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2017 NISSAN PATHFINDER

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Nissan Pathfinder has received engine, styling and technology changes for 2017. This full-sized SUV has been on sale here in several generations for almost 30 years. Nissan Australia is determined to keep at the forefront of buyers’ minds and has introduced a raft of worthwhile changes. Nissan’s signature grille has been revised, and there are new boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights. The mirror housings have also been redone. Alloy wheels are in new designs; sizes are 18-inch of the ST and ST-L, with 20-inch units on the Ti. However, the… Read more

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TOYOTA CELEBRATES HILUX SUCCESS WITH A TONKA TRUCK

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We’re all familiar by now with the ‘Mad Monday’ phenomenon where boofy blokes dress up in outrageous costumes and make pests of themselves to celebrate their sporting victories. Having just taken out the motoring equivalent of a grand final win with its HiLux ute – outselling all its rivals in the 2016 sales race – Toyota has decided to celebrate in ‘Mad Monday style by teaming up with toy truck maker Tonka to built an outrageously styled concept ute. Both Tonka and Toyota are household names and celebrate significant anniversaries… Read more

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NEW MAZDA CX-5

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Mazda CX-5 has been a hit in Australia from day one when it arrived here just over five years ago in February 2012. Now the second generation has been introduced. And the relentless series of improvements that drive the Japanese marque mean it exceeds the original in just about every area. Mazda Australia is very highly regarded by head office in Hiroshima so the chief engineer of the CX-5 program, Masaya Kodama came to Australia to introduced his new baby. First let’s talk style as that was one of the… Read more

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ASTON MARTIN ZAGATO

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The Aston Martin company has had a truly chequered career. Over the years there have been a number of times when it looked certain to be going to the wall but on each occasion it was saved by fortunate circumstances ¬– like a major win of a title or at an important event. In 1960 Aston Martin introduced their DB4GT Zagato, a great performing road-legal semi-competition car but one that proved difficult for the average driver to manage on the road and was outperformed by the Ferrari 250GTO on the… Read more

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HOLDEN COMMODORE 2006 – 2015

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2006 Holden Commodore SV6

The end is nigh for the Australian built Holden Commodore, with the factory closing down in October. The nameplate will continue, albeit on a slightly smaller imported model made by Opel in Europe. What does this mean for the Aussie Commodore, and should you rush in and buy one now? Our crystal ball is pretty murky looking, but the light that is showing through suggests that V8s, particularly special editions, may become a little more valuable, or at least depreciate at a lower rate. Manuals may do better than autos…. Read more

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2017 INFINITI Q60 2.0T

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Infiniti’s sales results in Australia haven’t been as strong as the company would like. However, a strong assault in the past year, with new models seemingly arriving by the month, seems to be working. The Infiniti Q60 is a medium-large sports coupe that is arguably the leader of the upmarket Japanese company’s renewed thrust on our market. While its natural competitor is the Lexus, Infiniti would also like to see itself entering the shopping lists for those considering the big name German and British products. Typically prices of the Japanese… Read more

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PLENTY OF MARKET SHARE GOING THE WAY OF MITSUBISHI’S ASX

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Mitsubishi ASX is the smallest, but biggest-selling, of the Japanese carmaker’s Australian 4WD/SUV range. On sale since early 2010 it’s been a major success for Mitsubishi, consistently sitting among the top three or four sellers in the highly-competitive compact SUV market segment and just pipped at the post by Mazda CX-3 for top spot in 2016. The appeal of vehicles such as ASX lies in their functionality with a tall, square design that provides a higher than normal driving position and practical rear storage space. The choice of the name… Read more

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2017 HOLDEN TRAILBLAZER LTZ

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Holden made a fair bit of fuss about the new Trailblazer when the model made its appearance on these shores late last year. Far from just being an update of the Colorado 7, the seven-seater was touted as the perfect companion for a family who loved adventure, a heady mix of space, comfort, off-road prowess and on-road manners. Sceptics dismissed the marketing script as just that, nothing more than a ploy to dress up a name change as something much grander than it was. That is hardly surprising given the… Read more

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FIAT 500 CELEBRATES 60TH BIRTHDAY

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The original Fiat 500 turns 60 years old this year

The iconic Fiat 500 is celebrating its 60 birthday using a fascinating mix of history and the latest in high-tech internet communication. In a very Italian manner the company has also mixed in its celebration with other iconic events. The events began on St Patricks Day, March 17th with a major event a the Geneva Motor Show, and will finish on America’s Independence Day, July 4th – because the Fiat 500 was presented in Turin on that day in 1957. The Fiat 500’s 60th anniversary will include tours of Europe’s… Read more

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2017 KIA RIO SI AUTOMATIC

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The designers of the new Kia Rio have done just about everything they could to move it upmarket. Operating in the ultra-tight small-car market the South Korean company realised it had to move away from mainstream to give it an edge. On the whole they have succeeded, but there is one problem that needs to be sorted out asap, more about it later in this report. In the European manner new Kia Rio sits on a 10 mm longer wheelbase to permit a bigger cabin for greater legroom and comfort…. Read more