Category: News

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JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 2011 – 2016

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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

Jeep began the whole SUV thing almost accidentally with the introduction of the CJ (Civilian Jeep) not long after the Second World War ended. Spotting holes in the market Jeep introduced station wagons and later – 1996 to be precise – came the first Jeep Grand Cherokee, a large 4WD aimed more at buyers of luxury station wagons rather than keen off-road drivers. These first units are getting on in years, so we will start this used car checkout with the WK Series Grand Cherokee launched in Australia in February… Read more

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TOUGHER THAN EVER – NEW MERCEDES G-CLASS

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The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is the real deal. Forget SUVs, SAVs, SATs, crossovers, soft roaders and a variety of other vehicles people buy because they want to be seen at the wheel of a Tough, or should that be Tuff? vehicle. The Merc G-Class is in a lightly populated class of large, serious, ladder-frame working vehicles. The current model dates back to the late 1970s, with several updates in the meantime so a new model is long overdue – and is on its way. Mercedes is gradually passing information to the… Read more

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JEEP TRACKHAWK: THE WORLD’S CRAZIEST MUSCLE CAR

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Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has reached us Downunder with a bang. Want to buy one? Too bad, because the first batch has already been snapped up. Only 62 Trackhawks were in the first ship to dock here. The guys and gals at Jeep have a quirky sense of humour – and have gone for 62 because that’s the capacity of the Chrysler Hemi V8 engine – 6.2 litres. If that’s not large enough a supercharger has been added to pump its apparent capacity to somewhere about 10 to 11 litres,… Read more

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2018 HONDA ODYSSEY UPDATES

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Honda Odyssey people mover has had an external facelift, an upgraded interior and improved driver assist technology for the 2018 season. The Odyssey VTi now has an ‘aero’ front fascia design previously used on the top-of-the-range VTi-L. Bright chrome surrounds for the new front foglights add to the image. Topline Odyssey VTi-L has received a ‘premium aero package’ bolder bumper shaping, LED foglights and a dark chrome finish on the grilles and door handles. It also has a revised rear fascia and a stylish tailgate applique. Inside the VTi-L, the… Read more

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BMW FOUR-CYLINDER BUILDING TRANSFORMED TO ‘BATTERY PACK’

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If you have ever been to Munich it’s likely you will have noticed the famed ‘Four-Cylinder Building’. This striking structure is the head office of the BMW Group. To celebrate the delivery of more than 100,000 electrified vehicles (pure-electric and hybrid) worldwide in 2017, BMW has transformed the Four-Cylinder Building to make it look like a gigantic battery. An 80-year-old man took delivery of his BMW i3, making him the 100,000th customer. Harald Kruger, the chairman of BMW, handed him the keys to the in Protonic Blue i3, and said,… Read more

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NEW AUDI STAR SINGS FROM A DIFFERENT SONG SHEET

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Vocally speaking, if the outgoing Audi RS 5 was a booming baritone, the latest version of the iconic sports coupe is a cocky, if at times shrill, tenor and, as has been suggested, maybe not to everyone’s liking. Blame the substitution of the sonorous sound of the ‘old’ V8 with a new-generation star-in-the-making twin-turbo V6 that works in a higher register. Traditionally, baritones can be packing a bit of beef, unlike tenors who, because they get the girl, are usually trim, taut and terrific. The same can be said about… Read more

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2018 FORD ECOSPORT UPGRADES

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The Ford EcoSport is the smallest vehicle in the company SUV range. Clever marketing means it has been restyled to tie in with the shape of its larger brothers, the Escape and Everest, as well as the big Endura which is coming in 2018. Pretty well everything forward of the windscreen looks different, with a sculpted bonnet featuring a central ‘power’ bulge a large trapezoidal grille and interesting angular headlights and foglight surrounds. EcoSport’s rear bumper and taillight designs have also received the sculpted look. Three colours have been added… Read more

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HOLDEN ANNOUNCES ZB COMMODORE PRICES

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The German-built next-generation ZB Holden Commodore won’t be here till February 2018, but GM-H has released its recommended prices as part of the build up to its new high-tech models. Though you get a fair bit more car for your money Holden has deliberated kept prices at similar levels to the outgoing VF II, even significantly lower in many cases. That’s to counteract the negativity about the German Commodore from some quarters. The negativity being that this isn’t really a Holden as it’s not “built tough for Australia”. That’s despite… Read more

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ALL-NEW JEEP WRANGLER: PREVIEW

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The all-new 2018 Jeep Wrangler looks like a Jeep, which might sound blindingly obvious. But some years back an idiot stylist decided Wrangler needed rectangular headlights – and all hell broke loose amongst lovers of what is arguably the most recognised vehicle in the world. “Don’t mess with our Jeep” was the clear message – and that near disaster has never happened since. New Jeep Wrangler has the legendary seven-slot grille with an updated look that has the outer grille slats intersecting with the headlights, thus paying homage to the… Read more

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MERCEDES CARS BEING TAUGHT TO DRIVE THE AUSSIE WAY

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Just about everyone I speak to wants to discuss self driving cars. Mercedes-Benz is one of the leaders in this field and its engineers and a special S-Class have just been flown Downunder from Stuttgart to look at some problems unique to our country. To start with there are the infamous Melbourne hook-turns that mystify interstate drivers. I know of some who simply refuse to drive in that city as the hooks scare them. Turning right from the left of the left-hand lane is something the autonomous Mercs will need… Read more