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2026 Toyota bZ4X demand surges after price cut and range boost

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Australian customer deliveries of the Toyota bZ4X electric SUV have been supercharged by the arrival of an updated model, with a “further uptick” last month amid high fuel prices. Demand for the 2026 Toyota bZ4X electric SUV has risen by “almost” three times after a major technical update last year boosted driving range and dropped the entry price by $10,010. Toyota Australia says the significant update to its first electric vehicle, the RAV4-sized bZ4X , has been “received very, very well” even before ongoing fuel price pressures saw a “further uptick” in sales last month. The 2026 bZ4X, which went on sale in Australia in December 2025, has recorded 840 sales year-to-date, up 300 per cent from the same time last year. In March 2026, amid record-high fuel prices across Australia, bZ4X deliveries increased nearly 600 per cent compared with the same month in 2025 – from 64 to 447 – in an electric-vehicle market up 42.3 per cent, and an overall market down 2.6 per cent. MORE: ...
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Thieves are now targeting this unlikely car part

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As car theft continues to surge in Australia, European crooks have found a way to steal from car owners without even needing to be inside the vehicle. By now, you’re probably aware that car theft remains a big problem in Australia, with experts pointing the blame at key cloning devices used by thieves to gain entry into a car without the need for the legitimate key. According to the latest Census data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated 64,400 households had reported their cars stolen, with 92 per cent experiencing at least a single incident between 2024 and 2025. RELATED: High-tech and low-tech ways to keep your car from getting pinched In Victoria alone, 32,013 motor vehicle theft offences were recorded last year, representing a 10 per cent increase from 2024 and the highest number in more than 20 years. And while authorities continue to urge local motorists to install aftermarket tools such as OBD port locks or steering wheel locks to prevent thieves from gett...
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Ford boss on why the company is playing the long game in F1

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This is why Ford rejoined the top echelon of motorsport and what it means for its future hybrid cars. Ford has partnered with Red Bull Racing as part of its Formula 1 return “We’re here to stay.” With that Bill Ford, the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, underscores the company’s long-term commitment to F1. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few weeks, F1 fans will have found it hard to escape the controversy around the sport’s latest regulations. The Ford executive doesn’t share the concerns and is looking at the long game instead. Speaking to Drive at the Australian Grand Prix last month, he said: “We like it because we chose to come back into the sport with this new set of regulations. I think it aligns very well with a very bright future for performance hybrids.” MORE: Ford Australia needs to be nimble and reinvent itself – Bill Ford Bill Ford, speaking exclusively with  Drive . Indeed, performance hybrids look to be the way...
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2027 Subaru Getaway seven-seat electric SUV revealed, not confirmed for Australia

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This is not the weekly Nine travel TV show, but the first seven-seat electric Subaru with links to the Toyota Kluger hybrid’s US replacement. Subaru’s fourth electric vehicle is its first with three rows of seats, the 2027 Getaway, due in US showrooms by the end of this year. The Getaway is the Subaru version of the new Toyota Highlander EV – the electric successor to the hybrid SUV sold as the Kluger in Australia – and is claimed to be the most powerful production Subaru at 313kW. Australian plans are yet to be revealed, but given the Highlander EV is not planned for sale locally – and is not expected to be produced in right-hand drive – the Getaway is unlikely to reach local showrooms either. Drive has contacted Subaru Australia for comment. MORE: 2026 Subaru Uncharted electric SUV confirmed for Australia this year The first Getaway SUVs to hit US showrooms will claim “more than 300 miles” (483km) of range in US EPA testing from a 95.8kWh battery, capable o...
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2026 GWM Ora 5 confirmed for Australia mid-year

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The first new model from GWM’s Ora electric-car division in three years is months away – and it could offer a hybrid option. The 2026 GWM Ora 5 small SUV is due in Australia from the middle of this year, as the start of an expanded Ora sub-brand currently represented only by the Ora electric hatchback. The Ora 5 is available with a choice of hybrid and electric power in the right-hand-drive Thai market, but it is yet to be confirmed if both options – or just the EV – will be offered locally. Similar in footprint to the current GWM Haval Jolion, the Ora 5 applies the name to a larger SUV platform, for increased ground clearance and more interior space. In Thailand, the electric version is priced from 629,000 to 699,000 baht – slightly dearer than the 629,000 to 659,000 baht of the BYD Atto 2, Australia’s cheapest electric SUV at $31,990 plus on-road costs. MORE: GWM confirms new-model blitz for Australia, led by hybrid and electric cars At 4471mm long, 1833mm wide, 16...
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Number plate theft in Victoria mapped with this tool

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With plate theft increasing by 20 per cent statewide, these maps and tools show where number plate theft actually rose and fell in 2025. Number plate theft in Victoria increased by 20 per cent last year, rising from 26,941 recorded offences in 2024 to 32,228 in 2025. But this increase isn’t spread evenly across the state, with plate theft more than doubling in some parts of the state, while halving in others. Type your postcode into the box below to see how number plate theft has increased or decreased in your area. Further down this article are maps that also display the same statistics for most Local Government Areas (LGAs) and postcode areas in Victoria. The pattern of increasing number plate thefts over recent years closely follows that of vehicle theft. Victoria recorded 32,013 motor vehicle theft offences in 2025, a 10 per cent increase from 2024. Number plate theft per cent increase in Local Government Areas of Victoria Thefts of plates more than doubled in the r...
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Mazda’s smaller models like Mazda 2 and CX-3 have a future in Australia

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New-generation versions of the Mazda 2 and CX-3 are on the cards, but still years away as Mazda prioritises other model lines. Mazda CX-3 Mazda is committed to small and affordable models in Australia, confirming new-generation versions of the Mazda 2 and CX-3, but they likely will not materialise before 2027. This is despite markets around the world dropping the ageing models, including Japan recently discontinuing the CX-3 SUV and the UK dropping the in-house Mazda 2 but keeping the rebadged Toyota Yaris hybrid version. Speaking to Drive , Mazda Australia boss Vinesh Bhindi said the brand’s local division will continue to stock the two models – both sourced from Thailand – for the foreseeable future. “What they are doing in other markets, they would be doing it for different reasons, but these two products [Mazda 2 and CX-3] will be on offer ongoing this year,” Bhindi said. MORE: New Mazda CX-3, Mazda 2 descend Japanese brand’s priority list Mazda 2 “From Mazd...
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