CAR ADVICE

The Mitsubishi Mirage has been given an update to make it more competitive with fellow bargain-basement city cars such as the Kia Picanto and MG 3. This facelift of Mitsubishi's only conventional passenger car (non-SUV or pickup) includes a redesigned front end with a bolder grille (Dynamic Shield to use the brand's marketing parlance), sleeker-looking headlights, and a new lower bumper.

Sponsored by: LDV There's no escaping the rise of the double-cab ute. Part family car, part utility tool, is there anything they can't do? Well, yeah... See, the back of a dual-cab ute is a little bit limited in size and if your weekend pursuits need a bit more space, you might find that your do-it-all car can't actually do it all. But the team at LDV has a solution.

German carmaker Volkswagen has claimed it is still spending €2 billion (AU$3.6 billion) per week during the coronavirus outbreak, despite having suspended European production last month. Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told media that the business is still operational – however running at a loss, as reported by Automotive News. He put the business’s operational costs at approximately €2 billion (AU$3.6 billion) each week, however did not allude to net loss.

BMW Australia has issued a recall of 74 of its model-year 2012-2018 M6 Gran Coupe affected by faulty brake light fastening. Affected vehicles were sold between 9 August 2012 and 27 September 2018. Lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the defect related to the third (high) brake light fitted to the roof at the rear of the vehicle may loosen or detach from its fixture. Above: ACCC-supplied image

Recent trademark applications made by Toyota suggest the brand could be planning Gazoo Racing versions of its Corolla and C-HR models for Australia. The three applications, lodged with Intellectual Property Australia (and noted on GR86.org), seek trademarks for the terms ‘GR Corolla’, ‘C-HR GR-Sport’ and ‘C-HR GR-S’. GR stands for Gazoo Racing – the nameplate for Toyota’s new generation of performance vehicles. The GR badge is already worn by the Supra and upcoming GR Yaris.

A five-door version of the Suzuki Jimny appears to be in development, with a larger take on the tiny off-roader reportedly on the cards for the model's launch in India in 2021. According to a report from Autocar India, the Jimny will make its debut in that market not as the three-door version we're familiar with in Australia, but as an upsized five-door iteration.

EXCLUSIVE US car giant Jeep is in the process of signing its Australian dealer network to 10-year franchise agreements with a commitment the brand is here to stay – despite posting five years in a row in sharp decline and the lowest sales results in 11 years. Jeep sales in Australia peaked in 2014 – when more than 30,000 cars were reported as sold – but last year the company delivered just 5500 vehicles.

Industry analysts have forecast the biggest fall in new-car sales since the Global Financial Crisis in the US, as Australian dealers report the toughest conditions in memory – however the sharp declines are likely to drive mega deals in April. New-car showrooms across Australia remain open – although some have reduced hours – as the industry has switched to a “contactless” sales model.

Roads and Transport departments in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have relaxed licensing conditions for older drivers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Elderly motorists – classified as those over the age of 75 (or 70 in South Australia) – require additional medical certification to hold a driver’s licence.

APRIL 1, 2020: Australia’s largest automotive publisher CarAdvice.com regrets to inform that the planned release of the 2020 April Fool Joke has been pushed back to accommodate new regulatory standards for humour compliance.

I’ve spent more time as a passenger in versions of the Toyota Camry than I ever have behind the wheel. As a go-to vehicle for Uber drivers, it’s become synonymous in my mind with awkward small talk, free mints and five-star ratings. And based on those experiences alone, I’d be giving the Camry a solid two stars.

Tesla’s Semi – its fully-electric answer to a heavy-duty freight vehicle – has been spotted after completing cold weather testing in Alaska. Two prototypes of the Semi – which was first revealed in 2017 – were spotted in Oregon, presumably on their way back to Tesla headquarters in California. According to the Reddit user who originally posted the picture, the red Semi was wearing Alaska license plates. It’s known that Tesla has a cold testing facility in Alaska state.

Hyundai Motor Group has won a Product Design award at the Red Dot Design Awards for its Vest Exoskeleton (VEX) – a wearable, robotic exoskeleton. VEX was designed in collaboration between Hyundai’s Robotics Lab and its Design Centre as an aid for its factory workers to reduce fatigue and strain during overhead labour.

The price of petrol might be hitting 20-year lows but as night follows day the cost will go up. As many motorists look to save money amid the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve compiled a list of five of the most economical new cars under $20,000. There’s not a hybrid among them because petrol-electric technology is still relatively expensive, but the good news is all of these cars can run on regular 91 unleaded; they don’t require expensive premium unleaded.

UPDATE: New photos of the 2021 Audi A3 have been released, showing the new Sportback in outdoor driving lights and new colours. Our original story continues below. March 3, 2020: Exactly eight years since its predecessor was first unveiled and four years since its last facelift, the new fourth-generation 2021 Audi A3 Sportback has been unveiled online.

US car giant Ford has joined its rival General Motors in answering the call to arms to battle the outbreak of the coronavirus across North America. Ford will work with GE Healthcare to expand production of a simplified version of the company’s existing ventilator design to support patients with respiratory failure or who have difficulty breathing.

Did you crave the performance of a Tesla electric car but miss the sound of a rumbling V8? A UK exhaust manufacturer may have the answer: fake external noise. The Milltek exhaust company has invented a muffler that has a built-in speaker to emit a fake but realistic V8 noise – or one of a number of high performance sounds that can be selected via a smartphone app. The noise gets louder as the otherwise silent electric car in driven faster or accelerates harder.

Australian car-sharing and car-subscription services have seen an influx of new customers amid the coronavirus crisis, with some reporting a concerning trend they're calling 'car hoarding'. Car Next Door, a nationwide peer-to-peer car sharing platform, coined the phrase after it witnessed the number of its "long-term" bookings double over the past week and a half, resulting in limited availability for some of its customers.

Alfa Romeo presented an exotic concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, a concept that translated the lines of some of the brand's most beautiful classics into the 21st century - the 8C Competizione. At the time, Alfa Romeo’s range consisted of the 147 (hatchback), the GT (coupe) the 156 (sedan and sportwagon), the GTV (sportscar) and the Spider (roadster).

In South Korea, the Genesis G80 will come with three engine options. A turbo 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 223kW and 421Nm, a turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with 279kW and 530Nm, and a turbo 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel generating 154kW and 441Nm.

The poor little turtle scuttling down the double yellow lines provides a perfect counter to the 2020 Lamborghini Huracan Evo. The hare and the tortoise in real life – well, almost. I slow down and eventually come to a complete stop, worried a following car is going to hit the little guy. I look over at my father in the passenger seat, as the traffic behind me starts to build and horns start blaring.

The coronavirus outbreak could put the brakes on the fitment of life-saving replacement parts for potentially deadly Takata airbags following job losses in car dealership workshops across Australia. To keep the doors open amid a sharp downturn in business, an increasing number of car servicing staff and mechanics have lost their jobs or been forced to take leave, making it harder for consumers to book in vehicles for critical repairs.

Formula One teams in the UK and Australia’s Erebus Supercars team have joined the fight against COVID-19 by producing medical equipment. In a combined effort from seven UK-based Formula One teams to implement their advanced manufacturing capacities, 'Project Pitlane' sets out to produce ventilators to support the healthcare system during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has issued a safety recall for just three examples of its model-year 2016 C-Class vehicles affected by faulty headlight range function software. Affected vehicles were sold between 14 March 2016 and 31 May 2016. Lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the defect relates to a potential malfunction in the vehicle's adaptive damper control unit that controls a headlight self-levelling function.

Have you heard the story about the used-car dealer who removes the window tint from trade-ins – so he can sell window tint as an option to the next customer? Now it appears electric car maker Tesla is doing something similar but with optional electronic features. According to a report by CarScoops, Tesla is remotely deactivating features on some of its vehicles in the United States when they are sold from the original owner to a used-car buyer.

The 2020 Detroit motor show – which had been moved from the US winter in January to summer in June from this year – has been cancelled so the massive exhibition centre can be used as a field hospital. Health authorities in Detroit will bring 900 hospital beds into what was going to be the motor show display area to help manage the expected increased in patients being treated for COVID-19.

Fancy yourself as a World Rally Championship driver but just never had the right equipment? Now's your chance to get found out – or be discovered as the next hidden talent. Championship-winning motorsport outfit Prodrive has announced it will launch 'Prodrive Legends', an authentication, restoration and support program for race and rally cars that were originally constructed by the UK firm.

German car maker BMW appears to be in the process of inventing a collapsible steering wheel for autonomous cars. Patent drawings obtained by a BMW owners forum show the steering wheel is designed to change from a perfect circle to the shape of a football. The idea, apparently, is that the more compact design gives those in the driver’s seat more knee room once the car takes over.

Australia is the biggest market outside North America for the Tesla Cybertruck, according to crowd-sourced data provided to fan website CybertruckTalk. To gauge global interest in the Tesla Cybertruck, more than 1800 members of the Tesla online community took part in a poll to compare demand for the controversially-styled electric pick-up from country to country. It ranked the USA at the top of the list for pre-orders, accounting for 76 per cent of demand, ahead of Canada at 10 per cent.

The medium-SUV market can be overwhelming. I can just imagine you nodding in agreement right now. There are dozens of choices, so making that short list can be a challenge. Have you looked at the Renault Koleos? It is based on the Nissan X-Trail, which makes it a French car borrowing the platform from a Japanese manufacturer, but is produced in Korea. But don’t let that deter you, because this French wonder is actually not a bad thing.

Toyota has announced it will partner with commercial vehicle-builder Hino to develop a hydrogen-fuel-cell truck as part of a joint initiative to reduce emissions. Built on the foundations of a Hino Profia, the companies say they will optimise the truck’s chassis to package hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell technology. The result will be a claimed 600km of zero-emissions driving range.

With a fresh face for its 2020 midlife update, the Mercedes-Benz GLC range needs to tread carefully. In 2019, it was Australia’s favourite prestige medium SUV and Benz’s second biggest seller behind the C-Class. In the case of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic, the mid-range model appears as a new-to-the-range variant, though in reality the GLC300 steps in where the old GLC250 left off.

Those looking for a tiny off-roader with a whole lot of grunt will now have their specific needs catered to thanks to a French auto house that's given the classic Mini Moke a one-of-a-kind V8 update. Custom vehicle maker Lazareth has crafted a one-off prototype in tribute to the 1960s-era, all-terrain utility, kitting its version out with a 4.7-litre Maserati V8 engine capable of generating 343kW and 520Nm.

I’m sure of it. Tasmania is the most pretty, untouched, unfettered and most natural part of Australia. In my time, I’ve had the privilege of exploring the more southern areas of the Apple Isle. Now, courtesy of Isuzu and its increasingly popular I-Venture Club, I’ve seen what may be, the most picturesque part of the gem that lies just south of the mainland.

General Motors will mass-produce more than 10,000 ventilators per month as it ramps up efforts to help health authorities combat the deadly coronavirus in the US. The US car giant has formed a partnership with medical supplier Ventec Life Systems to manufacture “critical care” ventilators. Part of a General Motors facility in Indiana – that specialises in automotive electrical components – has been repurposed for the health emergency.

The most popular car brands and models to feature in video games have been revealed in a new study conducted by UK car sales website Carwow. The study – which analysed thousands of video games featuring cars (whether as the main focus or merely as tools for players to utilise) – ranked popularity based on how many appearances brands and models made across the titles.

When we’re not creating it ourselves, the CarAdvice team spends a lot of time finding and consuming motoring content from all over the world. Here’s a handful of the photos, articles, videos or social media posts that most caught our eye last week. Some of them are brand new, others have been online for a while. Enjoy them – just not too much, okay?

Lamborghini has issued a voluntary global recall of 2020 Aventador SVJ Coupe and Roadster models for a fault with the vehicles' internal door mechanisms that could see owners trapped inside their own cars. According to the Italian car maker, approximately 77 vehicles have been affected worldwide, with "very few" of them in Australia (the marque is still ascertaining exact local numbers).

I’m a firm believer in learning something from a well-trained, accredited source. There are people out there that spend their livelihood bothering to learn things, to exchange this empowerment for money. There are other ways to educate yourself, but I find this a crucial early step in the process.

When the new Land Rover Defender design began leaking through a variety of sources (including a LEGO model), there were two distinct camps of response. While many were excited, a seemingly equal amount of naysayers stepped forward to spew forth their resentment.

Italian supercar maker Lamborghini has released a teaser video of its latest project – a new, track-only V12 hypercar, developed by its racing arm, Squadra Corse. Powered by a 6.5-litre V12 naturally aspirated engine, Lamborghini claims the limited-edition car will produce 830hp, about 619kW. It's paired with a six-speed Xtrac sequential transmission, plus a mechanical self-locking differential, which the driver can preload dynamically based on track conditions.

Nissan has once again experimented with vehicle-to-energy-grid technology – a system that allows buildings to draw power from an electric car's battery pack – by powering 7-Eleven convenience stores in Japan, according to a report in Elektrek. While most Nissan electric vehicles are only capable of drawing energy from a power outlet into their battery, vehicle-to-grid technology allows a building to draw power from a vehicle.

Aside from a facelift in 2017, the third-generation Nissan X-Trail has been soldering on since 2013. Normally when a model is reaching the end of it’s life, sales start to stagnate, but this X-Trail has remained strong. How so? Let’s have a look.

Renault Australia has issued a recall of 409 of its model-year 2012 and 2013 Trafic II vans affected by a faulty steering component. Affected vehicles were sold between 24 September 2012 to 4 November 2012, 10 December 2012 to 20 January 2013, 12 April 2013 to 26 May 2013 and 6 November 2013 to 15 December 2013. Lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the defect relates to the steering wheel’s hub, which can crack or break under excessive loads.

New-car showrooms across the country are still open for business amid the coronavirus outbreak – as this article was published on Friday morning – however many dealerships have started to scale back their operating hours. Some dealerships have moved to five or four-day weeks, while others have rostered staff to work one week on and one week off so they can keep the doors open for as long as possible.

Two Tesla employees have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, according to a leaked email obtained by US media outlets. The Reuters news agency and the Business Insider website said Tesla did not disclose which facility or which site the employees were based at, but an email communication to staff said the workers were “quarantined and recovering well”.

Toyota appears to be working on a new pint-sized SUV based on the next generation Yaris, if these spy photos taken during winter testing are a guide. It's unclear whether the new model will share the same body as the Toyota Yaris but with raised suspension and bolder bodywork (as pictured above), or if this is simply being used as an elaborate disguise before the SUV-bodied mules are built.

When I was a kid, Lotus meant many things to me. It meant the best-looking Formula 1 cars on the planet, resplendent in their iconic black-and-gold JPS liveries (name a cooler looking livery… I’ll wait). It meant the exploits of the men who raced those cars, their names etched in my memory for all time, including my childhood hero Elio de Angelis.

One in every five new vehicles sold in Australia so far is a medium SUV, making it by far the most popular new-vehicle segment. It’s competitive as well, however. According to the VFACTS numbers, there are no less than 23 different models in the segment to choose from. With all of that in mind, how does Nissan’s ageing X-Trail fare? Quite well, when you look at the numbers. For the 2019 sales race, it’s 19,726 and ranked third overall behind the Toyota RAV4 (24,260) and Mazda CX-5 (25,539).

Mercedes-Benz Australia has issued a recall for 10 of its 2019 V-Class vans affected by a faulty head restraint component. Affected vehicles were sold between 1 April 2019 and 30 April 2019. Lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the defect relates to head restraint padding that can separate from the securing rods. Mercedes-Benz reports that during an accident, the exposed rods and missing padding may cause injury to vehicle occupants.

Local councils in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are suspending or altering their parking restrictions as more residents are forced to stay at home or avoid public transport amid the coronavirus outbreak. Brisbane City Council announced on Thursday it would be suspending all parking fines, turning off parking meters and reducing parking lot fees in a bid to support those still needing to travel to work during the public health crisis.

The Mazda CX-5 has received new standard equipment for 2020, gaining key safety and driver technology features, plus reduced cabin noise, across all variants. Pricing for the base Maxx Skyactiv-G 2.0L manual FWD is up $100 to $30,980 (plus on-road costs), while the range-topping Akera Skyactiv-D 2.2L auto AWD has gone up $200, starting from $51,330 (plus on-road costs). The other 12 variants in the line-up also see a $200 price increase.

The next generation Toyota Tundra is due on sale late next year, but the full-size pick-up is still no closer to coming to Australia. A leaked dealer presentation shows the US-made Toyota Tundra is due in last half of 2021 after the next Toyota 86 sports-car and an as-yet unnamed compact SUV that will slot beneath the Toyota C-HR.

Holden dealers have offered their empty showrooms and workshops to authorities across Australia to help them battle the COVID-19 outbreak before they close their doors. A letter from the Holden Dealer Council to all states and territories, a copy of which has been obtained by CarAdvice, says its network 185 dealerships which operate 203 showrooms and service facilities are ready to assist.

Aston Martin has announced its new TM01 engine platform, named for Tadek Marek, Aston's famed engineer of the 1950s and 1960s. TM01 takes the form of a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 utilising Aston Martin’s own in-house hybrid technology and, while power figures have not been revealed, the brand says the engine will be “the most powerful in the Aston Martin range”.

A number of car dealers across Australia are beginning to offer contactless sales enquiries while the industry still has permission to stay open. Several large dealerships have started promoting “contactless car buying” via email, social media and their own websites.

The new Toyota 86 sports car will go on sale next year, according to a photo of a dealer presentation that has been leaked on the GR86.org forum. The photo shows a series of upcoming models including the next generation Toyota Tundra pick-up and an all-new compact SUV likely to slot beneath the Toyota C-HR. However, for the time being, the Toyota 86 is the only car on the list likely to make its way to Australia.

Barrelling down a narrow English lane – not far from the place of its birth in Crewe – the 2020 Bentley Continental GT Convertible is utterly at home in such genteel confines. It’s a big car, a grand car for a grand occasion perhaps, but its performance ability ensures it never feels as big as it actually is.

The Hyundai i20N hot hatch has been spotted testing in the wild for the first time. Although it’s cloaked in a heavy camouflage – and we can tell more about its appearance based on photoshop renderings (such as X-Tomi Design below) than these images taken on access roads to the Nurburgring in Germany – what we do know is that the Hyundai i20N is high on the priority list for Australia.

Bentley’s third generation of its Continental GT V8 has arrived in Australia, available in both coupe and convertible configurations. Pricing for the Continental GT V8 Coupe starts at $400,900, with the Continental GT V8 Convertible beginning from $441,300. Prices are before on-road costs. Both variants are powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 404kW and 770Nm. Bentley claims the 0-100km/h time for both models at four seconds, with a top speed of 318km/h.

The global coronavirus pandemic has placed most of the world, including the auto industry, into a state of constant flux. As manufacturers raise their hands to create life-saving ventilators and car dealers brace for a sales slowdown, many consumers are left pondering the practical repercussions of mandated social distancing rules. And during a period of such great uncertainty, there's no such thing as a dumb question.

Following Supercars Championship’s decision to postpone events this year due to combat COVID-19, the season will continue in the form of the ‘Supercars All Stars Eseries’ – a competition between its real-life racers held online using racing simulators.

New-car buyers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to picking up a bargain over the next seven days. A perfect storm has created ideal buying conditions before the end of the month. Showrooms are overstocked following a 23-month slowdown – the longest slump since the Global Financial Crisis a decade ago – and March is the second biggest month for new car sales because it is the end of the Japanese financial year.

EXCLUSIVE Holden dealers have written to the global boss of General Motors, Mary Barra, threatening legal action for what they claim was “deceptive” and “unconscionable” conduct in the lead-up to the shutdown of the iconic brand. The network of 185 Holden dealers who operate 203 showrooms claim General Motors was aware there was a risk it would close Holden – even though the company had been asking for showroom upgrades and assuring the network it was here for the long term.

Saving money on car running costs is always important, but it’s become a higher priority for more people as experts warn of widespread job losses. With that in mind we’ve assembled five simple tips to help save you money on motoring. Some of these may be obvious to many motorists, but we reckon it’s worth a recap.

In an effort to take car design beyond the usual metallic or non-metallic paint debate, Lexus has partnered with London-based tattoo artist Claudia De Sabe to create what it claims is the world's first tattooed car. Named simply the 'Tattoo Car', the vehicle is actually a white Lexus UX compact SUV that was scratched "on purpose" to reveal the metallic body underneath, in an effort to prove that "scratching your car can be beautiful".

Australia’s top-selling vehicle, the Toyota HiLux, is due to get a midlife facelift in July this year that is believed to include a power bump for the 2.8-litre turbo diesel and added creature comforts such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

Join CarAdvice as we travel through the north of Namibia on an epic 4x4 adventure.

The Hoarusib River was flowing hard. Although the country has been in drought for going on seven years, some heavy rainfalls in northern Namibia - on the south-west coast of Africa - have turned this ephemeral river into a torrent of water, coloured like chocolate milk as it clawed against the dry river banks.

The time has come: CarAdvice has been granted special permission to drive the all-new 2020 Land Rover Defender. It’s not just a quick fang around a manicured block, either. We’re sliding into the next generation of this iconic nameplate in the wild, northern reaches of Namibia.

The time has come: CarAdvice has been granted special permission to drive the all-new 2020 Land Rover Defender. It’s not just a quick fang around a manicured block, either. We’re sliding into the next generation of this iconic nameplate in the wild, northern reaches of Namibia.

The upcoming 2021 Audi RS3 has been spied in winter testing today, revealing a fresh new look at the German marque's hero hatch and sedan twins. The new super-hot hatch was last spied in November 2019, tearing up the Nurburgring – but that was before the regular A3 had been unveiled. Now we know how its base styling will look, we can better guess at the RS3's design.

The Toyota LandCruiser V8 diesel’s days appear to be numbered – which is likely to spark a stampede on the current runout model over the next 12 months – if the latest report from Japan’s biggest car magazine is a guide. It is the second time serious questions have been raised over the future of the Toyota LandCruiser V8 – and what will power the next generation 300 Series – after CarAdvice reported in June 2019 the V8 will be axed.

Audi appears to have a new project in the works, based on its recent application to trademark the name “R8 Green Hell", a reference to the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany. The application, filed earlier this month, points to Audi possibly developing a faster iteration of its existing mid-engined R8 sports car. The 'Green Hell' name is likely inspired by Germany’s famous Nürburgring racing circuit, which was once referred to as ‘Green Hell’ by British Formula One driver Jackie Stewart.

With the Bentley Mulsanne having effectively retired, the big question is what, if anything, the British luxury maker intends to put in its place. Which is the one we asked CEO Adrian Hallmark in a recent telephone interview. It’s no surprise to learn there definitely won’t be another saloon in the space vacated by the Mulsanne.

Japanese car maker Honda will not leave Australia but it will introduce a fixed price “one price everywhere” sales model, reduce the number and choice of cars it sells, and cut the number of showrooms from 106 to about a dozen nationally, according to numerous dealer sources.

Although they're designed to make your life easier in the long run, scheduled services can be a pain when they pop up out of nowhere and add to your living expenses. It's easy for an annual service to slip through the cracks. Before you know it, it's six months since you got that first reminder and you're encountering some kind of mechanical issue that probably could have been avoided. Where does this leave you with your car's warranty?

Audi has confirmed its new Q5 Sportback – based on the latest generation Q5 pictured above and below – will debut this year as part of 20 models the German brand hopes to release across 2020. Announced by Audi chairman Bram Schot during the carmaker’s 2019 annual results, the Q5 Sportback – a Q5 wagon but with a sloping, coupe-like rear roofline – will arrive alongside updated A3 and Q2, but will be the only completely new addition to the brand's line-up this year.

Mick and Keith really could have been automotive marketers: if they saw a red door, they wanted it painted black. The same goes for chrome trim, alloy wheels and bumper valances – but not much rhymes with valance. The 2020 Ford Everest Sport is another in a long and unwavering line of darkened special editions which offer little more than their shiny counterparts, other than a ‘Stones approved message of simply, paint it black.

Chinese car maker Geely claims to have come up with a unique way to hand over new cars while keeping a safe distance during the COVID-19 outbreak – by getting a drone to deliver the keys. While it's unclear whether this is just a PR stunt, the company claims the service will be offered in select locations, using a remotely-controlled drone to deliver keys to front doors and even to the balconies of new-car buyers.

Mercedes-Benz fans who want to look like movie stars and hip hop artists will need to pay a little more to join the Hollywood elite. The German car maker has raised the price for the boxy but iconic Mercedes G-Class – or G-Wagen – for 2020. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG G63 now costs $259,600 (including GST and LCT but excluding on-road costs), compared with the 2019 pricing, which started at $251,400 plus on-road costs as of September 2019 – representing a bump of $8200.

Honda Australia has confirmed it has received more than 400 "expressions of interest" for the 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition, following Honda UK's announcement that its allocation of just 20 examples of the track-focused hot-hatch have been snapped up. Unlike the UK, Honda Australia's allocation of the Limited Edition is still unconfirmed as the model is not yet formally on sale here.

The NSW Police Marine Search and Rescue Command has taken delivery of a new Ram 1500 Express Crew Cab to tow its fleet of Sea-Doo jet skis and large inflatable boats for safety patrols and recovery missions across the state. The new model joins the larger Ram 2500 that has been used by NSW water police over the past two years.

UK Ford tuning expert Mountune has worked its magic on the new-generation Focus ST hot hatch to boost power and performance. However, Australian owners will likely miss out on the upgrade option even though Mountune kits were offered through Ford dealers for the previous generation Focus ST and Fiesta ST. “At this stage we have no plans to offer Mountune in Australia,” a Ford Australia spokesperson told CarAdvice.

Audi Australia has issued a recall of five of its 2019 Q7 (model code 4M) SUVs affected by a faulty airbag component. Lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the defect related to a fastening for an air duct used to inflate the curtain airbag. Audi reports that during an accident this fastening may detach, causing the airbag to not inflate sufficiently, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.

“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads,” said Doc at the end of 1985’s Back To The Future. That’s a fitting intro for a review of a DeLorean flying car, if a DeLorean or a flying car of any sort actually existed today, some three-and-a-half decades later.

As car dealers across Australia brace for a sales slowdown amid coronavirus shutdowns, they have already begun lobbying state governments to be classified as “essential services” and be allowed to stay open during the crisis. The Australian Automotive Dealers Association (AADA), which represents 60,000 employees across 3500 showrooms nationally, says parts and service departments in particular should be allowed to remain open as more people shift to cars as they seek to avoid public transport.

The company that used to make high-performance Holdens has offered to help health authorities in Australia manufacture makeshift emergency medical equipment to treat coronavirus patients. While Holden as a brand will close by the end of this year, its separately-owned performance-car offshoot has maintained its engineering and manufacturing resources because it will continue to sell US vehicles here, such as the Chevrolet Silverado (pictured below).

The Renault Kangoo small cargo van has been updated for 2020. The update lineup comprises two variants, both of which now get more creature comforts than before. Both now come standard with glazed 180-degree rear barn doors, a rear-view camera, automatic dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, and fog lights.

The world’s biggest car makers are being enlisted by their respective governments to make emergency medical equipment vital to treating and preventing coronavirus – however Australia does not have the same capacity since the end of local automotive manufacturing in 2017. The announcements come after US President Donald Trump put the wartime Defense Production Act into action to aid the fight against coronavirus.

The designer behind the Koenigsegg Gemera has shared fascinating early sketches and 3D renders of the four-seater hybrid "megacar" that wowed the world when it made its debut earlier this month. The $1.7 million (AU$2.56 million) vehicle – which boasts three electric motors – is the first 'Mega-GT' in the world. Only 300 will be produced, with a mere 10 of those making it to the Australian market.

BMW Australia remains confident it will deliver on its promise of an Android Auto upgrade by mid-2020, despite concerns surrounding coronavirus COVID-19 and its negative effect on the automotive industry. In late-2019, the marque said it will integrate Android Auto into its iDrive operating software for the first time – and expand the system’s capacity to be updated with over-the-air (OTA) wireless technology – by mid-2020. “We’re still on track [for mid-2020],” BMW Australia told CarAdvice.

Volkswagen's 'Local Hazard Warning' system has become the first piece of technology in almost six years to win a Euro NCAP award, claiming the safety body's ‘Advanced’ award in recognition of its unrealised potential to protect motorists from hazards. The communication system enables Volkswagen cars to warn fellow road users of upcoming road safety risks by transmitting a signal to nearby cars, emergency vehicles and road infrastructure.

Maserati has delayed its major brand relaunch until September 2020, as the global automotive industry enters a period of uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus crisis. The Italian luxury carmaker had initially planned to unveil its electrification agenda in May, at an event titled 'MMXX: The Way Forward' to be held in its hometown of Modena, Italy.

Aston Martin has begun road testing for its Valkyrie hypercar, marking the first time the model has seen public streets. Testing commenced in Northamptonshire, UK, with Aston Martin test driver Chris Goodwin at the wheel. This is the first time the hypercar has seen public roads and is a reminder that – despite its extreme looks and aerodynamics – the Valkyrie is being sold as a road car.

There’s always been something about the Honda Accord. Somehow, despite being a mid-size sedan from a Japanese brand aimed primarily at the US market (as mainstream as you’re ever likely to get), it has managed to stand apart as just a little bit more special.

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What you’re looking at probably isn’t the future, but it’s a vision of what might be possible if design students from IED Turin take the reins of automobile design departments of the future. Like all good (and plenty of not-so-good) concept cars, the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED or European Institute of Design) Tracy concept dispenses with the notion of boundaries and limitations imposed by regulations and series production and gives a glimpse of what could be possible.

British sports car maker Lotus has refreshed its Exige for 2020, offering the iconic model in Sport 350 and Sport 410 variants. Pricing for the Sport 350 will begin from $139,500 while the Sport 410 opens at $169,990 (prices are before on-road costs). Both models can be had in a coupe or roadster body style at no additional cost.

Spending more than $40,000 drive-away on a new Mazda 3 once meant you were jumping into an MPS hot-hatch variant. Since 2014, that kind of money has instead got you into an Astina-badged flagship model aiming to showcase the Japanese small car at its most sophisticated. Aside from the exclusive diesel power offered in the XD Astina, the extra sophistication then chiefly concerned the model’s extra safety technology over models below it.

Porsche Cars Australia has recalled 5328 examples of its model-years 2014 to 2019 Macan, Macan S, Macan GTS and Macan Turbo. The recall relates to a risk that the service cover for the fuel pump may come into contact with the fuel filter flange if the rear seats are occupied, potentially damaging the flange. If damaged, it could result in a fuel leak, which may cause a fire.

A New Zealand Suzuki dealer is offering customers a ute version of its already-cutesie Jimny, as reported by Driven. For willing customers, the Whanganui dealer will chop the rear end to fit an enclosed flat-deck tray, revised tail lights and interior trim pieces to suit. The best part? The conversion is certified. However, what potential buyers might not find as cute as the finished product is the cost to get it there.

There's an old saying that you should spend three months' salary on an engagement ring. According to consumer advice site finder.com.au, a similar rule applies when buying new cars. Ideally, it suggests, you shouldn't spend more than 15 per cent of your annual income on the purchase price of a car. That would mean someone on a salary of $100,000 (far more than the average Australian income) should be aiming for a car around $15,000 – not exactly achievable.

German car-builder eClassics – a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles partner – has released its e-Bulli, a conversion package that takes a classic T1 Samba Bus and adds Volkswagen’s electric vehicle technology. The e-Bulli was originally slated for debut at the Techno Classica 2020 trade fair, however due to the event’s postponement, Volkswagen has revealed the car online.

When we’re not creating it ourselves, the CarAdvice team spends a lot of time finding and consuming motoring content from all over the world. Here’s a handful of the photos, articles, videos or social media posts that most caught our eye last week. Some of them are brand new, others have been online for a while. Enjoy them – just not too much, okay? The mesmerising clip was posted to Instagram by precision driver and counter terrorism driving trainer Kev Flynn.

Subaru is now offering hybrid power in the Forester mid-sized SUV range, and the timing couldn't be better. It’s a hugely popular segment with a dizzying amount of choice, if with precisely one other conventional hybrid option in Toyota’s RAV4. Newcomer Forester Hybrid’s only direct rival has famously been thin on the ground, and it doesn’t appear to be getting thicker any time soon.

Mazda has recalled model-years 2014 to 2015 examples of its popular CX-5 SUV to address a problem with its LED light signature. Affecting 7443 vehicles, the recall centres on the CX-5's daytime running lights (DRLs), which could flicker while driving or fail to illuminate. In the event that the vehicle's headlights are not also on, inactive DRLs could reduce its visibility. Mazda Australia has confirmed it will contact affected owners to arrange inspection and free repair.

Two 2020 Land Rover Defenders have been captured hard at work, recovering a stricken 20-tonne truck during a media drive in northern Namibia. The two pre-production Defenders were in Namibia for a pre-launch media event. The event was held in the remote Kunene region, where tarred roads are a rarity and dry, ephemeral river beds are often used as roads. It was in one of these dry watercourses that the stricken Scania truck, which Land Rover estimates to weigh 20 tonnes, was found.

Subaru is now offering hybrid power in the Forester mid-sized SUV range, and the timing couldn't be better. It’s a hugely popular segment with a dizzying amount of choice, if with precisely one other conventional hybrid option in Toyota’s RAV4. Newcomer Forester Hybrid’s only direct rival has famously been thin on the ground, and it doesn’t appear to be getting thicker any time soon.

At the 1998 Paris Motor Show, Jaguar became the talk of the town after unveiling a stunning roadster prototype - the XK180. The car was developed over a 10-month period as a one-off design study, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the XK series engine that debuted with the XK120 way back in 1948. Further, the goal of the project was to showcase the expertise of Jaguar’s designers and engineers and advertise the newly formed Special Vehicles Operation (SVO) department.

The smaller and less hardcore of two new Ford Bronco models, the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, has had its key specifications leaked online as the new model joins Ford’s US ordering system, less than a fortnight after leaked images surfaced online.

When I was about seven years old, I traced a drawing of the Transformers and mailed it into a TV show called The Cartoon Company (which, funnily enough, ran on the Nine Network, my current employer). The hosts of the show held it up to the cameras, declared it a cracking good effort, and mailed me a box of Posca paint markers as a prize – and, terrible child that I was, I promptly set about painting the town red. And green. Blue, yellow, purple…

Volvo has been forced to recall roughly 750,000 cars worldwide over a fault in its Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems that could see them not deploy under certain temperature conditions. The recall pertains to 2019 and 2020 model year cars and Volvo Australia confirmed to CarAdvice that it has identified 9205 affected vehicles in Australia. The affected models are the XC40, S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, XC60, S90, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country and XC90 – model years 2019-2020.

This week on the podcast is Mandy Turner, James Ward, and Mike Stevens. In car news, police suspend mass random breath testing in some states amid the coronavirus outbreak, details for the 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR have been released, a 'Sporty' Subaru Forester is bound for Australia, Volkswagen is targeting zero crashes by 2050, and Mike checks out some of the headline stories from the week.

Mazda has fuelled the fires of desire for its stunning RX-Vision Concept, first shown in 2015, unveiling a new GT3 variant. Like the ‘regular’ RX-Vision before it though, the RX-Vision GT3 won’t become a production reality, but you will get to drive this one – as part of PlayStation’s Gran Turismo Sport video game.

Car companies in the US and UK are offering up their manufacturing plants for the production of ventilators, in a bid to assist with growing shortages imposed by the coronavirus crisis. The movement started when UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on local manufacturers to mobilise in order to increase output of the units, which are an essential for critical coronavirus patients who require breathing assistance.

Using a car's Apple CarPlay or Android Auto system while behind the wheel can impair a driver's reaction time more than alcohol and cannabis use, or texting while driving, new research out of the UK has found. In fact, drivers using these systems were found to take their eyes off the road for up to 16 seconds, while the time they took to react to an stimulus on the road ahead was slowed by up to 50 per cent.

The Suzuki Swift Sport hot (ish) hatch has picked up an electrified petrol engine in Europe that cuts fuel use and CO2 emissions by 6 per cent, helping its maker meet Euro 6 requirements. It also appears to offer less power and more weight than before, countered in part by an additional slab of low-down torque through electric assistance that promises to make it as responsive in most situations, and smoother from idle.