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Examples of the Mercedes-Benz GLE manufactured between 2019 and 2020 have been placed under recall, with nearly one thousand vehicles affected.

Covering 993 units sold in the two-year period, Mercedes-Benz has issued the recall for the GLE due to a potential problem with the drain hoses of its air conditioning system.

If the hoses weren’t installed correctly, condensation may leak into the vehicle interior and cause malfunctions in different electrical components, potentially causing fire from a short circuit.

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Over the period under recall, a total of 5749 GLE units were delivered, with the recall affecting just over one-sixth of all models sold.

Mercedes-Benz has said GLE owners can contact their nearest dealer to have the replacement parts fitted free of charge, or book through the manufacturer’s online service booking portal.

Alternatively, those who are unsure about whether their vehicle is affected can contact Mercedes-Benz’s customer assistance centre on 1300 300 896 or [email protected]

A list of VINs for affected vehicles can be found here.

Walkinshaw Performance has lifted the covers off a range of upgrades for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, enhancing its performance, comfort and towing capabilities.

The core of the Walkinshaw upgrades is the Fury Packs revealed late last year. The $11,500 Fury 1 pack includes 18-inch rims with 295/65 Goodyear tyres, retuned 35mm twin-tube dampers with a 2.0-inch lift, a cat-back exhaust and decal kit.

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The $16,400 Fury 2 is more comprehensive, featuring all of the above – but with 20-inch rims, 285/60 tyres and 410mm front brake rotors with six-piston calipers.

Walkinshaw senior engineer David Kermond says the Fury packs satisfy what many Silverado customers are asking for with new wheels, tyres and a lift kit – with the majority of orders being for the 20-inch wheel package.

The final piece of the performance puzzle is the new supercharger kit developed in conjunction with Harrop. It uses an Eaton TVS2650 supercharger with dual twin-path intercoolers, which Walkinshaw calibrated along with the bypass control valve to control temperatures and boost. The supercharger kit retails for $21,990, excluding fitting.

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In conjunction with the exhaust and headers, it produces 406kW and 740Nm at the hubs, while the engine claim is 485kW – with torque likely to be in the 900Nm range.

Walkinshaw’s own testing resulted in 0-100km/h in 4.76 secs and a 12.66sec quarter mile at 177km/h. With the supercharger only, power is limited to 385kW at the hubs.

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Cruising fuel consumption is claimed to be unaffected thanks to the supercharger bypass control valve, and the fact that the standard car’s cylinder deactivation remains functional.

Under heavier loads, the long-range fuel tank might come in handy. This expands the Silverado’s capacity to 185-litres, more than double that of the standard vehicle’s 91-litres.

With many customers using the Silverado for heavy towing, Walkinshaw has introduced a number of upgrades. The first is a GVM upgrade (pricing TBC), which increases Gross Combination Mass (weight of vehicle plus trailer) from 7160 kilograms to 7512 kilograms. While the maximum tow rating remains 4500kg, this increases payload from 712kg to 1000kg.

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A 550kg weight distribution hitch (pricing TBC) improves towing performance by transferring more of the towing load to the front axle, while Walkinshaw’s locally-developed dampers ($1663) – standard as part of the Fury kit – are firmer than the OEM items to prevent rear sag and improve body control. Walkinshaw has dealers in every state.

Lexus Australia has confirmed its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model, the 2022 NX450h+, will arrive locally in early 2022.

Initially uncertain for Australia when the next-generation NX range was unveiled in June, the NX450h+ is now set to arrive just after the already-confirmed petrol NX250, turbo-petrol NX350 and petrol-electric NX350h variants touch down in January.

The news follows the announcement of pricing and specification details for the UX300e – the first electric Lexus – and move to a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the local division of the Japanese luxury brand.

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Closely related to the off-limits Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid, the NX450h+ is powered by a 136kW/227Nm 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine, mated to a 134kW/270Nm electric motor on the front axle and 40kW/121Nm motor on the rear axle for a combined total system output of 227kW.

Paired with an 18.1kWh battery, the NX450h+ is good for a Golf GTI-like 0-100km/h sprint in 6.3 seconds, with an 87-kilometre electric-only driving range and a claimed 1.3L/100km combined fuel economy figure on the lenient NEDC testing cycle. Additionally, the NX450h+ will emit an estimated 29 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Set to compete with European plug-in hybrid rivals – namely the BMW X3 xDrive30e, Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e and Volvo XC60 Recharge – the NX450h+ will also battle against emerging mainstream plug-in competitors, such as the Mitsubishi Outlander, Ford Escape and Peugeot 3008 PHEVs.

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In addition to the regular ‘performance-orientated drive modes’ available across the wider NX range, the NX450h+ will include four electric-specific drive settings: EV priority, auto HV/EV, HV and battery charging.

EV priority will emphasise an electric-only driving experience, while auto mode will allow the car to utilise the petrol engine more freely when required – with HV mode working like a regular hybrid vehicle.

Meanwhile, battery charging uses the petrol engine to top up when the level is low (rather than plugging-in to a wall charger.)

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The rear axle motor on the NX450h+ allows for its ‘E-Four’ all-wheel drive system to feature variable torque distribution that can send up to 100 per cent of torque to the front wheels, or 80 per cent to the rear, using a range of sensors measuring G forces, yaw rate, speed, and steering angle.

Adaptive suspension is standard on the NX450h+, with a more-aggressive Sport+ damping mode available.

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Full pricing and specification details for the 2022 Lexus NX450h+ will be announced closer to its early 2022 arrival in Australia.

With the plug-in hybrid model set to act as the flagship variant of the NX medium SUV range, expect a hefty price increase compared to the NX350h – with a starting price in line with the BMW X3 xDrive30e ($104,900 before on-road costs) and Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e ($100,300) likely.

Update, November 17, 2021: UX300e Australian pricing revealed, all models get 5-year warranty

The 2022 Lexus UX300e is now on sale in Australia, priced from $74,000 before on-road costs.

That news is accompanied by confirmation that all Lexus models now come with a five-year warranty – up from the company’s previous four-year offering.

This makes BMW and Audi the only premium brands in Australia still offering a three-year warranty.

Read more about the 2022 Lexus UX300e pricing and features here

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Update, November 7, 2021: Charger included

Buyers of the 2022 Lexus UX300e in Australia will receive a free 7kW home charger with their new electric SUV, the Japanese luxury brand has confirmed.

More, the company will also include three years of free ChargeFox network access, and access to the Lexus Encore Platinum benefits program, which will allow owners to borrow other Lexus models as needed.

You can read more about this story here.

The story to here

November 9, 2020: UX300e confirmed for Australia

Lexus has confirmed it will add a battery-powered version of its UX small SUV to the Australian line-up, marking the company’s local EV foray in 2021 with the UX 300e.

Revealed 12 months ago, the Japanese luxury car maker’s first fully electric car is already on sale in other parts of the world, but Australians will have to wait another year for the zero-emissions variant with plans to officially launch the UX 300e at next year’s Melbourne Cup event.

Pricing for the new variant is yet to be finalised but Lexus says the arrival will form a new “flagship” of the UX SUV range and will therefore be priced over the top of the $64,000 UX 250h AWD F-Sport.

While other premium carmakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz drag the chain on smaller EVs, Lexus will likely be the first into market with a small luxury battery-electric car.

It will also likely beat parent company Toyota to the EV punch in the Aussie market.

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While the company has become synonymous for its wide range of hybrid vehicles (or ‘self-charging electric’ it says) including a version in the UX range, Lexus has yet to weigh in with a purely electric car in any model line.

The exact specification for the 300e will be made available closer to its introduction but Australian versions will share the same pure battery-electric drivetrain as the rest of the world, which produces 150kW and 300Nm and a range of up to 400km.

Its lithium-ion battery can be recharged in just 50 minutes with high-rate fast charging or about seven hours using standard household AC power.

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Over the next 12 months, Lexus is preparing its dealers for the arrival of electric motion and will have more announcements regarding its preparation in due course, which is likely to include a charging infrastructure plan.

At the announcement of the UX 300e, Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson reiterated that the company would not introduce its first EV until the “complete customer experience” aligned with expectations of any owner, regardless of the drivetrain.

On the outside, the latest UX addition is aesthetically similar to its hybrid and pure petrol brethren, although a number of design changes accompany the milestone drivetrain including aerodynamic improvements.

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Those include a unique wheel design, a grille with active vents to control airflow and reduce drag, and a modified underbody for more drag reduction.

Suspension has also undergone a retune to accommodate an increased kerb weight as well as a lowered centre of gravity. ‘Excellent handling stability’ is maintained, claims Lexus.

The model’s drive mode selector is retained but has unique electric settings to adjust the smoothness of power delivery while steering wheel paddles are used to alter the aggressiveness of regenerative braking in four levels.

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UPDATE, November 17: UX300e Australian pricing confirmed

The Lexus UX300e has arrived in Australia with a starting price of $74,000 before on-road costs.

This story has been updated throughout to include the latest information available from launch, including today’s news of Lexus extending its warranty to five years.

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The story to here

October 5: As the first electric vehicle from Lexus and parent company Toyota to reach local shores, the UX 300e shares some equipment with the existing petrol-powered UX200 and the mild-hybrid UX250h, adding even more features in range-topping Sports Luxury trim.

The 2022 Lexus UX300e will be available in two trim levels, Luxury and Sports Luxury, which will retail for $74,000 and $81,000 respectively.

By comparison, the hybrid UX250h retail pricing ranges from from $52,025 to $64,000.

Lexus has confirmed local variants will be powered by a 150kW/300Nm electric motor, combining with its 54.3kWh lithium-ion battery to provide up to 360 kilometres of driving range.

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Lexus is also offering UX300e buyers a range of benefits including a free AC fast charger for their garage.

In addition, UX300e owners will also receive three years free access to the 1400-strong Chargefox national high-speed DC charging network – with rapid ports able to fully juice up the UX300e in about 80 minutes.

The model will also come with three years of complimentary membership of the Japanese luxury carmaker’s Encore Platinum owner benefits program, joining the Lexus LX, Lexus LC and Lexus LS.

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Features

The UX300e will be available in two variants, each powered by the same motor and battery.

UX300e Luxury

As the entry-level trim, the UX300e Luxury includes equipment such as:

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UX300e Sports Luxury

In addition to the features of the Luxury, the UX300e Sports Luxury gains:

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Safety

As with the rest of the UX line-up, the 300e features a five-star ANCAP safety rating with scores above 80 per cent across all four categories.

The UX300e scores a wide range of safety systems, including:

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Warranty

The UX300e will be the first Lexus model to come with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which will flow to all other models in January 2022 and will include all Lexus vehicles purchased in 2021.

The UX300e’s battery back will be covered by a 10-year warranty.

The UX300e will also come with five years of free roadside assistance and five years capped servicing set at $295 per service which will be due every 12 months or 15,000km.

Availability

The UX300e will commence rolling into showrooms by the end of November.

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2021 Lexus UX 300e Australian Pricing

Prices exclude on-road costs.

• Lexus UX 300e Luxury – $74,000
• Lexus UX300e Sport Luxury – $84,000

Hero to thousands of MOTOR readers, inventor, industrial designer, poet, musician, entertainer, adventurer, raconteur, gentleman, father, husband, grandfather and my mate, Paul Cockburn, has died after a long battle with cancer which, though it eventually overcame him, could not diminish the bloke in any other meaningful way.

It is often said of people past that ‘they really knew how to live’.This is usually code for `they took the grandkids to Disneyland in 1988 and managed to stay out of prison for the rest of the time’. But Cockburn (forgive me, we never called each other anything but Cockburn and Morley – the Statler and Waldorf comparison was made more than once) took the idea of understanding how to live to a PhD level. In fact, he might have invented the concept.

He often warned me of the dangers of fixating on the struggle to earn and accumulate the things we would need in retirement. And then completely forgetting to retire to die wealthy but unfulfilled.

“You spend your first years sowing,“ he told me. “But at some point, you have to harvest.”

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So can I just say here that you may all have no fears about that in Cockburn’s case. He worked hard but he also worked clever (that came pretty naturally) and, in the process, piled up the wherewithal to call it quits and enjoy life. He bought a motorhome (which we cruelly dubbed the Wino-Bago) installed a pool at home just outside Sydney and created a bull market for the wine and cheese manufacturers of the universe.

But it is his working life – including his years as MOTOR’s roving social commentator – that you lot will remember most fondly. Cockburn’s tenure at MOTOR began when, in a move of such stupidity there hasn’t yet been a scale devised by which to measure it, he was dumped from Wheels magazine as a writer. He’d been talent-spotted years before by Phil Scott – who always recognised true genius when it spilled wine on him – and employed Cockburn to write the offbeat stuff. A superior arrangement is impossible to imagine. And yet, somebody at Wheels years later thought he was wrong for the post.

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Which is how he came to the MOTOR fold. Scooped up and handed a truly b-r-o-a-d brief, Cockburn became the voice of both reason and insanity within these pages. Often on the same page. He could smell an idiot from three city blocks and his business smarts and technical bent allowed him to identify lame duck engineering or marketing in milli-seconds. But always, always, in a gentlemanly, genuine and hilarious way. But his industrial design chops also shone through and his ‘good design, bad design’ soon became a staple of every PCOTY MOTOR undertook for years.

His life as an industrial designer (he would refer to that as his real job) saw him design everything from a bike to a suspended chair (and very comfy it was) and TV props to a torch. That torch was, of course, the original Dolphin torch. But what you may not know is that the brilliance of that design was somewhat down to his insistence on using an elderly Jaguar as transport (Cockburn was one of the very few people bold enough to use the words `E-Type’ and `transport’ in the same sentence).

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The Dolphin was the solution to the problem of (inevitably) working on an E-Type’s engine after dark, while trying to throw light on to Lucas electrics around the forward opening, clamshell bonnet. That’s why the Dolphin was designed to be sat on its bottom with the lens angled up and/or across, so it could be placed on the road or tyre and still throw light into the engine bay. Genius. What did you expect?

Ah yes…the E-Type. With more than half-a-million miles (not kilometres) on it and having been the recipient of more than one engine rebuild and at least three body restorations that I know of, the E-Type might be dismissed by purists as grandad’s axe. But that would be forgetting that this wasn’t just any E-Type; this was Cockburn’s E-Type. In fact, it’s probably the best known E in the country and that’s down to Cockburn’s love of actually driving the thing. Everywhere. In the end, the car was pretty highly modified (he and I bolted Webers to it years ago) but Cockburn had no time for the purists: If the mods made it a better product, then it got modded.

Cockburn and I met many, many years ago on the job, and it didn’t take long to weigh each other up and come to the same conclusion. We both liked old, weird cars, we both enjoyed an after-work drink and we were both firmly committed to digging out the kernel of silliness in whatever was presented to us, whether that was a car, an event, a person or even just that night’s entrée.

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He was just better at it than I. Cockburn once told me that he always wanted to meet me after reading a piss-take yarn I wrote about taking an XR6 Ute to a B and S ball. He loved that yarn. This was like Einstein telling you he digs your quantum-theory stuff, or John Lennon watching you pick a guitar and starting to hum along and tap his foot. But that’s what Cockburn did: He lifted you up.

Circumstances kept me from visiting Cockburn as the end drew in, but I phoned him and he told me he was dying, but that he’d never been more at peace. He told me that he was surrounded by the people he loved, the things he held dear and that he’d never been happier. Typical. A joy right to the bloody end.

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For almost as long as we can remember, Porsche has somewhat crippled the Cayman. That’s not to say that the mid-engined coupe isn’t a great car, it’s just that Zuffenhausen is fully aware of the position of the iconic 911 within its sports car firmament and has long ensured that the Cayman doesn’t encroach unduly onto its patch.

With the impending release of the first RS-badged Cayman, the gap between the two models has undoubtedly closed. That an RS-badged Cayman was on its way has been one of the worst-kept secrets in the performance car world, with relatively undisguised prototypes being a regular fixture at the Nordschleife. We even had a Porsche dealer in Brisbane take to Instagram in 2017 canvassing for deposits, somewhat letting that particular cat out of the bag.

The full details of the new car have just been revealed in Los Angeles, and we have a jaw-dropping Nürburgring lap time to chew on.

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With Jörg Bergmeister at the wheel, it did a full 20.832-kilometre lap in 7m09.3s, and the old 20.6km industry benchmark (minus the short straight at T13) in 7m04.511s, a massive 23.6 seconds faster than the 718 Cayman GT4.

Much of that gap will come down to the fact the RS was wearing gumball Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres on its centre-lock alloys, rubber that would only be good for Calder’s Thunderdome landfill after a handful of laps. Michelin has reported that these hoops are worth around 0.5s per kilometres on track, so that’s around 10 seconds accounted for right there. Then there’s the fact that the GT4 RS uses a PDK transmission compared to the GT4’s manual ’box which, if Porsche’s data for the 991 Carrera is anything to go by, will save another seven or eight seconds.

That leaves another six or seven seconds to find, easily accounted for by improved aero – check that vast GT3-style swan-neck rear wing – a wider front track and, finally, a lot more grunt to the tune of 368kW and 450Nm, thanks in no small part to the naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre lifted from the 911 GT3. Process air intakes now replace the rear quarter windows, and the Cayman GT4’s signature side intakes remain. With a full tank of fuel and no driver, the Cayman GT4 RS tips the scales at 1415kg.

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Combine all that with the telepathic PDK transmission (no manuals for RS models) and you end up with a vehicle that’ll lap faster than a McLaren 720S. To really put that figure into perspective, it’s around eight seconds quicker than Lars Kern ever managed to lap a 991.2 GT3. Porsche was at pains to note that unlike some ’Ring-timed vehicles, this was in production representative state, with just a racing seat fitted for Bergmeister’s safety.

Lap times are all well and good, but has Porsche developed this car to such a scalpel-sharpness that its genius is lost on mere mortals? Andreas Preuninger, Porsche’s director of the GT Model Line believes that the two demands are not mutually exclusive.

“During development, we gave the 718 Cayman GT4 RS everything that characterises a genuine RS: lightweight construction, more downforce, more power and, of course, an even higher level of responsiveness and feedback to driver inputs. The fantastic lap time of the Nordschleife is impressive proof of how clearly noticeable these improvements in driving dynamics are,” he said.

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“Our customers can look forward to a pure driver’s car that makes a thrilling driving experience an absolute priority.”

“The 718 Cayman GT4 RS is an uncompromising driving machine. It feels as nimble as a go-kart on mountain roads, yet is impressively stable and well-balanced on the race track. Otherwise, such a lap time wouldn’t even be possible,” says Jörg Bergmeister.

“The GT4 RS is one of the sharpest cars Porsche has ever developed. And you really have had to experience the breathtaking noise it makes for yourself,” adds the driver, who has devoted more than 500 hours to the 718 Cayman GT4 RS during test and tuning drives as part of the car’s development.

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The RS badge is a natural fit for the 718, as the first Porsche to wear the hallowed RennSport badge was the 1957 718 RSK, winner of the 1959 Targa Florio years before the 911 was conceived. After that RS 60, RS 61 and W-RS versions of the 718 were launched and the 718 birthed another hugely iconic badge with the 1962 GTR Coupe.

Australian pricing begins at $300,800 with deliveries expected to commence from mid-2022. Local cars will receive auto-dimming mirrors with rain sensor, cruise control, ParkAssist (rear only), reversing camera, Light Design Package and digital radio.

UPDATE, November 17: The United States Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Volkswagen to avoid further legal action relating to Dieselgate damages.

According to Automotive News, the Supreme Court justices threw out the appeals from Volkswagen and ECU supplier Bosch, allowing Florida’s Hillsborough County and Utah’s Salt Lake County to pursue charges against the companies in accordance with their respective local laws.

Volkswagen Group of America had tried to argue only the Federal Government could pursue damages through the Environmental Act, noting it had already has reached a settlement of more than $20 billion with the US Environmental Protection Agency.

It comes less than a week after Volkswagen lost an appeal made to the Australian High Court, relating to its $125 million fine locally. More about this case is available below.

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The story to here

November 15: Volkswagen has lost a second appeal against its $125 million Dieselgate fine – this time in the nation’s High Court.

After losing an earlier appeal to Australia’s Federal Court to have the penalty reduced, the company took its fight to the High Court.

However, the higher authority has now also rejected VW’s challenge, and refused to grant special leave for the firm to further dispute its ruling.

Lawyers for the company told the High Court that the original judge hadn’t considered a lack of past offences could be a mitigating factor, reports ABC, and though the Federal Court had previously agreed that was an error, the bench said it was unlikely to have changed the outcome.

A spokesperson for VW Australia told WhichCar: “Volkswagen AG (VWAG) firmly believes that the penalty of $75 million agreed in principle with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to resolve the regulatory proceedings was a fair amount. 

“[This] decision confirms a penalty only on VWAG. The case against Volkswagen Group Australia has been dismissed in its entirety with no orders made against Volkswagen Group Australia.”

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April 11: Volkswagen has failed in its appeal to have dismissed the record $125 million ‘Dieselgate’ fine handed down by Australia’s Federal Court in December 2019.

The fine was issued by Justice Lindsay Foster, who described an earlier settlement of $75 million – approved by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) – as a “manifestly inadequate” penalty for the “false representations” Volkswagen was deemed to have made on more than 57,000 cars sold in Australia.

CATCH UP: In 2015, Volkswagen began an investigation into its diesel models after independent research revealed excessive emissions volumes in several of its vehicles sold in the US.

It was later confirmed the company had devised a plan to cheat emissions tests, ensuring that its diesel cars met requirements during testing – but significantly exceeded legal limits and claimed numbers in daily operation.

The $125 million penalty – and the earlier agreed settlement – is significantly greater than the previous record of a $26.5 million fine issued only months earlier, in September 2019, to training college Empower Institute.

In the automotive space, the highest previous fine went to Ford, which was hit with a comparatively paltry $10 million penalty for its dealings with owners of vehicles fitted with faulty automatic transmissions.

In justifying the increased $125 million fine, Justice Foster described Volkswagen’s dealings as an “egregious breach of Australian consumer law of the worst kind imaginable”.

Supporting the decision, ACCC chair Rod Sims said in a statement at the time: “Volkswagen’s conduct was blatant and deliberate. This penalty reflects a trend of ever-higher penalties for breaches of Australian consumer law.”

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The company ultimately lodged an appeal insisting that the $75 million settlement it had agreed to in September 2019 – was “fair”.

On Friday, the Federal Court confirmed it would uphold Justice Foster’s decision.

Volkswagen’s loss in the courtroom follows its agreement to a $127 million payout to Australian owners who participated in five lawsuits against the company, although that settlement was reached on a ‘no-admission’ basis.

The class actions represented around 100,000 owners of vehicles across the Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi brands.

Australia is just one battleground for the German car maker in the ongoing ‘Dieselgate’ saga, with the company’s costs – in fines, compensation and buybacks – understood to have topped AU$47 billion dollars.

In the years since the scandal first broke, Volkswagen has worked to redeem itself by investing heavily in an electrified future.

Although, while more and more rival brands begin their electric rollout in Australia – some, like the Nissan Leaf, now into their second generation – Volkswagen’s local arm is yet to confirm when any of its revealed ‘ID’ electric models will reach our shores.

The Haval Jolion has received hybrid power, with an electrified variant of the SUV launched in Thailand.

Based on the current five-seat SUV, Malaysian publication Paultan reports the Jolion Hybrid will retain the 1.5-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which features in the Australian-delivered Jolion, but with the addition of hybrid assistance – bumping the power and torque outputs from 110kW/220Nm to 142kW/375Nm.

Those numbers are down on the 179kW/530Nm which will be on tap in the Haval H6 Hybrid which is set to launch in Australia next year, but it puts the Jolion in line with hybrid rivals such as the Toyota C-HR, MG HS and Kia Niro.

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As with the rest of the Jolion line-up, power from the engine is delivered to the front wheels only, with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission remaining as the only choice on offer.

Exterior changes have also come alongside the hybrid’s introduction, as Haval ties up the daytime running lights, LED headlights and indicators in a single unit, with a redesigned front grille adding to the update.

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Apart from the hybrid tech and facelifted front end, the rest of the Jolion remains unchanged, with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen featuring in the dash alongside a seven-inch instrument cluster.

In Thailand, the hybrid variant is expected to drop between the Jolion Pro and Ultra grades, placing it around 800,000-1,000,000 baht (AU$33,500-42,000), while the range-topping Ultra variant is currently available from $31,990 drive-away in Australia.

While a spokesperson for Haval could not confirm whether the Jolion Hybrid is bound for Australia, Wheels understands the model could reach the local market in the second half of next year, depending on the popularity of the H6 Hybrid.

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Genesis is poised to unveil its third fully-electric vehicle later this week, with covers expected to come off the rumoured GV70 EV in China.

The Korean luxury manufacturer has said it will be revealing a new model at 1.40pm AEDT on November 19, teasing a blanked-off front grille which suggests the model won’t use its current line-up of internal combustion engines.

From the teaser image provided by Genesis, the front end design reflects that of the existing, ICE-powered GV70, aside from the aforementioned grille, although the lower bumper design looks slightly different to the existing car.

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To provide drive to all four wheels, the GV70 could adopt the same powertrain as the G80 EV, utilising an 87.2kWh battery pack and dual electric motors to produce around 270kW, resulting in a driving range of around 400 kilometres.

According to Business Korea, the electric GV70 could be the first EV from the luxury arm of Hyundai to be produced at its new facility in Alabama, with the United States market an important target for the manufacturer.

An all-electric GV70 would becoming the third EV from Genesis after the GV60 was launched in August, based on the Hyundai Ioniq 5/Kia EV6 as a part of Genesis’ aims to introduce only electric models from 2025.