Car news today: New Chery Omoda/Jaecoo BEV and hybrid models revealed, seventh-gen 2026 Subaru Outback unveiled, and more – 17 April 2025

Thanks for joining us this Thursday, April 17th 2025. Notably in automobile files on the present time: Chery/Omoda/Jaecoo mannequin blitz hits China demonstrate, Seventh-skills Subaru Outback unveiled in New York.

Browse this scenario:

• Chery/Omoda/Jaecoo mannequin blitz hits China demonstrate
• Seventh-skills Subaru Outback unveiled in New York
• Hyundai debuts off-street focussed Palisade XRT PRO
• Extra Kia EV4 detailed printed

• Reviewed: 2025 Audi A3 Sportback and Sedan

Chery/Omoda/Jaecoo EV and hybrid blitz on the Shanghai Motor Reward

• Chery is poised to unveil a bevvy of electrified units beneath its mainstream Omoda and upmarket Jaecoo producers declare to debut at the moment on the Shanghai Motor Reward, which kicks off next week.

• The Chery Omoda units – as they’re branded and marketed in Australia – consist of the recent C5 and C7 SUVs, that also will be powered by the family’s Astronomical Hybrid Machine first seen the Jaecoo J7 midsize SUV, which is comprised of a 1.5L turbocharged petrol-electric powertrain.

• Meanwhile, upmarket Jaecoo will pull the sheets off its J5 SUV, that also will be battery electric powered. Extra indispensable parts will attain on the J5 in the arrival days.

• (Chery) Omoda will be declare to debut a compact C3 crossover up to now only teased in illustrations launched by the carmaker of what Chery calls a “cyber-impressed” produce language. The C3 will also debut on the demonstrate in Wuha, China, this coming week.

Seventh-skills Subaru Outback unveiled in New York

• Subaru The US has officially pulled the veil off its recent 2026 Subaru Outback, expected to transfer on sale in the American market in slack 2025. The seventh-skills Outback boasts a rugged, off-street-centered exterior and wealth of widespread comforts inner.

• The recent ‘SUV-imprint’ Outback measures around 50mm taller than the outgoing mannequin, and has extended its total size by 25mm – now measuring around 4.9 metres long. This pits the Outback more closely in opposition to elevated SUVs admire the Hyundai Santa Fe (4.83 metres long) and Toyota Kluger (4.96 metres long).

• At the moment, Subaru has now not equipped an official assertion but it’s positive that the Outback will continue to be an wanted allotment of the Australian mannequin line-up. The sixth-skills Outback went on sale in March, 2021, making the mannequin a high candidate for renewal.

• The seventh-skills Outback, now not decrease than in the American market, will continue to be powered by Subaru’s signature boxer four-cylinder engine in two energy offerings: a 135kW 2.5-litre naturally aspirated unit, and a 194kW 2.4-litre turbo (US outputs tunes). Both autos will attain commonplace with symmetrical all-wheel pressure.

READ: Seventh-gen 2026 Subaru Outback printed

Hyundai debuts rugged off-street-model Palisade XRT PRO

• Hyundai USA has showcased an off-street-centered variant of the next-skills 2026 Palisade at this week’s New York Auto Reward, known as the XRT PRO.

• The Palisade XRT PRO guarantees a peculiar bodykit with pronounced front restoration parts , electronic restricted-ride differential, all-terrain 255/60R18 tyres, and an further drag of ground clearance, raising the general clearance to 8.4-inches.

• Whereas the recent 2026 Palisade became planned to bear its global designate on the New York Auto Reward, the recent mannequin became previewed on the recent Korean showcase in Seoul, where Chasing Autos got the opportunity to get the early rundown.

• The 2026 Australian-spec Palisade, due in Q4 this yr, will feature only one driveline option: A 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol coupled with two P2 mounted electric motors within a six-wander aged computerized. Hyundai claims a entire system output of 245kW/450Nm and a claimed vary of 996 kilometres (EPA Cycle).

READ: New Hyundai Palisade drops diesel for hybrid, arrives Q4 2025

Prolonged awaited Kia EV4 finally makes debut in global markets

• Kia has pulled the covers off the highly anticipated EV4 sedan at this week’s New York Auto Reward, that also can serve because the corporate’s first dedicated-electric sedan. The EV4, that also can moreover be equipped in hatchback get, targets to be a cheap shake-up to the established electric SUV pickle quo.

• The Kia EV4 will utilise the same South-Korean assembled E-GMP 400V electrical architecture seen in the EV3. The system can abet DC charging with a 10-80-percent payment time of 29-31 minutes reckoning on battery size.

• Two battery suggestions are accessible for the EV4; a 58.3 kWh unit with a claimed 430km (WLTP) of vary, and long-vary 81.4 kWh battery, which claims a range of 630km. No matter battery size or neatly-organized, all EV4’s will use a single 150kW/283Nm* front-mounted electric motor (worthy admire the recent EV3).

• Kia Australia is seemingly to raise the EV4 sedan to Australian showrooms by the surrender of 2025. It is a long way unconfirmed at this stage if the EV4 hatch is coming to Australia.

*Speculated torque figure seemingly, but now not yet confirmed.

Audi A3 2025 review

• Chasing Autos deputy editor Curt Dupriez’s street take a look at of the 2025 Audi A3 Sportback and Sedan became published, including his solutions on pricing and positioning of the facelifted fourth-skills twins.

• Dupriez unearths that Audi’s refresh has left the usual-or-backyard A3 with a in point of fact S3-admire model inner and outside, and that engineers bear accomplished a truthful job evolving the MQB Evo underpinning to yield fun-to-pressure dynamics.

• On the different hand, disappointment lurks in the modest 1.5-litre turbo front-pressure powertrain that’s decrease than the task of matching A3’s newfound appears to be to be like and keen handling. Extra, the A3 is costly, with pricing having risen $8500 since the gen-four’s debut correct three years previously.

• In truth, the A3 is something of a backwards step, especially given the feisty 2.0L 40 Quattro variant (as soon as more cheap than the recent 35) has been pulled from the native menu.

READ: Audi A3 2025 review

The following scenario of Automobile Knowledge This day will be published on Tuesday, twenty 2d April at 4.30pm Sydney time.