Articles by Chris Thompson

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.

The Audi S5 Sedan and S5 Avant join the new Audi A5 from launch as the more performance-focused variants in the line-up, coming in at $114,900 and $117,900 respectively.

Hyundai’s top brass has hinted at the imminent electrification of its performance N division, with a clear direction towards hybrid hot hatches and cheaper EVs.

There’s a new entry-level electric car on the way, according to reports from the UK, and it’s one that could set the sales charts alight.