Articles by Chris Riley

Chris Riley road tests and reviews the 2014 Hino 300 High Power with specs, fuel economy and verdict.

WE turn the spotlight on the VW Golf GTI Performance and ask the crucial questions, including the biggest -- would you buy one?

Chris Riley road tests and reviews the SsangYong Korando 2WD, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

A special 10th anniversary edition of Jeep's hard core, offroader – in either two or four-door form. Just 30 examples have been secured for the local market, 12 of them two-door and 18 four-door versions.Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition is $49,000 for the two-door model or $53,000 for the four-door, Unlimited model.  An auto adds $2000 to the price.There's a lot of pretenders but only one real competitor for this car and that is the Land Rover Defender. Both target the same buyer, but they are very different vehicles.The 10th Anniversary Edition is available only with a petrol V6, together with a six-speed manual or optional five-speed automatic. We would have preferred a diesel but the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine is surprisingly good, producing 209kW of power and 347Nm of torque. Drive is to the rear wheels or to all four wheels if four-wheel drive is engaged – it’s a part time system. Not bad. It's a big truck of a thing but has no trouble keeping up with the traffic flow. Things have certainly come a long way since the early petrol guzzling sixes that powered Jeeps – the five-speed auto helps too. Rides about 40mm higher than the standard Rubicon.The four-door is rated at 12.0 litres/100km. We were getting 12.1 after more than 600km of mixed driving. Good to see the 85-litre tank takes standard 91 unleaded too.Gets 3.5 stars from the Government’s Green Vehicle Guide, with carbon emissions of 276g/km (benchmark Prius scores 5).Wrangler is a four star vehicle. Comes with a reverse camera, four airbags, that offer protection for the driver and passenger only. Features electronic traction and stability control, as well as roll over mitigation.Talk to the back. We just couldn't get comfortable in this car. You may have a different experience.Tends to intimidate other drivers. It's large and cumbersome in terms of city driving, with a large turning circle that can making parking difficult. Off road the Wrangler has few peers, designed to bash and crash its way down the roughest fire trail. It provides one of, if not the best, out of the box four-wheel drive experience available, with 264mm of ground clearance, front and rear locking differentials and a wading depth of 762mm. It has a wash out interior and can tow a 2.3 tonne load.For a hard core off road vehicle it contains plenty of creature comforts, like heated leather sports seats, climate air conditioning and satellite navigation. The Infinity audio system features 6 speakers, 368 watt amplifier and subwoofer. Comes with dual roof system, with a three piece modular fibreglass hardtop plus a roll out soft top (that tends to get in the way). A plaque features the vehicle's technical data, such as axle and sway bar types, transfer case type and crawl ratio, tyre size and location of manufacture.  

Wow. Besides being much nearer to the Golf in terms of quality, this car is about five grand cheaper than expected. It gets the same turbocharged engine as the GTI, sports suspension with adaptive chassis control, progressive steering and even the trick XDL differential lock. PRICE / FEATURESPrices for the sedan start from $36,490, or $38,790 for the auto - while the diesel adds $1000 to the price tag (wagon is $1350 extra in any denomination). In comparison the GTI in standard form is priced from $41,990 or $44,490 for the auto.The interior of the RS is dominated by a huge 8 inch navigation screen, with a proximity sensor that pops up the menu system before your fingers reach the screen.The DVD-based system infotainment system features eight speakers, Apple video functionality, two SD card slots, Bluetooth phone functionality, voice control, JPEG viewer - with 64Gb of internal memory. ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONThe petrol engine produces 162kW/350Nm while the diesel delivers 135kW/380Nm. The petrol engine is available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed DSG dual clutch auto, while the diesel is available only with the auto. Gear change paddles are standard with the DSG change as are auto stop-start and brake energy recuperation.Fuel consumption for the petrol engine is a claimed 6.6 litres/100km and for the diesel, 5.2 litres/100km – but beware it takes 98 strength petrol (we were getting 9.2 after 360km.The handbrake in the RS (another point of difference) is a traditional mechanical device while the GTI gets an electronic one. DESIGN / STYLINGFinally they've done something about that awful front grille and it actually looks okay. The new grille is underscored a honeycomb-style air dam, with fog lights and new bi-xenon lights with integrated LEDs. The car is also longer and wider than before, with a 102mm longer wheelbase.Red brake callipers are standard and it rides on 18 inch alloys, with 225/40 tyres. Inside the RS sport seats are available in an attractive combination of leather and fabric, or optional Alcantara leather with red stitching. There is also a sporty three-spoke wheel a colour multi-function display. RS badges adorn the steering wheel, gearshift, door sills, seats and floor mats.SAFETYGets a full five stars for crash safety. Comes with nine airbags as well as some newly developed, active safety systems including multi-collision brake with automatic braking action engaged after an accident, Passenger Protect Assist and Fatigue Detection. Front Assist with emergency braking is also available in the optional Tech Pack. DRIVINGLooks good. Smooth and powerful. May lack some of the refinement of the GTI but at the price who gives a toss? Strong performance is underpinned by excellent ride and handling plus a roomy, comfortable cabin with enough rear legroom to accommodate adults - not to mention a large luggage area. By the way it may look like a sedan but is actually a lift-back.Because the Octavia is larger and heavier than the GTI it's a fraction slower out of the gates – 6.9 versus 6.5 secs for the dash from 0-100km/h. The two have a different track (distance between wheels) and wheelbase and a different suspension setup as well. Again who cares? 

Confused? I know I am. BMW has added a 2 and 4 Series in short succession.

We turn the spotlight on the Fiat Panda Trekking and answer the crucial questions, including the biggest -- would you buy one?

It's time to say goodbye. We returned the hybrid Lexus ES300h this week after 12 weeks and 2300km behind the wheel. The ES is a large sedan with a small thirst that has many endearing qualities, not the least of which is its lean burn philosophy.The prestige, the size and comfort, all that rear legroom – to be sure. It's a very easy car to live with, easy to get in and out of, with plenty of room inside for mature adults and a super quiet interior that is conducive to conversation between thefront and back.It's a long way back too with more than a metre of rear legroom. With tri-zone air rear seat passengers get to set their own temperature. An electrically operated rear sunshade is standard on all grades, while Sports Luxury models receive manual rear door sunshades.The foot area is illuminated by LEDs while Sports Luxury models receive heated outboard rear seats, which can be controlled via the rear armrest panel. The rear armrest also includes a storage area and two cup-holders on both Luxury and Sports Luxury grades. And then there's the excellent fuel economy.Big has its downside sometimes, because the ES can be hard to park and even more difficult to navigate tight car parks. Active cruise control which automatically maintains a set distance from the car in front can be a pain in the proverbial because even at its minimum setting the gap invites other drivers to cut in.The satnav system is large and easy to read but offers some odd choices of route at times and is not the latest Lexus system, as offered in the CT and IS ranges. That means no school zone or speed camera warnings, nor does it keep the driver informed of the current speed limit.Lexus ES is available as a V6 or Hybrid, in Luxury and Sports Luxury grades. Prices for the hybrid start from $63,000 up to $74,000 for the top of the line V6. Our test vehicle the Sports Luxury model carries a price tag of $72,000.Standard features include leather-accented interior, dual climate air, satellite navigation, reversing camera, parking sensors, blind spot monitor, sun roof, 10 airbags, eight-speaker audio, smart entry and start, digital radio, plus Lexus Remote Touch and Drive Mode Select.The hybrid powertrain combines a 2.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine with a 105kW electric motor. Combined output is 151kW with drive to the front wheels through a CVT style auto transmission.It can operate on electric power alone up to 45km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at just 5.5 litres/100km with standard unleaded. With a 65-litre tank that gives it a theoretical range of 1180km (our best was 6.3 litres/100km).It's yet to receive a rating here but with 10 airbags and a multitude of safety and driver assistance systems, there's little doubt it will receive five stars. Note the base model hybrid misses out on Active Cruise and the Pre-Collision Safety System that are bundled as a $3000 option pack.The hybrid may not be the fastest car around town, but it's no slouch either with plenty of kick off the line thanks to the electric motor. Lexus have tried to make the car more dynamic and they have succeeded to some extent, but there is still room for improvement. Dialling in sport mode helps things along.You really can have your cake and eat it too. The ES300h offers the size and prestige of a large luxury car but with the fuel economy and price tag of something a hell of a lot cheaper.Taxi drivers are starting to "get" the hybrid Camry and we predict it will not be too long before the hire car guys turn their attention to the ES.

The S60's worst enemy is probably Volvo's own XC60 off road wagon. That's because it's only $3000 more and offers the same level of equipment with added utility.

What constitutes a luxury car? In days gone by it was lashings of leather and wood grain trim. The new Lexus CT200h has neither, at least in entry grade “Luxury” form