Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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NEW COMMODORE PERFORMANCE FLAGSHIP

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We’ve recently reviewed the new ZB Calais Tourer wagon and the mid-spec Commodore RS-V Liftback. This week we’re looking at the VXR, the performance flagship of the new Commodore range which ostensibly replaces the previous SS and SS-V models. However it can hardly be called an apples-with-apples comparison. The new Commodore VRX comes with a 235 kW / 381 Nm V6 engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The superseded Commodore SS had a 304kW / 570 Nm V8, six-speed auto and rear-wheel drive. The use of all-wheel… Read more

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2018 JEEP COMPASS LIMITED

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Winning a war can often happen in fits and starts – advancing for days and capturing strategic posts before the enemy halts your progress with tenacious fighting. Certainly, that was a case in the Second World War when the legendary jeep, used to mobilise the Allied forces, first came into its own. Those vehicles may have been spartan and cramped but they were highly functional, their all-round ability and dogged attitude personifying the Allies’ determination and ingenuity in stopping the opposing Axis forces. It is fitting then that as the… Read more

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COMMODORE STILL GOOD TO GO THE DISTANCE

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For close on forty years, the Holden Commodore, together with sibling Calais, were large sedans and station wagons capable of carting a family and its gear over long distances in comfort, while making good time. So now, how does the European-sourced, Australian-revised, replacement compare with the traditional Aussie-built icon? What better way to find out than by taking a family trip from the Gold Coast to Sydney and back? We were blessed with a Commodore RS-V V6 AWD Liftback for our big trip. STYLING Approaching the vehicle from all angles,… Read more

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2018 HYUNDAI i30 N review

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Hyundai i30 N is the first hot-hatch from a South Korean marque and is a brilliant initial attempt. Never a company to be afraid to ask for help in any new project, Hyundai employed experts from other brands, with a designer from Audi and an engineer from BMW becoming major assets for the Koreans in recent years. As is the norm these days, Hyundai development work was also done in Australia by Aussies and Koreans. In particular suspension and steering tuning but also hot weather testing where many thousands of… Read more

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2018 HOLDEN CALAIS TOURER

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We reckon the Holden Tourer wagon will be the one buyers will opt for, preferring it to the five-door hatchback. Why? See the Styling section of this review for details, but let’s give it a general look over to start with. Tourer is a European Opel design but features a V6 engine specific to Australia, all Euro models have a turbo four-cylinder. It competes mainly with European high-riding wagons such as Audi Allroad, VW Alltrack and Volvo Cross Country, as well as the Japanese wagon with the very Aussie name,… Read more

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2018 SUBARU LIBERTY 3.6R REVIEW

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You may not believe it, given the exploding popularity of SUVs, but mid-sized sedans still tickle the fancy of buyers who see no need for a utility vehicle that will never leave the bitumen. This remains an important segment for manufacturers and buyers in this country looking for a mid-size sedan are rather spoilt for choice. The Subaru Liberty, which last got a pep-up in 2016, has been given a few extra sparkles both inside and out with the Japanese manufacturer hoping it will be enough to entice buyers until… Read more

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2018 ABARTH 595 COMPETIZIONE

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What a hoot! I loved driving the Abarth 595 Competizione for the whole week I spent in it. Partly for its lively attitude to the road, but chiefly because of the attention and pleasure it gave to other road users, even to pedestrians would you believe. I’ve had the pleasure of piloting Italian supercars – Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis (tough lives we motoring journos lead…). While these often get gazed at in envy and other drivers like to race them off the lights, sometimes these ultra expensive machines get me… Read more

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NO STOPPING – THERE’S LIFE IN THE OLD FRIEND YET

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Despite its longevity, there is something of an enigma about the Nissan 370Z: is it a comfy Coupe with two seats; or an out-and-out sports car with performance paramount to the detriment of all else? I suggest it’s the former. Sophisticated is a way of putting it, something the car has exhibited since its inception almost a decade ago as the descendent, via the 350Z and others, of the legendary 240Z of the 1960s. And, for good or bad, not much has changed. With almost 4200 sales in Australia since… Read more

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SONATA: A MODEL CASE OF GIVE AND TAKE

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Out of Hyundai’s design centre in Irvine, California, a new shape is aimed at giving the sedan more street presence. It has the company’s signature cascading grille like that on the latest i30 and new Kona, with a chiselled air dam and sleek new headlights venturing into the front guards. Vertical daytime running lights add to a more dynamic appearance, while a more assertive side view and a completely re-worked tail end feature a clean boot design and slimmer rear lights. Chrome trim below the grille and on the lower… Read more

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2018 VOLVO XC60 T6 R-DESIGN

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The thing about being the favourite is that there are often people lining up waiting for you to slip. Volvo’s XC60 has been the manufacturer’s most popular model around the world since it was first launched a decade ago so it came as no surprise that the automotive world was watching keenly when the all-new second generation was unveiled. We put the new T6 R-Design to the family test to see how it stood up to the favourite tag. STYLING With its trademark sash grille, sleek body lines and Thor… Read more