2026 Toyota RAV4: Rugged exterior teased just ahead of launch
As we saw in an earlier leak from China, as well as last week's interior teaser, the new RAV4 is a gentle evolution of today's model that leans further into the its off-road capabilities, such as they are.
Like the current model, which was Toyota Australia's best-seller last year, the new RAV4 is full of edges and creases. If anything, the next generation seems even blockier and sharper-edged than before.
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In lieu of a traditional upper grille there's now a black plastic strip joining the car's crab claw headlights. Below is a T-shaped lower grille with honeycomb inserts, and large gloss black side air intakes. A less overtly off-road oriented design was seen in the leak from China, and could be used on different model grades.
Along the side there are squared off wheel-arches with black or grey plastic protectors. The car pictured in the snow seems to be a US Adventure-spec model with chunky all-terrain tyres, and gloss black everything.
At the rear there's a full-width black strip housing a segmented tail-light display, underneath which is a thin area for the indicators and reversing lights. In the centre there's a tiny Toyota logo, similar to the one seen on the recently unveiled bZ4X Touring, with larger RAV4 text underneath.
Some variants, like the red car above, will also feature a large spoiler that protrudes out from the rear windscreen.
Last week Toyota revealed parts of the new RAV4's dashboard and centre tunnel. Like the exterior, it's chunkier than the current car's.
There's a binnacle-free digital instrument cluster and a steering wheel with squared-off spokes. The centre stack flows directly into the centre tunnel, which dispenses with a traditional gear shifter in favour of a tiny flick switch.
Following on from the Camry template, Toyota isn't messing too much with what's proven to be a very successful formula.
Up until the end of April, the RAV4 (17,610) is leading the Australian sales race, just ahead of the Ford Ranger (17,257) and Toyota HiLux (15,120).
In the US, the RAV4 has usurped the Camry to become the country's leading passenger car. According to Good Car Bad Car, after the first quarter of 2025 the RAV4 (115,402) currently sits in third spot behind the Ford F-Series (190,389) and Chevrolet Silverado (129,714).
The sixth-generation RAV4 will be unveiled on May 21 at 11:00am AEST.
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Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
2025 Chery E5 review
Chery's first new-generation model in Australia quickly became its first all-electric vehicle in Australia too. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert The Chery E5 (formerly called the Omoda E5) is the all-electric version of Chery's distinctively styled C5 (formerly the Omoda 5) small SUV, which spearheaded the Chinese brand's return to the Australian market in 2023. Aiming straight at the likes of the BYD Atto 3 and MG S5 EV, the E5 is an attainable compact electric SUV that will cost you similar money to an up-spec petrol-fired Kia Seltos or Mazda CX-30 – and now it's even more affordable. Like its ICE-powered C5 sibling, the E5 trades hard on value and aftersales provisions, with affordable pricing and a long seven-year factory warranty. The E5 also offers competitive performance and range at this end of the market. On test here we have the entry-level 2025 Chery E5 – now known as the Urban – which since being renamed has seen retail pricing drop by as much as $6000. It's now priced listed from $36,990 plus on-road costs. WATCH: Paul's video review of the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 The Chery brand is steadily gaining momentum in the Australian market, registering 12,603 new vehicles in 2024 (up 114.0 per cent), with the Omoda 5 family (now C5 and E5) leading the charge (6162 units, up 14.7 per cent). So far in 2025, the Chery C5/E5 has been supplanted as the brand's top-seller Down Under by the more affordable Tiggo 4 small SUV, but it remains in second place within the Chery stable. Is this base EV version worth a look? Note: The vehicle pictured is an MY24 Chery Omoda E5, which other than revised 'CHERY' badging replacing the old 'OMODA' script and some minor specification changes, is effectively the same vehicle. For 2025, the Chery E5 has been renamed and repriced, with the base Urban now starting at $36,990 plus on-road costs. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert To see how the Chery E5 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool As with the Omoda 5 (now C5), the E5 offers a more premium cabin design than most of its Chinese competitors, with inspiration drawn from luxury marques like Mercedes-Benz. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert It differs slightly from the petrol-powered C5 in some of the detailing, with its padded leather-look protrusion under the air vents and central display, and a unique centre console design. It's even more Benz-like than the ICE version. There's a slickness to the straight lines and glossy finishes. The larger 12.3-inch displays are nicely integrated into a unified fascia, and the steering wheel design is lovely – though in the base grade it's not leather or leatherette wrapped, just squishy plastic which feels a little rental-spec. Piano black material adorns much of the bridge, tunnel, and dashboard. Nice in the dealership, not so nice once you start poking and prodding it with dirty fingers – best to keep a rag in the glovebox. The sporty fabric and leatherette-clad seats are manually adjusted in the entry grade, but that's fine in the scheme of things. They're comfortable, with supple cushioning and decent support from the bolsters. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert They aren't quite as good as the beautiful front pews in the Mazda CX-30, but they're comfy on long journeys. Unlike some other Chinese-branded cars, there's better under-thigh support from the long base cushion, which goes a long way. Now while those displays I mentioned earlier look schmick when the car isn't moving, they're not quite as slick in operation. The design and interface is very budget-Benz, but the screen is laggy to the point where things almost 'tick' as they animate, and the driver's cluster doesn't have a more conventional dial view like in petrol vehicles. Thankfully, the wireless Apple CarPlay worked generally well during our testing, though there was the odd occasion where known blackspots would cause a disconnection and then a buggy reconnection – or no connection at all. Chery Australia has also removed native satellite navigation from the E5 range, one of few changes made during the rebrand. So, these CarPlay quibbles can be a bit of a hassle if you're using your phone to navigate somewhere and it suddenly disconnects and you can't get it back online. Build quality feels robust, and the design is more contemporary and cohesive compared than an MG ZST or GWM Haval Jolion. There's decent storage too, if you have a habit of carrying loose items like wallets and bottles. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert The E5 isn't class-leading in terms of second-row space, but has ample room to house a pair of adults without much fuss. Just be mindful that the sloping window line might mean you knock your head on the way in – speaking from experience here… Knee room is a little snug behind those chunky front seats, but otherwise 6″1′ me could sit behind my preferred driving position. Headroom is fine, though my voluminous hair was brushing the headliner in the back. Your kids will be fine in the back provided the front seats don't obstruct their view too much, and there are amenities like rear air vents, USB-A and USB-C charge ports (new for the updated model), map pockets, and bottle holders in the doors. There's also a flip-down centre armrest with cupholders. Speaking of the younger ones, the requisite ISOFIX and top-tether child seat anchor points are present as you'd expect. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert Further back, the Chery E5's boot capacity takes a hit compared to petrol models. It's quoted at 300 litres with the rear seats in play and 1079L with them folded. By comparison, the Chery C5 offers 370L in five-seat configuration. One highlight that's pretty rare – especially for an EV – is the presence of a full-size spare wheel under the boot floor. Props to Chery for going against the industry trend on this one. To see how the Chery E5 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool All versions of the E5 are powered by a front-mounted electric motor making 150kW/340Nm, fed by a 61.1kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack – and there's a 19-litre 'frunk'. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert To see how the Chery E5 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The petrol Omoda 5 (now C5) is a little hit and miss in my experience, depending on the drivetrain, so I was keen to see if the torque-rich nature of electric motoring would be a marked improvement in the E5. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert Pictured: MY24 Chery Omoda E5 BX Often I find that drivetrain refinement in petrol-powered Chinese-branded cars needs a little work to really be competitive with legacy brands from Europe and Asia, but in the EV space it's a much more level playing field. Naturally, the E5 starts in complete silence, and setting off isn't met with clumsy lurching like old Omoda 5 vehicles fitted with the dual-clutch automatic were prone to. It's also very quiet, and the elevated driving position gives you a commanding view of the road ahead and makes this feel like a larger, more substantial vehicle. While straight-line acceleration is effortless and responsive, provided you don't mash the throttle and light up the front tyres, there's a bit of a disconnect between the drivetrain and handling. That big vehicle feel I mentioned earlier translates a little too much to the steering and handling, with very light weighting and minimal feedback, occasionally making the E5 feel a little vague and ponderous. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert It's pretty softly sprung too, so there's a bit of body lean in corners, which combined with the tall driving position can exacerbate the top-heavy feeling behind the wheel. That said, it's only really a drawback if you're a keen driver, and this is priced to be economy-class zero-emissions transport. Driven with a more measured approach in city and suburban environments, the E5 is a pretty comfortable and quiet runabout. It's a good size for urban living too, with relatively compact dimensions, front and rear parking sensors and a decent reversing camera – you need the flagship Ultimate for the excellent surround cameras. Outward visibility is good out the front and sides, though the rising belt line and slim rear window means the aforementioned sensors and camera come in handy, as does standard blind-spot and rear cross-traffic monitors. Things settle nicely on the open road too, with the E5 offering good sound insulation despite the absence of a combustion motor, and a settled ride that's only ever upset by sharp surface imperfections like expansion joins at the national highway limit – not helped by the larger 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/55 Kumho rubber. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert While it's mostly a decent if not good showing, Chery's driver assistance technologies still require some work. This is a complaint I've had about nearly every one of the company's cars I've driven. In fairness, it's mainly the Integrated Cruise Assist, which combines adaptive cruise control and active lane keeping tooffer semi-autonomous highway driving, that's not quite there. The lane-centring function still can't accurately keep the E5 centred in its lane, often jerking the steering wheel left as it dislikes the driver-side lane markings. Every now and then it'll wrestle you towards the vehicle next to you or a concrete barrier if it can't correctly detect the lane markings, which can be quite unsettling. Chery's driver monitoring system is also deserving of a common gripe made against Chinese brands, often chiming too eagerly even if you're just doing a head-check or glancing over at the infotainment display. To see how the Chery E5 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Chery E5 range remains a two-variant model family in Australia, though the old BX and EX trims are now called the Urban and Ultimate. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert 2025 Chery E5 Urban equipment highlights: 18-inch alloy wheels Kumho PS71 215/55 R18 tyres Full-size spare wheel Eco, Normal and Sport drive modes LED headlights LED front fog lights with cornering function Automatic high-beam Proximity entry with push-button start Rain-sensing wipers Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto DAB digital radio Voice assistant 50W wireless phone charger 6-speaker sound system Fabric upholstery with leatherette bolsters Folding rear armrest with cupholders Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents Gloss woodgrain effect trim with dark chrome accents Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment 3 x USB-A outlets (1 x dash, 1 x upper windscreen, 1 x rear) 2 x USB-C outlets (1 x front, 1 x rear) 2 x 12V outlets (1 x front, 1 x boot) E5 Ultimate adds: Sequential rear indicators Power sunroof Acoustic front door glass Rear privacy glass Power tailgate Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel Heated steering wheel Leatherette upholstery 6-way power driver's seat 4-way power passenger seat Heated front seats Heated outboard rear seats Colour-adjustable ambient lighting 8-speaker Sony sound system The Omoda E5 has the same five-star ANCAP safety rating as its petrol-powered siblings, based on 2022 test criteria. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert The tests were conducted by Euro NCAP, but when awarding the electric version the same five-star rating, ANCAP confirmed additional testing was conducted on the E5 to determine the integrity and safety of the E5's battery and high-voltage electrical system. Standard safety equipment includes: 7 airbags Adaptive cruise control Autonomous emergency braking Blind-spot monitoring Driver attention monitoring Lane-keep assist Emergency lane-keep assist Integrated Cruise Assist Traffic Jam Assist Parking sensors – front, rear Rear cross-traffic assist Safe exit warning Speed limit information Multi-collision brake Reversing camera Tyre pressure monitoring Ultimate adds: To see how the Chery E5 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool As with the wider Chery lineup, the Omoda E5 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with the high-voltage battery in EV models covered by a lengthy eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert To see how the Chery E5 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Since I drove this vehicle in MY24-spec, Chery has made a substantial change to the retail pricing which helps the value equation by some margin. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert A whole $6000 drop – even if there were sharp drive-away deals at the time of testing – is nothing to sneeze at, and the base Urban's new $36,990 sticker puts it in the company of a variety of legacy-branded combustion-powered SUVs. For a cheap electric crossover it drives well enough, it's equipped well enough, and it's arguably styled to look more expensive than it is. Keen drivers like me might find it underwhelming or boring on the road, but it's fine for what it is. The finicky driver assistance tech remains a complaint, but this is common to the bulk of Chery's lineup including even its new Omoda Jaecoo portfolio. It's an area where BYD and MG have made pretty good strides – though their equivalent models cost more. While it may lack some of the polish of the similarly sized BYD Atto 3 and MG S5 EV, the Chery E5 is thousands more affordable and offers more range than its Chinese rivals. That alone will be a key selling point for many. 2025 Chery E5 Credit: CarExpert CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Chery E5. Click here to get a great deal. MORE: Explore the Chery E5 showroom Sharp pricing Strong performance, long range Upmarket design inside and out Driver assists still need work Wallowy handling Plastic steering wheel in base spec
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Lexus Sport Concept previews LFA successor, may be an EV
The Lexus Sport Concept has been revealed at The Quail Motorsports Gathering, part of the Monterey Car Week, and it previews the brand's next supercar. Lexus has revealed very little about the car apart from the "future-focused" concept car "signals the way forward for Lexus design", and which also provides "vision for a next-generation sports car". The Sport Concept looks to be an evolution of the Electrified Sport concept that was first revealed at the end of 2021. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Both feature a long bonnet, small cabin, and short rear deck, but the earlier Electrified Sport was a riot of curves and included a rather droopy rear end. The new Sport Concept has a harder edged appearance with a variety of crisp character lines. It's not stated what type of drivetrain the Sport Concept is meant to have, but given the lack of visible exhaust hardware, the small air intake, and that it seems like an evolution of the Electrified Sport, it's possible the drivetrain is pure electric. Given Toyota's slow and steady approach to EVs, an all-electric successor to the well regarded V10-powered LFA would be quite a statement. The production version of the Sport Concept may be one of two supercars topping the Lexus range, with spy photographers nabbing photos last year of the another supercar. Thought to be called LFR, this vehicle also features a long bonnet and cab-backward design, but is basically a road-legal version of the GR GT3 race car. The LFR is believed to be powered by hybrid drivetrain with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core. The V8 is said to make between 515kW and 530kW, with total system output reportedly beyond 660kW. Reports indicate the LFR could debut later this year before going on sale in 2026. MORE: Everything Lexus Content originally sourced from: The Lexus Sport Concept has been revealed at The Quail Motorsports Gathering, part of the Monterey Car Week, and it previews the brand's next supercar. Lexus has revealed very little about the car apart from the "future-focused" concept car "signals the way forward for Lexus design", and which also provides "vision for a next-generation sports car". The Sport Concept looks to be an evolution of the Electrified Sport concept that was first revealed at the end of 2021. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Both feature a long bonnet, small cabin, and short rear deck, but the earlier Electrified Sport was a riot of curves and included a rather droopy rear end. The new Sport Concept has a harder edged appearance with a variety of crisp character lines. It's not stated what type of drivetrain the Sport Concept is meant to have, but given the lack of visible exhaust hardware, the small air intake, and that it seems like an evolution of the Electrified Sport, it's possible the drivetrain is pure electric. Given Toyota's slow and steady approach to EVs, an all-electric successor to the well regarded V10-powered LFA would be quite a statement. The production version of the Sport Concept may be one of two supercars topping the Lexus range, with spy photographers nabbing photos last year of the another supercar. Thought to be called LFR, this vehicle also features a long bonnet and cab-backward design, but is basically a road-legal version of the GR GT3 race car. The LFR is believed to be powered by hybrid drivetrain with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core. The V8 is said to make between 515kW and 530kW, with total system output reportedly beyond 660kW. Reports indicate the LFR could debut later this year before going on sale in 2026. MORE: Everything Lexus Content originally sourced from: The Lexus Sport Concept has been revealed at The Quail Motorsports Gathering, part of the Monterey Car Week, and it previews the brand's next supercar. Lexus has revealed very little about the car apart from the "future-focused" concept car "signals the way forward for Lexus design", and which also provides "vision for a next-generation sports car". The Sport Concept looks to be an evolution of the Electrified Sport concept that was first revealed at the end of 2021. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Both feature a long bonnet, small cabin, and short rear deck, but the earlier Electrified Sport was a riot of curves and included a rather droopy rear end. The new Sport Concept has a harder edged appearance with a variety of crisp character lines. It's not stated what type of drivetrain the Sport Concept is meant to have, but given the lack of visible exhaust hardware, the small air intake, and that it seems like an evolution of the Electrified Sport, it's possible the drivetrain is pure electric. Given Toyota's slow and steady approach to EVs, an all-electric successor to the well regarded V10-powered LFA would be quite a statement. The production version of the Sport Concept may be one of two supercars topping the Lexus range, with spy photographers nabbing photos last year of the another supercar. Thought to be called LFR, this vehicle also features a long bonnet and cab-backward design, but is basically a road-legal version of the GR GT3 race car. The LFR is believed to be powered by hybrid drivetrain with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core. The V8 is said to make between 515kW and 530kW, with total system output reportedly beyond 660kW. Reports indicate the LFR could debut later this year before going on sale in 2026. MORE: Everything Lexus Content originally sourced from: The Lexus Sport Concept has been revealed at The Quail Motorsports Gathering, part of the Monterey Car Week, and it previews the brand's next supercar. Lexus has revealed very little about the car apart from the "future-focused" concept car "signals the way forward for Lexus design", and which also provides "vision for a next-generation sports car". The Sport Concept looks to be an evolution of the Electrified Sport concept that was first revealed at the end of 2021. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Both feature a long bonnet, small cabin, and short rear deck, but the earlier Electrified Sport was a riot of curves and included a rather droopy rear end. The new Sport Concept has a harder edged appearance with a variety of crisp character lines. It's not stated what type of drivetrain the Sport Concept is meant to have, but given the lack of visible exhaust hardware, the small air intake, and that it seems like an evolution of the Electrified Sport, it's possible the drivetrain is pure electric. Given Toyota's slow and steady approach to EVs, an all-electric successor to the well regarded V10-powered LFA would be quite a statement. The production version of the Sport Concept may be one of two supercars topping the Lexus range, with spy photographers nabbing photos last year of the another supercar. Thought to be called LFR, this vehicle also features a long bonnet and cab-backward design, but is basically a road-legal version of the GR GT3 race car. The LFR is believed to be powered by hybrid drivetrain with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core. The V8 is said to make between 515kW and 530kW, with total system output reportedly beyond 660kW. Reports indicate the LFR could debut later this year before going on sale in 2026. MORE: Everything Lexus Content originally sourced from:
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Honda says it's no longer a ‘volume brand'
Honda says it's not a 'volume brand', but it's not using its upmarket status as a reason not to grow sales in Australia, where it says the CR-V has the potential to topple the Toyota RAV4 from its throne. The Japanese brand's local sales in the first seven months of 2025 have put Honda on target to sell more than 15,000 vehicles this year, which would would be its best result since adopting a controversial agency sales strategy in the middle of 2021, a year in which it sold 17,562 vehicles. But that's still a far cry from its pre-COVID days when it consistently sold more than 40,000 vehicles annually, including a peak of over 60,000 sales in 2007. While the switch to agency sales, which introduced fixed drive-away prices nationally and ownership of vehicles by Honda rather than its dealers, came with a lower annual sales forecast of around 18,000 vehicles, Honda Australia is still to reach that number. However, under the new leadership of CEO Jay Joseph and managing director Rob Thorp, both of whom took up their respective positions in April 2025, Honda says it has no intention to become a volume brand once again. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Honda. Click here to get a great deal. "We've earned this niche of not just being a mainstream brand that's just selling volume on price, but because of the inherent qualities and tech innate qualities of our products," Mr Joseph told CarExpert. "We've earned a spot where there are premium mainstream products. Honda is not trying to reposition itself as a volume brand – that is not our aspiration – but as far as the space we occupy here, we don't behave like a volume brand because we don't need to, because our value proposition is not just the product and not just the price, but it's how we take care of customers. "[But] Don't get me wrong – we have volume potential." Mr Joseph spoke of "aggressive" sales growth for the brand, but – while many auto brands including new Chinese entrants publicly state their sales forecasts and even their desired rank on the Australian sales charts – Honda will not. "We're not putting a number on it, but we're quite ambitious with our growth plan," Mr Thorp told CarExpert. "We think we've got a current product portfolio, plus a range of models that we're able to bring to market that's going to give us the opportunity to extract more growth out of this brand, and particularly the growth I think it deserves. "It all comes down to our ability to execute on the quality of the product that we're going to have access to – that becomes the challenge in the current environment." Honda Australia currently sells only five models – the small Civic hatchback, the mid-size Accord sedan, and the HR-V small SUV and ZR-V and CR-V mid-size SUVs – but it recently outlines a future product plan including the release of more hybrid powertrain options for its best-selling CR-V lineup to tackle the top-selling, hybrid-only Toyota RAV4. It also confirmed the born-again Honda Prelude sports car – with a hybrid powertrain – for Australian release in 2026, when it will also launch its first electric vehicle (EV). While Mr Thorp and Mr Joseph confirmed the company is keen on the Honda 0 Series range of EVs for Australia, they cautioned that the 0 Series (and the Prelude) won't be volume-sellers. Instead, the Honda Australia leadership team pointed to hybrid-powered mid-size SUVs, specifically the CR-V, as its biggest growth potential. "We know that the CR-V is the best vehicle in this segment – the CR-V hybrid is the absolute best vehicle in the segment in terms of driving performance and versatility, and the overall value proposition," Mr Joseph said. "When we look at how we take care of the customer after the sale – low-cost servicing, resale value – when you look at all of that together, aside from the fact it's the best driving vehicle in its segment… if it's the best vehicle in its segment, why wouldn't it be the best-selling vehicle in that segment? "I think that's the starting point. We look at those things and then if we can make the adjustments that can be the best-selling vehicle in the segment."That's our potential. That's how we look at that – and that's what we should achieve." To July this year the CR-V has notched up 3592 sales (down 11.2 per cent year-on-year), while the RAV4 – Toyota Australia's top-selling model and the nation's favourite SUV in 2024 – found 28,449 new homes (down 9.2 per cent). MORE: Explore the Honda showroom Content originally sourced from: Honda says it's not a 'volume brand', but it's not using its upmarket status as a reason not to grow sales in Australia, where it says the CR-V has the potential to topple the Toyota RAV4 from its throne. The Japanese brand's local sales in the first seven months of 2025 have put Honda on target to sell more than 15,000 vehicles this year, which would would be its best result since adopting a controversial agency sales strategy in the middle of 2021, a year in which it sold 17,562 vehicles. But that's still a far cry from its pre-COVID days when it consistently sold more than 40,000 vehicles annually, including a peak of over 60,000 sales in 2007. While the switch to agency sales, which introduced fixed drive-away prices nationally and ownership of vehicles by Honda rather than its dealers, came with a lower annual sales forecast of around 18,000 vehicles, Honda Australia is still to reach that number. However, under the new leadership of CEO Jay Joseph and managing director Rob Thorp, both of whom took up their respective positions in April 2025, Honda says it has no intention to become a volume brand once again. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Honda. Click here to get a great deal. "We've earned this niche of not just being a mainstream brand that's just selling volume on price, but because of the inherent qualities and tech innate qualities of our products," Mr Joseph told CarExpert. "We've earned a spot where there are premium mainstream products. Honda is not trying to reposition itself as a volume brand – that is not our aspiration – but as far as the space we occupy here, we don't behave like a volume brand because we don't need to, because our value proposition is not just the product and not just the price, but it's how we take care of customers. "[But] Don't get me wrong – we have volume potential." Mr Joseph spoke of "aggressive" sales growth for the brand, but – while many auto brands including new Chinese entrants publicly state their sales forecasts and even their desired rank on the Australian sales charts – Honda will not. "We're not putting a number on it, but we're quite ambitious with our growth plan," Mr Thorp told CarExpert. "We think we've got a current product portfolio, plus a range of models that we're able to bring to market that's going to give us the opportunity to extract more growth out of this brand, and particularly the growth I think it deserves. "It all comes down to our ability to execute on the quality of the product that we're going to have access to – that becomes the challenge in the current environment." Honda Australia currently sells only five models – the small Civic hatchback, the mid-size Accord sedan, and the HR-V small SUV and ZR-V and CR-V mid-size SUVs – but it recently outlines a future product plan including the release of more hybrid powertrain options for its best-selling CR-V lineup to tackle the top-selling, hybrid-only Toyota RAV4. It also confirmed the born-again Honda Prelude sports car – with a hybrid powertrain – for Australian release in 2026, when it will also launch its first electric vehicle (EV). While Mr Thorp and Mr Joseph confirmed the company is keen on the Honda 0 Series range of EVs for Australia, they cautioned that the 0 Series (and the Prelude) won't be volume-sellers. Instead, the Honda Australia leadership team pointed to hybrid-powered mid-size SUVs, specifically the CR-V, as its biggest growth potential. "We know that the CR-V is the best vehicle in this segment – the CR-V hybrid is the absolute best vehicle in the segment in terms of driving performance and versatility, and the overall value proposition," Mr Joseph said. "When we look at how we take care of the customer after the sale – low-cost servicing, resale value – when you look at all of that together, aside from the fact it's the best driving vehicle in its segment… if it's the best vehicle in its segment, why wouldn't it be the best-selling vehicle in that segment? "I think that's the starting point. We look at those things and then if we can make the adjustments that can be the best-selling vehicle in the segment."That's our potential. That's how we look at that – and that's what we should achieve." To July this year the CR-V has notched up 3592 sales (down 11.2 per cent year-on-year), while the RAV4 – Toyota Australia's top-selling model and the nation's favourite SUV in 2024 – found 28,449 new homes (down 9.2 per cent). MORE: Explore the Honda showroom Content originally sourced from: Honda says it's not a 'volume brand', but it's not using its upmarket status as a reason not to grow sales in Australia, where it says the CR-V has the potential to topple the Toyota RAV4 from its throne. The Japanese brand's local sales in the first seven months of 2025 have put Honda on target to sell more than 15,000 vehicles this year, which would would be its best result since adopting a controversial agency sales strategy in the middle of 2021, a year in which it sold 17,562 vehicles. But that's still a far cry from its pre-COVID days when it consistently sold more than 40,000 vehicles annually, including a peak of over 60,000 sales in 2007. While the switch to agency sales, which introduced fixed drive-away prices nationally and ownership of vehicles by Honda rather than its dealers, came with a lower annual sales forecast of around 18,000 vehicles, Honda Australia is still to reach that number. However, under the new leadership of CEO Jay Joseph and managing director Rob Thorp, both of whom took up their respective positions in April 2025, Honda says it has no intention to become a volume brand once again. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Honda. Click here to get a great deal. "We've earned this niche of not just being a mainstream brand that's just selling volume on price, but because of the inherent qualities and tech innate qualities of our products," Mr Joseph told CarExpert. "We've earned a spot where there are premium mainstream products. Honda is not trying to reposition itself as a volume brand – that is not our aspiration – but as far as the space we occupy here, we don't behave like a volume brand because we don't need to, because our value proposition is not just the product and not just the price, but it's how we take care of customers. "[But] Don't get me wrong – we have volume potential." Mr Joseph spoke of "aggressive" sales growth for the brand, but – while many auto brands including new Chinese entrants publicly state their sales forecasts and even their desired rank on the Australian sales charts – Honda will not. "We're not putting a number on it, but we're quite ambitious with our growth plan," Mr Thorp told CarExpert. "We think we've got a current product portfolio, plus a range of models that we're able to bring to market that's going to give us the opportunity to extract more growth out of this brand, and particularly the growth I think it deserves. "It all comes down to our ability to execute on the quality of the product that we're going to have access to – that becomes the challenge in the current environment." Honda Australia currently sells only five models – the small Civic hatchback, the mid-size Accord sedan, and the HR-V small SUV and ZR-V and CR-V mid-size SUVs – but it recently outlines a future product plan including the release of more hybrid powertrain options for its best-selling CR-V lineup to tackle the top-selling, hybrid-only Toyota RAV4. It also confirmed the born-again Honda Prelude sports car – with a hybrid powertrain – for Australian release in 2026, when it will also launch its first electric vehicle (EV). While Mr Thorp and Mr Joseph confirmed the company is keen on the Honda 0 Series range of EVs for Australia, they cautioned that the 0 Series (and the Prelude) won't be volume-sellers. Instead, the Honda Australia leadership team pointed to hybrid-powered mid-size SUVs, specifically the CR-V, as its biggest growth potential. "We know that the CR-V is the best vehicle in this segment – the CR-V hybrid is the absolute best vehicle in the segment in terms of driving performance and versatility, and the overall value proposition," Mr Joseph said. "When we look at how we take care of the customer after the sale – low-cost servicing, resale value – when you look at all of that together, aside from the fact it's the best driving vehicle in its segment… if it's the best vehicle in its segment, why wouldn't it be the best-selling vehicle in that segment? "I think that's the starting point. We look at those things and then if we can make the adjustments that can be the best-selling vehicle in the segment."That's our potential. That's how we look at that – and that's what we should achieve." To July this year the CR-V has notched up 3592 sales (down 11.2 per cent year-on-year), while the RAV4 – Toyota Australia's top-selling model and the nation's favourite SUV in 2024 – found 28,449 new homes (down 9.2 per cent). MORE: Explore the Honda showroom Content originally sourced from: Honda says it's not a 'volume brand', but it's not using its upmarket status as a reason not to grow sales in Australia, where it says the CR-V has the potential to topple the Toyota RAV4 from its throne. The Japanese brand's local sales in the first seven months of 2025 have put Honda on target to sell more than 15,000 vehicles this year, which would would be its best result since adopting a controversial agency sales strategy in the middle of 2021, a year in which it sold 17,562 vehicles. But that's still a far cry from its pre-COVID days when it consistently sold more than 40,000 vehicles annually, including a peak of over 60,000 sales in 2007. While the switch to agency sales, which introduced fixed drive-away prices nationally and ownership of vehicles by Honda rather than its dealers, came with a lower annual sales forecast of around 18,000 vehicles, Honda Australia is still to reach that number. However, under the new leadership of CEO Jay Joseph and managing director Rob Thorp, both of whom took up their respective positions in April 2025, Honda says it has no intention to become a volume brand once again. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Honda. Click here to get a great deal. "We've earned this niche of not just being a mainstream brand that's just selling volume on price, but because of the inherent qualities and tech innate qualities of our products," Mr Joseph told CarExpert. "We've earned a spot where there are premium mainstream products. Honda is not trying to reposition itself as a volume brand – that is not our aspiration – but as far as the space we occupy here, we don't behave like a volume brand because we don't need to, because our value proposition is not just the product and not just the price, but it's how we take care of customers. "[But] Don't get me wrong – we have volume potential." Mr Joseph spoke of "aggressive" sales growth for the brand, but – while many auto brands including new Chinese entrants publicly state their sales forecasts and even their desired rank on the Australian sales charts – Honda will not. "We're not putting a number on it, but we're quite ambitious with our growth plan," Mr Thorp told CarExpert. "We think we've got a current product portfolio, plus a range of models that we're able to bring to market that's going to give us the opportunity to extract more growth out of this brand, and particularly the growth I think it deserves. "It all comes down to our ability to execute on the quality of the product that we're going to have access to – that becomes the challenge in the current environment." Honda Australia currently sells only five models – the small Civic hatchback, the mid-size Accord sedan, and the HR-V small SUV and ZR-V and CR-V mid-size SUVs – but it recently outlines a future product plan including the release of more hybrid powertrain options for its best-selling CR-V lineup to tackle the top-selling, hybrid-only Toyota RAV4. It also confirmed the born-again Honda Prelude sports car – with a hybrid powertrain – for Australian release in 2026, when it will also launch its first electric vehicle (EV). While Mr Thorp and Mr Joseph confirmed the company is keen on the Honda 0 Series range of EVs for Australia, they cautioned that the 0 Series (and the Prelude) won't be volume-sellers. Instead, the Honda Australia leadership team pointed to hybrid-powered mid-size SUVs, specifically the CR-V, as its biggest growth potential. "We know that the CR-V is the best vehicle in this segment – the CR-V hybrid is the absolute best vehicle in the segment in terms of driving performance and versatility, and the overall value proposition," Mr Joseph said. "When we look at how we take care of the customer after the sale – low-cost servicing, resale value – when you look at all of that together, aside from the fact it's the best driving vehicle in its segment… if it's the best vehicle in its segment, why wouldn't it be the best-selling vehicle in that segment? "I think that's the starting point. We look at those things and then if we can make the adjustments that can be the best-selling vehicle in the segment."That's our potential. That's how we look at that – and that's what we should achieve." To July this year the CR-V has notched up 3592 sales (down 11.2 per cent year-on-year), while the RAV4 – Toyota Australia's top-selling model and the nation's favourite SUV in 2024 – found 28,449 new homes (down 9.2 per cent). MORE: Explore the Honda showroom Content originally sourced from:
