Category: News

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MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS CABRIOLET

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Mercedes-Benz Australia has added to its line-up by introducing an open-top C-Class Cabriolet in both standard and AMG variants. Given the obvious love of the high-performance models – Australia is number one globally for AMG models as a percentage of overall sales – there’s a big emphasis on using Mercedes-AMG components in every Cabriolet coming here. To make the convertible usable at short notice, its soft-top can be opened and closed in 20 seconds at speeds up to 50 km/h. We prefer the use of a soft-top to a folding… Read more

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BMW’S LITTLE HOTSHOTS GET MAJOR UPGRADE

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  BMWs 1 and 2 Series models have received major upgrade in their engine and technology departments, with a further emphasis on improving fuel efficiency in their already impressive drivetrains. By way of explanation, the BMW 1s are the everyday small five-door hatchbacks – if you can ever describe any BMW as being everyday – whereas the 2s are the specialty variants based on the 1 Series. Special in that the ‘2s come with coupe and convertible bodies. Both are offered with high-performance versions that further improve driver involvement. Given… Read more

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NEW RENAULT MEGANE

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Renault’s continuing strong push into the Australian market will be boosted by the introduction of an all-new Megane hatch. Aimed at offering a European car at a similar price to one from Japan or South Korea, French flair will be a major selling point of fourth generation Megane. Prices start at $22,490 plus on-road costs for a six-speed manual version with the interesting title of Megane Life; its the only variant with a manual gearbox, a sign of the times – all others have a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic. Moving up… Read more

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FORD AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE IS ASSURED

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Let’s look at the good news and forget about the bad. Ford may no longer making cars in Australia, but it is doing an ever increasing amount of work in design, engineering and testing as a major part of Ford’s global development team. Ford Australia’s, president and CEO, Graeme Whickman, says, “Ford will remain a major presence in Australia and we will carry forward the legacy of our manufacturing team by continuing to design and engineer world-class vehicles for Australia and the world for many years to come.” In fact,… Read more

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HYUNDAI ELANTRA SR: FIRST DRIVE

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Last week we attended the launch of the Hyundai SR sedan, a model termed as a ‘warm-hatch’ rather than a ‘hot-hatch’ by Hyundai. While we published technical details in our article immediately afterwards, Hyundai put an embargo on drive impressions until today. Before getting into that here are some of the leading specifications: The 1.6-litre engine in the Elantra SR Turbo produces 150 kW of power, and 265 Nm of torque across a wide spread from just from 1500 rpm to 4500 revs. It has direct fuel injection, continuously variable… Read more

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2016 HOLDEN COMMODORE VF SERIES II SSV REDLINE

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Sadly, the VF Commodore Series II is likely to be the last ever Holden family car made in Australia, though Holden may surprise us by introducing a further update in the next 12 months. However, the VF II SSV Redline sedan we tested last week has the final major upgrades, any future versions are likely to be minor dress-ups perhaps with special editions. Given Australians love of driving it comes as no surprise that sales of the sporty Commodore models – SV6, SS, SSV and SSV Redline – are now… Read more

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LAST CRUZE CRUISES OFF HOLDEN ASSEMBLY LINE

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Holden managed to almost completely hide the story of the beginning of the end of its manufacturing in Australia by burying it in a couple of other much larger events. The final Cruze rolled off the line on the same day as, (A) Ford shut down its factories and (B) the Bathurst 1000 weekend began. The final Cruze, an SRI Z-Series hatch, was driven off the assembly line at 8.30 on Friday October 7th. It, and a final Cruze sedan were donated to Holden’s longtime charity partner, the Leukaemia Foundation,… Read more

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AUDI RS Q3 GETS EVEN MORE GRUNT

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The weather gods smiled on us when we road tested the new Audi RS Q3 Performance crossover SUV in Albury to Bright and in the lower Snowy Mountain areas. Skies opened to drench the countryside as storms scudded their way across the southern areas of Australia. Temperatures plummeted as spring departed and winter took control again. Surely we are wrong in saying nature was being kind to us by making life on the roads miserable? No, because the harsh conditions let the hottest Audi Q3 show its ability on roads… Read more

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HYUNDAI ELANTRA SR TURBO

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Hyundai has added to its sporty SR model range with the introduction of an Elantra SR four-door sedan. With a turbo-petrol engine producing more power than others in its class it features Australian tuned suspension and steering aimed at producing the sort of car that keen Australia driver love. A starting price of $28,990 it certainly provides a lot of bang for your bucks. The 1.6-litre engine in the Elantra SR Turbo produces 150 kW of power, and 265 Nm of torque across a wide spread from just from 1500… Read more

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MINI JCW – PASSION WITHOUT THE PRICE

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Want to own a John Cooper Works (JCW) Mini, but can’t really afford the $50,000-plus asking prices? Or perhaps you aren’t interested in being a track-day charger but want a Mini that looks hot? If you answered yes to either of the above questions, the Australian Mini importer is bringing in John Cooper Works Option Packages that can be installed in all models in the Mini Cooper S range. The Packages include JCW Chili Red paintwork, previously a shade only offered on the Works car; then there is the JCW… Read more