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FIAT EXPANDS RANGE WITH 500X CROSSOVER

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Fiat has expanded its popular 500 range with the introduction of a crossover SUV called the 500X. The ‘X’ sort of stands for crossover and joins the 500L, a model not imported to Australia at this stage, in providing added interior space and the handiness of back doors. Incidentally, while the 500L may not come downunder you may have seen one on the TV news a few weeks back. Fiat 500L is the vehicle of choice of Pope Francis, so he took his on a trip to the USA. It… Read more

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TOYOTA CAMRY GOES TRENDY

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Toyota Camry has been unfairly put down by too many people when they comment on its conservative looks. Now the Japanese giant has given it a radical reworking in its shape. With most of the work being done in its Californian design centre, Calty, where I’m not sure they understand the concept of ‘conservative’. Camry, and its brother Aurion (which is a Camry with a V6 engine) are still being built in Altona, west of Melbourne, but only until 2017 when, sadly, local car manufacturing in Australia becomes nothing but… Read more

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SKODA SUPERB 2009 – 2015

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By EWAN KENNEDY CAPTION: A. B. C. 2014 Skoda Superb wagon BODY COPY Skoda Superb is a large family car; longer than the Australian family sixes, indeed more in line with the Holden Caprice and Ford LTD than the standard Commodores and Falcons. However, the Czech car is not as wide as the Aussie cars. The Superb has limousine-size rear legroom and appeals to families consisting of Mum, Dad and a couple of hulking teenage sons. Three adults in the rear work without too much shoulder rubbing, but two makes… Read more

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CHRYSLER 300 IS BIG, BOLD AND INTIMIDATING

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Back in the 1960s and ‘70s the competition in the Australian family car market was dominated by the so-called Big Three. Always given in the order ‘Holden, Falcon and Valiant’, the big six-cylinder and V8 cars dominated the local market and put on a right royal battle. Chrysler Valiant fell by the wayside in 1980 when the company was taken over by Mitsubishi, leaving the field to the other two. Now the position has been reversed with the imminent demise of the Falcon and Commodore leaving a big Chrysler by… Read more

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2016 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE 330BHP REVIEW

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Maserati’s Quattroporte is part of a dying breed. A decade or so ago, the European manufacturers took a huge amount of pride in their range-topping big luxury sedans, cars you can either drive or be driven in, bristling with the latest technology. In 2015, all we hear about are the range-topping SUVs from those makers, with cars like the S-Class and 7 Series fading slowly into irrelevance. While by no means low-tech, the Maserati Quattroporte takes the high style route, focussing on a luxurious interior with that handmade feel. VALUE… Read more

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BMW 1 SERIES 2004 – 2015

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All BMWs are aimed at those of us who love to drive, so the smallest vehicle in the range, the 1 Series uses sporty engines driving the rear wheels. Owners tell us that even heavy-duty commuting is more enjoyable than in other cars they tested before buying a 1 Series. Rear-drive certainly gives the 1 Series excellent chassis balance and smile-to-the-face driving – but it steals cabin and boot. There’s good legroom in the front seats, though foot-width is restricted by the large gearbox housing. However, it’s probably better to… Read more

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LEXUS POWERS AN SUV BIG LEAP

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When it comes to vehicle propulsion, Lexus has well and truly grabbed the petrol-electric hybrid bull by the horns. Other alternative power sources don’t get a look-in. And it seems the luxury arm of Toyota is on the right track. Diesel is rapidly falling out of favour after doing the dirty with the emission software sleight of hand by the Volkswagen Group; total electric is at the mercy of poor battery storage and hence range worries; and hydrogen fuel cells have so far failed to win the hearts, minds and… Read more

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ROVER P5

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The Rover P5 was first introduced in the late 1950s as post-war design No. 5 and when production was ceased in 1973 there was nothing to replace it as a car so ideally suited for ferrying around highly paid public servants. The Rover P5 was a Rolls-Royce for the middle classes and, had the air of a solid means of transport and a self-effacing dignity not replicated in any other car built in the 1970s. In fact they were still used by the British public service’s high-ranking officials well into… Read more

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MINI ADDS NEW CLUBMAN TO ITS RANGE

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Mini has continued the progressive release of its third-generation models with a new Clubman station wagon joining the previously launched three and five-door hatches. Like the second-generation Countryman crossover SUV and the gen-three five-door hatch the new Clubman breaks with Mini tradition by adding conventional rear passenger doors for the first time. Indeed Clubman goes one step further because, by retaining the previous side-hinged ‘barn doors’ at the rear of the car, it has become the first ever six-door Mini. As is the norm with model upgrades the new Clubman… Read more

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NISSAN NAVARA: BIGGEST RANGE EVER

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Midway through 2015 Nissan introduced what could be described as the passenger variants of its all-new NP300 Navara pickup range to Australia. Now the rest of the range is here. The workhorses have arrived, though it’s hard to describe them as workhorses because there’s plenty of style to their looks both inside and out. Gone are the days when pickups were purely working vehicles, built down to a price, aimed only at tradies and farmers – and looking like it. All-new Navara shows Nissan is well aware that many pickups… Read more