The 2023 Citroën C5 X wagon has gone on sale in Australia priced from $57,670 before on-road costs.

The model will come in one highly-specced Shine variant, with highlights including; a contrasting black roof, panoramic sunroof, black ‘advanced comfort’ seats and 19-inch alloy wheels.

A plug-in hybrid version is confirmed for the lineup, joining sometime next year.

For the first time, Citroën buyers will be able to access Connected Services, or an internet-connected vehicle to help with a range of navigation tasks, as well as gaining extra safety features – such as blind-spot monitoring.

Connected Services includes live carpark space availability, locating fuel outlets and fuel price, with live traffic routing, internet enabled map searching and map updates, as well as warning of speed camera locations and accident danger zones.

The service requires a subscription and is free for the first three years from the vehicle’s warranty start date with the option to purchase additional one or three year extensions.

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2023 Citroën C5 X Australian pricing

All pricing is before on on-road costs.

Four metallic paint colours are offered as an extra – steel grey, nera black, amazonite grey, platinum grey – while magnetic blue is standard and pearl white comes at an added premium.

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Features

As standard, the Shine variant gets features such as:

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Engine, transmission and fuel economy

The C5 X is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder PureTech petrol engine capable of producing 133kW of power and 250Nm of torque paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It also features Citroën’s Advanced Comfort Suspension and seats. Designed to help create the brand’s famed ‘magic carpet ride’ quality, it significantly reduces the shocks of surface imperfections such as potholes, kerbs and speed bumps or poor-quality roads.

Fuel economy is rated at 6L/100km on the combined cycle.

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Dimensions

The C5 X is set on a 2785 millimetre wheelbase and measures 4805mm long, making it longer overall but with a shorter wheelbase than the last C5 – which measured in at 4778mm and 2814mm respectively.

However, at 1865mm, the C5 X is 13mm wider, while its overall height of 1485mm is just 14mm taller than that last C5 wagon.

Citroën says buyers can expect a roomy interior with spacious legroom and headroom in both seating rows. Likewise, the 545/1640-litre boot space compares reasonably well with the taller C5 Aircross SUV’s 580/1630L cargo area.

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Safety

The new Citroën C5 X Shine has a full suite of safety equipment, which includes:

There are also some safety features which have not previously been offered by Citroën, which include; rear cross-traffic alert, long range blind-spot monitoring and active lane positioning assist.

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Warranty

Citroën Australia offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and five-years roadside assistance, plus capped-price servicing for the first five years as follows:

Note: list scrolls horizontally.

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Availability

The 2023 Citroën C5 X is on sale now.

UPDATE: C5 X PHEV confirmed for Australia

Citroën has confirmed the plug-in hybrid variant of its new C5 X wagon will be coming to Australia.

The French marque shared the news at the launch of the model’s single high-spec Shine variant, which hits local showrooms from today.

Its purely internal combustion counterpart is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder PureTech petrol engine capable of producing 133kW/250Nm when paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Meanwhile, few details are known as yet about the PHEV C5 X, but Citroën has confirmed the model will pair the 1.6-litre turbo engine with an 80kW electric motor and 11.9kWh battery for around 50 kilometres of claimed electric driving range.

“We will expand the C5 X range with the addition of the plug-in hybrid electric in the second half of next year, which will be a great opportunity,” said Kate Gillis, head of Citroën Australia.

Asked about any other EV plans for the brand, a spokesperson added: “The e-C4 remains under evaluation for the local market and is looking very favourable and we will share more information when we we’re able to on that one.”

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The story to here

September 13: 2023 Citroën C5 X on track to launch before Christmas

The mid-size 2023 Citroën C5 X remains set to arrive in Australian showrooms before the end of 2022.

Citroën has today confirmed the colour palette for the part-sedan, part-SUV C5 X, which will compete against the Subaru Outback and Volkswagen Passat Alltrack when it arrives between October and December.

Six colours will be offered – pearl white, steel grey, nera black, amazonite grey, platinum grey and magnetic blue.

As previously announced, the model will feature one highly-specced Shine variant, with highlights including; a contrasting black roof, panoramic sunroof, black ‘advanced comfort’ seats and 19-inch alloy wheels.

See below for our previous coverage on the 2023 Citroën C5 X.

Jordan Hickey

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July 12, 2022: Powertrain details revealed

The 2023 Citroën C5 X is to come to Australia in one highly-specced variant, the company has revealed today.

The C5 X will be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre PureTech petrol engine capable of producing 133kW of power when paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Torque figures have not yet been quoted.

Kate Gillis, Managing Director Citroën Australia, said: “There is no doubt that the Citroën C5 X will further expand the brand’s growth opportunities in Australia. Truly encompassing the brand’s design DNA, the C5 X will appeal to the discerning Australian consumer keen to travel in absolute comfort and stand out in style on the roads.”

The Citroën C5 X is set to arrive in Australian showrooms in the final quarter of 2022. Further information, including specification and pricing, will be available closer to launch.

The story to here

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November 17, 2021: C5 X confirmed for Australian market

The 2023 Citroën C5 X has been confirmed for Australia, with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant also potentially on its way.

Citroën Australia General Manager Kate Gillis told media on Tuesday that the model will be arriving locally in the third quarter of next year.

No further details about pricing or specification have yet been confirmed, other than to say a PHEV version is “still being evaluated”.

“We are very excited about the C5 X coming to Australia and are planning that car at the moment. We’re concentrating on getting the spec right. The PHEV is on the table for evaluation, but more detail will be available closer to launch,” Gillis said.

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April 12, 2021: Citroën C5 X revealed

Western buyers haven’t seen the Citroën C5 in its conventional sedan and wagon form since 2017, and 2018’s high-riding C5 Aircross SUV did little to evoke memories of the original two generations – or the iconic XM, CX and DS models that preceded the badge.

Now there’s this, the 2023 Citroën C5 X. Revealed today ahead of an unconfirmed but ‘in discussion’ Australian launch, the C5 X is described as a new flagship that combines “the elegance of a saloon, the dynamism of a station wagon and the elevated stance of an SUV”.

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Citroën says the C5 X is inspired by the Cxperience concept revealed in 2016 – but where that show car boasted a minimalist, low-slung and muscular sportswagon look, this final production version exploits the modern car buyer’s penchant for SUVs.

The C5 X is set on a 2785mm wheelbase and measures 4805mm long, making it longer overall but with a shorter wheelbase than the last C5 – which measured in at 4778mm and 2814mm respectively. However, at 1865mm, the C5 X is 13mm wider, while its overall height of 1485mm is just 14mm taller than that last C5 wagon.

Citroën says buyers can expect a roomy interior with spacious legroom and headroom in both seating rows. Likewise, the 545/1640-litre boot space compares reasonably well with the taller C5 Aircross SUV’s 580/1630L cargo area.

Given the C5 Aircross’s shorter 2730mm wheelbase and 4510mm overall length, it’s clear the C5 X prioritises passenger space over boot storage – yet to no great disadvantage in luggage-carrying capacity.

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Powertrains available to C5 X buyers in Europe will include turbo petrol and petrol-electric Plug-in Hybrid EV (PHEV) models. Full details for both variants are still to be revealed, but Citroën has confirmed the PHEV model will offer 167kW of power and “more than” 50 kilometres in electric-only driving.

The fan-favourite hydropneumatic suspension system retired with the last C5 is replaced here with Citroën’s newer Advanced Comfort suspension – paired to ‘mattress-like’ seat cushion technology of the same name.

Technology includes a 12-inch touchscreen display, along with the semi-autonomous ‘level 2’ Highway Driver Assist system – using radar, cameras and sensors all around the car.

Toyota Australia has confirmed that 70 Series ute and wagon order books will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

At the time of the initial official announcement in August, the brand’s Australian arm didn’t give an exact length on order pauses.

Six months is the most recent figure quoted, but executives told Wheels the order lag could end up being even longer, due to ongoing supply constraints.

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“We’ve paused that car. It’s part of the transparency for the customers. I wouldn’t see that car coming off [pause] for the next six months at least, and maybe beyond that”, said vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley.

“If we can improve [70 Series] production then certainly, but until we clear the current order bank, we can’t do that.”

Australia is the biggest global market for the Japanese-built 70 Series LandCruiser. It’s a popular choice in mining and commercial fleets, but a recent boom in off-roader sales has also seen the 76 Series wagon becoming a more popular choice for recreational off-roaders.

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How big is the order bank?

Citing commercial reasons, Hanley declined to put an exact figure on the current number of orders in.

But with currently over a year’s wait, looking at the sales figures gives an indication of exactly how much hunger there is for the 70 Series.

In 2021, Toyota delivered 12,077 examples of 79 Series single and dual-cab LandCruisers in Australia. Year-to-date in 2022, Toyota has delivered a further 9083 examples.

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Running the numbers, the 70 Series order bank is likely in excess of 10,000 cars, with potential as many as 15,000 backordered.

For those who are still keen to put their name down, Mr Hanley said that while expressions of interest are open at dealers to get in the queue, the brand can’t take any orders, again citing transparent customer relations as the reason.

2022 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake long-term review

JUMP AHEAD

• Welcome
• Upcoming: Pack and full send
• Upcoming: Shoot to thrill
• Upcoming: Power tripping
• Upcoming: Done the bolt

Welcome

Carrying the load

• Price as tested: $81,000 (+ORC)
• This month: 121km @ 10.6L/100km
• Overall: 121km @ 10.6L/100km

Case in point: the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake. I must admit its arrival last year did catch me off-guard a little, given the overall decline in the wagon market globally. Consider the fact that Mercedes-Benz no longer offers the CLS shooting brake, while the CLA shooting brake, which is still available overseas, isn’t part of the local line-up.

No matter − Genesis clearly figured that even a small slice of the declining wagon market still justified the development cost of the Shooting Brake, and we’re glad they did.

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I reckon this is a wagon done right –  it’s got a great stance, elegantly sloping roofline, and the fastback rear-end is rakish and eye-catching. In the short time I’ve had it, heads have rotated and a few curious types have strolled up for a proper look and chat, so it seems to tick the street-cred box.

In terms of spec, Genesis Australia clearly figures anyone who’s likely to be tempted by the Shooting Brake will want it fully loaded, so there’s only one rich grade offered at $79,000. But no twin-turbo V6 – the sole engine choice is the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder producing 179kW and 353Nm.

For pricing context within the Genesis line-up, you can get into the base G70 sedan with this engine for $63,000, but the wagon includes as standard two packs that are otherwise optional on that base sedan.

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First is the $10,000 Luxury pack, which includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, matrix LED headlights, 16-way power driver’s seat with memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, power tailgate, power adjustment for the steering column, 15-speaker Lexicon sound system, Nappa leather upholstery, suede headliner, and acoustic lamination for the windscreen and front door glass.

Still with me? Okay, to that the Shooting Brake also gets the Sport Line package ($4000 when optioned on the sedan) which includes a limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes (four-piston fronts; twin-piston rears), 19-inch dark-finish alloys, alloy pedals, aluminium trim, dark chrome grille and window surrounds.

So, to spec the 2.0-litre sedan to this level would cost $77,000, meaning the premium for the Shooting Brake body is $2000, which is reasonable when compared to European rivals. (BMW, for example, charges $4000 for the step from 330i sedan to 330i Touring.)

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The only option added to our example is the Bond Silver matte paint at $2000. I think the matte finish really suits the car, and an additional upside, if you’re a bit of an OCD nerd like me, is that the finish is lovely and consistent in areas like the door jambs and under the bonnet, rather than having a rich gloss exterior that suddenly goes matte in the places car companies assume you don’t look.

So, first impressions.

The interior is agreeably luxo in terms of materials and build quality, but the inescapable fact is that the overall design, when compared to the Genesis SUVs, is looking a generation behind, despite the installation of a 10.25-inch multimedia screen that was part of the G70’s update last year.

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There’s nothing wrong with the cockpit ergonomically – I like the traditional HVAC controls, despite the fact the dials feel a bit plasticky – but it lacks the more lavish design of the GV70.

Seat adjustment allows a bum-on-floor position if you like that, and seat support is excellent, especially for my frame when the under-thigh section is fully extended. The quilted leather is lush quality, much better than the regular stuff from BMW.

As for the 2.0-litre turbo four, it’s a workman-like unit, rather than anything really sonorous or especially engaging. While I’m yet to properly extend it outside of suburbia, performance is lively enough, but obviously doesn’t deliver anything like fluid shove of the twin-turbo V6 available in the sedan.

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Further, anyone cross-shopping this car against its 2.0-litre German rivals will notice its outputs are down a bit. Audi’s A4 45 TSI Avante pips it with 183kW/370Nm, BMW’s 330i Touring delivers 190kW/400Nm, while VW’s $10K-cheaper Arteon Shooting Brake trumps all with 206kW/400Nm.

Steering weight (when not in Sport or Sport+ modes) feels a little lighter than I recall from the V6 sedan; maybe it’s a slightly different tune, or possibly less engine weight over the nose is the difference. Either way, the rack is sweetly direct without being anything particularly tactile.

For my taste it’s overly assisted at low speed, meaning its least-endearing element is the flaccid low-speed self-centring action. Straightening out of 90-degree intersections or roundabouts is like a too-limp handshake. At normal driving speeds it’s better, but more mode-fiddling is needed.

Back to top

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UPDATE: New finance deal offered on Ateca and Leon

Spanish challenger brand Cupra has announced it is offering finance for as low as $148-per-week on its Leon hot hatch and $168 Ateca SUV.

The deal is applicable to MY22 Leon VZs and VZxs and all grades of the MY22 Ateca with rates from 2.99 per cent per annum over five years if taken up before November 30.

This includes guaranteed future value, a trade-in bonus, three years free servicing, five years roadside assist and a five-year warranty.

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The story to here

October 5: Formentor and Leon PHEVs hit showrooms

Cupra Australia has sold half of its initial plug-in hybrid allocation, consisting of 98 total vehicles split between Leon and Formentor VZe.

The first drop of plug-in Cupras was made available on Thursday, September 29, and at the time of writing there are 27 examples left through Cupra’s online sales portal and experience centres.

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Cupra says that – in typical early-adopter style – the initial sales were skewed to highly-optioned examples.

Both Leon and Formentor VZes use a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder combined with an electric motor for outputs of 180kW/400Nm. The Leon hot hatch starts from $60,490 before on-road costs for front-wheel drive and around 50-60 kilometres of electric-only driving range from its 10.4kWh (usable) battery pack.

With all-wheel drive, the Formentor small SUV is slightly dearer, from $60,990 before on-road costs. Cupra offers drive-away deals, though these vary state-by-state.

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Both Cupras are the first product from the VW Group to rock plug-in hybrid powertrains in Australia, though cousin-brand Volkswagen will bring the Touareg R PHEV here, potentially followed by Golf GTE and Tiguan PHEV models.

“The rapid response to the first consignment of CUPRA’s Leon and Formentor VZe PHEVs demonstrates the pent up demand for genuine hybrids”, Cupra Australia director Ben Wilks told Wheels.

“Urban customers especially can drive in full EV mode almost all of the time. Both the Leon and the Formentor have a fully battery driven, zero-emission range of some 50km. That gets quite a few average commutes and school runs in before recharging.

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“The added surety of a highly efficient, Euro Six level turbo-petrol engine makes PHEVs an attractive proposition for use beyond metropolitan area where charging is not yet readily available. Even when the battery is run down, it behaves likes a more conventional hybrid, using the combustion engine to replenish battery range”, Wilks said.

More plug-in hybrid Cupras are on their way to Australia ahead of the Born BEV’s 2023 release.

UPDATE: CX-60 and CX-5 won’t be in direct competition to each other

The upcoming Mazda CX-60 will not cut into the CX-5’s mid-sized SUV territory when it comes to sales, a company exec has said.

Speaking to Wheels, Marketing Director Alastair Doak said that despite its pricing expected to be roughly in line with the firm’s current best-seller, the CX-60 is a very different offering and there’s a place for both in the lineup.

“CX-5 will be okay. CX-60 is a much bigger product and obviously its specification is quite different,” he said. “It has rear-wheel drive, six-cylinder engines, it’s got plug-in hybrid and and those sort of things that five doesn’t have.

“But even sitting in the showroom, CX-60 is a larger car. So even from that basic kind of lineup, it kind of works. CX-5 is doing incredibly well, if we hadn’t had a few supply restrictions [it would be even better] and actually supply for that car currently is good.”

To the end of September, Mazda sold 21,124 CX-5s, with last month proving a good one for the model with 2439 cars finding homes thanks to improved supply.

Meanwhile, as Australia is a significant market for Mazda, where the brand out-punches its global sales taking second spot behind giant Toyota, it’s crucial the new CX-60 can meet the expectations of Australian buyers.

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The story to here

March 25: CX-60 pricing expected to be around $55k

The 2023 Mazda CX-60 will start around $55,000 before on road costs – perhaps even slightly lower – when it arrives in Australian showrooms this later this year.

The pricing could tantalise buyers looking for a premium Akera version of the CX-5, which tops out at $53,680 for the diesel model, who will be able to step into the new luxury-focussed CX-60 for similar money.

“There could be some overlap,” said Mazda Australia managing director, Vinesh Bhindi, speaking to Wheels at the 2022 Mazda CX-5 launch this week.

“The offering and the range CX-5 covers, in terms of price, we expect CX60 to be above that – there could be some overlap – but most likely above it.”

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The CX-60 is the third new ‘CX’ model revealed from Mazda and is pitched at a more premium buyer than the CX-5, which itself has had considerable updates since the current generation’s arrival in 2017, and larger CX-8.

Built on new rear-wheel drive architecture, the long-wheelbase CX-60 will offer six-cylinder internal combustion powertrains as well as plug-in hybrid models.

“What the CX-60 does is give our customers another choice as they move ahead in their lives. Some of it could be based on the technology, the drivetrains, the dynamics that vehicle will offer, and in some cases it will be the value equations,” said Bhindi.

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“So our direction has always been to give choice to customers so they can make the decision, the right one that fits their own circumstance at the time. So that’s where the CX-60’s spark will be.”

A circa-$55k start gives the CX-60 a significant price advantage over the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 that it has been touted as challenging – yet Mazda says that’s not where the new nameplate will be pitched.

“Those customers may consider us, they may not – that’s not where we are,” Bhindi said. “Our plan is: we’ve got Mazda fans, and Mazda fans want choice from us [based on] their lifestyle as they progress, their family size or stages of life, where they are in their career. Customers like choice.”

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In the 1990s, Mazda offered its premium ‘Eunos’ brand to Australians as a rival to the likes of Nissan’s Infiniti and Toyota’s Lexus luxury divisions.

Similarly, Hyundai is the most recent mainstream carmaker to offer a separately branded luxury division, with its Genesis sub-brand introduced in 2015. Yet Mazda won’t repeat history by creating its own luxury marque.

“We didn’t see the need for it,” said Bhindi. “In the end, it’s [CX-60] a global Mazda product. We tried this with Eunos, but we don’t see that need [now] because, as a brand, we’re already seen as a premium brand against some of our competitors.

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“If you go back in time, what we’re talking about our intent with CX-60, those sorts of strategies have happened because our products have naturally gone up.

“You could consider what was offered in a CX-5 in 2012 to 2022, you can map out the progression. So it’s not brand-new, unknown for us … and we’ve always said, what’s next, how can we take this further [while] still providing value. That’s the hard part – we still have to provide value to the customer.”

Jaguar is marking the final model year update of its long-serving and much-loved F-Type sports car, and 75 years of Jaguar sports cars, with a simplified range of special V8 coupes and convertibles.

Having already discontinued the previously available six-cylinder variants, the MY24 Jaguar F-Type will be offered in standard F-Type and F-Type R guise, all fitted with Jaguar’s supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine. The former comes in coupe or convertible bodies with 331kW, while the manic F-Type R nets 423kW in a coupe-only configuration.

Pricing begins at $183,200 (before on-road costs) for the F-Type 75 Coupe, with local deliveries expected to commence from April 2023.

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The F-Type’s final range update signals the twilight of Jaguar’s combustion performance era, representing Jaguar’s final combustion sports car before the historic brand shifts into an electric luxury marque come 2025.

Further packaging adjustments for the rest of the range include the standard fitment of 20-inch wheels on all models, with new centre caps and black body badging.

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2024 Jaguar F-Type 75 pricing

Pricing excludes on-road costs

Commemorative 75 edition models gain discreet fender badges reflecting the F-Type’s swoopy silhouette, subtle rear R-badging, lightweight slimline Sport or Performance seats as standard (a cost option in non-75 F-Types), with premium specification options available for no-cost, including Windsor leather or an Ebony suedecloth headliner. Special 75 models also gain access to an exclusive Giola green metallic paint option.

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Further developments for the F-Type 75 include beefier wheel bearings, lighter aluminium rear knuckles, with the F-Type R 75 also receiving revised upper ball joints, increasing camber and toe stiffness, and sharpening front-end response.

All Jaguar F-Types will be fitted as standard with 20-inch wheels, with F-Type 75s distinguished by gloss black five-spokes, and the F-Type R distinguished by gloss black/diamond-turned 10-spoke forged wheels.

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F-Type 75 and F-Type R 75s don’t net any more power than the standard vehicles they’re based on, with rear-drive F-Type 75s producing 331kW/580Nm, and the all-wheel-drive F-Type R 75 producing 423kW/700Nm.

All new Jaguars are covered by a five-year/unlimited-km warranty, and come with up to five years (or 130,000km) of complimentary servicing, and five years of roadside assistance.

The F-Type’s final MY24 model update signals the twilight of the brand’s modern V8 icon, going out with a proverbial bang before the brand is set to transition into an electric luxury marque from 2025.

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Hyundai Australia has announced the impending arrival of the i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition, coming to the local market and available in both manual or with the seven-speed N DCT transmission.

Global production is limited to just 800 units, exclusively in one of two premium paint colours: phantom black pearl or a new serenity white pearl. Australia has secured an allocation of 180 vehicles (numbers 620-799), representing a touch over 22 per cent of the global production pool.

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The 2023 Hyundai i30 N Drive-N, with the six-speed manual, asks $53,200, while the DCT-equipped vehicle asks $56,200.

See tables below for pricing and options.

The Drive-N Limited Edition builds on the existing i30 N Premium with Sunroof variant, adding a host of bespoke styling accents including; a red accent interior, Alcantara materials, bronze-forged alloy wheels, exclusive decals and blacked-out badging.

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Mechanically, however, the Drive-N Limited Editions present with the same 206kW/392Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, driving the front wheels through a limited-slip differential.

Mounted at the base of the central stack is an exclusive plaque featuring the vehicle’s individual global production number, along with geographic coordinates pointing to Hyundai’s European test centre at the Nürburgring.

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Inside, those familiar with the i30 N’s cabin will notice that Alcantara replaces much of the previously leather materials, proliferating on seats, steering wheel, arm rest, gear selector and handbrake. The i30 N’s signature blue accents, on the steering wheel and seat belts, have also been swapped with red bits.

A special commemorative welcome box will also be presented upon delivery, containing the i30 N’s two keys and a special Drive-N keyring.

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Australian vehicle allocations are already available, and Wheels understands some vehicles have already been spoken for.

The Australian vehicle split is expected around 70:30, skewed towards DCT vehicles, with a further 70:30 split between the white and black paint. Vehicles are available to order now.

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The enduring Mitsubishi ASX is undergoing some packaging revisions for the incoming MY23 range, with a new value-minded entry-level variant and further equipment changes throughout the range.

The new-to-market ASX GS represents the new entry-level variant into the popular small SUV range, available with a five-speed manual or with a CVT, and opens the range asking $23,990 (before on-road costs).

Mid-spec Mitsubishi ASX ES, MR and LS’ also gain a richer feature set, with a new six-speaker stereo system and other feature adjustments.

The MY23 Mitsubishi ASX range is due in local showrooms from December, 2022.

2023 Mitsubishi ASX pricing

Prices exclude on-road costs

2023 Mitsubishi ASX features

GS

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ES, in addition to GS

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MR, in addition to ES

LS, in addition to MR

GSR, in addition to LS

Exceed, in addition to GSR

Engine, drivetrain and fuel economy

The more affordable variants of the 2023 Mitsubishi ASX, including entry GS, ES, MR and LS are all powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engines, driving the front wheels and generating 110kW/197Nm.

Only the new entry-level GS is optionally available with a five-speed manual transmission, with the rest of the range coming equipped with a CVT.

At the top of the range, ASX GSR and Exceeds gain a larger 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 123kW/222Nm.

Mitsubishi’s claimed fuel consumptions figures are in the table below:

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Safety

2023: The current ASX is unrated by the independent crash-test body ANCAP because its last crash test in 2014 exceeds the six-year expiry period now applied to vehicles.

The ASX was previously a five-star car, but it would probably lose a star if tested today due to its rudimentary active safety technology, some of which is missing from the lower-spec variants.

All ASXs are equipped with dual frontal, side chest and side head (curtain) airbags, and a driver knee airbag as standard.

Other range-wide safety items include ABS, emergency autonomous braking (which Mitsubishi calls a Forward Collision Mitigation system) and a rear view camera.

Warranty and servicing

All new Mitsubishis sold gain access to Mitsubishi’s leading Diamond Advantage coverage, with a standard vehicle warranty of five years/100,000kms with capped price servicing in place for a whopping ten years.

Keep up with those scheduled services, all within the authorised Mitsubishi network of course, and Mitsubishi will almost double your vehicle’s warranty to an impressive ten years/200,000kms.

New owners also receive up to four years of complimentary roadside assist.

Service intervals occur annually, or every 15,000kms – whichever comes first.

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Availability

The updated MY23 range of Mitsubishi ASX is scheduled to arrive in local showrooms from December, 2022.

The GWM Haval Jolion arrived almost a year ago to replace its H2 predecessor. It was obviously a huge jump forward over the older car in every way – better looking, far higher levels of safety and technology and a competitive drive-away pricing structure. Simple, straightforward and a statement of intent.

Its first year on sale appears to be going well, with more than 3000 units shifted. That is an impressive performance for a new nameplate from a challenger brand.

It has blown past the well-established Honda HR-V and Suzuki Vitara, perhaps helped by supply constraints, but in the end, you gotta be in it to win it.

Since we drove the Lux last year, the Ultra has arrived, fully stacked with gear and while more expensive than any H2 – and playing with the big kids – it looks like a lot of car for the money.

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What is the Haval Jolion?

The Haval Jolion is a five-door compact SUV from Great Wall Motors (GWM). Haval is GWM’s SUV brand which also offers the larger H6.

The Jolion – derived from the word “chulian” meaning first love in Mandarin Chinese – arrived in October 2021 and is made in the firm’s Baoding plant in China, the Rayong plant in Thailand and in Russia.

Obviously, we don’t have to worry about our cars coming from Russia. As best we can tell, our Haval cars come from China.

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Pricing and features

At $33,990 the Jolion Ultra is the third of three spec levels, all with drive-away pricing. It’s also properly loaded, taking it up to pretty much anything in the class and making sure it has more ticked boxes than the others.

For your money you get 18-inch alloys, reversing camera, multi-view cameras, front and rear parking sensors, fake leather trim, digital dash, 12.3-inch touchscreen, active cruise control, dual-zone climate control, powered and heated front seats, leather steering wheel, LED lighting (including headlights, daytime running lights and fog lamps), six-speaker sound system, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging pad, head-up display and a space-saver spare.

The jump from the Lux to the Ultra is mainly about the bigger screen, wireless charging, sunroof and the HUD.

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That bigger 12.3-inch screen has much better software than I remember on the already decent-sized unit in the Premium and Lux. It’s easier to use and look at, with good-sized targets for your fingers to hit, as well as a few detail differences.

A fair bit of polish is required before it’s on par with, say, Hyundai’s big screen offering. The controls for the seat heating are hidden away in a settings menu and are not flipped over from left-hand drive cars.

It’s nice hardware, though, with a crisp presentation and fast responses. Apple CarPlay looks really good on it, so I guess Android would as well.

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Finding your fuel consumption average still seems impossible, either in the instrument panel or the central screen. And some of the warning messages are delightfully silly. Less silly and more annoying is that on the car I had, the tyre pressure warning would not go away despite me checking the pressures were correct.

The comprehensive safety package includes seven airbags (including a centre front airbag to help prevent head clashes in a side impact), the usual braking and stability controls, secondary collision avoidance, forward and reverse auto emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane centring, emergency lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist, two ISOFIX points and three top-tether points.

Haval’s forward AEB handles pedestrian, cross-traffic and cyclist detection while the rear AEB works with the reverse cross-traffic alert.

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It’s an impressive package but the Jolion is yet to be assessed and crashed by ANCAP. Given it shares much of its componentry with the larger H6 that has a five-star rating, one imagines this is the likely result, but you never can tell until it happens. It’s also worth noting that that safety package is identical across the range.

Of the six available colours, only one is free (predictably, it’s white) while the rest are a near-reasonable $495. There are no other options available.

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Comfort and space

The Ultra’s cabin is clothed in a fairly convincing fake leather, which is a good start if you like that kind of thing. The front seats look a bit racy but feel fairly flat and wide when you’re sitting in them.

One of the first things that gnawed at me was the fact the steering wheel only adjusts for rake and not reach, which made getting things just so impossible. I got comfortable enough but was never completely happy.

Most things are in easy reach – the asymmetric cup holders are between the seats, you don’t have to reach to use the touchscreen and there is good storage in the doors. Out of reach are the USB ports, which are on the passenger side and in an open storage tray between the seats. They’re hard to get to, in other words.

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But you’ve got plenty of space and the view out is excellent, so it’s very much a swings and roundabouts thing.

The rear seats are modestly shaped for two and if you stow a third person in the middle seat, they’ll be fairly happy because the near-flat floor provides a bit more space than having to straddle a transmission tunnel. You also get your own air vents and two more USB ports for charging.

Head, leg and shoulder room is excellent for two and bearable for three – there’s a lot of space in this car for rear passengers, space that would shame some larger SUVs a class above.

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Moving to the boot, I would suggest that its 430-litre capacity is the largest in the class alongside the Kia Seltos that provides another three litres to fill.

The loading aperture is wide and the loading lip not too high. With the 60:40 split-fold seats out of the way, you have 1133 litres, which is again quite a bit of space.

Should the mood take you or you need to take a mood, the towing capacity is 750kg unbraked and 1500kg braked.

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On the road

One thing that did stay in the shift from H2 to Jolion is the 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. It has 110kW and 210Nm, pretty standard outputs for the segment but operating in a very narrow window of power and torque outputs. Sending the power to the front wheels is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

I’m not going to sugar-coat it, the driveline is the weakest link in this car, something you will notice every time you drive it. While the engine itself does a reasonable job, the transmission is exceptionally dim. Lots of rolling back, dithering on whether or not to engage the clutch and sometimes it randomly shifts up or down.

The same issue affects the H6 but if you get the complex hybrid version, the electric motor smooths it all over (and a hybrid Jolion has also debuted, linked below).

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It’s a great pity because, in most other respects, the Jolion is quite good to drive. The nicely-weighted steering is a little wooden but not excessively so.

The Jolion is quite handy in the corners, though. While it will roll a little – it always feels a little tall –  it has a decent amount of grip from the Kumho Solus tyres. It also behaves pretty well in the wet apart from gearbox-induced chirps, but it has a nice secure feeling.

However, the suspension is quite noisy. I didn’t find it remarkably so when I first drove a Jolion, but the impressive quietness of the H6 has made me rethink it. It’s just a constant hubbub of bumpity-bump-bump which is at odds with the largely smooth and composed ride.

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I’m guessing it’s a lack of sound isolation material where the suspension meets the chassis. I’m sure as an owner it will fade into background noise.

Then again, it’s possible that the noise comes hand-in-hand with the larger 18-inch alloys that weren’t fitted to the Lux I drove last year.

As I discovered a year ago, you can’t get the fuel figure from the engine computer, or at least neither I nor the manual could work it out. The ADR testing regime yielded a figure of 8.1L/100km, which seemed about right.

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Ownership

Haval sends its cars out with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is up there with Kia and beaten only by Mitsubishi’s ten-year warranty. There’s a five-year roadside assist package to go with it.

Also lasting five years is the capped-price servicing program. The first service arrives at 12 months or 10,000km but subsequent services stretch to 12 months/15,000km.

The total for the first five services comes out at $1550 or an average of $310 per visit, which is reasonably good value for the segment, really only beaten by Toyota for the Yaris Cross (presumably also the Corolla Cross) and Ford with its Puma, but even then only narrowly.

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VERDICT

Haval has got most of the big stuff right with the Jolion. It’s hardly the only car in the class with noisy suspension or a klutz of a gearbox, so that shouldn’t work too hard against it. It’s absolutely huge inside for a compact SUV, easily straying into mid-size territory for pure occupant space.

It’s a ton of car for the money but, as ever, you have to really think about whether the top-spec variant is worth the extra. The Lux is $3000 less and is only missing the sunroof, bigger media screen, head-up display and the bigger wheels. These things are nice to have but maybe not three grand of nice to have.

With a bit more polish and a better gearbox, the Jolion would easily punch on with the Korean and Japanese competitors at this price point in the segment. But those final bits of polish are just details. As a whole, the Jolion is a very convincing proposition.

2022 Haval Jolion Ultra specifications