The April 2026 issue covers all sectors of the Australian new-car market, from electric SUVs, budget hatches, fuel-efficient sedans and some truly jawdropping pieces of machinery.
On the cover, Toyota’s GR86 GTS and Hyundai’s i30 N Premium take opposing approaches – rear-drive coupe versus turbocharged hot hatch – yet arrive at a similar place of delivering accessible driving enjoyment.
We bring together two of the country’s most established hybrid sedans, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord (below), to assess how they continue to deliver comfort, efficiency and driver satisfaction in a market increasingly dominated by high-riding alternatives.
At the other end of the spectrum, Ford’s Mustang GTD explores just how far a road car can lean towards motorsport. With supercharged V8 power and a heavy focus on track capability, it represents a very different interpretation of performance.
For something more exotic, the McLaren Artura Spider (below) combines hybrid performance with open-top driving, while our Modern Classic revisits the Ferrari Testarossa (see gallery), a car that helped redefine the supercar template.
Our First Drives section covers a broad mix of new arrivals, from the focused BMW M2 CS to the increasingly influential presence of Chinese brands with the Denza B8 and BYD Sealion 8. There’s also a look at Audi’s plug-in hybrid RS5 Avant, Lexus’s GX550 Overtrail and Porsche’s Manthey-enhanced 911 GT3 RS.
Elsewhere, Michael Stahl reflects in a personal tribute, Paul Gover considers the gradual loss of a familiar driving skill, the Buyer’s Guide continues to provide a comprehensive 22-page overview of the new-car market and our last-page Wayback Machine returns to April 1998 and the arrival of the AU Falcon.
When the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) concept was first floated, it was heavily and vocally criticised by all and sundry – motoring journalists included. Sure, the early variants had short driving ranges, as low as 30-40km on electric power, but the average Aussie only commutes around that distance in total each day, anyway. I suspected then, and it’s been borne out subsequently, that two things would happen.
One, the PHEV concept wasn’t as daft as it seemed, and it certainly made more sense to more people than a pure EV. Look at the traditional hybrid success of Toyota to see that Aussie buyers won’t resist technology outright, without good reason. There was little hesitation in the growing appetite for Toyota’s efficient hybrids.
Two, the technology would evolve quickly, bringing with it smarter control systems and longer range. As such, we’re now seeing ranges that make a lot of sense to the average Aussie, and the technology that manages the batteries doesn’t just run them flat before reverting to a wheezy petrol engine. The smarts have come in short order to ensure the systems run with better efficiency as the battery discharges. Have a look at the specs on the latest Chery and MG PHEV systems and the distances they can cover.
But now, with ranges that extend out to 100km or more, the concept of the PHEV wasn’t as silly as it might have seemed. And that’s before the cost of fuel skyrocketed. I spotted a guy charging his BYD shark at the petrol station this morning. Bet you wish you had a diesel dual-cab at the moment, mate, I joked? He almost choked in laughter on the coffee he was consuming while he waited for his battery pack to top up.
The two standouts in the dual-cab segment are the BYD Shark 6 (above) and the GWM Cannon Alpha (below), with PHEV drivetrains that push electric-only range into the three figure region. In the real world, we’ve seen 90-95km to counter the BYD claim of 100km, and 100-110km to counter the GWM claim of 120km. That’s without trying to drive efficiently, or doing anything different. And, here’s the kicker, we charge them on a regular powerpoint at home when they are on test with WhichCar by Wheels.
We can all agree that the Ford Ranger’s meagre claim of 49km – 30km in the real world for us on test – can’t match the capability of either Chinese-built competitor, but all three feature petrol engines, which act as both propulsion and generator, depending on what the system demands of them. That said, the Ranger – expensive as it is – will still get most of us to work and back without needing to charge in between and its petrol engine is the biggest of the three. Still, if you’re buying one PHEV dual-cab to do all things, the PHEV Ranger ain’t it, given its electric limitations.
For the majority of high-end, dual-cab owners, who live and drive in the city, don’t tow, or drive across the Nullarbor regularly, the BYD and GWM PHEVs represent the smartest way to get into a dual-cab right now. You’ll recall our recent story on the number of Aussies who do or don’t charge their PHEV regularly where I quoted the details from a mate of mine who owns a Cannon PHEV.
A close mate of mine owns a GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and does a lot of long-distance work driving with it. Thankfully, he’s also pretty good at keeping records. Since he bought his PHEV, he’s just ticked past 21,000km, with 4500km in electric mode. Given the amount of long distance driving he does into off-road areas, that’s not a bad return.
Given he’s covered more than 20 per cent of his driving in pure-electric mode, you’d expect he could ratchet that right up if he didn’t have to head bush for work as often as he does. Even 50 per cent would be a good number, let alone the close to 100 per cent you could achieve if you spend most of your time in and around the city.
The real benefit though, is coming right now in the form of fuel prices, where diesel has been hit significantly harder than petrol. Not to mention the PHEV owner who can choose not to use fuel at all if they don’t want to. At a time where most of us would like to limit the amount of fuel we’re consuming, the fact that our transport, building and support industries need diesel as much as they do means driving a vehicle that doesn’t use diesel is a real bonus.
There’s no doubt though, that in our current situation, PHEV dual-cab owners who rely on petrol rather than diesel (when their battery is depleted) are having the last laugh. And, it’s a hearty laugh at that.
Modern vehicles are more connected than ever before, but that convenience comes with a growing cybersecurity risk. With cars now functioning much like smartphones on wheels, experts say it’s only a matter of time before cyber criminals turn greater attention to the automotive world.
Over the past decade, vehicles have rapidly evolved into highly digitised machines, often equipped with built-in internet connectivity, smartphone integration and over-the-air software updates. While these features enhance usability, they also introduce new vulnerabilities. As one industry expert explains, cars today are effectively “internet devices” – and that makes them potential targets.
The risks aren’t purely theoretical. Early research demonstrated that hackers could remotely access a vehicle’s electronic systems, even interfering with critical functions such as braking or engine operation. While real-world incidents remain rare, the potential consequences have driven tighter global regulations, including mandatory cybersecurity standards for new vehicles introduced in recent years.
A real-world example of how disruptive cyber attacks can be came with the ransomware hit on Jaguar Land Rover. The attack crippled the company’s IT systems, forcing a shutdown of production lines and delaying vehicle deliveries for weeks. Customers were left waiting longer for new cars, while servicing and parts supply were also impacted. The incident showed that even when vehicles themselves aren’t directly hacked, the wider automotive ecosystem – from manufacturing to aftersales – can be severely affected.
AutoExpress recently visited Hyundai Motor Group’s advanced technology facility in Frankfurt, Germany, where cybersecurity is treated as a core part of vehicle development. The site houses a dedicated laboratory focused on testing and strengthening digital defences across Hyundai, Kia and Genesis models.
The facility also plays a key role in developing over-the-air software updates, which allow manufacturers to fix vulnerabilities remotely. Hyundai engineers liken the current state of automotive cybersecurity to the early days of personal computers – before antivirus protection became standard – highlighting just how rapidly the threat landscape is evolving.
More commonly, however, the threat lies in data theft rather than dramatic vehicle takeovers. Modern infotainment systems often store sensitive personal information, including names, addresses and even payment details. This makes them an attractive target for cyber criminals seeking financial gain. In one recent case, attackers breached a third-party supplier linked to a major car brand, exposing customer data and highlighting the broader ecosystem risk.
Even everyday habits can create vulnerabilities. Studies have found that many used cars still contain personal data from previous owners, including phone contacts and navigation history. Failing to delete this information when selling a vehicle can leave drivers exposed to identity theft.
Looking ahead, the rise of semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles could further increase the stakes. Many advanced systems rely on centralised data networks, meaning a single cyber attack could potentially disrupt entire fleets rather than just individual cars.
Despite these concerns, experts stress that large-scale attacks remain unlikely for now, largely because there is limited financial incentive compared to other forms of cybercrime. Still, the evolving nature of threats means vigilance is essential.
For drivers, simple precautions can make a significant difference: keep vehicle software updated, avoid unsecured Wi-Fi networks, use strong passwords and always wipe personal data before selling or returning a car. Treating your vehicle with the same cybersecurity awareness as your phone or laptop may soon become second nature.
Keeping your car safe
Turn off unused connections: Disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or in-car hotspots when not in use to reduce potential entry points for hackers.
Keep software updated: Regular updates (including over-the-air updates) help fix security vulnerabilities and keep your vehicle protected.
Be cautious with apps and devices: Only install trusted apps and be careful when plugging in USB drives or external devices.
Avoid public Wi-Fi networks: Unsecured or unknown networks can expose your car’s systems to cyber threats.
Use strong, unique passwords: Protect your connected services and apps with secure passwords, just like you would on your phone or laptop.
Protect your key: Store keys away from the car and consider using a Faraday pouch to block signal relay attacks.
Delete personal data before selling: Remove all stored information, including accounts, contacts and settings, before handing over a vehicle.
Clear navigation history: Stored locations can reveal personal routines and should be wiped.
Remove paired devices: Delete your phone and any Bluetooth connections to prevent access to contacts and call data.
Sign out of apps and services: Ensure streaming and connected service accounts (e.g. music or video apps) are logged out to protect personal and financial information.
Hyundai has teased two striking new concept cars, dubbed ‘Earth’ and ‘Venus’, describing them as a “cosmic statement, engineered for humans.” While details remain limited, the pair signal the next chapter in the evolution of Hyundai’s Ioniq electric vehicle brand.
Only a single image of each concept has been released so far, and Hyundai has yet to confirm which car is Earth or Venus. However, both designs appear to push beyond the already bold styling of models like the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, adopting a more minimalist yet highly dramatic aesthetic.
One concept, shown from the front, features a sharply angular, cab-forward silhouette with pronounced wheel arches and crisp surfacing. A notable highlight is its unique lighting signature, consisting of three slim LED strips. This suggests Hyundai may be moving away from its signature ‘pixel’ lighting seen across current IONIQ models and future vehicles like the anticipated IONIQ 3.
The second concept, finished in gold and shown from the rear, appears just as radical. It features ultra-thin LED tail-lights emphasising width, sharply defined bodywork and what looks to be a sleek fastback profile, complete with a subtle rear lip spoiler.
A teaser video released by Hyundai offers little additional detail, though the appearance of the Ioniq branding alongside Chinese subtitles hints that both concepts could debut at the Auto China 2026 show in Beijing.
In terms of technology, Hyundai is developing new battery chemistries aimed at lowering costs while maintaining strong driving range and charging performance, alongside ongoing work on solid-state batteries as a future EV breakthrough.
Kia has cemented itself as a top five brand in Australia with a line-up that covers most bases from the Picanto light hatchback to the Tasman ute… it’s difficult to imagine that there are products it makes but doesn’t sell locally. However, that’ i’s true of the Kia Telluride large SUV, which has been one of its most successful products with over 500,000 produced since 2019.
Sharing the same platform and drivetrains as the Hyundai Palisade, the Telluride recently entered its second generation and has just gone on sale in North America. Produced only at Kia’s Georgia plant in the US – unlike the Palisade, which is produced in South Korea – the Telluride is an upper-large SUV that seats up to eight.
In the US, two drivetrains are available: either a 205kW 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine or a hybridised version making 245kW of power, the latter of which features in the Palisade in Australia and is rated for 35mpg (6.8L/100km) fuel consumption in its home market. Both front- and all-wheel drive layouts are available in the US-spec Telluride, as well as a more off-road models like the X-Line and X-Pro that feature lifted suspension, more off-road styling and off-road driving modes.
On the outside, the Kia Telluride is a handsome and bold brute with boxy styling, funky vertical LED lighting and wheels up to 21-inches in size. A cool range of colours is available for the Telluride too, from a lovely deep green to a matte beige that’s on trend right now.
The interior of the Telluride closely resembles the electric EV9 that is sold locally with dual 12.3-inch screens, horizontal air vent across the dashboard and high quality materials throughout. However, there’s a lot more character in the Telluride’s cabin compared with the EV9 thanks to the available colour options that include the purple and beige option seen in these press pictures, navy blue/orange, black/brown and all-black as well.
In the US, pricing for the Telluride line-up starts at US$39,190 (A$56,700 at current exchange rates) for the entry-level Telluride LX and extend to US$57,790 (A$83,700) for the top-spec X-Line SX Prestige.
As you’d expect for a Kia, standard equipment levels are healthy across the Telluride range with the base LX featuring dual 12.3-inch displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 18-inch alloy wheels, tri-zone climate control, synthetic leather and cloth upholstery and safety features like autonomous emergency braking with junction turning assistance, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, auto high beam and adaptive cruise control.
Move up the range to the X-Line SX Prestige Hybrid and you get 21-inch wheels, suede and synthetic leather trim, dual sunroofs, heated/ventilated front and second row seating, power steering wheel adjustment, a digital rear camera, self-levelling rear suspension, ambient lighting, a 14-speaker Meridian sound system, dual wireless phone chargers and a 12-inch head-up display.
The Telluride sounds like a great package that we think would sell well in Australia. However, despite its cousin being made in right-hand drive in South Korea, the Telluride will remain left-hand drive and only produced in North America, making it unavailable for Kia Australia. To us, that’s a shame, because the Telluride’s funky styling sure would look good on our roads.
Although the government has cut the fuel excise in half, we’re still seeing very high fuel prices around Australia thanks to the conflict in the Middle East. Regular unleaded petrol prices around the $2.35 per litre mark (at the time of writing), mean filling up a family SUV will cost around $140. Australians are, therefore, considering more fuel efficient vehicles, but not all of us can afford a new car. With that in mind, what are the best used cars from 2020 onwards which offer sub-5L/100km fuel consumption? Here’s the WhichCar by Wheels guide:
Light cars: Kia Picanto
Drivetrain: 62kW 1.25-litre four-cylinder petrol engine or 74kW 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, five-speed manual or four-speed automatic
Combined fuel consumption: From 5L/100km
Used car prices (2020 base models with around 90,000km): From around $14,000
The Kia Picanto has long been one of our favourite small cars thanks to its fun-to-drive nature, practical cabin, good standard equipment levels and long warranty – in fact, 2020 Picanto models will still be covered by their new car warranty until 2027. Budget around $14,000 for a good example from 2020 with around 90,000km and more if you’re wanting an automatic or fun, three-pot Picanto GT.
The Picanto is also impressively fuel efficient, despite not featuring any form of hybrid tech, with the five-speed manual rated at 5L/100km. The optional four-speed automatic and turbo GT go above the mark slightly, but they’re still quite efficient and have potential to significantly reduce your fuel useage.
Small cars: Toyota Prius
Drivetrain: 90kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder hybrid, eCVT
Combined fuel consumption: 3.4L/100km
Used car prices (2019 base models with around 90,000km): From around $26,000
The Toyota Prius is the poster child for fuel efficient motoring. Ever since it was first released in 1997, it’s been known as the greenest petrol-powered car on the planet thanks to its hybrid drivetrain and slippery hatchback body giving impressive fuel consumption, even today.
The Prius was rated at just 3.4L/100km on the combined cycle in 2020, which is only 0.1L/100km above the most fuel efficient car today, its Yaris hybrid smaller sibling. Because they weren’t the best-selling cars in their prime, Prius models aren’t that easy to find on the used car market and if you do, it could be a grey market import from Japan. Prices for 2020 Australian models start from around $26,000.
Medium cars: Toyota Camry
Drivetrain: 170kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, eCVT
Combined fuel consumption: 4.2L/100km
Used car prices (2020 base models with around 90,000km): From around $28,000
Have you ever caught a ride with apps like Uber? Chances are that if so, a Toyota Camry was involved and that’s because it’s the perfect ride sharing car with a hugely spacious rear seat and impressive combined fuel consumption. For drivers, the Camry offers a comfortable cabin and a good driving experience with a great ride and reasonable handling too.
Despite being a big sedan with a somewhat large 2.5-litre engine, the Camry uses just 4.2L/100km on the combined cycle and is a great car to save money on fuel. Used prices for a 2020 Camry with around 90,000km start from around $28,000, which isn’t a lot for such a large car.
Small SUVs: Kia Niro Hybrid
Drivetrain: 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid, six-speed dual-clutch
Combined fuel consumption: 3.8L/100km
Used car prices (2020 base models with around 90,000km): From around $24,000
The Kia Niro isn’t exactly well known in the Australian market, and we think that’s a shame because it’s a handsome, practical and easy driving small SUV. The Niro offers three fuel-saving drivetrains: a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and even an electric option, which is rare these days, let alone in 2020. The Niro isn’t the best-selling car around, so it is a bit rare, but prices for 2020 hybrid examples with around 90,000km start from around $24,000.
We think that the hybrid variant gives the best balance between cost and efficiency. Rated at just 3.8L/100km, the 2020 Niro hybrid is impressively efficient and it’s also quite good to drive, having been developed largely for the European market. Plus, like the Picanto above, 2020 examples are still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Medium SUVs: Toyota RAV4
Drivetrain: 163kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, eCVT
Combined fuel consumption: 4.7L/100km
Used car prices (2020 base models with around 90,000km): From around $34,000
One of the best-selling cars we’ve seen since 2020 is undoubtedly the Toyota RAV4, which sold over one million units globally in 2025 alone. It’s clear that many medium SUV buyers wanted to switch to hybrid power and the RAV4’s hybrid system is impressively fuel efficient, rated from 4.7L/100km.
Because of the demand for the RAV4 hybrid, it’s not cheap on the used car market for buyers with 2020 examples with around 90,000km still fetching from around $34,000 – or, around $6000 less than when they were new six years ago. But regardless of the price, the RAV4 still provides comfortable, reliable, fuel efficient and practical medium SUV motoring.
Unbelievably for those of us old enough to remember it, it’s been over 21 years since the last Holden Monaro rolled off the production line and more than 54 years since the last of the HG shape. Holden’s performance coupe sadly wasn’t part of the line-up when Holden shut in 2020, but remains one of its most iconic models to this day. That got us thinking – such as when we imagined a modern-day Holden line-up in November 2025 – what if Holden still made the Monaro today? What could AI create?
There’s no question that coupes and performance cars sell nowhere near as strongly as they once did, especially with the latest emissions standards plus the fuel crisis we’re currently experiencing. But we’d like to think that somehow in an alternative universe, Holden would have found a way to produce the Monaro in 2026, albeit maybe based on a potential Chevrolet Camaro.
The brief to AI: “A proper Aussie grand tourer: long bonnet, rear-drive stance, muscular but clean. Think heritage of the Holden Monaro blended with modern performance coupe vibes like a Ford Mustang and BMW M4, but unmistakably Australian.”
What AI produced was – we think, at least – a pretty good design for a modern-day Monaro. We’d say that the model rendered would be the equivalent of the CV8, and its aggression is noticeable thanks to sharp LED headlights, bonnet vents and the low and wide stance with the big rear haunches.
The side profile is elegant with the long bonnet and short rear deck, frameless doors and strong shoulder line running into the rear hips. At the rear is a full-width LED light bar, quad exhausts (which AI described as “real ones, not fake nonsense”) and a subtle ducktail spoiler.
Inside the 2026 Monaro, AI rendered a driver-focused cockpit angled slightly towards the driver. A digital instrument cluster and large infotainment system feature, but many physical knobs for key controls (“because sanity matters”, says AI). Materials like leather and suede, as well as brushed aluminium and carbon trim, feature inside for an “expensive and upmarket feel”.
As for drivetrains, AI predicts that the 2026 Monaro would offer three: a 500kW 6.2-litre supercharged V8 in the model shown, a 400kW twin-turbo V6 hybrid with optional all-wheel drive and – in a sign of the times – a 600kW dual-motor electric variant with torque vectoring and a “simulated V8 character mode”. Higher-performance versions from HSV wouldn’t be out of the question either.
Regardless of the drivetrain, chassis features would include adaptive dampers, a mechanical limited-slip differential, “proper steering feel – none of that numb nonsense” and maybe even an optional track pack with carbon ceramic brakes, semi-slick tyres and stiffer suspension.
Obviously, this all is just a pipe dream and will never happen, but it’s great to be able to use a tool like AI to reimagine the dead cars of our dreams. AI said that if a 2026 Monaro were to launch, it would be more emotional than a Camaro, less clinical than an M4 and more premium than a Mustang. Basically, it would be the Aussie muscle GT that never got its proper modern send-off.
Medium SUVs continue to be the flavour of the month – well, year, no, decade… actually, make that century – and their sales show no signs of abating anytime soon. Most manufacturers offer one in some form, with some even offering two options for buyers, and they come in all different styles and with different drivetrains. Importantly, most medium SUVs offer a hybrid drivetrain of some sort, which only help their sales further. Have you got a medium SUV under consideration for your next car purchase? Here are our 10 favourites:
Honda CR-V e:HEV
Drivetrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 135kW, CVT, front or all-wheel drive
Combined fuel economy: 5.5L/100km (2WD) – 5.7L/100km (AWD)
In our view the Honda CR-V is one of the best medium SUV options currently on the market thanks to its combination of spacious cabin, quality materials, generous list of standard features, a great driving experience and its punchy yet efficient 2.0-litre hybrid drivetrain. Honda has just updated the CR-V with design and equipment tweaks, and made the hybrid drivetrain more widely available in the range with pricing starting at $49,900 driveaway for the entry-level hybrid model that’s called the e:HEV X.
BYD Sealion 5
Drivetrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, 156kW, DHT, front-wheel drive
Battery size, electric range: 12.9kWh or 18.3kWh, 71-100km (NEDC)
Combined fuel economy: 1.2-1.3L/100km (full charge), 4.5-4.6L/100km (low charge)
The BYD Sealion 5 entered the Australian market earlier this year as Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid SUV, priced from $33,990 +ORC. It features an efficient plug-in hybrid drivetrain pumping out 156kW of power, but it can also travel up to 100km electrically. Two models are available with two different battery sizes and a 156kW drivetrain handles the propulsion. Fully charge it and you’ll reportedly see just 1.3L/100km of combined fuel consumption, which is more than handy in the current fuel crisis.
Chery Tiggo 7 Super-Hybrid
Drivetrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged plug-in hybrid, 255kW, DHT, front-wheel drive
Battery size, electric range: 18.4kWh, 93km (NEDC)
Combined fuel economy: 1.4L/100km (fully charged)
The Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid used to be Australia’s most favoured plug-in hybrid SUV before the BYD Sealion 5 arrived, but it still only costs from $34,990 driveaway for the entry-level Urban model. The Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid is impressively efficient with a claimed 93km electric driving range, as well as a total range of 1200km. The Tiggo 7 is also practical and well equipped, and its stunning value for money is exactly what we expect from Chery.
Geely Starray EM-i PHEV
Drivetrain: 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid, 193kW, 18.4kWh battery, DHT, front-wheel drive
Claimed combined fuel consumption: 2.4L/100km
EV range: 83km
The Geely Starray entered the Australian market in late 2025 but is already selling well thanks to its healthy 83km electric range, combined fuel consumption of only 2.4L/100km (if fully charged) and handsome styling. It’s also well equipped, practical and its cabin quality is excellent – plus, its huge central touchscreen is easy to use and screen quality is quite sharp as well.
GWM Haval H6
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo hybrid, 179kW, two-speed auto, front- or all-wheel drive
Fuel efficiency: 5.2L/100km
The GWM Haval H6 was given a big update last year, which improved its styling and dynamics, gave it a new infotainment system and improved its already strong value-for-money credentials even further. The base Lux hybrid is priced from just $40,990 driveaway but is often discounted further so currently it’s priced at $36,990 driveaway. Its hybrid system is punchy and gives good performance, but it’s also rated at just 5.2L/100km on the combined cycle. A plug-in hybrid with 100km of electric range is also available, which adds a new infotainment system.
Kia Sportage Hybrid
Drivetrain: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid, 173kW, six-speed auto, front- or all-wheel drive
Combined fuel economy: 4.9L/100km (2WD) – 5.3L/100km (AWD)
Kia’s Sportage is a perenially strong performer in the medium SUV segment and one of the reasons why is that it offers so much choice, with petrol, turbo-petrol, turbo-diesel and turbo-hybrids all on offer in Australia. We think that the hybrid option – albeit more expensive than the others – is the one to buy as it’s got more than enough punch and is quite fuel efficient. The Sportage is also practical, great to drive and covered by a long seven-year warranty.
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid
Drivetrain: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid, 172kW, six-speed auto, front- or all-wheel drive
Combined fuel economy: 4.9L/100km (2WD) – 5.3L/100km (AWD)
The Hyundai Tucson was the overall winner of Wheels Best Medium SUV 2025 and that’s because it’s spacious, well equipped, good value for money and good to drive. Its punchy and efficient hybrid drivetrain features on all models (aside from two). Fold the rear seats down and it offers the most spacious boot in the mid-size segment at a huge 1903 litres, and interior practicality is also excellent.
MG HS Hybrid+
Drivetrain: 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder hybrid, 165kW, eCVT, front-wheel drive
Combined fuel economy: 5.2L/100km
In case you missed it, the MG HS Hybrid+ came very close to winning Wheels Car of the Year 2025-26, which is no mean feat. That’s thanks to its high quality and spacious cabin, long list of standard features, solid driving experience and excellent hybrid system that provides more than enough punch but can easily match its 5.2L/100km claimed fuel consumption figure. Pricing starts from just $40,990 driveaway and the HS is also covered by MG’s long warranty program with up to 10 years of coverage.
Mazda CX-60 PHEV
Drivetrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, 241kW, eight-speed auto, all-wheel drive
Battery size, electric range: 17.8kWh, 78km (NEDC)
Combined fuel economy: 2.1L/100km (fully charged)
Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid in Australia was the mid-size CX-60 before the later arrival of the larger seven-seat CX-80. Both feature a strong 241kW 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid drivetrain with up to 78km of electric driving range, which is also capable of a low 2.1L/100km combined fuel consumption (if charged). There are also mild-hybrid drivetrains in the CX-60 range, including a 187kW diesel that returns just 5.0L/100km, giving buyers plenty of options to save fuel,. Regardless, the CX-60 is a sweet steer that is fun and involving to drive.
Toyota RAV4
Drivetrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 143kW, eCVT, front- or all-wheel drive
Combined fuel economy: 4.5L/100km
Finally, we come to the Big Kahuna of the global car industry: the Toyota RAV4. The sixth-generation model, priced from $45,990 plus on-road costs, has just hit Australian shores sporting a new look, a new cabin design, a lot more tech and an even more efficient 2.5-litre hybrid system that’s capable of using just 4.5L/100km of fuel. The new RAV4 is also more satisfying to drive than before, better equipped and we’re expecting to see a long wait list pretty soon for fans of the model.
First published in the April 1980 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953. Subscribe here and gain access to 12 issues for $109 plus online access to every Wheels issue since 1953.
It was in the middle of the Esses plummeting down into Dandenong Road corner at Sandown Park that I realised that Peter Brock had finally lost his marbles. He was definitely going to kill us both. There was no other explanation. I was in the left-hand seat of the A9X MHDT Torana in which he won Bathurst and I had just a helmet and no seat harness – able only to brace myself against odd bits of the roll cage.
It was the occasion of the last appearance of the Torana on an Australian circuit. It was the Friday practice before the December Sandown meeting, and everyone had gone home. There we were, under grey Melbourne skies, the bellow of the five-litre V8 echoing down the huge empty stand, saying goodbye to the last of the grunty little cars since 1970 had honed the developing skills of a whole generation of Australian race drivers.
It was the Bathurst car, the car that had run away and hidden from the rest of the field to give Brock his fourth mountain title. It was still fully race-prepared as it wasn’t racing at Sandown but on the following Tuesday was due on boat for New Zealand for its last ever race appearance at Bay Park Raceway near Tauranga. The Marlboro Holden Dealer Team to all intents and purposes had run its last Australian race at the end of an incredible decade.
After half a dozen laps beside Brock I was to take the car out myself. I put in five laps before it ran out of petrol and Bruce Nowacki arrived with the trailer. We rolled it on, a little sadly; not only had I been the only Australian journalist to drive a MHDT Torana in something approaching anger I had, funnily enough, been the last driver to run it on an Australian circuit. I do not know what is going to happen to the car. I hope, like Phar Lap, they put the heart in a glass case and stuff the hide and put it on display for future generations to see.
Track-testing a serious race car doesn’t happen to journalists too often. It helps to be over 40, greying, cautious, and to have done some racing; all that applied to me, as well as the fact that I had done many race-time laps beside drivers like Frank Matich and lan Geoghegan and track-tested full-blown sedan racers like Geoghegan’s second Mustang and Peter Manton’s last and fastest Mini-Cooper, as well as more than half a dozen others.
This was not a day to play silly buggers; after all, what journalist would like to go down in history as the man who wrecked the last Bathurst Torana four days before it was due to be shipped off for its last race meeting?
That sort of proviso doesn’t worry one overmuch. When you’re track testing a race car you’re not out to beat the incumbent’s fastest time. You are trying only to get it around quickly enough to start it singing its wild song in a key which will convey to you some of the sound and fury of a device designed entirely to get around a piece of road in the shortest possible time.
We used up the first 20 minutes to finish photography for a Playboy article I was writing on how Brock drives Sandown, corner by corner. Enough has been written and filmed on this tea-drinking Vegemite freak born 35 years ago into a Melbourne family with a long history of motor sport involvement to release me from the task of telling you his background. Yet it was still remarkable to see once again how this most relaxed and amiable of men underwent a change once he slid into the A9X for these last laps of Sandown. The already-black eyes changed, growing even blacker, shining, the pupils contracting noticeably. They are the only visible sign of the remarkable way Brock pumps up his concentration to quite extraordinary levels.
He tugs twice on the adjustment strap of the six-point harness to lock himself in even tighter, rolls his red-mittened hands twice around the stock A9X wheel, and blips the throttle twice.
Inside, the car is remarkably stock, remarkably tidy. There is a hand-fashioned dash, with a tachometer centre and smaller dials around, and the only hand-made touch is the way the gearlever sticks out of a hole cut in the floor. The floor is bare metal – required by regs when you fit mufflers. The rest of the car is stock, even the rear vision mirror. I check the roll cage, jamming the left foot onto a vertical, the right against the floor, my left hand onto a horizontal above the window and my right to the crossbar in the middle.
Brock mouths something, but through the helmets it doesn’t make sense, and then we are away.
After the total blind terror of that first half lap, after we descend under the bridge and down into the esses through a red mist of shock, I just remind myself to remind myself that I had done all this before and it serves little to watch the road. Instead, you must observe the man at his work.
Brock sits closer to the wheel than you expect, He says this is because he has to put a lot of shoulder and arm into the car. His left hand is looser than the right, which is rolled tight around the rim, a bit like Brabham’s clenched grip. It is his right hand that does the work.
Out of Dandenong Road and through the Causeway and – zip! – under the Dunlop Bridge and down the straight, jiggling across to the right before the brake markers. The surprise was the ferocity of the braking. The red foot snaps onto the centre pedal and just absolutely mashes it into the floor, so hard that my legs bow and my locked left elbow bends under the force.
You don’t watch his apex because you’re waiting for the power to come on and it does, far earlier than expected, full noise all the way to the absolute edge, and snap into top and then mash on the brakes and blip-change-blip-change. The engine bangs away in backfire, and your left-hand corner is millimetres off the inside rail before you realise he has full hammer on again and cocked the left hand up for some opposite as the car runs right to the outside Armco and we pull third and then top just after the right-hand kink where Lex Davison went off and was killed by the running rail.
The slightly uphill back straight is patched and lumpy, and your helmet bangs the roll bar as you shift your backside in the stock Torana seat for a better grip. Brock backs off ever so slightly as we flash under the bridge and you jab your finger at the tacho that says 7200 in top – something like 225 km/h with that gearing and then he slams the nose down again under brakes and nips third and immediately rears the car forward again under full shout and then down again into second for Dandenong.
We ran most of our laps a little over 1:12. The most remarkable thing about it all was that everywhere – everywhere – he had that car in precisely the same place at exactly the right millisecond. His computer dialled it all in, tiny chip by tiny chip, moments before your brain registered that something needed to be done, and yet the car was always in transition between full power on and that gut-squashing braking and quick snaps between gears.
Not once in those six laps did Brock get the car off balance; not once did he have to correct a single action wrongly taken. This is what makes the man the despair of his opponents. They can cut across the grass and cock wheels up on the ripple strips and leave their braking until they can’t see through the orange mist of terror, but there he is, still in front, still absolutely, perfectly, inevitably trembling on that fine hair-trigger without even picking up a puff of dust from the verge.
Brock stopped the Torana and turned it off. It was my chance. The seat had to go back and the harness re-adjusted for my much-larger frame, and as he was strapping me in I said: “Pete I’ll stay under five grand.”
He said: “Don’t stupid: She doesn’t start working until five. Give it heaps, but don’t use more than seven.”
Seven. I should get so lucky. The confidence eroded further as the A9X refused to start for me, and after a couple of attempted push-starts Brock got back in and got the hot engine firing and held a foot on the throttle as I clambered back in and locked the harness.
“You’ll find the brakes need bit of hard work now”, he yelled into my helmet. “Use them up once or twice before giving them the big ask.”
Go away, mad child, I said to myself. It’s all right for you. I have heard all these awful stories about how different slicks are to the treaded race tyres I last used in anger.
I found first, got the whole outfit rolling, picked up second, went through Peters Corner (now called People Trust Holden, I think) and hit it.
That, in itself, was one of the single pure moments of my life. I was expecting a rough, harsh, rebellious answer. I got a swiftly-rising parabola of delight.
Third, top, hard down, check tacho… 6500 at the bridge, Christ, what did he say about the brakes?… brake for third, full down again, brake, heel-and-toe feels just right, keep it out long and wide and straight and late for Dandenong Road and pick up the late apex and boot it again and oh-my-darling-lovely we came out of Dandenong Road in full wild yell in second with that marvellous toy in opposite lock as sweet and as nice as the best Ferrari. I had expected a terrified cat on polished linoleum and I was riding a moon rocket that had recognised me as a great lover, a maestro, a born killer of black bulls.
Edge to edge through the Causeway, laughing with your right cheek as we brush the Dunlop Bridge on the way through, and down the main straight the hard-edged blare of the V8 comes back off the huge stands so well that you think automatically of the mob rising with their Carna Torana banners until you check tacho and think that 7200 is enough because Bruce Nowack is standing near Dunlop Bridge biting his nails. So instead of slamming it down on brakes you back off, pop-pop, and gently lift third and go easy under Repco Bridge to hit the floor again past the pits just before you remember that brakes don’t always work and this is where Lex Davison went straight ahead with the Galaxie and ended up teetering over the dam.
It just got better, and nicer, and sweeter. I still can’t quite cope with the easy way this wonderful car reeled off those laps with never a hint of vice. Mind you, driving that sweet car, as Brock did, at 1:12 around Sandown is in another dimension: but by comparison to, say. Pete Geoghegan’s racing Mustang of 10 years ago the A9X has made heroes out of ordinary mortals.
What else do I tell you? I drove it with palm and fingertips, through precise steering: the brakes were a bit vague until you asked more and more of them; the engine felt like it would rev through the roof without complaint and it was quieter inside than you expected. It was probably very good that the thing started to miss and then ran out of fuel. Not only did we have to get out of Sandown before they slammed the gates shut at six o’clock, but I certainly would have gone faster and faster until I exceeded my blurred limits of skill and done something absolutely stupid. When I got out the seat was wet and I realised how hot it had become inside. There are no extra air ducts and half the driver’s window is covered by a perspex shield.
The difference between that Torana and the race cars of 10 years ago is really not all that large. Brock and I both drove the 1969 Holden Dealer Team Monaro around Bathurst, and both felt it was a strong, tough, sweet car. The real change has been in the behaviour of the animal when you ask it the big question under brakes or on a corner exit at full chat. Ten years ago you had to balance the car along a wider edge: the edge was just as sharp, but it was wider.
You could take it a long way out along the disaster line and still struggle back; I have the feeling that to get the Torana right on the lip of death you would have to be that much more measured and precise, even though it is probably easier to drive it a thousand kilometres at Bathurst than it was for Fatty Geoghegan to arm-wrestle his Mustang around for 25 laps and a memorable lap record of 2:28 or thereabouts as he did in that last Bathurst race for the big tourers.
And so we put it on the trailer, and I found myself patting it a lot, a kind of gentle stroking. I did it knowing that the Commodores will be even sweeter and nicer to drive, and probably that little bit faster which means that the edge will become even narrower.
The next morning, on the toilet, things felt strange and different. I came up with a handful of toilet paper deeply stained with blood. It was, my doctor told me, the result of tremendous stress on the big end. It stopped that evening, but it was a lesson in G-forces.
Anatomy of a winner
The man who has done more than anyone else towards the continued success and development of the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team and the Torana over the last eight years is a blonde, toothy mechanic called Bruce Nowacki.
Nowacki, now 32 and chief wrench on the Brock team that emerged from the debris of GMH’s withdrawal from motor racing at the end of last vear came into the team in 1972, under the tutorship of Harry Firth. It was here, with the Torana XU-1, that began the long process of refinement and development of a normal street sedan into the fine racing tool it eventually became.
Nowacki is almost laconic on the subject of what went into the A9X to make it run like it did.
“There’s not really much more you can do,” he said. “There weren’t any magic tricks or secrets. We were on the dyno all the time, changing cam profiles and timing to find a few extra horsepower, but even if those cars had continued for another year they wouldn’t have changed much at all.”
You get the impression that most of the top half-dozen racing Toranas ran almost the same modifications and had about the same horsepower. The only real difference was probably in drivers, quality of preparation, and the effectiveness of the latest demon tyres, depending on who was your tyre sponsor.
But despite what you might have heard in the eternal public bar lie-telling championships, the MHDT didn’t have an open door into the GMH engineering department. If anything, they complained that the engineers really weren’t terribly interested because they were too busy with their own developmental work.
The best engines ever to go into the MHDT Toranas developed between 285 kW and 290 kW and about 475 Nm of torque. Said Nowacki: “Sometimes Brockie would have 10 horsepower more than Harves and sometimes it was the other way around, but it all seemed to even-out on the track.”
The team built all its own engines in the MDT’s North Melbourne headquarters, including the cylinder head work. They entrusted the machining and balancing only to Brian Sampson, that sometimes-underrated veteran driver who backed up Brock so well for their 1975 Hardie-Ferodo win.
At any time the team would have the two engines in their cars plus spares, although for Bathurst they always had four dynoed engines plus two more back in Melbourne ready to go into a box for airfreighting if needed. They never were.
They built strong engines. They haven’t blown a V8 in racing since the V8s first appeared in the Torana. The few engine problems they have had were minor electrical, in carburetion or seal failure. The worst DNF when both cars broke the front driveshaft in the gearbox within a few laps of each other in Adelaide last year, was their only gearbox failure in three years. Even now they don’t know what caused it. “It might have been a combination of some special tyres we were trying – they had super bite – plus the shape of the circuit. We just don’t know,” Nowacki says.
One of the factors that makes the engines so smooth and sharp are the Weber carburettors – 481DFs that have been in use now for about two years. Before them the Holleys made the engines lumpy and a little cranky, and the fuel consumption was never good.
If the engines have any fussiness it is in timing. Nowacki said that timing is absolutely critical, because even a couple of degrees out means big horsepower losses.
They generally allocated a working week to building up a brand new engine from scratch, including machining timing and the dyno work. “We could build one overnight if we had to”, Nowacki says, “but we’ve never had to.”
A period of brake pad knock-off caused by the rear axle flexing was fixed with the new floating rear axle that was a running modification, and overall the 1979 car was the end result of careful, continuous sorting since 1974. “We should have had the A9X in 1974,” Nowacki says now. “The first cars never had decent four-wheel discs or the good gearbox or the good rear axle.”
The rest of the Torana is really remarkably standard A9X. The regs allow wheel arch flares (homologated) and the 10-inch Californian Joengblood wheels. Incidentally, the wheel shrouds that appeared on the Brock car for the “Hardies Heroes” qualifying practice session at Bathurst last October were then team manager John Sheppard’s idea. They were made up by Allan Standfield, who has been an aluminium-bending wizard for most of us care to remember. He made all the trick alloy bits on the Toranas, like air boxes for the carburettors, the dash panel that fits over the top of the standard dash and the dry break fuel systems.
Because of the touring car regulations, the inside of the MHDT Toranas is just about standard. Main differences include the nicely-built roll cage, Scheel driver’s seat, and the removal of the carpeting. The new dash holds an 8000 rpm tachometer, and gauges for oil pressure, water temperature and fuel.
The entire car is really very simple in concept for a race car that goes so hard so easily. Even the fuel gauge has three progressive gradations to “Empty” painted on its face in uneven red lines. “We calibrate it by running it dry on the track and filling up the car one gallon at a time until it’s full,” says Nowacki.
It seems to work okay. On their first stop at Bathurst last year they went further than anyone else and yet came in with only three gallons left in the tank.
It’s simplistic answers like that that remind you again of the touch of Harry Firth, whose solutions to problems were often crude, generally highly novel, and, more often than not, stunningly effective. You can see his signature all over the car; it’s like being able to identify the work of a master painter or a composer without knowing who did it. “Have a simple answer for everything”, runs the old proverb. “It is difficult to kill a cockroach with a cannon.”
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