Tag: hybrid

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LEXUS ES300h SPORTS LUXURY

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The growth in SUV sales has seen a corresponding decline in demand for traditional four-door sedans. In the case of Lexus only two of the latter have survived, the company’s flagship luxury LS and the medium-large family ES. The ES comes with the choice of the ES250 powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine with outputs of 152 kW and 243 Nm names ES250, and the E300h with a 131 kW/221 Nm Atkinson Cycle petrol engine combined with a 88 Kw / 202 Nm electric motor for a total of 160kW…. Read more

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HAVAL H6 – WHY FIX SOMETHING THAT AIN’T BROKE

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Not much has changed since we drove Great Wall’s mid-sized Haval H6 SUV a couple of years ago. But then why would it when the five-seater has reportedly been the best-selling SUV in China for the past nine years? The current model dates back to 2020, while the hybrid and a fastback version called the GT were added to the mix in 2021. The hybrid version that we are looking at here now accounts for 30 per cent of sales and all the signals suggest that it’s steady as she… Read more

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TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID SL

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Before discussing the Camry Hybrid, it should be pointed out that you can’t actually buy one right now. With a two-year waiting list due to production delays, Toyota Australia has been forced to “pause” orders for Camry hybrid variants due to extraordinary demand. A new ninth generation Camry was unveiled in the United States in November, so it will be interesting to see how Toyota plays this one. At some point it will have to switch from production of the current model to the new one. Toyota reveals 90 per… Read more

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HONDA SNEAKS IN HYBRID SUV

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Honda has electrified its most popular vehicle. And who would know? One of the world’s biggest makers of internal combustion engines has been very quiet about the coming of the CR-V e:HEV RS. The Honda CR-V has long been an SUV staple for families around the world. Some 13.5 million units have been sold globally since the nameplate launched back in 1997. Two decades on, in its sixth generation, it is still the brand’s top-selling model in Australia. A late-comer to the petrol/electric generation in Australia, the five-seater e:HEV RS… Read more

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TOYOTA COROLLA 1.8 ZR HYBRID HATCH

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Finished in black over silver, Toyota’s ZR Corolla looks more eye-catching than ever. In the past few years the company has been able to transform the image of the car from staid and conservative into something much more sporty that has younger buyer appeal — at least that’s the plan. Flanking the hatch is the more traditional sedan for mums and dads and rally bred, three- door, all-wheel drive GR hot hatch at the other end of the scale for the boy racers (and boy racers at heart). Each grade… Read more

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SEXIER CAMRY TO COME AS HYBRID ONLY

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Toyota has not surprisingly revealed that the next Camry will be hybrid only. Following in the footsteps of Corolla, next-generation Camry sedan is visually more striking, with a sharper more athletic look, featuring Toyota’s new “hammerhead” grille. It’s complemented by slim LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail lights. Camry will also be the first Toyota in Australia equipped with the brand’s 2.5-litre, four- cylinder engine and the fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System, delivering a more controllable and engaging drive experience. Toyota engineers have combined the engine’s output with lighter and… Read more

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PEUGEOT 508 GT SPORTSWAGON PLUG-IN HYBRID

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The Peugeot 508 has been on sale in Australia since July 2011. A mid-sized sedan or station wagon, it fitted into the space between the smaller 407 and larger 607, effectively replacing both cars. The current (second generation) 508 arrived here in August 2021, only available in the top-grade GT equipment level and featuring Peugeot’s first-ever plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. The previous petrol-only variants were dropped from the range at the end of 2022 leaving just the more-expensive PHEVs. STYLING As has been the case throughout two body styles are… Read more

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ALFA ROMEO TONALE TI

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Right now, this is your cheapest ticket into the glamorous, alluring world of the Italian marque Alfa Romeo. The Tonale is a small SUV that is available at the moment only as a fuel-saving hybrid, which could be a real bonus depending on your perspective. Some drivers may hunger for something a bit spicier, say the larger more powerful 2.0-litre turbo from Stelvio. Named after a mountain pass in Northern Italy, Tonale sits on the same platform as the Jeep Compass and is a little brother to the mid-sized Stelvio,… Read more

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MG HS +EV REVIEW

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The MG HS +EV is a mid-sized SUV from the Chinese manufacturer that is making such an impact on the Australian market. The name can be a little misleading because it’s not fully-electric but rather a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and so comes with a petrol engine together with a battery that can be charged in the same manner as an EV. Plug-in hybrids are an excellent concept but in practice, at least at this stage of their development, they don’t make a lot of sense. Firstly, they are typically at… Read more