Car News

Our appetite for new-cars continues to wane as years of record sales have given us indigestion — and a range of factors have become roadblocks to treating ourselves to a new vehicle. Economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the Federal election, tighter car loan requirements, and new industry reporting practices that mean only registered cars can be declared as sold, have all contributed to the biggest market slowdown since the Global Financial Crisis a decade ago.

Hyundai Australia has confirmed the ageing i40 sedan and wagon have been dropped from the local line-up, with the next-generation Sonata to be the brand's standalone mid-sized offering when it arrives later this year. Currently, the brand offers the i40 and Sonata concurrently in the medium segment, with the i40 available in both sedan and wagon forms while the Sonata is sedan-only.

The car industry has expressed caution over an "ambitious" plan to have 50 per cent of all new car sales electric by 2030. Peak body for carmakers in Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), said Labor's proposal for electric vehicles and emissions standards is "ambitious" but "anything's possible" – provided the required infrastructure and buyer incentives are put on the table. "It's about getting that broader environment right," said Tony Weber, FCAI CEO.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has issued a recall for the 2018 and 2019 model-year A-Class, C-Class and CLS model lines over concerns a software issue could cause vehicles to stall in stop/start traffic. The German luxury marque reports the software in the powertrain control unit "may not operate as intended", which may also fail to illuminate the engine warning light – meaning the driver is unaware of the issue.

UPDATE, midday: The jig is up! And, of course, many of you were wise to the gag before you'd gotten past the first line. A surprising many took the bait, though... The Australian Greens have announced a bold plan to give electric vehicles a leg-up on the "dinosaurs" in petrol and diesel cars, proposing higher speed limits for EV owners.