Articles by Matthew Hatton

Isuzu D-MAX of Garland fourth overall, while MU-X of Di Lallo seventh after third day of the Australasian Safari.Isuzu Motorsports have consolidated their position after the yesterday's two competitive stages of the Australasian Safari desert rally with Bruce Garland maintaining his top five spot and teammate Adrian Di Lallo moving into the top ten.Di Lallo and co-driver Roger Pedersen came out firing in yesterday's first stage - a 171km run through Bedracoine Find - with his production-class Isuzu MU-X finishing the stage with hte sixth quickest time. Their run bested the high-performance, Dakar-spec D-MAX of Garland and Harry Suzuki by 30 seconds.Garland and Suzuki recovered during the second marathon 256km stage at Sonny Find, before finishing the stage with the fourth quickest time and five minutes ahead of Di Lallo and Pedersen.Although the Holden VF of Steve Riley and John Doble ended the day with the race lead, the pace of the Garland D-MAX meant it remained less than ten minutes behind when the field returned to the bivouac.The strength of Di Lallo's day means he hold onto the lead in his class despite dropping some time to the outright leader.Bruce Garland said he was maintaining his cautious approach to the opening stages of the rally. "It was a fairly tough day today and we have two more hard days to come, but we are making good progress and I am really happy with the D-MAX. It’s perfect," he said."We’re not at full pace but doing a good clip and I’m happy with that."Adrian Di Lallo said his MU-X is handling the terrain really well."For a production car, it’s outstanding," Di Lallo said."This morning’s stage was great but the marathon stage this afternoon was difficult, technical and rough."For the Isuzu Motorsports Thailand entry of OLan Sornsirirat and Veerachai Thorangkoon yesterday's stages did not go so well with their production D-MAX dropping nearly two hours and ending the day back in 21st.Leg three of the Australasian Safari comprises a 147km stage at Gifford and the longest stage of the rally, 288km, at Eudamulla with the bivouac spending a second night at Gascoyne Junction before heading to Exmouth in leg four.

Revised Yaris lineup now five-door only, with improved value and refreshed look.Toyota has announced details of the revamped Yaris hatchback, which sees the previous three-door hatch dropped in favour of an all five-door lineup.The previous sedan models continue unchanged, but the new hatch has been treated to updated styling front and rear, and will help Toyota's light hatch compete with the recently renewed Honda Jazz, Volkswagen Polo and the all-new Mazda2 due next month.Engine options are unchanged, with the entry-level Ascent using a 1.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, while a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine can be found in the mid-spec SX and top-level ZR.The Ascent and SX come with a choice between 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission, however the ZR is auto-only.All variants come with seven airbags along with ABS, stability control, traction control, telescopic steering-column adjustment, reversing camera, cruise control, 6.1-inch touchscreen and six-speaker sound system.Toyota also claim that the ride of the new Yaris will be improved through a stiffer chassis and reconfigured suspension.The Ascent's hubcap clad steel wheels have grown from 14 to 15-inches, but list pricing is unchanged at $15,690.The SX comes equipped with fog lights and privacy glass on the rear and side. These additions see its price increase by $400 to $17,790.The ZR's price jumps up $1,300 to $22,690 but it now comes fitted with all the features of the SX model as well as LED headlights, rear spoiler, diffuser and side-skirts. The touchscreen in the ZR can also connect to your smartphone and provide traffic and fuel information through onboard apps.The new Yaris lineup is also covered by Toyota's capped-price servicing, with each check-up locked at $130 for the first six years or 60,000km.

Bruce Garland D-MAX third overall and Di Lallo MU-X leading class after first Australasian Safari competitive stages.Isuzu Motorsports’ Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki sit third overall after yesterday's first three competitive stages of the 2014 Australasian Safari desert rally in Western Australia.Garland and Suzuki, in their Dakar-spec Isuzu D-MAX, improved over the day to sit only 10 minutes behind the race leading Ford Ranger of John Purshouse and Murray Hynes when the field rolled into the bivouac for the overnight stop in Murchison.Isuzu teammates Adrian De Lallo and Roger Pedersen had an even better time in their production-class MU-X finishing the day leading their class.The Isuzu Motorsports Thailand entry of OLan Sornsirirat and Veerachai Thorangkoon finished the day 14th overall and second in class behind Di Lallo and Pedersen.All three cars became more competitive as the day wore on.The Garland/Suzuki D-MAX was only eighth fastest in the first stage of the day, but improved to finish fifth in the long second stage at Murchison River as well as the final stage at Murchison Oasis. Di Lallo and Pedersen started their rally with 14th in stage one, 10th in stage two and 7th in stage three.The second day of competition involves two competitive stages at Bedracoine Find and Sonny Find as the field continues heading north from Murchison to Gascoyne Junction.

Isuzu Motorsports Australasian Safari entries to start 7th, 12th, and 18th after Glengarry Prologue.The 2014 Australasian Safari desert rally kicked off in Western Australia yesterday, with competitors taking to the 10km Glengarry Prologue to determine the starting order for Sunday's first day of competition.Isuzu Motorsports' Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki will start 7th. Their Dakar-spec D-MAX ute completed the stage with a time of 9:25, 47 seconds behind the pace-setting Riley Motorsports Holden VF of Steve Riley and John Doble.Western Australia's own Adrian Di Lallo and Roger Pedersen finished 12th, a further 14 seconds behind, in their production-class Isuzu MU-X while the Isuzu Motorsports Thailand effort of OLan Sorniriat and Veerachai Thorangkoon in a production-class D-MAX ute finished 18th, second in class behind Di Lallo and 1:37 behind the leader.Garland said the Isuzu Motorsports teams were taking a laid back approach to the first day. "We all took it pretty easy out there and we're all pretty happy with our pace," he said."There's a long way to go before the finish next weekend and if you push too hard too soon, it's very easy to come unstuck."Di Lallo, who is looking to take a class victory at rally's end, said his MU-X is performing well. "The car is going really well and feels strong and quick," he said."I'm happy with it and think we'll do well in the production class."The next leg sees the field take on the first competitive stages of the Australasian Safari. The run from Utakarra to Murchison comprises three timed stages at Greenough River (88.48km long), Murchison River (167.14km) and Murchison Oasis (26.22km).

Hyundai adds spec across Santa Fe lineup amid minor price changes on Elite and Highlander.Hyundai has refreshed the popular Santa Fe large SUV for 2015, bringing minor spec upgrades across Active, Elite and Highlander models.The entry level Active now comes standard with daytime running lights and cornering lights while keeping its $38,490 price, and can also be identified by a new dark chrome finish to the grille.The $48,490 mid-spec Elite model now comes with a powered tailgate – operated by a sensor in the key fob – but this change is accompanied by a $500 price rise.The $53,240 top-spec Highlander (up $1,250) is now equipped with automatic parking assistance and a lane departure warning system.Under the bonnet, things remain unchanged from the existing all-wheel drive Santa Fe lineup with a choice of 141kW/242Nm 2.4-litre petrol or 145kW/436Nm (421Nm with manual) 2.2-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engines.The Active has the option of either a six-speed manual or torque converter automatic transmission, while the Elite and Highlander models are only available in automatic with diesel power.Fuel efficiency also remains unchanged from the previous model, with the petrol engine rated at 9.0L/100km combined with either transmission. The turbodiesel continues with a 6.6L/100km figure with the manual transmission, and 7.3L/100km with the automatic.

Mitsubishi unveils its Outlander PHEV Australasian Safari challenger.Mitsubishi has revealed its Outlander PHEV entry for this weekend’s Australasian Safari rally in Western Australia, with the Japanese manufacturer claiming the entry as a first for a vehicle of its type.Prepared by Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia and driven by 2008 Targa Tasmania winners Steve Glenney and Bernie Webb, the Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) will compete in a category created specifically for electric and hybrid vehicles.To help the PHEV deal with the Safari’s seven stages through tough desert conditions, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia has fitted a roll cage, tougher suspension, increased ride height and special rally tyres.  However, the Outlander PHEV racer’s dual electric motors and 2.0-litre petrol engine produce the same combined 120kW and 332Nm as in production trim, along with the standard 300-volt lithium-ion battery system.Former Mitsubishi rally driver Ed Ordynski - who will be providing support to the team during the event - said the characteristics of electric motors may prove advantageous in rallying.“The high torque characteristic of the electric motors and instant throttle response – which work so effectively in everyday driving – are ideally suited to the demanding driving conditions we’ll experience during the Safari,” he said.It won’t all be down to the car, however, with Steve Glenney saying those behind the wheel will need to match the Outlander’s sturdiness.“The Australasian Safari is a notoriously challenging event – its gruelling combination of long straight desert roads, dry creek bed crossings and rocky terrain means drivers and co-drivers need to be both physically and mentally ready for eight full days of competitive driving,” he said.The 2014 Safari entry builds on the PHEV's pedigree from the 2013 and 2014 Asia Cross Country rallies, which culminated in a class victory in the 2014 event across Thailand and Cambodia.The 2014 Australasian Safari will run between September 19-27, from Perth to Kalbarri in Western Australia.

Pricing and details announced for efficiency-boosting Pathfinder Hybrid SUV.Nissan has confirmed Australian spec and pricing for the hybrid version of the Pathfinder large SUV, ahead of its arrival in local showrooms in September. Trailing V6 versions of the R52 model by 11 months, the Pathfinder Hybrid’s petrol-electric drivetrain eschews the turbodiesel route taken by most efficiency-leading large SUVs.The Pathfinder Hybrid will be available Nissan’s familiar ST, ST-L and Ti grades, kicking off with the $42,990 Pathfinder Hybrid ST – with each grade just $3000 more than their respective petrol models. The hybrid drivetrain is comprised of a supercharged 2.5L four-cylinder petrol engine, coupled with a 15kW electric motor to deliver a combined 188kW and 330Nm. These figures are comparable to the 190kW/325Nm 3.5-litre V6 found in the regular Pathfinder lineup, but the hybrid’s fuel consumption drops to 8.4L/100km (from 9.9) for the two-wheel drive ST. Similarly, the all-wheel drive ST-L and Ti drop to 8.5L/100km (from 10.2), and all hybrid models echo their V6 counterparts with a CVT automatic transmission.Nissan boasts that the Pathfinder Hybrid’s practical seven seat cabin layout is a match for petrol models, thanks to clever packaging of the 144-volt lithium-ion battery under the rearmost seats. Even the petrol model’s 73-litre fuel tank has been carried over. However, the Pathfinder Hybrid’s 1650kg maximum tow rating is 1050kg less than V6 variants. The entry $42,990 ST 2WD comes equipped with a reversing camera and rear sensors, tri-zone climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels and LED tail lights.The mid-spec $57,490 ST-L 4WD adds a front sunroof, panoramic glass roof for the second and third row seats, leather seats, heated front seats, electronically adjustable seats and steering wheel, fog lamps and additional chrome detailing.A $2100 option pack is also available for the ST-L, which adds a 360 degree Around View Monitor, an 8-inch multimedia screen with satnav and a 9Gb music player with Bose speakers.The top-line $68,090 Ti 4WD includes all the ST-L and option pack features, plus a DVD system with 7-inch screen in the rear with wireless headphones and remote control, a powered tailgate and 20 inch alloys.