Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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2018 INFINITI QX80 REVIEW

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Infiniti’s extra-large QX80 has had a major facelift and a number of stylish interior updates. Previously the shape had been a bit – dare we say – Japanese and wasn’t always to the taste of Australian or Americans. Most sales are to these two nationalities so the changes are likely to make it more appealing in this country, and perhaps increase sales, because they have been rather slow to date. STYLING This is more than your routine facelift, everything forward of the windscreen has been revised, not just the easy-to-reshape… Read more

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HYUNDAI IONIQ HYBRID SHEDS LIGHT ON THE FUTURE

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Car companies are not known to do things by halves. But by thirds, that’s a different matter. Hyundai, for example, is in the process of bringing not only one version of its electric powered Ioniq to Australia, but three all at once. The petrol / electric hybrid is about to be joined by its plug-in hybrid and pure electric siblings for a trifecta no other manufacturer can match. In the meantime, the newcomer Hybrid is being put through its paces in a series of fleet tests. We were able to… Read more

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2018 BMW X2 sDrive 20i REVIEW

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BMW’s latest addition to its Australian stable, the gorgeous to look at X2, has quickly created a ripple of excitement in the small SUV space. The upmarket German marque prefers to call it a sports activity coupe (SAC), much in line with its X4 and X6, but it looks rather different from BMW’s other SUV offerings – and we like that. The manufacturer is hopeful X2’s looks will be a worthy weapon in the fight to garner conquest sales, appealing to new buyers who may find their allegiance to other… Read more

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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