We publish a ton of car news stories during the work week, and it can be hard to keep up with everything – which is the rationale behind this weekend’s list.
In short, here are some of the key articles from our news desk since Monday this week summarized, in case you missed them at the time.
Kia went big and bold with its electric flagship
Kia has revealed its latest all-electric offering, the EV9 SUV, ahead of an Australian launch before the end of 2023.
The concept debuted in late 2021 and while much of the design remains the same on the outside, Kia has completely refreshed the interior of its latest EV.
At the global premiere event later this month, Kia will detail all the specifications for the upcoming flagship.
Kia Australia confirmed to Car Expert earlier this year that 400 EV9s have been allocated to Australia for 2023, and will arrive later this year.
FULL STORY: Kia’s new flagship EV looks just like the concept
Volkswagen revealed a new entry-level EV concept
Volkswagen says it is once again a “brand for the people” as it introduces its new affordable compact electric vehicle (EV), the ID. 2 all.
id. The 2all concept car revealed at its world premiere on Wednesday night will be launched in 2025 with a targeted starting price of under €25,000 (A$40,000).
Repeated messages are IDs. The 2all will be “as spacious inside as a Golf, but as cute and small as a Polo on the outside”, measuring just 4050mm long.
FULL STORY: Volkswagen unveils $40,000 EV concept ‘for the people’
id. 2 everything is not cheap enough? Volkswagen has something else planned
Volkswagen has announced “despite all the challenges” it plans to launch a more affordable electric vehicle (EV) than the ID. 2 all compact EV concepts.
The German automaker says it will be launched by 2026 and will cost less than €20,000 which, when converted directly to Australian dollars, is almost $32,000.
For context, the production version of the ID. The 2all will start at less than €25,000, which directly translates to almost A$40,000.
FULL STORY: Volkswagen plans EV for Polo price
Chevrolet’s updated Silverado price
The updated Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has landed in Australia.
Opening the updated range is the ZR2, which combines a tougher set of exterior parts with a host of hardware upgrades designed to take the Silverado further into the wilderness.
The updated Silverado also gets a new, more luxurious interior.
FULL STORY: 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 price and specs
BMW slugs the iX1 with a pre-launch price hike
Turns out we were wrong – the BMW iX1 has seen a price hike like its combustion-powered X1 sibling before it even hits local showrooms.
Following confirmation of a $6000 increase for the standard X1 range, Car Expert has confirmed that the all-electric iX1 xDrive30 is now priced at $2000 – priced from $84,900 plus on-road costs.
It seems that the iX1 has also lost some standard equipment as well.
FULL STORY: BMW’s smallest EV now costs $2000 before it hits dealerships
Mercedes-Benz refreshes its smallest SUV
Mercedes-Benz has revealed the updated GLA and GLB range, with fresher styling and a range of electric powertrains.
The updates mirror those already applied to the updated A-Class and CLA range.
The updated GLB range will arrive in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2023.
FULL STORY: Mercedes-Benz’s smallest SUV gets an update
FULL STORY: Mercedes-Benz updates its smallest three-row SUV
New Passat, Tiguan here this year
Volkswagen will launch its next generation mid-size SUV in 2023.
The company has confirmed the next Tiguan will debut this year in Europe, indicating a potential local launch in 2024.
As for the Passat, it will also debut this year in Europe but it is not guaranteed to come here.
FULL STORY: When the next generation Volkswagen Tiguan was launched
FULL STORY: The next Volkswagen Passat is about to debut, but will it come here?
SsangYong unveils a bold new electric SUV
SsangYong has revealed an electric version of its Torres SUV, and plans to show off more new models later this month.
Previously codenamed U100, the new Torres EVX will sit above the Korando e-Motion in the SsangYong lineup.
The company has released exterior and interior images of the new EV ahead of its live reveal at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Expo, which runs from March 30 to April 9.
FULL STORY: SsangYong unveils bold new electric SUV
Mercedes-Benz revealed the sleeker GLC Coupe
The second-generation Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe has been introduced, and like before it combines the GLC crossover front with a fastback-style rear.
Like its more practical sibling, the GLC Coupe has a more rounded body and sportier look, and rides on the rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive MRA platform.
A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Australia confirmed the GLC Coupe will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2023, with details to be announced closer to that date.
FULL STORY: Mercedes-Benz unveils sleek new BMW X4 rival
Porsche Cayenne goes green
Porsche said it expects 80 percent of total sales to be fully electric vehicles by the end of the decade, with the automaker launching at least four new EVs before 2030.
To make its EV targets a reality, the Zuffenhausen-based automaker confirmed the fourth-generation Cayenne will be a pure electric model.
The new Cayenne EV will be based on the all-electric SSP Sport architecture developed by Porsche, and which may be a derivative of the Scalable Systems Platform designed to unify the Volkswagen Group’s EV architecture.
FULL STORY: Porsche sales almost entirely electric by 2030, Cayenne EV coming
Audi’s EV launch to follow new entry-level model
Audi’s annual press conference encapsulated a record year for the company, as well as the announcement of an upcoming entry-level electric vehicle (EV) to be under the Q4 e-tron.
In an annual review, CEO Markus Duesmann confirmed that Audi will launch 20 new vehicles by 2025, 10 of which will be EVs.
“By 2027, we strive to offer all-electric vehicles in every core segment,” Mr. Duesmann said.
FULL STORY: Audi plans EV offensive, including A3 replacement
Ferrari reveals new drop-top grand tourer
Just like the Colosseum, Ferrari Roma is now open to the elements.
Revealed overnight, the first customer deliveries of the new Roma Spider in Australia will begin in late 2023 or early 2024.
It features a fabric soft top that can be lowered in 13.5 seconds, and at speeds of up to 60km/h. Ferrari claims the Roma’s five-layer fabric top “has acoustic comfort comparable to that of a retractable hard top”.
FULL STORY: Ferrari drops the top on its Roma grand tourer