Category: Road Test

Road Test Review

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FEROCIOUS FERRARI FF

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Ferrari created a storm when it unveiled the FF at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. I know, because I were there – but couldn’t see the FF until half an hour after the covers were removed. That’s how long it took for the astonished crowd to clear. Keep in mind we are talking about a bunch of cynical seen-it-all-before car journos and you will really come to understand the sensation the FF created. Ferrari FF stands for Four-seat, Four-wheel-drive. It’s a big car aimed at the grand touring buyer. ‘GT’,… Read more

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HOLDEN’S STYLISH WAGON IS SUPREMELY COMFORTABLE

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Holden’s VF family is testament to what can be done with not very much. Setting aside arguments about government support, this last hurrah was put together with the kind of money BMW spends designing a single dashboard. Well, not really, but it’s not far off. The Calais V is the top of the tree for the ‘normal’ V6-propelled Commodore range. We snuck one out of Holden’s grasp and gave it the unenviable task of being the chase car on a photo shoot for a Lamborghini Huracan. VALUE Calais V is… Read more

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OCTAVIA ON SONG FOR SKODA

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With awards, such as Family Car of the Year, Medium Car Under $50,000 and Gold Star Value Car, piling up like unpaid bills, it’s time to look at what is winning the Skoda Octavia so many pats on the back. The model that earned the accolades is the Skoda Octavia Ambition Plus 103TSI 1.4 DSG automatic sedan, which recently came into my possession with a Tech Pack widening the equation. Since the awards were won, safety of the flagship Skoda has been boosted by the addition of a rearview camera… Read more

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FORESTER DIESEL TAKES FULL CONTROL

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The Subaru Forester cocktail has been ‘shaken not stirred’ for 2015, just as James Bond would like it. It’s no secret that this compact sports utility vehicle had suffered at the hands of not having diesel power with an automatic transmission. Not only has that been rectified, but the gearbox is the latest Subaru Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) giving Forester quieter operation, better response and good fuel efficiency. To this add Subaru’s signature symmetrical all-wheel drive system, improved interior quality, new infotainment package, plus savings of up to eight… Read more

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2015 MAZDA6 TOURING SEDAN REVIEW

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As cars go in Australia’s shrinking medium-car market, the Mazda6 has a hell of a lot going for it. It’s a genuinely beautiful car, well-priced, generously equipped and fitted with plenty of useful technology. It’s also pitted against terminally dull cars from Toyota and Holden that are competent and well-executed but lack a bit for driveway appeal. The ‘6 could just walk it in, really. VALUE At $37,280, the Mazda6 is competitive on price alone, but counters with a good equipment list and frugal SkyActiv engines. The 6’s key lands… Read more

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MAZDA CX-3 IS AN INSTANT WINNER

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The stylish new Mazda CX-3 takes an interestingly different tack in small SUV design. Whereas its many competitors have produced tall vehicles that cry out that they are SUVs, the Mazda is only a little higher than a typical small-medium hatchback. A crossover between a hatch and an SUV might be just what many buyers are asking for – indeed, Mazda CX-3 has selling its wheels off since it was launched in March. Styling is obviously a major factor in the big sales numbers, but the interesting size could also… Read more

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LEXUS RC 350 IS GREAT TO LIVE WITH

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Lexus RC 350 is rapidly becoming high on our list of our favourite coupes. Sure its hard hitting big brother the V8 engined RC F Sport is even quicker and almost race focussed, but the F is far more expensive at $74,000 than the $66,000 RC 350 Luxury in which we have just spent a pleasant week. STYLING Lexus RC is a purpose designed two-door sports coupe, not a variant of a four-door sedan as are quite a few competitors in this upmarket field. Thus it cuts down on compromises… Read more

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2015 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE DYNAMIC COUPE REVIEW

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It’s a bit of a cliche, but there’s no denying that if you can design a car with just three strokes of the pencil, it can’t help but look good. The Range Rover Evoque Coupe is just such a thing. As with many niche vehicles released by makers with a brand history as affectionately regarded as Range Rover’s, the car dropped to howls of mud-covered, lamb-chop wearing aficionados moaning about the Toorak Tractor association that Victoria Beckham brought, the selling-out to the SUV fad and the fact that it wasn’t… Read more

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2015 MAZDA2 NEO REVIEW

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Mazda’s 2 has been doing the business in the light car segment for a long, long time. The previous car felt like it had been around for yonks, almost as long as Toyota’s seemingly-unchanging Yaris. The old car was quite good, but shared the failings of its bigger brothers, namely sub-par noise suppression and some dodgy interior materials. Mazda has slowly been sorting that out across its entire passenger range, with big gains in the Mazda6, the Mazda3 and CX SUVs. The new ‘2 has to tread the line between… Read more

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SONATA: KEY THEMES TRANSPOSED FROM CLASSIC COMPOSITION

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Key changes to the Sonata have put the seventh generation of the Hyundai sedan in harmony with its classy upscale cousin, the Genesis. Not only that, the car also takes advantage of some first-rate Australian engineering input. So what’s not to like about the car? Not much, really. Maybe the old-fashioned ignition key with no keyless entry and engine start; the awkward foot-operated parking brake in lieu of an electronic one, or lack of factory satellite navigation in the entry-level model. The new Hyundai Sonata comes in three variants –… Read more