Category: News

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PORSCHE PANAMERA: SECOND GENERATION

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Porsche’s stylists have achieved the seemingly impossible, giving the second generation of their Panamera the looks of a full-on sportscar, not the shape of a low-slung sedan. The first generation Panamera, launched in Australia in September 2009, had a somewhat humpbacked roofline that created a fair bit of criticism. There’s an unconfirmed story going around that original designers penned a sleek roofline, but were forced to add a higher roof to suit the head of a 190cm senior German Porsche guy who felt squashed in the back seat. That’s history… Read more

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PORSCHE CAYENNE S PLATINUM EDITIONS

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Porsche Australia has expanded its Cayenne range, adding two Platinum Edition models, Cayenne S Platinum Edition and Cayenne S Diesel Platinum Edition. They gain added comfort and design features above the standard equipment of S models. The Platinum Edition Cayennes have 21-inch Sport Edition wheels in a platinum shade with a satin finish. Window surrounds have a high gloss black finish, all adding to an assertive look. Included are eight-way leather-trimmed sports front seats, with Alcantara centres as fitted to the Cayenne GTS; a Porsche crest on all head rests;… Read more

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NEW AUDI S4: FUN AND FUNCTION

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The relentless advancement in technology is everywhere, and nowhere more so than in the automotive field. Witness the stunning new Audi S4 high-performance range. Audi S4’s ancestry dates back to 1993 (though it was called S6 at the time). Priced at $132,000 that hot machine produced 169 kilowatts from its five-cylinder in-line engine and ran the zero to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. Today’s just-launched 2017 Audi S4 launches to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds thanks to its twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6’s 260 kW. And is priced from just $99,900…. Read more

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NEW HOLDEN COMMODORE WAGON DETAILS

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Holden has released details of the NG Commodore station wagon (Sportwagon in Holden terms) telling us it will be spacious, refined and offer exemplary safety. The upcoming Holden Sportwagon will have its world premiere in Opel guise at the Geneva Motor Show on March 7th and will go on sale in Australia at a date yet to be announced in 2018. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later as the Holden Australian factories are closing their doors in late October this year. The NG (Next-Generation) Holden Sportwagon will be… Read more

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MASERATI LEVANTE: FIRST AUSTRALIAN DRIVE

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Prestige car buyers are embracing SUVs in a big way. Latest to join the lineup is Italian Maserati with a model tagged Levante. Note, however, that Australia’s Maserati chief, Glen Sealey, regards Levante not as a ‘prestige’ vehicle, but as an ‘exclusive’ one. His reasoning is that the big name Germans and Brits are dabbling in so many low-cost areas, and consequently have lost some of their prestige shine. Sealey says Maserati Levante can step into the gap the others are leaving. Those looking for Italian stye and panache as… Read more

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NEW ALFA ROMEO GIULIAS ARE STUNNERS

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Alfa Romeo has a long history in sports and racing cars, but has been relatively quiet in recent years. All that has changed with the next generation Giulia which is about to hit the road in Australia. Giulia is built on a brand-new rear-drive platform and is aimed fair and square at the big name Germans. The BMW 3 and 4 Series and the Mercedes C-Class are its targets. The very tasty icing on the Italian cake is the high-performance $143,900 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, with the BMW M division… Read more

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UPGRADED TOYOTA KLUGER: MORE POWER, LESS FUEL

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Toyota Australia has something for just about everyone in the SUV / 4WD field. The Kluger is aimed very much at the SUV lover who wants to transport the family in more comfort than the heavy duty LandCruiser 100 and the almost heavy-duty Prado. Kluger sits midway between Prado and RAV4 and has been popular during its 14 years downunder to date. Now Kluger has been updated, with a facelift, new technology and increased in-cabin comfort. By far the biggest news in the latest Kluger is that the long-running petrol… Read more

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2017 AUDI A3 SPORTBACK

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Late in 2016 the Audi A3 and S3 ranges were given a comprehensive upgrade. They have a facelift and tail-tuck, revised engines, additional technology, added safety assistance systems, standard MMI satellite navigation on all models, and higher levels of equipment across the board. Depending on the model, the Audi A3 / S3 has up to $7000 in additional value over the outgoing car. Which, incidentally was voted World Car of the Year in 2014. The breadth of the Audi 3 range models is impressive. It starts with the A3 1.0-turbo-petrol… Read more

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THE LAST EVER HOLDEN COMMODORES?

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Holden has announced some minor changes and upgrades to the Commodore on sale for the 2017 season. Will these be the last very Commodores? Or will the company come up with some surprises as the October deadline for the factory gets closer? We suspect the latter, but like everyone else, we will have to wait and see. In the meantime potential buyers are being encouraged by Holden to lodge their interest asap at their favoured dealer. Holden says high demands are expected. Customers are encouraged to order any personally configured… Read more

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FORD MUSTANG’S POOR CRASH RATING

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Independent vehicle safety advocate, ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) has given a safety rating to the Ford Mustang of just two stars out of five. The tests were carried out in Europe by NCAP, but ANCAP nowadays follows the same procedures. ANCAP’s CEO, James Goodwin, says, “This result is simply shocking for such a newly designed and popular model. The safety of adult occupants, child occupants and the ability to avoid a crash all form the basis of our ratings and the Mustang falls short in each of these… Read more