Mercedes-Benz will allow owners of some cars to unlock more power after purchase… for an annual fee, of course.

In the USA, owners of its electric EQE sedan and SUV and EQS liftback and SUV can now pay $US1200 per year (~$A2000) to shave up to a second from their 100km/h sprint times with software.

Mercedes-Benz Australia had “no announcements” to make about whether it will offer similar subscriptions locally. Currently, it only offers the EQS liftback Down Under, although the EQE sedan, and EQE/SQS SUV ranges are on track to arrive in 2023.

Power in the EQE 350 4MATIC jumps from 215kW to 260kW, while the EQS 450 4MATIC gains 55kW to pack 330kW.

The so-called Acceleration Increase subscription is listed with the following explanation on the North American store:

“Fine tuning of the electric motors increases the maximum motor output of your Mercedes-EQ by 20 to 24 per

The GWM Haval Jolion is getting a performance boost.

Following the introduction of the efficiency-focused Jolion Hybrid earlier this year, the Chinese brand is introducing the 2023 GWM Haval Jolion S, a more powerful sports variant complete with a more sophisticated independent rear suspension system priced from $36,990 drive-away.

Bridging the gap between the Jolion Ultra ($33,990 D/A) and the Jolion Ultra Hybrid ($41,990 D/A), the Jolion S gets a 130kW/270Nm version of the base car’s 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine – increases of 20kW and 50Nm – and swaps out the torsion beam rear suspension of other Jolion models for a multi-link rear setup that claims to offer “enhance ride and handling performance befitting of the S nameplate”.

Drive continues to be sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Oddly, GWM Haval claims the Jolion S uses 0.6L/100km less than other non-hybrid variants,

Volkswagen Commercial is rolling out a range of ‘turn-key’ specialist vehicles such as a wheelchair-ready Caddy, and Crafter-based tippers, cold storage trucks, and luxury motorhomes.

Rather than needing to buy base vehicles and take them to a specialist converter, these for-purpose commercials are (or will be) available ready-to-go from VW dealers – with warranties. 

The conversion work is being done by Volkswagen-approved (OEM level) third-parties in Europe and the UK with longstanding VW dealings, or by partner organisations in Australia such as Jayco, Walkinshaw and ARB.

Seven ‘conversion’ variants – either confirmed for Australia or under evaluation and testing –were unveiled at the new Volkswagen Group Australia office and training centre at Essendon Fields last week, to promote the division and generate market interest. 

Already a major focus for the company at home, Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicles division says it sees this as a big

OPINION: Imagine my surprise at seeing the new-generation Toyota Prius when it was revealed this week.

The world’s biggest car company fretted over how to reinvent its hybrid icon in an era defined by full-electric vehicles, settling on giving it some newfound panache.

It looks great – sleek, stylish and entirely unlike what we’ve come to expect from Toyota’s longstanding eco leader. A new lease on life, as it were.

The old model was all creases and weird proportions, while multiple earlier generations were perhaps less awkward but also more boring, which is worse.

And yet it’s this latest version, which has me all starry-eyed, that will be the first Prius Toyota won’t sell in Australia.

In making this decision, it took the wrong lesson from the old model’s failure to resonate, and pulled the pin at precisely the wrong time.

It’s true that Prius sales plummeted of late,