Category: News

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HOLDEN ANNOUNCES ZB COMMODORE PRICES

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The German-built next-generation ZB Holden Commodore won’t be here till February 2018, but GM-H has released its recommended prices as part of the build up to its new high-tech models. Though you get a fair bit more car for your money Holden has deliberated kept prices at similar levels to the outgoing VF II, even significantly lower in many cases. That’s to counteract the negativity about the German Commodore from some quarters. The negativity being that this isn’t really a Holden as it’s not “built tough for Australia”. That’s despite… Read more

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ALL-NEW JEEP WRANGLER: PREVIEW

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The all-new 2018 Jeep Wrangler looks like a Jeep, which might sound blindingly obvious. But some years back an idiot stylist decided Wrangler needed rectangular headlights – and all hell broke loose amongst lovers of what is arguably the most recognised vehicle in the world. “Don’t mess with our Jeep” was the clear message – and that near disaster has never happened since. New Jeep Wrangler has the legendary seven-slot grille with an updated look that has the outer grille slats intersecting with the headlights, thus paying homage to the… Read more

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MERCEDES CARS BEING TAUGHT TO DRIVE THE AUSSIE WAY

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Just about everyone I speak to wants to discuss self driving cars. Mercedes-Benz is one of the leaders in this field and its engineers and a special S-Class have just been flown Downunder from Stuttgart to look at some problems unique to our country. To start with there are the infamous Melbourne hook-turns that mystify interstate drivers. I know of some who simply refuse to drive in that city as the hooks scare them. Turning right from the left of the left-hand lane is something the autonomous Mercs will need… Read more

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STUTTERING START TO UPGRADED NISSAN SUV

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In one way or another, the Nissan Qashqai has been involved in ringing more changes than a crew of cathedral campanologists. Since its launch in 2007 the small sports utility vehicle has gone through a name change and a raft of iterations. It landed in Australia a year later under the name of Dualis as an all-wheel drive, added a seven-seat variant in 2010 and two years later had become this country’s most popular small SUV. The second generation Dualis reverted to the Qashqai moniker in 2014, at the same… Read more

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HOLDEN’S FAMILY FRIENDLY EQUINOX

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Extremely keen to take an all-new direction following the closure of its factory Holden has introduced an all-new vehicle, tagged Equinox, into the hotly contested SUV field in Australia. The timing couldn’t have been better as buyers are almost queueing up to get into these practical vehicles. Though the Equinox isn’t a direct successor to Holden Captiva, with continues in some variants for a yet-to-be-announced period, it comes pretty close. Equinox is a far more modern vehicle than Captiva in every way. Modern styling, larger interior, high-tech drivetrains and, possibly… Read more

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NEW MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSS

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Determined to stay in tune with Australians love for SUVs Mitsubishi has added a third model to its range. Called Eclipse Cross it sits between the compact ASX and the medium-large Outlander. The Eclipse name does have some history for Mitsubishi having been used in a mid-sized sports coupe sold in overseas markets between 1990 and 2012. During much of that period a closely related model called Mitsubishi Galant was built at the company’s Tonsley Park plant in Adelaide. The timing of Mitsubishi’s early preview of the Eclipse Cross is… Read more

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STYLISH NEW TOYOTA CAMRY

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Out with the old, in with the new. New Toyota Camry is most certainly an eye opener when compared with its honourable ancestors. Sadly the Camry is no longer made in Australia, it now comes from Japan. The build quality on the ones we have seen to date is every bit as good as what we have seen coming out of the Altona, Melbourne factory for the past 20 years. Let us jump straight to style because, believe it or not, that’s what people will be talking about in the… Read more

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NISSAN STILL A BIG MANUFACTURER IN AUSTRALIA

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Nissan started assembling cars in Sydney over 50 years ago, in 1966. Then began full-line local production in 1972, eventually not only making Nissans here, but also Holdens for a while (some Astras were based on Nissan Pulsars). Though Nissan pulled out of full-scale manufacturing here in 1992, it continues to make car components to this day, and plans to do so well into the next decade. The Nissan Casting Plant (NCAP) in Clayton, Victoria employs 192 skilled workers, runs three shifts a day, seven days a week making approximately… Read more

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MERCEDES UTES – YES, UTES

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The eagerly awaited, though somewhat surprising, Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute is getting closer to Australia by the day. With the announcement of pricing – from $45,450 for a manual cab-chassis, to $64,500 for a luxurious dual-cab – the working Benz will compete with the top end of utes from more traditional sources. Or to be more precise, the top end of traditional utes with a stack of extras – because you will have to pay about $5000 to $15,000 extra for the Merc comparing like for like. Why is Merc selling… Read more

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ADVANCE INFO ON FORD ENDURA

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Australian 2019 Ford Endura is based on the American Ford Edge of 2017

Many consider the Ford Territory was the best Ford ever designed and built in Australia, bar none. Sadly it disappeared when Ford Australia pulled up stumps. Ford Territory’s replacement has finally been announced and it’s called Ford Endura – which Ford tells us is short for endurance. Details are sketchy at this stage, as is the date it will arrive, other than that it will be sometime late in 2018. The fact that Holden is about to introduce its new Equinox SUV probably tells us why an Endura press release… Read more