Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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MITSUBISHI SUV ADDS MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD SAFETY-FIRST

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Mitsubishi has promised a happier new year for ASX buyers with the addition of a new variant to its top-selling small SUV range. The LS ADAS (Advanced Drive Assist Systems) is also standard fitment to the top-line XLS. Drivers of the new mid-level 2018 LS ADAS gain the advantage of forward collision mitigation, lane departure warning and automatic high beam features as well as design upgrades and the latest is smartphone connectivity. The LS 2.0-litre petrol 2WD manual remains the entry level model, coming to the market at $25,000, plus… Read more

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2017 NISSAN 370Z NISMO REVIEW

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Nissan’s 370Z sportscar is getting on in years but still looks the part and is bargain priced. Indeed it recommended retail price has been coming down to compensate for the years going up. For a little over $50,000 on the road it gives you a blast into the past that’s most enjoyable. Now another, pretty special version of the 370Z is on sale, one from the Nissan Motorsports and tuning division Nismo. The 370Z Nismo features added power, sports suspension, wider tyres, bigger brakes, a hot body kit and a… Read more

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2018 RENAULT KOLEOS INTENS TURBO-DIESEL

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New Renault Koleos is significantly larger than the model it superseded in August 2016. Increases to cabin space make it well suited to families with children well into their teenage years. Luggage room has also benefited. The topline Renault Koleos Intens diesel 4WD we road tested had genuine leather trim, heated and ventilated front seats (Yippee! seat ventilation always saves the day in Queensland); ambient cabin lighting; an electric panoramic sunroof and a hands-free power tailgate. The Intens also has added safety features (more about this in the Safety segment… Read more

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COOL, MAZDA CX-5 SO EASY TO TAKE

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From pollies to TV celebs to eating-out spots, popularity polls are, well, as popular as ever. The same could be said for automobiles, with cars of the year of all hues coming out of the woodwork at this time. Mazda’s CX-5 SUV is sitting high in the sales race. Launched in 2012 as Mazda’s first new-generation model featuring Kodo design – the Soul of Motion – and Skyactiv Technology, the Next-Gen CX-5, the second generation, Mazda says, refines every aspect of the company’s current technology and design. Australia’s most popular… Read more

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MIDDLE TRAX EXTREMELY WELL CONNECTED

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While the Holden Trax small sports utility vehicle showed a 25 per cent increase in sales in Australia in 2016, Holden is not standing on its laurels and has added to the range with a mid-spec LT. Slotting in between the LS entry-level and range-topping LTZ, this intended to put Holden at the leading edge of in-car connectivity in the small SUV segment. Holden says it is estimated around 77 per cent of Australians own at least one smartphone and check them more than 150 times a day, so the… Read more

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KIA SPORTAGE SI PREMIUM REVIEW

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My first time in a Kia Sportage was on a sneaky trip to Byron Bay to escape the UK winter. That it features in my memory alongside an unforgettable Byron Bay adventure, will forever cloak it in fondness. It matters not that that Sportage was boxier in appearance and certainly included far fewer niceties than it does today. A bond was formed. The Sportage Si Premium that visited with us for the week looks a world apart from that first experience, with its rounded hourglass grille, sleeker lines and plastic… Read more

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2017 TOYOTA 86 SPECIAL EDITION

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In a world that’s moving at breakneck speed a five-year old car like the Toyota 86 needs a serious freshen-up to keep it in the minds of potential buyers. A clever marketing move is the introduction of limited editions – not ‘special’ editions which can be moved off the showroom floors in volume and soon fade from the mind. Limited editions take on an aura of exclusivity hence the Toyota LE. Only 60, all in a wild orange shade, came Downunder a couple of months back. We’ve just spent a… Read more

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2017 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QV REVIEW

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This redhot Italian machine is taking on high-performance models from Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus and Mercedes at their own game. Alfa Romeo’s Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) sports sedan is the real deal. Rear-wheel drive, Ferrari-inspired 500 horsepower (375 kW) twin-turbocharged engine that gets it to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. It reset the Nurburgring production sedan lap record at just 7 minutes and 32 seconds. After getting to the 100 km/h in the three-second bracket, it gets to a top speed on the far side of 300km/h. Keeping weight down… Read more

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AUDI SUV IN QUICK CONNECTION WITH PAST GLORY

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Question: When is an SUV not an SUV? Answer: When it’s an Audi SQ5. The phrase ‘sports utility vehicle’ may seem an oxymoron when applied to most vehicles of the type but this is one that takes the title like no other. The second-generation SQ5 is the successor to one of the most popular Audi performance models to have made it Down Under and at 130 kg lighter and 20 kW (260 kW) more powerful is a worthy combination of performance and practicality. With the SQ5 sprinting to 100 km/h… Read more

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NEW LDV T60 PICKUP

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The ongoing push by Chinese makers to sell vehicles in Australia has taken a major step forward with the LDV Ute gaining the full five-star safety rating from ANCAP at its first test. Other commercial vehicles from China have either failed to reach five stars, or have only done so after failing at their first attempts and then being modified. LDV Ute is the official name of the vehicle, though it really falls more into the pickup truck class as it’s a tough vehicle aimed at the harsh commercial market…. Read more