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UPGRADED KIA RIO

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Significant upgrades have been announced for the ever popular Kia Rio that will go on sale in July. There’s a strong emphasis on infotainment, with a larger 8-inch Audio-Visual Multimedia Unit with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connection, eliminating the previous need for cable connection. Kia Rio Sport and GT-Line models have a new 4.2-inch colour cluster displaying all the important driver information in one central location. The GT-Line models have a full Climate Control and Automatic Window Defogger which will operate whenever the climate control system is on…. Read more

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MERCEDES BENZ 540K

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1936_Mercedes-Benz_540K1936_Mercedes-Benz_540K

The Mercedes 540K was introduced in 1936 as a derivative of the 500K which was one of the first 160km/h cars capable of taking full advantage of the new autobahns which were being introduced to Germany. This car with its supercharger had an engine rated at 135kW. When its design was first being considered a de Dion rear suspension was contemplated but due to lack of time the swing-axle layout used on previous Mercedes was retained. The most attractive form of the 540K was the Roadster. It had a well-appointed… Read more

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ROAD TEST 2020 MAZDA CX-9 REVIEW

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Mazda CX-9 is a large, handsome SUV that’s been popular in Australia since it was released in Australia in 2016. To keep it fresh in this highly competitive market segment it was updated in 2018 and recently had a solid makeover for 2020. We spent four weeks in one to see how it feels now. Unfortunately our test period coincided with the early days of serious restrictions on movement due to Covid-19. We didn’t do any off-road work, but to be somewhat cynical, very few owners do. Mazda Australia is… Read more

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FCAI VERY PLEASED DEALERSHIPS ARE RE-OPENING

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The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the peak body for the automotive industry in Australia, has advised that car and motorcycle dealerships are open across the country to help keep Australia moving. As State and Territory governments begin to lift COVID-19 restrictions, businesses and organisations are starting the process of re-opening their operations. In turn, workers all over the country could soon re-commence their daily journey to work. While a large percentage of commuters have traditionally chosen public transport for their daily trip, some experts are warning that crowding… Read more

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SMART-MOVING TRAFIC LOADED WITH PREMIUM APPEAL

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Overtaking, braking and cornering are just as important for vans in a congested urban environment as they are for Formula 1 cars, in the ‘Green Hell’ of the Nurburgring, or the richly paved streets of Monte Carlo. So, it’s no surprise that Renault excels in either world, a fact shown off by the French auto giant’s bringing together the dual-clutch automatic transmission lifted from the high-performance Megane Renault Sport hot hatch as well as a new, more powerful engine in its best-selling mid-size Trafic van. Versatility extends to the model… Read more

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MERCEDES-BENZ GLB SEVEN-SEATER

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Mercedes-Benz GLB has a wheelbase 100 mm longer than the standard B-Class, so is the first compact vehicle from the upmarket Germany marque to offer a third row of seats. Ideally occupants of the two additional individual rearmost seats should ideally be under 1.68 metres tall. The third row seats do have IsoFix and Top-Tether anchorages for suitable child seats, the total of four IsoFix points makes it an excellent vehicle for carrying youngsters. The third row has two drinks holders between the seats, as well as two outboard stowage… Read more

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SUBARU FORESTER HYBRID REVIEW

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It’s taken some time but Subaru has finally ventured into the alternative propulsion field with petrol / electric hybrid versions of its Forester and XV SUVs. We’ve tested both vehicles and will look at the smaller XV in a future review but start off with the hybrid version of the Forester, a vehicle that we’ve been familiar with since it arrived here back in 1997. Although petrol / electric hybrids have been around for 20 years the Forester hybrid is just the second mid-sized SUV to come here, arriving not… Read more

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ALL-NEW NISSAN JUKE: BIGGER AND BETTER

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The all-new Nissan Juke is longer, wider and taller than its predecessor which has been on sale Downunder since 2010 Nissan Juke is all about funky styling and the new model takes that to even more extremes. Naturally it has the latest iteration of Nissan’s V-Motion grille. It features broad shoulder lines, raked windscreen and huge wheel arches. The sculpted flanks and tapered glasshouse give it a semi sporty look. Technology is by way of a 8.0-inch touchscreen that gives access to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. If they choose… Read more

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SPORTAGE GT-LINE TAKES AN UPSWING

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Kia has built a creditable sports utility vehicle lineage on the foundations of the Sportage for almost thirty years and there’s no sign of it waning. The fourth generation of the mid-size SUV has been tweaked. These days one of the South Korean auto makers most popular lines, the MY20 Sportage comes to market in Australia as S, SX, SX+ and GT-Line variants powered by four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines mated with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions (petrol), eight-speed auto (diesel) and front or all-wheel drive. Prices start… Read more

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OPEL / HOLDEN INSIGNIA 2012 – 2017

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2012 Opel Insignia

The German made Opel Insignia is sold as a medium-large sedan and a station wagon. Though it was launched in Europe in 2009 it didn’t reach Australia until September 2012. Insignia turned out to be a failed marketing experiment in this country. The idea was to promote it as an upmarket European import, rather than just another Holden. But Holden got greedy and added several thousand dollars to the prices of the Opel range. Buyers didn’t accept this and the Opel experiment lasted less than a year. Many who did… Read more