Articles by James Cleary

BMW Australia has adopted the towing hardware used on US models to raise the towing capacity of its full-size SUVs by 30 percent.

BMW Australia has confirmed the arrival of flagship M50i V8 versions of its X5 and X7 SUVs in the fourth quarter of this year.

Meet the world’s most aerodynamically efficient passenger car. Mercedes-Benz says the drag co-efficient for this new sedan version of its fourth-generation A-Class is the lowest ever measured for a passenger vehicle.Which is quite a claim, but you only have to look at it to see how much work has gone into marrying good looks with slippery aero performance.The A-Class sedan is substantially longer and fractionally taller than its hatchback sibling, but does that mean it’s better, or simply different?

Mercedes-Benz says the drag co-efficient for the sedan version of its fourth-generation A-Class is the lowest ever measured for a passenger vehicle.At a bit over 4.5m long, a fraction under 1.8m wide, and close to 1.5m tall it’s 130mm longer and 6.0mm higher than the hatch version.And the reason we’re all here is the boot, the sedan’s extra length translating to an additional 60 litres of luggage space for a total cargo volume of 430 litres (VDA).The A-Class sedan is launching with two variants, the A 200 at $49,400, before on-road costs, and the entry-level A 180 at $44,900.Standard equipment for the A 180 runs to 17-inch alloy wheels, ‘Artico’ faux leather upholstery, the ‘MBUX’ widescreen cockpit display (two 10.25-inch digital screens), auto LED headlights and DRLs, keyless entry and start, auto-dimming rearview mirror, climate-control, sat nav, multi-function sports steering wheel, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, ‘Active Parking Assist’ (with ultrasonic proximity sensors front and rear), tinted glass, plus nine-speaker, 225W audio with digital radio, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.Power is supplied by a 1.3-litre direct-injection four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine delivering 100kW (at 5500rpm) and 200Nm (at 1460rpm). Drive goes to the front wheels only via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 5.7L/100km, with a CO2 emissions figure of 130g/km.Active safety features include ABS, BA, EBD, stability and traction controls, a reversing camera (with dynamic guidelines), ‘Active Brake Assist’ (Merc-speak for AEB), ‘Adaptive Brake’, ‘Attention Assist’, ‘Blind Spot Assist’, ‘Cross-wind Assist’, ‘Lane Keep Assist’, a tyre pressure warning system, the ‘Pre-Safe’ accident anticipatory system, and ‘Traffic Sign Assist’.If all that fails to prevent an impact you’ll be protected by nine airbags (front, pelvis and window for driver and front passenger, side airbags for rear seat occupants and a driver’s knee bag), and the ‘Active Bonnet’ automatically tilts to minimise pedestrian injuries.Mercedes-Benz covers its passenger car range with a three year/unlimited km warranty with ‘Mercedes-Benz Road Care’ assistance included for three years.Service is scheduled for 12 months/25,000km (whichever comes first) with pricing available on an ‘Up-front’ or ‘Pay-as-you-go’ basis.

Mercedes-Benz says the drag co-efficient for this new sedan version of its fourth-generation A-Class is the lowest ever measured for a passenger vehicle.At a bit over 4.5m long, a fraction under 1.8m wide, and close to 1.5m tall it’s 130mm longer and 6.0mm higher than the hatch version.And the reason we’re all here is the boot, the sedan’s extra length translating to an additional 60 litres of luggage space for a total cargo volume of 430 litres (VDA).The A-Class sedan is launching with two variants, the A 200 at $49,400, before on-road costs, and the entry-level A 180 at $44,900.Standard equipment for the A 200 runs to 18-inch alloy wheels, ‘Artico’ faux leather upholstery, the ‘MBUX’ widescreen cockpit display (two 10.25-inch digital screens), auto LED headlights and DRLs, keyless entry and start, auto-dimming rearview mirror, climate-control, sat nav, multi-function sports steering wheel, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, ‘Active Parking Assist’ (with ultrasonic proximity sensors front and rear), tinted glass, plus nine-speaker, 225W audio with digital radio, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.Plus a dual exhaust system, four-way electrical adjustment for the driver’s seat (with lumbar support), a folding rear armrest (with twin cupholders), adaptive high-beam assist, and a wireless device charging bay.Power is supplied by a 1.3-litre direct-injection four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine delivering 120kW (at 5500rpm) and 250Nm (at 1620rpm). Drive goes to the front wheels only via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 5.7L/100km, with a CO2 emissions figure of 130g/km.Active safety features include ABS, BA, EBD, stability and traction controls, a reversing camera (with dynamic guidelines), ‘Active Brake Assist’ (Merc-speak for AEB), ‘Adaptive Brake’, ‘Attention Assist’, ‘Blind Spot Assist’, ‘Cross-wind Assist’, ‘Lane Keep Assist’, ‘Adaptive Highbeam Assist’, a tyre pressure warning system, the ‘Pre-Safe’ accident anticipatory system, and ‘Traffic Sign Assist’.If all that fails to prevent an impact you’ll be protected by nine airbags (front, pelvis and window for driver and front passenger, side airbags for rear seat occupants and a driver’s knee bag), and the ‘Active Bonnet’ automatically tilts to minimise pedestrian injuries.Mercedes-Benz covers its passenger car range with a three year/unlimited km warranty with ‘Mercedes-Benz Road Care’ assistance included for three years.Service is scheduled for 12 months/25,000km (whichever comes first) with pricing available on an ‘Up-front’ or ‘Pay-as-you-go’ basis.

The powerhouse X7 M50d is the flagship of BMW’s full-size seven-seat SUV line-up, and is priced at $169,900, plus on-road costs.Powered by a direct-injection, 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder quad turbo-diesel engine producing 294kW/760Nm, drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the M50d is claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.4sec.Claimed fuel economy for the X7 M50d on the combined (European ECE - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.4L/100km, with 193g/km of CO2 entering the atmosphere in the process.Standard equipment highlights for the M50d include four-zone climate control, leather trim (lots of it), auto adaptive laser headlights (with active high beam control), front and rear fog lights (LED front), soft-close doors, sat nav, 10-speaker audio (with Apple CarPlay, digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and gesture control), keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, alloy wheels (22-inch), the twin 12.3-inch display and control screens (instruments and media), a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof (with power blind), rain-sensing wipers, leather-trimmed multi-function sports steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, electrically-adjustable front and second-row seats (with memory for the driver), heated front seats, adaptive air suspension (auto self-level), ‘Park Assist Plus’ (parallel and perpendicular), Panoramic View Monitor (3D surround view), reversing camera (with rear parking distance control), and the ‘Comfort Access’ system (foot sweep under the bumper to open the rear door).Also included is a heap of ‘M’ performance equipment including a more powerful engine (obviously), an M aero package, bigger brakes, a tricky differential, sports exhaust, and unique exterior design elements.

The luxury-focused X7 xDrive30d is the entry-point to BMW’s full-size seven-seat SUV line-up, and is priced at $119,900, plus on-road costs.Powered by a direct-injection, 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 195kW/620Nm, drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the 30d is claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.0sec.Claimed fuel economy for the X7 xDrive30d on the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.3L/100km, the big Beemer emitting 191g/km of CO2 in the process.Standard equipment highlights for the xDrive30d include four-zone climate control, leather trim (lots of it), auto adaptive LED headlights (with active high beam control), front and rear fog lights (LED front), soft-close doors, sat nav, 10-speaker audio (with Apple CarPlay, digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and gesture control), keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, alloy wheels (20-inch), the twin 12.3-inch display and control screens (instruments and media), a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof (with power blind), rain-sensing wipers, leather-trimmed multi-function sports steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, electrically-adjustable front and second-row seats (with memory for the driver), heated front seats, adaptive air suspension (auto self-level), ‘Park Assist Plus’ (parallel and perpendicular), Panoramic View Monitor (3D surround view), reversing camera (with rear parking distance control), and the ‘Comfort Access’ system (foot sweep under the bumper to open the rear door).

Just when you thought SUVs couldn't get any bigger or more luxurious BMW lobs in the seven-seat X7. Literally made in America, it's pitched directly at Audi's similarly super-sized Q7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS.

The third-generation Volkswagen Touareg has arrived with an all-new platform, the latest safety tech and optional shock and awe multimedia. Does its value and performance measure up to a substantial price tag?

The small SUV segment continues to explode with new offerings from MG, SsangYong and Haval competing at the budget end of the market. But does an aggressive price-point automatically represent value-for-money?