Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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LEXUS ES300h SPORTS LUXURY

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Now in its seventh generation, the Lexus ES300h is a large car, being virtually Commodore and Falcon in length, though a little slimmer. New Lexus ES comes in two variants, both very well equipped; the ES300h Luxury has privacy glass, Nulux seat trim, powered tilt and slide moonroof, dual-zone air-conditioning, automatic wipers, electronic park brake, and a power-adjustable steering column. The ES300h Sports Luxury expands the air-conditioning to three zones, cooled front seats, has semi-aniline leather-accented seats, a rear armrest with climate and audio controls, a heated steering wheel. Heated… Read more

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2019 RENAULT KOLEOS

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Renault Koleos is a product of the alliance between the French automotive giant and its Japanese partner Nissan. A mid-sized SUV, it sits on the same platform and shares its engine and transmission with the popular Nissan X-Trail. Adding to its multinational identity Koleos is built at Renault’s Samsung factory in South Korea. Despite pricing of the two models being in the same ball park, X-Trail outsells Koleos by a ratio of around seven to one. Koleos comes in three specification levels: Life, Zen and Intens ranging in price from… Read more

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MX-5 BACK ON TRACK TO MUCH-LOVED TRADITION

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Almost a year ago I accused the MX-5 of ‘going soft’, when I wrote, “the Mazda, born in 1989 in the tradition of the compact British cloth-top convertibles of the post-war era. “The latest (iteration) to appear is the MX-5 RF (for retractable fastback), a sleek fastback with a smooth line joining the roof to the rear of the car – a far cry from the pared-back proportions of the original MX-5.” Maybe someone back at Mazda HQ was listening because the latest version of the best-selling roadster has been… Read more

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EVEREST MAKEOVER OFFERS MOUNTING CHALLENGE TO RIVALS

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Since the Ford Everest was introduced in 2015, the large SUV has held a steady, if unspectacular, course picking up several 4×4 awards on the way and gaining seven seats as well as five. Also introduced was a rear wheel-drive models for the High Street adventurer. Now the Everest is about to hit the big time with the MY19 version taking on a new-generation powertrain which includes a bi-turbo, four-cylinder diesel engine mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission; a raft of the latest safety systems and convenience features, as well… Read more

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HYUNDAI IONIQ PLUG-IN HYBRID

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Hyundai Ioniq is the South Korean marque’s indication of the immediate future in clean running cars. It comes in three stages of technology: The 2019 Ioniq Hybrid is powered primarily by a petrol engine, with a battery-powered electric motor providing assistance as required. Regenerative braking allows the hybrid system to recover much of the kinetic energy that is lost in conventional vehicles, using it to charge the high-voltage battery. In this mechanical layout the Hyundai is similar to the Toyota Prius models we have seen in Australia for many years… Read more

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MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSS REVIEW

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The past 12 months have been very successful for Mitsubishi with the Japanese importer moving up to fourth place in overall Australian vehicle sales behind Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai. With sales of just over 7500 units during 2018 much of that success can be attributed to the most recent addition to the range, the Eclipse Cross which was launched at the end of 2017. Eclipse Cross is the fifth member of the Mitsubishi SUV family. It snuggles into the space between the compact ASX and the medium-large Outlander (all three… Read more

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2019 PORSCHE CAYENNE S

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Porsche Cayenne generation three was launched in Australia in 2017. Virtually an all-new design it offers increased performance not only due to improved engines, but also reduced weight. Following the latest versions of the legendary 911 and the Panamera sedan, the new Cayenne uses a combination of alloys, aluminium and steel to keep weight down at the same time as strength is further improved. Fascinatingly, a lithium-ion polymer starter battery accounts for a weight saving of 10 kg over the predecessor. We have just enjoyed an excellent week in the… Read more

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JAGUAR F-TYPE COUPE

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The Jaguar F-Type, which reached us Downunder in 2013, has been argued by many as being the true replacement for the legendary E-Type Jag. Sure, the F- smaller than the E-Type but it doesn’t look that much down in size. Best of all it’s a genuine sports machine. While the XK Jaguar is similar in size to the gorgeous old E-Type both are more grand-touring high-speed cruisers than full-on sports machines. There’s no doubt the F-Type is a real sportscar. We have just spent a wonderful three weeks over the… Read more

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POPULAR SUV JOINS THE NISSAN SPECIAL SQUAD

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There is nothing unique about the Nissan X-Trail N-Sport. Egged on by the sales success of the N-Sport Navara limited edition, the Japanese automobile manufacturer has done likewise for three more models. The seven-seat Pathfinder SUV, sporty 370Z, plus the popular mid-size SUV X-Trail have come in for ‘special’ attention. Sitting well up the ladder in the highly competitive medium sports utility vehicle segment under $60,000, it was thought the X-Trail could handle a mid-cycle shove with 600 units of the N-Sport. Based on the Nissan X-Trail ST-L, the N-Sport… Read more

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2019 MERCEDES-BENZ A 200

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class has not only grown up, it has also become significantly more mature. In its earliest days it was a cute stubby car designed to fit the tightest of European city parking spaces. Now it has grown to be virtually a smaller version of the Mercedes C- and E-Class ranges. It is larger inside than the model it supersedes, with more shoulder space, elbow room and headroom in both the front and rear seats. At 370 litres the boot is 29 litres larger than before and more accessible due… Read more