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HVIA WELCOMES FREEZE ON HEAVY VEHICLE ROAD USER CHARGE

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Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) has welcomed the federal government’s decision to freeze the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge at current levels. HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking says the move is another positive outcome from the collaborative work led by the Government with industry. “Throughout this crisis the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Assistant Minister for Road Safety Scott Buchholz have made themselves available to listen to industry and work through every scenario to protect our industry,” Mr Hacking said. “The freeze of the Road User Charge will provide… Read more

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NEW VEHICLE SALES: APRIL 2020

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New vehicle sales in the Australian market for the month of April 2020 have been announced by Tony Weber, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). “A total of 38,926 sales were recorded for the month. This figure represents a fall of 48.5 per cent over the same period last year (75,550 sales), and the largest single decrease of any month since VFACTs figures were first recorded in 1991. Year to date figures for April totalled 272,287 sales, down from 344,088 in 2019, which equates to a… Read more

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LDV T60 TRAILRIDER 2

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The LDV T60 Trailrider 2 has arrived in Australia. It’s the second LDV vehicle to be powered by SAIC’s (Shanghai Automobile and Industrial Corporation), first in-house designed D20 diesel engine. It has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant that features Bosch’s third generation, high-pressure common rail direct fuel injection technology. It produces 120kW of power at 4,000rpm and 375Nm of torque from 1500rpm. It has the now standard suspension tune designed specifically for Australian conditions. We’ve yet to sample this for ourselves but will road test one soon and come back to… Read more

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TOYOTA FJ CRUISER 2011 – 2016

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Toyota FJ Cruiser is a tribute to the legendary Toyota FJ 40 LandCruiser. That original Cruiser was a rough ’n’ tough old-style 4WD, whereas the new one that was launched here in March 2011 is much easier to live with. It’s also a lot more capable off-road than most people realise. Our launch took place five years after the FJ Cruiser had been introduced in the USA. Many Aussies had seen it over there, or in photos in local 4WD magazines, and lobbied Toyota to bring it downunder. It didn’t… Read more

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IT’S PATHFINDER’S TURN TO TAKE ‘TREK’

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Something tells me I’m into something good – Herman’s Hermits These lines from the ‘60s hit song could well parallel Nissan’s move to scatter its N-TREK tech-and-trimmings package over a range of product from Navara to X-Trail, Patrol and Pathfinder. Shared by the SUV / ute quartet above, Nissan recently added a Special Edition to the Pathfinder N-TREK line-up. Does the titular seven-seat large SUV live up to the ‘something good’ approbation? There are four variants of the Special Edition – two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions of the ST+ and… Read more

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE MERCEDES-BENZ GLE 53 SUV

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Mercedes-Benz hAs announced the addition of a new high-performance variant – the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+. The GLE 53 has a 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine fitted with twin turbochargers (one conventional turbo and one electric compressor) plus EQ Boost. The latter is a 48V electric starter-generator that adds extra acceleration, taking the big SUV from zero to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds. Output is an impressive 320kW of power and 520Nm of torque from the engine, plus up to 16kW and 250Nm from the EQ Boost system. Drive is by an… Read more

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MITSUBISHI EXPRESS VANS COMING TO AUSTRALIA

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Mitsubishi Motors Australia will launch its latest Express van in July, the first time in more than seven years it has been offered here. The Express will be available in short and long wheelbase, with a 1.6-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, as well as a 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel fitted with a 25-litre AdBlue tank for improved emissions. The 1.6-litre engine is only available with a six-speed manual transmission, while the six-speed dual-clutch automatic models are available with the 2.0 diesel. All Express variants are front-wheel drive with Extended Grip – a… Read more

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2020 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV

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In 2010 Mitsubishi introduced the first ever mass production electric car to go on sale in Australia, the i-MiEV. In March 2014 the Japanese giant that specialises in electric vehicle technology brought the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) off-roader downunder. The Outlander PHEV was upgraded in at the end of 2019 and is the subject of this week’s road test. See the Technology section for details. STYLING This Mitsubishi Outlander looks like any other Outlander, a deliberate move as the company doesn’t want it to be considered unusual, simply… Read more

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MINI COUNTRYMAN STAFFORD EDITION

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MINI has introduced special edition Countryman models, tagged as the Stafford Edition to Australia. They feature John Cooper Works details inside and out it has the addition of luxury and sports packages as standard. MINI has introduced a new online configurator for the Stafford Edition Countryman. Customers can customise their favourite options and make an online deposit with the MINI dealer of their choice. Key highlights of the Cooper Countryman Stafford Edition are: • John Cooper Works Exterior Styling Kit • 18-inch John Cooper Works Grip Spoke alloy wheels •… Read more

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POLESTAR 2 PURE ELECTRIC CAR COMING TO AUSTRALIA

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Polestar 2 is spearheading the introduction and development of new technologies for the Volvo Car Group. It’s the first fully electric vehicle to be crash tested, the first to feature new Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) technology, and the first to be fitted with new front-inner-side airbags within the Group. Polestar 2 debuts a new generation of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology, which will also make its way into other products from the Volvo Car Group. Pilot Assist is an advanced driver assistance system which provides acceleration, braking and… Read more