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car buyer

2018 Holden Equinox SUV Has The Goods

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The Captiva replacement is a huge leap forward WHAT IS IT? Holden’s all-new mid-size SUV, imported from Mexico, which replaces the five-seat Captiva. It’s expected to be one of Holden’s best-selling vehicles along with the Colorado and next-gen Commodore. WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The Holden Equinox has been through an extensive localisation regime at the hands of engineers both on the ground in Oz and during the car’s five years of development in North America. The Aussie brand says its ...
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Stinger 330Si versus Commodore SS V

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Stinger 330Si
The answer to the demise of V8 muscle cars from Holden and Ford? Kia’s Stinger looks like a worthy adversary. It may have two fewer cylinders than the outgoing Commodore SS V, but in almost all other key areas it looks tantalisingly like it is ready to step up to the plate. Similar to the Commodore, it has rear drive, four-doors and a big boot, and the Stinger competes on both price and power. But, does it stack up on tarmac as well as it does on paper? PERFORMANCE The Commo...
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2018 Hyundai Sonata Review

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2018 Hyundai Sonata
UPGRADES? An updated version of Hyundai’s Sonata mid-size sedan that rivals the Toyota Camry, Mazda 6 and the incoming, imported Holden Commodore. This isn’t an all-new car, but rather a facelift that brings overhauled styling for a sportier look, important tech and safety upgrades and a revised two-tier model line-up that starts at $30,990 for the entry-level Active and tops out at $45,490 for the range-topping Premium model we’re driving here. WHY WE’RE DRIVING IT To see i...
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Mighty Mouse – Kia Picanto

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Kia Picanto
The new Kia Picanto S is a most affordable car, and is endearing with great value. By Cameron Kirby, 08 Oct 2017   Car Reviews   THE KEYS to Kia’s cheapest and smallest offering, the Picanto, have only been in my frost-bitten Queenslander mittens for a couple of weeks, and I’m already warming to this plucky little car. The name Picanto seems to be derived from the Spanish word picante, which translates roughly to mean ‘spicy’ or ‘zesty’ in English. And so far, my little or...
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Euro Medium Sedan Comparison

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Euro comparisons
  Euro Medium Sedan Comparison Contenders: Germany  (x 2), and one each from Britain and Italy.......enticing! The game of one-upmanship in the medium executive class has moved at such breathtaking pace that perhaps it’s time to reset the datum and look over the best of 2017’s crop with a fresh set of eyes. The Alfa Romeo Giulia was the catalyst for this comparison. We adored the 375kW Quadrifoglio rocketship, but wondered whether shearing more than 200kW from that figu...
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Mazda CX-9 Enhanced

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Mazda CX9
Improvements for the Mazda CX-9 bring a price hike. Mazda isn’t resting on its laurels with its award-winning CX-9. Instead the Japanese car maker is introducing tweaks to the CX-9 to further improve handling with the addition of G-Vectoring Control (GVC) as standard across the range, alongside a raft of safety upgrades and measures to reduce NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels. Tweaks to the reigning Wheels Car of the Year see its pricing rise by $1400 across the whol...
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Mazda Tops Driver Satisfaction List

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MZDA - HAPPIEST CUSTOMERS
Roy Morgan report puts Mazda at the top for driver satisfaction   Mazda has topped an automotive satisfaction report, beating out market leader Toyota and its luxury arm, Lexus. MAZDA drivers are more satisfied than owners of any other automotive brand in Australia according to a new survey, edging out all of its mainstream rivals as well as premium fare such as Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. Roy Morgan Research’s Automotive Satisfaction Report released last week revealed that of all...
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Ford Fiesta – Which one for You?

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Ford Fiesta - so many choices
Spoilt for Choice. Ford’s light hatch is a little dated but still looks sleek and is a one of the better handling light cars with sharp steering and comfortable ride. A new Ford Fiesta has been launched in Europe, however, Ford Australia is yet to announce if or when it will be available here. VARIANTS There are four Fiesta specification levels starting Ambiente (above) with an entry-level price of $15,895 with a smooth shifting five-speed manual transmission. It’s power...
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Chevrolet Camaro SS Coming next year

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Camaro
Camaro SS In Oz next year THE great success of the Ford Mustang has probably shown the way for the  Chevrolet Camaro in Australia next year. However, while the ’Stang comes out of the factory with the steering wheel on the correct side for us, it looks as though it will be up to Holden’s performance sub-brand, HSV, to swap over left-hook Camaros until an all-new sixth-generation model, potentially with right-hook ambidexterity, arrives in the US late 2018, and in Australia as lat...
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Australia’s Best Selling Sports Cars

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Australia's top selling sports cars
 This Years Top 5 Favourite Sports Cars in Australia Ford Mustang - 5967 The unprecedented demand for the pony car goes on and a dusting of Ford Performance tuning options will likely buoy its popularity through to a facelifted version due in 2018. Hyundai Veloster - 1359                                                   It might lack monstrous power, but Australians still love the Veloster. A vast majority are sold in automatic form, and its unusual styling and everyday usab...
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New Kia Stinger Release

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the new Kia
This is a car that could easily put the cat among some of the European pigeons! On paper, this perception-altering rear-drive liftback sedan has all its ducks in a row – strikingly muscular styling, purist drivetrain layout with an all-turbo engine line-up, a dedicated sporting focus and enough packaging proficiency to carry some credibility – yet the gamble of entering a declining global sedan market dominated by German brands with a Korean badge glued to your snout and tail can’t be o...
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Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk

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Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk is a winner
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk is a Winner! This is sensational! Wheels is currently in the good ol’ US of A putting the muscle SUV to the test. But before the review is released, we thought we’d get you primed for the sheer scale of this beast with a quick rundown of its impressive stats and figures. First, the headline act. The 6.2-litre supercharged ‘Hellcat’ V8 produces 527kW and 874Nm. But that is meaningless without context. When it arrives, the Trackhawk will become...
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2018 Holden ZB Commodore V6 AWD Review

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2018 Holden ZB Commodore V6 AWD Review
HOW DOES IT STACK UP? WHAT IS IT? An atmo 3.6-litre V6 that drives all four wheels via one of the cleverest drivetrains around is a good basis for a performance sedan, and the latest six-pot Commodore builds on those underpinnings with a whole host of smart decisions. It pays to temper your enthusiasm a little, though. Expect an SS replacement and you’ll be disappointed. Instead, Holden has delivered something smarter, safer and sli...
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Ferrari Releases New Cabriolet

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Ferrari Cabriolet
Portofino Supercedes the California T The bristling new rear-drive hard-top cabriolet will make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month, revealing a stunning new interpretation of the classic sportscar recipe, which packs 441kW and accelerates from zero to 100km/h in just 3.5 seconds. Nestled in its aggressively styled snout, the 3.9-litre turbocharged 90-degree V8 is essentially the same as the unit that powered the California T, albeit squeezed to produce an...
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Kia Stinger GT Review

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Kia Stinger
Is this the SS Alternative? https://youtu.be/LGlYLZr5S3Q Available with a grunty 272kW/510Nm turbocharged V6, rear-wheel drive and the most luxurious interior for a Kia since… forever, the Stinger arrives just months before the departure of its closest on-paper rival – the Holden Commodore SS. The local launch is still weeks away, but we’ve thrashed it on Aussie roads already – and have the video to prove it. Wheels is the only Australian outlet given this level of early a...
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Kia Stinger – Brave New World

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Kia takes on the establishment. Affordable performance.
Kia takes on the establishment. Affordable performance. WHAT IS IT? Kia’s all-new, sporty flagship that’s set to land in Oz later this year with two turbocharged four-door variants to choose from. Stinger’s timing is perfect, but it has to be brilliant to take over the performance sedan mantle from Australia’s fallen natives. WHY WE’RE TESTING IT Back in January, Kia offered selected media a preview drive of the Stinger in pre-production guise at its proving ground in South K...
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VW Golf 7.5 110TSI Comfortline

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VW Golf 7.5 110TSI Comfortline
  The first major update for a number of years. WHAT IS IT? The mid-life updated version of Volkswagen’s venerable Golf hatchback and wagon in mid-range Comfortline trim - the one Volkswagen predicts to be the volume seller of the range. WHY WE’RE TESTING IT? This is the first time Volkswagen has regarded a Golf mid-life refresh significant enough to label with a ‘0.5’ half mark. The 1.4-litre turbo engine has been wicked up and a light facelift applied, but the most si...
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BMW X3 Turbo 6 Cylinder

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X3 BMW
WELCOME to your first official look at the third-generation BMW X3. While it was leaked on the internet days before it was supposed to, thanks to BMW’s over-eager Hong Kong outpost, we now know the official details of the German brand’s all-new mid-size SUV. And they are juicy. The headline act is the range-topping X3 M40i, which is the first ever X3 to carry an M prefix and is set to rival the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and Audi RS Q3. Powered by a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo, the ...
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5 Year Warranty for Honda

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Honda has a new 5 year warranty
Unlimited kilometre 5 year warranty from July 1 2017 HONDA Australia has announced its entire product portfolio will now carry a five-year warranty – unlimited kilometres for private buyers, 140,000km for fleet and commercial operators – matching the aftersales support of Renault and Skoda. The enhanced warranty supplants the three-year/100,000km service and is effective from July 1, however Honda’s warranty program excludes roadside assistance which is bundled with its Warranty Plus packa...
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Alfa v Jag v BMW

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Alfa v Jag v BMW comparison
ALFA Romeo is making people sit up and take notice. ALFA Romeo has a winner on its hands. Not only is the all-new Giulia the most hyped Alfa sedan in decades, but in flagship QV guise, it’s a giant-killer too, having recently stunned its lauded rivals from AMG and BMW M in our latest sports sedan showdown. But how does Alfa’s billion Euro baby fare without the beefed-up Quadrifoglio dressing? Can it really be just as impressive in run-of-the-mill Super guise? In many ways this ba...
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2017 Land Rover Discovery Launch in August

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2017 land rover discovery launch
Prices and Australian model information released in advance. The fifth-generation Discovery adds a list of clever features designed to bolster its practicality credentials. Available in both five and seven seat configurations, the new Discovery range starts at $65,960 for the base Td4 S, stretching all the way north of $130,000 for the limited-run Td6 First Edition. Three engine options are available for the new model – two 2.0-litre four-cylinders, and a 3.0-litre V6 – all fu...
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The Fiat Abarth 124 Spider in Japan

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Fiat Abarth 124 Spider
Is the Fiat 124 an MX-5 Copy? Italian Mazda makes Japanese sit up and take notice. I’m at the wheel of a bright blue Fiat Abarth 124 Spider and next to me, squashed unceremoniously into the passenger seat, his expansive 180kg frame spilling into my side of the intimate cabin, sits a mostly naked and very sweaty sumo. This is central Tokyo on a baking 32-degree day and, as I reverse our car down a narrow one-way street towards a tiny Italian restaurant, I realise we’re causing a ...
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A Driver’s Car Comparison

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A Driver's Car Comparison
What Fun! ‘A celebration of 2016’s most wanted’ was the brief, and on the face of it you can see why. The Ford Focus RS, BMW M2 Pure and Porsche 718 Boxster S don’t look like natural cross-shopping candidates, the Porsche costing almost three times the price of the Focus, but at some point between the Wheels office and the hills surrounding Eildon, the brief went out the window. Things became competitive ... a driver's car comparison was called for. Some commonalities first...
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2017 Civic Hatch Here Now!

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Honda Civic Hatch
 The new Civic, launched here in sedan form just under a year ago. The hatch has arrived to stand alongside it's brother in Australian showrooms. WHAT IS IT For the past two generations, the Honda Civic hatch has been more of a half-brother to the Civic sedan than a direct relative. Based on Jazz underpinnings and built in the UK, it was literally a world apart from its Thai-sourced sedan contemporary. But now, in its tenth-generation, the Civic range is back to ...
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New Mazda CX-3 Review 2017

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Mazda CX3
Evolution, not Revolution, is the way forward. WHAT IS IT? Launched in 2015, Australia’s best-selling small SUV and has just received an update that lacks aesthetic changes but addresses the CX-3’s few weaknesses, including ride refinement and road noise. WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The Mazda 2-based crossover ticked a lot of boxes when launched in 2015 and deserved its place at the top of its segment. But two years is a long time in the SUV world and newcomers such as the Toyota C-...
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Driver’s Car Comparison

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S4 vs AMG C43
 CM3 and C63 too rich for you? Never fear, we've got the answer!. When it comes to powerful luxury sedans, just how much do you really lose by stepping down to the circa-$100K zone? Do the Audi S4 quattro and Mercedes-AMG C43 4matic sit forever in the shadow of the heavier-hitting Alfa Romeo Giulia QV, BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63, or are they plenty of car for most people, most of the time? It’s handy that the S4 and C43 have ample design distinctions both inside and out, because...
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SUV Comparison – CX-5 v Tiguan v Forester

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SUV Comparison - CX-5 v Tiguan v Forester
A sales heavyweight battle for the mid-size SUV's. The quest by manufacturers to take a slice of the most popular segment of the fastest growing vehicle type in the country has delivered carparks full of mediocrity - for years.  It’s especially pertinent when you look at the fantastic options on offer in the family sedan and wagon market: Volkswagen Passat or Mazda 6 anyone?The dramatic drop in sales of medium and large sedans certainly has nothing to do with their breadth of ability.But th...
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Alfa v BMW vs AMG Road Test

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QV vs M3 vs C63
QV vs M3 vs C63 .......Interesting! I attempt to hold station with a well-driven Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Italian car is all sinew and suppleness, as if gently pressed to the road’s ruts, compressions and decreasing radius corners by a benign celestial hand. The Mercedes-AMG C63 S I’m driving instead adopts a different philosophy, attempting to bludgeon Australia’s impertinent topography into submission through sheer surfeit of Newton metres; hopping, kicking, shunting and w...
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Top of the Range Colorado vs Range

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Colorado vs Range
Crew Cab 4X4 Utes are bought by many Australians as work and play combos. Range-topping dual-cab utes with delusions of passenger-car grandeur – trying to be all things to all people is a hard thing to master. The original ’48 Holden did it. Roomy enough for six, light enough to be both lively and fuel-efficient, yet strong enough to tackle much of what the unpaved Aussie Outback could throw at it, the monocoque-bodied ‘humpy’ Holden was a bit like Hugh Jackman dressed in an Akub...
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Toyota FT-4X: Funky SUV

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Toyota FT-4X
Toyota is looking for a gap in the small SUV segment. Based on the underpinnings of the C-HR small SUV, the FT-4X amps up the off-road ability and chunky design with an FJ Cruiser-inspired look, right down to the nose that eschews the Toyota stylised badge for one that spells out the brand across the badge. Created following weeks of interviews with “outdoorsy millennials” from the San Francisco Bay area, the FT-4X has low-range gearing and a mechanical four-wheel drive system (inste...
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