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.
Toyota’s tortuous waiting time remains
Toyota just celebrated another outstanding year in Australia, noting Its largest number of deliveries in 14 years and experienced all-time high demand.
However, it also remains a victim of its own success, with the aforementioned need and constant production headaches offers year-long wait times on some of its most popular nameplates.
In addition to the LandCruiser 70, Orders are still closedThe most affected models are still RAV4 and camry (especially hybrid) and LandCruiser Line 300.
FULL STORY: Toyota RAV4, LandCruiser and Camry – latest waiting time
BMW keeps itself away from distractions
The popularity of minimalist car interiors with key functions located in touchscreen menus has long been a problem for us at auto expert.
Looks like BMW boss Oliver Zipse agrees.
“Driver distraction is the main cause of accidents, not fast driving,” Mr Zipse was reported as saying at a media press conference during CES 2023. “…If you have to look down to operate your car, we think that’s a big mistake.”
FULL STORY: BMW removes distracting large interior screens?
Volvo’s electric-only future has taken shape
Volvo Australia hit a tipping point in December 2022, selling more pure electric vehicles than internal combustion vehicles during the month.
This is in the context of a brand that plans to go all-electric in Australia from 2026.
Of the 980 Volvos sold in December, 536 were BEVs, about 55% of the total. These sales include 327 units of Top up XC40 and 209 of C40.
FULL STORY: Volvo sold more electric cars than ICE cars in Australia last month
Longer… in relative terms
Suzuki used the Delhi auto show to reveal the long-awaited 5-door Jimny, a more realistic version of its iconic 4×4 mountain goat car.
At 3985 mm long, the 5-door Jimny is 340 mm longer than the regular model, while the 2590 mm wheelbase on the ladder frame increases equally. Claimed ground clearance is 210mm.
No changes to the powertrain to handle the added bulk have been made, with the current 1.5-litre petrol engine carried over – paired with a part-time 4×4 system with low range. and available with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic transmission selection.
FULL STORY: Suzuki Jimny 5-door revealed, confirmed for Australia – UPDATED
The Great Wall of China is beyond China
Great Wall Motor (GWM) sold more than a million cars in 2022 – the seventh year in a row – but unlike previous years, its sales outside China account for almost 20% of the total. .
The fast-growing carmaker from Baoding sold 173,180 cars last year in “overseas markets”, from the GWM Pickup, Haval, Ora, Tank and Wey brands. This number is up 21% compared to the same period last year.
The company claims that cumulative exports outside of China have now reached one million units.
FULL STORY: GWM sold another million vehicles last year, 170,000 outside of China
Citroen goes against common sense
Citroen executives think SUVs are on their way out as electric vehicles proliferate through automakers’ product lines.
Vincent Cobée’s comment to automatically express However, that comes with some disclaimers: first, he admits that at this point “the numbers don’t tell me I’m right”, and second, he envisions a market where more vehicles are sold as SUVs, but at higher prices. -Riding a sedan.
Citroen has a limited number of SUVs, offering only Route C3 and Route C5with New C4 and its bootstrapped C4 X counterpart are also marketed as SUVs. Cobée hopes more liberal, fastback SUVs will become more popular due to the aerodynamic benefits they offer – something that is especially important for electric vehicles.
FULL STORY: Citroen CEO Says “World of SUVs Made”
Nissan stick with the old
Nissan Australia has closed the prospect of Patrol 4×4 received a range of interior and technological improvements seen in left-hand drive markets, with a “focus on enhanced capability” instead.
Talk to auto expertNissan Australia CEO Adam Paterson pointed out the next big thing for the Patrol nameplate is upcoming warrior – a domestically developed off-road performance variant that it is working with Premcar, before the end of the year at the earliest.
“We’ve got an update to the current Patrol with some external changes going into the 2021 model year. Our next big news with Patrol is that Warrior will launch in the second half of the year. [of 2023]” said Mr. Paterson.
FULL STORY: The upgraded interior of the Nissan Patrol is not yet for the RHD
Polestar defends skin’s green certificate
Leather has long been considered a luxury option for car interior materials, but in recent times something has been pushing for more “sustainable” approaches to options. Choose car decoration.
Some auto brands have marketed leather-like imitation leather or vinyl trim options as “vegan” leather to appeal to those who may feel that their car should do something a little bit more. for the environment or climate change, or maybe it’s just because the customer themselves might not like to eat meat, or in favor of raising animals for meat as ingredients.
However, according to electric car brand Polestar, leather is more sustainable than you might think.
FULL STORY: Why leather is more sustainable for car interiors than you think
Luxury bragging rights are determined
The world’s three biggest luxury car brands – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – also posted similar results in 2022, seeing a slight decline in vehicle deliveries but big growth from electric vehicles.
In addition, all three report large profits from their most expensive and high-performance offerings – each prioritizing limited semiconductors for their most profitable offerings.
In terms of bragging rights, the Munich-based BMW has edged out its rivals from Stuttgart and Ingolstadt when it comes to overall volume.
FULL STORY: BMW v Mercedes v Audi: Analysis of global luxury car sales in 2022
PHEV’s popular update not resolved
The brand has confirmed that Australia’s best-selling 2022 plug-in hybrid vehicle, the MG HS Plus EV mid-size SUV, will receive several updates in the second half of 2023.
With sales of 1554 in 2022, the HS Plus EV derivative accounted for about 14% of MG HS’s total sales last year. Its next closest competitor is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross on the 926.
You can expect the upgraded HS Plus EV to be more or less similar to the upgraded model already on sale in the Thai market, launching in March 2022.
FULL STORY: Australia’s best-selling PHEV to be updated in 2023
Stellantis Dodges Regulator
Ever since Dodge announced the Charger Daytona SRT concept car, enthusiasts have wondered if the company would allow aftermarket tuning of its electric vehicles.
Well, now we know the answer, and you might want to sit down and have a warm cup ready.
Talk to Muscle cars and trucks, Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Dodge, said: “We don’t want to lock the cars and say you can’t modify them. We just want to lock them down and say modify them through us so we know it was done right.”
FULL STORY: Dodge Will Lock Aftermarket Regulators From EV
MG returns to its roots
MG’s first all-electric sports car has been caught testing ahead of its scheduled launch this year.
Spy photos published by Scar and Weibo users EnricGu reveals the MG Cyberster’s sleek body, tight overhangs and fabric hood.
Patent image leaked of the production model appeared as early as 2022, however, it’s worth noting that the front overhang of the spyed example appears shorter in these images and closer to the original concept.
FULL STORY: MG Cyberster electric roadster tracked
