Hybrid cars

Is Chery about to out-name the BYD Shark 6 ute? It's possible, given a mystery trademark has now appeared that would give the brand a literal shark-eating dual-cab.Chery has trademarked the name "Orca" in Australia, and the trademark specifically references "SUVs; sport utility vehicles ; sports utility vehicles ; pick-up trucks; pick-up truck caps; trucks; commercial vehicles".The orca, or killer whale, is also the only known predator of the great white shark, suggesting some naming gamesmanship could be at play here, given BYD has named its sales-storming ute the Shark 6.But there is one complicating factor – Chery has asked the Australian public to help name its first ute, with more than 20,000 entries received and a shortlist soon to be announced.“We knew Aussies would have a strong view on what makes a great ute, and the response to this competition has absolutely reflected that," said Lucas Harris, Chery Australia's COO."To receive this many entries is a tremendous result, but just as importantly, entrants took the brief seriously and explained why their name belonged on the ute, making the shortlisting process both exciting and difficult."The catch is that while the Orca name has been accepted as of March 18, 2026, the application was first lodged in June 2025, which suggests it was an early name option for the ute, before the public competition was opened.Still, if Orca has been suggested, and it makes the shortlist, Chery could have a Shark-hunting diesel dual-cab ute on the cards.When it arrives in Q4 this year, Chery's ute promises to be a game-changer in terms of powertrain, given it pairs a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine paired with an electric motor or two and a battery to deliver the country's first diesel plug-in hybrid ute.The brand is promising a 3.5-tonne towing capacity, a 1000kg payload, and proper off-road kit like diff locks.“I believe Chery has one chance to prove that we can build and deliver a highly capable ute,” Mr Harris has told CarsGuide.“And so to do that, it needs towing capability, payload capability, all-terrain capability. Particularly all-terrain capability, you know, you get people towing caravans on the beach. You really do need the torque and power delivery that a diesel gives you down low to be able to do those things.”

If you think you’re seeing a lot more new utes with unfamiliar badges on them, you’re probably not alone.The arrival of new utes from predominantly Chinese brands like the 2026 MG U9, JAC T9 and of course the BYD Shark 6 might seem sudden, but those in the industry have been familiar with many of the seemingly new models for years.Don’t fret, though, we ran the numbers to see just how speedy the rise in new Chinese utes landing in Australia has been, because while the models themselves have been around for a while, some of them have become much more popular lately.In fact, you’re really not just imagining it - a few years ago the number of Chinese utes arriving annually doubled. Over the past decade, the total number of Chinese utes sold in Australia over a year has gone from less than 1000 to almost 40,000.And while the total number of utes sold each year overall also rose, from 190,000 to 235,000 over the same time, you don’t have to be a mathematician to see the massive increase in market share for Chinese brands.Years ago, Great Wall (now GWM) was laying the groundwork, building a more reliable reputation over time and learning how discerning many Aussie ute buyers can be. Anecdotally, early Great Wall utes were hated by mechanics, but GWM now has more than 120 dealers and a seven-year warranty.By the mid-2010s, things were improving, Great Wall utes and the Foton Tunland were still really the only Chinese utes here, racking up annual sales in the hundreds and making up less than 0.5 per cent of the new ute market.In the first couple of years of the 2020s, LDV had arrived and was doing much of the heavy lifting while GWM was in a lull before new generation Cannon utes showed up.Through 2021 to 2024, Chinese utes made up around 6-8 per cent of the new ute market in Australia, though 4x2 utes didn’t follow the trend, with brands focusing on cracking the 4x4 market rather than fighting with the big players in the fleet space.This decade has seen the presence of Chinese utes rise from being sold in the hundreds or four-digit thousands to finally cracking and exceeding 10,000 sales comfortably each year, perhaps with the increasing cost-of-living pressure and subsiding mistrust of early Chinese utes from the ‘bad old days’.But 2025 was the year it really changed, and one name is responsible: Shark.Not Australia’s most storied golfer, but BYD’s plug-in hybrid ute. In 2024, 6.8 per cent of new utes sold in Australia were from Chinese brands - in 2025, that jumped up to 16 per cent.About 15,600 Chinese utes sold in 2024 versus just shy of 37,700 in 2025 comes thanks to the 18,000 new BYD Shark 6 utes bought by Australians in 2025. The total number of utes sold (across 4x2 and 4x4) in Australia didn’t even increase as much as the number of new sales the Shark 6 brought in, 229,219 sales in 2024 is only a few thousand less than the 235,614 sold in 2025.And it doesn’t seem to be slowing, with the Shark 6 performing well even into its second year on sale and helping maintain a 17.6 per cent market share for Chinese utes in the first two months of 2026. Even if BYD’s game-changer doesn’t maintain its place leading the Chinese ute charge, there’s a strong chance it continues to build upon the enthusiasm for the category built up by the likes of GWM.

Hyundai Australia has detailed some major additions to its Staria people mover and Staria Load commercial van line-ups.Highlighting the changes is a new hybrid powertrain that will be offered across both the Staria Load line-up, as well as the new Staria Lounge seven-seat flagship people mover.The Staria Load Hybrid is the first series-parallel hybrid commercial van offered in Australia, overlooking the Transit Custom PHEV which, as the name suggests, is a plug-in hybrid.Power comes from a familiar set-up combining a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, like the Carnival Hybrid and Santa Fe Hybrid, but has a higher total system output of 180kW.Hybrid versions of the Staria Load and Staria Lounge are due to launch in Australia in June.The 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine still feature in the entry-level Staria people mover, which is due at dealers this month, but the latter engine option is front-wheel drive, rather than all-wheel drive.Additionally, an electric version of the Staria Load is due to launch in Australia in the second half of 2026. It has a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 160kW and is fed by a 84kWh lithium-ion battery pack.Other changes made to the Staria and Staria Load line-up with this model year 2027 (MY27) update include a new front fascia with a different lighting signature, plus vertical side-mounted tail-lights.All versions of the Staria Load have a two-seat configuration, with the pre-update five-seat variant being discontinued.2027 Hyundai Staria and Staria Load Australia pricing:2027 Hyundai Staria and Staria Load Australia powertrain and efficiency:2027 Hyundai Staria and Staria Load Australia dimensions:2027 Hyundai Staria and Staria Load Australia standard equipment:Staria Load highlights:Two-seat configuration17-inch steel wheelsFull-size spare wheelLiftback rear tailgate (rear barn doors available)Halogen headlights4.2-inch digital instrument cluster12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (NEW)Apple CarPlay and Android AutoOver-the-air updates (NEW)Keyless entry and push-button start (NEW)Electric park brakeLeather-wrapped steering wheelCloth upholsteryStaria Load Hybrid adds:Single-zone climate controlStaria Load Electric adds:12.3-inch digital instrument clusterBattery heating systemShift-by-wire gear selectorSatellite navigationStaria Load Premium adds:17-inch alloy wheelsLED headlightsPower tailgateElectrochromic rear-view mirrorHeated steering wheelHeated front seatsStaria highlights:Eight-seat configuration18-inch alloy wheelsFull-size spare wheelLED headlights4.2-inch digital instrument cluster12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (NEW)Over-the-air updates (NEW)Front single-zone climate controlRear manual climate controlKeyless entry and push-button start (NEW)Cloth upholsteryStaria Lounge adds:Seven-seat configurationProjector LED headlightsSatin chrome door handlesDeluxe door scuff platesPrivacy glassDual power-sliding side doorsDual sunroofsPower tailgate12.3-inch digital instrument clusterInterior ambient lightingSuede rooflinerMetal pedalsRear single-zone climate controlNappa leather upholsteryHeated front and rear seats2027 Hyundai Staria and Staria Load Australia safety:The Hyundai Staria received a five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2021, whereas the Staria Load received a Platinum collision avoidance rating based on testing in 2022.Standard safety highlights include:Seven airbagsAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Blind-spot monitoringRear cross-traffic alertLane-keep assistLane centringIntelligent speed limit assistAdaptive cruise controlFront and rear parking sensorsReversing cameraA surround-view camera is now only offered on the Staria Load Premium and Staria Lounge.2027 Hyundai Staria and Staria Load Australia warranty and servicing:Like all Hyundais, the Staria and Staria Load are now covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery in the hybrid and electric models are covered for eight years or 160,000km.Logbook servicing and pricing hasn’t been detailed yet.

There is a new key detail of the soon-launching Toyota RAV4 hybrid, with fuel efficiency figures of the SUV now public.The car offers a combined fuel efficiency of 4.5L/100km for the front-wheel drive variant (4.6L/100km on all-wheel drive), which is better than the outgoing front-wheel drive model at 4.7L/100km and 4.8L/100km for the all-wheel drive.This increases the RAV4’s fuel efficiency lead over hybrid models of the Hyundai Tucson (4.8L/100km) and Kia Sportage (5.3L/100km).Urban fuel consumption sits at 4.2L/100km, while extra urban fuel consumption is at 4.7L/100km. The all-wheel drive’s figures are 0.2L/100km higher than the front-wheel drive. The new generation of the Toyota RAV4 is still being eagerly awaited in Australia, with the brand already running out of stock on the previous model. This has caused a substantial downturn in sales for the Australian branch to the tune of 25 per cent year-on-year up to March 2026.  The new RAV4 will roll out into Australian showrooms this year with hybrid variants too far away and plug-in variants coming in the third quarter. All variants will feature a 2.5-litre petrol engine, and come in front-wheel and all-wheel drive choices. The hybrid produces 143kW, while the plug-in hybrid boosts power to 227kW. It will start from $45,990 (before on-road costs) when it lands in Australia within the next few weeks. This means it will be more expensive than the cheapest Tucson and Sportage hybrid models. The RAV4 is a key contributor to Toyota’s sales as their biggest seller, which is more than the HiLux ute and roughly twice as many as the Prado large SUV. Toyota will continue to add more electrified models to its lineup this year, including an electric version HiLux ute. 

Volvo has taken a knife to prices of its small SUV line-up with $10,000 sliced off cost-of-entry for its small EX30 Single Motor Extended Plus - now $49,990, before on-road costs.Base pricing for the slightly larger EX40 has also been cut with the entry-level EX40 Single Motor Extended Ultra reduced by just over nine per cent to $69,990, before on-road costs (was $76,990, BOC).When contacted for background on the pricing changes a Volvo Car Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide, “In preparation for the introduction of the game-changing EX60 to local shores Volvo Car Australia has repositioned its 30 and 40 series all-electric vehicles.“To accommodate the arrival of the EX60 it is paramount that we alter our current game plan. “When the all-electric mid-size SUV arrives, it will change the game in the largest electric market segment in terms of range, charging speed, performance, and price,” they said.The repositioned EX30/EX40 pricing (before on-road costs) is below.Speaking at Volvo Cars’ most recent investor briefing in Stockholm, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Erik Severinson confirmed the upcoming EX60 mid-size EV SUV will be priced at the same level as an equivalent plug-in hybrid (PHEV).So, these small SUV price reductions point to a starting price position for the EX60 at around the same $74,990, before on-road costs, level as the entry-grade XC60 Plus B5 Bright AWD.The flagship XC60 Ultra T8 Plug-in Hybrid Dark AWD sits at $101,990, BOC.The mid-size pure-electric EX60 SUV will initially be offered with a choice of two powertrains.The P6 Electric comes with a single rear motor that produces 275kW/480Nm which delivers a sharp 5.9-second 0-100km/h acceleration time.And the dual-motor P10 AWD Electric’s dual motors send 375kW/710Nm to all four wheels for a 4.6-seconds 0-100km/h sprint.Claimed WLTP range is 620km for the former and 660km for the latter, thanks to its larger 95kWh battery.Charging is near top of the class thanks to Volvo's all-new ‘SPA3’ platform's 800-volt electrics. The P6 can be topped up at up to 320kW, while the AWD P10 rampd that rate up to an impressive 370kW.

Fuel prices are skyrocketing right now in Australia and Ford is looking for a way to capitalise on selling more of its low-emission vehicles.The Blue Oval is offering a wide range of drive-away pricing offers across its Ranger plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute, as well as the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit electric vehicles (EVs). All are valid until June 30.2025 model year (MY25) examples of the Ranger PHEV now start at $62,000 drive-away for the XLT trim and extend to $73,000 drive-away for the flagship Stormtrak.The Ranger PHEV usually starts at $71,990 before on-road costs for the XLT and extends to $86,990 before on-road costs for the Stormtrak.The Blue Oval is also offering drive-away pricing offers across the F-150 line-up, as well as on certain Everest and Tourneo models.A table with the full drive-away pricing offers currently available is at the bottom of this story.Ford is also offering an additional $1000 discount on Ranger, Ranger PHEV and Ranger Super Duty models for farming businesses that are registered as Primary Producers. This is valid until June 30.Lastly, Ford is throwing in a $4000 fuel card to select Ranger variants and Everest Trend models that are MY26 and older to help ease the high cost of diesel currently. This is until stock sells out.“These initiatives are designed to help our customers, from small business owners to families, get through this challenging financial period,” said Ford Australia and New Zealand President and CEO Fadi Mawal.“Ford vehicles offer incredible capability, performance and long-term value for money and we don’t want anyone to miss out on getting the best car for their needs because of short-term pain at the pump.“By offering the most fuel-efficient Ranger ever built at a fantastic drive away price, along with an immediate $4000 cashflow injection for ICE customers via a fuel card, we are ensuring that Ford doesn’t just offer great vehicles, but a total ownership solution. We’ve sharpened our pencils to ensure we’ve got our customers’ backs.”

The Toyota Celica could be revived with a hybrid set-up.The Celica revival project at Toyota began in 2024, when it was announced by now former Vice President Yuki Nakajima. It has now been confirmed the car is likely to utilise a hybrid set-up, which could be either plug-less or plug-in, and it will have four-wheel drive, according to UK publication Autocar.It has been rumoured this hybrid set-up could deliver a whopping 300kW.Gazoo Racing marketing manager Mikio Hayashi said there are still many variables at play as the Celica crawls towards launch.“The displacement size of 1.6 litres , for example, cannot meet emission regulations. So we have to consider the possibility of a 2.0-litre,” Hayashi told AutoCar."We are thinking about various sizes, but we are not at a stage where we can tell you exactly what size it is. Nothing has been decided yet about whether it will be a standard hybrid or plug-in hybrid.”It seems like the 2.0-litre engine could be winning the race at the moment, with progress being made according to Hayashi. “We are continuing to develop that. We have high expectations,” he said. "We cannot point to a timeline but can say we are making steady progress.”The news comes after Toyota’s potential entrant for the 2027 World Rally Championship was spotted undergoing testing, featuring in a Celica-style shape. This appears to be a clear indication of the brand moving away from the GR Yaris for its rallying competition.It also improves the chances we will see the return of two iconic Toyota names, with the MR2 also seemingly nearing a return. The brand has filed intellectual property filings in both Australia and Japan for ‘MR2’ and ‘GR MR2’, respectively. It has been confirmed this car will also feature a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol hybrid all-wheel drive set-up and is rumoured to produce 370kW and 550Nm.Despite these details, it still looks like the Celica and the MR2 remain several years away from production.

Chinese giant GAC might be new to Australia, but its ambitious plans to be a top-ten automaker here in just five years will be led by a brand-new dual-cab ute.This incoming model, which GAC Australia CEO Kevin Shu says will be on the market in 2027, will be a brand-new ground-up model built with Australia in mind from the beginning.“As you know, our promise to the market is 10 new models in five years, so up until now, with the Aion UT [hatchback] we have four models, and for next year we will have three models, including a larger SUV and a pick-up truck,” Shu said.Shu wasn’t forthcoming on more details on the under-development ute model, he did confirm to CarsGuide that it would be developed under the main GAC brand, which predominantly specialises in combustion and hybrid models, rather than the EV-focused Aion or Hyptec sub brands.This opens the door to a more conventional combustion-led effort for the upcoming new ute challenger. Tightening emissions laws in Australia and globally, plus rising fuel prices, there is a strong chance for a hybrid, too.As GAC’s director of aftersales, Andrew Ratajczak says: “At GAC we have everything."“We’re not just stuck with PHEV, we’re not just stuck with BEV, we have such a wide spread of variation for our drivelines and our power supplier source for drivelines. It gives us such versatility to the market.“If the data comes back that this is where the demand is, we can do it. We don’t have to develop something unique - we can put something together out of the box from what we already have in our portfolio.”As for styling, we’ve had our digital artist Thanos Pappas come up with a ute based on the tough-looking design aesthetic of the brand’s GS8 large SUV, which seems the obvious fit for the “large SUV’ product Shu is suggesting for a 2027 launch.The main thing Shu confirmed is the new ute will break cover imminently at least in concept form at the Beijing motor show in late April.GAC has the advantage of seeing the different levels of impact its rivals are having on the extremely competitive landscape in Australia, which one Kia executive described as “the Olympic Games of utes”.BYD’s Shark 6 plug-in hybrid was the runaway success of 2025, shifting an impressive 18,073 deliveries despite its less-than-industry-standard towing capacity and payload.In comparison GWM’s Cannon Alpha managed a lesser number for the year, with just 2524 sales including the PHEV.These two ground-breaking hybrid utes differ in offering the two prevailing kinds of hybridisation, with the Shark 6 focusing on a bigger battery between the frame rails, driving the axles primarily via electric motors, while the GWM Cannon Alpha maintains a traditional gearbox, low-range transfer case, and solid linkages to each axle, with the electric motor inside the transmission.Chery will be the next to mix-up the space later in 2026 with its unique diesel plug-in hybrid system, which will also focus on mechanical ability rather than sheer battery size, in a similar vein to the GWM ute.Meanwhile other rivals provide an idea of what not to do. The middling success of Ford’s PHEV Ranger suggests buyers are looking for the longer range the Shark 6 offers, while Kia’s Tasman is a cautionary tale giving buyers what they want on the design front.One advantage for GAC, which the brands executives are keen to remind us, is the company’s deep ties with Toyota. It says this will help set it apart from other Chinese automakers when it comes to build quality, reliability and after-sales support, with the brand’s planned 100-strong dealer network and parts supply arrangements being modelled off shared experience with Toyota in China.The hybrid ute space looks to intensify massively by 2027, with JAC introducing its plug-in imminently, and Nissan’s China-built Frontier Pro being strongly hinted at by the Japanese brand as part of a dual-prong ute offering in Australia.Needless to say, GAC’s ute effort will have to be headline-grabbing if it wants to break into the market with such tough competition.

Hyundai has lifted the lid on its product and manufacturing plans for the next five years at its annual general shareholders meeting held in Seoul overnight.Under the headline ‘36 by 30’ the Korean giant’s President and CEO José Muñoz detailed a strong commitment to manufacturing in North America, as well as the introduction of 36 “all-new or significantly enhanced models” (including passenger cars, SUVs, trucks and commercial vehicles) by 2030.Muñoz confirmed the new vehicle blitz would be “supported by a broad mix of ICE, HEV, EV, and extended‑range electric (EREV) powertrains to meet evolving customer demands”.Although new model specifics weren’t shared, Muñoz gave a broad brush description of what’s coming down the product pipeline, which will include “new vehicles in new segments”.Key arrivals are an affordable entry-level hybrid, a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol compact car and SUV (think i30/Kona), 2.0-litre mid-size car and SUV (think Sonata/Tucson) as well as a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol mid to large SUV (think Santa Fe/Palisade) and pick-up (the latter a likely replacement for the out-going Santa Cruz monocoque ute).For the first time, upcoming high-performance luxury models from Genesis will feature hybrid powertrains, including the upcoming GV80 Hybrid, scheduled to begin production later this year.  “The new vehicles will include core models and expanded trims, including XRT and N Performance derivatives,” said Muñoz.A potential sign of the brand’s new model intent is the unashamedly Ford Bronco-rivalling Hyundai Crater Concept shown at last year’s NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) convention in Las Vegas. Pitched as the automotive answer to the question, “What does freedom look like?”, it’s a tough, high-riding, dual-motor, off-road electric SUV.And 2025’s Ioniq 3 Concept is a clear preview of a new, more affordable compact EV, likely to land in 2027.Hyundai's North American focus is clearly driven in part by the current US administration’s import tariff regime, the company confirmed its US$26 billion (~A$38B) investment in the United States, including a new, “state-of-the-art” steel mill in Louisiana and an AI robotics hub, anchored by Boston Dynamics in Massachusetts and a new Robot Metaplant Application Centre (RMAC) in Georgia.Hyundai is targeting more than 80 per cent of the vehicles it sells in the USA to be assembled there by 2030, simultaneously increasing US supply‑chain content from approximately 60 per cent to 80 per cent.

Look out, Toyota, BYD, MG and Nissan, because Mazda is working flat out to have its unique hybrids ready for Australia, starting from later next year.That is when the completely in-house developed SkyActiv-Z hybrids will debut in North America, meaning Australians can expect to see the CX-5 hybrids arrive in Australia for the MY28 range of Mazda’s best-selling mid-sized SUV.And, just to be clear, this is proper electric motor-added hybrid technology, as opposed to the very mild-hybrid powertrains as found in the 2.5-litre Skyactiv G petrol engines dubbed “Mazda M Hybrid technology”.“I can confirm that a hybrid CX-5 powertrain is in its latest stages of development,” according to Mazda Australia Director of Sales and Marketing, Jarrod Gieschen.“With rigorous testing currently being carried out, we expect to see hybrid tech available in the United States next year, then thereafter in Australia."Additionally, along with a new standard ‘more’ mild-hybrid set-up that will prioritise affordability as well as better fuel economy, there will also be a higher-performance Strong Hybrid model offering the best of both worlds, if Mazda is to be believed.This will effectively fill the gap left by the now-discontinued G35 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo model.According to Gieschen, the latter will combine performance with efficiency.“When it comes to the G35 turbo powertrain, offering it in the line-up does not make sense once we have our full suite of powertrains for this vehicle,” he said. “So, we have to be a little bit more patient (as) the hybrid powertrain will effectively replace this option.”In the outgoing CX-5 G25 Turbo AWD, it delivered 170kW of power and a hefty 420Nm of torque – though at the expense of relatively high fuel consumption out in the real world, at around 11.0 to 11.5 litres per 100km. The official ADR 81/02 figure is 8.2L/100km.Mazda Australia Managing Director Vinesh Bhindi added that after the launch of the 6e and CX-6e electric vehicles supplied by Changan out of China, the SkyActiv-Z program will be his company’s next big priority in this country.“After this, our focus will be the Mazda hybrid system, which … is its testing phase,” he said. “Some of us have driven it and it’s great.”Last year, Mazda released some SkyActiv-Z hybrid innovation details, including its super-lean fuel mix to greatly boost engine combustion efficiency, as well as improved thermal properties that actually turns otherwise wasted heat into stored energy for the electric motor, thermoelectric-style.It is believed that both features significantly lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions.So why the long wait for hybrid in CX-5?Bhindi revealed it needed to meet brand expectations before being ready for the market.“We want it absolutely as soon as possible,” he said.“But we do understand that they are priorities, and for Mazda Corporation right now, it is making sure the Mazda hybrid system absolutely delivers what the engineers are planning to give to the market, and then following on from that, again, what's next and at what cadence.”To reiterate, SkyActiv-Z is a Mazda-driven development, and is believed to use none of the series-parallel technology found in the Toyota-supplied hybrid found in the North-American-market CX-50 hybrid.