Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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CHERY TIGGO 4 HYBRID ‘GIVING MORE FOR LESS’

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Since being introduced to the local market, the petrol powered Tiggo 4 has proven to be a popular choice among new car buyers, picking up a string of awards along the way. Now the best-selling small SUV from Chinese auto giant Chery has taken on hybrid status. Similar to the petrol-powered models, the Tiggo 4 Hybrid is available in two value- packed variants, the entry-level Urban, starting at $29,990, and top-of-the-range Ultimate, at $34,990. Both are driveaway. The car is firmly rooted in budget territory with the likes of the… Read more

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HYUNDAI I20 N

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The Hyundai i20 N hatch is the proverbial pocket rocket. It’s easily the cheapest entry to high performance motoring, with support for ‘tracking’ the car if that’s part of your plan. You can even download layouts for the various race tracks around Australia and upload them to the car, allowing you to time laps and compare your times to those of others. How good is that? STYLING Launched here in late 2021, the i20 N is part of a stable that includes the i30 N hatch and sedan, Kona N,… Read more

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LEAPMOTOR B10 IS A PREMIUM MID-SIZED EV AT A BUDGET PRICE

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Launched here in late 2025 the Leapmotor B10 is a fully-electric compact SUV from the new Chinese brand backed by the huge Stellantis group which brings a number of brands to Australia including Jeep, Peugeot, RAM, Fiat and Alfa Romeo. We’re told that the unusual name is a loose translation from the Chinese Lingpao Qiche that means Zero Run Automobile. Makes sense. Leapmotor B10 is the brand’s second model joining the larger C10 SUV that arrived here in early 2025. It’s currently EV only but we’re told that an extended… Read more

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GEELY STARRAY EM-I INSPIRE: A FEW STAINS IN THE WASH-UP

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With a name like a washing-up liquid, the Starray has bubbled up in the mid-size SUV segment as an effervescent plug-in hybrid. Relatively new to Australia, the Chinese automobile manufacturer Geely has been in the business for almost half a century and owns brands like Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr and Lotus, so it should know a thing or two about ‘moving metal’. The Starray EM-I is only the second Geely to be launched Down Under and comes in two variants – the Complete and Inspire – which at $37,490, plus on-road… Read more

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ELEXIO EV IS HYUNDAI’S FIRST CHINESE-BUILT VEHICLE

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Koreans don’t get to drive the Hyundai Elexio. They get the Kia equivalent instead — the EV5. Built in China, it’s the first Hyundai to be manufactured outside of South Korea, no doubt in an endeavour to reduce costs and make the car more competitive. Elexio sits between the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 in terms of size, but is quite different in design, with a tall boxy body. It’s a made-up name, created especially for the five-seat EV and means nothing in particular — in fact it has been… Read more

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SUZUKI’S FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE IS ON ITS WAY

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It’s been a long time coming, but Suzuki has finally produced its first fully-electric vehicle. Called e Vitara, it’s a compact crossover SUV that won’t be in dealerships until late-June or early-July but with pre-orders being taken. The e Vitara shares the same platform, and many features but styling differences with the Toyota Urban Cruiser. Both are built in India at Suzuki’s Gujerat factory on its Heartect-e lightweight dedicated electric chassis. At this stage it’s unlikely that Toyota will be importing the Urban Cruiser. Suzuki is unique Australia in that… Read more

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MG HS SUPER HYBRID

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It’s over three years since we first drove what was then called the MG HS +EV, or plug-in hybrid as they have come to be known. And haven’t things changed in this time? Not only has the car grown in size, so has the battery and projected, electric-only driving range. Now in its second generation, the HS has emerged from its cocoon, spread its wings and become a fully-fledged “Super Hybrid” — it’s a much more enticing proposition. STYLING There are two grades from which to choose, Excite and Essence…. Read more

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BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR MAZDA BT-50 UTE

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Tradie tackle transporter; domestic trash tip tripper; camping holiday gear hauler; Birdsville Track trouper on the way to the races, the Mazda BT-50 Dual Cab ute is fit for purpose for all of the above. Introduced to Australia two decades ago, it’s had plenty of practice. A true Mazda staple, rooted in the Isuzu D-Max, the versatile Dual Cab has taken a power lift with a 2.2-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine in place of the 1.9-litre diesel unit – that’s 120kW as opposed to 110kW. An eight-speed automatic transmission completes the… Read more

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SUZUKI JIMNY 3-DOOR – IT’S JUST NOT CRICKET

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It’s been more than five years since we last drove the “new” Suzuki Jimny. The scary thing is that not much has changed in this time — it’s still fundamentally the same. It’s the same engine, the same transmission and the same four-wheel drive system. There’s a new touchscreen and operating system, while auto cruise control and parking sensors have been added front and back. And along the way, a cheaper, more accessible version of the little 4×4 was added to the mix — known simply as the Jimny Lite…. Read more

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NEW PAL PLUGS INTO HIGH-BORN HYBRID RX SUV

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Twenty years ago, Lexus lit up the luxury vehicle segment in Australia with battery- assisted hybrid performance powertrains across a range of vehicles to take the lead in pioneering battery-electric hybrid technology, which carries on to this day. With the present surge in EV sales the company is in good shape to add to its petrol/electric luxury SUV line-up with a new plug-in hybrid offering, the RX 450h+ AWD. The SUV comes only in Sports Luxury grade, tucking in just under the RX500h Sport Performance in price, $123,500, as opposed… Read more