CAR ADVICE

The much-anticipated styling update for the world’s best-selling new car last year – the Tesla Model Y electric SUV – appears to have been caught in leaked photos. Photos claimed to show the upcoming ‘facelift’ for the 2025 Tesla Model Y electric SUV with its disguise lifted have surfaced online, ahead of an expected introduction next year. Two images posted on social media website Reddit by user Abomb1997 claim to show the rear end and interior of the updated Model Y , codenamed ‘Juniper’. The authenticity of the images has not been verified, but if accurate, the images reveal the Model Y will not directly mirror the changes applied to the facelifted Model 3 ‘Highland’ sedan launched last year. MORE: 2025 Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ facelift – First spy photo Visible in the images is a full-width tail-light bar – which would make it the second Tesla with the design feature, after the Cybertruck – as part of a new tailgate which could move the number plate to the low...

Porsche won’t be drawn into the space race for bigger, more immersive infotainment screens, insisting functional design is far more important. Porsche is consciously not introducing larger infotainment screens with its new models, while physical instrumentation and controls will remain a cornerstone for the brand. As infotainment screens become more complex and immersive, in-car display sizes increase as a result. Several brands (including Tesla, GWM, and Volkswagen) have infotainment systems pushing – or even exceeding – 15 inches. But Porsche won’t be drawn into the race for screen space, according to the brand’s head of style Michael Mauer. “I’m very happy that we are so far not following what most of the other brands are doing,” Mr Mauer told a small group of media including Drive . “Regarding the screens, we always said, first of all it should be integrated, so not having this freestanding big tablets in the car. We always want to create driver orientation, which is o...

The Triumph Stag was a series of compromises that resembled a car. It didn’t go well. Original story by Tony Davis first published in Drive on 31 July, 1998. When an owner stands by his Triumph Stag , it’s usually because he can’t get the door open. Yet there was a time when the Stag seemed to represent an exciting future for sports cars. The styling was well received, the technical specification (including independent rear suspension) and luxury inclusions also impressed, while the 2+2 seating lent a degree of practicality not usually found in open sports cars. RELATED: Stealth wealth: The cars expensive cars worth more than they appear And most impressively, the clever T-bar roof seemed to get around the new ’70s safety legislation tipped to outlaw convertibles. But in the end the drop-top luxury Triumph was famous only for being famously unreliable, and its optimistic early buyers were soon thoroughly “Stagmatised”. The Stag was based on a stunning show-car (pict...

The race is on between Ford and Tesla to democratise small electric car tech with both car makers pushing to introduce cheaper mainstream electric models. Ford’s first cut-price small electric vehicle – using a new platform set to underpin a range of new small affordable electric cars including a ute – could pip Tesla’s on-again/off-again affordable model to showrooms. According to British publication Autocar , Ford plans to introduce the first of its affordable small electric car range to North America – priced from around $US25,000 ($AU38,200) – as early as 2026. Tesla says it will introduce its long-awaited similarly-priced electric car in 2025, but CEO Elon Musk was scant on details during a recent investor call confirming shrinking profits from its vehicle business. Both brands need lower-priced electric models to fend off value competitors – mainly Chinese-made electric cars – as well as the battlefront between the two US brands and rivals such as General Motors (...

Almost half of the NT Police’s high-performance vehicle fleet is being replaced by WRXs. Northern Territory Police have added brand-new Subaru WRX sedans to its high-performance fleet. A total of 13 WRXs will enter service in the NT, replacing an ageing mix of Kia Stingers, Volkswagen Passats, and previous-generation Subaru WRXs. According to the Northern Territory Government, the new WRX patrol cars have been designed by operational police officers, and feature a dual battery system, automatic number plate recognition cameras, speed radars, a rear-facing message board, and a rifle mount with electronic release. Each WRX is powered by a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, sending 202kW and 350Nm to all four wheels – presumably through an automatic (constantly variable) transmission – for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of just over six seconds. The NT Government says the vehicles are capable of reaching 250km/h, and cost $70,000 each once equipped. VID...

State and Federal governments fund upgrades announced in the wake of Australia’s highest road toll since 2012. An $81 million Road Safety Program has been announced for greater Sydney and New South Wales’ rural areas in the wake of the state leading surging national road toll figures . A joint project by the New South Wales (NSW) state and Australian Federal governments – with funding split evenly between them – the Road Safety Program (RSP) will include 49 projects in greater Sydney in addition to 179 upgrades across urban and rural areas. The plan includes 23 road safety projects as well as 25 cycling and pedestrian projects, with all expected to be completed by 30 June 2025. The announcement comes after the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) released figures showing an 11.7 per cent rise in fatalities on the nation’s roads in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2024. New South Wales recorded 358 deaths – the most of any state or territory o...

Porsche’s head of design is adamant that sports cars should be as compact and agile as possible. Future Porsche 911 generations would be smaller, not bigger, than their predecessors if it were up to Porsche’s chief designer Michael Mauer. Mr Mauer has been Head of Style for Porsche AG in Germany for 20 years, and although the brand’s cars – including the Porsche 911 – have become physically larger under his purview, it’s no secret that he’s keen for next-generation models to go the other way. “Personally, I would love to [create a smaller sports car], to see what the possibilities are in terms of packaging,” Mr Mauer told a small group of media including Drive. “And in the end to come to an even more compact car, or [to] stop this growth. MORE Porsche and Audi soften electric car stance Mr Mauer points out the average human size is bigger today than 50 years ago and cars have to be bigger as a result. Customers are not against having a little bit more space in ...

The Swedish brand now says hybrids could be a good transition option for some buyers, as 2030 electric-only target is thrown into doubt. Volvo is reportedly dialling back its target of going fully-electric by 2030, pivoting instead to hybrids as demand for electric vehicles (EV) slows. With EV sales softening in key markets such as the US and China, the Swedish brand is now considering updating its existing SPA1 platform – which supports mild- and plug-in hybrid versions of its  XC90  and  XC60  SUVs – to focus more heavily on hybrid technology, according to Automotive News . According to the publication, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan said in a recent quarterly investor webcast he’s a “huge believer in electrical propulsion”, saying it is a better technology than the internal combustion engine. “[Hybrids] form a solid bridge for our customers that are not ready to move to full electrification,” Rowan said on 18 July.  “Our plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids re...

The end of a relationship is rarely a positive experience, but Renault wants to make it easier by offering a money-back guarantee if a couple divorces after buying one of its family cars. But is it little more than a PR stunt? Renault’s UK arm has announced a new program which will allow divorced couples to get a full refund on their car. So confident is Renault of its Scenic E-Tech electric SUV as a family car – and its ability to improve the lives of its owners – the French car maker has launched Relationship Breakdown Cover. The guarantee allows couples to receive their money back on a Scenic E-Tech should they divorce or split up. Research conducted by Renault suggests 21 per cent of British drivers say taking the wrong direction causes the most arguments in their relationship, while 20 per cent say the bickering begins due to poor driving. MORE: The complicated relationship between driving and mental health Those surveyed also said comfortable seats (42 per c...

For six months, car manufacturers will be able to bring vehicles into Australia which don’t meet the stringent targets, which dealers will be lumbered with. A “loophole” in the Federal Government’s upcoming emissions law could mean car dealers are left with the burden of flogging high-polluting vehicles no-one wants, with many “fearful” for the future. The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which forces car makers to cut their emissions each year for the vehicles they sell – or else face heavy fines – is due to come into effect from 1 January 2025 , with a six-month grace period given until penalties are imposed from 1 July. However, as first reported by the ABC last month, because cars imported to Australia are registered at port rather than at the point of sale as they are in many other markets, car manufacturers will be able to import their highest-polluting cars in the first six months of the NVES and then sell them over the following 12 to 18 months without them c...