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This week in news: January 2-6 2023

This week in news: January 2-6 2023

Happy new year!

We publish a ton of car news stories during the working week (70-odd as a rule), and it can be tough to keep up with everything – which is the rationale behind this weekend list.

In short, here are some key articles from our news desk since Monday of this week summarised, just in case you missed them at the time.


Results are in!

New vehicle sales grew 3.0 per cent in 2022 despite widely publicised supply issues, finishing up at around 1.08 million units for the calendar year.

Annual sales data (VFACTS) shows that 1,081,429 new cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were delivered in 2022, making it the best result since 2018 when 1,153,111 vehicles were sold.

Industry-wide sales for December 2022 jumped 12.1 per cent, giving the market some momentum heading into the new calendar year.

MORE: Australia’s new car sales results for 2022


Japanese

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Tesla cuts Model 3 and Model Y prices in Australia

Tesla cuts Model 3 and Model Y prices in Australia

Tesla has cut the pricing of its entire range of electric vehicles by up to $3400.

Pricing for the Model 3 sedan has fallen between $1600 and $3100, depending on the variant, with the range now starting at $63,900 before on-road costs for the RWD and extending to $89,900 before on-roads and Luxury Car Tax for the Performance.

Pricing for the Model Y SUV on the other hand has dropped between $1800 and $3400, depending on the variant, with the range now starting at $68,900 before on-road costs for the RWD and extending to $94,900 before on-roads and LCT for the Performance.

This comes around six months after Tesla last increased the asking pricing of the Model 3 and Model Y.

There are also a number of options that have had their prices slashed, including:

  • Red multi-coat paint: $2400 (-$500)
  • Model 3 19-inch Sport wheels: $1800
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BYD reveals luxury electric SUV brand

BYD reveals luxury electric SUV brand

BYD’s promised premium sub-brand has launched its first vehicle, the Yangwang U8, a rugged-looking SUV in the mould of the Land Rover Defender – but with four electric motors.

Reports from the launch in China today show an upright design with a blingy grille, headlights rather like a Nissan Patrol, squared-off wheel arches with sheet metal blistering, aerodynamic flush door handles, and a chunky D-pillar ahead of the tailgate-mounted spare wheel.

But rather than being mechanically like a Defender it’s more akin to the upcoming all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQG, though at a reported 5300mm it’s longer even than a GLS.

The new Yangwang U8 will reportedly use an in-house four-motor EV system, using four (IP68 sealed) electric motors to drive each wheel directly and a central control unit.

Such a system theoretically gives you much quicker and more precise torque allocation, and even the ability to pull off a 360-degree

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20 coolest concept cars from 2022

20 coolest concept cars from 2022

Concept cars. We all love them, both for what they themselves offer and for what they promise.

Last year had some crackers, previewing the next generation of largely electrified and connected vehicles before they hit the road.

From near production-ready glimpses through to moonshot passion projects, here we check out 20 that grabbed our attention – with no more than one per brand.


Audi A6 Avant e-tron

Revealed March 2022

Audi has been rolling out a series of near-production concept cars, headlined by the A6 Avant e-tron concept, which previews the future of the four-ringed brand’s luxury wagons.

It foreshadows a road-going model with a 800V charging system and 700km driving range, and proves that while SUVs are all the rage, there’s a tomorrow for the humble estate.

MORE: Audi keeps the wagon alive with A6 Avant e-tron EV concept


BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink

Revealed January 2022

The

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10 cool cars we can’t buy in Australia

10 cool cars we can’t buy in Australia

Australia is one of the most cluttered car markets in the world, with more than 50 brands fighting for barely a million sales a year.

But even though we’re frankly spoiled for choice, that doesn’t mean we don’t miss out on things that would in all likelihood do great business here.

Often there are reasons why Australian dealers get overlooked: Maybe there’s no business case for right-hand drive production, maybe there’s excessive demand from other regions sucking up all the supply, perhaps local Design Rules throw a spanner in the works.

But hey, let’s have a little fun with it and suggest one vehicle that each of the market’s top 10 brands by sales should bring to Australia, which they presently don’t offer (nor plan to). Yes there are logical explanations, but let’s look past that!

The top 10 brands list is current to the time of writing, meaning January

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Hyundai reminds us how to pronounce its name

Hyundai reminds us how to pronounce its name

What’s in a name? Quite a bit, if you’re Hyundai.

The company’s UK division has put a video on YouTube outlining the correct way to say its name.

While Australians and Brits often call it ‘ Hee-un-day’ or ‘Hi-un-day’, and our North American friends often say ‘Hun-day’, it’s actually ‘Hyoon-day’.

“Welcome to the dawn of a new Hyundai,” says the blurb accompanying the video.

“2023 marks the dawn of a new Hyundai in the UK. We’ve taken this opportunity to break the mould and embrace a new chapter for our cars and the company, including changing the pronunciation of the brand in the UK to bring it in line with the global organisation and our Korean heritage.”

UK car title Car Magazine asked Hyundai’s management there about the new brand campaign, which kicked off on Boxing Day with the tagline: “‘If you thought you knew our cars and how to

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German tuner turns Tesla Model Y into off-roader

German tuner turns Tesla Model Y into off-roader

German off-road tuning firm Delta4x4 has revealed a range of modifications that can turn a Tesla Model Y into a capable off-road dual-motor SUV.

The converted Model Y sits 80mm higher than stock due to a 35mm suspension lift, and 265/45 R20 Continental Cross Contact ATR tyres on black slotted rims. Wheel arch extensions widen the car by 60mm.

There’s a solid-looking roof rack with mounted recovery boards, and a payload sufficient for a roof tent. There are also PIAA LED headlights and four additional 18,000 lumen driving lights – all apparently shock tested up to 4G vibration levels.

The company quotes the following costs, which total a hefty 15,760 euros ($A24,818) for European buyers, according to the company’s blog.

  • Lift kit: 900 euros
  • Wheels and tyres: 4500 euros
  • Arch extensions: 4760 euros
  • Roof rack 2900 euros
  • Lights (PIAA V-RF40): 900 euros
  • Driving lights (PIAA 550): 1800 euros mounted

Based

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Subaru prepares STI-tuned Impreza, more rugged Crosstrek SUV

Subaru prepares STI-tuned Impreza, more rugged Crosstrek SUV

Subaru is gearing up for January’s Tokyo Auto Salon with a raft of show cars, including a few that hint at production versions.

The company’s Japanese site is a bit light on details, but the company promises to show the new Impreza – which debuted last November in LA – to its Japanese audience for first first time.

But going beyond this, it promises the show car will be equipped with STI parts “under development and customized to sportier specifications”, suggesting a Subaru hot hatch is on the cards.

The new Impreza retains the signature all-wheel drive and will be available with a 2.5-litre boxer-four generating around 136kW and 241Nm, mated to a CVT with paddles.

It’s unclear if the show car’s STI tuning will elicit more power, but expect the upgrades to improve handling.

Another interesting concept is a more rugged take on

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The top 10 news stories of 2022

The top 10 news stories of 2022

Just like that another year is finished!

We’ve published an absolute bucket-load of news stories, reviews and comparisons during 2022.

Here are the top 10 most-read news stories that were published during 2022 by our local audience.

Tesla removes home charge cable from cars in Australia

In July this year Tesla was in the headlines as it removed the mobile connector – also referred to as a UMC – from its new vehicles in Australia.

The company, however, reduced the cost of a UMC on its online shop from $860 to $550.

Tesla has already removed it from US-market models in April this year, with CEO Elon Musk confirming the move on Twitter.

Check out the story here.

Australian Government to introduce electric vehicle incentives

In July this year the Australian Government announced its intention to introduce new incentives for electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, fulfilling a promise made before

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The best cars our team has driven this year

The best cars our team has driven this year

It’s been a busy year at CarExpert. Between regular reviews, launches, comparisons, and mega tests, we’ve filtered through hundreds of cars across our three offices.

A few special cars stood out from the pack, though. Here are our highlights from 2022.

Scott Collie

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS

It’s impossible to go past the hottest-ever Porsche Cayman for my highlight of this year.

The GT4 RS project “started with a car, and not with a PowerPoint presentation”, according to Andreas Preuninger, head of the Porsche GT division. Rather than convincing the finance department with numbers, his team had the RS approved by putting a big smile on the board’s face.

If that first mule was anything like the finished product, it’s easy to see how the project was given the green light.

It’s not the handling (approachable yet challenging, delectably balanced) or the straight-line performance (suitably impressive), or even the

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