CAR ADVICE

Think demerit points are just a police matter? They’re not, and some car insurers in Australia are watching driver records to assess premiums. It’s no secret that in 2026, car ownership costs are some of the most expensive necessities most Aussies have no choice but to pay. And while some state governments, like Victoria, have introduced travel relief – such as free public transport and 20 per cent rebates on registration – insurance costs are usually among the most expensive bills. RELATED: The EV insurance ‘sting’ facing Aussie drivers fleeing the fuel crisis Although insurance premiums depend on a range of factors, including a driver’s history, can demerit points actually impact your car insurance? Here’s what you need to know. Do demerit points affect your car insurance? Yes, demerit points can affect your insurance policies, though it depends on your insurer and your policy. In the case of NRMA, a spokesperson for the insurance company con...

Massive discounts have dropped thousands of dollars from prices of Kia’s struggling Tasman ute, bringing the flagship variant down to the price of a tradie-spec Ford Ranger V6. Kia has slashed prices across top-selling versions of the Tasman by up to $13,000, in the most significant savings for its dual-cab ute since it arrived in Australia nearly 12 months ago. The drive-away discounts apply to 2025-built Tasman dual-cab pick-ups – understood to cover a considerable portion of the Kia utes at dealers around Australia – and are available until 30 June 2026, unless extended. The off-road-focused Tasman X-Pro is the recipient of the $13,000 cut, now $64,990 drive-away – cheaper than the mid-grade SX+ prior to the significant discounts. Purchasing any Tasman variant in Western Australia adds $1000 to the prices listed throughout this story. MORE: Kia Tasman getting even harder to sell amid fuel crisis The X-Pro is now similar in price to the...

The Ram 1500 Express entry grade has returned, allowing the US pick-up to again slot under the F-150 and Silverado following recent price increases. The title of Australia’s most-affordable US pick-up has returned to the Ram 1500, with a new base grade due next month, cutting $32,000 from its entry price. Priced from $109,950 before on-road costs, the 2026 Ram 1500 Express Black Edition slots under the recommended retail price of the Ford F-150 (from $114,950) and Chevrolet Silverado (from $134,990), and remains under the Toyota Tundra (from $155,990). When it launched in Australia in 2021, the current ‘DT Series’ Ram 1500 started from $114,950, but subsequent updates – including a new twin-turbocharged inline-six engine replacing the Hemi V8 – had seen the most-affordable 2025 model rise to $141,950. The Express Black Edition marks a return of the more-affordable Ram 1500 Express grade in Australia, last offered when final stock of the pre...

BYD’s emerging luxury spin-off sees its new electric super wagon – which, in Europe, starts from the equivalent of $160,000 – as a way of showing what it can do, not setting the sales charts alight. The Denza Z9 GT large electric wagon is likely to be one of the most expensive Chinese-made cars when it goes on sale in Australia later this year with an anticipated price tag above $100,000. Demand for extra-large luxury cars – especially wagons – is slim in Australia, with just 348 vehicles in the category occupied by the Porsche Panamera , Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series reported as sold last year. The BYD luxury division is well aware the 850kW Z9 GT will not be a top seller, and says it is pitched as a ‘halo’ vehicle to show the performance and technology its brand can offer. “Yes, you’re right [the category is small]. I would like to be competitive with the other vehicles in that grand touring segment, which is not tens of th...

Nissan anticipates a profit next year after closing more than half a dozen factories and sacking tens of thousands of workers. Nissan has reported a 533 billion Japanese yen loss (AUD$4.6 billion) for the last financial year, but the iconic Japanese brand predicts its books will return to the black by this time next year. The anticipated net income of ¥20 billion (AUD$175 million) in 2026 comes at great cost, as the brand shuttered seven manufacturing sites across the world last year, and anticipates layoffs totalling 20,000 workers by 2027, according to Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa. “Turning to cost reduction, we set to deliver 500 billion in savings from fixed and variable costs. On fixed costs, we are ahead of plan with 200 billion in savings,” Espinosa said. “This progress has built steadily supported by disciplined execution including the actions taken across our manufacturing footprint.” MORE: Nissan’s crucial new cars arriving in ...

New-generations of both the CX-5 and RAV4 will be available in Australian showrooms this year, but which will be more popular? Mazda could regain the best-selling SUV crown this year as its runout CX-5 continues to sell strongly despite a new-generation model soon to launch. However, to do so, it will need to fend off its long-running arch-rival Toyota RAV4 , which has also just been updated with a new-generation model. To the end of April this year, Mazda has reported 7477 CX-5 s as sold, a modest 4.6 per cent increase over last year’s run rate. However, the second-generation CX-5 is soon to be replaced by an all-new model in the coming months, which opens at under $40,000 to keep it price competitive against many Chinese rivals. MORE: Toyota Tundra prices cut by about $20,000 in Australia to clear year-old stock Crucially for Mazda however, is the reduction in powertrain choice, from three to just one, which could limit the new CX-5’s appeal....