Andrew Chesterton

Some cars just seem to inspire such blind loyalty – such frothing, furious devotion – that they can get away with anything. And sometimes that 'anything' becomes very clear once a rival product launches.

Toyota has been talking a huge game when it comes to projections for its mega-popular RAV4 Hybrid in 2025, suggesting the family friendly SUV will outsell everything from dual-cab utes to cheap Chinese EVs to become Australia's best-selling vehicle this year.

EV sales are "remarkably low", overall vehicle sales are dropping, and ute sales across our most popular brands have plummeted as Australia's new-car market gets off to a shaky start in January.

The 2025 Volvo EX90 is the Swedish premium car brand's new flagship. It's a fully electric alternative to the long-running XC90 seven-seater. So, is the luxurious upper-large SUV that you should buy? We put it to test to find out.

Volvo warns that "something has got to give" in Australia's new-car market, with too many brands now fighting for too few sales for all to survive. That's the word from Volvo Car Australia Managing Director Stephen Connor, with the senior executive also detailing how his brand will survive the new-marque onslaught."We've got 70-plus OEMs here, and we've probably got another 20 arriving on our shores in the next short period of time.

The popularity of one the most controversial vehicles types in Australia has plummeted so far in 2025, with sales of American-style jumbo trucks like the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra and Ram 1500 driving off a cliff.

Chinese brand Chery says it has solved the brand's active safety system woes, suggesting new hardware and the expansion of its local ADAS tuning program has delivered a system better suited to Australian drivers and conditions.

Chinese brand Chery is working on a unique solution for its first Australia-bound ute, and – if successful – it could form a blueprint for the future of models like the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max.

Mazda’s still mysterious CX-5 hybrid will spark an electrified revolution for Australia’s second most popular car brand, with the new hybrid-engine tech to power other, cheaper models in the range.

Mazda Australia's decision to introduce a new entry-level version of its CX-60 premium SUV should prove a boon for shoppers of the more mainstream CX-5, with the new model essentially creating a price ceiling under which the brand's Toyota RAV4 Hybrid rival will have to sit.