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TOYOTA YARIS CROSS REVIEW

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As the name suggests, the Toyota Yaris Cross is a crossover version of the popular Yaris small hatchback bulked up to provide access to the booming compact SUV market segment Launched here in late-2020 Yaris Cross is available in four grades: GX, GXL, Urban and GR Sport. The first three models each come with the choice of two- or four-wheel drive. GR Sport is 2WD only. Originally available with the choice of petrol or hybrid powertrains, effective from the 2024 upgrade, all Yaris Cross variants are now exclusively hybrid. Prices… Read more

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KIA EV4 REVIEW

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Kia continues to pick up its power game with what seems like a Keno card of EV numbers – the EV4 sedan being the latest in a line from EV3, EV4, EV5, RV6 and EV9. What does this newbie bring to the party? Well, there’s the company’s longest range electric vehicle at more than 600 kilometres for its top-specced twins. With a choice between standard and long-range electric power the EV4 sedan comes in three trim levels, Air, Earth, and GT-Line. Air is equipped with a Standard Range battery system… Read more

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TANK – BIG NEWS IN THE BIG SUV DEPARTMENT

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. It’s not so long ago that the first Hyundai topped the $70,000 mark. The 2015 Genesis was good, but would buyers be prepared to pay that much for a Korean car, everyone wondered? Fast forward and we now have GWM’s first vehicle to pass this milestone — its flagship Tank 500 Ultra PHEV seven-seat off-roader. And once again we find ourselves pondering whether buyers will stump up this sort of money to buy a Chinese vehicle this time. In its defence, the large SUV is a substantial offering with… Read more

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ICE BREAKER TACKLES OCEAN OF EVS

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While the EV hordes are laying siege to the fossil-fuelled SUV segment, the ‘clean machjnes’ are not having it all their own way. The ‘old soldiers’ are fighting a rearguard action. With service stations for refuelling the internal combustion engine (ICE) on almost every street corner, compared with shortcomings in the supply of infrastructure for public fast charging of EVs, especially out of town, range anxiety abounds. Far from throwing in the towel, the Mitsubishi Outlander, released in Australia in 2021 and the country’s fifth best-selling model last year, recently… Read more

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OMODA 9 – IT’S A LOT OF CAR FOR THE MONEY.

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  Another week, another Super Hybrid to drive — this time the Omoda 9 plug-in hybrid. Omoda, which is now a separate brand, is part of the Chinese Chery group which includes Jaecoo. In fact, Omoda and Jaecoo share the same dealerships. Some dealers also offer Chery-branded vehicles. The Omoda name represents sporty crossovers while Jaecoo is associated with more rugged SUVs. The Omoda 9 is also sold as the Exeed Yaoguang (or RX for export markets). It’s all a bit confusing. STYLING The five-seat SUV is offered in one… Read more

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NEW HONDA ZR-V GETS ADVANCED HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

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There’s a misconception out there that, in late-2001, Toyota was the first manufacturer to launch a petrol/electric hybrid passenger vehicle onto the Australian market. While the Prius name quickly became synonymous with the emerging powertrain technology in fact it arrived about six months after the Honda Insight. The Insight didn’t live up to its name leaving Toyota to dominate the hybrid (HEV) market to such an extent that it now offers them in just about every model in its range. Indeed, many of its most popular models, such as Camry,… Read more

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CR-V DRIVING TO THE LETTER

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The folk at Honda, it seems, have long memories. Back in 1995 the Japanese company developed one of the first compact sports utility vehicles on the market – the Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, or CR-V, as we know it. Landing Down Under in 1997, in the 30 years since, the CR-V has sold almost a quarter of a million units here and won numerous awards, including Australian Car of the Year in 2023. Why wouldn’t anyone wish to continue to bask in the glow of such storied ancestry? Welcome to the… Read more

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DIESEL IN TOP-UP FOR TANK 300

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As sports utility vehicles go, the Tank 300, a middleweight with petrol or hybrid punch, these days is a little nippier on its feet thanks to the addition of a turbodiesel engine. However, has the Great Wall Motors off roader still a way to go to match the opposition? Available in two well-appointed grades – Lux and Ultra – the new Tank 300 diesel is powered by GWM’s 2.4-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine, delivering 135kW of power at 3600rpm and 480Nm of torque from 1500 to 2500rpm. Mated with a nine-speed… Read more

Look what they done to my Rolls ma!

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A wrap would have been easier, but Rolls-Royce opted for a hi-tech, laser-etched paint job for this one-off Phantom Arabesque. The inspiration for the design comes from Middle Eastern architecture in the form of traditional mashrabiya latticework. The mashrabiya pattern is reinterpreted in various ways: a laser-engraved bonnet, intricate Blackwood and Bolivar marquetry Gallery artwork a suite of Bespoke motifs subtly placed throughout the car. In an architectural setting, mashrabiya is built using intricately carved wooden screens that create privacy, allowing those inside to look out without being seen. The… Read more

Life-saving pacemaker for Suzuki Vitara

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Suzuki is preparing to launch its first fully-electric vehicle in Australia. The all-new e Vitara is expected in showrooms from June, but there’s no word on the price yet. It follows close on the heels of the dismissal one-star result achieved by Fronx in safety tests conducted by ANCAP. This at a time when Suzuki sales are down almost 30 per cent across the board year on year. The compact, five-seat e Vitara will be available in two variants, Motion and Ultra. The first is front-wheel drive, with a 49… Read more