We publish a lot of car news during the work week and it can be difficult to keep everything up to date – that’s the reason behind this weekend’s list.
In short, here are some of the key articles from our news desk as of this Monday summarized, just in case you missed them at the time.
Things you need to know about Hyundai Kona 2024
Early Australian details on the new generation Hyundai Kona 2024 have been announced, with an extended powertrain range already confirmed for the local market, including a hybrid and two EV option.
Kona Electric will once again offer Standard Range and Extended Range battery options in Australia, with the new Kona Hybrid arriving in Australia joining around that time (Q4 2023), with updated versions Updates of existing 2.0-litre petrol engines and 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol models kick off proceedings from the middle of this year.
FULL STORY: Hyundai Kona 2024: Detailed small SUV series for Australia
C-HR will only be hybrid
The second-generation Toyota C-HR will arrive in Australia in the first half of 2024 and will be offered exclusively with a hybrid engine.
Toyota Australia has also confirmed that it currently has no plans to introduce plug-in hybrids to the local market, leaving another PHEV out of reach for Australians. The company has never offered PHEV versions of the Prius and RAV4 locally.
So far, the next C-HR has only been previewed as a concept – last year’s C-HR Prologue – and has been confirmed as a hybrid and PHEV-only product globally.
FULL STORY: C-HR is the first hybrid Toyota in Australia since the Prius
Fiat’s cute little EV price for Australia
Pricing and specifications for the 2023 Fiat 500e city electric car have been confirmed by Stellantis Australia ahead of its mid-2023 launch.
The Fiat 500e La Prima starts at $52,500 before traffic costs and will compete with other electric vehicles (EVs) like the Mini Electric, GWM Ora, MG 4 and Nissan Leaf.
La Prima translates directly from Italian to English as “The First” and serves as the premiere version of the city’s electric car.
It is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 87kW of power and 220Nm of torque. It is paired with a 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
FULL STORY: Fiat 500e 2023 price and specifications: EV to launch mid-year
What comes between H and C? At Honda, it’s Z
The Honda ZR-V has been officially confirmed as the brand’s new competitor in the mid-size SUV segment, which is expected to compete with the best-selling Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 by mid-2023.
After a long drip of information with few official details, we know Honda’s all-new SUV nameplate will be available later this year with four trim levels, including a hybrid e version. The highest spec :HEV has the same powertrain as the related Civic e :HEV.
Most of the range will be powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a CVT automatic transmission, while the e:HEV uses a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine mated to a hybrid system. two-engine hybrid system.
FULL STORY: Honda confirms new ZR-V SUV to compete with Toyota RAV4
X1 becomes sexier for 2023
BMW Australia has raised the price of its all-new X1 SUV by $6500 less than six months after its launch.
That means the range now opens at $60,400 for the entry-level X1 sDrive18i ($6,500 up), while the xDrive20i xLine and M Sport versions have a corresponding increase from $4,500 to $70,400 and $73,400 – all prices before circulation costs.
A spokesperson from the local BMW division said auto expert: “BMW continuously reviews its pricing structure throughout the year, taking into account a number of different factors.”
“However, we always aim to ensure our products remain appropriately positioned and represent a competitive market price proposition for our customers.”
FULL STORY: BMW increases the price of X1 up to 6500 USD
Lamborghini’s wild electrified V12 powertrain revealed
Lamborghini has provided a glimpse of its next flagship V12 supercar.
The brand’s first mass-produced high-performance electric vehicle (HPEV), dubbed the new plug-in hybrid supercar, will have a new 6.5-liter V12 at its heart.
It’s just hooked up to the rear axle and pumps out 607kW of power at a staggering 9250rpm. Maximum torque is 725Nm at 6750 rpm.
The Redline’s 9500 rpm, or 500 rpm, exceeds the speed that the 4.0-liter six-cylinder in the Porsche 911 GT3, GT3 RS and 718 Cayman GT4 RS can manage.
FULL STORY: LB744: Lamborghini PHEV will have V12, three e-motors, wild power
Nissan shares more about its e-Power plans
Nissan has unveiled a new modular approach to developing both electric and electrified powertrains that it says will cut costs.
Its 3-in-1 prototype, with a modular electric motor, inverter and reducer, is planned for use in electric vehicles, while the 5-in-1 prototype is set to be used for electric vehicles. e-Power hybrid convenience.
The latter adds a modular generator and turbocharger, while Nissan also leaves the door open for other X-in-1 variants.
It also said it was considering adding its e-Power system to large SUVs and commercial vehicles.
FULL STORY: How Nissan plans to cut the cost of developing electric vehicles, e-Power
FULL STORY: Nissan is developing hybrid large SUV, commercial vehicle
Peugeot’s dashing plug-in hybrid wagon is here this year
Peugeot Australia is currently expressing interest in the 508 GT Sportswagon Plug-In Hybrid ahead of its arrival in Q2 2023.
Notably, Peugeot has provided images of the current 508, not the recently revealed facelift. The company has yet to confirm a local release date for the update.
FULL STORY: Confirmation time for Peugeot’s sleek plug-in hybrid wagon
GWM’s latest Haval SUV is its biggest yet
Haval has revealed a single official image of the P04 frame-based three-row SUV that is said to be based on the King Kong Cannon dual-cab.
P04 is said to be 5.2 meters long, nearly 2.0 meters wide and 1.8 meters high. For context, it’s about 20 centimeters longer than the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, although the other dimensions are glossy lines.
A spokesperson for GWM Australia has confirmed the P04 is only for the Chinese domestic market at this stage and is not part of the company’s plans for the local market.
FULL STORY: Haval P04: GWM’s Toyota LandCruiser rival revealed
The stylish action of the Subaru S-Edition
Subaru Australia has revealed a special edition of its upcoming Impreza hatchback to celebrate the model’s 30th anniversary.
It’s called the S-Edition — thank God for that hyphen — and costs from $36,290 before on-road costs, $3500 more than the 2.0iS it’s based on.
It also marks the “final push” of the current generation before the launch of the next-generation model, which goes on sale in Australia at an unconfirmed date.
The special edition will be in showrooms from May, and deliveries to customers will also begin that month.
FULL STORY: Subaru sees off the current Impreza with a special edition
Puma ST auto’s claws are not as sharp as manual ones
The Ford Puma ST variant is now available for buyers who can’t or don’t want to manually shift gears.
Debuting overnight in Europe, the new Ford Puma ST Powershift combines a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It complements the existing Puma ST, not sold here, which has a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission.
A Ford Australia spokesperson said: “The Puma ST is a great vehicle, but we have no news to share about an Australian launch.
FULL STORY: Ford Puma ST Powershift with less power but more comfort
