Articles by Spencer Leech

Skoda Australia will release a special-edition Superb wagon variant in the second quarter of this year, dubbed the Scout, as it prepares to launch a mid-life revised model later this year.When the Scout launches, it will be the most expensive variant in t

Skoda Australia has detailed its 2020 plans which sees several new products launch before year's end.Kicking off the model rollout begins in March with the Kodiaq RS seven-seat performance SUV, which will be priced from $65,990.The hot high-rider will com

There’s no doubt that squeezing a Mustang V8 in a performance dual-cab ute will please enthusiasts, but finding a market for an even-more-expensive Ranger Raptor might be a struggle.It made big waves in the car community when it was suggested that Ford is readying the Ranger Raptor to accept a Coyote V8, which would certainly give the high-riding pick-up the extra grunt that many believe it needs.The current Raptor uses a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine that delivers 157kW and 500Nm, putting it well behind V6-powered rivals like the Volkswagen Amarok Ultimate 580 and Mercedes-Benz X-Class 350d in terms of output.In fact, many Australians have claimed that the Raptor’s outputs are simply too weak, which is a reasonable suggestion, but perhaps just as many complain that its $76,290 plus on-road costs pricetag is too big an ask for most ute customers.Jamming in the 339kW/556Nm 5.0-litre petrol V8 from the Mustang GT will certainly dispel the grunt issue, but considering development and production costs, it will likely blow out the Raptor’s pricetag well-and-truly above $100,000.CarsGuide has spoken to Tickford, Herrod Performance and Premcar – the three engineering houses most likely to develop the vehicle, however, all three have denied any involvement.Assuming that the project is going ahead, one particular engineer said that it would have to be priced around the $140,000 mark to cover the costs of such a small-volume endeavour.Ford Australia has yet to officially confirm, nor deny, that it is working on the project, but has always been adamant that the current Ranger Raptor configuration serves its purpose.With a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel and a ten-speed automatic transmission, the Raptor is no animal, but its significant suspension upgrades and muscular exterior has cemented its appeal, with Ford having no problems selling units.Late last year, Nissan revealed its new flagship ute to compete with the Ranger Raptor, offering similar off-road focused upgrades like ride-height-increasing suspension, all-terrain tyres, underbody protection, 17-inch alloy wheels and aggressive styling. Knows as the Navara N-Trek Warrior, it delivers 140kW/450Nm from its 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, which is not far off the Raptor’s figures, yet it comes in significantly less expensive at $65,490 driveaway in automatic guise.There is no shortage of comparable dual-cab units, with other heavy hitters like the Toyota HiLux Rugged X ($62,490 plus on-road costs), the Holden Colorado Z71 Xtreme ($60,792) and HSV-fettled Colorado SportsCat ($62,990).It has recently been speculated that Ford is developing a baby Raptor, after information surfaced that the brand trademarked the name “FX4 Max” with the Australian Intellectual Property Office.If the rumours are true, Ford will likely attempt to bridge the gap in its dual-cab line-up and position the FX4 Max just beneath its Raptor flagship.With Ford’s expansive Ranger line-up that starts at $28,340 for the base variant and tops out at $76,290 for the Raptor, the brand has just about every corner of the market covered.Whether or not there is room for an even higher-spec variant – one that may almost double the current Raptor’s pricetag – remains to be seen.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will cease production of its X-Class range from the end of May.CarsGuide recently reported that the X-Class posted poor sales figures in 2019, rendering it noncompetitive against key rivals in the dual-cab ute segment.L

TomTom has published its 2019 traffic index, which ranks 416 cities across 57 countries for urban congestion and provides key insights into traffic related issues.Sydney ranked 86th on the index with a rating of 33 per cent, making it the most congested c

For 2020, Fiat will offer its 500 city car in two variants: the base Lounge from $19,250 plus on-road costs, and the range-topping Club which arrives from $23,250.Both variants are also available in convertible form, priced from $25,250 and $27,250, respe

Honda has updated its Civic Type R hot hatch with a tweaked exterior and enhanced performance components underneath.Revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon event in Japan, the performance flagship sports mild cosmetic changes to put it more in line with the rest

This illustration may provide a hint at what to expect from the next-generation Kia Carnival, long before its official debut.The all-new people-mover will launch in Australia around September of this year, however, Kia has yet to reveal what it will look

BMW has revealed key powertrain information for its upcoming iX3 electric vehicle, which is expected to make its official debut sometime next year.The new model is based on the popular X3 medium SUV, and uses a 74kWh battery pack to provide 440km of drivi

For 2020, BMW has increased the output from its Z4 M40i flagship by 35kW, without adjusting its price from $124,900 plus on-road costs.The range-topping Z4 now generates 285kW/500Nm from its 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine, putting it in