Articles by Chris Thompson

Ford is reportedly delaying production of successors to electric versions of its F-150 and Transit as the Blue Oval looks to focus on smaller, more affordable electric cars.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are on the up in Australia as evidenced by Chinese brands bringing in models like the BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo Super Hybrid, as well as the MG HS Super Hybrid.This means Mitsubishi’s once-unassailable dominance in this area is being challenged.Now, a new brand (to Australia at least) is bringing its “cutting-edge” PHEV system in the form of the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i.Geely has already launched the electric EX5 mid-size SUV in Australia, but now it has a plug-in hybrid sibling which aims to jump in on the rising popularity of the drivetrain tech.The Starray EM-i is set to show up locally in the fourth quarter of 2025 and will be the debut of Geely’s EM-i (standing for E-Motive Intelligence) PHEV tech.Its engine, a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine (73kW/125Nm) is the product of Horse Powertrain, a joint venture between Geely and Renault. Interestingly, the engine was designed from scratch to be a hybrid-assisted engine.Its thermal efficiency of up to 46.5 per cent is ahead of the standard curve for a car engine (typically below 40 per cent). Its claimed 98.02 per cent electric motor efficiency and 98.8 per cent transmission efficiency are also hard to fault.The 160kW/262Nm electric motor joins the engine for a total system output of 193kW. Power in the Starray EM-i is sent to the front wheels only.The electric motor can drive the wheels independently or with the help of the engine. It’ll also come with vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability to use its battery to power appliances.Geely claims an electric driving range of 83km (under WLTP testing, which is more realistic than often-used NEDC testing) and a total combined range of up to 943km.The Chinese carmaker also says the Starray EM-i’s combined fuel consumption lands at 2.4L/100km under WLTP testing.

The Subaru Forester Touring is the top-spec Forster, with the mid-size SUV available in petrol and hybrid options at this level.

Another breadcrumb has been added to the trail of rumours that the Subaru Brumby could make a return.

The Subaru Forester Sport is a mid-spec variant of the mid-size SUV that adds visual extras and more features in petrol and hybrid versions.

The Subaru Forester Premium is a specific variant that adds a small number of extra features to the base Forester AWD, but isn’t available with a hybrid drivetrain unlike the rest of the line-up.

With small SUVs becoming more and more prominent, Suzuki is bringing a new sub-$30K hybrid light SUV to the market - the Fronx. We’ve jumped in for a quick spin at its Australian launch to find out.

Suzuki has confirmed pricing and details for its newest product in Australia, the Fronx.The 2026 Suzuki Fronx is a small SUV landing in Australia in late-Q3 this year, with a mild-hybrid drivetrain " and a position to — in a sense — replace the Ignis.There’s only one grade called Fronx Hybrid and it lands at $28,990 before on-road costs.It’s also relatively stacked when it comes to features, and Suzuki is even working on a sub-$30K drive-away offer for its on-sale date in September this year. We’d expect that means about $29,990 DA, though that’s to be confirmed down the track.For something at that price-point, features aren’t lacking. Wireless phone charging and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have become almost expected for even entry-level cars in Australia, but the Fronx also features heated synthetic leather seats and a leather steering wheel.It’s the first Suzuki in Australia to feature a head-up display, and there’s also a standard surround-view parking display.The Fronx’s 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is joined by a small 4.2-inch driver display nestled between physical dials for the speedometer and tachometer. There are LED lights front and rear, with auto headlights and manual levelling.It is powered by a 1.5-litre four cylinder engine with mild-hybrid, driving the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. It makes 76kW and 137Nm, and Suzuki claims fuel consumption at 4.9L/100km.The Fronx is 3995mm long, 1765mm wide, and 1550mm tall, while weighing just 1064kg. Luggage capacity in the boot is 304 litres, or 605 litres with the rear 60/40 split seats folded.

The new Subaru Forester landing in Australia could finally open the gates for more proper hybrid models in the brand’s local line-up, as well as more electric cars to come after the lacklustre Toyota bZ4X-based Solterra EV.

The exciting cheap new Tesla model will just be a stripped-back Model Y.