| 2012 Honda Civic Euro Hatch Is Coming |
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Honda’s Civic sedan and hatchback are two quite different machines. While other companies come up with cars that are identical except for their rear end treatment, Honda chooses to build two quite different models to significantly broaden buyer choice. If you thought the previous Honda Civic hatch had striking good looks just wait until you see the new one.
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| 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class Review |
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In profile the new Mercedes M-Class is instantly recognisable by the shape of the swept C-pillar and the way the D-pillar is blacked out to make it seem all but invisible. At the front the changes are more noticeable, with the new, very bold face being closely allied to the sporting look of the latest range of Benz sedans.
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| East Meets West As Asian Factories Expand |
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In the course of our recent trip to Thailand and China we were able to visit three different factories, the General Motors plant at Rayong in the south-east of Thailand, the Cummins engine facility in Beijing and the SAIC Maxus factory near Shanghai. Each gave some insight into the changing direction of automotive manufacture that is swinging inexorably to the east, as well as the western influence that’s helping guide the expansion.
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| Experience The Correct Way To Drive |
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Hot laps and skid pan circles? Forget it, Audi is about to raise the bar for the ultimate driving experience. For the first time Audi Australia has launched a driver education programme open to the public that could have everybody from the P-plater to the would-be Le Mans Series legend smacking their lips.
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| Maxus Vans To Come From China |
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For several years there has been an expectation that there will be a flood of imported vehicles entering Australia from the booming Chinese automotive industry. To date only two brands have arrived but they will be joined later this year when the Maxus V80 light commercial van and mini bus range are released.
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| 2012 Hyundai iMax Maximises Space |
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There’s a lot to be said for designing a people mover that’s based on a cargo van. Hyundai’s iMax is a classic example of this. While the iMax may not have the sleek look of something like a Toyota Tarago or Chrysler Voyager it has so much more interior space that it can almost be seen as a small bus not a people mover.
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| Fiat And Alfa Romeo Set To Expand In Australia |
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The decision by Chrysler Australia’s parent company, Fiat, to have Chrysler Australia take over the importation of Alfa Romeo and Fiat vehicles will no doubt be greeted enthusiastically by Australian fans of the two iconic Italian marques.
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| New Models Galore At Beijing Motor Show |
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With China now dominating global automotive sales it was no surprise that virtually every one of the world’s major brands was on display at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. While the Beijing show may not yet have the prestige of others such as Paris/Frankfurt, Geneva or New York, it is certainly comparable in terms of size, product volume and glitz.
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| New-World Falcon Doesn't Disappoint |
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A four-cylinder Falcon, eh? Sounds like the ‘big bird’ has had its wings clipped. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The much loved traditional Aussie large family ‘six’ has been fitted with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor as part of Ford’s world-wide roll-out of its EcoBoost family of high-tech, low-emission power plants.
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| 2012 Holden Colorado - First Drive |
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Holden’s all-new Colorado, just launched onto the international market, will come to Australia within the next few months. Unlike some vehicles which are spruked as being ‘all-new’ when they are really just upgrades, there no doubt about the claim in Colorado’s case.
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| 2012 Toyota Aurion Launched |
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Since the Toyota Aurion was launched in Australia in 2006 large car sales have slumped, dropping from 138,000 per annum to 80,000 in 2011. Even so, it is hardly a niche segment and Toyota believes it will sell more, not less, Aurions with the launch of this virtually all-new model.
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| Holden To Design New Chinese Cars |
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On the eve of the 2012 Beijing Motor Show Holden has announced details of an important new agreement whereby a Melbourne-based Holden engineering team will be responsible for the design and development of at least two new cars for the Chinese market.
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| 2012 Lexus GS Changes Direction |
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Until now the Lexus GS has been a smaller edition of its big brother, Lexus LS. With a big emphasis on quietness, smoothness and refinement, the just superseded GS, but no real sporting ambitions, it was steadily losing sales to the German luxury marques.
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| Jaguar To Build Small Roadster |
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Jaguar has pulled a surprise by announcing it will be building a new two-seat sportscar called the F-Type. Details are all but non-existent at this time, but Jaguar tells us it’s being built as a result of positive public comments following the showing of a concept sportscar at the 2011 New York Motor Show.
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| New Limited Edition Toyota Prado |
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Toyota has added a special limited edition version of its Prado with more than $10,000 of added features at a cost of just over $5000. The limited edition model, called the Prado Altitude, is based on the mid-spec Prado GXL and comes with the same engine choices of 4.0-litre V6 petrol or 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines.
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| Honda Fights Back From Deadly Floods |
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Most Honda cars sold in Australia come from a factory in Ayutthaya, near Bangkok, so the floods of October 2011 caused total disruption to supplies. This was partly relieved by Honda Australia being able to source some cars from the Japanese factory, but many customers have been forced to wait for months for delivery.
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| Audi Hatches A New Baby SUV |
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Audi has added a third member of its ‘Q’ SUV family in Australia. The all-new Audi Q3 is smaller than its older brothers, the Q5 and Q7, but carries the same styling theme. Thus resulting in a ‘matched-luggage’ look with each car looking like a slightly enlarged version of the others as the numbers rise.
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| Nissan GT-R Better Than Ever |
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Nissan claims its GT-R as being the world’s most affordable supercar. Now the Japanese auto maker has dropped off its latest GT-R in Australia with a bargain-basement price of $170,800. Just what does the buyer get for his or her buck?
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| Skoda Expands Its Yeti Range |
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Skoda has now launched its new petrol contenders in its Yeti range, the 112 TSI DSG auto or, if your prefer, a six-speed manual transmission. Yeti was launched last year with a petrol 2WD version, the 77TSI and diesel 103TDI AWD. It's the void between these two that the 112 TFSI DSG and manual models fill.
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| Toyota Prius c Is Cute, Clever And Clean |
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Forget for a moment the new Toyota C’s clean and green credentials and instead look at its cute as a button styling and the range of sharp colours. Pushing aside the Prius C’s green and orange credentials for a further moment, let’s take a look at the price. Because it’s stunningly low.
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| JAC Trucks Set To Launch Into The Australian Market |
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One of China’s longest-established and largest vehicle manufacturers, the Jianghuai Automobile Company (JAC), has used the 2012 Melbourne International Truck, Trailer and Equipment Show to unveil its first Australian products, three light-duty trucks and two commercial vans.
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| 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid Review |
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This latest incarnation of petrol-electric technology from Toyota, the new model Camry Hybrid, is a drivers' car that gives away little to petrol or diesel powered cars. It delivers performance, comfort, ride and handling at least the equal of rivals and may well prove to be a hybrid game-changer for Toyota.
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| New V8 Engine For 2102 Toyota LandCruiser |
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LandCruiser's new 4.6-litre V8 has had its power increased by 12.9 per cent to 228 kW at 5500rpm and torque by 7.1 per cent to 439 Nm at 3500rpm. Toyota calls it “a more powerful and more efficient V8 petrol engine.”
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| 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 |
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Only a few months after the release of the standard models in the SLK sports roadster range, Mercedes-Benz has launched the hot SLK 55 AMG variant in Australia.
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| Mitsubishi Expanding Electric Horizons |
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Mitsubishi, the innovative Japanese automotive company that pioneered the first mass-produced electric car continues its push on electric power in many different directions, taking advantage of its research and development knowledge to do everything from competing in electric motor sport to powering houses – that’s right, powering houses with cars!
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| 2012 MINI Coupe And Roadster Road Tests |
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The latest cars to take the Mini moniker, the Coupe and Roadster, are the first purely two-seaters from the iconic British brand. Aimed to attract those who desire a two-seat sporting life, they come in Mini Cooper S and Mini John Cooper Works guise.
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| Prestigious Looks For The All-New 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander |
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Mitsubishi chose the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to introduce its all-new Outlander to the world’s motoring media. The Swiss show is famed for concept cars and cutting edge automotive style, not to mention some way out ideas that are unlikely to ever see the light of day.
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| 2012 Jeep Wrangler Released |
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There’s something special about driving a Jeep Wrangler. The car that helped win a war has a rugged feel you don’t get in many so-called 4WDs any more and we just love the way the American icon sounds and feels. Instead of being isolated from the action you’re sitting amongst everything that’s happening.
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| 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid |
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Toyota has launched a pivotal new-generation Camry Hybrid which may well change public perceptions of hybrid vehicles. This latest incarnation of the petrol-electric technology is a drivers' car that gives away little to conventional petrol cars. At the same time Camry Hybrid delivers performance, comfort, ride and handling at least the equal of rivals - whether powered by petrol or diesel. Camry Hybrid is simply a hybrid game-changer for Toyota.
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| Geneva Motor Show Signals The Way Of The Future |
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Geneva is our favourite motor show every year and the 2012 edition was no exception. Famed for its glittering array of concept cars and the specially modified models from many auto tuners, Geneva was the show place for the debut of many fascinating new cars.
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| 2012 Honda Civic |
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Forty years and 20 million cars after it was launched in 1973 Honda’s Civic is right up there with the world’s all-time best selling cars. Now the ninth generation of the small Japanese car has been launched in Australia.
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| Citroen DS4 Is A Practical Coupe |
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The all-new Citroen DS4 looks like a three-door coupe but has hidden extra doors, so it actually a five-door hatchback. While the stylish French machine looks more coupe than hatch it has a bulky backside so could be a crossover between a coupe and a sporting SUV in the manner of the big BMW X6.
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| Subaru Impreza Finally Here |
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Subaru has been criticised in the past for being somewhat dull in its body shapes, but the latest Impreza, while still on the conservative side, has a dash of sportiness as well. It has joined the current crop of cars featuring a large, but not overly large, hexagonal grille and chiseled rear end.
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| New Mitsubishi Outlander revealed at Geneva |
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The days when many buyers wanted a macho image from their 4WDs are over according to the experts at Japanese SUV specialist Mitsubishi Motor Corporation (MMC). Take a look at the lines of the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander and you will immediately see how it takes an altogether different approach, with smooth lines that showcase elegance and sophistication rather than off-road ruggedness.
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| 2012 Mini Roadster and Coupe |
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There has always been something different about the Mini. From its design and mechanicals to the way it was presented to the public, rarely in its half century has the British automotive icon taken the road well travelled.
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| 2012 Ford Kuga Has A Strong European Influence |
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Ford Kuga SUV has been on sale in Europe, and elsewhere, several years, but it’s immense popularity overseas has meant Australia has been pushed down the waiting list. The all-new 2012 Kuga is about to hit the roads of Europe and will reach Australia early in 2013, perhaps even sooner, so there won’t be the same relentless drag-out wait as this time.
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| 2102 Suzuki Swift Sport Review |
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The new Suzuki Swift Sport has been significantly improved in important areas to appeal to those who like to put serious effort into their driving. Even better news is that you don’t need big money to go the full-on high-performance route.
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| 2012 Mazda CX-5 Review |
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For some unknown reason, it’s all change in Mazda’s sports utility vehicle classification with ‘compact’ being replaced by ‘medium’, ‘medium’ turning into ‘large’ and the last gaining a big brother in ‘upper large’.
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| 2012 Holden Commodore LPG |
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Not satisfied with having the second best selling car in Australia, now it seems as though Holden is out to make the Commodore the poster boy of the liquefied petroleum gas-powered vehicle set.
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| 2012 Toyota Prius v Hybrid People Mover |
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Toyota Australia has given us preliminary information on a new Prius model – the seven-seat Prius v. The ‘v’ stands for versatile and this Prius is unashamedly aimed at the people mover buyer. No fancy styling here, it’s significantly less radical in its shape than other hybrids, so the new Prius v suits its market well
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| 2102 Hyundai Veloster's Various Doors |
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Want to buy a sleek sports coupe, but really need the common sense five-door hatchback? Hyundai Veloster has the clever idea of a car with a single coupe-style door on one side and front and back doors on the other.
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| Holden Cruze Station Wagon |
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Holden has announced that it will introduce a station wagon version of its popular Cruze late in 2012 or very early in 2013. Few details are available at this stage, but we have to assume it will share its frontal styling with the existing sedan and hatchback and be offered in the same mechanical variants as them.
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| Stunning New BMW 3 Series |
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BMW has introduced its new 3 Series in Australia. Now in its sixth generation, this is an extremely important car for the German marque as it accounts for about a third of all sales. The latest 3 Series provides excellent value for money in its prestige segment as many of the features once seen only on topline 7series BMWs are now either standard or optional on its smaller brother.
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| All-New Mitsubishi Outlander: Advance Information |
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Mitsubishi has provided some advance information on the all-new Outlander that’s going to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and arrive in Australia within a matter of months.
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| 2012 Kia Rio Review |
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Kia has clicked in the final pieces of the new Rio jigsaw with the coming of the three and four-door models. The fourth-generation Rio had already set a specification benchmark in the light passenger vehicle segment with its five-door hatchback which came to Australia late last year.
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| 2012 Hyundai Accent Road Test |
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Style and build quality from Hyundai has improved greatly in the past five or ten years. Cars like the Hyundai i30 and i45 have changed the public perception of Hyundai as a maker of stylish cars. Accent further enhances the image that Hyundai is a company on the move.
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| World's Best Engine Now In Australia |
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The world’s best petrol car engine has just gone on sale in Australia. Not only did the Fiat 500 TwinAir engine gain the overall top spot in the 2011 International Engine of the Year awards, it also took out first place in every segment in which it was entered.
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| 2012 BMW M5 Review |
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The introduction of any new BMW M series is an exciting occasion on the high-performance motoring scene. The latest M5 is of particular interest because it points to the future of engine design in a company famed for its outstanding powerplants.
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| 2012 Nissan Maxima Adds New Safety Technology |
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Innovative technology has been added to the Nissan Maxima sedan, making it safer for occupants all round, without any increase in sticker price.
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| 2012 Volkswagen Scirocco Review |
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Scirocco is an Italian word referring to a Mediterranean wind that blows from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and southern Europe. So, how does the new eponymous Volkswagen Golf-based sleek sports coupe live up to the name? The answer? Like a breeze.
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| New Subaru XV Is The Real Thing |
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The latest Subaru XV is based on the upcoming new Impreza hatch, but with lower body styling changes, particularly at the front, that give it plenty of character. The dark-grey lower bumper areas and wheel-arch protection mouldings are there not only to add toughness to the XV’s appearance, but also to provide protection when used in off-road conditions.
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| 2012 Kia Soul Review |
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If we had to describe the Kia Soul in one word it would be ‘sensible’. Its square, boxy styling provides all the convenience and practicality that has driven so many buyers towards the booming compact SUV market but does so at a more affordable price.
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| 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Review |
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After our trip to Detroit to report on the important North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) we spent a couple of days in Santa Barbara, California, for a preview drive of the upcoming all-new Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Not just any M-Class, we started right at the top, getting our backsides into the red hot AMG ML 63 version.
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| New Australian Headquarters For Volkswagen |
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In late 2011 Volkswagen Group Australia moved into a brand new $40-million corporate headquarters at Chullora in the western suburbs of Sydney. Built on a 51,000 square metre site it incorporates a large showroom and reception area, parts and accessories warehouse, workshop, training centre for dealer staff, office areas for all business divisions - even a purpose-built café.
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| 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS Roadster Review |
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Undoubtedly the big star of the 2010 European supercar season was the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing, so-called because of the way the open doors looked like a gull about to swoop.
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| Walkinshaw And Irmscher Improve Holdens |
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In 1988 the late Tom Walkinshaw was asked by Holden to produce a high-performance version of the VL Commodore after the company had a major falling out with Peter Brock. These days Walkinshaw Performance is still in the high-performance scene in this country.
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| Brilliant New Holdens? |
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One of the highlights of the recent Detroit motor show was the launch of a pair of brilliant little concept cars. Amidst all the ballyhoo and hype that are features of any American car show these two Chevrolets really grabbed my attention.
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| 2012 Jeep Compass Review |
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If at first you don’t succeed .... this seems to be Chrysler Jeep’s philosophy in re-launching the Jeep Compass to the Australian market. The original Compass was launched here in 2007 but due to average sales disappeared from showrooms in 2009. Now the Compass name is back and the sheetmetal is a compact imitation of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, a vehicle that has exceeded buyer expectations in design, function, engines and build quality.
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| 2012 Mercedes SL Unveiled At Detroit |
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When Mercedes-Benz launched the legendary car that has become known as the first gullwing at the New York Motor Show in 1954 a new era began for the German marque. So it made sense to use the biggest motor show in the USA, that in Detroit, as the showplace to unveil the latest Mercedes-Benz sports model – the 2012 Mercedes SL.
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| Good News For Australian Car Industry |
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By now you will have heard from the daily media the good news that Australian governments have agreed to assist the local car industry during these hard times.I thought you might like to hear about my thoughts from the inside after participating in the two press conferences – firstly with Holden, then with Ford – about co-investment between the government and car makers.
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| Lexus LX570 Upgraded For 2012 |
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People who want a serious 4WD like the Toyota LandCruiser, but find that the Toyota doesn’t have the advanced luxury they desire, often buy a Lexus LX 570 4WD. The two vehicles are closely related, indeed they come down the same assembly line in Japan, but have many changes that give them quite different personalities.
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| Mazda3 Is Australia's Top-Selling Car |
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The Mazda3 took many industry observers by surprise when it pipped Holden at the post to become the number one selling car in Australia in 2011. In the past all the top selling cars in Australia have been locally assembled. In the past 60 years they have usually been to a local design, though some have been major adaptions of overseas models.
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| Tumult In The Car Industry |
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Sales of new vehicles in Australia during 2011 reflected the tumultuous world events of the year. Yet, in a very Australian manner, the new vehicle market bounced back. Despite a slow first half of the year, total sales were over a million yet again – at 1,008,437.
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| Honda Trims Prices On Odyssey |
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Major price cuts have just been announced on the Honda Odyssey and at the same time the people mover has received extra equipment. Selling for just $37,100 (previously $39,100 and at one time $43,990) and with an estimated $2500 worth of gear now standard, Odyssey offers a lot in the seven-seat family car market.
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| Versatile Renault Koleos Gets An Upgrade |
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Renault’s Koleos crossover vehicle in what the company calls its Phase II incarnation. The front end has been beefed up visually with an expansive chrome grille in the place of air intakes and slimmer headlights giving the vehicle much greater road presence. Door mirrors now incorporate LED turn indicators.
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| Once Upon A Car by Bill Vlasic (Book Review) |
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It’s not widely known that General Motors head honcho Rick Wagoner went cap in hand to Ford when things were getting really tough during the global financial crisis, asking the arch rival to join GM, at the time the largest car company in the world, to get together to stave off collapse.
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| Subaru Liberty Has Eyesight |
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Midway through 2010 Subaru invited us to a full days’ demonstration of a prototype version of its EyeSight system. Subaru engineers were in Australia to fine tune EyeSight to unique Australian needs. Now this lifesaving feature has reached production and is installed in the toplne Liberty 3.6R Premium model.
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| 2011 Chery J1 Road Test |
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Just $11,990 buys you a lot of motor car. Chery J1 is a five-door hatchback with seating for four in reasonable comfort. The tall body makes for quite good interior room, though as is normal in a car of this size two adults and two kids is a more reasonable load. We like the styling, it has a cheeky look that almost mini-SUV in its lines
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| Holden Volt Lights Up The Scene |
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Holden Volt, currently on sale in the USA as the Chevrolet Volt takes an interesting new tack in EV design. Though Holden doesn’t like it being referred to as a hybrid, the Volt does have two powerplants; an electric motor and a four-cylinder petrol engine.
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| Subaru Unveils BRZ Coupe |
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Subaru has revealed the production version of its long-anticipated BRZ sports coupe at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Stylish and affordable, the Subaru BRZ is built at Subaru’s Ota plant in Japan as a joint venture with the company’s part-owner, Toyota, and will compete directly against the all-but-identical Toyota 86.
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| Audi Launches 2012 Limited Editions |
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Like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Audi has been busy churning out product like there is no tomorrow. However, there is very much a tomorrow for the German automobile manufacturer as members of the Australian media recently found out.
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| 2012 Toyota 86 Preview |
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Working in close conjunction with Subaru, Toyota stylists and engineers have come up with cars called Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86. The latter gets its name from a Sprinter model tagged the AE86 that was sold during the mid 1980s.
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| 2012 Toyota Camry Review |
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Toyota Camry is aimed at the canny buyer, not at someone craving the excitement of a sports sedan. But the just released seventh generation Camry leans a little more in the sporting direction then ever before.
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| 2012 Renault Koleos Review |
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Renault gives the impression it is treading water. And why not, for next year the French automobile manufacturer will turn motoring in Australia on its head when it introduces the Fluence ZE all-electric car.
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| 2012 Ford Falcon EcoBoost Review |
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Ford Australia has given motoring journalists their first drive of the new EcoBoost Falcon - still in development stage - at the company’s proving grounds in the You Yangs near Geelong.
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| Toyota Putting The Fun Back Into Motoring |
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Japanese automotive giant Toyota wants to put fun back into motoring. Naturally, Toyota being Toyota, it plans to add the fun to vehicles in a socially responsible manner, so one of the new fun oriented vehicles will be a hybrid.
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| 2011 Australia's Best Cars |
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The Australia's Best Cars (ABC) annual awards are becoming increasingly highly regarded by consumers and car makers alike. Vehicles are tested by experts from the state and territory automobile associations; that is the AANT, NRMA, RAASA, RACQ, RACT, RACV and RACWA.
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| 2012 Ford Kuga Review |
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Ford Australia has announced a European replacement called the Kuga for the compact Ford Escape SUV. The five-door Kuga wagon will arrive in March next year near the end of the current model. Ford is hoping the introduction of Kuga name, even late in its model cycle, will help sales when the all new Kuga is released in about 12 months.
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| 2011 Renault Megane Sport 250 Trophee |
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The new Megane Renault Sport 250 comes in two versions – the Cup and the Cup Trophee – both powered by a new generation 2.0-litre 16-valve turbocharged petrol engine pumping out 184 kW of power at 5000 rpm and top torque of 340 Nm from upwards of 3000 revs.
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| 2012 Honda CR-Z Review |
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Honda - that has just launched the new CR-Z hybrid in Australia - has a history of being at the top of the Formula One tree with drivers such as Richie Ginther, John Surtees and Jenson Button delivering a handful of podium positions to cars powered by the Japanese maker’s engines.
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| Even Tougher Toyota LandCruiser |
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Already seen as one of the toughest 4WDs in Australia, Toyota’s LandCruiser 200 has just been made even more robust to cater for those who really mean business. Toyota’s decision to produce a torture-proof LandCruiser 200 was prompted by the mining boom in Western Australia and Queensland.
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| 2011 Land Rover Discovery Road Test |
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Land Rover Discovery 4 is a large spacious vehicle and with interstate visitors for the week in which we road tested the Disco, big was good as we played tour guide in the Gold Coast Hinterland. The current square shape has been around since 2009 – facelifted from Disco 3 – and is pigeon-holed in the love-it-or-hate-it category.
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| 2011 Ford Falcon EcoLPi Review |
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The Ford Falcon range has been given a lift by the addition of a state-of-the-art liquefied petroleum gas engine – the EcoLPi. With a recommended retail price $2500 above that of the standard six-cylinder engine the big Fords offer buyers power, torque and engine performance.
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| 2011 Mitsubishi 4WD Expedition to Lake Eyre |
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When Mitsubishi Motors arrived in Australia 30 years ago it came with less than a handful of products - Sigma and Galant - a head full of dreams and a heart full of hope. They came here by purchasing Chrysler Australia and around 2.2 million vehicles later, both locally manufactured and imported, the company is an integral part of the Australian automobile landscape.
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| 2012 Holden Cruze Hatch Review |
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The small-medium Cruze has been a major success for Holden and is now snapping at the heels of the market leaders in what is a highly-competitive, and growing, segment of the Australian car market. Now with a five-door hatch being added there’s a serious chance that, with the incremental sales that will follow, Cruze could well overtake its Commodore sibling as Australia’s biggest-selling car in the not-too-distant future.
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| 2012 Range Rover Evoque Arrives In Oz |
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Evoque is the smallest and lightest Range Rover ever made, reflecting both a changing market and the need to keep fuel consumption and emissions to a reasonable minimum.
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| New Econo Engines For Audi A6 |
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While too many people are bickering about carbon taxes and emission trading schemes to protect the Earth for future generations, the automobile industry is quietly going about cleaning up its act. Audi is no exception.
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| Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet Re-Launched |
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Earlier this year we reported from Europe on the return of the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, now the soft top has arrived in Australia.
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| 2012 Mitsubishi Challenger 2WD |
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On our weekly jaunt on the Pacific Highway from the Gold Coast to Brisbane to swap road-test cars we get to see which are the vehicles of choice for the thousands of grey nomads circulating Australia at any given time. Naturally, this has quite a bit to do with our test car this week, Mitsubishi’s new Challenger 2WD.
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| 2012 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series GX |
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One of the toughest 4WD rigs going around - Toyota’s LandCruiser 200 Series wagon - has just become more robust to cater for the needs of the mining, farming and serious off-road market. The new turbo-diesel GX is based on the current GXL wagon and becomes the successor to the 100 Series Standard Grade.
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| The First Holden |
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The National Museum of Australia in Canberra has proudly unveiled one of its most prized automotive possessions, the first Holden ever sold. General Motors Holden has the first car built, this one was the first to be retailed.
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| 2012 Mitsubishi Range |
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Mitsubishi has revealed its 2012 model year range with buyers being offered refreshed and upgraded versions of the current stable. As part of the upgrade many models now have reversing cameras standard or optional - in particular the SUV range - as well as Lancer and ASX.
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| 2011 Skoda Yeti Review |
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If it existed, where would you go to see the mysterious yeti, aka the abominable snowman? Tibet? Closer to home? How about the desert of central Australia?
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| Subaru's New Crossover SUV |
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Whereas the Impreza XV is currently classed as a hatchback, the second generation XV has crossed over (hence the X in its name) and will be competing against vehicles such as the Nissan Dualis and Mitsubishi ASX in the Compact SUV segment.
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| Women's 4WD Training Course |
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There was more than a small amount of irony when the small jet landed at Mt Hotham to ferry us back to Sydney after a day of driving Nissan off-roaders on Victoria’s Dargo High Plains.
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| 2012 Subaru Impreza - First Drive |
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Earlier this year we reported from the New York Motor Show on the unveiling of the next generation Subaru Impreza.Following a brief trip to Japan, we’ve been able to see the next generation Subaru Impreza come off the production line and also drive them at Subaru’s SKC research and development complex to the north of Tokyo.
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| New Style For Toyota Yaris |
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With the light car segment booming, the importance of Yaris to Toyota is very significant. Although the Yaris has previously been seen as a 'girls' car, Toyota Australia says the all-new Yaris is also pitched at males. With this in mind, Toyota has included a sportier manual 1.5-litre three-door ZR in the range.
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| 2011 Mazda BT-50 Launched |
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The 2011 BT-50 marks a significant change in direction for Mazda. Until now their utilities have been designed as functional and practical vehicles. Now, in an attempt to chip away at Toyota and Nissan’s dominance of the ute market, Mazda has sexed-up the BT-50.
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| 2012 Citroen C4 Review |
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The Citroen C4 Is virtually all-new and comes Down Under with a choice of four petrol and four diesel versions and three trim and equipment levels. Inside and out the design is completely new. Nothing has been carried over from the model it supersedes.
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| 2011 RACV Motorclassica Review |
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A 1927 Bentley Speed Six purchased at last year's RACV Motorclassica in Melbourne has taken out this years 'Best in Show' Award at the Concours event. The 6.5 litre car - one of only 97 manufactured - underwent a nuts and bolts rebuild from 2005 to 2011 to take the award from a high-class field of 110 classic cars.
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| Volkswagen Steps Up In The Small Car Field |
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One of the most popular cars of all time was the Volkswagen Beetle. Now the German company that produced that model has come up with what it calls the VW up! – complete with an exclamation mark on the badge – that brings back memories of that the long-gone Beetle days.
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| New Jaguar XF 2.2 Offers Outstanding Value |
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Until now, a Jaguar XF would have set you back over $100,000. Jaguar has achieved the low price by introducing a new turbo-diesel engine, as well as taking advantage of the lower Luxury Car Tax (LCT) rate due to its low fuel consumption, and the increased value of the Australian dollar against the UK pound.
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| 2011 BMW 1 Series Launched |
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The second generation of BMW’s smallest passenger car, the 1 Series, has been released in Australia. Predictably enough it’s larger than before, it’s also more powerful, more fuel efficient and better equipped. Yet, thanks largely to the increased value of the Australian dollar, it is also cheaper.
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| 2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer Now In Oz |
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Hyundai’s relentless climb up the automotive ladder, both in terms of sales numbers and quality, has continued with the release of an all-new, Euro-style mid-sized wagon, the Hyundai i40 Tourer. Styling is very much to the fore from Hyundai these days, and the new Hyundai i40 is an excellent example of the new design theme.
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| Lexus Supercar Is Shooting Star |
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The Lexus LFA perches at the pinnacle of the Lexus performance portfolio. Derek Ogden takes the new Lexus LFA supercar for a spin around Sandown Park raceway.
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| Mazda6 Receives Update - And Price Cuts |
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Mazda has announced a revamped Mazda6 lineup to try and lift sales of its popular midsize model. These see additional standard equipment and keener pricing. For the first time, all Mazda6 models now come with leather seat trim and parking sensors as standard.
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| Renault Megane Gets Diesel Option |
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Renault is very strong in Europe, where it sells millions of cars every year, but has never had huge success in other continents. Hence its willingness to throw money at the Australian market by way of marketing campaigns.
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| Lexus CT200h - An Enjoyable Hybrid |
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The Lexus CT200h is possibly best described as a long hatch. There is nothing fancy about the design, just good solid, clean lines with a snappy front and modern rear end. As a petrol/electric hybrid the Lexus CT200h not only combines two technologies, but also gives the driver choices.
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| Mazda's Thrifty New '3 |
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Mazda has added a very important new model to its popular Mazda3 range, one of the biggest selling cars in Australia. Called SP20 SkyActiv, it features some all-new technology designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
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| 2012 Ford Ranger Launched |
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New Ford Ranger is not only to be sold in Australia, but in over other 180 countries worldwide. Yet it’s an Australian design, using Aussie engineering expertise that can trace its way back to 1925 when Fords were first made in this country.
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| 2011 Holden Barina Launched |
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On the outside, the new Barina, Holden says, takes on a more masculine look than previously with a solid stance contributing to driving stability. Motor-cycle-style headlamps flank a two-storey radiator grille designed to keep the under-bonnet temperatures at optimal levels.
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| Skoda Fabia Arrives In Australia |
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Skoda has released the smallest model. The Fabia will compete in the small car segment, taking on the likes of Hyundai i20, Kia Rio Mazda2, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris, VW Polo and quite a few others in one of the hottest of all areas of the car market in this country.
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| 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show |
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Arguably, the Frankfurt Motor Show is the biggest and best of all the global extravaganzas aimed at grabbing the interest of potential car buyers. Let’s take a look at some of the offerings from the 2011 edition.
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| Aussie Cub Campers Hold Back The Import Tide |
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Camper trailers are very much an Australian niche industry given our country’s combination of a high standard of living and rugged outback terrain. With the baby boomer generation now retired or approaching retirement there’s a growing demand for caravans and camper trailers as the grey nomads hit the road.
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| New Falcon: First Details |
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Ford Australia has given the motoring media advanced information on its upcoming FG Falcon MkII well ahead of its launch in early 2012.
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| 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe Review |
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BMW has introduced the hottest of all 1 Series coupes to Australia. Tagged the BMW 1 M Coupe, it joins the BMW M3 and M5 in the excitement stakes. Despite its name, this is a full-house sports model just like its bigger brothers.
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| New Toyota HiLux Launched |
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Toyota HiLux has been a huge seller in Australia for many decades. It’s hard to believe that a light commercial vehicle could be the overall number one seller in this country, but HiLux has achieved this several times in recent years. That’s overall sales we’re talking about, not sales in its class.
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| Revisions To Holden Commodore |
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Holden has upgraded its VE Commodore. Commodore has been number one in the sales race in Australia for more years than the competitors care to remember. So it has deliberately kept changes a visual minimum to cut costs and to put what funds are available into improving engines and transmissions.
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| Tesla On Track |
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Toyota has long been a leader in hybrid technology, so Tesla and Toyota are collaborating in research on battery technology and manufacture, as well as working on improved electric motors and their ancillary components.
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| 2011 Holden Captiva Series II Road Test |
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The eternal battle between Holden and Ford continues on various fronts. The latest skirmish is taking place in the mid-sized SUV market. Anticipating the heavily facelifted Ford Territory that arrived a few weeks back, Holden introduced a series of changes to its Captiva earlier in the year.
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| New Kia Rio - Bigger And Better |
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An all-new Kia Rio has been launched in Australia and the importer has high hopes for significantly improved sales in one of the strongest segments in our market. The five-door Rio hatchback is on sale now. Three-door hatches and four-door sedans will arrive in early 2012.
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| Lotus Slashes Prices |
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Every Lotus has had its price cut significantly, with the range now starting at just $67,990 for the Lotus Elise, a price drop of $8000. Elise SC now comes as standard with a Sports Pack that was previously an option. In this guise the SC is $23,000 cheaper, with a rrp of $77,990.
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| Tesla Roadster Review |
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If I’d have been told five years ago that in 2011 I’d be hitting 160 km/h on the front straight at Queensland Raceway in an all-electric powered roadster called a Tesla those famous words from the movie, ‘The Castle’ would have been uttered: “Tell ‘em they’re dreamin’.”
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| Mercedes SLK Takes An Aggressive Stance |
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New Mercedes-Benz SLK has stunning styling that makes it look almost like a smaller version of the AMG SLS sports machine. Not the Gullwing with its swing-up doors, but the about to be introduced SLS roadster.
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| 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe |
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Mercedes now has a full range of coupes, with the C-Class joining big brothers E-Class and CL-Class. In hindsight it’s surprising that Mercedes-Benz hasn’t had a C-Class coupe until now. Mid-sized coupes add a halo effect to any range of cars, especially these at the top end.
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| First Look: New Toyota Camry |
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Hot on the heels of an over-the-top global reveal at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Toyota Australia has shown Australian media the all-new Camry range. This is an extremely important model for Toyota Australia as Camry is built in this country, at Altona in Melbourne.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Review |
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Volkswagen has launched what it calls an ‘independent’ Jetta. Meaning that for the first time, it shares no body components with the closely technically-related VW Golf. Volkswagen trimmed a significant $4500 from the price of the entry-level model in comparison with the superseded Jetta .
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| New Boss At Isuzu Ute Australia |
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Almost three years after launching the D-Max one-tonne ute in this country, there is a changing of the guard at the top of Isuzu Ute Australia, with founding managing director Hitoshi Kono heading back to Tokyo.
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| Suzuki Swift Sport Revealed |
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Suzuki’s Swift Sport has been eagerly awaited by lovers of the quickest offerings from the Japanese marque famed for its small car technology. With 100 kilowatts of power from its 1.6-litre engine, the Swift Sport will have some 35 per cent more grunt than the standard 1.4-litre version.
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| Subaru XV Is Going Into Production |
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It’s no longer a dream, it’s going to be a reality. When we saw the Subaru XV Concept at the recent AIMS (Australian International Motor Show)we instantly fell in love with it. Now, the Japanese company has announced the Subaru XV will go into production.
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| 2011 FPV GT Black |
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A few weeks back we ended our story on the stunning concept FPV V8 displayed at the Melbourne Motor Show by saying, “Let’s hope we see this ultra-hot FPV Concept turned into the real deal one day soon.” Our wishes have quickly come true as FPV has announced the concept will be put into production, and called the GT Black.
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| 2011 Hyundai Accent Launched |
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an all-new Hyundai Accent has been introduced to Australia, meaning that the South Korean marque has, for the time being at least, five models spanning the $14,000 to $20,000 price bracket. Hyundai has made its name on bargain pricing, but is keen to lift its image from being a maker of cut-price machines to that of a serious player in the global automotive market.
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| 2011 VW Caddy 4MOTION Review |
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Tiger Woods may have sacked his caddy but there is no way known Volkswagen would think of axing its Caddy Maxi range, the clever and compact van and people mover. In fact it has just enhanced the vehicle with the addition of VW’s 4MOTION all wheel drive system connected to a six speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG).
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| Toyota LandCruiser Altitude Limited Edition |
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As the Japanese automotive industry continues its fightback from the utter devastation caused by the terrible tsunami we are seeing the introduction of several special models to promote sales. Toyota has just announced a special edition LandCruiser 200 Series called the Altitude.
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| Safe, Safer, Safest |
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We recently spent at day at Sydney’s Eastern Creek raceway revisiting and/or familiarising ourselves with many of Volvo’s innovative safety features in the new S60 sedan. In four hours at the track we were able to carry out a number of tests and came away impressed by the thinking and engineering behind the features detailed in this review.
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| Special Edition VW Golf GTi |
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Volkswagen is celebrating the Golf GTi’s ongoing success with a limited edition – called Edition 35 – with Australia getting an allocation of 200 of the variant. VW has squeezed another 18 kW out of the standard GTi engine to 173 kW, plus upped the torque to 300 Nm from 280 Nm. The car will be available from September with dealers ready to take orders now.
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| 2011 Ford Focus Launched |
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Ford Australia has high hopes for its just released new Focus. Promoting the fact that it’s oriented towards Europe rather than Asia, with all that means in the way of style and handling dynamics.
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| Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series |
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AMG’s Black Series – it refers to the engineering quality, not the colour – sits at the pinnacle of the prestigious German marque’s range. The Series has only been on the market for five years, but in that time has gained an excellent reputation for engineering and competence.
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| Tom Kristensen On Ice |
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Dane Tom Kristensen, as winner of eight 24 hour at Le Mans races - the most by any driver - is not known for his prowess on surfaces other than bitumen. Not to us in Australia anyway. The hint that he may be as capable on ice or snow comes in the first word of this story. He’s a Dane and they apparently have plenty of the white fluffy stuff in that northern European country.
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| 2011 Mitsubishi ASX Road Test |
Mitsubishi’s ASX is either a compact SUV or a crossover depending on its mechanical specifications. When it comes with 2WD it’s a hatchback with good interior space and better than average ground clearance. Add 4WD and you get some reasonable ability off sealed surfaces.
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| 2011 Peugeot 508 Review |
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The Peugeot 508 is a serious attempt by the French marque to recapture a major portion of what it considers its heartland – the grand touring segment. The all-new model sits in size between the 407 and 607 and supersedes them.
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| 2011 Ford Falcon EcoLPi Review |
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Ford has long been a leader in automotive LPG systems in Australia so it’s no surprise that the latest LPG Falcon is one of the most technically advanced in the world. As it’s cleaner burning than petrol, there are government incentives to make it economically worthwhile.
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| 2011 Saab 9-3X Road Test |
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Saab, the proud Swedish aircraft and automobile marque is undergoing a revival worldwide and nowhere more so than in Australia. Our week’s review of the Saab 9-3X Sport Wagon reminded us of the strengths of a car company that continues to take a different line to others.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Touareg |
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Volkswagen’s designers have given the new Touareg a neater, cleaner look that ties in nicely with current thinking on SUV design. Owners, particularly in Europe, no longer want to be seen in big macho 4WDs, but do like the convenience of a voluminous body.
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| Audi's All-New Q3 Coming |
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Making its world debut at the Shanghai Motor Show only a few weeks ago, the Audi Q3 is the latest entrant in the upmarket crossover SUV segment. A market area that is growing in leaps and bounds as buyers move to smaller, more economical vehicles, but still want decent interior space.
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| 2011 AIMS Ford FPV Show Car |
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Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) showed its first ever concept car at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne. Looking sinister in a menacing all-black manner, the FPV GT Concept had a matte black stripe on the bonnet, rear wing and the race-style rear diffuser.
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| 2011 Ferrari Califronia HELE Road Test |
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The HELE (High Emotion Low Emissions) package on the Ferrari California has just gone on sale in Australia. With changes to the body aerodynamics, engine operation, transmission settings and electrical system, the stunning Italian convertible has reduced fuel usage and CO2 emissions.
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| 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS Road Test |
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Mercedes-Benz has given the new 2011 CLS a more aggressive look particularly at the front where the grille is relatively upright and carries themes from the stunning Mercedes-Benz SLS Gullwing AMG.
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| Hyundai's Futuristic New Elantra |
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Building on a theme introduced by Mercedes-Benz with its CLS four-door coupe, the Hyundai Elantra takes the sleek, fluid look to new heights. Just look at its domed roof and sharply delineated side design to see what we mean.
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| 2011 Australian International Motor Show |
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The 2011 Melbourne motor show, or the Australian International Motor Show to use the official title,has a brilliant display of exciting supercars.
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| Nissan Murano Gets Fresh New Face |
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Nissan Murano is aimed at those who want the interior space and high driving position of an SUV, but who aren’t interested in the macho image offered by just about everything else in this class.
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| 2011 FPV GT E Road Test |
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It seems the days of the Falcon are numbered, however, if the new GT E is anything to go by, the Ford Aussie favourite will not be going out with a whimper but with a bloody big roar.
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| 2011 Mitsubishi Pajero RX Limited Edition |
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Mitsubishi has introduced a limited edition Pajero called, without a great deal of imagination, the Limited Edition Pajero RX. This new model is aimed at top end 4WD buyers, so is based on the already well-specified Mitsubishi Pajero GLX.
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| 2012 Renault Fluence Zero Emission |
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Renault has just announced that it will be importing an electric version of its Fluence four-door sedan to Australia in the second half of next year. Called the Fluence Z.E. (Zero Emission) it will go on general sale in the fourth quarter.
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| Senna - The Movie |
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I’ve just been to a preview of a documentary movie, simply called ‘Senna’ - the makers knew the name was enough and there was no need to expand the title beyond that.
‘Senna’ will be introduced to a star-studded audience at a special preview on July 20, hosted by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, with Universal Pictures, at the Crown Complex in Melbourne. The national release will be on August 11
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| 2011 Mazda CX-9 Now Comes With 2WD |
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Mazda has joined the two-wheel-drive SUV brigade by introducing a 2WD version of its previously AWD-only CX-9. This is great news for those wanting a big, spacious wagon, but who have no desire to ever take it off the beaten track.
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| Budget-Priced Beemers |
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Though the BMW 3 Series is getting on in years and is due to be replaced by an all-new model about this time next year, it still looks reasonably up to date. That’s partly due to a minor, but effective, facelift this time last year.
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| 2011 Land Rover Discovery Road Test |
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On the open road, the recently revised Discovery 4 is relatively free from external annoyances such as engine and road noise, while the armchair-like leather covered seats and quality material surroundings made for a classy, clubby atmosphere.
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| First Pics: 2011 BMW 1 Series |
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BMW has released the first official shots of the second generation 1 Series. There’s a definite touch of crossover SUV in the shape, presumably to eke out more space inside. Which is no bad thing because a well styled crossover can be attractive.
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| Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Vehicle |
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Mitsubishi’s plug-in electric car, i-MiEV will hit capital city showrooms in August despite no Federal Government incentives or policies in support of the vehicle. Australia will be the first market in the world to take i-MiEV without financial incentives to encourage buyers into the wagon, the first plug-in all-electric car to be released here by any maker.
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| 2011 Audi A1 Sport Review |
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Audi has added more depth to its A1 menu with a feisty A1 TFSI Sport launched last week to be followed later in the year by a 1.6 litre turbo diesel variant. The A1 was launched earlier this year with a single 1.4 litre FTSI model taking on the might of BMW’s Mini that has five variants in the exclusive premium compact segment. Since launch the A1 and Mini have gone neck-and-neck in the sales race with A1 slightly in front. The new Audi A1 Sport is in direct competition with Mini Cooper S.
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| 2011 Ford Focus Preview |
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Ford Focus is a very important model to Ford Australia. As sales of the Falcon continue to dwindle the company will need to rely on the small-medium Focus to take up a fair bit of the slack.
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| 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster |
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It has been an open secret for some time that Mercedes-Benz and AMG have been working on a roadster version of the stunning SLS Gullwing.
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| First Australian Drive: Nissan Leaf |
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Nissan’s electric car, with the green name of Leaf was reviewed by us from Europe two months ago. Now we have had our first Australian drive of what the Japanese giant considers to be the way of the future for many people.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Eos Review |
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Volkswagen has lifted the lid on the latest version of its Eos convertible/coupe, making it sharper in looks and performance than the original launched in Australia in 2007. Built in Portugal alongside the Sirocco coupe – no doubt to the advantage of that country’s ailing economy – the Eos comes with petrol or diesel engines mated solely with the DSG automatic transmission.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Amarok 2WD Road Test |
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Our review this week is of the Volkswagen Amarok, the newest pickup on the Australian market. The Amarok we tested is the 2WD low cost model. Like the rest of the Amarok range it has a twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine and a five-star NCAP safety rating.
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| 2011 VolkswagenGolf BlueMotion |
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The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion has arrived in Australia. The German automobile giant says the economy Golf uses only 3.8 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres while emitting a mere 99 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide when measured on the official driving cycle.
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| A Brace Of New Ferraris |
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Exciting things are happening in the world of Ferrari - which is hardly an exceptional circumstance in what is arguably the best known of all sports and racing car marques - with a pair of interesting new models coming onto the Australian scene.
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| Mercedes C-Class Has Added Sophistication |
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The latest Mercedes-Benz C-Class has gone on sale in Australia, only weeks after being launched in Europe. This is not an all-new model, but there are so many changes that it almost deserves to be regarded as one. Something like 2000 components have either been replaced or modified.
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| Honda Upgrades Jazz For 2011 |
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Honda recently facelifted the Jazz to give it a cheekier look, doing so by altering the shape of the radiator grille and giving it the sporty mesh look that’s all the rage at the moment. At the same time the taillights got the bright look of LED.
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| 2011 Skoda Yeti Coming To Australia |
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Skoda Yeti has been a big hit in Europe since it was launched by the Czech car maker at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The Australian importer has finally managed to push its way into the queue and Yeti will be downunder at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne at the end of June.
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| Simply Sensational, The Jaguar C-X75 |
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When we spoke to Jaguar’s design chief Ian Callum at his unveiling of the Jaguar C-X75 concept car at the 2010 Paris Motor Show he denied it would go into production. However, the Jaguar supercar, styled in celebration of the British marque’s 75th anniversary has received so much praise that it may be revived and turned into reality.
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| Skoda Set For Big Expansion |
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Czech car maker Skoda feels it’s time to significantly expand its presence in the Australian market. Though it has been here since October 2007, Skoda originally concentrated on midlevel models like the Octavia and Superb. Now it wants to move into the affordable segments, particularly those showing high growth rates.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet Launched |
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The lines of the new Volkswagen Golf cabriolet work brilliantly. The sharp-edged theme which is being introduced across the entire VW range, even including the new Amarok pickup are especially suited to this open-top Golf.
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| 2011 Kia Sorento Road Test and Review |
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Kia latest Sorento 4WD has bowed to buyer pressure by leaning in the direction of crossover SUV rather than being a pure 4WD as it had been previously. As only a tiny number of buyers are looking for a ‘real’ 4WD, the on-road comfort provided by the new generation Sorento will appeal to many.
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| 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Road Test |
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The Porsche 911 GT3 RS4.0 has the most powerful naturally aspirated engine from Porsche, producing a neat 500 horsepower at a sky high 8250 rpm, 368 kW in Australia terms, a big output from 4.0 litres. Porsche Cars Australia will bring a very limited number of the hot 911 GT3 RS 4.0 to this country. Only 600 are being built and PCA anticipates it can’t please more than 10 Australian enthusiasts.
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| 2011 Toyota Aurion White Review |
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Toyota Aurion White is based on the Aurion Prodigy and has $3000 in additional features while selling at the same price as the Prodigy on which it is based. With a recommended retail price is $44,990 you get a lot of Australian-made car for your money.
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| 2011 Ford Focus RS Road Test |
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The Focus RS was put together by a dedicated team of designers and engineers in Europe. The aim was to create a car that could trade lap times with more exotic vehicles and be a benchmark for performance and value for money.
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| 2011 Subaru XV Concept Looks Tough |
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At the world debut of the all-new Subaru Impreza at the New York Auto Show last week we couldn't help but think the hatchback / station wagon body was crying out for an all-new variant with just this off-road theme. The crisp lines of the new generation Impreza are a welcome release from the somewhat mundane looks of Imprezas of recent years.
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| JAC Trucks Pass Their First Test |
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The next wave of vehicles from China will be arriving in Australia soon. From JAC comes a range of light and medium duty trucks as well as a commercial van and passenger cars.
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| 2011 Mini Countryman Now With Diesel Power |
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Mini launched its all-new Countryman in Australia in January, but only with petrol engines. The local dealers expected to receive imports of turbo-diesel variants in February but heavy demand overseas has seen delays and only now are the first turbo-diesel engines arriving on our shores.
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| 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Coming To Oz |
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The new Holden, or rather new Chevrolet, Malibu sedan is a medium-to-large sedan that was unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show just days before making its home debut at the New York Auto Show.
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| First Drive Of The 2011 BMW 6 Series Convertible |
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The coming of BMW’s new 6 Series Convertible marks the getting together of performance and frugality with the added bonus of comfort and luxury. A marriage made in heaven, perhaps.
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| 2011 Subaru Impreza Revealed at New York |
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We've just witnessed the latest Subaru Impreza being launched at the New York Auto Show. To celebrate the occasion, the Subaru presentation featured stunning 3D video of the type we have never experienced in the countless unveilings we have witnessed over many years.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Passat Review |
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The latest, seventh generation, version of the Passat has now arrived here following its unveiling at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. While the new generation name infers that it’s an all-new car, the 2011 Passat is really just an upgrade of the sixth generation model that’s been here since 2006.
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| 2011 Ford Falcon G6E Turbo Test Drive |
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The hero of the sports luxury Ford Falcon line-up, the G6E Turbo, is differentiated from the G6E by a range of performance-oriented features, including the I6 Turbo engine that produces 270 kW of power and 533 Nm of torque, mated with a ZF six-speed automatic transmission.
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| First Drive Of The 2011 Renault Latitude |
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Renault’s has introduced yet another model in Australia, entering the medium-large family car market with a sedan called Latitude. The Renault Latitude is built in conjunction with the French marque’s Asian partner Samsung Motors and is built in South Korea. Thus the Latitude benefits from lower production costs, but at the same time enjoys European engineering expertise.
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| Saab Is Back In Australia |
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Saab is back from the brink, much to the delight of the enthusiasts of the Swedish marque. People who are very individualistic and passionate not only about their cars but about their lifestyles.
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| 2011 Skoda Octavia Scout DSG Road Test |
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Skoda's Octavia Scout 4X4 now comes with a DSG automatic transmission as well as the six-speed manual that's been the only transmission option up until now.
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| 2011 Mazda MX-5 Road Test |
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The introduction of the Mazda MX-5 was one of the most important automotive events of the late 20th century. An affordable rear-drive, two-seat roadster, it hit the road running in 1989, sprinting into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's best-selling soft top open two-seat sports car.
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| Mercedes Hydrogen Car - First Drive |
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Mercedes-Benz believes electric cars are the way of the future. Well aware that short range and long refuelling times are the biggest drawbacks of electric power, Benz is showing an alternative way of powering electric vehicles - producing cars that make their own electricity as they travel along.
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| We Road Test The New Territory |
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The big news with the 2011 Ford Territory is, of course, the option of a turbo-diesel engine, something that has been called for for years because the original petrol engine was a gas guzzler. The diesel is a 2.7-litre V6 diesel and runs a single turbocharger.
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| 2011 Tesla Roadster: First Drive |
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Tesla Roadster 2.5 is a pure electric sportscar which is similar in size to a Mazda MX-5, yet has performance more akin to that of a Ferrari or Porsche. The Tesla can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
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| 2011 Volvo V60 Review And Road Test |
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Volvo has added a third station wagon variant to its range with the release of its all-new V60 model. Built on the same platform as the S60 sedan that was launched here late last year, the V60 sits between the Swedish company’s V50 and V70 models.
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| 2011 Lexus CT200h Review |
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Lexus may not thank us for beginning a story on its new CT200h hatchback by talking about the price. But starting at just $39,990, plus on-road costs, means the new Lexus CT200h puts it within reach of far more buyers. The Lexus CT200h is one third of the price of the Lexus GS450h sedan.
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| 2011 Holden Cruze Hatchback - First Pics |
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When we attended the national press launch of the Holden Cruze Series II sedan last week, Holden gave us a very quick glimpse of the five-door hatch version that will be introduced late this year. Like the sedan, the new Cruze hatchback will be built in Australia so is a vitally important vehicle for Holden.
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| Carmakers Back The World Game |
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Despite the disappointment of missing out on hosting the 2022 World Cup, football in Australia continues to increase in popularity and two of the country’s leading car companies are at the forefront of the promotion of the world’s most popular sport.
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| 2011 Ford Ranger Preview |
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The Ford Ranger pickup / ute is the largest-ever automotive design and engineering export project ever undertaken in Australia. The light commercials engineered here will be used in about 180 countries, many where utes are the top selling vehicles. Where a ute is a working vehicle as well as a family car, even a bus without a roof into which an enormous number of passengers are loaded.
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| Infiniti Coming To Australia |
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Infiniti is Nissan’s upmarket marque in the same way that Lexus operates to sell top end models in the Toyota empire. It’s still early days for Infiniti Cars Australia and a lot of work has to be done before imports commence midway through 2012.
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| 2011 Audi A7 Sportback Launched |
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Audi has launched its all-new A7 Sportback, a niche model that squeezes into the space between the German company’s A6 and A8 models although it differs from these models in that it is a hatchback with a decidedly sporty look and feel.
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| 2011 Holden Cruze Series II Launched |
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Holden is building a small four-cylinder car in Australia for the first time in too many years. The latest Holden Cruze was previously imported from a Daewoo plant in South Korea, but is now being produced in Holden’s Adelaide factory.
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| 2011 Volvo C30 DRIVe Longterm Road Test |
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We have been running a Volvo C30 DRIVe for the past three months to carry out a real-world long term test on this ultra-economy version of the pretty little Swedish coupe.
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| 2011 BMW X3 Review And Road Test |
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The SUV market is very important to BMW Australia as around one third of all its sales are in this category. Previously the mid-sized BMW X3 hasn’t had quite the sales success of the big X5, but the just launched second generation version is significantly larger than the outgoing model.
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| 2011 Ford Territory Diesel Engine Announced |
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Arguably it’s running about five years late, but Ford Territory is about to get a diesel engine. The delay has been due to the fact that Americans don’t like diesels in passenger vehicles and was exacerbated by the GFC that cut research budgets at about the time Australian Ford had finally got the message to head office in Detroit that a diesel downunder would be a good thing.
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| 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK Review |
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Mercedes-Benz has released the third-generation of its SLK sports car and we were amongst something like 1500 journalists invited to the world launch in Tenerife on the Canary Islands. Such is the importance of the Australian market to Mercedes that we were on pole position, alongside our friends from the USA and China, the latter a market for prestige cars that is growing at a staggering rate.
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| 2011 Mercedes-Benz G55 And G350 |
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Mercedes-Benz has unleashed a beast - the new G55 AMG G-Class - that combines high-performance, luxury and extraordinary off-road 4WD capability - in a brutal package. G-Class Mercedes wagons have not been sold in Australia since the mid 1980s. They are back with a vengeance with two variants, the G55 and a slightly less formidable G 350 BlueTEC diesel.
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| 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser Review |
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VW did it with the Beetle, BMW with the Mini, Fiat with the Bambino and now it’s Japan’s turn to pay homage to one of its legends - the FJ 40 LandCruiser. Toyota has launched the FJ Cruiser in Australia, fittingly in the rugged terrain of the Flinders Ranges, north of Adelaide.
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| Isuzu D-Max Ute Tested In The Suburbs |
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Our test car was the Isuzu D-Max LS-U five-speed manual variant which will set you back $42,500 before on-roads. We also hear Isuzu is about to release a limited-edition special variant based on the LS-U with quite a bit more fruit, but at a minimal price increase. The LS-U dual cab is the closest thing Isuzu has to a sports model and has colour-coded bumpers, alloy wheels, chrome rear view mirrors with indicators with our test car also brandishing trendy roof rails.
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| Major Updates To Mercedes-Benz C-Class |
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Mercedes-Benz has made major revisions to its mid-size C-Class range. We were invited to the international global review of the model in Tenerife in the Canary Islands to get advanced information on a model that’s very important to the German marque.
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| Nissan’s New Green Leaf |
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Nissan considers electric cars to be the way of the future for a great number of drivers. This was made very clear when we interviewed Carlos Ghosn on the subject of the future of personal transport two years ago. The aptly named Nissan Leaf is the Japanese marque’s answer to reduction of air pollution, as well as cutting our reliance on oil coming from places where supply isn’t always certain.
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| Stunners At Geneva Motor Show |
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The Geneva Motor Show is arguably the most exciting of them all from a styling point of view. It may be cold and grey in the Swiss city that sits in the middle of Europe, but car makers go all out to impress the buying public, as well as to upstage one another. Here are some of the visual highlights of the show:
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| 2011 VW Amarok Review |
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Volkswagen’s eagerly awaited Amarok one-tonne ute/pickup has finally arrived in Australia. Initial sales were expected to take place late in 2010 but overseas interest has been so high Amarok was delayed until now.
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| Porsche Panamera S Hybrid |
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Porsche made its name through high-performance vehicles, but is very much aware of the need to get the best out of each litre of fuel. This is obviously important on the racetrack where one fewer fuel stop in an event like the famed Le Mans 24-hour race can make all the difference between victory and ignominy.
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| Mercedes’ Ultra-Clean S-Class |
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Mercedes-Benz has introduced ultra-clean S-Class models to Australia. So environmentally friendly are these cars that they already meet European stage 6 emission regulations that don’t come into force until 2014. These big S-Class Benzes are so far ahead of their time that dates for these tough regulations have yet to be set in Australia
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| Holden’s Captivating New Captiva |
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With a heavily facelifted Ford Territory showing up on the radar screen Holden has released the Series II version of its own mid-sized Captiva SUV with three new engine choices, six-speed transmissions, safety improvements and revised styling.
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| New Diesel Engine For Range Rover Vogue |
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When it comes to luxury vehicles that can also handle tough off-road conditions, one name stands unchallenged and has done so for 40 years: Range Rover. Effectively the first ever SUV, although it was to be a couple of decades before the name came into use, Range Rover has continued to set the pace in features and performance against a growing number of competitors
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| SsangYong Korando Takes New Route |
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SsangYong’s new Korando opens a new styling era for the South Korean company. With famed Italian styling house Italdesign-Giugiaro penning the shape, new Korando is much more mainstream in looks than the ‘interesting’ previous designs from SsangYong.
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| Mazda Displays Stunning New Technology |
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Australia is one of the world’s most important markets to Mazda. So it comes as no surprise that local motoring journalists have been given an in-depth review of major engineering changes of upcoming Mazda models. Mazda’s Skyactiv project covers all aspects of vehicle design and we were honoured to have senior members of the Japanese team visit our shores.
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| New Swift – The Same But Better |
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The designers of the latest Suzuki Swift clearly adhere to the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, because, despite the styling of the popular little hatch being nearly six years old, the new model is barely distinguishable from its predecessor. While this drew some implied criticism from some quarters at the recent Swift launch we were delighted, because the little Suzuki has long been one of our favourites both in looks and performance.
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| Ford Territory Gets A Major Redesign |
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The upcoming new Ford Territory has leapt to the front of the styling stakes. So wide ranging are the changes to the body that Ford Australia put on a major automotive media event to show off the styling of the only SUV designed and built in this country. Apart from the roof every exterior visible panel is different, though the changes to the lower sections of the doors are minimal and hard to spot.
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| Land Rover Freshens Up Freelander |
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Land Rover has given its Freelander SUV a mid-life upgrade with a few minor exterior changes such as revised front bumper and grille, tailgate design and new alloy wheels as well as a new seat style. The more important changes are under the bonnet where it now comes with an upgraded turbo-diesel engine.
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| Mercedes Adds Verve And Value To Vito |
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Mercedes-Benz has given its Vito range of vans a thorough makeover for the 2011 model year. Though there has been a big emphasis on new engines and safety features, what surprised us most was the upmarket appearance of these light commercials.
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| New Jeep Grand Cherokee Offers Excellent Value |
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Jeep vehicles have evolved over the years to the stage where its flagship Grand Cherokee is in the higher-echelon of luxury SUVs. Which is not something that pleases died-in-the-wool Jeep fans, but a necessity in the modern era. The first new vehicle to be released in what will be a busy anniversary year for Jeep is an all-new version of the Grand Cherokee which has a new V6 engine, off-road enhancements and very competitive pricing.
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| New Subaru Forester Gets Heat Treatment |
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Subaru has added an interesting new variant to its Forester SUV range. Tagged S-Edition it follows the same sporting track as hot SUVs from the big German marques. While we aren’t suggesting the quick Forester will challenge the hotrod SUVs built by BMW M Sport or Mercedes AMG, the Subaru is priced from ‘only‘ $50,990, which is less than a third of the price of the Germans.
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| Volkswagen Shows Ultra-Economy Concept Car |
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The Qatar Motor Show seems like an odd place for Volkswagen to hold the world debut of an ultra-economy car. After all Qatar is one of the world’s richest countries and its wealth has mainly been gained by selling oil and gas. Perhaps VW is sending a message to oil suppliers that less of their products will be required due to major advances in technology.
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| Ferrari F150 And FF |
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Though it’s the world’s best known maker of sports and racing cars, Ferrari isn’t afraid to experiment with new ideas in style and mechanical layout. Just take a look at the stunning new Ferrari FF to witness a revolution from the revolutionary Italians in Maranello.
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| Money Saving Offer On Renault Koleos |
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Renault is pushing hard to succeed in Australia with a new management team, a heavily revised model range and some other enticements to draw people into French showrooms in this country. The latest showroom deal being offered by Renault in Australia is free services for the first three years on the Koleos crossover.
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| BMW’s New Touring Added To 5 Series Range |
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BMW Australia has introduced a station wagon to its popular 5 Series range. Tagged the Touring in BMW speak, the subject of this review is a stylish machine that can be put to many practical uses.
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| Kia Optimises Its New Optima |
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Kia has introduced an entirely new Optima four-door sedan to Australia. One that breaks new grounds in styling, with the most striking shape yet to be produced by the South Korean company’s German designer Peter Schreyer.
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| Alfa Romeo Giulietta |
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Names are back in the Alfa Romeo lineup, and isn’t it great? I’m not sure why the Italian marque chose to go all German a few years ago, coming up with models with names like 156, 157, 147 (yawn!) and the like, but the company has finally returned to names.
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| Mini Countryman About To Land |
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Mini is about to enter a market segment it has never before attempted, with a small SUV called the Mini Countryman. While it could be argued that the Mini Moke that was built in Australia until the early 1980s could be classed as an SUV, the new Countryman has many features not seen in the cute little Aussie Moke.
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| Isuzu D-Max Farm Mate |
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Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) has introduced special edition D-Max 4WD cab-chassis models called the Farm Mate. Available only to ABN holders, the D-Max Farm Mate pack has accessories that normally cost about $5000 fitted as standard.
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| 1942 Dodge WC 54 US Ambulance Review |
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Everyone who watched the hit TV series `MASH' in the 1970s and 80s would be familiar with our featured vehicle, a 1942 Dodge 3/4 tonne WC54 ambulance. These vehicles also starred in many movies including The Thin Red Line (1998), Battle of the Bulge (1965), Memphis Belle (1990) and Patton (1970).
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| 2011 Nissan X-Trail Ti Review |
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When we hear the X-Trail mentioned we think of the practical Nissan family wagon with some off-road ability. Others have described it as boring. The X-Trail is celebrating 10 years in Australia and more than 100,000 in sales go to prove one thing: You don’t have to be fancy to gain a loyal following. Our review car was the Ti variant of the X-Trail which gained a mid-life facelift late last year.
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| Hyundai’s Stunning New Veloster |
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South Korean giant Hyundai used the North American International Auto Show (usually called simply The Detroit Motor Show) as the site to let the buying public review a stunning new coupe. Called Hyundai Veloster, the coupe has the most stunning lines we have seen for many a year. The Hyundai guys want to be major players on the world scene, and not just in the mundane hatchback end of market. Hence their attempt to leap to the attention of the public with what some may term outrageous styling.
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| Tesla Roadster Arrives In Australia |
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Tesla Roadster has just surprised many by going on sale in Australia in early January. While we have been hearing reports from the USA about this high-performance electric sportscar for a couple of years, few anticipated it making its way downunder as quickly as this.
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| Toyota Expands Prius Range |
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The Toyota Prius was designed back in the late 1990s to only use its electric motor in very limited situations to supplement the petrol engine. The big advantage of the Prius system was its ability to recover energy under braking and deceleration.
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| Opel Returning To Australia |
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Opel cars have been sold in Australia since the 1970s, but most buyers were unaware of them because they invariably carried Holden badges. Now Holden has taken an interesting new direction by announcing that it will again import Opels to Australia, but this time will use the name Opel rather than rebranding them as Holden.
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| Is This Ford’s New Escape? |
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Ford has shown the motoring media concept drawings of an SUV that’s smaller than the Territory and which will presumably replace the long-running Ford Escape. Ford’s Vertrek concept has a large grille area similar to that of the updated Territory so it looks as though Ford is going for the global theme
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| The Autobiography Of Pedr Davis |
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If you enjoyed reading about cars anytime during the 1950s through to the early 2000s then the name Pedr Davis is sure to be familiar to you. During six decades, Pedr wrote numerous newspaper and magazine articles as well as quite a few books.
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| Australia’s Automotive Industry Leading The Way |
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The Australian automotive industry is one of the key indicators of how well, or otherwise, the economy of our great country is going. Only days into January industry statistician Vfacts has issued some fine numbers that auger well for the future with total vehicle sales for 2010 of 1,035,574, up by 100,000 on the 2009 total.
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| Major Changes To Mercedes C-Class |
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Mercedes-Benz has given potential buyers a sneak peek at the upcoming changes to the C-Class range. The car won’t be on sale in Europe for several months and Australian sales are scheduled for the middle of 2011, but teaser pics together with a lot of technical information have been made public.
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| Nissan X-Trail Now Offered With 2WD |
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Nissan Australia is finally bringing two-wheel drive versions of its X-Trail SUV to Australia. For many years, and close to 100,000, sales the Nissan X-Trail has been seen as one of the toughest of the compacts 4WDs.
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| Volvo C30 DRIVe Update |
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Our longterm Volvo C30 DRIVe, the super economy model, remains delightful to drive and for the past two months has ticked along with nary a whimper, except in one way. The Auto-stop system that switches off the engine when the car is stationary to save fuel, stopped working.
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| A Tale Of Two Fords |
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Ford Australia has released two shots of vehicles it wants you to know nothing about. Well, almost nothing about, or it wouldn't have put out the publicity shots in the first place…
Lycra ‘body suits’ have been designed for the upcoming Ford Ranger pickup, as well to for the aforementioned Ford Territory so they can be sneaked onto roads in the outback for powerplant, suspension and other testing.
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| Packard Clipper History and Review |
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When a car acquires a nickname as unflattering as the `Pregnant Elephant’ there’s a fair chance the image of the company that made that vehicle may suffer. Welcome to the world of the 1948 Packard Clipper.
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| Alfa Romeo 159 Gets New Engine |
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The number 1750 is a notable one in the history of Alfa Romeo. Berlina sedans, GTV coupes and Spider convertibles carried used a beautiful 1.75 litre powerplant that brings back memories of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Now the 1750 is back in Australia, this time in a model in the Alfa Romeo 159 range.
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| Suzuki Dominates The Indian Automotive Scene |
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We have just returned from a fascinating visit to India by courtesy of Suzuki Australia. With three other journalists I was there as a guest of Maruti Suzuki, the company that manufactures Suzuki Altos that are sold in Australia. Other models are likely to follow later, though Maruti Suzuki is flat out meeting the demands of its local market at this stage.
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| Holden Chief Sees Good Times Ahead |
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Holden’s new chairman and general manager, Mike Devereux has created an air of optimism around the company that hasn’t been there in recent years. The first, and most important, reason for this optimism is that coming off what the Holden CEO described as “the toughest 18 months in Holden’s history”, the company will report a profit for the first time in five years.
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| New Renault Kangoo Bounces In |
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The new generation Renault Kangoo van range has bounced into Australia. Though the Kangoo has been the best-selling vehicle in this hotly contested market segment in Europe for the past 12 years it has never really hit it off in Australia. It will be interesting to see if the new Australian Renault team will be able to lift its image here.
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| Suzuki’s Stunning New Swift |
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“Thank goodness for that,” was our first statement after viewing the all-new Suzuki Swift at the Japanese company’s Ryuyo Proving Ground 250 kilometres west of Tokyo (by way of a bullet train moving at over 300 km/h!). That’s because the Suzuki Swift’s stylists have resisted the temptation to pen an altogether different shape.
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| 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo TCT Review |
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As Volkswagen Group continues to eye off Fiat’s Alfa Romeo brand with a view to take-over, the Italian company itself has taken an up one aspect of the German maker’s success: the dual clutch transmission.
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| Funky New Audi Is A1 |
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Audi has entered an all-new area of the Australian car market with its stylish little A1 three-door hatchback. The BMW Mini has been in Australia for years and the recent release of the Citroen DS3 expanded interest and now Audi A1 has entered the fray.
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| New Fiesta Gets Diesel Engine And Sedan Body |
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Ford has released the latest version of its Fiesta small car model with a number of new features aimed at expanding its market share, including a sedan body, diesel engine and a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
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| Volvo's New Pedestrian Detection System |
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There can hardly be any more sickening feeling for a driver the moment you realise you are about to hit a pedestrian. For others those who simply did not see a pedestrian – through being distracted or a pedestrian suddenly appearing – the feeling must be similar as the thump of human flesh on metal signals a life-changing event.
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| 2011 VW Polo GTI Review And First Drive |
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Volkswagen Australia has sprung two big surprises on Australian hot-hatch buyers with the launch of the all-new VW Polo GTI. Firstly, there’s the price. Most had anticipated the fast German machine to come in somewhere in the low thirty thousands, perhaps even being squeezed down to $29,990.
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| More Power To Mercedes-Benz CL-Class |
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Mercedes-Benz Australia has introduced numerous changes to its flagship model, the large and luxurious CL-Class coupe. The biggest news is under the bonnet where the latest V8 ‘500’ engine now runs twin turbochargers. Using a pair of smaller turbochargers reduces throttle response time, an important factor to those who love to drive.
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| Volvo S60 Returns To Australia |
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Volvo has introduced its all-new S60 sedan to Australia. This mid-size model has been missing from the world’s roads for two years because the Swedish company stopped building the S60 altogether during the uncertain period prior to being sold by the Ford Motor Company.
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| 2011 Holden Commodore SS Ute Review |
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In the current market if there's one vehicle that screams `Aussie' it's the ute. Whether it's Holden or Ford it does not matter. They have their own class for racing and even a huge ute muster day.
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| 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser Review |
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We have just enjoyed our first drive of the new Toyota FJ Cruiser - well that’s not quite right because I wasn’t permitted to sit behind the steering wheel. Let me explain. There’s only one FJ Cruiser in Australia at the moment so it’s a precious machine that has to be carefully cosseted from the likes of motoring journalists.
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| Honda’s Insight On The Future |
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Honda Australia is about to embark on a campaign to greatly increase the number of hybrid vehicles it offers in our country. The Civic has been quietly simmering in the background for several years, now a new version of the Honda Insight has joined it. Insight was the name given to the first ever petrol-electric hybrid car to go on sale in Australia.
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| JAC Set To Launch Into The Australian Market |
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In our previous story from China we introduced the Higer company and its plans to add a number of light commercial vehicles to the existing range of buses that it currently exports to Australia. We’ve now moved further west, to the city of Hefei, the home of the Jianghuai Automobile Company (JAC) one of China’s longest-established and largest manufacturers with a range that runs from a small city hatchback through to heavy-duty trucks and buses.
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| Nissan Micra Looks Great And Is Practical |
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Nissan Australia plans to push for the big time with its all-new Micra hatch. Though the superseded Micra was well priced it was severely hampered in the sales race by only being offered in a single model. That is with no choice of engines and only an automatic transmission.That limiting situation was reviewed by Nissan Australia and the 2011 Micra comes with a choice of engines, including an interesting new three-cylinder engine that displaces 1.2 litres.
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| 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
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FOR a while, it seemed the WRX STI, like the Rudd Labor government, had lost its way. Was the Subaru halo car a stonking sports sedan or a fastback hatch?
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| Holden Barina Spark Review |
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Driving Holden's Barina Spark for the first time I needed to remind myself of an self-imposed edict from at least a decade ago: Never judge a car by the first drive. The reason for doing this is simple: Some days you step out of a sports sedan that could be worth $160,000 into a $27,000 4X4 workhorse. Or some days you slip from a Subaru WRX into a Holden Spark, which is what happened last week. It is only human to make immediate judgements. And they are not always correct.
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| Toyota Kluger Gets A Restyle |
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Toyota has given its Kluger SUV a solid midlife makeover with major changes to the exterior appearance. So successful has the medium-large model been that a budget was available to do more than the usual changes to the plastic bits. Rather the complete front end has been revised for 2011, bonnet, guards, lights, grille, the whole thing.
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| Next Wave Of Chinese Vehicles On The Horizon |
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We’ve just completed an interesting day at the headquarters of China’s leading bus manufacturer, Higer, near Shanghai. The visit not only provided some details about the planned expansion of the company’s Australian bus operations but also gave us the first view of a number of new light commercial vehicles likely to be imported.
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| Blue Is The New Green For Hyundai |
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Hyundai has adopted the name Blue Drive for this strategy and its goal is produce a range of enhancements that not only reduce the harmful effects of automotive production and usage, but also do so without compromising performance, comfort or driver convenience.
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| 2010 BMW Z4 Review |
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ANY car that has elements of the Jaguar E-Type gets my vote. Okay, so the iconic 1960s sports car is deeply rooted in the 20th century – simpler times – and the new Z4 sDrive35is is packed with 21st century automotive wizardry – a world away - sharing a long bonnet, short tail and rear-wheel drive with the ‘old girl’ the newby has immediate appeal.
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| 1969 Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye S |
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One of the great names in automotive history is Lancia - a company steeped in a tradition of innovation - which perhaps can even by summed up by our featured car, a 1969 Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye S. That tradition includes among other things developing the world's first V4 engine in the 1920s - the descendant of those engines gracing the under-bonnet of this stunning little coupe.
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| Holden Torana GTR-X History And Review |
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t is 40 years ago this year that Holden fans got to salivate as their wildest dreams came true. Almost. A genuine sports car from Australia's own. The Torana GTR-X. It was at the 1970 Bathurst enduro that performance buffs got their best view of the car. It circled the track - not in anger - but almost showing off, like a boulevard cruiser.
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| Nissan Upgrades X-Trail |
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Nissan's has given its X-Trail SUV a mid-life facelift for the 2011 season. As well as appearance changes we will record in a moment, there is slightly lower fuel consumption and emissions. More importantly to potential buyers on a tight budget, prices of six of the eight models in Nissan X-Trail 2011 range have been trimmed - in one case by as much as $1750.
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| 2010 BMW 535i Review |
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FORMER British champion jockey Lester Piggott was once described as having an expression like a well-kept grave. The poker-faced pony pilot rarely gave anything away – a bit like the BMW 535i, really.
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| Genesis Coupe Is Hyundai’s Breakthrough Sports Car |
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South Korean carmaker Hyundai is doing everything it can to avoid relying on low prices as its primary selling point and is about to push hard on the sports coupe market with the Genesis Coupe. The Genesis went on sale in its home market in late 2008 and entered the US fray shortly afterwards.
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| Kia Adds Value To Sorento |
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Kia Sorento has only been on sale in its current stylish format for a year, but it has already been upgraded for 2011. This follows a review of initial sales of the car by the South Korean marque. A review backed up by the team at Kia Australia that has resulted in several technical and communication changes for the medium-large SUV.
Kia Sorento has only been on sale in its current stylish format for a year, but it has already been upgraded for 2011. This follows a review of initial sales of the car by the South Korean marque. A review backed up by the team at Kia Australia that has resulted in several technical and communication changes for the medium-large SUV.
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| 2010 Ssangyong Actyon Sports Review |
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Dual cab utes are a not so much a flavour of the month but a genuine year-in-year-out consistent performer in the Australian market. We have just spent a week in the bargain-basement end of the segment at the wheel of Ssangyong's Actyon Sport model and have come away with mixed feelings.
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| Stunning Mercedes-AMG Gullwing |
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The Mercedes 300SL Gullwing of 1954 has long since achieved legendary status. If you can buy one for less than a million dollars we suggest you grab it – or you can buy a new 2010 Mercedes-AMG SLS Gullwing for less than half that price...
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| BMW X6 M Launched In Australia |
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BMW has for the first time brought the performance character of its M division to bear on the segment of X models.
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| 2009 Isuzu D-Max Limited Edition |
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Specialist ute distributor Isuzu UTE Australia is celebrating its first year of local sales of its D-MAX one-tonne ute and cab/chassis range with an Arctic Pearl Limited Edition crew cab ute. A limited edition at just 120 units offered, D-MAX ‘Pearler’ comes dressed with IUA-endorsed accessories fitted totalling over $5,700 of retail value for just $3,300 more than the LS 4x2 and LS-U 4x4 crew utes on which it is based.
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| Honda Odyssey For 2009 Is Sleek And Smooth |
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‘Low’ and ‘sleek’ aren’t normally words used to describe a people mover, but the 2009 Honda Odyssey we have just road tested certainly deserves the description. Lower than some conventional station wagons, with slim head- and tail-lights that could have been designed for an Italian coupe, a huge grille that again shouts out ‘sports’, a long bonnet, and a lowset roof that tapers down at the back. This is the sort of vehicle that the kids don’t mind being carted in.
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| Cleaner, Greener BMWs Thanks To Efficient Dynamics |
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BMW has given its cleanest, most economical models the title of BMW EfficientDynamics with many of these being introduced to Australia later this month. Ours is the first market outside of the European Union to offer such a comprehensive array of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies, indicating just how seriously our market is being treated by the upmarket German marque.
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| All New City In Australia |
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Honda is introducing the all-new third-generation City to Australia. This latest model introduces new levels of styling, performance, driving dynamics and ride quality combined with outstanding packaging, functionality and versatility.
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| Camry Hybrid Leads The Field |
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And now for something right out of left track. A hybrid vehicle will act as a pace car at upcoming NASCAR oval track races. The petrol-electric Camry will pace a 600 mile (960 km) race around a one and a half mile (2.4 km) oval in North Carolina on May 24.
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| Dress Up Packages For Audi's New Q5 |
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Pleased with the success of its new Q5 compact SUV Audi has introduced exterior styling packages to allow owners to personalise their vehicles. The ‘Off-road Styling Package’ is aimed at giving the Q5 a more ‘outdoor’ look, or a sportier appearance with an ‘S line’ package.
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| Jaguar E-Type Series 3, V12 |
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I have a confession to make. I am not particularly fond of British classic cars. But, there are exceptions.
In trying to analyze my preference for the US marques, I recently turned to my distant childhood. Maybe that would shed some light on why cars from the Old Dart just don't measure up against Uncle Sam.
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| Focus On Quietness In New Focus |
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Ford Australia is about to introduce a heavily reworked version of its mid-sized Focus series. Officially it's not on display at dealers until May 1, but a little bird tells us you may be able to see one, perhaps even test drive it, before then. Styling changes are relatively small, but under that steeply sloping bonnet there are some serious mechanical changes.
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| Honda's Odyssey Into Greater Refinement |
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Honda has never followed convention. Nowhere is this more obvious than in its Odyssey range of people movers. Whilst other makers come up with tall boxy vehicles, with, perhaps a sloping front, Honda has always gone for a low, sleek look. Coming up with a vehicle car lovers don’t mind being seen in.
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| Soul, Man - And Woman |
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And now for something completely different. Kia's Soul isn't aimed so much at those looking for transport, but at people wanting to set trends and to be seen as making their own distinctive way in life. Launched to lifestyle and motoring journalists alike at a spectacular event in Sydney, the new Soul apparently caused the skies to open.
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| Volkswagen Eos Practical Open Air Motoring |
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Volkswagen's Eos convertible has a fascinating new design of folding hardtop that's unlike any other on the market. Fascinating because it has a conventional glass sunroof built into the folding roof. The sunroof can be operated while the car is moving, so the moment the impulse for extra fresh air strikes it's there for the asking without having to find somewhere to stop.
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| Care For A Cruise In A New Holden? |
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Holden unveiled its new Cruze at the Melbourne International Motor Show though it won't go on sale for at least a month. Indeed, it may be as long as four months before we see the car on our roads. The company is playing this new model coyly, anxious to gain feedback from the media and the general public before launching the Cruze onto a savagely waning car market.
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| Audi Q5 To Keep Momentum Rolling |
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Momentum is a wonderful thing. Just ask Audi that in February recorded 5.4 per cent growth over the same month in 2008, while the market in general was 22 per cent down year on year. The February result was on top of 5.5 per cent growth in January. And this comes at a time when they have hit the market with Q7's little brother, Q5 ... a mid-size SUV that can be bought for under $60,000.
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| Maximum Celebrations For Mini’s Birthday |
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The Morris Mini is one of the most influential automotive designs since the end of the Second World War. Now the little car that change the world is about to celebrate its 50th birthday, and will do so in a huge way over an action packed weekend at the Silverstone race track in the UK from 22 - 24 May 2009.
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| Ride with Jim Richards! |
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Jim Richards is arguably the most popular racing car driver of all time in Australia. The fascinating thing about this guy is that he appeals to everyone, not just the revheads. Bored wives and girlfriends watching car racing on TV with their partners support Jim
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| Big Plans For Small Holden |
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Holden's great news that it’s to increase its car models by building a new four-cylinder car alongside the Commodore in its Elizabeth, Adelaide, factory. A new design from the GM global team, the car looks to be about the size of the current Holden Astra, but details are being played close to the chest by Holden at this stage.
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| Mazda3 Has Stunning Shape |
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Australia is an extremely important market for Mazda, indeed per head of population more cars from this Japanese marque are sold in this country than in any other. So it came as no surprise that Australia was the first country in which the new Mazda3 range was shown in its entirety. That is in both hatchback and sedan format.
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| 2012 Mazda CX-5 Road Test |
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Mazda has taken an interesting new direction with the launch in Australia of CX-5 models with the option of a turbo-diesel engine. The diesel powered Mazda CX-5 is being promoted in Australia as a premium performance powerplant, whereas other makers push diesels as economy units.
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| Holden Colorado 7 On Its Way To Australia |
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Holden has released shots of the SUV version of the Colorado ute, to be known as the Holden Colorado 7. The 7 indicating the number of seats in this large wagon. Colorado 7 is a large vehicle that looks as though it will walk in the footsteps of the discontinued Holden Jackaroo. Holden will be very pleased to now be competing in this market segment.
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