No comments

TAKING IT TO THE STREET THE HYUNDAI WAY

  By ,

There’s always been nothing like the Hyundai Veloster. From the word go the ‘two-and-a-half’ door coupe has stood out from the crowd and has been the go-to car for the budget conscious automotive individualist. Now Hyundai has gone even further with the introduction of the Veloster Street Special Edition, which brings $3000 of exclusive additional spec and other goodies above the Veloster Series II SR Turbo + on which it is based. Having already claimed a prime spot in the quirky corner of the coupe market, with only 200 to… Read more

No comments

CADILLAC SEVILLE

  By
1977 Cadillac Seville

By the early seventies large American cars with their powerful V8 engines were dominant. Every manufacturer had models similar to the Cadillac Eldorado which gobbled up 25 litres of fuel for every 100km travelled. War in the Middle East in 1973 saw Arab nations raise oil prices by 387 per cent, which, for a country like America that consumed so much, it was a nightmare. Petrol station queues became the norm and two car owners ensured they had both an odd and even ending number licence plate so they could… Read more

No comments

AUDI SQ7 TDI IS ONE HOT SUV

  By ,

Australians appetite for hot versions of cars shows no sign of abating, particularly in upmarket German vehicles. Even SUVs are getting the treatment these days, with the just released Audi SQ7 TDI a striking example. Only a few weeks after the launch of the standard Q7 SUV the warmed over S version has arrived. Note the ‘TDI’ in the title indicating this Q7 has turbo-diesel power. This will come as no surprise to motorsport followers given that Audi diesel-electric hybrids dominated the prestigious Le Mans 24-hour race for many years…. Read more

No comments

FIAT 500X IS READY FOR ACTION

  By ,

Only the Italians could get away with a TV commercial that links a performance-enhancing ‘little blue pill’ with the transformer-like conversion of a small hatchback into a muscular SUV. That’s what Fiat has done in a brilliant ad that sees the pill eventually dropping into the fuel tank of a Fiat 500 hatchback and bulk it up into the 500X compact SUV with the closing line – “bigger, more powerful and ready for action”. Check it out on YouTube if you haven’t seen it. Great fun. The 500X was designed… Read more

No comments

MITSUBISHI ASX 2010 – 2016

  By ,
2010 Mitsubishi ASX

By EWAN KENNEDY CAPTION: A. B. C. 2015 Mitsubishi ASX BODY COPY Mitsubishi has long been a major player in the Australian 4WD and SUV sales race. Beginning with the ground-breaking Pajero almost 40 years ago when it was the first affordable 4WD designed with comfort, not just off-road ability, in mind. Though Pajero was, and still is, a success the Japanese giant dabbled in the small SUV field in Australia in various ways for many years without a huge amount of success – until it began to import the… Read more

No comments

CHEAPEST EVER PORSCHE: THE FOUR-CYLINDER MACAN

  By ,

The cheapest ever Porsche has just gone on sale in Australia. The midsize Macan SUV can now be ordered with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. At $76,610 it sits around $16,000 under the V6 petrol. A huge saving when you consider you’re only missing out on a couple of cylinders and you still get 185 kW of power and 370 Nm of torque. (The V6 in S trim has 250 kW.) It seems that every second European car we road test these days has an engine that displaces 2.0… Read more

No comments

AUDI Q5 V6 TDI

  By ,

By EWAN KENNEDY in Los Cabos, Mexico   Last week we reported from Mexico the new second generation Audi Q5 in four-cylinder format. That’s because only the four-cylinder models, in turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel format, will initially be on sale in Australia when the first shipments arrived in the second half of 2017. However, we did manage to get ourselves into the driver’s seat of a V6 as it’s expected to arrive here within a couple of months of the four-cylinder. It’s an impressive powerplant, the big turbo-diesel produces up to… Read more

No comments

HOLDEN BARINA UPGRADED

  By ,

The solid push towards the future of Holden continues. Long after the company shuts down its Australian factories Holden will continue as a major part of the GM global empire. As a strong example, Holden Barina for 2017 has just received a facelift and tail-tuck, interior enhancements, an upgraded infotainment system and added safety features. A great deal of the design of the Holden Barina was carried out by Australians, working both locally and overseas to the extent that the car is being promoted as the, “GM Australia-designed 2017 Holden… Read more

No comments

COUPE THE OVERTURE TO KEY CHANGE IN LEXUS THEME

  By ,

It is generally recognised that Dame Nellie Melba made more comebacks to the operatic stage than a well-used boomerang. What is not so well known is that the prima donna was one of the first female car owners in Australia. The redoubtable Dame took to motoring (with a chauffeur) so enthusiastically she kept motor cars on three continents – an electric Brougham in Europe, a couple of Pierce-Arrows in the US, a Type AX Renault and later a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in Australia. How appropriate that Lexus should choose Coombe… Read more

No comments

MAZDA3 JUST KEEPS ON KEEPING ON

  By ,

Mazda has been enjoying steady growth over the past decade on the Australian new vehicle market overtaking both Holden and Ford on its way to currently sitting second in the overall sales hierarchy, behind Toyota. The star performer throughout this period has been the Mazda3 small hatch and sedan which has been having a ding-gong battle with Toyota Corolla for top spot, initially in its category but in the past few years as Australia’s overall biggest-seller. Now into its third generation, launched here in January 2014, the Mazda3 first went… Read more