Car news today: Cost of living hits new-car sales hard, Ford’s plug-in saviour and more — 6th March 2025 Car news today: Cost of living hits new-car sales hard, Ford’s plug-in saviour and more — 6th March 2025

Thanks for joining us this Thursday March Sixth 2025. Win out in regards to the struggling within the fresh-automobile market, Ford’s petrol-electrical dual-cab saviour, a fresh hardcore WRX, Volvo’s graceful electrical sedan, an EV for the Volks and fresh ranger extender EV for Oz.

Browse this tell:

• Rate of residing disaster strikes the fresh automobile market with flagging gross sales
• Ford small print its saunter-in hybrid rival to the BYD Shark 6
• Hardcore Subaru WRX tS Spec B is an STI-lite
• Modern fresh sedan takes aim at BMW i5, Audi A6 e-tron
• Volkswagen’s electrical automobile for the people
• 2025 Ford Everest Tremor review

Rate of residing disaster strikes the fresh automobile market with flagging gross sales

• February gross sales are in and it isn’t having a come all over ethical. In contrast with final year, deliveries be pleased dropped almost 10 percent and it’s being led by electrical vehicles. Tesla had a shocker and helped pull EV gross sales down 37 percent.

• Toyota stayed on high both for trace and automobile, taking high honours with the RAV4 hybrid. Ford took 2d with Ranger, then came HiLux.

• We’ve at final seen if BYD’s in a arena to slouch the stroll, too, after the launch of Shark 6 saunter-in hybrid ute gross sales changed into as soon as delayed. In its first month the Shark 6 managed sixth general, pipping the Isuzu D-Max. Be conscious this dwelling.

Ford small print its saunter-in hybrid rival to the BYD Shark 6

• After years of data drip-feed, Ford has at final printed plump pricing and specifications for the saunter-in hybrid Ford Ranger. There’s clearly an creep for food for PHEV utes, but whether Ford can web in on the motion is one other quiz.

• There’s a huge range on provide from XLT neat by to fresh Stormtrak halo grade. Pricing begins at $71,990, before on-street costs, for the fabric upholstered and halogen headlight-geared up XLT. Wildtrak is $seventy nine,990 and Stormtrak $86,990.

• Some key variations between Ranger PHEV and the fresh Chinese language rivals consist of a 3.5-tonne braked towing capability and as much as 973kg payload (offering there’s no spare tyre fitted). EV driving range is 48km and outputs are 209kW and 690Nm.

Hardcore Subaru WRX tS Spec B is an STI-lite

• Kind you like carrying your hat backwards and going instant? Excuse the stereotype, however the Subaru WRX is serve in additional hardcore tS Spec B obtain that builds on the Club Spec puny model from 2024.

• Pricing is from $61,490, before on-street costs, and the WRX tS Spec B ratings linked upgrades to the Club Spec, equivalent to the worthy rear flit, Recaro bucket seats, 19-chase alloy wheels, Brembo brakes and stickier Bridgestone S007 tyres.

• Distinguishing this mannequin (and justifying the larger keep) are now not any-worth-option STI efficiency mufflers and — for the main time within the fresh WRX — adaptive dampers blended with a six-lumber manual transmission. No extra energy, though.

• Pre-orders for the WRX tS Spec B are start now.

Modern 700km driving range sedan takes aim at BMW i5, Audi A6 e-tron

• Volvo has unveiled its fresh top class huge electrical automobile, the ES90, with targets on the serve of the BMW i5, Audi A6 e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQE. Volvo doesn’t train it’s a sedan, liftback or SUV though it completely rides bigger than the worn S90 — it’s like an overgrown Polestar 2, in fact.

• It sounds as if ‘design driven’ with the flexibility to ‘evolve over time’, the ES90 is a truly diversified automobile for Volvo that’s in step with the linked SPA2 underpinnings of the EX90 and Polestar 3.

• Electrical stats are prominent: 700km of driving range from a 106kWh battery pack, whereas 800V structure skill instant charging can add as much as 300km range in 10 minutes.

• The ES90 is mountainous. Volvo hasn’t given exterior length yet — demand 5.0 metres or more — however the wheelbase is 3.1 metres for a range of minimal yet luxurious cabin dwelling. Assign apart a question to Volvo’s fresh electrical luxurious automobile to launch in gradual 2025.

Volkswagen’s electrical automobile for the people

• The ID.3 did not be pleased the revolutionary create of the Beetle, but Volkswagen says the ID.1 will when it launches in 2027. Here is the final piece in VW’s EV strategy.

• Designate is a key attribute, a aim of €20,000 (A$34,000) with production in Europe for Europe. The tubby angular design is punchy and affords the ID.EVERY1 understanding more presence than its small 3880mm length on the total would. The boot isn’t execrable both, at 305L.

• Stats are modest, with a 70kW entrance-mounted electrical motor obliging ideal 130km/h high speeds. A 250km driving range seals the deal as a metropolis automobile. The MEB entrance-wheel-drive platform will underpin a total of four VW gadgets in some unspecified time in the future including the ID.2 hatch and small SUVs which could be more to Australia’s style.

This has the MU-X shaking in its boots: 2025 Ford Everest Tremor review

• Manufacturing Specialist Thomas Space takes a stride within the fresh Ford Everest Tremor — an off-street centered model of Ford’s favorite 4×4 wagon that takes aim on the Toyota Prado Altitude.

• Tom praised the relative worth over the Sport V6, improved off-street capability and — pointless to teach — tricky appears, thanks to a butch visible treatment.

• A loss in payload, some missing parts in contrast with Ranger Tremor and expensive option programs ate into its excellence. Within the kill, the Everest Tremor is a provocative proposition within the market and a ethical different to the same outdated Prado.

Study: Tom’s plump review right here

The following tell of Automotive Records This day shall be printed on Friday 07 February at 4.30pm Sydney time.