Tesla Model 3 driving range reduced for Australia – UPDATE: Explained

The Tesla Model 3 Performance and Long Range have had their driving ranges cut by between 2.0 and 3.5 per cent in Australia, due to a new system computer.

UPDATE, 30 June 2022: Tesla has explained why the driving range of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 Long Range (and Performance) were cut earlier this year.

In a message to customers in the queue (posted to Twitter by VedaPrime), Tesla said the addition of a new, more powerful processor required more energy that otherwise was used for propelling the car.

“We have updated Model 3 vehicles to optimise the touch screen experience with our new car computer. This hardware change requires more power, resulting in a minor drop in range. Your Model 3 range [for a Long Range variant] is now 602 kilometres WLTP,” the message reads.

As reported in February, the Model 3 Long Range was cut from 614km to 602km WLTP, while the Model 3 Performance dipped from 567km to 547km. Our original story continues unchanged below.

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17 February 2022: The Tesla Model 3 sedan – currently the electric vehicle specialist’s sole offering in Australia – has had its driving range downrated for two of the three locally-available variants.

While the entry-level single-motor Model 3 retains its 491km WLTP claim, the mid-spec Long Range and flagship Performance models have been reduced

from 614km to 602km, and 567km to 547km respectively.

This equates to a decrease of approximately 2.0 per cent in the former, and 3.5 per cent in the latter. No changes have been made to pricing.

It’s unclear if the changes are due to a hardware

change, software update, or revisions to the testing cycle.

However – considering the two affected variants share a circa-80kWh battery pack – some have speculated the total capacity has been reduced, indicating real-world driving range will be affected.

A spokesperson for Tesla in Australia did not comment when approached for further information by Drive.

While delivery times fell to just “one to three weeks” in October last year, new delays in 2022 have blown wait times out to between “five and seven months.”

This means a Tesla Model 3 ordered today would likely arrive between July and September 2022, assuming no further setbacks.

While all can be preordered online, there is currently no timeline for local deliveries of the Model S sedan, Model X SUV, Model Y SUV, Cybertruck pick-up, or Roadster sports car.

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2023 Kia Seltos facelift revealed, due in Australia this year

The popular Kia Seltos has received its long-rumoured mid-life update, adding a Sportage-inspired exterior, and restyled interior with a digital dashboard.

The facelifted 2023 Kia Seltos has been revealed, ahead of an Australian launch due in the fourth quarter of 2022 (October to December).

Shown in these initial images out of Korea, the updated version of the popular Seltos small SUV gains a new exterior design and restyled interior inspired by larger Kia models.

Up front, there’s a new set of headlights with angular signatures and LED daytime-running lights that extend into the grille – inspired by the Sportage – plus new LED fog lights and a centre skid plate that hint at a ‘GT-Line’ or ‘X-Line’ flagship.

New 18-inch machined alloy wheels fill the arches, while at the rear there are new Carnival-inspired tail-lights stretching down the sides and across the span of the tailgate, and a new gloss black lower bumper.

Inside, the updated Seltos gains a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, integrated with the carry-over 10.25-inch centre touchscreen into a curved panel stretching across the dashboard – akin to the new Niro, EV6 and Sportage.

The design of the air vents and lower switches have been tweaked, while the current full-size gear selector has been replaced by a ‘shift-by-wire’ rotary dial.

Full details of engines and safety systems will be confirmed at the Busan motor show in Korea next month, however rumours suggest a carry-over choice of 2.0-litre non-turbo and 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engines.

Rumours of a Seltos Hybrid have since subsided, as Kia looks to focus its small hybrid SUV efforts on the new Niro.

The 2023 Kia Seltos will be detailed further next month, ahead of first Australian arrivals in the fourth quarter of 2022 (October to December).

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BMW to roll out Android Automotive infotainment from 2023

German luxury car giant BMW will be integrating the Android Automotive system into various models for the first time from next year.

BMW has announced that it will be adding the Android Automotive operating system – not to be confused with Android Auto – to specific models from 2023.

The platform – which powers infotainment systems in various Volvo, Polestar, and Stellantis group vehicles – will be incorporated alongside the current BMW Operating System 8, however it’s unclear exactly which models will gain the system. 

The German car maker is yet to release images of the Android version of its iDrive 8 system, so it’s unclear if it will look any different from the existing Linux-based software.

Android Automotive is not to be confused with Android Auto; whereas the latter (Auto) is one app within the infotainment system, and requires a phone connected, the former (Automotive) drives the entire infotainment system, with no phone required.

“We are integrating the best aspects of all worlds – that could be our own in-house developments, Open Source or commercial software products, depending on what the specific solution looks like,” said BMW Group lead developer for digital driving experience, Stephan Durach.

It’s possible that the system will feature Google Maps and Google Assistant, along with the ability to utilise third-party apps. The automaker stated that the “customization enables implementers to differentiate the product as they see fit.”

Various brands have already adopted Android Automotive, including GM, Polestar, Volvo and Renault, with the Polestar 2 leading the charge. 

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2023 Audi S4 Avant spied inside and out

The next Audi S4 performance wagon has been spotted in Europe, with a technology-packed cabin and what looks to be a V6 under the bonnet.

The next-generation 2023 Audi S4 Avant performance wagon has been spied testing in Europe, ahead of its anticipated launch next year.

Snapped in Europe’s Alps by Drive’s spy photography partners, the next S4 – in sedan and ‘Avant’ wagon forms – won’t stray too far from Audi’s usual formula, with sporty but restrained styling, a high-tech interior and a potent petrol engine under the bonnet.

Building on the standard A4 prototype spotted late last year, the mid-level S4 can be distinguished on this early test car by its four exhaust tips, a hallmark of Audi S cars.

The latest S4 prototype also features flush-faced, cut-out door handles akin to a BMW i4, rather than the traditional pull-out handles of the A4 seen last year. It’s unclear which design will reach production.

Expect full production S4s to score tweaked bumper designs, black or aluminium detailing and larger alloy wheels than base or S Line versions of the regular A4. This prototype’s circular tail-lights are temporary units installed for testing.

Inside, the new S4 borrows its squared-off steering wheel from Europe’s Q4 E-Tron electric car, which is placed in front of a freestanding instrument display, rather than the enclosed binnacle of current Audis.

Tucked behind a data logging screen installed by Audi engineers is what looks to be a tablet-style freestanding central touchscreen. The seats are trimmed in leather, with electric adjustment.

The centre console is more minimalist than today’s A4, with a conventional gear selector replaced by a rocker switch, akin to the A3 small car – placed alongside a pair of cupholders, a red-accented engine start button, and very few physical switches.

A photo under the bonnet shows no signs of high-voltage orange cables – suggesting the next S4 won’t be plug-in hybrid, though a lesser 48-volt mild-hybrid system can’t be ruled out, akin to a range of new Audi models.

If the engine cover is any guide, the new Audi S4 looks to retain a V6 engine – though, assuming it’s a petrol engine, it’s unclear if it’s the 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre single-turbo unit in the current S4, or a detuned version of the RS4’s 331kW/600Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6.

While the former is a possibility, it’s worth noting the S4 shares its platform with the Porsche Macan medium SUV, which recently ditched its 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre V6 for a 280kW/520Nm version of the 2.9-litre V6 – so it’s possible the next-generation Audi mid-sizer might follow suit.

Audi will be alone in fitting a V6 to its mid-size, mid-tier performance car offering; the BMW M340i is powered by a turbocharged inline-six, while the latest Mercedes-AMG C43 has switched to a mild-hybrid turbo four-cylinder.

As reported last year, the next Audi A4 is rumoured to be available with a choice of traditional petrol and diesel engines – with mild or plug-in hybrid systems, and front- or all-wheel drive – plus a new A4 E-Tron electric option.

Whereas the petrol and diesel models are expected to carry over the current A4’s ‘MLB’ platform – albeit with “modifications” – the A4 E-Tron is set to employ Audi and Porsche’s new ‘PPE’ dedicated electric architecture.

Above: The current Audi S4 sedan and Avant wagon.

Two RS4 performance flagships are slated to be offered; an MLB-based plug-in hybrid, pairing today’s 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 with electric motors for over 331kW and 600Nm, and a PPE-based, dual-motor electric model reportedly developing 350kW/800Nm.

Dimensions of the new ‘B10’ A4 are rumoured to remain similar to the current ‘B9’ A4 range. New technologies, however, are rumoured to include rear-wheel steering, near-field communication technology, adaptive dampers and Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

With the standard 2023 Audi A4 slated to launch in Europe sometime next year, expect the performance S4 version to debut either towards the end of 2023, or early in 2024.

Australian launch plans are yet to be confirmed, though given Audi S and RS performance cars are historically strong sellers locally, it’s unlikely we will miss out on the new model.

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Jaguar planning three electric SUVs for 2025 rebirth – report

Jaguar has signalled plans to go electric and move upmarket in 2025 – and a new report suggest it will be led by three ultra-luxury SUVs, priced from $150,000 to $300,000.

Three new high-luxury, high-priced SUVs look set to lead storied British luxury brand Jaguar’s all-electric push upmarket, according to a new report.

British magazine Autocar reports three large SUVs will lead the reinvention of Jaguar in 2025, which has been confirmed to see it shift from a BMW or Audi competitor, to a maker of lower-volume, more exclusive cars akin to Bentley.

All three models – built in Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull plant – will share a new electric-only platform known as Panthera, with “similar mechanical packages”, and prices from £80,000 ($AU140,000), to as much as £200,000 ($AU350,000).

There won’t be successors to the E-Pace and F-Pace; instead, the smallest model in the new range is said to be sized similarly to a Porsche Taycan wagon, at just under five metres long, and over two metres wide.

Above: Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV.

The Autocar report specifically references the low-riding Taycan Sport Turismo wagon – however all three new Jaguars are expected to take the form of more conventional ‘crossover’ SUVs.

Three-door and five-door versions of the smallest new Jaguar SUV will be offered – though positioned as standalone models – with a choice of single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrains.

Prices for these models will reportedly start from £80,000 to £90,000 ($AU140,000 to $AU160,000) – equivalent to a top-of-the-range I-Pace of today, at about $170,000 drive-away in Australia – and span beyond £120,000 ($AU210,000).

According to Autocar, the flagship Jaguar will be a larger SUV with a 200mm-longer wheelbase, standard dual-motor all-wheel drive and “luxurious rear cabin appointment and space” aimed at the US and Chinese markets.

Above: Petrol-powered Jaguar F-Pace.

The publication says this model will cost from £120,000 ($AU210,000) – starting where the smaller car’s range ends – and that Jaguar hopes it “can justify prices approaching £200,000 [$AU350,000] with full equipment and the SVR treatment.”

Jaguar is said to be targeting about 50,000 sales per year, according to Autocar – on par with the full-size Range Rover alone before the pandemic, albeit with higher profit margins on the new Jaguar cars.

Autocar says the first of the new Jaguars will be previewed by a concept in 2024 – as hinted at by Jaguar Land Rover vehicles boss Nick Collins in a separate interview – before customer deliveries commence in 2025.

“In 2024, we will show the world what a new Jaguar will be like; in 2025, we will deliver cars to customers. We’re still working on options for communicating and marketing the vehicles. We have plenty of ideas, but we haven’t yet decided which way to go,” Collins said.

Above: Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV.

The Panthera platform underpinning the new Jaguar models – developed by Jaguar Land Rover and Austrian engineering giant Magna – will be on the “technical cutting edge”, Autocar says, with likely 800-volt fast charging, cloud connectivity and plenty of processing power.

The UK outlet says “it seems likely” the new vehicles will use a range of sustainable materials that avoid the use of oil derivatives – with recycled fabrics for the carpet, and recycled aluminium for the platform suggested as examples.

Jaguar Land Rover recently signed a deal with US computing giant Nvidia to power the next generation of its autonomous driving technology, with “significant” use of connected cloud technology.

While a final decision on where the cars will be built has not been made, Autocar suggests an expansion of the current Solihull, UK factory home to the current Jaguar F-Pace, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and full-size Range Rover.

The arrival of the new Jaguar luxury electric cars in 2025 will spell the end of the current range, comprising the XE and XF sedans, E-Pace, F-Pace and I-Pace SUVs, and the F-Type V8 sports car.

In the meantime, Collins says the company will “curate” its range, simplifying its core model line-up and introducing a range of special editions – including the F-Pace SVR Edition 1988 revealed in recent weeks (above).

“Our supply chain issues have created opportunities to cut the number of variants. We’ve learned a lot about being a value-over-volume company. With the F-Pace, for instance, we can go from around 55 variants to 16,” Collins said.

“You’ve seen our recent F-Pace SVR Edition 1988: we will do more like that, including with the XF and XE, which will be back soon.

“And next year we will celebrate 75 years of Jaguar sports cars by doing something special with the F-Type. It will be our last-ever V8 sports car. Maybe it will be like the old [Land Rover] Defender and have a bumper year.”

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Modified 6×6 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series reconnaissance vehicle being tested by ADF

Australian Army personnel could soon be driving around in a six-wheeled reconnaissance vehicle built in Queensland from a LandCruiser 79 Series.

A new type of vehicle is currently undergoing testing by the Australian Army.

The Military Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (MLRV) is manufactured by Queensland company Australian Patrol Vehicles (APV), based on a Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series, but modified to suit military applications.

The 6×6 MLRV has begun off-road testing by the 31st/42nd Battalion from The Royal Queensland Regiment, as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) assesses its suitability for domestic operations.

The vehicles could provide the ADF with an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, which was introduced to replace the Land Rover Perentie.

While the G-Wagen has been designed to be integrated with Air Force transports for long-distance flights, the LandCruiser-based MLRV is being considered for use only on Australian soil – freeing up more G-Wagens for overseas deployment, if needed.

“Army is supporting a Minister for Defence Industry SICP grant by trialling a Military Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (MLRV) to assess its suitability for use in domestic military operations,” the battalion wrote in a Facebook post.

“Four of these 6×6 MRLVs are being put through their paces in a comprehensive land trial by soldiers from the 31st/42nd Battalion, the Royal Queensland Regiment, 11th Combat Service Support Battalion and the 11th Engineer Regiment.”

If successful, the MRLV could also make its way into the Regional Force Surveillance Units – specialised infantry units responsible for patrolling the most remote areas of Australia – who don’t necessarily need the full engineering capabilities of the G-Wagen, and who may find maintenance and repairs to be quicker and easier with a Toyota-based vehicle.

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2023 Citroen C4 X revealed, Australia unconfirmed

Citroen has stretched the small C4 hatchback-turned-SUV to create the C4 X, a petrol, diesel or electric mid-size sedan on SUV stilts.

The 2023 Citroen C4 X has been revealed, as the latest member of the French brand’s SUV range – though an Australian launch has yet to be confirmed.

As its name suggests, the C4 X slots between the C4 hatch-turned-small-SUV on sale in Australia, and the C5 X wagon-turned-SUV bound for local shores this year, filling a niche in Citroen’s range for a mid-size SUV with the styling of a ‘fastback’ sedan.

Underpinned by the same CMP architecture as the C4, the new C4 X is effectively identical to the regular C4 up to the rear doors – where, instead of a higher hatchback-like tail, the C4 X swaps in a longer rear overhang and a traditional sedan-style boot lid.

Measuring 4600mm long and 1800mm wide, the C4 X slots between the 4360mm-long C4 hatch/SUV and 4800mm-long C5 X – slotting it into the mid-size SUV segment in Australia, a few millimetres shorter than a Toyota RAV4.

The C4 X retains the C4’s 2670mm wheelbase, but its longer rear end – also home to a subtle integrated lip spoiler, and Citroen’s dual-line LED tail-lights – houses 510 litres of boot space, up over the C4’s 380L.

Other design highlight include a matte black rear bumpers and body cladding, large-diameter wheels and tyres, the company’s signature ‘Airbumps’ on the doors, and LED headlights.

Inside, a 10-inch touchscreen sits atop the dashboard running Citroen’s new My Citroen Drive Plus software, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, over-the-air updates, a ‘Hello Citroen’ voice assistant, eight driver profiles, and customisable widgets.

A digital instrument cluster sits in front of the driver, joining four USB ports, dual-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, an electric sunroof, ambient lighting, and available Alcantara suede-like upholstery.

The Advanced Comfort front seats – with 15mm of foam and wide backrests for the feel of a “snug armchair” – can be had with heating, massaging and driver’s side electric adjustment, while heating is available for the rear seats, windscreen and steering wheel.

Citroen says there’s 39 litres of storage in the cabin compartments alone, complemented by a tablet holder on the passenger-side dashboard, various anti-slip surfaces, space in the rear centre armrest, and document pockets on the back of the front seats.

The use of Peugeot and Citroen’s smaller CMP architecture means overseas buyers have a choice of petrol, diesel or all-electric powertrains.

Petrol buyers can select a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine developing 74kW with a six-speed manual transmission, or 96kW with an eight-speed automatic, offered with or without auto start-stop tech depending on the market.

Available in some markets is a 96kW 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine with an eight-speed automatic, however the headline option – and the only choice in some markets – is the all-electric e-C4 X.

Despite measuring 200mm longer than the electric e-C4, the e-C4 X uses the same 100kW/260Nm front electric motor and 50kWh battery pack, capable of a 9.5-second 0-100km/h time, and a 150km/h top speed.

Yet the e-C4 X’s sleeker body and resulting 0.29 drag coefficient mean WLTP driving range is rated at 360km, up 10km over the smaller e-C4. Regenerative braking allows energy to be recovered under deceleration.

DC fast charging at up to 100kW enables an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes, or up to 10km of extra range per minute.

Using a 7.4kW home wallbox, Citroen claims a 7.5-hour charge time (to an unknown capacity) with single-phase power, decreasing to five hours with three-phase power and an optional 11kW onboard charger.

Under the skin, Citroen’s Progressive Hydraulic Cushions suspension system features, with two progressive hydraulic bump stops used in place of mechanical stops for better bump absorption.

Available advanced safety technologies include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert and traffic sign recognition.

Other technology highlights include a flip-up head-up display, 180-degree reversing camera, 360-degree camera, keyless entry and start, automatic parking, front and rear parking sensors, and an electric parking brake.

The 2023 Citroen C4 X will go on sale overseas in the coming months, with Europe, the Middle East and Africa. An Australian launch is yet to be confirmed – Drive has contacted the car maker’s local arm for comment.

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