We publish a ton of car news stories during the work week (70-odd as a rule), 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.
Hybrid ‘Vette coming Down Under
After decades without a factory Corvette right-hand drive, Chevrolet is now launching every new variant of its sports car with a right-hand drive option.
The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray – detailed here – is the latest member of the iconic sports car family to be revealed, and it’s coming here.
“It is with great excitement that we can confirm that the next generation Corvette, the E-Ray, will be heading Down Under. Stay tuned for more details,” said a GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) spokesperson.
FULL STORY: Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray V8 hybrid confirmed for Australia
A growing order list for a growing Jimny
Hundreds of people have made deposits on a Suzuki Jimny 5 Doors despite the lack of local pricing and specification details, the company claims.
Unveiled last week in Delhi, the new, stretched Jimny variant is on track to hit Australia in either late 2023 or early 2024, offering more practicality than the cult three-door 4×4.
“We announced the car on Friday last week and we said pre-orders were available, and our dealerships were inundated. We have received several hundred orders, 90 per cent for automatics,” said Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota.
FULL STORY: Suzuki Australia ‘flooded’ with Jimny 5-Door orders
XV out, Crosstrek in
Subaru’s new Crosstrek, set to replace the much-loved XV when it launches in April, will start at $34,990 before on-road costs and come with a hybrid option further up the range.
Order books are now open, and will fill up quickly as the outgoing Subaru XV has attracted more than 100,000 Australian buyers over a decade on sale, and two generations.
The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek range again consists of five variants: three petrol-powered grades (now called 2.0L, 2.0R and 2.0S) and two hybrids (again called Hybrid L and Hybrid S).
FULL STORY: 2023 Subaru Crosstrek SUV: Reservations open from $34,990
Toyota is trying to make up for lost production
Toyota plans to increase production dramatically in 2023 to begin reducing long customer wait times, but warns it could miss its target by 10 percent.
The world’s largest automaker released a “baseline production” bulletin today that stated its goal to produce 10.6 million cars by 2023.
To give that context, Toyota last November lowered its production plan for the upcoming Japanese financial year (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023) to 9.2 million cars, down from its previous target of 9.7 million cars.
FULL STORY: Toyota plans 15 percent more production in 2023 to reduce waiting times
Almost none in Australia though…
The wider Volkswagen Group delivered 572,100 all-electric vehicles to buyers in 2022, up 26 percent year-on-year (YoY).
Accordingly, Group EV sales accounted for 6.9 percent of the total, up from a 5.1 percent share in 2021 and just 2.5 percent in 2020. In 2022, additional sites in Emden, Hanover and Chattanooga began producing EVs. .
However, the performance could be much better, with VW Group claiming to hold a staggering 310,000 BEV back orders in Western Europe alone, as it overcomes crippling supply chain shortages on the back of COVID and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
FULL STORY: Volkswagen Group’s EV sales, detailed by surprising order bank
Ta-ta to the bland design
Tata, the global parent of Jaguar Land Rover, unveiled a range of EV concepts at the Auto Expo 2023 in Delhi last week.
The most interesting from a design perspective is the Tata Sierra EV, which claims to pair “timeless design” with a “versatile and luxurious interior” and suits the “outdoor lifestyle”.
It ditches the Sierra nameplate, last seen in the 2000s on a three-door ute-based SUV.
FULL STORY: Tata unveils various EV concepts, as India continues
Geelong gigafactory plan
Plans are being made to build a large-scale lithium-ion battery cell production facility in Geelong, a city about an hour from Melbourne.
The goal is to create one of the world’s largest gigafactories, eventually generating up to 30 gigawatt hours (GWh) of storage capacity per year for EVs and stationary energy storage units.
Construction at Avalon near the airport is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2023, with the goal of producing batteries equivalent to 2GWh annually in the second half of 2024, and 6GWh by 2026.
FULL STORY: Electric car battery factory to be built in Geelong
Potential fire hazards trigger legal action
Hyundai is the subject of a class action lawsuit involving potential fire hazards, with sister brand Kia also facing similar suits.
Lawyer Maurice Blackburn brought a class action against Hyundai to the Supreme Court of Victoria, seeking compensation for owners of vehicles with faulty anti-lock braking systems.
Vehicles with this issue have already been the subject of a recall by the company, with Hyundai saying in its recall notice that the ABS module’s circuit board may short-circuit when its components are exposed to moisture.
FULL STORY: Hyundai subject to class action lawsuit over fire risk, Kia suit suggests
Audi installed its staple Q5
Audi Australia will launch the Q5 plug-in hybrid SUV and the Q5 Sportback in the second half of the year, it has confirmed, despite the fact that this generation is about to be replaced.
The company has been evaluating this derivative for a local launch since at least 2021, but demand in Europe and ongoing production shortages are not helping its cause.
The PHEV version of the Q5 55 TFSI e quattro S range will offer a claimed maximum electric range of 55km, and a strong system output of 270kW and 500Nm – allowing for a 0-100km/h acceleration of 5.3 seconds.
FULL STORY: Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid for Australia in 2023
Polestar is ready for a major switch
The Polestar 2 electric hatchback will likely follow in the footsteps of the best-selling Tesla Model 3 and use rear-wheel drive.
Polestar’s co-parent company Volvo recently announced the single-motor variants of its XC40 and C40 Recharge electric crossovers are switching from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive as part of a 2024 model year update.
Since the Polestar 2 is based on the same CMA architecture as the Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge and made in the same Chinese factory, it can also switch to rear-wheel drive.
FULL STORY: Could the Polestar 2 EV be rear-wheel drive?
The HiLux uses an EV, through an intermediary
International Australian electric truck maker SEA Electric has signed a multi-billion dollar deal to convert 8500 Toyota HiLuxes and LandCruisers to EVs for the mining industry by 2028.
The company today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with a company focused on the delivery of electric mining vehicles called MEVCO – which has committed to order 8500 units over the next five years.
The deal has a total value of almost A$1 billion.
FULL STORY: 8500 electric Toyota HiLuxes and LandCruisers for mining, in multi-billion dollar deal
Sign of the times?
BMW’s M division just set a new sales record in 2022, selling 177,257 hot vehicles in 2022 for an 8.4 percent year-over-year (YoY) increase.
Interestingly, its best seller is electric, in the form of the BMW i4 M50 fastback, a dual-motor performance EV with a system power of 400kW.
“For us, this is a clear signal that the unique feeling of M has arrived in the world of electric vehicles,” said head of customer, brand and sales BMW M GmbH, Timo Resch.
FULL STORY: BMW’s M division breaks sales records, led by EVs