Category: News

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RAM 1500 IS ONE TOUGH PICKUP TRUCK

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The RAM 1500 has arrived in Australia and is a large pickup, or ute if you prefer that term. Powered by a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 (291 kW, 390 horsepower, and 556 Nm at 3950 rpm) it’s aimed to replace the much loved V8 utes that once upon a time were sold by Ford and Holden. Priced from $79,990, driveaway the RAM 1500 sits a fair way above the late lamented Aussie utes, but you do get a lot of automotive real estate for your money. At 5.8 metres long and… Read more

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MINI GETS FASHION AND TECH MAKEOVER

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Mini has updated its Hatchback (three- and five-door) and Convertible models. They have received a facelift, a new touchscreen infotainment system and Mini Connected 4G. Very much a ‘please-customise-me’ car, the Mini can be ordered in many new colour and trim options. Five exterior colour options have been added for both Hatch and Convertible: Solaris Orange, Emerald Grey, Starlight Blue, Melting Silver and Chili Red. Then you can choose from a range of contrasting colour roof, as well as striping options. There’s a new design of the Mini logo, used… Read more

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ALPINE A110 IS ALL FRENCH FLAIR

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An exciting new sportscar marque is about to land in Australia. The very French Alpine A110 is a high-performance coupe that’s built by a division of Renault, but operates largely in its own right. Alpine (say it a French accent, ‘al-peen’ and it sounds beautifully evocative) dates back to the 1950s and has made some fascinating sports machines. The first A110 model came out in 1961, ran for 16 years and had victories in many events, including the Monte Carlo rallies in the 1970s Alpine A110 harks back to the… Read more

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ALL-NEW KIA CERATO

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Kia Cerato tends to have been lost in the shadow of the stunning Stinger and the cute little Picanto at the moment. So it’s easy to forget that it’s the most successful car in the range in Australia in terms of sales, with around one in three of all Kias being a Cerato. The South Korean giant is certainly not going to rest on its laurels so just launched an all-new Cerato, the third generation, and the Australian importer has big hopes for it. The biggest news is the styling…. Read more

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NEW AUSTRALIAN DRIVING LAWS FOR AUTOMATED VEHICLES

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We frequently get asked many questions about automated cars from a variety of people; everyone from keen drivers, to those who see the safety benefits, and people who are simply tired of sitting in endless commuting traffic jams. This media release from the National Transport Commission Australian show considerable thought is going into the matter: Transport Ministers Agree To Drafting New Australian Driving Laws For Automated Vehicles A ground-breaking approach to driving laws in Australia will see the development of purpose-built legislation to allow an automated driving system to drive… Read more

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FORD TRANSIT CUSTOM GOES TRENDY

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Who says one-tonne white vans have to be boring? Certainly not Ford Australia which is now selling the Ford Transit Custom one-tonne vans with a surprisingly stylish body, a more car-like look and feel to the cabin, and the latest Ford EcoBlue turbo-diesel engine. New seat designs featuring revised foam padding and geometry are car-like. Trim materials have been completely upgraded, with a focus on a quality appearance. This Transit’s dash area is completely new and makes a mobile office with standard Ford SYNC 3 that uses an 8.0-inch touchscreen…. Read more

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ABARTH 124 SPIDER MONZA SPECIAL EDITION

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Abarth Australia has introduced a limited edition 124 Spider Abarth Monza Special Edition. “The legacy of Carlo Abarth has driven the production of some of the world’s most exciting motor vehicles and this Monza Special Edition continues the realisation of his passion,” said Fulvio Antonelli, the director of Abarth in Australia. The 124 Spider Monza Edition is limited to just 30 units, each with its own numbered plaque. In a very stylish Italian way the plaque is crafted of brushed aluminium with a laser etched finish, and features the Monza… Read more

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NEW RS4 AVANT CONTINUES AUDI’S PERFORMANCE WAGON TRADITION

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Audi has released the latest version of its RS4 Avant, a high-performance sporty Euro wagon with a heritage that goes back almost 25 years to the Audi RS2 Avant of 1994. The biggest change in this fourth generation RS4 Avant lies under the bonnet where the previous 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine has been replaced by a biturbo 2.9-litre V6. The turbocharged engine matches the V8’s 331 kW of power but picks up an extra 170 Nm of torque to reach a neck-snapping 600 Nm from just 1900 rpm, compared with… Read more

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MAJOR UPGRADES FOR MAZDA6

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Mazda is running hot on the sales front in Australia at the moment and is showing no signs of slacking pace. Mazda6, the medium large sedan and wagon from Japan are the latest to receive the treatment. What at first glance looks to be an interesting facelift is in fact only part of the story because a new sporty engine has been added and there’s also been significant work on the body. Let’s look at the engine first: it’s a 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit like the others in the petrol range,… Read more

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ALFA ROMEO STELVIO OFFERED WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENGINE

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Alfa Romeo has added a high-performance model to its Stelvio SUV range. Stelvio Ti (Turismo Internazionale) features a highly tuned version of the 2.0-litre direct-injection petrol engine used in the other models in there range. It is turbocharged and intercooled to provide 206 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque from just 1750 to 4800 revs, an impressive spread. The sports eight-speed automatic shifts ratios in less than 100 milliseconds, drives all four wheels and gets the zero to 100 km/h sprint covered in just 5.7 seconds The Stelvio… Read more