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JUST ENOUGH CHANGE TO KEEP CX-5 FANS INTERESTED

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Mazda, who presented us in 2012 with a CX-5 package that was to become Australia’s most popular sports utility vehicle, has no intention of letting the top spot go, recently upgrading the mid-size wagon. The 2.2-litre diesel engine has been given a power and torque boost while the 2.5-litre petrol unit has adopted cylinder deactivation to reduce fuel consumption at steady speeds. Other updates to the petrol engine range have accounted for a 1 Nm increase in torque for the 2.5-litre variant, and a 1 kW increase in power for… Read more

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HOLDEN CASCADA 2015 – 2017

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Holden Cascada is the soft-top convertible version of the Holden Astra, both coming from Holden’s German affiliate, Opel. It was launched here in April 2015, but didn’t prove to be as popular as it deserved and was quietly slipped off the new-car price list midway through 2017. At almost 4.7 metres long the Cascada is significantly bigger than its European convertible competitors so can provide reasonable comfort for four full-sized travellers. As is common in this class, taller occupants in the back may have to do a deal with those… Read more

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NEW URBAN CROSSOVER FROM LEXUS

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The upmarket Japanese marque’s latest model, the UX (‘U’ for Urban and ‘X’ for Crossover) will be sold in Australia from late November. However, the model range won’t be complete until the last week of January 2019. Lexus UX joins Lexus LX, GX, RX and NX, but its name suggests it’s more suburban cruiser than bush-basher. Fair enough, that’s what many are looking for these days. Styling is interesting in the increasingly popular high-riding coupe manner. But the shape isn’t only there to look good, the wheelarch mouldings use the… Read more

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PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN GTS IS A VISUAL TREAT

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The Porsche 718 Cayman coupe, as well as its open-top brother, the 718 Boxster are now offered in high-performance GTS variants. Our test car for the past week was the Cayman. Living on the Gold Coast mean that we would have preferred the Boxster convertible, but who are we to argue? To balance out the lack of a folding roof our test Porsche was finished in a brilliant daffodil yellow that almost demanded you wear sunglasses to avoid eye damage – loved it! The new line of GTS 718 models… Read more

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CHEQUERED FLAG LIMITED EDITION OF JAGUAR F-TYPE

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The famed Jaguar XK 120 sportscar was introduced in 1948 and to celebrate the passing of those 70 years since two Jaguar F-Type Chequered Flag Limited Edition models have been launched. They are based on both the F-Type R-Dynamic Coupe and Convertible. Ian Callum, Director of Design at Jaguar, said: “In creating the Chequered Flag we’ve focused on details which enhance F-Type’s presence and promise of performance – and in doing so, made a fitting celebration of 70 years of beautiful, fast, Jaguar sports cars.” Highlights include a Black Contrast… Read more

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KIA RIO GETS SERIOUS UPGRADES

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Kia Rio competes in one of the most hard-fought sales segments in Australia so it made sense to give a full-on revamp with major mechanical changes to give it more weapons to fight with. The entry level Rio S is unchanged, with a 1.4-litre petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Much bigger news is that the Rio Si and SLi models have been replaced by a new Kia Rio Sport. It has 17-inch alloy wheels and, importantly, a six-speed automatic that replaces the four-speed. It… Read more

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FUTURE FOCUS FOR ‘OLD GROWTH’ FORESTER

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If the Subaru Forester were a human timber-getter, he would be well past retirement age. However, the recently released popular Subaru all-wheel drive wagon, in its fifth generation, is confidently plugging away into the future. Subaru Australia Managing Director, Colin Christie, says it is 21 years since first generation Forester was launched in Australia, establishing a whole new trend by becoming the original compact SUV. “It was Subaru’s best-seller last year, with more than 12,000 vehicles sold, taking us close to a quarter of a million Foresters sold since launch…. Read more

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MAYBACH ZEPPELIN

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The name Maybach is as old as the motor industry. From its commencement in 1921 this car manufacturing company only continued in business for 20 years. The car was named after Wilhelm Maybach who was Gottlieb Daimler’s first designer. Maybach was a clever engineer who was also responsible for the cars that took on the Mercedes name in 1901. After completing his engineering studies Maybach eventually set up an aero-engine business with the airship designer, Count Zeppelin, in 1907. It was a family business with Maybach’s son Karl looking after… Read more

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PORSCHE PANAMERA 2010 – 2017

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2011 Porsche Panamera hybrid

Porsche Panamera is a large five-door sporting coupe that sits somewhere between a low-slung sportscar and a large luxury sedan. A grand tourer in the true sense of the words it can rapidly transport four in plenty of luxury over long distances. The first instruction to the designers of the Panamera was that it had to look like a Porsche. A statement that might not make sense to those with no interest in cars but one that means everything to people who care about marrying tradition with modernity. A major… Read more

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JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE – LONG, LOW AND SLEEK

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  Jaguar’s “Grace, Space and Pace” is one of the most recognised of all automotive advertising slogans. And it certainly applies to our road test car this week, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Let’s examine how the three important words have been translated into a vehicle to see Jaguar into the third decade of the 21st century. Had we suggested a decade ago that Jaguar should build a large diesel-engined station wagon you would have laughed uproariously. Yet the Jaguar XF Sportbrake First Edition 30d is a simply stunning machine. STYLING… Read more