Car News

The new model-year updates continue this week, with Hyundai announcing its upgraded 2018 Santa Fe range. Headlining the changes for 2018 include the Hyundai SmartSense active safety suite being equipped as standard across the range - including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and radar-guided smart cruise control - previously limited to the flagship Highlander model.

The Victorian state government and defence company BAE Systems want to build a fleet of next-generation military vehicles at the former Holden site in Melbourne's inner-west. Victoria's Andrews government has signed a Heads of Agreement with the British multinational defence company, proposing to make and maintain 225 new Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles and by extension creating what it claims to be thousands of manufacturing jobs - albeit with indeterminate terms.

More than 21,000 BMW X5 and BMW X6 SUVs have been recalled by BMW Australia, as the ongoing Takata airbag issue continues to expand. Affecting 21,649 second-generation E70 BMW X5s and first-generation E71 BMW X6s built between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2012, the recall relates to the possible malfunction of the driver's airbag.

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.

Hate visiting your car's service centre? If all goes according to plan, for Tesla, you might be in luck. At the launch of its all-new Tesla Model 3 this week, the Californian car maker made the bold claim that the new model will require servicing... almost never. Speaking to media and guests at the event, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said: "The next generation powertrains are designed to be a million miles between services,” Musk said.