Every important car news story breaking today, one convenient read
Thanks for joining us this Monday January 13th 2024. Notably in car news today: Tesla’s long-awaited ‘Juniper’ facelift finally surfaces with official details, and next Mazda 6 could well be a reskinned Chinese-sourced Deepal L07.
It was big news over the weekend in EV land with Tesla finally revealing full details of the long-awaited ‘Juniper’ facelift of the biggest-selling electric in the world, the Model Y midsize SUV
Design wise, the facelift of the Model Y makes a dramatic departure from that of the Model 3 sedan which was itself updated for 2024. Light bar fascias, including a unique “cross-car lamp” feature outside, while the interior migrates updates already seen on its sedan stablemate.
Performance has been hobbled in trade for improved driving range. The Long Range variant is now 4.3sec 0-100km/h (down 0.6sec) if with a 551km capability, while the Rear Wheel Drive single-motor version is quoted at 5.9sec (down 0.9sec) but lifts range (from 455km) to 466km. A flagship Performance variant has yet to surface.
Pricing rises dramatically over the current pre-facelifted version, with the RWD now starting from $63,400 list and the Long Range lifted to $73,400 before on-roads. The ‘Juniper’ lineup is due to go on sale in Australia mid year.
Electric Mazda 6e for Europe a Chinese-sourced, reskinned Deepal
Mazda has pulled the covers off its electric ‘6’ sedan successor, dubbed the ‘Mazda 6e’, for the European and UK markets, which is essentially a reskinned Chinese-sourced Deepal L07.
Confirmed to be built in both left- and right-hand-drive and rolled out to confirmed markets through to 2026, it’s plausible that the Mazda 6e will eventually replace the current and ageing ICE Mazda 6 in Australia.
Entry specification features a single 190kW and 320Nm rear motor, a 68.8kWh battery and claimed range of around 480 kilometres. A long-range version drops power to 180kW, adds a 80kWh battery and improves the outright range claim to over 550km WLTP.
Larger than the existing ICE Mazda 6 that dates back to 2012, the 6e is expected to be priced at around 50,000 euro, or similar to that of the entry Tesla Model 3 single-motor competitor.
Japan-only STI S210 Edition taps the spirit Subaru’s WRX STi
Subaru’s go-fast skunkworx STI (Subaru Tecnica International) has unveiled a new WRX variant called the 2025 STIS210 at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon, while stopping short of calling the limited edition a WRX STI.
Based off the CVT-equipped version of the current WRX four-door sedan – rather than bespoke bodywork and engineering seen on ‘true’ STIs past – the S210 features a more powerful 221kW (up from 202kW) version of the 2.4-litre boxer four cylinder engine, as well as brake, styling and suspension upgrades.
The S210 interior also gets a thorough makeover, including carbon-fibre shell Recaro racing bucket seats, leather trim and a racier design theme.
Limited to just 500 units, the STI S210 will at this stage only be offered in the Japanese domestic market, due to go on sale later this year.
Ford releases limited-edition GTD Spirit Of America supercharged Mustang
Ford America has celebrated “60 years of Mustang achievement” on road and track by unveiling a new Spirit Of America limited-edition of its hard-core street-legal Mustang GTD variant at the Detroit Auto Show.
A homage to the Spirit Of America jet-powered land speed vehicle, the Mustang makeover carries over key facets of the GTD version revealed in August 2024, including a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine producing 607kW and 900Nm. Top speed is 325km/h.
Spirit Of America specific features include a red, white and blue colour scheme (mimicking the 1960s jet car), carbon-fibre exterior aero, standard-fit GTD Performance Package, specific seating and titanium detailing such as paddleshifters.
Ford has yet to reveal pricing, though the regular GTD, produced in limited numbers, costs over $US300,000, meaning the Spirit Of America version is expected to sail well north of that figure.
2025 Toyota 250 Series LandCruiser Prado Altitude reviewed
Chasing Carscontributor Iain Curry’s review of the 2025 Toyota Prado Altitude was published, including how the off-road variant fares on road and track.
Curry praises the 250 Series general comfort across all manner of terrain and applauds the off-roading enhancements that translate directly into a proper go-anywhere proposition.
However, Curry also laments the modest 580kg payload, the compromised luggage space, a 110L fuel tank that doesn’t favour longer touring and the expense of servicing.
In conclusion, Curry claims that the Altitude is the best looking Prado yet and the most suited example to date if you’re serious about adventuring…provided you pack the jerry cans.
