WhichCar By Wheels

A recall for 1.3 million Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators has been announced overseas, owing to a risk of fire.

While not yet officially recognised as a recall in Australia, overseas owners of the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator have been advised to park their vehicles outside, away from buildings, owing to the risk of fire.

Of the 1.3 million vehicles involved in the recall globally, over 1 million are located within the USA.

Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveal that an electrical connector used in the electric-hydraulic power steering system may be loose, leading to the connector overheating, melting, and potentially igniting surrounding materials.

The fire risk may present itself even with vehicles switched off.

Jeep Gladiator
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Jeep’s parent company, Stellantis, has identified 125,000 vehicles that may be affected outside of the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The recall affects vehicles produced between Model Year 2021 and 2025 – In Australia, Model Year 2021 Wranglers and Gladiators were available from the third quarter (July to September) of 2020.

According to US records, 72 vehicle fires have been linked to the vehicle fault, with one reported injury.

The NHTSA began an investigation into the fire risk in 2023 and 2024, but Stellantis closed the investigation due to a low rate of fires. The investigation was relaunched in August 2024 after an increase in reported incidents.

Stellatis said in a statement that overseas rectification would involve inspecting affected vehicles and potentially repairing or replacing parts of the vehicle wiring harness or the electric-hydraulic power steering pump. Parts to furnish the recall are expected by July.

A spokesperson for Stellantis in Australia told Which Car, “We are aware of a recall announced in the United States relating to 2021 to 2025 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator.

“At this stage, no recall has been issued in Australia. Safety is our top priority, and we are working with our parent company to understand any local impact and next steps. We will provide updates as more information becomes available and will contact any affected customers directly.”

GWM Australia has announced that its new Ora 5 electric small SUV has arrived in Australia ahead of imminent deliveries. Priced from just $33,990 driveaway, the Ora 5 is one of the cheapest electric small SUVs and also one of the cheapest electric vehicles available on the new car market.

According to GWM, deliveries of the Ora 5 to GWM dealer showrooms across all states are expected within the coming days, meaning that prospective buyers can now book a test drive with their local dealer and get their first behind-the-wheel experience of the highly anticipated new model.

The Ora 5 originally debuted for the Australian market at the Melbourne Motor Show in April and since then, has received nearly 3,000 expressions of interest.

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The Ora 5 uses a 58.2kWh LFP battery and is rated at 430km for range on the WLTC cycle. It can be DC fast charged at up to 120kW for a claimed 30 to 80 per cent charge time of approximately 20 minutes, while vehicle-to-load functionality up to 6kW is standard. A 150kW/260Nm front-mounted motor drives the Ora 5 and it hits 100km/h in 8.0 seconds.

2026 GWM Ora 5 pricing (driveaway):

Lux$33,990
Ultra$36,990

Ora 5 Lux standard features:

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Ora 5 Ultra model adds to Lux:

The Geely Emgrand i-HEV sedan is about to launch with not one record efficiency figure, but two.

Geely claims the Emgrand i-HEV sets a record for thermal efficiency, a measure of how effectively it turns fuel into energy, rather than losing it to heat.

According to Geely’s calculations, the new hybrid system has a thermal efficiency of 48.41 per cent. In the Chinese fight for technological superiority, thermal efficiency is now a key recognisable metric.

Geely’s latest claim surpasses Dongfeng’s claimed 48.09 per cent for its 1.5-litre turbo revealed in December 2025, and beats Geely’s own 46.5 per cent claim for Chinese market versions of the Starray EM-i, known as the Starship 7.

The Emgrand i-HEV sedan uses a development of the Starship 7’s 11-in-1 hybrid drive system, with a dual-motor powertrain that Geely claims delivers up to 230kW on electric power alone, compared to the 100kW electric peak from a Toyota Camry hybrid, or 135kW from the electric drive side of the Honda Accord hybrid.

The hybrid system can operate in pure electric, hybrid parallel, or direct drive modes, depending on driving conditions.

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Geely also claims its new hybrid sedan sets a new fuel efficiency record, based on WLTC testing protocols, resulting in highway cycle fuel consumption as low as 2.22L/100km, 12 per cent more efficient than a Toyota Prius under similar conditions.

Mixed-cycle fuel consumption is rated at 3.83L/100km. By comparison, the Camry and Accord are rated 4.0L/100km and 4.3L/100km in Australian mixed-cycle testing.

The Emgrand hybrid uses an AI-powered drive control system to adapt to changes in temperature, humidity, altitude, and road gradient in real time. Geely says the electric drive system can power the vehicle in up to 80 per cent of driving situations, some 27 per cent higher than comparable hybrid drivetrains.

The Emgrand i-HEV hybrid will go on sale in China later this month, joining the 1.5-litre turbo patrol already on sale. In April this year, Geely displayed an earlier version of the plug-in hybrid Emgrand at the Melbourne Motor Show to gauge public reaction, but the model is yet to be confirmed for Australia.

The Federal Government’s Luxury Car Tax (LCT) is set to undergo the biggest restructure since its 1999 introduction next year, in line with changes proposed under a new Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement.

Rather than an across-the-board change, European-sourced vehicles would no longer be subject to import duties, and the LCT threshold for zero-emissions vehicles from the region would be subject to a much higher $120,000 threshold.

The proposal could see dozens of prestige European-built electric vehicles drop in price, and could result in automakers shifting their pricing strategies to best fit with the LCT changes.

Right now, the changes are tabled as a proposal, and yet to be officially adopted, however Federal Government documents point to an expected July 1st, 2027, introduction for the new regime.

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Current LCT thresholds are set to increase from July this year, in line with annual indexing linked to the Consumer Price Index as an indicator of inflation. LCT is calculated across two categories, with fuel-efficient vehicles (those that use under 3.5L/100km of fuel) and non-fuel-efficient vehicles calculated at a different rate.

LCT is charged at 33 per cent on the value above the respective threshold. In the current 2025-2026 financial year, non-fuel-efficient vehicles are taxed on their value above $80,567. For fuel-efficient vehicles, the threshold kicks in above $91,387.

From July 1, 2026, those thresholds will rise by $242 for non-efficient vehicles to $80,809. Fuel-efficient vehicles have a $274 higher threshold, starting from $91,661.

The revised thresholds increase by only $82.20 and $72.60 respectively, making them the smallest annual adjustments to the fuel-efficient and standard caps since 2016 and 2008.

As part of the newly proposed European Free Trade Agreement, the higher threshold from 2027 would not be applied to luxury vehicles universally, and creates a third category for LCT calculations.

The change means that zero-emission vehicles from Europe will have a rate separate from low-emission vehicles (those which use up to 3.5L/100km), essentially separating EVs and PHEVs into different categories. Vehicles sourced from regions like China, Japan, the USA, or other areas outside of the European Union will be subject to next year’s regular LCT adjustments, with no distinction between zero- and low-emission vehicles for taxation purposes.

Automakers are yet to reveal how they plan to integrate the LCT change into their pricing structures of applicable vehicles, with the final pricing adjustments and potential savings calculations to be calculated based on next year’s regular LCT indexing.

For a small subset of buyers, however, the change will be significant enough that sales are likely to be impacted on applicable models in the lead-up to the changeover.

ANCAP (the Australasian New Car Assessment Program) has revealed new safety ratings for vans under its Commercial Van Safety Comparison program, including the new Kia PV5 Cargo. Undertaken as a parallel consumer information program to ANCAP’s traditional star rating program, the Commercial Van Safety Comparison was designed for consumers and fleets to compare the availability and performance of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) across the commercial van market (NA and NB category vehicles).

The new Kia PV5 Cargo, which is about to be released in Australia, is the newest model tested under the program and was awarded a 91 per cent or platinum rating. According to ANCAP, its testing showed the PV5 provided good levels of performance across the majority of autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane support, and speed assistance test scenarios.

Adequate performance was observed in AEB scenarios involving pedestrians, while it lost points for not being available with automatic braking in reverse.

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While the PV5 is the newest van on the block, it didn’t score quite as high as the Volkswagen Transporter (and the related Ford Transit Custom), which earned a 93 per cent or platinum rating. ANCAP said that its assessment of the Volkswagen Transporter confirmed good performance across all areas and unlike the PV5, it features reverse automatic braking.

The latest generation Transporter improved on the result of the previous model, which achieved a silver grading when assessed in 2022.

Under the latest release, the Fiat Scudo recently reintroduced to the Australian market earned an ANCAP safety grading for the first time, achieving a gold level of active safety performance (67%). As with all other vans in this latest assessment batch, the Scudo is equipped with autonomous braking, emergency lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, speed assistance, and a driver monitoring system. Its performance across these systems, however, was mixed – offering reduced overall capability to that of the Kia PV5 Cargo and VW Transporter.

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Other new scores given by ANCAP for the Commercial Van Safety Comparison included the Peugeot Boxer and Fiat Ducato twins, which were given a gold or 77 per cent rating.

Highest-rated vans under ANCAP Commercial Van Safety Comparison:

Toyota is set to revive the MR2 formula, having confirmed earlier in 2026 that an affordable mid-engined sports car is under development.

The latest news to filter through about the new model, as revealed by Auto Express, reveals that Toyota’s open-air testing of the mid-engine platform will result in a major change to the new model, compared to the three generations that came before it.

With a modified version of the GR Yaris, called the Concept M, converted to a mid-engine layout, Toyota has been actively prototype testing the next MR2 in Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series.

The latest information to surface reveals that, as expected, the new mid-engine car will be powered by Toyota’s new ‘G20E’ 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine. In racing trim, the new engine produces up to 370kW, although production versions are expected to sit closer to 300kW in flagship GR cars.

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The eye-opener, for the new MR2, is confirmation that, unlike its predecessors, the fourth-generation MR2 will adopt all-wheel drive to help it harness the new engine’s power. The chief engineer of Toyota’s GR performance car division, Naohiko Saito, is reported as saying that “This layout is new for us, but we have found in our initial testing that the combination of an all-wheel-drive mid-ship layout offers the best layout for high-performance driving”.

The new engine is set to appear not just in the MR2, but also become the basis for other future GR models, like the next-generation GR Corolla. Its larger capacity gives Toyota greater tuning freedom compared to the current size-restricted G16E 1.6-litre three-cylinder, which was designed with WRC homologation in mind.

As with its predecessors, the next MR is tipped to retain a transverse engine layout. A format similar to the Lotus Emira, but distinct from other all-wheel drive mid-engine cars, like the Lamborghini Temerario, which use a longitudinally-mounted mid-engine layout.

The lowlight among these latest details is that the new 2.0-litre, mid-engine, all-wheel-drive MR2 has been designed to pair with a version of the eight-speed automatic already available in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, rather than a six-speed manual.

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Styling for the new mid-engined sports car is expected to adhere to the design first proposed for the electric FT-Se concept (pictured here) in 2023, despite the switch to a combustion powertrain.

While this latest information provides a glimpse of what to expect from the new MR2 when it finally reaches production, Toyota is still no closer to formalising an expected timeframe for the new model’s arrival.

Mazda undoubtedly knows a thing or two about selling medium SUVs in the Australian market, with more than 330,000 CX-5s sold here and more than 20,000 current customers having owned more than one CX-5. So, Mazda’s sales leader is as popular as it is attractive the second time around.

Making up approximately 25 per cent of Mazda’s Australian sales – and topping the brand’s sales charts for the last seven years running – the CX-5 (below) is once again projected to crest 25,000 sales in 2026, with the outgoing model and new model combined.

But can that success be sustained in the face of increasing competition – specifically from China but also elsewhere? Mazda Australia’s boss, Vinesh Bhindi, reckons the current sales climate is a reflection of how it’s always been in Australia.

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“When you go back in time, there are always others available that are cheap, or cheaper,” Bhindi told WhichCar by Wheels. “But Australians do understand the economics, and how purchasing a car works – that other implications outside of the sticker price should be taken into consideration.”

Bhindi reiterates that those ‘other implications’ should be taken into account before the purchase of something as expensive as a motor vehicle.

“The support, the warranty, the resale value, and the feeling… if you do want a Mazda drive, you’re only going to get it from a Mazda, not from any other product that’s around,” Bhindi said. “So there are customers who are still in tune with that thinking. We have to continue to make sure that our value package remains right, not over, not under, but we have to offer something that is different.”

That point of difference, according to Mazda, is in the range of vehicles you can access with its badge on them. While it’s unlikely sedans will have a resurgence similar to that seen in the USA of the last 12 to 24 months, Mazda will continue to offer cars like Mazda 2 and Mazda 3 which are still attractive to Australian buyers if not as popular as they once were.

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“We haven’t gotten any indication that there will be a resurgence, but it won’t dip any further,” Mazda Australia Director of Sales and Marketing, Jarrod Gieschen said.

“There’s a market for those cars, but there are really different reasons for why people have made those choices,” Bhindi said. “And our plan is to offer as much choice as we can.”

The addition of two soon-to-be released electric vehicles, the 6e and CX-6e (above), will again broaden that choice within the Mazda showroom.

“It’s been really interesting with 6e and CX-6e, where the 6e has appealed more to our traditional database (of owners), whereas the CX-6e has been new customers to the brand,” Gieschen said.
“So it just goes to show that Mazda, with our history of passenger cars, is still obviously appealing.”

For many Australians, the Mitsubishi Magna was more than just a family car. Built locally and engineered with Australian conditions in mind, it earned a reputation for practicality and value for money. As a result, over 750,000 units were built over its 20-year production span. While the nameplate sadly disappeared in 2005, it still holds a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts and former owners alike, with many enthusiast events still taking place each year celebrating Mitsu’s homegrown Australian icon.

But what if the Magna were still produced today? Well, isn’t this what AI is for? We’ve imagined what a modern-day Magna range might look like in 2026, from an affordable LS sedan to a flagship VR-X wagon.

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We have to say that AI delivered the goods when designing a 2027 Magna. It looks sharp, modern and like a current Mitsubishi product, with sharp headlights and a big grille. AI rendered both sedan and wagon versions of the Magna, as both bodystyles were big parts of the line-up throughout its life.

Both the sedan and wagon look somewhat European, with great proportions and detailing. AI designed the sedan and wagon in Exceed Tourer specification, which would be the luxury model in the line-up. As such, they feature large 19-inch wheels, LED exterior lighting, panoramic roofs and long wheelbases for plenty of rear seat legroom.

Under the bonnet, given the current Australian new car market, electrification would be the central drivetrain propulsion choice. Overseas, Mitsubishi sells the Outlander medium SUV with a mid-hybrid 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, so that could be the drivetrain choice for the entry-level models.

Above that, we would likely see a full-hybrid system, potentially the 1.8-litre hybrid drivetrain used in some Renault products, and above that, the 221kW 2.4-litre plug-in hybrid found in the Outlander PHEV. Could that be turbocharged for a return of the Magna Ralliart? Let’s hope so.

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Inside, AI has rendered a classy and high quality cabin for the 2027 Magna range. Shown in both Exceed (black) and Exceed Tourer (tan) models, the dashboard layout takes from the Mitsubishi Expander that’s not sold in Australia with a joined panel featuring both a large infotainment screen and a large digital driver’s display.

The steering wheel takes from the Triton with a nice leather finish and buttons for features like the cruise control, while below the touchscreen is a dual-zone automatic climate control and a centre console with storage, cup holders, the gear selector and parking brake.

The new Magna’s rear seat looks huge, with ample space for taller adults, and it’s well featured with kit including a separate climate zone, heated seats, air vents and a central arm rest. The wagon’s boot measures over 600 litres with the rear seats up and over 1800 litres with the rear seats folded, and we’re sure the sedan would be quite practical for that body style.

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AI also rendered a Wheels-style cover for our enjoyment showing both the VR-X wagon and LS sedan driving along the Great Ocean Road, which looks really cool. Plus, it also rendered the same cars with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background for a “distinctly Australian flavour.”

Unfortunately, there is almost zero chance that we’ll ever see the Magna ever produced again. But these renders give us a look into a future that still offers Australian made products, as well as a Mitsubishi line-up that isn’t dominated by SUVs. One can only hope that happens again someday.

Honda will not leave the product gap left by its cancelled EVs empty for long, with the announcement that a new multi-energy platform will take its place.

As part of its financial reporting, Honda revealed that it will introduce a new platform, with a focus on the North American market, that will be EV-capable but with the flexibility to offer all-electric and hybrid electric versions.

In March this year, the Japanese company announced that it was cancelling plans for three dedicated EVs and subsequently, Sony’s EV plans, based on the same underpinnings, were also later announced as cancelled.

At the time, Honda cited changing market conditions and concerns about profitability. The move comes as a result of continued changes in the North American market, led by shifting regulations and emissions targets in the United States.

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“The market could change depending on the Trump administration over the next two and a half years and the outcome of the November midterm elections,” Honda president Toshihiro Mibe said.

“We are studying systems and next-generation EV concepts that would work no matter which way things evolve.”

The new platform appears to be a stand-alone architecture, distinct from Honda’s existing plans for an all-new hybrid system and platform, which is set to spawn 15 new models for the brand between now and 2030.

Honda’s new hybrid platform aims to reduce production costs by 30 per cent and improve fuel efficiency by 10 per cent.

Details of the new multi-energy platform that will underpin future electric vehicles have not yet been published. Honda calls its new architecture a ‘highly competitive EV hardware platform’, which hints that it could result in products that prioritise electrification, including EVs and extended-range plug-in hybrids.

Honda announced that its new platform program was designed to “address country-specific differences”, pointing to the changing landscape between the brand’s key markets and the role varying emissions and electrification mandates play in shaping future products.

Honda’s previously stated target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 will see hybrids take a leading role in the near-to-mid term. Honda is set to introduce hybrid versions to all model lines in the brand’s portfolio.

Product plans for North America include the introduction of a hybrid system on engines up to 3.5-litres, opening the door to more efficient versions of Honda’s large Pilot and Passport SUVs and Ridgeline pick-up.

Audi has taken the wraps off the third-generation Q7 large SUV, which has been made larger and even more luxurious than before. There’s a whole host of new features, including trick lighting tech, self-closing doors and a range of mild-hybrid drivetrains.

One of Audi’s biggest-selling models globally since its original debut in 2007, the Q7 has debuted just ahead of the next BMW X5 and will launch in Australia before the end of 2026.

Using the same design language as other new Audi SUVs like the smaller Q5 and Q3, the new Q7 uses a split headlight front end and large grille that’s illuminated for the first time. The headlights feature optional Digital Matrix tech with 25,600 micro-LEDs that not only use adaptive high beam functionality but can also light up pedestrians to make them more visible to the driver.

There are also optional OLED tailights that can switch lighting patterns and also automatically switch to warning symbols if somebody is getting too close. With both lighting units ticked, there’s also a new turn signal system that projects the symbols onto the ground to make the car’s intended direction more obvious to those around it.

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Larger in every direction than the previous Q7, the new model measures 5056mm long, 2010mm wide and 1800mm tall, making it 4mm longer but a significant 42mm wider and 59mm taller than before. The extra boxiness in the rear end is noticeable compared with the previous model, as is the new extra width: The new Q7 looks noticeably more planted.

Adding to the planted look are new alloy wheel designs, which start at 20-inches in size, with three 21-inch and four 22-inch designs available. For those wanting the largest size, factory 23-inch wheels are available for the first time, and six-piston 400mm front and 350mm rear brakes are standard. Other cool tech for the exterior includes automatic doors, much like in a Rolls-Royce, and an opacifying panoramic glass roof.

Inside, the new Q7 uses a similar dashboard layout to the Q3 and Q5, though its materials are more high end and luxurious than before. As we’ve seen in other new Audi products, screens make up a big portion of the interior: The driver’s display measures 12.3-inches, and the central touchscreen 14.5-inches, and both are integrated into a single curved display. In addition, there’s also an optional third display for the front passenger.

The centre console is wide and features two wireless phone chargers with magnetic pads to hold devices in place, while there is also a variety of new trims and upholsteries such as open pore wood and soft cloth around the cabin. A new 22-speaker Bang & Olufsen 4D sound system will be optional, this time featuring speakers in the front headrests for passengers to really experience the music.

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Overseas, five-, six- and seven-seat variants will be available and Audi quotes boot spaces figures from between 722-litres with the third row folded (in the seven-seat model) to 2075 litres with all rear seats folded (in the five-seater). All rear seats are electrically operated, and they also all feature ISOFIX child seat points.

Drivetrains are yet to be announced for Australia, but European models use a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine with mild-hybrid tech in either 180kW/500Nm or 220kW/630Nm tunes. North American models use a 2.9-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine making 320kW, and there’s also a 4.0-litre V8 turbo-petrol making 441kW in the SQ7, enabling it to sprint to 100km/h in under four seconds. A plug-in hybrid is also due to be added somewhere in the future.

The current Q7 is available with both petrol and diesel V6 (as well as petrol V8 in the SQ7) engine options in Australia, so we’re expecting all of the above to be offered locally.

Pricing and specifications for the new Audi Q7 will be announced closer to its Australian arrival, which is due before the end of 2026.