No comments

AUDI SUV TAKES LEADING ROLE RIGHT ON ‘Q’

  By ,

There’s a new breed of Audi sports utility vehicle at the head of the ‘Q’, using mild hybrid technology to shut off the petrol engine and cruise under electric power alone. As with any premium SUV, you’d expect plenty of comfort and convenience kit. The Q8 doesn’t disappoint, with S line exterior, including 21-inch wheels, electric tailgate, 360-degree camera, Audi virtual cockpit, leather seats and a host of safety features, all for the price of $128,900, plus on-road costs. However, the test vehicle was topped off with 22-inch alloys, adaptive… Read more

No comments

MAJOR TECH UPGRADES FOR LEXUS RX

  By ,

Lexus has introduced a number of new or improved features on its RX SUV, with a particular emphasis on infotainment systems. Safety, especially for cyclists and pedestrians, is another big winner. Lexus RX 300 Luxury now features a 12.3-inch screen (up from 8.0 inches), new touch-display and touchpad-type Lexus Remote Touch functionality, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and an additional four USB ports (now six). Standard Lexus Safety System+ gains night-time pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection for the pre-collision safety system and autonomous emergency braking. Its all-speed active cruise… Read more

No comments

MORE HIGH-PERFORMANCE BMWs COMING

  By ,
BMW X5M & BMW X6M

BMW Australia will bring in the all-new BMW X5 M Competition and BMW X6 M Competition models in the second quarter of 2020. Both models will feature the signature BMW M kidney grille, with black double bars adorning the front design along with matching M gills, exterior mirror caps, diffuser trim in the rear apron and exhaust pipes in black. They are powered by a 4.4-litre M TwinPower turbocharged V8 petrol engine with 460kW of power and 750Nm of torque. They can get from a standstill to 100km/h in just… Read more

No comments

MERCEDES-BENZ GLC: MAJOR UPDATES

  By ,

Mercedes-Benz GLC has had a range-wide update featuring revised styling, a new choice of powertrains and technological upgrades. The biggest news is that a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid model is coming, though not till mid 2020. Mercedes GLC is offered in SUV and Coupé bodies that feature what the company describes as, “Muscularly sculpted surfaces and distinctive details such as the chrome elements, which run from the front to the rear end as standard. Redesigned headlights and a heavily contoured radiator grille ensure a strong character.” For the first time, they… Read more

No comments

2020 HOLDEN COLORADO REVIEW

  By ,

The Holden Colorado utility / pickup has been on sale in Australia since 2008 although, until 2012, it was simply a re-badged version of the long-serving and popular Isuzu built Rodeo. The current model is based on the Chevrolet Colorado which is designed in the US but built in Thailand. Utes have never been more popular in Australia with both the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger sitting at or near the top of all vehicle sales and Colorado in a respectable fourth and gaining ground despite the overall industry wide… Read more

No comments

AUDI RS Q3 HERE IN 2020

  By ,
Audi RS Q3 Sportback

Audi Sport RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback are all-new models. However, Australian buyers may have a long wait as they aren’t expected to arrive in Australia until in the second quarter of 2020. Details below are of the German cars, pricing and specification in this country will be confirmed closer to launch. The power from the five-cylinder (294kW / 480Nm) turbo-petrol engine goes through a seven-speed S tronic automatic to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive. It’s distributed as required between the axles via a multi-plate clutch. Wheel-selective torque control… Read more

No comments

2020 UPGRADES FOR NISSAN PATROL

  By ,

Major upgrades to the Nissan Patrol have been announced in a media event in the Middle East. It’s extremely popular in that area thanks to its rough and rugged build and excellent off-road ability. Australian imports will be here shortly before Christmas, local specs may be slightly different to this quoted here, will provide them as soon as we get them. Nissan’s V-motion grille is used in its latest iteration in arguably its boldest way yet. Fascinateily, it was described at its launch in the Middle East as having, “Boomerang-shaped… Read more

No comments

LEAVE THAT PHONE ALONE!

  By

If you use your phone while you’re driving, you’re as dangerous as a drink driver. So if you’ve got into the potentially lethal and illegal habit of checking your phone when you’re behind the wheel, it’s time to take away the temptation. A government campaign is currently running to – hopefully – get the message across. You can set up ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ to automatically activate every time you drive. You won’t receive any messages until you arrive at your destination and if someone has sent you a… Read more

No comments

NISSAN LEAF MAKES LIGHT OF SWITCH TO ELECTRIC POWER

  By ,

One in ten new vehicles on the road in Australia by 2025 – that’s about 100,000 – will use some sort of electric power. That’s the prediction of Nick Thomas, the Nissan global director of electric vehicles. “As the cost of the traditional internal combustion engine goes up, that of the battery comes down, making EVs an attractive proposition. There is a price crossover point coming,” he said. The Leaf first saw the light of day in 2010, arriving in Australia two years later. Since then more than 410,000 have… Read more

No comments

MAZDA CX-5 2012 – 2018

  By ,
2012 Mazda CX-5

A combination of style and the brilliant red paint finish has had the Mazda CX-5 sitting at the head of the sales race in its class virtually all the time since it arrived here in February 2012. Mazda’s Kodo styling theme with its big grille, long bonnet and deeply sculpted sides works even better in the CX-5 than in the rest of the range. This is a comfortable five-seater if those in the back aren’t overly large, as is usual in this class two adults and a child makes more… Read more