Car News

The 2018 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso range is on sale in Australia, sporting a fresh look and powertrain, with prices starting at $38,490 before on-road costs. Key updates include the availability of the company's latest driver assistance systems, revised styling, and a new sub-$40,000 entry point into the line-up in the form of the new petrol-powered variant.

Buick will use the an event before the Beijing motor show to reveal an all-electric crossover concept, dubbed the Enspire. It's just a teaser at the moment, but the Enspire looks to be a slinky, smooth-edged continuation of the formula laid out by the Avenir (2015) and Avista (2016). Where those cars were designed by General Motors global teams – with a strong Australian influence – for American tastes, the Enspire is aimed squarely at the burgeoning Chinese market.

BMW has committed to boosting its spend on electric vehicle development this year, with board members revealing the planned investment in a press conference last month. Harald Kruger, chairman of the BMW Group board of management, used his time at the microphone to outline the brand's planned electric rollout. It'll start with the iX3, before expanding to include the iNext and i4. "Our future is definitely electric," Kruger unequivocally stated during his remarks.

Hyundai's upcoming full-size SUV replacement for the Grand Santa Fe offered overseas has been spied again, ahead of a likely reveal in the next 18 months. Believed to be a twin-under-the-skin to the production Kia Telluride three-row SUV, the full-size Hyundai crossover will sit above the new Santa Fe in the company's global line-up and likely target the North American market.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMAL) often gets criticised for its model range – no real passenger car presence, and a few SUV staples getting long in the tooth despite regular upgrades. However, the value-driven company might be quietly laughing to itself right now, after posting 21,215 sales over the first quarter (Q1) of 2018, up 15 per cent over its record 2017 result. This places it fourth in-market, behind Hyundai but ahead of Ford, Nissan and Holden.