Car News

The facelifted Mercedes-AMG GLC43, a rival to the BMW X3 and X4 M40i, has been unveiled in both wagon and Coupe forms ahead of its Australian arrival early in 2020. Like the wider GLC range, the AMG 43 has been treated to an iterative new look, with slightly squarer headlights and revised air intakes up front, The 'splitter' element is finished in chrome, along with the rear 'diffuser' element and side skirts, while the car rides on new alloy wheels for 2019.

A new car-sharing service for the owners of Melbourne apartments is aiming to drive electric vehicle adoption in Australia. Residents in Melbourne's EQ Tower will be able to borrow a pair of Hyundai Kona Electrics hourly, or for an entire day. Although pricing hasn't been finalised, the starting rate will be $15 per hour, with no extra charge for distance covered.

The upcoming BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe has been snapped in testing, ahead of a reveal on July 24. Based on the same UKL platform as the 1 Series and Mini models, the 2 Series Gran Coupe is a style-focused rival to the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute looks set to be phased out prematurely due to slow sales that have made the vehicle unprofitable even at its comparatively high price. A report out of Europe, published overnight by respected industry journal Automotive News, cited unnamed but well-informed sources claiming the Mercedes X-Class ute “is to be dropped” as the company “seeks to reduce costs amid profit warnings”.

The recently-unveiled electro-turbo-diesel 2020 Audi S4 TDI is not coming to Australia, instead arriving in 2020 in existing petrol TFSI form. Launched concurrently with the facelifted A4 range in Italy this week, the S4 TDI will initially be reserved for European markets. ”Elsewhere in the world, regions such as Australia and the US will get the petrol-powered TFSI versions of the sedan and Avant,” explains Audi Australia communications manager, Shaun Cleary.