Articles by Spencer Leech

Lexus has revealed its facelifted RC sportscar ahead of its public debut at the Paris motor show in October.

Holden's upcoming Acadia large SUV will be the most tech-heavy vehicle in the Holden range, with a strong suite of safety and convenience technologies offered as standard.

Lexus Australia is set to release limited-edition versions of its RC F coupe and GS F sedan next month, marking the 10th anniversary of the Japanese brand's F Line moniker.

Toyota's recently-released 12th-generation Corolla small car has been awarded a full Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) five-star safety rating.

Jaguar Australia will offer a standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with its I-Pace all-electric SUV when it launches locally in November, up from the usual three-year/100,000km assurance.The English company's first-ever battery-electric vehicle (BEV) will also come with an eight-year/160,000km guarantee for its lithium-ion battery pack, as well as five years of capped-price servicing and roadside assist.However, the I-Pace is still outdone by its primary competitor, the Tesla Model X, which offers an eight-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for its electric-drive unit and battery pack, as well as a seperate eight-year/160,000km period specifically for electrical and mechanical defects.When the new Jaguar I-Pace is released in November, it will be available from $119,00 plus on-road costs for the entry-level S, jumping up to $130,200 for the SE and rising again to $140,800 for the range-topping HSE.However, a limited-run First Edition variant will also be available for $159,700, which adds a number of features including unique 20-inch alloy wheels, special paint, a panoramic sunroof, and First Edition branding.The vehicle is powered by two electric motors – one for the front axle, and one for the rear – which generate a combined power output of 294kW/696Nm for a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds.Charging the 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack from empty to 80 per cent takes 40 minutes when a 100kW DC fast charger is used, and is good for 480km on a single charge.

General Motors will closely monitor the local sales performance of the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro before deciding whether to produce a factory right-hand drive (RHD) version of the muscle car in the future.The first batch of sixth-generation Camaros will start to roll off a conversion line at Melbourne's Walkinshaw Automotive Group facility this month before going on sale across Holden's Special Vehicles' (HSV) network of 55 dealerships.According to GM executive vice-president for global product development Mark Reuss, the current Camaro was not engineered for RHD production, meaning a factory iteration would have to wait until the next generation.When asked if a RHD Camaro will ever be imported, Mr Reuss said "that will depend on how the current model goes in this market".While the current model has yet to be released Down Under, it has been on sale in the States since 2015, and given the vehicle has an expected lifespan of five-or-so years, the next-generation may not be so far away.With the V8, rear-wheel drive Commodore models long gone, Holden hopes the imported muscle car will help regain traditional HSV customers.Rumoured to wear a circa-$90,000 price tag, the Australian-spec Camaro is based on the 2SS variant that packs a 339kW/617Nm punch thanks to its 6.2-litre free-breathing V8.Although the Camaro's arch-rival Ford Mustang matches its power outputs, the Blue Oval-badged pony car suffers a 61Nm torque deficit.However, with the Mustang produced in factory RHD form, Ford Australia is able to price its V8-powered muscle car from $62,990 before on-roads.The sales performance of the Equinox and Acadia SUVs – both also sourced from North America – will also play a part in GM's RHD market engineering decision.As for Chevrolet's other sportscar, the iconic Corvette, Mr Reuss dismissed questions on whether the two-seater could come Down Under with a definitive "maybe". 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued its latest round of safety recalls, with German-brand models from Audi, Mercedes and Volkswagen called back alongside Jeep, Ford and Fiat vehicles.Audi has issued a notice for 14,435 examples of its A4, A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 models built between April 2011 and May 2015 for a potential problem with the auxiliary heater element in the air conditioner, which may overheat, leading to smoulder damage or a fire.Mercedes-Benz has also initiated a recall for a potential fire risk, concerning five C- and E-Class luxury sedans.According to the notice, the left cut-out for the exhaust systems on the aforementioned models may be missing due to incorrectly installed paneling, which in high-temperature conditions could cause a fire.A total of 15,264 examples of the previous-generation model year 2017 and 2018 Volkswagen Polo light car has been called back due to improper welds on the towing eye.The risk here is that the towing eye could tear, forcing the towrope to sling back and cause injury to bystanders or damage to a vehicle.Fiat Chrysler Australia (FCA) also joins the list of companies to call back some of its cars in August, this time for two 2018 Jeep KL Cherokee and 1847 2015-2018 Fiat 500X units.The notice for the Cherokee details an issue with the halfshaft assembly, which could lead to a loss of power or the inability to park the vehicle.Meanwhile, the affected Fiat 500X small SUVs may be subject to faulty rear seat latches, which could cause the rear seats to unintentionally fold forward in the event of an accident.Importantly, child restraints using the ISOFIX anchors could be impacted by this issue, potentially causing increased risk of injury to children.Ford's Australian wing has called back 49 examples of the EcoSport small SUV built between May and June of 2017.Those affected vehicles may be fitted with poorly-welded front lower control arms, which in the event of a failure, could cause the front wheel assemble to hit the inner guards leading to a front wheel lock-up and reduced steering control.Owners of the recalled vehicles will be contacted by their respective manufacturer, at which point they can arrange to have the issue fixed, free-of-charge.For those looking for more information – or to check if their vehicle is affected – can go to the ACCC's product safety website.

General Motors today announced plans to employ 150 more engineers at Holden’s Port Melbourne facility.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has added a new variant to its Kona small SUV range, dubbed Go, which reduces the point of entry to the range by $1000.

Hyundai Motor Company (HMCA) hopes that its facelifted Tucson medium SUV can appeal to a wider range of customers, having lowered its base pricetag by way of the new entry-level Go variant.On the other end of the spectrum, the top-spec Highlander has been treated to a higher level of specification, pushing further towards the premium side of the market.Buying into the 2018 Tucson range is now $440 less expensive than before with the new Go variant from $28,150 before on-roads, while the range-topping $48,800 Highlander diesel is $1350 dearer than the outgoing flagship.The new Tucson line-up was designed to cover more bases, with HMCA senior product planning manager Andrew Tuitahi suggesting it will now be attractive to a more diverse group of buyers."I think what you see with Tucson is us actually stretching it a little bit, so sure the Highlander increased in price, it got a whole bunch of spec and features which we think represents good value but we've also got a cheaper entry car than we had before,"said he said."So for Tucson it's not so much about positioning the car as a premium alternative or anything like that, it was really just about stretching and making it available to more people."The new Go grade is also offered in the i30 small hatch, and will soon be introduced to the Kona small SUV.For Tucson, the Go variant is available in front-drive petrol or all-wheel drive diesel forms and includes 7.0-inch multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reversing camera, automatic headlights, 17-inch steel wheels, cruise control and roof rails.As for the new Highlander, Hyundai has added a heated steering wheel and wireless phone charging to justify the price rise.According to Mr Tuitahi, the Tucson Go replaces the Active due to feedback from Hyundai's dealer and customer network."Active is our traditional entry model, and customers and dealers have an expectation of what the specification, features will be on that trim level across the different models and our range, and we were getting feedback that we would need to achieve or hit a lower price point to maximise the income in customers in that price band,"he said."So having that cheaper entry price to the medium-SUV segment will help us capitalise on customers that are already shopping in there, and also some customers that are possibly willing to step up from a smaller car, but at a cheaper price to make sure they can get more metal for their money."The Active X, which sits just above the Go in the Tucson line-up, is expected to be the most popular with its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel and all-wheel drive combination.In speaking about the possibility of a seven-seat variant, Mr Tuitahi said that if it were to happen, it would likely be in the next-generation model."In the current generation, no,"he said. "Looking to the future, we're seeing a little bit of a transition in the segment to some competitors offering a seven-seat option – Tiguan, CR-V. So in the future we'll have to consider it, look at what customer feedback is and how they use the seats, the value of having seven seats in a car that size – we'll look at it."Check out all Year Make Model price and spec info here.