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VOLVO XC90: THE NEXT BIG THING IS HERE NOW

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Volvo insists this is the start of something big: ‘this’ being the XC90 luxury sports utility vehicle. The new XC90 announces the beginning of the Swedish automobile maker’s immediate future product line-up. Three years in the making and part of a $US11 billion investment program, the all-new XC90 marks the beginning of a new chapter in Volvo’s history, setting out the design direction, incorporating its own range of new technology and making use of new architecture that can be scaled up or down. Volvo Car Australia shipped in examples of… Read more

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AUDI Q7’S LIFESAVING SYSTEMS

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Audi has long believed that advancement in technology is extremely important in automotive design. So it comes as no surprise that the all-new Q7 we reviewed in our road test last week is positively crammed with the latest in driver assistance systems. While the fully autonomous car is still a fair way off, some of the systems in the new Audi Q7 take serious steps towards cars that will one day drive themselves – and save countless lives. The big Audi SUV not only senses real problems and potential ones,… Read more

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CITROEN C4 PICASSO OOZES STYLE

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Buyers looking for something that doesn’t follow convention and who appreciate a real touch of French flair should certainly have the latest Citroen C4 Picasso on their short (often very short) list of potential cars. Just what is the Citroen C4 Picasso? It’s hard to define, being a mixture of a tall hatchback and a people mover, with a touch of SUV thrown in for good measure. This is not the first Citroen that refuses to slot neatly into any category, nor will it be the last. We love the… Read more

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MAZDA3 2004 – 2015

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2013 Mazda3

Mazda3 first went on sale in Australia in April 2004, replacing the popular Mazda 323. An all-new Mazda3 was introduced in April 2009 and the third generation arrived here in January 2014. Some of the latter are now starting to appear on the secondhand market. For the past five years the Mazda3 has taken podiums positions in the Australian new-car sales results, actually being number one in 2011 and 2012. So there are plenty on offer in used-car yards. With that number to choose from it makes sense to take… Read more

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CADILLAC ELDORADO

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Every 1978 Cadillac except Seville used the same engine – an OHV 7.0-litre V8. Seville, billed as Cadillac’s `international size’ car, used the V8, but in a slightly smaller (5.7-litre) size. The use of aluminium in a few marginal areas was Cadillac’s only concession to weight reduction, and the weight loss was minimal. The only emphasis the maker placed was on, in their own words, “subtle design refinements and consumer-oriented engineering benefits.” As usual, Cadillac’s complete line was the shortest in the GM stable – a total of seven regular… Read more

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CITROEN C4 LOOKS BACK IN MAJOR MOVES FORWARD

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On August 4, 1925, Nevill Westwood, a Seventh Day Adventist missionary, set out from Perth to spread the word of his beliefs to other Australians. Driving a Citroen 5CV Tourer, known affectionately as ‘Bubsie’, after 148 days and 17,220 kilometres, he returned home having become the first person to drive around Australia. Ninety years after Westwood’s marathon, Citroen has given us an upgraded C4 hatchback. In two models, Seduction and Exclusive, the range features an all-new drivetrain, fresh styling and improved comfort and convenience over the previous model. It has… Read more

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ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5

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Mazda MX-5 significantly changed the direction of automotive history when it was introduced to a surprised world way back in 1989. Until then every tightening safety regulations had caused car companies to pull out of designing open-top cars. Mazda, ever the innovator, disagreed with this and the MX-5 was the result. Not only is it now by far the biggest selling roadster of all time, the MX-5 made other marques reconsider their strategies and now you won’t find a company of any significance that doesn’t have at least one convertible… Read more

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2015 FERRARI FF REVIEW

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The Ferrari FF is not the first car from Maranello to pop into the minds of a person with an average to middling interest in cars. When you tell people Ferrari are giving you an FF for the weekend, they screw up their nose and look at you a bit funny. When you explain it’s a four-seat, all-wheel drive V12 coupe, there’s a flicker of recognition before the light comes on. “Oh, you mean the one that looks a bit like a two-door wagon?” Yep, that’s the one. VALUE One… Read more

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FERRARI 308 GTB

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1975 Ferrari 308 GTB

The Ferrari 308 GTB is an obvious descendent of the brilliant 246 Dino and its square-rigged replacement, the 308 GT4, adopting the same nomenclature for the engine: 3.0-litre, eight-cylinder, initially with a dry-sump. Bertone was used as a stylist for the four-seater but, for the GTB, Ferrari went back to Pininfarina, which devised a clever update of the Dino theme on a GT4 floorpan, shortened by 210 mm to give the same 2340 mm wheelbase as the Dino, and retaining the transverse alloy four-cam V8. The first 200 cars were… Read more

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SUZUKI SWIFT 2005 – 2015

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2006 Suzuki Swift Sport

Suzuki Swift was a big seller in Australia in the 1980s and ‘90s. Many were rebadged as Holdens and carried Barina badges. For some strange reason imports were stopped in 2000. Thankfully an all-new Swift was imported downunder beginning in February 2005 and is the subject of this week’s used-car report. The chunky lines of the body pleased many and the new Swift was a hit from day one. Note that there are no Holden versions of these later models. The Suzuki Swift is a tough little machine that’s well… Read more