New car prices

Italian vehicle maker Abarth has announced pricing for the all-new and completely-electrical 500e.

A special edition identified as the Scorpionissima at $60,500 earlier than on-road prices would possibly be the first to advance in late 2023, adopted by the core Turismo grade, priced at $58,900, in early 2024.

The new Abarth’s value makes this electrical firecracker comparatively cheap for an EV – even though its value has jumped by a in reality in depth 72 percent in the transition to corpulent electrification.

A total of 219 devices of the outmoded will most likely be coming to Australia before all the pieces. Every grades will most likely be accessible in hatchback kind entirely with out a be aware yet on the liked convertible model.

Competing in the emerging electrical hot hatch home, the front-drive Abarth will compete with the rear-wheel-drive Cupra Born. The factual-published, new-gen Mini Cooper SE Electrical will most likely be part of the fray subsequent one year.

The Abarth’s value level technique this would possibly per chance qualify for a negate and territory incentives the attach they exist. These can also be value as noteworthy as $6000 off the value of a sub-$68,000 EV in Queensland.

Electrification narrows value hole between Abarth and Fiat

The new electrical Abarth is priced reasonably closely to its Fiat-branded counterpart.

Fiat’s 500e begins from $52,500 earlier than on-road prices in EV kind, while the leap to the Abarth prices yet another $6400 or 12 percent.

Encourage in early 2022 when the turbo-petrol Abarth 595 became as soon as light on sale, the Fiat model became as soon as priced from $19,550 for the manual or $23,100 for the automated, while the scorpion-badged hatch became as soon as priced from $34,260 and $36,250 respectively.

The fracture result became as soon as a top class of $14,710 for the manual or $13,150 for the automated, or a proportion elevate of 75 and 62 percent respectively – noteworthy more than the factual-announced EV variations.

Though clearly, both are greatly more costly than their aforementioned petrol counterparts.

How mercurial is the Abarth 500e?

As per custom, the Abarth is predicated on the Fiat-branded 500e with a slew of incremental upgrades to invent it look and in reality feel look after a hot hatch.

Sitting on an all-new and electrical-dedicated chassis, the electrical hot hatch promises dynamic thrills however now not basically enormous amounts of flee, such as its noteworthy-cherished petrol-powered predecessors.

A single electrical motor is positioned on the front axle, producing 113kW and 235Nm of torque, ample to flee up from 0-100km/h in 7.0 seconds, now not namely mercurial for an electrical hot hatch.

Even supposing the corpulent Australian specs are yet to be launched, weight is anticipated to be barely low for an EV at 1410kg.

Some merchants will miss the thrum of the petrol Abarth however the emblem has made noteworthy of its ‘sound generator’ feature which makes an try to replicate this sound with an electrical twist.

What is the variety of the Abarth 500e?

Abarth has opted for a 42.2kWh battery pack (37.8kWh usable) which affords as much as 252km of range, says the Italian brand. Chasing Vehicles will take a look at the real-world range at a later date.

Even supposing now not noteworthy for an EV at the 2d, the emblem became as soon as mercurial to level to the 500e’s capability to price at as much as 85kW on a DC mercurial charger can add spherical 40km (ample for the moderate shuttle) in 5 minutes.

Furthermore, this DC charging flee can peep the battery recharged from 0 to 85 percent in 35 minutes. Home-vogue AC charging will most likely be accessible and succesful of speeds of as much as 11kW, which would possibly per chance well light peep the battery charged from flat to corpulent in roughly four hours.

What else does the Abarth encompass for the value?

The 500e rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels which forgo the used at ease kind of many EVs for a more aggressive look.

The within of the 500e is unsurprisingly such as the Fiat, with Alcantara within gorgeous and top class sports seats with an integrated headrest and splashes of colour at some stage in. Double stitching on the seats and doorways also adds a more aggressive look.

5 varied colours will most likely be accessible at start: Acid Green, Poison Blue, Antidote White, Venom Shadowy and Adrenaline Purple.

The corpulent list of specs are anticipated to be launched nearer to the appearance date in late 2023.

Abarth 500e 2023: prices in Australia

All prices listed are earlier than on-road prices.

• Turismo: $58,900
• Scorpionissima: $60,500

Nissan has in a roundabout contrivance printed the beefy pricing and specification of its Premcar-developed Patrol Warrior, which affords an enhanced diploma of off-road functionality on the tune of $101,160 sooner than on-road prices.

As modified into at the start the case with the Navara Skilled-4X Warrior, the Patrol isn’t in accordance to the head-spec Ti-L grade ($97,600) but, in its establish, it’s in accordance to the entry-diploma Ti ($84,900).

As modified into stumbled on in Chasing Vehicles’ first power of the Patrol Warrior in prototype rep, the selection to substandard the Warrior on the decrease grade modified into made to retain it under two metres in height, a feat now not skill with the roof rails equipped on the Ti-L

The Premcar group says it centered on four key components when engineering the fresh variant: enhanced functionality, visual road presence, the V8 soundtrack and current refinement.

In phrases of opponents, the Patrol Warrior will compete in opposition to a gigantic residing of off-road-focussed autos.

Key rivals will consist of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Sequence GR Sport ($142,101 sooner than on-road prices), the Land Rover Defender 110 (from $84,350) and per chance even utes equivalent to the Ford Ranger Raptor ($87,990).

What does the Patrol Warrior consist of?

Key upgrades consist of the fresh physique equipment, enhanced underbody security, bi-modal side-exit utilize, a brand fresh suspension setup and a brand fresh Alcantara-clad internal gorgeous, which replaces the reasonably polarising fallacious wooden-grain spy stumbled on some establish else in the lineup.

In phrases of raw numbers, the Warrior sees a 50mm lift thanks to a 29mm develop in suspension height blended with a further 21mm from the 18-flow alloys and full 295/70 Yokohama all-terrain tyres. A GVM upgrade of 120kg has also been applied to the chassis.

The latter will be priceless when making notify of the Patrol’s 3.5-tonne towing skill, which modified into retained despite the suspension adjustments, which consist of adjustments to the model’s Hydraulic Body Motion Retain watch over system and the addition to front/rear springs and progressive rear bump stops.

With the towbar in residing, the Patrol Warrior has a departure perspective of 23.3 degrees, while the methodology measures a extra first rate 40 degrees.

What does the Patrol consist of in every grade?

The Patrol is seemingly to be only known for its naturally aspirated 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine which fortuitously is fitted as fashioned across the lineup, making 298kW of energy at 5800rpm and 560Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

It’s mated to a seven-scramble computerized transmission and a beefy-time four-wheel-power system with a helical diminutive-tear differential on the rear.

Other facets consist of:

• Eight-seat structure
• Leather-accented seats
• Three-zone climate regulate
• Eight-formulation adjustable driver’s seat (including lumbar)
• LED front fog lights
• Heated door mirrors
• 18-flow alloy wheels
• Off-road music
• An 8.0-flow touchscreen demonstrate
• Six-speaker stereo

Though no longer wearing an ANCAP ranking, the Patrol facets ahead emergency braking, adaptive cruise regulate, blind residing monitoring, lane departure intervention, rear hazardous-internet site visitors alert, parking sensors front and rear, and a 360-diploma digital camera.

On top of this, the Warrior facets:

• Remarkable 18-flow wheels and all-terrain tyres
• Mixed 50mm lift
• Reengineering towbar setup to compare bigger tyres
• 120kg GWM upgrade
• 2.5mm steel bash plate
• Bi-modal utilize
• Alcantara internal gorgeous inserts
• Redesigned Warrior physique equipment w/dusky accents

The Ti-L builds on the Ti’s tools list and adds:

• A seven-seat structure
• Driver’s seat memory honest
• Heated and cooled front seats
• Vitality-adjustable steering wheel
• Icy box in the front-row armrest
• 13-speaker Bose sound system
• Two 2nd-row 8.0-flow entertainment shows
• Sunroof and roof rails
• Wise rear-spy mirror

Nissan Patrol 2023: prices in Australia

All prices listed are sooner than on-road prices.

• Ti: $84,900
• Ti-L: $97,600
• Warrior: $101,160

Because the Mazda 2 receives a peculiar facelift for 2023, there’s nonetheless no word about an all-original model to change this fresh, aging technology.

No knowledge is in general now now not lawful knowledge for the long-term survival of a mannequin, and if a brand original 2 was due, we’d usually contain heard rumblings or considered glance photos by now.

Mazda Australia has long past easy on anything unusual being within the works.

Begs the ask, would possibly maybe maybe well the discontinue of the avenue be nigh for this metropolis automobile stalwart?

The original shape Mazda 2 has been with us since 2014, and a decade with out a brand original technology landing would possibly maybe maybe be very distinctive.

Why wouldn’t Mazda impact a brand original 2?

Car companies battle to make a lot margin on frequent metropolis cars.

The original pattern has been to ditch low-spec, cheap entry-diploma units, or honest stop away with worth range offerings altogether.

The metropolis automobile graveyard is filling up. The Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Mitsubishi Mirage, Honda Jazz and Suzuki Baleno don’t appear to be any extra. The Kia Rio’s soon to impart. The sub-$20,000k automobile is practically extinct in Australia.

However will we if truth be told imagine a Mazda showroom without the small 2?

“Clearly it’s been phase of our line-up for a truly long time,” Mazda Australia’s marketing and marketing and product director Alastair Doak instructed Chasing Cars. “We’ve dedicated to 1 more update (for 2023), but I’m able to’t rule (a brand original technology) in or out.”

Mr Doak mentioned he had nothing to share about a brand original technology, but mentioned, fairly ominously: “We’d fancy to give them for so long as they’re readily accessible to us,” but for now now now not decrease than, it “remains a pleasant entry into our line-up.”

One more telling designate is that in Europe, where exiguous cars nonetheless like realistic gross sales, Mazda launched a re-badged Toyota Yaris Hybrid because it’s original 2 mannequin. That will be one doable direction forward for the metropolis automobile in Australia.

Mazda 2’s impress whisk

Four years within the past that it is probably going you’ll well hop in a Mazda Neo for $14,990 plus on-roads. Those days are long long past.

Cheapest Mazda 2 now’s the $22,410 G15 Pure hatch with handbook gearbox – you’re staring down $26,000 on the avenue, or $28,000 whenever that it is probably going you’ll well maybe fancy an auto.

Regardless, we nonetheless sold over 5000 of them closing yr (regardless that MG sold over 16,000 MG3s), making it eighth in Mazda’s mannequin gross sales tally. So with many stronger sellers in its differ, it wouldn’t be the discontinue of the arena if the small 2 was dropped, honest?

It’s now now not that simple. Having a exiguous, more cost effective offering attracts younger investors to the logo. The premise is they like the product, turn correct into a badge loyalist and aquire better and pricier Mazdas as they change into previous, wealthier and wish extra achieve.

In actuality, Mazda’s bear be taught shows a mighty Forty five per cent of Mazda 2 investors slump on to aquire from the logo all all over again. Evidence, if it were well-known, that culling it from the differ would contain negative knock-on effects.

Mazda 2’s lack of ANCAP ranking hurts

Age is catching up with the 2 in extra solutions than one. Its 2015 ANCAP safety ranking – finished after this technology’s preliminary originate – has now expired beneath ANCAP’s stricter tips.

The facelifted Mazda 2 is which capability of this fact with out a fresh ranking: now now not a lawful understanding a exiguous automobile aimed at younger drivers. An absence of central airbag or developed AEB would cease it from reaching a five essential particular person ranking, and Mazda says it has no plot of submitting a brand original automobile for testing.

“We haven’t obtained any advise solutions from dealers about people now now not placing it on their shopping list since it isn’t (ANCAP) rated,” mentioned Doak. “Who knows if that will commerce over time. If it does, we’ll have to contain a specialize in if there’s one more way we are able to tackle that.”

Unhappy because it appears, the smoke indicators don’t counsel there’s a lot appetite from Mazda’s head place of work for an all-original 2, which also puts the platform-sharing CX-3 SUV’s survival into jeopardy.

It can maybe well be a case of embracing these somewhat cheapie Mazdas whereas we’ve nonetheless obtained the likelihood.

Honda’s CR-V has been a fave of Australian SUV investors for the reason that usual arrived in 1997. Honda says CR-V stands for “Chuffed Runabout Car”.

A brand recent know-how arrives in 2023 with turbocharged four-cylinder engines and a artful fluctuate-topping hybrid that drives like an electrical automobile, intended to comprehend on autos just like the most easy-promoting Toyota RAV4.

The recent CR-V measures 4704mm long, 1866mm broad and 1681mm mountainous – except which that you can also fair own a model with the roof-racks, which extends the height to 1691mm.

All CR-Vs attain with a five-year, limitless kilometre warranty; five years of complimentary roadside assistance and five years capped pricing servicing. In Australia, Honda uses a new recent ‘company model’ for promoting autos, which come what you look for label-wise is what you pay. It’s intended to achieve away with haggling at dealers.

Listed here, we ruin down the pricing and equipment lists of every 2024 CR-V grade.

What does the Honda CR-V consist of in every grade?

Honda provides its CR-V in four positive grades or equipment stages: VTi X, VTi L, VTi LX and the fluctuate-topping hybrid eHEV RS.

All devices are powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four producing 140kW and 240Nm, apart from the tip-spec eHEV RS.

The eHEV RS uses a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated inline-four as a generator, charging a minute battery pack which then powers two electric motors which propel the car, making it a petroleum-powered electric automobile (form of). The eHEV RS’s total system output is 152kW.

All devices are front-wheel-pressure as usual apart from the VTi LX, which has usual all-wheel-pressure. The VTi L may perchance also moreover be optioned with all-wheel-pressure for an further $2500.

All CR-V devices require minimal 91RON gasoline and characteristic 57-litre gasoline tank.

The VTi X and VTi L are on hand as seven-seaters for an further $2300 and $2500 respectively. Seven-seat devices characteristic rotund-length curtain airbags, protecting third row occupants.

All five-seat devices attain usual with a rotund-dimension spare wheel apart from the eHEV RS, which has a puncture restore equipment. Seven-seat devices own a location-saver spare.

Ordinary equipment on the VTi X entails:

• Driver consideration video display
• 11 airbags
• Wi-fi phone charger
• 8-come vitality adjustable driver’s seat
• Fundamental steering wheel (non-leather-essentially essentially based entirely)
• Cloth seat trim
• Manually adjustable front passenger seat
• 9.0-scurry central touchscreen infotainment system
• 8-speaker sound system
• Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• DAB digital radio
• Entrance and rear parking sensors
• Reversing digicam
• Dread and immobiliser
• 17-scurry alloy wheels
• Honda Join smartphone app with five-year complimentary subscription
• Unprejudiced rear suspension
• Electric powered rear tailgate
• Dusk-sensing headlights
• 2d-row air vents
• Auto up/down electric windows (driver easiest)
• Manually dimming rear vision replicate
• Far flung keyless entry
• Immobiliser and apprehension

Honda’s security Sensing system is usual across the fluctuate and entails:

• Lane departure alert
• Lane label attend
• Pre-collision security system with pedestrian and daylight hours bicycle proprietor detection
• Intersection flip attend
• Emergency steering attend
• Road signal attend
• Computerized excessive beam
• Spirited cruise adjust (all speeds)

The VTi L has all the issues the VTi X has, but adds:

• Blind space monitors
• Rear depraved online page online traffic alert
• Two-arrangement driver’s seat reminiscence
• Heated front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Leather-appointed seat trim
• 4-come vitality adjustable front passenger seat
• 18-scurry alloy wheels
• Satellite navigation
• Roof rails
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Auto up/down electric windows (all passengers)
• Tinted windows (rear windows and baggage location easiest)
• Auto-dimming rear vision replicate
• ‘Beautiful’ keycard

The VTi L seven-seater comes with a popular panoramic sunroof.

The VTi LX builds the chocolates list even further by along side:

• Ordinary all-wheel-pressure
• 10.2-scurry digital instrument present
• Bose 12-speaker sound system along side sub-woofer
• 19-scurry alloy wheels (gloss dusky)
• Panoramic sunroof
• Reverse auto-tilt passenger side replicate
• Matte dusky front and rear sports activities bumpers
• Auto-levelling headlights
• Ambient front interior lights
• Entrance door courtesy lights

On high of the VTi LX, the tip-spec eHEV RS adds:

• Hybrid powertrain (5.5L/100km claimed mixed efficiency)
• Acoustic Car Alerting Procedure (AVAS)
• Sport mode
• Unlit headliner
• Alloy sports activities pedals
• Piano dusky door mirrors
• Body coloration front and rear sports activities bumpers
• Acoustic glass (front side doors easiest)
• LED challenging cornering lights
• Rear LED fog lights
• Unlit, leather-essentially essentially based entirely-appointed trim with crimson stitching

Honda CR-V 2024: prices in Australia

All prices listed are earlier than on-boulevard fees.

• VTi X: $44,500
• VTi L: $Forty eight,800
• VTi X 7-seat: $46,800
• VTi L 7-seat: $fifty three,000
• VTi L AWD: $51,300
• VTi LX AWD: $57,000
• Hybrid eHEV RS: $59,900