Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) have been a force to help bridge a gap as we approach a future full of full-on electric vehicles (EVs). Such vehicles have proven to be quite efficient and the perfect commuter vehicle for those who take full advantage of its plug-in charging capabilities. In the scheme of having an affordable PHEV SUV, Mitsubishi has stepped into the game to bring us an all-new Outlander PHEV. After spending a week with the Outlander PHEV, I was enamored to welcome such a vehicle into my lifestyle with wide open arms from a brand that hasn’t been on my radar screen in a long time.

For my generation, born in the late 70s, Mitsubishi was a fun brand in the 90s and even in the early 2000s. I can remember good friends of mine having some of the wildest sport compact vehicles around that touted the Mitsubishi

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The 2023 Nissan Leaf seen from a front quarter angle

Electric vehicles (EVs) have fewer moving parts than gas-powered cars. That mechanical simplicity, advocates say, should lead to fewer part failures — and more reliable vehicles — over time.

The logic behind the argument is sound. But the numbers aren’t yet proving it true, according to Consumer Reports.

CR comes by its data differently than most reliability studies.

The magazine doesn’t test every car on the market. Instead, it asks its readers to report problems they’ve had in the last 12 months, then compiles the results for vehicles built since 2000. As a result, its data set is limited to the cars CR subscribers own.

RELATED — Consumer Reports: Toyota, Lexus Make the Most Reliable Cars; Mercedes the Least

That data collection method skews the outcome. The subscriber to a magazine that ranks vacuums for price effectiveness may have different preferences than the average shopper.

Its 2022 data, CR says,

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Part of being a motoring writer is predicting trends, having a think about what paths the car market might take in the near-term.

Some trends such as electrification are as clear as day, while others are based on looser hypothesising.

Here we jot down one expectation for 2023 from various team members. Add your two cents in the comments!

Mike Costello

China will become Australia’s third-largest source of cars

Sales of cars made in China spiked 55 per cent to the end of November this year, making the country our fourth-biggest source of vehicles behind Japan, Thailand and Korea. 

More than 10 per cent of new vehicles sold this year at the time of writing were made in China – either by rapidly growing Chinese brands MG, LDV, GWM, Haval and BYD, or brands that source cars from there such as Tesla, Volvo and Polestar. 

All (or most) of those

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Getting colour updates for next year is the 2023 Honda RS-X kapchai. The new colour choices for the RS-X are Lemon Ice Yellow and Candy Caribbean Blue Sea, priced at RM9,698, while the revised Trico Edition, in Honda’s racing colours of red, white and blue with gold coloured wheels, is priced at RM9,748, compared against the 2021 Honda RS-X price of RM8,688 for the base model.

Pricing does not include road tax, insurance or registration and every RS-X comes with a two-year or 20,000 km warranty against manufacturing defects. Stock of the 2023 Honda RS-X is expected to arrive in authorised Boon Siew Honda dealer showroom beginning January 4, 2023.

No other changes for the RS-X for next season, with the same single-cylinder mill displacing 149.16 cc and fed by Honda’s PGM-Fi mated to a six-speed transmission and chain final drive. Power for the RS-X is claimed to be

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Automation can help plug the skills gap, free up space in factories and ensure new technology is sustainable and futureproof. By Alex Forrest

The automotive industry is far from immune from the workforce shortage, with the UK publication This is Money reporting that the country will see a 160,000 shortfall of staff by 2031. While the sector has traditionally led the way with automation on the production line, it fed those processes manually from a logistics point of view.

We’re aware of the extent to which the labour shortages are affecting industries, especially automotive. I have been having conversations with various carmakers who are facing a 50-100 person shortfall in their workforce. On top of that, the cost-of-living crisis is reducing the demand for new cars. Carmakers are therefore facing tough decisions to reduce or redeploy their workforce to stay competitive. This is where automation can support. While parts of

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Automotive


There is nothing more alarming than one of your vehicle’s tires blowing out when you are on the road. It is dangerous to you, the people in your vehicle, and everyone around you. A blown tire can easily cause an accident, which could be much worse if the blown tire is on a truck. 

What Causes a Tire Blow Out?

Most truck accident attorneys will tell you that there are seven common causes of tire blowouts.

1. Over-inflation and Under-inflation

Over-inflated tires are often uneven. When a tire is over-inflated, it may wear down faster than it would if it had the appropriate amount of air. When tires wear down, it can cause a blowout to happen.

Under-inflated tires can become overheated easily, which can cause a blowout. The tire pressure monitoring system in the vehicle should tell the driver if their tires are properly inflated.

2. Worn Out

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2021 Toyota Mirai

It’s been a brutal year for car prices, but there’s one reliable deal that always seems too good to be true. Yet it is true, as long as you can live with strange compromises.

The 2022 Toyota Mirai is again available with a discount of up to $25,000. That’s 38% off the purchase price for a near-luxury sedan with a beautiful panoramic glass roof, a stunning modern-style interior right out of an upscale art gallery, and cabin tech that responds to voice commands.

Oh — and you get six years or $15,000 worth of free fuel.

The catch? It’s that fuel. It’s hydrogen.

Just Three of Its Kind on the Market

The Toyota Mirai is an automotive oddity. It’s one of just three hydrogen fuel cell cars left for sale in the U.S.

It borrows much of its architecture from the Lexus LS — the flagship of the Lexus lineup.

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We’ve driven plenty of exciting metal in 2022, but the year is almost over – and the car industry never stops moving.

From futuristic electric flagships to screaming tributes to internal-combustion heroes past, with a few family SUVs thrown in for good measure, here’s what the CarExpert team is most excited to drive in 2023.

Tony Crawford

BMW M2, M3 Touring, XM

I just can’t nail it down to one car. In fact, it’s a BMW triple for me.

The upcoming M2, new M3 Touring, and the first full-strength electrified M car ever in the XM.

The M2 is a new-generation car from the ground up that borrows from the latest M3/M4, with a clean-sheet exterior design I’m liking more every time I see another pic, while the M3 Touring is the first such M3 wagon ever to go into series production.

I saw the XM in a static display

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