Articles by Tom White

Jaecoo has re-affirmed the potential for it to join Australia’s crowded ute market, but says electrification is the only direction the currently diesel-dominated segment is headed in.Omoda Jaecoo Cheif Commercial Officer Roy Munoz said thanks to the brand’s access to Chery Group platforms and technologies a ute was absolutely “on the table".“I’m always interested and open to what would resonate with the Australian market,” said Munoz.He added there was no way the potential new ute would have a purely combustion drivetrain in the current market.“There would have to be some sort of new energy component. Chery already has released [diesel hybrid] so we’d probably follow along those same lines."Munoz agreed the success of the BYD Shark 6 proved there was a taste for hybrids in the ute space, particularly for tradies.“Obviously the other benefit to having that electrification technology in the ute segment is vehicle-to-load capability.“That gives tradies the ability to run their entire business effectively off the ute, power their tools and charge their equipment when they are on the move.”He alluded to the idea that there may have to be some significant differences, design or otherwise, for it to stand apart from its Chery sibling.“We’d have to obviously create a point of differentiation for the Jaecoo and align it with the Jaecoo brand,” he saidThese add to other comments made to CarsGuide recently where Munoz said “there’s always room for another option for the Australian market”.As to what that might look like, we already have had a first look at a Stockman spin-off in the form of the Jetour F700, which launched in China recently.A spin-off of the previous G700 large SUV, the F700 rides on similar underpinnings to the Stockman. Instead of the Stockman’s 2.5-litre turbo diesel set-up, the F700 uses a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder.It also forgoes a solid linkage to the rear axle, with a front transmission-mounted electric motor and independent rear axle electric motor producing a combined 665kW/1135Nm, according to Chinese specs.Its relatively large 34.1kWh battery grants it a 150km fully electric driving range, according to the more lenient CLTC testing procedure.For off-road capability it features front and rear differential locks, as well as a large selection of software-based drive modes.For the kind of tradie support Munoz mentioned, the F700 can output vehicle-to-load at up to 6.6kW, and features full-size household power outlets in the tray.As for design differences from the Stockman, the F700 shows a completely different take on the interior design, with a 35.4-inch panoramic driver display running the length of the dashboard to complement the 15.6-inch central multimedia touchscreen.It also trades away the Stockman’s round retro-influenced light signatures for something more squared-off, and has a blockier profile and grille to match.The only potential issue? Jetour itself has been confirmed for Australia.This also adventure-focused brand under the Chery umbrella won’t be distributed by the current factory-backed Chery operation like Omoda, Jaecoo, Lepas and iCaur, but will be a completely separate entity.Its range of boxy SUVs, plus its theoretical access to ladder-frame vehicles like the G700 and F700 threaten to eat Jaecoo’s lunch.It’s something Munoz is aware of.“We treat it as though we would treat any other rival in the market anyway.“So, respect to our competitors, but we’re also keeping a close eye on them and what they can do.”“Competition is inevitable, I think the customer is benefitting in the end, and it’s up to each brand to find a way to differentiate itself and make itself appealing in the segment it defines or plays in.”

GWM is confident of its chances of cracking Australia’s top five automakers, despite what it describes as “hyper-competition” on nearly every front.GWM Australia's Executive General Manager of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver wished newer brands luck.“Competition creates fitness and hunger and you have to be ready to fight - we think we’ve got incredible value products which are fit for purpose. Good luck to rivals, but we’ve done the job for 18 years of building this brand and getting the respect of this market and so that gives us an advantage,” he said.“We’re not resting on our laurels, we’ve invested in Australia, we’re localising, we think the value of our offer is still really strong.”He added GWM’s journey in the market - as one of the longest-serving Chinese automakers - proves buyers don’t just buy on price alone.“Customers are looking for value, they aren’t looking for cheap,” he said.“We’ve doubled our average sale price over seven years. When we started to introduce cars like the Jolion, H6 and Cannon, we knew the prices were going to go up as the quality of the product improved out of sight.“There was an internal thought at the time asking whether customers would really be willing to pay more for this brand? And absolutely we’ve shown that they are. The year-on-year increase in volume has also come with new cars at more expensive price points. If we can do that at the same time as showing customers value no matter the price then we’re on the right track."GWM Australia's Chief Operating Officer John Kett said GWM’s slower consistency was core to the brand’s success, but they were aware of the wild numbers being generated by newer rivals.“When you look at our volume we’re consistently growing, there aren't these massive volume swings. When we see those we think, ‘gee we could have done a better job’ on a given month, but actually when we look back year-on-year we’re still 15 per cent ahead,” he said.“We’ll grow again next year. We have this new product opportunity of constantly refreshing and competing across the fuel types - diesel hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and we’ll continue to engage in retail offers for the vehicles, which are a year or two old, which the market I think must be getting fatigued with because the numbers keep shifting.”Kett said a top-five position in Australia is still imminent despite newer rivals BYD and Chery storming up the charts, as the brand’s line-up was yet to even address certain parts of the market, something that will become the case over the next year.“We’ve been talking about this ambition to be top five for the last couple of years and H7 and Cannon are an incredibly important part of that,” he said.“We’re ranked eight today, and that’s without these new cars and an EV capturing 20 per cent of the segment, so we feel good about it.”GWM still has a task in front of it, as it would still need to overtake Hyundai, Mazda, Kia or Ford, which have moved over 50,000 units this year compared to GWM's 39,747 by the end of August.Chery has been closing the gap behind, with 33,817 sales over the same time period.Kett said GWM needed to be careful about flooding the market with new products available to it from head office.“We’re very conscious on the hyper competition and the profitability challenges it brings to our dealers - we need to plan well for people to invest in the future of Tank and Wey as well as Haval and Ora’s extended range.“We’re not lacking for product, it’s just when it launches we need to make sure that both we and our network gets the profitability benefits of that.”It’s not just dealers either, the brand fully admitted to the idea that showroom floor confusion was likely to be created by the similarities between the new tougher and boxier Haval H7 it just debuted for Australia and the more rugged Tank 300, which sits above it.“It means when we’re showing people H7 vs Tank 300 it’s easy to explain from a customer perspective what the difference is from a personality perspective, as well as the price and product specs themselves,” Maciver said.“When we get to show off the expanding Haval portfolio the complexity of these brands is going to cause us a problem unless we resolve what to do with Tank when it comes to growing its portfolio” Kett saidHe said the amount of tempting options available to Australia now would be overwhelming.“If we’re adding Tank 400, 700, 800, long wheelbase, short wheelbase, plug-in , plugless , V8s, special editions, diesel hybrids - this allows us to know how we can evolve but we need to do it in a smart way that doesn’t create confusion.”This doesn’t close the door on more Tank-branded products or variants into the future, quite the opposite, once the brand has figured out how to better separate its product ranges, according to Kett.“I think as we grow it will allow us to be a little bit more distinctive in where we take the Tank brand. We’ve got full access to the whole line-up, they keep developing new versions of it, so I think that’s definitely a consideration on top of what we’ve already got coming in the next year.”“It opens the door to evolving the body-on-frame vehicles into having their own specialised showroom experience.”

Zeekr is warning of potentially long wait lists for its upcoming range of much-hyped cars, telling CarsGuide expressions of interest were building “faster than expected.”Speaking at the Everything Electric show in Sydney, Zeekr Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Frank Li said he was expecting there to be extended delivery times for the 7GT electric station wagon as well as the 8X and 9X large plug-in hybrid SUVs set to arrive in 2027 as the order banks grow in Australia and across the world.“We anticipate that 7GT might actually have a longer wait list than 7X did,” he said, adding “9X and 8X really have this huge interest. Every time I attend an event - even things not related to cars at all, I will have people try and place an order with me.”“The order bank is growing fast. Faster than we expected. There’s huge hype amongst our customers. We’re even seeing some families flying 8X across from China.”Li said the overwhelming reception to these new models in the markets they have already launched in, like the UAE and even the Chinese domestic market, was creating bottlenecks for the company.“It’s not just production capacity, but the whole supply chain. Shipping, logistics, even delivery centres can hold things up.”Li said that while the 8X and 9X “will bring Zeekr to the next level in Australia” in terms of volume, he warned availability would be severely limited.“I strongly recommend that buyers place a deposit if they want one. They need to make sure they are in that line so once the car is launched they can get into it as soon as possible.”The 7X mid-size SUV, which launched at an unprecedented price-point for a premium electric mid-sizer of $57,900, before on-road costs, rapidly became one of the fastest-selling EVs in Australia. By the end of August this year, it was the ninth best selling car in the country overall.However, some customers were left waiting some time for delivery as the brand struggled to keep up with demand.Li’s warning about potentially even worse wait times bodes well for the brand long-term, which is even more ambitious than it was when it arrived in Australia just two years ago.When asked if Zeekr could be the number one luxury brand in the country, leapfrogging once-favourites like Audi BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Li said recent developments make that a possibility, but sales targets aren’t his primary concern.“When we launched the brand, not just in Australia but globally, we were always hoping to become the best-selling premium EV brand, but with PHEV coming with 8X and 9X I think we can have some bigger ambitions of trying to become the best-selling premium brand,” he said.“But, apart from sales volume, it’s more important for us actually to have that customer satisfaction and the attitude toward the Zeekr brand.“If you were to ask me about what the brand looks like in three years I wouldn’t have a volume target to share with you, but after three years if we’re surveying customers when we ask about premium brands, Zeekr needs to be one of their top considerations. So this is more important than volume. That’s my target.”To that end, Li said the brand’s dealers would be asked to build a more premium experience in order to set Zeekr apart from its myriad of rivals and soon-to-arrive competitors like Avatr from Changan or Wey from GWM.“We’re not aiming for this big number of dealers, and for them to just change their logo and start selling cars. That’s not what we want, we want to build the customer experience properly.”He said the brand’s big investments in track events, dining and experiences were part of keeping its buyers engaged for longer “after we’ve handed over the keys”.It may even result in the Australian market scoring its own option packs, as the brand welcomes buyer feedback on track days and modifications.“Actually, we’ve already got customers showing us modifications they’ve done themselves,” Li said. “We’re developing some OEM-backed modifications for the Australian market. These are the kinds of lifestyle things we’ll be working on in the future.”Next for Zeekr is the launch of the 7GT which is expected to arrive before the end of 2026 with customer deliveries more likely for early 2027. The 9X three-row large plug-in will follow shortly afterwards, with the 8X due in the second half of 2027.

Hyundai let CarsGuide in on why its Australian division gets special attention from its South Korean parent company.“We’re quite a small percentage of global volume but the level of support we get from Korea is always higher,” said Bill Thomas, Hyundai Australia’s GM of Corporate Communications.“Australia is a hugely competitive market and if you’re doing well here, you will, in theory, do well in a number of different markets which are less competitive.“Also, in terms of customer sentiment, there’s a mixture of European and American buying behaviour.”“So there’s interest from in the makeup of the market, both the competitor set and the customer demand for various types of vehicles.”Globally, Hyundai’s Australian arm outperforms compared to other markets where the South Korean giant plays.“If you look at our market share compared to some of the markets across the world, you’d find that we’re certainly up there amongst the better performing markets,” said Hyundai Australia's General Manager of Product Planning Jonathan Lam.Australia is not just important to the company as a vector for high sales either. Our market has seen the introduction of right-hand drive exclusives, like the first-generation Palisade large SUV, or the last-generation Veloster hatchback.There are new factors drawing Korea’s attention to Australia. Our market has become one of the most competitive in the world off the back of Chinese automakers using Australia as a stepping stone to Europe.It presents an opportunity both ways, as Hyundai has a chance to compete with these new brands often before they debut in larger markets.“The competitiveness of this market means that, yes, we are getting a lot of focus from headquarters,” continued Lam.“So that does actually make our job a bit easier, but at the same time it’s not like we can just ask for something and get it.“We have to make a strong case for every product. Head office won’t accept just anything, we have to be very detailed and structured in terms of the business case.”Lam said that the explosive amount of competition in Australia wasn’t boxing Hyundai into particular price points or segments for its range.“It’s not necessarily just the number of competitors here or how cheap they are” he said.“You could have a segment with fifty competitors, but it’s more to do with which are the ones actually selling in volume.”“We feel our pricing is competitive. Obviously there are competitors which will be cheaper, and there will be some which are more expensive, but I think for us it’s never just pricing which is what is driving market share or sales. Actually if it was just about pricing that would make my job a bit easier.”Lam said "intangible benefits" of the Hyundai brand, whether it was buyer familiarity, dealer and service network, or vehicle design and quality, are helping the company keep close to the front of the pack despite the ambition of new brands in the top-10 rankings.Lam said there were even products in Hyundai’s portfolio which didn’t have to sell in the kinds of volumes which rivals, Chinese or otherwise, might be aiming for.He conceded the Palisade XRT Pro, as a monocoque adventure-focused large SUV was a “quite niche” offering intended to make up around 10 per cent of the model’s volume.Even the Hyundai Inster city-sized electric hatch, which is priced significantly higher than something like the BYD Atto 1, was something the brand was keen to keep around as an alternative for buyers.“Niche products have their place in our portfolio. It’s not a car which is going to appeal to all consumers, but it has a very specific buyer subset who still really likes that car.”

The latest brand to hit Australian shores from Chery Group, iCaur, has just made its public debut, and here’s what you can expect from the unusual new brand.iCaur Australia’s Head of Brand Kate Gillis told CarsGuide where the new marque will sit in Chery’s greater line-up, how it’s differentiated from rivals, and a bit on what’s coming next.The brand’s first product is the V25 mid-size SUV. It wears boxy 4WD styling, although it isn’t as adventure capable as some rivals. It will also launch early next year in fully electric form and a range-extender hybrid version will arrive at a later date.When asked why the brand was launching with a fully electric over a hybrid, Gillis said it was part of making a splash for the new brand, giving it a way to instantly stand out in a crowded market.“iCaur is a new-energy native” she said.“We wanted to have the first product and our flagship for now being a full battery electric vehicle. It’s a point of difference for us - obviously there are PHEVs already in this boxy SUV format, but nobody is doing a battery electric and we want to be the first to market with that.”“It’s for people who enjoy experiences and are electric car progressives. They want an EV but they’re not sure that it will fully suit their lifestyle - is meant to be a better fit for them.”While the V25 has boxy styling clearly inspired by proper four-wheel drives, it rides on a monocoque chassis rather than a hardcore ladder frame, and has less ground clearance than some rivals, with the underbody space designed to maximise batteries in fully electric versions.The hybrids in the brand's range sold overseas are range-extenders, with no hardware linkage between the engine and wheels, which are driven purely by electric motors.Performance is as high as 335kW/505Nm, according to Chinese specifications.The hybrid version will launch first in its domestic market and will be equipped with a 1.5-litre engine producing 115kW paired to a 33.68kWh battery good for a 150km electric driving range.Specs for the fully electric V25 which we'll see in early 2027 are yet to be revealed, even overseas.When asked how adventure capable iCaur is positioning itself given the styling, Gillies said the V25 and the rest of the range won’t be pitched as hardcore off-roaders.“It will be a very capable all-wheel drive - we wouldn’t say we’re up in that rugged category.”While pricing for the V25 was yet to be confirmed, but Gillis said iCaur was for “buyers with a higher discretionary income”, and if that means a more niche customer base compared to other Chery Group brands, that’s okay.“We won’t be a mass-market brand like Omoda Jaecoo or Chery - we’ll be more premium and the product opens up that opportunity for that new price point,” she said.This capable but not hardcore positioning seems to place the iCaur V25 as a rival to the likes of the Subaru Solterra (from $61,990) or the also-just-revealed next-generation Haval H7, which GWM promised would be priced less than $50,000.We can at least expect it will be priced above the current Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, which starts from $34,990 drive-away, leaving a healthy $15,000 price gap for the incoming mid-sizer to shine.iCaur is also considering multiple versions of the V25, and may not just stick to all-wheel drive from launch, with rear-wheel drive options also being available to the brand.A big part of what sets iCaur apart, Gillis says, will be a commitment to customisation, something the brand is working on to have available at or close to the brand’s launch.“There’s a lot about modification and accessories and a real practical element around the iCaur brand,” she said, “the goal is to have no two iCaurs be quite the same - we’re going to be working with our dealers to make sure those accessories are both easy to choose but also easy for them to install - no waiting three months for parts - and it can all be installed inside our network.”She added new technologies also add opportunities for the brand to stand out for adventurous buyers; “Things like vehicle-to-load systems are certainly something we’re looking at as part of the spec offering.”On the topic of dealers, Gillis said iCaur is aiming to have national coverage from day one, and the brand was being picky about what dealer applications it selects.“They may have other Chery brands or not” she said, “but that doesn’t automatically qualify them. We’ll be carefully choosing them based on compatibility. We’ve had a lot of applications where we’ve said it’s not quite right for us.”She said the local division was looking to import some of the fun showroom appeal which the brand has for its outlets in China.iCaur will face internal competition on the boxy SUV front from fellow Chery Group brand Jetour, which is also planned to launch in 2027.Jetour is set to be independently imported rather than factory backed, like the rest of the Chery Group brands currently sold in Australia.Stay tuned for more details on iCaur's Australian launch plans before the end of this year.

Alfa's Tonale is a hit overseas, but you wouldn't know it in Australia. Are the latest updates for 2026 enough to reverse its fortunes from just a handful of sales in 2025?

GWM has confirmed Chinese pricing for the ultra-hardcore version of its Tank 300 Hooke Edition after recently confirming pre-orders in its home market.Starting from the equivalent of A$52,500 in China, the overhauled Tank 300 sits atop the SUV’s combustion range, and between the two hybrid Hi4-Z and Hi4-T variants, the latter of which we get in Australia.The top combustion-powered version, a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel variant, costs $47,990 drive-away Down Under, while the top-spec plug-in hybrid Ultra Hi4-T costs $61,990, suggesting a retail price of mid-to-high $50,000 if it's offered in Australia.The Hooke Edition, which was originally teased over a year ago in China, is more than just off-road tyres and a snorkel, with the vehicle's underbody re-worked to replace the independent front axle with a more hardcore solid front axle set-up.Like 'Trail Rated' versions of Jeep's range which are tested on the hardcore trails of Moab in Utah, GWM's Hooke Edition is named after a notorious off-road park to the west of Beijing.The suspension has also been re-worked to help the 4WD accommodate 40-inch tyres, and it is more robust, with stronger control arms and trailing arms, as well as a reinforced front axle housing.As a result, its approach angle has been improved to 41 degrees and its suspension travel has been increased to 130mm for “confidently handling complex cross-axle situations,” and its low-range crawl ratio is 63.5:1 (which is not quite as extreme as the Wrangler’s 77:1 ratio).Ground clearance is 245mm while wading depth has increased to 850mm thanks to the addition of a factory snorkel. GWM says the maximum gradability of the Hooke Edition is 70 per cent. The car ships in China with Cooper Discoverer all-terrain tyres.The Hooke edition gets special front and rear bumpers to optimise its off-road angles, while the stock wheel package is downsized to 18 inches from other high-grade Tank 300s.Inside it scores larger screens as per the latest Chinese version of the SUV, with real Nappa leather interior trim and tweaked centre console switchgear compared to Australian-delivered versions.Powering the Hooke Edition is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 170kW/400Nm. It is mated to a nine-speed torque converter transmission with a low-range capable transfer case.The 300 Hooke Edition was originally teased alongside GWM’s upcoming 4.0-litre V8 engine, causing speculation that this extreme overhaul would also score this powertrain, however it appears the larger engine will be reserved for only flagship products in GWM’s wider line-up of brands.However, while the special model might seem like a perfect fit for off-road obsessed Australia, its future is under a cloud with GWM executives telling CarsGuide it might not be required given the capability the brand’s line-up already offers.“If we were to put our hand up for every car we see in the field, especially over in China, our showrooms would be overflowing,” said the brand’s local Executive General Manager of Marketing and Communications, Steve Maciver.“It’s a fantastic looking car and it would be a good choice there , but we’ve just got volume going with the existing Tank 300 powertrains, so really got to pick carefully when considering complexity in the showroom, parts stocking for us, and marketing costs.”Maciver was quick to stress that it wasn’t a global capability issue holding the hardcore model back for the time being, earmarking the factory’s capability to do “in most cases, anything".Chief Operating Officer of GWM Australia John Kett said there may potentially be a space for such a model in the future.“The complexity of these three brands [Haval, Tank, Cannon] is going to cause us a problem unless we resolve what to do with Tank in terms of its growing portfolio,” Kett said.“I think as we grow it will allow us to be a little bit more distinctive in where we take the Tank brand.“We’ve got full access to the whole line-up, they keep developing new versions of it, so I think that’s definitely a consideration on top of what we’ve already got coming in the next year.”Stay tuned for more on GWM’s roll-out plans, which are set to include the new boxy Haval H7 in both plug-in and plugless hybrid forms, and the new plug-in hybrid Cannon ute.The company is also set to expand on its range of Ora electric cars, as well as introduce its luxury Wey arm before the end of 2026.

Leapmotor could be a sleeping giant on the cusp of a global sales surge despite its slow start in Australia.Unlike its headline-grabbing rivals BYD, Geely, and Chery, Leapmotor has struggled for traction locally.Yet overseas, efforts to make its model range more globally appealing have granted the brand strong growth which, according to sales data compiled by Nikkei Asia, now means it outsold once-giants like Mitsubishi and Subaru in the most recent quarter of the year.Now projected to sell one million vehicles for the full year 2026, the brand is up 84 per cent globally and is set to surpass both Mitsubishi and Subaru over the same time period.Much of this, Nikkei reports, is down to the brand rapidly carving up markets in Europe where both local giants and Japanese imports are struggling to compete with Leapmotor’s aggressive pricing and rapid rollout with the help of Peugeot owner Stellantis, which has a significant stake in the Chinese fledgling.You could hardly tell in Australia, where Leapmotor has hardly had the same impact as its big-name Chinese rivals.Locally it is up an incredible-sounding 168.2 per cent, but its 1022 units so far is off the back of a very low sales base after the misfire of its original C10 electric mid-sizer, and a slow but improved start for the smaller B10.The C10 has moved 331 units in 2026, down 13.1 per cent, paling in comparison to the very similar Geely EX5 which has managed 10,737 units over the same period, and this is despite the introduction of a range-extender hybrid variant to the range.The B10 meanwhile has moved 677 units locally, against the better-selling Jaecoo J5 which has done roughly 10 times that in fully electric form.Leapmotor’s yearly total of just 1022 units (supplemented by the recent addition of early examples of the B05 hatchback), is a far cry from Mitsubishi’s 30,476 total, or Subaru’s 19,125.However, things can change quickly. Not only has the B10 hugely improved Leapmotor’s sales year-on-year, but Mitsubishi, Subaru, and even Nissan are on the way down in the face of Leapmotor’s contemporaries, which are carving up the top-10-selling new car brands in Australia.Subaru and Nissan have already been booted out of the top-10, while Mitsubishi is barely holding on.Leapmotor, meanwhile will be hoping to capitalise on its momentum for the rest of 2026 thanks to the arrival of its B05 Golf-sized hatchback and B03X compact crossover, which is shaping up to be Australia’s most affordable new electric SUV.When it gets here in the fourth quarter, the brand said it will be priced at around $30,000, drive-away, to undercut natural rivals like the BYD Atto 2, which currently costs $31,990, before on-roads.For 2027 the brand could have more up its sleeve too, with the D19 large SUV. Measuring in at over five meters long and featuring a range-extended hybrid powertrain, it also features EV-sized batteries for big electric driving range and combined power output of up to 300kW/520Nm.Stay tuned for more on Leapmotor’s expansion plans as it rolls out the B05 and B03X for the remainder of 2026.

Geely has revealed the heavily updated 2026 EX5 ahead of its global launch.The EX5, which is already one of the best-selling electric mid-size SUVs in Australia, is set for a deeper upgrade than a typical facelift, moving from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive.It also comes with a huge power upgrade, with the current 160kW front-mounted motor being replaced by a 245kW unit on the rear. It also comes with an upgrade to the car’s max speed from 175km/h to 201km/h.The car has also grown in dimensions slightly, now 4636mm long, 1920mm wide and 1670mm tall, making it both taller and wider than the outgoing car.The brand also says the EX5 will make the switch to the latest generation version of Geely’s LFP ‘Aegis’ battery pack. Details are yet to be revealed, but given the company said it will enable the new SUV to charge in just 10 minutes, it suggests an upgrade to an 800-volt architecture.Certainly, it will be an upgrade from the EX5’s current max charging speed of 100kW, which results in a charge time of more than 30 minutes.It is also expected to boost range from the current car’s 410km WLTP from the modest 60.22kWh unit.In addition, with the space above the front axle freed up, the EX5 is set to get an under-bonnet storage area frunk for the first time.Exterior styling has received some tweaks, while maintaining the overall vibe. The front bumper has been redesigned to add a three-dimensional effect, while the rear lower bumper and tailgate-mounted spoiler have also been tweaked.One of the most noticeable changes are the new alloy wheels (available in either 18- or 19-inch designs).The interior has also been tweaked. The new car replaces the odd squircle steering wheel with a new round design also seen in the upcoming Monjaro EM-i, as well as a crystal-look multifunction control dial to replace the current plastic-look unit.There also appears to be re-designed seat trim, new two-tone colour schemes, and ambient lighting throughout.The car appears to maintain the same 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and 15.4-inch multimedia touchscreen as before, as well as the flip-open storage tray and wireless phone charging bay.More details on the new EX5 are expected to be confirmed imminently for the Chinese market, with the brand focusing on its global aspirations.Geely Australia representatives told CarsGuide there was nothing to share yet on the future of the EX5 locally, although added there was more up the brand’s sleeve for the latter half of 2027.This is on top of the company doubling its model range in Australia in the next year. It has confirmed the Emgrand sedan and Monjaro mid-sizer are set to arrive in the first half, and they will be joined by the flagship Battleship 700 hybrid off-roader before the end of 2027.Stay tuned for more on Geely’s rapid range expansion soon as the brand solidifies its top-10 aspirations in the Australian market.

Hyundai’s Australian arm expressed cautious optimism about the company’s range of new ladder-frame 4WD products, despite the announcement at the brand’s recent investor day that they would be designed and built in the USA.Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the Palisade XRT Pro, Hyundai Australia General Manager of Product Planning Jonathan Lam said he wasn’t concerned about the CEO’s announcement for what could be a key new product for the brand.“The way we typically approach it is that we don’t worry too much about sourcing first, we worry about the product first," he said.“What head office does is they look at, okay, what does Australia want, what does Europe want, what does America want and so on.“They put all of that together and take a look. Where do the major markets have overlaps? If we distil one product into two or three projects or even a singular project that’s flexible enough to adapt to these markets around the world, then what would that look like?“Then, based on where the project is going they decide where it should be built in our many factories around the world.“So sourcing isn’t the be all and end all of it, it’s almost really the last step.“Think of it from a different perspective. Even in our current portfolio, there are cars that are built in multiple plants all across the world. So say, Santa Fe, we take it from the Korean plant, but they also manufacture them in America so just because it’s out in public that a certain model might be being designed and manufactured in America, doesn’t mean that it’s automatically off-limits for the rest of the world.”The upcoming family of ladder-frame products from Hyundai has been teased by the Boulder and Crater 4WD concepts.The new frame architecture they use will sit above the brand’s current matrix of H platform city cars (Venue, Inster), K platform small cars (Kona, i30), N platform mid-sizers (Tucson, Santa Fe), and e-GMP platform EVs (Ioniq 3 to Ioniq 9).The company’s global President and CEO Jose Munoz said recently the upcoming frame family, which is also expected to spawn a ute, will account for 50 per cent of the company’s growth aspirations until 2030.The new 4WDs are all expected to use new range-extender hybrid powertrains. The first implementation of this system will be on the updated Santa Fe early next year.While Lam couldn’t comment further on the future 4WD products for Australia, including what they might be or when we might see them, General Manager for Corporate Communications, Bill Thomas, added that Australia in particular gets a helping hand from South Korea.“Over the years, I’m always surprised by the high level of support we get from head office. In theory we’re such a small percentage of global volume, but the level of support we get is always higher.”On the topic of sourcing for Hyundai, when asked if the brand was more open to more vehicles manufactured in China, like the recently launched Elexio mid-size EV, Lam said many factories around the world still had potential to serve right-hand-drive cars to Australia.“We’re not averse to sourcing cars from other countries outside of just South Korea. It’s a big proportion of our current sourcing, but we’re open to sourcing cars from China, Czech Republic, Türkiye.“What’s more important is whether the product is right for our market and whether there’s a financial case to be made for it.”While Hyundai Australia has been lucky to secure some right-hand-drive exclusives, like the first-generation Palisade and the second-generation Veloster hatchback, it has also been forced to make some tough decisions.Recently, this included culling the well-received i30 hatchback from the line-up, as the cost of sourcing the latest version from Europe, where it is built, became prohibitively expensive.Now stripped down to only the go-fast N hatch and sedan range sourced from South Korea, this looks set to continue into the future, with the next-generation sedan already having been spied testing in Australia.Next for Hyundai will be the introduction of the Ioniq 3 electric crossover, next-generation i30 Sedan, and next-generation Tucson mid-sizer, all of which are expected in Australia in the first half of 2027.