Ford Cortina Reviews

Polestar Australia and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) have slammed the Coalition’s proposed plan to scrap fines for carmakers that exceed emissions targets under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) if it wins the federal election in May.

Converting a cargo van to a people mover is a quick, practical way to give big families what they need: Space. Ford has plenty of experience in this pursuit over the years, not all of it totally successful, it should be noted. But when you're starting with the accomplished Transit Custom van, surely the transition to people-mover can't be too fraught.

Volkswagen has confirmed its electric Transporter mid-sized van will arrive in Australia before the end of this year to go head-to-head with the Ford E-Transit Custom and LDV eDeliver 7.In an announcement made this week Volkswagen said the Transporter battery electric vehicle (BEV) would land locally in the third quarter of 2025. This would have the electric version of the new-generation Transporter arriving at the same time as the diesel variant, with the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant following in the second quarter of 2026.Volkswagen also confirmed some vital specifications for the Transporter EV. A single electric motor producing 210kW and 450Nm will power the Transporter EV’s rear wheels and a payload capacity of 1038kg will apply to both short-wheelbase and long-wheel base versions.In comparison, the diesel variant of the Transporter uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine making 125kW and 390Nm, and will be available in front- and all-wheel drive. Short- and long wheelbase grades will have a payload of 1326kg.The Transporter PHEV will be powered by a 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid system making a combined 205kW and 320Nm, with both short- and long wheelbases offering 1140kg of payload.Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Product Manager Nadia Bucholtz said the new-generation Transporter would cater for more applications than before.“Short and long wheelbases, standard roof height and high roof variants, front-wheel drive and 4Motion, Transporter has remained committed to supplying the most fit-for-purpose vehicles to our customers, including the most extensive range of applications,” Ms Bucholtz said.“The addition of BEV and PHEV variants to the range serves to further expand that product offering, particularly as our customers look to ways to minimise their emissions, maximise drive comfort and reduce running costs.”Volkswagen developed the Transporter EV in conjunction with Ford which has produced its version, the E-Transit Custom, and that is also expected to arrive in 2025.Pricing for both vehicles has not been announced yet but buyers can expect Volkswagen’s Transporter EV to list from about $70,000. LDV's eDeliver 7 is a popular rival to both the Transporter EV and E-Transit Custom and starts at $67,358 before extending up to $73,674.The entry price into the current generation of the Transporter is for the diesel 320S Trend short-wheel base which starts at $56,590 before on-road costs and extends to the top-of-the-range grade at $62,990.Volkswagen’s reveal of the Transporter's arrival timing came during a broader announcement detailing the brand’s upcoming commercial vehicles including the Caddy light cargo carrier, the electric ID. Buzz retro Kombi, the larger Crafter and the new-generation and just-arrived Multivan people mover.

Could the Australian car industry have been saved?

The Ford Ranger might have found itself back on top of Australia’s sales charts in March, but a dig into the numbers reveal cracks in the sales ambitions of the Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.

World firsts don’t come along every day, but today is just such a day… and an Aussie ute world first at that – with the unveiling of the Ford Ranger Super Duty.

The Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 and Toyota LandCruiser Prado were among the big movers of Australia's new-vehicle market in March, as the overall sales decline appeared to slow.

One of the oldest vans on the market is showing no sign of retiring anytime soon with the LDV G10+ appearing to have been given a substantial facelift, which includes new safety tech, a large media screen, new styling and features.The new version wears a $1500 price rise, which still undercuts rivals such as the Toyota HiAce and Ford Transit by a sizable margin.Importantly, it's clear the new G10+ has been fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which was a large oversight in its spec previously. This change would ensure the G10+ would meet the new 2026 minimum safety standards requiring AEB come as standard on all new vehicles.Lane keeping assistance and forward collision warning will also join rear parking sensors, a reversing camera driver and passenger airbags, plus electronics stability control as part of the van's new safety suite.Other new G10+ features CarsGuide spotted include a 12.3-inch media screen, replacing the previous 7.0-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also standard, so is digital radio, air conditioning and power windows. It was also noted that the brands website now only lists diesel variants, which could indicate the petrol engine has been dropped, at least initially. The latest price data shows the new G10+ has also increased in price. The entry six-speed manual 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is now $38,937, drive-away, which is a $1579 increase on the previous model. Meanwhile, the G10+ with the eight-speed automatic is now $39,463 (also up by $1579). For context, Toyota’s HiAce (the most popular vehicle in the segment) starts at a list price of $48,886, while the Ford Transit begins at $56,590.Images also reveal a slight redesign to the front of the vehicle with a new look honeycomb grille and restyled front bumper, as well as a tweaked dash layout. Measuring 5167mm end-to-end, 1980mm wide, 1938mm tall and with a one-tonne payload capacity the G10+ is considered a medium-sized van. It has been on sale in Australia for a decade this year, yet it still remains one of the most-bought medium sized vans on the market with 2843 sales in 2024.It appears LDV still sees a place for the G10+ to live alongside the new and more expensive Deliver 7, which was once touted to replace its aging sibling. The Deliver7 arrived towards the end of 2024 with a price of $44,726 driveaway, although it was headlined primarily by its electric eDeliver 7 spin-off, which wears a competitive price-tag of $67,358 (drive-away).

An image has surfaced of Kia’s Tasman sporting a cosmetic change that many say makes a big difference to the look of the ute ahead of its Aussie launch.

I’m going to be totally honest with you, when news of the first Ford Ranger Raptor surfaced, I felt it was little more than an automotive curiosity.