2019 JAGUAR XE: DETAILS AND PRICES

Jaguar’s XE midsize sedan has been given a makeover outside and in as well as receiving additional technology. The lineup has been trimmed down for Australia, with a focus on the performance focused models. The Jaguar XE is now offered in both R-Dynamic SE and HSE. Both use the 221 kW advanced Ingenium turbo-petrol engine. Standard on XE models,Dynamic mode amplifies the car’s sporting character, with faster gear shifts, sharper throttle response and increased steering weighting. Drivers can alter their driving experience when the optional Configurable Dynamics system is chosen…. Read more

TEST DRIVE SUBARUS AT HOME

Want to test drive Subaru on your home ground rather than at a Subaru dealership? Then have a Subaru be brought to your home, work or anywhere else that best suits. Using it on roads that are very familiar to you lets you get a proper feel for a Subaru you’re considering buying. After a successful pilot in the Sydney metro region, Subaru Australia has expanded its mobile test drive program, ‘Test Drive at Yours’, nationally at participating retailers. At this stage about 50 per cent of Subaru dealers Australian… Read more

PEUGEOT IMPORTS 100 SUV SPECIAL EDITIONS

Peugeot Australia has launched 100 Crossway SUVs. Sixty of them 3008s and 40, 5008s. Their biggest feature is a Premium Focal 10-speaker audio system with subwoofer, more about it in a moment. They also have a black diamond roof, chrome pack and full Alcantara trim with emerald stitching. The 5008 gets Crossway floor mats, though the 3008 misses out on these. Externally these 3008 and 5008 SUVs have Crossway badging and a Crossway B-pillar motif. Now to the audio setup: Focal, with more than 35 years of audio experience, came… Read more

RAM 1500 BLACK PACK

The RAM 1500 Black Pack lives up to its name with 20-inch black alloy wheels, black bumpers, a black grille, darkened headlights and all the badging is in black. “The RAM 1500 Black Pack slots in neatly between the standard RAM 1500 Express and the luxurious RAM 1500 Laramie to provide a combination of a strong unique visual appeal and the sound of Hemi V8 that goes to the heart of why hot Utes are so popular,” explains Alex Stewart, General Manager of RAM Trucks Australia. “The RAM 1500 Black… Read more

“GENUINE IS BEST” SAYS FEDERAL CHAMBER OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES (FCAI)

The Australian motoring industry is urging drivers to be vigilant about inferior vehicle repairs in the wake of damaging hailstorms in late 2018. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) initiative, Genuine is Best has developed a six-step ‘Instant Expert’ guide for the thousands of owners of damaged vehicles. The guide advises owners on how to check repairs before accepting a vehicle. FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said that where parts are being replaced, genuine parts were the best way to maintain the original integrity of a damaged vehicle. “Australian… Read more

MASERATI HOSPITALITY AT ITS BEST

Maserati GranCabrio

THE EARLY DAYS My introduction to Maserati hospitality dates way back to the mid 1980s, when a very Italian gentleman called Tony Graziani invited me to his Maserati showroom in Woolloomooloo. Tucked away in a quiet backstreet behind the upmarket auto-ally of William Street, Sydney it looked, felt and had all the aroma of an Italian coffee shop. Close your eyes and you could imagine you were in downtown Rome. Maserati owners and would-be owners mixed sipped on an extensive variety of coffees, not to mention enjoying other drinks, told… Read more

FORD PERFORMANCE FOCUS ST: FIRST DETAILS

The all-new Ford Performance Focus ST isn’t going on sale until early 2020, but Ford Australia is well aware of buyer interest and so has published advance information on it. A new generation of Ford’s 2.3-litre EcoBoost all-aluminium four-cylinder engine is the most powerful ever offered for a Focus ST. It delivers 206 kW, an increase of 22 kW over its predecessor, and 420 Nm of torque, up from 360 Nm. Innovative anti-lag technology developed for the Ford GT supercar is introduced to the Focus ST, for immediate power delivery… Read more

MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP: FIRST DETAILS REVEALED

New MINI John Cooper Works GP is still in its final stages of development and MINI has put out some teaser information by way of a media release. It tells us the John Cooper Works GP will be, “by far the fastest and most powerful MINI ever to be approved for use on the road”. It will be powered by a four-cylinder engine with an output of more than 220 kW/300 hp and featuring MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology. Standout body features are large front and rear aprons and a striking… Read more

FIRST DRIVE: NEW MAZDA3

Mazda3 has been the number one seller in its class to private buyers in Australia for 10 years. And the importer is keen to maintain that tradition. So important is the upcoming new car that Mazda brought a pair of pilot-build cars Downunder to give journalists a brief test drive. In what initially seemed an improbable area the driving was done on and near the seafront in St Kilda, Melbourne. Wayne Watson, Mazda Australia’s Manager Engineering & Compliance rode in the passenger seat and explained these roads are considered to… Read more

BMW M140i FINALE EDITION

  BMW Group Australia has announced a very special model – the BMW M140i Finale Edition. Making the announcement, Vikram Pawah, the CEO of BGA says the Final Edition is, “To celebrate the last six-cylinder, rear-wheel drive 1 Series hot hatch, we are excited to present customers with the BMW M140i Finale Edition. “Through aesthetic exterior details and key equipment highlights, the M140i Finale Edition builds on the virtues that have made the M140i our best-selling M Performance vehicle.” The ‘M140i Finale’ Edition has: • Special Edition badging • 18-inch… Read more