Articles by Aiden Taylor

Industry best six-year, unlimited kilometre warranty now covers all Citroen passenger vehicles.

Mini Australia has confirmed local specs and pricing for its new six-door member of the Cooper range - the Clubman.Based on the existing five-door Mini Cooper, the Clubman is a more practical option with a larger boot – 360-litres seats up instead of 278-litres – and dual doors at the rear for easier cargo loading.Measuring 248mm longer and 73mm wider, with a 103mm increase in wheelbase compared to the standard five-door Cooper, the Clubman can carry a total of 1250 litres with the rear seats lowered compared to 941 litres. Pricing starts at $34,900 for the entry-level 100kW/220Nm turbocharged three-cylinder variant which consumes 5.4L/100km on the combined cycle and takes 9.1-seconds to reach 100km/h.Standard features include a six-speed auto transmission, reverse camera with rear parking sensors, Bluetooth phone and audio and forward collision warning.A more powerful Cooper S Clubman variant is also available priced from $42,900 that’ll do 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds courtesy of a 141kW/280Nm 2.0-litre turbo four.Based on the existing five-door Mini Cooper, the Clubman is a more practical option with a larger boot.Stepping up to the Cooper S also adds a standard eight-speed auto, 17-inch alloys, satnav, selectable drive modes and sports leather steering wheel.Despite the slightly wider dimensions over the rest of the Cooper range, the interior design is almost identical, while outside the Clubman uses horizontally mounted taillights instead of vertical ones. 

Price cuts across BMWs M3 and M4 range amid equipment gains and detail tweaks.

Industry-best seven year unlimited kilometre warranty announced by Kia.Kia is today launching a new industry-leading warranty program that will cover owners for seven years and unlimited kilometres.Customers will also benefit from seven years of capped price servicing and roadside assistance, while the warranty will be fully transferable between owners.All existing Kia owners whose vehicles were covered by the brand's previous five-year capped price servicing plan will also automatically receive an additional two years of capped price servicing for a total of seven years. The five year warranty period remains for these owners however."Crucially, our customers will not be asked to pay any more for their scheduled services than had been the case with the five year capped-price program," Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith said."The two year increase in warranty, capped-price servicing and roadside assist is absolutely transparent and we will not be asking our customers to dip into their pockets to fund the extra benefits," he added.Kia is currently the only automaker in Australia to offer a seven-year warranty period, trumping Citroen's six-year term and the five-years offered by several other manufacturers. The Korean brand's new coverage is also more than double the three-year industry standard.

Jaguar has given us our best look yet at its first ever SUV, confirming the F-Pace will be used as the Sky Team support vehicle at the 2015 Tour de France that starts this weekend.While the F-Pace SUV won’t be officially revealed until later this year, the support car wears minimal camouflage and gives us our best indication yet as to the model’s styling direction.These latest F-Pace images clearly show that the styling of the original C-X17 concept shown at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show has been kept intact for the production model.The F-Pace features the familiar Jaguar grille with slim headlights and smooth lines, while the rear is heavily influenced by the F-Type sports car.Jaguar’s first ever SUV is currently in its final stages of development and the British brand claims its duty as the Sky Team support car will be a great real-world test of the high-rider’s durability, performance and packaging. Jag is clearly confident in the F-Pace’s abilities, as a malfunction of any kind at such a public event would prove damaging to the brand.The F-Pace will be used during the Tour de France to carry a crew of up to four people including the team director, doctor, mechanic and another senior Sky Team member.Jag is clearly confident in the F-Pace’s abilities, as a malfunction of any kind at such a public event would prove damaging to the brand.Jaguar’s first SUV will adopt an all aluminium chassis architecture derived from the new XE and XF sedans with similar proportions to the Audi Q5.The F-Pace is expected to be powered by a range of petrol and diesel engines including a 250kW 3.0-litre supercharged V6, 202kW turbodiesel and possibly even a 404kW 5.0-litre supercharged V8 in a performance ‘R’ variant.Rear and all-wheel drive will likely be available with an eight-speed auto shifting gears.The production F-Pace will go on sale internationally in 2016.  

Ford has unleashed its new range of performance cars at the U.K’s annual Goodwood Festival of Speed exhibition.Headlining Ford’s display at the show was an appearance from drifting sensation and rally driver Ken Block who piloted the new Focus RS hot hatch up the Goodwood hill climb.Ken Block was a consultant during the development of the 257kW all-wheel drive Focus RS and played a role in defining how the car handles. We suspect Block who is famous for his viral drift videos may also be behind the ‘drift’ mode that has been integrated into the hot hatch’s selectable drive modes.Ken Block was a consultant during the development of the 257kW all-wheel drive Focus RS and played a role in defining how the car handles."I've had so much fun helping Ford develop this next generation of ultimate hot hatch and I'm stoked about the thought of blasting up Lord March's Hillclimb with 350 PS and all-wheel drive at my disposal," said Block before the run.During the run, Block kept it pretty tame adopting a fast and straight style instead of the sideways and smokey we're used to seeing from him and the Focus RS. The RS’s clever all-wheel drive system can send up to 50 per cent of the available grunt to the rear torque-vectoring differential which can then send up to 100 per cent to either wheel. Ford says this all-paw system in conjunction with the active stability control allows for controlled oversteer.The new Focus RS also incorporates a launch control function – a first for an RS – though Ford remains tight-lipped about any acceleration figures.Block made full use of the Focus RS’s tail-happy handling balance, sliding his way up the hill climb in the bright blue monster.Ben Collins, formerly known as ‘The Stig’ on Top Gear, also drove up the Goodwood hill climb in the hardcore U.S-spec Shelby Mustang GT350R track car.The Shelby ‘Stang features a 5.2-litre naturally aspirated flat-plane crank V8 pumping out over 373kW and rides on lightweight carbon fibre wheels sourced from Australian company Carbon Revolution.At this stage Ford is keeping the high performance coupe for left-hand drive U.S markets only, however the dynamic display in the U.K (a RHD market) could indicate the brand is considering a right-hook Shelby for the future.The new 447kW mid-engine Ford GT supercar also made its first official public appearance in the U.K but the carbon fibre stunner did not hit the track for a flat-out blast up the hill.It’s the second time this month we’ve seen the Ford GT in Europe with a race car version starring at the Le Mans 24 hour race a few weeks ago when Ford announced it would compete in the endurance event next year. 

The new Giulia sedan is arguably the most important car in the history of Alfa Romeo.While the slinky 4C sports car was responsible for returning the Italian brand to its sports car roots after it sunk itself into also-ran oblivion, this new Giulia sedan looks to bring the sporty new Alfa Romeo into the mainstream. The Giulia is a small premium sedan which is set to rival the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4 and Lexus IS, along with the upcoming Jaguar XE.Alfa has attempted to compete with those cars before but with only a small development budget and Fiat-based front-drive underpinnings to play with.RELATED: 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia revealedThe new Giulia is a much more ambitious beast, packing lightweight platform with rear and all-wheel drive and a Ferrari-developed engine.It’s the first step in an aggressive $8 billion strategy that Alfa hopes will see production rise from less than 68,000 units in 2014 to over 400,000 by 2018 with eight all-new models.It’s a strategy that’s delivered an aggressive-looking car too, with the Giulia featuring piercing headlights, a big angry snout and a tough stance.The basic shape isn’t overtly angry, preferring softer round shapes over taut and sharp ones but once you add the big wheels, aero addenda and quad exhaust tips of the Quadrifoglio (QV) performance version it starts to look suitably menacing.The interior is also very driver-focused and bathed in leather, Alcantara and carbon fibre.It’s dominated by a large central display which is operated by a new BMW iDrive-style controller, while the familiar ‘DNA’ switch toggles between the various drive modes. For now Alfa Romeo has only confirmed the range-topping Giulia QV aimed at the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG but softer versions are coming. Boasting a 380kW turbocharged six-cylinder mill developed with help from Ferrari, the performance model can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds – quicker than both the Germans.Alfa promises it’ll be a return to form in the handling department too, claiming a perfect 50:50 weight distribution helped by the use of lightweight materials including carbon fibre.The prop shaft, roof and bonnet are all made from carbon, while the doors and fenders are aluminium.There’s no official weight figure yet, but the QV is expected to tip the scales at around 1500kg.Boasting a 380kW turbocharged six-cylinder developed with Ferrari, the Giulia QV can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds.At the front the Giulia adopts a aluminium double wishbones with what Alfa calls a ‘semi-virtual steering axis’ to give an ultra-pointy nose.By also gearing the steering to be quicker than any other car in this segment, it seems the engineers want to give the car a sensitive and alert feeling like the current range of Ferrari supercars.The rear suspension is by a multi-link arrangement, similar to most other small sports sedans.Like the rear-drive German super sedans, the Giulia QV also employs a torque-vectoring active rear differential to give the best possible on-limit handling balance.Active aerodynamics are also part of the package, including a small splitter which automatically deploys when the Chassis Demand Control system senses it’s required.The rear of the car also features a big lower diffuser that looks like it’s been snatched form the Ferrari parts bin, which seems entirely possible given the Giulia QV was developed by a team of ‘skunkworks’ engineers.The first pre-production cars have already begun rolling down the assembly line, but right-hand drive customer cars won’t be ready until late 2016. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia CEO Pat Dougherty confirmed today that the new Alfa Romeo Giulia will be coming to Australia. 

Mercedes has announced Australian pricing and specifications for the new GLE SUV range that will replace the current ML-Class.Rather than a whole new car, the GLE is a facelifted version of the ML which has adopted the German brand’s new SUV naming strategy.Under the new system all Mercedes SUVs will be named GL with the third letter corresponding to the model’s size in relation to the ordinary passenger range.Hence GLA corresponds to the compact A-Class, GLE the mid-size E-Class and the upcoming GL-replacing GLS will reference the S-Class flagship sedan.The visual changes between the existing ML and new GLE are subtle but include new front and rear bumpers, revised head and tail lights and a new steering wheel.The GLE range kicks off with the $86,900 GLE 250d 4Matic, which is powered by a 150kW 2.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder connected to a new nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system. Combined fuel consumption for the entry-level model is 6.0L/100km, down from 6.4L/100km on the outgoing model.While the base price has swollen by $3000 compared to the current ML range, the 250d now includes the Driver Assistance Plus package which adds active cruise control which maintains a safe distance from the car in front, auto emergency brake, blind spot monitor and lane-keep assist.Other standard features include LED headlights, proximity keys and keyless start, satnav, auto tailgate and 19-inch alloys.While the base price has swollen by $3000 compared to the current ML range, the GLE 250d now includes the Driver Assistance Plus packageStepping up to the $104,900 GLE 350d 4Matic brings the more powerful 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 engine producing 190kW/620Nm.Combined fuel consumption in the 350d is 6.6L/100km, down from 7.3L/100km.On top of the 250’s standard features, the 350 adds 360-degree camera system, leather upholstery, heated front seats and 20-inch alloys. Next up is the $109,900 GLE 400 which packs a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 which pumps out 245kW/480Nm and consumes 9.3L/100km combined.The GLE 400 also includes an electric glass sunroof and 14 Speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system as standard.The standard GLE passenger range is topped off by the $127,900 V8 GLE 500 whose 4.7-litre petrol unit develops 320kW and 700Nm.Standard features on the range-topper include air suspension with adaptive damping and automatic body leveling, heated and ventilated front seats, and 21-inch alloys. Naturally, there is also a AMG performance version of the new GLE which is powered by the big 5.5-litre twin-turbo Affalterbach V8.Developing 430kW, the $189,900 GLE 63 S has enough grunt to hit 100km/h in 4.2 seconds.AMG says that while the power has been upped from 386kW to 430kW, the chassis has also received a great deal of attention to improve agility and cornering dynamics.The new GLE 63 S also includes a panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather upholstery, and the AMG Driver’s package which raises the top speed to 280km/h from the standard 250km/h.The new GLE range is available to order now, but the first Australian deliveries are not expected until September. 

Aiden Taylor road tests and reviews the new BMW M235i Convertible, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Holden has added more bling to its Colorado ute range with the arrival of the style-focused Z71 model.Priced from $54,990, the Z71 sits above the LTZ as the new hero of the Colorado range and rivals the Ford Ranger Wildtrak available from $57,390. This is the first time we’ve seen the 'Z71' badge in Australia, but in the U.S it’s a luxury trim level for Chevrolet’s pick up trucks like the Silverado and American spec Colorado.Here however, the badge offers sportier styling with the Colorado Z71 boasting 18-inch alloys finished in ‘Arsenal Grey Metallic’, sports nudge bar, roof rails and bolt-on tub extensions matched to either a standard soft or optional hard tonneau cover. Other styling mods include darkened headlights, black mirror caps, door handles and door moldings, as well as black bonnet decals with unique ‘Z71’ badging. The Z71 sits above the LTZ as the new hero of the Colorado range and rivals the Ford Ranger WildtrakInside the changes are less extensive with leather-appointed seats and heated front pews being the only additions. However, because the Z71 is based on the LTZ you also get a reverse camera and MyLink infotainment with seven-inch touchscreen display connected to a premium audio system. The mechanicals are unchanged with the 147kW/500Nm 2.8-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder carrying over from the other Colorado models. A six-speed manual or automatic transmission is available, the latter carrying a $2200 premium, and the 4x4 Colorado can tow up to 3.5-tonnes.The new Holden Colorado Z71 is available Summit White, Sizzle Red, Black Sapphire, Satin Steel Grey and Orange Rock colours and will arrive in showrooms next month. The Z71 will make its first official public appearance at game two of the Holden State of Origin Series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on June 17.