Car news, 17 Apr ’24: Near-production BYD ute shown without any camouflage, Nissan Qashqai gets a brand-new look, and more

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Thanks for joining us this Wednesday April 17th 2024. Notably in car news today: the highly-anticipated BYD ute has been spotted with no camouflage, giving us a much better look at its styling, and the Nissan Qashqai small SUV has been updated with a new look and more tech. 

Browse this issue:

• BYD ute seen publicly undisguised for the first time
• Nissan reveals facelifted Qashqai small SUV
• Subaru announces new Crosstrek special edition called 2.0X
• GMC Yukon gets ready for Australian launch
• Reviewed: 2024 Honda Civic Type R vs Volkswagen Golf R 

BYD’s ute spotted undisguised without camouflage 

• First, BYD teased official camouflaged pictures of its upcoming ute, and now we’ve seen it uncovered at last. 

• Thanks to a recent Instagram reel posted by automotive channel AutoDinamico, we can see the front and rear with much greater detail. 

• The front LED light strip looks very much inspired by the Ford F-150 Lightning, while at the rear, we can see the design of the sports bar, a feature seen on many current dual-cab utes.

• We know that the BYD ute will be a hybrid at first, using the brand’s DM-I technology. A fully electric version is also confirmed, but won’t be released locally until around 2026.

• Expect the BYD to be officially revealed to the public in the coming weeks or months, before it goes on sale in several global markets, including Australia, this year. The ute model is likely to be called the BYD Shark.  

Nissan Qashqai gets new look, more tech in 2024 facelift 

• Nissan has officially revealed its facelifted Qashqai small SUV and it’s more than just a tech update. 

• With a restyled front end with new grille and LED light design, the updated Qashqai will launch in Australia towards the end of 2024, according to Nissan’s local arm. 

• Also new is the addition of Google infotainment, a more detailed 3D 360-degree camera, new alloy wheel designs and three new colours for buyers to choose from. 

• What stays the same is the choice of either a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, or a E-Power hybrid setup featuring an electric motor and turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine. 

• High spec Qashqais will gain leather and Alcantara interiors, a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster. The Qashqai competes in a busy small SUV segment with the likes of the Toyota Corolla Cross, Hyundai Kona and the Subaru Crosstrek.   

Subaru announces special edition Crosstrek called 2.0X

• Subaru Australia has announced it will introduce a limited-edition version of its Crosstrek small SUV called the 2.0X.

• Based on the entry-level 2.0L tier, Subaru has added several features to the limited 2.0X variant, such as dual-function X-Mode, larger 18-inch gloss alloy wheels, heated front seats, premium cloth trim, a leather steering wheel and gear shifter and dark grey roof rails. 

• Priced at $36,990 before on-road costs, or $2000 more than the base 2.0L, Subaru says the new 2.0X will have limited volume and urges those interested to get in contact with their local Subaru dealership for availability.

• The 2.0X joins the rest of the Crosstrek range which also includes two mild hybrids, the Hybrid L and Hybrid S. 

GMC Yukon SUV hits the road in Australia 

• GMSV, the current Australia distributor for General Motors, has announced that its upcoming GMC Yukon model is readying itself for a future local launch and is currently undertaking extensive on-road and off-road development and testing.

• The GMC Yukon is an eight-seat SUV that will be re-engineered in Australia for our right-hand-drive market.

• In Australia, GMSV will offer the GMC Yukon in high-spec Denali guise and is likely to be powered by a 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine with 313kW/623Nm. 

• However, the Yukon is also available in the US market with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel straight-six engine producing 206kW/623Nm. 

• The model is expected to officially launch down under in the first half of 2025. GMC is known in its home market as the more premium offering above Chevrolet and is part of the broader General Motors family. 

Honda Civic Type R vs Volkswagen Golf R reviewed

• Chasing Cars deputy editor Curt Dupriez’ comparison of the 2024 Honda Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf R was published, including his thoughts on which of the duo was the hotter option, and also which was the most liveable.
  
• Dupriez found that both the hot Civic and Golf were both hugely enjoyable and satisfying when having a hot go, and yet were so different from one another including how you drive them. 
  
• In terms of downsides, Chasing Cars’ 2IC thought the Civic Type R could do with less tyre noise, while the Volkswagen Golf R lacked some theatrics and character.
  
• Dupriez concluded the video by saying the Civic Type R was the hotter of the two, while the Golf R was the overall nicer option. 

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Thursday 18th April at 4.30pm Sydney time.