The first time I spotted a ‘Jungle Wood Green’ Sportage on the road, I was compelled to circle back for a second glance.

The fifth-generation Kia Sportage isn’t just eye-catching; it stands as a formidable player in the medium SUV segment.

The 2023 Sportage S continues to pave the popular models legacy, offering modern design, practicality and value, appealing to a broad audience.

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Pricing and features

The S variant, an entry point to the Sportage lineup, is priced at $32,795 before on-road costs for the manual transmission. Opting for the automatic adds $2000. Both versions harness a 2.0-litre petrol engine, delivering 115kW and 192Nm. Essentially, you’re looking at mid-30’s pricing for either choice.

A 2.0-litre diesel AWD variant is also available as automatic only for $40,195 before on-roads and creates 137kW and 416Nm. It’s much punchier and uses less fuel than its petrol counterparts.

The S offers a compelling mix of essentials and niceties. Standard inclusions are impressive for a base-model and include:

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Inside, the Sportage S focuses on comfort and functionality. The infotainment system, while not the largest in the lineup offers essential connectivity features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Practicality is further enhanced with features like rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and adaptive cruise control.

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Safety

The entire Sportage range is covered by a 5-star ANCAP rating, based on its recent 2022 testing.

It achieved an 87% score for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection and 74% for its safety assist features such as lane keep assist and autonomous emergency braking.

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The Sportage S comes equipped with a comprehensive list of safety features such as rear cross traffic alert, safe exit assist, speed limit assist and lead vehicle departure alert.

In terms of servicing, both the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel variants require a visit to the dealership every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, whichever occurs first.

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Key rivals

With 21 individual models in the mainstream medium SUV segment there are plenty of competitors to the Sportage. The most notable include:

• Toyota RAV4
• Hyundai Tucson
• Mazda CX-5
• Mitsubishi Outlander
• Nissan X-Trail
• Subaru Forester
• Volkswagen Tiguan

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Should I put it on my shortlist?

The 2023 Kia Sportage S is a well-rounded option for those venturing into the medium SUV market while on a budget.

While it might not boast the bells and whistles of its higher-end siblings, it offers a balanced mix of design, features and value.

If you’re seeking a dependable SUV that doesn’t compromise on modern essentials, the Sportage S is definitely worth a closer look.

And, at roughly $35k, it’s not often a vehicle commands a double-take from me.

The Volkswagen T-Roc has a new entry model – the CityLife that’s priced from a sharp $36,990 drive-away.

The inclusive price for the city-focused small SUV is just $1000 above its $35,990 RRP, and saves $5000 over the next model up – the $41,990 drive-away Style that has more features but is powered by the same 110kW engine.

The CityLife expands a range that also includes the R-Line and performance R flagship.

The variant will be relatively short-lived, however – planned to be phased out sometime in the first half of 2024. It will serve as an inbetweener model to the Polo-based T-Cross baby SUV that costs up to $33,490 RRP and is due around mid 2024 in facelifted form.

Volkswagen Australia says it now has excellent supply for the Golf-based T-Roc range, which to the end of August is the German brand’s most popular vehicle locally.

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2023 Volkswagen T-Roc CityLife features

Powering the T-Roc CityLife is Volkswagen’s competent 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, driving the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

A 17-inch alloy wheelset, matched with chubby tyres, contribute to ride comfort in potted urban streets, and help protect the wheels when parallel parking against kerbs.

Visually, CityLife T-Roc variants wear CityLife-specific LED headlights with Light Assist and a blacked out front grille.

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Volkswagen’s Travel Assist suite is fitted as standard, adding Lane Assist with Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Assist, front and rear parking sensors with front and rear AEB, Park Assist and a rear camera.

Inside the T-Roc CityLife, motorists are treated to keyless access and push-button start, Digital Cockpit (instrument cluster), 8.0-inch central infotainment screen with DAB+ radio, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters.

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The CityLife is swathed in Comfort cloth seats with lumbar adjustment, ceramique headlining and ‘pewter matte’ dashboard inlays.

The only option is $700 metallic/pearl paint.

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Hyundai has re-opened orders for its popular i20 N and i30 N hatchbacks, with six-month delivery times for new orders predicted.

Those who’ve been patiently waiting for Hyundai dealers to take their cash will be happy to hear that both of the brand’s performance hatchbacks are now back on sale.

“We are pleased to announce that i20 N and i30 N (hatch) will reopen for customer orders effective immediately”, a Hyundai Australia spokesperson told Wheels.

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“Our existing order bank has been gradually reduced over the past year, to where we now have sufficient production supply to fulfil existing backorders”, the spokesperson added.

Orders for the i30 N hatch were paused in February this year, though sedans were still available. A facelifted i30 Sedan N is expected for local release next year. The i20 N, meanwhile, was off-limits from July 2022 until now, driving prices of lightly-used examples above RRP.

The Hyundai i20 N and i30 N are two of the few remaining attainable performance cars with manual transmissions and cost from $34,990 and $46,200 respectively.

Hyundai Australia is predicting a six-month turnaround for both vehicles for those ordering now, factoring in three to four months of transport from their respective factories.

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Our original story, below, continues unchanged

February 2023: Hyundai i30 N hatch orders paused

The 2023 Hyundai i30 N hot hatch is temporarily off-sale in Australia.

Following strong demand, Hyundai’s local arm said it would pause new orders until the current order bank is less overwhelming.

“To avoid customer disappointment, HMCA will no longer be accepting orders for i30 N (hatch),” said a spokesperson for Hyundai Australia.

“As soon as our i30 N (hatch) production allocation catches up with the order bank, HMCA will start taking orders once again.”

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It follows the smaller i20 N hatch, with new orders paused since mid-2022 to prevent orders from exceeding the production allocation for the Australian market.

As with the i30 N hatch, Hyundai Australia expects new orders for the i20 N to resume once the production allocation catches up with the order bank.

Both vehicles are produced in Europe – the Czech Republic for the i30 N and Turkey for the i20 N – with greater supply for the Korean-built i30 Sedan N and Kona N.

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“We currently have strong supply, and stock locally, for both i30 Sedan N and Kona N,” said the Hyundai Australia spokesperson.

According to the brand, the wait time for a new i30 Sedan N or Kona N order is approximately less than three months, with stock available in the dealer network.

By comparison, current orders for the i30 N and i20 N are facing a 12-month wait, with i20 N order holders potentially receiving the facelifted version due in 2024.

That’s according to Hyundai’s executive technical advisor, Albert Biermann, who mentioned the facelifted i20 N during the 2022 Hyundai N Festival at The Bend in South Australia.

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“Yes, there will be a facelift. It’s coming next summer (Southern Hemisphere winter)… but on the technical side, you don’t need to be afraid; it’s still the [same] crazy corner rascal,” he said, in a promotional interview.

A facelifted version of the i30 Sedan N is also expected later this year or early 2024, with a revised look, more technology, and likely adaptive cruise control for the dual-clutch automatic variant.

As for the i30 N hatch, Albert Biermann confirmed there won’t be another petrol-powered model, as European regulations push brands further towards an electrified line-up.

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Hyundai’s all-electric Ioniq 5 will soon introduce a powerful N flagship, while an Ioniq 6 N, based on the RN22e prototype, is expected to follow.

The future for the Kona N is less clear. A petrol-powered second-generation all but ruled out; however, it could adopt hybrid or all-electric power.

But this is looking unlikely, with attention for a full-fat N version likely to turn towards the Ioniq 5 N, and N Line versions of the Kona Hybrid and Electric.

A three-minute battery change was a pipedream just a decade ago. LDV says it’s now a reality.

The trial has already begun in the Mifa 9 people mover’s China home market. Apparently, there are stations that’ll swiftly remove your Mifa’s depleted battery and replace it with a fully charged freshie in under three minutes.

That’s similar to or even less time than it takes to fill a regular people mover with 70L of viscous diesel. The best bit? Maxus, LDV’s namesake in China, says it’s possible in Australia.

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“To relieve driving range anxiety, Maxus has developed battery-swapping technology for the Mifa 9 which can complete a battery change in just three minutes”, said general manager Maxus product panning division Jiayue Xie.

“In China, Saic Motor Group is building battery swapping stations, we are also planning to apply this technology to Mifa vehicles here in Australia”, added Xie. The $106,000 LDV Mifa 9 people mover has 430km WLTP driving range and with 120kW DC fast-charging can go from 30-80 per cent charge in 36 minutes.

Speaking to local executives LDV Australian distributor from Ateco, we get a clearer idea of timeframes. Australian general manager Dinesh Chinnappa said that battery swapping tech like that being rolled out in China isn’t going publically at scale any time soon.

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There are other implementations beyond a Formula-1 speed pit stop mid-road trip for this technology, though.

For example, an easy-swap battery could revolutionise delivery fleets that rely on electric vans such as the forthcoming LDV eDeliver 7, cutting downtime and allowing off-peak charging.

Instead of using expensive DC charging infrastructure, or wasting precious time sitting on a slow AC power point, businesses could have a stash of batteries at base. Drive in at lunch after the 300km-or-so that LDV claims its forthcoming eDeliver 7 will be capable of and swap the depleted LFP pack for one with 100 per cent – it’s not a bad idea for big fleets such as Ikea, a company that’s already using eDeliver 9 vans in metro areas.

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Although in its infancy, the idea of battery swapping isn’t new. An Israeli company, Better Place, made plenty of noise in Australia before going into liquidation in 2013.

Since 2021, Janus Electric has been trialling the technology with heavy goods vehicles, running trucks and semis from Sydney to Brisbane that are capable of 400-600km of driving range with a battery-changing station in between.

It’s lasted a little over a year, but BMW has finally seen the light – or the lack of take-up, more like – and has dropped the contentious option to subscribe to use the installed heated seat function in its most affordable X1.

According to top BMW brass, the brand will forge ahead with subscription upgrades for software-based content including, for example, self-parking features that use existing hardware.

However, BMW board member for sales and marketing, Pieter Nota, told UK publication Autocar [↗] that the German brand would no longer charge its customers to switch on a function that was already installed on a car, and specifically mentioned seat heating as an example.

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“We thought that we would provide an extra service to the customer by offering the chance to activate that later, but the user acceptance isn’t that high,” Nota said.

“People feel that they paid double – which was actually not true, but perception is reality, I always say. So that was the reason we stopped that.”

The X1 sDrive18i is the only BMW in Australia that was encumbered with the heated seat sub, which could add up to $589 to the cost of the car with the uptake of a lifetime subscription.

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The brand’s local ConnectedDrive web page doesn’t display an option for heated seats, though other functions including wireless Apple CarPlay ($450) and High Beam Assistant ($259) are present.

The Equipment Package for the sDrive18i includes “preparation” for front seat heating, according to the Australian specs, while the sDrive20i offers heating functionality out of the box.

BMW Australia has been contacted for comment.

While this instance of charging customers to activate existing hardware may have gone down poorly with consumers, it’s a rapidly growing sector of the automotive industry.

And there are potentially billions of dollars of revenue on the table for those companies that get the mix right.

Ford, for example, says it already has half a million subscribers for its Ford Integrated Services business, which will be run by Apple’s former vice president of services, Peter Stern.

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However, there will be headwinds. A 2022 study by Cox Automotive in the US revealed that 75 per cent of consumers are unwilling to subscribe to most vehicle features.

More than 90 per cent of survey respondents said heated and cooled seats should be included in a car’s ticket price, while 89 per cent said that remote-start functions should also be standard fare.

The end game? A potential windfall of US$20 billion a year for the major car companies, as well as the opportunity to shore up dwindling brand loyalty statistics by keeping customers updated with the latest and greatest.

We’ve had a crack at imagining the next-generation BMW 3 Series in both sedan and wagon form.

Formally shown off at this year’s IAA Motor Show in Munich, BMW’s Neue Klasse concept foreshadows the Bavarian brand’s future. And it does so with the form factor that’s defined BMW since 1975: the 3 Series.

The current ‘G20’ 3 Series is expected to live on until 2026 and the X3 is pipped to be the first model to utilise the brand’s Neue Klasse architecture – you can see our imagination of that vehicle at the link below.

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This time, rendering guru Theottle’s combined the salient feature of Neue Klasse exterior design with some hallmark 3 Series traits to envisage an all-new i3 sedan and wagon.

With the same horizontal grilles (thank goodness BMW is moving away from the buck-teeth 4 Series items) as the concept and confident swage line the run low on the door, there’s plenty of Neue Klasse in our imagination.

‘Our’ i3’s lower valance has been tweaked to make it more production-ready than the concept’s splitter.

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At the rear, key 3 Series lineage is clear in this imagination. The modern interpretation of the Hofmeister Kink at the C-Pillar gives way to a short boot lid that slopes gently into the 3 Series’ signature Kamm tail rear end.

For a more production-ready look, the render has a simpler rear taillight design than the concept. The LED lights stand proud, and slope in at the BMW roundel.

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Then we’ve got the wagon to talk about. BMW has confirmed a long-roofed ‘Touring’ body will follow the i3 sedan to market.

About six months behind the three-box design, like the current 3 Series expect the wagon to share everything forward of the B-Pillar with the sedan.

From there back, it’s a different – more conventional – interpretation of the Hofmeister Kink, with the rear guards appearing more blistered. A narrow rear window should be able to open freely from the bulky tailgate for easy loading of smaller objects – another 3er Touring hallmark.

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Of course, the Neue Klasse is about more than exterior design as BMW – like plenty of other manufacturers – transitions to a ‘mobility’ company, rather than car-maker.

That means occupants will get to interact with the cabin in a whole new way, there’s a panoramic head-up display we saw on the i-Vision Dee, and a focus on recycled materials inside.

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What do you think of our 2026 i3/3 Series imagination, are we on the money? And is this a fitting continuation of the 3 Series legacy? Have your say in the comments.

Below: BMW Neue Klasse concept

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January 2024: eDeliver 7 pricing announced

The electric LDV eDeliver 7 is now available in Australia with short-wheelbase low-roof, medium-wheelbase low-roof, and medium-wheelbase high-roof forms.

September 2023: eDeliver 7 confirmed for Australia

The 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 mid-size van is locked in for Australia.

LDV Australia has confirmed the Chinese-built eDeliver 7 will be initially offered as an electric-only model when it arrives in the fourth quarter of 2023, or the first portion of 2024.

“Worst case Q1 2024, but it could be Q4 this year,” said LDV Australia’s general manager, Dinesh Chinnappa.

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The electric eDeliver 7 – known as the Maxus V70 in its home market – will be offered in short-wheelbase low-roof, medium-wheelbase low-roof, and medium-wheelbase high-roof form. Local pricing and features will be detailed closer to the eDeliver 7’s launch.

It will offer a 77kWh standard-range battery, aiming for over 300km in driving range. Overseas, it has a WLTP-rated 310km driving range, and there’s an 88kWh longer-range battery good for a claimed 382km.

Both are powered by a front-mounted 150kW/330Nm electric motor, with a 120km/h top speed – or 90km/h in eco mode – and a circa-12-second 0-100km/h time.

With the full-size eDeliver 9 electric van priced from $99,990 before on-road costs, the eDeliver 7 will likely be priced between $85,000 and $95,000 plus on-roads – undercutting the $92,990 eT60 ute to become LDV’s cheapest electric vehicle.

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LDV’s Australian arm expressed interest in combustion-engined versions of the Deliver 7 mid-size van down the track but is yet to confirm a date.

The Chinese-market version of the Deliver 7 is offered as a panel van or people carrier, with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and an automatic transmission.

It has a reported fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km, and is said to ride on a ‘new’ architecture shared with the electric van.

LDV said in January that the new mid-size van would be offered in internal combustion and all-electric form with three roof height variations.

With recent success in the large van category, where the LDV Deliver 9 outsold the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for the first time in two decades, the Chinese brand hopes to “have the same impact” in the smaller segment.

VFACTS new-car sales data reveals the long-running Toyota HiAce (4409) dominates the mid-size van segment year-to-date, followed by the LDV G10 (2485), the soon-to-be-replaced Ford Transit Custom (2164), and the Hyundai Staria Load (1742).

“We expect our new mid-size van will replicate the success of the Deliver 9 and shake up its respective segment,” Chinnappa said in January.

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Enhanced safety and driver assistance

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) will be required for the eDeliver 7 to be sold in Australia, potentially life-saving technology that the G10 and V80 both currently lack. All new vehicles sold here after March 2025 will require AEB.

Just like in the United Kingdom, Australian eDeliver 7’s will be equipped with ‘level two’ driver-assist tech. This includes lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, driver fatigue monitoring, door opening warning, and six airbags, as well as AEB.

Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts, high-beam assist, a 360-degree camera, and emergency calling are also standard in the UK.

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The 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 electric mid-size van is due in Australia in the fourth quarter of this year, or in early 2024. The diesel variant is expected to follow at a later date.

It will face competition from the all-electric Ford E-Transit Custom, due to arrive in Australia sometime in 2024, joined by the next-generation diesel model.

Below: The current 2023 LDV G10 and LDV V80 mid-size vans

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Fire and Rescue NSW are investigating the cause of a battery fire at a Sydney Airport car park on Monday night that destroyed five vehicles.

Firefighters were called to a parking lot on Airport Drive, Mascot, where flames had engulfed an electric car – identified as an MG ZS EV – before spreading to another four other motor vehicles.

Fire authorities have pinpointed a high-voltage battery pack located on the ground in front of the MG as the source of the fire.

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“A battery, which had recently been detached from the luxury car and stored in the lot, was quickly identified as having sparked the blaze,” read a statement from Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW).

The circumstances around the blaze are unusual, to say the least.

Vision from FRNSW clearly shows the battery pack lying on the ground in front of the vehicle, which is located in a vehicle holding yard at the base of Sydney Airport’s control tower.

It is understood that the battery had been damaged before it was removed from the vehicle and had been exposed to the elements for some time.

Given the close proximity of the vehicles in the parking compound, several have been badly damaged by the fire.

However, the fire damage is not as comprehensive as it could potentially have been, with the structures of the cars still visible and the battery pack of the MG still recognisable.

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It’s not known if the MG’s battery was a later-model lithium iron phosphate type, which is less prone to what is known as thermal runaway than lithium-ion batteries.

However, the circumstances around the battery being removed from the car and stored in such a haphazard and unsupervised way will require considerable investigation.

The Fire Investigation and Research Unit (FIRU) are piecing together the circumstances surrounding the incident, according to the FRNSW.

Research officers from FRNSW’s Safety of Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies (SARET) team have also inspected the scene.

MG Australia has been working with the fire department since the incident yesterday.

“MG understands the customer’s vehicle and battery were already damaged and the battery was not in the vehicle. We understand the vehicle was being stored at an airport holding yard and also not in a driveable condition,” the company said in a latest statement released Thursday.

Electric vehicle fires are very rare in Australia, though the damage they can potentially inflict can be catastrophic.

A recent fire – also on Monday night – aboard a Tesla Model 3 sedan, captured by fire crews in Penrose, NSW [↗], resulted from debris hitting the car’s underside while travelling on a freeway. No one was injured in the incident.

Replacing the existing 3008 medium SUV, the 2024 E-3008 is coming to Australia!

As the first vehicle in the Stellantis portfolio to use the automotive supergroup’s STLA Medium architecture – that promises over 700km WLTP driving range – the E-3008 is a crucial model.

The Peugeot E-3008 will be released in Australia, though timing and pricing are yet to be confirmed. It will hit European showrooms in February 2024.

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“On the back of launching Peugeot’s first all-electric vehicles in the Australian market – the e-Partner van and e-2008 SUV – we’re pleased to confirm the Next-Level E-3008, revealed globally today, will launch in Australia”, said Peugeot Australia managing director Kate Gillis.

This is the latest and most comprehensive part of the French carmaker’s goal to offer BEVs in every segment by 2025 on its way to selling only electric cars in Europe by 2030. The Australian arm is yet to make a commitment to ending piston-engine sales.

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Peugeot E-3008 charging, power and driving range

The most important part of the E-3008 is its STLA Medium architecture – it becomes the first vehicle in the portfolio to use these underpinnings.

In Europe, the French-built E-3008 is offered in three powertrain configurations with two battery sizes. The smaller 73kWh can be paired with single or twin motors, both with a targeted driving range of 525km in the WLTP combined cycle.

The Long Range steps up to a 98kWh pack good for 700km driving range – that would be enough to make the E-3008 the longest-range EV on sale in Australia today.

For comparison, the longest-range Tesla Model Y is capable of 533km from a single charge in WLTP testing. Peugeot’s 700km target figure is yet to be homologated, however.

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Charging is capped at 160kW DC for a fast charge from 20-80 per cent in 30 minutes. Home and slower charging can be done at up to 22kW AC when the option box is ticked.

Power levels are moderate, with even the quickest dual motor variant boasting 235kW, adequate for a family SUV. The Long range and single motor get 155kW and 170kW motors.

Although released as a BEV-only proposition initially, Peugeot mentions that hybrid versions of the third-gen 3008 will be added for select markets in the future – perhaps this includes Australia.

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New cabin direction and fastback design

Peugeot had already revealed key details of the E-3008’s cabin, including the 21-inch infotainment and driving info screen.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity has been confirmed, as has in-car connectivity with Peugeot’s latest live traffic navigation and must-have connected services technology.

There will be just two trim levels offered at launch, Allure and GT. Allure actually gets a pair of 10-inch screens rather than the GT’s single 21-inch item. It’s also fitted with 19-inch alloy wheels, fabric/leather upholstery, and single-tone paint.

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The GT trim levels up the luxury with two-tone paint and contrasting roof colour, 20-inch alloy wheels, active LED headlights, power tailgate, seat heating, quilted leather upholstery, customisable ‘i-Toggle’ switches, and more advanced infotainment software.

A medium SUV, the E-3008 measures 4.54m long, 1.89m wide, and 1.64m tall. It’s about 100mm longer, 50mm wider and 20mm taller than the existing 3008, boding well for improved cabin space.

Peugeot has prioritised sustainability in the E-3008’s construction. Over 500kg of the car’s construction is ‘green materials’, including carbon-friendly aluminium and steel in the body and chassis.

Parts inside are produced using eco-friendly polymers, while the bumpers, spoiler, storage bins, and carpets are constructed from recycled plastic.

To get rid of harmful processes in production, the E-3008 does without any chrome exterior highlights. peugeot has also drastically reduced decorative inserts to lower the use of plastic.

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Pricing and availability

As before, a larger 5008 will be spun off the 3008 – likely with three rows of seating. Expect a reveal in early 2024.

With European deliveries to begin in February 2024, Australian arrivals are likely to ramp up towards the end of next year. Pricing is hard to predict with Peugeot Australia’s current strategy, but we expect a high-spec entry model to be priced beyond $75,000.

Our original story, below, continues unchanged

September 2023: Peugeot E-3008 revealed ahead of launch

Peugeot has released images revealing the all-electric E-3008 medium SUV ahead of its official launch this week.

The images show the E-3008 in full, with no camouflage or tricks hiding the design. The sloping coupe roofline takes inspiration from the 408 coupe crossover, rather than referencing Peugeot’s more boxy second-gen 3008.

There are very bold exterior details, too, including those extremely unconventional aerodynamic alloys, Lambo Urus-like high rear deck and futuristic cabin styling. We’ll reserve judgement until our eyes have graced a production model but in the meantime let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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Beneath the all-electric E-3008 will be Stellantis’s new STLA (pronounced ‘Stella’) Medium platform, promising a leap ahead of the existing car’s EMP2 underpinnings.

The new platform obliges two- or all-wheel electric drive with a potential driving range of up to 700km for the longest-range variant thanks to the STLA Medium platform’s ability to package a 98kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Unlike the existing 3008 SUV there seem to be no plans to offer combustion-engined or plug-in hybrid variants of the third-gen E-3008. The existing car may instead live on to serve markets such as Australia, the Middle East and Asia.

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Inside, the design references existing Peugeot language but is much closer to concept car in execution. Swathes of tactile-looking fabric coat horizontal surfaces (not unlike the Renault Megane E-Tech), while the French brand says there are 21 inches of screen within its new ‘i-Cockpit’ that seamlessly combines the digital driver’s display and infotainment touchscreen.

We expect nothing less than the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity that’s quickly becoming the norm. Peugeot is likely to introduce more advanced phone connectivity to compete with Tesla’s Model Y, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, and Renault’s Scenic E-Tech.

Peugeot will release final details including the nitty gritty on driving range, dimensions, and likely European pricing of the E-3008 on September 12.

The Ferrari Roma Spider is now available to order in Australia from $520,300, with customer deliveries of Maranello’s most affordable drop-top beginning in Q2 2024.

“We’re thrilled to be sharing the Ferrari Roma Spider with our clients here in Australia”, said president of Ferrari Australasia, Dr. Jan Hendrik Voss.

“This timeless soft-top is attracting attention from those who already love the open-top experience of our cars, and from clients who are now looking forward to their first open-air Ferrari.”

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A full $110,000 dearer than the Roma coupe, the Spider is equipped with a power-retractable soft top that can open in 13.5 seconds at speeds of up to 60km/h. It also becomes the first rag-top ‘Rari in more than half a century.

With 456kW and 760Nm sent from its 3.9-litre turbo-petrol V8 to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Roma Spider (with its 85kg weight penalty) can reach 100km/h from rest in 3.4 seconds and boasts a 320km/h top speed.

Available to order from Ferrari dealers now, the Roma Spider will arrive in the second quarter of next year following the brand’s first four-door vehicle – that it won’t call an SUV – the V12 Purosangue. Wheels will experience the Roma Spider for the first time next week.

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2024 Ferrari Roma pricing

Our original story, below, continues unchanged

March 17: Ferrari Roma Spider unveiled

Ferrari has lifted the cover on its first front-engined soft-top in more than half a century.

The 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider replaces the coupe’s fixed roof with a retractable soft-top that can be opened in 13.5 seconds.

US publication Road and Track reports it will replace the Portofino M in the Italian marque’s lineup, with the Roma featuring a more-potent version of the 3.9-litre F154 twin-turbocharged V8.

It is the first front-engined Ferrari fabric-top since the 365 GTS/4 – also known as the Daytona Spyder – ended production in the early 1970s.

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To create the Roma Spider, Ferrari’s engineers added a five-millimetre nolder to the top of the windscreen for aerodynamics, an automatic “patented” wind deflector, and modified the active rear spoiler.

Under the bonnet, the Roma Spider retains the familiar 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 456kW and 760Nm, with power sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Despite an 84-kilogram weight increase, it has an identical 3.4-second 0-100km/h sprint time, with a 320km/h top speed.

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Inside, the Roma Spider is again familiar, with a digital instrument cluster, a portrait-orientated 8.4-inch infotainment system, optional passenger display, and a centre console bridge separating the driver and front passenger.

The 2024 Ferrari Roma has been confirmed for Australia, with local pricing and details to be announced closer to its launch.

Currently, the 2023 Ferrari Roma hardtop is priced from $409,888 before on-road costs in Australia, with a price increase likely for the Spider.