Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

No comments

VOLVO XC60, PLENTY TO SAY . . . MOSTLY GOOD

  By , ,

What’s in a name? Plenty for Volvo, the Sino-Swedish car maker with its new mid-size luxury SUV, the XC60, tagged with a string of descriptors to separate each model from one another. Take, for example our test vehicle, the Volvo XC60 Ultimate B5 Bright: phew! And that mouthful comes without mentioning vital specifications such as the powertrain – in this case 2-litre turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol engine, plus eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. ‘Ultimate’ relates to the trim level, B5 to the engine, a turbocharged petrol motor enhanced by a… Read more

No comments

FORD RANGER PLATINUM 3.0L V6 4WD TURBO-DIESEL

  By ,

Platinum Ranger is the last stop before you get to the top of the range, the Raptor, which is almost another $10K plus on-roads. Dropping back, one gets you the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Wildtrak X, with Platinum sandwiched between them. There are so many grades of Ranger these days, with so many special editions to come when sales start to slow that it’s hard to keep track of them. The spreadsheet detailing the grades and equipment they come with is mind blowing. It must be working for Ford, however, because Ranger… Read more

No comments

MAZDA2 IS A WELL-EQUIPPED AND AFFORDABLE CITY CAR

  By ,

The Mazda2 is the smallest vehicle in the Mazda range, and recently celebrated its 21st year on the Australian market. The current (third generation) Mazda2 has been on sale since 2014 with upgrades in 2019 and June this year. The demand for small city cars like the Mazda2 has been dwindling in recent years with so many SUV alternatives becoming available. Unlike its few remaining competitors in the circa 4.0-metre field such as Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio, Hyundai i20 and Suzuki Swift the Mazda3 comes with the option of a… Read more

No comments

FORD EVEREST REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

  By ,

Some of Ford Ranger’s magic must have rubbed off on Everest because it’s now one of the top 10 best-selling cars in Australia, second only to the Toyota Prado in its segment. The last time we drove Everest we were pleasantly surprised by the wagon and the latest, third generation model is no exception, in keeping with the market response. It’s ironic because sometimes we critics can bag the crap out of a car, then stand back amazed as it sells its socks off. Go figure. STYLING Everest adopts the… Read more

No comments

MG4 EV SPARKS LINKS WITH ICONS OF THE PAST

  By ,

While MG (Morris Garages), the iconic post-war British sports car maker, may have been mopped up by SAIC, China’s largest automobile manufacturer, it has not completely severed ties with the Old Country. The latest MG offering to come from SAIC, formerly the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, the MG4 all-electric hatchback, was designed at the company’s London studio in Marylebone. Furthermore, the vehicle sparks technological innovation traditionally found in sports cars from the early days. These include multi-mode driving and braking, as well as MG Pilot Driver Safety Technology and vehicle-to-load… Read more

No comments

X-TRAIL HAS ROOTS IN ‘ENEMY TERRITORY’

  By ,

In one of the most competitive segments of the automobile industry one company has called on rivals for one of its most important products. Nissan has put together its fourth generation X-Trail with parts from the Mitsubishi Outlander on a Nissan-Renault Alliance CMC-F platform. Weighing in with six petrol-powered variants in front or all-wheel drive – there are two e- Power hybrid electric vehicles on the horizon – the bitser takes on the task of making up ground on well-established rivals such as Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Hyundai… Read more

No comments

PEUGEOT 2008 GT ROAD TEST

  By ,

In the absence of the 208 hatch, the 2008 has become by default the baby of the Peugeot range. But it’s a baby that the French company can justifiably be proud of, at once stylish, fun to drive and technologically advanced. Even better, it uses very little fuel. What’s not to like? Read on. STYLING The 2008 is a genuine work of automotive art. The detail that has gone into the design is amazing with a black roof, concave radiator grille, sculpted front fascia and sharp plunging LED lights. Look… Read more

No comments

A CASE OF CARRY ON, COROLLA

  By ,

  When the first Corolla made landfall in Australia in 1966, few people would have predicted half a century later the tiny vehicle, through sedan, hatch and wagon, becoming the world’s most popular car. Former Toyota Australia executive Rex Gilham, one of the men responsible for bringing Corollas Down Under says just 15 cars were in the first shipment in November 1966, the first vehicles to be exported from Japan. These went on sale in 1967. A year later, first locally produced models left Australian Motor Industries’ plant in Port… Read more

No comments

MAZDA CX-60 G40E AZAMI HYBRID

  By ,

The Mazda lineup is becoming increasingly difficult to understand. Once upon a time there was the Mazda2, Mazda3, and Mazda6 and it was easy to follow the progression (not forgetting the MX-5 and RX-8 sports cars). Then along came the SUVs, denoted by a CX in front of the number — CX-3, CX-5, CX-8 and CX-9. All good so far, except perhaps for CX-3 which actually sits on the same platform as Mazda2, making it smaller than its name might suggest. More recently the CX-30 and MX-30 were added, including… Read more

No comments

KIA SPORTAGE SX+ 1.6-LITRE TURBO PETROL AWD

  By ,

Our old friend the Kia Sportage needs little introduction. It’s one of the best-selling SUVs in the country and we’ve owned a couple over the years, including the first one. Now in its fifth generation the current model was released in 2021 and is a much larger vehicle than its predecessors. With seating for five, it’s 17.5cm longer and has an 85mm longer wheelbase than the previous model, and that translates to a more interior space, together with more rear legroom. Long story short, you get more car for your… Read more