China

The Chinese LDV T60 ute is poised to better handle harsh Australian backroads after joining the growing number of imported vehicles opting for locally-tuned suspension. The LDV T60 has been updated with suspension tuning by Walkinshaw Automotive Group – using the same team of engineers who developed Holden Special Vehicles over the past 30 years, including the HSV SportsCat pick-up.

Haval Australia has announced a raft of upgrades to its H9 off-roader, including the standard inclusion of autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning across the line-up.

LDV is making inroads locally with its cheap (but well-equipped) T60 ute, selling a few hundred a month despite supply constraints, but we expect the next iteration due in 2021 to be quite a step up. Indeed, it’s shaping up as a real Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton rival in every area bar badge credibility. The current T60 sells based on its price, with the top-of-the-tree Luxe grade moving for $32,990 drive-away. The new one will offer more of everything.

Three sources have told The Financial Times Daimler, owner of Mercedes-Benz, is close to selling a 50 per cent stake in the Smart brand to Chinese automaker Geely. A deal could be announced as soon as the Shanghai motor show, which takes place in the middle of April. If the sale goes ahead, it would fit both Smart's future vision for itself and Geely's acquisitive streak.

The new entry-level Jetta brand plans to have 200 dealerships across China by the end 2019, and will also use "innovative sales formats", including digital showrooms, a presence in shopping malls and mobile sales trucks. The Jetta brand will target value conscious buyers who typically prefer local brands. When sales start, the Jetta range will consist of one sedan and two crossovers. At today's announcement, the company displayed images of two of the as-yet-unnamed models.