Tag: hybrid

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TOYOTA YARIS CROSS REVIEW

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As the name suggests, the Toyota Yaris Cross is a crossover version of the popular Yaris small hatchback bulked up to provide access to the booming compact SUV market segment Launched here in late-2020 Yaris Cross is available in four grades: GX, GXL, Urban and GR Sport. The first three models each come with the choice of two- or four-wheel drive. GR Sport is 2WD only. Originally available with the choice of petrol or hybrid powertrains, effective from the 2024 upgrade, all Yaris Cross variants are now exclusively hybrid. Prices… Read more

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OMODA 9 – IT’S A LOT OF CAR FOR THE MONEY.

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  Another week, another Super Hybrid to drive — this time the Omoda 9 plug-in hybrid. Omoda, which is now a separate brand, is part of the Chinese Chery group which includes Jaecoo. In fact, Omoda and Jaecoo share the same dealerships. Some dealers also offer Chery-branded vehicles. The Omoda name represents sporty crossovers while Jaecoo is associated with more rugged SUVs. The Omoda 9 is also sold as the Exeed Yaoguang (or RX for export markets). It’s all a bit confusing. STYLING The five-seat SUV is offered in one… Read more

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NEW HONDA ZR-V GETS ADVANCED HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

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There’s a misconception out there that, in late-2001, Toyota was the first manufacturer to launch a petrol/electric hybrid passenger vehicle onto the Australian market. While the Prius name quickly became synonymous with the emerging powertrain technology in fact it arrived about six months after the Honda Insight. The Insight didn’t live up to its name leaving Toyota to dominate the hybrid (HEV) market to such an extent that it now offers them in just about every model in its range. Indeed, many of its most popular models, such as Camry,… Read more

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CR-V DRIVING TO THE LETTER

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The folk at Honda, it seems, have long memories. Back in 1995 the Japanese company developed one of the first compact sports utility vehicles on the market – the Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, or CR-V, as we know it. Landing Down Under in 1997, in the 30 years since, the CR-V has sold almost a quarter of a million units here and won numerous awards, including Australian Car of the Year in 2023. Why wouldn’t anyone wish to continue to bask in the glow of such storied ancestry? Welcome to the… Read more

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DIESEL IN TOP-UP FOR TANK 300

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As sports utility vehicles go, the Tank 300, a middleweight with petrol or hybrid punch, these days is a little nippier on its feet thanks to the addition of a turbodiesel engine. However, has the Great Wall Motors off roader still a way to go to match the opposition? Available in two well-appointed grades – Lux and Ultra – the new Tank 300 diesel is powered by GWM’s 2.4-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine, delivering 135kW of power at 3600rpm and 480Nm of torque from 1500 to 2500rpm. Mated with a nine-speed… Read more

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HAVAL H7 VANTA HEV

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Haval has gone for a rugged, almost retro-look with its new the mid-sized H7 Hybrid, emphasised by bolt-on mudguard flares. Well, they look like they bolt on, but despite the rugged exterior it is actually front- wheel drive and shares its underpinnings with the softer H6 plug-in hybrid that we tested recently — though you can’t plug this one in. Which is kinda funny, we had planned to grab a charge spot across the road from the Orpheum Theatre in crowded Cremorne — until we discovered it doesn’t have a… Read more

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CR-V DRIVING TO THE LETTER

  By ,

The folk at Honda, it seems, have long memories. Back in 1995 the Japanese company developed one of the first compact sports utility vehicles on the market – the Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, or CR-V, as we know it. Landing Down Under in 1997, in the 30 years since, the CR-V has sold almost a quarter of a million units here and won numerous awards, including Australian Car of the Year in 2023. Why wouldn’t anyone wish to continue to bask in the glow of such storied ancestry? Welcome to the… Read more

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PEUGEOT 5008 HYBRID GT PREMIUM

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Now in its third generation, the ”all-new” Peugeot 5008 was launched early 2024, but took a while to get here. Based on the Stellantis group’s STLA Medium platform, it is essentially a stretched version of the smaller 3008. Cast your mind back and you may recall this car originally came with a turbo petrol or turbo diesel engine. Back in 2013 it was described as a people mover, presumably because it offered seven seats. Now a large SUV, the latest version is a hybrid and has seven seats too. There’s… Read more

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ALFA JUNIOR ADDS CLASS TO HUMBLE HYBRID

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The first thing you notice about the Alfa Romeo Junior is the absence of chrome brightwork. That’s not to say the new small car is a ‘plain Jane’; it literally bears the Alfa Romeo stamp in words and brand marks all over. The car is iconic Italian design down to the ground and marks Alfa’s return to the compact car segment, all the while with the latest in electrification. The Junior comes in two variants – Ibrida (hybrid) and Elettrica (electric). The entry-level Ibrida comes to market from $45,900, plus… Read more

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CHERY PLAYS MUSICAL CHAIRS WITH ITS NEW OMODA BRAND

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It’s getting quite difficult to keep track of the constantly evolving brands and sub- brands within the giant Chinese Chery group. The most recent development is the establishment of what is effectively a new sister brand to Chery called Omoda Jaecoo, a premium brand that operates independently of their shared parent company. We recently reported on the two Jaecoo models (J7 and J8) that are currently on sale in Australia. This time we’re reviewing the first of the dedicated Omoda vehicles the Omoda 9 that went on sale here in… Read more