Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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HYUNDAI KONA EV – ELITE PACKAGE BUT A LITTLE PRICEY

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Launched by Hyundai in 2017, the second-generation Kona was revealed in December, 2022. It is available with petrol, mild hybrid, hybrid and battery-electric powertrains, while the earlier diesel engine option is no longer offered. Unlike the first version Hyundai claims second-generation Kona was designed first and foremost as a battery-electric vehicle before it was then adapted for use as other variants. Whichever way it swings, it has been designed to blend in with the current environment, with no discernible radiator grille regardless of what’s under the bonnet. Still, accommodations must… Read more

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AUDI PUTS IN AN A3-OF-A-KIND BID

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Audi has put the broom through its popular small fry, the A3 and S3, with a revamped exterior and boosted interior, as well as upgrades to performance and dynamics for the latter. Available in Sportback and Sedan guise, Audi Director, Jeff Mannering, says the advancements in design, performance and customer value showcase the company’s dedication to progress and reinforce the pair as leaders in the premium compact segment. Opening the A3 account is the Sportback 35 TFSI S line at $54,800, plus on-road costs. The Sedan variant (the test car)… Read more

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HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 EPIQ

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The Ioniq 5 is not Hyundai’s first fully electric vehicle, not by a long shot, but it was their first EV based on a dedicated battery-electric platform. The look of the car is inspired by Hyundai’s original Pony car, a small hatch from the 1970s that was South Korea’s first mass-produced exported vehicle. The dedicated E-GMP electric vehicle platform offers advantages over dual purpose vehicles such as the Kona that are marketed with both electric or internal combustion powertrains. In the case of the Ioniq 5 it means a fully… Read more

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IN ESSENCE, IT’S A STEP UP FOR MG

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The MG HS has a new spring in its step, in the process, leaving its somewhat lumpen predecessor, first seen Down Under in 2019, well and truly behind. How does it stack up? Without a stint behind the wheel of the superseded model I can only assume ‘okay’. For example, the top-specification Essence, while now carrying a $7000 excess on the price of the previous model, has had an extensive restyle on the outside and boasts bags more kit under the skin. The latter includes more cabin space for occupants,… Read more

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TOYOTA LAND CRUISER PRADO ALTITUDE

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I’ve spent a lot of quality time in the Toyota Prado over the last year or two clocking up thousands of kilometres in Outback Western Australia. With four adults and their luggage, it was a bit of a squeeze at times and I would have loved to remove the two intrusive, fold-down third row seats to free up space. Alas, I don’t think the rental companies would have been too impressed. Given this close association, I was looking forward to driving the all-new, larger and dare we say odd-looking Prado… Read more

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GENESIS G70 SHOOTING BRAKE IS RIGHT ON TARGET

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Genesis introduced the G70 sedan in 2017. In the same year Kia launched the Stinger liftback. The two cars are or were essentially the same under the skin, employing the same platform and drivetrains. Genesis added the Shooting Brake in 2021, a posh English term for a station wagon that harks back to the horse and buggy days. Sadly, Kia dropped the Stinger in 2023, due to falling demand worldwide, it says. Targeted at the European market, the Shooting Brake remains a fascinating option, considering the overwhelming competition from SUVs…. Read more

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HYUNDAI SANTA FE XRT HYBRID

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I still remember the launch of the first Hyundai Santa Fe back in the year 2000, the year that was going to change everything. Twenty-five years later and now in its fifth generation, the latest version of the family-sized SUV has come a long way since those early days. The first version was okay, the fourth was pretty damn good and this one is something special, the winner of numerous awards and a wagon that boxes way above its weight. Hyundai describes the boxy newcomer as “open for more”, a… Read more

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AUDI SQ7 SWIFT RECALL OF UNFORGETTABLE CROSSING

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Ah! That takes me back. Almost two decades ago I was a member of the media that helped launch the new Audi Q7 in Australia in a transcontinental relay from east to west. My section of the trek began in Birdsville and ended up at Uluru. An assortment of ‘scribblers’, me included, had scaled Big Red, the iconic Simpson Desert sand dune west of Birdsville (because we could), in a string of Q7s, the premium seven-seater which went on to become the mainstay of the brand’s SUV lineup, before setting… Read more

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MAZDA NUMBERS GAME IN PLAY FOR SUV BUYERS

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Mazda’s march upmarket with its reworked range of CX large sports utility vehicles, the new CX-80 only leads to a plethora of choices for potential buyers. But does it all add up? Mathematically, maybe but matching models with nomenclature could lead to confusion. In fact, Mazda admits there will be some subtle ‘nudging’ between the CX-60, CX-70, CX-90 and now by the CX-80 but is confident customers will have the nous to deal with the situation. Aping the three powertrains offered by its smaller CX-60 twin – an inline-six petrol,… Read more

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MG4 64 ESSENCE TICKS ALL THE BOXES

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MG has come a long way since its early, cheap and cheerful days. Well, more cheap than cheerful and we are not talking about the lamented British sports car. Rather we’re referring to the now Chinese-owned make of the same name which has begun pumping out EVs and hybrids. MG sold more than 50,000 vehicles in Australia last year, with the small MG3 its biggest-selling model. Released in 2022, its first EV, the fully-electric MG4, has become its second most successful model, with almost 7000 sales. The wedge-shaped five-door hatch… Read more