CAR ADVICE

The next Toyota RAV4 will be a case of evolution over revolution with updated versions of today’s frugal hybrid drive systems, Drive has learned. Illustration by Theottle. EXCLUSIVE Australia’s all-in on hybrid power for the Toyota RAV4 family SUV is set to go abroad for the next-generation model , due in showrooms in 2025, Drive understands. Planning documents seen by Drive show the new RAV4 will arrive too soon to take advantage of Toyota’s next-generation petrol engines, which promise to be smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient than today’s designs. Instead, the 2025 RAV4 is understood to use an updated version of the 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid in Australian showrooms today, with Toyota’s latest lithium-ion battery technology. MORE: Toyota reveals new petrol engine, rumoured for Celica and MR2 The first new Toyota RAV4 in six years is widely expected to focus on evolution rather than revolution, using familiar underpinnings – and poss...

One year ago some big players in the automotive industry were warning about a storm on the horizon. Now, some of the world’s largest economies – and their car companies – are reporting widespread weakness. Several indicators suggest the new-car industry is facing a downturn, with potentially wider implications for the global economy. For the second time this year, Volkswagen Group – the parent company of Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Cupra, and Porsche, among others – cut its profit forecast, following threats the car giant may be forced to shut down six factories in Germany due to high costs. According to an investigation by Reuters, car manufacturing plants in Europe were working at lower capacity – dropping to 54 per cent in 2023 from 65 per cent, for those located in higher-cost countries, such as Germany, while those in central and eastern Europe dropped from 83 per cent of utilisation to 79 per cent. Meanwhile, production output from the world’s largest car maker, T...

An electric vehicle has been decimated by fire in Melbourne’s east, with fire crews warning about the dangers of not using official manufacturer charging equipment. Credit: Fire Rescue Victoria An electric car has caught fire in Melbourne – destroying the garage of the home where it was parked – with crews finding the blaze was sparked by an aftermarket charger. The electric vehicle (EV) – which images show is a Nissan Leaf – caught alight at a home in Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s east on Tuesday, with firefighters arriving five minutes later to find it engulfed in flames. Two people and a dog were at home at the time but made it out of the property unharmed. Investigating the blaze, Fire Rescue Victoria determined it had been caused by an aftermarket cable being used to charge the car, which was also plugged into a travel adaptor at the time. As a result, the Service has issued a warning reminding EV owners to ensure they use compatible charging equipment, and only...

Actor, WWE wrestler, and car enthusiast John Cena is set to take the lead role in Mattel’s new Matchbox movie. If you enjoyed the films Toys, Cars, and Barbie, then you might be excited about a new production just announced. Toy company Mattel says a new live-action movie about its miniature Matchbox cars is being made, with John Cena ( Fast & Furious 9, The Suicide Squad, Ricky Stanicky) set to star in the leading role. In partnership with Apple Original Films and Skydance, Mattel – the owner of Matchbox – has revealed the film will be inspired by the die-cast model cars, but hasn’t revealed any details about the storyline. Cena – who rose to fame as a WWE wrestler – is also known to be an avid car enthusiast, using a blue manual 2020 Honda Civic Type R as his everyday vehicle for years. “My daily driver is a Civic Type R,” he famously admitted on the Whiskey Ginger podcast. VIDEO: First trailer, release date for Brad Pitt’s F1 movie released “It’s got tech...

Hyundai is hurriedly preparing a successor to the popular Palisade. Here’s what we think it’ll look like. A successor to the current first-generation Hyundai Palisade large SUV is just around the corner and is expected for a local showroom arrival in 2025. But, like its smaller Santa Fe sibling, will look vastly different to the current model and is due to adopt hybrid engine technology . Various spy photos captured over past months point towards boxy Range Rover-esque styling for the front and the rear, while a new hybrid powertrain is all-but-confirmed to replace the ageing 3.8-litre non-turbo V6 petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engine options – at least in Australia. Here’s all the information – as we know it – about the next-generation Hyundai Palisade . MORE Hyundai Palisade Hybrid spied testing What engine will power the new Hyundai Palisade? According to South Korean publication ETNews , the previous-generation 3.8-litre petrol V6 is expected to be replaced by ...

Petrol power will return to the Audi SQ5 performance SUV in Australia after a four-year hiatus – as an alternative to the current diesel – ahead of the next-generation, petrol-only model’s arrival. The 2025 Audi SQ5 performance SUV will revive the option of turbo-petrol V6 power – alongside the turbo-diesel V6 – as the current generation nears the end of the road. Due in early 2025, the SQ5 TFSI is returning after a four-year hiatus at the same price as the turbo-diesel – $119,084 plus on-road costs for the conventional ‘wagon’ body, and $124,315 plus on-roads for the coupe-styled Sportback. Next year will be the final opportunity to buy a diesel-engined SQ5 TDI in Australia, as Audi’s next-generation model due in late 2025 will be exclusively petrol-powered. MORE: 2026 Audi Q5 release date for Australia confirmed, alongside SQ5 It will be the fifth change to the SQ5’s engine line-up in eight years. Petrol power replaced diesel when the current, second-generation S...

Nissan’s new Patrol is more than two years away from Australia, but it’s already on sale in the Middle East, and the online configurator is live. Here’s how Drive journalists would build theirs. Customisation is in vogue at the moment, but too much choice can be confusing. In our configurator challenge,  Drive  team members scroll through a manufacturer’s website to create their ideal combination for a certain model. This week the team delves into the configurator of the latest Y63-series Nissan Patrol , now powered by a twin-turbo petrol V6 in place of a V8. It’s not due in Australian showrooms until late 2026 – or even early 2027 – but Nissan has published its build-and-price tool in the UAE. Tell us which new Nissan Patrol Y63 variant you would buy – and how you’d specify it – in the comments below (build yours here ), and what you’d like us to configure next. Kez Casey, Production Editor Rather than opting for one with the lot, I’ve built a Patrol w...