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SPECIAL EDITION PEUGEOT 308 GT

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Peugeot Australia has launched a special edition 308 GT. Limited to 140 examples it features a 165 kW turbo-petrol 1.6-litre engine with 285 Newton metres of torque from a low 1750 rpm. It’s set up to provide a sportier exhaust note and is mated to an eight-speed Aisin automatic transmission. Interestingly, this is the first application of this new-design auto in Australia. The special edition Peugeot 308 GT features lower ride height (7 mm front and 10 mm rear) compared to other 308 models. Spring and damper rates have also… Read more

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BIG BROTHER PATROL HEADS NISSAN FAMILY

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Six years ago, Nissan, on the way to the Middle East and the US, dropped off a big brother to its Y61 Patrol large sports utility vehicle. The good news is the Y62 giant is still going; the bad news, there’s still no sign of a diesel option. Capable of carrying up to eight occupants, at more than five metres long and almost two metres wide, the top-of-the-range Ti-L, at $89,880, plus on road costs, can count its closest rival as the Toyota Land Cruiser LC 200 GLX, although the… Read more

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MERCEDES-BENZ 350SE

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In the late 1960s the world was a different place where everything seemed possible. There was a feeling around that Mercedes saloons were ubiquitous and there was an urge for major manufacturers to build flagships irrespective of profit margins. With the 350SE Mercedes continued to uphold its appeal as a luxury car although inside the 350SE there was a rather austere feeling compared with some competitors. It did however have electric windows. Drivers however felt at home. With all the important controls arranged on column stalks around the huge, chunky… Read more

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NEW FOUR-CYLINDER MUSTANG IS ON THE WAY

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Hot on the heels of previewing its upcoming Mustang GT 5.0L Fastback variant Ford Australia has now unveiled its new Mustang High Performance 2.3L the four-cylinder replacement for the current EcoBoost model due here in February 2020. Mustang has been back on Australian roads – and now racetracks – for nearly four years and for each of the past three has been our biggest selling sportscar. As with other Mustang models the High Performance 2.3L Mustang will be offered in both Fastback and Convertible body styles and will come with… Read more

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AUDI A4 2008 – 2018

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2008 Audi A4 Avant

A major player in the trio of prestigious German cars Audi has become increasingly strong in its public image in Australia in the last decade or so. The Audi A4 is a midrange model that’s sold as a sedan, a two-door cabriolet and an Avant station wagon. A further variation is the A4 allroad quattro. Based on the Avant it has increased ground clearance, as well as added body and underbody protection. While the shape of the A4 was nothing to get excited about in early years, it leapt forward… Read more

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BENZ BIG GUNS HAVE SIGHTS ON CLOSE RIVALS

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Mercedes-Benz is wheeling out the big guns to take on the opposition, such as Audi, BMW, Range Rover, Volvo, Jaguar and Porsche, plus the odd Johnny-come-lately like Bentley and Maserati, in the premium sports utility segment. New from the ground up, the Mercedes-Benz in question, the GLE, comes to market in Australia with a fresh look and a range of new-generation engines, plus the innovative driver-vehicle connectivity of the Mercedes me Connect system. The fourth generation large SUV, which originally started out as the M-Class, has got bigger than the… Read more

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NEW NISSAN NAVARA SPECIAL EDITION

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Nissan Australia has upgraded its Navara ute with a new all-new Alliance In-Vehicle Infotainment (AIVI) system featuring the larger touchscreen and now with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for its SL, ST and ST-X variants and also added a new special edition model called N-TREK. Navara N-TREK is based on the top spec Dual Cab 4X4 ST-X with enhancements that include a range of black Nissan genuine parts and accessories as well as a number of interior enhancements. Unlike recent limited edition Navara models like the SL-based Silverline and ST… Read more

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HAVAL H2-OH: THE WATERED-DOWN WAGON

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Haval’s ongoing improvement of the H2 sees the small sports utility vehicle pick up a range of advanced automotive systems. However, the Chinese-made compact SUV continues to fall short of the best in breed, such as the Mitsubishi ASX and Mazda CX-3. What it does not lag behind in is the pricing, which can add up to $5000 or more for the entry-level model – in this case the Haval City 2WD manual at $19,990. The automatic City on test adds $1000. Standard features include keyless entry and start, reverse… Read more

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FCAI PUSHES HARD ON TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL

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The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has noted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) release of the latest quarterly Takata airbag recall rectification figures. Announced today, the June 30 2019 figures from the ACCC show the automotive industry is steadily completing the monumental task of rectifying more than three million vehicles with faulty Takata airbags in the Australian market. The ACCC has indicated there is a total of 537,000 vehicles still to be rectified, meaning the vast majority of impacted vehicles in Australia have had their airbags replaced…. Read more

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2020 PORSCHE MACAN S

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Porsche Macan is an excellent combination between SUV and full-on sportscar, not only in styling but also on-road handling and, believe it or not, off-road ability. Some Porsche purists may still not approve that “their” company – once famed for building nothing but pure sportscars – is now making SUVs saying these are not and never will be sports machines. They should be grateful that Porsche did choose to build SUVs – otherwise it’s likely the company would have gone bankrupt and the latest 911s would have never have come… Read more