Tag Archives: Review

 What is it? Mazda already has an SUV in each segment of the market and the Mazda CX-8 fills a niche in its line up. Created mainly for the Japanese domestic market where the CX-8 is positioned as Mazda’s flagship SUV, as the CX-9 isn’t offered in Japanese showrooms, Mazda …

 Unless you have been living on Mars, SUVs are big business these days. Not a month goes by without a new or shinier model hitting the market to cater for the global shift in demand for the high-riding wagon. With the mid- and large-SUV segments firmly established, carmakers are …

What is it? The Velar is the fourth addition to Range Rover’s burgeoning line-up that started with the original Range Rover in 1970. It fills the space between the baby Range Rover Evoque and flagship Range Rover Sport. Described by Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer, Gerry McGovern as “the avant …

The hot hatch segment is simmering to a feverish pitch unlike any other. It is big business in Australia, too, where sales of performance cars are consistently one of the highest in the world. Walk into any car park and it’s easier to spot a hot hatch than a Holden …

 Badge engineering is fraud with danger especially for a model as iconic as the Holden Commodore. History is littered with examples of this failed undertaking including the Nissan Bluebird-based Ford Pintara and Saab’s version of the Subaru Impreza wagon, the 9-2X. Holden of course, is no stranger to this …

 Good things come in small packages. Compact, light and now packing turbocharge punch, the 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport offers similar thrills to the larger, more powerful hot hatches yet won’t kill your bank. Available as a single, uncomplicated, highly-specified model, the new Swift Sport is priced from an affordable …

 What is it? The LX570 is Lexus’ flagship SUV that’s been around in its current form since 2008. It went under the knife three times along the way, with the latest facelift performed in 2016 where it has remained unchanged since. It’s a large behemoth based on the oily …

 It seems like only yesterday when the new Hyundai Sonata was released but here it is again in 2018, receiving its first major facelift. With traditional sedans fast becoming as fashionable as a blancmange these days as consumer tastes shift to SUVs, there are still a significant number of …

 How do you improve upon something that is already good? That’s the challenge Kia was presented with when it came to facelifting the Kia Sorento for 2018. There was nothing inherently wrong with the original; in fact, when we drove it in 2015 we were mighty impressed with its …

 Holden is leaving its manufacturing past behind and forging into an import-only future like the rest of its competitors. It’s uncharted waters for the home grown brand that used to rely heavily on its locally made Commodore. The first of a swag of new models to arrive post local …

 You can count with one hand the number of wagons that are on offer from the more than sixty brands in Australia. And if you eliminated the less affordable premium marques, you are left with just the Renault Megane Wagon, Holden Astra Wagon, Volkswagen Golf Wagon and its twin-under-the-skin, …

 The popular Lexus NX has received its first major update since its introduction in 2014. Introduced as Lexus’ answer to the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, the NX has been a showroom success for the brand, accounting for nearly 1 out of every 3 Lexus sold in …

Another SUV? Some of my friends quipped as I pulled up in the all-new Hyundai Kona. The fact is, they are right. Three of the four cars I tested in the last month were SUVs, and this one is fashionably late to the party, just as I was to my …

The Volvo XC60 is an important model in the Swede carmaker’s line up. Globally and in Australia, the XC60 is easily the brand’s top selling model and this 2017 model is likely to continue that trend. Available in three variants in Australia comprising the Momentum, Inscription and sports flavoured R-Design …