Latest News Archives • Peter Lloyd

Mazda 6 Wagon Extended Test

Posted on May 22, 2019 by admin

Nothing to hate - lots to like! What I hate most about Hugh Jackman is that there’s nothing to hate about Hugh Jackman. He’s just too much of a good bloke to be hated in any way. That’s pretty much how I’m feeling about the 6 Atenza wagon, which, after five months as its happy custodian, I’m begrudgingly returning to Mazda. It’s not perfect by any means, and there are things I dislike. The A-pillars are overly thick, the infotainment screen is small compared to a...
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2019 CLA is Coming to Australia

Posted on May 18, 2019 by admin

Large upward steps for MB's small four-door coupe! Overall Rating Plus & Minus PlusSlick interior; handling poise; sleeker styling MinusClunky gear shifter; bloatware built into infotainment; no wagons for Australia The Wheels Verdict: From a relative bit-part player, the CLA has emerged as one of Mercedes’ quiet stars. The latest model is bigger, prettier and a lot more assured and, for the time being at least, makes a lot more sense to us than a C-Class. ...
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Mazda 3 G25 and Volkswagen Golf go Head to Head

Posted on May 11, 2019 by admin

Which one is for You? There was a time, in the not-so-distant past, where small cars from the premium brands could justify their dizzying prices because of not just their badges, but clear superiority in terms of design sophistication, perceived quality, higher grade materials, and extra safety and convenience features. But that was then. In 2019 we’re dealing with a very different paradigm; the arrival of the new, fourth-generation Mazda 3, and the steadily refined VW Golf, are two ...
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AMG GT in Oz late 2019

Posted on May 9, 2019 by admin

AMG GT will be in Australia later in the year

The GT coupe gets an update for 2019. Overall Rating .. 4/5 stars PLUS & MINUS Sense of occasion, improved agility, classier cabin Cumbersome at low speed, awkward gear selector, no more power THE WHEELS VERDICT The AMG GT slides into 2019 with a slicker presentation but the dynamics haven’t stepped forward quite so markedly. For those who like a loud and slightly brash coupe or cabrio, that won’t matter. If you really extend the latest GT you’ll find additional...
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BMW X7 Goliath

Posted on April 27, 2019 by admin

7 Seats.....and space to burn..... It’s over-size and about to be over here, so could BMW’s flagship SUV be your new luxo seven-seater family hauler? Ash Westerman delivers the Wheels verdict WHAT IS IT? BMW’s new flagship SUV. WHY ARE WE DRIVING IT? BMW’s USA-based launch program saw waves of journalists driving a fleet of X7s from Florida to Palm Springs in California over six weeks. Wheels was given the 550km leg from Baton Rouge in Louisiana to Houston in Texas. No alligator...
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Cadillac Down Under

Posted on April 22, 2019 by admin

Lang Lang testing, but, at this stage, Cadillac won’t be sold to the Australian public Cadillac has revealed a new sedan overnight, the CT5, and it’s already in the country. A smaller sibling to the CT6, Caddy’s new baby sedan is designed to rival Europe’s executive cartel, which includes the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Keen-eyed travellers in Melbourne’s outer suburbs are likely to have already seen the CT5’s shapely haunches as it drove on public roads....
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Holden Colorado – on the Shopping List

Posted on April 15, 2019April 15, 2019 by admin

Colorado and Triton kicking goals..... Holden is taking a hit as it restructures some of its passenger car line-up to focus on SUVs, but the Colorado ute is already on the way up. Slipping to tenth spot on the ladder in March, the Lion Brand is picking up some of the pieces to rebuild itself as old faithfuls like the Commodore and Astra continue to drop market share. First quarter-2019 sales figures show the Colorado has enjoyed the strongest sales increase quarter-on-quarter of ...
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What is the Mazda CX-30?

Posted on April 10, 2019 by admin

Here's the logic - straight from the source...... Vinesh Bhindi is all about offering choice. Mazda Australia's CEO sits back and smiles when asked why the CX-30 is here. “It fits in very nicely with our strategy which is to offer as broad a choice as we can in Australia. If you look at what's happened in the past few years, it's clear that consumers enjoy choice,” he says. “Australia has the most comprehensive SUV choice of any Mazda market.” “It's still too early to t...
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News from the Geneva Motor Show

Posted on March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 by admin

Our newsworthy points for 2019.... There have been motor shows where there are one or two significant car launches. At Geneva this year we've been buried in an avalanche of new models. So much so that some key cars seem to have been lost in the maelstrom of new metal. Alfa Romeo Tonale anyone? But amid all the launch fanfare, it's been a show that signifies a changing of the guard in many respects. Here's why: If you're not going electric, you're going out...
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SUV Coupe – WHAT is that?

Posted on March 27, 2019 by admin

As we wait patiently they will die...... We’re an inclusive bunch here at Wheels, celebrating cars in all shapes and sizes. Well, almost all. No matter how hard I try to be accepting of the things, I’m really struggling with SUV Coupes. You know the ones – high riding trucks with a gently raked rear window – that deliver the dynamic compromises of an SUV with the packaging shortcomings of a fastback. They’re like a perfect storm of ineptitude. Porsche is entering the fra...
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HSV Camaro Update

Posted on March 21, 2019 by admin

Some tweaks to looks and drive train! HSV has confirmed it will sell the updated MY19 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS in Australia later this year, with new styling and two new transmissions, one of which features a Mustang-shaming burnout mode. The updates accompany the arrival of the wild-new Camaro ZL1 and mean that Aussies will finally be able to access MY19 Camaros via HSV. The legendary US pony car was updated Stateside last year, but HSV has until now been converting pre-facelift ...
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Corolla Sales Dwindle

Posted on March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 by admin

Toyota Australia remains unconcerned.... Until recently, the Toyota Corolla has been a venerable sales juggernaut, providing Toyota Australia a license to print money. However, now sales have begun to slow, with rivals like the Mazda 3 and Hyundai i30 eating into the Corolla’s sales dominance. Worryingly for Toyota Australia, the introduction of a new generation Corolla seems unable to stop the slow-down, with a number of poor sales months since it was introduced l...
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HOW LEXUS DEFEATED THE ‘BEST CAR IN THE WORLD’!

Posted on March 9, 2019March 9, 2019 by admin

When Chris Goffey tested the Lexus LS 400 for Top Gear in 1990, he claimed that it was “petrifyingly good”. A rather appropriate turn of phrase, because the bosses at Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar must have felt a little petrified when Japan’s first global luxury car wafted into view at the 1989 Detroit Auto Show. Twenty years on, it would be easy to be a tad dismissive of the LS 400, maybe rolling out the tiresome reference to the ‘Japanese S-Class’ as...
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New RS5 Sportback – Civilised Driver’s Car

Posted on March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 by admin

Audi's RS5 Sportback could be just the ticket! WHAT IS IT? Audi’s mid-size performance flagship, packaged in a svelte yet practical five-door body style. WHY ARE WE DRIVING IT? We’re well familiar with the coupe variant of the RS5, and the wagon version (RS4 Avant), so we were keen to see how the dynamic abilities married with the specific packaging attributes of the Sportback body. MAIN RIVALS Mercedes-AMG C63S Estate, or, if you can live without the hatch an...
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Small SUVs That Won’t Bust Your Budget

Posted on March 1, 2019March 1, 2019 by admin

Driving pleasure can come in a variety of SUV shapes and sizes Tiny dancers: Mazda CX-3 Maxx and Toyota C-HR 2WD AUSTRALIA’S second-best-selling small SUV has much going for it – striking design, stylish interior, great seats, strong performance, quality engineering – but the Mazda CX-3’s biggest ace is choice. Nothing else in its class offers the dazzling smorgasbord of petrol, diesel, front-drive, all-wheel drive, auto and manual flavours. Sixteen all up, in fac...
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Wheels Car of the Year Winner: Volvo

Posted on February 27, 2019February 27, 2019 by admin

2nd year in a row for the Swedes Another year, another Volvo SUV claiming the top spot. This time round, few saw it coming. After the Jaguar I-Pace’s range and reliability issues saw it fall from contention, prime position on the COTY podium became a fiercely contested tête-à-tête between the Volvo XC40 and the Subaru Forester. It wasn’t the done deal that many initially expected. Every year at COTY there’s an initially unfancied outsider that doesn’t draw m...
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Car of the Year Finalist: Volkswagen Polo

Posted on February 25, 2019February 25, 2019 by admin

$17,990 can buy a lot of car… IT SPEAKS volumes when you’ve left a $200k Audi with 250kW in the COTY car park and the rest of the judges are wondering why the $17,990 Volkswagen Polo 70 TSI isn’t back yet. Short answer, because it’s one of the few cars here that feature a manual gearbox, it’s skinny 15-inch tyres screech hilariously around the proving ground’s Basic Durability Course and there’s a refreshing joy in finding a car this cheap so much fun. And other Polos are av...
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Car of the Year Finalist: Jaguar I-Pace

Posted on February 23, 2019February 23, 2019 by admin

A British electric SUV - who would have thought it, only a little while ago? WHEELS Car of the Year is well and truly entered a new era, with a British electric SUV named a finalist in 2019 at a canter. A pre-event favourite for this year’s COTY gong, the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace stunned the judges with the breadth of its ability in the first round of testing. Jaguar entered the electric vehicle fray swinging. The company celebrated its 97th birthday last ...
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Seven Seater SUV Comparison

Posted on February 21, 2019February 21, 2019 by admin

Holden have debuted a seven-seater SUV that is a valid entrant in this market. How does it compare to the incumbents? SEVENTY years ago, to the very day this issue hit the stands, a nervous General Motors unveiled the first Holden, a cream 48/215 sedan. Based on a rejected wartime Chevrolet proposal out of Detroit, it was exactly what our car-starved nation craved. Of course, the ‘FX’ and every one of its 31 locally manufactured successors have since woven themse...
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Ferrari 812 Superfast, Wow!

Posted on February 19, 2019February 19, 2019 by admin

Ferrari have taken the fundamentals of a super GT, and added a dose of something extra THE soft pre-dawn light has gone. The dew-ridden fields are a memory, darkness expanding as we plunge further into the forest. Now the strongest illumination comes from the shift lights; red, then a bluey purple as the V12 screams towards 8900rpm. It should be glorious, though it isn’t. Wet patches lurk in the shadows, leaf litter causes the Pirellis to shudder, and there are broken branches, smas...
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Car Technology Coming Your Way

Posted on February 16, 2019February 27, 2019 by admin

Car technology from the Consumer Electronics Show recently held in the United Sates is a window into our driving, or not, future. THE WORLD’S tech heads have descended on Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), to learn more about what our future will look like. In recent years car manufacturers have shown an increase interest in the event, turning it into a de facto motor show for next-gen vehicle technologies. This year is no different, and while there are ...
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New BMW 3 Series Here in March

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by admin

Two four-cylinder models will be the trailblazers. THE FIRST examples of BMW’s lighter and more driver-focused 3 Series will arrive in Aussie showrooms this March with prices starting from $67,900. The first seventh-gen 3 Series models to be made available locally will be the 320d and 330i, both of which are powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (with the oil-burner using twin turbos), and both gain M Sport interior and exterior treatments as standard equi...
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New Porsche 911

Posted on February 7, 2019February 7, 2019 by admin

Porsche's icon does not change often....but when it does.... Porsche’s new 911 will arrive in Australia around April. Codenamed 992, it replaces the 991 generation of the rear-engined German icon introduced in 2012. The $265,000 S and $281,100 4S versions will lead the charge. These prices represent small increases over the current models. The 992 will bring perhaps the single greatest change in the long history of the 911. It has been engineered to accommodate a hybrid dri...
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Mercedes-Benz X-Class X250d

Posted on February 1, 2019February 1, 2019 by admin

Arrives with anticipation from many............. UNTIL the arrival of the X-Class this year, the 4x4 ute segment was a mostly classless zone; a safe space free of badge-cred posturing. Owners displayed their affluence via a higher model grade, or perhaps some flash aftermarket equipment. Now, with Mercedes’ three-pointed star sitting Frisbee-sized on the bluff snout of the Spanish-built X-Class, all that has changed, and on a construction site, at least, it threatens to be as divi...
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Hot Hatches Fight It Out

Posted on January 31, 2019January 31, 2019 by admin

These mighty midgets are loads of fun....but can we pick a winner? ENGLAND’S immortal Mini Minor may have started the pocket-rocket phenomenon some six decades ago, but it’s France, Germany and Italy that have nurtured the class in the intervening years, with a bevy of belting superminis brandishing evocative badges like GTI, RS, ST, Ti and Turbo. And let’s not forget Japan’s Suzuki either, the unlikely survivor on the Australian hot-hatch scene, supplying an almost unin...
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New Audi Q8 Review

Posted on January 24, 2019January 24, 2019 by admin

Another Prestige SUV Contender Lands in Australia. WHAT IS IT? Audi’s foray into large coupe-profiled SUVs. Not only is the Q8 an all-new model to join the four-ring fellowship, it accepts the mantle from the Q7 as the flagship of the SUV line-up. Audi is attempting to plug as many gaps in its high-rider range (and nomenclature) to avoid losing sales to the rapidly burgeoning portfolios on offer wearing BMW and Mercedes badges. WHY WE’RE TESTING IT In this weird...
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Subaru Forester vs 3 Rival SUVs

Posted on January 22, 2019January 22, 2019 by admin

New model Subaru improves the offering. YOU’RE a prospective medium-SUV buyer, lost, alone and confused in the woods, surrounded by a thicket of lookalike crossover choices. What do you do? Happily, we’re here to help, having already sorted through the good, the bad and the ugly to arrive at the cream of the crop as rivals for Subaru’s new, fifth-gen Forester, with not a dull or dreary drive in sight. The evergreen Subaru Forester has been rooted in the medium-SU...
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New Mercedes-Benz B-Class due Mid-2019

Posted on January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 by admin

A more spacious B-Class enjoyed by Europeans but slow to be adopted by Australians. WHAT IS IT? A-Class with altitude. Built on the same platform as Mercedes-Benz's new small hatch, the B-Class has the same wheelbase and uses identical core technologies, drivetrains included. While the B-Class's extra height increases roominess and flexibility, its proportions provide a tough challenge for the design department.... WHY WE'RE TESTING IT The inte...
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Mercedes-Benz V6 Ute Review

Posted on January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 by admin

L Slovenia serves as our intoduction to Merc’s V6 crew-cab ute. WHAT IS IT? This is the X-Class many people have been waiting for. Mercedes-Benz launched its Navara-based dual-cab ute at the end of 2017, but this V6-powered version, called X350d, is the first to get a proper Mercedes-Benz drivetrain rather than a carry-over four-cylinder engine and gearbox from Nissan. And it’s a radically different vehicle as a result, not only to the Navara but to the four-pot...
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Jaguar I-Pace Electric SUV Review

Posted on January 11, 2019January 11, 2019 by admin

Jaguar steals the electric march on rivals. WHAT IS IT? Jaguar’s first electric car and an all-new, all-electric luxury SUV built on a bespoke platform that places a bank of lithium-ion batteries along its floor. WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The I-Pace has just gone on sale locally and is the first all-electric SUV from a traditional luxury car maker, giving the British brand a big head start on its predominantly German rivals. Built on a ground-up electric arch...
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