No comments

BMW 3 SERIES TOURING WAGON

  By

Keen to provide a viable alternative to high riding SUVs, BMW Australia has introduced the 3 Series Touring (station wagon) to its lineup. At this stage only the 330i model has been announced, it will go on sale in October, with others to follow at dates yet to be announced. To further sweeten the pricing pie the M Sport package is standard, and Luxury Line is a no cost option. A fascinating feature is Reversing Assistant which records the last 50 metres of forward travel and is capable of navigating… Read more

No comments

HYUNDAI HOT HATCH QUICK TO MAKE ITS MARK

  By ,

Hyundai continues to play Bach with the i30, the fugue-like (variations on a theme) composition of the small car range going on apace with the augmentation of the hot-hatch i30 N by the toned-down N-Line, while the rip-roaring Fastback N has just joined the band. However, despite the late-comer distractions, it’s still the ‘old’ N that rules the roost. The first model from the Hyundai ‘N’ Performance Division was conceived at Hyundai Motor Company’s global R&D Centre in South Korea and honed on the ‘Green Hell’, Germany’s notorious Nurburgring circuit,… Read more

No comments

2019 KIA RIO GT-LINE

  By ,

Kia Rio is a small five-door hatch that’s been around since the start of the millennium and has been slugging it out some of the big hitters in what is one of the most hard-fought sales segments in Australia, sub-$25,000 small cars. The latest , fourth-generation, version of the Rio first arrived here in January 2017 and received a major upgrade in November 2018 with styling tweaks and updated drivetrains including an all-new turbo-petrol engine. Three models are offered, Rio S and Sport come with a 1.4-litre naturally aspirated petrol… Read more

No comments

MITSUBISHI ASX 2010 – 2018

  By ,
2014 Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi ASX has just entered its 10th year on the Australian market, that’s an eternity by the today’s standards of new vehicle releases. But with some upgrades and attractively low prices it continues to be a big seller on the new car market. Meaning there are plenty on the used car scene – take advantage of this by shopping around the many on offer. The Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation has been a major player in the heavy duty Australian 4WD and SUV field for many decades. However, the subject of this… Read more

No comments

FORD EVEREST NOW HAS AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING ON ALL MODELS

  By ,

The Ford’s large SUV, the Everest, has been updated to include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with Pedestrian Detection as standard from May 2019 production. The Everest line-up now sees a high level of equipment across all models, from the five-seat Ambiente through to the seven-seat Everest Titanium with its Bi-Turbo powertrain, which has seen price adjustment below the Luxury Car Tax threshold. “The Everest has won many accolades, and we’re proud of that, but we are always looking to add the latest technology and the most advanced features for our… Read more

No comments

NEW MERCEDES CLA COUPE IS BIGGER AND BETTER

  By ,

Mercedes-Benz has released the second generation version of its CLA compact four-door coupe with some design tweaks, extra interior space and a technology upgrade. First sold here in late 2013 the CLA shares much of its styling with the larger Benz CLS and much of its platform and engines with the new A-Class including a new direct-injected and turbocharged 1.3-litre 120 kW / 250 Nm, four-cylinder engine. The all-new CLA-class feature front-wheel drive in most models, though 4MATIC all-wheel drive will be a part of the high-performance variants. The Mercedes… Read more

No comments

HYUNDAI TUCSON: NEW ACTIVE VARIANT INTRODUCED

  By ,

For 2020 Hyundai has added a new Tucson Active variant, and given the others in the range additional features, with a strong emphasis on several aspects of safety. Though the range doesn’t get a facelift as such, the 2020 Hyundai Tucson Active features 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-appointed steering wheel and gear knob, and a one-touch auto up/down function for the driver’s window. All of which are additional features compared with the just superseded 2019 Tucson Go models. All Tucsons have a camera-based Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) City/Urban system with… Read more

No comments

NEW NISSAN LEAF DROPS HINTS OF THE FUTURE

  By , ,

Who would have thought during the global fuel crisis of the 1970s that less than fifty years later motorists would be laughing in the face of the avaricious petrol barons at the demise of the internal combustion engine? The time has not come yet but if the development of electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf continues, that day is just around the corner. Light at the end of the tunnel. The Leaf first saw the light of day in 2010, arriving in Australia two years later. Since then more… Read more

No comments

CHEVROLET VEGA

  By
1971 Chevrolet Vega

There appears to be some code amongst US car manufacturers, or it may be a law of US automotive competition, which requires each manufacturer to produce a range of models in direct competition with other manufacturers’ model range. Hence when Ford Motor Company released the Pinto, General Motors shortly after brought out its Vega line. It’s fascinating to recall however, that not only did these two cars share similar features but by some automotive coincidence they also shared the same poor quality control and suffered many engineering design problems. Designed… Read more

No comments

LIMITED EDITION RENAULT MEGANE R.S. TROPHY-R

  By ,

Renault has opened pre-sale orders for a new limited edition of its Megane R.S. Trophy-R hot hatch which, according to the company, is the highest performance production car the French carmaker has ever sold. Australia has historically been one of Renault’s biggest markets for the Megane R.S. and, with global numbers extremely limited to 500, 20 units will be sent here, all in pearl white with red trim. Orders can be secured by deposit through a brand new online sales portal at the Renault website (www.renault.com.au/). In addition, one Megane… Read more