Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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2017 AUDI S5 COUPE REVIEW

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New generation A5 and S5 two-door coupes were launched in March this year and have been a hit right from the start, for two reasons: Number one is undoubtedly styling; Audi is running hot in this vital sales area these days and the S5 is right up with the best. Number two is a more mundane; A5 and S5 coupe prices have been cut by as much as $15,000 when compared feature-to-feature with the superseded models. Our test coupe for the past week was the Audi S5 coupe. STYLING The… Read more

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2017 LEXUS LC500 REVIEW

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Bold. Brash. Beautiful. The Lexus LC 500 is a head-turner alright. It is emotionally engaging with the all-round performance to match. A real Grand Tourer from an unlikely part of the world. It may also be the biggest statement Lexus has made since the LFA. And we got to live with one for the week. You have some idea of the LC 500’s drawing power when the school principal asks you to park the car rather than using the drop-off point because you are stopping the morning carpark flow. And… Read more

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SUZUKI MOVES TO MAKE THE SWIFT RISE CONTINUE

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Swift by name; swift by nature. In automotive terms, it has taken just 12 years and five million sales worldwide for the Suzuki Swift to become something of an icon in the light-car segment. From the road up, the development team went to work, introducing a new-generation platform and engineering a completely new chassis, body structure and powertrain. The new Swift comes to Australia in four variants, with the entry-level Swift GL 1.2 manual selling for $16,990 driveaway, adding a CVT for $1000, a Safety Pack for a further $1200,… Read more

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2018 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY HSE REVIEW

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When the first Land Rover Discovery was launched in 1989 it was a cross between the tough, almost military, Defender and the upper-luxury Range Rover. Over the next 27 years and four generations it has matured into a more refined vehicle, but retained plenty of off-road capability. Now the fifth generation Land Rover Discovery is here and we’ve just spent an interesting week running in what will be typical conditions to most owners – suburban and city running as a family station wagon. Shopping, sitting in traffic and suchlike boring… Read more

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2018 KIA SORENTO GETS MAJOR UPGRADES

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Kia has given its medium-large Sorento SUV a facelift aimed at giving it a more purposeful appearance. However, the biggest changes are out of sight, with new engines and transmission, as well as added infotainment features and added safety. Once regarded as the ‘other’ marque from South Korea, Kia is rapidly becoming a major player in Australia in its own right. With sales increasing by 28 per cent year to date over 2016 Kia chief, Damien Meredith is cautiously optimistic of getting into the top 10 list on the sales… Read more

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2017 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ALLTRACK REVIEW

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When Volkswagen decided to give the Golf a mid-life spruce up, the Alltrack was also invited to the party and presented with a range of trendy updates that will keep its dance card filled. For starters, there are two more variants to accompany the 132TSI – the 132TSI Premium and a diesel, the 135TDI Premium – that will offer buyers greater options. And there are tweaks to design, infotainment and safety features to add more value to the proposition. The Alltrack is well-equipped with standard features with options packages for… Read more

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SUBARU LEVORG BLENDS STYLE WITH PERFORMANCE

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The crew from Monty Python may well have had the Subaru Levorg in mind when they coined the phrase “And now for something completely different …” because there’s nothing else on the Australian market that can quite match this Japanese station wagon’s combination of stylish looks, high-performance, practicality and value. For starters it’s a station wagon which makes it something of a rarity in this SUV-centric era. Add the fact that it shares much of its underbody componentry with Australia’s favourite performance car, the Subaru WRX. About the only ugly… Read more

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2018 HOLDEN TRAX LTZ REVIEW

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When the Trax first arrived here in 2013, it was a clear indication that Holden was taking a punt that the small SUV segment would grow into the juggernaut that is the medium and large SUV market. Other manufacturers soon followed suit and small SUVs have become the new battle ground for enticing the younger, edgier crowd. With the big players like the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V and Toyota CH-R, bringing their A game, Holden is hopeful that refreshing the Trax will keep it in the game. We put the… Read more

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BMW 740e IS A STEP INTO THE FUTURE

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BMW has always been noted for its sporty models but for the past decade it has also been seriously researching and building full-electric, and petrol-electric hybrids. Electric vehicles like few others, because there’s a strong emphasis on sportiness melded into these emission reducing vehicles. Indeed, BMW has set up an iPerformance division to develop and market these cars of the future. We’ve just spent a fascinating week road testing a BMW 740e iPerformance. It has the same standard specification of the established 740i pure-petrol and is priced at $229,000 plus… Read more

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TRAFIC GOES LONG WAY TO TAKING ON FAMILY’S NEEDS

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After 18 consecutive years as Europe’s number one van maker, it could have been hard to come up with something new. Renault has done just that, combining a people mover and van in one vehicle. At almost five-and-a-half metres, the long wheelbase twin turbo Trafic Crew people mover-cum-load carrier, with a second row of seats, retains a full four cubic metres of cargo capacity, more than one tonne of payload and the ability to tow up to two tonnes. The Trafic Crew is also available to special order with two… Read more