The head of one of the world’s most recognisable luxury carmakers has doubled down on the need for authenticity and pledged to avoid the use of computer-generated fake engine sounds. Bentley CEO Frank Walliser also railed against infotainment screens as he stressed quality as a defining pillar for the brand.
Asked about the role sound design plays in the development of electric cars, Walliser told the Figuring Out with Raj Shamani podcast: “If you were to just skip that in electric cars, silence is very nice … Now that we have that in electric cars, we say, ‘Oh, something is missing.’”
Bentley has already revealed its solution to the problem in the teaser campaign for the brand’s first electric vehicle, the Torcal SUV, as it focusses on an orchestral arrangement that imitates the beat and pacing of the brand’s V8 engines.
“We made a decision to say, Bentley is in V8, but just to record a V8 and bring it into the car, it felt wrong. So we had another idea,” Walliser said.
His focus on Bentley’s traditional craftsmanship also touched on everything from design to interior materials. Brands like Ford, GM and even Bentley’s parent company, Volkswagen, have all begun to integrate AI tools into their design phase, which Walliser is not keen on.
“If you ask AI to draw a car, it will use a lot of images of existing cars and generate something new, but where is the creativity? … You cannot replace the imagination and skill of people,” he said.
Walliser also voiced his disapproval of technology-led features like passenger display screens, a trend that’s fast emerging across newer Chinese brands and making its way to prestige cars from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
“If you have a luxury product, do you really need more screen time?” he asked. “I’ve seen a lot of passengers for sure with a passenger display. No one uses it. We made a conscious decision and [we] say a passenger display does not fit to Bentley. We have wonderful veneer. Why a passenger display?”
Walliser described the marque’s interior quality as its defining characteristic when he was asked what makes Bentley unique. “I think the interior quality we offer, it’s unmatched,” he said. “There’s no car in the world that shows this level of detailing.”
Walliser’s defensive stance comes as more brands look to the luxury end of the market in search of higher profit margins. In 2024, Cadillac launched the built-to-order Celestiq, an electric rival to cars like the Bentley Flying Spur.
In 2025, Toyota announced plans to turn its largely Japan-focused Century vehicles into a stand-alone brand positioned above Lexus and targeted at the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Cheaper Chinese competitors have also moved beyond the entry-level prestige market, with bigger and more opulent models from brands like Zeekr, Denza and Maextro. Other marques such as Hongqi, which builds China’s state limousines, are also looking to expand into international markets.
Australian buyers of the KGM Musso EV have been warned that the electric dual-cab ute is missing two airbags that were previously advertised as standard equipment.
Independent vehicle safety authority ANCAP says all Australian-delivered Musso EVs sold since the model arrived in November 2025 lack both a front centre airbag and driver knee airbag.
KGM had advertised the Musso EV as being fitted with eight airbags, with the centre and knee airbags appearing in the model’s consumer brochure and on its Australian website.
However, ANCAP identified that neither is fitted to locally supplied vehicles.
A centre airbag is typically installed on the inner side of the driver’s seat and deploys between the front occupants. It is intended to reduce injuries caused by occupants moving across the cabin or colliding with each other during certain side impacts.
A driver knee airbag, normally positioned below the steering column, is designed to help control the driver’s movement during a crash and reduce loads on the lower body.
ANCAP said the absence of the two airbags “may have an effect on occupant safety in front and side impact crashes”.
KGM Australia has been notified of the discrepancy and advised ANCAP that its marketing material has since been changed to show the vehicle’s actual specification. The affected advertising was amended by July 31, 2026.
ANCAP is also encouraging KGM to make a production change that would add the centre and driver knee airbags to future Australian-market vehicles.
Around 306 Musso EVs had been sold in Australia by the end of July 2026, according to VFACTS figures cited by ANCAP.
Existing owners concerned about their vehicle are being advised to contact KGM Australia or their local KGM dealer. Prospective buyers of new or used Musso EVs are also being urged to check the vehicle’s actual safety equipment rather than relying on earlier specifications.
The warning applies only to the battery-electric Musso EV and not the diesel-powered KGM Musso, which has been sold locally since 2019.
Neither the Musso EV nor the diesel Musso currently carries an ANCAP safety rating.
Ford is looking to expand the reach of its new models with a plan to group cars into sub-brands under the Ford umbrella, utilising the goodwill towards its most recognisable models. One of the headline acts is set to take the shape of a new Bronco-badged pick-up truck that mirrors Jeep’s Wrangler-based Gladiator ute.
The Bronco three- and five-door off-roader is already available in North America, as is the more road-biased Bronco Sport medium SUV. Overseas markets will get access to the Chinese-made Bronco New Energy extended-range plug-in hybrid, while Europe will receive a Spanish-built multi-energy compact Bronco SUV within the next two years.
A Bronco ute (a custom example from BDS Suspension is pictured above) would see Ford’s product plans come full circle, with the ladder-frame chassis underpinning the Bronco originally developed as an offshoot of the T6 chassis used under the previous-generation Ford Ranger.
Automotive News reports that the Bronco pickup would be added to the production schedule at the Wayne, Michigan factory that already builds the Bronco SUV. That facility is also expected to add an upscale Lincoln SUV based on Bronco mechanicals.
Timing for the new ute is yet to be announced, and Ford’s positioning of the new model may need to be adjusted to fit it into a line-up that already includes the Maverick compact dual-cab, the full Ranger mid-size line-up, and the full-size F-Series range, plus the new Fathom electric dual-cab due next year.
That fit could come from reports that a next-generation Ranger-sized pick-up for North America could shift to a new assembly location, opening the door to further adjustments. The popularity of the Ranger name, however, means Ford may be hesitant to make too many changes.
The move to group cars under Ford’s most iconic nameplates follows the example set by brands like Mercedes-Benz, which counts Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach among its sub-brands, and China’s BYD, which has Ocean Series cars targeted at younger buyers and Dynasty Series cars for mature and business customers.
As well as growing the Bronco brand, Ford has already introduced the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV as a companion model to the petrol-powered Mustang coupe range, and has plans to add a four-door Mustang sedan for the first time.
On the commercial vehicle front, Ford already offers a range of vans under the Transit banner, from the full-size Transit to the mid-size Transit Custom, with plans for a third model, a replacement for the now-discontinued Transit Connect, to sit within the Transit Group.
Australian plans are less clear at this stage. The Bronco ute is not expected to enter production until the end of the decade, and US sourcing will likely make it more expensive than mid-size ute rivals.
The same setbacks that have kept Gladiator sales low – high pricing and a lack of a diesel engine – could keep the Bronco ute out of Australian showrooms, but Ford may opt for a hybrid or plug-in hybrid solution, and use the Bronco name as a premium alternative to the more mainstream Ranger.
From 2029, drivers in California won’t be allowed to use the rubber of their choice on their cars after the state ruled that replacement tyres must be at least as energy-efficient as the ones originally fitted to vehicles.
The aim of the Replacement Tire Efficiency Program is to cut down on fuel usage, fuel costs and pollution. It’s the latest in a long line of green-focused initiatives that have made California one of the strictest places on the planet when it comes to vehicle emissions and other environmental standards.
Key to the new regulation is tyres’ rolling resistance, which measures how much energy is wasted when the contact patch rolls over the road. The California Energy Commission tested 537 varieties of tyre before setting the new rules.
When it takes effect from 2029, the program will be bad news for motorists who like grippy high-performance hoops, not to mention those who want to fit cheaper options than those used by the manufacturer. That’s especially the case with new cars using low rolling resistance tyres, which are usually seen on EVs and are more expensive than their regular counterparts.
While no such tyre rules have been flagged for Australia, there is one detail that could help pave the way for a similar move to be brought in down the track: our rapidly growing rate of EV adoption.
Low rolling resistance tyres are common on BEVs as part of the vehicles’ hard focus on efficiency. But EVs are often significantly heavier than their ICE-powered counterparts, which increases the load on their rubber. Combine that with electric cars’ ability to make large amounts of torque instantly and you have a recipe for accelerated tyre wear.
Tyres disperse harmful particulates as they grip the road, with research showing they produce an estimated 1.2 to 6.7kg of particles over their lifetime.
Last month, the University of Queensland released a study showing that potentially toxic tyre chemical additives have been found on residential balconies in Brisbane. One of those chemicals, 6PPD-quinone, was singled out by researchers. Tyre-related chemicals were found in 29 of the 30 samples taken.
While California is the only American state to bring in such a program, Europe also set tyre rolling-resistance standards in 2012. That move set maximum resistance limits for rubber but didn’t place any restrictions on what owners could fit to their vehicles.
It also showed that the issue has been on regulators’ plates for a fair while – and it’s hard to believe Australian watchdogs aren’t taking notice.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched Federal Court action against Subaru Australia, alleging it failed to give independent mechanics fair access to information required to service and repair its vehicles.
The case centres on Australia’s Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme (MVIS), introduced to give independent workshops access to the same essential technical information available to manufacturer-authorised dealerships.
The ACCC alleges Subaru Australia failed to meet those requirements between July 1, 2022 and August 31, 2024.
According to the watchdog, independent workshops were either denied access to some software and technical information supplied to Subaru dealers or could only obtain it through remote assistance.
The ACCC also alleges Subaru required independent repairers to purchase specific hardware to connect software to vehicles.
Subscription arrangements are another focus of the court action. Subaru allegedly offered some technical information only through annual subscriptions, rather than also providing daily or monthly options, or allowing repairers to nominate another subscription period as required by the scheme.
The ACCC further claims two independent repairers did not receive requested information immediately, or in some cases at all.
ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said the alleged conduct could have reduced customers’ ability to choose where their Subaru was serviced or repaired.
“We allege Subaru Australia failed to comply with the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme, which is designed to promote competition between Australian car repairers,” Woodward said.
The mandatory MVIS requires vehicle manufacturers and other information providers to make diagnostic, service and repair information available to Australian repairers on fair commercial terms and at no more than fair market value.
It followed a 2017 ACCC investigation that found independent workshops were experiencing ongoing difficulties obtaining information needed to work on increasingly complex modern vehicles.
The Subaru case is the ACCC’s first court proceeding alleging breaches of the scheme, although it has previously taken enforcement action.
Honda Australia paid an $18,780 penalty in September 2024 after the ACCC alleged it offered repair software exclusively through annual subscriptions without providing daily or monthly alternatives.
Subaru Australia is the sole Australian importer and distributor of Subaru vehicles and is majority owned by Inchcape Australia.
The ACCC is seeking financial penalties, court declarations, costs and other orders. The allegations are yet to be determined by the Federal Court.
A spokesperson for Subaru Australia’s importer and distributor, Inchcape, told WhichCar by Wheels: “We are aware of the ACCC’s announcement. We have fully co-operated with the ACCC with relation to this matter. As this is ongoing, Subaru Australia is unable to provide any further comment at this stage.”
Mazda CX-30 buyers hoping to upgrade to a new generation of the SUV may need the patience of a saint after it was revealed that a new model could be four to five years off. Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro told Japan’s Chugoku Shimbun that the introduction of a new CX-30 had been pushed back to the 2030 Japanese financial year.
The news means the CX-30, which first entered production in 2019, could go for 11 years in a single generation, a lifespan almost twice that of its rivals. Japan’s financial year runs from April 1 to March 31, so if Mazda pushes timing back, that introduction could come as late as the first quarter of 2031.
After a rush of new model activity starting in 2022 with the CX-60, developed on an all-new platform with a longitudinal engine – unlike every other current Mazda passenger model – the marque followed up with the CX-90 in 2023, the CX-70 and CX-80 in 2024, and a new-generation CX-5 in 2025. Plans for the brand’s remaining models, based on the transverse-engine SkyActiv platform, won’t follow the same rapid-fire release schedule.
While definitive details about the new model weren’t revealed, Moro pointed to the CX-5 as a sign of what’s to come. “We will incorporate the methods used in the new CX-5 into the next-generation CX -30,” he said.
That suggests the new CX-30 may run on a revised version of its existing platform rather than an all-new architecture, as is the case with the CX-5. The new CX-5 was given larger dimensions – crucially including a longer wheelbase to improve passenger space – hinting that the CX-30 could also grow slightly.
By the time the CX-30 arrives, Mazda will have its internally developed SkyActiv-Z hybrid powertrain in production. It’s set to debut on the CX-5 next year, and could become the flagship powertrain for the CX-30 range.
The next new product to come from Mazda is likely to be a replacement for the CX-3, itself a much older model, having entered production in 2014. Due to launch in 2027, the next CX-3 is set to offer hybrid and conventional ICE powertrains.
Mazda’s long-running model cycles have left it with a range of ageing models, including the Mazda 2 city car, launched in 2014, and the Mazda 3 small car, which debuted in 2019. There are no firm replacement plans for either vehicle.
Sales results from 2025 show the CX-5 is Mazda’s best-seller globally, followed by the CX-30. In Australia, the CX-5 leads the sales tally (12,378 sales YTD), followed by the CX-3 (7729), with the CX-30 in third (7186), based on FCAI VFACTS sales data.
Geely will begin testing a new solid-state battery across its huge portfolio of brands next year, raising hopes that the long-awaited breakthrough in energy tech will go into production vehicles in the near future.
Solid-state units promise huge advances in just about every facet of battery operation. EVs that use them are predicted to travel huge distances on a single charge, retain their capacity after years of use, work well in a wide range of temperatures, charge markedly faster, deliver significant weight savings… the list goes on.
Geely says its range of solid-state packs will feature energy densities of up to 500Wh/kg – about double what the brand’s current Golden Brick batteries can manage – and vehicles equipped with them will be able to travel up to 1000km between charges. A lifespan of up to a million kilometres has also been claimed.
After spending years developing the SSBs, the manufacturer is ready to pilot them across its portfolio with a view to trialling production in 2027. Real-world validation started this year, but there has been no word on when mass production might begin, and the fact that testing is underway doesn’t necessarily mean the breakthrough will come to showroom floors soon after.
Volvo, Smart, Zeekr, Proton, Polestar and Lotus are just some of the brands that could benefit from the huge leap forward that SSBs represent, but Geely is far from the only company working desperately to bring the new tech into production.
BYD and CATL are committed to trialling the batteries next year. Chinese battery maker CALB also plans small-scale validation next year, and China’s Gotion High Tech wants to carry out road tests in the same timeframe.
Toyota is also chasing the holy grail. In 2024, it claimed units capable of 10-minute recharges and 1200km of range weren’t far away, with an executive from the company’s Indian arm saying the tech would be introduced “in a couple of years”. While that obviously hasn’t panned out, last month it was reported that Toyota will test an SSB in Lexus’s new electric LFA project.
Hyundai’s luxury Genesis brand claims it has taken the SUV into new territory by giving its freshly unveiled GV90 SUV a world-first door configuration that adds to the vehicle’s striking looks.
Called Neolun Arch Gate, the setup has been branded the first independently opening and closing hidden B-pillar arch door. It only comes on the Neolun variant of the SUV, as the standard model comes equipped with swing doors instead.
The eye-catching Arch Gate is meant to embody Genesis’s hospitality philosophy, and it works by sliding the rear door slightly outward at first, then rotating it open. The visual effect is striking, especially when viewed from the side with both sets of doors opened.
The brand says it has put safety worries about the lack of a B-pillar to bed by turning to a new structure that seamlessly fixes the doors to the vehicle body. Genesis has also used high-strength dual steel beams for rigidity and says the architecture joining the doors and the body will dissipate forces in the event of a crash.
Eye-catching as it is, the Arch Gate is far from the only headline addition to the GV90. It also gets another claimed world first with a roof airbag, one of 12 airbags throughout the vehicle. If there’s a rollover, it will deploy to cover all the glass in the Vision Roof and prevent anyone inside from being ejected.
The firsts keep coming. The GV90 goes where no Hyundai Motor Group product has gone before by adopting a new power control system that promises to produce “a seamless transition from entry to driving”. When a door handle is pulled, the SUV powers up and the door closes automatically. Drivers press the brake pedal to start the vehicle and there is no start button.
Energy is stored in a 123.5kWh high-voltage battery, the largest the Hyundai Group has fitted to an EV. Genesis says the seven-seat GV90 has an estimated range of 500km based on the company’s own testing, and claims the battery can take a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 22 minutes using a 350kW fast charger.
A new front and rear motor system breaks Hyundai’s old record for EV power by making a combined 490kW and 800Nm, and the GV90 has a raft of systems to monitor the battery and improve safety, including Thermal Runaway Protection.
The metal-coated heated windshield is also an entirely new feature for the brand, as are the motorised swivelling front seats. There’s no separate instrument cluster. Instead, the GV90 gets a 25-inch HUD to go with a pop-up centre Cinematic OLED display that integrates the cluster, plus navigation and media. Hyundai’s next-gen Pleos Connect platform takes care of the infotainment.
Buyers will also get remote parking assist that works on a single touch, Memory Reversing Assist, a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen Premier 3D sound system, Ambient Glow mood lighting, premium leather upholstery, seats with 15 individual air cells and an improved massage system.
If all that isn’t enough luxury for you, don’t worry. There’s also the GV90 Neolun First Edition variant, which is a limited release “for the marque’s elite customers”. It features 24-inch forged wheels, wool cashmere garnishes in the interior, a two-tone exterior and engraved logos.
The flagship comes in at 5285mm long, 2030mm wide, 1815mm (with 22-inch wheels) and a 3245mm wheelbase, but there’s no confirmation of pricing or availability as yet.
The 2027 Kia Sportage medium SUV has been caught undergoing testing in South Korea, hot on the heels of the official reveal of its platform partner, the Hyundai Tucson. Footage of the new Sportage spied by the ShortsCar YouTube channel shows a pre-production prototype undergoing validation testing, with the final design locked in, but heavy padding obscuring the details.
The upcoming Sportage looks set to adopt the Opposites United design language used across Kia’s latest models, and seen on the smaller Seltos and similarly sized EV5. The new-generation model takes on a much more solid stance, with a bluff front-end, taller bonnet and more sharply angled edges replacing the outgoing model’s softer sculpting.
Cues like the visor-style glasshouse with masked-out A-pillars and floating roof create a more unified look across Kia’s range, with the same detailing found on the new EV3, EV4, EV5, EV9 and Seltos, as well as overseas models like the Telluride.
While hidden on the prototype, expect vertical running light signatures framing the grille and low-mounted headlights in a separate split design. A version of the full-width light bar and geometric taillights from the Seltos and EV5 is anticipated at the rear.
Timing for the new-generation Sportage line-up coincides with Hyundai’s release of an all-new Tucson, with the development of the two models linked since the second-generation Sportage launched in 2004.
The next Tucson is set to grow in size, with a slightly longer and wider footprint than the model it replaces, and the Sportage is likely to adopt the same approach. TheKoreanCarBlog reports that the wheelbase has grown from 2755mm on the current model to around 2790mm on the new version.
Other changes include 20-inch wheels, up from 19-inchers on flagship versions of the current model. The new Sportage also adopts Hyundai-Kia’s new Pleos Connect infotainment system, which moves away from the side-by-side dual-screen layout of current Kias and pairs a slim driver’s display with a more prominent infotainment touchscreen.
Powertrain details will vary by market, with plug-in and closed-loop hybrids expected for emissions-sensitive markets like Europe and a range of traditional internal combustion options for North America. Aussie Sportages may follow the Seltos in a switch to hybrid-only power, after petrol engines were dropped from the range earlier this year, leaving only hybrid and diesel engine options.
The Sportage’s model cycle usually trails the Tucson’s by around six to nine months, so Kia is still some way off an official reveal, but could be preparing to unveil the new model before the end of 2027.
Hyundai may be about to enter the ultra-competitive sub-$40,000 electric hatchback segment dominated by models like the MG 4 Urban and BYD Dolphin. Recently released UK pricing points to the IONIQ 3 model undercutting Hyundai’s Inster EV, which starts from $39,000 in Australia.
Pricing for the cheapest IONIQ 3 in the UK starts from £22,245, which amounts to A$42,460 as a direct conversion, although cars in the UK are traditionally priced slightly higher than their counterparts down under.
Hyundai UK’s starting point for the IONIQ 3 EV range is already lower than that of the smaller Inster, which kicks off from £22,995 (A$43,890). In Australia, the Inster starts from $39,000, opening the door to a starting price below $40,000 for the IONIQ 3. If that’s the case, the IONIQ 3 could become Hyundai Australia’s cheapest electric model, undercutting both the Inster and the $46,000 Kona Electric small SUV.
Complicating the pricing formula slightly is the Inster’s South Korean sourcing, whereas the IONIQ 3 will come from Türkiye when it launches in Australia in 2027. That will add to shipping costs as well as attracting a five per cent import duty that’s not levied on cars from South Korea.
If Hyundai is unable to find a workaround, the IONIQ 3 could have a starting price of just over $40,000. That would put it roughly on par with the last i30 hatch in top-spec N Line Premium guise, which started from $41,250 after sourcing switched to the Czech Republic.
The powertrain for the entry-level IONIQ 3 comes close to that of the Inster, with a 107kW motor and 42.2kWh battery enabling a WLTP range of 344km. Australia’s cheapest Inster comes with a 71kW motor, but a similar 42kWh battery and 327km of WLTP range.
Our best-selling small EV hatch, the BYD Dolphin, starts from just $29,990 plus on-road costs for the Essential variant with a 70kW motor, 44.9kWh battery and a 340km WLTP range. The MG 4 Urban Essence starts from $31,990 drive-away and comes with a 110kW motor, 43kWh battery and a slightly shorter 316km WLTP range.
Aussie buying habits indicate that while low starting prices get customers into showrooms, longer-range models traditionally make up the bulk of electric vehicle sales.
A longer-range IONIQ 3 with a 61kWh battery starts from £25,745 (A$49,150), while the better-equipped, range-topping N Line Evo tops out at £31,945 (A$61,000). That’s more than many electric medium SUVs from Chinese rivals and overlaps with the Hyundai Elexio EV from $58,990 plus on-road costs.
The specifications and line-up for the Australian-delivered IONIQ 3 have not yet been revealed, but are expected to be announced closer to the new model’s early 2027 arrival date.
