Chasing Cars obtains exclusive details on Kia’s first-ever Tasman ute
The Kia Tasmanwill be a body-on-frame diesel ute with a leaf-sprung rear suspension and available in 4×4 and 4×2 guises when it is released in mid-2025 in Australia, Chasing Cars has exclusively learned.
In a wide-ranging interview with Kia Australia product planning boss Roland Rivero, exclusive new details about the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux rival were revealed to Chasing Cars contributor Nathan Ponchard.
Key details of the new Kia Tasman have been revealed before the launch
Rivero: Tasman “will be [as much] a workhorse tool-of-the-trade as it will be for the lifestyle market”.
At least two prototypes will arrive in Australia for testing from April 2024 as Kia wraps up snowy-weather benchmarking against the Ranger Raptor in Sweden.
The Tasman will target a five-star ANCAP safety rating, nab 3.5-tonne towing capacity and feature a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel at first – though a diesel V6 has not been ruled out as a later addition. A fully electric version is being worked on.
German automakerVolkswagen has overnight revealed a practical Tourer wagon version of its currentID7full-size electric sedan
Set to be available in Europe with either a medium-range 77kWh or long-range 86kWh usable battery pack in Pro guise, the ID7 wagon is capable of travelling up to a claimed 685km (WLTP), Volkswagen says.
The Volkswagen ID7 Tourer hasn’t been ruled in or out for Australia just yet
Australia is a chance to receive the ID7 in future, though it isn’t a short-term option. Local public relations manager Daniel DeGasperi told Chasing Cars: “the focus for Volkswagen continues to be on ID4, ID5 and ID Buzz [but we will] look into the business case of the ID7 as a further extension of the fully electric range”.
The ID7 will compete in a niche – but growing – all-electric wagon segment, although at a lower price point than the BMW i5 Touringand forthcoming Audi A6 E-tron.
Based on the Volkswagen MEB platform, standard features will include a 605-litre boot, a 210kW/500Nm rear-drive electric motor, an augmented-reality head-up display, massaging electric seats and a panoramic sunroof.
More hybrid versions of new Porsche Panamera luxury sedan locked-in
Sportscar marque Porschethis morning revealed two additional plug-in hybrid grades of its new third-generation Panameraluxury sedan. Both are underpinned by the brand’s 2.9-litre turbo V6 engine, albeit in different states of tune.
The basic hybrid, dubbed Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, makes 346kW of power while the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid ups the total system ante to 400kW.
Porsche is bringing more Panamera Hybrid models to market
Electric driving range isn’t finalised yet, but given the pair’s common 25.9kWh battery (total size) is up 45 percent over the outgoing model’s unit, expect to see something like 60-80km of driving range (WLTP) when figures are announced.
Standard equipment in Australia will take in matrix LED headlights, a Bose stereo, 14-way comfort seats with memory, a heads-up display and inclusion of Porsche’s mid-tier ‘Dreams’ exterior paint colours.
Today’s announcements are on top of the 500kW Turbo E-Hybrid variant already confirmed when the latest Panamera was unveiled in late 2023.
Volkswagen is in favour of proposed Australian efficiency standards
Volkswagen Group Australia has confirmed its support of the future Australian Fuel Efficiency Standard that is proposed to commence on 1 January 2025.
The Australian federal government has proposed three Options, labelled A, B and C, ranging from least to most stringent. All involve a measurement of fleet average CO2 emissions, which allow carmakers to sell any vehicle they like – but with penalties for breaching a mandated CO2 emissions figure averaged across all units that brand sells.
Volkswagen Group, which includes VW, Skoda, Audi and Cupra, will lobby for a customised version of of Option B – which see fleet-average CO2 limits decrease from 141g/km in 2025 to 58g/km in 2029 (199-81g/km for commercial vehicles).
Volkswagen has been a long time campaigner of more emissions control
With a similar perspective to Hyundai Motor Company Australia, Volkswagen Group wants to see elements of Option A incorporated in the final legislation, which lets carmakers count plug-in hybrid cars as two units and full EVs as three units for the purposes of calculating the average.
Long-term, the federal government’s proposal is designed to encourage carmakers to offer more electric and hybrid vehicles to Australian buyers by creating a clearance pricing system that makes lower-emission cars cheaper and higher-emission cars more expensive.
Volkswagen and Skoda will begin selling fully-electric vehicles in Australia this year, while sister brands Audi and Cupra already do so. The Group will launch ten battery EVs in-country before the end of 2024.
Genesis pivots on EV-only plan; hybrids expected from 2025 – report
Every new Genesismodel launched from 2025 will be fully-electric, but the luxury offshoot of Hyundai will reportedly shift its existing models to hybrid powertrains rather than scrap them after that date, according to the Korean Economy Daily.
Genesis isn’t going all-in on EVs just yet
Genesis does not currently sell a hybrid model, but it has access to a variety of closed-loop and plug-in hybrid powertrains through its parent company.
The lifespan of key Genesis models like the GV70and GV80luxury SUVs extends past 2025, and the crossovers could shift to hybridised versions of their current engines to continue passing contemporary emissions standards.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Select reviewed
Chasing Cars journalist Zak Adkins’ review of the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV was published today, with the evaluation including detailed range testing and charging testing of the battery EV.
Adkins praised the Mach-E’s roadholding and handling, noting it delivers a more engaging drive in the corners than some rivals, including the Tesla Model Y or Polestar 2.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E Select is the subject of today’s review
In Chasing Cars testing, the Mach-E Select grade’s 72.6kWh usable battery delivered a range of 430km on the highway with a 50-350km highway recharge time of 30 minutes and 23 seconds.
However, it’s a pricey vehicle, with even the cheapest Mach-E on test being priced at over $80,000 driveaway – and that’s after a dramatic recent price cut.
