58: $30k EV showdown, the French strike back and Merc goes big on performance
The Hook Turn Podcast
58: $30k EV showdown, the French strike back and Merc goes big on performanceThe Hook Turn Podcast · Jul 16, 2026
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Car
2026 Gilly EX2
The 2026 Gilly EX2 is an electric car the hosts are talking about as a budget-friendly EV option. They’re basically saying it’s priced aggressively for what you get, especially compared with other Chinese EVs.
Volvo is a well-known car brand that the hosts say is owned by Gilly’s parent company. They bring it up to show Gilly has other major brands under the same corporate umbrella.
Polestar is another brand the hosts say is owned by the same parent company as Gilly. It’s brought up to show the company has both premium and value-focused brands.
Lotus is another brand the hosts say is owned by Gilly’s parent company. They mention it to illustrate that the group includes more performance-leaning brands too.
Zika is the premium brand the hosts say sits under the same parent company as Gilly. They’re using it to explain the difference between the “premium” lineup and the more budget-focused Gilly models.
“Value-focused” means the car is trying to give you a lot for the money. The hosts are saying Gilly is aiming to be cheaper than more premium Chinese brands while still offering enough features to make it attractive.
WLTP range is an official test number for how far an EV can go on a full charge. In real life, you usually get less than that number, depending on speed and conditions.
The kilowatt motor number is how much power the electric motor can produce. Higher kilowatts usually means quicker acceleration and more effortless highway driving.
Rear wheel drive means the power goes to the back wheels. The host thinks this layout can be more efficient and changes how the car behaves compared with front-wheel drive.
The BYD Dolphin is another EV the host compares against the Gilly EX2. Here, the important detail is that it’s described as front-wheel drive, unlike the Gilly’s rear-wheel drive.
A dedicated EV platform means the car’s design was built for electric power from the beginning. That can help the car fit batteries and other components more efficiently.
Independent suspension lets each wheel react to bumps more independently. That usually makes the ride smoother and helps the tires stay in contact with the road.
A torsion beam is a simpler rear suspension design. It’s cheaper and takes less space, but it often rides less smoothly than more advanced suspension setups.
The Sealion 7 is an electric SUV/crossover. It’s mentioned because it’s doing well in EV sales compared with other electric models. That helps explain why people are paying attention to it.
BYD Auto 2 is a BYD electric car model. They’re using it as an example of what people were buying—showing that even cheaper EV shoppers were choosing it.
Car
GAC Ion UT
The GAC Ion UT is an all-electric car from the Chinese brand GAC. In this episode they compare it to other EVs around the same price and talk about how its advertised range may come with trade-offs in day-to-day comfort and refinement.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE is a luxury SUV. It’s a bigger, more premium vehicle than many everyday cars. The podcast mentions it because it’s widely advertised, so it’s easier for people to recognize.
Concept
day to day driving experience
They’re saying that what looks great on paper doesn’t always feel great in real life. “Day to day driving experience” is about how the car feels during normal commutes and errands, not just the headline numbers.
MG is a car brand (now closely tied to Chinese automotive production) that the host uses as an example of a company that can improve EVs over time with updates. In this segment, MG is also tied directly to the MG4 model being compared.
An “EV hatchback” is an electric car with a hatch-style rear. The host is saying people in this category usually want something for commuting, not nonstop long trips.
“Daily driving” means your normal routine trips, like commuting to work and back. The host is saying that if that’s your use case, you can choose an EV without needing the longest possible range.
Car
MG4
The MG4 is an electric hatchback. Here, the host is using it as a benchmark for how far you can drive on a charge and how it fits a normal commute.
“On-road costs” are the extra charges you pay to actually register the car and drive it legally. The host is saying one EV is only a little cheaper once you include those extra fees.
The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV. It runs on a battery instead of petrol, and it’s popular enough that you can sometimes find older ones for less money. That’s why it may be brought up when talking about EVs you can actually afford.
The Tesla Model 3 is a popular electric car. The host is saying that if you’re shopping around this price, a used Model 3 from a few years ago may make more sense for everyday use.
The Hyundai Kona is a small SUV, and there is an electric version. It’s the kind of EV that came out earlier than many newer models. That’s why it may be mentioned when comparing older EVs and their value.
Car
Honda Super 1 EV
Honda is bringing out an electric hatchback called the Super 1. The big question here is whether Honda will sell it for under $30,000 and whether its driving range is good enough to compete with cheaper EVs.
Drive-away pricing is the total amount you pay to get the car ready to use, typically including fees like registration and stamp duty (depending on the region). The hosts use it to argue that if the Honda Super 1 EV’s all-in price is above $30k, it likely won’t sell well.
Car
BYD Ato 1
The BYD Ato 1 is being used as a comparison point for the “cheap EV” market. They’re saying its range is about 220 km, and they expect the Honda to be in that same ballpark to compete.
A 10-year warranty means the company promises to cover certain repair costs for a long time. The hosts mention it because it can make buying an MG feel less risky.
The infotainment system is the car’s screen and electronics for things like music, maps, and phone connections. They’re saying some MG cars have software that feels slow or unresponsive.
The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is a sporty Mercedes model. In this episode, they’re talking about the new version being fully electric, which is a big change from the usual gas-powered AMG performance formula.
A plug-in hybrid is a car that uses both gas and electricity. You can charge it from a plug, but it still has a gas engine too.
Term
limited demand for performance EVs
This means fewer people are buying the fastest, most performance-focused electric cars compared to regular EVs. Automakers watch that demand when deciding what powertrains to build.
Concept
street's new rules about mandated EVs
The “mandated EVs” idea means governments are requiring carmakers to sell more electric cars. The host thinks that kind of rule may have influenced how this AMG model was planned.
“0 to 100 km/h” is a standard acceleration test measuring how many seconds it takes to reach 100 kilometers per hour from a standstill. It’s commonly used to compare how quickly different cars feel in everyday driving and on paper.
One foot rollout is a measurement convention where the car is allowed to move slightly before the timing starts, reducing the “from a dead stop” disadvantage. It can make acceleration times look faster than a strict zero-rollout test.
Three electric motors means the car has more than one electric unit working together. That can help it put power to the road more effectively, which often improves acceleration and handling.
Synthesized gear shifts are fake shift sounds and sensations made by the EV. Because electric cars don’t shift like gas cars, the system tries to recreate that experience for the driver.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5N is used as an example of how some EVs try to feel more exciting. It’s known for using sound/feel features to mimic the vibe of a sporty car.
The Ioniq 6N is another Hyundai EV example they bring up. The idea is that Hyundai is trying to make the car feel more like a traditional performance machine using sound and driving cues.
They mention the Porsche Taycan as another electric car that adds more “engine-like” experience. It’s part of a trend where EVs try to recreate the excitement of gas cars.
This is a special driving mode from Mercedes-AMG. In that mode, the car adds extra “feel” effects—like seat vibration—to make the drive seem more like a gas performance car.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance is the fast, high-output version of the Model 3. Here it’s mentioned as a benchmark EV—showing you can get very quick performance for less money than pricier options.
That number is how much power the charger can deliver at peak. More kilowatts usually means you can charge faster, as long as the car and charger both support it.
This is about how the car’s battery system is wired electrically. An “800-volt” setup can make charging faster because the car can pull in more power more efficiently.
This is the typical charging speed level most public chargers are limited to. If your car can charge faster than that, you still can’t go faster unless the charger can deliver higher power.
AMG is Mercedes-Benz’s performance brand. It often changes both how the car looks and how it drives, and here the host is comparing the AMG front design to non-AMG versions.
The CLA is a smaller Mercedes model line. The host is using it as the base for a discussion about newer generations and upcoming AMG performance versions.
The C-Class is a Mercedes model that’s bigger and more upscale than the CLA. The host is saying Mercedes hasn’t released the full AMG version yet, so they’re waiting to see what comes next.
This is a Mercedes-AMG “four-door” that’s meant to feel like a high-performance sports car, but with normal car practicality. The hosts are basically saying it’s very fast, and they’re wondering how Mercedes will price and differentiate it from other AMG models.
Term
screens, screens, screens
They’re complaining about how modern cars keep adding more big screens for controls and information. Their point is that it’s starting to feel old, and you could get that kind of screen-heavy setup in other cars too.
The CX-6e is an electric car from a Chinese manufacturer. The podcast brings it up as an example of an EV that offers lots of modern features, like screens. It’s part of a discussion about having many EV options to choose from.
Dacia is a car brand from Romania that makes more affordable cars. Here, they’re explaining that in Australia the same kind of Dacia vehicles may be sold under Renault’s name instead.
The Dacia Duster is a low-cost compact SUV. It’s meant to be practical without costing as much as many mainstream SUVs. The podcast also notes that it can be sold under different names depending on the market.
Renault is a well-known car company. In this discussion, they’re saying that the same vehicle can show up with different brand badges depending on the country.
The Subaru Outback is a wagon-like car that’s meant to handle everyday roads and rougher conditions better than a basic hatchback. It’s usually roomy and practical for families or gear. People use it as a comparison when describing other cars that are similar in size and purpose.
“C segment” is a European way of grouping cars by size. The host is saying the Striker is still in the compact-car size class, even though it’s designed to look and act more rugged like an SUV.
The Volkswagen Golf is a small car with a hatchback body style. It’s designed for everyday driving and easy parking. It’s often used as a comparison when people talk about the size and practicality of similar cars.
The Skoda Octavia is a compact car that can come as a hatchback or a wagon. It’s built to be practical and roomy for everyday use. The podcast mentions it as a comparison for other similar European cars in the same size class.
A 48-volt mild hybrid is a car with a small electric assist. It helps the gas engine at key moments (like getting moving), but it usually can’t drive very far just on electricity.
“Hybrid 155” is the name for a specific hybrid version of the car. It means the car uses both a gas engine and an electric system together to get better efficiency.
This is a 1.8-liter gas engine with four cylinders. In a hybrid, it teams up with the electric motor to help the car feel responsive while using less fuel.
A CVT is a type of automatic transmission that can change “gears” smoothly instead of jumping between set steps. That can help the engine stay in a good efficiency range.
Here, “electric transmission” means the electric motor isn’t just spinning directly—it’s matched with gear ratios. Those gears help the car use the motor’s power better at different speeds.
A powertrain is everything that makes the car move, like the engine or electric motors and the gears that connect them to the wheels. In a hybrid, it also includes how the gas and electric parts cooperate.
A two-speed transmission means there are two gear ratios available. That helps the car use the motor’s power more effectively depending on how fast you’re going.
A dual-clutch transmission uses two clutches so gear changes can happen very quickly. With six speeds, it has multiple gear ratios to match different driving situations—here, it’s connected to the front wheels.
Drive modes are different “personalities” the car can switch between. For example, Eco tries to save energy, and Snow changes how power is delivered to help prevent wheel slip.
“Euclip points” are built-in spots in the cabin meant for attaching accessories. They’re like official mounting points for things such as phone holders or chargers.
Car
BYD CL6 Touring
The BYD CL6 Touring is a BYD wagon that uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The hosts are basically asking whether its price in Australia is low enough to attract buyers, and whether its interior feels nicer than the competition.
A plug-in hybrid is a car that has both a gas engine and an electric motor. You can charge it by plugging it in, so it can sometimes drive on electricity alone for shorter trips.
A wagon is like a car with extra space behind the seats for cargo, usually with a longer roof. The hosts are saying fewer people want wagons, so it may be harder for this model to sell widely.
LIVE
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Hooktun podcast with my friend,
San Viv. How are you tonight, San Viv?
I'm very good. I've seen that we've got some new listeners from Vietnam, so I just wanted to welcome them.
Yeah, so we have to say we're not sure how we have listeners from Vietnam, because to be honest,
none of our content is specifically targeted towards the Vietnamese audience, but we were
checking our analytics. And yeah, I think when was the day? Was it the 7th of July? I think that
was very randomly had this spike from Vietnam, according to the Spotify creators app. So
we don't know whether somebody has randomly discovered our podcast and has somehow disseminated
it to the Vietnamese car enthusiast community or whatever, or if it's just some scam or what it is.
I choose to believe that we've just got a passion of Vietnamese following, so thank you to those
people. I would also like to believe that. And maybe in our next episode, we should talk more
about VidFast or something, San Viv. Yes, absolutely. We need to cater our content.
VidFast, are they actually sold? No, we keep going on a tiny bit of a tangent. Are they actually,
they're not sold in Australia, right? No, they're not sold in Australia.
Yeah, because I remember they briefly or do they still own the Lang Lang proving grounds?
I think they briefly owned it and then they got rid of it. So I'm not sure why they owned it.
Because maybe I think they had some intention to test vehicles. Yeah, they bought it in September
2020 and then sold it in October 2021. So they had it for like a year. Okay, well, I think that
probably says all you need to know. That probably says a lot about VidFast's business approach to
randomly buy a test track and then get rid of it a year later. Yeah, I think they did try to sell
in America, right? And they were called like the worst brand in America or something. That's correct.
So, but anyway, look, welcome to our new Vietnamese audience. If there's anyone listening
from Vietnam, yeah, we're keen to have you on board and thank you for tuning in. So, yeah.
Let's get started on our three topics. So we have one vehicle which we are,
you know, it is another Chinese EV. So we're on a streak now. Well, what a two episode streak.
But I think both of us were like, we know that Chinese models are known for their very sharp
pricing. But I think this sort of pleasantly surprised, well, both of us, even for a Chinese
model, how sharp the pricing is, especially with what you're getting. Then we have two other cars
that we're talking about. One of them is also an EV and the other one is a more conventionally
powered option, but also potentially a bit of a good value for money option in the Australian
market if it comes. So let's get started with our first topic, which is the 2026 Gilly EX2. So
for those who don't know, Gilly is a recent entrant into the Australian market under its own
name. And Gilly are actually the parent company of a lot of more famous brands. So they own Volvo,
they own Polestar, they own Lotus as well. And they also own Zika, which is positioned as a
more premium Chinese brand. I think that's fair to say, Sanbib.
That is definitely correct. Yes, out of all the Chinese brands so far, it's probably,
there are some people who effectively see it on power with Lexus and Mercedes and BMW,
it's the closest that you can even get from the Chinese brands to that. Densa, I guess, but Densa,
the B5 and the B8, I guess, have a much more niche target audience than the 7X and so therefore
being able to get that same reach. Yeah, yeah. But I think the Gilly branded vehicles are positioned
as more of an affordable sort of Chinese option. And the EX5 has been selling quite well as well,
the Gilly EX5. It's been selling quite well for them. And Gilly are in the, I think so,
10,000 vehicles already over 2020, like over halfway through 2026. So they're doing quite well
in Australia marketplace, which is really good. Yeah, it's definitely. Look,
it might be another success story, but let's see how we go. It's still early days, but
I think it's fair to say that the Gilly branded models are designed to be sort of more
value-focused than Zika or any of their, any of the other Gilly brands. So
more directly positioned to compete with like, you know, like Cherry and
some of the other Cherry brands, so Amoda, JQ, MG, be like the standard sort of BYD brands. Although
I suspect that they're positioned to be even more value-conscious than BYD. Although there's not,
I don't think there's a huge amount of play or difference between the two in terms of a pure
value perspective. But the model we want to talk about now in this episode is the Gilly EX2, which
is their entry-level model. It's essentially a hatch, although it looks a little bit more like
SUV, so it's maybe slightly with the black cladding and everything. But I think what's
interesting is what you are getting for the price. So very good pricing. So you have the EX2
complete, which is the, despite the complete trim, despite it being branded as a complete,
is $26,490 before on-road. And then you have the higher spec inspired, which is $3990 before
on-road. So I think the complete, that is a bit of a, I think what's the best way to frame it,
like it's a very attractive price point. But when you start looking at the specifications,
yes, it has a lot of features, but the actual powertrain only 60 kilowatt
motor and a 30 kilowatt hour battery with a WLTP range of 235 kilometers. So that's real
well range is probably going to be maybe 180, 190 kilometers. That power, that's very low power as
well. 60 kilowatts is basically, will be enough to get you up to like motorway speeds and maybe
what 12 or 13 or 14 seconds. So very slow. So I would be hesitant to go for that one, but
the inspiration is where it gets like much more attractive in terms of the powertrain,
because that has an 85 kilowatt motor, a 47.1 kilowatt hour battery and a WLTP range of 345
kilometers. So realistically, I suspect you'd get maybe 300 kilometers. And I think that higher
spec one for the price, or maybe an extra or extra four grand is quite, you know,
very sort of reasonable price. What's more interesting is some of the other specifications.
So you get rear wheel drive, which is very interesting. At this price point, a lot of the
competitors, so the MG for Urban, what's the other, what's the other sort of direct competitor,
the BYD Dolphin and the GAC Ion UT, which I think both of the MG and the GAC we've covered
in previous episodes, they're both front wheel drive. So this is rear wheel drive, which is,
which in my opinion is the right way for EVs to be powered, like rear wheel drive is a more
efficient setup. It's not a sports car by any means, but I think it means that the front wheels
don't get overwhelmed with excessive like torque steer or anything else. So it's a little bit more
stable with the driving as well. And another benefit of that is that you get a tighter turning
circle, which is really handy for those tight urban environments. I believe the turning circle is
9.9 meters, which is really, really good. That's very impressive. And you know, it makes it much
more easy to do U-turns, which is especially in Melbourne, where you have a lot of U-turns,
very handy. And you also get a frunk, which is, and this is a 70 liter frunk. So that's
for this size of car, that's huge. That's comparatively huge because you look at other
models, like even the BMW iX3, which is a world away in terms of size and pricing and everything,
that's built on a dedicated EV platform, but only gets I think 58 liters of front boot space or
front space. This has a large of frunk and is like almost like 15% of the price or something. So
that's a very and much smaller vehicle as well. So that size of frunk is really, really impressive.
And you get independent suspension. So most cars at this price point use a torsion beam,
which is a simpler, more compact setup. The benefits of a multi-link independent suspension are
there's greater rear wheel articulation, greater bump isolation, and the ride quality will likely
be smoother and a little bit more sophisticated as well. So I think those are really interesting
benefits of this model at such a low price point from a mechanical perspective.
Now, Sam, did you want to cover off on some of the features? And do you think this is
going to be comparative against like the MG and some of the more BYD and the GAC,
which are also, you know, also pretty decent value for money?
I think that the successor Genius Ad or the EX5 will translate to this. We actually know that
there's a good market for these sorts of small cars. Now, it isn't as big as a market for small
SUVs, which is right after the Tesla 101 C-line 7. The BYD Auto 2 is the third best selling EV
right now in Australia during the first half of 2016, because people even in the cheaper price
brackets do want SUV over a hatchback. So that's why the Auto 2 has been very successful for BYD.
But in saying that, we know that the MG4 has had a good customer base. I've actually seen the
Auto 1 going around quite as well. And while the GAC Ion UT hasn't, I haven't seen as much of it.
I'm sure there are people on board. And the reality is that GAC doesn't have the same marketing
budget that GLE does. So GLE EX5, you can see the ads everywhere. So if GLE push the EX2 as
hard as it was to the EX5, it won't be as successful as the EX5 simply because, as I mentioned,
Australian simply like SUVs more than they do hatch. But it should be quite good. The fact
that it was the best selling car in China last year, all together, best selling vehicle, not
even just the best selling EV, nearly half a million units sold, it actually shows. And Chinese
customers actually quite discerning nowadays. It's not like 20 years ago, right? Chinese customers
are probably more discerning, I suspect, than Australian customers because it's got so many
options. So if the Chinese are buying this en masse, there's probably something really good to
in saying this, what do we have now? We've got effectively four options
in this price program. You've got the BYD 801. The BYD often is not quite, in the sense it's a
bit more expensive than these cars. Yeah, so it's a BYD 801, the MGE4 EV Urban and the GFDI on UT.
But out of all of those, unless if your budget is like really low, I think you can discount
the 801. Not that it's a terrible car, but really it is an urban runabout, as urban runabouts can
be, really is literally going to the shops and buying kind of car. So, you know, so I'd say I
discount that one. Then out of the three, the EX2 MGE4 Urban and the ION UT. The ION UT on paper
looks the best. It's got by far the largest range, 400 and 30 kilometers, which is significantly
more than even the EX2. Even the top variant of the EX2 only comes with 345. So cheaper as well,
because it's 31 990 drive away. So like overall, it's cheaper. Cheaper, correct. However,
all the reviews said and we've said it too, apparently it is like Chinese EVs, I'm not as
sophisticated as, you know, Korean and Japanese and German. But even within Chinese EVs, the GSC
ION is really unsophisticated. Like even MG and BYD are far better tuned. So really on paper, the
ION UT sounds good, but in reality, I suspect, yes, you'll get more driving range, but I suspect
you're going to make a lot of compromises with your day to day, the day to day driving experience.
Now, obviously, you can say that a lot of these can be tweaked with updates, but I feel like GSC
won't be as good with updates as bigger companies like MG, Genie and BYD are. Yeah,
it might be one or two tweaks, but broadly speaking, I suspect it won't be the case. So I'd
actually discount that as well, because a massive range is your only factor, which if you're in this,
if you're buying in this category, no one is buying EV hatchback looking to do like interstate
drives, right? You're buying a car in this category, you're doing it so you can go to work
and back, you can just do your daily driving. And in that case, 300, arranging the 300s is
more than enough, right? Even if you're arranging the 300s, you might have to charge at most once
every five days or so. So really, then it comes down to the GLEX to the MG4. Now, here is where
I can't make a decision until I read the EX2 reviews, the local reviews. I'm sure,
given that the EX2 is actually quite a solid car, I'm sure that the EX2 will be a solid car.
In saying that, then you basically got a range. The MG4 top spec range,
driver weighs 35K, but you get 405 kilometers of range. The EX2 is not that much cheaper,
maybe 2000, less after on-road costs, but then you're getting 345 kilometers of range. So there's
a fair bit of a difference. I also would say that MG for an EV, it's already actually got
quite good reviews. Yeah, it's already got quite good reviews. So I would suggest that it is,
and MG is much more established in Australia at least compared to GUE. But again, I'd wait to
see the reviews of the EX2. So I'm not going to call, I'm not going to suggest either all.
What I will say is that your, and the other big thing is that at that price, you can actually
get a used EV that is a bit more practical. You can actually get a quite an old Tesla Model 3
for a 930 or a 930, or some of those other Korean early gen EVs like the Kona Nectric,
the Nero EV, etc. And those models from early 2020 is probably still a pretty good range,
probably more practical than this car. So yeah, the other interesting thing is that
in this specific category, it's all Chinese EVs basically, right? Literally whatever I just
listed, it's a GLE BYD, MG and GAC, all Chinese. So it seems like if you want a car in this category,
achieve fully EV hatchback, Chinese are your only options at this point effectively.
So that's also quite interesting as well. The Honda Super 1 EV is coming out, but that's like,
I'm not exactly, like, it's a cool car in concept, but really practically you're not going to look
at that as a practical car. Yeah, the Honda Super 1 is like even, I mean, it's in a different,
like, that's essentially it. But it will probably be priced almost in line with these cars.
That's why I'm so curious to see what the, how Honda priced it, because I feel like if they price the
Honda Super 1 like above 30 grand, it's kind of like dead on arrival. Like, surely they have to,
surely it has to be under 20 grand, not under 20, but under 30 grand. Like, and not just under 30
grand, like significantly under 30 grand, like, like, like 26, 27 max, like you can't be, yeah,
if it's like 32 grand plus on like, Honda don't do, do drive away pricing. So yeah, it can't be,
it can't be above 30 grand is because it's a much smaller car. The range of the Honda Super 1, like,
won't be competitive with any of these. Like, I think it's, maybe it's the same range as the
entry level BYD Ato 1. So the entry level BYD Ato 1 for $23,990, you get 220 kilometers of range. I
reckon the Honda Super 1 will probably have a similar type of range to that, like probably 220
kilometers or something like that as well. But for, yeah, but for around 30 grand, that's not
competitive. So it needs to be below, below 30 grand. And it's just a much tinier car. Like,
you're really buying, you're really trading on the Honda brand with that, with that model, if it's
above, if it's above 30 grand at that point. Yeah, but I think same if I do agree with you with the,
with these four models, it's very like tough competition. But I think, yeah, the MG for
Irvine, that's probably the most, the strongest competitor. And yeah, MG's had just a lot more
experience in the Australian market. They have probably better after sales offer with their
10 year warranty and, you know, just more dealerships and so on and so forth. I think the thing to
note with the MG, like some of the reviews have been saying that tech is still not like it's
getting better. But like things like, by tech, I mean, like the performance of the
infotainment system and stuff, it's still a little bit laggy. So maybe the
Julie might be a little bit better there. But that's also TBC, because we haven't
seen like the proper reviews of the Julie. So I think this is another example where you're going
to have to sit in both cars, drive both, and then look at what your preference is. But I am
impressed by the mechanical specification, because it's very rare to get a car with the
front and rear wheel drive and all of these like cool sort of features that you can get with more
expensive EVs in this price segment. So yeah, I think it's definitely very, very sharp pricing.
And you never know, maybe Julie in the future might do a drive away deal at that same price,
although they haven't announced anything like that at this stage.
Yeah, Simon, would you consider what would be your pick? I guess you mentioned that you would
have to sit inside both, but like sort of gone to your head, or would you decide out of the four
models we talked about? Well, as I said, the GSC and BYD is out. Out of the two,
I'd probably go the, probably the top spec MG for the EV. Yeah, I might take a punt and say
the top spec, the Julie EX2. But yeah, I think the MG is very good value for money for what
that 34, 990 and it's like the performance is just in terms of the power output and so on is,
I think, significantly greater than the Julie as well. So that's just something else to note there too.
Okay, look, shall we move on to our next topic? Yeah. Okay, let's do that. So now from a very
entry level EV to a very high performance EV. So we have the all new Mercedes AMG CLA 45,
which is now a fully electric car. And actually, maybe just to touch on that Simon,
were you surprised they didn't go with like some plug-in hybrid option given, we've talked so much
about the limited demand for performance EVs and you know, the CLA is available as a combustion
engine car as well. Are you surprised they didn't, they stuck with a full EV for the AMG model?
I suspect plug-in hybrid may have come with more compromises. Yeah. They probably thought it wasn't
worth it. Also, I suspect when this car started development, they were sort of still developing
under the assumption of the street's new rules about mandated EVs. So yeah, I think that and
ultimately, while yes, performance EVs are still a very niche sort of thing, it is,
they will still be around. So it makes sense for Mercedes to offer one. Yeah, fair enough.
Some of the stats are quiet for this model are quite like insane, like I have to have to be
said. So you're getting peak. So I emphasize that's a peak output of 500 kilowatts and
1,759 Newton meters of torque. So that's that torque figure is absolutely crazy.
And that will enable the acceleration of three seconds from 0 to 100 kilometers an hour. So
that's faster than the Tesla Model 3 performance. That's really quick. And that's despite this car
weighing 2.3 tons. So it weighs quite a bit, but it's also very, very quick. So that's frankly,
some insane acceleration figures. And Mercedes is also saying if you use the American standard,
which is you have a quote unquote one foot rollout, you can you can do that same sprint in
2.7 seconds. So that's very interesting. And it still has a 94 kilowatt hour battery, so larger
than the model than the ones in the standard CLA. And that gives a driving range of 640
between 640 to 670 kilometers. So, you know, that's actually pretty solid given how much
all the performance that you're getting and the battery capacity, that's quite solid range.
And I think just apart from the specs, because we know that EVs have really good acceleration and
so on. Other things to note, there's three electric motors, all will drive that's all expected. But
what's interesting is how they've tried to replicate some of those combustion engine
sounds. So they're using what is being called synthesized gear shifts and engine sounds, but
they're not trying to replicate a V8 this time. They're trying to replicate the
two liter turbo petrol engine of the outgoing CLA 45. So I think they made what they're claiming
more than 1600 detailed measurements of the sound and all of that and how the gear shifts
happened in the outgoing model. And they tried to sort of replicate that feeling
in this EV. So that's quite interesting. It's similar to the approach conceptually to what
Hyundai has done with the Ioniq 5N and the 6N and then also Porsche sort of introduced that with
the latest update to the Taycan. So yeah, it's interesting that conceptually that they're going
to that. The CLA, I think it goes even one step further because they have essentially speakers in
the front seats. They're calling them front seat shakers and that also gives authentic vibrations
in normal drive modes or a combustion engine like vibration in the AMG Force S plus mode. So
lots of mumbo jumbo there, but basically it tries to simulate the vibration of a that you get from
a combustion engine. So that's interesting. Sam, what are your thoughts on the design and all of
these fancy simulated driving experiences and so on? I think the design looks very clean,
but I think overly special. Yeah, it just looks clean. I'm sure at night it'll look amazing,
particularly the rear. But yeah, it just looks like a clean design. Interior-wise however,
like on Mercedes, I really like I'm sure the interior quality is amazing, but even in photos,
it really looks so plain. I feel like there are mainstream EVs that have nicer looking interiors
than what Mercedes is doing with this interior. So yeah, but the reality is that
the performance is the main thing here. Now, as you mentioned, the market for this will be
interesting because it's still an extremely pricey car, not that practical. And while extremely quick,
again, the reality is that three seconds while I was incredibly fast, it's not that much quicker
than what you can probably get in any EV that could be much cheaper than this basically.
So we already know cars like the Tesla Model 3 Performance and stuff, they're not as quick,
but they're still extremely quick. And in some ways, they could be even better sort of by than
this car. Now, in saying that, I guess it's very impressive engineering, but I just am curious
to see basically who would be interested in buying this. The one good thing is unlike a lot of
performance EVs, they have not compromised from the range. So it's still got an extremely good
range, 670 kilometers, which is extremely impressive, especially for a premium car,
because especially for a performance EV, because we kind of know that your performance EVs often
take the hit to range. Even the Model 3 Performance, is pretty much the benchmark
for efficiency. The Model 3 Performance does 571 kilometers of range on the WLTP,
which compared to the long range, normal standard long range, which does 750. So it's
very impressive that Mercedes is able to offer this much power while still maintaining really,
really good range. Also 800 architecture and 330 kilowatts. Next charging speed, which basically
means in Australia, that's kind of irrelevant, because as we've spoken about before, it's like
in the single digits charging stations that support that speed, 99% of charging stations
in Australia are captured on 50 kilowatts. So not very relevant for Australian customers,
but obviously for international customers, that's very cool. Now, the other big thing is,
do you think it's better than, well, some of the cars that we've spoken about, the Porsche
McCartn Turbo Electric, I can't imagine that a base model is that much more expensive than this,
and it's a lot more practical and it's a Porsche. If you want to go slightly cheaper,
are Hyundai only 5N? Again, I would argue a cooler design. I would argue a cooler looking interior.
Even the 6N as well, yeah. Even the 6N, correct as well. We've said the Tesla Model 3 performance
as well. And yeah, you're, and then obviously you've got the new BMW M3 coming out, etc. That
will be a female significant price burden, I guess, so not really comparable to this. But even then,
it has got competitors. So it's interesting. As I said, while it's fast, I don't think there's
anything extra special about it that I would be like, wow, this car looks especially cool as
especially cool interior. There's nothing extra special about it. It hasn't got the software or
Tesla either. It hasn't got the looks of an ironic 5N. There's nothing so unique about it
that you'll be like, oh, I want to spend $130,000, $140,000 on this versus any of the other competitors
and I could spend that much money. Like I would probably buy a Tesla Model 3 performance over
this. If I was, I'd save a significant amount of money, I'd get an insane amount, I'd get very
similar performance. And yes, it won't drive as well, obviously. I'm not suggesting it will.
Drive as well. Oh, actually, a Tesla Model 3 performance is 3.1 seconds, 0 to 100. So it's
only this, the AMG is only 0.1 seconds faster. Again, I'm not suggesting it's going to drive
nearly as well. But a Tesla Model 3 performance is $80,000. So I'd be like, for saving effectively
$50,000 if it comes around the $130,000, I'd be like, oh, 50K, I can get another car.
Yeah. And I think it's like, I'm not a huge fan of the exterior design for the new CLA.
Like it just looks a bit, like you look at the front grille and it just looks like it's,
I don't know, it's like it's almost like grimacing or something. Like I don't, I'm not sure. Like
it's like the front grille is like pushed too far forward. And then you have this like weird like
sort of mono brow that you have the, like it's not so much in the AMG version because I think
they've gotten, for the AMG version, they've gotten rid of the front light bar and they've just
made it like a black piece of plastic, which is an interesting design decision in its own sort of
way because normally you'd expect there to be a front light bar, you know, in all but the most
like entry level model and they've gone the opposite direction where the most expensive
model has gotten rid of the front light bar. So that's interesting. But it's not a very resolved
design at the front. Like it's like they have this like weird, like they've tried to have this
weirdly wide like grille that doesn't need to be there because it's an AMG and they're just
overly excessive like, like the front bumper is just excessively curved. Like it's just like too,
it doesn't like, I don't know, it's just, it's just not a very cohesive design. It's that's,
it's probably the best way to frame it. It's not, it's not, it's just not attractive to me.
So I think that I actually think the Model 3 has a much more resolved and cleaner design at the
front. And it's, you know, this is just like, let's put this giant Mercedes grille that's
unnecessary, but we want to, we want to bring it out and we want people to know that they're buying
a Mercedes and driving a Mercedes. So we'll put this giant sort of like lit up, lit up grille
that doesn't really need to be there. But, you know, it is what it is. I'm more interested to see,
like, because they have, they've come out with the CLA fairly recently. So I think the new generation
CLA came out what, towards the end of last year, more recently, they've come out with the C class,
which is technically one size larger and, you know, step up in terms of luxury and comfort. But
they haven't come out with the full AMG version of the C class yet. So what I'm interested to see is
how the CLA 45 will compare with the future AMG version of the CLA. Like, is that also going to
be, you know, how are they going to differentiate the performance between the two? Because this is
already so quick. Like, there's not, there's not even that much difference performance wise,
like practically between this AMG, CLA AMG and the, you know, the, what's the
ultra performance, the AMG GT four door or whatever, the, you know, that, what's the,
what's their four door ultra high end supercar called again, the AMG? Is it the AMG GT or
like, did they call it? I think it's, I'm pretty sure it's the AMG GT. Yeah, the four door one,
which we also talked about and were frankly horrified by the design, but in terms of technically
it's a very impressive car. Like there's, there's not that much difference performance wise,
practically between the two. So I wonder how the C class will fit in. Like, is it, how is it going to,
it's like, at this point, you're sort of splitting hairs. Like, is the C class going to be like slower
than this because it's larger and even heavier or, or how are they going to differentiate the two?
What do you, do you have any thoughts on that? So I was just looking the AMG GT, even the base
model is about $270,000. As you said, the design looks extremely awkward. It really does not look
very nice, but obviously the performance is pretty amazing. The C class, it would probably be in the
one, the AMG C class electric. I said, as you said, I suspect it won't be any more powerful,
it might be more luxurious. Yeah. And I expect like, like, if this is, I anticipate, I mean,
we're sort of just taking stabs in the dark with the pricing, but I would anticipate this is maybe
what, $120,000, $130,000 at the, you know, so it's maybe the C class, the C63 AMG or what they,
whatever they end up calling it, that's probably going to be closer to the $200,000 mark. So maybe
there's a, you know, 170, 180 grand in Australia and then that leaves plenty of breathing space for,
you know, future E class AMG and this base model AMG GT, which is what 270K is. So there's, that's
probably how I anticipate them pricing these models for relative to each other. But, you know,
I guess it's a very, like the hardware and the engineering is, I'm sure is really impressive,
but I'm just not sold on the design and the, especially on the outside and the interior. Like,
again, you know, same criticism with Mercedes, just screens, screens, screens. And, you know,
it's, it's just getting a little bit old now. Like, if I wanted more screens, I could just buy a
Mazda 6E or CX6E or whatever Chinese EV. Like, there's no, you need to have genuine craftsmanship.
That's how you need to differentiate yourself. And I just don't see that in this interior from
Mercedes, unfortunately. So, have you any other comments on this?
No, just curious to see when it launches here next year, what, who buys it?
Yeah, exactly.
Who actually puts their money where the mouth is and actually purchases what it'll be. I'd
like to meet these people. Yeah. Yeah. And understand why they bought it.
Okay. Look, we might move on to our final topic, which is not an EV. So that's a bit of a change
in face. So the Dacia Striker. So Dacia is a Romanian brand. And in Australia, they're being
sold as Renault's. And we have the Renault Duster, which is a Dacia in Europe. So it's sold as a Dacia
Duster. In Europe here, it's sold as a Renault Duster. And the Striker is this brand, brand's
largest vehicle yet. So it's basically, the best way to describe it is as a slightly smaller
Subaru Outback. So designed to, it's still technically in the C segment. So direct rivals
would be like the Skoda Octavia wagon, Volkswagen Golf, like those sorts of European sort of
hatchbacks. And although the Octavia is potentially like a half a step larger. So,
you know, this is sort of more, Striker is more directly competing with the Octavia.
And yeah, but this is more lifted. It's more positioned as like a rough and tumble
car designed to compete with even like some SUVs. That's the same sort of segment with the
higher ride height, but also has a sort of wagon shape. So do you want to take us
through the design a little bit? Like I really like the design. I think it's much better resolved
than the Outback, which looks, which is, you know, quite frightening to be frank and just
Well, the previous generation Outback didn't look that way.
Yeah. Well, I don't know. I feel like the Outback has been a bit weird looking for a while now,
but yeah, the latest one especially, like it's just odd that previous gen, maybe a little bit more
resolved, but yeah. But what are you, I mean, I think it looks very, you know, I really, I think
the design is very well resolved. Like it looks like it has the black cladding in all the right
places. It looks, you know, you have this, this T shape lighting signature at the front and rare.
It has, you know, it looks very tough. I love the proportions. It has really good like rare
horn chairs. Yeah, Sandeep, what are your thoughts? I do think it looks terrible. I
love the design. It looks quite good. The other big thing is it's a very button heavy, very traditional
interior. And obviously, as you mentioned, compared to the Outback, it certainly looks
cleaner. But as I said, I did like the now, I guess, previous generation Outback 2020, the one
that was introduced in 2022 or whatever. Yeah. That design was actually quite good.
I just want to do it with the current one. I guess, in other than that, it's an, it's, it's,
obviously it's not going to be sold here almost. Certainly, I suspect that, you know, wagons here.
Yeah, yeah. I hope they sell it here.
But we know that wagons here are probably not that popular anymore. Unfortunately,
we kind of know that SUV is where it's at, because obviously the length of this car is
quite long as well. So that's another big thing. So, yeah, but it's a pretty nice looking car.
And, you know, if it was ever sold in Australia, I guess it could do okay. But as I said, I feel
like first the length of the car, it is, it is like, it's like, it would make it more cumbersome
in some ways to drive in park compared to an SUV. So it's not, I mean, it's not ultra long. But
yeah, I kind of see what you're, where you're coming out like, but yeah.
Otherwise, yeah, it seems like an impressive car. And as I'm sure you'll talk about the engine,
they've chosen to give a really smart engine combination.
Yeah. So, well, let's touch on the powertrain. So there's 33 drivetrains. So you have
the entry level model in Europe features a 103 kilowatt mild hybrid setup. So that's a 48 volt
mild hybrid system, mated to a 1.2 liter three cylinder turbo engine. So that's, you know, that's,
I mean, that's okay. And then you have a full, I think you have a full hybrid setup. So you have
what they're calling the hybrid 155. So that's an 81 kilowatts, 1.8 liter four cylinder engine
mated to a 37 kilowatt electric motor. So I don't know if you, so the total output for this
drivetrain is 114 kilowatts. So a little bit more powerful. And it's not an interesting, even though
it's a hybrid, it's not a CVT transmission. It's an electric transmission with four gears for the
petrol engine and two for the electric motor. So that's some six speed automatic transmission,
basically. So that's, that's interesting in its own right. And I think this is the powertrain where
Dacia are claiming that it can, you can do 80% of your running in electric only mode in urban
areas. So that's, you know, you can mostly run on electric power if you're in, you know, just going
about town and so on. So that's, that's interesting. And then you have the all wheel drive powertrain.
So the other, the two we've talked about our front wheel drive, then you have the hybrid 150
four by four. So that's another 103 kilowatt hour, sorry, not a kilowatt, 103 kilowatt
mild hybrid system. So that's basically the entry level powertrain plus you also have rare
electric motors. So that's a 21 kilowatt and 87 unit meter rare electric motor with a two speed
transmission on the rare axle. And the front wheels has a six speed dual clutch transmission.
So interesting setup. And the total power output of that one is 110 kilowatts. So
less powerful than the hybrid 155, but it's, but it's all wheel drive powertrain. So that's,
yeah, interesting setup, interesting range of combinations, like you would expect the
all wheel drive powertrain to be more powerful and to be the, you know, quote unquote, the best
powertrain, but it's actually power wise, it's sort of in between the hybrid 155 and the entry
level powertrain. So that's, you know, interesting. And that all drive powertrain, you get five drive
modes as well. So you get auto, eco, snow, mud, and then off road drive mode. So that's, yeah, that's
interesting. With the interior, you also get what Dacia are calling these Euclip points,
so just accessory mounting points so you can mount like wireless chargers, you know, camera
holders or smartphone holders and other things. So that's, you know, that's cool. But yeah, I think
the interior otherwise is very basic. So Dacia has positioned as Renault's entry level brand, very
price conscious, and they have some soft touch materials, but a lot of their center console
and the door trims are all hard pack materials. So not the last word in luxury or by any means.
Yes, any final comment on this car? What do you think the Australian pricing
would be if they wanted to make it competitive? If they decide to sell it in probably around
the $40,000, because now we're seeing the BYD CL6 Touring. The plug-in hybrid, yeah.
The plug-in hybrid, yeah. So the CL6 Touring, correct, yeah. So I'd be probably looking at
that more closely as well. Probably a slightly more premium interior than this. And yeah,
oh, that's $40,000 actually. So that is $40,000 or actually $44,000 after on road. So that's
actually slightly pricey, but it's got a more premium interior than this car. So yeah.
Yeah. And I think, I mean, regardless, I think if it's, I mean, I hope they sell it here and it
will be cool because I love the design. So I'd love to see it on Australian roads. But yeah,
I think it's going to probably be a bit of a niche seller because just the people aren't
that interested in buying wagons, unfortunately. And it's not, yeah, it's just not the most premium
interior either. Like it's cool if you really want to go off road all the time and stuff,
but otherwise you can find more comfortable cars with more features and technology and so on
elsewhere. So yeah. All right. Look, I think we might end it there for this week's episode of
the Hooktown podcast. So once again, thank you very much for listening to us. Thank you to our
new Vietnamese listeners. We hope you stay with us. I'm hoping that just wasn't a temporary random
blip. I mean, we do actually have an audience in Vietnam for whatever reason. But yeah,
please remember to like and subscribe. We're on Apple podcasts, Spotify, all of the major
podcasting platforms. And we'll talk to you next week. Thank you. Bye.
About this episode
The Hook Turn Podcast weighs up value EVs around the $30k mark, starting with the 2026 Gilly EX2 and its pricing, range expectations, and city-friendly packaging like a 9.9m turning circle and a 70-liter frunk. They then compare budget rivals such as the GAC Ion UT and debate whether buyers should prioritize real-world practicality or consider used options. The conversation pivots to Mercedes-AMG’s fully electric CLA 45—performance claims, synthesized sounds, and charging realities—before finishing with Dacia’s hybrid wagon lineup and Australian pricing.
In this week's episode of The Hook Turn Podcast, we discuss Geely's new EX2 SUV. Does Volvo's corporate owner have the chops to take on rivals from BYD and MG?
We also discuss another performance EV from Mercedes... that's still ugly in our eyes. Finally, we comment on whether a new Subaru Outback rival from Dacia/Renault could find some success in the Australian market.
