Driving through deep water can be catastrophic for a combustion engine, but a new hybrid powertrain developed for rugged SUVs and utes has been designed specifically to keep running while submerged.
Horse Powertrain, the powertrain specialist backed by Renault and Geely, has revealed its new B20 engine, which it says can operate in water as deep as 1100mm.
The company develops engines, hybrid systems and transmissions for a range of manufacturers, including Renault, Geely, Volvo and Mitsubishi, and says the B20 has been designed for vehicles tackling extreme off-road conditions and deep-water crossings.
At its heart is a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing between 140kW and 185kW, depending on specification, with torque ranging from 300Nm to 380Nm.
The engine can be incorporated into conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid and range-extender powertrains, while Horse claims thermal efficiency of up to 48.7 per cent.
Its headline feature, however, is IPX8 waterproofing.
Horse says the engine is fully sealed and incorporates waterproof components and sensors that monitor conditions surrounding the powertrain. It can operate while submerged at depths of up to 1.1 metres.
For perspective, the current Land Rover Defender has a maximum claimed wading depth of 900mm, while the Jeep Wrangler can tackle water up to approximately 760mm deep. Those figures relate to the vehicles’ overall wading capabilities rather than their engines being completely waterproof.
When the B20 detects that it is submerged, its electronic controls can automatically adjust parameters including throttle response and power output according to information supplied by its sensors.
Horse says these measures allow the engine to continue operating reliably during deep-water crossings.
The first production vehicle to receive the technology is the Geely Galaxy Cruiser 700 (above), also previously known as the Galaxy Battleship 700.
The large Chinese off-roader combines traditional 4×4 construction with an electrified drivetrain, using a ladder-frame chassis and the B20 engine paired with a three-speed hybrid transmission.
The Cruiser 700 is expected to spearhead a broader push by Geely into rugged electrified off-roaders, potentially putting future models into territory traditionally occupied by vehicles such as the Defender and Toyota LandCruiser.
Australian EV owners can save as much as $1900 a year by taking advantage of the three hours of free electricity available each day under the federal government’s Solar Sharer Offer, new modelling shows.
The offer, which started on July 1 this year, forces power retailers to offer at least one plan that includes three hours of free electricity per day, capped at 24kWh. The discount is made possible by Australia’s daytime solar power surplus, which occurs around the middle of the day.
That means EV owners who can charge at home at that time are able to shave a significant amount off their power bill, according to modelling by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Its numbers show that households with one electric vehicle can save up to $800 a year, rising to $1900 for homes with two EVs.
“If you’re able to charge that EV in the middle of the day, you can take advantage of the free power period and lower the running costs even more [compared to petrol and diesel cars],” said IEEFA energy analyst Jay Gordon.
“If, of course, you’re a larger household that had two EVs – and we know the majority of Australian homes do have more than one vehicle – you could be seeing double those savings, so you’re easily exceeding $1000 a year on that regulated solar sharer offer.”
According to federal government figures, Aussie EV owners charge their cars at home around 80 per cent of the time, meaning the offer should be wildly popular. The discount is available regardless of whether you own or rent, and you don’t need to have solar panels installed at your residence to qualify for it.
However, it does come with a catch: it’s not currently available right across the country. The offer only applies to eligible households in Default Market Offer areas, where customers aren’t as able to shop around for better deals. This means only NSW, South Australia and south-east Queensland qualify.
The period of free power differs depending on your location, too. In NSW and south-east Queensland it’s 11am to 2pm, while South Australians can access it from 12pm to 3pm. You’ll also need a smart meter installed at your residence in order to qualify, and you’ll need to opt in to access the offer.
Two surprising new electrified models are about to lead a massive product push by Ford Australia.
The new blue oval hero is the Bronco Basecamp, a hybrid SUV that promises a new style of weekend getaways including a cabin that can be transformed into a double bed with a back-door kitchen.
It’s joined by a fully battery-electric Transit City, an urban-focussed vehicle intended to cash-in on the booming demand for short-haul delivery work.
In addition to the product drive, which includes a Mustang Dark Horse with enhancement by the Triple Eight Supercars team and a stronger emphasis on factory-developed accessory packs for the Ranger Super Duty, Ford is moving on several customer fronts.
It is lifting its standard warranty to seven years – up from five – for vehicles which are serviced within its dealer network, while touting 220 service outlets with 180 dealerships.
Ford promises to more than double its showroom line-up within five years, moving from 30 to 60 per cent of market coverage, as it shifts away from its overwhelming reliance on the Ranger and Everest. Ninety percent of its model range will be new or refreshed by 2030.
“We’re on a growth plan and we’re moving forward. There is more to come,” the president of Ford Australia, Fadi Mawai, told Wheels.
He was speaking at Ford Uncovered, a multi-day event with a six-figure budget intended as a showcase and rallying point for the blue oval brand. The event was staged at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, once the home to major motor shows in Australia, and guests included Ford employees, media, dealer staff and other company insiders.
Not surprisingly, given their electrification, the roots of the new Bronco and Transit can be traced back to China, and Ford’s long-term technical tie-up with JMC – Jiangling Motors Corporation. Both vehicles sit on a JMC platform, although Ford is claiming considerable Australian development work on the Basecamp and local tweaking for the Evolution.
“It’s built from the campsite out. The destination is part of the design,” is the way Simon Brook, Ford studio design director, described the Bronco Basecamp.
It’s not coming until the second half of 2027, and there was not even a sniff of the price point, but Ford was clear in highlighting the Australian engineering work going into the new hybrid.
It uses a range-extender hybrid package called ’super hybrid’ – similar to Nissan’s e-Power – with a 1.5-litre turbocharged combustion engine that only charges the battery, never driving the wheels. There are twin electric motors for all-wheel drive, a 49kWh drive battery, and another 6.6 kiloWatts of ‘Pro Power Onboard’ to act as a small-scale power station for plug-in accessories.
Ford claims a combined driving range of 800-900 kilometres, although that is yet to be verified.
The range for the Transit Evolution is only 380 kilometres, but the price-tag – $50,000 drive-away – is just as important for the small fleets and government agencies who are targeted buyers. It could easily have been displayed at Ford Uncovered with a double-sided wrap, with Woolworths on one side and Coles on the other.
The specification for the new BEV workhorse includes a single 110 kiloWatt front driving motor, a 56 kiloWatthour battery with lithium-ion phosphate chemistry for fast charging, a payload up to 1085 kilograms and a 10-80 per cent fast-charge time of 33 minutes. First deliveries are planned for November.
Away from the electric newcomers, Ford also provided details of the T8-Spec Mustang Dark Horse – a go-faster package developed by the Triple Eight team in Supercars racing – price at $138,888 with production capped at 250 cars.
The T8-Spec Pack includes retuned MagneRide suspension, exhaust tips and a sticker pack, and T8 CEO Jamie Whincup told Wheels there had been specific track testing at Queensland Raceway including a front splitter with big handling benefits that is likely to be “delivered in the boot so it doesn’t get damaged”.
The new 3 Series range from BMW has broken cover, with the next generation to be powered by four- and six-cylinder engines paired with mild hybrid systems – and the top-of-the-tree M350 xDrive is the unmistakable hero with impressive turbo power and a new drift mode.
Internally codenamed G50, the eighth generation of the famous 3 family has been captured in official pictures while going through some testing at the company’s proving grounds in southern France during the final phase of production development.
While the models are pictured in a degree of camouflage, it can’t hide BMW’s Neue Klasse design language, which includes a new interpretation of the marque’s famous four-headlight face. The 3’s hallmark short overhangs remain, the wheelbase will be longer than the 2851mm found on the current range, and the overall styling is quite similar to that of the upcoming i3 electric sedan.
The new 3 Series will also have wider front and rear tracks to add to its sporty stance, plus an upgraded integrated braking system and a revised steering ratio to make handling even more precise.
The suspension features a double-joint spring strut on the front axle and a five-link rear axle, with new lift-related dampers, and in a first for the 3 Series, customers can order optional sports tyres in 245/35 R20 (front) and 275/30 R20 (rear).
The M350 xDrive is the only next-gen 3 Series to get a six-pot engine – more on that in a minute – with the rest of the range powered by four-cylinder units that should be updated versions of the B48 petrol mills found in the current line-up. Every upcoming model will get a 48V mild-hybrid system, and there has been no confirmation about new diesel and plug-in hybrid drivetrains.
In addition to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and specially tuned four-wheel drive system, the M350 gets a turbocharged in-line six with total outputs of 326kW and 580Nm for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 41. seconds. That’s a big improvement on the model it replaces, the M340i xDrive, which makes 285kW and 500Nm and takes 4.3 seconds for the 0-100 sprint.
BMW is also installing its “Drift Moment” tech in the M350. Activated via the central display, it sends all power to the rear wheels for what the manufacturer calls “a completely new kind of driving experience” that is “dedicated to maximising the joy of going sideways”.
No details or images of the interior have surfaced, but the new 3 Series family will use BMW Operating System X and the new Panoramic iDrive cabin architecture. The new cars’ close relation to the i3 and iX3 models means they should also get AI-integrated voice control.
Stay tuned to WhichCar by Wheels for details on Australian pricing and delivery timings.
One of Volkswagen’s German car factories is set to be transformed into a defence manufacturing hub, potentially producing components for air-defence systems developed by the Israeli company behind Iron Dome.
Volkswagen has agreed key terms for the sale of its Osnabrück operation in north-west Germany to Israeli investment company Aurelius Capital and the German state of Lower Saxony, which is itself a major Volkswagen shareholder.
Aurelius would become the majority owner, with plans to progressively convert the 125-year-old site from automotive manufacturing into what Volkswagen describes as a competence centre for security and defence technology.
The first major project is expected to involve Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Israeli state-owned defence company best known as one of the developers of the Iron Dome missile-defence system.
Under the proposal, the Osnabrück factory could manufacture air-defence systems and components for Germany and other European countries, with further defence projects potentially following.
The deal remains subject to final agreements, corporate approvals and regulatory clearance. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
Volkswagen had already decided in 2024 to end vehicle production at Osnabrück by mid-2027 as part of its efforts to reduce costs and manufacturing capacity. The factory currently employs around 1800 people, with Volkswagen’s works council saying the new arrangement should secure more than 1200 positions.
The move comes as Europe’s largest carmaker undertakes an extensive restructuring in response to high manufacturing costs, weak demand and growing competition from Chinese manufacturers.
Volkswagen recently agreed to eliminate another 50,000 positions across the group, taking planned workforce reductions to around 100,000, while the future of four additional German factories is being examined.
At the same time, Germany is dramatically increasing defence spending, creating opportunities to repurpose underused automotive manufacturing capacity.
The Osnabrück project could therefore provide a blueprint for other struggling car plants. Defence company Rheinmetall has already moved to convert automotive component facilities to military production, while other German automotive businesses are looking increasingly towards the defence sector.
For Osnabrück, however, the transformation will be particularly striking: a factory with more than a century of automotive history preparing to swap cars for military technology.
A Ford Falcon has been seized by Northern Territory Police for alleged hooning during a weekend when hundreds of modified cars descended on Alice Springs for the Red CentreNATS motoring festival.
The brightly coloured orange Falcon was confiscated after police allege its driver performed a burnout on the Stuart Highway – outside the controlled environments where similar displays form part of the annual event.
Northern Territory Police confirmed officers from Southern Traffic Operations were patrolling the Stuart Highway at Braitling when they spotted the Falcon leaving Power Street and turning right onto the highway.
Police allege the driver cut in front of another vehicle before accelerating heavily and breaking traction, potentially placing other road users at risk.
Officers subsequently stopped the Falcon and seized it under the Territory’s anti-hooning laws. Images of the car showed a large “SEIZED BY POLICE – HOONING” sticker placed prominently across its windscreen.
The incident came during Red CentreNATS, an annual celebration of modified and performance vehicles that includes drag racing, burnouts, cruising, show cars and other activities in controlled venues around Alice Springs.
That made the alleged offence somewhat ironic, with drivers attending the event provided with dedicated locations where they can legally demonstrate their cars’ performance rather than doing so on public roads.
Senior Sergeant Dev Kanyilmaz said police had been pleased with the behaviour of the overwhelming majority of motorists and spectators during the event.
However, he warned enthusiasts that Red CentreNATS did not provide a licence to take the festival’s more spectacular driving activities onto surrounding streets.
“There are controlled environments where people can enjoy their vehicles and everything that comes with an event like Red CentreNATS. Public roads are not one of them,” Kanyilmaz said.
Police said even a brief piece of reckless driving could result in a serious collision and warned motorists that alleged hooning offences could result in their vehicles being immediately confiscated.
The Falcon incident demonstrates just how quickly that penalty can be applied: from apparently lighting up the rear tyres to losing the entire car to police custody in a matter of minutes.
A prototype Bugatti Tourbillon is probably currently undergoing surgery to have bits of Volkswagen Polo removed from its panelwork after being rear-ended in Spain, with a video of the incident going viral.
The camouflaged Bugatti was being driven along a partially closed road in Spain’s Sierra Nevada region near the southern city of Granada when the eye-watering collision occurred. The clip shows the Tourbillon rounding a bend on a section of tarmac that has had one lane cordoned off, then slowing down as the traffic in front of it bunches up.
Disaster strikes when the driver of the grey Polo appears to fail to realise the Bugatti has braked until it’s too late. The VW jams on the anchors, locks up and tries to swerve to the left to avoid the hypercar, but slams into the left rear with a sickening thud and crunch.
Bystanders can be heard exclaiming “oh no!” in the video, which has been liked almost 90,000 times on Instagram, with a repost on X clocking up almost 10 million views. Many of the thousands of commenters joked about the VW driver bankrupting their insurance company with the bingle.
While the clip doesn’t reveal the extent of the damage to the Bugatti, the level of impact suggests it would be a cheap fix in a regular car such as the Volkswagen. However, the Tourbillon is anything but a run-of-the-mill vehicle.
Bugatti’s V16-powered hybrid rocket is still being developed, and the camouflage on the example in the clip stamps it as a prototype. So while the Tourbillon will cost approximately $6 million when its run of 250 units rolls off the production line, this particular example could be worth even more to hardcore, cashed-up collectors.
The replacement for the Chiron is all-new from the ground up and features a carbon-composite monocoque chassis. It’s predicted to become the quickest road car on the planet, with that 8.3-litre engine and three electric motors propelling it from 0-100km/h in two seconds flat, with a 0-200km/h time of just five seconds.
Hyundai Australia says it hasn’t “missed the boat” when it comes to plug-in hybrids, despite the previously stagnant electrified tech now enjoying a surge in popularity.
Speaking to Whichcar by Wheels exclusively, Hyundai Australia’s General manager of Product Planning, Jonathan Lam said that “we are always looking at what’s available to us globally. Certainly, with NVES (New Vehicle Emission Standard) in our market, we’d be looking at all sorts of hybridisation, whether it’s hybrid, plug-in hybrids or EVs.”
Hyundai Australia doesn’t currently offer a plug-in hybrid across its line-up. The lone PHEV to make its way to Australia was the Ioniq (pictured, below) back in 2018 but slow sales saw it axed in 2022, despite the Korean automaker offering PHEV variants of some of its more popular models – the Tucson and Sante Fe – across Europe and North America.
Both are powered by the 1.6-litre turbo-four paired with an electric motor for outputs of 185kW and 350Nm. A 14.kWh lithium-ion battery offers a claimed 68km of EV-only range based on the more lenient NEDC testing cycle.
It’s the same plug-in powertrain available in Australia in the Kia Sorento PHEV, flying a lone flag for plug-in hybrids for the Korean giant locally.
But when asked if he believed Hyundai had ‘missed the plug-in hybrid’ boat, Lam said, “I wouldn’t call it missing the boat.
“I think it’s one of those things where we can see there’s been an explosion with plug-in hybrids, but we also need to consider the price points at which some of these cars are priced at.”
Lam didn’t explicitly state it, but he was clearly referencing the recent influx of plug-in hybrids from a range of Chinese manufacturers, with models that are priced well below similar offerings from more established brands.
But when pressed on whether Hyundai would find it difficult to compete on price in what is a rapidly expanding market for PHEVs, Lam countered with, “The other way to look at it is, we still feel like we’ve got a compelling product at different sort of price points. It’s just a matter of what the consumer prefers.”
Sales of plug-in hybrids in Australia have more than doubled this year, reaching 75,206 to the end of August, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. This time last year, PHEVs accounted for 33,500 new car sales.
Regular hybrids are also enjoying growth, up 10.3 per cent year-on-year, with the FCAI reporting 142,210 hybrids sold so far in 2026. Twelve months ago, that number was 128,896. Both forms of hybrid are being outsold by full battery-electric, with total sales to the end of August running to 152,823. This time last year, EVs had amassed 62,736 sales.
Brisbane drivers are risking jail time by covering their number plates to avoid getting parking fines from a new automatic camera system. Many motorists are obscuring their car’s plates with plastic sheets, camping chairs and even dishcloths so that the new cameras cannot see their registration number.
The new automatic parking enforcement camera system, as well as mobile enforcement vehicles and officers working on foot, have handed out almost $35 million in parking fines so far this year from more than 176,494 infringement notices, according to the ABC.
But some drivers are trying to keep a step ahead of the new technology in order to not get fined in a move that could land them in jail, according to a legal expert.
Avinash Singh, principal lawyer at Astor Legal, has explained when covering a number plate becomes illegal, the penalties drivers could face, and why claiming ignorance is unlikely to be a defence.
“The exact requirements vary between states, but in most jurisdictions, number plates must remain clearly visible and legible from up to 20 metres away, including the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland,” Singh said.
In Queensland, a driver could face an on-the-spot fine of $341 for using a towel, cardboard, camping chair or other household item to obscure their number plate. But according to Singh, the consequences for obscuring your number plate can extend well beyond a standard traffic infringement.
“If police can prove a driver deliberately modified their number plate to avoid detection by speed cameras or toll roads, they could potentially face the criminal offence of perverting the course of justice. That offence carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment,” Singh said.
According to the ABC, the new cameras were first rolled out in four of Brisbane’s busiest areas in early 2025 before expanding to more than 40 locations in November. Just two of those sites – Graham Street in South Brisbane and Park Road in Milton – accounted for more than 3000 infringement notices alone.
The other three locations in the top five for infringement notices, according to Brisbane City Council, are Latrobe Terrace in Paddington, McLachlan Street in the Fortitude Valley and Green Square Close, also in the Fortitude Valley.
While the new cameras are already handing out many infringement notices, it’s the council’s mobile enforcement vehicles that have delivered the most so far in 2026 with over 100,000 lodged since January 1st.
Jaguar Land Rover will cut around 4000 jobs worldwide over the next two years, making it the latest established car manufacturer to embark on a major downsizing program as the global automotive industry confronts weaker demand, rising costs and growing Chinese competition.
The British manufacturer, owned by India’s Tata Motors, confirmed the cuts as part of plans to strip £1.7 billion ($A3.5 billion) from its cost base and lower the number of vehicles it needs to sell to break even. Most of the affected positions are expected to be salaried and management roles in the UK rather than factory-floor jobs.
JLR employs about 34,000 people in Britain and approximately 43,000 globally. A voluntary redundancy program has been opened, although compulsory job losses could follow if insufficient employees accept the offer.
Chief executive PB Balaji said JLR wants to lower its annual break-even volume from about 380,000 vehicles towards 300,000, allowing it to remain profitable at substantially lower production levels.
The cuts come after a difficult period for JLR. Revenue dropped almost 10 per cent in the April-June quarter compared with a year earlier, while the company has also been dealing with US import tariffs, weaker Chinese demand and the lingering financial impact of last year’s cyberattack, which halted production for several weeks.
North America remains particularly important to JLR, which previously identified the region as its biggest market and an important source of future growth. Its lack of US manufacturing makes it more exposed to tariffs than some rivals.
Despite the cost cutting, JLR plans to invest between £15 billion and £18 billion ($A31-37bn) during the next five years in electrification, digital technology and advanced manufacturing. Five new products are also planned over the next 12 months.
JLR is far from alone. Volkswagen is undertaking its own sweeping restructuring and workforce reduction as Europe’s traditional manufacturers respond to high costs, slower-than-anticipated EV demand and increasingly formidable competition from Chinese brands.
For JLR, the challenge is particularly acute as it simultaneously prepares an electric-led reinvention of Jaguar while funding new-generation Range Rover, Defender and Discovery products.
