Car News

The country's seventh-best-selling dual-cab utility, the Mazda BT-50, has had its infotainment package upgraded, with the fresh addition of a new system from well-known electronics company Alpine. Mazda Australia has announced that all mid-spec XTR and top-spec GT BT-50 models rolling into dealerships from today will sport, as standard, a new 8.0-inch Alpine-branded infotainment system, highlighted by improved satellite navigation and a fully-integrated rear-view camera.

Australian pricing and specifications for the updated 2018 BMW 1 Series range have been revealed this week, ahead of the revised hatch's arrival in local showrooms in September. Kicking off at $39,990 before on-road costs for the entry-level 118i, the base price for the German hatchback is up by $2000, though the flagship M140i hot hatch is nearly $5000 more affordable at $59,990.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has vaulted past the Volkswagen Group and Toyota to be the world's number one automaker at the halfway point of this year. To the end of June, the Franco-Japanese pairing sold 5,268,079 vehicles, ahead of the Volkswagen Group's 5,155,600, and Toyota's 5,129,000. Renault-Nissan ascension to the top of the pile has pushed General Motors down into fourth place with 4,686,038 vehicles sold.

UPDATE, August 1: Australian pricing now confirmed. See bottom of article. Italian supercar specialist Ferrari has announced a new extended warranty program, which covers owners for up to a class-leading 15 years from the date the vehicle is first registered. Dubbed 'New Power15', the program is available on both new and pre-owned Ferraris, covering major mechanical components like the engine, transmission, power transfer unit (PTU), suspension and steering.

UPDATE, July 31, 2017: Volkswagen has confirmed it is now offering the Amarok Sportline at $55,990, drive-away. A third model has joined the Volkswagen Amarok V6 range, with the new Sportline variant dropping the price of entry for the bigger engine to $55,490 before on-road costs. Before now, hopping into an Amarok V6 would see you start at $59,990 before on-roads for the Highline, with the top-shelf Ultimate way out at $67,990, again before costs.