Sedan

Whether you like it or not, the Tesla Model 3 is the most important car to launch in the last decade.Thanks to the way it has made electric motoring so accessible, affordable, and desirable, I think it will go down in history as my generation's version of the Ford Model T or Volkswagen Beetle.For this review, we're looking at its first major upgrade. Yes, Tesla has tweaked its core sedan before, but the version we're looking at today is nearly 50 per cent new.Has it addressed some of the outgoing model's more glaring flaws? Is it even more appealing this time around? We took a base Rear Wheel Drive for a spin to find out.

I know what you’re thinking - here comes another car review talking up some would be ‘Tesla fighter’ that will ultimately sell a tiny fraction of the cars the American electric juggernaut manages.And certainly you’d have good reason to think that. Plenty of big name car brands have launched electric vehicles in recent years, and yet still Tesla claims more than half of all EV sales with only the Model Y and Model 3.Tesla has sold more than 40,000 Model Y and more than 16,000 Model 3 in the first 11 months of 2023, with the next best all-electric model managing just over 10,000 - quite a way behind. The thing is, that third best-selling EV is the BYD Atto 3, the Chinese brand’s small SUV that has become a near-instant hit with Australian car buyers.Which is why the arrival of the new BYD Seal cannot be underestimated. The brand has clearly found a place in the local market and will have learnt lessons from the launch of the Atto 3 and the affordable Dolphin small hatch. The Seal isn’t meant to be a ‘cut price’ alternative to the Model 3, even if it is cheaper, rather a genuine and direct rival.But to be taken seriously it will need to compete on every level with the Model 3 - performance, efficiency, range, style, practicality and dynamics.With all that in mind, it does lend at least some credence to the idea that the BYD Seal could be the first true challenger to Tesla’s Australian EV dominance.

The first electric 5 Series that BMW’s M division has had a crack at is here. It’s the i5 M60 xDrive, and it starts from a hefty $215,900, before on-road costs.For that, there’s plenty under the bonnet… er, on the axles. It’s fitted with an 84kWh battery for its all-wheel drive dual-motor set-up to draw its power from, which in total make a whopping 442kW/820Nm.BMW claims it’ll hit 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, but at the cost of some range - only 506km compared to the other i5’s 550km.Interior upholstery is Merino leather as standard, while a 12.3-inch instrument display paired with a 14.9-inch multimedia display headline the interior tech, plus a head-up display, ambient lighting, wireless phone charging tray and BMW’s ‘new’ 'Interaction Bar' as seen in the 7 Series are included.BMW’s ‘Adaptive Suspension Professional’ with Integral Active Steering (rear-wheel steering), also includes active anti-roll in the M60, making its suspension the best in the 5 Series range.Both i5s come with BMW’s ‘Iconic Sounds’, drive sounds composed by Hans Zimmer instead of engine sounds heard through a 655-watt, 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system.It also has a Mode 2 and Mode 3 charger, cable, and a five-year Chargefox subscription.The 5 Series comes with 'BMW Driving Assistant Professional' as standard, with active cruise, lane assist and departure warning, front and rear cross traffic alert, collision prevention and intervention systems - about 40 safety systems are featured including an augmented reality dash display.Airbags include front and side airbags for driver and passenger including one between the two occupants, as well as curtain airbags front and rear. ANCAP hasn’t crash tested the new 5 Series.BMW’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on its new cars includes the i5, and servicing is undertaken based on condition, not time or distance intervals.