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2015 HYUNDAI SONATA 2.0T ELITE REVIEW

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It’s okay, it’s okay, hush now – things have changed. Hyundai has dusted off the nameplate it put out to pasture after adorning a series of fairly unspectacular mid-sized sedans, whipping off the covers of a much more attractive and capable car to take on a segment dominated by Toyota’s recently perked-up Camry, with Mazda’s 6 some way behind. The Sonata joins the i40 (which, oddly, is known as Sonata in the US) in the local range, offering two very different-looking cars in roughly the same segment. Confused? Don’t be…. Read more

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LEXUS RC F IS A GREAT LOOKING SEMI-RACE CAR

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Lexus RC F Carbon is semi-race machine aimed at serious drivers who enjoy pushing themselves to their limits during track days. Interestingly, the Lexus is powered by a naturally-aspirated engine, a 5.0-litre V8. The German machines in this high-performance category are rapidly moving in the direction of turbocharged engines. No matter how good a turbo engine is, it’s never going to have the virtually instantaneous throttle response offered by an un-blown powerplant. The Lexus RS F coupe comes at a relatively modest price: $133,110 for the standard version and $147,110… Read more

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MITSUBISHI PAJERO 1991-2015

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Mitsubishi Pajero is often seen as being a tough looking people mover rather than a real 4WD, which is a pity because it’s pretty competent off-road and can handle most situations likely to be encountered by an adventurous holiday in the bush. Mitsubishi Pajero comes as a station wagon with either two or four passenger doors. The two-door was never particularly popular and imports stopped with the all-new model of 2000, only to make a brief re-appearance when the new model was launched at the start of 2007, then pulled… Read more

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KIA PICANTO FINALLY COMING

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Kia has finally decided to bring its little Picanto to Australia, something it has been considering for the last four years or so. The fact that the so-called micro-car segment is pretty small probably weighed on the decision, but it seems as though the sales success of the Mitsubishi Mirage may have prodded Kia into the decision. Mirage sells almost half of all cars in this class, competing against the Holden Barina Spark, the recently facelifted Nissan Micra and the all-new Suzuki Celerio (nee Suzuki Alto). Adding further interest to… Read more

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MERCEDES-AMG GT S: SIMPLY STUNNING

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Mercedes-AMG’s all-new GT doesn’t replace the now discontinued SLS Gullwing coupe and its roadster brother. However, the new GT does share some platform components from the SLS, though it’s a smaller model. The SLS was AMG’s first ever full design project and was always going to be a limited edition. Mercedes-AMG Australia tells us no plans have been made at this stage about doing another SLS, nor are any expected in the near future. Obviously Mercedes-AMG isn’t going to reveal its future models, but the feeling we get is that… Read more

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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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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