Category: News

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2016 HOLDEN COMMODORE VF SERIES II SSV REDLINE

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Sadly, the VF Commodore Series II is likely to be the last ever Holden family car made in Australia, though Holden may surprise us by introducing a further update in the next 12 months. However, the VF II SSV Redline sedan we tested last week has the final major upgrades, any future versions are likely to be minor dress-ups perhaps with special editions. Given Australians love of driving it comes as no surprise that sales of the sporty Commodore models – SV6, SS, SSV and SSV Redline – are now… Read more

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LAST CRUZE CRUISES OFF HOLDEN ASSEMBLY LINE

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Holden managed to almost completely hide the story of the beginning of the end of its manufacturing in Australia by burying it in a couple of other much larger events. The final Cruze rolled off the line on the same day as, (A) Ford shut down its factories and (B) the Bathurst 1000 weekend began. The final Cruze, an SRI Z-Series hatch, was driven off the assembly line at 8.30 on Friday October 7th. It, and a final Cruze sedan were donated to Holden’s longtime charity partner, the Leukaemia Foundation,… Read more

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AUDI RS Q3 GETS EVEN MORE GRUNT

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The weather gods smiled on us when we road tested the new Audi RS Q3 Performance crossover SUV in Albury to Bright and in the lower Snowy Mountain areas. Skies opened to drench the countryside as storms scudded their way across the southern areas of Australia. Temperatures plummeted as spring departed and winter took control again. Surely we are wrong in saying nature was being kind to us by making life on the roads miserable? No, because the harsh conditions let the hottest Audi Q3 show its ability on roads… Read more

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HYUNDAI ELANTRA SR TURBO

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Hyundai has added to its sporty SR model range with the introduction of an Elantra SR four-door sedan. With a turbo-petrol engine producing more power than others in its class it features Australian tuned suspension and steering aimed at producing the sort of car that keen Australia driver love. A starting price of $28,990 it certainly provides a lot of bang for your bucks. The 1.6-litre engine in the Elantra SR Turbo produces 150 kW of power, and 265 Nm of torque across a wide spread from just from 1500… Read more

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MINI JCW – PASSION WITHOUT THE PRICE

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Want to own a John Cooper Works (JCW) Mini, but can’t really afford the $50,000-plus asking prices? Or perhaps you aren’t interested in being a track-day charger but want a Mini that looks hot? If you answered yes to either of the above questions, the Australian Mini importer is bringing in John Cooper Works Option Packages that can be installed in all models in the Mini Cooper S range. The Packages include JCW Chili Red paintwork, previously a shade only offered on the Works car; then there is the JCW… Read more

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NEW HOLDEN ASTRAS ON THEIR WAY

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Factory workers in Poland proudly show off the first new Astra that’s coming to Australia

Keen to show that shutting down the Holden factories in Australia doesn’t mean the company is leaving the country, GM-Holden is keeping us in touch with progress on European imports. Pictures of the factory workers in Gliwice, Poland proudly showing off the first Australian Astra have been released to the media. There are also details of the car and its pricing, which starts as $21,990. Deliveries will start in a date in December 2016 that’s yet to be finalised. Holden’s director of vehicle performance, Ian Butler, said Holden and Opel… Read more

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INFINITI QX30 – NEW UPMARKET CROSSOVER

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Upmarket Japanese car maker Infiniti has joined one the most heavily populated areas of the car market, that of the small medium crossover. A vehicle that’s part five-door hatchback, part SUV, maybe even with a touch of coupe in its shape. The new Infiniti QX30 being reviewed here is based on the recently introduced Q30 but sits 35 mm higher and has a more aggressive appearance. Jean-Philippe Roux, the managing director of Infiniti Cars Australia spoke to us at the QX30‘s media launch, saying, “The QX30 mixes standout styling, agile… Read more

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ABARTH 124 SPIDER IS ONE ITS WAY.

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Abarth is to Fiat what HSV is to Holden and AMG to Mercedes; an organisation that takes standard cars and turns them into hot sports and/or racing machines. The latest one to come to Australia, the Abarth 124 Spider, is now on a ship downunder and goes on sale on Friday, October 7th. Carlo Abarth already had a strong background of building racing cars before he set up is own company in Bologna, Italy in 1949. His star sign was Scorpio and he chose a scorpion based badge for his… Read more

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INFINITI Q50 RANGE EXPANDED

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The Infiniti Q50 sports sedan for the 2016 season comes with two new turbo-petrol engines that are supported by a range of new chassis technologies. The 3.7-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine has been replaced by a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that’s offered in two stages of tune. In the Q50 3.0tt Sport Premium it delivers 224 kW at 6400 rpm and 400 Nm of torque between 1600 and 5200 revs. In the range-topping Infiniti Q50 3.0tt Red Sport it produces 298 kW at 6400 rpm. Torque is rated… Read more

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AUDI PREVIEWS ITS ALL-NEW Q2 COMPACT SUV

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A couple of months ago we were able to attend the global launch of Audi’s all-new Q2 compact SUV in Switzerland. Although its Australian release is still around five months away Audi has brought out a display model. We in the local motoring media have just viewed it and members of the eastern states public will be able to see Q2 at a travelling Pop-Up Roadshow over the next month. Audi is keen to attract younger buyers to its brand and the booming compact SUV segment is a logical target… Read more