Car News

Owners of vehicles still fitted with the most dangerous 'alpha' Takata airbag inflators won't be able to register their car in South Australia from November 1. The move is the first of its kind in Australia, and will be enforced by the South Australian Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

Three smaller challengers to the perennial German luxury leaders all grew in a cooling luxury market in August, with Alfa Romeo, Infiniti and Volvo all posting meaningful increases over their 2017 results. We'll start with Volvo, which shifted 689 cars and held a 0.7 per cent market share, for 83.7 per cent growth over the same month last year. The XC40 was its best-seller with 266 registrations, followed by the XC60 (252) and XC90 (108).

The next-generation Kia Soul EV has been spied again this week on the streets of Europe, minus the black sheets and false body panels shielding previous prototypes. While the body is still wrapped in a swirly black-and-white disguise, we can see the overall shape of the new Kia Soul won't change drastically from the current model, meaning it should still appeal to current fans.

Lexus has unveiled its 'fourth flagship' and, well, it's not quite what we expected. The LY650 is based on the Lexus Sport Yacht concept from 2017, taking the brand's design ethos and giving it a distinctly nautical bent. The company says the ship's strong bow, broad hips, flowing roof line, and curved deck accents accurately move the company's L-finesse design theme from the road to the water.

Jeep has announced drive-away pricing for the superseded MY17 and MY18 Cherokee, as it prepares to introduce the facelifted 2019 Cherokee in October. The range kicks off with the Sport, priced from $32,450 drive-away – down from $35,950 before on-roads. Power comes from a 2.4-litre petrol engine making 130kW and 229Nm, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. A set of 17-inch alloy wheels, a 5.0-inch touchscreen and a rear-view camera are all standard.