The powertrain GWM says it "would rather die" than build
Mazda has also given EREVs a go with its MX-30, but the small electrified SUV was sold only sold here in pure-electric and mild-hybrid forms. It was discontinued after nearly three years in the Australian market, with a total of 2297 examples sold.
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West Australian
21 hours ago
- West Australian
V8 Supercars: Six drivers to watch during Perth Super 440
The Perth Super 440 is building as an early championship shaper as the V8 Supercars complete their first day in Wanneroo. The grid had two practice sessions on Friday, ahead of the circuit reaching its 100th race on Sunday, and there was barely more than a second separating the fastest from the slowest. Hometown hero Brodie Kostecki left his best for last on Friday but was slower than expected while some of the grid's younger racers strutted their stuff atop the time sheets. Championship leader Broc Feeney showed his strong form and will be one of the drivers to watch. Broc Feeney Feeney enters the fifth round of the Championship with his first-ever driver's standings lead, having leapfrogged Red Bull teammate Will Brown with a tremendous weekend in Tasmania last month. The 22-year-old was handed one of the toughest tasks in Australian motorsport when he entered the Supercars in 2022, replacing legend Jamie Whincup while also partnering Shane Van Gisbergen. However, the youngster embraced the challenge, walking in his predecessor's shoes with a sixth-placed rookie season before being pipped at the post for the Championship last year by Brown. He has also started in style in 2025, winning three races and claiming six podiums. And he made a bright start in Perth, tiptoeing through the early laps while the field layed down rubber after the circuit was scoured by rain during the week, before putting the foot down to finish in the top five in both 30-minute practise sessions. Will Brown Fellow Red Bull racer Brown put the disappointment of Tasmania behind him on Friday, finding consistent pace to claim lap times inside the top 10. However, those laps are unlikely to satisfy the reigning champion, who became the first driver in 40 years to podium at every round during his first year with Triple Eight. Brown has been a regular inside the top five to start the season but has just one win among his six podiums and would love to knock Feeney back down to second with a win or two in Perth. There is no doubt the 28-year-old from Toowoomba is the hunted this year and will be under intense pressure again in Wanneroo. Brodie Kostecki Hometown hero Kostecki will be hopeful that he can be the one applying the pressure as he adjusts to his new team. Kostecki won the title in 2023, but a turbulent year off the track ruined his hopes last year before he made the switch to Dick Johnson Racing. The 27-year-old has yet to break through in the Shell V-Power Mustang and looked to be on struggle street in first practice, finishing 21st. The Ballajura product saved his best for last, recording his best two times on his last two laps, but could only go 18th fastest. The increase in pace offers Kostecki hope, and he will be eager to fight towards the top of the grid in qualifying on Saturday. Matthew Payne A man who had no issues in practice was 22-year-old Kiwi Matthew Payne. Payne has the weight of expectations on his shoulders, touted as the next big thing out of New Zealand after Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen. But that weight did nothing to stop him in Perth on Friday, topping the second practice time charts. The youngster has showed wisdom and patience beyond his years so far in 2025. Chaz Mostert Chaz Mostert was one of only a handful of drivers who found consistency during practice, going seventh and sixth fastest. Consistency has been a feature of the 33-year-old's campaign to date, with the two-time Bathurst winner claiming one win. However, he will be hoping to grab his first pole position of the season, with Perth always a friendly track for those at the front. Should he fall into the middle of the pack, though, he has the skills and hunger to put on a show for the fans. Cam Waters Always a divisive driver, Cam Waters will undoubtedly put his Monster Energy car in the thick of the action as the weekend progresses. He sits fourth in the championship hunt with three wins and having earned three pole positions. Practise will have left the two-time Supercars runner-up and three-time Bathurst podium-finisher wanting, however. He managed to crack the top 10 with the eighth fastest time in practice one but fell outside of the 10 in the eleventh the second time around. But as he has shown this year already, qualifying is where his competitive juices flow strongest. And if anyone needed a reminder of how well Waters can perform in the spotlight, just remember how he earned his start in 2011. At just 17, he tackled Mount Panorama in a Kelly Racing Commodore with Grant Denyer as his prize for winning the inaugural Supercar Showdown TV series.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Kia won't extend warranty to best Hyundai
Kia Australia says it's not looking to extend its factory warranty beyond seven years, regardless of the increasing number of other auto brands – including its own sister brand Hyundai – now offering aftersales coverage for the same period or longer. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian launch of the facelifted Sportage SUV, the company's general manager for product Roland Rivero said the Korean brand's once-benchmark warranty is no longer a key reason for purchase for its customers, and therefore it's focusing on other areas. 'I think we were very fortunate when we did launch [that] very definitive seven-year warranty… with how much clear air time we had before other OEMs [automakers] introduced theirs. That did a great job for our brand. It gave people permission to look at a Kia product, and for that point in time and where the brand was at, it was required,' Mr Rivero said. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . 'Where the brand is at now, the warranty component is not so much the driver of what makes customers walk into our showroom. We're quite happy with where it is at the moment – the same as what we launched back in October 2014 – and there are no plans that I'm aware of to change or go any higher. 'I think that component of reason for purchase, which was once probably number one, isn't quite number one anymore. It's slipped further down, and more of a closing component, as opposed to the main reason to attract customers into the Kia brand,' Mr Rivero added. Kia Australia was the first brand in Australia to offer a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty, which commenced on October 1, 2014. Unlike many brands at the time that stipulated conditions around roadside assistance, capped-price servicing or mileage, Kia's comprehensive cover also included roadside assistance and capped price servicing for the same period. Before that, Hyundai Australia pioneered the five-year warranty back in 2007. Kia followed suit in 2008, at a time when the warranties of most brands didn't extend past three years or 150,000km, at best. On July 1, 2025, Korean compatriot Hyundai Australia will move to a similar seven-year/unlimited-km warranty, which will be backdated to all new vehicles registered from January 1, 2025. The introduction of a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty brings Hyundai in line with sister brand Kia, as well as Chery and Skoda, which is the only European brand backing its vehicles with seven years of coverage. Nissan Australia moved to a conditional 10-year/300,000km warranty earlier this year – contingent on vehicles behind serviced within the brand's dealer network over that time – matching Alliance partner Mitsubishi's similar program (albeit limited to 200,000km). MG Motor Australia covers all of its vehicles with a 10-year/250,000km warranty with no servicing requirement to extend the coverage to a decade – though it's only for private buyers who don't use their vehicles for commercial purposes. Business customers receive a seven-year/160,000km warranty. MORE: Hyundai Australia launching seven-year warranty to match Kia, Chery
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Kia won't extend warranty to best Hyundai
Kia Australia says it's not looking to extend its factory warranty beyond seven years, regardless of the increasing number of other auto brands – including its own sister brand Hyundai – now offering aftersales coverage for the same period or longer. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian launch of the facelifted Sportage SUV, the company's general manager for product Roland Rivero said the Korean brand's once-benchmark warranty is no longer a key reason for purchase for its customers, and therefore it's focusing on other areas. 'I think we were very fortunate when we did launch [that] very definitive seven-year warranty… with how much clear air time we had before other OEMs [automakers] introduced theirs. That did a great job for our brand. It gave people permission to look at a Kia product, and for that point in time and where the brand was at, it was required,' Mr Rivero said. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'Where the brand is at now, the warranty component is not so much the driver of what makes customers walk into our showroom. We're quite happy with where it is at the moment – the same as what we launched back in October 2014 – and there are no plans that I'm aware of to change or go any higher. 'I think that component of reason for purchase, which was once probably number one, isn't quite number one anymore. It's slipped further down, and more of a closing component, as opposed to the main reason to attract customers into the Kia brand,' Mr Rivero added. Kia Australia was the first brand in Australia to offer a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty, which commenced on October 1, 2014. Unlike many brands at the time that stipulated conditions around roadside assistance, capped-price servicing or mileage, Kia's comprehensive cover also included roadside assistance and capped price servicing for the same period. Before that, Hyundai Australia pioneered the five-year warranty back in 2007. Kia followed suit in 2008, at a time when the warranties of most brands didn't extend past three years or 150,000km, at best. Supplied Credit: CarExpert On July 1, 2025, Korean compatriot Hyundai Australia will move to a similar seven-year/unlimited-km warranty, which will be backdated to all new vehicles registered from January 1, 2025. The introduction of a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty brings Hyundai in line with sister brand Kia, as well as Chery and Skoda, which is the only European brand backing its vehicles with seven years of coverage. Nissan Australia moved to a conditional 10-year/300,000km warranty earlier this year – contingent on vehicles behind serviced within the brand's dealer network over that time – matching Alliance partner Mitsubishi's similar program (albeit limited to 200,000km). MG Motor Australia covers all of its vehicles with a 10-year/250,000km warranty with no servicing requirement to extend the coverage to a decade – though it's only for private buyers who don't use their vehicles for commercial purposes. Business customers receive a seven-year/160,000km warranty. MORE: Hyundai Australia launching seven-year warranty to match Kia, Chery
