Hybrid Car Sales Spike | Car News Weekly #4wheelsandaseat #automobile #suv #luxurycar #alexdalrymple
This is Car News Weekly and the monthly vehicle sales figures for October have just been released, showing a marked increase in the number of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold. All up, just under 100,000 new vehicles were registered, with both types of hybrid representing over 22% of the market. The Sydney International EV Motor Show was on at the ICC last weekend and I was lucky enough to be given a sneak peek and checked out two brand new cars. The JU J5 midsize SUV designed with pet owners and karaoke singers in mind. And the Zika 7GT shooting brake, which is a stunning performance EV with a sub3cond 0 to 100 time and charges to 80% in just 10 minutes. The show featured a number of other electric brands, but the two best sellers, BYD and Tesla, were conspicuously absent, and the only legacy car maker on display was Volvo. Also at the show was something I was very excited about seeing, one of the world’s few right-hand drive electric Deloreans. Subaru have announced a big update for the Sulttera EV for 2026 with the car scoring a larger 74.7 kWh battery increasing range to 566 km an increase of 100ks over the upcoming model. It also has had a bit of a restyle and prices have been slashed down to $6390. That’s about 6 grand cheaper than this year’s model. It’s hoped the facelift will turn around lackluster sales with just 142 sold this year to date. While its twin, the Toyota BZ 4X, moved almost as many units just last month. The bad news continues for the embattled MG3 with the brand recalling over 10,000 cars after the latest round of Euro Encap safety tests showing the driver’s seat sliding forward over 11 cm in a collision, possibly causing leg injuries. The MG3 was awarded four stars when it was most recently tested by ANCAP, falling short of other light cars such as the Toyota Yaris. However, in some good news for the brand, the new IM5 and IM6 premium EVs have just been awarded five stars. Honda have announced their new city EV, the Super 1, will be arriving in local showrooms in the second half of next year. The Australian market missed out on Honda’s previous urban EV, the E, back in 2020. Looking a little less sleek than that car, the new EV promises to emulate the experience of driving a petrol car with artificial noise in the cabin and some subtle jolting to mimic the feeling of gears shifting. No word yet on price or specs. And Mini have unveiled their latest lineup of Paul Smith edition cars at the Japan Mobility Show. The range features exclusive exterior colors, unique interior designs, and 18-in alloys featuring Paul Smith’s signature. The range will arrive in Australia in early 2026. That’s it for this week. See you next time.
October sales figures have revelaed a pike in the number of Hybrids being sold, now accounting for 22% of the new car market. Also, Subaru facelift the Solterra EV to stop sliding sales and Honda announce a new city EV, plus new car releases at the Sydney International EV Motor Show.
