Motoring
Vehicle sales rise in Qld in wake of floods
Posted on January 20, 2012 | COMMENTS (0)
Queensland bucked the national trend in the vehicle market in 2011, being the only state in Australia to experience an increase in sales, figures released recently have revealed. RACQ Executive Manager Public Policy Michael Roth said a report released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries showed that vehicle sales declined in every state and territory in…
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And then there were two
Posted on January 20, 2012 | COMMENTS (0)
MINI’s radical new two-seater line up is now complete, with the MINI Roadster joining its helmet-headed hardtop twin down-under. MINI Australia has just announced pricing for the MINI Roadster, starting from $45,500 for the Cooper S model and $55,100 for the range-topping John Cooper Works variant. Pricing for…
New Honda supercar concept unveiled
Posted on January 20, 2012 | COMMENTS (0)
Here’s the Honda that car enthusiasts will be hoping really does make it onto the road: the NSX Concept. Badged as an Acura in the US, the new NSX, which was unveiled at this month’s Detroit Motor Show, is expected to go on sale in the next three years,…
Bumper year ahead for new cars
Posted on January 20, 2012 | COMMENTS (0)
By any standards, 2012 is going to be a big year for the Australian motor vehicle market. Indications are more than 100 new or upgraded models are scheduled for local release. Among the all-new product will be the eagerly-anticipated Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ rear-wheel-drive sports car (the product of a co-joint project between the two makers), Ford’s Falcon 2.0-litre, four-cylinder EcoBoost…
Bring out your Bimmer photos
Posted on January 20, 2012 | COMMENTS (0)
BMW Australia is calling on BMW 3 Series enthusiasts to submit photos from the past of themselves together with their cars, in order to recreate those memories involving the new car. BMW Group Australia general manager sales and marketing Tom Noble said 3 Series owners were fanatical about their cars and many were bound to have boxes of ‘happy snaps’…
Car industry ends the year with a bang
Posted on January 20, 2012 | COMMENTS (0)
The Australian new motor vehicle market has staged a remarkable comeback in the second half of 2011 to finish above one million calendar-year sales for only the fourth time in history. Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows that a total of 1,008,437 new passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were delivered to customers during…
Murphy’s Creek Fire Brigade swings back into action
Posted on January 11, 2012 | COMMENTS (0)
The volunteer fire brigade at the Upper Lockyer township of Murphy’s Creek is ready to tackle emergencies head on from new headquarters built with funding assistance from the RACQ Foundation. The volunteer fire brigade at the Upper Lockyer township of Murphy’s Creek is ready to tackle emergencies head on from new headquarters built with funding assistance from the RACQ Foundation.…
Innovative Impreza
Posted on December 22, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
Subaru’s new fourth generation Impreza is all about improving efficiency, refinement and quality. And when it goes on sale in Australia in March 2012, it will be the first small car model to offer Stop-Start functionality across its full range. Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and horizontally opposed Boxer engine remain key features of the new model, while the whole Impreza range will have a full complement of safety gear,…
Aussies beat the world
Posted on December 22, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
Brisbane Isuzu technician Bernie Pease was among a team of Australian Isuzu truck technicians which took out this year’s prestigious Isuzu World Technical Competition, (commonly known as the ‘I-1 Grand Prix’) in Japan early this month. In winning the sought after ‘Golden Spanner Award’, the Australian team competed against and defeated entrants from 20 Isuzu truck distributor nations world-wide.
Each team was required to complete a series…
New Jag has bite
Posted on December 22, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
I’ve recently driven one of the most impressive new luxury cars to be released this year. Jaguar’s Model Year 2012 XF Luxury 2.2 diesel is the company’s new entry level model. And it’s shaping up to take on the German trio of Audi A6, BMW 5 Series…
Australias Best Cars winners
Posted on December 10, 2009 | COMMENT (1)
Hyundais i30 and iMax, BMWs 135i Coupe (pictured), Audis TT-S and
Land Rovers Discovery all made it two wins in a row in the prestigious
2009 Australias Best Cars annual awards.By Barry Green Each saw off some stiff competition from a host of newcomers and incumbent challengers in their respective categories to take the crown.
Now in its 10th year, Australia’s Best Cars…
Australia’s Best Cars – the name says it all
Posted on November 18, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
By Barry Green (an Australia’s Best Cars awards judge) It’s nearly that time of the year again when we name Australia’s best cars, all 15 of them.
This long-running national annual new car awards program is much more than…
XV joins Subaru line-up
Posted on December 22, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
Another Subaru new for 2012 is the XV crossover model which has morphed from the current Impreza variant to a standalone model which slots into the range beneath Forester. It’s largely Impreza based but has higher, 220 mm, ground clearance and off- road ability that its parent doesn’t.
The XV line-up will include three variants. The entry 2.0i with…
LPG fuel tax to hit Qld motorists
Posted on December 12, 2011 | COMMENTS (11)
Rural, regional and outer metropolitan drivers who use LPG fuel will suffer a blow from the start of December with the introduction of a new Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) tax, Queensland’s peak independent motoring body has warned. RACQ Executive Manager Technical and Safety Policy, Steve Spalding, said the implementation of the new tax came just days after the first win for an LPG – powered car –…
Innovative Impreza
Posted on December 22, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
Subaru’s new fourth generation Impreza is all about improving efficiency, refinement and quality. And when it goes on sale in Australia in March 2012, it will be the first small car model to offer Stop-Start functionality across its full range. Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and horizontally opposed Boxer engine remain key features of the new model, while the whole Impreza range will have a full complement of safety gear,…
New Jag has bite
Posted on December 22, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
I’ve recently driven one of the most impressive new luxury cars to be released this year. Jaguar’s Model Year 2012 XF Luxury 2.2 diesel is the company’s new entry level model. And it’s shaping up to take on the German trio of Audi A6, BMW 5 Series…
Mitsubishi’s 30th anniversary Lake Eyre trek
Posted on December 22, 2011 | COMMENTS (0)
In late 1980 the Mitsubishi Corporation completed its progressive swallow-up of Chrysler Australia and changed the name to Mitsubishi Motors Australia. The company has gone on to rack up more than 2.2 million Australian sales made up of imported, and until a few years ago, locally-made products.
And its capable off-road…
Hyundai i45 awarded top safety rating
Posted on December 13, 2010 | COMMENTS (0)
Hyundai has added to its reputation for five-star safety after its i45 model was today awarded the highest possible safety rating under crash test conditions. Announcing the latest Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) results, RACQ vehicle technologies manager Steve Spalding said the i45 was the fifth Hyundai to be awarded the five-star rating, joining…
Hyundai launches mid-size wagon
Posted on November 17, 2011 | COMMENT (1)
By Russell Manning The popularity of SUVs dented sales of traditional wagons to the point where many manufacturers dropped them from their ranges. However, wagons are making something of a comeback. There are…
Hyundai goes hydrogen
Posted on January 11, 2011 | COMMENT (1)
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have moved another step closer to real world application with the announcement that the Hyundai Motor Company has completed development of its ix35 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). In-service testing will begin this year with an aim to start mass production in 2015.
Hyundai’s third-generation FCEV is equipped with a 100 kW fuel cell system and two…
