Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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BOOST FOR KLUGER BIG-TIME

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Nondescript would be a good way to describe the Toyota Kluger when it emerged 14 years ago. Then, the mid-size sports utility vehicle sheepishly stood between the RAV4, Toyota’s cute compact SUV, and the Japanese company’s superhero, the all conquering Land Cruiser. Not any more. The Kluger has since muscled in on the big wagons to join stablemate Prado and take up a premium position among the seven-seater crowd. There have been about 140,000 sales since the first-generation model arrived. Since 2008, it has topped 10,000 sales a year and… Read more

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2017 RENAULT CLIO REVIEW

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The facelifted Renault Clio not only has a stronger look but also added features and – best of all – it’s prices have been trimmed by $2000. The range now starts at $15,990 for the Clio Life manual, and stretches up to a still pretty reasonable $22,990 for the Clio GT-Line and the Clio Intens, the latter two come only with automatic transmission. Note that on-road charges have to be factored in, but you still get a lot of French flair for a pretty modest outlay. As a sweetener to… Read more

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2017 PORSCHE MACAN GTS REVIEW

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Porsche is introducing new members to its Macan midsize SUV at a rate that’s hard to keep up with. Late in 2016 it came up with a low-cost 185 kW four-cylinder model retailing for just $80,410. Earlier in the year Porsche had added a Performance Package to the already hot Macan Turbo. With a tag of $133,800 it wasn’t exactly cheap, but having 324 kW under your right foot made it a proposal for those who are cash rich. So, it seemed like a good time to get behind the… Read more

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TOYOTA STYLE PARIS FASHION

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Safety and style: it appears Toyota is covering all bases with its revised light passenger vehicle, the Yaris hatchback. It has class-leading safety systems available across the range and is clothed in an interesting shape from the Toyota ED2 design studio in the south of France. The result is premium safety that’s standard on the top-of-the-range Yaris ZR we drove, and a $650 option on the Ascent and mid-range SX variants. Yaris hatches are well equipped, featuring cruise control, a display audio system with controls on the steering wheel spokes,… Read more

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NEW AUDI S4 HAS CLASS AND FLAIR

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The new Audi A4 has made a lasting impression in the past 12 months, its understated manner unable to cloak the brilliance beneath the surface. Now, the S4, the first sport variant in the line-up and the first S4 to dip beneath $100,000 is also starting to make its presence felt. STYLING As with the A4, critics more comfortable with sporty cars that scream their worth loud enough to raise a dead man from his slumber, have turned their attention to the S4’s considered demure appearance. Slippery ground that. I,… Read more

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PATHFINDER TRACKS ONWARD AND UPWARD

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From memory, late last century the Nissan Pathfinder became the first four-wheel-drive wagon to be offered with a two-wheel drive option, in this case for the American market. Thus, the mid-size 4×4 perhaps became the vanguard of the present sports utility vehicle tsunami around the world, which sees an SUV on almost every street corner. The Pathfinder still plays a leading role, with the MY17 version, at more than five metres long, hopping into bed with the big SUV boys, in 2WD and 4WD versions, with petrol or petrol /… Read more

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THE AUDI A4 AVANT IS MICK FANNING’S CHOICE FOR STYLE AND PERFORMANCE

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So, you don’t think wagons are cool? Well, champion surfer Mick Fanning, an Audi ambassador, drives an Avant. And if you want to debate coolness with a man that barrels through waves and stares down sharks, then go right ahead. The A4 Avant is available in two petrol variants – either a front-wheel-drive 145kW or Quattro 185kW. Under both bonnets is the same 2.0-litre turbo engine, just with a different tune. It is longer, wider and lighter than its predecessor and, as we found out during our test week, has… Read more

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THE END OF THE LION FOR ICONIC AUSSIE UTE

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The clock is counting down not only the end of Australian-made Holden cars but also on one of our nation’s most iconic vehicles, the trusty (occasionally rusty according to the lyrics of a popular Aussie Christmas song) Holden Ute. The first ever Ute, the Holden Utility 51-2016 to give it it’s full name, was launched in 1951 and apart from the period from 1984 and 1990 (from the last WB Commercial to the first VN Commodore variant) there’s been a passenger car-based light commercial Holden on sale here ever since…. Read more

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2017 SUZUKI BALENO REVIEW

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Suzuki Baleno is a small hatchback that was originally on sale in Australia between 1995 and 2001. After skipping a couple of generations it returned here in July 2016 where it made an immediate instant impression on the judges of the 2016 Australia’s Best Cars awards beating a large field of more established cars to take out the Best Light Car category. Styling of the Baleno takes a number of cues from its smaller sibling, the very popular Swift, although it does have a sleeker profile than its sensible stablemate…. Read more

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2017 KIA SPORTAGE SLI DIESEL REVIEW

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Kia has tinkered with its Sportage, now a stalwart in the Korean manufacturer’s line-up, freshening it up both inside and out and giving it some of the impetus it needs to push back against numerous competitors. The range includes both petrol and diesel offerings in front-wheel and all-wheel-drive with a number of variants, too. Starting at $37,990, our diesel SLi is almost halfway between the entry level 2.0-litre Si petrol ($28,990) and the bells and whistles of the $45,990 Platinum diesel. STYLING The new Sportage features a bolder, more aggressive… Read more