Car News

US car giant Chevrolet has taken the covers off a cool 1960s pick-up powered by future electric-car technology – but it roars like a V8 due to an artificial sound enhancer. In fact, it has a choice of five fake engine sounds in total. While many may dismiss it as a flight of fancy, this show car built for the 2019 SEMA auto show in fact has production potential.

The all-wheel drive BMW X3 xDrive30e will be launched in Australia during the second quarter of 2020, and will be the brand's seventh plug-in hybrid model. The X3 xDrive30e has a plug-in hybrid drivetrain with a 135kW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with a built-in 80kW electric motor. This is the same setup as the 330e sedan.

The Lister SUV-E previews a new addition to the company's range: a modified version of the Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover. Lister has fitted the crossover with a new bonnet, front and rear splitters, front and rear bumpers, and roof spoiler made from carbon-fibre. There's also carbon ceramic brakes, and Lister-designed titanium wheels. These changes are said to reduce the car's weight by around 100 kilograms to 2033kg.

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Hyundai is preparing to launch 44 hybrid and electric cars in the next five years as it aims to close the gap with the world’s biggest seller of petrol-electric vehicles, Toyota. The Korean car maker says hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric cars now account for 2.8 per cent of all new vehicle sales in Australia – more than doubling in the past five years.