Hybrid SUV models continue to grow in the Aussie new car sales market thanks to their practicality, fuel efficiency, performance and low cost of ownership. Manufacturers are racing to offer as many as they can, making hybrid SUV ownership no longer just for those with larger budgets. There are even options underneath the $30,000 mark.

With that in mind, here are the top 10 WhichCar by Wheels cheap hybrid SUV options:

1) MG ZS Hybrid+

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Price: From $30,990 driveaway
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 158kW, CVT, 2WD
Fuel efficiency: 4.7L/100km

Winner of Wheels Best Small SUV 2025, the MG ZS Hybrid+ is currently the best cheap hybrid SUV you can buy for a number of reasons: the typically strong MG value equation, its efficiency and performance, practicality and low running costs. Priced from $30,990 driveaway in Excite form, the ZS Hybrid+ is also richly equipped with a well finished interior. Add in MG’s excellent seven-year warranty (extendable up to 10 years through dealer servicing), and it’s a great choice for a cheap hybrid SUV.

2) Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid

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Price: From $29,990 driveaway
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 150kW, CVT, 2WD
Fuel efficiency: 5.4L/100km

The Tiggo 4 is the best-selling small SUV in Australia so far in 2026, and with good reason: its value equation is amazing and it’s very well equipped with standard features. In hybrid form, the Tiggo 4 is powerful but efficient, and impresses with its practicality, quality interior finishes and comfortable driving experience. Chery‘s seven-year/unlimited km warranty is healthy and its service pricing is cheap as well, keeping running costs low and quite affordable.

3) Hyundai Kona

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Price: From $36,950 plus on-road costs
Powertrain: 1.6-litre four-cylinder, 104kW, six-speed dual-clutch, 2WD
Fuel efficiency: 3.9L/100km

The Hyundai Kona did well in Wheels Best Small SUV 2025, and was even the best-selling small SUV in Australia in 2025. That’s because it’s a great all-rounder, plus the 1.6-litre hybrid drivetrain is also very fuel efficient, rated at just 3.9L/100km. The Kona features a six-speed dual-clutch transmission so that the elasticky feel experienced in quite a lot of other hybrids doesn’t feature. The Kona hybrid is one of the more expensive options on this list, but it’s still very worthy of consideration.

4) Toyota Yaris Cross

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Price: from $31,790 plus on-road costs
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 85kW, eCVT, 2WD or AWD
Fuel efficiency: 3.8L/100km

Toyota‘s hybrid knowledge is the best in the industry, so it’s no surprise to see the Yaris Cross small SUV feature on this list. Rated at just 3.8L/100km on the combined cycle, the Yaris Cross is actually the equal most efficient SUV on the market (which it shares with its Lexus LBX twin). With a starting price of $31,790 plus on-road costs, the Yaris Cross is efficient, practical, good to drive and well equipped.

5) MG HS Hybrid+

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Price: From $39,990 driveaway
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo hybrid, 165kW, two-speed auto, 2WD
Fuel efficiency: 5.2L/100km

The latest-generation MG HS is a big improvement on the previous-generation model thanks to its big low up in style, quality and driving ability. The new HS also has the choice of two hybrid drivetrains, including the plug-in ‘Super Hybrid’, but here we’re focusing on the less expensive Hybrid+. Using a 165kW 1.5-litre hybrid drivetrain, the HS Hybrid+ is capable of 5.2L/100km combined fuel consumption and is priced from just $39,990 driveaway. Plus, compared with the mostly small SUVs on this list, it’s a mid-sizer and therefore offers more space and practicality.

6) Honda HR-V

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Price: From $39,900 driveaway
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 96kW, CVT auto, 2WD
Fuel efficiency: 4.3L/100km

It’s not cheap to buy, and it’s also only a four-seater, but the Honda HR-V is a great all-rounder and represents Honda’s sublime engineering at its best. Its hybrid system is excellent, offering stepped ratio gearing to feel more like a regular transmission, and it’s capable of low fuel consumption as well. In addition, the HR-V boasts Honda‘s ‘Magic Seats’ that fold up to carry taller items in the rear seat, and it’s also wonderfully practical for a small SUV.

7) GWM Haval H6

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Price: From $40,990 driveaway
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo hybrid, 179kW, two-speed auto, 2WD
Fuel efficiency: 5.2L/100km

The GWM Haval H6 was given a comprehensive update in the second half of 2025 which improved its styling and dynamics, gave it a new touchscreen system and improved its value further. The base Lux hybrid is available from just $40,990 driveaway, for example, but it is often discounted further (currently it’s priced at $36,990 driveaway). Its hybrid system is quite punchy and gives good performance, but it’s rated at just 5.2L/100km on the combined cycle.

8) Geely Starray EM-i

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Price: From $37,490 plus on-road costs
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo plug-in hybrid, 193kW, dedicated hybrid transmission, 2WD
Fuel efficiency: 2.4L/100km (fully charged)

Geely‘s new Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV only recently launched in Australia, but it impressed us thanks to its long EV range (83km on the WLTP cycle), quality interior finish, strong practicality and overall efficiency of just 2.4L/100km (when fully charged). Plus it’s priced from $37,490 plus on-road costs too, making it one of the cheapest PHEVs on the market.

9) Toyota Corolla Cross

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Price: From $37,440 plus on-road costs
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 146kW, eCVT auto, 2WD or AWD
Fuel efficiency: 4.2L/100km

Like its slightly smaller Yaris Cross sibling, the Toyota Corolla Cross is a great cheap SUV option that’s capable of excellent fuel economy at just 4.2L/100km. That’s despite featuring a 2.0-litre hybrid system making 146kW of power, and giving excellent performance. It’s also quite practical, and although the entry-level GX model is at the pricier end of this list, it is well equipped with safety features. Plus, Toyota‘s low ownership cost and high resale value provide even more reasons to purchase it.

10) Subaru Crosstrek

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Price: From $40,090 plus on-road costs
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid, 110kW, CVT auto, AWD
Fuel efficiency: 6.5L/100km

The Subaru Crosstrek is a solid all-round small SUV that’s offered in mild-hybrid form, and truth be told, there are better hybrid options on the market (as its 6.5L/100km combined fuel consumption shows). But the hybrid variant loses none of the petrol version’s great off-road capability, and although it’s not cheap, the Subaru Crosstrek hybrid is the only off-road capable car in this company. Plus, while its boot isn’t huge, its cabin is spacious and it’s well equipped, especially with safety features.

Kia Australia has announced local pricing for the 2026 Kia EV9 range, which is now on sale ahead of first deliveries commencing soon. Most notable among the 2026 EV9 variants is the high-performance GT, which has finally gone on sale after being revealed in November 2024 and adds more power, locally-tuned adaptive suspension and a sportier look inside and out.

Priced from $129,250 plus on-road costs, the EV9 GT is $8250 more expensive than the less powerful and less well equipped GT-Line ($121,000 +ORC). It uses the same dual-motor set-up as the EV9 GT-Line, but makes considerably more grunt at 374kW of power and 740Nm of torque versus the GT-Line’s 283kW/700Nm. That allows it to cover 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds (GT-Line: 5.2).

While Kia is yet to reveal a full standard equipment list, it has confirmed that the GT also features locally-tuned adaptive suspension, gloss black 21-inch alloy wheels, a digital LED grille with its ‘Star Map’ lighting and an upgraded interior with second row captain’s chairs with full reclining.

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The images from the EV9 GT’s reveal in late 2024 show an upgraded interior with lime green highlights, black suede upholstery used throughout and sports seats added.

The EV9 GT uses the same 99.8kWh battery as the EV9 Earth and EV9 GT-Line and is rated for 510km of WLTP range, which is curiously 5km more than the less powerful GT-Line.

Kia is yet to announce any other changes for the rest of the 2026 EV9 range, though pricing has remained the same as the 2025 versions.

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2026 Kia EV9 pricing (plus on-road costs):

The 2026 Kia EV9 range is now on sale with local deliveries to commence imminently.

Australia’s privacy watchdog – The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) – has opened an official investigation into two Asian-based ‘smart car’ manufacturers, citing concerns about the types, and levels, of personal data connected cars are harvesting.

Speaking to Senate Estimates hearings in Canberra this week, Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind told Senators that her office is investigating “two separate entities” to assess whether the automakers are collecting excessive personal information and what they are then doing with that harvested data. She also confirmed her office had conducted preliminary investigations into two other car companies.

“We have open investigations against two separate entities,” Kind told Senate Estimates. “We conducted further preliminary inquiries against two separate entities, but did not decide to take them further.”

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Kind declined to name the car makers under investigation and when pressed by Nationals Senator, Bridget McKenzie, who asked if she could confirm the two automakers were state-owned entities from China, replied only that they were based in Asia.

Most new cars on the Australian market today are equipped with built-in modems – or can connect to owners’ smartphones – to provide a range of connected services such as satellite navigation and streaming services. However, some vehicles collect a wealth of personal data including location histories, driving behaviours, voice recordings and images from both internal and external cameras, “a shocking breach of privacy,” according to Senator McKenzie.

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It’s not the first time Kind has flagged privacy concerns around automakers.

“It is an area of increasing public interest and concern, and while the Australian connected car market is not as advanced as overseas markets, we have seen significant privacy issues in other jurisdictions, including instances where driver data is used to build risk profiles about individuals, and in some circumstances, sold to insurance brokers,” she said in a speech at the University of NSW last May. “This can include some very personal and even sensitive data, and it can paint an intricate picture of our lives and movements.

“By collecting so many data points, connected cars provide as many opportunities for malicious or rogue actors to access and misuse that information.”

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The issue of data security is gathering steam globally. In 2024, the US banned the sale of software and hardware from Chinese- and Russian-made cars amid concerns surrounding not only privacy, but also potential national security breaches.

That same year, Australian consumer advocacy group, Choice, conducted an investigation into Australia’s 10 biggest car brands which found that many of them collected personal information with some brands confirming that data was then sold on to third parties.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s investigation is expected to take around 18 months.

Suzuki has revealed local specifications for the new e Vitara small SUV, its first electric vehicle sold in Australia, ahead of its arrival in June 2026. While pricing is yet to be released, we do know that it will be available in two models with up to 395km of driving range. Both front- and all-wheel drive drivetrains will be available too, with the all-wheel drive model fairly unique in the small electric SUV market.

Two drivetrains will be available in the Suzuki e Vitara in Australia: a smaller 49kWh battery with a 106kW/193Nm front-mounted motor and a 135kW/307Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive variant with a larger 61kWh battery. The FWD car is capable of 344km of range, and the AWD car, 395km.

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The e Vitara is capable of DC fast charging from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 45 minutes, while it can charge at an AC maximum of 11kW for a claimed 10-100 per cent charge in as long as five hours and 30 minutes.

The e Vitara measures 4275mm long, 1800mm wide, 1635mm tall and rides on a 2700mm-long wheelbase, making it identical in length to a Mazda CX-3, though 20mm narrower, 100mm taller and using a 130mm longer wheelbase. 

Standard equipment on the entry-level e Vitara Motion includes 18-inch alloy wheels, single-zone automatic climate control, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, cloth upholstery and safety features such as seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera.

The upper-spec e Vitara Ultra then adds all-wheel drive, synthetic leather and cloth upholstery, an Infinity sound system and heated front seats.

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Suzuki e Vitara Motion standard features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED headlights
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Cloth upholstery
• Automatic climate control
• 10.25-inch driver’s display
• 10.1-inch touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Four-speaker sound system
• Driving modes
• 7x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane keeping assistance
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Auto high beam
• 360-degree camera

e Vitara Ultra model adds:

• Larger 61kWh battery
• All-wheel drive
• Adaptive high beam
• Sunroof
• Infinity sound system with subwoofer
• Wireless phone charger
• Cloth and synthetic leather upholstery
• Electric driver’s seat
• Heated front seats
• LED front fog lights

The Suzuki e Vitara will go on sale in Australia in June 2026 with local pricing yet to be revealed.

Tesla will scrap the outright purchase option for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology in Australia and New Zealand from April 1, 2026, moving to a subscription-only model for new buyers.

The electric car maker confirmed customers must order vehicle with FSD (Supervised) by March 31, 2026 to be eligible for outright purchase (though delivery can occur later). After that date, the only way to access the driver-assistance feature will be via a monthly subscription.

Subscription pricing will remain unchanged, with FSD (Supervised) costing $149 per month in Australia and $159 per month in New Zealand.

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Existing owners of Tesla vehicles equipped with the latest HW4 hardware will still be able to purchase FSD (Supervised) outright as a post-purchase upgrade via the Tesla app, but only until March 31, 2026.

Tesla has also confirmed its Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) and Full Self-Driving transfer promotion – which allows eligible customers to transfer EAP or FSD (Supervised) from an existing vehicle to a new one – will end on the same date. Customers wanting to take advantage of the offer must order and take delivery before the deadline, with the incentive not set to return.

While the shift marks a significant change in how Tesla packages one of its most high-profile technologies, it does not affect vehicle pricing.

In Australia, the Model 3 line-up starts from $54,900 before on-road costs for the Rear-Wheel Drive, rising to $61,900 for the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive and $80,900 for the Performance All-Wheel Drive.

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The Model Y range opens at $58,900 for the Rear-Wheel Drive, with the Long Range All-Wheel Drive priced at $68,900 and the flagship Performance All-Wheel Drive at $89,400.

By moving to a subscription-only structure, Tesla aligns FSD (Supervised) more closely with a software-as-a-service model, potentially lowering the upfront cost of entry for buyers while providing the brand with ongoing recurring revenue.

For customers intent on owning the feature outright, however, the clock is now ticking.

General Motors Special Vehicles (GMSV) has announced a new special edition of the Chevrolet Corvette mid-engined sports car to celebrate the debut of the new Corvette Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car at the 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour race.

Dubbed the Corvette Z06 ‘Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition’, the special Corvette is the first time that the Z06 has been offered locally as part of the updated MY26 range.

Just 12 units of the Corvette Z06 Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition will be offered across both Australia and New Zealand. Pricing is yet to be confirmed for the new special edition, but we’re expecting a hike over the pre-updated Z06’s $336,000 plus on-road costs pricing.

Above the regular Z06, the Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition adds a new ‘Switchblade Silver’ exterior paint option with a C8.R graphics package, a carbon fibre roof, mirror caps and badging, an engine lighting and appearance package, blue brake callipers, 20-inch front/21-inch rear black forged aluminium wheels and Corvette Racing centre caps.

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The Corvette Z07 Performance Package, previously optional on the regular Z06, is also standard on the Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition and adds adaptive suspension, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres and an exterior aero package with a high wing spoiler.

Inside, the Corvette Z06 Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition sees black and blue nappa leather upholstery, Competition seats, blue seatbelts and carbon fibre trimmings. Each car will also receive a build plate, numbered from one to 12.

Customers for the new special edition Corvette will also receive a Bathurst 12 Hour Edition custom art print, an indoor car cover with a graphic of the Corvette GT3.R, and a Corvette Racing merchandise pack, including a cap, polo, and jacket.

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Mechanically, the Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition retains the Z06’s 475kW/595Nm 5.5-litre flat-plane crank V8 engine and eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. It launches to 100km/h in just 2.6 seconds, and hits a top speed of 304km/h.

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition will debut at this weekend’s Bathurst 12 Hour race, with local deliveries due to commence soon.

Automatic engine stop/start systems – long criticised by some drivers as one of the most irritating modern car features – have effectively been sidelined in the United States, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed it will no longer incentivise the technology under federal emissions rules.

The move forms part of what the EPA has described as the “single largest deregulatory action in US history”, with the Trump Administration winding back a suite of vehicle emissions standards introduced under previous governments.

Under a final rule signed off in February 2026, the EPA has eliminated so-called “off-cycle credits”, which previously allowed carmakers to earn compliance points for fitting fuel-saving technologies such as automatic stop/start. These systems shut down a vehicle’s engine when it comes to a complete stop – such as at traffic lights – and restart it when the driver lifts off the brake or engages the clutch, reducing fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions in urban traffic.

Manufacturers widely adopted the technology over the past decade as a relatively low-cost way to help meet increasingly stringent fuel economy and greenhouse gas targets in the US.

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EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency’s broader rollback also removes the long-standing “Endangerment Finding”, which had underpinned federal greenhouse gas regulations since 2009.

“The Endangerment Finding has been the source of 16 years of consumer choice restrictions and trillions of dollars in hidden costs for Americans,” Zeldin said in a statement announcing the changes.

While stop/start systems are not banned outright, the removal of regulatory incentives means carmakers are no longer effectively rewarded for fitting them across entire model ranges. As a result, the feature may increasingly become optional in the US market – or disappear from some vehicles altogether.

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For Australian buyers, however, the immediate impact is less clear. Local new-car emissions standards are tightening under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which is designed to curb fleet-wide CO2 output. As a result, technologies that reduce fuel consumption – including stop/start – are likely to remain part of manufacturers’ toolkits here.

In short, while American drivers may soon see fewer cars cutting their engines at the lights, Australian motorists shouldn’t expect the same reprieve just yet.

It seems almost unimaginable today but there was a time when Porsche found itself contemplating a future without the 911.

It was the early 1970s, and far from being the icon it has become today, the 911 was then still a relatively new model, less than a decade old. But Porsche was in turmoil, both from within and without.

Inside Zuffenhausen, a seismic shift had taken place with Ferry Porsche changing the structure of what had up until 1972 been a family-run business, into a publicly-listed company. It did not come without blood-letting, with Ferry’s son, Ferdinand ‘Butzi’ Porsche, and Ferdinand Piëch (Ferry’s nephew and grandson of company founder Ferdinand Porsche) shown the door.

A new board was installed. At its head, Ernst Fuhrmann, the one-time Porsche engineer who had returned to the company in 1971, took over as chairman.

Externally, the German brand was facing uncertainty from its biggest market, the United States, where looming regulations around stricter crash-protections along with tighter emissions controls, threatened to scupper the viability of its halo 911 model. Additionally, the US’s national road safety watchdog was holding a two-year review into the safety of rear-engined cars and while the review ultimately found they presented no increased risk, the very fact the review existed at all had spooked Porsche. Without the US, the 911 – and Porsche itself – was teetering on the brink.

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As Fuhrmann later recalled, “The worst thing was no one knew exactly what these [new US] laws would be like or when they would take effect.”

Something new was needed.

Enter the Porsche 928, a front-engined grand tourer that, depending on whose memory you believe, was conceived to either replace the 911 or form part of a wider model line-up. Fuhrmann as much as admitted he saw an end for 911, revealing in an interview in Karl Ludvigsen’s illuminating Porsche: Excellence Was Expected, he only saw the 911 lasting until 1975. In its place Porsche’s new chief envisaged a more premium product, one that could take on the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and BMW in the luxury grand tourer arena. And in a massive departure for the brand, it was to feature the engine up front.

Development began in February 1972, led by Wolfhelm Gorissen, Wolfgang Eyb and Helmut Flegl. Fuhrmann’s vision might have been radical but according to Gorissen, “everyone was on board”.
While the fundamentals of the 928 were simple enough – front-engine, transaxle, 2+2 seating – the decision as to what engine would power Zuffenhausen’s grand tourer proved more difficult.

Various engine configurations were considered and rejected including a 3.5-litre V6 (too tall to fit under the bonnet) and a V10 based off Volkswagen’s EA825 five-cylinder (too Volkswagen) before settling on a V8, crucially one with a 90-degree vee angle that would sit nicely under the 928’s low, sloping bonnet.

“A Porsche must have a low bonnet line. A horizontally-opposed engine would allow that, but it would make the car too wide,” Flegl said at the 928’s launch in 1977. “The compromise has to be a 90-degree V8.”

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Porsche’s in-house developed 4.5-litre water-cooled V8 was a thoroughly modern piece of kit. Constructed entirely of lightweight alloys, with 95mm bore and 78.9mm stroke, and with two valves per cylinder all housed inside heads offset by 27mm (the right bank ahead of the left). Two overhead camshafts, one per cylinder bank, featured hydraulic rockers activating the valves. A compression ratio of 8.5:1 ensured the new V8 could run on what was claimed at the car’s launch in 1977 as “the lowest grade of fuel”. Electronic fuel pumps fed the Bosch K-Jetronic injection system.

The end result: modest outputs of 180kW at 5250rpm and 363Nm at 3600rpm.

Another critical decision during those early days was around weight-distribution. While not a sports car in the same vein as the 911, the 928 nevertheless needed to offer a balanced chassis and with sporting dynamics befitting the Porsche badge.

As Flegl described, “The most critical terms of reference in the development of new cars nowadays are the American regulations. But since no-one really knows just what those rules will be in the next few vears, you have to be equipped to meet any eventuality.

“The only thing that’s certain about the future design rules is that they’ll be framed around front-engined cars. But there are disadvantages about having the engine mounted in the front in a high-performance car, and if you do it the only logical solution is to separate the power plant from the transmission and use a rear-mounted transaxle.”

Initially available with either a new Porsche-developed five-speed manual or three-speed Mercedes-Benz-sourced automatic, Porsche’s transaxle was mounted ahead of the differential, with the clutch located up front. The V8 itself was mounted well back inside the 928’s chassis, what today would be called mid-front, the end result being perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

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Up front, lightweight alloy upper and lower wishbones helped to keep unsprung weight down. Coil springs, inward-facing shock absorbers, and an anti-roll completed the front suspension picture.
Out back, a new revolutionary design helped the 928 achieve greater stability during cornering, reducing oversteer and even offered a small measure of ‘four-wheel’ steering. Dubbed the ‘Weissach axle’, the system utilised the rear suspension’s trailing arms and specially-designed rubber bushings to increase the amount of rear-wheel toe-in during deceleration, dramatically reducing the risk of lift-off oversteer.

The 928’s exterior styling was overseen by Porsche’s design chief Anatole Lapine alongside principal designer Wolfgang Möbius. Larger than the 911, the 928’s unusually curvaceous, almost bulbous, design hid its size well. As Lapine recalled later, several elements of the 928’s body were ‘must-haves’.

“It definitely had to have a Porsche [bonnet], smooth and not cluttered up,” he said. “With a Porsche, you do not dominate with radiator openings.” The subsequent air inlets that fed air to the front-mounted radiator were tucked neatly away under the front bumper.

Bumper? What bumper? While to the naked eye the 928 was conspicuously devoid of front and rear bumpers, US regulations decreed impact-absorbing bars must be fitted to all new cars. Here, Porsche’s designers, keen to keep the 928’s sleek profile as smooth and uncluttered as possible, integrated the bumpers, rated at the mandated impact speeds of up to 8km/h, behind the car’s bodywork, comprising one-piece polyurethane panels that bent with slight impact before flexing back into shape. Clever.

Low-profile Pirelli P7 rubber clothed the 928’s 16-inch alloy wheels, six inches wide up front and seven at the rear. Their distinctive five-hole design by Stahlschmitt became a defining feature of early cars.

Other signature elements contributed to its distinctive appearance – the exposed pop-up headlights that invoked the Lamborghini Miura, the sharply-forward-angled B-pillar which in turn led to the uneven hexagonal-shaped doors. The rakish B-pillars, far from purely decorative, formed an integral part of the 928’s roll-over structure.

At the rear, the 928’s fastback shape added a level of practicality not found in 911. Lifting the glass hatch revealed a decently-sized cargo area while the rear seats could be folded flat to open up even more space.

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The cabin itself exuded luxury befitting the flagship. Sure, the seats in early models were draped in love-it-or-hate-it black-and-white ‘Pasha’ checkerboard pattern, but they were of their time and strangely alluring.

Still, there remained a familiarity within, despite the 928 being an all-new, ground-up model. The steering wheel was straight out of the 911 parts bin, imbuing the cabin with that unmistakable Porsche feel. So too the front seats, also lifted from the 911 back catalogue although the 928’s ‘Pasha’ seat inserts debuted in the new model. The 911’s similarly-patterned cloth seats were draped in a slightly different black-and-white pattern, dubbed ‘Pepita’.

That’s not to say the 928 didn’t have its own character. The steering wheel was adjustable for height while the instrument cluster, attached to the steering column, moved up or down with wheel adjustment, ensuring the driver always had a clear and uninterrupted view of the dials.

Despite the 928’s cabin being around 11.5 centimetres longer than the 911’s, second-row space remained at a premium. The 2+2 seating arrangement was best saved for kids or young teens while the car’s transaxle layout was keenly felt with a large transmission tunnel between the rear pews.

By 1973 Porsche had finished the 928’s basic design and engineering. Testing began and continued throughout the remainder of the year and into 1974. But the global oil crisis cooled Porsche’s ardour for a large, V8-powered grand tourer and development, while not shelved, certainly cooled.

The pace picked up again in 1976 with the deserts of Algeria hosting Porsche for hot-weather testing with temperatures in the low 40s Celsius range. When the team moved to the Arctic Circle in Finland in January 1977, they were met by temperatures of minus 28-degree Celsius, the two extremes a vital part of ensuring the 928’s systems could cope.

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By 1977, Porsche was ready to unveil its newest ‘baby’ and in March, the covers came off at the Geneva motor show. With a price tag of DM55,000, the 928 was considerably dearer than the base model 911 SC (3.0) which started at around DM40,000.

Porsche’s first grand tourer, a bold redefining of the luxury sports car genre, was a critical success from the outset. Contemporary reviewers lauded its daring and innovative styling, effortless V8 power and for its unashamedly luxurious proposition. This was no 911, they said almost in unison.

Early reviews were overwhelmingly positive. US publication Car and Driver gushed when it said “the 928 may well be the best all-around car in the world today”, while Road & Track was equally effusive writing that it represented “a quantum leap forward in performance car design”.

Across the Atlantic, Britain’s Autocar drew comparisons with the 911, writing that the 928 “handles with incredible poise for a car of its size and weight, and the level of refinement is in another league entirely from the 911”.

Here in Australia, Wheels wrote “this Porsche already is pretty much the complete car, with long life ahead of it and the massive development prowess of Porsche behind it all the way. It is one of those cars that is taking automotive engineering a few steps further.”

The European Car of the Year gong, a first for a sports car, followed in 1978. It seemed nothing could stop the 928 from being a runaway success, except…it had failed to win over the one cohort Porsche most needed – 911 owners, who disparaged the bigger 928 as too heavy, too slow, too expensive, too front-engined and not 911 enough.

Modest initial sales did nothing to dampen Porsche’s commitment to the 928 and over its 18-year production run, updates kept the model fresh.

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The original 928, released in 1977, was as per the blueprint – a 4.5-litre V8 making 177kW/363Nm, good for a 0-100km/h claim of around 7.0 seconds.

The lazy V8, as Wheels wrote, “is one of those powerplants that just gets on with the job. It feels strong and lively without seeming especially potent, rather belying the performance it is capable of providing.
“It takes very little time to appreciate Porsche’s efforts with the Weissach axle … and the perfect weight distribution endow the car with roadholding that, at a stroke, matches the [911] Turbo’s and therefore puts the 928 into the top echelon of road cars.”

Conscious of slow sales, Porsche pushed ahead with the development of the more powerful 928 S, released in 1980. Engine capacity had increased to 4.7 litres, with outputs boosted to 221kW and 385Nm.

Body refinements included the addition of a front and rear spoiler, improving aero efficiency which, when combined with that more powerful V8, saw acceleration improve by almost a second, now rated at 6.2s for the 0-100km/h dash. It was, according to Wheels, “the car it should have been from the beginning”.

But behind the scenes, Porsche was in trouble, with stagnant sales and reliability issues across its model range. Fuhrmann, the father of 928 and the 911’s erstwhile Grim Reaper, was shown the door, replaced by an American, Peter Schutz, who famously removed the 911’s stay of execution and granted it a full pardon.

As Schutz recalled of his fateful 1981 meeting with Dr Helmut Bott, Porsche’s then head of R&D: “On the wall he had a chart of the 928 and the 924 and the planned continuing evolution of those cars – and then the 911 stopped in 1981,” Schutz told respected Porsche publication, 9 Magazine. “I picked up a big crayon on Helmut Bott’s desk, walked over to the wall and extended the 911 line off the chart, on the wall, around the corner, around another corner all the way over to the window. And I asked him, ‘Professor Bott, do we understand each other?’ and he had a grin from ear to ear and he said, ‘Yes, Herr Schutz.’”

There would be no Porsche without 911.

What of the S4 then, which followed in 1986? Visibly different to its predecessors, the updated 928 represented a step-change for the model line. Gone was the slightly gawky appearance of its predecessors and in its place, an altogether more elegant looking car. Softer edges, reprofiled front and rear bumpers, new tail-lights, and a new rear wing, contributed not only to a better-resolved design, but also to a reduction in drag, its aero efficiency now rated at 0.34Cd.

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Under the bonnet, the V8 had grown to 5.0-litres and with new double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, outputs increased to 239kW and 420Nm, making this a significantly quicker 928. Zero to 100km/h was dispatched in just 5.5 seconds.“Dead easy to drive, the sleek silver 928 S4 loped along like a cruise missile,” reported Wheels. “Plant the sucker at 200 km/h and it just surges forward, sitting flat and solid. You don’t treat corners gingerly … you attack them. If it has limits of adhesion, they’re someplace I don’t want to go.”

The 928 GT followed in 1989 and while the engine basics remained the same – 5.0 litres, with a slight power increase to 246kW – the GT stood out for only being available with a manual gearbox, despite the majority of 928 buyers opting for automatic.

Here was a 928 that the purists could love or, as Car and Driver noted, “the GT is a deadly serious driver’s car. In its quest for pure performance, Porsche has chiseled off most of the 928’s remaining soft edges… a damn serious automobile, requiring a se­rious investment and delivering serious performance”.

In 1992, the final iteration of Porsche’s troubled but sublime grand tourer gave the 928 a fitting send-off.

The GTS enjoyed all the fruits of 15 years of development. Everything about it was boosted. Porsche’s biggest V8 yet – a stroked 5.4 litres – resulted in outputs of 261kW and 491Nm and a breathless-for-the-time 0-100km/h claim of 5.4 seconds. A wider rear track, along with the largest rubber ever worn by a 928, necessitated beefed-up wheel arches, a first for the 928. Here then, was the apogee of Porsche’s grand tourer which, while try as it might, still could not displace the 911 in the hearts – and wallets – of Porsche loyalists.

Sure, it had found its own audience – a total of just over 61,000 sales speaks to a different breed of loyalist – but ultimately, as Wheels’ Peter Robinson noted in his farewell to the 928 in our May 1996 issue, “in the end, the customer decided”.

The end came on July 26, 1995, the last ever 928, a Perlglanz (light green pearl) US-market GTS rolling off the production line, bringing down the curtain on a model that Robinson so eloquently summed up as a “rarity among cars, a totally new model, owing nothing to those that had gone before”.

Perhaps the final word should go to Peter Reisinger, Porsche’s modeller during that tumultuous period when the company was teetering on the edge, where the 911’s future looked shaky at best, bleak at worst.

“For 15 years I was a 911 freak. I couldn’t imagine changing to a bigger car, but I thought I should try the 928. Now I love it more every day.

“They’re still both Porsches, but their characters are completely different. I suppose that’s why the 928 never did replace the 911.”

Risky Business

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It’s arguably the most famous Porsche 928 of all. Risky Business, Paul Brickman’s seminal 1983 film, made a star of Tom Cruise – and the Porsche 928. Brickman reportedly chose the 928 over its more famous 911 stablemate because he regarded the 911 as too ‘mundane’.

Three 928s were used during filming while the car Cruise’s character, Joel Goodsen, drove into Lake Michigan in one of the movie’s pivotal scenes, was actually just an engine-less rolling chassis and body.
Famously, Cruise who prior to filming had little experience with manual gearboxes, learned to drive
a stick-shift during filming in the starring 928, an education no doubt made trickier by the 928’s dog-leg shift arrangement.

That car set a new record price for the 928 when it sold for US$1.98 million (A$2.97 million) in 2021.

Our Porsche 928 S4

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The 928 had really hit its straps when the car depicted on these pages was delivered to its new Australian owner in November, 1988. An S4 model, it packed Porsche’s double-overhead cam 5.0-litre V8 good for 239kW and 420Nm delivered to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission.

Priced at a smidge over $200,000 (before on road-costs and options) when new in 1988, this particular example was finished in slate grey metallic paint over soft linen leather seat upholstery, nicely accented by black leather interior elements.

Original factory-fitted equipment included 16-inch alloys, a Euro Vox CD player and audio system, air-con, sunroof, powered seats with lumbar support for the driver, cruise control and a trip computer, heady stuff for the time.

With 181,000km showing on the odometer, this matching numbers Aussie S4 has enjoyed four owners over its 38-year life. It’s now on its way to a fifth owner, having been recently sold by Melbourne’s Young Timers Garage (price undisclosed).

Looking at it today, the 928’s design is still fresh, owing its contemporary looks to the vision of the design team at Zuffenhausen back in the 1970s.

And while it might have had its detractors when new, today the 928 has come into its own, a distinctive grand tourer that offered a blend of luxurious comfort and performance that, while not quite on a par with the 911, thrilled in a different way.

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This article first appeared in the February 2026 issue of Wheels. Subscribe here and gain access to 12 issues for $109 plus online access to every Wheels issue since 1953.

Hot on the heels of the value-packed Sealion 5, BYD Australia also released the Sealion 8, a large, three-row SUV, with pricing that starts from $56,990 and rises to $70,990 before on-road costs.

Three model grades are available, with the entry Dynamic FWD kicking the range off, the mid-grade Dynamic AWD starting from $63,990 before on-road costs, and the Premium AWD rounding out the range.

Despite the short launch drive, Wheels suspects the middle of the range Dynamic AWD will be the favourite in Australia, and is indeed the pick of the range. Given the point of difference for BYD in this segment is the electric-only range a PHEV brings with it, there’s a lot to like about the Sealion 8’s specification sheet.

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Holding more than 1000 orders around the country at the time of launch before buyers had even test driven the new Sealion 8, BYD is confident this large SUV can make a dent in the market share of the established players. The key difference beyond front or all-wheel drive, is the battery capacity, and therefore the pure electric range. The base model gets a 19kWh battery, while the two AWD models get a 35.6kWh battery, delivering claimed ranges of 100km and 152Km respectively on the NEDC cycle.

The power and torque figures are also different, and the two AWD models are powerhouses. BYD uses a 1.5-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, DM-i Super Hybrid drivetrain technology, permanent magnet synchronous motors and their Blade Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack. Even the FWD model makes combined outputs of 205kW and 315Nm, but it’s the two AWD versions that get a hefty 359kW and 675Nm – numbers that translate to a fast SUV in the real world. How fast? 4.9 seconds to 100km/h for the
powerful versions.

Like Sealion 5, BYD has quoted tested fuel use both before and after the battery is depleted. As such, you’ll use 1L/100km for the first 100km with a full charge on board, and then 6.3L/100km when the battery dips below 25 percent charge. Those numbers will stand well even with the regular large hybrid SUV brigade. With a 60-litre fuel tank, BYD is claiming cruising ranges beyond 1000km – another factor that will attract family road trip enthusiasts.

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Seven seats is a first for BYD in Australia, and while the third row is a challenge to get into, there’s decent space once you do get back there. With the third row in use, the Sealion 8 facilitates 270L of luggage, out to 960L with the third row down, and then 1960L with the second row down. Taking into account the negative of no spare wheel for road trips, this is an otherwise space efficient large SUV.

In short, BYD has thrown as much technology and standard equipment at the Sealion 8 as it can, while still focusing on the sharp pricing it is intent to deliver. AWD models get multi-mode, adaptive body control, while across the range, there’s an advanced infotainment system with a huge 15.6-inch control touchscreen, a 10.25-inch driver’s display, panoramic sunroof, six-way adjustable electric driver (eight-way for Premium) and passenger seat, and keyless entry and start via either the key fob, an NFC card, or the BYD smartphone app and its digital key.

There’s no ANCAP safety rating as yet, but the Sealion 8 will be tested and with nine airbags, emergency call capability, child presence detection, a head up display, a 360-degree camera, four front and four rear sensors, as well as ISOFIX points at the outer second row seats, and three top tethers, BYD would be hoping it will score well.

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The premium nature of the cabin is enhanced by the quality of the leather trim, the large sunroof and broad glasshouse that lets plenty of light into the cabin, making it feel even more spacious than it is. The 1500-watt, 21-speaker audio system provides a beautiful sound stage, and the interaction with the huge infotainment screen is crips and precise.

BYD claims a premium aesthetic, and it has delivered one. Firing through multiple model grades at launch, our drive is brief, but there’s no doubt the range topper on 21-inch rims with Goodyear tyres isn’t the one you’d have if you spend a lot your time on country roads. The ride is firm, sometimes harsh, and we preferred the softer bump absorption of the 20-inch rims and Hankook tyres. Cabin comfort was strong,
and there wasn’t much in the way of tyre or wind noise entering the cabin, even at 100km/h on rough surfaces.

This is a big SUV – obviously – so Wheels wasn’t expecting it to handle like a sports car, but it’s nevertheless pretty well tied down – firm ride aside. The steering has the right balance between low speed ease and high speed certainty, and the brakes never did anything out of the ordinary either.

In theory, and in the real world for most of us, the beauty of a PHEV is the charging can be undertaken at home with a regular powerpoint. And, most of us commute less than 100km each day, meaning you won’t use any fuel if you don’t want to, getting to and from work each day. As such, more and more Australians are considering a PHEV and the Sealion 8 satisfies those of you looking for the tech, but needing a three-row, large SUV. At the time of testing, Chery Tiggo 8 and Kia Sorento represent the key competitors in the large SUV segment, but the undeniably sharp pricing of the Sealion 8 is sure to interest plenty.

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Specs

Plug-in hybrids have had an interesting history in the Australian new car market. Maligned initially, seen as being neither conventional nor future focused, and with electric-only ranges that were ripe for criticism, even early adopters were skeptical. Now, however, with electric ranges around the 100km mark, more buyers are considering a plug-in hybrid and BYD is primed to take advantage of that.

“I agree that they make sense for the average driver,” Stephen Collins, Chief Operating Officer for BYD Australia told Wheels at the launch of the Sealion 5 and Sealion 8. “I think it’s just a great solution for those people who don’t want to go the full EV thing as yet for whatever reason that may be and I think they’re just a great solution.”

A quick look at the popularity of BYD’s Shark 6 dual cab – especially in urban areas shows that Australian new car buyers even in a segment as competitive as the dual cab segment, will look to alternative technology. “ I do think Shark has just been such a good example of that, where the capability of the vehicle is so strong” Collins said.

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As many owners have told Wheels, the opportunity to sample electric vehicle driving, without the range anxiety or charging issues that can come with a full EV, is the primary reason for the appeal of a plug-in hybrid. “The plug-in hybrid component just gives flexibility,” Collins told Wheels. “So I think customers are
really voting with their feet in that it really just provides such a good solution for so many of them.”

As such, and with sales of pure electric vehicles still below 10 percent, Collins thinks plug-in hybrid technology will continue to appeal to a large cross section of new car buyers, looking to use as little fuel as possible on their daily commute.

“I think in the foreseeable future, with 2025 as an example where we were nearly 50/50, 2026 should be similar, and it does depend on which models we’re able to bring with which technologies,” Collins said. “But certainly for the next few years, I think plug-in hybrids are a really good option, while still seeing strong growth in full EVs.

As for what BYD’s sales split might look like beyond the next few years, that’s a little harder to predict, especially with full EV sales flattening out as they have done. “The acceptance has been great (of BYD’s EVs), but I think it’s likely to remain 50/50 in the foreseeable future for us between the two technologies,” Collins said. “Beyond that, it’s hard to call. It will depend a bit on the product availability.”

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