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2026 Audi Q3 gets five-star ANCAP score, A3 and Cupra Leon reset theirs

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A five-star ANCAP score – under now-superseded criteria – has been confirmed for the new-generation 2026 Audi Q3, along with the latest Audi A3 and Cupra Leon. Audi Q3 ANCAP testing The 2026 Audi Q3 has received a five-star ANCAP safety rating, along with the updated Audi A3 and Cupra Leon small cars – but none of the vehicles were assessed under the latest 2026 criteria. ANCAP has this week confirmed the results for local examples of the 2026 Q3 , A3 and Leon , based on testing conducted in Europe by Euro NCAP in 2025 under the now-superseded 2023-2025 assessment criteria. Both safety organisations have yet to announce any crash-test results from their latest 2026-2028 assessment criteria, which introduce several changes, as detailed here . All Q3 grades are covered by the result in Australia, scoring 87 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 86 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 80 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 83 per cent for Safety Assist. M...
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Police release details on car theft operation in west Melbourne

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Victoria Police recovered four stolen vehicles and arrested 19 people during an operation last month, according to new details. Recovered Nissan Patrol is towed. Image: Victoria Police Victoria Police have released new details on an operation last month to tackle car theft in Melbourne’s west that arrested 19 people over four nights. Between 11 and 14 February 2026 in Brimbank and Melton, Victoria Police claim to have checked over 860 cars, recovering four stolen vehicles as a result. The west Melbourne local government areas (LGAs) of Brimbank and Melton respectively experienced the sixth and thirteenth highest average monthly car thefts in Melbourne over the first nine months of 2025. The LGA of Casey in Melbourne’s south east has the highest average monthly car thefts in the city area. However, all these LGAs are also among the most populous in Melbourne, according to 2024 Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates . Casey ranks first for population in Melbourne (405,4...
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Mazda says Chinese partnership ‘absolutely helps’

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Leveraging its relationship with a Chinese OEM helps rather than hurts Mazda, according to the Japanese brand’s local boss. Mazda 6e Mazda believes its team up with China’s Changan Automobile, which has born the 6e and CX-6e electric vehicles (EVs), is a boon for the Japanese brand as it navigates a more electrified future. Mazda Australia will be one of the only legacy brands to offer a Chinese-made model that shares the same platform and underpinnings as an existing Chinese product, with the 6e and CX-6e sharing commonality with the Changan Nevo A07, Deepal SL03, and Deepal S07 . The Changan Mazda joint venture first started in 2012 during a time when the Chinese government mandated partnerships from foreign car brands to sell models in the biggest region globally. Rules have since relaxed, but the Changan Mazda partnership has continued, with models like the CX-30 , CX-50 , and Mazda 3 available in China, while also giving the Japanese brand access to Changan’s tec...
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BMW M is still a long way from a hydrogen performance car

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BMW has been quietly developing hydrogen power for road cars, but the technology remains a long way away from reaching a performance model. Hydrogen power in a BMW M car remains a distant thought – if it ever becomes a reality – according to the performance division’s boss, Frank van Meel, citing struggles with packaging the technology into compact race and road cars. “It’s not that easy right now. We need fuel stacks, and that’s not the only thing,” van Meel told Australian media. “We need a couple of them if you want to have the performance, and then of course you need the cooling for them, and that makes the car grow into [the size of] a truck.” BMW has one of the few major car brands still working on hydrogen fuel-cell technology, most recently fitting it to a fleet of iX5 prototypes built since 2019, ahead of plans to commence series production of a hydrogen-powered, next-generation X5 in 2028. MORE: 2024 BMW iX5 Hydrogen review – quick drive “We haven’t found...
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Why Oscar Piastri is scared to drive in Melbourne

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Visitors to Melbourne are often caught out by this quirky local road rule – with even F1 star Oscar Piastri admitting it makes him nervous. So what exactly is a hook turn and how do you do it? As someone who did not grow up in Melbourne, I understand first-hand what it’s like to adjust to the city’s unique road rules. I still think I have some form of PTSD from my first experience driving on a road with trams – even though it was almost 20 years ago. Yes, due to the tram network, Melbourne drivers – whether born-and-bred, new residents or visitors – must learn a few extra road rules. Arguably, none is so confusing and anxiety-inducing as the hook turn. Even those born here are sometimes wary of it – even if they also happen to drive for a living. “I try to avoid the city and avoid the hook turns because they still make me a bit anxious,” Melbourne-born Formula One driver Oscar Piastri said at an event on Tuesday night, The Herald Sun reported. But is it really that tricky...
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2027 BMW M2 xDrive among leaked models likely for Australia

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New electric models and an all-wheel-drive M2 are confirmed to be coming following a huge online leak. BMW M2 BMW has accidentally published details of its next new product launches, including confirmation of the first-ever all-wheel-drive M2. Information published on BMW’s US website has leaked a selection of the 40 new models it has planned to release by the end of 2027. Among the models listed is an M2 xDrive, an all-wheel drive version of the coupe, which will break tradition as the first entry-level M car that isn’t rear-wheel drive only. It is expected to be offered with an automatic transmission only, while the rear-wheel drive M2 will still be available with a manual gearbox. MORE: BMW M to launch 30 new cars in 30 months Current BMW M340i. The next-generation 3 Series appears set to launch in the US in 330, 330 xDrive and M350 xDrive petrol variants, alongside three electric models, the i3 40 sDrive rear-wheel drive, i3 40 xDrive all-wheel drive, and i3...
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Latest mobile speed camera locations for Melbourne and Victoria: March 2026 mapped

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Mobile speed cameras can be deployed in Victoria across more than 2240 locations this month. Here’s where they could be. There are 2256 approved locations where mobile speed cameras can be deployed in Victoria in February 2026. The Victorian Government publishes a list of approved locations online on the first day of each month. The approved mobile speed camera locations for February 2026 have changed slightly from those of January 2026 with the addition of 11 new locations and the removal of 25. A location must meet at least one of the following four criteria for a speed camera to be approved for placement: A documented history of speed-related collisions or on-road trauma within the last three years. The subject of a validated complaint of excessive speeds, such as from the general public or local councils. Identified by police to be a speed-related problem site. Where alternative methods of speed enforcement, other than by mobile cameras, are deemed not suitable. T...
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