Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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GOLF RAISES HOPES OF GOLF IN THE ROUGH

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With hatchback, wagon, cabriolet, GTI and R ranges, with all their variants, the Golf is the everyman of the Volkswagen world. Now the Alltrack has been added to a seemingly ever-growing family of the best seller. With the latest VW 4Motion all-wheel drive system and a new generation Haldex coupling the Alltrack can take the small wagon on unsealed roads where two-wheel drives are not encouraged to venture. Even so, with the addition of a new 1.8-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine coupled to a six-speed DSG automatic transmission, the Alltrack… Read more

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2016 AUDI A3 SPORTBACK E-TRON REVIEW

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Hybrid cars are going to become a whole lot more common on our roads as The Great Change comes across the car industry. Sure it’s all going to take decades, but the inexorable shift away from fossil fuels is underway. Over the past two decades, carmakers have taken a well-trodden path to highlight their commitment to the coming automotive order – make something stupid-looking that drives like it’s going to fall over (Toyota, Nissan, Renault etc.) but then say it doesn’t matter because it’s green; or go all-out and do… Read more

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MAZDA MX-5 GETS ‘BIG’ 2.0-LITRE ENGINE

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For the first time in Australia the brilliant little Mazda MX-5 is offered with two different engines. That’s chiefly to permit the importer to have a price leader (at $31,990) to tackle the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86. However, some drivers relish using their driving skills to get the best from small engines so the 1.5 has been selling well. A few weeks back we tested an MX-5 with the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that produces a relatively modest 96 kW and 150 Nm. Now we have just spent a very… Read more

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2016 AUDI Q7 REVIEW

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Audi’s new Q7 is something of a watershed moment in the SUV invasion – the second generation is not only better-looking, it’s smaller looking. Out has gone the big, bluff get-out-of-my-way bling of the old car and in has come a chiselled, more restrained machine. It’s also a handy 325kg lighter. There hasn’t been any let-up on the technology front, though. A powerful diesel engine, seven seats and a festival of gadgets and safety gear means the Q7 is an option-picker’s delight. VALUE The Q7 range is a single car… Read more

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2016 KIA SORENTO PLATINUM REVIEW

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Almost a third of vehicles sold in Australia in 2015 were crossovers or SUVs and Kia is keen to get a big share of the action. As part of this plan the Korean company’s big all-new Sorento has gone ultra stylish, something that will do it no end of good in the rapidly changing sales market in Australia. All-new Kia Sorento is offered in Si, SLi and Platinum grades. Prices begin at a reasonable $40,990 for a petrol two-wheel-drive Si and run up to $55,990 if you chose a Platinum… Read more

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SUZUKI SWIFT IS AS POPULAR AS EVER

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  Ten years without any significant change to exterior design is almost unheard of in the car industry but that’s the situation with the Suzuki Swift which continues to defy conventional wisdom by selling in consistently high numbers year-in and year-out. Indeed the popular little Suzuki finished the 2015 sales race in third place in the 30-model Light Car category, beaten only by heavyweights Mazda2 and Toyota Yaris. The current, second generation, Swift has been on sale since 2011 with the next generation expected in 2017. Much of the success… Read more

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INFINITI WAY OF MAKING A BIG IMPRESSION

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Upmarket Japanese marque Infiniti is bullocking its way into the large luxury SUV segment with the QX80, a giant among whopping wagons. It’s more than five metres long and weighs in at three-and-a-half tonnes. With a starting price of $110,900, its sights are set on the Mercedes-Benz GL ($114,900), Lexus LX570 ($134,700), possibly even the Range Rover (starting at $179,800 and heading upwards past the quarter-million mark). Touches of luxury include huge 22-inch alloy wheels, a heated steering wheel, Bose surround sound system with 15 speakers, inclu ding two sub-woofers,… Read more

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2016 JAGUAR XE PORTFOLIO 25t REVIEW

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Jaguar’s efforts in the mid-size executive sedan space have left a lot to be desired for over…well…forever. The last effort, the Ford Mondeo-based X-Type was a bit cynical and symptomatic of Dearborn’s upper management completely failing to understand the concept of brand values. It wasn’t a bad car, it was just that it was a Mondeo in drag and punters knew it. Before the XE’s 2015 launch, Jag had been out of the segment for almost six years. During that time the company was bought by Tata who got busy… Read more

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2016 PEUGEOT 308 TOURING ALLURE PREMIUM

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Peugeot’s 308 has been a critical hit in Europe and Australia, garnering big scores against some very stiff competition. As ever, the car has to fight against the onslaught of SUVs for the family car space on the driveway, the wagon doubly so. Almost despite the SUV challenge, a number of big carmakers have made a wagon version of their small hatchbacks available with Peugeot being no exception. Since its 2014 release, the French company has added this Touring version of the 308 to its line-up to build on the… Read more

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MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS GETS A FACELIFT, MORE STANDARD GEAR

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been a huge success in Australia since it made a major change in direction at the start of 2013. The first two generations were tall and short with a big emphasis on ease of city driving and tight-spot parking. The gen-three switched to being a stylish hatch that’s significantly lower and longer. Now the A-Class for 2016 has received a facelift and tail-tuck, as well as additional technology, with all versions now having adaptive suspension and satellite navigation. The Mercedes A 180 has 17-inch wheels, Garmin Map… Read more