Automobile information right now: HiLux again on high and Tesla tanks for April gross sales, new electrics inbound for Volkswagen, and extra – 05 Might 2025

Thanks for becoming a member of us this Monday, Might 05th 2025. Notably in automobile information right now: newest VFacts gross sales figures present Toyota HLux again on high of gross sales whereas PHEVs and Tesla gross sales falter, Volkswagen bolsters its new ID4/ID5 electrical twins line-up.

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Toyota on high of the gross sales charts as Tesla and PHEVs see huge gross sales dips

• For the primary time in virtually two years, the as soon as dominant Toyota HiLux is again on the high of the Australian gross sales charts in April, in line with the newest new-car VFacts gross sales knowledge.

• Toyota offered 4121 HiLuxes in April,  simply pipping arch rival Ford Ranger (4031 models) by a slender margin. Toyota took out 4 of the highest ten gross sales spots by gross sales quantity, together with third place (RAV4, 3808 models), fifth place (Prado, 2233 models) and eighth spot (Corolla, 1660 models). Ford additionally grabbed fourth place (Everest, 2234 models).

• Whereas gross sales of most of April’s high ten had been down year-on-year since April 2024, the (unsurprising) huge mover was Toyota Prado, its new technology serving to the nameplate see a 12-month achieve of a whopping 1200 p.c upswing.

• The large losers had been Tesla, with a 76 p.c drop yr on yr in opposition to a plummeting electrical automobile panorama (down 44 p.c YOY), whereas PHEVs additionally copped an anticipated sturdy downward swing (62 p.c down) in tandem with the abolishment of Fringe Profit Tax exemptions in March.

Aussies get extra selection with two new Volkswagen EV variants

• Volkswagen Australia will launch the ID4 GTX and ID5 Professional to native markets, 4 years after their preliminary 2021 launch in Europe. The 2 autos will likely be supplied alongside their not too long ago launched sister-cars: the ID4 Professional and ID5 GTX.

• The Volkswagen ID.4 GTX has a beneficial retail value (RRP) of $69,990, and the ID.5 Professional is priced at $62,990 (RRP). Volkswagen claims the 2 autos will complement the pricing of its internal-combustion autos.

• Powertrain choices will likely be acquainted to these following the ‘ID’ household. The ID4 GTX makes use of twin electrical motors to supply 250kW, whereas the ID5 Professional makes use of a single rear-mounted electrical motor to output 210kW. The 2 outputs mirror the ID5 GTX and ID4 Professional respectively. 

• In an analogous bout of Deja-Vu, the ID5 Professional has a claimed vary of 543km (WLTP), simply 1km shy of the ID4 Professional. The ID4 GTX has a claimed vary of 511km (WLTP), dropping to its counterpart by an earth-shattering 11km. 

READ: Volkswagen ID.4 Professional 2025 evaluate: Australian first drive

WATCH: Might This EV Change Your Tiguan? (Volkswagen ID5 GTX Overview)

Revised Mazda CX-60 punches above its weight class with new variants

• Mazda Australia has launched a 2025 replace to its CX-60 premium SUV. Two new variants spearhead the launch, with new base-model Pure and worth targeted mid-spec Touring. 

• The CX-60 Pure is without doubt one of the most cost-effective premium SUVs in the marketplace, with Mazda providing a limited-time drive-away (DA) value of $53,990, which is $6,810 cheaper than the as soon as base mannequin CX-60 Evolve.

• In the meantime, the mid-spec CX-60 Touring focuses on premium entrance passenger consolation, bringing black leather-based upholstery, heated and energy adjustable entrance seats, and seat/mirror reminiscence as customary tools for a beginning value of $58,240 (checklist).

• The 2025 replace to the CX-60 guarantees enhancements to Mazda’s eight-speed automated, a suspension overhaul with claims of a extra comfy and steady journey, and improved driver security aids. Mazda has additionally rolled out main value restructuring affecting all CX-60 fashions. 

READ: Mazda CX-60 2025: entry value drops greater than $10,000 for up to date challenger to Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Lexus NX

Why 2026 might be a giant yr for the Leapmotor C10

• Leapmotor first launched the C10 to the Australian Market in November 2024. Now, plans have surfaced for the C10 to obtain large updates again in its Chinese language house nation… Will Australia see the identical abundance of options subsequent yr?

• The headlining occasion for the 2026 Leapmotor C10 replace is an overhauled powertrain. The C10 features a bigger LFP battery, now 75kWh, which Leapmotor claims will bump vary from 420km (WLTP) to 605km (CLTC). Leapmotor has additionally made the soar to 800V structure, that means higher digital effectivity throughout the board.

• The Leapmotor C10 will undoubtedly have a sooner rapid-DC cost time because of its new 800V system, though an official determine is but to be revealed. What has been revealed is a 50kW bump in energy, that means the C10 now produces 220kW and may dash from 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.9 seconds.

• Different enhancements to the Leapmotor C10 embody a 50W wi-fi telephone charging, new LiDAR sensors, and a extra responsive infotainment system. The C10 is presently accessible in Australian markets from $45,888 earlier than on-roads. Leapmotor has not made an official touch upon whether or not Australia will obtain its revised C10 for 2026.

READ: Leapmotor C10 Design 2025 evaluate

2025 Tesla Mannequin Y vs Volkswagen ID4 evaluate

• Chasing Automobiles founder Tom Baker’s comparability evaluate of the 2025 Tesla Mannequin Y and 2025 Volkswagen ID4 was printed, and highlights the marginal value distinction between the 2 fashions, and a head-to-head inside comparability. 

• Baker investigated the actual world vary of each the Mannequin Y and ID4, Testing each city and freeway environments in comparable circumstances. The ID4 was in a position to greatest the Mannequin Y by a slim margin, with an city vary of 631km (545 for Mannequin Y), and freeway vary of 490km (487 for Mannequin Y). 

• On the street, Baker applauds the Mannequin Y for glorious sound insulation, noting that general cabin noise is quieter than within the ID4. He awards the ID4 with factors for a higher journey high quality, crediting Volkswagen’s Dynamic Chassis Management system and 15-stage adjustable suspension dampers.

• Each autos are extraordinarily aggressive within the midsize electrical SUV market, with nice refinement and aggressive choices. Baker notes that “(that is) the toughest comparability assessments he has judged in over a decade”. 

Need to know the decision? Tom Baker’s comparability check is stay on the Chasing Automobiles YouTube Channel

WATCH: Has Mannequin Y met its match? (Tesla Mannequin Y vs Volkswagen ID.4 comparability evaluate and vary check)

The following problem of Automobile Information Right now will likely be printed on Tuesday 05th Might at 4.30pm Sydney time.