Articles by Ewan Kennedy

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2014 Mazda 3 XD Astina turbodiesel with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Peugeot boosts 208 GTi performance to mark the classic 205 GTi's 30th anniversary.Peugeot used the recent Paris motor show to take the wraps of a more hardcore version of the 208 GTi hot hatch, with the 208 GTi 30th Anniversary marking 30 years since the debut of the classic 205 GTi.The 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine of the standard Peugeot 208 GTi has been beefed up to put out a neat 208 metric horsepower - what else? If you prefer metric numbers the engine produces 156 kilowatts. Perhaps if we ask them nicely the French engineers could screw even more out of the engine and give us 208 kW (that's 279 bhp - delicious!)If you've got a small hatch with lots of grunt it's nice to be able to stop it very quickly - such as at a track on a race day. So the GTi Anniversary has Brembo 323 mm discs at the front. Interestingly the rear brakes are standard GTi as they are doing considerably less work and are already at the high end of specs.While you're at the track you can experience the grip offered by Michelin Pilot tyres on 18-inch alloys, lowered suspension, widened tracks front and rear, and firmer shocks and bushes. And also enjoy the way the Torsen differential accurately feeds the torque to the front wheels as you push the baby Pug to its limit.Inside, there are semi-race seats that support well, though that was during a static test as we weren't able to drive a car. That won't happen till about February 2015 when the first 208 GTi Anniversary models reach downunder. The most interesting part of the car is the black and red paint treatment. Designed to provide cues to the stubby little 1984 Peugeot 205 GTi, the colours are separated vertically, rather than getting the usual horizontal split.Something like 17 hours of additional labour is required to do this paint job as it needs critical masking and carries several coats of varnish. If you don't want to leap out from the crowd, you can get a GTi without this fancy paint treatment – we certainly wouldn't!a car that may well become a collectors' item one dayHow many will be built? There's no limit globally, or for Australian exports. However, Peugeot Sport may struggle to keep up with demand so if you're halfway interested it might be an idea to head for your local dealer and talk deposits on a car that may well become a collectors' item one day.Every Peugeot 208 GTi 30th Anniversary will be individually numbered on a plate above the centre of the windscreen inside the car.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the new Peugeot 508 at its international launch.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the new Peugeot 308 at its Australian preview in France.

Holden Vectra was designed and built by Opel, the German division of General Motors. Some models were assembled by Holden in Australia with some changes to suit Australian driving conditions as well as Australian drivers' tastes. The Vectra was medium sized when launched in Australia in June 1997. From March 2003 it

Now for something completely different; a German Mercedes sportscar with an American body, a low price tag and styling that looks like nothing else on the road.

Toyota adds value and fresh styling for revised Yaris light hatch lineup.Toyota Yaris has been given a big facelift, and carries extra equipment at little or no added cost. Such is the way of the slowing Australian car market at the moment that any company that isn’t prepared to cut prices and/or give more for less will struggle to sell cars in decent numbers.Toyota Australia is running hot at the moment and, though the year still has several months to go, the Corolla looks like finishing number one overall for the second year in succession.So it makes a lot of sense to have the Corolla’s younger brother Yaris drag some more people into the showroom.Big radiator grilles are all the rage at the moment and Toyota Yaris hatch has one of the biggest and boldest of them all. There’s a touch of the current Lexus models at the front of the smallest Toyota sold here.Changes to the interior give it a brighter look and Yaris certainly doesn’t look like a low-cost car. A 6.1-inch display audio screen provides touch, drag and flick control of the type we are using in virtually all smartphones or tablets. A telephone switch is installed on the steering wheel, and the stereo now has six speakers rather than four.Many buyers moving down from big cars are finding they can use something like Toyota Yaris as a family car when the kids are young. One thing these people demand is back doors, so the three-door Yaris hatch has been pulled out of the range as part of this midlife revamp, only five-door hatches are being brought down under.Long overdue is telescopic adjustment of the steering-column.All Yaris models now have the safety of a reversing camera and automatic flashing of the hazard lamps under hard braking. Cruise control can be useful in saving your licence, so all new Yaris variants have cruise as standard.Toyota Australia has revised the Yaris’ model names. The range now begins with the 1.3-litre Ascent, fitted with 15-inch steel wheels instead of 14-inch. Toyota says the additional equipment fitted on the Ascent is valued at over $2000, yet it has kept the price steady at $15,690 for the manual and $17,290 with auto transmission.Yaris SX powered by a 1.5-litre engine, has had its prices increased by $400 to $17,790 (manual) and $19,390 (automatic). Toyota says it now has more than its $1000 of new features, reversing camera, fog lamps, rear and side privacy glass and a new design of wheel covers.Finally, the top-spec auto-only Toyota Yaris ZR has been upgraded with auto-levelling LED headlights, a rear spoiler and diffuser, side skirts and Toyota Link connected mobility. It has at over $2000 of extra equipment but is priced only $1300 higher at $22,690.Unseen, but very much appreciated, the Yaris hatch has a stiffer body shell to reduce in noise, vibration and harshness. More direct and linear steering response has been gained by new suspension calibration. We haven’t had time to road test the upgraded Yaris, but will give you our comments on this as soon as we get into one.Yaris hatch has seven airbags (including one for the driver's knee), plus vehicle stability and traction control, and anti-skid brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.Over 186,000 Toyota Yaris have been sold in Australia since its introduction in 2005, making it the best-selling vehicle in its segment over that period.

Renault’s continued drive to become a mainstream player in Australia is proceeding at pace. The French marque’s car range has everything from low cost small hatchback, to family station wagons, with a delicious sprinkling of high-performance models from the RenaultSport division.Then there are the Renault light commercials. Small vans to large ones and most recently the introduction of a Renault Master cab-chassis with rear-wheel drive that we previewed late last year.Cab-chassis are imported only for one reason - to let Australian designers and engineers come up with a huge variety of bodies suited to very specific tasks. Indeed, as the local car industry moves away from large scale manufacturing it’s likely that many of the best people will move into designing and engineering vehicles based on cab-chassis, and others will manufacture them.Renault Australia and Sunliner, the latter a long established Australian family company, have entered into a partnership to build the Sunliner 40th Anniversary Model motorhome.We are delighted to report that French flair is very much part of the motorhome package; the bold frontal appearance of the Renault Master simply demands a futuristic looking motorhome. Even better to our eyes, the interior of the Sunliner breaks completely away from interior design and materials tradition. More luxury apartment than any olde-style caravan, it works brilliantly to our eyes. To quote the managing director of Sunliner, Nick Harding, “The interior is inspired by the design of super yachts and boasts the same sophisticated quality and style that people expect in a luxury product, including curved cabinets, leather and feature lighting.”We were impressed not only with the quality of the materials, but also the way they have also been crafted by men and women used by Sunliner who obviously know their trades very well.A slide-out wall not only increases Sunliners’ interior space, but also gives a feeling of extra room beyond that which actually exists. That’s clever.An interesting feature is the use of a drop-down bed. This allows you to sleep on a conventional mattress rather than the usual converted seat-and-table that inevitably compromises comfort.Swivelling front seats also improve interior space. Note that if you specify these the optional side airbags aren’t available. Front airbags are standard. An interesting feature is the outside TV inside a slide-up panel on the left of the Sunliner 40th Anniversary. Power down the large external awning by remote control, power up the TV by its remote, pour your favourite drink (not yet offered by remote control, but maybe one day!) and sit back to enjoy the great Aussie outdoors anywhere your Sunliner/Renault takes you.Renault Master is powered by a 2.3-litre turbo-diesel direct-injection four-cylinder engine, producing 110 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque, the latter between 1500 rpm and 2750 rpm. Whereas the front-drive models have the engine mounted east-west, the powerplant has been turned through 90 degrees to give it a conventional layout for the truck class.The engine drives through a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automated ZF manual. It features electrically controlled clutch engagement/disengagement that makes it more precise at very low speeds than is usual is automated manuals.Sunliner 40th Anniversary Model motorhome is priced at about $170,000 driveaway. Prices will very state to state due to differences in government and dealer charges. Contact your local Sunliner dealer for details.At this stage we haven’t had a chance to road test, or bed or kitchen test, a Sunliner, all we have done is check it out in a stationary position. We hope to carry out a full review soon and will get back to you with a full report then.

Though often used only as an on-road station wagon, Nissan's X-Trail is pretty competent as an SUV. While not intended to be used in extreme 4WD conditions, it can handle most recreational off-road driving with little trouble. Providing enjoyment to adventurous families while doing so.  Nissan X-Trail uses a complex

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the BMW M4 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.