Car news today: BMW confirms release of iX xDrive45 M Sport for Australia, first look at Kia’s new PV5 Passenger and Cargo, and more – 20 February 2025

Thanks for joining us this Thursday February 20th 2025. BMW confirms release of iX xDrive45 M Sport for Australia, first look at Kia’s new PV5 Passenger and Cargo.

Browse this issue:

• BMW confirms release of iX xDrive45 M Sport for Australia
• First look at Kia’s new PV5 Passenger and Cargo
• Skoda set 5 year deadline to reach 10,000 annual sales
• Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) announce 6 winners

BMW confirms release of iX xDrive45 M Sport for Australia

• BMW has officially unveiled the new iX xDrive45 M Sport to the Australian market. The all-electric crossover SUV is expected to come on sale mid-2025. 

• The iX xDrive45 M Sport is an upgrade on its predecessor, the iX xDrive40 Sport. The iX xDrive45 M Sport battery size has increased by 30 percent, to 94.8kWh. Power and torque have also increased from 240kW and 630Nm to 300kW and 700Nm. This additional power will result in an improved 0-100km/h time of 5.1 seconds.
  

• The main competitors of the iX xDrive45 M Sport will be the Polestar 3, Cadillac Lyriq, Porsche Macan, Mercedes EQE and Audi Q6. 

• An introductory price of $142,900, BMW has stated that more iX models will be announced publicly later this year. 

First look: Kia’s new PV5 Passenger and Cargo exteriors

• Kia has released first official renders of the new PV5 in two different variations. The Passenger is set to target families as a minivan, and the Cargo will target commercial buyers. 

• The PV5 will be available in a range of configurations, including the previously mentioned Passenger and Cargo variants to start with. Specialised conversion options will follow, likely to be displayed at the 2025 Kia EV Day. 

• Design wise, the brief for the PV5 was to examine the concepts of space and mobility, as well as incorporating Kia’s EV technology. Customisation is another concept Kia are keen to explore, to meet demands of commercial buyers. 

• The cargo area of the Kia PV5 is said to mirror the design found in the PV5 Passenger, with a boxier profile to allow a more efficient use of the valuable cargo area. 

Skoda set 5 year deadline to reach 10,000 annual sales 

• Skoda Australia has divulged a five-year plan to reach 10,000 annual sales. This will nearly double its most recent 2024 annual sales figure of 5015 units; undoubtedly a disappointment, after achieving 7999 units sold in 2023. 

• The 10,000 unit goal was announced by new Skoda Director Lucie Kuhn, a fresh face in Australia after spending the last four years strengthening Skoda’s brand position in Europe. 

• Skoda are hoping for a boost of sales in the first half of 2025, following the release of the facelifted Kodiaq, which now offers more legroom for rear passengers and more bootspace, and a facelifted Octavia RS, which now boasts 195kW and 370Nm.

• A new trim level of Kodiaq has also been revealed, and expected to go on sale in 2025. The Kodiaq Launch Edition will sit between the Sportline and RS models, and will come with model exclusive features including matrix LED headlights and a unique ‘Bronx Gold’ Metallic paint job.

Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) announces six winners

• The Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY), held this year in Madrid, has unveiled six winners separated into individual categories. WWCOTY has stipulated that one of the six vehicles will be crowned as overall winner on the 6th of March, 2025.

• The WWCOTY have awarded winners for the following: Best Compact SUV – Kia EV3, Best Sedan – Audi A6 e-tron, Best Large SUV – Hyundai Santa Fe, Best 4×4 – Toyota Landcruiser Prado, Best Sports Car – Porsche Panamera, and Best Urban Car – Mini Cooper.
  

• The final six winning vehicles were selected from a pool of 81 finalists. For a vehicle to be considered for WWCOTY, it must be launched between January and December 2024 in at least two continents or 40 countries.

• Two prestigious awards for automakers were also at the WWCOTY this year; the Best Tech Award which was given to BYD for their groundbreaking Blade battery technology, and the Sandy Myhre Award, (given to the most committed brand for women), which was accepted by Volvo.
  

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Friday 21st February at 4.30pm Sydney time.