Car news, 28 June ’24: Cut-priced Polestar 3 set for Aus, Subaru Forester and Crosstrek hybrid due in 2025, and more

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Thanks for joining us this Friday June 28th 2024. Notably in car news today: a lower-price entry-level Long Range Single Motor variant added to the forthcoming Polestar 3 lineup, and Subaru is targeting 2025 for new Forester and Crosstrek hybrid models.

Browse this issue:

• Cheaper Polestar 3 joins local launch range 
• New Subaru Forester and Crosstrek hybrids due 2025
• MG3 gets reintroduced national driveaway pricing
• New Ford Capri teased in Europe

New entry-level Polestar 3 bolsters local lineup

• Polestar Australia has confirmed that an additional Long Range Single Motor variant will bolster the Polestar 3 SUV lineup when the new model arrives locally later this year.
  
• The new entry-level variant is rear drive, using a 220kW and 490Nm electric motor with a claimed peak range of 650km WLTP. Performance (in global specification) of 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds.

• The battery is the same 111kWh (107kWh usable) battery as the already confirmed Dual Motor versions, and offers identical 250kW peak DC charging for a 30-minute 10-80-percent recharge time.

• The Long Range Single Motor is due to launch locally in August alongside its pricier Dual Motor and Dual Motor With Performance Pack siblings. Pricing for the RWD trim is yet to be revealed.

Subaru set to debut Forester, Crosstrek hybrids in 2025

• Subaru has confirmed in a future road map that it plans to start manufacturing its new-generation E-Boxer engines in later 2024, before new Forester and Crosstrek hybrids are released globally in 2025
  
• It’s expected that Australia will receive the hybrid option from Japan where the drivetrain is slated to be the core offering of the local range.

• The new-generation hybrid system is said to be significantly more efficient due to graduating from a small parallel hybrid to a Toyota-sourced series-parallel hybrid with a bigger battery and electric motor.
  
• Subaru has yet to confirm the new-gen Forester for Australia but it’s expected to arrive in 2025 and could be sold with a similar 2.5-litre petrol engine alongside the new hybrid.
  

MG reintroduced national driveaway pricing for MG3

• MG Australia has reintroduced national driveaway pricing for the MG3, now available in new-generation form.
  
• Pricing of $24,990 driveaway is applied to the Excite and $26,990 for Essence petrol models, the hybrid is still only available with the regular list price, with the final pricing varying depending on the state or territory of purchase.

• The just-announced pricing effectively cuts the price of the petrol MG3 by roughly $1500 and widens the gap between the petrol and hybrid models.
  
• It comes after the new-generation MG3 launched in Australia earlier this month, with its enhanced safety and technology package coming at the cost of a notable price hike that could alienate buyers of the previous-generation price-led model.
  

New Ford Capri teased in Europe

• Ford has teased an all-new Capri, a model which is expected to forgo its coupe history and embrace a new role as a fully electric SUV. It will be unveiled on July 10th.
  
• Expected to run on the same Volkswagen MEB platform as the Ford Explorer, the Capri is expected to wear a coupe-shaped appearance, similar to the ID4 and ID5 of which it shares its platform.

• The Ford Explorer is expected to remain a Europe-only vehicle as part of the brand’s deal with Volkswagen and so there is little chance the Capri will be offered locally.
  
• Ford currently offers the coupe-shaped Mustang Mach-E in Australia, which should be slightly larger in size than the Capri.