Weekly News Wrap: Toyota and BYD are ‘frenemies’
Ford confirms Ranger and Everest V6 defect, Pajero secrets coming soon and moreThe News
Toyota and BYD are locked in a brutal sales war in Australian showrooms… yet in China, the two rivals are quietly sharing battery and hybrid technology. That contradiction headlines this week's Loft video wrap, out now.
The Key Details
- BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu wants to stomp on Toyota – globally
- Toyota confirms the LandCruiser 70 Series returns to order books in August
- Ford admits manufacturing defect affecting around 130,000 diesel in Oz
- Fresh details emerge on the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero
- Fuel prices are expected to rise again as the temporary fuel tax discount ends
The Finer Details
BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu has declared his ambition to become the world's number one automaker within five years, leapfrogging Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai-Kia.
It's a bold call given BYD sits seventh globally and would need nearly triple its current sales to get there. Locally, however, the gap is already razor-thin: Toyota edged BYD by just 243 units in June 2026, with BYD now the closest challenger to the sales crown in more than two decades.
Toyota also confirmed the LandCruiser 70 Series returns to order books in August, complete with a cleaner diesel engine but a smaller fuel tank.
Elsewhere, Ford has confirmed a manufacturing defect affecting roughly 130,000 diesel-powered V6 Ranger and Everest models sold since 2022. A leaking turbocharger oil return line has been traced back to its UK engine plant.
The story includes a firsthand account from a grey nomad stranded in the Northern Territory after the fault struck mid-road trip.
There's also fresh detail on the next-generation 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero, with leaked homologation documents revealing four trim grades and up to six variants ahead of its expected December launch – plus a teaser of insider information that we cannot legally share… yet.
On the cost-of-living front, fuel prices are set to climb again as a temporary fuel tax discount phases out by August 3, adding an estimated $22 to a full tank.
Ampol's CEO also warns Australia's fuel security remains fragile amid ongoing Middle East tensions.
Rounding out the episode: a record-breaking June for new car sales, Peugeot's distribution shake-up, Ferrari's clever 'fake manual' gearbox, and a look at the neighbourhood dispute that never dies – parking.
The Road Ahead
Catch the full breakdown, including extra analysis of the big issues in the ever-changing automotive industry plus all the week's rapid-fire news in this week's loft video.
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