and headroom than just about any compact hatch on sale today. Light-coloured materials and a panoramic glass roof also allay any fears surrounding claustrophobia.

Unlike some EVs, the Aion UT doesn't force a 'knees-up' rear seating position, either. Rather, there's a slight incline to the seat base and a gentle recline to the backrest – in other words, it feels natural.

In terms of second-row amenities, the Aion UT offers a fold-down centre armrest with two large cupholders, map pockets behind both front seats, twin air vents, storage in the doors, and a single USB-A outlet – more than most rivals at this price point, although USB-C connectivity is preferable.

Boot space is less of a strength, but hardly a weakness. GAC quotes 321 litres of capacity – more than a Corolla, Mazda 3 or GWM Ora, but less than the Dolphin and MG 4 EV Urban.

Charging cables have a home under the boot floor, as does the tyre repair kit.

You can enlarge the cargo area by folding the rear bench, though there’s quite a noticeable step up from the boot floor to this flat space.

To see how the GAC Aion UT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

All versions of the Aion UT share the same single, front-mounted electric motor and 60kWh battery, the latter of which is good for 430km of driving range – a segment-leading figure.

The Aion UT is front-wheel drive, like the GWM Ora and BYD Dolphin, as well as the upcoming MG 4 EV Urban. The MG 4 and upcoming Geely EX2, in contrast, are rear-wheel drive.

Its motor produces 150kW of power and 210Nm of torque, outperforming the base Dolphin (70kW/180Nm) and beating the Ora on power but not on torque (126kW/250Nm).

As for charging speeds, the Aion UT maxes out at 87kW on a DC fast-charger – better than most competitors bar the MG 4 EV Urban (150kW).

To see how the GAC Aion UT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the GAC Aion UT drive?

I'd be able to tell you... if I wasn't constantly distracted by a not-so-merry-go-round of warning chimes from the safety systems.

In all seriousness, the Aion UT did afford me just enough peace and quiet to form some thoughts about how it drove, but only just.

That's because the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) are unrelenting in their mission to unnecessarily scold the driver for erroneous errors they're allegedly making.

Whether it be the driver monitoring camera, overspeed warning, forward collision alert or lane-keep assist system, there's always something beeping at you. Heck, the UT even threw up warnings for my seatbelt being undone (it wasn't) and the passenger putting their feet on the dash (they weren't).

The extent of the unnecessary intrusions isn't merely inconvenient, it's infuriating.

To make matters worse, the safety tech you actively seek assistance from doesn't even work. Switch on the semi-autonomous highway driving function and the Aion UT will drift to the left side of its lane, cross the markings, and then give up entirely. It did this consistently, too.

The icing on the cake – there's no easy way to disable all the broken nannies. Instead, you have to adjust the safety settings each and every time you drive.

Fortunately, these issues can probably be resolved with a software update or two.

Still, talk about an Achilles heel, because this electric hatch is otherwise a decent, albeit not great, steer.

The front-mounted electric motor is punchy, and the Aion UT has a genuine turn of pace, which makes for plenty of fun around town. Despite the fitment of sub-par tyres (I'll expand on this later), traction is never an issue at lower speeds, either.

Progress to faster open roads and there's little drop-off – a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.3 seconds feels about right in the real world. Those are certified 'warm hatch' numbers.

Don't expect warm hatch levels of driving engagement, though. The steering feels a bit dead around centre, while the brake pedal behaves like an on/off switch.

There are multiple drive modes – Comfort, Sport and Power Save – which alter the car’s behaviour, though the differences aren’t always as useful as you’d hope.

For example, in both Comfort and Sport modes, regenerative braking is very weak (even in its highest setting). For stronger regen you need to switch to Power Save, but doing so significantly reduces throttle response and overall performance. So, as someone who likes to drive EVs on the right pedal as much as possible, it was difficult to find an optimal setup.

Steering weight can also be adjusted through the infotainment screen, and it's worth switching to the firm setting for a greater sense of control.

There's not much the driver can do to address the Aion UT's underlying handling deficiencies, though.

We spent a bit of time carving up some country roads, and it quickly became evident that this soft-edged EV has a low dynamic ceiling, largely due to limited grip from its 215mm-wide Chaoyang tyres.

Corners taken at a moderate velocity draw squeals of protest from the Aion UT's rubber, usually accompanied by body roll. Indeed, at times it feels like the inside wheels get quite light.

That's hardly confidence-inspiring, especially considering we drove on dry roads. I can only imagine the Aion UT would feel a little skittish in the wet.

On a brighter note, this whimsical little hatch rides better than it handles. Neither Sydney's rollercoaster thoroughfares nor the pothole-ridden roads of rural New South Wales could disrupt its impressive ability to absorb harsh impacts without trampolining on rebound. And that's with a torsion beam at the rear.

With that said, the Aion UT does its best work in the city, where the tarmac is generally smooth. Compact dimensions and excellent forward visibility make it easy to place through tight streets and shopping precincts, while a comprehensive set of cameras (including kerb view and transparent chassis) takes the stress out of tricky parking manoeuvres.

Rearward visibility isn't quite as good, as there's a sizeable blind spot at each back corner. Perhaps that's why the infotainment system automatically displays a view of the aforementioned blind spots every time you indicate, limiting access to screen functions in the process.

Nevertheless, the Aion UT can be a fun little thing to zip around in, provided the safety tech behaves.

Highway driving also has the potential to be pleasant, provided the lane-centring system isn't involved at all.

With that wayward system disabled, the Aion UT feels relatively at home on the wide open road, offering the sort of quiet refinement you expect from bigger, more substantial cars.

Strong motor outputs ensure it can hold triple-figure speeds better than most budget EVs. Yet, at the same time, it's almost disconcertingly quiet in the cabin – there's no electric motor whine, nor an artificial soundtrack. Noise from the outside world only seeps into the cabin to a limited extent.

Meanwhile, the suspension remains compliant, ensuring comfort throughout long road trips.

To see how the GAC Aion UT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The Aion UT serves as proof that you can get a whole lotta car for $35k in 2026.

2026 GAC Aion UT Premium equipment highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights with automatic high-beam
• Rain-sensing wipers
• 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• In-car Wi-Fi hotspot
• 6-speaker sound system
• Heated, leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
• PVC seat upholstery
• 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with heating
• Remote control of vehicle functions via mobile app
• Heat pump
• Rear air vents
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Surround-view camera

Aion UT Luxury adds:

• Power tailgate
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• Panoramic sunroof with power sunshade
• Wireless phone charger
• Ventilated driver’s seat

To see how the GAC Aion UT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the GAC Aion UT safe?

GAC hasn't submitted the Aion UT for ANCAP or Euro NCAP testing at the time of writing. However, local boss Kevin Shu says it's the safest small car you can buy.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 7 airbags, including front, front side, side curtain, and centre
• Autonomous emergency braking
• eCall
• Adaptive cruise control with lane-centring
• Automatic high-beam
• Lane-keep assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Surround-view camera
• Driver monitoring system
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Official safety testing will take place later this year after GAC brings the Aion UT's eCall system online. Now a key element of ANCAP's assessment criteria, eCall is an in-car technology designed to automatically connect occupants with emergency services following a crash.

GAC representatives are confident that once the eCall feature is active, the Aion UT will achieve a full five-star ANCAP rating.

To see how the GAC Aion UT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the GAC Aion UT cost to run?

GAC backs its vehicles with an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 200,000km battery warranty. Also included is five years of roadside assistance, provided you service within the GAC dealer network, and 2GB of free data per month for the first two years.

Maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000km, although service pricing isn't capped by GAC, meaning dealers can decide what they charge. Having said that, GAC has published 'recommended' pricing online.

To see how the GAC Aion UT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the GAC Aion UT

There isn't a whole lot wrong with the Aion UT; it's just unfortunate that the issues it does have are significant in nature.

Unbearable safety systems and questionable tyres seriously undermine an otherwise agreeable driving experience.

Similarly, touchscreen foibles and a seemingly stressed air-con system take some of the shine off an interior space that's otherwise comfortable, practical, and well-equipped.

As such, the Aion UT feels like a car with a lot of potential, but one that still needs refinement to fully deliver on it.

In the meantime, it's worth considering alternatives. The MG 4 is like-for-like and has had some of its kinks ironed out, while you can trust the Corolla and Kia K4 to deliver on their simple brief.

Interested in buying a GAC Aion UT? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

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MORE: Explore the GAC Aion UT showroom

Originally known as the Bundera, the Prado started off as a comfort-oriented variant of the 70 Series – a product line still in production today.

But the Prado evolved into its own model, launching here in mid-1996 as a more affordable family SUV, but with the same kind of off-road capabilities that Aussies had come to expect from the LandCruiser nameplate.

Starting at $36,990, the Prado was almost 26 per cent cheaper than the base LandCruiser 80 Series – with the range-topping LandCruiser Sahara being almost three times the price of the Prado.

As such, the Prado enjoyed more than two decades as the best-selling SUV in its class, with its popularity barely waning despite an onslaught of competition from both legacy and newcomer brands.

Even with increased prices, the latest generation saw more than 17,000 orders placed before the vehicle had even launched in Australia – to say nothing of the new luxury version being introduced, badged as the Lexus GX.

Despite its widespread popularity, it still took me until the previous 150-Series before I really ‘got’ the Prado.

A long-termer assigned to me for a couple of months during one of the Covid lockdowns, it ended up being one of the few times I’ve reluctantly handed a car back – accompanied with a tight grip on the keys and a forced smile.

The latest Prado carries over the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel from the previous generation, but gains a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and an eight-speed automatic transmission with full-time four-wheel drive. Despite this, power outputs remain the same as the 2021 model I drove, but the new one has gained around 140kg.

Aside from a short drive in the Lexus twin, this was my first real chance to get to know the 250 Series – a vehicle Toyota has deemed strong enough to badge as the LandCruiser overseas. A big call, albeit a strategic one.

So, as we approach its 30th birthday in Australia (as a standalone model), is the latest Prado a worthy successor in the dynasty? Let’s find out.

How much does the Toyota LandCruiser Prado cost?

The 2026 Toyota LandCruiser Prado starts at $72,500 before on-road costs for the entry-level GX, with five variants available across the lineup.

As with my long-termer, this particular Prado is the range-topping Kakadu – priced from $99,990 plus on-road costs – and is the final rung in the ladder before the Lexus GX, available from $116,000 +ORCs.

In sales terms, the Prado’s most direct competitor is the Ford Everest – an off-road SUV based on the Ford Ranger ute – which starts from $58,990 +ORCs. Though arguably a more direct comparison would be the V6 Everest models, which begin from $66,990 +ORCs.

While the range-topping Everest Platinum V6 is a fair bit cheaper than the Prado Kakadu, at $83,490 +ORCs, the two models have never really felt as if they’re direct competitors on a philosophical level. The now-defunct Fortuner, itself based on the HiLux, was the true Toyota equivalent of the Everest.

The only real rival to emerge has come from China, with the GWM Tank 500 – offering a twin-turbo V6 with hybrid technology, and priced from $66,490 drive-away.

To see how the Toyota Prado stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

What is the Toyota LandCruiser Prado like on the inside?

There’s been a noticeable wind change in the way Toyota has approached the Prado’s design, both outside and in.

With the company knowing the Prado would be dropping the Prado moniker in many major markets, designers have given the vehicle a more rugged, muscular feel throughout – borrowing elements from the 300 Series, as well as the Tacoma and Tundra pickups, and the US-market Sequoia off-road SUV.

And while it now feels more trail-ready than ever before – perhaps with the exception of the early 70 Series Prado – the cabin doesn’t feel as inviting or family-friendly as its predecessor.

However, Toyota’s build quality and high-level materials remain, making the Prado feel every inch like a sibling to the LandCruiser 300.

Twin 12.3-inch displays for the digital instrument cluster and infotainment offer lots of clear information, with the wireless Apple CarPlay working well throughout our time with it. The 14-speaker JBL sound system provided good, loud audio with plenty of bass.

Toyota, in its infinite wisdom, has thankfully chosen to include an array of real buttons across both the steering and the dashboard. Though there’s a small learning period before you figure out what everything does, after a couple of days, controlling things like the climate control can be done quickly and without taking your eyes off the road.

The base-model Prado GX is reasonably well kitted out to begin with, but each step up includes a decent swag of extra features, culminating in the peak Kakadu.

However, it feels like not enough has been done to make the Kakadu feel like it’s the range-topping variant. The dash is a big slab of plastic with some screens, and could use a bit of the Gucci treatment to help justify the $100K price tag.

There are heated and ventilated leather seats front and rear, a heated steering wheel with power adjustment, a panoramic sunroof, illuminated side steps, a head-up display, a refrigerated centre console box, a wireless smartphone charger, and rear climate control, to name just a few.

The seating position is comfortable, though it’s recommended to use the side steps when entering and exiting the Prado, as there’s about a foot between the edge of the step and the seat. Add in a bit of height from the vehicle, and you’re better off stepping up into the car rather than throwing yourself in. Or maybe I’m just getting old.

Visibility seems to have decreased a bit, due to thick pillars and what appears to be a higher shoulder line – though big mirrors, a bright and clear reversing camera, and blind-spot assist mean it’s less of an issue than it was in the past.

As you would expect, there’s plenty of room in the second row for adults, though the bench seat doesn’t offer much support for long distances. Being that it’s a seven-seater, there’s also a good amount of boot space with the third row of seats folded, accessed via a power tailgate.

With all three rows of seats in use, luggage space is very compromised, and best used for school commutes or emergency situations rather than a dedicated seven-seater. Our man Max Davies went into great detail about the luggage space, which you can read here. But it’s worth saying, you’re better off moving to the 300 Series or a dedicated people mover if you need to transport more than five people and their bags.

To see how the Toyota Prado stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

As mentioned, the Toyota Prado continues with a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine – the same found in the HiLux, LandCruiser 70 Series, and HiAce – but this generation model gets the addition of a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to help reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, with low-range and a torque-sensing limited-slip rear differential for off-roading.

Over a mix of freeway, suburban, and city driving, we saw fuel economy figures of around 8.7L/100km, which isn’t far off the combined claim of 7.6L/100km.

To see how the Toyota Prado stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

How does the Toyota LandCruiser Prado drive?

Everyone talks about reliability being the reason why the LandCruiser and the Prado became so popular among Australian buyers – but I’d argue it’s something else. Something harder to describe.

Sure, reliability is highly valued within our market, but the real attractiveness of the LandCruiser (and its extended family) comes from the feeling of solidity that comes across when you drive it. Many have tried, but there are few that match Toyota on this level.

The Prado continues this. It’s quiet, the ride is comfortable, and the chassis feels like it has an addiction to little blue pills. Add to that the high-quality fit and finish of the interior, and you get a vehicle that both impresses while also providing an immense amount of confidence to the driver.

But it’s not all sunshine and praise. Despite the mild-hybrid system presumably taking some load off the engine, the stated performance is the same. Meanwhile, the vehicle itself has gained some 140kg, which is enough to take the edge off.

Whereas the previous-generation Prado felt like it had adequate performance, the new one comes across like it’s lost a bit of fitness – which becomes more apparent when you encounter a hill or need to get ahead of traffic. It also raises some minor concerns about heavy towing, giving the V6-powered Ford Everest the advantage for those considering ‘The Lap’.

Not helping the situation is the pedal tuning. There seems to be very little difference between 50 per cent throttle and 100 per cent throttle, because the engine doesn’t really seem to have any more to give. Given there’s a bit of poke available in the first half of the pedal, it almost lures you into a false sense of security that there’s more on tap. So when you do lean on it, you come up empty.

Braking also doesn’t quite match the rest of the car for confidence, with the first 15 per cent of the brake pedal feeling too light and not delivering the level of assuredness required for a big and heavy car. The brakes are there, mind you, it just requires a little more pressure before they sign onto the job.

But give yourself enough of a gap in traffic and cruise along, and you’ll find your groove with the Prado. Ride the torque from the turbo, let the transmission shift through its cogs, and the big girl wafts along nicely.

The advanced driver assist systems weren’t the worst we’ve experienced, and actually did what they say on the box for the most part, by which we mean they didn’t distract with constant bings and bongs.

The steering weight is in the sweet spot for something this size, delivering a good balance of lightness and direction to the front wheels, though there isn’t a huge amount of communication back to the driver. But if that’s what you’re after, buy a Porsche.

Handling is pretty good for a big bus, and while it’s not as good as its predecessor, the ride is reasonably well sorted for an SUV riding on 20-inch alloys with lower-profile tyres. The adaptive suspension does feel competent, though it can be overwhelmed on rougher terrain. Without driving the two side-by-side, it’s difficult to know whether this was a deliberate choice to make the Lexus GX the more comfortable version.

We didn’t have an opportunity to take the Prado to the bush on this occasion, but we have covered its off-road capability previously (see Paul Maric’s video at the top of this story). While the Kakadu isn’t necessarily the one you want for such things – given its wheel and tyre package – there’s no doubt the vehicle itself has enough old and new technology to tackle just about anything thrown at it.

Despite its rugged looks, it’s little more than a gentle giant – simply wanting to scoop you up and set you down safely at your destination.

To see how the Toyota Prado stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

What do you get?

The base Prado GX takes a relatively no-frills approach, but the standard features keep piling on as you move up the range, culminating in the top-tier Kakadu variant on test here.

2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado GX equipment highlights:

• Five seats
• 18-inch dark grey alloy wheels
• Front grille with ‘TOYOTA’ lettering
• LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• Folding body-coloured mirrors
• Darkened front and rear bumpers, side sills, wheel arches
• Manual tailgate
• Fabric upholstery
• Rubber floor mats
• Six-way manual driver’s seat adjustment
• 7.0-inch multi-function instrument display
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 10-speaker sound system
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• Four USB-C ports
• Embedded satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• Toyota connected services
• Dual-zone climate control
• Downhill assist control
• Crawl control with five speed settings

Prado GXL adds:

• Seven-seat capacity
• Roof rails
• Rear privacy glass
• Silver front and rear bumper trim
• Power tailgate
• Synthetic leather upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
• Leather-accented steering wheel and gear knob
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Wireless charging pad
• Rear climate control
• Two extra USB-C charging ports

Prado VX adds:

• 20-inch dark metallic alloy wheels
• Bi-LED headlights with dynamic auto-levelling
• Adaptive high-beam assist
• Body-coloured front and rear bumpers
• Over-fender (wheel arch) moulding
• Rear guard trim
• Leather-accented seats
• Power lumbar and memory function for driver’s seat
• Four-way power-adjustable passenger seat
• Power-adjustable steering wheel
• Carpet floor mats
• Refrigerated centre console
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14-speaker JBL sound system
• Adaptive Variable Suspension
• Five drive modes
• Multi-terrain select
• Multi-terrain monitor

Prado Altitude adds:

• Five seats
• 18-inch matte grey alloy wheels with all-terrain tyres
• Locking rear differential
• ‘Stabiliser disconnect mechanism’ (in place of Adaptive Variable Suspension)
• Black door handles and tailgate trim
• Black wheel arch moulding
• Sunroof
• Two-tone colours available
• Digital rearview mirror
• Heated steering wheel 
• Head-up display

Prado Kakadu adds:

• Seven seats
• 20-inch alloy wheels with highway tyres
• Panoramic sunroof
• Illuminated side steps
• Heated and ventilated rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Adjustable driver’s seat thigh support
• Digital rear-view mirror
• Head-up display
• Torque-sensing limited-slip rear differential

To see how the Toyota Prado stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

Is the Toyota LandCruiser Prado safe?

The independent government-funded vehicle safety outfit, ANCAP, awarded the Prado a full five-star safety rating back in 2024.

And the large Toyota did well across all four categories, scoring no less than 82 at its worst (safety assist), and as high as 89 for child occupant protection – making it a top choice for families that consider safety a priority.

Safety equipment highlights:

• Nine airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Stability control with active traction control
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane trace assist (lane centring)
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear parking support brake (stops the car if a static object is detected)
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Trailer sway control
• Trailer pre-wiring harness
• 360-degree camera

The VX, Altitude, and Kakadu grades gain tyre pressure monitoring.

To see how the Toyota Prado stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

How much does the Toyota LandCruiser Prado cost to run?

Toyota offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty on the Prado, with roadside assistance plans available to be purchased from $99 annually.

Since we last drove the Prado, Toyota has increased its capped-price service plan from three years to five – but prices have also gone up by five bucks to $395 per visit. Which will be fairly often, given the vehicle’s maintenance schedule requires visiting your dealership every six months or 10,000km (whichever comes first).

Compare that to most other large turbo-diesel SUVs, which typically only require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km.

But although you may want to consider the additional inconvenience of taking your car in twice as much (depending on how many miles you tend to rack up), there’s also an argument that more regular servicing will help with longevity and reliability. So, if you plan to hold onto your 4×4 beyond its warranty, the extra time and money spent could end up being a wise investment.

To see how the Toyota Prado stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Toyota LandCruiser Prado

The latest Toyota Prado has a strong legacy to live up to, and while it hasn’t set a new benchmark for the nameplate, it remains a strong contender for those needing a comfortable SUV with real off-road capability.

The last model was clearly ageing out and needed to be replaced, and there’s no doubt the new Prado delivers all the latest technology that buyers are looking for. With perhaps the only major exception being its usage as a dedicated seven-seater.

On the road, it delivers that cocooned robustness that is synonymous with the LandCruiser name, which may be just the thing loyal Prado owners are searching for. But although it does a lot right, we did have some minor grievances.

Then there’s the price. The Prado is a compelling option at $72,500, but another $30K on top of that for the Kakadu and – all the niceties that come with it – makes for a more difficult argument. Which might have our gaze wandering to the cheaper Ford Everest Platinum, or, if you don’t need the extra kit, the entry-level LandCruiser 300 Series.

While the new Prado has all the ingredients to make it a great car objectively, there’s a little something that seems to be lacking, which has it just fall short of being truly special like the previous generation.

It didn’t have us clutching the keys quite as tightly when we were handing it back, as it needs that final five per cent to make it an exceptional experience – both in terms of the cabin, as well as the driving experience.

Yet as a relaxed hauler, the Prado remains a great choice for families, particularly those who live out in the country and need the peace of mind from their car that comes with being more remote – as well as the ability to get where they need to be after a storm.

Interested in buying a Toyota Prado? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

Click the images for the full gallery

MORE: Explore the Toyota LandCruiser Prado showroom

Beautiful? Always. Fast? Undoubtedly. But when it came to outright, mid-engined, take-no-prisoners supercars – the kind that go toe-to-toe with the very best from Maranello, Woking and Sant’Agata – Aston Martin has historically danced around the idea rather than diving headfirst into it.

To be fair, that’s not entirely correct. When the DB12 was launched in May 2023, with a drive program that kicked off on the tight and twisty roads around Monaco before opening up onto fast, flat-out expanses of pristine tarmac, it allowed the twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 to unleash all of its 500kW and 800Nm – coupled with a sonorous sound that made you feel like James Bond himself, chasing the bad guys.

It delivered the Super Tourer performance of a proper 812 Superfast rival, capable of warp speeds while delivering pointy handling and great ride comfort to boot. The mechanical feedback was spot-on, and that inspired a great deal of confidence in almost any conditions.

The Aston Martin Valhalla, though, is something entirely different. A proper masterpiece of design, aerodynamics and the kind of hybrid engineering you’d expect from a fully-fledged Formula 1 operation.

So it doesn’t just join that elite club – it arrives properly swinging, and then some. It’s a proper mid-engined Aston – finally – so let’s not underestimate just how big a moment this is.

Originally due for launch five years ago, the Valhalla is Aston Martin’s first series-production mid-engined supercar, and that alone would be enough to grab attention. But it’s also the brand’s first plug-in hybrid, its first car with pure-electric driving capability, and one of the most technologically advanced machines ever to sport those celebrated wings.

In other words, this isn’t just another new model – it’s a complete reset of the brand in so many ways.

Potentially, it could also be the start of a whole new design direction for Aston. Visually, the Valhalla absolutely looks the part. In fact, it looks like nothing that has any place on a public road. And yet, in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. We’ll get to that eye-opening revelation soon enough.

Low, wide, cab-forward, and dripping with aerodynamic intent from top to bottom and from front to back, the Valhalla carries forward lessons learned from the outrageous Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar, but wraps them in something a little more usable, a little more resolved – and arguably, a little more beautiful.

Those dramatic dihedral doors? Pure theatre. The roof snorkel? Straight out of F1. The rear? Dominated by massive venturi tunnels and a pair of top-exit exhausts that scream intent before the engine even fires.

It’s unmistakably Aston Martin – but it’s also something entirely new.

How much does the Aston Martin Valhalla cost?

Aston Martin will produce 999 examples of the Valhalla, in both left- and right-hand drive.

Aston Martin will produce 999 examples of the Valhalla, in both left- and right-hand drive. However, it’s not yet clear how many examples will be offered here.

What is the Aston Martin Valhalla like on the inside?

Step inside and it’s clear this isn’t your typical Aston Martin interior.

Yes, there’s still craftsmanship. Yes, there’s still luxury. But everything here is geared towards the driving experience.

The stupendous carbon-fibre-shelled buckets upholstered in a mix of exquisite leather and Alcantara are refreshingly manually adjustable, and the seat levers are superbly crafted from lightweight metal, with just the right level of friction.

Attention to detail is next-level. You sit low – really low – with a raised footwell and a seating position that immediately makes you feel connected to the car. Actually, your bottom is below your feet and you simply fall into these seats.

Again, hearing that kind of detail in the briefing was slightly intimidating, but in reality the driving position feels entirely customised for you alone, and supremely comfortable with brilliant bolster pads trimmed in that same leather.

The steering wheel takes clear inspiration from F1 but, again, somehow feels customised for you alone. As a piece of design, it’s magnificent, like nothing I’ve seen before. In your hands on road and track, it feels more like a steering yoke – but filled in, of course.

The digital displays focus on delivering only the information you actually need. That said, Apple CarPlay was a welcome inclusion on the road drive around Navarra, Spain.

There’s even a real-time visualisation of the hybrid system at work, showing energy flow, regeneration, and deployment. It’s high-tech, but it doesn’t feel gimmicky. It feels purposeful.

What's under the bonnet?

The Valhalla was originally designed to pack a twin-turbocharged petrol V6, before it was swapped out for a V8 based on the Mercedes-Benz M178 engine.

The result is a completely bespoke 4.0-litre twin-turbo flat-plane crank petrol V8, paired with three electric motors for all-wheel drive traction.

Combined outputs are a staggering 793kW of power and 1100Nm of torque. Let that sink in for a moment. This isn’t just competitive with other supercars – it’s genuine hypercar territory.

The V8 alone produces 609kW, making it the most powerful V8 that Aston Martin has ever built. It’s dry-sumped to handle lubrication at high cornering speeds, and has a flat-plane crank to deliver sharper response and a more aggressive character than the cross-plane units found in cars like the Vantage or DB12.

Then the electric motors step in. Two sit on the front axle, enabling full torque vectoring and electric-only driving. The third is integrated into the transmission, assisting with torque fill, energy recovery, and smoothing out power delivery.

The result is a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 2.5 seconds, and a ballistic top speed of 350km/h. But more importantly, it’s how that performance is delivered that makes this car so brilliantly approachable, both on the road and track. And equally at home in both disciplines.

A lot of performance hybrids can feel a bit conflicted. Fast, yes – but sometimes lacking the emotional connection you expect from a car at this level. The Valhalla feels like Aston Martin has gone out of its way to avoid that.

The hybrid system isn’t just there for efficiency – it’s there to enhance performance in every possible way. Torque fill eliminates turbo lag. E-boost amplifies acceleration. Load shifting ensures the battery is always ready to deliver when you need it.

And then there’s the EV mode, which allows up to 14km of electric-only driving at speeds of up to 140km/h – not because you’ll use it often, but because it adds another layer to the car’s versatility.

This is hybrid tech used as a performance tool, not a compromise, but here’s where it gets really interesting. There’s no physical connection between the front and rear axles, so you’d be forgiven for thinking negative thoughts about feedback, steering feel, and even turn-in performance.

Instead, the Valhalla uses a sophisticated system of electronics – Aston’s Integrated Vehicle Dynamics Control – to constantly manage torque distribution across all four wheels.

And what a system it is. The front axle motors independently control each wheel, delivering torque vectoring with incredible precision. At the rear, an electronic differential works in tandem with the V8 and transmission.

The result is a car that can actively reshape how it behaves in real time. Want to turn-in more sharply? Done. More stability under power? Done. Better traction in low grip? Also done. It’s not just fast – it’s intelligent, in the best possible way.

How does the Aston Martin Valhalla drive?

Our first taste of the Valhalla came with an hour-long road drive that included a mix of tight but flowing B-roads separated by fast, straight sections with a few bumps along the way.

There are flat-plane crank V8s that don’t sound all that intoxicating, but Valhalla’s isn’t one of them. To me it sounds like an LMP racer, but even at low speeds on the road you can feel the ferocity of this engine lurking in the background.

Valhalla offers four drive modes – EV, Sport, Sport+, and Race. Each one fundamentally changes the car’s character.

In EV, it’s silent, calm, and almost civilised. But after a relatively brief stint behind the wheel, we soon scrolled through to Sport, principally to hear the engine note from the top-mounted exhaust outlets.

It sounds great even at 60-80km/h and everything kicks up a notch when the V8 comes alive, blending seamlessly with the electric motors.

Oddly enough, it wasn’t necessarily the engine that wowed me initially – it was the sheer ease of driving the car around lower-speed bends that surprised me most. To me, that’s a massive achievement for a car capable of such extreme performance and speed.

Likewise, the ride comfort is surprisingly good. Valhalla’s sophisticated race-derived front suspension seems to deal with bumps and broken roads better than most high-performance sports cars. Another big win.

The steering seems beautifully weighted at any speed too, getting heavier as the velocity and steering inputs gain more intensity.

There’s no powertrain lag, not even a millisecond. Apparently, the shortest meaningful measurement of time in modern physics is Planck time. It’s 5.39 x 10-44, which describes Valhalla’s instant throttle response perfectly. And that’s from anywhere in the rev range.

As the B-roads opened up I gave it a dab of full throttle. Ferocious and blindingly fast – running-out-of-road fast – is the best way to describe it.

Overtaking (anyone, anything, any time) is like engaging warp speed on the Starship Enterprise. You can’t hold your foot into it for long, except on track, because the velocity increases so quickly.

But the sheer pleasure of blasting across the Spanish countryside with as much pace as a Le Mans racer, and more grip than a family of geckos, was astonishingly satisfying.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before we donned the regulation Stilo open-face lid and dialled up Race Mode – in which everything goes to 11.

Aero deploys, suspension stiffens, and the car transforms into something far more focused. And frankly, it’s this breadth of ability that might be the Valhalla’s biggest strength.

As I eased into the throttle down pit lane at the technical Circuit Navarra in northern Spain, my greatest challenge was learning the track and its nuances in a couple of five-lap stints before the third and final solo stint, leash-free.

With the track learned and nobody riding shotgun, driving the Valhalla at full noise down the main straight while grabbing gears as fast as I could was visceral overload.

It’s beyond rock-solid in the corners and while I felt like I was totally at one with the car and track, I still felt like I was extracting barely at 50 per cent of the Valhalla’s turning and braking capabilities.

Never before have I felt this at ease in something so blindingly quick and accomplished. I felt like a Le Mans racer, getting quicker and quicker each time I completed a lap. Astonishing.

But the real question is… is it still an Aston? Because that’s what this all comes down to.

With this level of performance, this much technology, and this much F1 influence, there’s always a risk that a car lacks the character that makes it special.

This is still a car designed to be driven, enjoyed, and experienced, not just measured. It’s not chasing numbers for the sake of it. It delivers driver engagement more than anything else, and in those terms it has more than nailed the brief.

Just 999 examples will be built and production is already underway, but demand is expected to be strong – along with the level of customisation available through Q by Aston Martin.

But beyond the numbers, the Valhalla represents something much bigger. It’s a statement that sets a new dynamic baseline for Aston Martin’s future road cars.

A statement that Aston Martin isn’t just playing in the ultra-luxury space anymore – it’s coming for the very best in the performance world as well. Epic.

What do you get?

Rather than bells and whistles, you can’t talk about the Valhalla without talking about the aerodynamics.

Because this isn’t just styling – it’s functional, F1-inspired engineering at the highest level, and yet somehow it all just works to make this utterly extreme looking car a total breeze to drive, even for the first time.

In Race mode, the rear wing rises dramatically, the front aero elements come alive, and the car generates more than 600kg of downforce from 240km/h to 350km/h, while actively adjusting to maintain consistent aerodynamic balance.

It’s staggering, really, when we’re talking about a supercar that’s capable of mind-blowing on-track performance on the one hand, yet it’s so tractable and easy to manage on the road.

There’s also a DRS function to reduce drag and an air brake that deploys under heavy braking. So while it looks spectacular, every surface, every duct, and every vent has a job to do.

Half the aero systems are hidden under or behind other components. For instance, the front active aero sports a sizeable inverted wing, but it sits behind no fewer than three radiators behind Aston’s iconic grille.

At its heart is a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis, engineered with input from Aston Martin Performance Technologies – the same people tied to the brand’s F1 efforts.

It’s light, stiff, and forms the backbone of a chassis designed to deliver both track capability and road usability. And, miraculously, it delivers on both counts.

The front suspension uses a pushrod setup – again, straight out of motorsport to keep the front-end impossibly low, providing brilliant all-round vision for the driver and front passenger – while the rear features a multi-link arrangement, with adaptive dampers all round.

The carbon-ceramic brake rotors (410mm up front, 390mm down back) are the largest ever fitted to an Aston and sit behind massive wheels, delivering herculean stopping power to match the performance.

Crucially, everything has been tuned not just for outright speed, but equally for feel. That’s a word Aston keeps coming back to with Valhalla.

Is the Aston Martin Valhalla safe?

The Valhalla is yet to be independently crash-tested by Euro NCAP, let alone ANCAP, but its rigid carbon tub is almost certain to provide first-class occupant safety.

How much does the Aston Martin Valhalla cost to run?

Servicing details for the Valhalla are yet to be revealed, but Aston Martin Australia currently offers a three-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty including 24/7 roadside assistance.

Extended warranties under the brand’s Pinnacle program are available for aftersales coverage beyond that.

CarExpert's Take on the Aston Martin Valhalla

The Aston Martin Valhalla feels like a line in the sand.

It’s a car that takes everything the British brand has learned – from the Valkyrie, from Formula 1, and from decades of building beautiful GT cars – and channels it into something sharper, more aggressive, and more technically advanced than anything that’s come before it.

It looks like a hypercar. It performs like a hypercar. But, crucially, it’s still a useable road car.

In a massive win, Aston Martin has nailed that balance, making the Valhalla nothing less than the company’s most important car in decades – and perhaps its best ever – as well as a blueprint for the brand going forward.

Click the images for the full gallery

MORE: Explore the Aston Martin showroom

Fret not, though; the petrol and hybrid powered versions of the current Mk3 Cayenne will continue on sale until “well into the next decade” to provide Porsche’s SUV customers with plenty of choice.

But back to the new EV. Three variants will be available from launch, and no Cayenne Electric is what you’d call slow – but the eye-catching 850kW peak power output of the range-topping Turbo means this large SUV will deliver a full 327kW more punch than the current Porsche 911 Turbo S T-Hybrid sports car.

The key thing, though, is that fitting the Cayenne with a big enough battery to provide a circa-650km driving range, plus also equipping it with the necessary chassis hardware to cope with the outrageous power outputs the Turbo is capable of generating, makes this a heavy beast – so will it handle like a ‘proper’ Porsche?

To answer that question, we headed to the car’s international launch, centred out of Barcelona and heading into some astonishing driving roads in the foothills of the Pyrenean mountains, to see if the Porsche Cayenne Electric is a hit or a miss.

How much does the Porsche Cayenne Electric cost?

We know that the base Cayenne Electric and then the Turbo will arrive in Australia first, in the middle of 2026, with the mid-range Cayenne S Electric following a little later this year.

The entry-level Cayenne Electric will start from $167,800 before on-road costs, while the S will command $193,100 plus on-roads, and the mighty Turbo will push all the way up to $259,900 plus ORCs.

With the existing Cayenne wagon priced from $144,900 (the new Cayenne Coupe Electric is yet to be revealed or priced), none of these new electric variants are what you’d call cheap.

But there’s a notable overlap between the base-grade Cayenne Electric and the smaller Macan Electric lineup, which is priced between $129,800 and $187,600 plus ORCs, which perhaps better justifies the pricing of the new Cayenne EV.

To see how the Porsche Cayenne lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Porsche Cayenne Electric like on the inside?

An all-new interface system in the Porsche Cayenne Electric couples with the German company’s typically superb grasp of ergonomics, to deliver a passenger compartment that’s another major success for the firm.

As befits a technologically advanced EV, the interior of the Cayenne Electric is predicated on a three-screen digital setup which Porsche says is 50 per cent larger by area than anything found in the Mk3 variant of the SUV.

The star of the show here is the so-called ‘Flow Display’, a large OLED screen in the centre of the dash. This is a curved panel, although more accurately it has a lateral kink in it about a third of the way up, with graphics smoothly flowing from the lower, angled portion of the display to the upright larger section above.

It’s a delight to use and it looks sharp from a graphical perspective too.

Crucially, though, Porsche remembers the end-user’s operating needs, retaining physical controls for the Cayenne’s climate system, while also providing a hand rest pad beneath the Flow Display so that you can still successfully tap at its display even if you’re driving on a bumpier road.

Flanking the Flow Display are two more familiar Porsche items, the Curved Display digital instrument cluster and the Passenger Display touchscreen for the other side of the dash.

Both of these are bigger than in other Porsche cars, though, measuring 14.25 and 14.9 inches across the diagonals, respectively.

There’s also a snazzy augmented reality head-up display in the SUV, although that’s an option for base-spec Cayenne Electric vehicles.

Generally, the material quality up top, particularly of the items and switches you will typically touch and use during driving, feels bang-on the money.

But there are some odd areas of less premium-looking finishing in more hidden-away bits of the interior, and there was a suspicion on a few of the test cars that the leather on the driver’s seat was already beginning to sag.

However, in terms of space, there’s acres of the stuff. The wheelbase of the Cayenne Electric is more than three metres long, so passengers sitting in the second row have plenty of loafing room, while the boot is ginormous with a stated capacity of 781 litres with all seats in use.

It rises to a slightly-less-gobsmacking 1588L with the second row folded down, but Porsche’s biggest EV manages to offer a front luggage compartment of 90L as well as the main cargo bay, so storage solutions are pretty decent in this SUV.

To see how the Porsche Cayenne lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Lots and lots of electrical power. All versions of the Cayenne Electric have a ‘nominal’ output, which is what they make in their most benign drive modes, as well as a peak figure which they can summon up for a time-limited phase when using Launch Control.

Further, both the S and the Turbo have ‘Push To Pass’ buttons on their steering wheels, which lift their power and torque outputs from the base level in each instance, although in the Turbo it won’t deliver its system maximum in this 10-second setting either.

Starting with the Cayenne Electric, it offers 300kW from the off and can climb to 325kW in Launch Control. This means its claimed 0-100km/h time is 4.8 seconds and the top speed is 230km/h, while Porsche also cites an 18.4-second time for the 0-200km/h run; remember this stat when we come back to the Cayenne Turbo Electric in a second.

Sitting in the middle of the pack as the only Cayenne EV we’ve not yet driven is the Cayenne S Electric. This churns out 400kW as a minimum, with both Push To Pass and Launch Control ramping its motors up to produce 490kW.

As a result, the claimed 0-100km/h time comes down to 3.8 seconds, while the V-max goes up to 250km/h.

It’s hard not to be distracted by the numbers of the Cayenne Turbo Electric, however. Even in ‘standard’ format, the flagship model is delivering a monstrous 630kW. Press Push To Pass, and for 10 seconds 790kW is available to you. But in Launch Control, an astounding 850kW is on tap.

The performance stats for this car are just as ludicrous. Despite weighing more than 2.7 tonnes with a driver onboard, the Cayenne Turbo Electric’s top speed of 260km/h isn’t that far beyond that of the Cayenne S – but a claimed 2.5-second 0-100km/h time is phenomenal.

And 0-200km/h acceleration? It apparently takes just 7.4 seconds; 11 seconds swifter than the SUV at the other end of its own range, and a second quicker than the 911 Turbo S can manage it.

Incidentally, the peak torque figures of all three Cayennes in Launch Control are 835Nm for the base car, 1080Nm for the S, and a stupendous 1500Nm for the Turbo.

All three versions of the Porsche Cayenne Electric use an NMC li-ion battery pack of 113kWh gross capacity, with 108kWh of that usable.

The WLTP ranges are between 624km for the Turbo and 653km for the S (weirdly, it is said to go a bit further than the lower-output Cayenne, with its 643km value), while advanced 800-volt architecture allows a fastest DC-charging rate of 400kW.

That means a Cayenne Electric can get its battery from 10-80 per cent in less than 16 minutes in the right conditions. Even just 10 minutes of hook-up at such speeds will see 315-325km added to the onboard trip computer’s range readout.

Don’t forget that the Cayenne Electric is also the first car to come to market with inductive (wireless) domestic charging capability, although it’s not yet known whether this feature will become available in Australia.

To see how the Porsche Cayenne lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Porsche Cayenne Electric drive?

We got to drive either end of the Porsche Cayenne Electric range in Spain, starting with a base-level SUV but fitted with a number of desirable options – including 22-inch wheels, adaptive sports front seats, an augmented-reality head-up display, Rear Axle Steering and Porsche Electric Sport Sound (PESS), among others.

The very brief summation of this car is that, in isolation, you’d be delighted with it. Slick, communicative and positive steering, an impressive level of body and wheel control, robust performance from its dual electric motors and a general sense of it being light on its feet – totally belying its near-five-metre-long, 2.6-tonne mass – all add up to deliver an edifying driving experience.

Sure, it’s not as thrilling and visceral as something like the old Cayenne GTS with its 4.0-litre biturbo V8, but as top-end SUVs with an emphasis on sportiness go, the regular Cayenne Electric with a few choice extra-cost additions remains one of the best vehicles of its type in the world, regardless of whether the competition is powered by petrol or electricity.

But when you try the Cayenne Turbo Electric out for size, with its higher level of equipment including Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), Porsche Active Ride (PAR) anti-roll tech and the Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) electronically controlled limited-slip diff, you realise pretty much nothing else will do.

The immense speed, obviously, dominates proceedings. Even when you’re only modestly digging into its performance in Comfort and Normal modes, you need to keep a keen eye on the speedo to reaffirm just how quickly it generates tens of kilometres-per-hour at a time.

Kudos to the well-judged PESS here, which does its best to accompany the Cayenne Turbo’s ferocious acceleration with noises which are vaguely V8-like in character, and are somehow not in the least bit reprehensible as a result.

But with a single-speed reduction transmission and no simulation of gearchanges coded into the system, it’s still a one-note performance, with the rise in tone of the soundtrack not ever getting near to matching the terrifying way the SUV can blast through incremental chunks of speed in short order.

And as if the Turbo’s utterly devastating roll-on acceleration wasn’t enough, we then tried Launch Control. Stupidly, we did this on a slight downhill slope as well, which only exacerbated the impression of fully unleashing 850kW and 1500Nm in one go.

As far as we’re concerned, the resulting experience must be what it feels like to be shot out of a cannon. Nothing this big and this heavy has any right to reel in the horizon with anything like the venom the Cayenne Turbo displays.

In a very literal sense, it’s breathtaking: while concentrating with all our fibre on the middle-distance as the Porsche ripped off down the road, we realised we’d involuntarily stopped breathing until we let go of the accelerator.

Thankfully, the immensely clever chassis tech in the Cayenne Turbo ensures it feels properly limber, playful and exploitable in the bends. This is no point-and-shoot performance SUV; instead, it’s a properly cohesive, enjoyable and thoroughly rewarding machine to drive quickly on a challenging road.

You never forget its physical size, sitting up as high as you do and looking out over its long, broad prow, but the massive weight of the thing is admirably masked by the superb PAR chassis setup, as well as PCCB brakes which are, quite simply, mega in terms of pedal feel, progression and resistance to any fade.

Driven in a more sensible fashion, the even better news is that the Cayenne Turbo is a paragon of ride comfort and rolling refinement. The PAR again works its magic here by smoothing out even the worst of road imperfections from disturbing the peace in the passenger compartment.

And while there’s an underlying (and totally understandable) firmness and tautness to everything it does, you’re never uncomfortable behind the wheel of the big Porsche EV.

It’s remarkably stable and dignified at motorway speeds, for instance, yet on the other hand the Turbo is completely docile for town work, while the Rear Axle Steering gives it a nimbleness that makes it highly manoeuvrable and easy to live with at lower speeds.

Porsche was keen to show that the Cayenne doesn’t only excel on roads, too. We also did some fairly testing off-roading in a PAR-equipped Turbo Electric absolutely slathered in a thick layer of clag, and the SUV aced the course.

The manufacturer even offers an Off-Road Package, which – among other details – improves the approach angle of the front bumper to 25 degrees, but while we cannot fault the way the Turbo picked its way around the dusty Spanish scenery, we can’t help feeling it’s far more capable away from the tarmac than it would ever need to be.

After all, you’d have to be mad to take your $260k SUV deep into the outback or up Cape York’s Old Telegraph Track, wouldn’t you?

No, it’s on the metalled surfaces where the Cayenne Turbo Electric shines brightest – and in this regard it shines very, very brightly indeed.

It’s a sensational piece of engineering from Stuttgart.

To see how the Porsche Cayenne lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Gone are the days when a basic Porsche came with nothing, as even the entry-level Cayenne has a decent amount of desirable standard kit.

Assuming cars for our market follow the international Cayenne lineup, the equipment levels should run as follows.

2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric equipment highlights:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• 8-way electric comfort seats with memory and heating front
• Electric rear seats (2+1 configuration)
• Power Steering Plus
• Adaptive air suspension with PASM
• Matrix-LED headlights
• Heated steering wheel
• Adaptive cruise control
• Dual-zone climate control
• Auto tailgate
• Soft-close doors
• ParkAssist with 2D Surround View

Stepping up to the Cayenne S Electric should bring:

• Cayenne S 20-inch aero wheels
• Privacy glass
• 14-way electric comfort seats with memory and ventilation
• Bose Surround Sound System
• Panoramic roof system
• Four-zone climate control

The Cayenne Turbo Electric should add:

• Cayenne Turbo 21-inch aero wheels
• 18-way adaptive sports seats, front
• Heated rear seats
• Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus
• Sport Chrono Package
• Porsche Electric Sport Sound
• HD-Matrix LED headlights
• GT Sports steering wheel
• Electric steering column adjustment
• Race-Tex roof lining
• Turbonite exterior and interior detailing

To see how the Porsche Cayenne lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Porsche Cayenne Electric safe?

The Cayenne Electric has already been put through its paces by Euro NCAP.

At the end of 2025 it picked up a full five-star safety rating and recorded robust subdiscipline scores of 91, 89, 81 and 79 per cent for the adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road users and safety assist sections of the test accordingly.

To see how the Porsche Cayenne lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Porsche Cayenne Electric cost to run?

Porsche Cars Australia offers a standard warranty of three years and unlimited kilometres on all its new cars, with up to eight years and 160,000km of cover for the high-voltage batteries fitted to its EVs.

There’s also an option to extend the warranty for 12, 24 or 48 months at a time at each renewable phase, up to the point the car reaches 15 years old. However, there’s a distance cap of 200,000km on the extended warranty.

Porsche electric vehicles normally have longer, two-year service intervals because they need less maintenance than the brand’s combustion-powered cars, so we’d expect the Cayenne SUV to conform to the 24-month program as outlined above.

To see how the Porsche Cayenne lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Porsche Cayenne Electric

The Cayenne Electric is, as you would expect of a Porsche, a magnificent thing to drive, from base-grade to flagship.

Agile and rewarding in the corners, supremely comfortable and quiet on a cruise, and obviously blessed with enormous reserves of torque in all its specifications, the Cayenne hasn’t suffered in the slightest from its transition to electric power.

In fact, it might have actually improved by dropping the V6s and V8s and becoming an EV. That’s how seriously good an all-rounder this premium electric SUV truly is.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Porsche Cayenne. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Porsche Cayenne showroom

No longer an oddball compact people mover, the new-generation Scenic has now donned Renault’s E-Tech branding and adopted the form of a mid-size electric SUV, placing it squarely in the mix with some of Australia’s most popular electric vehicles (EVs).

That also makes it the fourth EV to be sold by Renault in Australia, following the Zoe city hatch, Megane E-Tech small SUV, and Kangoo E-Tech delivery van. There are plenty of other electric Renault models on sale overseas, but they’re unlikely to come to Australia in the foreseeable future.

Regardless, the Scenic E-Tech is among six new or refreshed models Renault has promised to bring to Australia in the next six months. While details of that rollout are scarce, it’s highly likely it’ll revolve around electrified models, including hybrids.

That’ll be important for the low-volume French brand, which has experienced a decline in sales locally as Chinese brands – often with cheaper cars – have skyrocketed in popularity.

In fact, 2025 was Renault Australia's worst sales result in 14 years, with 4569 registrations down 17.8 per cent on 2024. And the new year has gotten off to an inauspicious start – its sales in the first two months of 2026 were also down 17.8 per cent on the same period in 2025.

In the meantime, six Chinese brands surged past Renault on the 2025 sales chart, all of which sell cars cheaper than the entirety of Renault’s current catalogue. Still, the French brand is looking to turn its fortunes around, and the Scenic is its first statement of intent.

It’s priced sharply, offers a competitive claimed driving range, and comes with a healthy list of standard features. Only the flagship Esprit Alpine (pronounced ‘es-pree al-peen’) is available from this month's launch, with the standard Techno trim due to arrive in late May or early June 2026.

CarExpert was among media invited to Canberra to sample the Scenic E-Tech Esprit Alpine – how does it stack up based on our first impressions, and will it be enough to steady Renault’s ship?

How much does the Renault Scenic E-Tech cost?

The Renault Scenic E-Tech starts at $55,990 before on-road costs for the base Techno, and extends to $65,990 before on-roads for the flagship Esprit Alpine.

Notably, as Renault pointed out to us, the Scenic E-Tech is much cheaper in Australia than in Europe. In the UK, the range starts at £35,495 for the base Techno, which is roughly A$67,950 in a direct conversion – enticing for sure.

As for rivals, Renault Australia general manager Glen Sealey explicitly named the Kia EV5 as a “golden competitor” due to its “similar size” and “similar price points”.

Sourced from China, the EV5 ranges in price from $56,770 to $61,170 before on-roads in its most comparable front-wheel drive form. A key difference is that Kia also offers two all-wheel drive versions with considerably more power than the Scenic, priced at either $64,770 or $71,770 before on-roads.

Otherwise, the base Scenic is only slightly more expensive than the smaller Megane E-Tech ($54,990 before on-roads), cheaper than the base Tesla Model Y ($58,900 before on-roads), and slightly above the BYD Sealion 7 ($54,990 before on-roads).

To see how the Renault Scenic E-Tech stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What is the Renault Scenic E-Tech like on the inside?

There’s a premium edge to the Scenic’s cabin, which feels like an upscale evolution of Renault’s characteristic interior design language established over the past decade.

The central portrait-style infotainment touchscreen blends almost seamlessly into the digital instrument display’s housing, broken up by a set of vertical air vents. This creates a cockpit feel, as this large, connected panel angles towards the driver and sits quite high on the dashboard.

This is a similar approach to that of the EV5, except Renault has opted not to follow the Korean brand in utilising a third touchscreen for climate controls between the infotainment and instrument displays. The Scenic is all the better for it, too, as Kia’s arrangement is an ergonomic nightmare.

Instead, Renault has maintained its tried-and-tested array of physical climate controls at the bottom of the infotainment screen. While still not perfect, given the physical buttons are merely shortcuts for the most basic climate functions, it’s preferable to the screen-only approach of many competitors.

More nuanced controls are found in the always-on ribbon at the bottom of the touchscreen above.

Aside from those clicky physical switches, the Scenic’s interior controls are still a bit unusual, especially if you’re used to Western and Japanese cars. For one, Renault’s quirky stalk for infotainment controls reappears, replacing more traditional steering wheel-mounted buttons.

In practice, this setup works quite well, but it’ll take newcomers a second to adjust given it’s hidden behind the steering wheel. As a result, you’ll only find basic controls on the wheel itself; it would be better if they were finished in anything other than piano-black plastic and labelled just a touch more explicitly.

Pressing these buttons will eventually reveal the instrument display’s configurability. We quite like its style, and there are multiple looks with different info displays to scroll through, including navigation via the car’s built-in Google functionality.

The only other item of note is the gear selector. It’s a column-mounted stick, but it looks odd given its shape and size – perfectly functional, but quirky nonetheless.

A theme throughout the cabin is how well-made everything feels. The screens are snappy and graphically sharp, all fittings are rock-solid, and material choice is undeniably premium – it looks and feels far less plasticky than many other modern Renaults.

Part of that may have to do with the extra gear fitted to the flagship Esprit Alpine. Highlights include bespoke supportive seats, a premium, leather-wrapped tiller with a suede insert, and the high-end sound system, which builds on the Scenic’s standard soft-touch surfaces and strong ergonomics.

You’ll also notice unique design elements like the blue inserts on the door cards and dashboard, along with the French blue, white and red stitching. While this Scenic is ‘Alpine’ in appearance only, its sporty enhancements are well-considered and meaningful.

Storage-wise, the Scenic is well-appointed. Below the infotainment display is a ‘floating’ tray with a wireless phone charger, while further back is a ‘floating’ armrest featuring a coin tray, two USB-C ports and a deep storage box.

Additionally, you get a large tray that fits a handbag nicely, along with a central cupholder. The cubbies in the doors are best suited to small bottles, but there are plenty of places to stow your bits and bobs everywhere you look.

The Scenic’s second row is spacious, and at 173cm I had no issues with legroom or headroom. There’s no driveline hump to compromise foot room in any seating position, with the completely flat floor making it easy to scoot across the bench if need be.

The seats themselves are surprisingly supportive and have backrests with deep cut-outs, which do a better job of holding you in place than in most other SUVs. Amenities aren’t bad either, with dual air vents (but no third climate-control zone) and USB-C ports on the back of the centre console.

The real party piece, however, is Renault’s ‘Ingenious’ centre armrest. This is a configurable armrest with a lid that opens to reveal small storage trays, another pair of USB-C ports, and cupholders with swivelling device holders for anything from phones to full-size tablets – great for keeping young ones entertained.

You also get storage pouches on the front seatbacks, and the rear bench folds down in a 40:20:40 configuration if you’re carrying longer items but need to keep specific seats available.

The Scenic’s boot is spacious, with a deep floor to maximise capacity. Its quoted 545 litres of capacity is larger than the EV5’s 513L and even the Sealion 7’s 500L, though it feels smaller than a Model Y boot in the metal. A power tailgate is standard across the range.

More space is unlocked by a deep cubby under the floor, but it’s otherwise a case of what you see is what you get. There’s also no spare wheel, as Renault has followed most other EVs in including only a tyre repair kit with the Scenic.

There’s also no under-bonnet storage, with that space taken up by a nest of electrical gubbins.

To see how the Renault Scenic E-Tech stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Two powertrains are available for the Scenic E-Tech. Both variants are front-wheel drive, though the base option has a 60kWh battery with up to 430km of range, while the Long Range gets an 87kWh battery and a claimed range of 625km.

Power outputs also differ slightly between the two drivetrains, with the Long Range gaining an extra 35kW and 20Nm (see above). The Long Range powertrain is available with both the Techno and the Esprit Alpine trims, while the other is exclusive to the Techno.

We didn’t get enough time in any one Scenic to record a representative real-world energy consumption figure, but we did observe a figure of around 17kWh/100km after about an hour of driving.

To see how the Renault Scenic E-Tech stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

How does the Renault Scenic E-Tech drive?

The Scenic immediately impresses with its interior, so we expected some of that flair to carry through once we hit the road.

Pulling down on the column shifter selects Drive, and a couple of things will immediately become obvious once you start moving. The first is the steering, which we expected to feel different to most other cars given Renault’s briefing the day before.

The drawcard is that it has quite a low ratio, which means it requires less input at the wheel to achieve the same steering angle as other SUVs with a more ‘normal’ ratio. I just so happened to be driving a Hyundai Ioniq 5 during the week of the Renault’s launch, and the difference between the two is stark.

In fact on first impressions, the Scenic feels somewhat twitchy. Not necessarily unstable, but the fact that small inputs at the tiller translate to large changes of direction may feel odd until you’re used to it.

Fortunately, the adjustment period is just as short as the steering ratio. You’ll quickly find the steering feel is actually fairly intuitive, making the Scenic feel quite agile in urban environments.

The other notable characteristic is the Scenic’s brake feel. Unfortunately, the pedal’s travel is spongey and the bite point is vague, which makes it difficult to judge when trying to be progressive on the brakes – be it pulling up to a red light or diving into a turn.

Unlike the steering, our impression of the braking did not improve over the course of the drive. We have no doubt that odd feel is the result of combining regenerative and friction braking, as we’ve observed similar behaviour in many other EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

It is a shame, especially if you’re not a fan of super-strong regen braking, like this author. If you’re on the other side of the fence, there are four levels of regen strength to play with using the steering wheel paddles, plus a true ‘one-pedal’ drive setting.

This masks the sub-par brake pedal feel to a degree, and it’s likely how most owners will drive as well. For me, it’s the only element of the Scenic’s drive experience that needs a touch more fine-tuning.

The Scenic otherwise presents a solid package that’s enjoyable to drive. The powertrain in Long Range versions (including the Esprit Alpine we drove) isn’t potent, but it’s powerful enough to get you up to speed in a comfortably quick time.

It feels particularly strong when planting the throttle from about 80km/h, when it’ll quickly shoot past 100km/h with no hesitation. This is perfect for overtaking on rural roads, even if it won’t win many drag races.

In fact, the lack of outright power means you’re unlikely to run into serious torque steer in this front-drive SUV. That all makes it very approachable while still delivering performance that will impress anyone used to combustion alternatives.

When it comes to handling, the Scenic is well-sorted, but it isn’t a sports car. While it’ll allow you to take turns at higher speeds than most traditional SUVs with composure, the Scenic isn’t about to set any hill climb records. It’s just sharp enough to let you have some fun.

The trade-off of its sporty setup is a firm ride, exacerbated by the Esprit Alpine’s 20-inch alloys. Renault has still done a decent job of masking the Scenic’s weight, at least better than Hyundai has done with non-performance Ioniq 5 variants, but it’s a touch more bobbly than we expected.

Around town, though, it’s perfectly livable. You’ll only really notice the firm ride when travelling at high speed on bumpy rural roads, and even then it doesn’t feel like it’s about to bounce off the road. Road noise isn’t even that bad.

If you want to liven things up, there are four different drive modes to choose from. They’re all fairly self-explanatory, but don’t expect a difference in ride quality when you flick to ‘Sport’ mode – this just sharpens throttle response and makes the steering heavier.

The latter grants more control over micro-inputs, which is especially handy given the short steering ratio. You can also utilise ‘Perso’ mode to customise the car’s safety systems to suit your tastes, but we don’t think you’ll need to.

Renault is particularly proud of the calibration of the Scenic’s safety tech, and we can see why. Nothing bugged us during the launch – no issues with lane-keeping, no issues with speed limit warnings, and no issues with driver monitoring. And yes, we made sure they were all enabled.

This was refreshing in a brand-new car, and fairly damning for other models like the Ioniq 5, which I keep bringing up because of its obnoxious speed-limit warnings and so on. The crazy thing is the Hyundai is far more expensive than the Renault, yet the Scenic has much more palatable tech.

All of that combines to create a strong EV package with just enough performance and just enough dynamic sharpness to keep you entertained. It may be firm, and the brake pedal may not feel fantastic, but overall it’s quite enjoyable.

It also feels meaningfully different compared to most other EVs on the market right now, which is just how a Renault should be.

What do you get?

Australian-delivered Scenics will be available in two grades.

2026 Renault Scenic Techno equipment highlights:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Tyre repair kit
• Auto LED headlights
• Power-folding side mirrors
• Auto-dimming digital rear-view mirror
• Heated steering wheel and front seats
• Light grey cloth upholstery
• Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless smartphone charger
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12-inch vertical infotainment screen
• Virtual Assistant
• Google Built-in
• Over-the-air software updates
• Remote services via MyRenault App
• Embedded Google Maps
• 6-speaker Arkamys Classic Sound System
• Power tailgate
• 40:20:40-split/folding rear seats
• ‘Ingenious’ back seat armrest
  • 2 USB-C charge ports
  • 2 cupholders
  • 2 phone holders
  • Internal storage
• 2 x USB-C charge ports – front
• 4 x USB-C charge ports – rear
• 1 x 12V power socket – front
• 1 x 12V power socket – boot
• 4 drive modes
  • Comfort
  • Eco
  • Sport
  • Perso
• One-pedal drive mode
• 48 ambient lighting modes (interior)

2026 Renault Scenic Esprit Alpine adds or replaces:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Alpine grille, external door trims, badging
• Optional matte grey body colour
• Face ID (driver recognition for seat and mirror settings)
• Infrared windscreen
• Metal pedal covers
• 6-way power-adjustable front seats with memory
• Massage function for driver’s seat
• Synthetic ‘leather’ and cloth seat trim with Alpine stitching
• Aluminium accents for front door trims
• 9-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system

Is the Renault Scenic E-Tech safe?

The Renault Scenic E-Tech has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2022.

Standard safety features include:

• 7 airbags
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Blind-spot assist
• Driver attention monitoring
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Hands-free parking assistance
• Lane centring assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safe exit warning
• Speed sign recognition
• Surround-view camera
• Tyre pressure monitor

To see how the Renault Scenic E-Tech stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

How much does the Renault Scenic E-Tech cost to run?

The Scenic E-Tech is backed by Renault Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is required every 12 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first.

Renault’s individual service costs for the Scenic are detailed below:

Service costs for the Scenic are slightly cheaper than that of its rivals. Kia offers prepaid plans for its EVs, and a five-year plan for the base EV5 Air costs $1839, while the same for the higher-spec Earth and GT-Line versions costs $2389.

The base BYD Sealion 7 Premium, meanwhile, costs $1757 to service over five years, while Tesla doesn’t do traditional service plans.

To see how the Renault Scenic E-Tech stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Renault Scenic E-Tech Esprit Alpine

The Scenic E-Tech isn’t perfect, but it does a lot right in a world of increasingly same-same electric SUVs.

The thing is, none of its flaws are major or terminal. Some recalibration could go a long way to improve its brake pedal feel – the most significant issue – but everything else including the quick steering and quirky interior controls will feel normal once you’ve driven the car for a while.

Aside from that, the car looks good, offers sensible performance, and drives as expected for a sporty European SUV, even if it is a little stiff. Plus, its interior is a nice place to spend time in and feels neither underdone nor overdone, given the Scenic’s price point.

That price point is sharp too, especially considering it’s not only competitive alongside its local rivals but also much cheaper than it is in Europe.

But perhaps the most important thing is the fact the Scenic is different to everything else on sale in Australia right now. It has a unique design both inside and out, and it drives with a distinctly European character.

While we’ve only driven the flagship Esprit Alpine, we can confidently say the Scenic’s Long Range variants are the sensible pick given their 600km-plus driving range. The base version will still get you by, but it’ll be better suited to urbanites than regional motorists.

With that in mind, we’re inclined to recommend the Techno Long Range over the Esprit Alpine. Without having driven it, we expect the smaller wheels will translate to a slightly more compliant ride, and there’s no ignoring the fact that it’s $6000 cheaper.

The missing equipment shouldn't ruin the character of the Scenic either, as nice as the flagship's extra Alpine-flavoured fittings are.

All said, the Scenic is a compelling new offering in the electric SUV world, and gives us hope for the rollout of new and refreshed Renaults promised over the course of 2026.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Renault Scenic E-Tech. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Renault Scenic E-Tech showroom

In 2025, the Blue Oval celebrated its 49th consecutive year as the best-selling truck company in the US, and the 44th year of the F-Series being the market's best-selling vehicle series – they’re so popular there’s effectively one sold every 38 seconds in the US alone.

Yes, the F-Series encompasses a number of sub-model lines starting with the F-150 and including everything up to the F-750, but the sweet spot of the lineup is the ‘smallest’ model, which is the focus of this review.

The 2026 Ford F-150 (technically ‘2025’ in Australia, and model year 2024 in the US) is an updated version of the full-size American pickup. It brings mild design changes, enhanced tech levels from the base grade, and a new Platinum hero variant that adds a touch of luxury to the truck’s heavy-duty capabilities.

Remanufactured to right-hand drive in Mickleham, Victoria – just north of Melbourne – the F-150 hasn’t had the easiest start in Australia, with a string of recalls and teething issues at the brand’s conversion partner, RMA Automotive.

Last year saw the F-150 slapped with a ‘stop-delivery’ and ‘stop-sale’ order for much of 2025, but the Blue Oval is confident it’s sorted things out and is committed to supporting existing and new customers of its “class-leading” truck.

While there have been changes to the look and the spec sheet, the running gear is largely the same. There’s still a mighty twin-turbo petrol V6 under the ‘hood’, 4.5 tonnes of braked towing capacity, and two wheelbase lengths.

Are Ford’s claims accurate? Is the F-150 better than its only three rivals in Australia – the Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra and Ram 1500? We joined the local media launch to find out.

How much does the Ford F-150 cost?

Prices are up across the XLT and Lariat grades, which have been renewed for this update, while top-end pricing is more than $20,000 higher than before with the addition of the new Platinum variants.

Ford now offers the SWB and LWB versions for the same price across all three grades, and the varying wheelbase lengths is something of a point of difference to its rivals, in lieu of a larger ‘2500’ series pickup (the F-250 isn't officially offered here by Ford).

Better yet, the XLT grade undercuts the cheapest Ram 1500 Big Horn (with its Hemi V8) and is well under the starting price of the Chevrolet Silverado LTZ (also powered by a V8), though the latter is more aligned to the Lariat grade, which is more expensive.

At the higher end, the new F-150 Platinum pushes the local range into new territory, and undercuts the new Tundra Platinum by almost $10,000.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Ford F-150 like on the inside?

We’re going to mainly focus on the new Platinum – as that’s the newbie in the range – but we'll also touch on the updated XLT and Lariat given they’ve also been subjected to some updates.

Like the bulk of these American trucks, the F-150’s cabin treads a balance between utility, practicality and comfort – without really having the plush feel that you might get from a four-wheel drive SUV at a similar price point.

Ford’s local team (in partnership with RMA Automotive) has done a great job of making everything look and feel like it came from the US factory just like this, with the tech integration and general detailing looking and feeling top-notch.

All variants get a digital instrument cluster as standard, and the 12.0-inch central infotainment touchscreen running the brand’s SYNC interface is now standardised across the lineup.

The Blue Oval knows how to do clean and easy-to-use in-car software, and the F-150’s tech suite is no different. It’s functional, attractive to look at and easy to navigate. Input responses and load times are also very good.

As you’d expect, space in both rows is cavernous relative to ‘regular’ (mid-size) dual-cab utes like the Ranger, made more conspicuous by the bluff upright dashboard and door cards, chunky design elements, and supersized centre console.

It certainly has a more traditional ‘truck’ feel than smaller utes, which makes sense given manufacturers are designing them more and more like SUVs to give them more everyday family appeal. That said, larger SUVs in North America definitely have the F-150's trucker feel, but that’s also the market preference there.

The seats in all grades are comfortable, with the Platinum’s cushy leather-trimmed units offering full electric adjustment to go with the more plentiful bolstering as well as heating, ventilation and massaging functions – the Lariat also gets auto climate-controlled front seats.

We spent a lot of time behind the wheel across all three trim levels, and the in-cabin comfort levels as well as general ambience was quite impressive.

There are also heaps of storage and utility solutions, from the chunky cupholders and storage bins to the reversible centre console armrests that also double as a desk if you need to use a notebook or your laptop on the fly.

USB-C charging ports are also littered throughout, while the available wireless charger (standard in the Lariat and Platinum) adds to the convenience if you need to charge multiple devices.

There are also deep pockets on either side of the centre console, as well as decent bins in the doors to store your odds and ends out of sight.

Another pro of these full-size American pickups compared to their smaller (mostly Thai-made) counterparts is the sheer amount of space in the back.

Apart from more elbow and shoulder room for everyone, the huge size of the F-150 means you can fit three adults in the back much more comfortably than you would in a Ranger, for example.

Leg, knee and head room are best described as abundant relative to the regular dual-cab utes on sale today, and the rear bench seat is quite a comfy one at that. The seat bases can be folded up to free up more storage space in the cabin, and there’s even a partition so your cargo can be kept in place.

Amenities in the rear include air vents and fan controls, additional USB-C charge ports. a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, bottle holders in the doors, and map pockets behind the front seats. Lariat and Platinum grades also get heated outboard rear seats.

Note to parents though – there are no ISOFIX points for child seats in the F-150, just top-tether points.

Further back, the tray (or Load Box, as the Americans call it) is particularly lengthy if you go for the LWB model.

To paint the picture, a Ranger’s tub measures 1464mm long, 1520mm wide and 525mm deep – the F-150 betters that significantly in every dimension, which is worth noting if tray space is a key priority for you.

All F-150 vehicles come with ‘Load Box Elements’ like a 12V socket in the bedliner, inner tie-down points, locking cleats, illumination, a power tailgate lock, as well as a work surface and ruler built into the inner tailgate. Another handy feature is the pop-out side step to clamber in.

Lariat and Platinum models get the Pro Access tailgate which adds a manual swinging door for quick access, while the Platinum exclusively gets a folding hard tonneau cover. All models get an 18-inch temporary spare wheel with 265/70 rubber, too.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

While V8 and ‘Full Hybrid’ versions are available in the States, the Australian-market F-150 is solely available with the 3.5-litre ‘EcoBoost’ twin-turbo V6 petrol engine.

Ford hasn’t committed to further powertrain or trim variants at this stage, but it has left the door open to more if there’s enough customer demand – make of that what you will.

No doubt Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which requires manufacturers to meet specific CO2 emissions caps or face financial penalties, might eventually pressure Ford to start bringing in the hybrid version.

Another more subjective aspect of the powertrain debate is cylinder count. Australians, like Americans, traditionally gravitate to more displacement and cylinders, particularly in a segment like this.

The Silverado offers a V8 across the range exclusively, while the Ram 1500 has remaining stock of the Hemi V8-powered Big Horn.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Ford F-150 drive?

We got opportunities to drive all three trim levels across SWB and LWB bodies during our time at the launch event, as well as some time towing in the XLT and Platinum.

Why those two particular variants, you ask? The Platinum actually debuts a new-for-Australia Continuously Controlled Damping system which adjusts with drive modes – with the most notable differences claimed in Sport and Tow/Haul modes.

So, we started the program with the passively damped XLT towing a horse float filled with hay and weighing around 1.5 tonnes, and then upped the ante with a Mustang GT Fastback on a trailer, which altogether would have weighed around 2.0 tonnes.

The short loops on the northern outskirts of Melbourne proved just how effortless the F-150 is at hauling medium-sized trailer loads, and the difference the adaptively damped Platinum made was noticeable.

Performance from the 3.5-litre V6 is effortless even with 2.0 tonnes on the back, and the 10-speed auto in these new trucks definitely wasn’t as clumsy or indecisive as in other Ford models I’ve driven with this transmission.

Equally impressive was the general ride and refinement when towing, with even the base XLT doing a good job of acting like it wasn’t hauling anything behind it. The only real thing of note was the one or two extra body movements it took to settle over bigger bumps, as the seesaw effect at the rear-end levelled out.

This was kept more suppressed by the Platinum’s adaptive dampers, which levelled out much sooner and returned less body movement despite the larger trailer on the back. It’s occasionally a touch sharp over pockmarked B-roads, but it certainly didn’t feel laboured or cumbersome with a load on the back.

Something that also has to be said is that the F-150’s big mirrors and tall glasshouse offer excellent visibility, particularly when towing. Both trailers were unusually sized but I could adjust the mirrors perfectly to see where all the corners and edges were, and there are also features like Pro Trailer Backup Assist when you need to park.

Like we’ve seen in the likes of the Ranger and Everest, Pro Trailer Backup Assist takes the mind work out of counter-steering when reversing a trailer, allowing you to turn with a knob on the dial which directs the trailer in the direction you’re pointing it rather than playing opposites with the steering wheel.

From there we hit the road in the XLT for the first driving leg, which was about two hours between a pair of drivers through the northern parts of Victoria.

Plenty of highway, B-roads and the occasional town stint ensued, and away from the city you can start to see why larger trucks like the F-150 have become more common in Australia.

You get a proper ‘king of the road’ feel on the open road, with a wonderfully settled and refined cruising character that just eats up the miles.

Comfortable seats, relatively muted road and wind noise, as well as a settled ride make touring in the F-150 a pretty easy task – though the base XLT annoyingly lacks adaptive cruise control for said touring ventures.

Now yes, I know, I can just turn the cruise control on and do the normal thing of taking control of the car myself, but given the price point it seems silly that Ford didn’t just make adaptive cruise control standard across the range.

Once you’re off the freeway, the F-150 is surprisingly manoeuvrable and wieldy despite its hefty dimensions. Accurate and responsive steering makes the big truck shrink around you, and inspires confidence when navigating narrower streets.

And thankfully, while adaptive cruise and lane-centring aren’t included in the XLT’s $115,000 base price, surround parking cameras are. Combined with the big infotainment display for the camera feeds and rear parking sensors, it makes slotting this big rig into parking bays that little bit easier.

Speaking of parking, it’s worth keeping in mind that both the SWB and LWB versions of the F-150 are longer than most standard parking bays, given they measure 5.9m and 6.1m respectively – they’re humungous.

That said, front parking sensors are reserved for the Lariat and above, though the forward-facing camera somewhat substitutes this if you ever want to park nose-in.

The step between the XLT and Lariat is less pronounced than the step up to the Platinum as the driving experience is more or less altered only by convenience features rather than any mechanical changes.

Adaptive cruise control with lane-centring is very handy in a truck this big, and more befitting of the price tag. Same goes for the standard parking sensors, and the added luxuries like leather trim and ventilated seats.

With that said, the driving behaviour of the Lariat is near-identical to that of the XLT, as the driveline, steering, visibility and refinement levels are pretty much all the same with no discernible differences.

Even the wheel and tyre size is the same across the range, with all models sporting 20-inch rims wrapped in 275/60-profile Hankook Dynamic AT2 rubber.

Finally, the Platinum is distinguished by its adaptive dampers and the fact the cabin is accessed by retractable side steps that automatically fold out and then back up when you open or close the vehicle.

In its Normal mode there’s not a whole lot of difference in the way it rides, but it’s noticeably firmer and tighter when you flick it into Sport – similar to how it’s a bit tighter and more settled when you’re in Tow/Haul mode.

While Ford’s choices of high-speed country roads and highways generally painted the F-150 in the best light in terms of how it drives, there were some sections of particularly broken and pockmarked tarmac that really upset the ride – and somehow we only really hit it right at the end of our drive.

Not only was it very unsettled and busy over these sections, there was a bit of porpoising from front to rear in the LWB Platinum we were driving – it’s unclear whether the same would happen in the SWB.

Here’s where I’d normally break down the driver assistance systems, but I’ve covered the bulk off already.

On top of the adaptive cruise and lane-centring features mentioned earlier, the basic lane keep assist isn’t overzealous given the sheer width of this thing, and the driver monitor isn’t constantly beeping and bonging at you.

Standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are handy given this #longboi measures 6.0m in length and you’re perched in the clouds when driving it, and it also includes trailer coverage when you have one hooked up.

Another thing to note is that the base XLT misses out on a few things beyond adaptive cruise control. It also lacks Evasive Steering Assist, Intersection Assist AEB and speed sign recognition compared to the Lariat and Platinum.

Finally, we didn’t take the F-150 off-road, so you’ll need to wait until we get one through the CarExpert garage and have Paul take it through its paces at the Lang Lang proving ground.

Interestingly, Ford also doesn’t quote off-road specs like ground clearance and approach, departure or breakover angles for the F-150 range in Australia – though perhaps it would if it brought in the more rugged Tremor variant offered overseas.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The 2025/2026 Ford F-150 range now offers three trim levels – XLT, Lariat and Platinum.

2026 Ford F-150 XLT equipment highlights:

• LED reflector headlights (new)
• LED fog lights (new)
• LED tail-lights
• Black-painted mesh grille with chrome centre bar (new)
• XLT amber indicators (new)
• 20-inch machined alloy wheels
• 2-bar style grille with chrome surround, black accents
• Chrome front and rear bumpers
• Black/chrome platform side steps (new)
• Tailgate with flexible step and work surface
• Loadbox are lighting (new)
• 12V port in load box (new)
• Spray-in bedliner
• Boxlink cargo management locking cleats
• Underbody skidplates
• Chrome exhaust extension (new)
• 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster (new)
• 12.0-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen infotainment system (new)
• Satellite navigation
• 7-speaker sound system
• FordPass connect
• Dual-zone climate control
• Foldout office workspace
• Column-mounted gear selector
• Cloth upholstery
• 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
• 10-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat
• Power-adjustable foot pedals
• USB-A centre stack port (new)
• USB-C port in centre stack, centre console, rear of centre console (new)

F-150 Lariat adds:

• Premium chrome grille (new)
• 20-inch chrome alloy wheels (new)
• Active LED headlights with dynamic bending, auto levelling 
• Chrome mirror caps, door handles, belt mouldings, tow hooks
• Extended chrome side steps (new, SWB only)
• Powered twin-panel moonroof
• Power release and close tailgate
• Power sliding rear window
• 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system (new)
• Wireless phone charger
• Console-mounted gear shifter
• Leather-accented upholstery
• Auto heated, cooled front seats (new, previously manual)
• Heated rear outboard rear seats
• Driver seat memory
• 12-way power-adjustable front seats
• Power-adjustable foot pedals with memory
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Lane centring
• Evasive steering assist
• Speed sign recognition
• Surround-view camera
• Front parking sensors

F-150 Platinum adds:

• 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels (new)
• Black Ford badging (new)
• Unique gloss black window surrounds, gloss black accents
• Smoked colour F-150 fender decoration (new)
• Continuously Controlled Damping – CCD (new)
• Body colour mirrors, door handles (new)
• Auto power-deployable black side steps (new)
• Multi-folding hard tonneau cover (new)
• 360-degree camera incl. additional rear cargo camera (new)
• Smoked colour exhaust tip extension (new)
• Black Onyx luxury interior trim (new)
• Driver and front passenger six-way power seats with memory function (new)
• Multi setting massage functionality in seat back and seat base (new)
• Platinum-branded elements (new)
  • Front scuff plates
  • Steering wheel
  • Front seats
  • Console lid 

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Ford F-150 safe?

The F-150 Lariat and Platinum have been awarded a ‘Platinum’ rating by ANCAP in the large utility category, applicable to vehicles sold from October 2025.

Scoring 82 per cent in vulnerable road user protection and 81 per cent for safety assist in a modified set of tests for larger pickup trucks, the F-150 has the highest rating awarded in the category.

For reference, the Ram 1500 scored 70 per cent overall for a ‘Gold’ rating, while the Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series and Tundra took home ‘Silver’ ratings with 55 and 60 per cent scores respectively.

Perhaps more significant is the gap between the Ford and its Chevrolet contemporary, which managed a ‘Bronze’ grading based on a 27 per cent score.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 6 airbags
• 360-degree camera (new)
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Blind-spot monitoring incl. trailer coverage
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane-keep assist
• Driver alert system
• Cruise control
• Rear parking sensors
• Pro Trailer Back-Up Assist
• Pre-Collision Assist

F-150 Lariat and Platinum add:

• Intersection assist – AEB
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Lane centring
• Evasive steering assist
• Speed sign recognition
• Surround-view camera
• Front parking sensors

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Ford F-150 cost to run?

The F-150 family is covered by Ford Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

12 months of roadside assistance is complimentary, and extendable by another 12 months each time you service at a participating Ford dealer for up to seven years after purchase.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Ford F-150

I’m not a ute guy, let alone a ‘Murican pickup guy, but it’s easy to see why someone in the market for a vehicle like this could be swayed by the updated F-150.

While it lacks the on-paper displacement and cylinder count of something like a Silverado, the Ford’s on-road performance, tech integration, and tough looks make it a very well-rounded choice in the segment.

The EcoBoost V6 is a brute of a motor, with mountains of torque at your feet, while the SYNC interface and assistance tech calibration is excellent – evidenced in its class-leading ANCAP safety performance, too.

If you’re more budget-conscious, the base XLT has quite a bit of extra kit compared to before and well undercuts its direct competition, while the Lariat and Platinum grades are pretty competitive in the space also.

But questions still loom about quality and reliability following a string of recall and stop-sale actions issued from both the American factory and the local outlet.

Also, with Australia's current fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices, running one of these big trucks is becoming a lot more expensive and a bigger issue to consider for many potential buyers – though that applies to the entire segment.

But as it stands, the F-150 remains one of the segment standouts.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Ford F-150. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Ford F-150 showroom

Despite initially lagging behind its rivals on electrification, the Czech automaker has spent the past 18 months expanding its local lineup to include the Elroq and Enyaq electric vehicles (EVs), the Octavia mild-hybrid (MHEV), and now plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the Superb wagon and this – the Kodiaq large SUV.

As such, Australian Skoda customers now have access to an array of alternatives to petrol power, and the timing couldn’t be better – ongoing conflict in the Middle East has seen fuel prices rise substantially over the past month, and some service stations have even run out of fuel.

Which brings us back to the Kodiaq PHEV. Assuming you’ve got access to some form of renewable energy at home and don't need to travel very long distances, this dual-fuel family SUV can be run on electricity alone for the foreseeable future. Then, once conditions allow, you can go back to filling up with sweet 95-octane unleaded. The other option is to run it as a hybrid, in which case your wallet will still hold its weight better than it would driving a family SUV without electric assistance.

However, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and you’ll pay $8500 for the privilege of this flexibility in the case of the Kodiaq. And compared to the plug-less Kodiaq, the PHEV also goes without a third row of seats and all-wheel drive.

Perhaps the decision to go semi-electric isn’t so simple, then. Muddying the waters further, the Kodiaq is far from the only large SUV to offer plug-in hybrid power. In fact, Skoda’s latest arrival is priced to compete with more PHEVs than can be counted on two hands.

With that in mind, how does the Kodiaq PHEV stack up against the competition? And is 2026 the year of the PHEV? Let’s break it down.

How much does the Skoda Kodiaq cost?

As was foretold by Skoda in October 2025, the Select PHEV slots in between the petrol Sportline and RS variants in the Kodiaq range.

As such, it’s priced similarly to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (from $58,990 before on-roads), BYD Sealion 8 Dynamic AWD ($63,990 plus ORCs), and Chery Tiggo 9 ($59,990 plus ORCs). Other competitors include the Omoda 9 and MG QS, and PHEV versions of the Mazda CX-80, Kia Sorento, Jaecoo J7 and Chery Tiggo 8.

In other words, there’s no shortage of alternatives to the Kodiaq PHEV, and plenty are cheaper than the Skoda. Well, at least those from China.

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Skoda Kodiaq like on the inside?

Like the entry-level petrol variant it's based on, the Select PHEV feels quite premium for a base model, even if Chinese rivals offer more standard equipment for the money.

The standard leather upholstery is of a high quality, while the relatively few buttons, dials and toggles feel substantial. Similarly, the steering wheel is leather-wrapped, with perforated grips, pronounced thumb rests, and a generally nice feel in the hands.

Beyond passing the touch test, the front seats impress with three-stage heating and extended thigh support, plus power adjustment, memory and lumbar for the driver. As a result, you won’t struggle to get comfy, although seat ventilation would make for a nice upgrade given Australia’s hot climate.

Black is the default interior colour, but customers can instead opt for cognac upholstery at no extra cost, which further elevates perceptions of quality. Soft-touch plastics complement the leather, diminishing your chances of bumping into something nasty.

It’s a shame the same can’t be said of the patterned plastic dash inlays, which look a little cheap and were already showing signs of wear in our test car. The overall ambience is pleasant, though.

As is the layout of the cabin, which prioritises functionality over design to its benefit. Audio and display adjustments can be made via clearly labelled buttons on the steering wheel, while the centre stack is home to a trio of digital dials – modern, yet simple. There’s more to these dials than meets the eye, though, as they’ve been treated to some of Skoda’s ‘simply clever’ magic.

The ‘Smart Dials’, as they’re known, represent a user-friendly evolution of the current trend of cabin decluttering. All three are multi-purpose – the outboard pair control climate and seat heating, while the centre dial can be configured to adjust drive modes, fan speed and direction, audio volume, and map zoom. Set them up as you please and twist away, rather than spending an age fiddling with several buttons and switches or a crowded infotainment screen.

It’s a genius example of technology that treats form and function as equals. A similar level of thought has gone into the storage available up front, of which there’s plenty. In addition to the usual selection of trays and cubbies, the Kodiaq houses an extra lidded compartment above the glovebox, as well as removable trash boxes in the door bins. The standard centre console bin is deeper than most, while two phones can sit side by side under the centre stack.

One of the aforementioned phone pads doubles as a wireless charger, and two nearby USB-C outlets also serve to keep devices powered up. A wired connection isn’t required for smartphone mirroring, so you’ll never rue forgetting a cable.

And the Select hardly feels bare bones in the technology department, boasting the same 13-inch infotainment touchscreen and 10-inch digital instrument cluster found in other Kodiaqs. The former presents with a familiar app grid – just like any modern smartphone – as well as configurable shortcut bars pinned to the top and bottom of the display.

Does that sound like icon overload? Don’t worry, the screen is large enough to fit everything neatly and high-resolution graphics make it easy to distinguish between apps. Touch inputs draw an instant response from the system, too.

An abundance of icons also suggests excellent functionality, although there’s one huge omission. Despite a plethora of rival brands supporting connected services in their cars, Skoda Australia still doesn’t offer the technology, preventing owners from accessing convenience features including remote start and stop, vehicle system monitoring and tracking, remote climate control, and over-the-air software updates. For some, this will be a dealbreaker. Others will simply shrug their shoulders.

Behind the steering wheel sits an expansive digital instrument cluster with outboard gauges and a customisable centre readout – a simple design that will stand the test of time. There's no head-up display though, which is reserved for the Sportline and RS.

The Select PHEV also deprives buyers of a third row of seats, leaving just five spots for people to occupy. Packaging issues have been blamed for the reduction in seating – an outcome that’ll cost Skoda some business.

Nevertheless, the second row is as practical as they come. The standout feature is space – there’s a huge amount of legroom, especially with the split sliding bench in its rearmost position. Headroom is also excellent, with full-size adults able to sit upright.

They’ll be relatively comfortable too. The rear bench offers decent cushioning, albeit not much lateral support, and the leather can feel a little slippery.

Still, you can realistically fit three such adults in the back if you remove the optional floor-mounted cargo box between the rear seats.

With that said, the cargo box is worth keeping, as it adds useful storage for smaller items like snacks and jewellery. Other bits and bobs can be stored in the roomy door bins or layered map pockets.

Rear entertainment screens are a rare feature these days, but the Kodiaq has the next best thing – rotating phone mounts built into the back of the front seats – perfect for streaming content on the go.

A couple of USB-C outlets, a 12V socket, air vents, window sunshades, and a centre armrest with integrated cupholders round out the list of rear creature comforts.

Boot space is another relative strength of the Kodiaq, although the five-seat Select PHEV actually has less cargo capacity than its seven-seat counterpart (with the third row folded). This is due to the positioning of the high-voltage battery.

Regardless, the cargo area is wide, tall, flat and easily accessed courtesy of a standard power tailgate. There are recessed cubbies on either side of the boot to help secure smaller items, along with tie-down points, bright LED lights and a 12V power socket.

Under the floor, there’s space for your charging cables and tyre repair kit – not a space-saver spare, as is found in other Kodiaq variants.

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the Kodiaq Select PHEV is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated with an 85kW/330Nm electric motor, for total peak outputs of 150kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

The Kodiaq Select PHEV uses a 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery capable of charging at up to 11kW on AC power and 50kW when hooked up to a DC fast-charger.

Skoda claims 110km of electric range on the WLTP cycle. For context, Mitsubishi claims an electric driving range of 84km for the updated Outlander PHEV.

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Skoda Kodiaq drive?

Having attended the launch of the second-generation Kodiaq last year, I can safely say the introduction of a plug-in powertrain addresses one of its main pitfalls – efficiency – without resolving the other – a lack of performance.

Driven sensibly and charged regularly, the Kodiaq PHEV consumes around 80 per cent less fuel than its purely combustion-powered counterpart – a significant saving, rendered even more significant by the current price of petrol. It’s also among the most efficient large SUVs you can buy, excluding electric stuff, of course.

The Kodiaq manages this by defaulting to electric power wherever possible, even when driven in its hybrid mode. The petrol engine only really wakes up when the car is under heavier loads – steep inclines, higher speeds or hard acceleration – and goes back to sleep quickly afterward.

Electricity can also be harvested and reused through regenerative braking, further reducing the need to lean on the turbo four-cylinder. The regen system is smooth and straightforward, though it doesn’t slow the car particularly quickly, nor allow for true single-pedal driving. For context, the Volvo XC60 PHEV that I drove recently was more EV-like in its energy recovery.

The aforementioned Volvo – a $100k premium offering – can’t match the cheaper Kodiaq’s impressive EV range, though. Skoda claims the Kodiaq PHEV can travel 110km on electric power alone, or 21km further than a plug-in hybrid XC60. It won’t get as far as an all-wheel drive BYD Sealion 8 or Chery Tiggo 9, however.

And I don’t necessarily recommend treating the Kodiaq like an EV from a driving perspective, as it lacks grunt when drawing solely from the 85kW/330Nm front motor. This was blatantly obvious during our drive program, when my test vehicle struggled to get up to highway speeds in decent time. And that’s without any passengers or luggage onboard.

What’s more, if you demand repeat bursts of acceleration, the Kodiaq PHEV not only feels sluggish but will also chew through its battery quite quickly. For those reasons, electric power works best for low-speed, urban driving rather than family road trips.

The driving experience improves markedly when you switch into hybrid mode. Now, a flex of the right foot is met with a reassuring, albeit not thrilling, surge of torque that’s more in keeping with what you expect from this kind of vehicle. Still, this isn’t a particularly quick SUV, and more than a few PHEVs would destroy it in a drag race.

That’s especially true given the front-wheel drive layout of the Kodiaq, which limits its traction in some scenarios such as wet weather. We experienced such conditions during the launch event in Berrima, New South Wales, and subsequently discovered that 350Nm going to the front wheels is a recipe for axle tramp and torque steer when taking off hard from a standstill.

The Kodiaq’s lack of all-wheel drive is also telling through corners. You don’t buy one of these to carve up back-roads, but this PHEV doesn’t inspire confidence in the same way that the AWD petrol variants do. That’s especially true when the road is a bit greasy.

That said, the handling of this front-drive SUV can still be described as tidy, and there’s no doubting the grip provided by its Pirelli tyres. The steering is consistent and predictable, with only a low level of vibration coming through over rough surfaces. In fact, all the driver controls are well-weighted and easy to modulate.

But if performance and driving enjoyment are among your top priorities, the flagship all-wheel drive RS remains the pick of the Kodiaq range.

However, if you’re after a quiet, cushy family hauler, the PHEV is surely worth consideration. In terms of ride comfort, the added weight of the 25.7kWh battery doesn’t seem to have compromised the sweet balance of Skoda’s entry-level passive suspension. There’s still a slightly firm European edge to the damping, but the Kodiaq PHEV provides a comfortable and controlled ride.

It’s a peaceful ride, too. When operating in EV mode, the Kodiaq PHEV cruises around in smooth silence. Hybrid mode necessitates transitions between petrol and electric power, but these are handled without fuss.

You won’t hear many bings or bongs from the safety systems, either. None of the modern driver aids are intrusive or overbearing, and Skoda’s Travel Assist semi-autonomous driving function works seamlessly. The worst I can say is that the lane-keep assist feature can be a little firm with its corrections, but that’s a minor blemish rather than a black mark.

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Apart from its five seats and front-wheel drive configuration, the PHEV shares most of its standard equipment with the petrol-powered Kodiaq Select.

2026 Skoda Kodiaq Select equipment highlights:

• 19-inch ‘Lefka’ alloy wheels
• Automatic LED headlights
• LED tail-lights
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• Power tailgate
• Rear privacy glass
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• 10-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster
• 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Satellite navigation
• 9-speaker sound system
• Tri-zone climate control
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Black leather upholstery with grey stitching
• Heated front seats
• Power driver’s seat with lumbar adjustment, memory
• 2 x wireless phone chargers with cooling system
• 5 x USB-C outlets (two front, two rear, one for rear-view mirror)
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Paddle shifters
• Colour-adjustable ambient lighting

Kodiaq Sportline adds:

• 20-inch ‘Rila’ alloy wheels with aero covers
• Matrix LED headlights
• LED tail-lights with dynamic indicators
• Black exterior trim
• Heated steering wheel
• Aluminium pedals
• Suedia/leatherette upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Front sports seats
• Black headliner
• ‘Premium’ sound system
• Drive mode selection

Kodiaq RS adds:

• 20-inch ‘Alias’ black alloy wheels
• Dynamic Chassis Control Plus adaptive suspension
• Progressive steering
• Red brake calipers
• Dual polished stainless steel exhaust outlets
• Unique front and rear bumpers
• ‘RS Sport’ black perforated leather upholstery
• Red interior stitching
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Head-up display
• 13-speaker Canton sound system

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Options

A panoramic sunroof is a $2000 option on the Select and Sportline, up from $1500 last year. The Select can also be specified with 20-inch ‘Rila’ alloy wheels ($700) and a Cognac interior (no extra cost).

Additionally, Kodiaq Select vehicles will now be available with Skoda’s optional Signature Package.

Signature Package (Select; $6500) adds:

• Power-adjustable front seats with adjustable lumbar and memory
• Premium massage front seats
• Surround-view camera
• Intelligent Park Assist
• Matrix LED headlights
• Dynamic rear indicators
• Front grille with horizontal LED light
• Hands-free power tailgate
• 13-speaker Canton sound system
• Head-up display

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Skoda Kodiaq safe?

The Skoda Kodiaq wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2024.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 9 airbags, incl:
  • Front
  • Front-centre
  • Front-side
  • Driver’s knee
  • Curtain
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Cyclist detection
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Emergency assist
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane-keep assist with Adaptive Lane Guidance
• Front and rear cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera
• Safe exit warning
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Travel Assist (lane centring, adaptive cruise)
• Tyre pressure monitoring

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Skoda Kodiaq cost to run?

Skoda backs all its models with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Beyond a competitive aftersales program, Kodiaq PHEV ownership also has the potential to bring significant savings at the petrol pump, especially amid inflated fuel prices.

Fuel prices have risen not due to an interruption of supply into Australia, but rather due to increased domestic demand which can at least in part be attributed to panic buying. 

Daily average retail prices across the five largest cities jumped by 48.8cpl to 219.7cpl between February 20 and March 11, but since then fuel prices have risen substantially and some service stations have even run out of fuel.

While the war is also likely to impact electricity prices and therefore PHEV charging costs in Australia, those who are able to charge at home using solar power are set to benefit most.

To see how the Skoda Kodiaq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Skoda Kodiaq Select PHEV

It’s great that Skoda fans now have the option of a cleaner, quieter Kodiaq, but it’s equally a shame they’re forced to give up both all-wheel drive and a third row of seats for it.

It’s also unfortunate that the Kodiaq PHEV’s asking price pits it against very competent competition – the Outlander, BYD Sealion 8 and Chery Tiggo 9, just to name a few.

But, at least compared to its Chinese rivals, the Kodiaq feels more grounded. Behind the wheel, the focus is on fundamentals rather than flashiness, with efficiency, comfort and ease of use prioritised over performance.

And the interior remains highly user-friendly and impressively well-equipped – especially for a base variant. Rear space is a standout, storage is excellent throughout, and the cabin strikes a nice balance between physical controls and modern tech.

Safety? Check. The ownership promise? Strong.

So, all told, this is a very sensible family runabout... provided you don't need seven seats.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Skoda Kodiaq. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Skoda Kodiaq showroom

Four decades on, and the all-new ‘D27’ Navara now shares its ladder-frame platform with the latest Mitsubishi Triton launched in 2023, thanks to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.

But it’s not just a platform sharing arrangement, with the latest Navara being little more than a Triton in a lightly pressed Nissan suit. It has a new nose, new badges, and other minor styling changes – but the same body, interior, technology, and powertrains as the Mitsubishi.

However, there is one major difference. In order to help differentiate the Navara from its non-identical twin, Nissan brought in Premcar – the engineering firm that was born from Ford Performance Vehicles, and which has been responsible for developing hardcore Warrior versions of the Navara and Patrol off-roaders on behalf of the Japanese automaker.

This time, Premcar was tasked with refining the steering and suspension for all new Navaras, completing 18,500km over 12 months to develop three different local chassis tunes for the four variants.

The SL and ST – which have heavy-duty four-leaf rear springs – get one tune, while both the more premium ST-X and Pro-4X each get their own tune, on account of the 18- and 17-inch wheel packages respectively, following testing of 37 different damper codes and over 550 internal damper shims, plus electric power steering revisions.

Interestingly, those Premcar-specified twin-tube Monroe shock absorbers are manufactured in South Australia and sent to local dealerships to be retro-fitted to the ute prior to delivery – which goes some way to explaining the price premiums over the equivalent Triton variants.

While our man James Wong was treated to a preview drive of the new-generation Navara back in November 2025, at this month’s national launch Nissan gave us opportunities to experience each ute variant both on-road and off – with a short stint of towing thrown in for good measure.

Has Nissan done enough to differentiate the Navara from its star-badged sibling and to justify its price hike?

How much does the Nissan Navara cost?

There are significantly fewer grades available with the 2026 Nissan Navara lineup, with the Japanese brand axing single-cab, extra-cab, and cab/chassis bodies (for now, anyway), while 4×2 and manual versions are also no longer available.

This leaves just four dual-cab 4×4 automatic pickup variants: the base SL, the ST, the ST-X, and the range-topping Pro-4X – on which a new Navara Warrior will be based when it’s released by the end of this year.

While the Navara is more expensive than the Triton, each variant gets a suspension setup tested, designed, manufactured and fitted in Australia, along with a rear locking differential as standard across the range.

Full details of the new-generation Navara can be found in our pricing and specifications story here.

To see how the Nissan Navara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Nissan Navara like on the inside?

There’s a lot to like about the new Navara’s cabin.

While it is a carbon copy of the Triton’s – with a few very minor differences you would be hard-pressed to call out – that’s no bad thing, particularly considering just how out-of-date the previous Navara’s interior was.

There are certainly fancier interiors out there, but the Navara will appeal to a lot of people who want predictability, durability, and comfort.

Unlike many cars nowadays, the Nav gets a standard automatic PRND shifter with manual control and a handbrake lever. It’s like shaking hands with an old friend.

The base model gets single-zone climate control, upgraded to dual-zone climate control for higher grades. But thanks to large buttons and a legible LCD screen, the system is very easy to use, and there’s no diving into multiple screens on the infotainment system just to make a minor adjustment to the cabin environment.

Below the climate control unit are USB-A and USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket, and a cubby with wireless phone charging for the ST-X and Pro-4X.

Owners can also access many of the ute’s features using a smartphone app, including remote un/locking, vehicle locator, and emergency calling in case of an accident.

A 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen does the job, with an easy-to-navigate menu, quick loading, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – and it does a good job of mobile projection. Though the physical shortcut buttons below the screen are appreciated, it does mean there isn’t a firm ledge to steady your hand on while using the system.

The upside is there is a real volume controller next to the screen, which is wonderful, even if it does feel a bit cheap. However, while it gets the job done, the stereo is a little lacklustre.

Continuing the theme are real analogue dials, allowing the vehicle’s speed to be read at a quick glance. A novel concept in 2026.

Ergonomics are quite good, with the steering wheel equipped with generous reach and rake adjustment, allowing the driver to find their ideal position quickly.

Old-school buttons on the steering wheel also mean finding volume and cruise control are a breeze, but the perforated upholstery feels like it will be a good collection device for dirt and grease – so maybe grab a steering wheel cover from Supercheap if dirty hands are a consequence of your day job.

The seats also have a decent amount of bolstering to them, with the ST-X and Pro-4X both getting leather trim (or something close to it), elevating the experience a few notches.

Like the Triton, Nissan has an open space on the dash in front of the passenger in the base models, which turns into a second glovebox for the ST-X and Pro-4X. The higher grades also get brushed aluminium trims inside, which, frankly, makes them look a bit like cars released in the 2000s.

But any thought that you’re driving an older vehicle is quickly dismissed when the car starts telling you off for taking your eyes off the road for the shortest time. This was also a problem with early current Tritons, but Mitsubishi updated the technology so it wasn’t as quick to judge – though I’m wondering if Mitsubishi gave Nissan the original software, because this thing was annoying as hell.

The range-topping Pro-4X does feel like a big step up in both style and quality, thanks to the red and orange highlights throughout, but it was the Navara ST that we gravitated towards the most. It gets the same lovely fabric seat trim as the base SL, but also gets carpet and a leather-accented steering wheel – along with some other goodies.

We did have some adult passengers in the rear seats for a decent amount of time, and aside from one or two big potholes on a country backroad, there weren’t really any complaints.

Overall, the new Navara’s interior is a significant step forward compared to the outgoing model, both in terms of comfort and materials, but also technology.

To see how the Nissan Navara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the Navara is a 2.4-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine making 150kW of power and 470Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed torque-converter automatic as standard.

Being Euro-6 compliant, the Navara uses AdBlue additive to help with emissions, and an idle stop/start system that kills the engine when the vehicle is stationary.

Driving the rear wheels in 2H, the driver can select full-time four-wheel drive on the fly (4H), or low-range four-wheel drive (4L) in the Navara SL and ST.

Along with additional driving modes, the ST-X and Pro-4X get 4HLC for high-range four-wheel drive with a locked centre differential, and 4LLC for low-range with a locked centre diff for when the going gets tough.

Nissan claims combined fuel consumption of 7.7L/100km, but we actually did a little better with 7.1L/100km – no doubt helped by a six-hour stint down the Hume Freeway.

To see how the Nissan Navara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Nissan Navara drive?

Despite being new, there’s definitely some old-school flavour about the Navara.

The engine has enough performance to get things going, and while its six gear ratios are well matched, the transmission does come across as a little clunky and unrefined at times.

We spent a small amount of time driving the base SL with a 2.3-tonne caravan hitched on the back, and while it got the job done, stamping the throttle at freeway speeds resulted in raised revs and increased noise, but not much forward momentum.

For the majority of grey nomads looking to cruise around this great land in a light caravan, the Navara will be plenty enough – but others looking to do heavy towing may find it falls a little short.

It’s not underpowered, but there aren’t a lot of ponies left in the back pocket for when you need them. The rest of the time, the powertrain met pretty much any challenge thrown at it, even with 300kg in the tub or with four adults on board.

Off-road, the ute proved surprisingly capable – including the ST-X, which was fitted with road-oriented Nitto tyres, rather than the all-terrain Toyo Open Country rubber on the rest of the range.

Nissan actually had us on some proper four-wheel drive tracks, which I’d consider to be maybe medium difficulty, and the Nav didn’t break a sweat. While the rear locking differential wasn’t called for at any point, it is standard across the range – and a point of differentiation with the Triton – and would make the Nissan virtually unstoppable, especially if coupled with some more aggressive off-road tyres.

Speaking of stopping, the Navara’s brakes aren’t anything special. Of course, they pull the vehicle up when needed, but from higher speeds or with the caravan on the back, they didn’t quite offer the same level of confidence that we’ve come to expect from dual-cab 4×4 utes – maybe due to its rear drum brakes.

It’s worth remembering that while the Navara and Triton used to be direct competitors to the likes of the HiLux and Ranger, the Toyota and Ford are now in a higher price bracket – with a bit of overlap – meaning there are naturally going to be some compromises compared to the segment leaders.

But the real story here is the suspension tuning by Premcar. With the ST-X and Pro-4X particularly, there’s a noticeable improvement in ride quality compared to the Triton, along with better turn-in and general cornering stability. It gets around a bend pretty well for a ute weighing as much as 2140kg, and does a decent job of soaking up bumps.

This was especially noticeable driving at a good clip on pockmarked and corrugated gravel roads, where the Navara offered an admirable degree of roadholding and cornering grip.

Be aware though, the Navara is still a ladder-frame ute designed for carrying loads and hitting bush tracks, so there’s only so much that can be done. And it’s not the stiffest chassis, so there’s a hint of an ‘echo’ through the body after a big bump. In other words, don’t expect to keep up with a hot hatch on a mountain pass just because its shock absorbers have better damping.

The steering isn’t too light, as seems to be the trend nowadays, though the front axle does seem to be lacking caster, which is generally the preference for off-roading, but means the tiller doesn’t naturally want to return to centre – however, it’s nowhere near as egregious or noticeable as in the Jeep Wrangler.

While the Navara ST-X and Pro-4X offer more refined ride and handling characteristics, the difference wasn’t quite as noticeable on the SL and ST – which both use the same heavy-duty suspension.

We were only able to experience the SL during our caravan towing test, but spent a good amount of time in the ST, both on and off road. Nissan was smart enough to drop 300kg into the tub – strapped down near the cabin bulkhead – which helped load the suspension and provide some extra stability over the rear wheels.

Some may think this is them gaming the system, but the reality is most of these lower Navara variants will be used as workhorses, fitted with canopies and with tools and other things weighing down the rear-end, so it helps to know the ute can perform to expectations with a few kilos in the back.

It’s also worth mentioning that our recent review of the latest HiLux revealed some poor suspension characteristics on crappy roads, which may have been mitigated with a bit of weight in the back to pre-load its heavy-duty suspension – so it would be hypocritical to browbeat Nissan for doing exactly that.

Speaking of, while the Navara might not top the charts for ride comfort across the board, it does punch above its weight – and may even deliver a superior suspension tune than the more expensive HiLux.

Though the SL and ST performed well on the road, Premcar’s efforts can be more appreciated in the ST-X and Pro-4X, with the three-leaf rear suspension delivering a comfortable ride and admirable handling, all while retaining its impressive off-road capabilities.

The Navara’s advanced driver assistance system – better known as ADAS – isn’t especially sophisticated, however. We were lucky enough to spend around six hours in the ST-X, transporting it across state lines, and were able to get well acquainted with the vehicle.

Adaptive cruise control works well, holding its speed on hills, but the vehicle appears to use an older style of lane-keep assist, which grabs the brakes on the opposite side of the car to help veer the ute back into its lane. We can only assume it was a cost decision, as the vehicle has electric power steering and should be capable of semi-autonomous steering.

But the real bugbear was the driver attention monitoring system – basically a little camera on the steering column that’s constantly checking to make sure you’re watching the road. It might be just the thing for someone who finds it hard not to look at their phone while driving, but spend more than three seconds adjusting the climate control or finding a podcast on the infotainment screen, and the car will have a whinge – even if you’re glancing up at the road while doing it.

After four hours of it, the camera got covered up with foil from my sandwich. How I survived the next two hours of driving without being reminded to look at the road, I’ll never know, but it was nice being able to glance at the side mirrors and perform a head-check without being told off.

Overall though, the road trip was a pleasant one, with the vehicle being comfortable enough to allow a non-stop drive from Holbrook to the Dandenongs via Yea – a leg of approximately 400km.

To see how the Nissan Navara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Despite Nissan slimming down the Navara lineup, there is still a good spread of options among the four variants.

2026 Nissan Navara SL standard equipment highlights:

• 17-inch steel wheels with 265/65R17 all-terrain tyres
• Full-size matching spare
• Black grained mirror caps, door handles
• Front and rear mud guards
• Tailgate assist, lock
• 4 x cargo bed tie-down hooks
• Automatic LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Rain-sensing wipers
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen
• 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• 4-speaker sound system
• Climate control air-conditioning with second-row air vents
• Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
• Urethane steering wheel
• Black fabric upholstery
• 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat with 2-way power lumbar
• 4-way manually adjustable passenger seat
• 1 x USB-C outlet (front)
• 1 x USB-A outlet (front)
• 2 x 12V outlets (1 x front, 1 x rear)
• Sunglasses holder
• 2 x glove boxes (1 x open, 1 x with door)
• Rear centre armrest with two cup holders
• Vinyl floors
• Grey headliner and A-pillar trim
• Urethane shifter with PVC boot

The ST adds:

• LED front fog lights
• Side steps
• Polished sports bar
• Boulder grey mirror caps, door handles
• Leather-accented steering wheel
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Power-folding, heated exterior mirrors
• Rear privacy glass
• 1 x USB-C outlet (rear)
• 1 x USB-A outlet (rear)
• Carpeted floors

The ST-X adds:

• 18-inch gunmetal alloy wheels with 265/60R18 highway-terrain tyres
• Hill descent control
• Selectable Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock drive modes
• Body-colour lower front bumper
• Silver-accented grille
• Tub liner
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• Dual-zone climate control
• Heated front seats
• Black leather-accented upholstery
• 8-way power driver’s seat with 2-way power lumbar
• 6-speaker sound system
• Carpet floor mats
• Sunvisor vanity mirrors
• 2 x glove boxes with lids
• Leather-accented shifter with PVC boot
• PVC centre console lid

The Pro-4X adds:

• 17-inch matte black alloy wheels with 265/65R17 all-terrain tyres
• Tow bar
• Red-accented grille
• Gloss black mirror caps, door handles, roof rails
• Black sports bar
• Black wheel-arch flares with red accents
• Black leather-accented upholstery with red accents
• Leather-accented steering wheel with orange stitching
• Black headliner and A-pillar trim
• PVC centre console lid with orange stitching

To see how the Nissan Navara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Nissan Navara safe?

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program – better known as ANCAP – has awarded the Nissan Navara a full five-star safety rating, based on 2024 crash tests conducted of the Triton.

Across the four scoring sections, the Navara did particularly well with adult and child occupant protection, and matched the likes of the Ranger and Kia Tasman for vulnerable road user protection, but did quite poorly for safety assist – with the Ranger, Tasman, and HiLux all above 80 per cent.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver attention monitoring
• Front cross-traffic alert
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane-keep assist
• Emergency lane-keep assist
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Multi-collision braking
• Surround-view camera
• Traffic sign recognition
• Trailer sway control
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• 8 airbags
  • Front
  • Front side
  • Front centre
  • Driver’s knee
  • Curtain

To see how the Nissan Navara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Nissan Navara cost to run?

Nissan offers the Navara with a factory-backed 10-year, 300,000km warranty, together with roadside assistance – the best in the industry – however, this is conditional on the vehicle being serviced on time through Nissan’s dealer network.

For those who choose to service their vehicle elsewhere, the warranty reverts to five years of coverage, with no limit on mileage.

As with the outgoing model, Nissan offers capped-price servicing at $499 for each of the first five services, which are spaced every 12 months or 15,000km – whichever comes first.

To see how the Nissan Navara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Nissan Navara

The new-generation Nissan Navara is a big step forward for the nameplate, but ultimately offers no-nonsense motoring with solid build quality and a good list of equipment.

The engine and transmission aren’t going to blow anyone away – especially in the noise department, with arguably one of the least inspiring soundtracks around – but for a diesel workhorse that can tackle some rough off-road terrain, there really aren’t any major complaints.

There is a price premium over the Triton on which it’s based, but the Navara also offers a more pleasant ride and improved dynamics – particularly when it comes to the ST-X and Pro-4X variants – giving it an edge over its Mitsubishi counterpart. Whether it’s worth it really depends on the buyer. Ultimately, they’ll have to decide whether they’d rather have the money in their pocket, or improved comfort and handling.

But it’s the interior that is one of the biggest selling points, with the Navara offering a good mix of high-quality materials, along with a decent array of switchgear, comfortable ergonomics, and technology that is easy to use.

For anyone needing a ute to do actual ute things, and also moonlight as a family car, the Navara ST feels like the sweet spot at less than $60,000. For those planning to hit the bush or beach, it might be worth waiting for the Navara Warrior.

While the automatic isn’t the most refined unit we’ve used, our only real bugbear is the driver monitoring system, which we feel needs to be updated so you don’t constantly feel like you’re a bad student at a Catholic school in the 1950s.

The D27 Navara isn’t presenting itself as a revolutionary new ute, and it’s not changing the game in any meaningful way – but that’s also its strongest selling point.

For those who need a new ute but don’t like how most new cars drive, how much they cost, or how they force-feed you technology, the new Nissan Navara is a compelling option.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Nissan Navara. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Nissan Navara showroom

It follows on from the Torres Hybrid, and the related Musso EV ute, all of which are underpinned by the same monocoque platform (not the ladder frame on which the diesel Musso is based). 

However, this mid-size electric SUV has a battery pack sourced from BYD, and some of the specs seem pretty promising. 

But has the auto brand previously known as SsangYong got the price right for a front-wheel drive electric crossover in the hard-fought medium SUV segment?

How much does the KGM Torres EVX cost?

There’s just one version of the KGM Torres EVX on sale in Australia.

There are rivals out there with more range for similar or less money, and from brands that might hold their value better, too.

The Toyota bZ4X 2WD is priced at $55,990 before on-road costs, but if you buy it through the brand’s financial services arm, you could get an extra $5000 off. And it’s a Toyota, with almost 600km of range.

Or you could look at the GAC Aion V, starting from $42,990 plus on-roads, and while it's a bit smaller on the outside, it’s a roomy machine inside and has heaps of gear for the money. More than 500km of EV range, too.

To see how the KGM Torres EVX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the KGM Torres EVX like on the inside?

If you’ve seen any other current-gen KGM model on this platform, the interior design is going to feel very familiar. 

There’s a lot of dark material finishing, but the copper tones that are evident throughout make a marked difference, with a panel on the dash and the same tone of stitching through the seats and doors. 

Combined with the ambient lighting and tidy touchscreen housing, it all looks impressive in a minimalist kind of way.

The twin 12.3-inch digital screen layout has no buttons or dials, so that might be a problem for some. There is a side panel for main controls and menu switching, and a pop-out menu for climate control and the controls for front seat heating and ventilation, as well as steering wheel heating, fan speed, temp, recirc, demister, and air direction.

But I think a bigger issue is the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, and there’s no wireless phone charger, either. It’s plug-and-play (and power!) only. I had a couple of moments when the screen seemed somewhat delayed in its responses when using USB-connected CarPlay, too.

One little quirk that could potentially take only a software update to fix is the fact the home menu panel is all the way over to the left of the touchscreen, meaning it is quite a reach for the driver to jump between menus. 

You need to get used to the drop-down menu being important on this screen, too. It houses a number of different controls including your Auto Hold button (more detail on that in the driving section) but also your drive mode selector and much more.

There’s also an EV Mode screen that allows you to see what’s happening with your battery pack and also configure the settings for charging timers and settings, and even an ‘at a glance’ view of how long your charging times will be.

The storage on offer in the cabin area is great, but one thing about it really needs to be improved. The section in front of the gear selector can theoretically holster your phone (with a USB cable poking through to keep it connected and charging), but unless you’re running an iPhone 3G, said phone will tumble out or tip over very easily.

Above the front USB-C ports is a small shelf that you could probably pop a phone or a wallet into, while below it is a rubber-matted storage section for loose items. There are also cupholders, a centre console bin, and a soft-padded armrest.

In the doors there are big pockets with bottle holders and large sleeves, and the glove box is a reasonable size as well – yes, it has one, with a normal handle.

No sunglasses holder, but you do get illuminated vanity mirrors on both sun visors, and they extend out too. And there’s a ‘regular’ or ‘conventional’ sunroof as well, which when open allows a lighter and airier feel up front, because the black headlining is, well, dark.

Back-seat space is great, with my 6’0”/182cm frame able to sit behind my own driving position with space to spare in front of my knees. Toeroom is generous, and headroom is brilliant. If you’ve got a six-footer in your family, they’ll fit in the back. The kink in the car’s roofline really allows a bit more space.

There are grab handles and hooks for storage, and centrally mounted overhead lights, but you can’t turn them on individually. Parents will get why that could be a problem. 

There are standard retractable manual sun blinds, big bottle holders in the doors, multiple pockets on the seatbacks, and a flip-down armrest with cupholders.

A pair of USB-C ports and directional air vents are housed in the centre area, but while there is a transmission tunnel to contend with if you are planning to put three across, it is a pretty wide cabin. The window seats have ISOFIX child seat anchors and there are three top-tethers, too.

The rear seat also offers a level of recline in a 60:40 split, which is handy for road trips, but the seatback isn’t recline-adjustable.

The boot offers a competitive amount of cargo capacity – 465 litres to the seatbacks or 703L to the ceiling – with the same amount of cargo space as the hybrid models.

It has a retractable cargo cover, a pull-down shopping bag hook, a light to the side, and an interior electric tailgate button – very handy for shorties who can’t reach the button on the boot lid.

Underneath the boot, however, you will not find a spare wheel – instead you just get a tyre repair kit. That's frustrating, considering there’s a bolt hole and space to mount a space-saver, though it’s not officially offered.

To see how the KGM Torres EVX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The KGM Torres EVX is only offered with one powertrain option in Australia, and this fully electric model doesn’t push the boundaries for power, torque, range or charging specs…

There are some positive considerations here. Some budget EVs offer slower AC and DC charging, but this is reasonably good on both fronts.

And the EV driving range is probably what you’d call 'acceptable' for this type of vehicle, but as I mentioned above, some cheaper rivals offer more than 500km of rated range. 

And the thing with sourcing battery tech from BYD? Well that company’s expertise is reassuring, but the reality is that LFP battery systems aren’t as efficient as NMC setups.

The latter – with more than 80kWh of capacity – would likely equate to more than 600km of driving range. But here you’ve got a big battery with a smaller-than-expected range.

Anyway, it’s not as efficient as I'd hoped. On my test, I saw a displayed energy consumption of 21.7kWh per 100km, which is high for a basic front-drive EV doing normal things.

But, in appealing news for urban drivers who don’t have off-street parking – the charge-port location is on the passenger-side front quarter panel, which will make pulling into kerb chargers simpler. Just make sure you pull in really close if it’s a nose-in parking spot for charging.

As for the charging speed? The maximum potential DC recharge rate at 400A is 164.8kW, which is somewhat of a theoretical calculation. I’d say you’d be better off expecting a maximum recharge rate of 130kW on DC. I plugged in to see what I’d get, and it topped out at 118kW on a 37-degree Celsius day. 

For what it’s worth, KGM states that 10-80% DC charging at a 100kW charger should take about 46 minutes, while a 300kW charger would cut that to 35 minutes or so.

To see how the KGM Torres EVX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the KGM Torres EVX drive?

I recently drove the hybrid version of the Torres, which I thought was an improvement. This one? Even better.

Partly, that comes down to the simple nature of EVs. They’re smooth, eager, and offer easily enough grunt for most people’s needs.

Even ones like this – which isn’t a headline-grabber in terms of the outputs – hustles along with heaps of shove when you need it, and of course it’s super-smooth. And while it is front-wheel drive, the power output is reasonably well delivered.

There is a single-speed transmission managing things, and therefore there's nothing to whinge about there… well, almost nothing.

The biggest issue with the drive experience is the gear selector. Maybe it’s just because I drive hundreds of cars each year, but the fact you have to either ‘double shift’ to get from R to D (or vice-versa), or just hold it for more than a second to get it to switch up or back, can be really annoying.

Say you’re trying to quickly do a three- or five-point turn in a suburban street. You WILL, and I guarantee this, mistakenly not select the gear you want.

You’ll also want to make sure Auto Hold is engaged, because if you do mistakenly end up selecting Neutral when you want R or D, it’ll roll forward or backward if Auto Hold isn’t on.

Beyond that, you’ve got a configurable regenerative braking system with paddle-shift adjustment to make it easier to change between the modes. The most assertive setting isn’t quite a single-pedal, come-to-a-complete-stop style ‘e-pedal’ mode, but you can do most driving moves just using the throttle if you want it to be that strong. Three modes means it’s easy to set it how you prefer.

The brake pedal feel beyond the regen is honest enough, with a progressive travel and reasonably strong stopping performance. It certainly felt a bit more reassuring than the KGM Musso EV ute I drove recently.

The suspension manages most bumps pretty well, but like many EVs the Torres has a bit of a weight issue to consider, and so it can transmit some of the little lumps and bumps in the surface more than you’d hope. 

It isn’t constantly being jostled around, though, and while there's noticeable body roll when you change directions at pace, it handles itself well. The tyres are fine, but not the most assertive feeling when it comes to grip levels.

Other safety considerations include the excellent surround-view camera, and there are other great inclusions that won’t get on your nerves, too. 

No bing-bong nonsense from driver monitoring cameras or the speed-sign technology constantly misreading the road rules. There is a lane keeping assist feature, but you can long-press the steering wheel button for it to go away.

Overall, it’s not a bad thing to drive, and seemingly a pretty great thing to live with.

To see how the KGM Torres EVX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

One spec, and a decent list of standard inclusions for the KGM Torres EVX.

2026 KGM Torres EVX equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Power sunroof
• Power tailgate
• Black roof rails
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• Rear privacy glass
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Leatherette upholstery
• 8-way power-adjustable front seats
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated outboard rear seats
• Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Dual-zone climate control
• Ambient lighting
• Rear door pull-up sun blinds

What’s missing? A few things.

There is no wireless phone charging, no wireless smartphone mirroring tech, and no connected services, so there’s no app to control the car’s settings remotely from your phone. And there’s no spare wheel.

To see how the KGM Torres EVX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the KGM Torres EVX safe?

The KGM Torres still doesn’t have a safety rating from ANCAP or Euro NCAP. Based on the current requirements it wouldn’t score five stars, because the Gods of ANCAP are laser-focused on safety technology that annoys drivers immensely. This SUV doesn’t have those things, and it’s better to live with for that.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Leading vehicle departure alert
• Multi-collision braking
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safe exit warning
• Surround-view camera
• Front and rear parking sensors

It has eight airbags: dual front, front side, driver’s knee, front centre, and curtain window airbags for both rows of seats.

To see how the KGM Torres EVX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the KGM Torres EVX cost to run?

KGM Australia offers a standard seven-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty.

There’s great news if you plan to hang on to your Torres EVX for the long run, with a 10-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for the BYD Blade high-voltage battery pack.

Maintenance is mostly easygoing, with an initial six-month/5000km service for free, but thereafter the intervals are 12 months or 20,000km.

There’s no traditional 'capped-price' service plan, but KGM offers “service pricing” covering seven years or 140,000km of maintenance. 

Over that period, the average service cost – before some consumable items – is $285. Check out the KGM Australia site to see more info.

KGM Australia offers five years of free ‘call for help’ roadside assistance. 

The biggest ownership cost – as with all new mainstream cars – will be the resale value. And frankly, at this point, EVs aren’t renowned for holding their value, no matter how good they are.

To see how the KGM Torres EVX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the KGM Torres EVX

The KGM Torres EVX isn’t the best car in the mid-size electric SUV class, but if you like the way it looks and the space it offers, it could be a great choice for you.

Have your say in the comments section below – is it worth $58k with the specs and tech it has on offer?

Interested in buying a KGM Torres? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here.

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MORE: Explore the KGM Torres showroom

More specifically, cheap Chinese electric SUVs, and their stranglehold on Australia’s affordable electric vehicle (EV) market. Mmmm, delicious.

You see, Skoda has always pitched itself as a bit of a value hero compared to other European automakers, but that’s no longer enough to ensure the brand’s health Down Under.

Instead, it now has to carve out a slice of the growing EV pie, and that means stealing business from everyone – manufacturers from Germany, Japan, Korea and, most importantly, China. The only problem is the Chinese promise everything for nothing, offering well-equipped family vehicles for the price of a base Volkswagen Golf.

Skoda's solution? This – the Elroq 60 Select. At under $50,000 drive-away, Skoda’s new EV entry point is cheap enough to compete with some of the most budget-friendly mid-size electric SUVs.

But is it cheap and cheerful, or cheap and nasty? Or, perhaps, does the truth lie somewhere in between?

Read on to find out.

How much does the Skoda Elroq cost?

Priced at $49,990 drive-away, the 60 Select costs $10,000 less than the previous entry-level 85 Select variant, and a whopping $20,000 less than the flagship 130 Years Edition.

Indeed, it’s priced more closely to sub-$50k Chinese opposition including the BYD Atto 3, Deepal S07, Geely EX5, Leapmotor C10, and XPeng G6.

Another option buyers in this space might consider is the Skoda Enyaq – the Elroq’s slightly larger but otherwise very similar sibling. It starts from $54,990 drive-away.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Skoda Elroq like on the inside?

The cheapest European EV in Australia certainly doesn’t feel cheap. Far from it.

Rather, like dearer versions of the Elroq, the 60 Select is a premium product that punches above its affordable price tag.

That’s not to say it’s overflowing with gadgets and gizmos, because it’s not, but the interior specifications are still impressive considering this is a sub-$50k electric SUV not built in China.

For example, the new entry-level Elroq retains little luxuries like front seat heating and a wireless phone charger – pretty standard stuff for a Chinese EV in this ballpark, but not so much for those from Japan, Korea, and Germany.

Most of the cabin trim is of a high standard, too. You get soft-touch finishes across the upper dash and door cards, along with quality cloth upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. All of it feels durable and well screwed together.

The front seats are plush and ergonomic in equal measure, despite requiring manual adjustment. Padding on either side of the transmission tunnel gives you a soft spot to rest your left knee while driving. As such, it really is easy to get comfortable in the pilot’s chair.

And, beyond that, it doesn’t take long to familiarise yourself with all the key controls. A single strip of clicky shortcuts below the infotainment screen provides straightforward access to popular vehicle functions, while physical buttons and toggles are linked to adjustment of the side mirrors and air vents – simple, as it should be.

The technology suite is similarly user-friendly. Sitting atop the dash is the same 13-inch infotainment system shared across several newer Skoda models, and that’s a good thing because the screen is simple to navigate, quick to respond, and relatively pleasing on the eye. It must be said that there’s a very slight fuzz to the visuals, but not enough for it to be worthy of complaint.

As with most modern vehicles, all onboard functionality is laid out in an app grid that will be familiar to those who own a modern smartphone. That is, 95 per cent of people.

More unique to the Skoda system is its breadth of configurability – the home screen layout and shortcut icons can be chopped and changed to suit user preferences. By default, shortcuts for audio output, phone functionality, smartphone mirroring, navigation, and climate controls are pinned to the base of the screen.

You can also swipe down on the screen for quick access to A/C and audio controls.

While thoroughly modern, the infotainment system in the Elroq isn’t paired with the problematic touch-sensitive controls that plagued previous-generation Volkswagen Group products, bar a volume slider under the infotainment screen. It is, however, mated to an eight-speaker sound system that muddied instrument-led music a little too much for my liking.

Moving across, the Elroq also features a very small yet effective instrument display. Tucked into the dash directly behind the steering wheel, the 5.0-inch unit shows key information including speed and efficiency data without any added fluff.

There’s no head-up display in this entry model, although that’s not unexpected.

More importantly, the 60 Select variant doesn’t go without any of the clever storage cubbies that make the Elroq so practical. That means you still get a deep centre console bin with removable shelves, a wide tray at the base of the central ‘bridge’, carpet-lined door bins fit for a large drink bottle, and room for two smartphones behind the cupholders. There’s simply no excuse for any loose items to be left homeless up front.

Continuing on the subject of practicality, connectivity options are also plentiful. Wireless smartphone mirroring is standard, as are a pair of USB-C outlets that live at the base of the centre stack. Contrary to what we’ve written previously, all Elroqs including the 60 Select offer wireless phone charging.

And you'll need to keep your phone paired up, as the Elroq doesn't offer satellite navigation. Nor does it come with connected services – a technology that enables remote start and stop, vehicle system monitoring and tracking, remote climate control, and over-the-air software updates – among other functions. For reference, the Tesla Model Y, Toyota bZ4X and Hyundai Ioniq 5 all offer some form of net-based services and remote app functionality as standard.

As is the case up front, the second row of the Elroq 60 Select is generously appointed and impressively spacious.

Despite looking quite compact from the outside, the Elroq is a bit of a TARDIS thanks to the relatively long wheelbase it shares with the closely related Enyaq. Wide-opening rear doors aid ingress and egress, and once you’re inside there’s plenty of legroom and headroom for taller adults. Rear passengers also benefit from the light headlining of the 60 Select, which makes the rear bench space feel open and airy.

And, being an EV, the Elroq has a flat floor that encourages use of the middle seat. Or you can option a removable storage box that fits perfectly into the centre section of floor.

Compared to the flagship 130 Years Edition, the 60 Select misses out on rear climate control, sunshades and outboard seat heating. Still, it’s a pleasant place to spend some time in and retains twin air vents, USB-C outlets, and clever split map pockets.

When not required, the rear bench folds in a 60/40 fashion to maximise cargo room, albeit with a steep step between the boot and bench storage.

Skoda claims 470 litres of boot capacity for the 60 Select – 115L less than the Enyaq SUV, but more than the Geely EX5, BYD Atto 3, and Deepal S07.

A few ‘simply clever’ extras, including nooks in the boot wall and various bag hooks, help to sweeten the deal. And while there’s no under-bonnet storage area, charging cables fit nicely under the boot floor.

A power tailgate is reserved for the 130 Years Edition, while all Elroqs receive a tyre repair kit instead of a traditional spare.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Compared to other Elroq variants, the 60 Select is down on battery capacity, straight-line performance, and driving range. It does, however, boast a higher peak DC fast-charging rate.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Skoda Elroq drive?

The ’60’ badged Elroq captures the agreeable essence of the model without much compromise.

On paper, the gap in performance between the Elroq 60 and Elroq 85 is 60kW and 235Nm. In reality, it’s more like the difference between keeping up with traffic and getting ahead of it. That’s to say the lower output version produces more than enough punch in most situations, including the 0-60-0km/h flow of urban driving.

The one possible exception is high-speed overtaking, but even during highway stints I never found myself wanting more ‘go’.

After all, 150kW and 310Nm is nothing to sneeze at, and few rival electric SUVs at this price point offer much more than that. Combustion-engined SUVs may pull harder at the top end, but they lack the instant electric response of the Elroq, even in its base form.

So, if you were worried about the drivability of this milder Elroq, you shouldn’t be. It’s hard to be quite as definitive on the topic of range, though.

Skoda claims the Elroq 60 can cover 395km on a single charge – 134km down on other Elroq variants, and likewise well short of the 450-500km promised by competitors including the BYD Atto 3, Geely EX5, and Deepal S07.

Now, if you’re buying the Elroq primarily as a city runabout, that’s not really going to concern you. Especially if you can charge it at home. However, when you start looking at longer road trips, this deficit can be the difference between making one stop or multiple. In other words, it starts to matter.

It’s just as well the Elroq charges far quicker than all the aforementioned Chinese EVs, then. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be particularly bothered by the Elroq’s mediocre range.

And, on balance, the many strengths of this car more than make up for it. Like other variants, the Elroq 60 is a palate-cleansing EV with a flat learning curve. The driving position is absolutely ace, while all the controls are physical in nature and where you’d expect them to be – I’m looking at you, Tesla!

What’s more, there’s a simple selection of drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual – rather than a seemingly endless list of adjustable parameters in the infotainment system. Individual mode lets you tinker with the dynamics, steering, throttle response and exterior sound, but otherwise you can just leave the Elroq in Normal and get on with driving.

Doing so quickly reveals more endearing qualities. Shift into ‘D’ and there’s a calming familiarity to the Elroq, while ‘B’ mode increases regenerative braking without complication – there’s an instant slowing sensation when you lift off the right pedal, but it’s progressive and very easy to modulate.

The Elroq also feels right-sized for Australian roads, with excellent outward visibility and no major blind spots.

By the same token, low noise levels leave little room for complaint. The single-motor electric powertrain is whisper-quiet, yet the sounds of the outside world still struggle to find their way into the cabin, leaving you to enjoy a podcast or some tunes in peace.

There’s no threat of rogue safety aids disturbing that peace, either. Advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) aren’t lacking, but they’re all calibrated to be helpful rather than overbearing. The Volkswagen Group as a whole seems to have this figured out.

Travel Assist – a semi-autonomous driving system combining adaptive cruise control and lane centring – is standard across the Elroq range. The system is highly competent and operated via a dedicated stalk behind the steering wheel – not quite as intuitive as buttons, but easy enough to get used to.

It’s not so easy, however, to get used to the firmness of the Elroq’s suspension, a drawback that’s likewise common across the range. There’s simply not enough give in the passive dampers on Australia’s rough roads, resulting in a busy, bumpy ride that rarely settles. A two-tonne kerb weight likely doesn’t help, either.

Is that a deal-breaker? If you live somewhere with particularly poor surfacing, perhaps. At least those people have the option to instead buy the closely related Enyaq, which can be had with Skoda’s Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive damper system. Why you can’t spec an Elroq the same way, I couldn’t tell you.

And it’s not like the Elroq’s firmness translates to razor-sharp handling – you can really feel its weight in the body roll induced by faster, sweeping bends.

With that said, I was impressed by the stickiness of the Hankook Ventus Evo S1 tyres fitted to our test vehicle, which ensured the Elroq still felt composed and predictable when pushed. Compact dimensions also work in its favour on narrower roads.

The steering feels a little more natural than most EVs at this price point, too, although Sport mode detracts from that by adding artificial sludge to the rack.

Overall, though, the Elroq 60 still delivers a satisfyingly simple and approachable driving experience.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The cheaper price doesn’t mean the Elroq 60 Select misses out on much gear. In fact, a lot of it is shared with the 85 Select, including 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, and adaptive cruise control with Travel Assist.

2026 Skoda Elroq 60 Select equipment highlights:

• 19-inch ‘Proteus’ alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• LED tail-lights
• Auto-dimming rear view mirror
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Heated, folding, auto-dimming side mirrors
• 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• 5.3-inch digital instrument display
• Wireless smartphone charger incl. ventilation
• 4 x USB-C outlets
• 8-speaker sound system
• Dual-zone climate control
• LED ambient lighting
• Grey cloth and leatherette upholstery
• Green stitching
• Heated front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Mode 3 (Type 2) charging cable
• Keyless entry, start

Elroq 85 Select adds:

• Dark chrome exterior trim
• LED rear fog lights
• LED indicators
• LED door pocket lighting
• Rear centre armrest
• Removable rear storage box
• Tailgate pull handle

Elroq 130 Edition adds:

• 21-inch Supernova alloy wheels
• Matrix LED headlights
  • Dynamic headlight range control
  • Dynamic cornering lights
• Premium LED tail-lights
• Head-up display incl. augmented reality function
• Intelligent Park Assist
• Power-adjustable front seats
  • Electric lumbar
  • Massage function
  • Memory
• 360-degree parking cameras
• Canton 12-speaker sound system
• Power tailgate with hands-free opening
• Anthracite TechnoFil /orange-stitched grey faux leather seat trim
• ‘Premium’ interior finishes
• Rear sunshades
• Heated rear seats (outboard)
• Three-zone climate control

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Skoda Elroq safe?

The Skoda Elroq has not yet been tested by Australian safety authority ANCAP, but it does hold a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating based on 2025 testing.

Standard safety features include:

• 7 airbags
• Travel Assist
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Traffic Jam Assist
  • Adaptive Lane Assist
  • Emergency Assist
• Front Assist – AEB
  • incl. Turn Assist
• Side Assist
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Exit warning
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver fatigue detection
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rear-view camera

85 Select adds:

• Manoeuvre braking assist – front and rear

130 Years Edition adds:

• Park Assist
• Surround-view camera
• Rear side airbags

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Skoda Elroq cost to run?

The Elroq is covered by Skoda’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty in Australia.

Servicing is relatively inexpensive if you opt for one of Skoda’s prepaid service packages which cover maintenance costs for up to 10 years. Pay-as-you-go servicing is also available, with Skoda quoting $502 per visit.

Elroq buyers can also take advantage of Skoda Choice – the brand’s guaranteed value and finance program.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Skoda Elroq 60 Select

One of Australia’s most underrated EVs just got even better.

By dropping a smaller battery into the Elroq (and Enyaq), Skoda has managed to improve upon an already compelling value proposition without introducing too many compromises.

Sure, 400km of range won’t quite be enough for some, but quick charging speeds help to offset that somewhat. As for the reduction in performance, it’s a non-issue, at least as far as I’m concerned.

Those downgrades aside, the Elroq 60 Select is still an Elroq – efficient, well-equipped, practical, and approachable in every sense of the word.

Indeed, what you’re getting here is a thoughtfully designed, European-built SUV with Volkswagen Group underpinnings for the price of an alternative that’s either smaller, or not of the same standing.

Throw in cheap servicing and a seven-year warranty and, well, the Elroq 60 Select makes a very strong case to be your next EV.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Skoda Elroq. Click here to get a great deal

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MORE: Explore the Skoda Elroq showroom

The Vitara Hybrid enters as an upgraded version of the long-running fourth-generation small SUV that’s been around for over a decade, and now features 48V mild-hybrid tech and enhanced equipment levels.

Meanwhile, the 2026 Suzuki e Vitara you see here is an all-new dedicated electric vehicle (EV) built by the Japanese brand’s Maruti Suzuki affiliate in India and exported around the globe. Toyota is even getting in on the action, developing its own badge-engineered version named the Urban Cruiser, which is already on sale overseas.

Due on sale here around June or July of 2026, the e Vitara will be Suzuki’s first EV in Australia, and all signs point to its landing at the more attainable end of the Australian EV market, likely posing as a new rival for the increasing number of cheap Chinese electric crossovers.

Pricing for Australia won’t be announced for a bit, but Japanese-market positioning points to the e Vitara being better value than initially thought, given it starts in Suzuki’s home market for the equivalent of $35,000.

Ahead of its official Australian market arrival later this year, Suzuki Australia invited us to a brief pre-launch drive in Sydney alongside the Vitara Hybrid and rejigged MY26 Jimny range.

Our friends in the UK, who drove the e Vitara in November, said it’s a “solid” first effort, but they were somewhat uninspired given the price positioning in Europe against rival vehicles. So, what did we think about the pre-production version for Australia?

How much does the Suzuki e Vitara cost?

We don’t know how much it’ll cost here just yet, though Suzuki Australia hinted at it being “competitive”.

“The reason we can’t talk about it today is we’re very, very early in the stages of the launch phase of that car,” said Michael Pachota, general manager for Suzuki Australia. “But once pricing comes out, you’ll see that it will have a competitive nature.”

The Indian-made Suzuki e Vitara is already on sale in overseas markets like Japan and Europe, and is also available abroad as the rebadged Toyota Urban Cruiser.

While the e Vitara’s UK starting price of £26,249 (A$49,255) points to a local entry price closer to something like the larger Kia EV3, which has a substantially longer WLTP-tested driving range, the e Vitara’s price in Japan could be a more accurate and promising indicator of the new EV’s positioning Down Under.

The entry-level variant in Japan with a smaller 49kWh battery starts from 3,993,000 yen including the Japanese consumption tax, which converts to A$35,210. The flagship AWD version with a larger 61kWh battery, meanwhile, is listed in Suzuki’s home market at 4,928,000 yen, or A$43,455.

Other key competitors for Suzuki’s first electric vehicle in Australia could include the Chery E5 (from $38,990 drive-away), Leapmotor B10 (from $38,990 drive-away), MG S5 EV (from $40,990 drive-away), and Jaecoo J5 (from $36,990 drive-away).

The higher-spec e Vitara Ultra is one of few compact EVs at this end of the market to be available with dual-motor all-wheel drive, which none of its aforementioned Chinese rivals offer at this point in time.

To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Suzuki e Vitara like on the inside?

Where the ageing Vitara is feeling a bit cheap and dated inside, the e Vitara feels substantially more sophisticated in its cabin presentation.

You’ll notice some Toyota links on the centre console, which looks like it was nicked from a bZ4X or Subaru Solterra, while the dual 10-inch driver and infotainment displays have a much more modern look than other Suzuki systems.

There’s a good mix of soft-touch surfaces mixed in with interesting details like the brown trim accents and piano-black plastic on the centre console – which has shiny showroom appeal but will easily scratch and smudge.

It’s also good to see an array of physical switchgear in a new EV, namely for the climate controls and drive modes. As is typical Suzuki fare, the buttons have a nice, solid action when pressed, and feel of solid quality.

Ahead of the e-shifter is a pair of cupholders and a shelf for your phone, which in the Ultra features a wireless phone charging pad. The base model just has a mildly rubberised platform to stop your phone flying around when driving.

The conjoined 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch central media system are standardised across both variants, and feature a new interface compared to other models in the Suzuki stable.

My brief time with the car didn’t allow me to really flesh out the features and test their general usability, but the digital instrument cluster offers multiple views and looks relatively upmarket, and the infotainment system offers wireless smartphone mirroring.

Thankfully, Suzuki has retained physical toggles for the climate control system on the dashboard, meaning you don’t have to dive through the touchscreen to adjust the temperature if you don’t want to.

While not as quick to load or animate as some of the displays in Chinese-branded rivals, the software and interface is clean, attractive, and works fine – in our very limited experience.

A relatively long 2700mm wheelbase means the very compact 4275mm-long e Vitara has decent rear passenger accommodation for such a small car.

I’m 6’1″ tall and could easily squeeze in behind my preferred driving position, so as a city runabout or grocery-getter it will make plenty of sense if you have smaller kids or regular passengers that are of average height.

That said, headroom gets tight at my height (though my hair adds about two inches!), and there are sadly no rear air vents behind the centre console like in some rivals.

Behind the sliding and reclining rear bench seat is a boot that measures between 244-310 litres depending on the rear seat position, and all versions come with a tyre repair kit in lieu of a spare wheel.

To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The e Vitara will offer two powertrain variants for most of Australia, while Suzuki Queensland will offer a total of three – read more on that here.

While just two versions will be available for most of Australia, Suzuki Queensland (which distributes cars in the Sunshine State and the Northern Rivers region of NSW) will also offer an Ultra FWD version with the 61kWh battery.

Powered by the 106kW/193Nm motor and larger LFP battery, the QLD-market’s e Vitara Ultra FWD offers a claimed 426km of range based on WLTP testing.

Suzuki Australia says it’s open to adding this variant further down the track pending demand, but has no firm plans at this point in time.

To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Suzuki e Vitara drive?

When we say “quick drive”, we really mean it was a quick drive.

The preview drive for the e Vitara was held in conjunction with the Vitara Hybrid we drove at the same event, and while there were two variants of the (mild) ‘Hybrid’ to drive on-road, there was just one version of the e Vitara, limited to two vehicles for some eight journalists.

As a result, I only got about a 15-minute stint behind the wheel of the e Vitara Motion on public roads, ahead of some soft-roading, acceleration and slalom tests in the AllGrip model – which is why my first impressions are fairly light-on.

What I can tell you is the little electric Suzuki feels solid, smooth and relatively refined, in a Toyota-like way, befitting the e Vitara’s shared DNA with the Toyota Urban Cruiser sold overseas.

Driven back-to-back with the Vitara Hybrid, the e Vitara feels stronger off the line, is more refined in terms of road and powertrain noise insulation, and feels a little more solid in terms of general road-holding and dynamics.

It’s by no means a firecracker nor a revelation in this space, but it’s competent and confident in the way it drives, which at this end of the market is more than enough – price pending.

The ride is generally quite supple, though the steering is a touch slow and slightly vague feeling at times. Once again, however, the target buyer is unlikely to be all that fussed by that, given the driving character of many rival models.

Efficiency and range are hard to gauge from such a short drive, though with an indicated 90 per cent charge on a hot day with the air-con running, the e Vitara had already dipped below 300km of indicated driving range.

The 'one-pedal' driving mode wasn’t much to write home about either, because it's effectively a max regen mode that still requires brake pedal inputs in most scenarios, including if you want to slow the car to a stop. Again, it just feels old-gen.

Suzuki claims about 345km on the WLTP cycle for the FWD 49kWh drivetrain, so it’ll be interesting to get a better idea of its real-world efficiency when we get it through the CarExpert garage.

In the spirit of a ‘quick’ drive, we also got to do some brief light-duty off-roading in the e Vitara AllGrip, over some gravel trails and dirt mounds.

While it’s not going to be chasing a Jimny up a rocky slope, the e Vitara’s AllGrip-e dual-motor 4WD system offers good traction – given the damp and slippery sections after rain – and its decent 180mm of ground clearance means it should be fine for basic camping trails and unsealed roads.

After that we did some acceleration runs against the Vitara Hybrid, and a couple of runs through a slalom course to get a feel for its handling and body control when pushed.

Suzuki claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 7.4 seconds, and it feels quicker than that up to 60 or 80km/h before tapering off towards triple figures. In all honesty, it’s as fast as it needs to be for this kind of vehicle.

It was quicker than the 80.9kW Vitara Hybrid, and its performance in the slalom was decent. As with other Suzuki vehicles, there’s a manageable amount of lean that makes it a little playful, though you can feel its weight shift laterally through quick changes of direction at speed.

At just under 1.8 tonnes (according to EU/UK specs), the e Vitara AllGrip is lardy relative to its featherweight Vitara Hybrid stablemate (1275kg in AllGrip guise), and that is felt in the bends even though it’s competent enough.

That’s about as much as I can say for now, as we didn’t have any highway stretches on which to test any of its driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control – though it’s worth noting all variants come fully equipped.

I did appreciate the standard surround camera system, though its quality pales in comparison to the excellent live feeds found in most Chinese competitors.

To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Suzuki Australia will offer the e Vitara in ‘Motion’ and ‘Ultra’ trim levels, while Suzuki Queensland will sell the Ultra in both FWD and AWD versions with the longer-range 61kWh battery pack.

2026 Suzuki e Vitara Motion equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Auto LED headlights
• Auto high-beam
• Rain-sensing wipers
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• Fabric upholstery
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Single-zone climate control
• 12-colour ambient lighting

The e Vitara Ultra adds:

• LED fog lights
• Adaptive high-beam
• Glass roof with shade
• Premium fabric and leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable driver’s seat
• Heated front seats
• Wireless phone charging
• Infinity sound system

To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Suzuki e Vitara safe?

The e Vitara doesn’t have an ANCAP rating yet, but it’s expected the Australian model will perform similar to its European sister model, which achieved four stars in independent crash testing.

Standard safety equipment across the range includes:

• 7 airbags
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Multi-collision braking
• Parking sensors – front, rear
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Surround-view camera

To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Suzuki e Vitara cost to run?

While full details are still to be confirmed, the e Vitara will be covered by Suzuki Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty, but battery coverage is still TBC given this is the brand’s first EV in Australia.

To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Suzuki e Vitara

Given price positioning is such a key piece of the puzzle that’s currently missing here, it’s a little early to predict whether the e Vitara will be a strong competitor for the slew of Chinese entrants in the affordable EV market.

If Suzuki can land the base model with a price tag starting with a ‘3’, the e Vitara could make a good case for itself as an affordable and attainable electric SUV that’s within a stone’s throw of the likes of BYD.

However, if the e Vitara is priced more in line with its positioning in the UK, the Japanese brand will have shot itself in the foot before it touches down. Hyundai Inster 2.0, anyone?

First impressions are solid based on our brief first local drive, but our eventual verdict hinges on Suzuki’s ability to bring its first EV here with a competitive price tag, keeping in mind that most rivals at this end of the market aren’t all that inspiring either.

Watch this space.

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MORE: Explore the Suzuki e Vitara showroom

Hummers, Defenders,G-Wagens, and everything else in that niche segment have commanded loyal and cult-like followings, as owners buy into the idea of having a vehicle that could get them to the ends of the earth in style.

But there’s a good chance this is one you haven’t heard of before: the Thairung Transformer II.

It is, more or less, just a square SUV body on a Toyota HiLux platform, created with governments and military customers in mind – though they’ll happily sell one to a retail buyer, provided you’re within shouting distance of Thailand.

Thairung Union Car is a vehicle body builder in Thailand, but you have the company to thank for the likes of the Toyota Fortuner,Ford Everest,Isuzu MU-X, and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – as well as other forgotten models like the Holden Colorado 7.

You see, the company rose to prominence by taking dual-cab 4×4 utes and turning them into seven-seat SUVs in the 1990s. While ute-based SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner and HiLux Surf existed beforehand, they only came with five seats.

Thairung had the idea of using the longer wheelbases of utes to add a third row of seats, thus creating a new segment – and its popularity forced all the big automakers to follow.

However, the Transformer II is strictly created for Southeast Asia, which means you’re unlikely to ever see one in Australia. For the time being, anyway.

But given its uniqueness – and the fact it’s an interesting version of Australia’s second most popular model, the HiLux – we thought it would be a cool vehicle to check out.

As it turns out, we’re the first English-speaking media to be given the opportunity to review one.

How much does the Thairung Transformer II cost?

As the Transformer isn’t available in Australia, its price is a bit of a moot point – but for context, the vehicle starts at ฿1.6 million – or almost A$72,000.

That’s for the five-seat short-wheelbase model, with the 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine from the Thai-market 2WD Toyota HiLux – which is no longer available in Australia.

Buyers can choose from five, seven, nine, or 11 seats, with the range-topping high-roof variant starting from around A$89,000.

Interestingly though, while the vehicles are available for locals to buy, executives revealed to CarExpert that the company was no longer actively marketing the vehicle to retail buyers, following the influx of cut-price off-road SUVs from China.

To see how the Toyota HiLux lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Thairung Transformer II like on the inside?

It is, literally, a Toyota HiLux on the inside – though custom upholstery is available to buyers.

But with the new body, there are several noticeable changes, like the completely flat windscreen, the higher roof, painted metal pillar trims and, obviously, the rear cargo area.

Much of the original HiLux has been retained or reused, meaning things like exterior door handles and interior door trims are familiar Toyota fare.

We were given the chance to poke around several variants, but the one we drove was a motor show concept they called the Bumblebee – named after the iconic Autobot from the Transformer series, which is arguably best known for morphing into a Chevrolet Camaro.

That meant a new yellow and black paint job and an interior retrimmed in the same colours.

Together with the Hummer H3 silhouette and the Ironman-inspired headlights, the vehicle certainly attracted some attention on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The seven-seater offers a traditional 2+3+2 arrangement, whereas the 11-seater has a pair of three-pax bench seats facing each other, like in a Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Troop Carrier.

A side-swing rear door and a spring-loaded rear step make for easy rear access, though the rear bench seats in the nine- and 11-seater would be better suited to shorter trips.

To see how the Toyota HiLux lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

It’s also just a Toyota HiLux under the bonnet, with a choice of 2.4-litre or 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engines, six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, and either rear- or four-wheel drive.

Outputs are 110kW of power and 400Nm of torque for the smaller four-cylinder, or 150kW and 500Nm from the bigger unit. However, as in the HiLux, the 2.8-litre sees torque capped at 420Nm when paired with a manual transmission.

To see how the Toyota HiLux lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Thairung Transformer II drive?

Brace yourselves – but it drives pretty much the same as a previous-generation HiLux.

But despite retaining the leaf-sprung rear-end from the ute, the extra weight over the rear axle means it actually drives a fair bit nicer on the road than the HiLux.

The pre-loaded rear springs, coupled with shocks that seem tuned more for comfort, make for a reasonably pleasant ride. The vehicle feels settled over bumps, but naturally doesn’t offer the kind of sophistication found in ute-based seven-seaters from major car companies.

Our (very) limited time with the Transformer meant we didn’t get to blast the vehicle across the Thanon Thong Chai mountain range, but handling was more utilitarian than anything – though the higher centre of gravity meant the weight of the body was more noticeable than with a HiLux or Fortuner.

The Bumblebee used the 2.4-litre engine and auto, which I was expecting to be underpowered, but that wasn’t the case at all. There was still plenty of perk to get the Transformer up to speed, even with three people on board.

Again, we weren’t able to test its off-road abilities first-hand, but we were shown footage of the vehicle in action. Given its HiLux underpinnings, it’s no surprise that it seems pretty capable when the going gets tough.

To see how the Toyota HiLux lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Given the Transformer II is based on the previous-generation HiLux, the list of features depends on which variant of the Thai-market Toyota ute is specified.

Transformers are underpinned by either the 2.4-litre or 2.8-litre versions of the HiLux Revo Rocco Double Cab – roughly the equivalent of the Toyota HiLux Workmate Hi-Rider 4×2 or HiLux SR 4×4 dual-cab utes previously offered in Australia.

2026 Toyota HiLux Workmate equipment highlights:

• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Two-speaker sound system
• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic headlights
• Air-conditioning
• Power windows
• Vinyl floors
• Reversing camera
• 17-inch wheels

The SR adds:

• Multi-Terrain Select with six selectable modes
• Hill descent control
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Six-speaker sound system
• Front air-conditioned cooler box

To see how the Toyota HiLux lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Thairung Transformer II safe?

While the Transformer itself hasn’t been independently safety tested, the HiLux received five stars from ASEAN NCAP in 2020.

Safety features of the Toyota HiLux Revo Rocco:

• 7 airbags
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Lane departure warning
• Accidental acceleration suppression system

To see how the Toyota HiLux lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Thairung Transformer II cost to run?

Continuing the theme, warranty and maintenance are both conducted under the Toyota banner.

Service intervals are 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first), which is a lower mileage cap than most other diesel-powered light commercial vehicles in the segment.

Despite the exotic looks, the Transformer II isn’t any more difficult to maintain than a standard HiLux – and has all the advantages that come with owning a HiLux, such as dealership accessibility, parts availability, and reliability.

To see how the Toyota HiLux lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Thairung Transformer II

Thairung might not be about to take the place of the now-defunct Toyota Fortuner in Australia, but the Transformer II is an interesting insight into what can be achieved when there is enough market demand – along with a sprinkling of creativity and ambition.

While perhaps a little crude in spots, like the plastic add-ons and low-res decals, the body itself is reasonably well built – in some areas even to a higher level of quality than some from car manufacturers, given it has been designed for military and specialty uses.

However, in other areas, the bodywork does lack some of the refinement found in modern mass-produced passenger cars – but again, the masses aren’t the target market here.

Besides the looks from passers-by, the Transformer doesn’t feel particularly special or different from behind the wheel. But being able to transport up to 11 people in a vehicle with the same footprint as a dual-cab ute would certainly have its applications.

Ultimately though, the nature of it being based on a previous-generation ute means it doesn’t offer the kind of tech or comfort that Australians would be more accustomed to from an off-road SUV, particularly at those prices. However, sometimes you have to pay to stand out from the crowd.

The Transformer feels very much like it exists in an alternate reality, one in which militaries like the Australian Defence Force commissioned a versatile box body on reliable HiLux architecture – rather than going with the Perentie, which used a Land Rover Defender body with an Isuzu powertrain.

Still, it was admittedly fun to experience Thailand’s homegrown Hummer first-hand, and it will be interesting to watch how the Thairung Transformer II evolves – and whether it, or future generations, ever reach Australian shores.

Interested in buying a Toyota HiLux? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

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MORE: Explore the Toyota HiLux showroom

*Conversion from BHT to AUD correct at time of writing.

That’s right! The small SUV that was formerly the most compact crossover in the Lexus range when it was launched in Australia way back in late 2018 is no longer rated by ANCAP, and it strangely makes a stronger argument today than it did pre-COVID.

Part of that comes down to incremental tech improvements inside the cabin, and another – larger – component is the better hybrid powertrain now available in the range.

Let’s go through it.

How much does the Lexus UX cost?

The Lexus UX lineup previously included an electric variant, which has been axed, and there was a 250h hybrid version, which was replaced in 2024 by the 300h version. That saw a power bump for all three variants of the Lexus UX, and there are still two grades that come with the choice of front- or all-wheel drive.

It’s clear from the pricing that you’ll have to really need or want all-wheel drive to justify the extra cost involved, and frankly I think you’d be a bit silly to spend more than $70k on a Lexus UX of any type. You do get an extra 84Nm of torque, though…

But this base model at about $55k before on-roads? It's a different story entirely.

To see how the Lexus UX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Lexus UX like on the inside?

Over the years the Lexus UX has seen some important changes to the cabin – but it doesn’t feel startlingly different to the first versions of this car.

That is no bad thing because it felt good then, and it still feels pretty good now.

Adding to the appeal on the inside is the new-ish 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which does include things like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected services, and sat-nav as well.

There isn’t much in the way of physical controls – just a volume dial – but the usability of the system is pretty good.

I don’t think this is the greatest software suite, and there are some menus that are a little bit hidden, but it is largely learnable and easy to get along with.

I do like the fact that below that screen you have a panel of physical controls, including climate control, fan speed, recirc, demister (including rear and side mirror demisting!) and more.

Further down you’ll find a wireless phone charger and two USB-C ports, which is great to see in a base car like this. 

Back from there is a pair of cupholders, a pair of electric seat heating buttons, and a dinky little shifter. You might take a little bit of time to get used to how the shift pattern works.

There’s also an EV mode and a 'hold' mode button, so you can try and trigger things to be fully electric, but the battery is quite small.

Between the seats there is a centre console bin with a dual-opening lid, so you can open it either way.

And the seats are extremely comfortable with good adjustment and a nice material finish to them – even though it is a fake leather.

The doors feature good sized bottle holders, there’s a reasonable glovebox, and the general appeal of the cabin is high-end but not too blingy. 

There are no ambient lights or anything like that, so some of the more modern small premium SUV alternatives do offer a bit more wow factor in some ways.

But it is that typical Lexus-like, Japanese-spec level of finishing. Immaculate.

In the rear there is enough space for a 6’0”/182cm adult to fit behind their own driving position, but not with much space to spare.

Kneeroom is tight, headroom is a little bit slim as well, and getting in and out can be hard if you’ve got big feet. 

Don’t go thinking you’ll fit three across the back very comfortably, but at a pinch it's possible – so long as the occupants aren’t enormous.

There are ISOFIX child seat anchor points and top-tethers for those rear seats, too.

There are directional air vents and USB-C ports in the back too, and there is one map pocket on the passenger-side seatback. 

There are no door pockets at all, but there is a flip-down armrest with cupholders. 

Spacious? Not so much. But comfy? Yes!

The boot is compact, with enough space to fit some small suitcases, or the kids' backpacks for school, but it won’t be the ideal month-long driving holiday companion in terms of boot space.

Under the boot floor there is storage but you won’t find a spare wheel unfortunately – just a tyre repair kit in this one.

To see how the Lexus UX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The Lexus UX300h has a tried-and-tested four-cylinder petrol-electric powertrain, with an e-CVT auto managing proceedings. The base grade is front-wheel drive, and the higher specs have all-wheel drive available.

I was very impressed with the real-world fuel consumption I saw while testing the UX300h over a week of mixed driving.

I ran errands, hit the highway, pushed it through some corners and generally drove it exactly how you might, and 5.1L/100km was the displayed average. Nice.

Note, though, that there is no official towing capacity for this vehicle, so if you need to tow, this car won’t be the go.

To see how the Lexus UX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Lexus UX drive?

What an agreeable little car this is.

Unsurprisingly, it does feel similar to a Toyota Corolla hatchback or a Corolla Cross small SUV, and it’s built on the same TNGA platform as those impressive options.

There are some similarities in terms of powertrain technology and the general chassis dynamics of this platform are extremely nice.

That includes the predictable, well weighted and easy to manage steering that allows simple turning manoeuvres at low speeds and great confidence at high speed, the comfortable ride and smooth suspension calibration that allows both easy driving in urban day-to-day duties, and also the confident handling at pace.

It is an extremely likeable driving experience. Mature, but still playful if you push it.

The hybrid powertrain has a great amount of punch, and while it is front-drive only in this basic version, it still gets the power down very well.

One improvement could be to fit a set of sportier tyres – that would indeed improve power-down grip and also outright cornering handling, but as it is it’s completely agreeable.

You’ve got regen braking if you want it and a B mode to help feed some more power to the battery pack, and the brake pedal feel is entirely fine.

There’s not much to complain about when it comes to the refinement either – you can hear the engine when it kicks into life, but most of the time you’ll be driving in a mixture of hybrid or EV drive modes, and at urban speeds EV mode does kick in quite often.

There’s just a little bit of tyre roar to contend with at freeway pace on rougher surfaces, but it’s hardly a problem for this car.

As for the safety assistance technology, you don’t have any of the annoyances that you might be expecting like a driver monitoring camera or incessant chiming for speed signage.

Instead, there is a lane-keeping assistance feature that you might want to switch off (it defaults back on each time you restart the car) but it is generally an extremely friendly experience. 

And the frugal fuel consumption is just the cherry on top.

To see how the Lexus UX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Here’s a rundown of the range, and what you get if you decide to spend more as you move up the ladder.

2026 Lexus UX300h Luxury standard equipment:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Leather-accented seats (NuLux)
• Heated front seats
• Power adjustable front seats
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay 
• Wireless Android Auto
• 10-speaker audio system
• Sat-nav
• Connected services
• Power tilt and reach steering wheel
• Smart key 
• Push-button start
• Wireless phone charger

UX300h Sports Luxury adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Panoramic View Monitor (360-degree camera) 
• Adaptive High-Beam System 
• Ventilated front seats
• Driver’s seat memory
• 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system
• Leather-accented upholstery
• Rear privacy glass

F Sport adds:

• Unique F Sport styling
• 18-inch F Sport wheels 
• Body-coloured wheel arches
• Adaptive Variable Suspension
• Rear Performance Damper
• 5 drive modes: adds Sport S+, Custom (beyond Eco/Normal/Sport)
• Active Sound Control 
• F Sport seats
• F Sport steering wheel

To see how the Lexus UX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Lexus UX safe?

The Lexus UX range previously had a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but it expired at the end of 2025. That means there’s no applicable independent safety rating for this small luxury SUV. But it’s not like the brand has removed the safety gear, so it’s still going to be a 'safe' car to choose.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Pedestrian detection (day, night)
• Cyclist detection (day)
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane Trace Assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Automatic high-beam
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera

It misses out on some of the active safety annoyances of newer cars, which might actually make it even more appealing. There is no driver monitoring system, no speed sign recognition, and therefore bugger-all beeping bing-bong tech. Hooray!

But keep in mind, this base model only comes with a reversing camera, not the surround-view system available in the more expensive variants.

The Lexus UX has eight airbags: dual front, driver’s knee, passenger’s knee, front side, and full-length curtain.

To see how the Lexus UX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Lexus UX cost to run?

Lexus Australia still has one of the best reputations in the market in terms of aftersales ownership – from both a reliability and premium experience perspective. Ask any Lexus owner if they’ve had a bad time owning their car, and I’ll give you $50 if someone says they have!*

*I’m not actually going to give you $50. 

To see how the Lexus UX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Lexus UX

It mightn’t be the newest kid on the block, but it’s one of the most complete, likeable and liveable choices you could make if you’re after a compact premium car.

The UX300h is a charmer. And the Luxury version is all you’re really going to need.

Interested in buying a Lexus UX? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here.

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MORE: Explore the Lexus UX showroom

This cult icon is now only available as a seven-seater, while previously it had a weird six-seat layout.

The two model grades that existed before have also been done away with, and the Scorpio is now sold exclusively in Z8L+ trim, at a higher price – but with more standard equipment.

Crucially, too, the Indian-made 4WD now has a host of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which should help it appease safety-conscious customers.

Let’s go through it!

How much does the Mahindra Scorpio cost?

The Mahindra Scorpio is only available in one grade now, with the pre-existing Z8 and Z8L replaced by a single, high-spec variant called the Z8L+.

It is still affordable by diesel seven-seater standards, but there is a big price jump over the previous Scorpio grades, which were listed at $41,990 and $45,990 drive-away, respectively.

It means the Scorpio is now more expensive than the diesel-powered GWM Tank 300 (which admittedly is a five-seater only), and also pushes the Mahindra perilously close to the impressive and larger KGM Rexton seven-seater diesel SUV.

To see how the Mahindra Scorpio lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Mahindra Scorpio like on the inside?

The visual appearance of the Scorpio’s cabin hasn’t changed at first glance. But the inclusions have, and there are some very welcome additions.

And before we go any further, I will say that in my experience the interior of this car has a bit of a smell. It could be the rubber mats, the glues used, or something else. But there's a bit of a carcinogenic scent which is not the most wholesome, I’d argue…

Anyway!

The ventilated front seats are a huge win and, no, they’re not heated. It’s like Mahindra – being an Indian automaker – understands the similarities of our climate and theirs! The driver’s seat has six-way power adjustment, and I had no issue finding a comfy position.

The electric park brake switch tidies up the centre console space, and the auto-dimming rear-view mirror is a welcome addition for night drivers, too. 

Aside from those changes, there is still some room for improvement. The 8.0-inch media touchscreen is basic, and doesn’t have wireless Apple CarPlay. But there is USB connectivity, and Android Auto is available wirelessly.

The system itself is pretty basic and plain, and there are some missing menu options, I reckon. I couldn’t find a way to make it so the doors unlock when you shift to park, rather than just when you turn the car off. Maybe there’s a way – if so, let me know in the comments!

And the other side of the usability considerations is that you must do a lot of control work through the driver info screen, instead of the media display. It means you have to get used to the toggle and button controls on the steering wheel, and the screen itself is slow to react and load, too.

For instance, the lane-keeping system turns on each time you start the car, and if you don’t want it on, there’s no quick button, no drop-down, nor a media screen button… instead it’s a sequence of button presses and toggles before it's set how you want it. But – as I’ll expand upon in the driving section – you mightn’t actually need to disable it.

The driver info display actually requires more learning than the infotainment screen, so it’s worth getting to know it in the showroom, if you’re considering this car. 

The storage is well considered in the cabin, with bottle holders in the doors for your pani, in addition to cupholders, a covered centre bin, and a wireless phone charger, too. Nice.

The seat trim isn’t real leather, but I’m grateful for the fact the Scorpio has something that isn’t just a black on black interior. The brown trim isn’t for everyone, but it’s at least interesting.

Some buyers may lament the fact Mahindra still offers a sunroof as standard. I’d happily do without it, if it meant a few hundred bucks back in my pocket.

Second-row space is good. The middle row of seating doesn’t slide to provide extra space, but there is enough room for a 6’0”/182cm adult to fit with a bit of knee, toe and shoulder wiggle room, and the headroom isn’t bad either.

There is great bright LED lighting too, and back-seat amenities include overhead grab handles, map pockets, directional vents and a fan controller, which really pumps the air out when you need it to.

There are ISOFIX points and three top-tethers for child seats, and the Scorpio has a middle lap-sash seatbelt – something that ANCAP would be happy to note, as it made a presumptuous statement in its crash report about the availability of such:

“A seven-seat variant with a centre seat in the second row is available in New Zealand, and is fitted with a lap-only seatbelt in the second row centre seating position. A lap-only seatbelt does not offer the same level of protection as a lap-sash (three point) seatbelt. ANCAP does not recommend that lap-only seatbelts are used for occupants of any size.”

You can fit three adults across the back, but if you’re planning to lock and load a child seat, be aware that the kerbside position is the one that offers the best third-row access with a clever flip and tumble system, provided the head restraint is stowed and the front passenger seat isn’t reclined. The other side just folds down flat onto the seat base.

The third row space is adequate. I could just fit in the very back, though I wouldn’t recommend it for six-footers as a full-time option. Kids aged between eight and 12 should fit back there easily enough.

There are central lights, grab handles and a little bit of storage, but you won’t find child-seat anchor points, and there is no rear air ventilation system – though the rear of the Scorpio does stay cooler than some other SUVs, thanks to the strong passenger aeration system in the middle row.

With people in the very back row, or just with the seatbacks up, there’s only enough room for a couple of backpacks or maybe a small carry-on luggage bag.

With the rear row stowed – which it doesn’t do very elegantly – it allows an apparent 756 litres of cargo capacity. 

The back-row stow-down process isn’t as clever as in a Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X or even a Toyota Fortuner, because it still takes up a lot of space. But if you want to run it as a five-seater full-time, it might be a handy thing to remove because that will liberate a lot more space.

The side-swinging tailgate doesn’t have an opening glass section, which is a shame. But it’s lighter than some rivals because the spare wheel (a steel full-sizer) is stowed under the floor of the vehicle, rather than on the back door.

To see how the Mahindra Scorpio lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The Scorpio carries over its 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, which is one of the selling points of this vehicle. It mightn’t have the most power and torque compared to the more popular ute-based SUVs, but it is refined, urgent and meets higher emissions standards than some others it competes against. And yes, that means it needs AdBlue.

Over my week of testing, which didn’t include hardcore off-roading but did include all the usual sorts of driving you might actually spend time doing, I saw a displayed return of 8.7L/100km. This vehicle only had 500km on its odometer upon collection, so that may improve as the engine is run in more.

Also be aware there is a 16-litre AdBlue tank, which will likely require refilling every 10,000km or so, which aligns with the service requirements outlined below.

To see how the Mahindra Scorpio lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Mahindra Scorpio drive?

What has impressed me about the Scorpio, every time I’ve got back into one, is the fact that I know it’s a hardcore off-roader, but it drives pretty damned agreeably when it comes to dealing with the terrors and tribulations of tarmac testing.

In the past, I did an off-road comparison against the Tank 300 – check it out here. 

It’s not a weapon in the bends. Nor the most exciting, punchy or smile-inducing thing to throw around.

But if you’re confined to the burbs rather than the bush, it offers an agreeable, commute-friendly drive experience that will be better than you’re probably expecting for the drudgery of daily duties.

The diesel engine is a bit noisy when cold, but what impresses me most about it is the fact it’s not shaky or vibey, meaning you don’t feel like you’re driving a truck. Some others in this segment could learn a lesson or two here.

The outputs of the engine tell you it’s not the oomphiest thing, but it does have a good amount of in-gear urge, with ample torque for urban moves and high-speed driving too.

The six-speed auto generally does a great job of allowing the engine to do the work, rather than relying on constantly changing gears to maintain momentum. The shifts are mostly smooth too, but I did get a few clunky ones when I lifted off the throttle then got back on the gas.

It’s also easier to drive than you’d think, given its ladder-frame underpinnings, and the suspension is well sorted for urban driving and on the freeway, too. It’s only fouled by the occasional sharp edge or repetitive bumps, but otherwise it’s entirely acceptable.

The steering is agreeable as well: light at lower speeds, heftier as you go faster. It’s not super-feelsome, but it is predictable and easy.

Safety tech includes a reversing camera system and a forward view camera too, and you can even make it take photos of your location for future reference, if you wish. The cameras are welcome, but the resolution is poor by modern standards – thankfully, there are front and rear parking sensors to help out, too.

While the safety has been greatly improved in terms of what’s on offer, thankfully it’s not that frustrating to live with. You can disable the speed sign recognition system – which will potentially distract you with displayed signage on the driver info screen – and it will stay off.

The lane keeping system comes back on each time you restart the car, but it is well mannered in most situations. You will occasionally find it pushing you back into your lane or beeping to warn you that you’re departing your lane, but it’s mostly fine.

And that’s a reflection of the drive experience more generally – mostly fine. In fact, it’s better than that. It’s pretty bloody good.

To see how the Mahindra Scorpio lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Standard equipment for the sole variant Z8L+ includes plenty of new stuff, as denoted in brackets below.

2026 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L+ equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels in 255/60 R18 tyres
• Full-size steel spare
• Electric park brake with auto hold (NEW)
• Normal, Snow, Mud & Ruts, Sand drive modes
• LED headlights
• Projector fog lights
• Automatic high-beam (NEW)
• Sunroof
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• 7-seat configuration
• Leatherette upholstery
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• Wireless phone charger
• 12-speaker Sony sound system
• Dual-zone climate control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter
• 6-way power driver’s seat (NEW)
• Ventilated front seats (NEW)
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror (NEW)

To see how the Mahindra Scorpio lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Mahindra Scorpio safe?

It’s unclear if Mahindra will have the upgraded Scorpio re-tested, following its zero-star result from safety authority ANCAP in 2023.

A Mahindra insider told us that all of its “new” models will be tested, and this isn’t “new” – it’s just refreshed, so don’t expect a re-test on it.

I also asked ANCAP what the safety authority’s thoughts were on the changes, and it said the additional tech is a “welcome improvement” and that it “may be considered for future re-assessment”.

However, since there have been no known or reported changes to the structure of the vehicle, ANCAP explained that the “comparatively weak” results from physical crash testing may “limit any substantial improvement” in overall scoring for the Scorpio.

Even so, the Scorpio would theoretically achieve a better final score than the previous model, given the host of standard safety gear now offered.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go (NEW)
• Autonomous emergency braking (NEW)
• Lane-keep assist (NEW)
• Leading vehicle departure alert (NEW)
• Smart Pilot Assist (NEW)
• Traffic sign recognition (NEW)
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring

There are six airbags fitted, including dual front, front side, and curtain coverage, but the curtain airbags do not cover the third row.

To see how the Mahindra Scorpio lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Mahindra Scorpio cost to run?

Mahindra offers a strong ownership promise. The brand has a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty program.

There is also up to seven years of roadside assistance if you service with a Mahindra dealer. And speaking of servicing, there’s an initial free check-up at 1500km, then the intervals are pegged at 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. Here’s a rundown of the capped-price service pricing:

The biggest cost with the Scorpio, and any new car, will be your resale value. Perhaps this one with the extra spec and safety tech will fare better than its predecessor on that front, though…

To see how the Mahindra Scorpio lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Mahindra Scorpio

The zero-star safety rating might be too hard to swallow for some, but as a fit-for-purpose 4x4 diesel seven-seater that isn’t too cumbersome and is actually more refined than you’d expect, the Scorpio is a bargain.

I wouldn’t be scared to buy one, if it fitted my needs better than any alternative.

What do you think? The comments section is yours!

Interested in buying a Mahindra Scorpio? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here.

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MORE: Explore the Mahindra Scorpio showroom

Touted as BMW’s answer to the ever-popular Tesla Model 3, the i4 arrived in Australia in 2021 and has since been a relatively strong seller in the local premium sedan segment. It’s performed particularly well against other similarly priced EVs, but the model range has been pruned for 2026.

Gone are all variants bar the entry-level model variant on test here: the 2026 BMW i4 eDrive35. The reasoning was that the base trim accounted for the vast majority (75 per cent) of all i4 sales since it joined the range in 2023, leaving it to fly the flag alone as BMW Australia awaits fresh stock of the updated mid-size electric liftback.

Those updates include minor exterior design tweaks, the addition of the previously unavailable M Sport Package, interior tweaks, and an 18km increase in driving range to a total of (drum roll, please) 448km. It’s still rear-wheel drive as standard, but the upgrades come with a slight price hike.

What does all that mean for the i4, and has it done enough to keep it relevant amid BMW’s imminent ‘Neue Klasse’ EV onslaught?

How much does the BMW i4 cost?

The sole remaining i4 variant available in Australia is the base eDrive35, priced at $88,900 before on-roads – $3000 more than its price tag in January 2025. It’s still below the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold and exempt from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).

Rivals for the i4 are an odd bunch, but one thing is clear: they’re either much cheaper or have a greater driving range. On price, the closest match is the Volvo ES90 Plus Single Motor, a rear-drive liftback sedan with more than 550km of range, priced at $88,880 before on-roads. The only caveat is that it’s noticeably larger.

At the cheaper end are the MG IM5 Platinum RWD ($69,990 drive-away) and the Tesla Model 3 Premium Long Range RWD ($61,900 before on-roads) sedans, but they have driving range claims of 655km and 750km respectively.

Though it’s technically an SUV, you might also consider the Polestar 4 Long range Single motor Plus for $86,500 before on-roads, which has a claimed range of 620km.

It’s also worth noting that the Neue Klasse BMW i3, expected to offer more than 800km of range, could be priced very competitively compared with the older i4, judging by the $109,900 (plus ORCs) price of the Neue Klasse iX3.

What is the BMW i4 like on the inside?

While we understand it’s an entry-level variant, the i4 eDrive35’s cabin lacks some of the sparkle that has historically set BMW interiors apart.

Most of that comes down to material choice. Even though most surfaces are soft to the touch, they look like cheap, scratchy black plastic – see the dashboard and door cards.

It takes away from the otherwise premium vibe we expect from BMW, even if there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. The black/aluminium palette of our tester doesn’t make for a visually interesting space either, even if it’s true to older BMWs in recent memory.

The optional cognac/dark wood alternative seems much more appealing to me. Beyond aesthetics, we were also somewhat disappointed to find that many of the cabin’s fittings feel quite hollow.

This is observable in the plastic on the dashboard, the openable cover on the centre console, and the ‘skeleton’ of the steering wheel. It all lacks a touch of polish, and BMW fans may well be put off by the plasticky feel in general.

In keeping with every other modern BMW, the i4’s cabin is very screen-heavy. A massive two-screen panel dominates the dashboard, and nearly every vehicle function is locked away in the 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system to the left.

There’s a huge menu full of app shortcuts to sift through, which can be tiresome if you just need to adjust basic settings like the head-up display position. It’s also unfortunate that the climate system is located here, accessed either via the always-on ribbon at the bottom of the screen or the dedicated climate menu.

Wireless phone connectivity is also standard, and we had no issues with Apple CarPlay in our week with the car. Other connectivity options include two USB ports (one USB-A and one USB-C), and you can charge your device using either the 12V outlet or the wireless charger – the latter gets quite hot, given it’s in a confined space with no airflow.

In front of the steering wheel is a 12.3-inch digital instrument display with BMW’s slick graphic identity. There are a few different styles to scroll through, but all look the part and present plenty of driving info once you figure out how to access them via the buttons on the wheel.

These buttons are very clicky and finished in a mix of dull and glossy plastic, but they’re large enough and labelled clearly. This complements the small selection of buttons to the right of the wheel for headlight controls, as well as the central panel with various driving controls, BMW’s iDrive infotainment controller, and some unnecessary piano-black elements.

Ergonomically, the i4 is indistinguishable from other modern BMWs. The steering wheel is the best display of this, as it’s wrapped in leather and massive in both diameter and thickness. It gives the car physical substance, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the driving experience – we’ll explain why later.

The seats, meanwhile, have a sporty intent but lack the strong bolstering to match. They’re still supportive, if a little firm, but there’s a wide range of powered adjustment (alongside manual thigh support adjustment) and they’re heated as standard. The base i4 doesn’t have massage and ventilation functions, though.

Storage up front is alright, but not extraordinary. In front of the wireless charging pad are two cupholders, all of which can be covered by a lid, while there’s also a reasonably sized storage box under the high central armrest, a modest passenger-side glovebox, and bottle holders in the door cards.

The second row feels somewhat tight, as the i4’s ‘Gran Coupe’ proportions don’t leave a lot of extra headroom compared to a conventional sedan, and the rear doors are fairly short, impacting ingress and egress. Legroom isn’t terrible though, and there’s still plenty of space for adults sitting behind adults.

The bench seat itself is fairly comfortable in the outboard positions, but the middle is raised, narrow, and only workable for short drives. Footroom is also severely compromised by a tall driveline hump.

The plasticky vibe of the front continues here, where it seems even more pronounced. As plush as the synthetic leather upholstery is, the door cards, centre console, and front seatbacks are decidedly less so.

There’s at least a dedicated climate zone back here, operated via a panel on the back of the centre console. This is a big plus, even if its buttons are finished in glossy plastic. Two USB-C ports are also provided below.

The advantages of a liftback sedan are made clear once you get to the boot. It’s simply huge, and the expansive floor and uncompromised opening make loading and unloading cargo easy.

For context, the i4’s 470-litre capacity is smaller on paper compared to the 524L space in the Toyota Camry, for example, but the BMW’s huge opening makes all the difference. The Camry is also physically larger, but otherwise a logical mid-size sedan benchmark.

A power tailgate is standard, a must-have with such a large hatch. It’s a case of what you see is what you get inside the boot, where there’s just a net and a small nook on either side to offset an undeniably bare space. There’s an additional storage area under the floor, and the rear seats split and fold in a 40:20:40 arrangement for extra configurability.

Unlike many other EVs, there’s unfortunately no under-bonnet storage. That’s despite the space under the colossal plastic cover looking almost completely empty.

What’s under the bonnet?

Driving the i4 eDrive35 is a single rear-mounted electric motor that produces up to 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque. That means it’s rear-wheel drive, and energy comes from a 66.4kWh lithium-ion battery.

BMW’s official driving range claim is 448km, though because that’s based on the more lenient NEDC test standard, it should be taken with a grain of salt. In practice, we observed a driving range of around 370km.

That’s well down on practically all rivals, with Tesla claiming 520km for even the base Model 3. There are bigger battery options available in other markets that claim to give the i4 up to 590km, but Australians have to make do with this.

Our week with the i4 involved commuting in fairly heavy traffic, along with a couple of lengthier, faster drives on open country roads.

How does the BMW i4 drive?

Let’s get one thing straight: the i4 isn’t a sports sedan – regardless of what the mildly inappropriate M badges scattered around it might suggest.

But once you’re past the deceptive branding, you’ll find the i4 – at least in eDrive35 form – is better for the fact it isn’t trying too hard to be something it isn’t. Just think of the M bits as extra treats for an already solid car.

Once you find the start/stop button and figure out BMW’s switch-like gear selector, you’ll quickly find there’s a no-fuss quality to the i4. It’s quiet, comfortable, and quick enough to be fun without putting you in danger.

In fact, the smaller alloys and thicker sidewalls are big contributors to cabin refinement, as there’s more rubber to insulate its occupants from the roar of the road below. In a car with no burly engine to mask some of the outside noise, that’s important.

There’s also no M-fettled suspension or anything particularly fancy going on under the skin, which has a positive effect on ride comfort. I still found it a little firmer than expected, but it manages to soak up small imperfections and speed bumps without too much trouble.

You’ll also notice that body control is quite good in all environments. It doesn’t feel floaty at high speed, and it’ll happily take corners at pace without keeling over – there’s naturally a limit to the unsporty wheel/tyre combination, but there’s still somewhat of a BMW quality to the handling here.

That means you can have some fun in the i4, as it’s more confident through the turns than many other sedans. One observation is that the steering is light by BMW standards, which is good for everyday friendliness but contributes to a slightly insubstantial feel behind the wheel. This may be partly due to the lack of heavy materials (like metal) on the steering wheel itself.

You’ll probably also want to fiddle with the powertrain, as it’ll leave you underwhelmed if you don’t have a play with the drive modes on offer.

There’s plenty of power and torque on hand at all times, which makes for a compelling prospect when combined with the i4’s classic rear-drive configuration. This is where some BMW fans may have an issue, though, as it isn’t as playful as that might suggest.

In Comfort and Eco Pro drive modes, traction control is very limiting and does a fantastic job of arresting any slip before it happens. You may notice a tiny bit more looseness in the wet, but it’s consistently approachable and unintimidating – which is great, given the i4 isn’t a sports car.

That said, it is possible to wake it up. Sport mode loosens the traction control’s reins just a smidge, which translates to some rear-end movement if you lay into the throttle while turning. It won’t break away from you entirely, but it’s just enough to remind you that BMW still knows how to bolt a car together.

The steering also weighs up nicely, and the car just feels more like a proper BMW. You’ll still notice some front-end grip limitations, but it won’t stop you from having a good time.

Backing that up is a good brake feel. Even with its bias towards regenerative braking, the pedal still feels normal in its stroke and easy to adjust to – you can also flick through a few different strengths of off-throttle regen, including a clever ‘Adaptive’ mode.

This uses the car’s front radar to gauge the distance to the car ahead and adjusts regen braking to maintain a consistent gap. It works quite well, but it’ll take a moment to get used to the ‘engine braking’ effect changing depending on the traffic around you.

The i4’s safety gear is also well-calibrated, though it is unfortunate there’s no lane-centring function to go with the adaptive cruise control.

And now to the elephant in the room: the i4’s piddly driving range. Despite being relatively efficient, circa-370km isn’t very much by today’s EV standards, and the battery quickly depletes if you’re regularly driving long distances. That’s no big deal if you commute into the city and can charge at home, of course.

But it’s well down on its nearest rivals, and the stiffest competition could come from within BMW itself. We’re expecting at least 800km of range from the new i3, which could render the i4 obsolete if the all-new mid-size electric sedan arrives with a very competitive price, as we expect it to.

What do you get?

There’s only one i4 variant currently on sale in Australia, and the eDrive35 includes the M Sport Package as standard.

2026 BMW i4 eDrive35 standard equipment highlights:

• 18-inch ‘M light’ alloy wheels
• Tyre repair kit
• Auto LED headlights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• M high-gloss exterior highlights – Shadowline
• M headliner – Anthracite
• M interior accents – Brushed Aluminium
• Heated front sports seats
• ‘Sensatec’ synthetic leather upholstery – Black
• Power front seat adjustment with lumbar
• Driver’s seat position memory
• Head-up display
• 12.3-inch digital instrument display
• 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Satellite navigation
• Wireless phone charger
• 1 x front USB-A port
• 1 x front USB-C port
• 2 x rear USB-C ports
• 10-speaker sound system
• Interior ambient lighting
• Tri-zone climate control
• Power tailgate
• Electric sunroof
• ‘BMW Iconic Sounds Electric’
• BMW ConnectedDrive (3-year subscription)
• 3 drive modes:
  • Sport
  • Comfort
  • Eco Pro

Options

Several options are available for the i4 eDrive35.

2026 BMW i4 eDrive35 options:

• 19-inch M light alloy wheels ($1616)
• 19-inch M aerodynamic alloy wheels ($1616)
• 20-inch BMW Individual aerodynamic alloy wheels ($3847)
• Sensatec synthetic leather upholstery – Cognac ($NCO)
• Open-pore, fine-wood interior trim – Ash Grey Blue ($NCO)

Is the BMW i4 safe?

The BMW i4 has a four-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by sister organisation Euro NCAP in 2022.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 6 airbags, incl:
  • Front
  • Front-side
  • Head
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane-change warning
• Lane departure warning
• Park assist
• Speed limiter
• Surround-view camera
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitoring

How much does the BMW i4 cost to run?

BMW Australia backs its model range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. A separate eight-year, 160,000km warranty applies to the i4’s high-voltage battery.

The German brand doesn’t have set service intervals for its models; instead, its condition-based servicing policy means the car will tell you when it’s time for a service, and even alert your dealer via connected services.

The six-year, unlimited-kilometre prepaid service plan means you won’t have to worry about paying each time you take your i4 in.

In terms of rivals, Volvo has yet to confirm service pricing for the ES90, servicing is free for the first five years of Polestar 4 ownership, and Tesla doesn’t have traditional servicing programs.

We can at least compare MG’s premium electric sedan, the IM5 Platinum, which costs $1802 to service over five years. There’s also BMW’s own internal-combustion 3 Series and 4 Series, servicing for both of which is covered by a $2575 five-year prepaid plan.

CarExpert’s Take on the BMW i4 eDrive35

The i4 remains a solid EV, strengthened by sensible pricing that could bring decent savings for eligible buyers. But it hasn’t taken long for the competition to make it look a bit outdated.

As much as we don’t mind the Australian i4 range being stripped back to a single entry-level variant (which is logical given BMW’s EV ambitions), its limited driving range remains an issue. Even if it’s fairly efficient, every other EV at this price can drive considerably further.

The interior is also a bit too basic by BMW standards, and it generally feels like the final surviving member of an EV generation that’s now been left behind. That said, the i4 still looks great, is a pleasant car to drive, and remains a decent option for a relatively affordable, premium EV.

Plus, we love sedans and it’s incredibly refreshing to drive a new car that isn’t an SUV. Even if its electric chops are lacking and it doesn’t instil quite the same driving engagement as other BMWs, it’s still far more enjoyable to drive than most other EVs on sale right now.

We’ll have to see what BMW rolls out with the Neue Klasse i3, but chances are it’ll blow this i4 completely out of the water. That’s if the new iX3 is anything to go by.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new BMW i4. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the BMW i4 showroom

While it might take a keen eye to spot the design differences – of which there are few – the headline act for Australia is the introduction of a mild-hybrid powertrain across the lineup, similar in concept to the Swift hatchback.

The 2026 Suzuki Vitara Hybrid continues to be sourced from Hungary for the Australian market, making it something of a Euro-adjacent proposition despite wearing a Japanese badge, with the more economical (claimed) power unit backed by technology and specification upgrades to boot.

But, is it enough? The small SUV segment is one of the most competitive out there, and the Vitara Hybrid’s premium price positioning hinders it from competing with budget-priced Chinese alternatives while also putting it in the thick of household names.

To find out if Suzuki’s little SUV is still worth your consideration, we had a brief launch drive in Sydney alongside the new all-electric e Vitara and updated Jimny off-roader.

How much does the Suzuki Vitara cost?

The electrified Vitara lineup launches in Australia in two trim levels, priced from $39,990 drive-away.

It means the Hungarian-sourced Suzuki starts in the same ballpark as the cheapest Hyundai Kona Hybrid (from $36,950 before on-roads, or $39,990 drive-away), while undercutting the base Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid (~$42,000 drive-away).

While the Vitara (mild) Hybrid lines up okay against mainstream-branded competition, the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid can be had from just $29,990 drive-away – a whole $10,000 less – while the GWM Haval Jolion HEV starts from $29,999 drive-away as well.

So as you can see, the Vitara is positioned at the more premium end of the small SUV class, despite Suzuki’s reputation for budget-oriented motoring.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Suzuki Vitara like on the inside?

To be honest, not much has changed.

While you can distinguish the Vitara Hybrid from its predecessor by looking at its face, the differences inside the cabin are far less conspicuous, and more or less limited to the display technology.

Both the driver’s instrument cluster and central infotainment displays are new or updated for MY26, with the former adding a couple of new displays including a digital speedometer readout, while the latter runs a new software interface as seen in the latest Swift and offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the flagship AllGrip version.

It’s all fine and decidedly ‘old-school’ in look and feel, especially in an era of massive tablet-style displays and touch-capacitive switchgear, which could be make-or-break depending on which side of the fence you lean on.

Most of the key touchpoints feel nice, like the leather steering wheel and chunky gear shifter, while the solid (if dated) buttons and switches have a nicely damped action to them.

That said, with the exception of the dashboard upper and front-row armrests, the interior of the Vitara is largely lined with hard and scratchy or piano-black plastics, which may look fine on first impressions but aren’t super-plush to touch.

It’s a similar story with the central infotainment touchscreen, which looks neat and tidy on initial presentation but is a bit laggy and unsophisticated in real-world use, especially compared to the systems available in similarly priced rivals.

Further, the base car’s 7.0-inch display lacks wireless smartphone mirroring, while the top-spec variant's 9.0-inch unit features a cableless connection and inbuilt navigation. While it’s still fine and an improvement over the previous model’s infotainment system, it’s below average among today’s company.

The base model’s cloth upholstery is again fine but the front seats themselves lack bolstering and everything feels a little plain. The AllGrip ups the ante with leatherette bolsters and a swish suede insert featuring a tyre tread-like pattern, but again it’s not all that different to the last one.

The big sunroof in the AllGrip version eats into headroom in both rows a bit, and storage isn’t a strong point either.

There’s a shallow shelf below the centre stack that sees larger phones jutting out and smaller items like keys sliding around, while the squared-off cupholders between the front seats are an odd size and shape.

An average-sized bin under the centre armrest and small door bins with bottle holders round out the storage solutions up front.

The plastic manual handbrake lever and basic-looking gear shifter feel quite cheap. It’s all just feeling dated and a bit undercooked compared to the competition these days.

In the second row the Vitara again is starting to show its age compared to better packaged and furnished competition.

This is one of the smaller vehicles in its class, and that’s definitely clear if you’re six feet tall or taller. Knee room behind a taller driver (I’m 6’1) is quite tight, and headroom is pretty compromised with that panoramic glass roof.

You’ll also find no rear air vents, no seatback map pockets, and no fold-down centre armrest. It’s quite spartan, but there are bottle holders in the doors.

There are ISOFIX anchors in the window seats and top-tether points across all three rear positions, so the kiddies are catered for.

Compared to the outgoing model, the Vitara Hybrid's quoted cargo capacity has dropped slightly despite the 48-volt hybrid battery being placed not in the boot under the front seats to optimise weight distribution.

Suzuki quotes 362 litres with the rear seat backs up, and 642L with them folded. There’s also a quoted “maximum” volume of 1119L, presumably measured to the roof. Regardless, it remains on the smaller side in this class.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The Vitara Hybrid range utilises the old Vitara Turbo’s 1.4-litre ‘Boosterjet’ turbocharged petrol engine mated with a 48V mild-hybrid system.

The move to mild-hybridisation has dropped the quoted maximum power output (80.9kW vs 103kW) compared to the outgoing Vitara Turbo, but peak torque has increased by 15Nm to 235Nm. Suzuki says the mild-hybrid system can assist with an extra 50Nm under acceleration, bringing the theoretical torque maximum to 285Nm for short bursts – which is quite a bit for a vehicle weighing under 1.3 tonnes.

Quoted fuel consumption has only improved marginally according to official metrics (5.8-5.9L/100km vs 5.9-6.2L/100km), but the e-assist under load and the extended idle stop-start function will widen that gap in real-world urban driving.

For reference, the last time I drove the Vitara Turbo AllGrip I saw an indicated readout of 8.0L/100km after a week’s worth of mixed driving, while our relatively brief launch drive in the Vitara Hybrid range yielded an indicated readout of 6.4L/100km – though we didn’t spend as much time in city traffic.

We’ll have to get the Vitara Hybrid through the CarExpert garage for further testing to get a more realistic idea of the 48V MHEV system’s performance in daily commuting.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Suzuki Vitara drive?

Our brief drive of the Vitara Hybrid took us out and around the surrounds of Sydney Motorsport Park in Eastern Creek, NSW, which totalled only around 35-45 minutes behind the wheel, disappointingly.

This was bolstered by a bit of soft-roading, performance testing and a slalom handling test, but in totality our experience with the updated Vitara was relatively brief – so keep that in mind when reading my impressions below.

A hallmark of the outgoing Vitara Turbo was its boosty, enthusiastic nature as well as its keen and chuckable dynamics, and the new Hybrid goes a decent way to uphold that reputation.

While down on power, the added torque keeps the Vitara’s modest outputs from feeling underdone in regular driving scenarios, and the six-speed automatic is pretty solid at shuffling through ratios while keeping the engine on the boil.

The quick and accurate steering also makes this small SUV feel light and darty in the bends, with playful body roll which is kept nicely in check. In the AllGrip, you have the added assurance of on-demand all-wheel drive should you need it.

At times it felt like I needed to work the 1.4-litre ‘Boosterjet’ a little harder than before to get it moving quickly, and overall refinement in general is starting to feel a little off the pace these days.

The light and chuckable nature of the Vitara is accompanied by a boomy and tinny-sounding cabin, particularly on rougher roads. It might have been fine when the base model started from under $30,000, but this upgraded vehicle with minimal changes pretty much starts in the $40,000 realm – so it should be better.

It mostly rides well but can occasionally boom and feel unsettled over pockmarked blacktop and other sorts of imperfections you’ll come across in urban confines. Again, while this may have been about average five or 10 years ago, the game has moved on in 2026.

While it's billed as a ‘Hybrid’, the new Vitara only operates as a mild-hybrid, with no electric-only driving capability like the Kona and Corolla Cross full-hybrids.

It shuts off the engine as you come to a stop from around 17km/h, and the integrated starter-generator fires it back up quickly and smoothly without the hesitation and shuddering of non-MHEV idle-stop systems.

That said, despite being a more sophisticated 48V system than the Swift’s 24V setup, the Vitara Hybrid won’t shut off the 1.4L turbo motor when coasting to save more fuel like a great deal of 48V MHEVs do.

This contributes to that 6.0L/100km indicated fuel consumption reading, which is fine for a petrol-only vehicle of this size but not especially frugal for a small SUV billed as a ‘Hybrid’.

Some quick straight-line acceleration testing revealed the Vitara Hybrid is noticeably slower than the new e Vitara AllGrip, but it builds speed confidently and predictably without feeling over- or under-powered.

The slalom exercise also reiterated the Vitara’s no-frills fun and keen dynamics, with a chuckable feel that allows acceptable levels of body lean and the ability to throw it around without feeling like it has to be coerced.

But if all the powertrain wizardry and over-assisted feel of newer cars is a bit much for you, this could be endearing.

It’s a similar story on the driver assistance front, with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping features which aren’t overzealous, nor do they persist with beeping and bonging at you.

The Vitara Hybrid has been enhanced with a lane centring function too, meaning you’ve got semi-autonomous levels of driving assistance on hand when you’re doing longer stints on the freeway – something the old car just couldn’t do.

Traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are also now standard across the range, as is a reversing camera. But you still can’t get a surround camera system like you can in rival cars.

The AllGrip does pick up front and rear parking sensors though, and the tall glasshouse and big-ish mirrors mean outward visibility is mostly fine – save for the thick D-pillars.

We also did some very mild off-roading with the Vitara’s AWD system set to ‘LOCK’ mode to keep sending drive to the rear wheels, and over some dirt trails and mild moguls the Vitara Hybrid didn’t break a sweat.

Suzuki touts a level of off-roadability has been maintained in the current Vitara when compared to its more rugged ancestors, but with just 175mm of ground clearance this vehicle will be best suited to a light-duty gravel road or camping trail, if that.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Two trim levels are available at launch, similar to the outgoing model.

2026 Suzuki Vitara Turbo Hybrid equipment highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels in 215/55 R17 tyres
• Space-saver spare
• Automatic LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Fabric upholstery
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
• Paddle shifters
• Air-conditioning
• 4-speaker sound system
• Auto-dimming internal rear-view mirror

The Vitara Turbo Hybrid AllGrip adds:

• 17-inch polished alloy wheels
• Panoramic sunroof
• ‘Premium design elements’
• Rear privacy glass
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• 6-speaker sound system
• 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Satellite navigation
• Selectable drive modes
• Leatherette upholstery

To see how the Suzuki Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Suzuki Vitara safe?

The Suzuki Vitara no longer has a valid ANCAP safety rating, as its previous five-star rating from 2015 has now expired.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 6 airbags
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera
• Traffic sign recognition

The Vitara Turbo Allgrip AWD adds:

• Front and rear parking sensors

To see how the Suzuki Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Suzuki Vitara cost to run?

As before, the Suzuki Vitara Hybrid is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of complimentary roadside assistance.

Suzuki Australia very carefully describes its servicing program as a ‘Genuine Service Program’ rather than a ‘capped-price’ service offering, but pricing for the first five workshop visits is detailed below.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Suzuki Vitara

‘Old faithful’ may not come up clutch here, as the mild updates to the Suzuki Vitara are about as mild as its ‘Hybrid’ drivetrain.

Hallmark traits remain – pleasing lightweight dynamics, traditional and simple ergonomics, and a cutesy-boxy aesthetic that offers more space than its compact 4175x1775mm footprint might suggest.

But what was once a cheap and cheerful proposition from the Japanese small-car brand has become a relatively pricey, dated, and only moderately jolly contender in 2026, with nothing other than its featherweight specs standing out.

Neither its features, drivetrain, technology nor on-road manners are class-leading by any stretch, and the (mild) ‘Hybrid’ drivetrain can’t muster the sort of efficiency gain that’s expected of a vehicle wearing such branding.

We understand its European origins don’t help its price positioning, but the Vitara Hybrid would be a much better car if both grades were priced about $5000 lower. That way you could make concessions for its numerous shortcomings with a price advantage compared to rivals from other legacy automakers.

But as it stands, the Vitara Hybrid will only really appeal to brand loyalists, and perhaps ‘traditionalist’ buyers that don’t like the design, ergonomics or technologies offered by newer small SUVs.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Suzuki Vitara. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Suzuki Vitara showroom

Let’s break them down, starting of course with the Cooper, Mini’s smallest model and most iconic nameplate. Now in its fourth generation since being revived by German automaker BMW in 2001, the Cooper has remained true to its compact, three-door hatchback roots, even if it’s much bigger these days and the lineup has been expanded to include five-door and convertible options.

Then there’s John Cooper Works (JCW), Mini’s in-house performance division. Founded in 2002 by Michael Cooper and named after his father, Formula 1 race car designer John Cooper, JCW has been responsible for hot Mini models since BMW acquired it in 2008.

But the Cooper JCW has technically existed since 2003, when the JCW Tuning Kit was first made available for the first-gen R53-series Cooper S hatch. Various mechanical enhancements brought a substantial power upgrade to the standard supercharged hatch, and JCW followed it up with a second kit in 2004 with more upgrades and more power again.

Interestingly, the first JCW kits weren’t available to order from BMW’s Mini factory in the UK until 2005. That meant Cooper S owners had to return to a Mini dealership to have them retrofitted as an official option, which makes original Cooper JCWs fairly rare and valuable if all of their original identification documents are intact.

There’s even an online register to track all of the Cooper JCWs that BMW didn’t document.

Fast-forward to 2024 when the fourth-gen Cooper broke cover. It originally launched with petrol and electric variants, the latter co-developed by BMW and China’s GWM through a joint venture that is now also responsible for its production.

Then, in 2025, Mini reintroduced full-fat JCW vehicles to the Cooper range, including an electric hot hatch, two-door convertible variants, and three-door hatch variants – one of which is the 2026 Mini Cooper JCW Favoured on test here.

With unique suspension, brakes, seats, and higher-output powertrains, the JCW models are the sharpest Coopers currently on sale, and Mini fans will no doubt see value in the fact they’re still built in the UK.

In general, however, the Cooper is proving popular in Australia despite its niche status. In 2025, it was by far Australia’s best-selling premium light hatch (outperforming the likes of the Hyundai i20 N, Volkswagen Polo, and Audi A1), and even nipped at the heels of the mainstream Toyota Yaris.

Is the Cooper JCW a smart buy in the low-volume Mini range and, more importantly, does it remain true to the hot Coopers of old?

How much does the Mini Cooper cost?

Our JCW Favoured tester is one of 23 Mini Cooper variants currently available. It’s not cheap at $60,990 before on-road costs, but it’s just one of several variants in the lineup priced above $60,000.

Naturally, Mini JCW rivals are limited to other hot hatches, though they are somewhat of a dying breed.

The most direct comparison is with the Toyota GR Yaris GTS, particularly the automatic version. More powerful and exclusively all-wheel drive, the three-door hatch is priced at $62,990 before on-roads.

Other Asian competitors include the front-drive, five-door Hyundai i30 N automatic for $52,000 before on-roads and, at a stretch, the front-drive, manual-only Honda Civic Type R, which is currently off-sale but is typically priced at roughly $80,000 drive-away.

Similarly expensive is the BMW M135 xDrive, an all-wheel drive, five-door German hatch that costs $84,700 before on-roads. At the lower end of the scale is the Hyundai i20 N priced at $38,500 before on-roads, and the Volkswagen Polo GTI, at $41,990 before on-roads.

To see how the Mini Cooper stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

What is the Mini Cooper like on the inside?

Mini has a distinctive interior flavour that may not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s still some old-school charm inspired by Coopers of the past.

It’s difficult to miss the large circular infotainment display in the centre of the dash, which mirrors the circular panels of the first two BMW-built Cooper generations. Where those generations primarily used this space for the vehicle’s analogue rev counter, the current hatch offers a full digital screen that builds on the concept introduced with the previous-gen car.

Unfortunately, it is still somewhat confusing and will take time for those unfamiliar with the brand to learn. There are menus upon menus, and it seems as if something new pops up in every direction you swipe. That’s before you even touch the typically lengthy BMW settings menu.

That said, there isn’t really another car on the market (outside of the Mini stable) that’s this endearing. The vibrant graphics, smooth map animations, and especially Mini’s animated assistant, ‘Spike’ the dog, should be plenty to draw you in – but we still dislike that the climate controls are entirely digital, and that the system is generally unintuitive.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still standard, but their integration is clunky because they only fit a rectangular shape and can’t fill the circular space. This is a peculiar limitation, and you’ll notice the same when you activate the reversing camera.

The major drawcard of this screen, however, is the level of personalisation on offer. Installed on all Coopers are Mini’s seven ‘Experiences’, which change the screen’s look with distinct colours, styles, fonts, and widgets.

That means you can go from a minimalist design with pared-back graphics, to an older look with classic-style gauges and warm colours, to the straight-to-the-point ‘Go-Kart’ mode that shows a power gauge, huge tacho, and all sorts of other stylised performance gauges – not to mention various mechanical tweaks we’ll touch on later.

These are a lot of fun, and they give the Cooper a real sense of character. Backing it up is an equally unique set of switchgear below the screen, comprising a volume dial and three large switches, one of which is dedicated to flicking between Experiences.

In the middle is a key-like switch you twist to start or stop the engine, and next to it is another up/down switch that serves as the gear selector. It’ll take newcomers a second to fathom it all out, but we actually like having these to play with.

It’s also worth noting that Mini hasn’t carried over the circular speedo seen in front of the steering wheel in older-generation Coopers, instead replacing it with a clear, plastic head-up display (HUD) panel. It’s perhaps not quite as sleek as it could be – the windscreen is likely too upright for a normal HUD, hence the panel – but it’s functional.

Elsewhere, you’ll find an interesting mix of materials. There’s a JCW-specific red-and-black knit-like material on the dash and doors, the steering wheel is very stout in true BMW fashion, and there are plenty of copper-coloured accents scattered throughout.

The steering wheel is nice to hold with its perforated leather finish, and we like the circle-themed paddle shifters and the quirky strip of fabric pretending to be a third spoke. BMW’s buttons and stalks look a little out of place visually, but we can appreciate that everything is legible and clean – there’s no piano-black plastic anywhere, either.

As for the seats, they’re JCW-specific and finished in a synthetic leather-and-fabric mix with numerous sporty design elements. They’re understandably quite firm with strong bolstering, but at least there’s powered adjustment and heating, albeit no ventilation.

Though the cabin feels quite airy, storage options are somewhat limited. There’s a passenger-side glovebox and slim door bins, while the centre console houses two cupholders and Mini’s unique lidded storage box.

You can also charge your phone wirelessly by sliding it under the elastic strap below the central screen, or plug it in using the USB-C ports and 12V outlet under the fixed central armrest.

The rear seats aren’t terribly functional, though that’s to be expected in a compact three-door hot hatch. The front seats slide and fold to make access easier, but there are only two seats back here and they’re fairly flat and firm – you still get child seat anchors, though.

A single cupholder is generously mounted in the centre. Legroom and headroom are comparable to the GR Yaris, although the Toyota’s seats are slightly more cushy – perhaps a Toyota Morizo-esque rear-seat delete could be a shout for a more hardcore JCW.

The boot is similarly cramped, though its 210 litres of quoted capacity is larger than the quoted 174L of the GR Yaris. While floor space seems less generous in the Cooper, vertical space appears larger thanks to its boxier body.

There’s no power tailgate or spare wheel, which is to be expected in such a small car, despite the hefty price tag. But the opening is still generous and you’ll be able to fit in a couple of small suitcases, perhaps more if you fancy a game of Tetris.

To summarise, the current Mini Cooper has an interior that’s quirky yet remains true to the nameplate’s DNA, and there are just enough JCW enhancements to pique your interest before you hit the road.

To see how the Mini Cooper stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering all Cooper JCW models is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 170kW of power and 380Nm of torque. Drive is sent to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT).

The JCW variants offer the most potent powertrains across the Cooper range, but all vehicles are front-wheel drive, and all combustion-powered versions come with a seven-speed DCT.

Below is a brief breakdown of each variant/powertrain combo, though it is somewhat confusing:

Mini Cooper C (Core, Classic, Favoured):

• Cooper C 3-door, 5-door: 1.5L 3cyl turbo-petrol (115kW/230Nm)
• Cooper C convertible: 2.0L 4cyl turbo-petrol (120kW/250Nm)

Mini Cooper S (Classic, Favoured, JCW Sport):

• Cooper S 3-door, 5-door, convertible: 2.0L 4cyl turbo-petrol (150kW/300Nm)

Mini Cooper JCW (Classic, Favoured):

• Cooper JCW 3-door, convertible: 2.0L 4cyl turbo-petrol (170kW/380Nm)

Mini Cooper SE, JCW E (Favoured):

• Cooper SE 3-door: Single-motor electric (160kW/330Nm), 50kWh li-ion battery
• Cooper JCW E 3-door: Single-motor electric (190kW/350Nm), 50kWh li-ion battery

Our week with the petrol-powered Cooper JCW Favoured involved a mix of highway, suburban, and country driving, though the latter was at higher speeds on twisty roads.

Even so, our recorded fuel economy was nearly identical to Mini’s claim, which is already fairly frugal for a performance car. For context, the automatic GR Yaris has a combined fuel consumption of 9.1L/100km, though its turbo three-pot produces a peppier 221kW and 400Nm.

To see how the Mini Cooper stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

How does the Mini Cooper drive?

Mini has long spruiked the ‘go-kart’ angle in its marketing spiel for the Cooper, which may seem a little on-the-nose, but the JCW is an excellent example of why you shouldn’t knock things before you try them.

The experience starts with a twist of the key-like switch on the centre console, after which the JCW springs to life with a fairly gruff four-cylinder idle. While the unique centre-exit exhaust is far from silent, you’ll quickly notice that some of the noise inside is synthesised. That’s always a little disappointing in a performance car.

However, if that or the interior creates any doubt about the impact of the JCW badge on this particular Mini, it’ll quickly be cast aside. For one, the suspension is incredibly stiff – not unexpectedly so, but this is a super-sharp hot hatch – and the paper-thin tyres also contribute to the harsher ride than you get in the GR Yaris.

But while the Toyota was built to cope with rough off-road terrain and loose surfaces, this Mini shines in exactly the opposite conditions. That’s fitting, given that the original 1960s Mini earned its stripes on the tight, twisty tarmac of the Monte Carlo Rally.

Throw the modern JCW into a turn and its kart-like personality immediately shines through. It’s incredibly agile, with its small body and short wheelbase making for a very lively yet stable hatch that only feels more comfortable as the roads get twistier.

Point the chunky steering wheel into a bend and the car follows obediently. It’s particularly sharp on changes of direction, and the way the rear-end dances about while the front bites into the road is addictingly fun – exactly how a front-drive hot hatch should be.

Funnily enough, the JCW is best experienced in the ‘Go-Kart’ Experience mode, in which everything gets dialled up: the steering gets heavier, the suspension gets firmer, the fake engine noise gets louder, the transmission prioritises lower gears. It’s the whole nine yards.

The balance of everything just feels right, and you could very easily spend all day on twisty roads without getting sick of it. We can also commend the JCW’s bespoke brakes, which do an excellent job of staying consistent when you’re continuously throwing out the anchor. Average drivers will struggle to truly exploit this car’s impressive chassis talents.

As for the engine, and aside from the faux sound pumped through the speakers, nothing about it is fake. Plant your foot on the loud pedal and the car shoots off as the engine climbs quickly and smoothly through its rev range, provided you do so in a straight line, of course.

Being a front-drive car you will encounter some torque steer when accelerating hard out of a turn, so some finesse on the throttle goes a long way. But it’s by no means unmanageable given 170kW is hardly monstrous power, and the power delivery and throttle mapping are well-calibrated and predictable.

Its performance capability feels entirely appropriate for a car of this size and purpose. Potent enough to keep you interested, but not outrageous to the point where it’s difficult to control – the JCW is slower in the 0-100km/h sprint than a GR Yaris, sure, but it makes up for it dynamically.

As brilliant as cars like that Yaris are, there aren’t really any modern cars that capture the vibe and character of their predecessors like this Mini Cooper does.

On that note, the JCW also impresses from an ergonomic standpoint. In a direct comparison with a first-gen BMW Cooper JCW from the early 2000s, the cars feel remarkably similar from behind the wheel – the proportions of the A-pillars, windscreen, and even the dashboard haven’t changed at all.

That makes sense given the new car’s wheelbase is practically the same as it was 25 years ago, while the overall length is only 200mm longer. The modern Mini hatches are similar to the Mazda MX-5 roadster in that sense, which has famously stayed the same size since its inception.

Obviously, the latest Cooper is worlds away from the old British Mini in terms of size, technology and refinement, but the trade-off for its trademark razor-sharp sportiness is compromised everyday driving.

With the JCW’s thin tyres and stiff suspension (even if it includes adaptive damping that softens the ride slightly outside of Go-Kart mode), it lacks compliance on bumpy regional roads and tyre noise is on the louder side, making it tiresome if you’re spending a lot of time in the sticks.

That said, we were surprised by its livability during daily commuting. The seats are supportive, the firm suspension won’t be an issue if you’re accustomed to performance cars, and its direct steering and compact dimensions make it a hoot to rip through the city and park in tight spots, though non-JCW variants are even better suited to the urban world.

The JCW’s solid engine performance is backed by a competent dual-clutch automatic transmission that performs well during both hard driving and day-to-day use. It doesn’t exhibit typical dual-clutch struggles when crawling in traffic or going from traffic light to traffic light, nor does it get confused with sudden throttle inputs.

There’s a manual mode activated by the steering wheel paddle shifters, which is another nice-to-have feature and incorporates BMW’s ‘Boost’ mode. After holding the downshift paddle, it delivers 10 seconds of maximum power to accelerate quickly or make an overtake.

Being a BMW product, the Cooper also benefits from top-tier safety tech. None of its safety systems will bug you as you’re driving along, and the adaptive cruise control with lane-centring function is reliably able to match the speed of traffic around you and maintain speed around tight-ish highway bends.

Topping it all off is excellent outward visibility thanks to the large windows, which combine with the extensive suite of safety gear to make the Cooper a breeze to manoeuvre and park.

To see how the Mini Cooper stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

What do you get?

There are four trim levels across the Mini Cooper range – Core, Classic, Favoured, and JCW Sport. The C, S, SE, and JCW designations represent different powertrains and/or states of tune.

2026 Mini Cooper Core equipment highlights:

• Alloy wheels:
  • 17-inch ‘U-spoke’ – grey
  • 17-inch ‘Parallel Spoke’ – two-tone
• Tyre repair kit
• Automatic LED headlights with cornering function
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Power-adjustable, auto-dimming, heated side mirrors
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Roof rails (5-door only)
• Velour floor mats
• Leather-wrapped sport steering wheel
• Heated steering wheel
• Sport seats
• Synthetic leather and cloth upholstery (2 colours):
  • Grey/Blue cloth
  • Black/Blue cloth
• Head-up display
• 240mm circular touchscreen infotainment system
• Mini Connected Services
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• 6-speaker sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• 2 x USB-C ports
• Classic Trim design elements with piano black highlights
• Classic Trim interior styling
• Dual-zone climate control
• 7 ‘Mini Experience’ modes:
  • Core
  • Green
  • Go-Kart
  • Personal
  • Timeless
  • Vivid
  • Balance
• Keyless entry

Cooper Classic adds:

• 18-inch ‘Slide Spoke’ two-tone alloy wheel option
• Panoramic glass roof (3-door and 5-door only)
• Power soft-top roof with ‘sunroof’ function (convertible only)
• Wind deflector (convertible only)
• Heated front seats
• Augmented reality navigation
• Interior camera

Cooper JCW Classic adds (over Classic):

• Alloy wheels:
  • 17-inch ‘Sprint Spoke’ – black
  • 18-inch ‘Lap Spoke’ – two-tone
• John Cooper Works sport brakes
• Adaptive damping
• Optional chili red roof and mirrors
• Sport stripes:
  • Jet Black
  • Chili Red
• John Cooper Works exterior styling
• John Cooper Works interior styling in black/red
• John Cooper Works steering wheel
• John Cooper Works seats
• John Cooper Works black synthetic leather upholstery
• Anthracite headliner
• Paddle shifters

Cooper Favoured adds:

• Additional alloy wheel options (excl. SE):
  • 17-inch ‘U-Spoke’ – Vibrant Silver
  • 18-inch ‘Night Flash Spoke’ – two-tone
• Union Jack soft-top roof option (convertible only)
• Sun protection glazing
• Synthetic leather upholstery (2 colours):
  • Beige
  • Nightshade Blue
• Active driver seat functions
• Powered front seat adjustment with memory
• Anthracite headliner
• 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system
• Favoured Trim design elements with Vibrant Silver highlights
• Favoured Trim interior styling

Cooper JCW Favoured adds (over Favoured):

• Alloy wheels:
  • 17-inch ‘Sprint Spoke’ – black
  • 18-inch ‘Lap Spoke’ – two-tone
• Optional performance tyres
• John Cooper Works sport brakes
• Adaptive damping
• Optional chili red roof and mirrors
• Sport stripes
  • Jet Black
  • Chili Red
• John Cooper Works exterior styling
• John Cooper Works interior styling in black/red
• John Cooper Works steering wheel
• John Cooper Works black synthetic leather upholstery
• Paddle shifters

Cooper JCW E Favoured adds (over JCW Favoured):

• 18-inch ‘Mastery Spoke’ alloy wheels with sport tyres
• Passive damping
• 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system

Cooper JCW Sport adds (over non-JCW Favoured):

• Alloy wheels:
  • 17-inch ‘Sprint Spoke’ – black
  • 18-inch ‘Lap Spoke’ – two-tone
• John Cooper Works sport brakes
• Adaptive damping
• Sport stripes:
  • Jet Black
  • Chili Red (excl. convertible)
• John Cooper Works exterior and interior styling
• John Cooper Works steering wheel
• John Cooper Works black synthetic leather upholstery
• Paddle shifters

To see how the Mini Cooper stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

Is the Mini Cooper safe?

The current-generation Mini Cooper has not been crash-tested by ANCAP and is therefore unrated.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 9 airbags, incl:
  • Front
  • Side
  • Head
  • Front-centre
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Cruise control
• Driver attention monitor
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Intelligent emergency call
• Lane-keep assist
• Parking assistant
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera
• Safe exit assist
• Speed limiter
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Cooper Classic adds:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic speed limit assistant
• Lane-centring
• Parking Assistant Plus
• Surround-view monitor

To see how the Mini Cooper stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

How much does the Mini Cooper cost to run?

Mini Australia backs its range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The brand doesn’t outline service intervals; instead, it follows its parent company, BMW, in adopting a ‘Condition Based Service’ schedule.

Mini says its vehicles continually monitor their own health using information collected from on-board sensors, and then alert owners (and your local Mini workshop) when it’s time for a service. It says service intervals will depend on the owner’s driving style and the vehicle’s condition.

In any case, Mini Australia offers a five-year prepaid service plan across its lineup for $2425.

Compared with rivals, the GR Yaris auto requires servicing every six months or 10,000km, with the first six services (spanning three years) capped at $335 each for a total of $2010.

The Hyundai i30 N will cost $1975 over five years, while the Honda Civic Type R will cost $995 over the same timeframe thanks to a capped price of $199 for each of its first five services.

To see how the Mini Cooper stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Mini Cooper JCW Favoured

The Cooper JCW is an absolute blast, made all the more commendable by a brand that clearly understands what a JCW should be and knows how to execute it properly.

With the demise of cars like the Ford Fiesta ST and Renault Clio RS, the JCW is among the last bastions of performance-focused, front-drive compact hatches from Europe. The only other real example of the breed is the VW Polo GTI, but no Euro brand has truly stuck to the three-door hatch formula in the way Mini has.

And the Cooper JCW is the best example of the genre. Its small body, short wheelbase and well-tuned suspension make it a playful yet stable car to drive at all speeds, striking the perfect cornering balance with lively rear-end pivoting and confidence-inspiring front-end grip – there’s no heinous front-drive understeer here.

Part of that is due to a power output that perfectly suits this application. It doesn’t feel like Mini has tried to create a monster here. Instead, it has understood the brief and produced a car that handles well and has just enough power to keep you entertained.

That’s bolstered by a competent transmission and strong brakes, all of which combine to make for a nicely rounded driving package. It’s not perfect though, because the modern Mini marque isn’t known for familiar, easy-to-learn interiors.

As visually distinctive as it is, the Cooper’s cabin is unlike any other car’s. It may give the modern Minis a lot of character inside, but it’s definitely an acquired taste.

Then there’s the price, which feels like a fairly obvious display of ‘BMW tax’, even if this is only a Mini. For the same price, you can get a GR Yaris, which may be similar in size but packs a lot more power and all-wheel drive. The Toyota’s interior is much less flashy, but you could argue that makes it less intimidating than the Cooper.

At least the Mini is cheaper to service than the Toyota, and it’s difficult to dispute that it’s a well-engineered car with top build quality. That all combines to make a small hatch that’s refreshingly engaging to drive, as well as unique. In a world of cookie-cutter car designs, it’s refreshing that Mini still caters to those with a hankering for something a bit left-field.

We can’t help but imagine how good the Cooper JCW would be with a manual gearbox like the original JCWs had, but overall, the convincing British hot hatch formula here doesn’t have us craving a drastic change-up.

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That hasn’t stopped the compact SUV from selling in reasonably strong numbers, with 899 shifted in the first two months of this year. That places it fifth in Australia’s light SUV segment, albeit well down on the dominant Mazda CX-3 (2328).

But both pint-size SUVs are dwarfed in terms of popularity by the slightly larger Chery Tiggo 4, which has nearly doubled the CX-3’s sales so far this year. When it packs much newer gear at a significantly lower price, that isn’t too surprising.

What has Hyundai done in response? Raised the Venue’s prices. All four variants are now $1000 more expensive than they were at the start of 2025, including the flagship 2026 Hyundai Venue Elite on test here, which now pushes past $30,000 for the first time.

How does it stack up against its rivals now, and is it worth considering in 2026?

How much does the Hyundai Venue cost?

The Elite sits at the top of the Venue hierarchy and costs $30,500 before on-roads.

There are multiple contenders in the light SUV segment, but only a few are worth noting. One is the segment-leading Mazda CX-3, which starts at $30,670 before on-roads in base Pure form.

Then there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross, which is slightly pricier and starts at $31,790 before on-roads.

But perhaps most importantly, the Chery Tiggo 4 small SUV tops out at $26,990 drive-away for the non-hybrid Ultimate, or $34,990 drive-away for the hybridised version.

Though the Chery is slightly larger, it’s likely to be cross-shopped with the Venue – and it sells in considerably higher numbers.

To see how the Hyundai Venue stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What is the Hyundai Venue like on the inside?

Even in top-spec trim, the Venue is sorely lacking in creature comforts.

There’s no seat heating, power seat adjustment, or even wireless Apple CarPlay. Yes, it’s still a cheap-ish car (roughly $35,000 drive-away based on a Victorian postcode), but that’s hard to swallow given the Venue Elite’s flagship status.

It’s made worse by the fact that other cheap-ish cars add most of those luxuries once you get to the top of their respective ranges. The top-spec Toyota Corolla ZR, for example, has all of the above features, as does the Chery Tiggo 4 Ultimate – the difference is that the Chery is the cheapest by far.

The CarPlay argument, meanwhile, is weirder when you consider that cheaper Venue variants have wireless smartphone mirroring functionality. This is a quirk present in other Hyundai Group products (Kia Stonic and Hyundai i30, to name a couple), and its USB-A-only connection makes the Venue Active, which is positioned below the Elite, seem more appealing.

Furthermore, high-end Stonics and i30s at least get larger screens to make up for the wired inconvenience. The Venue’s is 8.0 inches across the board.

Beyond all that, the Venue’s interior layout isn’t too bad. Everything’s where you’d expect it to be, and it retains a comfortable number of physical dials and buttons – the climate system’s layout feels more complicated than it needs to be, but it’s far easier to learn than a screen-only alternative.

We find the steering wheel to be the most luxe item in here. It’s leather-wrapped and sized appropriately for the Venue’s stature, while its controls are all finished in durable plastic and operate robustly.

As with other Hyundai and Kia models, we don’t love the instrument cluster. It’s not quite a digital display despite the lack of old-school gauges, as the only configurable portion is the small central panel – even then, it only houses basic safety info and trip computers.

It’s functional, but its style just doesn’t gel for me. That somewhat sums up the cabin as a whole – there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but in the context of what its rivals are offering, its scratchy plastics and equipment omissions hold it back.

Key features like the seats are acceptable, as they’re a little flat but comfortable enough not to wear you down. It’d be wrong to call the upholstery luxurious, but the unique design and leather-like accents are nice additions.

You also get a little bit of padding on the armrests, which makes the Venue Elite fairly livable. The same can be said for the general space you have, as the bubbly glasshouse makes the cabin feel more open than the car’s exterior proportions might suggest.

Storage inside could be better, but it’s far from the worst in the segment. Easily accessible storage areas include the wireless phone charging pad ahead of the gear selector, which sits below a USB-A port, a USB-C port, and a 12V outlet.

Otherwise, there are two cupholders further back, small bottle holders in the doors, a small central storage box, and a passenger-side glovebox with a neat shelf above. Workable, but unsurprisingly limited.

The second row is best suited for children or small adults, as long-legged people will struggle for room behind the front seats. That’s another product of the Venue’s tight packaging, but there’s at least enough headroom not to feel entirely trapped.

It’s comfortable enough, too, albeit with only a few extra amenities – just two USB-C ports and a single storage net, but no air vents. This isn’t at all uncommon in this segment, and in fact this area is slightly better equipped in terms of passenger convenience than that of a Mazda CX-3.

Boot size is also roughly on par with segment rivals. Its minimum capacity of 355 litres is smaller than the non-hybrid Tiggo 4’s 380L, but much larger than the CX-3’s 264L.

The load area is nicely sized and sits at a comfortable height, and under the floor is a space-saver spare wheel. You can fold the rear seats nearly completely flat (or split them 60:40) for more space, though Hyundai doesn’t quote capacity in this configuration.

To see how the Hyundai Venue stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the Venue is a 1.6-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with 90kW of power and 151Nm of torque. It sends drive to the front wheels only via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Our week with the car involved a mix of highway commuting and low-speed city driving, along with a stint on higher-speed country roads. The result is a recorded fuel economy slightly better than Hyundai’s claim.

To see how the Hyundai Venue stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

How does the Hyundai Venue drive?

The Venue has never been the most polished model in its class on the move, but newer rivals are making it feel less palatable than it did when it was first launched in 2019.

The engine is the most significant item holding it back. It’s underpowered, even by today’s light SUV standards, and never really ‘wakes up’ when you demand more power for a freeway on-ramp or a quick overtake.

Planting the throttle also makes it produce quite a racket, and not a very pleasant one. I’m not sure I’ve come across another new car that has such an unintentionally loud engine – and I mean engine noise, not exhaust volume – and it makes the Venue feel all the more hollow, even if it quietens down at speed.

Every move takes a fair amount of pre-planning; even setting off at a green light requires thought. Its throttle is unresponsive to smaller inputs, yet pressing it harder suddenly makes the Venue shoot off more quickly than expected – maybe it does have its ‘awake’ moments.

The transmission is also sluggish, though it’s easier to live with than the dual-clutch unit in the Kia Stonic. Kick-downs at speed feel like it’s shifting through each gear sequentially before landing, again meaning you have to plan ahead for an overtake.

Performance-wise, the Tiggo 4 Hybrid blows the Venue out of the water. Not that outright performance is the be-all and end-all at this end of the market, but we like an SUV that can comfortably get us out of trouble if need be.

Otherwise, the Venue doesn’t exhibit many deal-breakers. Some may find the road noise a little loud or the ride a little firm, but it’d be unfair to knock this SUV too harshly for things that are par for the course in this segment.

The ride quality isn’t too bad, and for a car this size, the Venue does a decent job of soaking up bumps on regional roads. It’s a little bobbly, sure, but it could be far worse considering the wafer-thin tyres Hyundai has fitted.

The same can be said for the Venue’s steering and handling. The former strikes a balance between being appropriately light for newcomers without feeling too flimsy, and the size of the steering wheel itself makes it easy to throw around.

Those relatively narrow tyres certainly don’t aid handling, but the Venue performs better than you might expect on a twisty road. By no means would we call it confidence-inspiring, as there’s a fair bit of nervous body movement through turns (heaven forbid you hit a mid-corner bump), but it’s capable enough.

Naturally, the Venue is better suited to the city. Once you’re past the slow throttle, you’ll find that it’s right at home on tight streets where manoeuvrability is king.

Visibility out of the cabin is good, and it rarely feels like you need the full bevvy of sensors and cameras to avoid bumping into things. When it comes time to park, you’ll be able to make use of a reversing camera if you need extra help.

The only downside to lower-speed driving is that imperfections like speed bumps and tram tracks aren’t comfortably absorbed. We suspect the more generous sidewalls of the tyres on the smaller alloys fitted to cheaper Venues would mitigate this.

Importantly, we had no concerns with the Venue’s safety systems during our week with the car. The only function that made itself known was the lane-keep assist, which made itself known on occasion, even when there was no risk of crossing the lane markings.

There’s no adaptive cruise control, just an old-school cruise system instead. It also lacks traffic sign recognition, but that’s fine by us given there’s no annoying Hyundai-esque speed limit warning here.

Overall, the Venue is adequate. It’s just held back by its wheezy engine and sub-optimal throttle/transmission calibration, which undermine a package that otherwise behaves appropriately for its segment.

To see how the Hyundai Venue stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What do you get?

The Elite sits at the top of the three-variant Venue range.

2026 Hyundai Venue standard equipment highlights:

• 15-inch alloy wheels
• Space-saver spare wheel
• Auto halogen projector headlights
• Halogen daytime running lights
• Cloth upholstery
• Manual air-conditioning
• 4.2-inch colour instrument cluster screen
• Wireless phone charger
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• 1 x 12V outlet, 1 x USB-A outlet, 1 x USB-C outlet
• 4-speaker sound system
• Remote central locking
• 60:40 split/fold rear seat

Venue Active adds:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED daytime running lights
• LED positioning lights
• Static bending lights
• 6-speaker sound system
• ‘Premium’ seat bolsters
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• Power-folding exterior mirrors

Venue Elite adds:

• LED rear combination lights
• Single-zone climate control
• Bluelink connected services (five-year subscription)
• 2 x USB-C outlets (rear)
• Electrochromatic rear-view mirror
• Unique 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
  • Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (no wireless)
  • Satellite navigation
  • DAB+ digital radio
• Sunroof (not available with two-tone roof option)
• Keyless entry and start
• Rear privacy glass

To see how the Hyundai Venue stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

Is the Hyundai Venue safe?

The Venue’s four-star ANCAP safety rating awarded in 2019 has now expired, leaving it unrated.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 6 airbags, incl:
  • Front
  • Front-side
  • Curtain
• Autonomous emergency braking (camera-based)
  • City/urban/interurban braking
  • Pedestrian detection
• Automatic high-beam
• Driver attention warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Leading vehicle departure alert
• Rear occupant alert
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Venue Active adds:

• Rear parking sensors

Venue Elite adds:

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert

To see how the Hyundai Venue stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

How much does the Hyundai Venue cost to run?

The Venue is covered by Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty (or seven years if all scheduled services are completed at an authorised Hyundai dealer). Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.