Articles by James Cleary

Hyundai’s bigger new-generation Kona SUV will be offered in full electric (EV), hybrid (HEV) and internal combustion (ICE) form when it arrives in April this year.

Pricing and specification for the Subaru Crosstrek SUV have been confirmed, with pre-orders now open for the all-new XV replacement.

Forget Maranello, Zuffenhausen or Woking, the latest supercar to break cover has been designed and engineered in Kabul, Afghanistan.The Hada 9 is the brainchild of 32-year old Muhammad Raza Ahmadi, CEO of Entop, which has been working over the last five years with the Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI) to develop the car.Featuring a full tube-frame chassis, pushrod suspension and composite body, the dramatic mid-engine machine is currently powered by a 1.8-litre (2ZR-FE) Toyota petrol four-cylinder engine mounted transversely behind the cockpit.Producing a modest 103kW at 6000rpm and 173Nm at 4400rpm, the car's chassis is designed to leave room for the addition of electric hybrid support or a fully-electric powertrain in the future.And there’s an Australian connection! Mr Ahmadi affectionately refers to the car as the ‘Black Swan’ because he sees the Hada 9’s arrival as surprising as the first Europeans sighting black swans on what is now Perth’s Swan River in the late 1600s.“Swans were white, but when the continent of Australia was discovered (by Europeans), people witnessed the opposite,” he said.“This also applies to Afghanistan. Foreigners believe that all people in Afghanistan are poor and need humanitarian aid to survive.“In such a situation, the invention of this car can be seen as if a black swan has popped up from among the white swans.”There are no specific plans to market the car in Afghanistan or elsewhere. At this stage, the Hada 9 is supported by Afghanistan’s Taliban administration as a signifier of the country’s manufacturing capacity.“This car will be an ambassador and will drive across Afghanistan and convey the value of knowledge to the people,” Mr Ahmadi said.Critics have suggested the Afghan government should focus on social and cultural policy reform rather than support a car that will struggle to even run on the country’s notoriously punishing roads. 

Hyundai Australia has added the brand’s ‘Bluelink’ package to its Tucson mid-size SUV line-up, the new tech delivering a broad suite of connected car services, at the same time adding $500 to the price of the mid-range Elite grade and top-spec Highlander models.

Suzuki Australia has confirmed the just-released Fronx compact SUV for sale in this market.

As Chinese carmakers continue to push into the local market, we've become familiar with names like BYD, GWM Haval, LDV, and MG. As well as the increasingly popular SUVs they offer, like the Atto 3, H6, D90 and ZS.

A one dimensional focus on straight line acceleration, with relatively modest attention paid to the broader sensory experience, can make driving a shatteringly fast performance or outright sports car a let down. And electric cars are particularly vulnerable.

Porsche's SUVs, the Cayenne and Macan, are by far the most popular models the famous German maker offers. But sports cars are in this brand's DNA, so no surprise a 'T' version of the Macan has arrived with specific tuning of the engine and suspension to dial up driver engagement.

Subaru's BRZ, along with its Toyota GR86 twin, has carved out a reputation for pure sports car driving fun at a relatively affordable price. The current, second-generation version costs a little more, but offers more sophistication and equipment. But our test of the S manual has confirmed a big safety gap!

The top five cars of 2022. What does that mean? Best in terms of fulfilling intended function? Delivery of breakthrough technology? Exceptional value-for-money? The most fun-to-drive? It’s a multi-layered minefield!