SUVs – Engine Icon https://engineicon.com Latest car news and advice blog Tue, 14 Jul 2026 02:07:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://engineicon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/cropped-ME_favicon-1-32x32.png SUVs – Engine Icon https://engineicon.com 32 32 Market Insight: Medium SUVs go green https://engineicon.com/market-insight-medium-suvs-go-green/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:42:35 +0000 https://engineicon.com/market-insight-medium-suvs-go-green/

ELECTRIED driveline options now account for a considerable share of Australia’s most popular vehicle segment, the sub-$65,000 medium SUV category, with 27 entrants available in a field of 36 models – or 75 per cent of the overall segment.

 

BYD offers four entrants alone in the medium SUV under $65K category with its Atto 3 battery electric model, Sealion 5 and Sealion 6 plug-in hybrids and Sealion 7 BEV.

 

Chinese compatriot Chery offers its Tiggo 7 entrant in both petrol and PHEV format, the burgeoning brand joining others that include the Deepal S07 BEV, GAC Aion V BEV, Geely Starray PHEV, Geely EX5 BEV, GWM’s Haval H6 (petrol, hybrid and PHEV) format and Haval H7 hybrid, Jaecoo J7 (petrol or PHEV), Leapmotor C10 as a range-extender hybrid or BEV, MG its HS as a petrol, hybrid or PHEV, and the Zeekr 7X BEV.

 

Honda offers the ZR-V and CR-V in both petrol and hybrid format, while Hyundai offers the Elexio BEV and Tucson in petrol and hybrid form. KGM (formerly SsangYong) offers electrified versions of both its Torres and Actyon, while Kia sells diesel, petrol, and petrol-electric versions of its popular Sportage.

 

Mitsubishi – one of the first in the segment to offer plug-in hybrid power – offers petrol and PHEV versions of its strong-selling Outlander, while Nissan offers both petrol and hybrid versions of its evergreen X-Trail.

 

A smattering of European entrants provides a mix of petrol and electrified drivelines, including the Renault Scenic E-Tech BEV and Skoda Elroq BEV, while Japanese stalwarts Subaru and Toyota round out the current portfolio with hybrid versions of the Forester and RAV4 respectively (noting the RAV4 is now also available with plug-in hybrid power).

 

The statistics reveal that only two diesel powered models remain within the medium SUV under $65K segment – the KGM Korando and Kia Sportage – and just seven as a petrol-only proposition – being the Mahindra XUV700, Mazda CX-5, Peugeot 3008 and 408, Renault Koleos, Skoda Karoq, and Volkswagen Tiguan (although a Tiguan PHEV is imminent).

 

While GoAuto does not have access to a full breakdown of sales by fuel type for the segment, internal estimates show that just over half (50.6 per cent) of the category’s registrations now include some form of electrification, indicating that Australian buyers are moving to embrace new technologies in a bid to save on fuel costs and reduce their transportation emissions footprint.

 

2026 Medium SUV segment under $65K by fuel type*:

 

 

BEV

Diesel

HEV

Petrol

PHEV

BYD Atto 3

Y

–

–

–

–

BYD Sealion 5

–

–

–

–

Y

BYD Sealion 6

–

–

–

–

Y

BYD Sealion 7

Y

–

–

–

–

Chery Tiggo 7

–

–

–

Y

Y

Deepal S07

Y

–

–

–

–

GAC Aion V

Y

–

–

–

–

Geely Starray EM-I

–

–

–

–

Y

Geely EX5

Y

–

–

–

–

GWM Haval H6

–

–

Y

Y

Y

GWM Haval H7

–

–

Y

–

–

Honda CR-V

–

–

Y

Y

–

Honda ZR-V

–

–

Y

Y

–

Hyundai Elexio

Y

–

–

–

–

Hyundai Tucson

–

–

Y

Y

–

Jaecoo J7

–

–

–

Y

Y

KGM Actyon

–

–

Y

Y

–

KGM Korando

–

Y

–

Y

–

KGM Torres

Y

–

Y

Y

–

Kia Sportage

–

Y

Y

Y

–

Leapmotor C10

Y

–

Y

–

–

Mahindra XUV700

–

–

–

Y

–

Mazda CX-5

–

–

–

Y

–

MG HS

–

–

Y

Y

Y

Mitsubishi Outlander

–

–

–

Y

Y

Nissan X-Trail

–

–

Y

Y

–

Peugeot 3008

–

–

–

Y

–

Peugeot 408

–

–

–

Y

–

Renault Koleos

–

–

–

Y

–

Renault Scenic E-Tech

Y

–

–

–

–

Skoda Elroq

Y

–

–

–

–

Skoda Karoq

–

–

–

Y

–

Subaru Forester

–

–

Y

Y

–

Toyota RAV4

–

–

Y

–

Y

Volkswagen Tiguan

–

–

–

Y

–

Zeekr 7X

Y

–

–

–

–

TOTAL

11

2

13

21

9

 

*Motive fuel type data supplied courtesy of R.J.Pound and VFACTS.

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]]> Hyundai Elexio scores 5 stars for safety, despite risk to pedestrians from SUVs https://engineicon.com/hyundai-elexio-scores-5-stars-for-safety-despite-risk-to-pedestrians-from-suvs/ Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:58:23 +0000 https://engineicon.com/hyundai-elexio-scores-5-stars-for-safety-despite-risk-to-pedestrians-from-suvs/

Hyundai’s Elexio SUV has scored an average 84 per cent in its ANCAP safety rating, falling down in its safety for pedestrians.

It beat 11 of the medium-sized 20 battery electric SUVs currently rated by ANCAP, all of which have five-star ratings, 

That list includes the Ionic 5, which scored slightly higher on child safety and road assist, but much lower on vulnerable road user protection. 

The Elexio received an 88 per cent rating for adult protection, scoring well if the car has a head on crash but losing points for not automatically calling emergency services in the event of a crash.

It scored 86 per cent for child safety – ANCAP frowned on it not having child presence detection technology – and 85 per cent for safety assist, dragged down by poorer performance of lane-keeping assistant technology. 

The lowest score was for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, where the 77 per cent score reflected the dangers for other road users from SUVs.

While it offered “adequate” head protection for adults, that fell to “weak” and “poor” on the sides of the bonnet.

The risk of fatalities for pedestrians and cyclists is 1.7 times higher for other SUVs than for sedans and hatches, according to this study in 2022.

Children are eight times more likely to die when struck by a SUV compared to children struck by a passenger car.

The dangers posed by upsizing cars has been raised by The Driven in the past.

Of the 20 medium-sized battery SUVs rated by ANCAP, only six scored higher that 80 per cent with Tesla’s Model Y the highest at 86 per cent.

Two cars performed so badly in tests around road user safety their ratings were in the 60s — the Ionic 5 and the Genesis GV70.

Scoring lower on safety of other road users did not prevent any of these vehicles gaining a five star ratings, however.

ANCAP said the car “delivered strong protection for other road users, recording solid performance across autonomous emergency braking scenarios involving other vehicles, including motorcycles.”

“Consumers are expecting increasingly comprehensive safety performance from new vehicles in the market regardless of powertrain,” ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said in a statement. 

“These five-star results demonstrate solid occupant protection combined with advanced crash avoidance technology, providing confidence for families and fleet buyers alike.”

The Elexio is one of Hyundai’s China-made models, with a 160kW / 310Nm battery and a range that the manufacturer says is up to 546km.

Earlier this month, the South Korean carmaker landed $60 million from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to provide cheaper finance for electric vehicles priced below the luxury car tax threshold.

The deal would see buyers save 0.5-1 per cent on their car loan interest rate.

Hyundai offers a range of EVs in the Australian market, including the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6, the Ioniq 9, the Inster, the Kona, and the soon to be released Elexio. Its sister company Kia sells the Niro, the EV3, the EV5, the EV6, the EV9, and the newly released EV4.

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]]> Car and Driver’s 10Best Cars, Trucks, & SUVs Through the Decades https://engineicon.com/car-and-drivers-10best-cars-trucks-suvs-through-the-decades/ Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:44:24 +0000 https://engineicon.com/car-and-drivers-10best-cars-trucks-suvs-through-the-decades/

For the seventh consecutive year, it’s our pleasure to bring you Car and Driver’s annual 10Best issue—the oldest and best of its kind. Each autumn, as the leaves begin to turn, we begin to assemble a field of automobiles from which our editors select—by secret ballot—our 10Best Cars. We take this assignment seriously, and, judging from the flood of mail that our January issue generates, so do you. And so do the numberless newspapers, radio stations, television shows, and magazines who call us for interviews about our 10Best Cars.

FULL 1989 10BEST COVERAGE

Winners:
Acura Legend Coupe
Chevrolet Corvette
Dodge Colt Turbo / Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo
Ford Probe GT
Ford Taurus / Taurus SHO
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Lincoln Continental
Mitsubishi Eclipse Turbo / Plymouth Laser Turbo
Saab 9000 Turbo

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]]> Car and Driver 2026 10Best Trucks and SUVs https://engineicon.com/car-and-driver-2026-10best-trucks-and-suvs/ Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:41:49 +0000 https://engineicon.com/car-and-driver-2026-10best-trucks-and-suvs/

From the January/February 2026 issue of Car and Driver.

Ram didn’t need to resurrect its V-8. It could have trolled Chevy, Ford, and others with something like: “Six in a row, ready to tow.” Instead, a different sentiment resonated through the corporate corridors: “We went to six, and customers threw bricks.” The point is, the Ram faithful loved the Hemi V-8, and now it’s back.

The 395-hp 5.7-liter V-8 isn’t quicker, more fuel efficient, or quieter than the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six (which continues in either 420- or 540-hp tune), and its return is not what kept this pickup in a 10Best parking spot for 2026.

With the 1500, Ram sticks with the winning formula it’s had for the better part of 15 years: building half-ton trucks that are plenty capable for weekend warriors—max towing of 11,610 pounds with the turbo inline-six and a max payload of 2360 pounds with the base 305-hp V-6—but downright excellent to drive for everyone, even owners who are just in it for the look. We’ve said it before: The pickup truck has become the de facto American luxury car, and the Ram 1500 is the pinnacle of its class.

You can still get a basic work truck with cloth seats and vinyl floor, though the two-door, three-seat regular-cab pickup has been off the order menu for some time. Ram offers two cabs—smaller Quad and roomier Crew—and bed lengths of 5.6 feet and 6.3 feet. All Rams get the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission Stellantis builds and markets under the TorqueFlite banner. Optional four-wheel drive is of course available across the board.

The Ram 1500 rides better, steers smoother, and corners flatter than many SUVs, thanks in part to the coil-spring rear suspension it pioneered for the half-ton trucks—air springs are optional. You can get a bench seat in the front, making it a throwback six-seat alternative to the popular three-row ute. Ram fits upper trim levels with premium materials, and lower trims feature durable finishes that clean up nicely when you wipe off accumulated work dust.

Then, of course, there’s the RHO. It picked up where the Hellcat-powered 702-hp TRX left off. Basically, if Bo and Luke Duke were still running ‘shine, it would be in a long-travel, 540-hp, hot-rod RHO—until Ram brings the TRX back from the dead, that is. Life will find a way.

BACK TO 10BEST

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Specs panel icon

Specifications

Specifications

Ram 1500
Base: $43,620–$75,385
Power: 305–540 hp

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.2–7.8 sec (C/D est)
1/4-Mile: 12.8–16.0 sec (C/D est)
Top Speed: 105–119 mph

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined: 15–22 mpg

Headshot of K.C. Colwell

K.C. Colwell, the executive editor at Car and Driver, is a seasoned professional with a deep-rooted passion for new cars and technology. His journey into the world of automotive journalism began at an early age when his grandmother gifted him a subscription to Car and Driver for his 10th birthday. This gift sparked a lifelong love for the industry, and he read every issue between then and his first day of employment. He started his Car and Driver career as a technical assistant in the fall of 2004. In 2007, he was promoted to assistant technical editor. In addition to testing, evaluating, and writing about cars, technology, and tires, K.C. also set the production-car lap record at Virginia International Raceway for C/D‘s annual Lightning Lap track test and was just the sixth person to drive the Hendrick Motorsport Garage 56 Camaro. In 2017, he took over as testing director until 2022, when was promoted to executive editor and has led the brand to be one of the top automotive magazines in the country. When he’s not thinking about cars, he likes playing hockey in the winter and golf in the summer and doing his best to pass his good car sense and love of ’90s German sedans to his daughter. He might be the only Car and Driver editor to own a Bobcat: the skidsteer, not the feline. Though, if you have a bobcat guy, reach out. K.C. resides in Chelsea, Michigan, with his family.

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