Genesis Australia firmly has its hand in the air for Magma performance sub-brand as it eyes strong sales of Mercedes-AMG, BMW M. Genesis Australia wants to lock horns with Mercedes-AMG, BMW M, and Audi Sport with its Magma performance brand, but it’s still too early to confirm when the go-fast line-up will land Down Under. Having only been revealed in March 2024 at the New York motor show, the Magma brand will denote Genesis’ performance models going forward with the first confirmed production model to be the G80 sedan for Middle East markets. Though not yet confirmed for an arrival locally ..read more

The CX-5-succeeding mid-size SUV looks increasingly likely to be hybrid as Mazda prepares to move to phase two of its electrification plan. Mazda has no intention of sunsetting its best-selling CX-5 mid-size SUV despite the arrival of the similarly sized and more upmarket CX-60 and CX-70 models, with its eventual successor likely to score hybrid power. Speaking to Drive at the launch of the updated MX-5, Mazda Australia head of marketing Alastair Doak hinted that work had already begun on the CX-5’s successor but wouldn’t reveal any timing details. “Mazda Corporation has been on the record ..read more

The alleged offender can be seen setting a cardboard pizza box on fire before putting it under the wheel of the $350,000 luxury sports car. Photo Credit: 9News Police are on the hunt for a pedestrian who was caught on video setting an exotic performance car – worth approximately $350,000 – on fire. According to a 9News report, CCTV video captured the alleged offender lighting a cardboard pizza box under an umbrella along Rodd Street in Sefton – a suburb approximately 23km west of Sydney – on 3 May 2024. In the footage, the perpetrator can be seen waiting for the fire to build and hiding ..read more

Australia’s second-best selling car brand admits it will have a hard time meeting the upcoming New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, after axing its only EV last year. Mazda has acknowledged the difficulty it will face in meeting upcoming CO2 emissions rules for new vehicles – after axing its first and only electric vehicle last year due to slow sales – but help from new hybrid and electric cars is on the way. The Japanese brand is one of the few top-selling manufacturers in Australia without an electric car – after dropping the MX-30 late last year – nor many true hybrids to offset its sales of ..read more

Off again, on again: The long-rumoured Apple car project might not be completely dead, with a new report claiming a possible collaboration with an EV company. Months after it emerged Apple’s autonomous electric car project had been axed, a new unconfirmed report claims the tech giant is now considering a partnership with a US-based manufacturer. According to DigiTimes, Apple is now looking into the feasibility of partnering with electric car maker Rivian on the project, rather than developing its own model from the ground up. The website says “speculation has surfaced among supply chains th ..read more

In 1996, Volvo used a sledgehammer to let people know it had cast off its dowdy and conservative image Original review, by Phil Scott, first published in Drive on 12 May, 1996 If you thought Volvo was still run by middle-aged guys called Lars and Erik who wear bad golf trousers on weekends, think again. The Swedes are hell-bent on changing the image of the past 20 years. Either that or they’re having the world’s biggest corporate mid-life crisis. The symptoms are all there: they used the word “lust” last week as they launched the most powerful Volvo ever, a bitumen rippler called the 850R ..read more

Evidence is mounting for a Tesla Model 3-rivalling Toyota Camry EV, after the company’s luxury brand Lexus filed trademarks for future ES variants. New trademark filings suggest the new-generation Lexus ES is set to be offered with either electric or hybrid engines – providing some insight into what we can expect for the next all-new Camry. According to the trademarks, Lexus is planning three new models for the ES – which is based on Toyota’s popular Camry sedan – being the ES500e, ES350e, and ES350h. Based on current naming conventions used by Lexus, ‘e’ indicates an electric model, while ..read more

Join us for an electrifying adventure down under as the Drive team embarks on an unprecedented journey across Australia. The first episode airs this Saturday on Channel Nine. Set your reminders for the first episode of The Lap, airing this Saturday 11 May at 3:30pm AEST on Channel 9. In partnership with Kia Australia and produced by Drive.com.au, The Lap shares the experiences of hosts Trent Nikolic and Dom Wiseman on their once-in-a-lifetime experience across Australia, piloting the reigning Drive Car of the Year winner, the Kia EV9. In an eight-part series, The Lap gives viewers a unique ..read more

Cadillac claims its investment in factory-built right-hand-drive cars shows it will not be the next General Motors brand to launch and quickly leave Australia. Executives for Cadillac have assured the company will be ‘here to stay’ in Australia – and not be quick to follow former siblings Holden and Opel out the door – when the General Motors-owned luxury brand launches with electric cars later this year. The boss of General Motors’ Australian and New Zealand operations, Jess Bala, told local media Cadillac’s investment in developing factory-built right-hand-drive models shows it does not i ..read more

Ever wondered if hand sanitiser can raise your blood alcohol level? We discover it could cause some trouble at your next RBT stop. Drink-driving is no joke and will put a permanent stain on your driving and criminal record – but is there any possibility you could be booked without drinking any alcohol? One Drive employee got the fright of his life when he tested positive for alcohol at a random breath test stop, just 15 minutes after cleaning his hands with sanitiser – despite not having even a sip of alcohol. It left us asking: Can hand sanitiser raise your blood alcohol level (BAC)? RELAT ..read more