Motorist

Four-door sedans and coupes are being outsold by SUVs. The joy of driving though, on the main, still resides mainly in sedans and coupes. The world has gone mad for the SUV and that’s a crying shame, because it puts luscious machines like the 2020 Audi S7 under more pressure than they need to be. I mean… just look at it! Sharp yet subtle, stern yet sensuous… the S7 is a blend of sensible and sass that puts the boxy dimensions of a typical SUV – even the sporty ones – in sharp contras...
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           A terrific challenge - Tasmania's brutal Climies Track. As 13 vehicles rolled to the beginning of Climies Track on an icy cold summer’s day in Tasmania, adrenalin was high yet scepticism lingered. Were we really expected to overcome a highly technically 20km track with a convoy of D-MAXs and MU-Xs, three of which were unmodified and wearing 18-inch wheels? “Hell, why not? Let's give it a crack,” seemed to be the overwhelming consensus from the group, despite relentless ...
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GT sedans from Japan and Korea - which one for you....... Mazda 3 G25 GT review Equipment and value The G25 GT is stacked with kit. It scores i-Activsense, which includes AEB, lane keeping, lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition and forward-collision warning. The 8.8-inch display, while not touch-enabled, supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the GT gains heated seats/steering wheel, leather, head-up display and a 12-speaker Bose sound system. Mazda’s five-year, ...
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Enhancements in the update model have sweetened the offering from the Audi TT S Quattro Coupe Overall Rating Plus & Minus Plus - All-weather ability; acoustics; interior finish Minus -  Firm ride; no rear-biased drive system; four-cylinder engine lacks charisma of a six The Wheels Verdict: We’re not afraid of an unpopular verdict at Wheels and the Audi TT S is one of those sports coupes that ‘real drivers’ find unfashionable. Drive the latest car back t...
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In its conceptual form, the Cybertruck isn’t ready for production. Here’s why In typical Tesla fashion, the recently revealed Cybertruck is one of, if not the, most polarising new car reveal of the year – possibly the decade. There are two distinct camps surrounding the all-electric pick-up concept, you either love it or hate it. And one of those camps just bristled at my use of the term concept. Thing is though, it is a concept car, as there are a number of features tha...
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Power-packed, premium and polarising – BMW’s third-generation X6 continues to shock and delight Overall Rating Plus & Minus Plus - Performance; interior quality; V8 soundtrack Minus - Polarising design; compromised practicality over X5; heavy The Wheels Verdict: In 2008, no-one knew they needed an SUV and a coupe in one vehicle. BMW came along and planted the seed before sitting back and watching the world’s automakers follow suit. However, the X6 is the genesi...
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Does this vehicle fit in my normal comfort zone? Introduction: The Big Surprise FISH OUT OF water doesn’t quite cut it here. No, this is more deep-sea-tuna-on-top-of-Uluru kind of territory. Complete with Julian Assange-in-a-crowded-supermarket levels of discomfort. You see, I’m just not a dual-cab ute kind of guy. I can appreciate them in a detached kind of way, and understand that they’re exceedingly popular and thus exceptionally relevant to the average Aussie, yet they hol...
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Let the 2020 fight begin! The top three spots on the sales charts are filled with dual-cab utes – they’re big business down under. So when new arrivals from Ford and Isuzu are announced, people take notice. While the Ranger is more of a spec update, the D-Max has received a significant overhaul and is ready to take on its traditional foes. Here’s how the D-Max vs Ranger stack up in key areas with what we know so far. Engine Isuzu has decided to retain the tried and true 3.0-li...
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