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NISSAN MAXIMA 2003 – 2014

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2003 Nissan Maxima

Nissan Maxima is a six-cylinder family car from Japan. The big Nissan can carry five adults if they don’t mind some shoulder rubbing. Mum, Dad and three kids works well. Maxima’s ride on roads is quiet and comfortable, almost in the limo class. However, it’s not quite as good on rough and course-chip surfaces as cars designed for Aussie roads. Handling is softer and less responsive than that of the local family cars, but are likely to suit most drivers. The Japanese giant is focussing purely on SUVs these days… Read more

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NEW 2018 BMW M5

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New BMW M5 has arrived Downunder and is fascinating in that it has the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system to give it full-on track day potential. Yet, if you push some different buttons it gives you the comfort expected of a luxurious high-speed sports sedan. Power from new M5 comes from the latest version of BMW’s 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine which generates 600 horsepower (441kW). Torque of a big 750 Nm is there from just 1800rpm and remains on tap the way to 5600rpm. Performance is rated to go from zero… Read more

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2018 SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT TURBO

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Hot-car lovers on a limited budget will just love the new Suzuki Swift Sport Turbo, the subject of this week’s road test. With a price tag of just $25,490 for the six-speed manual, and $27,490 for a six-speed auto, you get a lot of bang for your bucks To add to the sporty feel of the hot little Suzy we had it during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The 11-day period meant our bright yellow machine felt right at home, being eager, exciting and enjoyable for every minute. Best of… Read more

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CITROEN 2CV

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1975 Citroen 2CV

Just as the original VW beetle was designed as the people’s car for Germany, the Citroen 2CV was truly the French people’s car. Although a true ugly duckling it was at the same time extremely practical and ideal for its purpose. The car was conceived back in the mid 1930s, well before World War II and the development team was given a rather strange set of specifications on which they had to base their design. These included such requirements as being able to be driven across a ploughed field, carry… Read more

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2018 NISSAN NAVARA DUAL-CAB 4X4 ST

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We love having a big, sprawling four-wheel-drive at our house, swayed of course by its rugged nature, no-nonsense appearance and its innate ability to approach all challenges as adventures. What better way test it than the week you are moving house? The Nissan Navara ST made numerous trips to the dump and the Salvation Army, making hasty work of, “but it’s precious to me” mountain my girls have gathered over the last few years, and the “you can’t throw away a good shirt” pile my husband has accumulated over the… Read more

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JAGUAR F-PACE SVR IS COMING

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Jaguar is running hot right now, not only with victories in major awards, but also new models seemingly by the week. The Jaguar F-Pace SUV has taken out the World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year, now an ultra-hot SVR has just been announced. Engineered by Jaguar LandRover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), the Jaguar F-Pace SVR has a 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine producing 540 horsepower (404kW) and 680Nm of torque. The big SUV can now leap from zero to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds, and proceed… Read more

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GIULIA SET TO RESURRECT THE ALFA ROMEO BRAND

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Alfa Romeo Giulia arrived here in January 2017 with the arduous task of helping to resurrect the iconic Italian brand to the level that made it one of the world’s most respected carmakers. The Alfa Romeo 4C that went on sale in 2015 was certainly a positive sign but it was a small two-door coupe or convertible sportscar with limited impact on the general market. By contrast Giulia is a mid-sized family sedan albeit one with serious performance attributes. With SUVs dominating sales it’s getting harder and harder to find… Read more

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PEUGEOT 3008 2010 – 2016

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2015 Peugeot 3008

By EWAN KENNEDY, Marque Motoring CAPTION: A. B. C. 2017 Peugeot 3008 BODY COPY Since mid 2017 French maker Peugeot has been under new management in Australia. The result is a big marketing push on the all-new 3008 that was introduced at about the same time. Previous 3008 models appear to being traded in on the new ones so there is an upsurge of used ones at the moment. So it might be a good idea get in and do a deal on one if dealers are running out of… Read more

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MAZDA FINE TUNES ITS ICONIC MX-5

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Ever restless in their search for perfection, the engineers at Mazda have given their ND series MX-5 roadster’s rear suspension some minor tweaks. Using information from the development of the Retractable Fastback (RF) version of the MX-5, the soft-top’s rear suspension’s upper link bushings have been lowered and the rear bump stops lengthened. The aim of the latter was to bring the stops into play a little earlier. It’s also there to give a slightly more comfortable ride, but obviously without in any way interfering with the MX-5’s exceptional road… Read more

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A ‘SPEC ‘N’ TECH’ SPRUCE-UP SPURS LUXE NX LEXUS

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“Not to be messed with”: that, we are told, is what the powers that be at Lexus wanted to get across with its upgrade to the NX line of luxury sports utility vehicles. Said one exec: “Improvements to the NX styling and dynamics will enhance its appeal by projecting a sportier character from what is already one of the sharpest luxury SUVs on the road.” And, like the genie in the bottle, the team tasked with the job, the boss’s wish was its command. Did it work? The ‘spec ‘n’… Read more