Car news today: 2025 MG ZST now Australia’s cheapest SUV, Chery hits milestone of selling 20,000 vehicles in Australia, and more – 19th February 2025

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Thanks for joining us this Wednesday, February 19th 2025. Notably in car news today: 2005 MG ZST now Australia’s cheapest SUV, Chery hits milestone of selling 20,000 vehicles in Australia.

Browse this issue: 

• 2025 MG ZST now Australia’s cheapest SUV
• Chery hits milestone of selling 20,000 vehicles in Australia 
• Hyundai IoniQ 5 sets fastest EV lap time at Attack Tsukuba motorsport event 
• LDV Mifa people mover gains eight-seat option 

2025 MG ZST now Australia’s cheapest SUV

• Thanks to a recent runout price reduction, the 2025 MG ZST is now the lowest priced SUV on sale in Australia.  

• With drive-away pricing of $22,888, the MG ZST is now $1000 cheaper than the previously cheapest SUV in Australia, the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro.

• Standard features for the MG ZST include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 360-degree camera, 17-inch wheels and a 10-year/250,000km warranty.  

• Specs wise, the MG ZST features a 1.3L turbocharged petrol engine, mated to a CVT automatic transmission.  

Chery hits milestone of selling 20,000 vehicles in Australia 

• Chery Australia has just hit a milestone of selling 20,000 vehicles in Australia. 

• Last year, in 2024, Chery had solda total of just 10,000 vehicles here. Meaning they have doubled their customer base in one year, moving 10,000 units in this period.

• The last release from Chery, the Tiggo 4, has proven to drive this growth – being the highest selling vehicle in the Chery stable so far. 

• Chery management says they have no plans to slow down, with a relentless expansion strategy in place to introduce new models, increase EV production and increase the amount of dealerships.  

Hyundai Ioniq 5 sets fastest EV lap time at Attack Tsukuba motorsport event 

• Hyundai has just set the lap record at the 2025 Attack Tsukuba motorsport event, for an electric vehicle, in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.  

• A lap time of 57.446 seconds was recorded, with highly respected professional driver, Nobuteru Taniguchi behind the wheel to set this record. 

• The Ioniq 5 N TA spec retains standard electrics, however with software tuning, engineers were able to extract a significant amount of extra power, resulting in a lap time two-seconds faster than the previously set best time.  

•  “The Ioniq 5 N TA Spec stops well and handles excellently. Despite the power, the control is outstanding, with great cornering and smooth, stable corner-exit. I could push the car to the limit with real confidence,” said Nobuteru Taniguchi. 

LDV Mifa people mover gains eight-seat option 

• The LDV Mifa, the cheapest people mover on sale currently in Australia, can now be purchased as a seven seater or with seating for eight occupants.  

• Due in showrooms this month, there are four models of the LDV Mifa now ready to roll out. 

• All LDV Mifa people movers are powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine, that produces a claimed 160kW and 360Nm, which is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.   

• Pricing starts at $46,971 drive-away for the Mifa Mode 7 Seater, and tops out at $63, 501 drive-away for the Mifa Luxe 7 Seater. The 8 Seater comes in at $47,990 drive-away, so just over $1000 more for an extra seat. 

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Thursday 20th February at 4.30pm Sydney time.