Archive for the ‘Auto reviews’ Category

Renault Master Van range

Overview RENAULT Australia is getting serious about light commercials. It has long reigned as number one in Europe, and the brand sees this market as a key area in its continued growth. Having recently introduced updated versions of the smaller Kangoo and Trafic, the brand has now launched the big daddy of its LCV line-up […]

Mercedes-Benz SLK-class 200 roadster

Previous model Make: Mercedes-BenzModel: SLK August 2004 Release date: August 2011End date: Go to the SLK-class family tree THE R171 SLK arrived locally in August 2004 to supersede the original SLK, first seen here in November 1997. Neither of these quite hit the spot. The 1997 car was beautiful but did not deliver a rewarding […]

Nissan Navara D40 range

Overview THE one-tonne ute market has been boosted with a rush of new models, making life tougher for older models such as the Nissan Navara. Now seven years old, the Navara 4×4 crew cab has been given a boost with an injection of new features, an upgraded four-cylinder engine and more standard safety gear. The […]

BMW 3 Series sedan range

Previous model Make: BMWModel: E90 3 Series May 2005 Release date: February 2012End date: Go to the 3 Series family tree BRANDISHING all-new ‘flame surfacing’ styling that defined BMWs in the 2000s, the fifth-generation 3 Series sedan grew in every department compared to its popular E46 predecessor. It also introduced the company’s controversial iDrive system […]

Hyundai Veloster coupe range

Overview HYUNDAI’S distinctive new Veloster coupe has finally arrived Down Under, dressed in a big range of bold paint colours to attract a whole new breed of young Hyundai buyers. Combining both form and function by offering the split personalities of sleek compact coupe on the driver’s side and convenient city hatchback on the other, […]

Skoda Yeti 103TDI 5-dr wagon

Overview Skoda Australia boosted its local line-up in October last year with the quirky Yeti, giving it a foothold in the popular small SUV segment. Smaller than many of its fellow soft-roaders but featuring a flexible and relatively spacious cabin, the little Czech is sure to appeal to those who want something a bit different. […]

Kia Rio 3-dr hatch/sedan range

Overview KIA has added a three-door hatchback and four-door sedan to its new-generation Rio line-up that made its Australian debut as a five-door in 2011. The new models have fundamentally the same mechanicals as the five-door hatch which arrived in three specifications levels – S, Si and SLi. Now the three-door arrives to top and […]

Skoda Yeti 103TDI

Overview Skoda Australia boosted its local line-up in October last year with the quirky Yeti, giving it a foothold in the popular small SUV segment. Smaller than many of its fellow soft-roaders but featuring a flexible and relatively spacious cabin, the little Czech is sure to appeal to those who want something a bit different. […]

Kia Rio 3-dr hatch

Overview KIA has added a three-door hatchback and four-door sedan to its new-generation Rio line-up that made its Australian debut as a five-door in 2011. The new models have fundamentally the same mechanicals as the five-door hatch which arrived in three specifications levels – S, Si and SLi. Now the three-door arrives to top and […]

BMW 5 Series M5 sedan

Overview BMW has achieved the seemingly impossible goal of simultaneously increasing both the performance and efficiency of its flagship sports sedan, the M5, despite increasing weight by about 100kg. The secret to the new M5’s laudable double act is a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers, nestled alongside the exhaust ports in the valley of its 4.4-litre […]

Nissan Navara ST-X 550 dual-cab utility

Overview GRAB a slightly aged dual-cab ute, slide in a cracking new V6 turbo-diesel and seven-speed auto combination then put a fat sticker price on it and you have the makings of a image-leading premium model to – hopefully – create a bit of a bank up in showroom traffic and rev up some sales. […]

Nissan Leaf 5-dr hatch

Overview NISSAN has a history of innovation – Skyline, 1600, 240Z, some earlier Micras – but the Leaf is something else entirely. Already a multiple car of the year winner abroad, the Japanese hatchback is the world’s first dedicated mainstream electric vehicle, with zero tailpipe emissions, price, safety and low running costs all on its […]

Skoda Yeti 77TSI 5-dr wagon

Overview WITH glowing reviews abroad and affordable pricing, the Yeti was one of the most eagerly awaited newcomers of the past 12 months, providing European technology in a stylish and versatile family wagon package. With the base 77TSI from $26,290, has Skoda put the Sasquatch amongst the bottom-end compact SUVs, or should you fork out […]

Volkswagen Scirocco R coupe

Overview VOLKSWAGEN Australia has finally got its hands on the Golf-based Scirocco coupe – something it has attempted do since the end of 2009. Now available here only in flagship R guise, the slinky two-door four-seater shares its 188kW/330Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with the R version of the Golf, but unlike the now five-door-only hatch […]

Volkswagen Scirocco R

Overview VOLKSWAGEN Australia has finally got its hands on the Golf-based Scirocco coupe – something it has attempted do since the end of 2009. Now available here only in flagship R guise, the slinky two-door four-seater shares its 188kW/330Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with the R version of the Golf, but unlike the now five-door-only hatch […]

Jaguar XF 2.2D Premium Luxury sedan

Overview AT LAST there are reasons of the head as well as the heart for buying an XF, now that Jaguar has dropped the price, introduced a gutsy and economical four-pot twin-turbo diesel, and improved many of the little foibles that blighted this British beauty in the past – and all without losing an iota […]

Subaru XV 5-dr hatch

Overview SUBARU has made its name on forging forward with new crossover ideas like the Outback and Forester, and now the Japanese carmaker is at it again with the XV – a small-car based all-wheel drive lifestyle hatch with ample ground clearance and a fat wad of value pricing propping it up as well. The […]

Toyota Yaris YRS hatch

Overview SIX years on, the third instalment in Toyota’s European light car story surfaces in the form of the 130 Series Yaris, a hatch designed and engineered to take on the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2 and Volkswagen Polo. While the styling might be a little derivative to some, real progress has been made underneath and […]

Jeep Compass 5-dr wagon range

Overview JEEP has brought the Compass back from the dead after two years’ absence, bringing sharper pricing and a smart new look. It joins the Jeep Patriot to form a two-pronged attack on the compact SUV class as the only American-made contenders in the small soft-roader segment. Starting from just $26,500 for the 2.0-litre manual […]

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Overview MERCEDES-BENZ turned to its AMG performance arm to come up with its new flagship sportscar, the 420kW lightweight SLS supercar. Now, 18 months after the arrival of the coupe version with its trademark gulling doors, the SLS AMG Roadster has arrived, in style. Eschewing the folding metal hardtops of other sportscars today, the AMG […]