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GAC AION V REVIEW

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In a recent review we introduced another in the growing list of new Chinese brands to arrive in Australia. This time it was from the Guangzhou Automobile Group aka GAC. Although it has been around for more than 70 years and is currently the fifth largest Chinese carmaker, GAC is largely unknown here it does have well-established joint ventures with both Honda and Toyota vehicles where it builds vehicles for the Chinese domestic market. That previous review was of the GAC Emzoom, a compact SUV and the only conventionally-powered model… Read more

CUPRA Leon VZx Sportstourer AWD

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Here’s something you don’t see very often, a new station wagon. A what? A station wagon — the thing we drove before the advent of SUVs. Part hot hatch. Part active lifestyle. The Cupra Leon VZx Sportstourer AWD has been confirmed for Australia. Joining the refreshed Leon lineup introduced in late 2025, the Leon VZx Sportstourer completes the Australian wagon range alongside the existing Leon VZe Sportstourer plug-in hybrid and introduces all-wheel drive (AWD) to the Leon range. Designed, developed and built in Barcelona, the new flagship variant combines genuine high-performance capability with the practicality and… Read more

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MORE STING FOR YARIS FLYER

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Like sports nutritionists, Toyota engineers continue to feed the company’s motorsport stars with performance enhancing – legal, of course – characteristics. Latest to follow the trend is the GR Yaris hot hatch. Upgrades, developed last year from motorsport competition, have found their way into the latest road-going models in the form of steering features, including race-bred Bridgestone Potenza tyres for the flagship GTS. Enhancing the steering is an expanded operating range for the electric power assistance, while the steering wheel itself has been trimmed from 365mm to 360mm with a… Read more

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TOYOTA RAV4 . . . ALL NEW? WELL, NOT REALLY

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The all-new Toyota RAV4 made its debut Downunder in April. As one of its best-selling models, the RAV has an important role to play in the continued success of the world’s number one automotive manufacturer. But as the RAV sits on the same platform as its predecessor, is the same size and is powered by the same basic hybrid setup — it’s not all new really. Certainly, it represents a generational change for the popular five-seat SUV, but we are yet to meet a new model that isn’t larger and… Read more

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LATEST MITSUBISHI ASX HAS A FRENCH CONNECTION

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  Mitsubishi ASX is the smallest vehicle in the company’s four-model SUV range beneath  the Eclipse Cross, Outlander and Pajero Sport.   ASX (the acronym stands for Active Sports Crossover (not Australian Stock Exchange)  has been around since 2010 and for much of this period, it has been a consistently strong  performer for Mitsubishi thanks to its combination of sensible design, functionality and  sharp pricing.   By the time the all-new second-generation ASX, that we’re testing here, arrived in late  2025 the scene that changed significantly and it now competes… Read more

Honda’s pocket rocket due soon

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EV meets Japanese Kei car in Honda’s soon to be launched pocket rocket the Super-One. The four-seat hatch is a mere 3.6 metres long and 1.6 metres wide, and sits less than 1550mm high, enabling it to fit into carparks in Japan. The car’s stance is low and wide, with pumped out guards to emphasise its sportiness. The two rear seats fold to increase the load area, creating an almost-flat floor. Super-One rides on black 16-inch alloys with red brake calipers and low-profile Yokohama rubber. The little cutie is powered… Read more

Last chance to get a V8 Patrol

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If you have your heart set on a V8-powered Nissan Patrol, you’d better get in quick. Nissan reveals production of the Y62 Patrol ends in August, with the Premcar Warrior version to follow soon afterwards. It’s replacement, the Y63 Patrol will be powered by a twin-turbo petrol V6. The Y62 run-out marks the closing chapter on more than a decade of V8 power for one of Australia’s most enduring, full-sized off-road SUVs. Nissan’s Steve Milette said Patrol has been a constant presence in Australian motoring, while the Y62 has played… Read more

Electric Trailseeker Subaru’s third EV

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Keeping track of Subaru’s EVs is becoming almost as difficult as following the growth of Chinese brands in Australia. The fully electric Subaru Trailseeker, the company’s third EV, is now on sale here, described by Sooby as the largest, most powerful and most adventurous all-electric Subaru ever offered in this country. It joins the Solterra and Uncharted, all of them badge-engineered versions of Toyotas — in the same way that the Subaru BRZ and the Toyota 86 sports car are one-in-the-same. Think of it this way: Solterra=bZ4X (original) Unchartered=C-HR+ (not… Read more

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SLEEK, CHIC CATWALK CAMRY

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The mid-size Toyota sedan could be relied upon to serve the average family well with uninspiring looks, perky yet economical, performance. Even so, it became Australia’s favourite mid-size sedan. Five generations later the new hybrid-only Camry has cast off its comfy cardigan character, morphing into a sleek chic catwalk star, but still with the bones of a versatile form of ‘mass’ transport. The new Camry range starts at $39,990, plus on-road costs, for the entry-level Ascent, packed with standard equipment and features including 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, daytime running… Read more

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GAC EMZOOM

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  Enzoom is the latest offering from the newest Chinese company to enter the Australian market, or was that last week – it’s become hard to keep track of them? While the name may not be familiar, GAC has been around in one form or another since 1948 and was the fifth largest car manufacturer in China, with 2.144 million sales in 2021. Emzoom is its fourth offering, a conventionally-powered, compact five-seat SUV with a turbocharged petrol engine under the bonnet. And it’s priced to tempt even the most ardent… Read more