Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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CASCADA IS HOLDEN’S NEW CRUISING CONVERTIBLE

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Another new name on the Australian motoring scene, Holden Cascada is the convertible version of the Holden Astra. The cars are sourced from Holden’s General Motors affiliate, Opel. Opinions are divided on the material used for convertible roofs. In the last decade or so there was a move away from the traditional fabric top towards a solid retractable roof, the logic being that buyers wanted the perceived advantages of the looks and security of a coupe when the roof is closed. Opel / Holden followed this trend with the previous… Read more

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VITARA ON ROAD TO SWIFT ACTION

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Suzuki still gets it. The company that turned the Swift, an inconsequential small hatchback, into a raging sales success, worn as a good taste badge of honour by males and females of all ages, may have done it again. Its popular sports utility vehicle, the Vitara, has been given a makeover that blends the best of its solid SUV looks with modern, edgy styling to produce a head-turning yet practical crossover. The fifth-generation Vitara comes in two-wheel and four-wheel drive in two specification levels – RT-S and RT-X – the… Read more

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2016 JAGUAR F-TYPE COUPE

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Jaguar is a company that probably shouldn’t still be around. For almost four decades, the leaping cat traded on the long-faded glories of the E-Type and Mk II, the marque’s styling becoming progressively more timid under Ford’s stewardship when Jaguar was part of the ill-fated Premier Automotive Group. When Indian giant Tata bought in, many were aghast that one of the icons of British motoring was now in the hands of a former colony. Clearly, these people needn’t have worried (or, better still, checked their prejudice at the door). Because… Read more

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TOYOTA CAMRY GOES TRENDY

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Toyota Camry has been unfairly put down by too many people when they comment on its conservative looks. Now the Japanese giant has given it a radical reworking in its shape. With most of the work being done in its Californian design centre, Calty, where I’m not sure they understand the concept of ‘conservative’. Camry, and its brother Aurion (which is a Camry with a V6 engine) are still being built in Altona, west of Melbourne, but only until 2017 when, sadly, local car manufacturing in Australia becomes nothing but… Read more

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CHRYSLER 300 IS BIG, BOLD AND INTIMIDATING

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Back in the 1960s and ‘70s the competition in the Australian family car market was dominated by the so-called Big Three. Always given in the order ‘Holden, Falcon and Valiant’, the big six-cylinder and V8 cars dominated the local market and put on a right royal battle. Chrysler Valiant fell by the wayside in 1980 when the company was taken over by Mitsubishi, leaving the field to the other two. Now the position has been reversed with the imminent demise of the Falcon and Commodore leaving a big Chrysler by… Read more

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2016 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE 330BHP REVIEW

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Maserati’s Quattroporte is part of a dying breed. A decade or so ago, the European manufacturers took a huge amount of pride in their range-topping big luxury sedans, cars you can either drive or be driven in, bristling with the latest technology. In 2015, all we hear about are the range-topping SUVs from those makers, with cars like the S-Class and 7 Series fading slowly into irrelevance. While by no means low-tech, the Maserati Quattroporte takes the high style route, focussing on a luxurious interior with that handmade feel. VALUE… Read more

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BMW 1 SERIES 2004 – 2015

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All BMWs are aimed at those of us who love to drive, so the smallest vehicle in the range, the 1 Series uses sporty engines driving the rear wheels. Owners tell us that even heavy-duty commuting is more enjoyable than in other cars they tested before buying a 1 Series. Rear-drive certainly gives the 1 Series excellent chassis balance and smile-to-the-face driving – but it steals cabin and boot. There’s good legroom in the front seats, though foot-width is restricted by the large gearbox housing. However, it’s probably better to… Read more

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SANTA FE TAKES THE HIGH-TECH ROUTE

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Hyundai is one of the most go-ahead car marques on the planet at the moment, introducing new styles and technology at a rate that’s taking many competitors by surprise. Technology that was once only in the domain of the big name Europeans is now coming from South Korea’s biggest car maker. No more is this shown than in the Hyundai Santa Fe Series II we covered in our launch story last week. While mechanical upgrades in the Santa Fe Series II are incremental, in the field of safety it makes… Read more

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INSIGNIA VXR: EXCELLENT OPENING SHOT FROM HOLDEN

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    Holden Insignia VXR is designed and built by GM-Opel in Germany – but its engine is made in Holden’s Melbourne plant. From Australia the engine is sent to Europe to be installed in many cars sold globally. Though the Aussie engine is the big news, there’s plenty of Australian engineering input in many facets of the car which will play an important part of the future for GM-Holden. Very much a sports sedan, Holden says Insignia VXR will compete directly with the likes of Subaru Liberty and Volkswagen… Read more

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2015 BMW 125I M SPORT REVIEW

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The overall competency of the car market means that there are few reasons to really get stuck into criticising a car, whether for a laugh or for good reason. The second-generation BMW 1 Series created an open goal for car lovers – it was almost unfeasibly ugly. Which is a great shame, because underneath that terrible snout was a fine car. The recent mid-life update for the BMW F20 1 Series has ironed out the worst of it while also bringing a bit of a light going-over on the dynamics,… Read more