Car Reviews

For far too long, big families have been stuck with boxy, uninspiring and drab people movers commonly known as white goods on wheels, until now. The third-generation Kia Carnival arrives with tons of surprises. For a start, we find ourselves using words like ‘stylish’, ‘striking’ and ‘snazzy’ to describe Kia’s new …

The Suzuki Baleno is Back! The last time the Baleno was in Suzuki’s showroom, John Howard was our prime minister and ‘Can’t Fight the Moonlight’ by LeAnn Rimes was the chart topper. That was 2001, in case you are wondering. In between, the Japanese brand has been trying to convince …

We are living in a world where we are spoilt for choice when it comes to fun driving machines. For those stepping up from game console into the real world, there are cars like the Peugeot 208 GTi and Ford Fiesta ST. At the other end of the spectrum there …

There is something about the Audi A4 Avant. Unlike the BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes-Benz C Class Estate, in the Audi you don’t feel like you’re driving a boot, neither do you feel like you’re announcing domestication to the world. Instead, you drive the A4 wagon with pride, for …

According to Subaru, the Mark 4 Liberty GT wagon is much missed, so much so that the firm has dusted off the Liberty’s old template and remolded it into the oddly named Levorg. First previewed as a concept at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, the car’s name comes from a …

Honda has given its mid-size Accord sedan a much needed facelift for 2016, and it couldn’t have come soon enough. The current generation Accord hasn’t had much success in a class it once rule, with sales figures trailing the Mazda 6, Subaru Liberty, Toyota Camry and Ford Mondeo. By all …

The new Toyota Corolla Hybrid must seem like the answer to a closeted greenie’s diligent prayers, marrying Toyota’s proven hybrid technology with a conventional hatchback that is as distinct as a bathroom tap. It is the fifth hybrid model in Toyota’s local green brigade, joining the Camry, Prius, Prius C …

When we drove the diesel Land Rover Discovery Sport earlier this year, we liked its on and off road versatility, handsome styling and smart packaging. We were, however, not that impressed by the aging diesel powertrain. And while we wait to try out the new much improved “Ingenium” range of …

Okaerinasai! That’s Japanese for ‘Welcome back!’ if I was to trust Google Translate and it’s exactly what it feels like for the tenth-generation Honda Civic. It has only taken about a decade for Honda to wake from its dozy slumber but the Japanese giant is back. You see, Honda used …

The Honda Odyssey was once a cool people mover that didn’t quite look like one. The latest fifth-generation, however, has dropped its predecessor’s low slung lines for a taller van-like styling theme. If you happened to overbreed, this can only mean good news. The Odyssey is available for the first …

The mid-size Mazda6 has always been the better looking and handling car of its segment. The latest generation has taken that to a new level in terms of technology, efficiency, dynamics and design, thanks to Mazda’s clever SkyActiv technology that underpins the 6. To keep it at the pointy end …

When Audi launched its second generation Q7 SUV late last year, it nudged the $100k mark with a sticker of $103,900. And that’s before you add in all the options that should’ve been standard items. With entry to the BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport at just over $80k and …

After a 15-year absence, the GTi badge returns to the Peugeot 308 range with the launch of two 308 GTi models in Australia. Extensively developed by Peugeot Sport, the French car maker’s in-house motorsport division, the 308 GTi is the fourth road car project in three years following the RCZ …

The micro-car segment is a micro segment in Australia, with less than a handful of players – chief amongst them, the Mitsubishi Mirage and Suzuki Celerio. Nissan quietly dropped the Micra from its lineup earlier this year. According to Kia, the segment represents less than 1 per cent of the …