The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron electric SUV has debuted as a sibling to the latest Porsche Macan.
At launch, the Q6 E-Tron will be available in dual-motor all-wheel drive form or the sportier SQ6 E-Tron with two entry-level rear-drive models due later.
It has been confirmed for Australia, with more details – including launch timing – due to be announced in the coming weeks.
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The Q6 E-Tron and Macan are based on the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture first announced in 2019. The Audi A6 E-Tron sedan and wagon will follow later this year.
Despite the shared technical underpinnings, Audi says the “flexibility of the PPE helps in giving the future models their independent character and the typical Audi DNA”.
The Q6 E-Tron also sports the newly developed E1.2 electronic architecture, which faced several delays during its development. It has five high-performance computers that control all vehicle functions, such as the safety systems, infotainment, and backend network.
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Under the skin, the Q6 E-Tron has a 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack (94.9kWh usable) with an 800-volt electric architecture allowing a 270kW maximum fast-charge rate.
Audi claims 255 kilometres can be added in 10 minutes at a high-power charging station, while a 10 to 80 per cent top-up is possible in around 21 minutes at the highest speed.
At compatible 400-volt charging stations, ‘bank charging’ allows the 800-volt battery to automatically divide into two batteries at equal voltage, which can be charged in parallel at up to 135kW each.
The all-wheel-drive Q6 E-Tron has a WLTP-rated 625-kilometre maximum driving range. Its dual-motor powertrain produces 285kW for international models, with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds.
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In North America, it will produce 315kW – or 340kW with launch control – for a quicker five-second 0-60mph (97km/h) sprint time.
The SQ6 E-Tron makes up to 380kW with launch control activated, with a 4.3-second 0-100km/h time. It has a slightly lower 598-kilometre maximum driving range.
Audi has taken advantage of the high-voltage battery position to partially redesign the front axle to position the control arms in front of the suspension arms, which is said to improve kinematic properties.
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The steering rack has also been fixed to the sub-frame, while its Quattro all-wheel-drive system has rear-biased torque distribution with wider rear tyres.
In addition to debuting the PPE architecture and E1.2 electronic components in an Audi, the Q6 E-Tron also wears the German brand’s latest styling language for its EV models, including a split headlight design, a closed-off ‘singleframe’ grille, and shortened overhangs.
Second-generation digital OLED tail-lights with 360 segments can generate a new image every 10 milliseconds. These images can warn to other road users about accidents, breakdowns, or critical driving situations.
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The matrix LED headlights also include eight customisable light signatures for the daytime running lamps.
Measuring 4771mm long, 1993mm wide and 1648mm tall, with a 2899mm wheelbase, the Q6 E-Tron is closest in size to the internal-combustion Audi Q5 – as well as other midsize electric SUVs such as the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX3 and Genesis Electrified GV70.
While it might rival the Model Y and iX3 in size, the Q6 E-Tron won’t match them in price. In Europe, it will start from €74,700 (AU$124,000) – which, if applicable to Australia, would see it slot directly between the $90,000 Q4 E-Tron and $155,000 Q8 E-Tron electric SUV models.
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Inside, it features a panoramic curved display with an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch infotainment system.
There’s also an optional 10.9-inch front passenger touchscreen with a privacy layer to prevent it from distracting the driver.
For the first time in an Audi, the infotainment system runs the Android Automotive operating system, which supports over-the-air software updates and third-party app downloads, such as YouTube.
Other available features include a 20-speaker, 830-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system, artificial intelligence support for the built-in voice assistant, and an optional augmented reality head-up display that can show ‘floating’ elements at up to 200 metres away.
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The ambient lighting system covers the wider interior with a “variety of communication functions”, such as when the indicators are activated.
Boot space is rated at 526 litres with the second-row up or 1529L with it folded down, while there is an additional 64 litres available in the front boot.
A new active safety feature available in the Q6 E-Tron is ‘adaptive driving assistant plus’ which uses high-resolution map data and “swarm data from other vehicles aggregated in the cloud to improve the handling” to further assist with highway driving, in addition to the adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist.
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Audi claims the plastic components in the front compartment and front section covers, as well as the windshield and HVAC intake covers, are made from recycled materials.
In addition, the outer roof section is made from scrap steel, some of which is sourced from end-of-life vehicles.
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron is the brand’s first all-electric model produced at its plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. It will launch in Europe between July and September 2024, with its Australian launch set to follow later.
Formula 1 car designers live between the lines of the rulebook, stretching their creativity to devise the most competitive race cars possible, regardless of how they may look.
Downright bizarre-looking things have turned up on the grid at various times in the sport’s history. Some have been outlawed before making a race start, some of them sealed their own fate by failing spectacularly, and some of the weirdest aero ideas have actually worked.
With aero remaining a perpetually hot topic in the F1 paddock, Wheels takes a look back at some of the oddballs the sport has spawned over the years.
2001 Arrows A22 ‘Top Wing’
Arrows employed this front-end oddity for the Monaco GP in 2001. It was seen on track in practice – driven by Max Verstappen’s old man, Jos – but quickly deemed a vision impairment and outlawed by the FIA.
Similar nose cone aero aids turned up in the ‘crazy wing’ era on cars like the 2006 BMW Sauber F1.06 and the 2008 Honda RA108.
1979 Ensign N179
This three-tiered nose cone design didn’t last a full season. The Ensign N179 had radiators mounted in its stepped front end for enhanced cooling, but it was slow and ran well off the pace.
A more conventional front end was adopted part way through ’79 and everybody tried to forget about this aberration.
1976 Tyrrell P34 ‘Six Wheeler’
The only six-wheeled F1 car to actually compete also managed to win a race.
Tyrrell ran four, small diameter front wheels on the P34 to minimise air disruption and reduce drag, and it worked, though reportedly understeer was a problem.
Six-wheeled F1 cars were eventually banned, but not until much later. Ferrari had a go at the idea with the 1977 Ferrari 312T6, which ran four tyres on a single rear axle but it was too wide and unreliable and never raced. March (2-4-0) and Williams (FW07D and FW08B) both tested six-wheelers with four wheels on two driven rear axles, though they also never competed.
1978 Brabham BT46 ‘Fan Car’
At the 1978 Swedish GP, Brabham stunned pretty much everybody with this revolutionary contraption.
In essence, a huge turbine at the back sucked the car onto the road and allowed it to carry enormous speed through the bends.
Niki Lauda drove it to an easy victory; however the BT46 would never race again in this trim after the sport’s governing body pressured Brabham into withdrawing it due to the dangers of such high cornering speeds.
1997 Tyrrell Ford 025 ‘X-Wing’
Tyrrell makes a second appearance on our list, long after its ill-fated six-wheeler.
1997 was a rough year for the team as it languished at the bottom of the grid, though not without its share of the spotlight. Notable designer Harvey Postlethwaite penned these novel sidepod aero aids, as well as the single blade nose cone, and the car became known as the X-Wing for obvious reasons.
1998 Ferrari F300 ‘Tower Wings’
Nobody thought too much of Tyrrell’s invention during the ’97 season, but a rule change for ’98 saw several other teams introduce similar setups.
Ferrari, Jordan, Sauber and Prost all ran some variation of the ‘Tower Wings’ idea in the first half of the season until the FIA brought out its axe and banned them on safety grounds.
1972 Eifelland Type 21 ‘Periscope’
New to F1 in ‘72, Eifelland raced the Type 21 with a mirror in front of the driver that was also designed to reduce drag.
The team never found competitive pace and disappeared from the grid before the end of the season, but a similar concept appeared on the Jordan EJ11 in practice at Monaco in 2001 before it was banned as a safety hazard.
1983 Benetton Tyrrell 012 ‘Boomerang Wing’
Tyrrell appears for a third time, cementing it’s position as an experimental favourite in our books.
This triangular wing design made a brief appearance before the team realised it had no tangible benefits over conventional rectangular wings and the design was ditched.
1976 Ligier JS5 ‘Teapot’
F1 has seen some big airboxes in its time, but none as out of kilter with the rest of the car as that of the Ligier JS5.
This wacky design appeared in Ligier’s first year of F1 and only lasted half a season before a rule change would limit the height of cars and force Ligier and other teams back to their drawing boards.
1982 Ferrari 162C2
At the US Grand Prix in 1982, Ferrari deviously exploited a regulation loophole.
The rules at the time stated a maximum rear wing width, but did not specify how many rear wings a car could have. Gilles Villeneuve raced the Ferrari 162C6 as-seen and finished third, but multiple teams launched a protest after the race and the car was disqualified.
1970 McLaren M7C “Double Wing”
The M7C came about at a time of extreme aero experimentation in Formula 1. The front wing was mounted directly to the suspension and did have a positive impact on aerodynamics, though structurally it was questionable.
Other teams copied it with similar setups of their own for circuits demanding high downforce, until the FIA banned them due to their weakness and safety risk.
1975 March 751 “Skirting Boards”
Some have listed the March 751 among the ugliest F1 cars of all time, and that was before the team flirted with the idea of this suspended diffuser-style rear wing.
The car actually won the curtailed ‘75 Austrian GP that finished in miserable weather after just 29 laps out of 54.
Wheels thanks Ryan Lewis for the original version of this story, first published in 2017.
Nissan and Honda may be close to a technology and platform sharing deal, with both brands confirming the start of a feasibility study this week.
Beginning with a memorandum of understanding, the talks will focus on electrification and “intelligence”, with the latter likely to take the form of advanced safety systems.
“It is important to prepare for the increasing pace of transformation in mobility in the mid-to-long-term, and it is significant that we have reached this agreement based on a mutual understanding that Honda and Nissan face common challenges,” said Nissan president and CEO, Makoto Uchida.
His counterpart at Honda, Toshihiro Mibe, said the automotive industry is undergoing a “once-in-a-century transformation” and that both companies aim to cooperate on technologies and knowledge they hope will “enable us to become industry leaders by creating new value for the automotive industry”.
Where are Nissan and Honda on EVs right now?
The announcement comes at crunch time for both brands, their paths to this point having been marred with interruptions, apparent indecision and an unwillingness to make the same big bets their European, American and Chinese counterparts have taken on.
Nissan and Honda both have a history of pioneering in electrification, and both have EVs available in markets around the world right now – but, like compatriot brands Toyota and Mitsubishi, neither has shown any readiness to take on the sort of large-scale investment and production programs that have pushed Korean rivals Hyundai and Kia to the forefront of volume-selling electric cars.
Today’s announcement also follows news in late 2023 that Honda and GM had killed the EV partnership that resulted in the Honda Prologue electric SUV that has only just recently launched in the US.
Apart from the North America-exclusive Prologue, Honda’s only electric passenger vehicle available right now is the HR-V-based e:Ny1 in Europe, although it also offers hybrid versions of the HR-V, ZR-V, CR-V and Civic. A new hybrid-powered Prelude coupe was unveiled in November. It had previously launched the compact Honda E hatch in Europe, but killed it in January 2024 after just four years on the market.
Around the same time, Honda revealed its “0 Series” EV plans, previewed by an Odyssey-like ‘Saloon’ and a people-mover dubbed Space-Hub. Only the former has been confirmed for any sort of production future, targeting a 2026 global launch.
Whether Honda will share its 0 Series platform and technology with Nissan is unclear, but will likely form part of the partnership discussions.
Honda has previously announced plans to sell around 2 million EVs annually by 2030, but 2023 saw the Japanese brand sell fewer than 15,000 – almost all of them in China.
Nissan’s current electric passenger car range includes the ageing Leaf hatch and the fresher Ariya. The Ariya was unveiled in 2020, but pandemic-related issues saw its overseas launch delayed until 2022, while the brand’s Australian arm has still not confirmed timing for a local launch.
As with Honda’s 0 Series program, it remains to be seen if this potential new partnership will see Honda gain access to the Ampere platform or if it will be limited to Nissan’s own EV systems.
Shared production capacity will likely also form a part of the strategy, but again, neither brand has offered any clear view on what their talks will cover.
There seems to be no stopping BYD right now. Sales are soaring and its line-up is swelling, so perhaps it’s only natural that such success has bred enough confidence to launch a luxury offshoot.
It’s probably reductive shorthand to say Yangwang is the Lexus to BYD’s Toyota when this Yangwang U8 SUV aims to swim in a different pool entirely (all too literally, as you’ll discover). Priced at the equivalent of $230,000 in its native China, this truly is evidence BYD is punching upwards.
See one up close and you might assume it’s worth its stocky price in materials alone, so vast is the U8. It measures 5.3 in length, over 2m in width and tips the scales at 3460kg – almost enough to warrant additional training and a driving licence upgrade in some territories.
It’s had a heck of a lot of technology thrown at it. As you’d expect with BYD paying the bills, the powertrain is heavily electrified.
There’s a 220kW electric motor at each wheel for a monstrous 880kW total. The battery capacity, though, is just 49kWh; most of the U8’s power comes from a 200kW 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that acts as a range extender.
So while Yangwang claims an overall range figure of 1000km, just 180km of that can be achieved purely on electric power. The battery can still be topped up separately, though, accepting up to 110kW of DC charge.
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Which means charging up to 80 per cent in under half an hour, something that simply wouldn’t be possible with the amount of cells you’d need to make this a pure EV.
A wheel at each motor gives this car its TikTok-pleasing party trick; dubbed by Yangwang as the ‘vehicle origin turn’ – or ‘tank turn’ in internet parlance – the vehicle can spin up to 360 degrees on the spot as the motors on one side of the car turn slowly in the opposite direction to the others.
It looks bewitching from outside, feels even crazier inside, but will soon gnaw at the chunk of your brain that’s predisposed to mechanical sympathy. Surely the diffs and tyres can’t be enjoying themselves as much as your audience?
Well, the U8 has already claimed its Instagram moment of fame and an all-new brand has found a large (if fickle) audience before the car’s even launched. So the job’s arguably done.
Tank turns are the glistening cherry on top of this car’s proposed off-road ability.
Its body-on-frame construction is allied to over a dozen electronically controlled all-terrain modes and a whole array of suspension settings that, if the teaser videos are to be believed, will make this thing a true monster away from smooth tarmac.
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Its 36-degree approach and 35.4-degree departure angles ally with the individual wheel control yielded by BYD’s new e4 platform to make this a properly flexible off-road tool, albeit one draped in thick layers of interior tech and luxury.
Unlike the now ironically named Dolphin and Seal, this car actually swims, too; get yourself too deep into a body of water and the car can apparently float for up to 30 minutes, with its appropriately sealed electric propulsion system whizzing away below the surface to direct you safely back to shore.
It’s not another party trick, rather an emergency back-up that calls for an immediate trip to the dealer should you ever activate it.
No, and our first go of this 4×4 goliath actually took place on a race circuit. Goodwood Motor Circuit, in fact, one of the fastest and fiercest tracks in Great Britain owing to its antiquated ideas of ‘run off’ and ‘margin for error’.
Truly an odd place to throw around almost 3.5 tonnes of decadent 4×4, but owing to how early our access to the car is, the required homologation for on-road driving wasn’t possible. And the UK is a little bereft of sand dunes to idly bash…
The result was entirely predictable, the car’s stability control systems cutting in starkly even with the U8 in its sportiest modes and our cornering speeds and steering inputs kept subtle. Trigger the safety systems and a ‘cornering speed too high’ warning blazes across the digital dial display.
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Yet the continuously adaptive damping and the torque vectoring capabilities of the e4 setup ensured the U8 wasn’t a total shambles. Out of its depth, sure. But a circa 3-tonne Range Rover Hybrid would hardly have felt like a trackday special beside it.
What was disappointing was how little of the full 880kW output we managed to extract, the power display on the dashboard rarely showing north of 400kW even as we kept our foot welded to the floor down the Lavant Straight.
Either the claimed 3.6sec sprint to 100km/h is reserved for a designated launch or the struggling battery power after sustained laps couldn’t entertain it, however much the engine was buzzing away in the background.
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We eagerly await a much more in-depth drive to truly dig into the U8’s menus and its slightly dizzying drive modes.
Indeed, tech has been wantonly thrown at the U8. Those three, taxicab-like protrusions above the windscreen contain spotlights, night vision and a Lidar that scans the road ahead to educate the adaptive damping as well as open up the potential for autonomy.
The interior is festooned with screens, with three across the dashboard – the central 12.8in display being a 2K curved OLED – and a pair to luxuriate rear passengers. The Nappa leather is smart and we don’t even mind the retro wood inlays. While not quite knocking on the door of a Bentley for interior ambience, it all feels legit for Yangwang’s blockbuster launch car.
While the Yangwang U8 is doing well in China, shifting almost 4000 units so far, sales outside of its homeland are still somewhat TBC.
Our improbable Goodwood trackday (in a left-hand-drive car) was part of BYD sticking its toe in the water to gauge reaction. A reaction is certainly what it’s achieved across the plains of social media.
Quite how it navigates both the real world and rougher terrain will decide just how much we crave the U8’s stocky presence on Aussie soil (and sand, and rocks, and water…). Be sure to let us know where your heart currently lies in the comments box below.
This is the new Kia K4, and if it looks familiar, you might be having flashbacks to the smaller K3 unveiled in August last year.
March: Kia K4 teased
The 2025 Kia K4 sedan has been teased ahead of its design reveal on March 21 and full public debut at the New York Auto Show on March 27.
The K4 – which will debut in sedan form first – will replace the Cerato small car, which is also called Forte in North America and K3 in Korea and China. It is also expected to replace the European Ceed model, which is currently available in hatchback, ‘Xceed’ SUV and ‘Proceed’ shooting brake forms.
K4 is a new name for Kia outside of China. The next-generation small car slots between the recently unveiled K3 light sedan – which replaces the Rio – and the midsize K5 that replaced the Optima in 2020.
The K3 and K5 sedans are not available in Australia due to left-hand-drive-only production.
Replacing the current third-generation Cerato introduced in 2018, the K4 adopts Kia’s latest design language shared with the latest EV9, Sorento and Picanto, as well as a liftback-like appearance reminiscent of the axed Stinger sports sedan with hidden rear door handles.
“K4 introduces new standards for design, innovation and driving appeal to the compact sedan sector,” said Kia.
It will be based on the same ‘K3’ platform as the latest Kia Niro, Hyundai i30 Sedan and Hyundai Kona, which are available with evolved versions of the Cerato’s current 2.0-litre non-turbo and 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engines – plus a 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid.
If the closely related Hyundai i30 Sedan is a guide, the K4 should feature Hyundai and Kia’s ‘Smartstream’ version of the non-turbo 2.0-litre with a CVT automatic transmission – instead of a traditional six-speed unit – and the Atkinson combustion cycle for improved fuel efficiency.
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The i30 Sedan’s power output is slightly lower than that of the older unit found in the Cerato, at 110kW and 180Nm versus 112kW and 192Nm.
The 1.6-litre turbo currently found in the Cerato GT could receive an eight-speed torque-converter automatic instead of a seven-speed dual-clutch, if it is carried over into the new model.
The Kia Cerato was introduced in Australia in 2004, and more than 185,000 examples have been sold since then – more than other long-running nameplates such as the Rio, Sportage, Carnival and Sorento.
The Climate Council has polled Australians on the question of fuel prices, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Polling 1126 Australians, the Council’s survey found that most of us want cleaner cars that are better for the environment and better for our back pocket.
The poll suggests sentiment for the proposed New Vehicle Efficiency Standard is strongly in favour of pushing carmakers into offering cleaner engines and more electrified options – at least among those who ‘took a side’.
Results of the national poll show a majority of participants (80%) feel pressured by high, and rising, petrol bills (irrespective of whether fuel prices are rising in real terms). Almost the same number of respondents (74%) cited a reduction in vehicle emissions as important for tackling climate change.
The survey did not look to driver status as a metric worth recording, although all respondents were adults.
The Climate Council’s survey shows that of the 1126 people polled, most were in NSW (366) and Vic (299), followed by QLD (218), WA (113) and SA (79). Tasmania appears have been left out of the poll.
There were 537 male respondents and 589 female, with apparently none identifying differently. Age groups were divided between 18-34 (316), 35-54 (391), 55+ (419).
725 respondents live in capital cities, with the remaining 401 described as ‘non-capital’. 634 claimed paid employment and 248 said they are retired. Household incomes were evenly split, with 368 described as low income, 316 as middle income, and 365 as high income. 447 said they have dependent children, 679 claim they do not.
When it comes to the NVES as a means for bringing these changes about, respondents were less united – but the largest group is clearly in favour.
While 65% of respondents agreed that ‘Australians deserve access to the same cleaner and cheaper-to-run vehicles that manufacturers currently sell in other countries with fuel efficiency standards’, only 52% agreed the NVES ‘will help cut fuel bills for Australian households’.
Likewise, only 54% supported using the NVES to make new vehicles sold in Australia more efficient.
However, among those not on the fence, support for the NVES was the strongest result. Only 14% said they oppose the idea, with 33% undecided.
Some manufacturers have been criticised for not selling their cleanest models in Australia – a sentiment reflected in the poll results.
With concern about rising fuel bills and climate change on the rise, 65 percent of those polled agree Australians deserve access to the same cleaner, more efficient cars that are already being sold overseas.
The Climate Council considers that implementing the NVES will incentivise manufacturers to sell their most efficient models in the Australian car market, in turn saving money and reducing emissions.
“We’ve heard a lot of self-interested talk lately from multinational car brands about what Aussies want to drive,” said Climate Council Head of Advocacy, Dr Jennifer Rayner.
“The answer couldn’t be clearer: the majority of Australians want cars that are cheaper to run and don’t pollute our air and climate.”
“The big brands aren’t bringing cleaner, cheaper cars to Australia right now, even though they’re already selling them in the millions overseas. An effective New Vehicle Efficiency Standard can change that”, said Dr Rayner.
“Australians understand our dirty cars are costing us, and our environment, far too much. Mums and dads are particularly feeling the pinch of high petrol prices, and they’re worried about the risks of escalating climate change for their kids. Cleaning up our cars is a practical solution on both fronts, and Aussies know it. That’s why a majority supports this standard.”
Dr Rayner has accused major manufacturers of acting in their own interests, rather than Australia’s.
“The Federal Government should listen to what Australians want and deliver the NVES as soon as possible”, she said. “ Big car brands trying to block it are speaking only for themselves, not for our community.”
With an overall length of 4.44m, some might say that the car the Mini Countryman has evolved into for its third generation can’t truthfully wear a moniker like ‘mini’ any more.
But, say Mini executives, “people asked for a Mini with more room” and that’s exactly what the company has delivered in its new model. At the back, its boot has grown by as much as 52 litres for up to 505L (or 1530L with the rear seats folded), while seating for up to five adults is comfortable and spacious thanks to a wheelbase that now measures 2692mm.
But there’s much more to the new Countryman than sheer quantity, especially at the pointy end of the family. As before, a JCW version headlines the more conventional Countryman line-up.
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The JCW gets a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four with 233kW and 400Nm sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
It’s easy to forget this is the largest Mini to date when at the wheel, with a nimbleness and willingness to change direction that’s unusual in the little but not so little SUV realm. Its ride is firm but forgivable and a reasonable trade for excellent cornering grip and composed body control.
The real compromise, though, is likely in all-terrain ability. We weren’t given a chance to hit unsealed tracks or anything more serious – but Pirelli P Zero rubber on 20-inch wheels, no off-road specific hardware and a decidedly car-like ground clearance mean this SUV is most at home on asphalt, while the ‘country’ in its name is best enjoyed passing quickly through winding lanes.
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If you want the scenery to flash by even faster, a new Boost button is offered, switching the JCW into a particularly manic mode for 10 seconds. Buyers will likely love the raucous sound, the powerful brakes and balanced dynamics.
But, if performance and practicality are the Countryman’s reason for being, then the first electric version has probably stolen the JCW’s thunder – silently.
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Also arriving in Australia in the third quarter of 2024, the Countryman E and SE bring a choice of two battery powered versions.
A 150kW single-motor model opens the range from $64,990, but the SE gets two motors 230kW and only 30km shorter range with a claimed WLTP of 432km.
Our first sample was of the flagship SE Favoured which gets the most kit and features for $77,990. Yes, even the flagship sneaks in under LCT.
Zero-100km/h acceleration takes 5.6 seconds – just two tenths behind the JCW, while its monstrous and highly accessible 494Nm makes the electric version faster in practice.
Then there’s the ride which has a little of the classic EV thump as it tries to hide a 2000kg kerb weight, but balances ride quality and high-speed body control beautifully. It’s not the best EV ride we’ve encountered, but it comes very close.
Thoroughly developed throttle mapping and clever motor controls result in monstrous traction and confidence coupled with a light but sharp steering set up.
Will anyone care that this is the first Mini to be built outside the UK? They shouldn’t. Everything appears to have been screwed together as well as any recent model and, if anything, this Countryman sets new standards in cabin quality and design.
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The new circular 9.4-inch central touchscreen forms the centrepiece of Mini’s Operating System 9 and is stunning in its graphics, aesthetic and operation as well as providing one of many retro nods to Minis passed.
But while previous models required the driver to glance away from the road, the new Countryman has a head-up display as standard – even if it looks a little aftermarket (the steep windscreen rake prevented the use of a regular HUD).
A retro toggle switch panel balances the futuristic touchscreen above, lovely recycled knitted fabrics that cover most of the dash and door trims fade from Petrol blue into Vintage brown, and colour changing LED ambient lighting glows through at night.
Oh, and there’s a selfie camera which looks at everyone in the car and made us a little paranoid.
A choice of Experience Modes are in keeping with Mini’s fun nature, display different digital themes and generate unique sounds when accelerating or braking with each introduced by its own jingle and something Mini calls ‘earcons’. It’s all good fun but never at the cost of function and practicality.
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VERDICT
For now, Mini’s first electric Countryman is the pick of the bunch, providing the most compelling option in the new family.
That is, until a fourth JCW Sport option arrives for the SE later down the line and Mini’s performance hierarchy will likely be restored.
The 2024 Lexus UX small SUV line-up will exclusively offer hybrid or electric powertrains in Australia.
Lexus Australia has confirmed the petrol UX has been discontinued as local buyers “continue to favour HEV [hybrid], PHEV [plug-in hybrid] and BEV [battery-electric] powertrains” while the hybrid UX250h becomes UX300h with a power increase.
Prices have increased between $970 and $6715 for carryover hybrid variants with the heftiest increases applied to all-wheel drive models.
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The cost of entry into the Lexus UX line-up has increased by $9285 with the deletion of the petrol-only models – from $46,085 to $55,370 before on-road costs – meaning it won’t undercut the smaller hybrid-only LBX light SUV due in Australia this month from $47,550 plus on-roads.
The electric motor output has increased from 80kW to 83kW, while other powertrain improvements include a boltless engine cover, new engine oil to aid fuel consumption, and a “compact and lightweight” lithium-ion battery with a 15 per cent greater per-cell output replacing the previous nickel-metal hydride unit.
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All-wheel-drive models receive a more powerful, but smaller and lighter, rear transaxle that produces 30kW and 84Nm – up 25kW and 29Nm – which allows the E-Four system to now distribute torque front-to-rear by between 100:0 and 20:80.
Fuel consumption for the UX300h FWD is 4.2L/100km on the combined cycle – down 0.1L/100km over the UX250h FWD – while the UX300h AWD is down 0.2L/100km to 4.4L/100km.
Inside, all UX variants receive a larger 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a new shift-by-wire gear selector, over-the-air software updates, wireless Android Auto (previously wired-only), optional ‘solis white’ upholstery replacing ‘rich cream’, and revised door panel switches.
All models also have updated active safety technologies, including safe exit assist, improved autonomous emergency braking with all-time bicycle detection, daytime motorcyclist detection, intersection assist and static object detection for the parking support brake, and a driver monitoring camera.
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Torque vectoring has been added for a “more comfortable driving experience”, while the ‘sonic copper’ exterior finish replaces ‘blazing carnelian’ in the UX’s colour palette.
Sports Luxury hybrid variants now include a moonroof and smart key card as standard, while F Sport models also add those features – plus a heated steering wheel, a 360-degree camera system, and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.
The entry-level UX300e Luxury all-electric model now has a colour head-up display. Prices have increased between $525 and $730 for the UX300e.
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2024 Lexus UX pricing: UX300h and UX300e
Model
Pricing
Change
UX300h Luxury FWD
$55,370
up $1050
UX300h Sports Luxury FWD
$62,320
up $970
UX300h F Sport FWD
$63,110
up $1115
UX300h Sports Luxury AWD
$70,520
up $4670
UX300h F Sport AWD
$73,210
up $6715
UX300e Luxury FWD
$80,720
up $730
UX300e Sports Luxury FWD
$88,190
up $525
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2024 Lexus UX features: UX300h and UX300e
2024 Lexus UX300h Luxury features
12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (new, up from 7-inch)
8-way power-adjustable passenger seat
Wireless Android Auto (new)
Heated front seats
Safe exit assist (new)
LED headlights, tail-lights and DRLs
Static object detection for parking support brake (new)
Keen-eyed V8 lovers may want to give this HSV a look, with some considering wagons a better option than the ubiquitous SUVs that pump along Australian roads.
Even better is that this HSV Clubsport R8 wagon is also a manual!
The ol’ Rex has faced some changes over the years, and this automatic example might make the purists baulk – this author included – but it has been posited by this very publication that maybe the CVT is the best option.
Anyone curious can check out the auction below to see for themselves.
Another year has rolled around and the one it leaves behind is a blur of staggering figures.
But among the smashed records and surpassed milestones in sales, performance and technology is one automotive number that always makes for sad reading.
In 2023, 1266 Australians were killed on our roads. That’s up 7.3 percent compared with 2022 and, even when our booming population is factored in, that’s still an increase of 4.8 percent.
I don’t like dwelling on the dark side of driving as it’s not just work for me but also one of my greatest passions. However, we owe it to those lost on the roads and their shattered families to consider that number, use it to drive change and make something better because, at the moment, it is used as a tool to maintain a broken system.
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The annual road toll figure is frequently referred to as evidence to justify reducing speed limits further and increasing fines – but, as is often said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expect different results.
Speed limits continue to head south while the fines go north, and yet the road toll continues to rise along with the number of drivers getting nicked by more speed cameras.
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In other words, merely knowing it’s highly likely they’ll be caught and punished for breaking the law is not preventing drivers from breaking the law.
And using an ever increasing number to support the existing strategy is simply madness, because it proves the strategy is not working. But what to replace the current ineffective approach with?
Extensive research and results-based solutions by other nations have proven to be more effective than the Australian strategy. Alternatives are a (much longer) story for another day, but examples include Oslo and Helsinki which, by simply separating cars and people, managed to reduce pedestrian deaths to zero.
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Imagine if in zoos, rather than keeping animals in enclosures, we allowed gorillas and mountain lions to wander around with the visitors and every time one decided to remove a child’s head, the keepers docked it a few meals. That’s our current system for preventing road toll.
Then there’s Switzerland and Sweden, which manage the lowest traffic-related deaths in the world per capita (non-principality countries) thanks to among the highest standards of driver education. In this case, the gorillas aren’t in the zoo at all. They’re in the wild and have been taught by their parents that humans are bad news and best avoided.
On one hand, you have a system that empowers drivers to make good decisions on the road through effective training and education, while the other uses clever infrastructure to render fatalities physically impossible. If Australia is ever going to reverse its grim road toll trend it needs a combination of both.
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What’s clear for now, though, is that it’s time for Australia to abandon an outdated and embarrassingly basic punishment-based strategy for attempting to improve road safety, and focus instead on one that will build a nation of safer drivers, not scared drivers.
How to improve safety on our roads is not a mystery. The real problem is how to replace the lucrative and irresistible source of cash provided by stupid and dangerous drivers who choose to break the law and get caught. Proper driver education and smarter infrastructure is not only expensive, its effect will also wipe out many millions of dollars in fines.
Which is why, sadly, it won’t happen and you can expect the 2024 toll to rise once again.
