Articles by Peter Anderson

The Audi RS5 might look like a low and sleek sports car. And it is. But it has five seats, a big boot and can cruise the highways of our wide, brown land in near-perfect comfort. That's not a trick easily pulled off, but Audi's hardest mid-size sportster does it with tech-heavy flair.

Kia's 2021 Stinger adds Kia's new media system and a bunch of new safety gear while retaining the elements that make it a modern classic - fantastic looks, sweet chassis and strong sporting vibe.

The brand-new Ford Escape has a ground-up rebuild, with a ton of new tech, plenty of space and a very stylish, muscular new look. Ford throws everything at their cars these days, with even the base model full to the brim with the good stuff. But Ford thinks buyers want a bit of luxury in their SUV and might be prepared to pay nearly $50,000 for the top-spec Vignale.

The current Nissan X-Trail has been around for a long time now and it's beginning to show in the interior and safety technology. However, it's still a very comfortable and easygoing machine with plenty to offer.

After nearly three decades, the (E)Lantra nameplate has departed, replaced by the new i30 Sedan. With a longer wheelbase than its hatchback namesake and some startlingly bold design choices inside and out, the new car will certainly add some spice to a dull segment.

The Honda Civic RS manages to mix a bit more aggression in the Civic's already aggro looks. With a boosted engine and an incredibly practical interior, it's also fun to drive.

The 2021 update for the Toyota C-HR is as mild as they come, with a tweak to the safety package and some small additions to the base and Koba models.

The Series II Suzuki Swift is here, with a bare bones entry-level right through to a turbo-powered 1.0-litre. The big news is that the GL Navigator Plus and turbo GLX both have a swag of new safety equipment to level up with Mazda and Kia.

The Suzuki Swift GL Navigator Plus costs $21,490 driveaway, bang-on $1500 more than the GL Navigator.The money all goes to a suite of advanced safety features and is money well-spent. You get 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning, reversing camera, cruise control, cloth interior, remote central locking, auto-down power windows and a space-saver spare.The Plus shares the 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder engine with the Navigator, producing 66kW and 120Nm, driving the front wheels through a CVT auto.As part of the Series II upgrade, the GLX scored a big safety upgrade, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert and you get forward AEB with both low and high speed operation, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning as well as six airbags and the usual ABS and stability controls.The Swift GL Navigator Plus scored five ANCAP stars in 2017.

The entry-level Swift Navigator is the only spec-level available with a manual unless you take the Swift Sport into account.For $18,990 driveaway for the five-speed and $19,990 - also driveaway - for the CVT auto, you get 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning, reversing camera, cruise control, cloth interior, remote central locking, auto-down power windows and a space-saver spare. As part of the Series II upgrade, the GL scored...two more speakers for a total of four, powered by the 7.0-inch touchscreen media and sat nav system that also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.On the safety front, you get six airbags and the usual ABS and stability controls and a reversing camera. The GL scored four ANCAP stars in 2017 as it hasn't got things like AEB.