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MAZDA2 GETS NEW LOOK, ADDED SAFETY

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Mazda Australia has announced updates for Mazda2 which are based on feedback from owners and potential buyers and comes with grown-up styling enhancements and high-tech features never before available in the compact car segment. The smallest Mazda sold here has received a facelift that brings it into line with big brothers Mazda3 and Mazda6. The signature wing badge has been extended to the base of the headlamps and is chrome thickened, encasing a new mesh grille. Front and rear lower bumper sections are more horizontally aligned, with garnishes at the… Read more

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TARRANT

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1906 Tarrant

The superbly crafted Tarrant car was the basis of the most ambitious early attempt to launch an Australian motor industry. It was also the first Australian car to win a motor race. The Tarrant was the brainchild of Victorian-born Harley Tarrant, who had built an internal-combustion engine in the 1890s. Tarrant’s first attempt at car making was in 1897 when he built a motorised buggy. It was not a success but a year later he launched the Harley Tarrant Motor Syndicate. The new company’s main line was manufacturing stationary engines… Read more

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VELOSTER: THAT’S MORE LIKE IT, SPORT

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It looks like a sports car; sounds like a sports car, it is a sports car . . . well, not always. Sometimes, performance is not all it’s cracked up to be. Take the Veloster, for example. When the Hyundai first came out, with its out-there looks and unusual architecture, it shaped up to be a challenger to the hot hatch mob. Unfortunately, somebody had forgotten to give it the performance to match. The Veloster was held back by a naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. Many forgave shortcomings, much talk being… Read more

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SUZUKI KIZASHI 2010 – 2016

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2012 Suzuki Kizashi AWD Sport

Suzuki’s strength in Australia for many decades was in small cars and capable 4WDs. Then in January 2010, it made the interesting move into medium size cars. Kizashi is a stylish car with a powerful appearance that gives a solid look of sportiness. Then in August 2010 the Suzuki Kizashi Sport arrived. As befits its title this Kizashi has a full-on sports body kit, 18-inch alloys and lowered ride height that further enhanced it’s already strong appearance. It took the European route of being offered with all-wheel drive for better… Read more

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JAGUAR F-TYPE R GETS MAJOR UPGRADES

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The new F-TYPE R 5.0-litre supercharged V8 now generates 423kW and 700Nm of torque; increases of 18kW and 20Nm compared to the previous model. Mated to a recalibrated Jaguar Quickshift transmission F-TYPE R can accelerate from zero to 100km/h takes just 3.7 seconds, while the maximum speed is electronically-limited to 300km/h. Combined with a new calibration for the Dynamic Stability Control system, traction and dynamics on all surfaces and in all weathers are designed to maintain the powerful Jaguar’s rear-wheel drive feel and handling balance. Aluminium double wishbone front and… Read more

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MERCEDES-BENZ EQC: FIRST DRIVE

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The Mercedes-Benz EQC, a family-size SUV, is the first all-electric vehicle from the prestigious German company. It’s built by EQ, the division of Mercedes-Benz established to guide the company’s transition to electric mobility. Mercedes-Benz Australia-Pacific CEO and Managing Director Horst von Sanden, said Australia was among the first countries in the world to receive stock of the ground-breaking EQC, with the first deliveries to customers expected to begin from early 2020. “The EQC is a game-changer for Mercedes-Benz, but also it imposes a more luxurious standard of electric vehicle ownership,”… Read more

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TASTE TEST BODES WELL FOR A6 DOWN THE ROAD

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If the tempting taste of the new A6, recently dished up to the media, is anything to go by, we can look forward to a deep and meaningful degustation of the mid-size Audi sedan over the next few years. For starters, turning its back on searing heat and choking smoke from bush fires, the German auto giant served up the 45 and 55 TFSI sedans for the scribblers to sample in South Australia. Consisting of three petrol TFSI turbocharged drivetrains, the A6 55 TFSI quattro, with its 250 kW /… Read more

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NISSAN QASHQAI STANDS THE TEST OF TIME

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When it was launched back in 2008 the Nissan Qashqai was one of the pioneers of the hatchback / SUV genre, one which has subsequently grown to become one of the largest Australian market segments with a choice of more than 40 vehicles across virtually every brand. For the first part of its life the Qashqai was called Dualis before switching to its global moniker in 2014 with the release of the second generation model. Regardless of the name it has been a consistently high seller throughout. Qashqai comes with… Read more

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MASERATI LEVANTE ZEGNA EDITION

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Maserati and bespoke Italian tailor Ermenegildo Zegna continue their partnership with a special edition Maserati Levante Zegna. It features PELLETESSUTATM that has the three-dimensional woven strips of leather to create a tactile surface on the Levante dashboard, sports seats and door panels. It’s matched with black Pieno Fiore interior. The Maserati Trident emblem sits the headrests. There’s a powerful Bowers & Wilkins audio system. Based on the petrol V6 Levante GranSport, the Levante Zegna Edition also adds Bronzo exterior tri-coat paint and Zegna badging on its B-pillars. It rides on… Read more

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ALL-NEW HONDA ACCORD

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Honda Australia has announced pricing and specifications for the all-new 10th generation Accord ahead of its arrival into Honda dealerships around the country in December. Two advanced new turbo-petrol and electrified powertrains are offered. One is a 1.5-litre DOHC direct-injected VTEC with dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC). The other a third-generation Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) two-motor hybrid system with a 2.0-litre DOHC Atkinson-cycle engine paired with two electric motors. The move to four-cylinder engines is a key component of this approach, allowing a shorter engine bay while also reducing… Read more