Every important car news story breaking today, one convenient read
Thanks for joining us this Monday December 2nd 2024. Notably in car news today: BMW Australia has confirmed increased competition is driving its limited price rises and Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has resigned with immediate effect.
BMW Australia targets pricing in world’s ‘most competitive’ market
BMW Australia’s head of product Brendan Michel has told Chasing Cars that offering attractive pricing and strong levels of standard specification is increasingly important in what he calls “the world’s most competitive [car] market.
Michel pointed to the influx of brands into Australia in recent years, reflecting more choices in terms of both brands and vehicle types on offer. While largely concentrated on budget buyers, some newcomers such as Zeekr are pitching upmarket.
Reflecting on the relative price freeze of the X3 despite the arrival of a new generation and similar modest increases for the entry-level 1 Series, Michel said Australia’s competitive market along with other factors has kept pricing sharp.
“It’s a number of things, its competition, its market conditions at the moment in Australia,” he said, adding “we always like to launch a model aggressively and give the car its best opportunity to do well and build momentum throughout its lifecycle.”
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigns with immediate effect
Carlos Tavares has officially resigned as Stellantis CEO after serving at the helm since it was first established as a 14-brand group in 2021.
Although Tavares previously declared he would retire in early 2026, his exit was brought forward with his replacement to be appointed in early 2025.
It comes as both global sales and profits slide for the group, with brands such as Jeep and Peugeot seeing sales slide by 40 and 58 percent respectively in Australia so far this year.
“Stellantis’ success since its creation has been rooted in a perfect alignment between the reference shareholders, the Board and the CEO. However, in recent weeks different views have emerged which have resulted in the Board and the CEO coming to today’s decision,” Stellantis’ senior independent director Henri de Castries said.
Subaru upgrades the 2025 BRZ for free
Subaru has announced the updated BRZ lineup for 2025
The sports coupe saw little changes but pricing also remains unchanged from 2024, with the entry-level base model with a manual starting at $43,790 before on-road costs and the top-spec tS auto still capped at $49,690.
Addressing small criticism Chasing Carsnoted in our recent review, Subaru has made the full-size spare standard and added a ‘Sport’ mode to manual models in an effort to offer increased engine response.
It comes as sales for the BRZ slide 40 percent in 2024 results when compared to the same time last year, though it remains the best-seller in the segment aside from the newly updated Ford Mustang
Next-gen Subaru Outback spotted with SUV body style
Spy shots of what is reported to be the next generation Subaru Outback have indicated the lifted station wagon will adopt a more conventional SUV-like body style
While Subaru has long insisted the Outback is an SUV, pundits have labelled it the last truly popular wagon on sale. A body style that has set it apart from others in the segment
Render credit: Auto Mail
The seven-generation Outback is said to follow the path of the Forester and adopt a Toyota-sourced hybrid drivetrain as its primary engine.
Sources point towards the next-generation Outback making its American debut in 2026, though it is likely Japan-sourced Australian models will arrive later.
Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Performance 2025 reviewed
Chasing Cars contributor Stephen Dobie’s international review of the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Performance 2025was published, ahead of the model’s potential introduction in 2025
Dobie praised the ID.3 GTX Performance’s meaningful step up in athletic ability while also commending its driving range and general efficiency.
However he noted the ID.3 still had a fairly dull approach to performance and it was hard to justify when the Cupra Born was cheaper in overseas markets
Dobie said the new Performance grade was another meaningful step forward for the ID.3 though it was unlikely to entice enthusiasts.
