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France’s Renault has confirmed it will build a Suzuki Jimny rival, while Dacia has unveiled a low-cost wagon to fight the Skoda Octavia. Renault Bridger Concept The Renault Group has announced it will launch 32 new models globally in the next five years – including rivals to the Suzuki Jimny off-road SUV and the Skoda Octavia wagon. Due on sale in India next year, ahead of a “gradual roll-out to other international markets”, the squared-off Renault Bridger will measure under four metres in length, making it eligible for a lower tax rate in India. Renault Australia told Drive it will continue to evaluate all new products, such as the Bridger, should they be built in right-hand drive and offered to Australia by its global headquarters in France. Previewed by the Bridger Concept, the small, off-road-ready SUV will be based on Renault’s modular ‘RGMP small’ platform, which appears to be an updated version of its current CMF-B architecture. MORE: Renault CEO wants range exten...

The brand’s first in-house hybrid will arrive in the 2027 CX-5, but Mazda wanted it sooner to compete against Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and others. Mazda’s first in-house full-hybrid system , planned to launch on the third-generation CX-5 in 2027, was delayed to ensure it would meet the brand’s signature driving dynamics, according to the brand’s Australian boss. Speaking to Drive , Mazda Australia boss Vinesh Bhindi said the desire was to introduce the Toyota -rivalling technology sooner, but it was more important for the hybrid to be a good fit for the brand. “I would have liked it sooner, but there’s a very good reason for it – it’s a Mazda hybrid,” Bhindi said. “This has been a discussion at Mazda Corporation … we said that hybrid still needs to deliver the Mazda ‘Zoom Zoom’, ‘Jinba-Ittai’ [philosophy]. MORE: Mazda holding enough CX-5 stock to see it through to next-generation SUV “For that to happen, we need to give our R&D people time and space, and resources, to ...

A new Australian study has found that blind-spot warning technology in cars reduces lane-change crashes by 15 per cent. According to estimates in a new Australian study, 15 per cent of lane change crashes are prevented by blind-spot warnings, with men benefiting the most from the technology. Lane change crashes reportedly account for 2.4 per cent of all Australasian crashes, and a 15 per cent reduction of these means 0.36 per cent of all crashes are prevented by blind-spot warnings. The study was undertaken by Michael D. Keall from the Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Stuart Newstead from the Monash University Accident Research Centre. Blind-spot monitoring is potentially most effective for male drivers, with the researchers speculating that this is because male drivers check mirrors less frequently before changing lanes, compared to female drivers. MORE: Can you break the speed limit when you’re merging or overtaking? Basic blind-spot monitoring ...

The big four-wheel-drive wagon from GWM borrows plug-in hybrid power from the Cannon Alpha, with a solid EV driving range and 300kW/750Nm worth of combined outputs. But the asking price has gone up, and it loses the third row of seats. Skip ahead: Introduction Running costs Price and specification Energy use Interior space and comfort On-road assessment Connectivity and infotainment Summary Safety Next steps 2026 GWM Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T PHEV It’s something of a rare offering in the four-wheel-drive space at the moment: plug-in hybrid power. Land Rover does offer it in a significantly higher price bracket, but Chinese compatriot brand BYD is bringing the Denza B5 and B8 to the Australian market. In a similar vein to the Denza B5 wagon and the BYD Shark 6, we have a plug-in hybrid powertrain borrowed from the GWM Cannon Alpha for the Tank 500 PHEV. That means you have a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which runs through ...