Car News

The 2021 Nissan Juke – the second generation of the small SUV – has earned a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) ahead of a mid 2020 showroom arrival. The Nissan Juke earned a five-star rating for scoring highly across four disciplines, including adult occupant protection (94 per cent), child occupant protection (87 per cent), vulnerable road user protection (81 per cent) and safety assist tests (71 per cent).

The coronavirus crisis slammed the brakes on new-car sales around the world in April, as many factories stopped production and showrooms in some countries were forced to close. Preliminary reports out of India showed zero new cars were delivered, while Italy experienced a 98 per cent decline and France reported an 89 per cent drop.

German brands Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche – members of the Volkswagen Auto Group – have extended new-car warranty periods by three months as part of a global initiative during COVID-19. The extension applies to new car warranties that have expired or will expire between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 – adding three months of warranty from the original expiration date.

Lexus has confirmed its updated 2021 model-year LC Coupe is due in Australian showrooms this June – with the long-awaited LC convertible to join the lineup by the end of 2020. Pricing for the 5.0-litre V8 LC500 Coupe (351kW/540Nm) and 3.5-litre V6 hybrid LC500h Coupe (264kW/348Nm) will be announced closer to its June release. The cost of the V8-only LC500 Convertible will be announced in late 2020.

Volkswagen’s electric ID.4 Coupe SUV has been caught on camera wearing minimal camouflage overseas, before production is due to ramp up – and Volkswagen Australia has shown interest in the model for a possible 2022 launch. “[The ID.4 Coupe] makes a lot of sense for our market,” a Volkswagen Australian spokesperson told CarAdvice. “From 2022 onwards is when we’ll start introducing ID models.”