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Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.

Quick, dense, and short, TDS gathers the latest automotive headlines from around the globe and places them in one spot. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.

The first cup of coffee is gone, and a second is needed. Let’s get into it.

What I’m driving: Spending the week with the 2026 Lexus GX and am truly interested to see how I feel about this thing after the weekend and a road trip up north. At the launch, in a short, curated session I loved the GX and felt it challenged the Land Rover Defender, but after spending a week with it road tripping and towing in the real world I found it loud, crude, thin, and annoying despite it’s gorgeous design. It’s been two years, let’s see how things shape up this time in a new timeline.

After bailing on the electric future and taking a massive loss Honda America planning chief Gary Robinson said hybrids will form the “core” of the automaker’s business and are now expected to overtake pure gas-powered vehicle sales later this decade; Acura’s lineup will shift to be almost all hybrids while Honda’s showroom will be a little more selective on which vehicle gets which powertrain.

Jeep recalled 61,711 Cherokee SUVs because the two-speed power transfer unit in the transmission might experience catastrophic failure.

BMW is working on a less expensive Neue Klasse EV that will wear the 1 Series nameplate.

Tesla raised Model Y prices by $500 to $1,000.

The 2027 Volvo EX60 lineup was priced with a 300-mile variant costing less than $60,000; the electric EX60 also costs less than a comparable plug-in hybrid XC60 model.

Congress now wants you to pay $130 a year to drive an electric car; lawmakers say EV drivers have to “pay their fair share” since they won’t be paying a gas tax, though many states are already charging EV drivers a fee to compensate for the lack of gas tax income.

Volvo confirmed the now dead EX30 will be replaced with an affordable, larger, EV next year; the replacement is expected to wear the EX40 badge.

BYD aims to take on the Land Rover Defender with the Ti7 seven-seat hybrid SUV in the UK later this year.

Ford’s set to launch five “rally-bred” cars in Europe by 2029.

Got a news tip or feedback? Drop us a line at tips@thedrive.com

Rivian has officially launched the online configurator for its much awaited Rivian R2. The American manufacturer has more than 200,000 reservations for this specific model. The online tool allows future owners to choose their preferred features, packages, and colors, while also shedding light on when specific configurations will actually reach driveways.

The entry point for the lineup is the Standard trim, which starts at £35,300. In its base configuration, this rear-wheel-drive version offers an estimated driving range of 345 miles. Buyers who want better traction can select the all-wheel-drive upgrade for an additional £2,500. Choosing all-wheel drive drops the estimated driving range to 330 miles, and this drivetrain upgrade also unlocks the ability to add a tow package for an extra £692.

Moving up the ladder, the Premium trim has a starting price of £39,300 and comes with all-wheel drive as standard. For early reservation holders who want the vehicle immediately at launch, the company offers the Performance trim with the Launch Package for £42,210. This special package bundles several options, including the Autonomy+ software, the tow package, a unique physical key fob, and exclusive access to the Launch Green exterior paint. A completely maximized Performance trim with all available options reaches a final price of £45,672.

Personalizing the exterior of the R2 comes with extra costs and varying wait times. Silver is the only standard paint color that does not cost extra. Selecting any other paint color adds between £700 and £1,500 to the final bill. Buyers must practice patience if they want specific colors – Rivian will not offer the Forest Green option until late 2026. Those who want the Borealis purple paint, which is exclusive to the Performance trim, must wait until 2027. Paying thousands of dollars extra just to wait an extra year for paint is certainly an interesting sales strategy.

Inside the cabin, the manufacturer provides a Dark interior theme as the standard option. A lighter interior color scheme, called Coastal Cloud, will cost an additional £700 and will become available for ordering later this year on all versions except the base Standard trim. Wheel choices also vary by tier. The Standard trim comes with 19-inch wheels, but buyers can pay £700 to upgrade to the 20-inch bi-color carbon wheels. These 20-inch wheels come standard on the Premium trim, which offers its own £1,500 upgrade to 21-inch Liquid Tungsten wheels.

The Performance trim comes standard with the 21-inch wheels, but buyers who plan to take their electric cars off the beaten track can swap them for 20-inch Black Sand wheels wrapped in 32-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires for an extra £700. For added peace of mind, Rivian offers a compact spare tire package for £550. This package includes a jack and wheel chocks, and the SUV has a dedicated storage space directly under the rear floor to hold the wheel. Finding a dedicated spare tire space is a rare feature among modern EVs.

Technology upgrades include the Autonomy+ package for £1,800. Buyers should note that Rivian is not equipping these vehicles with LiDAR sensors at this time, and the company has stated it has no plans to offer a hardware retrofit in the future. Production of the Rivian R2 started roughly three weeks ago at the main assembly plant in Normal, Illinois. Company executives confirmed during a recent update that the production line is operating efficiently. The manufacturer projects a production volume between 20,000 and 25,000 vehicles at the Illinois facility by the conclusion of 2026. A second assembly plant in Georgia is under development with a targeted annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles.

Initial vehicle deliveries have already started for company employees. General reservation holders will not have to wait too long to lock in their designs. Rivian announced that regular customers will begin receiving email invitations to access the online configurator in June. The company will send these invitations out on a rolling basis, prioritizing early order holders as production volume scales up throughout the year.

Source

JAC Motors has released more details regarding its incoming Hunter PHEV – the plug-in hybrid version of the T9 ute that landed on Australian shores back in 2024 – set to wear a starting price starting from “under $50,000” before on-road costs.

 

This pricing is likely to make the Hunter PHEV the cheapest plug-in hybrid ute on sale in Australia when it hits Australian showrooms later this year. 

 

For reference, the GWM Cannon Alpha Lux PHEV – which kicks off the Chinese importer’s PHEV ute range – is priced from $54,490 drive away until 31 May 2026, while the entry-level Shark 6 cab chassis model is priced from $55,900 before on-road costs.

 

The base-model plug-in hybrid Ford Ranger – which is currently on run-out – starts from $62,000 drive away as of 1 April 2026.

 

As of 5 May, prospective customers can secure a Hunter PHEV reservation for a fully refundable $1000, with the first 1000 customers to place a reservation and take delivery receiving either a home EV charger or a $500 JAC genuine accessories voucher.

 

JAC has also officially detailed some of the Hunter PHEV’s specifications.

 

The four-wheel drive powertrain consists of a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, dual electric motors, a 31.2kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery (supporting 3.3kW vehicle-to-load functionality), and a dedicated hybrid transmission for a combined system output of 360kW.

 

A combined torque figure is yet to be officially announced, but the internal combustion engine makes 370Nm, while the front and rear electric motors produce 300Nm and 340Nm respectively.

 

These output figures are good for a 3500kg braked towing capacity, regardless of the battery’s state of charge. JAC also quotes a 915kg payload for the Hunter PHEV.

 

Claimed combined fuel economy is 1.6 litres per 100km on the NEDC cycle with a claimed total driving range of 1005km.

 

It also benefits from local testing, with JAC detailing its 50,000km validation program earlier this year.

 

Two variants will make up the Hunter PHEV dual cab ute range – the entry-level Pro variant and the range-topping X model. However, a cab-chassis variant is also expected soon.

 

JAC is yet to reveal a full list of variant-specific features for the Hunter PHEV.

 

What we do know is that the Hunter Pro will be equipped with chrome exterior elements, a leather-accented interior – complete with black quilting and black stitching – while front and rear differential locks will be available as an optional extra.

 

Meanwhile, the Hunter X receives front and rear differential locks as standard, black exterior elements, red accent stitching in the interior while a sunroof is available as an optional extra.

 

When it was unveiled at the 2025 Melbourne Motor Show, the show car was equipped with a10.4-inch portrait infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

 

Whether the 10.25-inch infotainment cluster will be found in Australian customer cars – as opposed to the seven-inch unit found on its T9 stablemate – remains to be seen.

 

While a full list of safety features is also yet to be confirmed, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, and a 360-degree camera have been previously listed among the Hunter PHEV’s ADAS suite. 

 

Based on the T9’s testing results under 2024 protocols, the Hunter PHEV has been awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

 

The Hunter PHEV will be offered with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty (including for commercial use, a seven-year capped-price servicing program (intervals and pricing to be determined), seven years of roadside assist, and a ute-for-ute warranty loan program.

 

Speaking with media gathered at a pre-production drive of the JAC Hunter PHEV in the Hunter Valley this week, JAC Australia managing director Ahmed Mahmoud said the vehicle can meet the many and varied requirements of Australian buyers.

 

“We have built this vehicle through disciplined localisation, sustained testing, and direct feedback from Australian conditions,” he said.

 

“Over 50,000km of local validation has shaped (the Hunter PHEV). Extreme heat, heavy rain, unsealed roads, towing loads, long distance touring, we have put the vehicle through it all; and along the way, we have done three simple things – we have observed, we have listened, and we have absolutely acted.

 

“For months, Australian new buyers have been weighing up rapidly changing landscapes. Increasingly, they are being shaped by a new reality – the rise of electrification, efficiency, and of course, predominantly for fleets, the total cost of ownership.

 

“What we’re seeing is a clear surge in interest in electrified vehicles as buyers look for stronger performance with lower running costs, improved efficiency without compromise, and technology that can better support both work and lifestyle demands.

 

“So, against that backdrop, the questions have evolved, but the expectations have not. Capability still must come first.

 

“The Hunter Plug-in Hybrid will start from under $50,000 MSRP. A breakthrough position indeed for a vehicle delivering this level of capability, performance and efficiency.”

 

Further details are set to be revealed closer to the Hunter PHEV’s official sales start in mid-2026.

Japanese car maker Suzuki has announced the pricing of the two variants of its first electric car in the Australian market, the e Vitara, with prices starting from $46,990 drive-away as part of a pre-order campaign for the first 100 customers.

The special introductory offer is for customers who order the entry-level Motion variant, and for those after the Ultra, the same offer applies at $56,990 drive-away.

The pricing compares to a range of $34,590 to $39,490, before on-roads, for the petrol version of the Vitara, which is still a significant gap, although the lower running costs of the new electric version may balance it out on total cost of ownership.

After the pre-order offer, the price will  increase by $3,000 for the Motion and $2,000 on the Ultra variant, bringing the drive-away prices to $49,990 and $58,990 respectively.

Variant	Pre-order Driveaway Pricing	Post Pre-order Driveaway Pricing
Motion	$46,990	$49,990
Ultra	$56,990	$58,990

On the specs front, the 2WD Motion variant is powered by a front-mounted electric motor with peak power of 106 kW and peak torque of 193 Nm.

This variant will be a 49 kWh Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) pack in the entry-level 2WD model, packing 344 km of WLTP range.

The top-spec is the AWD Ultra variant with a combined power of 135 kW and 307 Nm of torque.

This powertrain helps the car get from 0-100 km/h between 7.4 and 9.6 seconds, depending on the variant.

This top-spec variant comes with a larger 61-kWh battery, delivering up to 395 km of range.

Both batteries can be fast-charged at up to 70 kW. With this charging speed, the e Vitara can be fast-charged from 10-80% in 45 minutes.

That’s on the higher end compared to similar EVs on the market, with most aiming for around 30 minutes of charge time.

11 kW AC charging is also available, allowing the battery to charge from 10-100% in 5 hours and 30 minutes for the larger 61 kWh pack.

The Ultra variant also includes additional features over the Motion, including adaptive high beams, front LED fog lamps, a glass roof with a shade, an upgraded sound system, front heated seats, and premium upholstery.

Safety-wise, it comes with 7 airbags and multiple ADAS features, helping it score a 4-star ANCAP safety rating.

This is looking to be a good start for the brand known for its smaller, fun vehicles. Would this price bring customers to the brand or help existing customers consider an EV in a rapidly crowded marketplace? Time will tell. For now, it’s a positive step and model from the brand.

E VITARA MOTION FEATURES:

• 49kWh
• FWD
• 344km driving range.
• 18-inch alloys
• High Beam Assist
• RCTA
• 360 view cameras
• Driving modes
• Auto headlight
• Rain-sensing wiper
• 10.25-inch digital IP
• 10.1-inch centre display with AA / CP / BT
• Synthetic leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Front & rear USB ports
• Single-zone climate control
• Interior ambient lighting (12 colours)
• Dual-tone fabric seats
• 4-speaker audio

E VITARA ULTRA FEATURES, WITH ADDITION TO MOTION SPEC:

• 61 kWh
• 395km driving range
• AWD
• ALLGRIP-e
• Adaptive High Beam
• Front LED fog lamps
• Glass roof with shade
• Infinity sound system with subwoofer
• Wireless charger
• Premium fabric and synthetic leather seats
• Electrically adjustable driver seat
• Front heated seats

SAFETY SUITE

• 7 Airbags
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
• Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
• Lane departure Prevention (LDP)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• High Beam Assist (HBA)
• Blind Spot Monitor
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
• Dual Sensor Brake Support II (DSBS II)
• Multi-Collision Braking (MCB)
• Front and rear parking sensors

 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

				e VITARA Motion		e VITARA Ultra
Drive system				2WD			4WD
DIMENSIONS
Overall length					4,275 mm
Overall width					1,800 mm
Overall height					1,635 mm
Wheelbase					2,700 mm
Tread	Front				1,540 mm
	Rear				1,545 mm
Minimum turning radius					5.2 mm
Minimum ground clearance					180 mm
Seating capacity					5
MOTOR
Maximum output				106 kW			135 kW
Maximum torque				193Nm			307 Nm
BATTERY
Type					Lithium Iron
Total Capacity kWh					49 kWh		61kWh
CHARGING
Estimated charging time:
AC charging, 7kW, 1 phase > hh:mm 10-100%					6:30		9:00
AC charging, 11kW, 3 phases > hh:mm 10-100%					4:30		5:30
DC rapid charging > hh:mm 10-80%					0:45		0:45
Charging inlet			AC charging inlet		Type2 (1phase)
			DC charging inlet		CCS2
TRANSMISSION
Type				Single-speed electric drive
CHASSIS
Steering				Rack & pinion
Front and rear brakes				Ventilated disc
Suspension		Front		MacPherson strut with coil spring
		Rear		Multi-link
WHEELS
Tyres (width/profile)				225/55/R18
Wheel type				Machine finished alloy wheel
WEIGHT
Curb weight				1,702 kg			1,860-1,899 kg