WhichCar By Wheels

Amazon’s Prime Video has announced that The Grand Tour, the show created by former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, will return in 2026 with a new set of hosts. Last on our screens in 2024 with the original trio’s last feature film trip to Africa, The Grand Tour will now be presented by Francis Bourgeois, Thomas Holland and James Engelsman.

The former is known for his train-spotting and car videos, while the latter two run Throttle House, a Canadian automotive YouTube channel currently with 3.35 million subscribers.

The latest season of The Grand Tour will feature six episodes and see the trio travel around the world to explore car culture, including Malaysia with the Nissan 350Z shown in the image released by Prime Video, the Mocamedes Desert in Africa with off-road racers and muscle cars in Southern California.

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In addition to the announcement from Prime Video, former host Jeremy Clarkson released a video in which he goes over the resumes of people who have applied for the role on the revamped show.

Commenting on the new series, the trainspotting TikToker Bourgeois said: “The saying ‘big shoes to fill’ spring to mind. Well, in this case it’ll be like Mo Farah running in Size 14 wellies – it’ll be a little awkward at first, perhaps blister inducing, but will overall be an interesting watch.”

Engelsman pointed to that he has worked with Thomas for a decade making films about cars, and joked: “Who knew that all this time, the one ingredient that was missing was a Francis Bourgeois? Let the car adventures commence.”

The new series of The Grand Tour launches globally across more than 240 countries and territories on Prime Video later this year.

There have been many rumours about the Mercedes-AMG C 63 and its hybrid drivetrain being shelved for a larger engine – now AMG has confirmed that it will be happening with the next-generation C-Class.

Likely due to debut later in 2026, AMG has revealed that the hybrid four-pot in the C 63 will be replaced by the 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine that’s used in the CLE 53. Importantly too, while it will likely use mild-hybrid technology, it won’t be a full hybrid or plug-in hybrid, unlike the E 53.

The news was confirmed by AMG CEO Michael Schiebe to US publication Edmunds, who revealed that the company will be replacing “our four-cylinder with the inline-six and that the engine will also come to the C-Class.”

“That means we will also have C 53 in our portfolio,” Schiebe told Edmunds. “We’re taking the combustion engine from the CLE 53. No hybrid engine – pure inline six-cylinder.”

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But the official reason for moving to the inline-six from the four-pot hybrid of the C 63 S is not its lacklustre sales or lack of theatre compared with its V8 predecessor, but actually EU7 emissions.

“Under the regulations of EU7, it’s quite difficult to carry [the four-cylinder engine] into the future,” Schiebe said. “That’s why we will stop offering the M139 and in the midsize segment we will replace it with the inline six-cylinder.”

The new AMG C 53’s outputs are not yet known, but the CLE 53 makes 330kW of power and 560Nm of torque, which can extend to 600Nm for 12 seconds at a time on overboost. That’s enough for a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.0 seconds and a top whack of 250km/h. For reference, the current C 63 S makes a combined system output of 500kW of power and 1020Nm of torque.

Mercedes-Benz will reveal the next-generation C-Class, which will be offered in both ICE and electric forms like the GLC mid-size SUV, sometime in 2026 with AMG variants likely to debut some time after that. Considering the new AMG C 53’s new inline-six is already used in the CLE 53, we’re also expecting it to reach the GLC at some point as well.

This year is shaping up to be a big year for AMG, as not only will there be a new C 53 and potentially a high-performance GLC, but also the return of the V8 in the CLE and even its first electric products.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has released its latest round of crash test results with strong scores across the board, including an equal highest-ever 95 per cent rating for Child Occupant Protection.

Unsurprisingly, given the speed at which their models are being released, Chinese manufacturers scored well in ANCAP testing, but Kia and Mercedes-Benz also earned the top ratings, while new ratings have been applied to Toyota, Subaru and MG products as well.

The Leapmotor B10 was the highest-scoring car tested in this round, and recorded high overall results across ANCAP’s Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection and Safety Assist criteria, including a 95 percent Child Occupant Protection score, equal to the highest achieved under the 2023-2025 testing criteria.

The Geely Starray EM-i, Geely’s first plug-in hybrid model to be rated by ANCAP, achieved a well-balanced result including a strong 86 percent Vulnerable Road User Protection score, reflecting effective pedestrian and cyclist protection performance.

The Zeekr 7X, the second Zeekr model assessed by ANCAP, achieved high scores for both Adult and Child Occupant Protection, with maximum points awarded in side impact and oblique pole crash tests.

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The Mercedes Benz CLE Coupe achieved a strong five-star safety rating, with excellent performance in Adult Occupant Protection and the highest Vulnerable Road User Protection score of this group.

Finally, the Kia EV4 also achieved a five-star safety rating, reflecting the high standard safety specification supplied to the Australian and New Zealand market.

ANCAP also announced that there is now an updated five-star rating for the Toyota bZ4X, applicable to vehicles built from October 2025. Its twin, the Subaru Solterra, also carries through the updated result following specification updates made by the respective manufacturers.

The existing five star safety rating for petrol variants of the MG HS range has also been extended to hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, supported by additional testing confirming comparable safety performance and high voltage system integrity.

ANCAP-Ratings-Feb-2026
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MG Motor Australia has announced that the MG ZS Vibe, which was cut from the line-up last year, has returned to local showrooms. Previously priced at $25,990 driveaway when it was last on sale, the ZS Vibe is now priced at just $22,990 driveaway, making it the cheapest SUV in Australia, priced $1000 below the Chery Tiggo 4 and Mahindra XUV 3XO.

To achieve that sticker, the MG ZS Vibe loses features such as a turbocharger, 17-inch wheels, and automatic climate control compared with the Vibe Turbo ($25,990 drive away). But it’s still equipped with 16-inch wheels, automatic halogen headlights, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,. It also includes MG’s Pilot active safety features, which include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot monitoring.

The ZS Vibe is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 81kW of power and 140Nm of torque. It’s mated to a CVT automatic transmission and is rated at 6.7L/100km for combined fuel consumption. For reference, the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol model in the upper-spec ZS Vibe Turbo and Essence Turbo models makes 125kW/275Nm outputs and uses 6.9L/100km.

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2026 MG ZS pricing (driveaway):

Vibe$22,990
Vibe Turbo$25,990
Essence Turbo$28,990

2026 MG ZS Vibe standard features:

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ZS Vibe Turbo model adds:

ZS Essence Turbo model adds:

BYD is now a serious player in the Australian new car market, building strong volume in just five years.

At the recent launch of the Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 models, the boss of BYD Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Collins told local motoring media the brand is ready to take the next step.

“Chinese brands went from zero to 20 per cent market share in five years,” Collins said. “BYD is here to succeed, we delivered our 85,000th vehicle last week, and we pride ourselves on our speed to the market, we are faster than any other brand.”

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That speed to market will see the brand introduce a slew of new models to accelerate sales. “We’ve got seven or eight new cars, that we can’t tell you about today, that will be here within the next 12 months,” Collins said. “It goes back to our commitment to offer new energy vehicles to as many Australians as we can. And we want our range to be as broad as it can be.”

Another part of the plan for the next phase of BYD’s growth in the Australian market will focus on a strengthening of the existing dealer network, in addition to a further rapid expansion to strengthen brand presence and access to service for owners. “In mid 2024, we had 50 dealers, then 100 by the end of 2025,” Collins said. “By the end of this year, we will have 150 dealers that will be full sales, service and parts.”

Collins said BYD will continue to work on and improve the customer service experience after purchase, and work hard to reduce wait times for service and parts availability – something that has been an issue not just for BYD but other challenger brands entering the Australian market.

“We want two move from a challenger position, to a leadership way of thinking,” Collins said. “We want to be a leader in technology, offer all Australians affordable new energy vehicles with the latest technology, performance, safety and connectivity.”

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Collins said BYD is aware that Australia is currently experiencing an ‘absolute transformation of the new car market’ and that wave is being ridden by quick to react companies who can bring a new vehicle to market, in key segments, quickly.

“BYD Australia was the number one volume contributor for the company in the APAC region in 2025,” Collins said. “We will work hard to keep that accolade. We will stay humble, stay authentic, and invest in our brand.”

Two areas BYD has identified that will assist in this growth trajectory is fleet sales, and the presence of tailored, local engineering to ensure BYD vehicles are fit for purpose for the Australian market. “We’ve got five dedicated, full-time engineers in Australia, supported by two engineering teams in China,” Collins said. “We are committed to local success with focused product.”

On the subject of fleet sales, despite BYD’s move up the charts, the brand is not maximising sales to fleets anywhere near the most successful brands in that part of the market. “Fleet is a key opportunity, because it’s 35 per cent of all new vehicle sales,” Collins said. “It’s a core and stable segment, fit for purpose and whole of life cost is the key driver, but BYD’s fleet volume is low, currently at 10 percent of our sales, so there’s huge opportunity moving forward.”

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Collins also says that BYD will continue to serve Australia’s demand for SUVs and light commercial vehicles, with its Shark 6 a particular sales success. “Australians still love SUVs and light commercial vehicles,” he said. “It’s an 80 per cent market share, and Chinese OEMs are responding to that demand the fastest. Buyers want more new energy vehicles in those segments, and they want them with both five and seven-seat capability in the SUV segments.”

Geely Auto Australia has revealed that it’s set to finally offer Android Auto smartphone mirroring tech in its EX5 electric mid-size SUV with a new over-the-air (OTA) update.

Progressively being rolled out to vehicles since February 4, the latest OTA update for the EX5 adds the Android Auto tech that’s been missing since it was launched in early 2025.

The Android Auto in the EX5 will be available in both wired and wireless forms, joining Apple CarPlay that was made available in a similar OTA update in August 2025. Prior to that, the EX5 did not feature any smartphone mirroring.

In addition to new smartphone tech, Geely has also added a new drive set-up one-touch activation, which allows drivers to set their preferred driving settings via a shortcut button on the steering wheel or the swipe down menu in the screen. Similar to the ‘MG Pilot Custom’ button in the MGS5 EV and MG HS, it caters for those wanting to shut up features that re-switch on every time the car is started, such as speed limit warnings and driver attention monitoring.

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Through the new menu, drivers can customise:

Finally, Geely has also added customisable low-speed alert sounds, offering three selectable audio profiles: ‘Classic’, ‘Galactic’ and ‘Constellation’, as well as tailgate control to the swipe down shortcut menu for easier tailgate opening and a notification sound to confirm switching of drive modes.

The latest over-the-air update to the Geely EX5 is being rolled out to owners between February 4 and 9, and the brand recommends connecting to wifi or smartphone data for the most stable connection. A similar update is planned for the brand’s Starry plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV for March 2026.

Nissan Australia has revealed local pricing and specifications for the new-generation Navara ute. Now twinned with the Mitsubishi Triton, the new Nissan Navara features Australian-tuned suspension by engineering company Premcar for “more capability” than before, but also a gruntier 150kW twin-turbocharged diesel engine as standard. The new Navara will go on sale in Australia from March 1.

Four models will be available initially, with familiar SL, ST, ST-X and Pro-4X names on offer and the off-road Warrior due later on. Unlike the previous model, the new Navara will only be available in dual-cab turbo-diesel automatic four-wheel drive form, with two-wheel drive, manual and single cab variants no longer offered.

Every 2026 Nissan Navara uses a 2.4-litre twin-turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine making 150kW of power (@ 3500rpm) and 470Nm of torque (@ 1500rpm). That’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, with claimed combined fuel consumption rated at 7.7L/100km and CO2 emissions of 203g/km.

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Like the Triton on which it’s based and most of its competition, the Navara can tow a 3500kg braked trailer, with a 3100kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) and a gross combination mass (GCM) of 6250kg. Unlike the Triton, the Navara’s suspension has been locally tuned by Premcar with three combinations chosen: a heavy-duty version for the SL and ST, one to account for the ST-X’s larger wheels and one for the off-road Pro-4X.

Pricing for the new Nissan Navara starts at $53,348 plus on-road costs for the entry-level SL, with the top-spec Pro-4X priced at $68,418 +ORC. Nissan has highlighted the value on offer with the new Navara, nothing that it’s more richly equipped than equivalent Triton models.

That’s particularly noticeable comparing the $56,765 +ORC Navara ST to the $57,240 +ORC Triton GLX-R, with the Navara adding LED lighting, heated mirrors with automatic-folding functionality, a leather steering wheel, an auto-dimming rear mirror, tailgate assistance and a carpet floor over the Mitsubishi that it’s twinned with.

Like other new Nissan products, the Navara is covered for up to 10 years/300,000km of warranty, and up to 10 years of roadside assistance (both if it’s serviced at a Nissan dealership until then). The first five years of servicing costs $499 per service.

2026 Nissan Navara pricing (plus on-road costs):

SL$53,348
ST$56,765
ST-X$63,177
Pro-4X$68,418
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2026 Nissan Navara SL standard features:

Navara SL safety features:

Navara ST model adds:

Navara ST-X model adds:

Navara Pro-4X model adds:

Cars imported from China are continuing their surge up the new car sales charts with data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) showing that just under 21,000 cars sold in Australia in January were made in China, up a massive 68.6 per cent over the same period last year.

Four of the top 10 selling brands in Australia are now from China, with BYD in sixth place ahead of GWM in seventh. Chery holds down ninth spot while MG rounds out the top 10.

Japanese-built cars continue to lead the way, although sales of 22,394 vehicles showed a marked drop, down 24,6 per cent year-on-year.

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In third place, cars imported from Thailand – which had previously held down second spot – also recorded a modest drop, down 7.7 per cent with just over 17,000 sales.

China’s growth comes on the back of strong results for BYD (5001 sales, up 640.9 per cent), Chery (3780, up 105.8), and GWM (4509, up 31.3) while newcomers such as Zeekr (469 sales), Omoda Jaecoo (691), and Geely (720) also posted strong January results.

Of the Japanese brands, Toyota posted a 22.3 per cent drop in sales compared with last year, thanks largely to the imminent arrival of the new-generation RAV4 which has seen sales of runout models slow as stock levels are depleted. There’s more pain likely ahead for Toyota, with the new RAV4 not due to hit dealerships until sometime in April.

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Other brands including Mazda (down 7.6 per cent), Mitsubishi (down 23.5), Nissan (down 38.4) and Suzuki (down 36.5) also lost market share.

Of the top five brands in Australia in January, only Hyundai (up 6.9 per cent) and Kia (up 15.4) improved over their January 2025 results.

Top 10 Countries of Origin – January 2026

1 Japan – 22,943
2 China – 20,921
3 Thailand – 17,072
4 Korea – 11,277
5 Germany – 4346
6 USA – 2239
7 Mexico – 1709
8 South Africa – 1047
9 England – 584
10 Turkey – 565

BMW appears to be closing in on the reveal of the next-generation 3 Series, with near-production versions of the all-electric BMW i3 now rolling off the assembly line in Munich. The camouflaged vehicles mark the first tangible glimpse of the electric sedan that will spearhead BMW’s Neue Klasse era and signal a significant technological reset for the brand’s most important model.

Despite the familiar name, this new i3 bears little resemblance to BMW’s earlier city-focused EV. Instead, it will serve as the electric counterpart to the next 3 Series sedan, sharing design language and core technology with the upcoming iX3 electric SUV. Both models form part of BMW’s broader plan to introduce around 40 new or updated vehicles globally by 2027.

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According to BMW executives, the i3 is intended to restore the dynamic character that made earlier generations of the 3 Series a benchmark. The new platform has been engineered specifically for electric drivetrains, with a focus on agility, steering feel and driver engagement – qualities BMW believes have been diluted in some modern EVs.

Importantly, BMW is not abandoning combustion power. Petrol-powered versions of the next 3 Series are also in development, including a future M340 variant using a six-cylinder turbocharged engine. A Touring wagon will follow, along with a flagship M3 due in 2027 that will, for the first time, be offered with both petrol and electric power. The electric M3 – known internally as the iM3 – is expected to use four electric motors and deliver outputs approaching 750kW.

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Visually, electric and petrol versions of the 3 Series will look closely related. Both will adopt BMW’s new Neue Klasse styling, previewed by a 2023 concept, featuring a slimmer and wider interpretation of the kidney grille that integrates driver-assistance sensors. Subtle proportion changes will distinguish the EV, including a shorter bonnet and more pronounced wheelarches, while combustion models retain a longer front end.

BMW is taking an unusual approach under the skin. The electric i3 will sit on a dedicated EV platform, while petrol models will continue on an evolved version of the current architecture. Despite the different foundations, interior design and technology will be shared across the range, including BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive system. This setup projects key information along the base of the windscreen, supported by a centrally mounted touchscreen positioned to reduce driver distraction.

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The i3 will benefit from BMW’s latest sixth-generation eDrive technology, using an 800-volt electrical system for ultra-fast charging. BMW claims vehicles using this hardware can add more than 400 kilometres of driving range in just 10 minutes under ideal conditions. Battery sizes have not been confirmed, but BMW is targeting a driving range comfortably beyond 800 kilometres if larger packs are fitted.

With the next Mercedes-Benz C-Class also set to go electric, the battle for the premium mid-size sedan segment is about to intensify – and BMW is clearly positioning the i3 to lead from the front.

Australian new car buyers are embracing electrified vehicles in unprecedented numbers and the surge in their uptake has come at the cost of petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles.

January new car sales data released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that buyers are ditching traditional petrol-powered vehicles across all three main segments – passenger cars, SUVs and light commercial (dual-cab utes) – in favour of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric vehicles.

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Sales data records that Aussies bought 33,144 petrol and 24,439 diesel vehicles in January, down 14.7 and 3.7 per cent respectively compared with last year, continuing the trend of recent years, according to the CEO of the FCAI Tony Weber.

“January’s figures show a market that is stable, with Australians continuing to purchase vehicles that meet their needs for work, family and lifestyle,” he said. “We are seeing fewer petrol vehicles sold and rapid growth in plug-in hybrids, while uptake of hybrid and battery electric vehicles is more stable.“

In stark contrast, sales of electric cars were up 93.3 per cent year-on-year, recording sales of 7409 cars according to FCAI and Electric Vehicle Council. Conventional hybrid vehicles accounted for 15,121 sales, two per cent up over the same time last year.

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The big winner continues to be the plug-in hybrid segment, with January sales of 5161 PHEVs representing a massive 170.5 per cent increase measured against the same time last year. Chinese auto giant BYD contributed around 43 per cent of total PHEV sales, the Shark 6 dual-cab ute recording 1108 sales, joined by a trio of SUVs, the Sealion 6 (706), Sealion 8 (247) and Sealion 5 (161).

It’s a similar story in the EV category, where BYD easily outgunned its competition, its 2779 sales accounting for 37.5 per cent of the total market for battery electric vehicles in January. Kia placed second with 535 sales ahead of Tesla’s 501, an unusually slow month of the US brand.