No comments

BRIGHT AS A BUTTON: NEW CITROEN C3

  By ,

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

No comments

RENAULT R16

  By ,

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

No comments

2018 VOLVO XC60 T6 R DESIGN

  By ,

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 It’s almost 10 years since the just superseded Volvo XC60 midsize SUV was launched, now we have a virtually all-new model with significant upgrades throughout.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

No comments

PORSCHE BOXSTER AND CAYMAN 2012 – 2016

  By ,

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

No comments

HOLDEN COLORADO MOVES UPMARKET

  By ,

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

No comments

LEXUS ES 2013 – 2016

  By ,
2013 Lexus ES 300h

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

No comments

2018 KIA STINGER Si REVIEW

  By ,

Comedians will tell you that timing can make or break an act. The arrival of the Stinger, just as the lights were turned off on the local production of certain well-loved Aussie legends, is testament to Kia’s impeccable timing. The Stinger is no laughing matter though, the rear-wheel-drive performance car that doubles as family chariot. It is not only the fastest production Kia, it may also mark the end of the badge snobbery that tends to follow in Kia’s stead no matter the talents the South Korean manufacturer displays. We… Read more

No comments

ALL-NEW ALFA ROMEO STELVIO

  By ,

Alfa Romeo is joining upmarket Europeans with a stylish SUV called the Stelvio, named after one of the world’s most famous driving roads, the Stelvio Pass in Italy, Based on the underpinnings of the Alfa Romeo Q4 all-wheel-drive the Stelvio is instantly recognisable as an Alfa with its huge shield dominated grille. Indeed the Stelvio probably looks more Alfa Romeo than anything else in the Italian marque’s range. Powered full-grain leather seats again take a very Italian look and feel. Infotainment is bang up to date, viewed by way of… Read more

No comments

2018 MAZDA 3 UPGRADES

  By ,

Mazda Australia has added significant features to its Mazda3 and revised the names in some models to reflect these upgrades. Mazda3 Neo is now tagged the Neo Sport. Its information system has been upgraded to MZD Connect, that operates through a ‘command controller’, DAB+ digital radio has been added to the radio and it now outputs through six speakers (up from four). A rear camera adds additional safety. Similarly the Mazda3 Maxx, has also had Sport added to its name. New gear includes automatic wipers and headlights, dual-zone climate-control and… Read more

No comments

2018 BMW M4 PURE REVIEW

  By ,

BMW M3 is arguably the hero car in the German marque’s lineup. Okay, so there are other M models and even the i8 hybrid supercar, but there’s something special about a smallish four-door sedan that can take on, and beat, much more expensive machines on a day-to-day basis. Once upon a time the BMW M4 two-door coupe would have been called the M3 coupe, but the revised naming system from Bavaria gives the sporty-bodied models even-numbered designations. But enough with the semantics, let’s take a look at the special BMW… Read more