Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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NISSAN WORKHORSE BOWS OUT

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Want to buy a brand-new classic old truck for a bargain price? If that question sounds like a weird contradiction let’s look at the truck in question, the Nissan Patrol Y61. The Nissan’s Y61 Patrol (wagon) and UY61 (cab-chassis) have been on Australian roads, backroads and completely off-road for the last 20 years. A throwback to simpler times, the Patrol Y61 was superseded by the Y62 series in other countries four years ago. However that huge American-oriented wagon was sold only with an equally huge petrol V8 engine – and… Read more

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2016 INFINITI QX30 REVIEW

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The new Infiniti QX30 sits on the same platform as the Infiniti Q30 we recently reported on, but is 35 mm higher and has a more aggressive appearance. It’s part hatchback, part SUV, with a solid touch of coupe in its shape. It shares some of its underpinnings with the Merc – the automotive world is a strange place at times. Interestingly, the Australian-market Infiniti QX30 is assembled in the Nissan / Infiniti plant in England, which makes sense because they drive on the ‘proper’ side of the road in… Read more

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TUCSON JOINS THE HYUNDAI CELEBRATION PARADE

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Is it, I wonder, an attempt at quirky Korean humour that the new Hyundai Tucson, celebrating 30 years in Australia, requires turning the ignition key to start the engine (no push-button fire-up) and eschews satellite navigation. It certainly takes me back more than a quarter of a century to the times when Hyundai was a funny little cheap-an-cheerful car. How things change. Hyundai is now consistently in the top three sellers in Australia with 10 or more per cent of total sales and has a huge range of quality vehicles…. Read more

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TAKING IT TO THE STREET THE HYUNDAI WAY

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There’s always been nothing like the Hyundai Veloster. From the word go the ‘two-and-a-half’ door coupe has stood out from the crowd and has been the go-to car for the budget conscious automotive individualist. Now Hyundai has gone even further with the introduction of the Veloster Street Special Edition, which brings $3000 of exclusive additional spec and other goodies above the Veloster Series II SR Turbo + on which it is based. Having already claimed a prime spot in the quirky corner of the coupe market, with only 200 to… Read more

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FIAT 500X IS READY FOR ACTION

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Only the Italians could get away with a TV commercial that links a performance-enhancing ‘little blue pill’ with the transformer-like conversion of a small hatchback into a muscular SUV. That’s what Fiat has done in a brilliant ad that sees the pill eventually dropping into the fuel tank of a Fiat 500 hatchback and bulk it up into the 500X compact SUV with the closing line – “bigger, more powerful and ready for action”. Check it out on YouTube if you haven’t seen it. Great fun. The 500X was designed… Read more

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MAZDA3 JUST KEEPS ON KEEPING ON

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Mazda has been enjoying steady growth over the past decade on the Australian new vehicle market overtaking both Holden and Ford on its way to currently sitting second in the overall sales hierarchy, behind Toyota. The star performer throughout this period has been the Mazda3 small hatch and sedan which has been having a ding-gong battle with Toyota Corolla for top spot, initially in its category but in the past few years as Australia’s overall biggest-seller. Now into its third generation, launched here in January 2014, the Mazda3 first went… Read more

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2017 INFINITI Q70 S PREMIUM REVIEW

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Infiniti, the upmarket Japanese car maker operated by Nissan, is pushing hard at the moment with new models in several segments, particularly in the small hatchback and SUV arenas. Now, the Infiniti Q70 is joining the sales push, with major changes for the 2017 season. It has refreshed styling front and rear, as well as in the cabin as well as improved NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) features that add to the upmarket feel. The Infiniti Q70 S Premium grade we have just tested also has suspension changes which not… Read more

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2016 VOLVO XC90 REVIEW

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Volvo’s all-new XC90 family SUV is finally here. It replaces the original model that was introduced way back in 2002 when it created quite a stir with its clever new packaging and technology. Though no one within the Swedish company really wants to comment on the long delay we understand it’s due to Ford’s control of Volvo from 1999 till 2008 and the US company’s decision to concentrate on its American SUV models. Ford sold Volvo to Chinese auto maker Geely in 2008 and we assume gave the Volvo people… Read more

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VOLVO V40: STYLE, SAFETY AND SPORTINESS

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The V40 is the smallest vehicle in Volvo’s Australian range. A five-door hatchback it competes in the premium small-medium category facing up against prestige German models such as Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A- and B-Class. Although the current V4 has been around in its current guise since 2013 it is one of the most stylish cars on the road as well as being one of the most intelligent and safest. The latter no surprise given the Swedish company’s long-established emphasis on safety. STYLING The sleek, almost coupe-like,… Read more

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2016 HYUNDAI i30 SERIES II SR

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Be afraid, be very afraid: that seems to be the message Hyundai is sending out to rivals of its best-selling i30, after the hatchback became Australia’s favourite vehicle for the first half of the year. Almost straight away the South Korean car maker fired a further shot across the small-car market bow by adding upgrades to the sporty Series II SR and SR Premium variants. Now it has taken the wraps off the next generation i30, to hit the streets early next year, which it says digs deep into the… Read more