CAR ADVICE

There was a chance Australia’s largest employer of automotive engineers – more than 1500 all told – was on the brink of scaling back its operations when the Ford Ranger and  Ford F-150 were due to merge from 2027. But that’s changed, and it’s good news for local knowhow.  US car giant Ford’s engineering centre in Australia – the largest of its type in the region and which employs more than 1500 engineers – is secure for least another decade after Detroit made a U-turn on a radical plan to merge the next Ranger and F-150 pick-ups. Three years ago, Ford foreshadowed a massive upheaval in the way it develops future pick-ups such as the Ford Ranger mid-size utility sold in 180 countries and the Ford F-150 full-size utility sold primarily in North America. At the time, Ford foreshadowed that from 2027 onwards the Ford Ranger – the development of which is based in Australia, even though it is made in five countries – would be more closely aligned with the next-generation F...

A radical, turbocharged version of the Toyota Corolla hatch has more than twice the power of the regular model – and bulging bodywork – as the Japanese car giant aims to shed its conservative image. In a bid to reverse its ‘whitegoods on wheels’ image, the clean-cut Toyota Corolla hatchback has been sent to hoon school. Japanese car giant Toyota has unveiled its most wild Corolla to date – a turbocharged all-wheel-drive performance car with more than twice the power of the regular hatchback, bulging bodywork, and racing-inspired go-fast parts. Toyota – which sells more hybrid cars than any other automaker on the planet – has put aside its eco image and today released images that depict a Toyota Corolla performing tyre-smoking burnouts and hoon driving. It’s a stark contrast from Toyota’s normally conservative values. The company is trying to shed its dull image and bring some excitement to its range. This is the second performance hatchback from Toyota in three year...

The new Nissan Ariya crossover electric vehicle is much more compelling than the humdrum Leaf, but is it set to arrive too late? What we love Distinctive design Spacious and well-finished cabin Pliant suspension should work in the real world What we don’t The Basic FWD version feels slow by segment standards Laid-back dynamics Having to wait (and wait) for the Australian introduction Nissan was a pioneer of electrification, but the world has moved much more quickly than the Japanese brand. The Leaf was launched in 2010 and, for much of its life, was the world’s best-selling EV with nearly 600,000 of the first two generations having been built since then – even if only a modest number of those made it to Australia. Yet the Leaf’s gawky design and limited performance have been overtaken by newer, sexier rivals. For proof of where the heart of the market is now, look at the all-conquering Tesla Model 3, which took the Leaf’s title of cham...

The new Nissan Ariya crossover electric vehicle is much more compelling than the humdrum Leaf, but is it set to arrive too late? What we love Distinctive design Spacious and well-finished cabin Pliant suspension should work in the real world What we don’t The Basic FWD version feels slow by segment standards Laid-back dynamics Having to wait (and wait) for the Australian introduction Nissan was a pioneer of electrification, but the world has moved much more quickly than the Japanese brand. The Leaf was launched in 2010 and, for much of its life, was the world’s best-selling EV with nearly 600,000 of the first two generations having been built since then – even if only a modest number of those made it to Australia. Yet the Leaf’s gawky design and limited performance have been overtaken by newer, sexier rivals. For proof of where the heart of the market is now, look at the all-conquering Tesla Model 3, which took the Leaf’s title of cham...

Selling that ludicrously over-valued Commodore might not be the windfall you think it is… As a follow-up to this week’s 2022 Federal Budget , the Government has today announced the application of a capital gains tax on second-hand car sales. The ‘LandCruiser Levy’ will apply to all vehicles sold at a price above their agreed value, based on conditions of the market prior to 1 April 2020. This removes any inflated pricing the second-hand car market has endured over the past 24-months. Automotive assets sold for a profit will be subject to the same business rate calculation of tax on the gain as cryptocurrency and share assets. For example, this would see a 19 per cent capital gain tax imposed on a car sold for between $18,200 and $45,000 above its agreed pre-period value. Motor vehicles have been previously exempt from capital gains tax but Tony Gouger from the Fringe Offset Opportunity Liasion department of the Federal Treasury noted “the responsibility of the Government is ...

The Korean car maker could be forced into liquidation if its fortunes don’t turn soon. The future of Korean car maker SsangYong is up in the air, with the marque reportedly confirming a buyout agreement has collapsed. Earlier this week Drive reported an investment consortium lead by electric bus and truck firm Edison Motors was struggling to source the funds required to complete its planned acquisition . According to outlets including Automotive News Europe , it failed to meet a payment deadline earlier this week and has now officially withdrawn its purchase offer of 304.8 billion South Korean won ($AU355 million). The well-sourced outlet reports SsangYong is now looking for a new buyer, however did not reveal if it has yet received interest from other parties. It’s unclear if the marque – which is currently part-owned by Indian conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra – will be forced into liquidation if a new source of revenue is not found soon. Drive has contacted SsangY...

Thought the BMW i3 badge was dead? Not so fast; it will continue on only in China on the electric version of the long-wheelbase 3 Series sedan – and it’s a preview of the Australia-bound 3 Series facelift, due this year. The BMW i3 electric car nameplate will live on – but the new vehicle it’s affixed to is a vast departure from the funky city car known to local buyers. While the nameplate is currently applied to a quirky (but ageing) city hatchback with rear-hinged doors and a bespoke carbon-fibre chassis, the new BMW i3 is an electric version of the popular 3 Series sedan, built exclusively in long-wheelbase guise for the Chinese market. As a result, the new i3 (codenamed G28) isn’t bound for Australian showrooms, with BMW’s local arm to instead focus on the i4 liftback – twinned with the new i3, but more closely linked with the petrol-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe – which went on sale last month. Revealed overnight, the new i3 mirrors other BMW i models in only differ...