Articles by Peter Barnwell

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2014 Skoda Octavia RS, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the Lexus RC 350 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2014 Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet.

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering would you buy one?What is it?This is VW's most powerful and fastest Golf ever and is in fact Generation 4 of the R series.It's the top of the line Golf, and as such has all the kit you'd expect in such a car.How much?Pricing starts at $51,990 quickly escalating to $54,490 with the optional DSG gearbox. Three option packs can add a further $6000 to the bottom line.What are competitors?Ford's impressive Focus ST is far cheaper, nearly as much fun to drive but only front wheel drive. Subaru's WRX is similarly less money and has similar performance and outputs. WRX STi is more on the R money and out-points the Golf R on paper. It has a harder edge though. Then there's the Renault Megane GT220 five door hatch. Again, less money but less car too.What's under the bonnet?Gets a heavily revised version of the Golf GTi 2.0-litre turbo engine with dual direct injection system into the combustion chamber and also inlet ports. The turbocharger is different too, as are engine internals.Drive is 4motion system to all four wheels via an electronic haldex clutch and diff locks on both axles giving a torque vectoring effect. Outputs are 206kW/380Nm.How does it go?Absolutely awesome. Can't see any reason to spend more on a big booming V8-something when this car would have it for breakfast, especially if corners are involved. Clocks 0-100km/h sprint in 5.0 seconds (feels quicker), has a super direct feel to the steering, well planted and a stupendous exhaust bang on up changes.Is it economical?Amazing considering performance potential with 7.1L/100km achievable on 98RON.Is it green?Yes scores a four star rating on the Green Vehicle Guide.Is it safe?Yes scores a five-star ANCAP rating.Is it comfortable?Yes, offers plenty of luxury kit which contributes to the somewhat Golf R's 1435kg. Leather is optional though. The Golf R has sports seats, premium audio, touchscreen, the latest multimedia and connectivity, bi-xenon headlights, reverse camera, driving profile selector with 5 modes including 'Race', engine stop/start, satnav, electric park brake, dual-zone climate control, keyless access and so on.What's it like to drive?Great. Golf R is a hoot to drive, even down to the shops. There's a rush to get the keys if any driving errands are involved. Goes like a shot out of the blocks, has superlative roll on and corners like it's on rails. Engaging to drive, you go looking for the winding roads just to experience what real sporty dynamics are like.Is it value for money?OK, but gets expensive with all the options. Slightly lesser cars are a lot less money...

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2014 Porsche Macan Turbo.

We never warmed to the Mini Countryman and can't nail the reason why. Perhaps it's too big for a Mini, too puffed up, plain ugly.Whatever the reason, it's not on our wish list but drive it we did last week - the Cooper S automatic front-wheel drive version with a few options (of which there are too many).VALUEIt comes in at $45,000 plus on roads which is a fair old ask for a small SUV-style vehicle, albeit one pitched by Mini as a 'premium' model.DESIGNThey pushed a Mini out in all directions to make Countryman, and it looks a bit like a fish at the front.That's offset by some deft add-ons like roof rails and other body add-ons plus the green colour is a stand out. The inside is excellent in every way, looks, style and function.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONMechanical revisions earlier this year brought more kit and a more powerful 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. It's the very excellent PSA/BMW engine in this case with 140kW/240Nm hooked up to the front wheels via a six-speed conventional automatic transmission.In this guise, the Countryman is capable of sipping premium unleaded at a claimed 7.8L/100km. The diesel Countryman gets down to nearly half that.So, they gave Countryman more performance this time around, more refinement (smoother, quieter), more tech and more spec. Some driver assist features are included but more are available as options.FEATURESThe model tested scores a decent navigation system, 6.5-inch info screen, an upholstery upgrade to leather, better interior fascia materials, round LED daytime driving lights and heated exterior mirrors.There's a lot more too, including the impressive optional service offer for 70,000km that costs only $850 and a three-year unlimited kilometre warranty.It's a five-door, five-seater wagon with rear tailgate and a reasonable amount of luggage space.DRIVINGA Sport button sharpens up the reflexes but fails to make an impact on troublesome torque steer effect that kicks the front wheels off line under hard acceleration - especially over bumps.But with all that power in a smallish vehicle, the Countryman gets moving rapidly with the slick auto box aiding and abetting.Sounds good too blatting away through a twin outlet exhaust.The ride is a good compromise with plenty of feel through the wheel and the ability to smooth out rough roads without jiggling too much.On the freeway the Countryman whizzes along at the limit without any stress at all. Same around town where the nippy point and squirt nature of the car comes into its own, however the turning circle is too large.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2014 Holden Commodore SS Storm.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the updated Holden Colorado ute and Colorado 7 SUV at their Australian launch.

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering would you buy one? What is it? This is the mid-spec, turbo, petrol new model C-Class sedan. It's the new generation model with a whack of

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the Mercedes-Benz C-Class C200.