2021 New Cars

Toyota appears to be making progress on its new pint-sized SUV based on the next generation Yaris, if these spy photos taken during winter testing are a guide. It's unlikely the new model will share the same body as this Toyota Yaris with raised suspension and bolder bodywork (as pictured above). Rather this test car is simply being used as an elaborate disguise before the SUV-bodied mules are built.

A number of car dealers across Australia are beginning to offer contactless sales enquiries while the industry still has permission to stay open. Several large dealerships have started promoting “contactless car buying” via email, social media and their own websites.

New-car buyers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to picking up a bargain over the next seven days. A perfect storm has created ideal buying conditions before the end of the month. Showrooms are overstocked following a 23-month slowdown – the longest slump since the Global Financial Crisis a decade ago – and March is the second biggest month for new car sales because it is the end of the Japanese financial year.

As car dealers across Australia brace for a sales slowdown amid coronavirus shutdowns, they have already begun lobbying state governments to be classified as “essential services” and be allowed to stay open during the crisis. The Australian Automotive Dealers Association (AADA), which represents 60,000 employees across 3500 showrooms nationally, says parts and service departments in particular should be allowed to remain open as more people shift to cars as they seek to avoid public transport.

The Suzuki Swift Sport hot (ish) hatch has picked up an electrified petrol engine in Europe that cuts fuel use and CO2 emissions by six per cent, helping its maker meet Euro 6 requirements. It also appears to offer less power and more weight than before, countered in part by an additional slab of low-down torque through electric assistance that promises to make it as responsive in most situations, and smoother from idle.