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Volkswagen Group to slash model complexity in sweeping 2030 cost reset VOLKSWAGEN Group will slash its sprawling global model portfolio by as much as half and cut the complexity of individual vehicle ranges by up to 75 per cent as it seeks to rein in development spending and restore profitability.

Premium marques face across-the-board decline, average YoY sales down 18.5pc AUSTRALIA’S established premium vehicle brands are enduring a difficult 2026, with eight of the nine marques assessed recording lower year-to-date sales and several suffering double-digit declines.

Long-Term Tests GOAUTO’S reviews aim to make your choice of vehicle easier, whether it’s a passenger car, an SUV, or a light commercial utility. Our long-term tests offer a particularly valuable insight into vehicle ownership, diving deeper into the individual elements owners come to love – or hate. Over the course of three months, we live with the vehicle as an owner would, paying for fuel and servicing, and experiencing both day-to-day driving and the qualities a specific model seeks to offer.

Australian Renault sales not suffering from lack of PHEVs available overseas, Sealey RENAULT has stood by its current lack of plug-in hybrids within its electrified Australian model line-up, which consists of internal combustion, mild hybrid, full hybrid and battery electric products. The French brand’s global leadership has been publicly cynical of plug-in hybrids and offers just one anywhere in the world – a performance variant of the Rafale coupe-style SUV – which is not sold in Australia.

Ferrari leads 200-car Concours field as Monterey’s past and future collide THE threat of inclement weather did little to dull the spectacle at Pebble Beach this week as 200 of the world’s rarest and most significant collector cars assembled on California’s Monterey Peninsula for the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

MAHINDRA has unveiled its new Lifestyler pickup truck in India, with the brand pushing into a new market space with its ‘more play, less work’ style utility vehicle this time around. The Indian auto-maker discontinued its previous ute, the accurately named Pik Up, in 2025 but the all-new model is a vastly different proposition to its predecessor and was benchmarked against big-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rivals.

Overview Product cloning used to be an automotive craze in the previous century, with ‘badge engineering’ a chance for a so-so brand to pick up another model thanks to a donor’s inability to sell its own version. So among the local manufacturers, we had Holden-Toyotas and Ford-Nissans – and others – to pad out showrooms and sell an extra few thousand of what were very average cars.

HOPES for an Australian release of Renault’s retro-inspired electric R5 E-Tech hatchback have been all but dashed, with the model ruled out of the French brand’s incoming product onslaught according to its local general manager Glen Sealey. However, the high-performance, ultra-exclusive R5 Turbo 3E is still bound for local shores.

MERCEDES-BENZ Australia has recalled almost 59,000 passenger cars and SUVs over a manufacturing defect that could prevent affected vehicles from automatically selecting Park, potentially allowing them to move unexpectedly after the driver exits. The recall covers 58,822 Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG vehicles manufactured between 2018 and 2026, spanning nine model lines and numerous variants.

HOPES for an Australian release of Renault’s retro-inspired electric R5 E-Tech hatchback have been all but dashed, with the model ruled out of the French brand’s incoming product onslaught according to its local general manager Glen Sealey. However, the high-performance, ultra-exclusive R5 Turbo 3E is still bound for local shores.