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SANTA FE TAKES THE HIGH-TECH ROUTE

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Hyundai is one of the most go-ahead car marques on the planet at the moment, introducing new styles and technology at a rate that’s taking many competitors by surprise. Technology that was once only in the domain of the big name Europeans is now coming from South Korea’s biggest car maker. No more is this shown than in the Hyundai Santa Fe Series II we covered in our launch story last week. While mechanical upgrades in the Santa Fe Series II are incremental, in the field of safety it makes… Read more

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INSIGNIA VXR: EXCELLENT OPENING SHOT FROM HOLDEN

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    Holden Insignia VXR is designed and built by GM-Opel in Germany – but its engine is made in Holden’s Melbourne plant. From Australia the engine is sent to Europe to be installed in many cars sold globally. Though the Aussie engine is the big news, there’s plenty of Australian engineering input in many facets of the car which will play an important part of the future for GM-Holden. Very much a sports sedan, Holden says Insignia VXR will compete directly with the likes of Subaru Liberty and Volkswagen… Read more

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LAMBORGHINI ESPADA

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1968 Lamborghini Espada

Introduced in 1968 the Lamborghini Espada was a true four-seater sports coupe. Many sports coupes have had a rear seat which required a person with the skills of Houdini to enter and exit from but the Espada had a rear seat which offered the occupants a comfortable and spacious ride. Powered by a V-12 engine it was like a Rolls-Royce on Speed. At the time of its introduction this dramatically-styled car was the fastest four-seater in the world with an impressive top speed of 241 km/h from its 4.0-litre, 242… Read more

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AUDI Q7 2006 – 2015

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  By EWAN KENNEDY CAPTIONS: A. B. C. 2015 Audi Q7 BODY COPY Audi Q7 was designed back in the days when car makers were under the impression that buyers wanted an SUV to traverse difficult country. In fact, the great majority were just looking for a practical station wagon in which to transport their families. So the original Audi Q7, launched here in September 2006, was designed as a semi-serious 4WD not merely an SUV. And what a launch it was; Audi sent 15 examples of the Q7 downunder… Read more

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2016 AUDI Q3 2.0 TDI SPORT REVIEW

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Audi’s Q3 wasn’t the first, but it set the standard for the compact premium SUV. While neither too high nor too low, too small or too big, it took Volkswagen’s platform-sharing strategy to provide the better-heeled with a four-ringed player where something like a VW Tiguan (or a Mazda CX-3) just wouldn’t do. With the end in sight for the first-gen Q3, and a pair of new contenders in BMW’s second-gen X1 and Mercedes’ GLA, the final refresh has a lot riding on it. VALUE The all-quattro diesel line up… Read more

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STRIKING NEW BMW 7 SERIES

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Traditionally, the top-end models from the big three Germans marques have taken a conservative route in their styling, leaving the smaller models in the lineups to experiment with new ideas. The just launched all-new BMW 7 Series has surprised everyone with its sleek, innovative shape. Take a look at the complex front and the positively avantgarde bling in the lower surfaces of the doors, bling that sweeps up into the front guards. The large inbuilt exhaust outlets do their share in the strong appearance. Fascinatingly, there are even traces of… Read more

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KIA SEDAN SEEKS OUT OPTIMUM ADVANTAGE

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The next generation Kia Optima mid-size family sedan has landed in Australia and was recently given the once-over by motoring media. The result was an unequivocal thumbs-up. All-new Kia Optima comes Down Under in two variants: the Si with the proven 2.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder 138 kW, 241 Nm engine and the GT powered by a new all-aluminium T-GDI 2.0-litre turbocharged motor. Boasting 180 kW and 350 Nm, the latter features a twin-scroll turbocharger and dual continuously variable valve timing technology. Both engines drive the front wheels through Kia’s own… Read more

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SANTA FE COULD CONTINUE ON WINNING WAYS

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Car companies: no matter what is said, they trade on optimism. Anybody who can come up with an idea, develop it in four years and sell the product in its thousands, or even millions, must have it in spades. Hyundai Australia executives are upbeat at the arrival Down Under of the Santa Fe Series II. And why shouldn’t they be? The large seven-seat sports utility vehicle walked away with awards worldwide, including Australia’s Best Car in the popular SUV $45.000 to $65,000 category in 2014, the third consecutive time it… Read more

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MAZDA6 2002 – 2015

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2002 Mazda6 Luxury Sport

Mazda6 was launched in Australia in August 2002 as a replacement for the Mazda 626 and soon built up a good reputation for build quality and reliability, both leading to higher than average resale value. These Mazdas have pretty good handling, while not quite to the highest European standards it’s getting closer all the time. The extra quality of build offered by the Mazdas over Euro cars makes many buyers choose the Japanese. On several occasions in recent years Mazda has been the number one car importer in Australia. More… Read more

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2015 BMW 125I M SPORT REVIEW

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The overall competency of the car market means that there are few reasons to really get stuck into criticising a car, whether for a laugh or for good reason. The second-generation BMW 1 Series created an open goal for car lovers – it was almost unfeasibly ugly. Which is a great shame, because underneath that terrible snout was a fine car. The recent mid-life update for the BMW F20 1 Series has ironed out the worst of it while also bringing a bit of a light going-over on the dynamics,… Read more