Car News

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.

With the recent resurgence of petrol engines - thanks largely to the efficiency and power delivered by turbo technology - and the addition of high-capacity mild hybrid systems like the 48V battery system used in the facelifted, 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (among others), you could be forgiven for thinking the bell is about to toll for the diesel engine.

Mercedes-AMG has sold its 25 per cent stake in motorbike manufacturer MV Agusta. In a statement this week, MV Agusta announced it had repurchased AMG's 25 per cent stake in the company. Simultaneously, MV Agusta's holding company has accepted ComSar Invest "as a strong minority shareholder". Giovanni Castiglioni, current owner of MV Agusta, will maintain a controlling interest in the company.

The new 2018 Honda CR-V range is now on sale in Australia, bringing turbo power and, for the first time, seven-seat versatility to the company's popular medium SUV line-up. Starting from $30,690 (all prices before on-road costs), the price of entry raises by $900 over the previous fourth-generation model, though Honda argues that the new version brings between $2600 and $4350 in added value, depending on variant.

Toyota is reportedly preparing to launch an electric vehicle in 2022 with solid state batteries, which would take only a few minutes to recharge. A report in Chunichi Shimbun claims the Japanese giant hopes to be the first automaker to hit the market with an EV featuring the new battery technology. Solid state batteries use solid electrolyte rather than a liquid one, which is used in today's batteries.