Sedan Reviews

High performance sedans from Germany have a new leader with the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S – a stealth weapon that packs a massive punch in a subtly-aggressive sedan body.

Building on its increased sales success in Australia in the last couple of years Renault has announced that the Renault Fluence has been given a mid-life makeover

Mercedes-Benz built an enviable reputation based on safe, solid, comfortable and reliable prestige cars, but in recent times it has had to add another element to its appeal: excitement.

Kia's handsome Cerato has both bases covered with 1.8 and 2.0-litre engine availability.

Let's face it Citroen is at best a bit player in the Australian motoring landscape.

If it's "cachet" you are after, something a little different -- a bit more stylish than the other medium prestige cars --then look no further than the new $51,990 Citroen DS5.DESIGNCitroen developed the new DS range as cars with panache, out of the ordinary. And in the DS5, they have surely succeeded because it's a strikingly handsome hatchback with bucket loads of street appeal. Those large sabre-shaped chrome flashes linking the headlights with the A pillars are just the start of it. Viewed from all angles, the DS5 is a glamour in the current Citroen idiom.FEATURESAnd it's just as startlingly different and appealing inside with no less than three glass sunroofs, an overhead console like an aircraft, beautifully styled seats and dash and a whole truckload of standard kit including head-up display, swivelling headlights, premium audio, comprehensive trip computer and dual zone climate control.Heck, there's even a massage function on the eight way electrically adjustable driver's seat. The passenger's seat is also electrically adjustable. Other standard kit includes a reverse camera, front and rear park sensors, button start leather, privacy glass, auto high beam, auto headlights and wipers, cruise with speed limiter and Bluetooth phone and audio.But there isn't much in the way of new-tech driver assistance such as blind spot warning, 360 degree camera, radar cruise with brake function, auto brake and all the other stuff coming in these days. Seats are provided for five but four is a better bet and the car can be set to carry a large load with folding rear seats.ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONPower comes from a tried and true 2.0-litre turbo diesel four that sees duty elsewhere in the expansive Peugeot/ Citroen line-up. In this case it's good for 120kW/340Nm and 6.1-litres/100km economy. It passes EU5 emissions regulations and drives the front wheels through a conventional six-speed auto transmission with sequential (not paddle) shift.DRIVINGThat's plenty of kick for a car like this weighing in at 1615kg. It gets off the mark respectably and has prodigious roll-on like most diesels these days. Noise and vibration is negligible at any speed. Infact, you can't hear anything cruising on the highway.They've set-up the suspension in a sporty way and the big, 18-inch low profile tyres create a bit of a ruckus on rough roads but the upside is responsive handling and an engaging drive from what is essentially a medium prestige family car.The suspension is a strut front system with trailing arms at the rear. Steering is electric offering a reasonable amount of feel through the hugely flat bottomed steering wheel. We found actually operating the car in terms of switches and functions somewhat challenging. It took a while to sort out the Bluetooth. A rash of buttons and knobs all need to be mastered before you try and drive this car and they are all over the place around the driver's 'cockpit.'But once set, the rewards are there. It would make an excellent interstate cruiser, economical, quiet, a relaxing drive as long as you didn't venture too far off the hotmix.GENEROUSCitroen provides a generous warranty on this and all its models as well as fixed price servicing and other entitlements. The brand has been here for years now and has been making cars for a century so they have an idea of how to do it.VERDICTWe really like the DS5 - the look of it inside and out and the feel. It's economical, luxuriously equipped and can be an engaging drive. Definitely worth a look.Citroen DS5Price: from $51,990Warranty: 3 years roadside assist 100,000kmEngine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel, 120kW/340NmTransmission: 6-speed auto, FWDThirst: 6.1L/100Km, CO2 158g/km

The family car market in Australia is totally dominated by Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, but from time to time other marques have a go at creating competition.

Looking for something different in the family car field? Then why not examine the big Ford Taurus?

We like the look of the new VF Commodore even in base model Evoke form. But the SV6 is better again sharing its enhanced exterior with the more aspirational V8 SS model. These two cars also share the same features inside so with the SV6 you are getting the SS look for less money. ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION And the

Now there are three. The premium small-car segment began as a one-horse race in 1996 when Audi took the bold step of introducing a small model called the A3. BMW was extra wary of the possibility of diluting its brand with a small car, but watched Audi sales closely and finally decided it was safe to enter the prestige small-car race in 2004, with its 1 Series.Mercedes-Benz was a very late starter, not joining the fray until it introduced the all-new A-Class in 2012 (the original A-Class was a stubby city car operating in a totally different market area). Having led the way, Audi is very keen to build on its 17 years of expertise in small cars and has added additional models to both ends of the A3 Sportback lineup.The most exciting is the quattro version. With over four decades of harnessing all-wheel-drive to powerful engines this model was a given. At the other end of the scale is a super-economy model tagged the Audi A3 COD. Which doesn’t mean you have to pay cash for it on delivery, but that it has a 'cylinder on demand' powerplant.ENGINES | TRANSMISSIONSThe A3 Sportback quattro has a hot(ish) four-cylinder 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces up to 132kW of power and a high 280Nm of torque. The use of quattro all-wheel-drive is the big feature of this model, as it provides huge amounts of road grip, even on slippery roads. Automatic transmission in the quattro is a six-speed dual-clutch unit.The cylinder on demand Audi A3 Sportback engine runs on four cylinders in normal driving conditions, but drops to just two cylinders when minimum power and torque are required, such as in gentle country or motorway running on level loads. It’s aimed at economy and has an officially measured figure of just 4.7 litres per hundred kilometres.Again, it’s a turbo-petrol unit, this time with a capacity of 1.4 litres and 103kW and 250Nm. Transmission is to the front wheels only and the automatic is a conventional six-speed unit. Both of these Audi engines coast downhill when you throttle right off, using zero litres of fuel when doing so.STYLINGThough it’s termed the Sportback, with the suggestion it has a hatchback body, this A3 is more station wagon in its shape. Thus it has a good sized load area that’s reasonably squared off and simple to load. A handy 380 litres of boot volume, including a large underfloor stowage area is a feature of the latest A3. Cargo capacity of 1120 litres is offered if the rear seats are folded down. There are various other ways of arranging the rear seats / boot to juggle luggage and people carrying.The sporty A3 quattro has a rear roof spoiler, 17-inch alloy wheels, front foglights, sports seats in leather trim, leather finished steering wheel, and an aluminium-look cabin design.INFOTAINMENTThese models have a full-colour 5.8-inch display for Audi’s MMI eight-speaker audio system. It has Bluetooth integration and satellite navigation. The screen can be retracted into the dash for those who choose to minimise driver inattention.SAFETYLighter weight and a stronger body meant the Audi gained five stars with ease in crash testing. The added traction of quattro all-wheel-drive gives it an edge in crash avoidance on low-traction surfaces.DRIVINGRemembering that torque is more important than power, it didn’t surprise us there’s plenty of grunt from the 280Nm quattro Audi A3. It has fast throttle response and combined with the quattro system provides plenty of driving excitement at a modest price of $37,990 plus on-road costs.Oddly, the cylinder on demand engine doesn’t have a light on the dash to let the driver know the car is running on just two cylinders. Volkswagen does on its virtually identical engine and we feel that the challenge of getting fuel consumption and emissions down as low as possible would be enhanced by just such an indicator light.Ride comfort and handling are nicely balanced in both models with even the sporting A3 Sportback quattro providing a supple ride and low noise levels. Coarse-chip sealed roads, often an achilles heel on European cars when driven in Australia, didn’t create undue noise in this pair of Audis.If the high-performance Audi A3 Sportback doesn’t stir your blood sufficiently, you will only have to wait another 10 weeks or so for the hot Audi S3 models. A challenger for the redhot Mercedes A 45 AMG is surely in the wings and will presumably be tagged the Audi RS3. Can’t wait for that one…The complete Audi A3 Sportback range is:A3 Attraction 1.4 TFSI S tronic: $35,600A3 Attraction 1.6 TDI S tronic: $36,500A3 Attraction 1.4 TFSI COD S tronic: $37,900A3 Ambition 1.8 TFSI S tronic: $42,500A3 Ambition 2.0 TDI S tronic: $42,500A3 Ambition 1.8 TFSI quattro S tronic: $45,500Audi A3 Sportback quattroPrice: from $45,500Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmCapped servicing: NoResale: 52 per cent (previous model)Service interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety: 5 starsEngine: 1.8-litre 4-cyl turbo, 132kW/280NmTransmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto; AWDThirst: 6.6L/100km, 95 RON PULPDimensions: 4.3m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.4m (H)Weight: 1380kgSpare: Space-saver