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MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS 2006 – 2015

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2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

  B. C. 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class BODY COPY Most Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUVs are bought as prestigious station wagons rather than a 4WD, though some are use in off-road conditions and there’s a package for those who want to get really serious – more about it in a moment. The first M-Class model had true 4WD body-on-chassis construction, all others have a monocoque body with some underbody strengthening to make it more suited to off-road running. Mercedes-Benz M-Class first arrived in Australia in September 1998 and has sold well in the… Read more

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KIA STINGER AIMED DOWNUNDER

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South Korean marque Kia is running red hot at the moment. It’s showing the rest of the world its quality credentials according to JD Power research, sales are soaring in Australia, and new models are coming out almost by the month. Now comes the biggest news of all, especially if you’re a keen driver who’s a bit light on in cash. The new Kia Stinger high-performance hatch has just been confirmed for Australia. Kia Stinger was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show and is certainly a long way from being… Read more

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FORD FALCON XR GT

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In August 1966, the new Mustang bred XR Falcon was released. A major feature of this model was the famous US small block 4.7-litre V8. This new Yankee-built engine was one of three engine options, the others being two versions of the faithful straight six. The 4.7-litre V8 was not new to Australia but its use in a locally-made body now made it the cheapest V8 in the country and a favourite with buyers and the press alike. It was felt that Ford had made an effort to get it… Read more

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TRUMP TRUCKS COMING TO AUSTRALIA?

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Picture a single- or dual-cab at rear of the cabin on these Jeep Wranglers.

Car makers in the USA are running scared of Donald Trump, pulling a lot of production out of Mexico back into the United States. Oddly, this may be really good news for Australian buyers. The latest announcement is from Jeep’s parent company FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) which is going to expand its assembly plants in the USA and, move some work to them from its current Mexican factory. FCA says it will spend one billion USD in new investments that will create 2000 new jobs in the US of A…. Read more

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THE OVER-EMPHASIS ON SPEEDING IS KILLING US

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Watching the road is far more important than glueing your attention to the speedometer

This is the full press release just published by the National Motorists Association of Australia (NMAA). I feel it backs up the Opinion piece I wrote last week: The recent study from the University of Western Australia has highlighted the danger of excessive speed enforcement by showing that drivers are less likely to identify hazards if they are complying too closely with the speed limits, and demonstrated the contradiction between official road safety campaigns and real life. The study used a driving simulator to test the effects on concentration and… Read more

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VERSATILE Q30 IS INFINITI’S MARKET-LEADER

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Our test car is the latest, and most affordable, model in the upmarket Japanese the Infiniti Q30 five-door hatchback crossover SUV. It’s also the company’s most important model, sitting as it does in Australia’s most popular, and most competitive, segment. Interestingly, because Infiniti’s parent company Renault-Nissan has a technical partnership with Daimler, the Infiniti Q30 shares a number of components, including its engines and transmission, with the Mercedes-Benz GLA. Infiniti Q30 comes in three variants (GT, Sport and Sport Premium) with the choice of three turbocharged engines, two petrol and… Read more

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LAMBORGHINI MIURA COUPE

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1971 Lamborghini Miura

Lamborghini presented a credible threat to Ferrari’s supremacy in Italy with cars like the 1966 Miura, with a quad-cam V12 which gave the car a top speed of 275 km/h. This car had a mid-engine layout, but the real advance was that the long V12 engine had been mounted transversely across the frame, the engine block being combined with five-speed all-synchromesh transmission. With an outstandingly beautiful body style by Bertone, and a name taken up from that of a particularly fearsome breed of Spanish fighting bull, the first complete Miura… Read more

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MIGHTY MUSTANG SOUNDS GREAT, GOES HARD

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Until now Aussies have had to bring in secondhand Mustangs from the US of A, or perhaps some other intermediate country. While there were some imports by Ford Australia back in the mid 60s then again in 2001, these were overpriced and the local conversion to right-hand driver should have been visually better, though mechanically they were fine. The Ford Mustang finally reached Australia in full factory format in 2015 and has been a huge sales success. Order one now and your chances of getting it this year are slim…. Read more

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KIA SPORTAGE 1996 – 2016

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2002 Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage was a real 4WD when launched here in 1996. Its ladder frame chassis and dual-range 4WD system meant it could carry out genuine off-road operations. Indeed its relatively light weight and smallish size meant it could sometimes squeeze into tight spots where big truck-based 4WDs couldn’t fit. Sportage owners just loved that. From May 2000, the Kia Sportage had basically the same front as the 1996 model, but gained a significantly longer tail to provide a lot more boot space, though the back seats had much the same… Read more

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2017 AUDI RS Q3 PERFORMANCE

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Audi is pushing hard on the high-performance versions of just about every car in its increasingly comprehensive range. The latest version of the RS Q3, with ‘Performance’ added to its title joins the RS6 and RS7 Performance models introduced to Australia in the latter half of 2016. Note that the Audi RS Q3 Performance SUV replaces the RS Q3, rather than being an added model above it. Aussies like their quick cars and anything other than the quickest of them all is simply not on their shopping list. Audi tells… Read more