Passenger Cars

The Lexus ES used to have the unenviable reputation of being a tarted up Toyota Camry, and to some degree, it still is. However, that changed in 2013 as the separation became more significant and apparent, as the ES went through a growth spurt that saw it grew in size …

Remember the Volkswagen Up? The pint-size Kia Picanto reminds me a lot about Volkswagen’s delightful little micro car from six years ago. Unlike the Up which was a sales disaster, the Picanto commands nearly 81 per cent of its market segment so far this year and is by far the …

 The Mazda3 is a special car. I owned a first-generation model for 8 years and its entertaining dynamics and sharp handling always brought joy to my journeys, big or small. It was one of the most stylish small cars on the road with an equally smart interior, and it …

Volvo has enjoyed tremendous growth in the past few years thanks to a rejuvenated line up that started with the XC90. Its cars are now far sexier, more high-tech and crucially, much better to drive than ever before. Last year, the brand grew 40 per cent in Australia and is …

Think luxury sports sedan and the BMW 3 Series immediately springs to mind. Since its inception in 1975, the 3 Series has been often regarded as the de facto rear-wheel drive, driver-focused compact executive saloon. It is the German marque’s best-selling model, accounting for nearly one-third of the brand’s annual …

It feels like the Toyota Corolla has been around forever. It must feel that way because it’s now in its 12th-generation and it’s still immensely popular. Not because it’s anything special but because it’s a name synonymous with words like sensible, reliable and dependable. In other words – it’s just …

Cars brimming with character are far and few in between making them somewhat of a rarity. This makes the ones that unabashedly flaunt their style stand out all that much more. The latest 2019 Mini Cooper Clubman starts off at an accessible $37,900 plus on-road costs which becomes all that …

Not just another small car – says the new Ford Focus commercial. There is every reason for Ford’s marketing team to sell their latest Focus as unique in the segment because this class is one of the most competitive today. At the time of writing there’s no fewer than 10 …

What you see here is the world’s best-selling hybrid vehicle. The pioneering Toyota Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid car back in 1997 and has since racked up over 5 million sales globally. It represents more than half of all hybrids sold worldwide by Toyota. The automotive landscape has …

When Lexus dropped the first photos of the new ES, I knew Lexus was onto something with the seventh-generation of the its most conservative model. For a nameplate known more for its spaciousness, comfort and luxury, the new ES actually has style this time around, and a good dose of …

When you’re a journalist, you’ll always be on the lookout for a story, just waiting to get that scoop that no one else has covered, and it was while planning a recent long-awaited holiday to Japan that I had one of those lightbulb moments and got an idea for something …

Want a small car with a little more excitement but not ready for the full performance package just yet? Here’s one – the Kia Cerato GT. Topping off the Cerato range, Kia’s best-selling model, the GT comes with a zesty turbo engine matched by tweaked ride and handling for a …

The first-generation F30-based BMW 4 Series is a car that’s certainly had a very good innings, but it’s one that’s soon to come to an end. First released in 2013 as a way of separating the 3 Series Coupe and Convertible models from the standard 3er Sedan, the 4 Series line also …

Manufacturers used to be ruthless when it came to their entry level models, stripping out everything but the bare necessities to keep prices approachable. Thankfully the passage of time has marched on and the dark days of wind up windows and zero air-conditioning are well and truly behind us, budget …