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NEW HYUNDAI SONATA: FIRST DETAILS

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Hyundai has given us initial details of its third-generation Sonata. The medium-large family sedan sits on an all-new platform that is lighter for improved fuel efficiency. Just as important is that there are significant improvements in crash safety. A fascinating feature is that the platform is designed so that the tyres move outward during a small overlap collision to maximise occupant safety. This also reduces the chances of the vehicle from spinning, thus preventing possible secondary collisions. Next-generation Sonata will be launched in Australia in the second half of 2019…. Read more

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MAZDA CX-8 DIESEL UPGRADES

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Mazda has updated its seven-seat Mazda CX-8 Diesel, only nine months after its launch in July 2018. Mazda CX-8 has grown its equipment list and updated styling elements to strengthen its value-packed offering. Visually there are subtle changes to the bumpers. The CX-8 Sport’s 17-inch alloys now have a Grey Metallic finish while the Asaki’s 19-inch alloys are Brilliant Dark. Mazda lagged in providing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in all its models but is rapidly catching up and are now standard in all CX-8 Diesels. Handling is further improved… Read more

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KIA FINE TUNING GIVES BIRTH TO BABY ‘GRAND’

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Why, you might wonder, has Kia added a hero car with limited appeal (manual transmission only) to a cluttered, highly competitive compact car market? The answer is: because it could. The model in question is the Picanto micro and the latest addition to the range, the GT. According to Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer Damien Meredith the company was happy with how the Picanto had gone over its three years of on sale Down Under. “With that in mind it seemed like the right time to give an opportunity… Read more

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2019 SUZUKI JIMNY

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Suzuki Jimny is quite simply the most talked about vehicle on the planet. Forget the multi-million-dollar, ridiculously-overpowered vehicles just unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, the cute-as-a-button Suzuki is the one that is dominating car-nut conversations everywhere. Since the first photos of the Jimny were released Suzuki dealers have been bombarded with enquires from potential buyers, some dangling cash in front of them as they walk into showrooms worldwide. In our home state of Queensland you might just get one before Christmas, but don’t hesitate… Suzuki Jimny simply has no… Read more

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KILLER AIRBAGS

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The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) advises that more than one million vehicles have been identified as carrying faulty Takata airbags through the industry website, www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au. Since launch, more than 6.4 million vehicles have been checked on the site. “That’s a tremendous result,” said Tony Weber, Chief Executive of the FCAI. “The website has underpinned the powerful community response to the recall, with more than 100,000 vehicles rectified every month” The launch of the innovative website has been supported by an extensive “Don’t Die Wondering” national advertising campaign including… Read more

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HYUNDAI i30 FASTBACK N

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The Hyundai i30 Fastback N is the second offering from the Hyundai N Performance Division. Developed from the i30 N hot-hatch, the Fastback has a seven per cent aerodynamic drag reduction compared with the hatch. It has the same 202kW / 353Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the hatch. Overboost increases torque to 378Nm at full throttle for up to 18 seconds. The zero to 100 km/h time is listed at 6.1 seconds and the hot Hyundai is electronically limited to a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol… Read more

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COMPACT CROSSOVER NEW BEGINNING FOR LEXUS

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Seduced, I suspect, by the sales inferno of the small sports utility vehicle around the globe, Lexus has made a foray into the sub-50K market with its new UX range. The Lexus UX – for urban crossover, a mix of SUV and hatchback – raises a new curtain on entry-level SUVs for the Japanese luxury car maker. The entry-level model, the UX 200 Luxury is priced at $44,450, while the range-topping UX 250h Sport Luxury petrol / electric hybrid costs almost half as much again, at $67,062. Add the upper… Read more

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BMW 303

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1933 BMW 303 Saloon

BMW – the Bayerische Motoren Werke – launched their first ‘300 Series car’ in 1933. The company’s start as a manufacturer of motor vehicles goes back to 1928 when they acquired the Dixi marque produced at Eisenach. Prior to its entry into car manufacture BMW produced aero engines and motorcycles but in 1928 they entered the motor vehicle business where their main competition came from DKW, Hanomag and Opel. The first car to carry the BMW badge was the 3/15 model introduced in 1929. This was a slightly modified version… Read more

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MAZDA REVEALS CX-30

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Mazda previewed a new model called Mazda CX-30 at the Geneva Motor Show. It’s not the anticipated upgrade of the CX-3 but a new model in its own right. As with the all-new Mazda3 we recently sampled, we are assured the CX-30 is very smooth and quiet inside and that the seats are specially tailored to suit the natural shape of the human body. The CX-30 sits about midway in ride height between a conventional passenger car and an SUV so offers easy ingress and egress. European specifications were the… Read more

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2019 MAZDA CX-9 REVIEW

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The CX-9 is the flagship of Mazda’s SUV fleet sitting above its successful CX-3 and CX-5 models. The current CX-9 was released in 2016 and was given its latest upgrade in September 2018. With seven seats standard across its range vehicles such as the CX-9 have effectively replaced people movers especially when they come with the choice of front- or rear-wheel. The former contributing to better performance, lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions and the latter providing extra traction for towing or mild off-road capability. Five Mazda CX-9 variants are… Read more