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2016 KIA SPORTAGE REVIEW

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An all-new Kia Sportage arrived in Australia at the start of 2016. More stylish than previous Sportages, that tended to lean in the direction of SUV rather than trendy wagon, it’s already selling well. And sales are likely to leap now that Kia has secured number one spot in the JD Power Initial Quality Study in the USA. Sportage was ranked top vehicle in the small SUV segment. New Sportage has a longer wheelbase than the outgoing model and is 40 mm longer overall (at 4480 mm), both changes are… Read more

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SUZUKI BALENO LAUNCHED ON SPACE MISSION

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Suzuki Baleno is bursting out of the light car passenger segment into the small car space while getting a spurt on in performance with its latest model. The Baleno comes in two specification levels – GL with a 1.4-litre engine, with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. A new engine, the 1.0-litre Booster Jet turbocharged variant, with six-speed automatic transmission has claimed fuel use of 5.2 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle. Low consumption is partly attributed to having a standard six-speed automatic… Read more

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NEW MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS

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In a move that’s likely to take its competitors by surprise Mercedes-Benz has given its new E-Class range a real sporty look. Obviously the success of Mercedes in the redhot competition that is Grand Prix racing in recent years has inspired the German marque to move right away from its lingering reputation of only making conservative cars for middle aged buyers. The shape of the E-Class’s dominant two-bar grille with the three-pointed star in the centre works nicely with the large foglight openings and is backed up by guards with… Read more

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2016 AUDI TTS ROADSTER REVIEW

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We’ve just spent an enjoyable week behind the wheel of an Audi TTS roadster in our home areas in south-east Queensland. Winter obviously isn’t normally the season of choice for an open car. But the TTS’s heated seats, hot air blown onto our necks and a behind-the-seat air deflector let us travel in comfort during daylight hours. STYLING Audi TTS roadster follows the same successful styling theme as the new coupe, a solid evolution of the first generation model of 1999. We reckon its sharp lines and interlocking facets make… Read more

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NSU WANKEL SPIDER

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The NSU Wankel Spider was the first car to be powered by the Wankel rotary engine. A rotary engine uses an internal shaft with lobes that form combustion chambers and in that layout combines the principles of the turbine and the piston. This engine was invented by Dr Felix Wankel. He intended it to be an answer to the perceived inefficiencies of the piston engine. Dr Wankel felt that the direct rotary action as a driving force for cars was one step up from imparted rotary action, as is the… Read more

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HYUNDAI UPGRADES ITS i30 SR

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Hyundai is enjoying a boom period in Australia. Midway through 2016 the Korean importer is sitting in third place in the total vehicle sales race, having overtaken Holden, with only Toyota and Mazda ahead of it. Equally impressive has been a dramatic increase in sales of Hyundai’s top-selling i30 which has overtaken both Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 as Australia’s biggest selling motor vehicle. There’s little doubt that aggressive pricing ($19,990 driveaway) has been the main driver of the i30’s sales surge, but it has also established its credentials as a… Read more

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JAGUAR PICKS UP THE PACE WITH POLISHED PERFORMER

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Once upon a time Jaguar lagged behind other luxury automobile manufacturers by not offering a sports utility vehicle. The likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and Lexus all boasted a prestige SUV. Even fellow Brit, Bentley recently got into the SUV scene, albeit at a hefty price. Now the advent of the Jaguar F-Pace has put the British marque into the thick of one of the most crowded markets in the industry. Jaguar thinks enough about Australia to have allowed its design chief Ian Callum to travel Down Under to… Read more

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NEW AUDI Q2 ON THE ROAD

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By EWAN KENNEDY in Zurich, Switzerland Audi Q2 is a small-medium SUV set to arrive in Q1 in Australia. Its body is stylish, but retains a fair amount of practicality. Customisation is very much part of the Q2’s package, something that we describe in a separate story. Suffice to say it’s theoretically possible for five million different vehicles to leave the factory. Sales of small and midsize SUVs are booming worldwide, not just in Australia. Many are being bought by people with no desire to go off-road, but who want… Read more

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LEXUS LS 2000 – 2016

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2008 Lexus LS460 Sport

In 1989 the Lexus LS400 was the first Japanese car to tackle the upmarket German machines Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 head on. Jaguar’s XJ was also in Toyota’s sights (Lexus is controlled by Toyota), though the British marque wasn’t doing particularly well at that time. Lexus tells us ‘LS’ stands for Luxury Sports, however there’s a lot more luxury than sport. Handling is certainly safe and secure but doesn’t provide the sporting enjoyment of the big name Germans and British sedans. The most noticeable feature of… Read more

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OPTIMA GT TURBO: GAME-CHANGER FOR KIA

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We recently reported on Kia’s success in the 2016 JD Power Initial Quality Study (IQS), the USA car industry’s benchmark for new-vehicle quality. The South Korean company was number one. While the result will have surprised many it is anything but a surprise to those of us that have been watching the steady rise of the giant Hyundai/Kia group. We’ve just spent a week in the latest version of the Kia Optima, released late last year, and quality is the word that immediately sprung to mind. This isn’t just a… Read more