Ute Prices Just BROKE… Albo Wants Cars Built HERE & These Road Rules Are TRAPS!!

本站添加: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Car news doesn't sleep, and apparently neither do I. I am hopelessly jet-lagged, but we are diving straight in because it's another monster week of news in the auto industry. First up is a brutal all-out price war about to engulf the 4x4 ute segment. Two major brands have both slashed five-figure prices from some of their key 4x4 hay haulers.

[00:00:29]Also on the radar Prime Minister has saying he wants to restart car manufacturing in Australia. Plus, Suzuki is quietly morphing into a global heavyweight, and the secret behind its world domination? India. We've also unearthed some bizarre obscure road rules that will completely ruin your wallet. And these are rules you've probably never heard of. And finally, the Volvo EX60.

[00:00:55]Is this the most important car the brand has ever built? I'm not going to lie, it's pretty spiffy. Nevertheless, it's a massive show as always, so buckle up.

[00:01:07]The gloves are off, the calculators are out, and a brutal automotive price war could be brewing. The big question is, how long until every other brand is forced to cave and start slashing their own prices? They're drawn into this void, this black hole of price slashing intensity. Because right now, the sales charts are looking like a crime scene.

[00:01:31]And it's not just one or two ute brands feeling the chill, either. So, here's what's happening. Sales of 4x4 utes are down by more than 8.3% for the first four months of the year. And if you just look at April last month, the number is almost double that percentage, almost double that at over 15%. That's a cause for concern for any car company selling utes.

[00:01:52]So, remember [snorts] last week when we told you that Hilux sales were down almost 30%? Well, dig a little deeper into the data and it turns out that pain is spread far and wide across many, many brands. Even the hyped-up BYD Shark 6 has taken a hit with sales down more than 20% year-on-year. In fact, only two 4x4 utes have gained ground this year.

[00:02:15]The Mitsubishi Triton, which is up a solid 18% and the GWM Cannon, which exploded by more than 120%.

[00:02:22]With everyone else starving for buyers, some heavy hitters are starting to slash prices. So, if you've got cash in hand, there is some serious money to be saved right now. Let's start with Kia, which has just taken the machete to the Tasman. Pricing has been slashed between $6,500 and up to $13,000 on some of its core models, which means it's now meaningfully more affordable than vehicles like the Isuzu D-Max and the Toyota Hilux. Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith was refreshingly blunt about this price restructure. He owned it, and I quote, "We know what went wrong. Now we have to work out what we have to do to write it." And look, the Tasman is a good ute. We did a full comparison against the Toyota Hilux, and it's worth a watch. Just search for Hilux versus Tasman, or it'll be in the description below. And while we did find a meaningful flaw in the Tasman, spoiler alert, it did not win that comparison, it really did impress us in a lot of ways. It was a very close race. And at these new prices, it's a steal. And Kia isn't the only one giving its ute range a haircut. Ford has quietly transformed its Ranger PHEV into the Ranger Hybrid.

[00:03:36]New name, new price. We're looking at price cuts of almost $15,000 for some models in this range, and spec has gone up, not down. The base model Hybrid XL now kicks off $59,000 drive-away. And remember, that model was previously $71,990, not drive-away. So, the savings here are pretty darn big. So, Ford has basically re-priced its plug-in hybrid Ranger from the ground up. And they didn't strip features to do this. In fact, you get more bang for your buck here. More tech, bigger screens.

[00:04:13]It's impressive. So, why the sudden generosity? Diesel is expensive, the market is shrinking, and Ford needs to move these hybrid units. So, the ante has been upped by Ford and Kia, and all the other major brands are looking at slumping sales as well. Now, we wait to see who blinks next. Will Toyota, Isuzu, and BYD be dragged into this price war, or will they watch their market share dwindle?

[00:04:38]Time will tell. Drop a comment below.

[00:04:40]Would these price cuts make you more likely to consider a Ranger Hybrid or a Kia Tasman? In other market news, the Mitsubishi Triton Raider has a price.

[00:04:51]47, no, sorry, 74,990.

[00:04:55]Had those back-to-front. I'm going to drive this one real soon, but maybe that means nothing because Albanese wants Aussies to build EVs, not utes.

[00:05:08]All right. The Prime Minister wants to build cars in Australia again. Yep, Anthony Albanese at a News Corp event this week said there's nothing stopping a car making revival in Australia.

[00:05:20]Indeed, the Herald Sun newspaper reported the PM saying, and I quote, "There's no reason why we can't make electric vehicles. At the very least, we can make parts and components, including batteries, here." Indeed, there are companies looking at doing just that.

[00:05:35]Albo described the demise of Holden and broader local manufacturing as a pity, but said shifting global economics could create opportunities for domestic industry. And I quote, "We saw a decline of manufacturing in Australia because of differential labor costs. New technology means that labor is less important than transport costs. We stepped back. The United States did as well, and we saw manufacturing go largely to China and Asia. That creates a vulnerability, and we need to use the capacity that we have to make more things here." Look, the sentiment is nice, and there are real arguments for this. Australia is sitting on enormous reserves of lithium and other battery materials. Robotics are changing the labor equation, but the economics are brutal. Simply put, it's expensive to make things in Australia because we have relatively high wages, especially compared to manufacturing powerhouses in Asia. This conversation was partially sparked by Chery, the Chinese brand whose international head honcho floated the idea of a local factory in Australia, provided the government modifies policy, which is another way of saying "Subsidize us heavily, and we'll think about it."

[00:06:47]Whether Australian taxpayers are up for that is a very different conversation indeed. So, there's no shortage of famous people saying that it could happen. Whether it actually does, I'll let you guys argue about it in the comments. In other market news, Nissan's global operations actually turned a profit against all odds. Is the brand rebounding under its new leader, Ivan Espinosa? It's certainly in better shape than it was. Speaking of never being in better shape, what has just happened at Volvo?

[00:07:18]The Volvo EX60 happened. I've just got back from Barcelona, hence the tired eyes, because Volvo wanted me to drive this new vehicle.

[00:07:26]So, I did. And spoiler alert, it's a pretty schmick ride. It's not perfect, there are issues, but golly gee, it is a compelling vehicle. So, this is the electric successor to the XC60, which is Volvo's uh car of all time, narrowly nudging out the 240.

[00:07:45]Wasn't that brick on wheels a beautiful thing? So, it's pretty expensive. It starts at about $86,000 before on-road costs, and it arrives in Australia very late this year, 2026. But, you know what? It drives like no other Volvo before it.

[00:08:01]In a good way. The steering and handling dynamics feel more Porsche Macan than Swedish family SUV. The interior is minimal, considered, and beautifully resolved. And there's some really thoughtful little features in there, too. It's a small thing, but they've moved the glove box, and it makes a big difference. The various models have a range between 600 and 800 km per charge.

[00:08:23]Sydney to Melbourne on one top-up?

[00:08:26]Maybe.

[00:08:28]Probably unlikely. But, there's a few issues. No head-up display at this price is a miss. No physical buttons beyond the volume control is something you get used to, but shouldn't have to. And I tested it on billiard-smooth Spanish roads, and the real test will be on Aussie bitumen, far rougher. Grumbly, potholed, you know the drill. But, first impressions, this thing punches hard. It drives well in almost every scenario, and it really surprised me. Maybe expectations were low. I'm not sure.

[00:09:00]But, the full review is live, link in the description, search for it, EX60 Australia review. And, you know what?

[00:09:07]This short little snippet doesn't do it justice. It's worth checking it out. On the topic of justice, or rather injustice, Honda might be turning the Accord into an SUV. More market news, and just as Ford did with the Mustang Mach-E, Honda appears to be keen on making a jacked-up Accord. SUVs are super popular, but sullying an iconic name like the Accord with a vehicle like this may be too much to stomach for some.

[00:09:35]Moving right along.

[00:09:38]Here is a story that deserves more attention than it's getting at the moment. Suzuki, yes, the Jimny people, has just outsold Honda globally. Now, this is a very big deal. Not only because it's the first time this has ever happened, but also because it's Japan's second largest automaker behind Toyota. And that is another first for the little brand that could. Now, look, in Australia, the Jimny has become famous partly because it's super capable, but also because it's very Instagramable, and the lifestyle crowd latched onto it. You know, the pretty girls with the camping gear on the roof, all that sort of stuff. Very popular.

[00:10:13]But make no mistake, that is not what is driving Suzuki's global sales volume.

[00:10:18]It's India. Suzuki controls a whopping 40% market share of the subcontinent.

[00:10:25]That is a dominant, almost absurd share of what is one of the world's fastest-growing economies. You want the numbers? Suzuki shipped 3.55 million vehicles in the last financial year.

[00:10:37]That's the Japanese financial year. They measure from March to March.

[00:10:41]That's a 7% increase, and it wasn't just the numbers. They recorded a profit record as well. So, how did they do it while everyone else struggled? Simple.

[00:10:51]Suzuki doesn't sell cars in China or the USA. No EV headwinds from China, no tariff chaos from the USA. Yep, it's completely insulated from two of the biggest pain points in the global auto industry, right? Now, Honda, by contrast, reported its first annual financial loss since going public in 1957.

[00:11:11]This new EV pivot has cost them dearly, and that's partially because USA are not buying EVs anymore. But in Australia last year, Honda actually outsold Suzuki, although it was very close.

[00:11:20]15,383 units to 15,387 units. Just four cars the difference.

[00:11:27]The irony is that while Suzuki is crushing it on a global scale, sales fell 27% in 2025 in Australia. That That's off the back of a stop sale for the three-door Suzuki Jimny and also a big recall for the Suzuki Fronx.

[00:11:44]Okay, here's two road safety stories worth knowing about. First, there's a bunch of obscure road rules around the country that are quietly draining drivers' wallets. And most people have no idea they even exist. Some of these, I didn't even know about them. In fact, I didn't know about any of them. My favorite, honking your horn unnecessarily in New South Wales can cost you $349.

[00:12:06]Yes, really. Or as the fuzz call it, the unwarranted discharge of your horn.

[00:12:12]They've got another term, too, the unnecessary use of a warning device.

[00:12:16]Here's the thing though, this it's it's like legal terminology, unnecessary, unwarranted. These are very ambiguous terms. Anyway, tooting your horn to say goodbye to your mate, 350 big ones.

[00:12:27]There's more. Driving with a passenger's body part the vehicle's window or door, that is a $219 fine in the ACT. And how about this one? Entering a roundabout in the wrong lane in South Australia, $538 fine.

[00:12:42]Although, they don't specify what wrong lane it is. If you're driving the wrong way up the street, you probably deserve the fine. And in Victoria, riding an electric scooter on the footpath, that's about $198.

[00:12:53]All of these are real enforceable offenses. The broader point is that there are lots of weird laws that vary state by state and they're not well publicized. I mean, I remember doing my driver's test, whenever it was. I don't know, was I 17 years old, 16, 19, 18, whatever. And I don't remember any of these weirdo rules being in the test.

[00:13:15]So, like, how are we supposed to even know about them?

[00:13:19]And I feel like it'd be a pretty ruthless cop that would do you for tooting your horn.

[00:13:24]But hey, that's just me. Any cops out there that have done it? Leave a comment. Maybe it was warranted.

[00:13:29]Okay, the second road safety point.

[00:13:32]Fresh data has ranked Australia's most dangerous roads based on crash statistics and speed camera evidence.

[00:13:40]And the top two, both in Western Australia, the Kwinana Freeway the Kwinana Freeway and the Mitchell Freeway in Perth. I've got family over in WA. I've spent a lot of time driving there and kind of makes sense. Merging on these freeways can be a little bit dicey at the best of times. Anyway, Queensland's Bruce Highway is third then New South Wales Pacific Highway and the Hume Highway round out the top five. In Victoria, the Princess Highway tops the state list, but it doesn't crack the national top eight. Which depending on where you live is either quite reassuring or highly suspicious.

[00:14:15]And that is your week in the auto industry, which as is increasingly the case, appears to be in a constant state of flux. Oh, and before I forget, do yourself a favor, go check out the Volvo EX60 review. It really surprised me and that does not happen as often as you'd think.

[00:14:32]I've been doing this for more than 20 years. Driven a lot of cars.

[00:14:36]Thanks again for watching. Enjoy karaoke responsibly and I want to say that uh I genuinely love the diverse audience that comes in and watches this every week.

[00:14:47]And especially those who get involved in the comments. It's good stuff. Subscribe if you haven't already, hit the bell button and I'll see you next week.