CAR ADVICE

Never in my life have I been more productive – both in a work and non-work sense. All of a sudden, I’ve remembered how to cook, I have time to clean, my lawn looks good, and I’ve done one of those proper household clean-ups where you offload various detritus that has been wasting space for however long.

EXCLUSIVE Industry insiders have estimated new-car deliveries fell by between 40 and 60 per cent in April as the coronavirus lockdowns slammed the brakes on the market – even though all dealerships were allowed to remain open as an "essential service", and many also adopted online sales to abide by social distancing requirements.

The hail storm that lashed Canberra in late January has delivered a boom in new-car sales as the rest of the market hit the brakes. Official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries for March show sales of new cars in the Australian Capital Territory increased by a staggering 77 per cent compared to the same month the previous year (from 1700 to almost 3000 vehicles) – as the overall market nationally fell by 18 per cent.

Toyota has released a limited-edition version of its C-HR city SUV, designed in partnership with the fashion house of late German designer Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld, who headed up French fashion brand Chanel, passed away in February 2019, but his legacy lives on in the form of his eponymous brand, which has lent its name to a high-fashion version of the hybrid C-HR in Thailand.

You don’t really need a double-cab ute or a heavy duty four-wheel-drive to tow a jet ski, but try telling that to anyone who owns the marine version of a motorbike, including me. It is technically possible to tow a jet ski with a Toyota Corolla or a Hyundai i30. Australia’s favourite small cars have a towing capacity of 1300kg and the average jet ski and trailer combination weigh less than half that, about 600kg all told.

The Mercedes EQS electric limousine has been caught on camera again, this time testing during the tail-end of the European winter. The spy photos show the Mercedes EQS will stay true to the sleek, futuristic and rounded design of the Mercedes EQS concept car that was unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

McDonald's in Japan has partnered with Toyota to produce a viral video with a pair of Supras drifting in a closed-off car park. For two weeks from May 1, McDonald's Happy Sets – Japan's version of Happy Meals – will include a free Toyota Supra toy from Japanese model car maker, Tomica. As part of the promotion, the fast food giant paired up Japanese drifting legends Nobuteru Taniguchi and Daigo Saito to perform stunts in two highly modified Toyota Supras.

English sports car maker Lotus has announced a limited edition, Australian-exclusive Exige Sport 410 Targa Edition to pay tribute to the Targa Tasmania tarmac rally competition. The Exige Sport 410 Targa Edition is priced from $174,990 before on-road costs, with only 10 examples to be produced with a unique, numbered interior build plate.

Sports car maker Porsche has announced it will resume production at German plants from May 4 following COVID-19 lockdowns. In a statement, Porsche said it will begin work on a “site and task-specific basis” at its Zuffenhausen and Leipzig facilities, building towards full production capacity in stages. “We have monitored and analysed the situation very carefully right from the start and flexibly adapted processes,” a Porsche spokesperson said.

I’m driving down a typical suburban street in my local ’hood in the Lower Blue Mountains. It’s about a kilometre long, bush on one side and houses on the other. It's slightly downhill, and the petrol engine in my 2020 Toyota Corolla SX Hybrid sedan remains totally dormant.

Our 2019 Audi Q7 50TDI long-termer is one that most of the CarAdvice team can’t seem to get enough of. Whenever there is the option to take it, hands go up, and no-one is too keen to get back out of it after a weekend road trip either. In that sense, it ticks the boxes required of a large, family SUV proficiently.

We've driven Jag's heroic F-Type R before, you can read all about that here. But, for this video, we thought we'd have another go at the 360-degree experience. Hop into the comments below to let us know what you think, and tell us if you'd like to see more! NOTE: CHANGE THE PLAYBACK RES TO 5K for BEST EXPERIENCE! Skip to the below timecodes to hit your favourite spot:

McLaren has issued a recall notice in the United States for 2763 of its 570GT, GT, 720S and Senna (shown above) models built between 2016 and 2020 due to a risk of fire – with two incidents confirmed globally. CarAdvice has reached out to McLaren Australia to confirm if any Australian-delivered cars are included in the recall and will update this story with their response.

Electric car specialist Tesla has continued its profit streak for the third quarter-year in a row – albeit by a slim margin, and largely due to selling carbon emissions credits to rival automotive companies to help them meet stricter regulations.

The Audi E-Tron GT electric car – the twin under the skin to the Porsche Taycan –is closer to becoming a showroom reality. Spy photos (and video, near the bottom of this story) taken during winter testing in Europe show Audi has progressed to prototype vehicles with production-ready bodywork.

Following in the tyre tracks of the Hyundai i30 N-Line 'warm hatch' – which bridged the gap between mainstream i30 models and the full-blown i30N hot hatch – Hyundai is poised to give its small sedan sibling a modest performance boost, too. The Hyundai Elantra will be renamed the Hyundai i30 sedan when the new model arrives in showrooms later this year. In addition, Hyundai Australia has confirmed it will add the i30 N-Line to the sedan line-up.

The owner of a McLaren 600LT has been filmed driving the car across a flooded road in the United States, leaving the $455,000 supercar stranded amid rising floodwaters. Footage of the incident emerged on Twitter, showing the car's owner following a pick-up truck across a main road amid heavy rain in the city of Charleston, South Carolina.

Not happy to rest on its laurels, it looks like Porsche is continuing development of its already quick 718 Cayman GT4 – with an even more purist-focussed GT4 RS variant. As with the previous round of spy photos taken in September 2019, this latest round comes from Nurburgring testing. Visually the differences are few, however extra information has surfaced on the GT4 RS’s potential, thanks to a report from Car and Driver in the US.

A new group of niche automotive manufacturers and suppliers in Australia are adapting their skills to make medical equipment during the COVID-19 crisis. Three locally-owned and operated businesses have put their minds together to begin production of hospital beds in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Detroit’s United Auto Workers union (UAW) has warned against restarting US car production during the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming there is not enough evidence to ensure worker safety and that face masks may be ineffective.

If asked to name a Korean car, SsangYong might be the last one you think of. Hyundai and Kia probably rate a mention, and buyers of a certain age might still remember Daewoo, but in terms of brand recognition, SsangYong still has some way to go.

Japanese car giant Toyota has passed another major milestone, producing its 15 millionth hybrid car since the first Prius hit the road in 1997. The company estimates the 15 million hybrid cars over 23 years have saved more than 120 million tonnes of CO2 compared with equivalent petrol vehicles which use twice to three times as much fuel. In Australia, Toyota has sold more than 134,000 petrol-electric hybrid cars, after passing the 100,000 mark 11 months ago.

So, here it is. Two-and-a-half years after it was first revealed in concept guise at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show, the definitive production version of the Mini John Cooper Works GP has finally arrived.

The updated 2021 BMW 5 Series sedan has been laid bare in leaked official photos ahead of its debut globally later this year. The facelifted BMW 5 Series is expected to go on sale in Australia in late 2020 or early 2021. CarAdvice has reached out to BMW Australia for specific local timing and will update this story once we hear back.

The Chevrolet Corvette is in danger of not making it to Australia after General Motors in Detroit stopped engineering development of all vehicles during the COVID-19 lockdowns. A report out of the US – based on a leaked copy of a secret internal General Motors document – claims GM’s executive director in charge of program management, Michelle Braun, “recently issued a blanket order pausing all future car and truck development, including for the Corvette”.

A new report out of the US has provided a glimpse into the future for high-performance versions of the Chevrolet Corvette – coincidentally unearthed at the same time as General Motors has hit the brakes all future vehicle development. According to US publication, Hagerty, a list of Corvette variants and their proposed model year timing gives a solid indication of how Chevrolet will expand the line-up of its first ever mid-engined Corvette.

Approximately 50 former Ford factory workers are assembling thousands of face shields from locally-sourced parts to help Australian health authorities battle COVID-19. Two facilities on the Broadmeadows site – where the last Ford Falcon rolled off the production line in 2016 – are churning out up to 6000 masks per day, with more than 54,000 made so far since the program began in early April, on the way to a target of 100,000.

A new documentary from Hollywood filmmaker Michael Moore has caused controversy over its alleged criticism of electric cars, prompting environmentalists to call for the film to be pulled from distribution. Planet of the Humans, which was executive produced by Moore and written and directed by Jeff Gibbs, premiered on YouTube on April 21 and immediately sparked a social media debate over its inherent suggestion that electric cars aren't as emissions-free as many may have hoped.

I’ll be the first to admit I have a problem. I love cars. By that, I just don’t mean the metal itself. I enjoy the many aspects of owning a car. I’ve met some really good people through social circles attached to particular marques. Then there’s cliquey groups, fanboys / fangirls, rivalries, and general workshop related banter to provide entertainment while you own something that’s revered as a bit of a cult classic.

Toyota’s luxury division Lexus is poised to end production of the GS sedan – including the V8-powered GS-F performance model – by the end of this year. Lexus dealers in Australia are clearing remaining stock. A statement from Lexus Australia said Japan has “confirmed production of the GS and GS-F will cease later this year” and that “the GS and GS-F remain available in Australian dealerships”.

The Australian arm of British carmaker Mini has launched a new online car configurator and ordering system. The system – which was introduced with the brand’s new Countryman Stafford Edition SUV – allows customers to option vehicles and pay a deposit online with the dealer of their choice. “[The online ordering system] arrives at an appropriate time with numerous Mini enthusiasts working from home,” Mini Australia said in a statement.

There may not be a second generation of the Kia Stinger, an international report from Korean Car Blog has claimed. It is the second time in less than 12 months the long term future of the turbocharged sports sedan has been questioned. Last year CarAdvice reported Kia was undecided on whether it would build a successor to the current Stinger.

Volvo's second electric car, the Polestar 2, will be dearer than a top-line Tesla Model 3 when it goes on sale in the US mid-year. The Volvo Polestar 2 is due in North American showrooms in a few months, with the first Australian deliveries expected to follow soon after. "Polestar 2 is still intended for Australia and we are in discussion with our colleagues [from] Polestar as to the exact timing," a Volvo Australia spokesperson told CarAdvice.

Mini has introduced a limited edition of its Countryman city SUV as the company aims to reverse last year's sales slide. The Mini Cooper Countryman Stafford Edition – powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder (100kW/220Nm)– starts from $47,500 drive-away, while the perkier Mini Cooper S Countryman Stafford Edition – powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (141kW/280Nm) – is priced from $54,900 drive-away.

Kia will introduce two new electric cars by 2021, to bring its tally to 11 electrified vehicles in its fleet by 2025. Although names of the new models are yet to be released, Kia says there will be a plug-in hybrid this year and a full-electric vehicle (EV) slated for a 2021 release. Kia Australia says it is too early to determine whether these models will make it to local showrooms.

The sleek Nissan Ariya electric concept looks ready for a faithful leap to production, if these new images are any indication. These renderings form part of an official design patent application to confirm Nissan's ownership of the Ariya's look. In most cases, it means the images you are seeing here – if an unflattering glimpse – are what you'll see on the road in the future.

The upcoming 2021 BMW iX3 electric SUV has surfaced online, thanks to a set of leaked marketing images that offer a clear look at what's to come. The EV (electric vehicle), based on the BMW X3, is expected to be unveiled in the coming days or weeks, with an Australian launch confirmed for 2021. As expected, the iX3 plays much closer to the look of its regular X3 stablemate, just as the i4 will share much with the design of the upcoming new 4 Series.

EXCLUSIVE Ford Mustang R Spec production has slowed as the Melbourne facility assembling the cars is also being used to make thousands of emergency medical masks to help health authorities battle the coronavirus. However, Ford says customers in the queue should not experience any significant delays because its build schedule has changed to prioritise cars that already have deposits placed on them.

Petrol has dipped below $1 per litre at bowsers across Australia as the price of fuel hits a 20-year low. A massive oversupply of oil globally – as roads are empty during the lockdowns – has caused the price of petrol to plummet to record lows. In some extreme cases – reported widely on the nightly news – some oil companies are even paying others to take their fuel supply because they have nowhere to store it.

Read it and weep, Toyota LandCruiser V8 fans. Yet another report claims Toyota is well progressed with plans to phase out V8 petrol and diesel power for its heavy duty four-wheel-drives globally. And yes, tragically, that includes the next generation Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, and any updates to the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series workhorses. All of them are likely to get V6 turbo diesel power and/or a V6 petrol hybrid option; none of this has yet been confirmed.

Tesla's most affordable electric car in Australia, the Model 3 sedan, has had its second price rise since going on sale less than a year ago. The Tesla Model 3 range now starts at $73,900 plus on road-costs for the base model Standard Range Plus. That's an increase of $6000 compared to the late 2019 price of $67,900 plus on-road costs, and $7900 more than Tesla Model 3's initial launch price in mid 2019 of $66,000 plus on-road costs.

Volvo Australia has issued a recall of 32 of its model-year 2020 XC40 SUVs due to a missing fastener in the braking system that could result in weak stopping power in an emergency. Affected vehicles were sold between 27 February 2020 and 18 March 2020. Lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the defect relates to the cars not being equipped with a nut that fastens the brake booster to the vehicle’s frame.

The Lexus RX range has always offered a decent large-SUV experience – a blend of practicality and comfort wrapped in a premium package. This fourth-generation RX was first launched in 2015, and subsequent seven-seat RX L models in 2018. But with the march of automotive time where standing still spells sales death, the range has been the beneficiary of a significant upgrade late 2019. Not just cosmetic, either.

Automotive engineers around the world – including in Australia – are pushing ahead with development of future models to make sure the wheels of the industry don’t grind to another halt once the global pandemic is over and mass production of vehicles resumes. Many car engineers already took their work home with them before the lockdowns – commuting to and from their office in top secret prototypes, or testing equipment under the bonnet or inside the car that can’t be spotted by curious eyes.

Volvo Australia has issued a recall of 9205 of its cars due to software issue may mean the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system does not deploy properly in the event of cyclist or pedestrian detection. The affected cars are model-year 2019-2020 S60 sedan, V60 and V90 Cross Country wagons, and XC40 (pictured above), XC60 and XC90 SUVs sold between 22 March 2019 and 17 March 2020.

The 2021 BMW 2 Series coupe has been caught unmasked well before it is due in showrooms either later this year or early next. The images – discovered on a Facebook group by a user of the 2Addicts forum – appear to show a partially covered example of the next 2 Series coupe parked in an enclosed holding area.

The debate about the green credentials of electric cars has been reignited, with new research claiming a rise in electric vehicles could create a shortage in natural resources and further damage to the planet unless we find more sustainable ways to source the metals required to construct battery packs and wiring.

EXCLUSIVE Holden is just 3400 cars away from running out of stock, after strong sales in March – driven by discounts of between $7500 and $17,500 – accelerated the clear out. Confidential figures shared with Holden dealers show cars are selling faster than predicted and most showrooms won’t make it to the end of the year, as originally forecast.

Modify your 4WD in the middle of a lockdown? It’s not as crazy an idea as you might think. We’ve all been cooped up at home for months now, and we’re undoubtedly keen to partake in some good old-fashioned non-essential travel when bans are lifted. And with non-essential domestic flights on the nose and international flights likely to remain banned, it’s never been so alluring to pack the family and/or friends into the family 4WD and do some exploring.

Italian supercar builder Ferrari has begun releasing its new podcast series exploring the brand’s history. Titled The Origins of a Legend, Ferrari's podcast consists of 73 episodes that tell the story of the Prancing Horse – from 1947 beginnings in Italy’s Maranello all the way to today – with each episode focusing on a particular year.

Fiat's new-generation 500 hatch will be sold exclusively in electric 500e form, which will be a delight to many, but what about fans of the existing Abarth 595 hottie? Fiat and its performance arm Abarth have yet to offer diehards any word of an electrified performance-focused 500, but with the regular 500e claiming a mere 9-second sprint to 100km/h… there is certainly room for a hero hatch.

BMW’s X2 is approaching its third birthday later this year, and the Bavarian carmaker is preparing a mid-life facelift for its compact coupe-styled crossover.

Selling practical cars in significant volumes at reasonable prices is what Skoda does best. Nowhere is this more evident than with the modern-day Octavia, which has captured an impressive 6.5 million sales worldwide across three model generations since being introduced to the Czech carmaker’s line-up back in 1996.

When planning to buy a new car, it pays to have options. And while the Australian car market currently offers more than enough to keep you browsing for weeks on end – there's more to come over the next 12 months. At CarAdvice, we spend most of our days eagerly anticipating the new cars we've been writing about since they were merely concepts, renders or rumours.

German sports car maker Porsche is developing a more affordable rear-wheel drive version of its Taycan electric car to provide buyers with a "more accessible" entry point into the range. According to a report from Car Magazine in the UK, Porsche's research and development chief, Dr Michael Steiner, said more affordable Taycan models would eventually join the existing 4S, Turbo and Turbo S offerings in the range. "There will be entry-level models coming off the Taycan," Dr Steiner said.

Fiat Australia has released a limited-edition 'Dolcevita' version of its pint-sized convertible, the 500C, with only 30 examples available nationwide. A nod to the brand's Italian heritage, the Dolcevita comes in a single specification based on the existing 500C Club and will be priced from $30,750 plus on-road costs – $3500 more than the Club variant, which is $27,250 plus on-road costs.

German sports car maker Porsche is making sure owners of its classic cars are not left in the dark ages when it comes to infotainment and connectivity. Porsche Classic Communications Management (PCCM) is a bolt-in replacement infotainment system that modernises the stereos of older models while not looking out of place.

Two of Hyundai’s most recent concept cars, the Prophecy and 45 SUV, are headed for production, and once launched will form part of the brand’s 23 new electric vehicles by 2025. Confirmation comes courtesy of SangYup Lee, Hyundai senior vice president and head of Hyundai Global Design Center, who confirmed the models’ showroom arrival in an interview with British publication Auto Express: “There will be a production version of Prophecy coming after a production version of the 45 concept”.

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.

It’s been a bit over two years since the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross launched, and over two-and-a-half years since I had the privilege of driving a camouflaged, pre-release prototype in the Northern Territory, which was a fascinating experience indeed.

We take a look at the funky small SUV to see why it should be on your radar.

America just wasn’t enough for the original pony car. The Ford Mustang has officially gone global. Last year saw the Mustang rise to the top of the sports car world, with recognition from fans from all corners of the planet. A total of 102,090 examples were delivered in 2019 according to IHS Markit, who are the worldwide source of vehicle registration data. It is the fifth consecutive year the Mustang has been crowned the best-selling sports coupe in the world.

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?

One of the world's biggest car makers, Volkswagen, believes it may have reached 'peak SUV'. As car buyers around the globe embrace high-riding hatchbacks, soft-roaders, and SUVs in place of conventional passenger cars, most of the big brands have seemingly filled every possible niche. Now a senior executive from Volkswagen has told media in the UK there is likely no room for any more SUVs in its line-up for the foreseeable future.

Car manufacturers across Europe are reopening factories and restarting production as governments around the world begin to ease coronavirus restrictions – although assembly lines in other regions may need to wait another month or more. Volkswagen, Renault, PSA, Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz have begun reinstating their manufacturing operations in plants across Europe, while examining viable ways to eventually do the same for their production sites in the United States and Asia.

The only major issue facing the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro in Australia is the fact that the cost of locally converting the car to RHD puts it in a higher price bracket than it otherwise would be. Take the often-deluded blue versus red grudge match out of the equation, and the Camaro is a demonstrably better car than the Mustang. If it competed on a level playing field, it wouldn’t even be an argument.

Rental car giants Avis and Budget have joined a growing list of car hire companies offering discounts to healthcare and essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis. The jointly-owned rental car brands said they would offer hire car vehicles for as low as $10 per day for essential workers in healthcare, disability, aged care, pharmacy, safety and security, education, childcare, supermarket, airport and transport industries during the coronavirus pandemic.

What if I told you that your big-family chariot duties are in fact not served by a large SUV, but something else? Something that doesn’t toe the line of popularity or style, but stays pointed on practicality and purpose? Something like this, a 2020 Kia Carnival. And if you really dialled up the pragmatism, you’d wind up with this: the Kia Carnival S. It’s the cheapest take on Kia’s unabashed people mover, which we have often found to be the best in its segment.

The 2021 Toyota HiLux has been revealed in fresh images that have appeared on the internet overnight. The website Milele Motors has published what appears to be computer-generated renderings of the mid-life facelift of the Toyota HiLux. As reported exclusively by CarAdvice last month, Toyota dealers in Australia have been told they will receive the updated HiLux range towards the end of July this year.

Mercedes-Benz has added the ‘53’ label to its family SUV range with the introduction of the new AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ SUV to Australia. Already available here in the E 53 and CLS 53 ranges, the new GLE 53 steps up performance compared to its 43-badged forbear while still leaving room above for the later introduction of the no-holds-barred GLE 63 S down the track.

Australia’s love affair with utes is beginning to have dangerous consequences. An increasing number of ute owners are overloading their vehicles or fitting accessories that can cause irreparable damage and compromise safety, a peak industry body has warned.

The next generation of Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ coupe – identical twins except for the names, badges and a different bend in the front bumper – will get a bigger engine but miss out on long-awaited turbocharging, according to a new report out of Japan.

It started with an anonymous tip from a well-connected reader. Apparently a small group of heavily disguised prototypes of an important new model were heading to the Aussie Outback for some real-world testing. We were told they were heading from Melbourne to the Flinders Ranges and then onto the Northern Territory – via Mildura and Broken Hill.

The Maybach version of the next-generation Mercedes S-Class limousine has been caught on camera in heavy camouflage on the roads near Germany's Nurburgring. While the disguise doesn’t give away much in terms of exterior styling, its longer wheelbase – when compared to the standard S-Class it is based on – is apparent in these images. As is the possibility of rear-wheel steering in the photos on the roundabout (above and below).

Toyota has officially unveiled its smallest SUV ever, the Yaris Cross, ahead of an Australian launch later in 2020. Originally scheduled to debut at the cancelled Geneva motor show in March, the new model slots below the C-HR in the Japanese brand’s crossover line-up, measuring in at 4180mm long, 1765mm wide and 1560mm high, with a 2560mm wheelbase.

There are other hatches, there are other AMGs, most of which will suit the majority of your needs better than this one, but if you really must have the hottest of the hot, there is no other option: it's the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A45 S!

There’s a point, a little over four seconds after setting off in the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A45 S, that it becomes just a bit silly. You see, even with another empty ribbon of tarmac unwinding in front of me, pretty much anything I do is illegal. So utterly and useably quick is the little Merc that even with my somewhat relaxed launch, the new forty-five dispatches the posted limit in a shade under the time your food used to be safe on the floor.

Champion US Nascar driver Joey Logano will join the Supercars All Stars Eseries competition next week as the wildcard entrant, with Supercars champion Craig Lowndes also expressing interest in the series. Logano – the 2015 Daytona 500 winner and 2018 Nascar Cup Series Champion – will race against the majority of real-life Australian Supercars racing drivers in round four of the Eseries in virtual simulations of Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and New York’s Watkins Glen tracks.

Mini has been forced to change the name of a wheel option offered on its first all-electric car, the Mini Cooper SE, due to an unfortunate coincidence related to the coronavirus crisis. The distinctive 17-inch light alloy wheels – offered as an optional trim on the electric model and pictured above and below – are called the 'Corona Spoke', a name chosen long before the global pandemic took hold.

Full Australian pricing and specifications for the upcoming 2020 Skoda Scala small car has been announced, following its global unveiling in December 2018. Although its original 2019 launch date had been pushed out by production delays, a June debut is now confirmed, with the long-awaited Scala set to slot into the small car class alongside its group stablemate the Volkswagen Golf – but with the promise of more space and more equipment for the same spend.

The long march of hybridisation and electrification continues, with another medium SUV getting the green treatment. No doubt buoyed by the shelf-stripped success of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Subaru has added a petrol-electric powertrain to its own medium SUV, the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid. The Forester Hybrid gets a choice of two trim levels: 2.0e-L ($39,990) and 2.0e-S ($45,990). And in this test, we’ve got the range-topping option.

A Mitsubishi Express van will return to Australian showrooms after a seven-year absence as a rebadged version of the Renault Trafic. It has been made possible thanks to the recent joint venture between the Japanese and French brands. Prices, warranty details, and service intervals are yet to be announced, but most other details of the 2020 Mitsubishi Express have been released ahead of its arrival in Australian showrooms in July.

EXCLUSIVE Holden dealers have hired a private investigation firm to find out if US car giant General Motors knew it was going to axe the iconic Australian brand more than a year before the shutdown announcement. They say General Motors continued to encourage investment in showroom upgrades, promised a raft of new models, and had recently signed the Holden dealer network to five-year franchise agreements even though, they claim, Detroit already had plans to shut its Australian division.

Jeep Australia has released pricing and specifications for its 2020 Grand Cherokee SUV range, announcing the previously limited edition Night Eagle will now be a permanent offering in the Grand Cherokee range.

US car giant General Motors has announced it will close its Maven car-rental service after four years, citing COVID-19 as a contributing factor. It is unclear what this will mean for Holden's Maven program. The Maven car rental service was launched in the US in 2016, and made selected vehicles available to the public on short term leases: daily, weekly, or monthly.

The Audi e-tron electric SUV and the Volkswagen T-Cross city SUV have each earned five-star safety ratings by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) ahead of their arrival in local showrooms.

Land Rover has released details of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of its Discovery Sport mid-size and Range Rover Evoque compact SUVs, ahead of an Australian debut in the first half of 2021. Under the bonnet of both models is the same ‘P300e’ powertrain, which combines a new 147kW 1.5-litre turbocharged ‘Ingenium’ three-cylinder petrol engine with an 80kW electric motor located on the rear axle for combined outputs of 227kW of power and 540Nm of torque.

We've driven it again since, but luckily the 2017 example of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is just as good as the lightly updated model we drove in 2019. Get Dom's take on the Trailhawk right here, and read our later story here.

EXCLUSIVE Hyundai is offering half price car servicing to healthcare workers across Australia during the COVID-19 emergency response and nationwide lockdowns. A confidential bulletin issued by Hyundai to its national dealer network says the special offer is “designed to offer something back to the any workers across the country that are at the front line of the battle against coronavirus”.

BMW was on the verge of going broke in late 1959, with the board proposing a merger with Daimler-Benz. But shareholders vetoed the merger, leaving BMW – then still a maker of economy cars and motorcycles for the masses and not the premium brand we associate those three letters with today – to hang on by the skin of its teeth.

The Australian Formula One Grand Prix is unlikely to be revived this year in the wake of global COVID-19 lockdowns causing massive interruptions to the 2020 championship season.

The 2021 Audi A3 sedan has finally broken cover about one month after its hatchback sibling was unveiled in Europe. The new Audi A3 hatch and sedan are due in Australian showrooms in the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021 respectively, unless factory shutdowns during COVID-19 lockdowns delay those plans. In addition to adopting the Audi A3 hatchback's bold lines, the Audi A3 sedan will also share engines and technology.

When BMW issued health warnings to 46,000 cars across Australia last week – via phone SIM cards embedded in the vehicles – the message came as a shock to many owners who didn’t know the technology existed. And while the alert advising people to “stay indoors” over the Easter break may have been stating the obvious to most owners – some of whom may have taken exception to the unsolicited message – it has revealed what is possible in the event of any future national emergencies.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has shared more details about the electric carmaker's much-anticipated Cybertruck, revealing the production version of the electric utility will be smaller than the prototype and will be able to "float" on water. The Cybertruck made its debut in prototype form in November 2019, boasting a large stainless steel and armoured glass body that was roughly 5.4m long, 2m wide and 1.9m tall.

Hyundai is poised to launch its new 2020 Veloster N hot hatch – the first model equipped with the brand’s new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – however it will not be sold in Australia. While the Hyundai Veloster N is only available in left-hand drive for now, the new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – dubbed "N DCT" – will be adopted as an option for the Hyundai i30 N and i30 Fastback N in Australia from “early 2021”.

Bosch Australia – a subsidiary of the German automotive parts manufacturer and supplier – will be responsible for testing 4000 ventilators assembled locally and sent to healthcare providers across the nation to treat COVID-19 patients. Australian-made ventilators will be produced by a consortium of local manufacturers, then tested by Bosch Australia at their Clayton site in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, not far from the Holden Special Vehicles production facility.

The name of Subaru's all-electric SUV has potentially been revealed, with overseas media reports claiming the new arrival will be called the Subaru Evoltis. Japanese auto website Spyder7 was the first to disclose the name of the car, which will be a medium-sized crossover SUV co-developed with Toyota. The 'Evoltis' moniker is one Subaru registered as a trademark in the United States back in 2018. Spyder7 claims the vehicle could make its world debut as early as October 2021.

Tesla has filed a new patent application with start-up tech company DeepScale in a step towards rewriting the electric vehicle specialist’s Autopilot autonomous driving software. DeepScale – a San Francisco-based specialist in ‘machine learning’ software – was purchased by Tesla in October 2019 for an undisclosed amount to assist in development of autonomous driving technology, according to a reported by Electrek.

Adelaide-based hypercar constructor, Brabham Automotive, has published a range of fascinating technical details on the aero credentials of its first car, the track-ready BT62. Offered as a self-described “diversion” from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Brabham’s engineers have described a selection of the BT62’s impressive aerodynamic capabilities.

Remember the outcry from the Porsche aficionados back when the Cayenne was launched in 2002? Sacrilege, they bawled. A travesty. A shame on the name.

The Ford Focus RS has officially become one of the first major casualties of tighter emissions standards in Europe. The next generation Ford Focus RS – which was about two to three years away from arriving in showrooms – has been axed because the cost of meeting more stringent emissions standards could not be justified against the limited demand for the niche performance model. Car magazine UK broke the story overnight and was soon followed by an official statement from Ford of Europe.

The next generation Audi RS3 has been caught on camera in production bodywork wearing little disguise while testing at Germany’s Nurburgring race circuit – ahead of its local showroom arrival in late 2021 or early 2022. The spy photos show the successor to one of the world’s fastest hot hatches – which currently has a 0 to 100kmh time of about four seconds – has retained the same formula that has made the current model so successful.

A hidden camera – built into the bodywork of a new Tesla – has caught a vandal who “keyed” a car in a Sydney shopping centre parking lot. One of eight tiny cameras – now standard on most new Tesla electric cars – captured vision of a woman who approached the vehicle before dragging a key along the bodywork, causing a deep scratch into the paintwork. The Tesla – either a Model 3 or Model S sedan – had been programmed by its owner to be in “sentry mode” when parked.

More than 5500 Australian motorists have signed a petition for a partial refund of their car registration and compulsory third party insurance costs as most drivers are using their vehicles less during COVID-19 lockdowns. The online petition was launched last Wednesday by One Big Switch, a price comparison website.

The Chevrolet Camaro muscle car has reached the end of the line in Australia, with the last example rolling off the Holden Special Vehicles assembly line in the past few weeks. The Chevrolet Camaro SS was introduced locally in September 2018 while the high performance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 went on sale in the middle of 2019. Both were remanufactured to right-hand-drive – to factory standards – by Holden Special Vehicles in Clayton and sold through selected Holden dealers.

Industry experts have issued statements reminding the public that it is ok to buy or sell a used car during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns. While most of the attention and news reports have highlighted new-car showrooms and workshops being allowed to remain open as an essential service – particularly for repairs, recalls and warranty work – there has been confusion around the legalities of buying or selling used cars.

The new generation Hyundai Sonata will be in Australian showrooms at the end of 2020 – about a year later than originally planned. While the 2021 Hyundai Sonata sedan will likely receive attention for its bold styling – with triangular daytime running lights that blend into the accent lines either side of the bonnet – it will initially be missing one of the key ingredients that has made the current model so popular in Australia.

Suzuki cars have been the subject two separate viral videos this month, with a Suzuki Jimny caught using a pedestrian bridge to make a U-turn in China, while a Suzuki Swift in Poland was captured flying through the air in a mind-blowing roundabout accident.

Volkswagen has announced the Tiguan SUV is now the best-selling vehicle in its lineup – overtaking the VW Golf globally last year. To celebrate the milestone, Volkswagen has released a teaser image of the styling themes of the updated Tiguan due in 2021.

UPDATE: We've received some great submissions from our readers, but we'd love more for the story we're preparing this week. So please enjoy the story below if you haven't read it already, and show us your own! OH, ONE MORE THING: You might remember we hosted an impromptu slot-car Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in our office kitchen. We've decided to give the set away to one lucky entrant, so... make it a good virtual photo and a good story about your car, and it could be yours!

Maserati fans rejoice – a film about your beloved marque has been released on numerous of streaming platforms to watch while you’re spending time inside. It takes you on a journey through the storied brand’s history, from the inception of Officine Alfieri Maserati SA in 1914 by brothers Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati, through its pre- and post-war successes and downfalls, right up to the launch of the aptly named Alfieri concept car.

Toyota's luxury brand Lexus is a step closer to introducing a full-size seven-seat SUV flagship, according to a report from US publication Car and Driver. The magazine says the Lexus LQ styling will be inspired by the LF-1 Limitless concept from 2018 (pictured) and will slot between the popular Lexus RX soft-roader and the Lexus LX heavy-duty four-wheel-drive based on the Toyota LandCruiser.

If diehard Ford fans thought the idea of a four-cylinder Mustang was tough to comprehend, who knows what they will make of this radical idea to appeal to fuel misers and meet tightening emissions regulations. Respected British magazine Autocar claims the next Ford Mustang – due to be unveiled in 2022 – will have the option of hybrid power. The good news? Two electric motors will still be paired to a V8 – to create an all-wheel-drive version.

The Ford Transit may not be a top-seller in Australia, but its name is nevertheless synonymous with the commercial van sector. The Blue Oval brand rolled out a series of updates to its load-carrying staple last last year, a few months after it launched a revised version of the smaller – and increasingly popular – Transit Custom.

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.

For 2020 the Mazda CX-5 receives an electronic rear differential lock by way of the ‘off-road traction assist’ function. How does it go off-road? Let’s find out. But before we hit the rough stuff – there are some other changes of note on the 2020 CX-5 range too. The biggest update being a new headliner that Mazda claim achieves a 10 per cent improvement in low-frequency sound absorption. Additionally, cars with the 2.5-litre petrol engine also benefit from exhaust noise suppression.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team chief Toto Wolff has invested in struggling English supercar brand Aston Martin. The Austrian’s investment – reportedly in the vicinity of £8 million (AU$15.7 million) – represents a 4.77 per cent ownership of Aston Martin for Wolff, however Reuters reports that stake will be reduced to approximately 0.95 per cent later this week following the finalisation of other investor fundings.

Hyundai’s first performance SUV – the Kona N – may not be as far away as originally anticipated, according to a new report. Online publication The Korean Car Blog claims the sporty version of the compact Kona SUV will make its Korean debut in July, powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine as Australia’s i30 N. While the hot-hatch/SUV has not been confirmed locally, Hyundai Australia has said it will be interested any N variants that become available.