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CITROEN GRAND PICASSO PETROL

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Citroen’s Grand Picasso people mover is now offered with more power – and a significantly lower price tag. With a recommended retail price of $38,490 it sits $6000 under the existing turbo-diesel model. On-road costs have to be added but you get very-fashionable seven-seat people mover for not a lot over $40,000. The new turbo-petrol engine developes 121 kW of power and 240 Nm of torque, whereas the turbo-diesel has 110 kW and 370 Nm. (The much higher torque from the diesel is typical of this engine type. The petrol… Read more

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JENSEN 541

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The brothers Alan and Richard Jensen began their motor-building activities by re-bodying an Austin Seven in a form which proved particularly pleasing to the eye. The chief engineer of the Standard Motor Company was suitably impressed with its appearance and in due course had a Standard chassis delivered to the Jensens to be re-bodied in the same way. It was from this pleasant association that Avon Standards of the thirties came to be made. It was not, however, until 1936 that a car bearing the name of Jensen first appeared… Read more

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INFINITI QX80 UPGRADED

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Infiniti’s large SUV, the QX80 has had a major facelift and a number of stylish interior updates. Everything forward of the windscreen has been revised. The bonnet is 20 mm higher and has been extended forward by 90 mm, the grille is taller and broader. These changes have necessitated changes to the front guards. The front bumper has what Infiniti tells us is “a muscular design that elevates its athletic stance.” The tailgate, taillights, chrome bar and rear bumper have also been redesigned. The large, imposing Japanese SUV sits on… Read more

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MAZDA SURPRISE PACKAGE THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING

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As they say, life’s full of little surprises; some good, some bad. It’s a case of the former with the Mazda2 after an upgrade that sees the small hatchback or sedan lead small cars in standard safety. The maker has adopted the theory that size doesn’t matter, believing in, ‘providing the best possible driving experience in pursuit of the highest quality and ideals’ for its sub-compact. Mazda2 now has blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert as standard equipment on high-spec grades. These i-ActivSense safety technologies join Smart City Brake… Read more

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BRIGHT AS A BUTTON: NEW CITROEN C3

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And now for something completely different. The bright and breezy all-new Citroen C3 not only comes in a range of colourful shades, but also has styling that’s well away from the mainstream. Regular readers will be well aware of my muttering about the 500 shades of grey dominating our roads and car park. Saying it’s like living in a black and white movie. Well Citroen has done something about it. Just look at the colour palette: Ruby Red, Almond Green, Cobalt Blue, Power Orange, Sand, Polar White, Perla Nera Black,… Read more

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RENAULT R16

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The Renault 16 was built to a formula. It had a body of estate-car type, front wheel drive to concentrate large mechanical units away from the load carrying area and trailing arm independent rear suspension to encroach as little as possible on the low floor level which is possible with such a design. Flexibility was the keynote of the interior layout. Possible arrangements of the seating were astonishingly varied, thanks to a rear seat squab and cushion that could be moved, together or separately, into a variety of positions or… Read more

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2018 VOLVO XC60 T6 R DESIGN

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The Swedish people certainly don’t use planned obsolescence as a way of making extra dollars for their companies. And Volvo is a clear indicator of this sensible approach. It’s almost 10 years since the just superseded Volvo XC60 midsize SUV was launched, now we have a virtually all-new model with significant upgrades throughout. Wheels magazine is obviously impressed by the new Volvo SUV, giving it the prestigious Car of the Year award. New Volvo XC60 sold in three variants; Momentum, Inscription and R-Design. Our test Volvo for the past week… Read more

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PORSCHE BOXSTER AND CAYMAN 2012 – 2016

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Porsche Boxster roadster and Cayman coupe are the same vehicle, except that there’s a folding roof in the former and a fixed one in the latter. They were introduced to provide a lower-cost model than the 911. However, some regard these smaller vehicles as being ‘not really a Porsche’ so they haven’t sold as well as anticipated. A sad situation as they really are great to drive and, because in some ways they are more practical and safer than the 911. Boxer and Cayman are mid-engined sportscars, meaning the engine… Read more

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HOLDEN COLORADO MOVES UPMARKET

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Pickup trucks are all the rage on the new-car market at the moment and Holden, a long time player in this field has just pushed its Colorado LSX even further upmarket with a couple of special editions. Big black alloy wheels are very much the in-thing with buyers so Colorado has 18-inch black alloy wheels that are highlighted by black fender flares. All terrain tyres add to the ‘tuff’ truck look. A black grille and matte black extended sports bar with ‘Colorado’ branded plate inserts, and a ‘Colorado’ branded rear… Read more

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LEXUS ES 2013 – 2016

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The Lexus ES300 began life way back in 1991 as a re-bodied Toyota Camry with higher levels of materials and added extras. It was criticised by some as not being a ‘real’ Lexus, though that really didn’t hamper sales the way the purists had predicted. The ES disappeared from Australia in 2005 because the new generation released that year was built with the steering wheel on the wrong side for us – by far its biggest market was, and still is, the USA. Late in 2013 a new generation Lexus… Read more