30 October 2019 by Matt Campbell
The Mini Countryman Hybrid - that’s the simplest way to think of this newly added high-riding model. But that’s the car’s short name. Like me - I go by Matt, and this Mini goes by Countryman Hybrid . It’s longer name is Mini Countryman S E All4 PHEV. We’ll be going with the former though this...Read more
16 August 2019 by Matt Campbell
Forget the Volkswagen Beetle - could the Tesla Model 3 be the new People’s Car? I’ll leave you to join the dots between the men behind each of the two vehicles in question, but the Tesla Model 3 is the first ‘affordable’ EV from the breakout US brand. Affordable is relative, of course - and we...Read more
13 August 2019 by Tom White
Sometimes the future is a hard sell. Among today’s reality of ‘inconvenient truths’, the fact that you’ll have to plug in and charge your car in the foreseeable future seems to be one which people hang on. “It’s inconvenient” or “it takes too long” are the leading complaints. But, you can actually...Read more
2 August 2019 by Richard Berry
The last time I drove a Toyota Corolla hybrid was a couple of years ago when I tested on by one by taking it 400km north from Sydney to a meeting of old cars with giant petrol engines, otherwise knows as a hot rod run, a pilgrimage to worship at the shortened exhaust of the combustion engine. The...Read more
19 July 2019 by Tom White
It’s not quite enough for Hyundai to come after the share of the hatchback market once dominated by Japanese automakers in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Hyundai is now at the top of its game, and it’s rampant success has it coming after even the most niche of market segments. Not only does its Ioniq look kind...Read more
15 July 2019 by Malcolm Flynn
We all know that X means buried treasure in the world of children’s book pirates, but it’s looking like it could hold similar relevance for what lies under the bonnet of future Mazdas. We first officially heard about Mazda’s industry-leading Skyactiv-X technology at the brand’s Global Tech Forum in...Read more
12 July 2019 by Tom White
If I had told you even just a few years ago that one of Nissan’s most promising vehicles, and one the brand partially hangs its future on, was an all-electric hatchback, you probably wouldn’t have believed me. But here we are, and after already having been on sale for years in Europe, the second-...Read more
21 May 2019 by Peter Anderson
Tree-huggers get a bad rap, especially when they're accused of driving Priuses, a particularly targeted form of abuse inspired by the Malibu movie set. Hollywood types who stepped out of gas-guzzling private jets to tool around humbly in Toyota's trailblazing hybrid used to include dapper chaps...Read more
16 May 2019 by Matt Campbell
An all-new Toyota RAV4 doesn't just happen. Over the life of the model, there have been four generations over 25 years, which suggests that Toyota invests a lot of time and effort in the development of its mid-sized SUVs. Now there's a fifth-gen version. The Toyota RAV4 2019 model is more advanced...Read more
16 May 2019 by Matt Campbell
The entry-level model in the 2019 Toyota RAV4 range is the GX model, which can be had with a choice of different power options. The opening drivetrain for the GX is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which is only available in front-wheel drive layout , but can be had with either a six-speed...Read more
16 May 2019 by Matt Campbell
The second-tier model in the 2019 Toyota RAV4 range is the GXL, which could well be be the pick of the range based on its price and spec, as well as the fact it can be had with a choice of different power options. The entry-level drivetrain for the GXL is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine,...Read more
16 May 2019 by Matt Campbell
Third rung up the Toyota RAV4 2019 model range ladder is Cruiser variant, which adds a little bit of luxury to the mix. The entry-level drivetrain for the Cruiser is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which is only available in front-wheel drive layout and comes with a CVT (continuously...Read more
16 May 2019 by Matt Campbell
The 2019 Toyota RAV4 range is the first from the brand to combine the practicality of an SUV with a broad range of hybrid models - in fact, of the 11 variants in the RAV4 2019 line-up, six of them are hybrid. The hybrid powertrain used sets a new benchmark for petrol efficiency in the mid-sized SUV...Read more
15 May 2019 by Andrew Chesterton
Remember the bad old days, back when buying an eco-friendly car meant you'd be forced to wave goodbye to any hope of driving excitement - not to mention your social life - the moment you picked up the keys? From the Toyota Prius to the Honda Insight , our earliest adventures into the world of...Read more
18 April 2019 by Tom White
Fun fact: The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling car in Norway. Thanks to aggressive EV policies in the Nordic country, there are now more than 50,000 of these electric-only hatchbacks kicking around their roads. It’s also pretty popular across Europe and Japan, and subsequently is the best-selling...Read more
15 April 2019 by Tom White
I think it’s just human nature to like explosions. There’s something fascinating and wonderous about how an internal combustion engine unites the chaos of exploding petrol with a few hundred moving parts to send a car hurtling forward. So, I should hate the Hyundai Kona Electric. I should hate it...Read more
22 March 2019 by Richard Berry
You are living in the future. Well, that’s obvious because I’m writing this on March 20, 2019 and the only way you could be reading it is if the current date is sometime after that – it could be days or years. Either way, I hope you’re well and everything turned out fine. But what I mean is the...Read more
22 March 2019 by Richard Berry
The Elite is the entry grade into Hyundai's Kona Electric line-up and has a list price of $59,990. Coming standard on the Elite is a leather interior, an 8.0-inch touch screen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto , Bluetooth connectivity, an Infinity stereo, digital radio, paddle shifters,...Read more
8 March 2019 by James Cleary
When Toyota’s Prius arrived more than 20 years ago, the idea of a petrol engine and electric motor working together to power a car was considered exotic and suitable for automotive fringe-dwellers only. A Prius in the driveway was a badge of honour for proud eco-warriors. Over time, the strikingly...Read more