Okay, let’s jump right into it—The Hot Topics of the day!Alright, first off, JAC is bringing its T9 Hunter plug-in hybrid ute to Fieldays. Now, this is exciting, but it’s still in prototype phase, huh?Yeah, they’re clearly testing the waters with this. The specs are wild, though, right? Twin electric motors, 2.0-litre turbo petrol, and it's targeting 1000Nm torque. That’s nuts.Oh, absolutely. Plus, it can go over 100km on electric power alone! It might give the BYD Shark 6 some real competition if it lands here. Big moves from JAC.Next up, we’ve got Chery confirming pricing for the Tiggo 4 compact-SUV.Right, and at $24,990 plus on-road costs, the entry-level Urban model is super competitive. It’s coming in July with dual 10.25-inch screens and wireless phone projection as standard. That's solid.Yeah, and the Ultimate trim at $29,990 adds even more—think heated front seats, a sunroof, and a 360-degree camera. Chery’s building momentum fast with plans for a national network of 10 dealerships.Okay, moving on, it’s time to thank our amazing sponsor!Today’s podcast is brought to you by Autocheck. Stop paying too much for vehicle checks.Get your comprehensive vehicle reports for less. Visit Autocheck.co.nz—your trusted vehicle data provider!Now, the Best of the Rest for the day.Here’s a big one—Geely founder Li Shufu says the global auto industry risks ‘serious overcapacity.’Yeah, this came up at the Chongqing auto forum. It’s interesting, especially with those price wars in China. BYD started it, but now even Geely’s cutting back production expansion plans.And now, In Other News today.Prominent New Zealanders with automotive industry ties are still on the NBR 2025 Rich List. The Todd family ranks fourth, with $3.5 billion. That’s huge.Yep, and let's not forget the Giltrap family, at 64th with $400 million, and the Fukuoka family at number 8 for their EV contributions. There’s so much legacy here.Also, a fire devastated a warehouse in Auckland. 50 firefighters were on the scene, and the site sustained serious damage.Finally, dealers, take note: NZTA's Clean Car Standard targets are tightening in 2026. The new limits are 108g CO2/km for cars and 207 for commercials. Check your CCS accounts—it’s coming fast.Alright, now for International EV news today. BYD? They’re suing 37 influencers for defamation. Serious stuff.They’ve put another 126 on watch. That’s unusual. The relationship between automakers and influencers is usually smoother than this.Finally, our One Liners today. Mazda’s adding a petrol hybrid to its CX-80 range from mid-2025, starting at $82,990.Toyota’s next-gen RAV4, arriving in 2026, will include a plug-in hybrid option. Big news for kiwi buyers.Mahindra's XUV 3XO makes its debut this week at Fieldays. Bookings open June 11.Meanwhile, Kia’s doubling down on hatchbacks with EV4 and K4. They’re aiming to rival the likes of the Volkswagen ID 3.Oh, and another ship fire involving EVs—The Morning Midas, loaded with cars, burned out in the Pacific. Tough break.Lastly, Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra EV is making its way into Gran Turismo 7. Fun for racing fans.And that’s all for today. Don’t forget to subscribe and check out thefullbrief.nz, where you can read all the articles we’ve mentioned and sign up for the daily email!Thanks for tuning in. See you next time!

Episodes

NZ Automotive News - 10th June 2025