Latest news with #GMAustralia
The Advertiser
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
2025 GMC Yukon Denali price and specs
UPDATED 12/05/2025 12:00pm: GM Australia and New Zealand has confirmed aftersales information for the GMC Yukon Denali, which we've updated below, and our launch review is now live. General Motors is gunning for the likes of the Lexus LX in Australia with the new 2025 GMC Yukon Denali. Orders have opened for the full-size luxury SUV ahead of deliveries occurring over the third quarter of 2025.. It wears a price tag of $174,990 before on-road costs, with GM Australia and New Zealand confirming on April 15 it was raising the Yukon Denali's price by $5000 due to "ongoing foreign exchange rate volatility and cost increases". This puts the V8-powered eight-seat SUV between entry-level and mid-range versions of the twin-turbo petrol V6-powered Lexus LX 600. The Yukon Denali is being locally remanufactured to right-hand drive in Melbourne by Walkinshaw Automotive, like the Chevrolet Silverado pickup it's related to. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) has opted to bring in only a single trim of the Yukon: the Denali, which until recently was the fanciest member of the lineup. In markets like the US, there's an even fancier Denali Ultimate that adds another eight speakers and massaging front seats, as well as unique interior trim. You can also get an extended-wheelbase version of the Yukon called the Yukon XL, but that's not coming here. The Yukon Denali is the first GMC vehicle that General Motors has brought to Australia. It offers most of the luxury accoutrements of the Cadillac Escalade which GM has thus far opted not to bring here, instead confirming its flagship brand will sell only electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia. GMC historically did little more than rebadge Chevrolet vehicles, but over the past several years GM has invested more in the brand to give its vehicles greater differentiation inside and out. GM is taking its GMC brand – which has largely been limited to North America and the Middle East – to more markets around the globe. In addition to launching in Australia and New Zealand, it's also entering the Chinese market. The Yukon Denali will be sold through the existing GMSV dealer network alongside the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Silverado HD and Corvette. There's just one engine on offer: a direct-injected, naturally aspirated 6.2-litre petrol V8 with cylinder deactivation. The Yukon Denali rides on Air Ride adaptive suspension with GM's Magnetic Ride Control, adaptive suspension technology also used by brands like Ferrari, which features dampers with magnetorheological fluid. Its Active Response four-wheel drive system includes an electronic limited-slip differential and a two-speed transfer case with 2WD Hi, 4WD Auto, 4WD Hi and 4WD Low modes. GM says it has no plans at this stage to expand its warranty offering or introduce capped-price servicing. The GMC Yukon has yet to be tested by ANCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: Standard equipment includes: GMSV will offer a range of 25 accessories, including puddle lights and illuminated badges. MORE: Why GM chose to bring yet another brand to AustraliaMORE: Everything GMC Yukon Content originally sourced from: UPDATED 12/05/2025 12:00pm: GM Australia and New Zealand has confirmed aftersales information for the GMC Yukon Denali, which we've updated below, and our launch review is now live. General Motors is gunning for the likes of the Lexus LX in Australia with the new 2025 GMC Yukon Denali. Orders have opened for the full-size luxury SUV ahead of deliveries occurring over the third quarter of 2025.. It wears a price tag of $174,990 before on-road costs, with GM Australia and New Zealand confirming on April 15 it was raising the Yukon Denali's price by $5000 due to "ongoing foreign exchange rate volatility and cost increases". This puts the V8-powered eight-seat SUV between entry-level and mid-range versions of the twin-turbo petrol V6-powered Lexus LX 600. The Yukon Denali is being locally remanufactured to right-hand drive in Melbourne by Walkinshaw Automotive, like the Chevrolet Silverado pickup it's related to. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) has opted to bring in only a single trim of the Yukon: the Denali, which until recently was the fanciest member of the lineup. In markets like the US, there's an even fancier Denali Ultimate that adds another eight speakers and massaging front seats, as well as unique interior trim. You can also get an extended-wheelbase version of the Yukon called the Yukon XL, but that's not coming here. The Yukon Denali is the first GMC vehicle that General Motors has brought to Australia. It offers most of the luxury accoutrements of the Cadillac Escalade which GM has thus far opted not to bring here, instead confirming its flagship brand will sell only electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia. GMC historically did little more than rebadge Chevrolet vehicles, but over the past several years GM has invested more in the brand to give its vehicles greater differentiation inside and out. GM is taking its GMC brand – which has largely been limited to North America and the Middle East – to more markets around the globe. In addition to launching in Australia and New Zealand, it's also entering the Chinese market. The Yukon Denali will be sold through the existing GMSV dealer network alongside the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Silverado HD and Corvette. There's just one engine on offer: a direct-injected, naturally aspirated 6.2-litre petrol V8 with cylinder deactivation. The Yukon Denali rides on Air Ride adaptive suspension with GM's Magnetic Ride Control, adaptive suspension technology also used by brands like Ferrari, which features dampers with magnetorheological fluid. Its Active Response four-wheel drive system includes an electronic limited-slip differential and a two-speed transfer case with 2WD Hi, 4WD Auto, 4WD Hi and 4WD Low modes. GM says it has no plans at this stage to expand its warranty offering or introduce capped-price servicing. The GMC Yukon has yet to be tested by ANCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: Standard equipment includes: GMSV will offer a range of 25 accessories, including puddle lights and illuminated badges. MORE: Why GM chose to bring yet another brand to AustraliaMORE: Everything GMC Yukon Content originally sourced from: UPDATED 12/05/2025 12:00pm: GM Australia and New Zealand has confirmed aftersales information for the GMC Yukon Denali, which we've updated below, and our launch review is now live. General Motors is gunning for the likes of the Lexus LX in Australia with the new 2025 GMC Yukon Denali. Orders have opened for the full-size luxury SUV ahead of deliveries occurring over the third quarter of 2025.. It wears a price tag of $174,990 before on-road costs, with GM Australia and New Zealand confirming on April 15 it was raising the Yukon Denali's price by $5000 due to "ongoing foreign exchange rate volatility and cost increases". This puts the V8-powered eight-seat SUV between entry-level and mid-range versions of the twin-turbo petrol V6-powered Lexus LX 600. The Yukon Denali is being locally remanufactured to right-hand drive in Melbourne by Walkinshaw Automotive, like the Chevrolet Silverado pickup it's related to. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) has opted to bring in only a single trim of the Yukon: the Denali, which until recently was the fanciest member of the lineup. In markets like the US, there's an even fancier Denali Ultimate that adds another eight speakers and massaging front seats, as well as unique interior trim. You can also get an extended-wheelbase version of the Yukon called the Yukon XL, but that's not coming here. The Yukon Denali is the first GMC vehicle that General Motors has brought to Australia. It offers most of the luxury accoutrements of the Cadillac Escalade which GM has thus far opted not to bring here, instead confirming its flagship brand will sell only electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia. GMC historically did little more than rebadge Chevrolet vehicles, but over the past several years GM has invested more in the brand to give its vehicles greater differentiation inside and out. GM is taking its GMC brand – which has largely been limited to North America and the Middle East – to more markets around the globe. In addition to launching in Australia and New Zealand, it's also entering the Chinese market. The Yukon Denali will be sold through the existing GMSV dealer network alongside the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Silverado HD and Corvette. There's just one engine on offer: a direct-injected, naturally aspirated 6.2-litre petrol V8 with cylinder deactivation. The Yukon Denali rides on Air Ride adaptive suspension with GM's Magnetic Ride Control, adaptive suspension technology also used by brands like Ferrari, which features dampers with magnetorheological fluid. Its Active Response four-wheel drive system includes an electronic limited-slip differential and a two-speed transfer case with 2WD Hi, 4WD Auto, 4WD Hi and 4WD Low modes. GM says it has no plans at this stage to expand its warranty offering or introduce capped-price servicing. The GMC Yukon has yet to be tested by ANCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: Standard equipment includes: GMSV will offer a range of 25 accessories, including puddle lights and illuminated badges. MORE: Why GM chose to bring yet another brand to AustraliaMORE: Everything GMC Yukon Content originally sourced from: UPDATED 12/05/2025 12:00pm: GM Australia and New Zealand has confirmed aftersales information for the GMC Yukon Denali, which we've updated below, and our launch review is now live. General Motors is gunning for the likes of the Lexus LX in Australia with the new 2025 GMC Yukon Denali. Orders have opened for the full-size luxury SUV ahead of deliveries occurring over the third quarter of 2025.. It wears a price tag of $174,990 before on-road costs, with GM Australia and New Zealand confirming on April 15 it was raising the Yukon Denali's price by $5000 due to "ongoing foreign exchange rate volatility and cost increases". This puts the V8-powered eight-seat SUV between entry-level and mid-range versions of the twin-turbo petrol V6-powered Lexus LX 600. The Yukon Denali is being locally remanufactured to right-hand drive in Melbourne by Walkinshaw Automotive, like the Chevrolet Silverado pickup it's related to. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) has opted to bring in only a single trim of the Yukon: the Denali, which until recently was the fanciest member of the lineup. In markets like the US, there's an even fancier Denali Ultimate that adds another eight speakers and massaging front seats, as well as unique interior trim. You can also get an extended-wheelbase version of the Yukon called the Yukon XL, but that's not coming here. The Yukon Denali is the first GMC vehicle that General Motors has brought to Australia. It offers most of the luxury accoutrements of the Cadillac Escalade which GM has thus far opted not to bring here, instead confirming its flagship brand will sell only electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia. GMC historically did little more than rebadge Chevrolet vehicles, but over the past several years GM has invested more in the brand to give its vehicles greater differentiation inside and out. GM is taking its GMC brand – which has largely been limited to North America and the Middle East – to more markets around the globe. In addition to launching in Australia and New Zealand, it's also entering the Chinese market. The Yukon Denali will be sold through the existing GMSV dealer network alongside the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Silverado HD and Corvette. There's just one engine on offer: a direct-injected, naturally aspirated 6.2-litre petrol V8 with cylinder deactivation. The Yukon Denali rides on Air Ride adaptive suspension with GM's Magnetic Ride Control, adaptive suspension technology also used by brands like Ferrari, which features dampers with magnetorheological fluid. Its Active Response four-wheel drive system includes an electronic limited-slip differential and a two-speed transfer case with 2WD Hi, 4WD Auto, 4WD Hi and 4WD Low modes. GM says it has no plans at this stage to expand its warranty offering or introduce capped-price servicing. The GMC Yukon has yet to be tested by ANCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: Standard equipment includes: GMSV will offer a range of 25 accessories, including puddle lights and illuminated badges. MORE: Why GM chose to bring yet another brand to AustraliaMORE: Everything GMC Yukon Content originally sourced from:
West Australian
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
2026 Chevrolet Corvette update brings less quirky cabin
The Chevrolet Corvette's bridge of buttons is gone! The distinctive interior design detail, comprising a strip of climate control buttons placed on a divider next to the passenger side of the centre console, has been removed. The climate controls are now positioned below the infotainment touchscreen, one of a number of changes made to Chevrolet's supercar for 2026. We've contacted GM Australia and New Zealand to confirm when the updated Corvette will come here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . The changes apply to the whole range, which comprises Stingray, Z06, E-Ray and ZR1 variants. All bar the latter are sold in Australia, for which the ZR1 has been ruled out because it's not produced in right-hand drive. The 2026 Corvette updates centre on the interior, which gains an extra screen – a 6.6-inch auxiliary touchscreen on the opposite side of the steering wheel from the infotainment touchscreen, which displays configurable information like trip data. Said infotainment screen is now a 12.7-inch unit, up from 8.0 inches, and features Google built-in which allows you to download apps like Google Chrome and HBO Max through the Google Play store. This means you can stream movies and browse the internet while you're parked. The digital instrument cluster has grown from 12 inches to 14 inches and can be had with a carbon-fibre display hood. The E-Ray's Performance App, which shows live power and torque flow, has now been made available across the entire Corvette lineup. Viewable on the auxiliary display and infotainment screen, available information now also include gauges for G-force, tyre pressure and oil pressure, as well as temperature for the oil, coolant and transmission fluid. Chevrolet also says you can send these gauges from the app to the digital instrument cluster in Tour and Sport mode 'for further customisation'. Hardware and software updates bring revised graphics with sharper colours and fresh animations to the screens, including to the Performance Data Recorder. Chevrolet has made improvements aimed at making crucial controls more accessible to the driver, with the drive mode selector redesigned and relocated. Instead of a wheel underneath a wrist rest, a somewhat finicky arrangement, there's now a rocker switch in line with the gear selector. A wireless phone charging pad now sits in the place of the old wrist rest and drive mode wheel, and a cover keeps your phone in place. The volume knob has grown larger and features an illuminated base, while the cupholders have been redesigned and feature ambient lighting. In 2LT/2LZ and 3LT/3LZ trims, these cupholders are highlighted with real aluminium. While there's a row of physical buttons under the touchscreen for the climate control, the heated and ventilated seat functions have moved to the touchscreen as part of an anchored bar at the bottom of the display. Head-up display controls have also moved to the touchscreen. The 2026 Corvette also debuts four new interior colourways, available on all variants. These are: The latter sees a Jet Black suede across 'nearly all interior surfaces', and is customisable with stitching and seatbelts finished in either Adrenaline Red, Santorini Blue or Competition Yellow. If you opt for the Adrenaline Red interior, you can specify a mixed seating option with a 'racing-inspired' Adrenaline Red Competition driver's seat and a Jet Black GT2 passenger seat. Finally, the E-Ray's Charge+ button – which activates a mode intended to replenish battery charge more quickly – has been moved to the steering wheel, while a new USB-C port has been added to the passenger side of the cabin below the grab handle. It's not just interior changes that Chevrolet has delivered for 2026. The Performance Traction Management system gains a new PTM Pro mode, which turns off the electronic stability control and traction control and leaves anti-lock brakes and, in the E-Ray, certain front axle controls active. The Corvette ZR1's ZTK performance package gains a new brake package with 10-piston front and 6-piston rear calipers plus carbon-ceramic discs which are the largest ever fitted to a production Corvette. The Corvette is the latest GM product to get an electrochromic roof, allowing you to toggle between three tint options for the targa roof glass at the push of a button. There are two new metallic exterior finishes – Roswell Green and Blade Silver – plus a new asymmetrical exterior centre stripe, available in Edge Red/Carbon Flash. Body-colour rocker panels are standard on the E-Ray and available on the Z06, while the blue brake calipers previously exclusive to the ZR1 are now available on the E-Ray and Z06. Australian deliveries of the current C8 Corvette – the first mid-engine generation of Chevrolet's sports car – commenced in 2022. The E-Ray and Z06 joined the Stingray in 2024. All are built in right-hand drive at GM's Bowling Green, Kentucky plant in the US, unlike other Chevrolets sold here which are remanufactured locally in right-hand drive. GM Specialty Vehicles delivered 225 Corvettes in 2022, rising to 338 in 2023 and 441 in 2024. MORE: Everything Chevrolet Corvette
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
2026 Chevrolet Corvette update brings less quirky cabin
The Chevrolet Corvette's bridge of buttons is gone! The distinctive interior design detail, comprising a strip of climate control buttons placed on a divider next to the passenger side of the centre console, has been removed. The climate controls are now positioned below the infotainment touchscreen, one of a number of changes made to Chevrolet's supercar for 2026. We've contacted GM Australia and New Zealand to confirm when the updated Corvette will come here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Z06 with Sky Cool/Medium Ash Grey interior Credit: CarExpert The changes apply to the whole range, which comprises Stingray, Z06, E-Ray and ZR1 variants. All bar the latter are sold in Australia, for which the ZR1 has been ruled out because it's not produced in right-hand drive. The 2026 Corvette updates centre on the interior, which gains an extra screen – a 6.6-inch auxiliary touchscreen on the opposite side of the steering wheel from the infotainment touchscreen, which displays configurable information like trip data. Said infotainment screen is now a 12.7-inch unit, up from 8.0 inches, and features Google built-in which allows you to download apps like Google Chrome and HBO Max through the Google Play store. This means you can stream movies and browse the internet while you're parked. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The digital instrument cluster has grown from 12 inches to 14 inches and can be had with a carbon-fibre display hood. The E-Ray's Performance App, which shows live power and torque flow, has now been made available across the entire Corvette lineup. Viewable on the auxiliary display and infotainment screen, available information now also include gauges for G-force, tyre pressure and oil pressure, as well as temperature for the oil, coolant and transmission fluid. Chevrolet also says you can send these gauges from the app to the digital instrument cluster in Tour and Sport mode 'for further customisation'. ZR1 with Santorini Blue interior Credit: CarExpert Hardware and software updates bring revised graphics with sharper colours and fresh animations to the screens, including to the Performance Data Recorder. Chevrolet has made improvements aimed at making crucial controls more accessible to the driver, with the drive mode selector redesigned and relocated. Instead of a wheel underneath a wrist rest, a somewhat finicky arrangement, there's now a rocker switch in line with the gear selector. A wireless phone charging pad now sits in the place of the old wrist rest and drive mode wheel, and a cover keeps your phone in place. Stingray with Asymmetrical Adrenaline Red interior Credit: CarExpert The volume knob has grown larger and features an illuminated base, while the cupholders have been redesigned and feature ambient lighting. In 2LT/2LZ and 3LT/3LZ trims, these cupholders are highlighted with real aluminium. While there's a row of physical buttons under the touchscreen for the climate control, the heated and ventilated seat functions have moved to the touchscreen as part of an anchored bar at the bottom of the display. Head-up display controls have also moved to the touchscreen. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The 2026 Corvette also debuts four new interior colourways, available on all variants. These are: Jet Black and Adrenaline Red, which Chevrolet calls its first asymmetrical interior Sky Cool and Medium Ash Grey with Habenero accents Santorini Blue Very Dark Atmosphere, a chocolate brown with Jet Black, Natural tan accents Ultimate Suede The latter sees a Jet Black suede across 'nearly all interior surfaces', and is customisable with stitching and seatbelts finished in either Adrenaline Red, Santorini Blue or Competition Yellow. ZR1 Credit: CarExpert If you opt for the Adrenaline Red interior, you can specify a mixed seating option with a 'racing-inspired' Adrenaline Red Competition driver's seat and a Jet Black GT2 passenger seat. Finally, the E-Ray's Charge+ button – which activates a mode intended to replenish battery charge more quickly – has been moved to the steering wheel, while a new USB-C port has been added to the passenger side of the cabin below the grab handle. It's not just interior changes that Chevrolet has delivered for 2026. The Performance Traction Management system gains a new PTM Pro mode, which turns off the electronic stability control and traction control and leaves anti-lock brakes and, in the E-Ray, certain front axle controls active. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The Corvette ZR1's ZTK performance package gains a new brake package with 10-piston front and 6-piston rear calipers plus carbon-ceramic discs which are the largest ever fitted to a production Corvette. The Corvette is the latest GM product to get an electrochromic roof, allowing you to toggle between three tint options for the targa roof glass at the push of a button. There are two new metallic exterior finishes – Roswell Green and Blade Silver – plus a new asymmetrical exterior centre stripe, available in Edge Red/Carbon Flash. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Body-colour rocker panels are standard on the E-Ray and available on the Z06, while the blue brake calipers previously exclusive to the ZR1 are now available on the E-Ray and Z06. Australian deliveries of the current C8 Corvette – the first mid-engine generation of Chevrolet's sports car – commenced in 2022. The E-Ray and Z06 joined the Stingray in 2024. All are built in right-hand drive at GM's Bowling Green, Kentucky plant in the US, unlike other Chevrolets sold here which are remanufactured locally in right-hand drive. GM Specialty Vehicles delivered 225 Corvettes in 2022, rising to 338 in 2023 and 441 in 2024. MORE: Everything Chevrolet Corvette
7NEWS
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
2026 Chevrolet Corvette update brings less quirky cabin
The Chevrolet Corvette's bridge of buttons is gone! The distinctive interior design detail, comprising a strip of climate control buttons placed on a divider next to the passenger side of the centre console, has been removed. The climate controls are now positioned below the infotainment touchscreen, one of a number of changes made to Chevrolet's supercar for 2026. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today We've contacted GM Australia and New Zealand to confirm when the updated Corvette will come here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The changes apply to the whole range, which comprises Stingray, Z06, E-Ray and ZR1 variants. All bar the latter are sold in Australia, for which the ZR1 has been ruled out because it's not produced in right-hand drive. The 2026 Corvette updates centre on the interior, which gains an extra screen – a 6.6-inch auxiliary touchscreen on the opposite side of the steering wheel from the infotainment touchscreen, which displays configurable information like trip data. Said infotainment screen is now a 12.7-inch unit, up from 8.0 inches, and features Google built-in which allows you to download apps like Google Chrome and HBO Max through the Google Play store. This means you can stream movies and browse the internet while you're parked. The digital instrument cluster has grown from 12 inches to 14 inches and can be had with a carbon-fibre display hood. The E-Ray's Performance App, which shows live power and torque flow, has now been made available across the entire Corvette lineup. Viewable on the auxiliary display and infotainment screen, available information now also include gauges for G-force, tyre pressure and oil pressure, as well as temperature for the oil, coolant and transmission fluid. Chevrolet also says you can send these gauges from the app to the digital instrument cluster in Tour and Sport mode 'for further customisation'. Hardware and software updates bring revised graphics with sharper colours and fresh animations to the screens, including to the Performance Data Recorder. Chevrolet has made improvements aimed at making crucial controls more accessible to the driver, with the drive mode selector redesigned and relocated. Instead of a wheel underneath a wrist rest, a somewhat finicky arrangement, there's now a rocker switch in line with the gear selector. A wireless phone charging pad now sits in the place of the old wrist rest and drive mode wheel, and a cover keeps your phone in place. The volume knob has grown larger and features an illuminated base, while the cupholders have been redesigned and feature ambient lighting. In 2LT/2LZ and 3LT/3LZ trims, these cupholders are highlighted with real aluminium. While there's a row of physical buttons under the touchscreen for the climate control, the heated and ventilated seat functions have moved to the touchscreen as part of an anchored bar at the bottom of the display. Head-up display controls have also moved to the touchscreen. The 2026 Corvette also debuts four new interior colourways, available on all variants. These are: Jet Black and Adrenaline Red, which Chevrolet calls its first asymmetrical interior Sky Cool and Medium Ash Grey with Habenero accents Santorini Blue Very Dark Atmosphere, a chocolate brown with Jet Black, Natural tan accents Ultimate Suede The latter sees a Jet Black suede across 'nearly all interior surfaces', and is customisable with stitching and seatbelts finished in either Adrenaline Red, Santorini Blue or Competition Yellow. If you opt for the Adrenaline Red interior, you can specify a mixed seating option with a 'racing-inspired' Adrenaline Red Competition driver's seat and a Jet Black GT2 passenger seat. Finally, the E-Ray's Charge+ button – which activates a mode intended to replenish battery charge more quickly – has been moved to the steering wheel, while a new USB-C port has been added to the passenger side of the cabin below the grab handle. It's not just interior changes that Chevrolet has delivered for 2026. The Performance Traction Management system gains a new PTM Pro mode, which turns off the electronic stability control and traction control and leaves anti-lock brakes and, in the E-Ray, certain front axle controls active. The Corvette ZR1's ZTK performance package gains a new brake package with 10-piston front and 6-piston rear calipers plus carbon-ceramic discs which are the largest ever fitted to a production Corvette. The Corvette is the latest GM product to get an electrochromic roof, allowing you to toggle between three tint options for the targa roof glass at the push of a button. There are two new metallic exterior finishes – Roswell Green and Blade Silver – plus a new asymmetrical exterior centre stripe, available in Edge Red/Carbon Flash. Body-colour rocker panels are standard on the E-Ray and available on the Z06, while the blue brake calipers previously exclusive to the ZR1 are now available on the E-Ray and Z06. Australian deliveries of the current C8 Corvette – the first mid-engine generation of Chevrolet's sports car – commenced in 2022. The E-Ray and Z06 joined the Stingray in 2024. All are built in right-hand drive at GM's Bowling Green, Kentucky plant in the US, unlike other Chevrolets sold here which are remanufactured locally in right-hand drive. GM Specialty Vehicles delivered 225 Corvettes in 2022, rising to 338 in 2023 and 441 in 2024.
7NEWS
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Cadillac Australia thinks one hot electric SUV is enough for now
Cadillac will soon reveal the Optiq-V, which will be only the third SUV and the second electric vehicle to wear its vaunted V-Series performance nameplate. And it won't be coming here. 'No, [Optiq-V isn't] coming here. We'll have a Lyriq-V,' GM Australia and New Zealand managing director Jess Bala told CarExpert. 'We haven't done a V-Series here before, so we want to assess that one first and then we have to look at different regulations within battery architectures and things like that. 'So we'll start with Lyriq-V, and we'll continue to assess if there are opportunities that arise.' Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. As both an electric SUV and a member of the V-Series line, the Optiq-V is expected to get a more powerful dual-motor all-wheel drive electric powertrain than the regular Optiq, which is due on sale here in 2026. The larger Lyriq-V is also due here in 2026. General Motors' luxury brand has yet to confirm powertrain details for the Optiq-V, recently releasing only a pair of teaser images, but it says its engineers have 'delivered a unique package prioritising precision, dynamic suspension and tight steering for an exhilarating driving experience'. The regular dual-motor all-wheel drive Optiq produces 224kW of power and 480Nm of torque, with power supplied by an 85kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NCM) lithium-ion battery. It features strut front suspension, and as with the larger Lyriq there's a five-link rear suspension system and Passive Plus Dampers all round. Visible changes evident from Cadillac's two teaser images include V-Series badging and a rear spoiler, though we'd also expect other aesthetic upgrades to include more aggressive rocker panels and unique wheels. The Optiq-V will slot in under the Lyriq-V – at least in the US market – with the larger SUV featuring a dual-motor electric powertrain producing 459kW and 880Nm. Cadillac claims a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time of just 3.3 seconds in V-Mode or Velocity Max mode. That just shades the 3.4-second sprint time of the supercharged V8-powered CT5-V Blackwing sedan when equipped with an automatic transmission, despite being down 40kW and 13Nm and weighing more. The Lyriq-V pumps out an extra 71kW and 270Nm over the regular dual-motor Lyriq, though it doesn't gain Magnetic Ride Control like other V-badged models within Cadillac's lineup. Instead, it features standard Continuous Damping Control. Changes over the regular Lyriq include a quicker steering ratio, Brembo front brakes, a new artificial propulsion sound, and new Competitive and customisable V-Mode drive modes. While it's quick, it's quite different from the traditionally V8-powered models that have worn the V-Series nameplate over the years. Cadillac's first V-Series model was the 2004 CTS-V sedan, which featured an overhead-valve 5.7-litre V8 (later a 6.0-litre) shared with the Chevrolet Corvette, mated with a six-speed manual transmission. It was soon joined by the STS-V sedan and XLR-V convertible, which used a supercharged version of Cadillac's Northstar overhead-cam V8, mated with a six-speed automatic. These lasted a single generation, but the CTS-V went for two more generations, both with supercharged V8 power. V-Series models were later joined by tamer VSport models, which swapped V8 power for twin-turbocharged V6 engines. That said, not every hardcore V-Series model has packed a bent eight, with the BMW M3 -rivalling ATS-V for example being the first V with a twin-turbo V6. In recent years, Cadillac revised its V-Series strategy, rolling out models like the CT4-V and CT5-V that are less powerful than previous Vs – the CT4-V even features a four-cylinder engine, a first for a V-Series – but replacing the full-fat ATS-V and CTS-V models with new CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing models. It also introduced the first ever Escalade-V, the first time the V-Series name has been used on an SUV.
