Genesis has revealed a 2024 facelift for its GV80 large SUV. Foreshadowed by the GV80 Coupe Concept in April this year, a sloping-roofed variant has been added, too.

The South Korean luxury brand is yet to announce Australian pricing, but has confirmed that the facelifted GV80 will hit local dealerships in the second quarter of 2024 – a little over four years after the car’s global 2020 launch.

Aside from visual tweaks, the 2024 GV80 will be available exclusively with petrol engines, and the coupe gets the option of a 48-volt electric supercharger boosted turbo-petrol V6 producing 305kW.

“Today, we mark an important milestone in our journey to success,” Genesis chief brand officer Graeme Russell said during the GV80’s reveal. “As the boundaries of luxury continue to be redefined, Genesis believes that the GV80 and GV80 Coupe will cater to the ever-evolving needs of our discerning customers.”

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Updated exterior design

Along with the coupe variant that looks remarkably similar to April’s concept car, the 2024 GV80 picks up a few new details.

The front crest and headlights have been subtly tweaked with smoother corners on the grille complemented by larger air intakes, a front skid plate and a ‘Guilloché-patterned’ emblem design.

In profile, you’ll notice a new chrome trim that accentuates the GV80’s length along with a pair of new wheel designs: a multi-spoke 20-inch for the base car, and a 22-inch wheel that reinterprets the GV80’s two-line theme.

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A new exterior colour, matte Storr Green, joins the range making for 12 paint options. The GV80 coupe is available exclusively in another new colour: Bering Blue.

Other differences between wagon and coupe include an expanded air intake with an active air flap and four cooling vents in the front bumper. The BMW X6-like coupe gets exclusive alloy wheel designs, too.

At the rear, the coupe’s roofline slopes into a rear spoiler beneath which is a bespoke LED taillight signature that glows through the surface and links the rear taillights.

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Greater luxury and more tech inside the cabin

Ditching its separate 14.5-inch media display and 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, the 2024 GV80 opts for an on-trend integrated screen that measures 27 inches.

The technology continues with digital keys, fingerprint detection, UVC disinfection trays, heated seats and armrests, a cabin fragrance system, and a Bang & Olufsen sound system.

The touch-sensitive HVAC controls have been moved up the dash, and the centre console features a redesigned crystal gear shift. Ergonomic improvements continue with a new wireless smartphone charging pad, bigger cup holders, and a physical volume/tune adjustment knob.

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Genesis has also changed the pedal design and recontoured the soft pads around the cabin all while retaining real leather, aluminium and wood details. Two-tone-coloured steering wheels are standard, and you can have one of five leather colours, including the new Earth Brown, Bordeaux Brown, and Glacier White themes.

The five-seat GV80 coupe gets a flattened ‘D-cut’ steering wheel, carbon inlays, exclusive seat patterns, and metal-garnished pedals. The coupe’s rear seats can recline, and there’s a foldable parcel shelf in the back along with an optional 14.6-inch rear display that can access streaming services.

Engines and powertrains

Globally, the GV80 diesel has been dropped though it’s unclear if this will carry over to the Australian market. The base car is powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (found locally in GV70) that develops 224kW/422Nm and uses an eight-speed automatic.

The current flagship 3.5-litre petrol V6 continues with 279kW/530Nm, though in the GV80 coupe, it’s superseded by an exclusive version developing 305kW/549Nm thanks to an electric supercharger powered by its 48-volt on-board electrical system. Genesis is yet to confirm performance figures for the new powertrain.

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The flagship GV80 coupe also benefits from a more focused Sports+ for its engine and adaptive dampers, launch control, and more cluster information including oil temperature, torque output, and turbo pressure.

Genesis has not announced an electric variant of the GV80, unlike the G80 limousine.

Pricing and availability

A rival for the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Lexus RX, Mazda CX-90 and now their coupe siblings, the Genesis GV80 will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of 2024.

Pricing is yet to be announced, but expect rises across the board. If the new flagship GV80 coupe comes to Australia, expect it to be priced from around $120-130K.

There hasn’t been a soft-top Ferrari for more than 20 years and, if you exclude mid-engined models, it’s been more than half a century since the prancing horse released a convertible that wasn’t a retractable hard-top. So the new Ferrari Roma Spider is a bit of a big deal.

But while it takes the Roma coupe as its basis, there’s more than enough to put the pair of fraternal twins in completely different paddocks.

For a start, the Spider’s chassis is not just a version of the coupe’s with a bit of ironwork welded in to compensate for the lack of tensioned roof. Its underpinnings were designed at the start of the project alongside the coupe and are significantly different.

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Ferrari describes the Spider as a two-plus, stopping short of actually detailing what the plus is. It sure as hell isn’t an extra adult or two with rear ‘seats’ that are as practical as a Porsche 911’s.

There are, however, Isofix anchors for two child seats and heaps of space for bags – which you’ll need because the boot is a tight 255 litres and shrinks further when the roof opens.

The rest of the interior is opulently impressive though. Individual cockpits and a dashboard display for the passenger make both occupants feel equally important, solid-state touch-sensitive switches abound – along with the subtle engine start button on the slender steering wheel – while the styling is classic Italian style.

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Rather than a horrid fly net positioned behind the occupants’ heads or a silly pop-up spoiler a la Mercedes E-Class convertible, Ferrari’s solution to cabin buffeting is elegant and ingenious.

At the push of a button, a flap fills the rear seat void and clever aero channels air down through a slot, not only drastically reducing wind in the interior space but also effectively holding cooled air from the dashboard vents with the occupants – very welcome on a 35-degree Sardinian day.

If it’s still too hot, the fabric roof operates at up to 60km/h and is open or closed in 13.5 seconds. Once closed, the five-layer construction is brilliantly effective at banishing road noise and keeping the cabin temperature stable.

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To have a drop-top Ferrari closed up on a perfect Italian late summer’s day is a crime and reduces your exposure to the utterly glorious noise produced by the Roma’s 90-degree, flat-plane crank, twin-turbo V8.

With 456kW and 760Nm, the Spider has the same output as the coupe including a 0-100km/h acceleration claim which is unchanged at 3.4s despite the Spider carrying an additional 84kg of weight.

Power reserves and acceleration are seemingly endless and the Spider lunges forward with incredible throttle and turbo response, made accessible by outstanding traction. Only once did the stability control light flash – surprising considering the fantastic ribbon of road slithering through hazy mountains – thanks in part to Ferrari’s sixth-gen side slip control.

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The Spider’s chassis continues the masterful engineering theme. Not only does the nose turn in with wonderful crispness and feedback, there’s a suppleness to the suspension with excellent body control in fast corners yet an unbelievably good primary ride too.

Here’s the highlight though; an electric bypass valve system enables exhaust volume to increase proportional to wind noise and speed to ensure the demonic bark from four unsilenced tailpipes is always at its best – loud.

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An eight-speed dual-clutch auto is shared with the SF90 (plus a reverse gear), as is the brutal but sophisticated personality of the V8. The process of yanking another gear and hearing the quad pipes echo from mountainsides is utterly intoxicating and addictive.

Perhaps the only small blot on the Spider’s scorecard is the price. At $520,300 before on-road charges and options, the soft-top version is about $110,000 more than the coupe. Which is a lot. But while compromise always comes at a cost, it’s clear that uncompromised costs a little more.

Taylor Swift – a name synonymous with chart-topping hits and a myriad of awards – is not only a global music icon but also a connoisseur of a diverse range of cars.

The 33-year-old musical juggernaut has a net worth of over $570 million and real estate empire worth over $150 million. With so much notoriety (and money) many celebrities opt to hire a chauffeur, but unlike them, Taylor has often been spotted driving herself.

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Mirroring her musical versatility, Swift has quite a range of cars in her fleet.

Let’s tour through the garage of this pop sensation and explore the symphony on wheels that is Taylor Swift’s car collection.

And before you ask, no she isn’t the proud owner of a Suzuki Swift. We’re sad to learn about that too.

Chevrolet Silverado

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Swift’s first car was ahead of its time. The Barbie pink Chevrolet Silverado is an all-American pick-up truck that was gifted to her for her 18th birthday by her then-record label Big Machine Records.

The Silverado, known for its durability and (Shake it)off-road capabilities, is a nod to Swift’s early days in the country music scene.

It’s reported that the singer later donated the truck to a children’s charity, Victory Junction.

Lexus SC430 convertible

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Inspired by the iconic 2004 teen movie Mean Girls, Swift’s first car purchase was a Lexus SC430 convertible, the same one driven by the ringleader of the ‘Plastics’ clique Regina George.

In an interview with The Guardian, Taylor explained, “All the girls who were mean to me in middle school, like, idolised the Plastics. I think I chose that car as a kind of rebellion against that type of girl.”

We love the idea that Taylor got to recreate the legendary ‘get in loser, we’re going shopping’ scene.

Nissan Qashqai

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As reported by The U.S Sun, the Grammy-winning artist incorporated this compact SUV into her collection in 2022 so she could fly under the radar in London with her then-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.

Available in Australia from $33,890 for the face-lifted ’23 model, maybe a humble car like the Qashqai could be housing some of our favourite local celebs. Kylie, we’re looking at you.

Toyota Sequoia

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Taylor has been papped putting groceries in the back seats of her rugged 2015 Sequoia – another surprisingly humble choice for the multi-millionaire.

Perhaps a coincidence but the paint colour of the Toyota Sequoia is named Midnight Black Metallic. Could it be a potential homage to the singer’s most recent album, Midnights?

We don’t necessarily know if it’s worth reaching out to Toyota North America for comment…

Audi R8

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Swift has been spotted cruising around in this sleek and powerful vehicle with her ex-boyfriend, Twilight star Taylor Lautner.

The older Audi R8 which boasts either a V8 or V10 engine is a testament to Swift’s penchant for style. However, it hasn’t been confirmed if the vehicle belongs to Swift or the other Taylor.

Porsche 911 Turbo

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Adding a touch of classic elegance to her collection is the Porsche 911 Turbo.

This iconic 2.8 second 0-100km/h sports car, with its timeless design, is the perfect performance getaway car.

The Porsche is a favourite among car enthusiasts and fellow celebs including pop star Rhianna and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Mercedes-Benz Viano

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For those days when Swift is on tour or travelling with her entourage, the Mercedes-Benz Viano is her go-to vehicle. With its spacious interior and luxury features, the Viano lets Swift travel in comfort, whether she’s heading to a concert venue or a red-carpet event.

It’s been speculated that Swift will be using a Mercedes van for the Australian portion of her tour here next year. Keep your eyes peeled for those blacked-out windows.

Chevrolet Chevelle

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Taylor was recently spotted leaving a game with NFL player Travis Kelce in his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle convertible.

On his podcast with his brother, New Heights, Kelce spoke of the Chevelle proclaiming it “looks so sweet” and “always sounds so mean”.

The classic car might not be part of Swift’s collection but based on her previous keen interest in cars, we might be seeing her in the driver’s seat of this Chevy soon.

European Union ministers have agreed to weaken upcoming Euro 7 emissions standards to avoid carmakers diverting from electric vehicle development.

Reuters [↗] reports eight member countries – including France, Italy and the Czech Republic – were concerned that the proposed stricter emissions limits would force automakers to invest in lowering the tailpipe pollutants of traditional petrol and diesel combustion engine vehicles, rather than focusing on developing all-electric vehicles.

The Council, European Parliament and the European Commission now need to negotiate and finalise Euro 7 rules, before it is enforced from July 1, 2025, for all new mass-produced cars and mid-2027 for heavy vehicles.

Previously, Euro 7 was to take the lowest nitrogen oxide NOx limits from Euro 6 and apply it to all vehicles regardless of fuel type. For example, diesel cars must emit no more than 60 milligrams of NOx – a 20mg/km cut.

The mandate also covered tyre and brake emission limits, assessing lifetime emissions, and assessing EV battery longevity for the first time.

The move will be good news for many automakers, including Stellantis which has publicly denounced Euro 7 as an ironic distraction from developing EVs.

Volkswagen and Skoda have also warned its most affordable small cars, including the Polo, Fabia and Scala, could be discontinued without revisions to the Euro 7 proposal, while Hyundai has said future combustion-engined high-performance N models are unlikely.

It follows the United Kingdom, which is no longer an EU member, announcing last week it would delay the sales ban of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by five years to 2035.

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Does this impact Australia?

Despite Euro 7 only applying to all new cars sold in Europe, there are global flow-on effects.

Locally, the Australian Government has only mandated the more lax Euro 5 standard, which dates back to 2009.

However, it plans to introduce higher quality fuel standards by next year in line with Europe – in addition to incoming fuel efficiency standards – which could mean more modern Euro 7-complaint engines are sold in Australia.

A study has found Australians prefer more technology and active safety assistance systems in new vehicles.

The survey, conducted by online finance and comparison company Savvy [↗], found about half of the representative sample of 1000 Australian adults prioritised a 360-degree camera system (52%) and blind-spot monitoring (50%) in their next car purchase.

This was followed by a preference towards touchscreens (35%) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone projection (34%), autonomous emergency braking (32%), and proximity key or a connected smartphone application (31%).

However, the survey didn’t note to respondents how the higher cost of these technologies has impacted new car prices.

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Safety vs price?

The study affirms most carmakers’ move to include more advanced safety assist tech as standard to meet buyer preferences at the expense of a higher price, from the Mazda 2 city car to Ford Ranger ute.

Meanwhile, MG and Mitsubishi Australia have criticised the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) for having strict safety standards.

For example, the entry price of the Toyota Yaris light hatchback increased by $6740 in 2020 after it launched a new generation model. It is currently priced from $24,800 before on-road costs, or almost $30,000 drive-away.

It gained significantly more standard safety tech, such as autonomous emergency braking with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and intersection detection, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control.

These features, along with a new platform, larger size and front-centre airbag, helped the Yaris achieve the full five-star safety rating under the 2020 criteria from ANCAP.

Meanwhile, the MG 3 light hatch – which dates back to 2011 – remains unrated by ANCAP, but is a top-seller thanks in part to its budget-friendly $19,990 drive-away price tag today.

It’s worth noting economic factors, such as inflation, rising manufacturing and shipping costs, and the average full-time weekly wage in Australia has dramatically risen in the past few decades.

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What car features weren’t preferred?

Savvy’s survey indicated lane-keep assist (18%), a hands-free electric tailgate (11%), and electrically-operated door handles (7%) weren’t favoured.

Additionally, despite the preference for some Level 2 safety assist systems, nearly half of respondents were concerned about full autonomous driving capabilities (47%).

While the name isn’t emblazoned anywhere on the car, you’re surely looking at the pumped-up preview of Nissan’s next miniature hatchback.

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? This is the Nissan 20-23 concept, developed ostensibly to celebrate 20 years of Nissan’s European design office in the heart of London – just with a sneaky ulterior motive of signposting us towards a future electric production car, too.

Nissan also used the event to lay down its EV intent – all new models introduced in Europe will be fully electric from this point forward.

“There’s no going back,” affirmed Nissan boss Makoto Uchida. “The world needs to move on from internal combustion engines.”

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Could this really end up as a Micra?

The new Renault 5 will sit upon the same ‘CMF-BEV’ platform – as will its Alpine A290 relative – and the styling cues of both this concept and a production version already previewed by Nissan clearly riff off Micras of yore, those cutesy round front lamps in particular. Nissan’s design chief Alfonso Albaisa also cites JDM specials such as the Pao, Figaro and S-Cargo as influences.

But he’s adamant there’s aggression, too, and who are we to argue when the wheel arches are so muscular? They’re even functional, with airflow directed through from the front skirts to cool the brakes, while a small roof scoop sets an almost-convincing motorsport ambience.

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Is the 20-23 concept as racy as it looks?

Sadly, actual mechanical details are conspicuous in their absence. For now it’s all about the aesthetic, with the younger folk of Nissan Design Europe let loose to sketch their dream car for tackling London streets in.

The result is a car with a strong gaming influence, while the scissor doors are a pure concept car flight of fancy. Much like the interior, whose deep bucket seats and button-festooned rectangular wheel help provide a link to Nissan’s Formula E programme.

All told, the 20-23 is another bold design that proves Nissan doesn’t really believe in a homogeneously styled range.

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“There are so many different characters in the world, so why should our cars all look alike?” Albaisa told us. “I’d rather not have the same headlight running through my entire range.”

He also reckons AI is a big helper when it comes to sketching new cars – not a hindrance with an eye for his job.

“It allows me to pick up a pencil again and be more creative. It amplifies each of us in the team. It can give you ten different versions of your own idea which you can then curate, spitting out something you can rebel against or run with.”

What might the production version look like?

Nissan has already teased the styling (linked above), while projected specs for the related Renault 5 suggest a 100kW motor will sit at the front wheels, paired with 40 or 52kWh batteries for up to 400km of range. And all for a 20-25,000 euro price in its homeland ($33-41k) to make the 5 one of the cheapest new EVs on sale.

Nissan ought to have a lead on many of its rivals, having sold mainstream EVs for well over a decade – its electric car sales have now topped one million – and the company is bullish on its targets for significantly cutting the cost of lithium-ion batteries in the lead-up to producing a solid-state alternative by 2028.

It’s introducing 19 new EVs by the end of this decade, too. If any of them look as rambunctious as this little concept, we’ll be delighted.

A hugely respected member of the Australian automotive industry, Ash started out as a sales representative but in the late 1980s transitioned to his real calling – motoring journalism – joining Motor magazine under the editorship of Davey Robertson.

With an infectious passion for cars, a natural road-testing ability and a gift for clear, concise and entertaining writing, Ash was soon a crucial member of the Motor team as it stole sales off rival Wheels Magazine in the 1990s.

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He would divert from cars, however, to play a key role in the early days of ACP’s Ralph magazine – Australia’s answer to UK ‘lad mags’ like Loaded and FHM. Ash brought his magazine craft to this fast-paced and fiercely competitive publishing environment, never out of place in a world filled with expert wordsmiths all looking to outdo each other with the smartest and funniest headlines, intros and captions.

In 2002, Ash began freelancing as a sub-editor for Wheels before then editor Ged Bulmer asked him to join the team full-time two years later. Adding a layer of polish to the work of many of the country’s best writers, he helped make the magazine sing with his cleverly crafted captions, headlines and intros.

Ash was editor of Australian Penthouse Magazine before rejoining the Wheels fold. In 2021, Ash was acting editor of Wheels Magazine.

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A talented writer and editor, Ash was also a voracious consumer of popular culture, always seeming to have his finger on the pulse of what was happening in the music, magazine, literary and film worlds, and he channeled these influences into his own writing, and into improving the writing of others. Ash mentored and tutored an entire generation of young motoring journalists.

Ash was a father, a brother, and he was a friend to many. With his trademark “G’day, champion” greeting, and kind, honest and fun-loving nature, Ash will be deeply missed.

The Wheels Media team sends its heartfelt condolences to Ash’s family, friends and loved ones.

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The popular Hyundai i30 hatch will shortly be unavailable in Australia for the first time since the badge appeared here in 2007, thanks to delays in a transition to European production.

In its third-generation form, Australia-bound examples of the ‘PD’ i30 hatch are built in Korea. In fact, ours is the last foreign market to take i30 hatch from Korea, with others now taking supply from Czech Republic and Algeria.

That’s about to change, with Australian supply shifting to the Czech plant in 2024, where we currently source the hot i30 N hatch – but not as early as the brand’s local arm had planned. Speaking with media in Melbourne this week, Hyundai Australia chief operating officer John Kett said an unexpected delay will result in a brief pause on sales.

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“The initial plan was always to end production in Korea and start producing in Europe by Q1 (first quarter), maybe April,” Mr Kett said.

“The problem is that ‘April’ has moved to, can I say, June or July. But the deadline of closing out the factory in Korea hasn’t moved. So we’ll stop producing the i30 in Korea, in December. We’ll stop selling it, as in retail delivering it, in March.”

Mr Kett said the sales stop is only occurring because the company has now sold through its stock and production allocation into the first quarter of 2024.

“So the bulletin will be going out to let the network know that you can’t take any more orders until probably somewhere close to May, June, or July of next year.”

A second facelift, and mild-hybrid power

The i30 hatch we’ll take from Europe will be a facelifted car, marking its second makeover since getting a fresh face in 2020 – three years after its initial launch. That update brought little in the way of interior changes – and we never got the exterior change to the N-Line hatch – but this coming redesign should improve on both points.

We’ll also get some new engines, although the specifics are still to be confirmed.

“There’ll be a slight powertrain change to it,” Mr Kett said. In emissions-restricted Europe, the i30 Hatch range opens with an 88kW/172kW 1.0-litre turbo petrol three-cylinder engine matched to a 48V mild-hybrid system, growing to a 48V mild-hybrid 117kW/253Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol four in the N-Line models.

The latter is surely to disappoint local ‘warm performance’ fans on budgets too tight for the full-bottle N, with the current 1.6 petrol turbo i30 N-Line hatch producing 150kW and 265Nm.

More European, more expensive

A switch to European production will likely make the i30 hatch a more expensive proposition – it currently starts from $24,000 as a manual and $26k for the base auto – but the local arm does not yet have a clear view on where pricing will land, except that it will be “challenging”.

“I think, depending on the exchange (rate), whether we can access the same price points or not is probably challenging. So we’re just going through that process at the moment,” Mr Kett said. “When we first planned that (the shift to Europe production), the exchange rates were a bit different.”

While the i30 hatch is paused in Australia, the company’s dealer network will steer buyers towards the newly arrived second-generation Kona – although the point of entry into that now larger ‘small’ SUV is up $5100 over the previous model, to a new $32,000 base.

For those not willing to throw another $5k at their purchase, there’s the compact Venue SUV, which starts at $21,990 as a manual and $23,900 with an auto. The i30 sedan, which rides on a newer platform than the i30 hatch, starts at $26,000.

Hyundai Australia will of course be hoping that buyers don’t instead turn to the related Kia Cerato, although that would likely make Korea happier than losing them to a Corolla or Mazda 3.

September 2023: Toyota USA digs Theo’s new Camry too!

If only they’d bothered to ask…

More than a year since our mate Theo dropped some handsome next-gen Camry renderings in our inbox, Toyota USA – or, at least, whichever agency they engaged – has used them in a new advertisement.

Posted to the Toyota USA YouTube page, one of the renderings appears on the cover of a faux comic book titled ‘The Amazing Toyota’.

I’ve checked with Theo this morning, and he confirms the images were used without permission or even a heads-up.

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“Whaaat?? Shut the front door! How did you find this?” he asked, before confirming no contact had been made. The image was likely lifted directly from his social media, although they’ve appeared on other websites in the past year.

I suspect the agency responsible for the ad didn’t actually know that the images were speculative and not official marketing images – which, really, says a lot for Theo’s talent. It’s probably a good time for them to cut him a good fat cheque, though…

Mike Stevens

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July 2022: New Camry imagined

The next-generation 2024 Toyota Camry sedan is expected to launch within the next few years, likely adopting hybrid-only powertrains.

A new rendering by Theottle has imagined a redesigned version of the world’s fifth best-selling vehicle ahead of its launch, previewing a look inspired by the recently-unveiled Crown Sport crossover.

The design reveals an evolutionary look over the current, eighth-generation Camry, with a familiar three-box sedan body joining Crown Sport-derived elements, including; slim two-tiered LED headlights, a full-width rear light bar, a sharp lower front bumper, gloss black highlights, and a rear lip spoiler.

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The current-generation Toyota Camry was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2017.

Last year, Toyota recorded 13,081 Camry sales in Australia – making it the top-selling medium car – contributing to 681,000 global sales, including 313,795 in the United States.

The humble sedan has been the best-selling passenger car in the US for the past two decades.

With the growing shift to electric power, the ninth-generation Toyota Camry is likely to retain the current GA-K architecture – potentially keeping the same 2825 millimetre wheelbase and underbody as a significant update.

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The platform also underpins the latest RAV4, Kluger, Lexus NX and RX, and the Crown Crossover.

However, a larger footprint is probable to allow for more room inside, particularly for the Chinese market where rear legroom is favoured.

Under the bonnet, the new-generation Camry is expected to see the deletion of the 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6 engine in overseas markets, replaced by the all-new 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mill, producing around 198kW of power and 420Nm of torque.

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Toyota Australia deleted the atmo V6 from the local Camry line-up in 2021, while the turbocharged four-pot will replace the outgoing V6 in the Kluger large SUV early next year.

A more-powerful hybrid version of the 2.4-litre turbo is available on the 2023 Toyota Crown and Lexus RX, offering around 250kW of power and an advanced all-wheel-drive system capable of sending up to 80 per cent of power to the rear wheels.

This powertrain could form the basis of the rumoured high-performance GR Camry variant; however, Bob Carter, the outgoing executive vice president of sales at Toyota Motor North America, ruled out electrification for GR models – at least for the foreseeable future.

“When would we see the first electrified GR model, you may ask? “In five months? No. In five years? Quite possibly,” he said.

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In addition, the Japanese marque is likely to favour electrified versions of the Camry globally – another move foreshadowed in Australia, with one non-hybrid variant remaining in the current five-strong Camry range.

A plug-in variant sibling to the RAV4 Prime is possible, with a 2.5-litre petrol engine and high-output electric motors for a 225kW total system output.

The plug-in RAV4 can travel around 70 kilometres in all-electric mode with an 18kWh lithium-ion battery, making a Camry Prime an ideal setup for use as a fleet, taxi or rideshare vehicle.

A battery-electric variant of the next-generation Camry is unlikely, at least initially.

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Inside, new technology will include a larger, widescreen infotainment system running Toyota’s latest kit, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ‘Hey, Toyota’ voice functionality, connected navigation and over-the-air software updates.

A digital instrument cluster and smartphone-based remote key are also likely.

Toyota is quietly marking 40 years since the Camry first debuted in 1982, with a minor update planned later this year.

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So far, the company has announced new exterior colours and interior trims for the 2023 Camry, with full details to be announced in the coming months.

A new-generation Honda Accord is around the corner, but it is currently unknown if the new model will reach Australian shores.

The mid-sized sedan has declined for many years, with several rivals removed from sale in Australia – such as the Volkswagen Passat sedan and Subaru Liberty – but the Camry continues to have a strong lead due to its popularity with fleet, taxi and rideshare applications.

Hankook had a stand at last weekend’s Melbourne EV show with a replica third-generation Formula E car in full Hankook livery to draw attention to the tyre maker’s new model line developed with battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars in mind.

Launched earlier this year in Australia, Hankook says its iON tyre range has been developed for electric vehicles specifically. Hankook separates the range into iON Evo AS, for passenger cars, and Evo AS SUV for battery-powered SUVs. Available in 10 sizes spanning 18- to 22-inches, iONs are fitted as standard equipment on the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

Supplying the control tyre for the Formula E racing series gives Hankook a unique insight into the demands electric vehicles put through their rubber, and the iON series takes learnings in its construction.

With the brand’s ‘EVolution’ high silica, eco-friendly compound the iON is said to offer reduced rolling resistance – meaning longer driving range – as well as improved tyre life compared to Hankook’s regular tyres.

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Knurling on the inside of the tyres helps reduce road noise. Hankook calls this technology its ‘Sound Absorber’ and is crucial without noise from a combustion engine to offset the roar of the tarmac beneath.

To deal with additional loads and the unique placement of an EV’s weight in the chassis, the iON Evo range is 25 per cent stiffer laterally and 20 per cent stiffer in cornering than Hankook’s traditional all-season touring tyres.

“We take great pride in presenting the world’s inaugural EV-exclusive tire line, iON, at the Melbourne EV Car Show”, said Hankook Australia managing director Junghee Cho.

“With cutting-edge technology and eco-friendly materials, iON tires not only offer superior performance but also contribute to a sustainable driving experience, delivering reduced noise levels, heightened load-bearing capacity, responsiveness to higher torque, and minimized rolling resistance”, Cho added.

Visit the Hankook website’s EV hub to see iON sizes, prices and retailers [↗]