An all-new 2023 Mitsubishi ASX is on the way, the Japanese carmaker has announced today.

Mitsubishi has provided a timeline for the popular ASX to be replaced with a new-generation model sometime in 2023, around 13 years after the current vehicle was released.

At a joint Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance media conference, the brand detailed how the new ASX will be “based on Renault best-sellers”.

While the exact chassis architecture was not disclosed, it’s possible Mitsubishi will use the CMF-B platform which currently underpins the Renault Arkana and Nissan Juke – though it has been confirmed the new ASX will be built at the same factory as its Renault cousin.

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A conceptual teaser image was shown at the announcement, showing a striking new front-end design language than has been seen on the current crop of Mitsubishi models.

The Alliance presented a united front, with its ‘Leader-Follower Scheme’ allowing each company to focus on developing a specific area, reducing costs, but to the benefit of all three members.

Below: The current 2022 Mitsubishi ASX

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The Nissan Micra successor has been outlined as a fully-electric compact model with up to 400 kilometres of driving range, set to launch in 2024.

The Micra replacement was announced at a Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance media event, with the vehicle said to be based on the CMF-BEV architecture – shared with the upcoming Renault R5 as well as future Alpine and Dacia models.

Teaser images of the upcoming compact electric car from Nissan show a noticeable influence from the third-generation Micra – arguably the most recognisable version of the car – made between 2002 and 2010.

To help reduce development costs, up to 60 per cent of non-electric components will carry over from the current CMF-B platform – found in current models such as the Renault Clio, Renault Arkana, and the Nissan Juke.

Nissan predicts the Micra replacement will “democratise” the electric vehicle, with prices to be equivalent to internal-combustion engine cars in the same segment.

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While the new Nissan compact electric vehicle (EV) has not been fully detailed, the car is being shown as an example of how the three carmakers will proceed with the ‘Leader-Follower Scheme’ going forward.

The Leader-Follow Scheme has each manufacturer focusing on a specific area of development, with all parties benefitting – with the aim to reduce battery costs by 50 per cent by 2026, and 65 per cent by 2028.

The Alliance aims to introduce 35 new EV models by 2030 – with 90 per cent of these based on five common platforms.

Will the 2024 Nissan Micra EV come to Australia?

Mike Stevens

It remains to be seen if Nissan will offer this all-electric new Micra in Australia.

Like the little retro-themed Honda E, there is a chance Nissan will only offer the Micra in Europe and Japan, with a strong possibility it could be ruled out as an expensive offering in a segment – compact hatches – that no longer sells well in Australia.

It’s believed Nissan will reveal a new small electric SUV to sit beneath the incoming mid-sized Ariya, and if any small electric Nissan is coming to Australia, that’s the most likely option.

The 2022 BMW M8 Competition Coupé and Gran Coupé have been updated as part of a mid-life refresh, ahead of their Australian debut this year.

Along with the wider 8 Series range, the high-performance M8 has received a number of updates, with BMW‘s local arm confirming the changes will arrive in mid 2022.

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Among the upgrades are a wider range of paint options, a new wheel design, greater interior combinations, and improved technology – but prices have increased by $5000.

All Australian-delivered M8 models now receive M Lights Shadow Line as standard, which blackens components within the front adaptive laser headlamps to give a darker look.

Eight new colours have been added to the options list – Skyscraper Grey Metallic, Brooklyn Grey Metallic, Isle of Man Green Metallic, BMW Individual Lacquer Tanzanite Blue Metallic, Frozen Pure Grey Metallic, Frozen Deep Grey Metallic, Frozen Deep Green Metallic, and Frozen Tanzanite Blue Metallic – while new 20-inch alloy wheels come standard in Bicolour Black Grey.

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In celebration of BMW M’s 50th birthday, all 2022 M8 models will be fitted with BMW Motorsport heritage badging across the exterior.

As with its 8 Series siblings, the M8 sees its infotainment screen increase from 10.25 to 12.3 inches.

Buyers can now also get a combination of Merino leather and Alcantara as standard on M sports seats or M Carbon bucket seats, with a new black and Sakhir Orange colour combination also offered for the first time.

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Both the two-door Coupé and four-door Gran Coupé variants of the M8 Competition are powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 460kW and 750Nm.

Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, allowing for a 0-100km/h sprint time in a claimed 3.2 seconds.

The 2022 BMW M8 Competition is available to order now, and will arrive into showrooms in the middle of this year.

2022 BMW M8 Australia pricing

Note: Prices exclude on-road costs.

The regular 2022 8 Series line-up begins at $184,000 before on-road costs. Read about the updated 2022 BMW 8 Series here.

UPDATE, January 27, 2022: Volkswagen Australia has reduced the list price of its Tiguan R, coming only a few weeks after it did the same for the Golf R.

Originally set to go on sale from $69,990, the 2022 Tiguan R will now cost $68,990 before on-road costs – a $1000 reduction, owing to a stock shortage of the standard Harmon Kardon sound system.

As with the Golf R, the premium audio equipment is now a $1000 optional extra, while the Tiguan R will now be fitted as standard with the eight-speaker system found in lower grades.

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Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles Brand Director, Michal Szaniecki, said the Tiguan R is still on track to launch in Australia this May/June, in line with the Golf R Wagon’s arrival, while the semiconductor shortage has also hampered the R-Line Tiguan.

“The majority of the more than 7000 expressions of interest and the 1000 paid deposits for our new R range have so far been for the Tiguan R,” Szaniecki said.

“To keep the lines running, Harmon Kardon becomes optional on the Tiguan R as it is with the Golf. Harman Kardon Tiguan R’s are still being built, so too will be versions with the standard eight speaker audio system familiar from the rest of the Tiguan range.

“Because our customers typically select the top end variants, semi-conductor constraints have especially affected the Tiguan 162TSI R-Line. Fortunately, the refreshed Tiguan Allspace arrives in May.

“In addition to a third row of seating or the extra storage space this model provides, we’ve ensured the Allspace has extra specification to more than ameliorate the sight price premium over the five seat Tiguans.”

The story to here

December 14, 2021: Volkswagen’s first performance variant of its popular Tiguan mid-sized SUV will cost from $69,990 when it goes on sale locally in April 2022.

The Tiguan R begins an expansion of the company’s R product portfolio, joining new-generation versions of the Golf R hatch and wagon that will launch just ahead of it.

The SUV’s price tag is identical to that of the Golf R wagon and positions it well above the $53,750 Tiguan 162TSI R-Line that was previously the top petrol variant.

VW’s fastest Tiguan has no direct rivals in the medium-SUV segment. The closest performance SUV in price is the $67,440 Kodiaq RS from Czech VW Group brand Skoda, but not only is this a larger, seven-seater vehicle – its outputs of 180kW and 370Nm have more in common with GTI rather than R performance.

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The Skoda also performs the 0-100km/h acceleration run in 6.6 seconds compared with the 5.1 seconds quoted for the Tiguan R.

The fastest Tiguan’s acceleration time was destined to be 4.9 seconds, but performance has been reduced by a late decision to fit Australian versions with a slightly detuned engine to ensure supply can be guaranteed for 2022.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder provides the same 235kW, but torque drops from 420Nm to 400Nm and the engine loses a petrol particulate filter.

VW Australia has been forced to make the same change for the Golf R hatch to avoid a production issue that would have left local buyers with uncertain delivery timing.

The Golf R wagon retains the full complement of engine torque as well as the petrol particulate filter. Priced identically to the Tiguan R at $69,990, the wagon performs the 0-100km/h run in a claimed 4.9 seconds.

The Tiguan shares all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto with the Golfs, though misses out on their Drift mode owing to a less track-oriented focus.

Other standard performance features include big front brakes and adaptive dampers.

Selectable driving profiles include a racy R mode.

Standard wheels are 21-inch Estoril lightweight rims that are an option over 20-inch wheels in most markets, including the UK. Golf Rs are fitted with 19-inch wheels.

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Other inclusive features include; Matrix LED headlights, Nappa leather-appointed ‘R’ Comfort seats, heated and electrically adjustable front seats with driver memory, tri-zone climate control, rear privacy glass, auto tailgate, semi-autonomous parking, partial self-driving capability, and Harman Kardon audio.

A head-up display and digital driver display are also standard, while the Discover Pro infotainment interface is contained in a 9.2-inch display.

A panoramic glass sunroof is the sole option.

The R line-up in Australia will be further bolstered later in 2022 with two more SUVs: the T-Roc R compact SUV (due August) and the Touareg R large plug-in hybrid SUV (due November).

Drive-away pricing has increased for the Kia Sportage mid-sized SUV after the Korean company moved from a national setup to a state-by-state trial.

Prices with all on-road charges added have risen between $885.75 and $2849.20 based on quotes for a Sydney postcode, and are higher again for a selected Victorian postcode.

Sportage variants with drive-away price increases of more than $2000 include the S petrol auto, SX petrol auto, GT-Line petrol turbo and GT-Line diesel.

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In Sydney, the Sportage now starts from $36,479.20 drive-away compared with the previous price of $34,690.

The highly popular flagship GT-Line variant moves from $51,990 to $54,039.21 for the petrol version, and from $54,990 to $57,189.25 for the diesel.

The fifth-generation Kia Sportage was only released in late 2021, with sharp drive-away costs helping compensate for increases on recommended retail prices for the new model.

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Kia Australia told Wheels it is trialling the new pricing strategy owing to complicated variables – such as stamp duty, third party insurance and registration costs – between Australia’s different states.

“Due to the complexity of (national) drive-away pricing, which varies state by state, we are trialling an alternate pricing strategy through our dealer network with our latest model – the all-new Sportage,” the company said in a statement.

“This, like all Kia Australia sales and pricing strategies, will be monitored and reviewed accordingly.”

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It is more common for drive-away pricing to vary by state rather than be fixed nationally.

The price changes make the starting point for the Kia Sportage higher than the Mazda CX-5 (from $36,054 drive-away*), but more affordable than a Mitsubishi Outlander (from $40,490 drive-away*).

It’s priced similarly to two other key rivals, the Toyota RAV4 (from $38,531 drive-away*), and its twin the Hyundai Tucson (from $38,350 drive-away*).

2022 Kia Sportage pricing

Prices quoted in Sydney.

Mini has bought into the electric vehicle conversion craze, creating an in-house department to transform its most iconic car.

Based at the Mini Plant Oxford facility, a dedicated team now works on turning the brand’s cult classic into a fully-electric – and fully reversible – modern restomod.

The Mini Restomod project sees the original-shape Mini fitted with a 90kW electric motor – producing over 30kW more than the mid-60s’ Mini Cooper 1275 S models – reducing its 0-100km/h time to around nine seconds.

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No details have been provided about how large the battery pack is, but with a driving range of roughly 160 kilometres on a charge, it should provide more than enough for an inner-city runabout considering the current Mini Cooper SE Electric can only manage around 10 kilometres more from its 32.6kWh pack.

An onboard charger allows the car to be charged at up to 6.6kW, potentially meaning empty to full could take roughly five to six hours.

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On the inside, not much has changed aside from the original instrument cluster getting a rework to become more relevant to the new powertrain, displaying drive temperature, range and speed.

What’s most appealing about the project is that it’s completely reversible – the car’s original internal combustion engine is marked and stored in case the owner wants to revert to factory specifications, although with London’s ultra-low emissions area ever tightening, it’s unlikely anyone would take up the offer.

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The head of Mini’s global brand management, Sebastian Beuchel, says the conversion is a match made in heaven, bringing future technology with Mini’s past glory.

“Individuality also plays an important role with Mini Recharged,” said Beuchel.

“Unique classic Mini models have always been created, including true works of art on wheels. That’s why future collaborations are also planned as part of the MINI Recharged programme, allowing well-known artists to express their creativity with specially designed classic Mini models.”

No prices have yet been confirmed for the conversion process.

The 2022 BMW 8 Series has received its mid-life update, with changes being applied to the Coupé, Convertible, and Gran Coupé range.

BMW offers the 8 Series Coupé and Convertible with M Sport package as standard, with a body kit, special alloy wheels, M badging, exclusive paint colours, and sports seats, steering wheel, and pedals.

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The entire 8 Series range receives a subtle facelift, with the front grille moving away from the brand’s trademark look to untraditional U-shaped slats – now featuring ‘Iconic Glow’ illumination as found on the X6 – together with minor changes to the front bumper.

Skyscraper Grey Metallic, San Remo Green Metallic, M Portimao Blue Metallic and BMW Individual Frozen Tanzanite Blue Metallic have been added to the model’s colour palette, along with a selection of 20-inch alloy wheels, while the M850i receives black exterior trims and aerodynamic side mirrors.

BMW is also offering M850i buyers the option to include retro ‘BMW Motorsport’ badges across the car to celebrate BMW M’s 50th anniversary.

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Inside, the infotainment screen has increased from 10.25 inches to 12.3 inches, while BMW Drive Recorder – an integrated dashcam system – is now standard across the range.

Also standard is the ‘CraftedClarity’ glass gear selector, iDrive controller, and start/stop button.

As before, Australian buyers get a choice of two powertrains – the 840i, with a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline-six sending 250kW and 500Nm to the rear wheels, or the M850i xDrive, which sends 390kW and 750Nm to all four wheels from its 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8. Both are exclusively available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

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The entry-level price of the 8 Series has gone up by $5000 to $184,900 before on-road costs – but it’s worth noting BMW slashed the price of the BMW 840i M Sport by around $25,000 six months ago.

Just 42 four-door 8 Series Gran Coupé were reported as sold in 2021, compared to 117 in 2020, while the Coupé and Convertible versions sold a total of 44 vehicles in 2021 – down from 104 in the previous year.

The refreshed 2022 BMW 8 Series range is on sale now.

2022 BMW 8 Series Australian pricing

Prices exclude on-road costs.

The hero M8 range begins from $362,900 before on-road costs. Read about the updated 2022 BMW M8 here.

• Welcome
• Month 1: Family hauling
• Month 2: The quite decent indoors
• Month 3: Geek Chic
• Month 4: Change in heart

November 21, 2023: New-look 2024 Tucson revealed

Hyundai’s top-selling vehicle updated with Santa Cruz-like front end, plus a new-look dashboard inspired by the Kona and Santa Fe

Story continues: Living with the 2022 Hyundai Tucson

Price as tested: $39,000 (before on-road costs) Fuel since collected: 1379km @ 10.5L/100km

Welcome

Edgy.

Like the huge new Hyundai Palisade, the new-generation 2021 Hyundai Tucson is edgy – but more literally so. Where the Palisade takes a few leaps of faith in its front and rear styling, the Tucson is wrapped all-round in sharp edges and bold angles.

From its heavily creased character lines to its futuristic lighting signature at the front and harpoon-like brake lamps, the new midsize Tucson represents a truly generational step beyond the safe styling of its predecessor.

It’s the sort of brave move a brand can only make when it’s confident the market has accepted it as an established top-10 brand, and an aspirational one.

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What are the highlights?

I’m driving the new Tucson in mid-level $39,000 (before on-road costs) Elite grade, which gets me upgraded from 17- to 18-inch wheels, cloth to “leather-appointed” seats, and a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen display (up from eight inches).

Other highlights above the fairly well-equipped $34,000 base model include dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, and a ‘smart key’ with push-button start.

I’m not rapt to see that the Elite goes without a full digital instrument screen, though, with that feature and a number of others reserved for the top-shelf $46,000 Highlander grade. In its place are classic analog dials and a small 4.2-inch info display. At least it’s full-colour…

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Safety

To its credit, Hyundai equips every Tucson with a level of safety kit you’d normally expect to see only in higher grades – such as blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, active cruise control (‘Intelligent Speed Limit Assist’), rear occupant alert and leading vehicle departure alert. That last one is a boon for motorists sitting frustrated behind distracted drivers.

Getting to know you

First impressions of the new Tucson are really quite good, and in some respects even a little premium. There aren’t many aspects of the car’s styling that have escaped its deeply details-oriented designer’s attention, inside and out.

In the cabin, where the fine details can matter the most, there are neat tricks like a knurled effect to the rotator switches on the indicator and wiper stalks – a treatment usually found in Volvos and BMWs – and a unique horizontal four-spoke design to the steering wheel that shows Hyundai isn’t doing anything by the numbers. Indeed, this is one of three or four wheel designs Hyundai seems to be experimenting with, while most brands will stick with one to keep the costs down.

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Elsewhere in the cabin, there’s a lovely tight-weave fabric band running across the dash and through the top of the door cards, beneath an almost art deco-inspired silver and gloss black that integrates the outboard air-conditioning vents.

That gloss black trim continues down the centre stack and through the console. It’s a polarising feature in the way it looks lovely when new but spends most of its life covered in dust and fingerprint grease, and the curse is worsened by the use of capacitive touch controls embedded in the gloss black panel – leaving you no choice but to spoil the pristine shine of that glossy surface.

Overall fit and finish in the cabin is comfortably on par with the latest generations of its key rivals, like the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester and Skoda Karoq.

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Is it roomy?

Space and comfort is also good for the segment. We’ll explore the five-seat cabin’s qualities further in a later instalment, but it’s important to note that Australian buyers get the longer 2755mm version of the Tucson’s wheelbase, rather than the 2680mm footprint that serves as the standard option in Europe – and that means more space.

That longer wheelbase is matched to an overall longer body, measuring 4630mm – a sizeable 130mm beyond the short-wheelbase version.

By comparison, the RAV4 rides on a 2690mm wheelbase and measures 4600mm long overall. These are small differences on a ruler, but it can often reveal a marked difference in practice. We’ll dive into that further in a future update.

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Your biggest question may be how it drives, and we’ll cover that next time. What you need to know for now is that all variants of the new Tucson launched initially with a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.

That’s not an inspiring combination, and buyers with a healthier budget would do well to consider either the gutsier 1.6 turbo petrol model with its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive, or the 2.0-litre turbo diesel eight-speed auto with AWD. You’ll pay more, though, with the Elite grade of those two configurations priced from $43,000 and $45,000 respectively.

The little ol’ 2.0-litre unit isn’t quite a lost cause, though – but you’ll have to come back in a little while for that story.

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Design walkaround

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Update One: Family hauling

This is the least powerful and perhaps least compelling drive configuration in the Tucson line-up – but am I just being too much of a revhead?

Fuel since collected: 2506km @ 10.4L/100km

In its 2.0-litre petrol form, with no turbo to give it a good shove, this Tucson is certainly the least confidence-inspiring option when it comes to getting up a hill in a hurry – particularly with a full family and load on board.

For that reason, it’s also the cheapest option in the range, coming in at $4000 and $6000 more affordable, respectively, than the 1.6-litre turbo petrol and 2.0-litre turbo diesel versions – both of which add more gears and all-wheel drive where our long-termer has six forward gears and front-wheel drive only.

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Despite these shortcomings, my experience has actually been positive – and as always, I can thank my partner. Because, where I’m always the one to bemoan a lack of grunt (“for overtaking, for towing!”), my partner is the sensible one.

She’s the one with the wisdom to know that in most day-to-day driving – even with both of us and our two little ones on board with their scooters and a picnic basket – there’s enough power here.

And she’s right – for the most part. There’s a mighty big hill at the end of our street, and whipping out in front of not-too-distant traffic will get the front rubber chirping with the non-turbo four-pot revving panting “I think I can, I think I can” – but it gets there just fine, and without any grumpy high-beam flashes in the rear-view mirror.

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(If you do anticipate family road trips, with the kids on board, a full boot and maybe a trailer – then, yes, that’s the time to seriously consider the 1.6 turbo petrol or the 2.0 turbo diesel.)

And really, this Tucson’s six-speed auto at least saves me from the raucous buzzing I’ve often had to endure with the CVT auto preferred by many brands – although it’d be nice to have some paddle shifters to gear up rather than having to ease off the pedal until the computer agrees to shift up.

That six-speed auto is otherwise a fairly smooth unit, shifting smoothly in relaxed driving and waking up quickly enough when more is demanded.

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Ride comfort on the Tucson Elite’s 18-inch wheels is firm but reasonable, with good compliance and confident steering – despite this new Tucson missing out on the local tuning Hyundai Australia has undertaken in the past (it’s good enough without it, they say). Cabin ambience is also impressive, with respectable levels of wind and road noise entering the cabin.

Fuel use over the past couple of months has landed about where I’d expect. Officially, this variant lists a combined figure of 8.1L/100km; or 6.5L/100km on the highway and 11L/100km in local urban driving. With less travel to the office these days, most of our driving has been urban with only a little highway time, and we’re averaging 10.4L/100km – so it’s right in the claimed range, and in the 108km travelled since the last refill, we’ve averaged 9.2L/100km.

So, while easily dismissed as the one to skip, this simple configuration – 2.0 litres, no turbo, front-wheel drive and only six gears – could prove itself for a lot of budget-focused families as “The Little Engine That Could”.

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Update Two: The quite decent indoors

With a spacious cabin and a near–premium feel to many of the surfaces and switches, the new Tucson represents a big step forwards for the line – but it could stand to try on a few tricks

Fuel since collected: 3321km @ 10.2L/100km

I’ve gone a month without cleaning the interior of my long-term Tucson Elite and, with two young kids, it looks more like a year – but this is somehow still a lovely place to sit.

I’ve now travelled a couple-of-thousand kilometres in this 2.0-litre petrol, non-turbo, front-wheel-drive, six-speed automatic family hauler, and it’s been hard to find fault with the quality and comfort of its cabin.

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Starting from the driver’s seat, the Elite grade’s leather-trimmed pews proved themselves over a 300-kilometre round trip, with excellent support in the seatback, base and thighs. Bolstering is likewise good, although obviously not cosseting to sports-car levels. The heated seats are also welcome in this winter long-term test.

Moving into the rear invites clichéd thoughts of Doctor Who’s Tardis, thanks to Australia’s version of the Tucson being the 2755mm long-wheelbase design.

At five-feet-nine-inches tall, I can sit comfortably behind my own driving position with plenty of knee room and a spacious area beneath the driver’s seat to wiggle my toes. Headroom is likewise good (there’s no space-eating sunroof in my tester), and the rear seats recline for extra road-trip comfort.

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Space across the second row is good for a mid-size SUV, with room for three average-sized adults to sit comfortably – if a little cosily. The Tucson’s low-rise transmission tunnel also means the middle passenger can keep their feet close to centre, rather than stealing too much footroom from the outboard passengers.

There’s heating/cooling vents in the rear of the centre console, but with ‘only’ dual-zone air-conditioning on offer, you’ll be at the front row’s mercy for temperature and fan control.

For young families, there’s two pairs of ISOFIX points in the outboard positions, and three top-tether points. This means you could potentially fit three child seats across the second row, although it could be a squeeze – and the middle seat would miss out on the extra security of ISOFIX, leaving you only with the tether and seatbelt pass-through.

Access is good, too, with wide-opening rear doors perfect for getting the kids in and out – but those doors are long, so watch for damage to neighbouring cars.

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In terms of storage, the Tucson offers a cavernous 539 litres in the rear (1860 with the second row folded), but otherwise it doesn’t really move the game forward.

There’s a useable cubby under the centre stack (with wireless charging), a deep centre console and a reasonable glovebox, but the door pockets are nothing special – you wouldn’t fit a classic Melways on its side in the front pockets.

The front cup-holders are large, but the rear centre cup-holders won’t take the kids’ 400ml Camelbak Eddy Kids drink bottle (my experience at school dropoff suggests this bottle is a bit of a universal standard).

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Back to the boot, there’s a wide and tall opening with a flat loading surface, allowing you to slide heavy items straight out.

There’s nothing on offer in terms of under-floor storage, thanks to the full-size spare wheel, but you could store a few small items in the wheel’s cavity. And while you get a net that can be hooked at all four corners, looping your shopping bags around the tiny built-in bag hooks can be a challenge. Some larger flip-out hooks would be welcome.

There’s nothing here that can’t be easily overcome, though, and the new Tucson’s cabin is an easy place to recommend you spend some time.

Next month, before we wrap things up, I’ll explore the new Tucson’s infotainment system – and talk a little about Hyundai’s overbearing lane-keep assist system…

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Update Three: Geek Chic

A deeper dig into the Koreans’ tech suite

Fuel since collected: 4359km @ 10.3L/100km

Technology in the Hyundai range is a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde tale. The brand’s infotainment suite – that is, what you see on the cabin’s screens – is a masterclass in simplicity and user-friendliness. Where some systems will hide settings and bury features four menus deep, Hyundai’s infotainment is clean, modern, and Apple-like in its ease of use.

Hyundai’s active driver assistance systems, on the other hand, can at times manifest as irritating and – when it comes to lane-keep ‘assistance’ and collision sensing – a bit frightening.

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I’ll look at driver aids in my wrap-up next month, but for now: infotainment. My mid-spec Tucson Elite is equipped with a big 10.25-inch main display (shared with the top-shelf Highlander), which is an upgrade on the 8.0-inch display featured in the base model.

Apart from a greater overall piece of real estate for information, the bigger screen means you get the stylish new look of Hyundai’s latest interface, rather than the older, flat, no-nonsense look that still lives on the smaller display.

In the Elite, Hyundai’s infotainment can offer a split-screen appearance, allowing the right third to be swiped open and pinned with a compact map view or media controls, or less useful compass and clock views. You can flick through those four, or disable any that you don’t want to see. The remaining space on the left carries on as your main view to browse other functions and features.

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The integrated sat-nav system is lag-free when tapping out your destination, which is handy as it offers no voice input – unless you’re running (wired) Apple Carplay or Android Auto – while the map view itself is fast to swipe around on. As with other brands, the system will also offer to find and navigate to a fuel station if you become perilously low on fuel.

For owners who service their cars within the Hyundai dealer network, roads and points of interest are kept current at service times – and that’s good for 10 years of free updates.

In Elite form, the Tucson gets a rear-view camera but no front view (limited in all Hyundais to the Highlander grade). It’s a good clear display, if not particularly high-resolution, and it offers both direct-rear and above views – the latter being above the rear of the car only, as it lacks the side and front cameras to offer a 360-degree view.

Behind the steering wheel is a conventional instrument cluster with a small 4.2-inch full-colour multi-function flanked by an analogue speedo, tacho, temperature gauge and fuel gauge.

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The display shows all the usual details like speed (that’s my usual setting; there’s no head-up display and the big speed number on this screen is easier at-a-glance than the analogue dial), fuel consumption, distance to empty, attention level (measured by sensing torque input on the steering wheel), navigation, and tyre pressure monitoring.

In all, it’s a largely traditional offering. Everything you’ll need is here, with none of the ‘value add’ remote connectivity or web-surfing fluff you might be unlikely to use – although, whether that’s a user-focused decision or a cost-saving one is probably a glass half-empty or half-full question.

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Update Four: Change in heart

Overactive assist, and the diesel switch

Price as tested (diesel): $45,000 (before on-road costs) Fuel since collected: 1207km @ 8.6 L/100km

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Here we are at the end, and it’s been a good thing, this new-generation family SUV. With its spacious cabin, near-premium fit and finish, modern and user-friendly infotainment, and head-turning looks, the Tucson is an easy one to recommend.

Still, it’s not all roses and sunshine. In its cheapest 2.0-litre petrol forms, the Tucson’s pulling power presents as just barely adequate rather than genuinely fit for purpose. Never outright disappointing, but neither is it ever satisfying. Suited to business fleets more than family hauling.

Drive configuration aside, Hyundai’s latest offerings have one standout bug – lane-keep assistance. Too often, my Tucson tester has worked so obsessively to keep me from the gutter on my right that it’s properly thrown me towards the clear and bright lane markings on my left. More than once, I’ve had to muscle the wheel to keep the car in my own lane.

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You can deactivate the system, but I won’t say thankfully. While I’m confident in my attention to responsible driving, I’d prefer to see inattentive drivers (and anybody around them) benefiting from the alerts and active protection that lane-keeping technology offers.

On one occasion, while safely navigating an outdoor car park on a sunny morning, two pedestrians walking past the path of the vehicle on a separated path with a fence in between us, were detected as potential obstacles as I rounded a corner – in that brief moment that the car was pointing at the couple – and the Tucson’s autonomous braking system threw out the anchors and brought us to a sudden stop. My partner looked at me accusingly, for having braked so unexpectedly – “it wasn’t me!” I cried. You’d think the AEB beeping would be evidence enough, but alas.

These two moments are representative of numerous frustrating experiences with the Tucson’s active safety systems, and it’s only a shame we didn’t have the car covered in cameras. A project for the future, perhaps.

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Those quirks aside, this last instalment sees me swapping out of the underwhelming petrol, front-wheel-drive Tucson Elite into one that better lives up to the name: a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, all-wheel-drive Tucson Elite. (This one’s ‘Shimmering Silver’, but otherwise identical to the petrol car you see here.)

The diesel offers 137kw and 416Nm – up from the 115kW and 192Nm. Power may only be up a smidge, but with more than double the torque offered with the petrol model, the difference behind the wheel is night-and-day.

Add to that the surety of all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic in place of the six-speed offered with the lowly petrol, and the $6000 premium feels well justified.

While it’s not one of the dual-clutch options Hyundai offers in a number of other models, the conventional eight-speed torque converter is a smooth, intelligent unit. Where the six-speed of the willing but underweight petrol engine would desperately hold onto gears, the eight-speed plays more confidently with its extra ratios and torque.

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Ride comfort in the diesel, like with the petrol model, is firm but not jarring – endowing the Tucson with a more sporting feel. The new Tucson misses out on the local tune that was once a staple of Australian-delivered Hyundai models, but it doesn’t suffer for the decision.

Potholes and bumps are dismissed without much fuss on urban roads, while body roll is well controlled for an offering in this segment, the midsize SUV feeling neatly compliant through corners. Steering likewise feels well weighted, lending more confidence in corners and on the highway.

Cabin insulation is good, with most road and wind noise blocked, although the typical diesel noise is ever present – but not to the point of being a bother. I quite like the sound, anyway.

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In the leap to a diesel model, fuel consumption has averaged 8.6L/100km in our daily driving, which in lockdown has been made up mostly of runs to the shops with the occasional longer drive for vehicle assessment. Hyundai claims a combined urban/highway figure of 6.3L/100km and an urban figure of 7.7L/100km, so this diesel Tucson is sitting notably above the claimed numbers – but even in this era of supposedly more accurate WLTP certification, higher real-world numbers are common. As always, ‘your mileage may vary’, and we do live in a particularly hilly part of Melbourne.

In all, the new Tucson is an offering I recommend in this diesel form. The 2.0-litre petrol model is just barely worth considering if you’re on a budget, but the $6000 leap to a diesel is worth the spend. There’s also a 1.6 turbo petrol option for $2000 less than the diesel, and it would be worth a spin before deciding.

Things we like about the diesel Tucson:

• Build quality, good interior space and comfort
• Simple, modern infotainment
• The holy trinity of a torquey diesel, smart auto and all-wheel drive

• Invasive lane-keep assistant
• No particularly clever storage tricks
• Fuel consumption a little high on test

The team at Bentley have its work cut out to transform the luxury brand into an all-electric manufacturer by 2030 – but the first piece of the puzzle has just been announced.

Bentley will begin its transition from 2025 as part of its Five-in-Five plan, launching a new electric vehicle every year until 2030 when it ditches internal combustion engines for good.

It’s the first stage of Bentley’s Beyond100 strategy with its first dedicated EV – tipped to be an SUV based on Audi’s Artemis Project architecture – becoming the tangible face of the brand’s transformation, as a further £2.5 billion (AU$4.73bn) will be put towards making the manufacturer’s line-up fully-electric.

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All development and production of the new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) will be completed at Bentley’s revitalised facility in Crewe, with CEO Adrian Hallmark saying the plant is set for a carbon neutral upgrade.

“Beyond100 is the boldest plan in Bentley’s illustrious history, and in the luxury segment,” said Hallmark.

“It’s an ambitious and credible roadmap to carbon neutrality of our total business system, including the shift to 100 per cent BEV in just eight years.

“Our aim is to become the benchmark – not just for luxury cars or sustainable credentials, but for the entire scope of our operations. Securing production of our first BEV in Crewe is a milestone moment for Bentley, and the UK, as we plan for a long-term sustainable future in Crewe.

“The world is changing and we need to play our part in neutralising our environmental impact. That means delivering on our aim to be end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030, and reaffirming our role as the leader in sustainable luxury mobility.”

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Last year, Bentley released a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant of its Flying Spur, joining the Bentayga as the two electrified models in its range, with twin-turbo V6 and V8 PHEV powerplants now available from the Crewe outfit.

It’s expected these engines will find their way into the Continental in the near future, as Bentley says “five additional derivatives” of electrified vehicles will be launched shortly, predicting 20 per cent of its 2022 sales are going to come from hybrid models.

Details of Cupra’s local model range will be announced on February 8, with the European performance brand the latest to enter the Australian new-car market.

Cupra has already promised the Leon hot hatch, Ateca SUV, and Formentor SUV for Australian buyers, as well as the fully-electric Born hatchback.

With evaluation vehicles already on Australian soil, the Cupra Born will be the first dedicated battery-electric model from the Volkswagen Group to be sold locally when it arrives in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The Cupra Leon – Spanish cousin to the Volkswagen Golf GTI – saw the VZ Cup unveiled for Germany this week, and may provide a glimpse into what Australian customers can expect next month.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine sending 221kW and 400Nm to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the VZ Cup trim adds 19-inch alloy wheels with copper accents, dark aluminium side skirts, and a carbon rear spoiler.

Cupra quotes a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.7 seconds in this specification.

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A plug-in hybrid powertrain will also be available in the Cupra Leon, using a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an 85kW electric motor to produce a total of 180kW and 400Nm, with an electric driving range of up to 65 kilometres thanks to its 12.9kWh battery.

There’s no word yet on whether the Leon ‘Sportstorer’ wagon will eventually be offered in Australia, but some markets benefit from the engine turned up to 228kW/400Nm, with the 0-100km/h time dropping to 4.9 seconds thanks to the addition of all-wheel drive.

The Cupra Formentor is a sporty mid-size SUV powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, available with either 140kW/320Nm or 228kW/400Nm and all-wheel drive. Both engine options use a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with 0-100km/h times quoted as 7.1 and 4.9 seconds respectively.

Also a mid-size SUV, but with a more traditional squared-off rear-end, the Cupra Ateca will also use the 2.0-litre powertrain with the seven-speed and all-wheel drive, but with 221kW and 400Nm for a sub five-second 0-100km/h sprint time.

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Finally, the battery-powered Cupra Born hot hatch will offer up to 548km of driving range from an optional 77kwh long-range battery, powering a 150kW/310Nm electric motor on the rear axle. A 58kWh battery is also expected, with up to 424km of range quoted on overseas models.

A spokesperson for Cupra Australia said recently the Born could be priced similarly to the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which is available from $54,490 before on-road costs.

Expect details of Cupra’s Australian line-up on February 8, and be sure to follow Wheels on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the latest news and reviews.