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SUZUKI JIMNY 3-DOOR – IT’S JUST NOT CRICKET

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It’s been more than five years since we last drove the “new” Suzuki Jimny. The scary thing is that not much has changed in this time — it’s still fundamentally the same. It’s the same engine, the same transmission and the same four-wheel drive system. There’s a new touchscreen and operating system, while auto cruise control and parking sensors have been added front and back. And along the way, a cheaper, more accessible version of the little 4×4 was added to the mix — known simply as the Jimny Lite…. Read more

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NEW PAL PLUGS INTO HIGH-BORN HYBRID SUV

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Twenty years ago, Lexus lit up the luxury vehicle segment in Australia with battery- assisted hybrid performance powertrains across a range of vehicles to take the lead in pioneering battery-electric hybrid technology, which carries on to this day. With the present surge in EV sales the company is in good shape to add to its petrol/electric luxury SUV line-up with a new plug-in hybrid offering, the RX 450h+ AWD. The SUV comes only in Sports Luxury grade, tucking in just under the RX500h Sport Performance in price, $123,500, as opposed… Read more

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TOYOTA C-HR GR SPORT – IT’SALL ABOUT STYLE

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Great to finally catch up with the Toyota C-HR GR Sport. We missed out on driving this car the first time around when it just got the suspension job. But it was worth the wait because the GR Sport now gets some extra power, with a larger 2.0-litre based hybrid system. And it shows, remaining responsive to the throttle even with two adults and a couple of kids on board — although we weren’t surprised when they complained about a lack of legroom in the back. More on that in… Read more

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TASMAN: THE PICK-UP TIDE TURNS

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The Tasman ran into some rough waters when the first Kia pick-up broke cover 18 months ago, with some folk reckoning it had gone too far with its out-there looks. The maker was the first to admit it was designed ‘to push the boundaries of what a pick-up can deliver.’ And it’s hard to argue with that. How about steps at the two rear corners of the tub, a load bed equipped with illuminated 240-volt power outlet, sliding cargo floor and class-leading 1173 litres of space, enough to take a… Read more

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KIA EV4 GT-LINE GOES THE DISTANCE

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  Don’t mention the war: It’s hard to ignore these words from that other comedian Basil Fawlty with the electric vehicle light burning brightly over a Middle East farrago of Trumpian intensity. Fossil fuel is flagging in the power play for car sales with the Strait of Hormuz on drip feed to oil tankers and cargo carriers, leaving EVs with an inside run against the internal combustion engine mob. How prescient then that Kia has added a sedan to an already diverse line-up of non-ICE vehicles. The EV4 Sedan joins… Read more

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SUZUKI VITARA TURBO HYBRID ALLGRIP

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With the imminent arrival of Suzuki’s first fully electric vehicle the e Vitara, it’s easy to see why the company didn’t invest much in the hybrid version. Forgive us for saying so, but it’s a shortsighted approach because the company is likely to sell many more hybrids than it will EVs, just look at the experience of other brands. Really, the hybrid deserved better, because apart from the welcome transition to hybrid power — the changes have been minimal to say the least. STYLING If you think the latest Vitara… Read more

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BYD SEALION 5 IS AUSTRALIA’S BEST VALUE PLUG-IN ELECTRIC HYBRID

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In what is a major milestone, monthly sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries have shown that, in February, China became Australia’s largest source of new vehicles overtaking Japan for the first time since 1998. The data also showed four Chinese brands now sit in the top ten positions led by BYD, now the sixth biggest seller, ahead of GWM (7th), Chery (9th) and MG (10th). Almost half of BYD sales are of its four-model Sealion SUV range, with either fully electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrains. The… Read more

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MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER EXCEED TOURER

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You can understand why Japanese and Korean car makers continue to rollout petrol- only models. Not all buyers want or can afford the cost of an electric vehicle, although that is the way the market is ultimately heading. With a barrage of competition from cheaper Chinese rivals, anything they can do to pick up a few extra sales is fast becoming essential. And so, we have the top of the range Outlander Exceed Tourer, powered by a 2.5- litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, with all the bells and whistles to… Read more

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LEXUS LBX – MORE THAN A LITTLE LUXURY

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Yaris by Lexus: an automotive oxymoron? Nothing could be further from the truth. The new Lexus LBX luxury compact is built on the Toyota Yaris Cross platform (GA-B). The LBX is the smallest model in the Lexus range and the brand’s first B-segment SUV. Enter the progeny of the Yaris Cross. Imbued with the Lexus philosophy of Kaizen (continuous improvement) across all its brands. Now it is bringing this to the small SUV segment with the LBX. Lexus sees the need for the LBX to meet the demand for signature… Read more

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MG IM6 PERFORMANCE REVIEW

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  Another week, another new brand name, although in this case it’s actually a new sub- brand. It’s called IM and it’s the new premium electric division of MG. Think Lexus to Toyota, Genesis to Hyundai, etc. And just to confuse matters further we’re told that its complete name is ‘IM Presented by MG’. Good luck with anyone actually adhering to that. To keep things simple, we’ll just stick with the IM nametag here. The two first models are the IM5 and IM6, not to be confused with MI5 and… Read more