This week on Chasing Cars: Everest lands in Australia, Outlander PHEV and Ranger Raptor reviewed

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This week I’d like to welcome you all to our new deputy editor Curt Dupriez. 

Curt has a storied history in Australian automotive journalism; he was once the editor of Speed magazine and the deputy of Motor. We are incredibly happy to bring him aboard, and if you haven’t already, I encourage you to go read his first review on the updated Hyundai Palisade. 

In the world of news, we saw some interesting rumours around the BMW M2 receiving an xDrive option in its upcoming generation and even had a peak at the salary of the CEO of Toyota. 

We’ve published a huge amount of reviews this week, focusing on the likes of the Haval H6 GT midsize SUV and Audi RS3 hot hatch, but the real hero was the Ford Ranger Raptor, which we’ll jump into right now.

Ford Ranger Raptor prototype tested

The first-generation Ford Ranger Raptor took Australia by storm with its incredible off-road driving dynamics – but its 157kW/500Nm diesel engine wasn’t what you’d call ‘fast’.

Ford has sought to rectify this deficiency with a stonking great 3.0-litre twin-turbo-petrol V6 producing a mammoth 292kW and 583Nm, and we can confirm that the Ranger Raptor can now fly over sand dunes faster and further than ever before.

Contributor Iain Curry was the lucky man in the driver’s seat and he praised its handling off-road at both high and low speeds thanks to its new chassis tuning and four-wheel-drive system. 

The interior has also been given a bit of a makeover and feels significantly more modern than the old model, though we haven’t been able to drive a fully-fledged production model just yet. 

If you want to find out more you can read or watch our review!

Ford Everest lands in Australia

This week we learned the release date of the Ford Everest has been pushed back until September but for the first time, we’ve seen it wearing Australian licence plates.

A Ford Australia employee shared a picture to social media earlier this week which we’ve now confirmed was one of a handful of vehicles being run in for press use purposes.

But on Thursday, fans spotted a large shipment of Everest models up in Queensland as dealers have started building stock ahead of the official sale date.

More are expected to appear on Aussie roads and we’ll report back when we find out the specific day next month that it’s set to go on sale. 

Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid reviewed

The last-generation Outlander was the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the world but it wasn’t always the best car among its competitors, and the new model is seeking to move the game forward. 

Journalist John Law reviewed the new model and commended the smoothness of its hybrid powertrain and the significantly-increased 84km of electric range.

While the ride on 20-inch wheels still isn’t the best, the experience is significantly improved over the petrol-only model and this is despite the significantly heavier weight. 

If you are coming from the old model you’ll also be impressed with how much more modern the replacement’s interior is, with a new design and an array of new tech. Read or watch our review for more.   

All the cars and SUVs we reviewed this week:

The new-generation Audi RS3 is here, featuring a very clever all-wheel-drive system and that famous five-cylinder engine, possibly for the very last time. To find out more, read or watch our review.

Ford’s new Ranger ute is finally offered with a V6 but do you really need it when the 2.0-litre twin-turbo-diesel is so good? We investigate in our official review. 

Last week we spotted the Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan on Aussie roads and now we’ve had a drive of a prototype. Overall, we come away impressed with the result. Which we explain in our written and video review.

The Toyota Camry SX Hybrid is a surprisingly rapid and lovely thing to drive and we think it’s worth a look if you’re focussed towards a midsize SUV but might consider a roomy sedan instead.  

The Haval H6 GT is a coupe version of the H6 wagon which has been selling well in Australia but does that make it worth the spend?

Other car and SUV news we covered this week:

• Pricing for the BMW M3 Touring in the UK this week and with Aussie figures still a mystery. So we used this as a basis to predict that ours will cost around $174,755 before on-roads.

• The Genesis GV80 premium large SUV has come in for a 2023 model year update with modest updates to the interior and a revised Australian suspension tune to improve its overly floaty ride.. 

• Documents, supposedly from BMW themselves, have suggested that the M2 could receive an xDrive all-wheel-drive option, though fear not purists for a rear-driven version has already been confirmed for production.  

• Hyundai has updated its ‘Track Maps’ system installed on the i30 N sedan and hatch, Kona N small SUV and i20 N hatch to detect when you enter a race course, where it offers a log of your previous times. 

• Lexus says almost half of its sales in the first seven months of 2022 have come from either hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full-electric vehicles, following the launch of the new-generation NX midsize SUV.

• Toyota has disclosed that its CEO Akio Toyoda earns $7.2 million every year which, believe it or not, is actually on the modest side for such a role, with the heads of GM and VW earning a lot more.

• Ford has jacked up the price of the F-150 Lightning by up to $12,200 in the US with prices now starting at USD$48,769 (AUD$70,110), with Ford citing rising material costs. 

• Haval has confirmed that the coupe-shaped H6 GT midsize SUV won’t receive a hybrid option in Australia, with that powertrain reserved for the wagon-bodied H6.