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BMW 1 SERIES 2004 – 2015

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2007 BMW 1 Series coupe

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

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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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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