Category: News

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ARE FRENCH HOLDENS COMING DOWNUNDER?

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Holden NG Commodore. Will French stylists do a facelift?

  The world around us is changing at a bewildering rate. Back in the 1970s Peugeots and Citroens were built in Australia and Holden was king of the Australian car market. Soon Holdens will be built by Peugeot and Citroen in Europe and imported to Australia – yep, bewildering. You’re no doubt aware that GM in the USA has sold its European operations, Vauxhall in the UK and Opel in the rest of the continent, to French giant PSA which manufactures both Peugeot and Citroen models. The change has me… Read more

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FERRARI 812 SUPERFAST

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Don’t you just love the way the uninhibited Italians at Ferrari do things? Our very favourite vehicle at this year’s Geneva Motor Show is the Ferrari 812 Superfast. That’s right, Superfast. No nonsense in shouting out what it’s all about here – the Italians say it’s Superfast because that’s what it is. It’s also bright red, has a big V12 engine and sensational styling. Superfast, there we’ve said it again, is here to begin the celebrations of Ferraris 70th anniversary. It’s the replacement for the much admired Berlinetta. The 6.5-litre… Read more

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SUBARU GOES SPORTY WITH NEW XV

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Subaru is renowned for making solid, sensible vehicles, with styling taking a relatively minor place. The obvious exception is the sleek BRZ coupe, but the problem is it’s not what you would call a family road hauler. Back at the start of 2012 Subaru surprised us with a new model called XV, a compact SUV with a bit of style. The public took to it immediately and sales were strong from day one. A new generation 2017 Subaru XV went on display at the Geneva Motor Show and is based… Read more

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‘SEVENTH HEAVEN’ FROM THE NEW BMW 5 SERIES

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BMW has built a reputation on drivers’ cars: vehicles that deliver a sense of satisfaction in the act of driving, a perfect marriage of man (or woman) and machine. The new 5 Series, the seventh generation of the popular mid-size sedan from the German automobile giant, is no exception. It’s a technological tour de force clothed in a supremely well cut, if somewhat conservative, automotive equivalent of a Savile Row suit. Four models, with four or six-cylinder diesel or petrol power, are on offer in Australia on launch, beginning with… Read more

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PANAMERA TURBO S E-HYBRID

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Porsche has announced details of the hottest Panamera of them all. Only a matter of weeks after the introduction of the standard versions of the Panamera to Australia the German sportscar maker is to show the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show. Borrowing some engineering expertise from the petrol-electric Porsche 919 LMP1 Hybrid that took out the Le Mans 24-hour race last year, the road-going Panamera is a rocketship. The 4.0-litre V8 engine from the Panamera Turbo is combined with an electric motor, producing up to… Read more

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PEUGEOT PERKS UP ITS ‘PETIT’ SUV

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When the Peugeot 2008 first came to Australia in 2013 there were serious questions about the performance of the drivetrain. It seems little was lost in translation, the message got through to the French car maker and the compact sports utility vehicle has perked up. This has been made possible by the adoption of the new-design turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine coupled with a new, six-speed, sequential automatic transmission, the latter developed in conjunction with Aisin. The 81 kW turbocharged 1.2L PureTech e-THP engine, developing 81 kW of power and 205… Read more

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TOYOTA C-HR: WOW!

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And now for something completely different. Toyota C-HR answers the critics who say the Japanese giant makes nothing but boringly sensible vehicles. Akio Toyoda, the current head of the automotive company started by his grandfather, issued orders to his stylists, and you see the result here. Toyota C-HR is like nothing else we have seen before, with sharp diagonal lines, inside and out, standout wheelarches, and a rear that’s so complex it initially confuses the mind. Even better, C-HR is offered in interesting colours to hopefully the 500 shades of… Read more

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AUDI’S FIRST EVER Q2: ALL ABOUT STYLE

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Audi Q2 is a small-medium crossover SUV with interesting lines, a good degree of practicality and the latest in high-tech features, particularly in the area of infotainment. Sales of small and midsize SUVs are booming worldwide. Almost all are being bought by people with absolutely no interest in going off-road, but who want a practical vehicle. Station wagons are boring – SUVs are cool. Audi says it’s aiming Q2 at the young and the young-at-heart, with customisation being a major feature. Taking cues from the little Audi A1 hatch the… Read more

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DANGEROUS SPARE PARTS BEING IMPORTED

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Australia’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is warning that motorists are exposed to serious crash risks. As an example recent testing of non-genuine parts by GM-Holden engineers has revealed flaws as sub-standard materials are being used in imported bonnets. This could result in the bonnet of a VF Commodore suddenly flying up and slamming against the windscreen, leading to a loss of driver vision and control. The non-genuine part tested by GM-Holden was sourced from a self-certifying parts manufacturing and importing operation contracted to major Australian insurers, and which… Read more

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MOUNTAIN HIGH FOR BMW RANGE PREVIEW

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BMW took members of the motoring media to the top of the mountain to give them a clear view of what is in store for the German automobile giant’s Australian customers this year. With a line-up of more than a score of models it was more of a glimpse than a good look but was enough to get even the most cynical of scribblers’ juices flowing during a ‘range day’ up Mount Macedon in Victoria. Among the vehicles lined up to try were 22 BMWs, four Minis and four motorcycles,… Read more