We publish a lot of car news during the work week (the rule is 70 odd) and it can be hard to keep up with everything – that’s the reason behind this weekend’s list.
In short, here are some of the key articles from our news desk as of this Monday summarized, just in case you missed them at the time.
Hybrid ‘Vette is coming down
After decades without a right-hand drive Corvette from the factory, Chevrolet is now rolling out every new variant of its sports car with the option of a right-hand drive.
The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray – detailed here – is the latest member of the iconic sports car family to be revealed, and it’s here to stay.
“It is with great excitement that we can confirm that the next generation Corvette, E-Ray, will make its way Down Under. Stay tuned for more details,” said a GM Specialty Vehicle (GMSV) spokesperson.
FULL STORY: Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray V8 hybrid confirmed for Australia
The growing order list for a growing Jimny
Hundreds of people have deposited money in a Suzuki Jimny 5 Doors despite the lack of local pricing and detailed specifications, the company claims.
Revealed last week in Delhinew stretch Jimny variant is on its way to Australia in late 2023 or early 2024, offering more practicality than the hit three-door 4×4 version.
“We announced that vehicle last Friday and we said it was pre-ordered and our dealers were flooded. We have received several hundred orders, 90% of which are for automatics,” said Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota.
FULL STORY: Suzuki Australia “flooded” with Jimny 5-Door orders
XV out, Crosstrek in
New Subaru diagonal lineplaced to replace the favorite XV when it launches in April, it will start at $34,990 before shipping costs and come with a hybrid option in the wider range.
Order books are open now and will fill up quickly as the upcoming Subaru XV has attracted more than 100,000 Australian buyers in over a decade on sale and two generations.
The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek lineup once again includes five variants: three petrol-powered (now known as 2.0L, 2.0R and 2.0S) and two hybrids (again known as Hybrid L and Hybrid S). .
FULL STORY: SUV Subaru Crosstrek 2023: On sale from 34,990 USD
Toyota seeks to make up for lost production
Toyota is planning to significantly increase production by 2023 to start reducing long wait times for customers, but warned it could miss its target by as much as 10%.
Today, the world’s largest automaker released a “basic production” bulletin outlining its goal of producing 10.6 million cars by 2023.
To give that context, Toyota at the end of November was downgraded Production plan for Japan’s upcoming fiscal year (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023) is 9.2 million vehicles, down from the previous target of 9.7 million vehicles.
FULL STORY: Toyota plans to produce 15% more by 2023 to cut waiting times
Hardly available in Australia though…
The broader Volkswagen Group delivered 572,100 all-electric vehicles to buyers in 2022, up 26% year-on-year (YoY).
Accordingly, the Group’s electric vehicle sales accounted for 6.9% of total sales, up from 5.1% in 2021 and only 2.5% in 2020. In 2022, other locations in Emden , Hanover and Chattanooga began producing electric vehicles .
The performance could be much greater, however, with the VW Group claiming a staggering 310,000 BEV orders in Western Europe alone, as it navigates crippling supply chain shortages as a result of COVID and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
FULL STORY: Volkswagen Group electric vehicle sales, amazing order bank details
Ta-ta to the bland designs
Tata, the global parent company of Jaguar Land Rover, unveiled several concept electric vehicles at the 2023 Auto Show in Delhi last week.
The most interesting from a design perspective is the Tata Sierra EV, which claims to combine “timeless design” with a “flexible and luxurious interior” and suitable for “outdoor lifestyle”.
It dusts off the Sierra nameplate, last seen in the 2000s on a three-door, ute-based SUV.
FULL STORY: Tata unveils multiple EV concepts, as India gets involved
Geelong gigafactory plan
Plans are underway to build a huge lithium-ion battery production facility in Geelong, a city about an hour from Melbourne.
The goal is to create one of the largest gigafactories in the world, eventually generating up to 30 gigawatt hours (GWh) of storage capacity per year for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage units.
Construction on Avalon near the airport is expected to begin in the second half of 2023, with the goal of producing 2GWh equivalent batteries annually in the second half of 2024 and 6GWh in 2026.
FULL STORY: Electric car battery factory to be built in Geelong
Potential fire hazard causing legal action
Hyundai is the subject of a class action lawsuit over a potential fire hazard, with sister brand Kia also facing a similar lawsuit.
Attorneys Maurice Blackburn has filed a class-action lawsuit against Hyundai in the Supreme Court of Victoria, seeking damages to owners of vehicles with faulty anti-lock braking systems.
The vehicles affected by these issues are already subject to a recall by the company, with Hyundai stating in the recall notice that the circuit board of the ABS module can short-circuit when its components are exposed to moisture. .
FULL STORY: Hyundai sued class-action over fire risk, proposed to sue Kia
Audi plugs Q5 . staples
Audi Australia will launch the Q5 plug-in hybrid and Q5 Sportback SUVs in the second half of the year, it has confirmed, despite the fact that this generation soon to be replaced.
The company evaluated this derivative for a local launch since at least 2021but demand in Europe and ongoing production shortages are not helping its cause.
The PHEV derivative of the Q5 55 TFSI e quattro S line will offer a claimed maximum electric range of 55 km and a powerful system output of 270 kW and 500 Nm – allowing for a 0 to 100 acceleration. km/h in 5.3 seconds.
FULL STORY: Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid for Australia in 2023
Polestar is ready for the big transformation
The Polestar 2 electric forklift may be about to follow the wheel of the best-selling model Tesla Model 3 and take the rear wheel drive.
Polestar’s co-parent Volvo recently announced single-engine variants of the XC40 and Recharge C40 power cross is Switching from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive as part of the 2024 model year update.
Since the Polestar 2 is based on the same CMA architecture as the Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge and is manufactured at the same factory in China, it’s no wonder it could also switch to rear-wheel drive.
FULL STORY: Can Polestar 2 EV be rear-wheel drive?
HiLux switches to EVs, through intermediaries
Australian International electric truck manufacturer SEA Electric signed a multi-billion dollar deal to convert 8,500 Toyota HiLuxes and LandCruisers to EVs for the mining industry by 2028.
The company announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with a company focused on the supply 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 nearly A$1 billion.
FULL STORY: 8500 electric Toyota HiLuxes and LandCruisers for mining, in multi-billion dollar deal
Signs of time?
BMW’s M division has just set a new sales record in 2022, selling 177,257 hot cars in 2022, up 8.4% year-on-year (YoY).
Interestingly, its best-selling product is an electric vehicle, in the form of BMW i4 M50 reverse fastDual-motor performance EV with system output of 400 kW.
Timo Resch, head of customer, brand and sales at BMW M GmbH said: “For us, this is a clear signal that the unique M feeling has come to the world of electric vehicles.
FULL STORY: BMW’s M division breaks sales records, led by electric vehicles
