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A host of fresh and mostly electrified cars debuted at this year’s Melbourne Motor Show, reflecting the surging interest in efficient and economical vehicles.
Inevitably, most of the brands were from China as they seek to further grow their presence in Australia, though established carmakers including Honda, Volkswagen, Skoda, Kia and Renault also took the opportunity to show off their latest wares.
In alphabetical order, here are the key arrivals.
BYD’s relentless march up the sales charts should get a kick-along with the Seal 6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
Offered in medium-sized sedan and more-powerful Touring wagon guises, it takes on the Camry hybrid and starts from $34,990 and $39,990 respectively.
Buyers have a choice of a 1.5-litre petrol engine/electric motor combo with either a 10.1kWh battery for a pure electric range of 55km, or 19kWh battery for 100km, depending on your budget.
BYD’s luxury off-shoot Denza showed off its Z9GT EV flagship, a large wagon due later this year.
Able to accelerate to 100km/h in just 2.7 seconds, this EV supercar ‘Shooting Brake’ pioneers a battery using ultra-fast ‘flash-charging’ tech that is claimed to need only nine minutes for a 10-97 per cent top-up.
But that massive 1500kW charger will only be available at Denza dealers at launch. And all this tech won’t come cheap, obviously.
Chinese brand Farizon will launches Australia’s cheapest-ever EV van in the form of the mid-sized V7E, kicking off from a headline $49,990 drive-away for the base 50kWh battery Standard Range.
The $4000 optional Extended Range 60kWh version ups the WLTP range from 240km to 329km. Other highlights include a big 6.9 cubic metre cargo capacity.
Expected to cost from about $30,000 when sales commence in the third quarter of 2026, the EX2 is a Toyota Corolla hatch-sized EV targeting the likes of the BYD Dolphin, new MG4 Urban and GAC Aion UT. Specification and pricing are yet to be announced.
The slow-selling old Ora hatch is history, to be replaced in June by the visually-similar but larger Ora 5 small SUV EV.
Priced from $33,990 drive-away, it is up against the BYD Atto 2 and uses a 58.3kWh battery for a WLTP range of 430km.
Priced from $65,000 drive-away, an iconic badge from Japan returns on what is essentially a super-sleek coupe version of the superb Honda Civic e:HEV hybrid.
So, it’s ultra-frugal, but brilliant to drive too, thanks to using the chassis tune from the exceptional Civic Type R, allowing the Prelude to slot in nicely against the smaller Mazda MX-5 RF GT two-seater coupe-convertible and Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ twins, as well as the larger and more-expensive Nissan Z and Ford Mustang.
Chinese carmaker JAC will launch a PHEV version of its recently released Hunter ute, taking on the BYD Shark 6 with a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, twin electric motors and a 31.2kWh battery ensemble. Expect a 100km pure EV range and lots of muscle. Pricing and other spec details will be revealed prior to the July debut.
Hailing from Korea, this all-electric mid-sized van is Kia’s striking response to the cool but expensive VW ID. Buzz Cargo, starting from a keen $55,990 before on-road costs.
Recently awarded the International Van of the Year in Europe, it arrives in May with a big 71.2kWh battery for a WLTP range of a handy 416km. And, if you can find a fast-enough fast charger, it will need only half an hour for a 10-80 per cent top-up. This should be a big hit locally.
Confusingly unrelated to the sporty MG 4 rear-drive hatch, the MG 4 Urban front-drive hatch is a new, cheaper EV proposition from the Chinese carmaker, starting from $31,990 drive-away.
That’s for the base Essence 43, with its 43kWh battery and 316km WLTP range. The 54 version with a 54kWh battery ups that distance to 405km and starts from $34,990 drive-away.
Another MG due before the end of 2026, this is a mid-sized EV SUV that’s expected to have sub-$40K pricing and over 500km of WLTP range. Watch this space.
This is the all-electric version of MG’s large, value-packed ute that’s based upon the LDV eTerron 9 also made by Chinese conglomerate SAIC. Due later this year, there are no Australian details as-yet available.
Aimed at the Hyundai Kona and Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid crowd, France’s Renault Symbioz is a small SUV set for the second half of this year.
The front wheels will be powered by either a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with mild electrification to help boost economy, or a strong hybrid option using the company’s new 1.8-litre unit paired to an electric motor and tiny 1.4kWh battery for EV-only driving up to about 60km/h, promising over 1000km between refills.
Germany’s People’s Car brand has released plug-in hybrid versions of its third-generation mid-sized SUVs, with both the Tiguan and its extended seven-seater Tayron twin gaining a 1.5-litre PHEV option.
Paired with an electric motor and 19.7kWh battery and adding about $4000 to the petrol-powered models, expect up to 115km of pure-EV driving range, as well about 900km of combined range.
The X Series II facelift surfaces next month from $48,990 drive-away ($8K less than when launched in 2024), with a host of advancements including improved battery tech, for up to 415km of WLTP range.
