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RAM 1500: BIG, BOLD AND VERY AMERICAN

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There’s one word you won’t read in this news piece – ‘subtle’. Ram Trucks invited us to the launch of its Ram 1500 models and the first thing that greeted us was a brochure titled “Ram 1500 Eats Utes For Breakfast”. So there… The ute market in Australia is growing at a crazy rate, with the top two selling vehicles being the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. That’s top selling overall, not in the commercial segment. So Ram Trucks has joined the sales fray with its smallest – yes, smallest… Read more

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MAZDA’S LAP OF LUXURY FOR LE BUYERS

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Mazda says buyers of its popular CX-9 are so fond of life’s little luxuries that it has upped the ante on its aristo Azami model in the shape of the LE, thus bringing the range of the award-winning seven-seat sports utility vehicle to five. Customer demand was the reason for the addition of the Azami LE, says Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi. “CX-9 sales have always been skewed to high-grade AWD variants, so we added Azami LE to give those looking for luxury even greater choice in the range.”… Read more

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HYUNDAI ACCENT 2006 – 2017

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2011 Hyundai Accent

Hyundai Accent has been on sale in Australia since June 2000 and has been a steady seller due to continuous improvements in build quality and, just as importantly, Australia developed suspension tuning. In this review we will look at Accents sold here from the new model of June 2006. By this time the localisation of the Accent was under way; it reached full strength with the next series that first arrived arrived here in July 2011. Accent is solidly built and older ones that have been looked after properly are… Read more

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ALFASUD 1.5ti

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1977 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti Coupe

When the Alfasud 1.2ti was first introduced it was hailed as one of the world’s best and most popular small sedans. With the introduction of the bigger-engined and facelifted 1.5ti the car’s reputation went even higher. Externally the changes were not significant; a keen eye could spot the differences such as the change in styling of the rear spoiler, the addition of a front air dam and the black moulded wheel arch flares. The car was also slightly longer and slightly wider but the same wheelbase was maintained. The 1.5-litre,… Read more

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MAZDA CX-3 UPGRADES

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Mazda continues its fast paced assault on the Australian car market, this time with its smallest SUV, the CX-3 receiving a facelift, major interior changes, added comfort and improved engines. The frontal styling of all current Mazdas is arguably the biggest reason for its success and the shape has been refined with a bolder grille built around strong horizontal lines. There are also changes to the shaping of the front foglight surrounds as well as to the rear lights. It’s not just the shape that’s selling Mazdas, the Soul Red… Read more

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BMW Z4 M40i FIRST EDITION

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BMW chose the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the world premiere of the new BMW Z4 M40i First Edition. Powered by a powerful 250 kW/340 hp, straight-six engine driving the rear wheels via an electronically controlled M Sport differential. Its zero to 100 km/h time has been measured at 4.6 seconds. The large BMW kidney grille has a striking mesh design and sits in front of a beautifully long bonnet. The two occupants sit well back and the high-performance Bimmer has 50:50 weight distribution. The new BMW Z4 M40i… Read more

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AUDI RS4 AVANT

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Turbochargers are the way to go if you need to meet ever tightening emission regulations and still want plenty of power and torque. So the biggest change in this fourth generation RS4 Avant lies under the bonnet where the previous 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 has been replaced by a biturbo 2.9-litre V6. STYLING The Audi single-frame grille is wider and flatter than before and of course has the honeycomb structure typical of what’s a trademark of the RS series. The latest RS4 Avant is longer (by 62 mm) and wider (by… Read more

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FORD TERRITORY 2004 – 2016

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2011 Ford Territory

Ford Territory is a large SUV designed and built in Australia. Launched in May 2004 It was based on the Ford Falcon and shares some of its mechanical components however, many parts are unique to the big wagon. Time was against it as Ford Oz was struggling in the sales race and didn’t have the budget to design an all-new Territory. Seven years after its introduction it did receive a major makeover in May 2011. As well as styling enhancements significant changes were made to rides and handling, with less… Read more

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CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES

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Living with the latest Kia Carnival finally put paid to the notion that people movers (also known as crossover utility vehicles these days) are vans with sparse seating, pokey windows down both sides and access to a take-it-or-leave-it luggage area through an ungainly back door. The third generation Kia Carnival has just had a mid-cycle makeover that centres on comfort and safety upgrades. The model range – Carnival S, Si, SLi and Platinum – stays the same. So do the petrol and turbo-diesel engines on offer. However, the latter are… Read more

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PORSCHE CLASSIC BUILDS A CLASSIC 911 USING GENUINE PARTS

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Nostalgia is the flavour of the moment with carmakers. We recently did a piece on Aston Martin’s replica James Bond DB5. Now comes news from Porsche Classic has built a highly desirable collector’s item, the last 911 Turbo with an air-cooled engine – 20 years after the end of series production. The 993-generation 911 Turbo is based on an original bodyshell, and the vehicle’s appearance is just as special as its history, being painted in Golden Yellow Metallic as featured on the 2018 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series. The black… Read more