Car news, 18 June ’24: new Haval Jolion pricing slashed, Nissan Australia adds entry-grade Pathfinder, and more

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Thanks for joining us this Tuesday June 18th 2024. Notably in car news today: GWM’s Haval Jolion small SUV has dropped by $4000 for its update, and Nissan Australia will offer a cheaper Pathfinder locally, starting from $59,670 before on-road costs.

Browse this issue:

• Haval Jolion now starts from just $26,990 driveway 
• Nissan Australia reintroduces entry-level Pathfinder 
• Ford F-150 Lightning Supertruck to take on Pikes Peak
• Facelifted Audi E-Tron GT debuts 
• Reviewed: 2025 Haval H9 

2024 Haval Jolion update drops by $4K, now from $26,990 driveaway 

• GWM Haval has announced its updated Jolion small SUV for Australia, which will start from a very competitive $26,990 driveaway for the base Premium variant, or $4000 less than before. Range pricing tops out at $38,990 driveaway for the Ultra Hybrid flagship. 

• The Jolion range has also been simplified for 2024, with Premium and Lux variants only available in ICE guise. Hybrid choices add an Ultra flagship grade. The Jolion S has been removed from the local lineup. 

• Updates include a new grille, revised front and rear bumpers, new GWM badging on the rear tailgate and a four-way adjustable steering wheel inside. For the hybrid, front and rear designs set these versions apart from petrol variants, along with revised multi-link rear suspension.

• Standard equipment will include 17-inch alloy wheels, 10.25-inch touchscreen, 3.5-inch instrument cluster, four-speaker sound system, manual seat adjustment, halogen headlights, manual air conditioning and reversing camera. 

• Available engines will be either a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with 105kW/210Nm, or a petrol-hybrid engine with 140kW/375Nm.  

Nissan Australia reintroduces Pathfinder ST-L as more affordable entry grade

• Nissan Australia has lobbed a more-affordable Pathfinder at its dealership network, the ST-L grade priced at $59,670 before on-road costs for the front-drive and $64,170 before on-road costs for the all-wheel-drive variant.

• The ST-L now joins the Ti and Ti-L on Australian shores and is powered by a 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine that produces 202kW/340Nm and is paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

• Standard equipment for the ST-L grade includes a 9.0-inch media touchscreen, 10.8-inch head-up display, 7.0-inch instrument cluster, eight-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, tri-zone climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and foglights, front and rear parking sensors, 

• In terms of safety, nine airbags and a full suite of Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility safety systems, including forward collision warning, driver attention alert and blind spot warning, are standard. 

• The 2024 Pathfinder range has also seen a price change across the board and now tops out at $82,490 before on-road costs for the all-wheel-drive Ti-L. 

Ford F-150 Lightning Supertruck to take on Pikes Peak

• Ford has announced its latest and wildest electric vehicle creation, the Ford F-150 Lightning Supertruck.

• Built specifically to take on the renowned Pikes Peak Hill Climb, the Lightning Supertruck produces as much as 2700kg of downforce at 240km/h. 

• Ford claims its new electric hillclimb beast produces more than 1040kW of power thanks to three electric motors and ultra-high performance Li-polymer NMC battery cells.

• Ford has been climbing Pikes Peak since the early 1900s when the Model T climbed to the summit in 28 minutes and three seconds back in 1916. 

• Ford aims to beat its own 2023 Pikes Peak record of 8 minutes 47 seconds which was achieved thanks to the Supervan 4.2 electric hill climb rocket. 

Audi reveals it updated Audi E-Tron GT electric car, mirrors Porsche Taycan 

• Audi has announced its facelifted E-Tron GT electric sports car, mirroring in a lot of ways what has already been announced for the very-related Porsche Taycan.

• Usable battery size has increased from 84kWh to 97kWh, while peak charging rates have increased from 270kW to 320kW. Electric range is claimed to be as high as 609km (WLTP). 

• In terms of performance, the flagship Audi RS E-Tron will be capable of sprinting to 100km/h in a rapid 2.5 seconds and will have a top speed of 250km/h. 

• The three-tier lineup will begin with the S E-Tron GT and steps up to the RS E-Tron GT and, finally, the RS E-Tron GT Performance, the latter of which has 670kW of power. 

• Other changes include a slightly revised exterior design, upgraded virtual cockpit, redesigned seats, steering wheel and entry sills, along with new-look 20- and 21-inch alloy wheels. Local timing, spec and pricing is yet to be announced. 

Haval H9 2025 reviewed

• Chasing Cars contributor Iain Curry’s review of the 2025 Haval H9 was published, including his thoughts on the next generation of H9 during a recent trip to China.
  
• In terms of positives, Curry liked the H9’s boxy design, lavish interior materials and its large and fast-operating central touchscreen.
  
• Some of the downsides Curry experienced include the absence of powertrain electrification and the fact that the H9 is yet to be confirmed for Australia.

• However, Curry summarised that despite cloning the Land Rover Defender design, the model would be an impressive large SUV offering in the Australian landscape. 
  

READ: Link to written review 

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Wednesday 19th June at 4.30pm Sydney time.