Articles by Staff Writers

Step into the cabin of Toyota's latest LandCruiser and it's like opening the door to a time machine: the latest 70 series is a serious workhorse and its maker doesn't apologise for its utilitarian design.There's plenty of 1980s-looking plastic, old-fashioned dials and controls and painted metal, and although there are some comforts (a CD player with MP3 capability and air conditioning), there aren't air bags or anti-lock brakes.The wagon's big appeal is its toughness and go-anywhere ability. It also showcases Toyota's spanking new turbo diesel V8. It's a real gem with plenty of grunt and, thankfully, doesn't have the penalty of excessively high fuel thirst.Its mechanicals are from the “tried and trusted school of engineering” rigid live axles, manual hubs to engage the front wheels, manual mirrors, high-rise snorkel for deep creek crossings and leaf springs for the rear suspension — terrific for loads but body jarring when unladen. In short, it feels bullet-proof.The new old-looking Cruiser was launched in Australia in March and so far has won widespread acclaim from testers. That has flowed on to strong customer interest, with Hobart dealer CoOp Motors reporting about 20 outstanding orders, which won't be filled until August because of demand. Most of those orders are from farmers and tradies for the ute-chassis version, although this latest Cruiser comes in three variants with a choice of two specification grades (Workmate and GLX).The cab-chassis and stretched 11-seat Troop Carrier carry over but Toyota has added a five-seat wagon to fill the gap left by the discontinued entry-level 100 series wagon; it's ideal for farming families or logging contractors who need to get a crew of three or four to bush sites.The difference between the no-nonsense Workmate and the plusher GLX is the latter gets cloth instead of vinyl trim, more chrome, front door armrests, bigger wheel flares, power-operated radio aerial, alloy wheels, carpet, power windows, fog lamps and central locking.The built-like-a-block styling (Toyota says it expresses strength) looks unchanged but everything is new from the A-pillar forward. The Cruiser's footprint is wider than before to improve handling and ride.Prices start at $53,990 for the Workmate cab-chassis and wagon, which is up 2.8 per cent on the old six-cylinder models. Troopy prices start at $59,990, while the dearest model is the GLX version of the Troop Carrier at $61,490.If you want air conditioning it's $2640 more for all models; dif locks, worth considering, add $2735. If you don't need the rear seats in the Troopy Workmate, the price drops by $1100 and you can choose not to have the secondary fuel tank on the Workmate to save again.The new 4.5-litre clean-burning, common-rail V8 diesel with turbocharging and intercooler is used across the range. It has 430Nm of torque available from 1200rpm to 3200rpm, making it wonderfully flexible. Power is a modest 151kW at 3400rpm. This engine, with even more grunt, will be used in the coming 200 series Cruiser. On the road You'd think a big boxy, diesel-powered off-roader with big-tread tyres would be a pig of a thing on the highway but it's far from it, although the 'Cruiser would be even better if it had an overdrive sixth gear instead of the five-speed manual box for more relaxed cruising.As it is, it pulls 2200rpm at 110km/h, with bucketloads of torque in reserve when needed. Expect some understeer and body roll, which come with the design. The recirculating ball and nut steering is well weighted and makes the wagon easy to drive, although there is occasional kickback through the wheel at crawling speeds when it comes to tackling the rough stuff.Point it up steep hills and it takes it all in its stride without a whimper, its ability limited by the tyre's tread pattern. Steep downhill runs can be a bit tricky if you don't have dif locks engaged.The cabin is surprisingly comfortable but the sometimes odd, scattergun approach to the layout of controls takes time to get familiar with, and the audio system sounds awful.The big surprise was fuel consumption. You'd expect a big, heavy wagon to cost an arm and a leg (perhaps both legs) to keep on the road but Toyota claims an average of 11.5 to 11.9L/100km, depending on the model. That gives it a theoretical range of about 1500km on dual tanks. I couldn't match that but certainly a fuel return of under 13L/100km is easily achievable for normal city and highway use. Off-road, however, is another story. 

The Dodge Nitro might not be as imposing as the bigger SUVs or four-wheel-drives that muscle their way through traffic but it still has a presence and imposing air.For the image-conscious it definitely qualifies as a macho machine but importantly for those looking for economy it won't be so crippling at the bowser.Nitro designer Tim Anness said the M80 project began life in January 2001 as a drawing of a pick-up for a concept vehicle.“We then also looked at an SUV and it was popular,” he said.“Research came back that the front end looked too much like a Jeep with its rounded headlights, so we changed to the square ones.”The Nitro features the iconic Dodge crosshair grille with the Dodge rams head in the centre.The chrome grille has been stretched from corner to corner, including squared-off lights, with fat fenders extending further and a clamshell hood or bonnet on top. The effect is all macho.Nitro is not timid with technology, either — it is very intuitive.The Dodge Nitro is well-versed in digital entertainment and communication technologies, including MP3, CD, DVD, USB, VES (for Video Entertainment System), and a new one, MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System.MyGIG includes a 20-gigabyte hard drive where music and photos can be stored.Chrysler Group's Australian managing director Gerry Jenkins said: “The Dodge Nitro has a wide range of potential customers ranging from mid-sized SUV buyers through to Falcon and Commodore owners looking for something different.“The Nitro is certainly fresh with macho good looks, it has 'get outta my way styling' and a kick-ass turbo diesel option that would be particularly attractive to buyers with a price tag that would surprise and delight.”Among the vehicle's standard equipment are electronic stability program, electronic roll mitigation, all-speed traction control, brake assist, advanced anti-lock brakes and side-curtain airbags.The Dodge Nitro will be available standard with a 3.7-litre V6 mated to a four-speed automatic, while the 2.8-litre common rail turbo diesel engine will come standard with a five-speed automatic.

These days, owning a big four-wheel drive with a V8 badge is about as socially acceptable as spitting. Indeed, owners may occasionally find themselves the recipient of a wet ball of outrage.Follow that badge with the word diesel, however, and the bile is usually kept behind pursed lips.But the new Land Rover-developed TDV8 doesn't wear a badge of immunity. It doesn't even sound like a diesel. The only indication is the Range Rover badge itself, which ironically swaps the supercharged V8's black badge for the colour green.And green it is — at least for a twin-turbo V8.Although the exterior of the Sport and Vogue TDV8s remains unchanged, what lies beneath is brand new and spanking.The V8 diesel engine essentially takes the place of the antiquated TD6 which, while frugal, was never the best beast to pull a fully kitted Vogue with family in tow.This block, though comparatively small at 3.6 litres, was designed in-house specifically for the Range Rover, and does its job darn well.It claims to sip the same 11.6 litres per 100km as the outgoing Vogue six (11.1/100km in the Sport), but puts out 54 per cent more power and 64 per cent more torque. And so it should.The common-rail V8 makes use of variable turbine geometry, which allows its twin turbochargers to efficiently and effectively pull the most from the low and high range.Though still evident when flattening the throttle from a standstill, lag is minimised and an enormous 640Nm of torque is accessible — and fierce — from 2000rpm, particularly in the “lighter” 2675kg Sport version. (The Vogue weighs an epic 2710kg.) It's not a rush of blood to the head like the supercharged version — more a deep, throbbing heartbeat that quickens with the encouragement of the right foot. On part throttle, the heavy cabin soundproofing allows only the slightest engine hum and wind noise from the massive mirrors.At full noise, the sensation is more V8 than diesel, begging for full exploration of the torque mountain.The biggest blunting of this force is the sheer weight and size of the Range Rover. A diet would only make it faster, but that's a terrifying thought.The torquey engine is well paired with a six-speed ZF automatic box, which commands the gears like a smooth politician. Automatic shifts are near-imperceptible, and the first three gears don't pump out the short, sharp changes associated with a diesel (or, indeed, a 4WD).Engage manual mode, and the ZF's gearing reins in that eager engine with gusto. Corners can also be taken sharper and deeper, thanks to bigger brakes and reworked suspension on the Vogue.Brembo four-pot front stoppers from the Sport Supercharged are now standard, and when they bite, it's hard.Pitch under braking is minimal, and the boaty suspension of the Vogue has been reworked in the Sport's vein for more composure — though it's still very soft compared with the latter.Lower-profile tyres, 20-inch rims and a stiffer set-up make the Sport a little more fussy, particularly over potholes and corrugations.A throttle-on vibration through the steering wheel over 100km/h serves as a small reminder that a diesel's knocking on the firewall, but the steering is amazingly sharp and makes for a far more involving drive than the Rangie's size suggests.Despite giving the impression of a sunk-down city SUV, both the Sport and the Vogue are capable of mounting much more than the kerb outside a private school.The Terrain Response system from Discovery3 is standard on the TDV8s, accessed by a fat, funky dial mounted below the shifter. Four excellent off-road modes are on tap — snow or wet grass; mud and ruts; sand; or rock crawl — allowing for idiot-proof, dirty fun.The standard air suspension may hoik the car up and over the sharp stuff, but can also be lowered quite substantially so you don't have to scale half a mountain to get shopping out of the boot.For skirt-wearers, an optional set of hydraulic side steps, activated by the doors opening and closing, is a welcome lift (though at $2349, it would be more cost-effective to simply wear pants).Other civilised additions include an electronic parking brake on the Vogue, revised airbags, an electronic rear diff and a shut-off system that prevents a petrol nozzle accessing to the fuel tank.Range Rover claims its new diesel is so quiet, new owners may just pull up at the petrol pump by mistake. Perhaps a badge somewhere may have prevented that? Fast factsRange Rover TDV8On sale: NowPrice: Sport $107,900, Vogue Luxury $165,900Body: SUVEngine: Eight-cylinder twin-turbo diesel, 200kW, 640NmTransmission: Six-speed automatic, all-wheel driveFuel: 11.6 litres per 100km (combined claim)Safety: Includes Brembo brakes, front side and curtain airbags, fuel shut-off system

The four-cylinder was praised last year for leg room and rear storage space but criticised for the lack of a centre console, the placement of the instrument display in the middle of the dashboard rather than in front of the driver and, importantly, for a lack of fully-laden pulling power up serious highway hills.In comparison the new six-cylinder earns the same praise for storage, gains praise for a neat centre console compartment and deserves even more criticism for the instrument display location, which I find downright annoying, but more of that later.But the most important improvement is the power. As someone who has driven people movers for years, there is now a clear rule to follow. Anything below six cylinders, or a four that can come near the 202kW of power on offer from the 3.5-litre engine in the Tarago, should be ignored if you can afford to do so. On that score, this year's Tarago met the benchmark. It was not hunting gears or surging revs up hills like last year's car.In fact, it felt more like the power you experience in a large 4WD than just about every people mover I have driven before.The V6 Tarago engine comes from the new Aurion sedan and the Lexus RX350, and boasts 60 per cent more power and 50 per cent more torque than the 2.4-litre four. The claimed combined fuel economy for the car is 10.3 litres per 100km. Our usage was a little higher, but was still acceptable considering the size and weight of the car.We tested the middle of the three Taragos in the range, the GLX, which is priced at $56,990. The equivalent model in the four-cylinder is $52,490. The gap represents a $4500 expense that we would heartily recommended you spend. And there's no mistaking the Tarago is a big car: at 4.8m long, it has three rows of seats in a 2-2-3 formation. The base model has an extra seat in the second row. Up front, there's plenty of room for driver and passenger and a clever closing compartment between. Leather seats are reserved for the $69,990 top-of-the-range Ultima model, but the cloth material is fine here. The seats, too, are easily adjustable.The six-speed auto shifts smoothly and there was no sign of it hunting gears under load. But the big bugbear is the centre placement of the instrument panel. It means the driver is looking side-on at the speedo — and in fact, the angle of vision also indicates a different reading from the passenger seat.I found it a distraction to have to look away from the road to check my speed. The second row of seats provides two captain's chairs that offer a pile of leg room and luxury.The back reclines almost flat and in a nifty move, a front leg rest can be flipped out just like a Jason recliner lounge chair.There were complaints that the two seats were too close together and the space available between the chairs and the doors meant the windows could not be used as a headrest. However, their positioning does allow the occupants a view ahead of the road less obstructed by the front seats.The third row has plenty of room but the real gain, particularly when compared with all large 4WDs and some of the smaller people movers, is the abundance of storage space behind the third row. Once the false floor is removed the space is cavernous. It easily soaked up luggage for six people.The rear seats fold down into the well to provide even more space. It's fiddly, but you can master it with practice. And for only the second time with a people mover (the previous being a Chrysler Grand Voyager) we were able to fold down the rear seats, push the second row forward and create enough space to put two full-size bicycles in the back.Verdict: Adding a six-cylinder engine has redefined the Tarago as a truly versatile and capable vehicle, particularly for large families. It's not cheap, but it is comfortable. The central instrument display is still annoying, however. 

Paul Stokell finished ninth overall on Sunday in the gruelling rally in a Mini with “Tasmanian Tiger” livery.It was the second consecutive year Mini was first front-wheel-drive car home. Second was the Mazda3 MPS driven by Rick Bates.“We had an entertaining dice all rally long with the Mazda," Stokell's co-driver Peter Burrey said.“It spurred us on, but Paul is such a great driver we did not have one (worrying) moment on the whole rally.”Team Mini partners Grant Denyer finished 20th with Dale Moscatt in the Mini “Cheetah” while Mike Sinclair and Bill Hayes in the Mini “Python” were 40th.The rally results comes as the new Mini has scored the highest-possible five-star Euro NCAP result.The new Mini Cooper achieved 13 out of 16 points for deformation behaviour in a head-on collision, and 16 from 18 points in the side-on and pillar collision. Mini Cooper is now 60mm longer than its predecessor to meet pedestrian impact regulations. The car also comes standard with six airbags, three-point inertia-reel seat belts on all four seats and ISOFIX child seat fastening systems in the rear.Active safety includes brake assist, cornering brake control and brake force distribution.

The original Suzuki Swift GTi, sold here in the mid-'80s, was a budget-priced bucket of bolts attached to one of the sweetest, micro-sized, twin-cam, multi-valve engines this side of a Suzuki motorbike.You don't see too many of those old GTi Suzies around these days; many were spontaneously added to roadside shrubbery when the engine proved too much for the rest of the car to cope.Still, it was a loveable little rogue of a thing, despite wrist-snapping torque steer and wet-weather handling that left drivers ashen-faced and trembling, as though they'd just been shot (or seen The Catch-Up).Maybe “despite” is the wrong word. The adventurous thrilled in numbers to the GTi's mix of dash and destructiveness, making it an unlikely cult machine. Of surviving GTis, possibly only one or two remain unmodified; such is the fate of the cult car.Twenty years on, Suzuki has incorporated the GTi's DNA into its latest bargain hatchback, the Swift Sport.This isn't as simple as you'd expect. Modern designers face unusual design challenges: the technology exists to make even budget-level cars completely smooth and refined, which sometimes — especially in the case of sporty runabouts — isn't what you want.So some reverse engineering is needed: winding back sophistication to a point where the fun kicks in.The harder you drive the Sport, the more you notice its ancestor's kookiness creeping to the surface.There's barely any torque steer, but enough power is communicated through the wheel to give you at least an idea of something raucous happening up front — without any particular danger that you'll be incorporated into a tree, or oncoming traffic.In fact, given the test car's nuclear yellow paint, there was more danger of blinding oncoming drivers than hitting them. This paint could be seen through walls. It was like driving a glowstick.Forget wet-weather trauma, too — although probably more credit should go to the Suzuki's gluey Dunlops than to its suspension engineers.(By the way, when did tyres become so good? These Dunlops are exceptional, but almost all new tyres are capable of grip levels higher than most competent drivers can exceed. Even those cheap Taiwanese brands with names like Myong Tsing and Tong Foon Speed Monkey Radial aren't entirely dreadful. Someone should re-introduce crossplies, just for nostalgia's sake and to keep the population down.)As with any car so over-tyred, handling in the dry is foolproof. Hit a corner too quickly, and it's no great problem to scrub off speed and change lines.Interestingly, the Sport seems set up to oversteer slightly at exit from medium-quick curves. This is so rare among front-drive hatches as to be almost unique.Suzuki evidently has a playful bunch in its suspension-geometry lab. Hey, for all we know the same guys may be responsible for that hyper-cute exterior.Some gambles have been taken here, but it hangs together well across what is a surprising amount of surface area for such a compact unit.Two things about the Suzuki's interior: it offers enough headroom to wear a top hat, should you be so inclined, and features front seats that, by happy accident, are perfectly sculpted for a certain 42-year-old reviewer's dodgy back.Seriously — and it's purely by coincidence — those seats were perfect. A certain reviewer was tempted to remove them for use in his office.A certain reviewer may even have idly sorted through his tools in search of the correct-size spanners for the job before a certain reviewer considered his bail conditions and woke up to himself.The engine — 1.6 litres, four variably timed valves per cylinder, all the usual tricks — is slightly undersquare (greater stroke than bore) which should provide a little more torque than seems available.No big deal; the engine's sound makes up for that. Suzuki must have had its sonic technicians working harder than Israeli airport security to come up with a note so zesty.For only $24,000, ridiculous value is represented here. It's only after a few days of driving that tiny quality differences between the Sport and its more expensive Mazda and Honda competitors become obvious.They're only small matters — a slightly buzzier reverse gear, for one — and nothing that would be a deal-breaker.Of course, for some drivers wanting to reconnect with some GTi rawness, that buzzy reverse might well be a feature, not a bug.

Instead of using a four-cylinder engine as other hot hatches have, the Ford Focus XR5 has a five-cylinder engine with a turbo strapped on.The potent engine, which has 166kW and 320Nm of torque, came straight from Ford's Swedish friends at Volvo.It is a cracker engine, with low-down urge and wonderful, meaty exhaust note thanks to a large muffler that takes up the space normally used by a full-size spare (it now has a space-saver).The XR5 has chunky 18-inch wheels, sports suspension and styling that instantly stamps it as a customer not to be messed with. Despite its no-nonsense looks and sharp ability, the XR5 has a softer side and that was just the thing that tipped some judges in its favour over Mazda's more focused MPS.There was also the matter of a fair wedge of readies left in the wallet with the XR5 starting at a sharp $35,990.

Nuclear power stations could be used to produce hydrogen via water electrolysis - zero CO2 emissions.

But putting the Triton through its paces over 3500km of harsh desert tracks and long, winding roads in outback South Australia proved that while this SUV may not have the best "face" for the bush, it does have the grunt and performance it takes to get the job done. It also has the space and the comfort to make such a long trip a breeze.The Triton has grown ... significantly. Mitsubishi boasts it has more space than ever before, easy to see with its dimensions of 1780mm in height, 5174mm in length and 1800mm in width. This new beast from Mitsubishi -- built in Thailand -- is now more in line with the undisputed king of country motorists, Toyota's HiLux.The new dual-cab Triton is available in basic GLX, sporty GLX-R and the luxury GLS, all with very good four-wheel-drive credentials built around a strong chassis.The engine choice is the V6 3.5-litre petrol or the 3.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel. For our bush trek, the diesel GLX-R was the weapon of choice. The 3.2-litre, double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine has turbocharger and intercooler, and common-rail injection. It delivers 118kW of power at 3800rpm and 347Nm of torque at 2000rpm.It has a tonneau and a sports bar, and costs $41,990 petrol (auto $43,990 and diesel $44,990).Among its few downfalls is its lack of cruise control, something Mitsubishi Motors Australia pleaded for and now believes will get some action on in the near future. While we're on the grumbles -- and there are so few that this one has to be somewhat manufactured -- the hard tonneau cover failed to adequately seal, letting dust into the tray. Mind you, the bulldust on Mount Eba Station was so fine it even managed to penetrate the zipper of a suitcase stowed in the back, so it was a big ask that the hard tonneau cover keep every fine particle out.The smooth styling of the skin of the new Triton was definitely hiding a beast of a powerplant, which threw out all the grunt and power required for our challenging trip.And the fuel-use, despite Mitsubishi expecting slightly better than the Triton returned on our 3500km trip, impressed us no endThe Triton returned figures of 11L/100km. And it never climbed above 11.9L/100km, even when we were clicking along at reasonable speed, in 4WD, on outback station tracks.

LAND ROVER FREELANDER 2The Freelander 2 is new from the ground up, and will make its local debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. It hasn't always been plain sailing Down Under for the popular European model, but with outstanding on-road performance as well as the class-leading off-road ability everyone expects from Land Rover, Freelander 2 seems set to leave its mark on our wide, brown land.Freelander 2 is available with new petrol and diesel engines. The diesel is a 2.2-litre TD4 common-rail turbodiesel with peak outputs of 118kW and an impressive 400Nm, plus better fuel economy than its predecessor (as well as 43 per cent more power). A 3.2-litre i6 petrol producing a peak of 171kW represents a hike of 30 per cent in power compared with the previous V6, as well as a 10 per cent boost in fuel efficiency. Freelander 2 will be in Land Rover across Australia by mid 2007.MAZDA CX-7The Mazda CX-7 is the production version of the Mazda MX-Crossport Concept SUV, and will be built only in the company's Ujina Plant No. 2 (U2) located near Mazda's global headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan.Australia has been confirmed as second in line for production of the new generation crossover vehicle (after the North American market).It will go on sale here late this year priced below $50,000 and will be on public display at the Sydney show.The Mazda CX-7 is a clean break from the fleet of traditional SUVs currently offered. Bringing together performance and design like never before, the Mazda CX-7 – like every Mazda – was engineered to exemplify sporty driving in keeping with the company's 'Zoom-Zoom' philosophy.CX-7 promises sophisticated styling, an engaging drive, and the facilitation of fun.NEW PAJEROMitsubishi has just released its NS Pajero seven-seat 4WD with a complete makeover for the exterior design, a modern new interior, two new engines that are Euro 4 emissions compatible. The new model also heralds the reintroduction of the three-door 'shorty' short-wheelbase (SWB) models to inject additional excitement into the model range.There hasn't been a SWB Pajero on sale since 1999, so the new model represents one of the most exciting product additions to the Mitsubishi range in 2006. The three-door model is the closest product consumers can buy to the acclaimed Pajero Evo that races across the harshest terrain in Europe and Africa in the Dakar rally. (There will also be a Pajero Dakar race car on display in Sydney.)All the expected features – power steering, power windows, power exterior mirrors, cruise control, remote keyless entry with encrypted immobilisation and multiple storage compartments and cupholders – have been incorporated in to NS Pajero. All models also feature a multi-mode display, including trip computer, weather information and compass for which the 4x4 has become renowned.Two new engines also deliver significant leaps in power and torque, while being more efficient and economical. The 3.8-litre 24-valve V6 MIVEC petrol engine produces maximum power of 184kW at 6000 rpm (a massive 24 per cent increase on the previous engine) and maximum torque of 329Nm at a very low 2750 rpm (up 6 per cent). It's also LPG compatible.The new diesel engine is a common rail-version of the 3.2-litre diesel that was first seen in Australia in ML Triton when it was launched in July this year.SUBARU TRIBECAThe biggest, boldest and certainly the most distinctive Subaru in the lineup will be shown production-ready in Sydney. There's a hint of Porsche Cayenne about the Tribeca's brash design, which is sure to polarize punters into 'love it' or 'hate it' camps, but nobody's arguing with the motive power choice – Subaru's venerable 3.0-litre horizontally-opposed 'boxer' six-cylinder engine, which is both responsive and low, keeping the centre of mass close to Terra Firma.The 3.0-litre flat-six likes having its neck wrung, so this is an SUV that will appreciate a punt. It's mated to a fivespeed automatic gearbox.Like most Subarus, you can expect this one to handle well, thanks to (almost) eons of involvement of the brand at the forefront of the World Rally Championship series. A low C of G and permanent, symmetrical AWD give the Tribeca rock-solid dependability across a range of surfaces, assisted by well-sorted suspension and responsive steering.Build quality is exactly as you'd expect from the Japanese car maker that places engineering above all other concerns. High equipment levels are a given, plus three seating rows. A diesel engine is coming for Subaru but is still a way off – a boxer-style common rail turbodiesel engine currently under development by Subaru will be unveiled at next year's Geneva Auto Show.HOLDEN CAPTIVAThe sense of relief in Holden's marketing division is palpable. The smiles are back and, at least for the immediate future, likely to stay.The billion-dollar VE set the trend but it is the Koreanbuilt Captiva compact SUV that is really pushing the buzz. Holden has been staring with green-eyed envy at Ford's home-grown Territory and its runaway success in what has been one of the hot segments in the new car industry. "'It is nice to finally have an SUV that we can offer. It has been a long time coming," Holden's marketing boss John Elsworth said at the recent launch of the Captiva."It has been tough to watch the (SUV) segment grow and grow and have nothing we could play a part with." Even better news for Holden is that the Captiva, while built as a global GM model in South Korea, benefitted from a huge level of input in design and engineering from Holden staff. The result is a stylish, cleverly packaged compact or medium SUV with drive and ride quality comparable to anything else in the competitive market.VOLVO XC90 V8The new XC90 V8 represents not just an awesome performance SUV – if you visit the Volvo stand in Sydney you'll be looking at the first production V8 powertrain in Volvo's history.There's some serious engineering gone into this vehicle, with Dynamic Stability and Traction Control plus Roll Stability Control systems representing just the tip of a very substantial safety iceberg culminating in a five-star NCAP crashworthiness rating (first SUV in the world to achieve that).The 4.4-litre V8 develops 232kW and 440Nm, and features a 60-degree 'V', unlike most V8s, which are set to 90 degrees. The V8 is 16 per cent more powerful and also torquier than the outgoing T6 engine it replaces, snatching 100km/h just 7.3 seconds after a standing start. The V8's 60-degree V allows for a more compact design, allowing transverse mounting in the engine bay, which delivers superior crashworthiness. It's also the first petrol V8 to meet the demanding USA ULEVII emissions standard.Volvo calls it the world's safest SUV and there's really no basis for disagreement. For $84,950, the world's safest SUV can also be one of the world's most capable.AUDI Q7The Audi Q7 has officially earned its stripes in Australia, having just completed an epic Trans-Continental Crossing from Sydney to Broome, spanning three weeks and 7000km. Fifteen Q7 vehicles took part in the grueling expedition.In spite of very challenging terrain around areas like Innamincka and Birdsville where sharp, stony tracks are common, the notorious Mereenie Loop Road and areas of the Tanami Track in WA where the roads were characterised by huge potholes and harsh ruts, all 15 Q7s made their way to Broome unscathed.Similar expeditions are planned annually for upcoming vehicles including the new allroad quattro and Audi Q5.In the full 7000km of harsh Outback travel, the only technical requirements of the fleet were the replacement of 16 flat tyres, two broken foglights and a new pollen filter for each car. One vehicle needed minor cosmetic repairs, however only as a result of human error. All 15 vehicles completed the journey as they started – in excellent condition and free from squeaks and rattles.MERCEDES-BENZ GL-CLASSSeven seat SUV with style; Shares ML-Class platform; Constant AWD via 4Matic system; 4.6-litre V8 power with 250kW output; Air suspension optional; Off-road pack available.VW TOUAREG UPGRADETwo bold new V6s – petrol and hi-tech diesel; New 3.0- litre V6 turbodiesel with 165kW and 500Nm; New 3.6-litre V6 petrol with 206kW and 360Nm; Optional air suspension package; Constant AWD via 4XMOTION system; Frontal pedestrian/cyclist impact protection zones; Hero 5.0-litre V10 with remains storming 230kW and 750Nm remains.LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER TDV8All-new hi-tech 3.6-litre V8 turbodiesel; Replaces ageing BMW-sourced TDV6 diesel; Silky smooth runner with 200kW and 640Nm; Delivers 500+ Newton-metres between 1250 and 3750rpm; Frugal consumption: 11 litres per 100km likely; Magnificently competent ZF six-speed auto transmission.