Car News

The Jaguar F-Pace crossover has once again been previewed ahead of its proper world premiere at the Frankfurt motor show in September and Australian premiere in about 12 months. Fresh from its stint as a support vehicle (in ‘prototype’ guise) for the Team Sky cycling team, the company’s first SUV can now been seen undergoing extreme durability testing.

Mercedes-AMG has handed down the first official teaser images of its muscular new 2016 C 63 Coupe, set to debut at September’s Frankfurt motor show. The new coupe’s launch will follow the late 2014 unveiling of its sedan and Estate wagon siblings. (Catch our February review of the new C 63 AMG S sedan here.)

Overnight, GM revealed its next-generation Opel Astra five-door hatch, as well as its English counterpart, the Vauxhall Astra, prior to its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show in the middle of September. The Astra is said to be quite a fair bit lighter than the model it will soon replace. On the scales, the new Astra weighs at least 120 kilograms less than the outgoing car, while some models will be up to 200 kilograms more svelte.

The boss of China's top-selling SUV manufacturer, Haval, believes the brand can also overtake the likes of Toyota, Nissan and Jeep to become the biggest SUV seller in Australia. Speaking with Australian journalists at the 2015 Shanghai motor show, general manager of Haval’s parent company, Great Wall Motors, Wang Fengying, said claiming the title of Australia’s most popular SUV brand was the ambition of the brand, which will enter our market in June with its first two models.

Chinese SUV specialist Haval will officially open for business in Australia in June. The top-selling SUV manufacturer in China is a division of Great Wall Motors though will operate in Australia as a subsidiary of its Chinese parent company separate from Great Wall, which is currently distributed here by independent importer Ateco Automotive.