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HISTORY LESSONS FROM MAZDA MX-5

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Nobuhiro Yamamoto, the program manager of the ND series Mazda MX-5 third from the left, with me standing to his right

I got chatting to Nobuhiro Yamamoto, the program manager of the ND series Mazda MX-5, this morning, and discovered we share a lot of timeline history. We both began in the automotive industry within months of one another in 1973, he as an engineer with the Mazda rotary engine research department, me in the technical section of the NRMA. Keen on motor racing, Nobuhiro-san moved on to the Mazda RX-7 racing team in 1976 working as an engineer on cars that competed in major events, including Daytona, Spa and Le… Read more

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JEEP WRANGLER 75TH ANNIVERSARY

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Jeep Wrangler is a descendant of the World War II Jeep, which has been referred to as, “the car that won a war”. That versatile little 1941 4WD played a major part in communications and the movement of the men and equipment on all fronts during that horrible period. Jeep has introduced a 75th anniversary version of the Wrangler to celebrate that original military Jeep. Renegade, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee have also been built, but our road test vehicle this week is the Wrangler – the roughest, toughest Jeep of… Read more

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MAZDA OUT TO MAINTAIN LEADING EDGE WITH FLAGSHIP

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Relax, everything’s under control . . . well, almost everything, with the Mazda6 2.5-litre Atenza petrol automatic sedan I’m driving. Already the possessor of the latest in safety technology, the Mazda flagship has been endowed with more of the same, putting the driver and passengers at even more ease than before with no added wallet anxiety. For example, the new Mazda6 still keeps an eye on pedestrians with Smart City Brake Support, now with the upper detection speed range increased from 30 km/h to 80 km/h. Smart Brake Support, which… Read more

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OPEN-TOP RANGE ROVER EVOQUE IS DELIGHTFUL

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Range Rover Evoque convertible is an astonishing eye-catcher. Never before have we experienced more interest and comments on a new vehicle under test. With one exception all the comments were favourable, with people loving the style and cheekiness of the concept, and the fact it came as a complete surprise. Only one comment was from someone who didn’t like the Evoque, or perhaps it was the two of driving the open-top Rangie. He said something along the lines of “you silly rich so-and-so’s”. You can fill in different words as… Read more

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HYUNDAI I40 2011 – 2016

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2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer

The Hyundai i40 was initially sold only as a station wagon, called the Tourer, when it arrived in Australia in October 2011. With the Tourer Hyundai Australia was chasing potential buyers of crossover SUVs, offering a more sensible vehicle than a high riding wagon. The idea wasn’t particularly successful as SUVs are often sold to those looking for the macho image, not commonsense transport. A four-door i40 sedan didn’t reach us until May 2012. Though not selling in huge numbers the Hyundai i40 is appealing to quite a few and… Read more

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NISSAN ALTIMA 2013 – 2016

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Despite being well regarded in many countries as a maker of high-performance cars (think GT-R), Nissan in Australia is seen by most as only competing in the sensible everyday segment. To try lift its image the Japanese giant entered the world of V8 Supercars in 2012 with a hot Nissan Altima V8 sedan. At the same time it introduced a road going version of the Altima which, to be honest, is a sensible everyday car and doesn’t have a V8. Which may sound like a bit of a putdown, but… Read more

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TOYOTA WORKHORSE NOT READY FOR KNACKER’S YARD

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The farmers’ friend; the miners’ mate nearly didn’t make it. In some quarters it was thought Toyota’s LandCruiser 70 Series workhorse, after more than three decades, had run its course. However, they had not reckoned on a cohort of Aussie owners who had used the ‘go almost anywhere’ 70 Series in the most challenging terrain to do the toughest jobs. So five years ago Toyota set chief engineer Sadayoshi Koyari and a team of Australian engineers and their Japanese counterparts the task of coming up with a new model worthy… Read more

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RENAULT KOLEOS: FRENCH FLAIR AND PRACTICALITY

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Australia was chosen as the first country in the world to get the new Renault Koleos as the French marque if obviously well aware sales of medium to large SUV crossovers are selling like hotcakes, or should that be crepes? downunder. New Koleos is a about half a size larger than the previous model, making for family friendly interior space and good luggage room. The entry level Koleos Life comes only with 2WD (the front wheels) and is priced at an impressively low $29,990. It has 17-inch alloy wheels. This… Read more

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IMPORTED HOLDEN COMMODORES: FIRST DETAILS

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Holden has released initial details of the fully imported Commodore ahead of its Australian launch in early 2018. This of course, follows the cessation of local manufacturing by Holden at a date yet to be revealed late in 2017. In an interesting move, journalists have been provided with an extensive array of details on many areas of the NG (code for Next Generation) Commodore. Much of this is under strict embargo, with dates to be provided later for releases of various items; infotainment, safety, technology, driver assistance, and more. Being… Read more

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BEST-SELLER OUT TO MAINTAIN MAZDA’S WINNING WAYS

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Like the Queensland State of Origin rugby league team, the Mazda3 has continued to feed off a winning formula for more than a decade. Regarded by the Japanese auto maker as ‘The Mazda’, the small car has become the brand’s most popular model around the world. The current Mazda3 arrived in Australia at the start of 2014 as the third model to join Mazda’s new-generation product line-up. Now the new version has gained the latest in small-car styling, plus a raft of innovations, including G-Vectoring control, Mazda’s new-generation vehicle dynamics… Read more