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MG4 64 ESSENCE TICKS ALL THE BOXES

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MG has come a long way since its early, cheap and cheerful days. Well, more cheap than cheerful and we are not talking about the lamented British sports car. Rather we’re referring to the now Chinese-owned make of the same name which has begun pumping out EVs and hybrids. MG sold more than 50,000 vehicles in Australia last year, with the small MG3 its biggest-selling model. Released in 2022, its first EV, the fully-electric MG4, has become its second most successful model, with almost 7000 sales. The wedge-shaped five-door hatch… Read more

GR grade to join Corolla Cross lineup

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Due in the second half of the year, the new Corolla Cross range will include a GR Sport. The bad news is that it will not get the turbo powerhouse from GR Corolla. The GR Sport will join the existing line-up of GX, GXL and Atmos, all of which get more equipment and a refreshed exterior design. As the performance flagship the AWD-only GR Sport is differentiated by exclusive features including a unique front bumper and darkened 19-inch GR Sport alloys, Sport mode, specially tuned and lowered coil springs and… Read more

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PATHFINDER HEADS OFF TRUMP TROUBLE

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There I was doing a stint of push-mower Pilates (grass cutting) in the back yard when it struck me how clever the people at Nissan had been coming up with a cut-price large wagon at this time. With large SUV prices pushing through six figures the new ST-L Pathfinder has lopped more than $12,000 off the previous entry-level model – this trip down the road less travelled all the more prescient at a time when tariff tyrant Donald Trump is upping the ante on the cost of motoring around the… Read more

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MG3 HYBRID+ ESSENCE

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It was just six months ago that we tested the “new” MG3 hatch. It was yellow of course. For a while there, they all seemed to be finished in yellow which it turns out comes at no extra cost. That was the petrol model, but we looked forward to driving the hybrid version with its promise of more power and better fuel economy. Here it is and it’s blue not yellow, but it was certainly worth the wait — whether the extra $4000 they’re asking for the hybrid is worth… Read more

Red-hot price for Jaecoo’s J8

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Jaecoo’s J7 SUV will be joined soon by the larger J8 at a red-hot $49,990 driveaway. But it will only be available in five-seat form, at least for the foreseeable future. Overseas, J8 also comes with seven seats. The Chinese Jaecoo is a subset of Chery in much the same way as Omoda is, but while Omoda is marketed under the Chery name, Jaecoo is positioned as a luxury, standalone brand. Building on the success of the recently released J7, Jaecoo says the new J8 takes sophistication and performance to… Read more

Compass points to the future

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Built to embody Jeep’s hallmark capability, ruggedness, and distinctive attitude, new Compass blends versatility with state-of-the-art technology. True to the Jeep legacy, Compass features the brand’s unmistakable seven-slot grille, trapezoidal wheel arches and rugged cladding, ensuring off-road prowess and its signature look. An anti-scratch, modular Jeep shield and reinforced bumpers provide enhanced protection in both urban and off-road environments. The radar unit has also been repositioned to avoid damage from obstacles in tight spaces. Built on the Stellantis STLA Medium platform, the third generation off-roader has been specifically engineered to… Read more

Rolls-Royce Phantom turns 100

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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is celebrating 100 years of its most famous nameplate – the Phantom. Phantom occupies a unique place in the history of Rolls-Royce. At any given time over the past century, it has represented the very best in effortless luxury, engineering excellence, fine materials, and exquisite, highly skilled craftsmanship. Across eight generations, each as storied as the last, Phantom has remained unrivalled. Not just as the marque’s flagship motor car, but the world’s pinnacle luxury product – an icon of icons. As it enters its second century, Phantom… Read more

Aston Martin DBX S ready to rumble

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With the dynamic appeal of DBX707 and an engine enhanced by technology from the Valhalla supercar, Aston Martin’s new DBX S delivers even more power, reduced weight and more assertive design. At the heart of the new DBX S lies an upgraded version of Aston Martin’s acclaimed 4.0-Litre Twin-Turbo V8 powerhouse. By using turbo technology transferred directly from the upcoming Valhalla supercar including its larger compressor wheel diameters and other internal improvements, power is raised by a further 15kW to 535kW and provides even greater urgency at the very top… Read more

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‘UNWORLDLY’ DEBUT FOR JAECOO SUPER HYBRID

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By Jupiter, that was good! Cruising the open road (motorway) in the newly-minted Jaecoo J7 SHS plug-in hybrid I had just enjoyed the Planets’ Suite, by Gustav Holst, on the car radio. On sale in Australia from this week <subs: May 1>, the question is, does the rest of this Chinese plug-in hybrid – the SHS (for Super Hybrid System) – stack up against Holst’s classical Phil Spector-like ‘wall of sound’? With an appealing price point, striking looks, upper-end EV and combined driving range there’s plenty to like about this… Read more

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KIA SORENTO PHEV GT-LINE

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It’s becoming harder to tell internal combustion from electric vehicles, and even more difficult to identify the in-betweeners — the hybrids and plug-in hybrids that combine technologies. The new Product Enhanced Sorento takes its styling cues from the fully-electric EV9 and sees changes to the exterior and interior design, comfort and convenience technology, with additional safety features thrown in. New Sorento offers a range of drivetrains including hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, both of which arrive in top-spec GT-Line guise only, adding to the price of the technology — or… Read more