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2017 BMW 530e ARRIVES

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Being a relaxed and comfortable driver plays a big part in road safety if you live in our more ever more frantic cities. This thought crossed my mind as I sat in a new BMW 530e in a Sydney traffic jam with rain pelting down and watching drivers getting irritated with one another. And feeling rather relaxed despite these surroundings. The new BMW was silent because we were in full-electric mode so the petrol engine wasn’t running. I smiled when a readout on the dash told me the 530e could… Read more

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NG COMMODORE SUPERCAR RACER REVEALED

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Holden Holden has revealed the first official concept images of the next generation (NG) Commodore race car that will be introduced into the Supercars Championship in 2018. At this stage it’s only a computer-generated image by GM Design Australia Exterior Design Manager Peter Hughes. The Supercars version of the NG Commodore is currently undergoing a design and development process in partnership between Holden and its official factory racing team, Triple Eight Race Engineering. The design work includes simulation and aerodynamic evaluation using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling. In an interesting… Read more

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PATHFINDER TRACKS ONWARD AND UPWARD

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From memory, late last century the Nissan Pathfinder became the first four-wheel-drive wagon to be offered with a two-wheel drive option, in this case for the American market. Thus, the mid-size 4×4 perhaps became the vanguard of the present sports utility vehicle tsunami around the world, which sees an SUV on almost every street corner. The Pathfinder still plays a leading role, with the MY17 version, at more than five metres long, hopping into bed with the big SUV boys, in 2WD and 4WD versions, with petrol or petrol /… Read more

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AUSTIN HEALEY

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Donald Healey was born in Perranporth, in Cornwall, England in 1898. He became a successful competition driver, engineer and finally a car manufacturer with his own business. In 1931, driving a 4.5-litre Invicta he won the Monte Carlo Rally outright, and joined Triumph in Coventry in 1933 and shortly after became their Technical Director. At the end of World War II he started his own car manufacturing business in Warwick producing Healey cars using engines sourced from Riley. In 1952 BMC’s chief executive, Leonard Lord, sponsored an informal `design competition’… Read more

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SUBARU XV 2012 – 2016

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Subaru XV is a compact SUV from the Japanese company that has featured AWD in virtually ever model sold in Australia for the last 25 years. The model launched here in January 2012 features an all-new body and rides 30 mm higher than others in the Impreza range. Note that there was an XV model in the Impreza range prior to the one being covered here, but it was in a different category. The second generation Subaru XV is about to be released downunder and we have already driven it… Read more

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RENAULT MEGANE SEDAN AND WAGON NOW IN AUSTRALIA

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Renault is continuing its strong marketing push in Australia by adding sedan and station wagon variants of its Megane. The very stylish Megane hatchback has been a success downunder since its launch in October 2016 and the sedans and wagons have a fair bit of French flair in there rumps as well. However, buyers are tending to – somewhat illogically in our opinion – opt for SUVs these days and the new Renault wagon may struggle to sell in significant numbers. The sedan should make its niche for itself in… Read more

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NEW SUZUKI SWIFT IS SOPHISTICATED

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The new Suzuki Swift looks like a Suzuki Swift. To anyone not into cars this will seem a daft statement. But this little Suzuki is starting to make a lasting name for itself in the styling stakes. It’s perhaps not in the Beetle or Mini category yet, being only 12 years of age, but may we forecast the Swift will continue to keep its very successful theme for many years to come? Obviously, with updates along the way. Swift’s profile remains the same, the headlights continue the vertical headlight look,… Read more

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JEEP TRAILHAWK: THE TOUGHEST GRAND CHEROKEE

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Jeep has given its Grand Cherokee model range a comprehensive upgrade, with a facelift and tail-tuck, revised interiors, and added safety features. There are also detail changes to the engines for power and performance improvements. But the biggest new is what Jeep calls ‘the adventure-ready’ Trailhawk. Which is designed to take an already competent off-road vehicle to bigger and better off-road running. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is powered exclusively by a 3.0-litre EcoDiesel V6 paired with Jeep’s proven eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. It uses Jeep’s Quadra-Drive II 4×4 system… Read more

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THE AUDI A4 AVANT IS MICK FANNING’S CHOICE FOR STYLE AND PERFORMANCE

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So, you don’t think wagons are cool? Well, champion surfer Mick Fanning, an Audi ambassador, drives an Avant. And if you want to debate coolness with a man that barrels through waves and stares down sharks, then go right ahead. The A4 Avant is available in two petrol variants – either a front-wheel-drive 145kW or Quattro 185kW. Under both bonnets is the same 2.0-litre turbo engine, just with a different tune. It is longer, wider and lighter than its predecessor and, as we found out during our test week, has… Read more

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THE END OF THE LION FOR ICONIC AUSSIE UTE

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The clock is counting down not only the end of Australian-made Holden cars but also on one of our nation’s most iconic vehicles, the trusty (occasionally rusty according to the lyrics of a popular Aussie Christmas song) Holden Ute. The first ever Ute, the Holden Utility 51-2016 to give it it’s full name, was launched in 1951 and apart from the period from 1984 and 1990 (from the last WB Commercial to the first VN Commodore variant) there’s been a passenger car-based light commercial Holden on sale here ever since…. Read more