Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

No comments

2017 INFINITI Q60 2.0T

  By ,

Infiniti’s sales results in Australia haven’t been as strong as the company would like. However, a strong assault in the past year, with new models seemingly arriving by the month, seems to be working. The Infiniti Q60 is a medium-large sports coupe that is arguably the leader of the upmarket Japanese company’s renewed thrust on our market. While its natural competitor is the Lexus, Infiniti would also like to see itself entering the shopping lists for those considering the big name German and British products. Typically prices of the Japanese… Read more

No comments

PLENTY OF MARKET SHARE GOING THE WAY OF MITSUBISHI’S ASX

  By ,

Mitsubishi ASX is the smallest, but biggest-selling, of the Japanese carmaker’s Australian 4WD/SUV range. On sale since early 2010 it’s been a major success for Mitsubishi, consistently sitting among the top three or four sellers in the highly-competitive compact SUV market segment and just pipped at the post by Mazda CX-3 for top spot in 2016. The appeal of vehicles such as ASX lies in their functionality with a tall, square design that provides a higher than normal driving position and practical rear storage space. The choice of the name… Read more

No comments

2017 HOLDEN TRAILBLAZER LTZ

  By ,

Holden made a fair bit of fuss about the new Trailblazer when the model made its appearance on these shores late last year. Far from just being an update of the Colorado 7, the seven-seater was touted as the perfect companion for a family who loved adventure, a heady mix of space, comfort, off-road prowess and on-road manners. Sceptics dismissed the marketing script as just that, nothing more than a ploy to dress up a name change as something much grander than it was. That is hardly surprising given the… Read more

No comments

MIRAGE A CLEAR LEADER IN VALUE STAKES

  By ,

Buyers surfing the info line for a new very small car are generally not looking for power or performance. Sticker price and safety are the focus and top of the pile of recent releases has to be the Mitsubishi Mirage. The entry-level Mirage 1.2-litre ES hatch with a five-speed manual hits the streets at $12,250, plus on-road costs, automatic transmission adds $2000 to the price, the topline LS CVT hatch further $1000. Closest rival is the Suzuki Celerio 1.0-litre hatch at $12,990 drive away; others form a queue right up… Read more

No comments

SUBARU LIFTS HATCH ON THE FUTURE

  By ,

You don’t need a crystal ball to see what’s going on at Subaru over the next ten years. The fifth generation all-wheel drive Impreza is based on the new global platform that will underpin all new models for the coming decade. The platform is 95 per cent new, so it’s a major step up for a company famed for engineering excellence. The Global Platform, Subaru says, offers new levels of agility, crash protection, efficiency and enjoyable driving in a vehicle that sees the biggest step-change in Impreza since the original… Read more

No comments

MINI COUNTRYMAN HITS THIS COUNTRY

  By ,

The BMW Mini has been one of the most successful cars globally since its introduction in 2000. It began as a two-door that, while significantly larger than the original British design, copied its shape brilliantly. Customisation was a major feature in the new Mini’s success, offering buyers a staggering number of options. The first models were followed by various new types of bodies. Arguably the most interesting of these is the Mini Countryman. The latest version of which has finally arrived in this country. Australian buyers have been keeping a… Read more

No comments

PERFORMANCE UP, PRICES DOWN FOR SUBARU BRZ

  By ,

We seem to spend much of our road testing time behind the wheels of SUVs nowadays. As much as we appreciate the functionality and convenience of these vehicles they do fall down in one respect … they’re not a lot of fun to drive. So we’ve given ourselves a treat with this week’s road test, the Subaru BRZ, a delightful little 2.0-litre two-door coupe with six-speed manual transmission. Subaru BRZ has been on sale in Australia since 2012 although it didn’t hit the dealers’ showroom floors until 2014 with supply… Read more

No comments

BMW i3 WITH ADDED GRUNT

  By ,

BMW has introduced a second-generation drive system to its all-electric i3, giving it about 50 per cent greater range, as well as increased performance. The batteries now have 94Ah (Amp hours), the original 2014 model i3 had 60Ah. The BMW i division and technology partner Samsung SDI have managed to gain the substantial battery capacity improvement without any increase in the exterior dimensions. We’ve just experienced a most enjoyable week in this ‘car of the future’, covering mainly suburban use with occasional runs on motorways to test the little electric… Read more

No comments

HYUNDAI’S SPORTY ADDITION TO SMALL-CAR CLASS

  By ,

Few cars can be found basking in the glow of the halo tag but the Elantra SR earns its place in the sun at the head of the sixth generation of the Hyundai line. The company’s ‘little big car’, the Elantra, has been given a leg up in the performance stakes with the addition of a 1.6 turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine. With links to the next-generation Hyundai i30 that’s due out soon, Elantra SR Turbo engine provides sporty capability to match its good looks, plus high levels of comfort and… Read more

No comments

HAVAL H6 IS COMPETENT FIRST ATTEMPT

  By ,

The Haval marque is still all-but unknown in Australia. Which comes as no surprise as the Haval H6, the subject of this week’s road test, only arrived downunder in September 2016. Haval is the SUV division of Great Wall Motors and given the ever increasingly popularity of SUVs worldwide the H6 is a number one seller in the midsize segment in its home country of China. So huge is that market that the H6 was the fifth biggest seller in its class globally during 2016. The first Great Wall Haval… Read more