Passenger Cars

2014 Lexus IS 300h Review

The Lexus IS 300h completes the last piece of the jigsaw in the Japanese premium marque’s hybrid offerings. Every model in the Lexus’ line up now has a petrol-electric variant, as the brand hopes for hybrid models to make up half of its total sales. The IS 300h is the …

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2014 Holden Barina RS Review

The Holden Barina RS is the latest addition to the company’s city hatchback. Joining the lineup as the sports model, the RS’ extra punch comes from a 1.4-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine pinched from the locally made Holden Cruze. It produces 103 kW of power at 4,300 rpm and 200 …

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2014 Kia Optima Review

When it was first launched in 2011, the Kia Optima was a game changing model not only for the once cheap, and well…. not much else really, Korean brand, but for the segment it competes in. It brought style to the affordable mass market mid-size sedans and with it, confidence …

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2014 Fiat Panda Easy and Trekking Review

Panda – a large, adorable bear-like animal from the forests of China, high on the endangered species list. Fiat Panda – a five door, compact minivan-like automobile built in a Polish factory with a range of two- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, potentially high on the endangered species list. …

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2013 Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV Review

Back in the old days, Alfa Romeos could be sold on looks alone. But those days are long gone. Now the Italian company wants their cars to be known for their sophistication, technology and driving fun. And, the new Giulietta is sent off for this mission. From the outset, the five-door …

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2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport Review

When Lexus brought out the LFA supercar in 2011 we knew the marque was onto something. The once librarian of the car world had decided to ditch its thick reading glasses for some party hats. Lexus wanted to be fun. And the new GS mid-size saloon is the first mainstream …

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2013 Hyundai i30 SR Review

Last year we drove the Hyundai i30 diesel automatic and loved its built quality, refinement and comfort. However, it isn’t quite there yet in terms of driving dynamics. So, here comes the Hyundai i30 SR, the first i30 in the world to be fitted with the company’s 2.0-litre direct-injected four-cylinder petrol engine. The 129 …

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2013 Citroen DS5 Review

Like French champagne and Louise Vuitton bags, the DS brand is Citroen’s answer to luxury and style. Created in 2009 as a premium brand for the mass market double Chevron marque, the DS’ objective is not only to redirect customers with fat wallets from Mercedes and BMW, it also marks …

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2013 Lexus IS Sedan Review

Fun. Agile. Exciting. We could hardly imagine using these words to describe a Lexus just a few years ago, but here they are, adequately defining the new 2013 Lexus IS. It’s the dawn of a new era for the cardigan clad and pleat trousered Japanese brand. Since taking over the …

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2013 Honda Accord Review

I have always been interested in Honda’s progress for its Accord mid size sedan, as I was once the owner of a 95′ model – my first car. Since then, every time I get behind the wheel of a new generation Accord, I not only compare it with the previous …

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2013 Honda Jazz Hybrid Review

Fast, fun, exhilarating & engaging. None of these attributes can be used to describe the Honda Jazz. Yet, it is one of the brand’s best-selling models. Perhaps it’s the car’s commitment to practicality, versatility and reliability that bring thousands of buyers into Honda’s showrooms every year. And now, Honda has …

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2013 Kia Cerato Hatch Review

The handsome Kia Cerato Sedan was recently joined by its remarkably stylish hatchback sibling in Australia. It’s Kia’s most successful model, with more than 2.5 million sold worldwide since its debut in 2004. Locally, the hatch accounts for as much as 70 per cent of all Cerato sales. A lot …

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