Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES

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Living with the latest Kia Carnival finally put paid to the notion that people movers (also known as crossover utility vehicles these days) are vans with sparse seating, pokey windows down both sides and access to a take-it-or-leave-it luggage area through an ungainly back door. The third generation Kia Carnival has just had a mid-cycle makeover that centres on comfort and safety upgrades. The model range – Carnival S, Si, SLi and Platinum – stays the same. So do the petrol and turbo-diesel engines on offer. However, the latter are… Read more

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MASERATI LEVANTE S: DELIGHTFULLY AURAL ENGINE

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Okay, I’m going to cut straight to the chase in answer the question I’ve been bombarded with, ”Does the new petrol Levante sound like a Maserati?” Yes, it does! There’s something about the purposeful roar of this Maserati-designed Ferrari-built engine that makes all car lovers smile with joy. When Maserati launched its Levante SUV in Australia in 2017 it came only with a diesel engine. At that time all petrol Levantes had the steering wheel on the wrong side for Australia. A silly mistake that has now been rectified. So,… Read more

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VOLVO XC40 T5 R-DESIGN

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Volvo has executed a complete turnaround in the last couple of decades. Once regarded as having boring but very practical shapes and concentrating heavily on safety the Volvo XC40 is now very much a style leader. Yet, despite its bold lines, the XC40 retains a solid degree of practicality. While it doesn’t have the van-like capacity of the much-loved square-tailed old Swedish wagons it still has decent carrying capacity. If the XC40 isn’t big enough for you there are its big brothers, the XC60 and XC90. There are also high-riding… Read more

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MERCEDES-BENZ X-CLASS 250d

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The Mercedes-Benz X-Class is the talk of the town amongst admirers of pickup trucks and utes in Australia. The thought of having the prestige of a three-pointed star for only a few thousand dollars more than a somewhat mundane ute has led to instant takeup of sales of the working Mercedes. It’s no secret that the X-Class is based on a Nissan Navara ute, but it has received quite a bit of work by the guys and gals at the German company, including a different body and interior and revised… Read more

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2018 HONDA ODYSSEY REVIEW

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Honda Odyssey has been on sale in Australia since 1995 when the people mover was the vehicle of choice for those needing to transport more than five. For most of that period it’s been a three-way tussle between Odyssey, Toyota Tarago and Kia Carnival although the SUV phenomenon has taken many sales away from the segment. Honda made a bit of a gamble in its third and fourth generation model by lowering Odyssey’s height to make it look and perform more like a station wagon but with the arrival of… Read more

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NISSAN NAVARA 4X4 ST

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Australia may not be Nissan’s biggest ute market but it is one of its most knowledgeable. That is hardly surprising given our love-affair with utes and the remarkable fact that it leads the pack when it comes to new vehicle purchases. It’s no secret that Australians expect a lot from their utes – work vehicle and leisure mobile, family carrier, weekend warrior, 4WD-adventurer, dump hauler – the list is almost endless. But we also want a vehicle with creature comforts and performance cred. Nissan has updated the Navara to iron… Read more

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MG IS BACK – BUT NOT AS WE KNEW IT

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MG is best known for producing two-seat convertible sport cars. The name is an abbreviation for Morris Garages, has been around since the mid-1920s. Since that time ownership has passed to a number of different car companies including the British Motor Company (BMC), British Leyland, Austin, Rover and, since 2011, China’s largest automaker, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). Although you can be forgiven for not noticing it but Chinese MGs have been on sale in Australia since 2013 starting with the small-medium MG6 hatchback or sedan followed in 2016… Read more

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KOLEOS KICKS ON IN FIELD OF SAFETY

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When the tsunami of sports utility vehicles started hitting shores around the globe, Renault, in fear of being swamped by the fast expanding market, called on a partner to help fill the gap. The French automobile giant, already in an alliance with Nissan, was able to morph its Koleos crossover into a mid-size SUV using the Japanese company’s X-Trail as a base. Lucky for us, Australia was the first market to receive the new SUV, which was to become Renault’s best-selling vehicle Down Under. Now the MY18 Koleos has been… Read more

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MAZDA’S BEST OF A GOOD BUNCH

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The Mazda3 marches on as one of the most popular cars on the Australian market with upgrades to its lower end models for modest increases in price. A range of equipment has been added to Neo, Maxx and Touring grades across hatch and sedan variants. Buyers of the top-notch SP25 and SP25 GT are the big winners with driveaway matching the manufacturer’s figure before on-road costs. The Mazda3 SP25 continues to feature advanced keyless entry, dual-zone climate-control, electric parking brake, headlamps auto on / off and 18-inch alloy wheels, while… Read more

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MX-5 RF LIMITED EDTION

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Mazda has introduced a limited edition to its MX-5 RF retractable fastback range. It is priced at $55,748 driveaway and is on sale now. Only 110 have been produced for Australia and these are moving out of the dealerships fast. The MX-5 RF Limited Edition is offered in Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Machine Grey Metallic, Snow Flake, White Pearl Mica, Ceramic Metallic and Eternal Blue Mica. Our test car was a white one – pity because we really have fallen in love with the Soul Red that has taken Mazda… Read more