Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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GAC AION V REVIEW

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In a recent review we introduced another in the growing list of new Chinese brands to arrive in Australia. This time it was from the Guangzhou Automobile Group aka GAC. Although it has been around for more than 70 years and is currently the fifth largest Chinese carmaker, GAC is largely unknown here it does have well-established joint ventures with both Honda and Toyota vehicles where it builds vehicles for the Chinese domestic market. That previous review was of the GAC Emzoom, a compact SUV and the only conventionally-powered model… Read more

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MORE STING FOR YARIS FLYER

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Like sports nutritionists, Toyota engineers continue to feed the company’s motorsport stars with performance enhancing – legal, of course – characteristics. Latest to follow the trend is the GR Yaris hot hatch. Upgrades, developed last year from motorsport competition, have found their way into the latest road-going models in the form of steering features, including race-bred Bridgestone Potenza tyres for the flagship GTS. Enhancing the steering is an expanded operating range for the electric power assistance, while the steering wheel itself has been trimmed from 365mm to 360mm with a… Read more

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TOYOTA RAV4 . . . ALL NEW? WELL, NOT REALLY

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The all-new Toyota RAV4 made its debut Downunder in April. As one of its best-selling models, the RAV has an important role to play in the continued success of the world’s number one automotive manufacturer. But as the RAV sits on the same platform as its predecessor, is the same size and is powered by the same basic hybrid setup — it’s not all new really. Certainly, it represents a generational change for the popular five-seat SUV, but we are yet to meet a new model that isn’t larger and… Read more

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LATEST MITSUBISHI ASX HAS A FRENCH CONNECTION

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  Mitsubishi ASX is the smallest vehicle in the company’s four-model SUV range beneath  the Eclipse Cross, Outlander and Pajero Sport.   ASX (the acronym stands for Active Sports Crossover (not Australian Stock Exchange)  has been around since 2010 and for much of this period, it has been a consistently strong  performer for Mitsubishi thanks to its combination of sensible design, functionality and  sharp pricing.   By the time the all-new second-generation ASX, that we’re testing here, arrived in late  2025 the scene that changed significantly and it now competes… Read more

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SLEEK, CHIC CATWALK CAMRY

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The mid-size Toyota sedan could be relied upon to serve the average family well with uninspiring looks, perky yet economical, performance. Even so, it became Australia’s favourite mid-size sedan. Five generations later the new hybrid-only Camry has cast off its comfy cardigan character, morphing into a sleek chic catwalk star, but still with the bones of a versatile form of ‘mass’ transport. The new Camry range starts at $39,990, plus on-road costs, for the entry-level Ascent, packed with standard equipment and features including 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, daytime running… Read more

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GAC EMZOOM

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  Enzoom is the latest offering from the newest Chinese company to enter the Australian market, or was that last week – it’s become hard to keep track of them? While the name may not be familiar, GAC has been around in one form or another since 1948 and was the fifth largest car manufacturer in China, with 2.144 million sales in 2021. Emzoom is its fourth offering, a conventionally-powered, compact five-seat SUV with a turbocharged petrol engine under the bonnet. And it’s priced to tempt even the most ardent… Read more

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HOT TO TROT . . . HYUNDAI’S i30 SEDAN N

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Talk about icing on the cake. Last week it was the Hyundai i20 N, this week we slip behind the wheel of its big brother the i30 Sedan N. Think same idea, just larger and more luxurious, with an auto for those who would rather not change gears manually. Like the i20 N it’s probably on a short leash as the company continues its shift to fully electric vehicles, with cars like the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 N variants. STYLING i30 N comes as a hatch or sedan, with… Read more

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JAECOO J5 SURFS BIG WAVE OF EV

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The name Jaecoo is said to be derived from Jager, the German word for hunter, with a reference, presumably, to a ‘leader of the pack’ empowering owners to thrive in a ‘wild life’, as in an existential world in turmoil. Since its debut in 2023 the Chinese brand, owned by Chery International, has expanded globally on the back of product it says is built for ‘those who seek purpose, precision and performance’. A long bow. Jaecoo J5 is a small SUV that comes with the choice of petrol or electric… Read more

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TIGGO 9 PLUG-IN PARTNER TAKES TO ‘SUPER HIGHWAY’

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Australians went from buying an electric vehicle – hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or full electric – once every 50 minutes four years ago to once every three minutes in April, according to Aussie Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen. Needless to say, there’s a lot going on, with manufacturers, especially those from China, having a field day. Chery, one of the biggest, not satisfied with standard petro/electric hybrid performance has extended its super highway’ journey, adding to its rapidly expanding Tiggo range with a top-of-the-range CSH (for Chery Super Hybrid) ‘9’ model…. Read more

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COROLLA CROSS SETS THE BENCHMARK FOR SMALL HYBRID SUVS

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Launched here in 2022, and given an upgrade in mid-2025, the Toyota Corolla Cross is – as the name suggests – an SUV crossover version of the all-time world’s biggest selling motor vehicle. Corolla Cross is the largest of Toyota’s three-model range of compact SUVs above the smaller Yaris Cross and the sportier C-HR. It shares the same platform as the C-HR and Corolla. On test was the GXL front-wheel drive model. The original Corolla Cross was available with the choice of petrol or petrol/electric hybrid powertrains but, in line… Read more