Family advice

BMW was one of the first premium automotive brands to venture into the SUV pond. And now it's pushing the boat out even further with the large, luxurious XM, a five-seat (only) hybrid that's all about the well being of those located in the rear seats. Do the efficiency benefits of it's V8 petrol-electric powertrain offset the impact of its substantial footprint?

Nissan says the Patrol will skip the e-POWER step and jump to full electrification, but only when solid state battery technology is available, which seemingly locks in petrol power for the Y63.Speaking at a recent Australia media event, Nissan's most seni

The four-door sedan still rules the roost when it comes to upper-luxury 'executive'-style transport, and Audi's flagship A8 is a prime example. Lining up against established and respected rivals like the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class it's all about refinement, comfort and premium efficiency. We've spent a week living at the top of the Audi pyramid.

It’s amazing that there are some people who wouldn’t dream of living in a filthy house, yet are quite content to drive around in a car that should be declared a bio-hazard.

You’re looking for a second-hand car. It could be your first car or just the next car, the thing is money is tight and you don’t want to pick a lemon - a dud. You could end up wasting your hard-earned, having to pay more in repairs and then have trouble selling it on.

Any discussion of car performance is usually phrased in terms of horsepower and torque. Fundamentally, these are the two main ways an engine’s output is measured and, therefore, compared with other cars. But what is torque in a car and what does torque do?

The T-Roc small SUV is a key model for Volkswagen, which sits between the compact T-Cross and mid-size Tiguan SUVs.The T-Roc will continue to be more important for the brand into the near future, as in 2022 it overtook the Golf in Australia to become VW’s fourth best-selling model, after the Tiguan, Amarok, and T-Cross.With an update in late 2022, though, the T-Roc now offers an expanded range of variants and a significant shift in its standard equipment and pricing. To understand the current range, see our full layout 2023 Volkswagen T-Roc specs below:The Volkswagen T-Roc is currently available in three main trim levels, the base Style which costs from $37,100 before on-road costs, the R-Line which costs from $45,200 before on-roads, and the top-spec R from $60,300. There is also a limited R Grid Edition variant, which trims the price slightly for the performance variant to $54,300 before on-roads.2023 Volkswagen T-Roc prices before on-road costsThe T-Roc is available with a variety of standard equipment depending on the grade. The base Style scores 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a new digital instrument cluster, wireless charger, ambient interior lighting, rear window tint, leather steering wheel, digital radio, LED headlights and sport front seats with a synthetic suede material.Options for the Style include a 'Sound and Vision' package ($2000) which includes an upgraded digital instrument cluster, improved multimedia suite with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 300W Beats audio system, a Nappa leather interior trim option ($3450), a sunroof ($2000), and a powered tailgate ($600).The mid-grade R-Line scores an 18-inch wheel in a sportier design, a sportier suspension with matching ‘progressive’ steering tune, an enhanced digital instrument cluster and improved multimedia suite with built-in navigation, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.Options for the R-Line include Vienna leather interior ($3950), a sunroof ($2000), or a powered tailgate ($600).At the top of the range is the T-Roc R. Aside from its larger engine and all-wheel drive system, the R scores larger 19-inch alloy wheels, new drive modes, a revised suspension tune, the electric tailgate included as standard, premium dash cluster and larger 9.2-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, improved LED headlights and taillights, as well as bespoke R seats and interior trims.Options on the R include the sunroof ($2000), black style pack ($1200), Beats audio ($750), and signature blue interior highlights ($250).The T-Roc has three variant-dependent engines. The base Style has a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed traditional torque converter automatic transmission. It drives the front wheels only and has maximum outputs of 110kW/250Nm.The R-Line is equipped with a larger 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the brand’s ‘4Motion’ all-wheel drive system. In this configuration, maximum outputs are 140kW/320Nm.At the top of the performance tree, is the T-Roc R. The R also has a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, seven-speed dual clutch transmission, and all-wheel drive system, but has much higher total outputs of 221kW/400Nm.Is the T-Roc offered in diesel?No, unlike its larger Tiguan sibling, the Volkswagen T-Roc is not offered with a diesel engine.Fuel consumption for the 2023 T-Roc range will depend heavily on the variant chosen, with official numbers ranging between 6.3L/100km for the base Style to 8.3L/100km for the performance-oriented R.Boot space in the T-Roc range varies between 440 litres for the base Style, or 392 litres for the R-Line and R.USB-C connectivity is standardised throughout the cabin, as are items like cupholders.The T-Roc has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating dated to 2017, before the car arrived in Australia.Standard equipment carries across most of the range, although due to supply constraints, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert will not be available on all cars delivered over the course of 2023.Cars which do not get this equipment will come with a $650 discount. The top-spec R will continue to maintain standard blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert.Current standard equipment across the T-Roc range includes freeway-speed auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. There are also six airbags and the standard array of stability, brake, and traction systems.Available colours for the T-Roc include the standard (zero cost) 'Pure White', as well as optional metallic shades - 'Indium Grey', 'Kings Red', 'Petroleum Blue', 'Pyrite Silver' and 'Ravenna Blue'. The T-Roc R adds the option of 'Deep Black Pearl'.

Q: How to work out fuel consumption?A: When you look at the official government website, fuel consumption is usually expressed as a number of litres of fuel per 100km travelled. But it is also better understood by some (often older folk who remember miles per gallon) when it’s expressed as a number of kilometres covered per litre of fuel. Either way, it’s pretty simple mathematics.In an age when even budget new cars have trip computers to offer up an average fuel consumption number on the run, it’s tempting to assume that that’s all you need to check.Which is fine if you’re not too concerned about pin-point accuracy, because on-board trip computers aren’t as accurate as many people think.These computers typically measure the amount of air that enters the engine (via an engine sensor) and then refer to a set of tables that gives it the corresponding amount of fuel.Unfortunately, this isn’t always a totally accurate method and while it’s convenient and close enough for most, it’s not the way a scientist would measure fuel consumption.That same scientist would resort to basic mathematics, and regardless of whether it’s to calculate how many litres petrol per kilometre, how many litres per 100km or even kilometres per litre, it’s all the same fundamental but specific fuel consumption formula.So, here’s how it works: We have two known factors here. The first is the number of kilometres travelled (assuming you reset your trip meter when you last fuelled up) and the number of litres you’ve just added to the tank to bring the car back to full.To keep the mathematics simple, let’s say you’ve travelled 500km from the last fill and added 40 litres to bring the tank back to full.If you want to know the litres per 100km, you divide the number of litres by the number of 100km chunks of travel (in this case, five - 500 divided by 100). When you divide 40 by five, you get eight which means you’ve used eight litres per 100km travelled.You’ll probably find your chunks of 100km aren’t a nice, round number, but it works with decimal places, too. So, if you covered 560km for those same 40 litres, the equation would be 40 divided by 5.6 (for a figure of 7.14 litres per 100km).But what if you want to know the kilometres per litre you’ve achieved on the same trip? Now the equation becomes the distance travelled divided by the litres consumed.That is: 500 divided by 40, which means you’ve covered 12.5 kilometres for every litre used.While this is often a more accurate method that relying on the trip computer, there are still variables.Odometers are not always spot-on accurate, and while fuel pumps are regularly checked for accuracy, some will still fill a car more completely than others before 'clicking off'.Perhaps the forecourt where you’re filling isn’t perfectly flat. Heck, even ambient temperature can have an effect on how much physical space petrol occupies.The next step, of course, is how to work out fuel cost as opposed to the bald numbers. Again, this is pretty simple and based on our previous figures and a per-litre fuel price of $1.80, our car that achieves 8.0 litres per 100km costs $14.40 to cover that distance. Per kilometre, that works out to 14.4 cents.In any case, the biggest factor determining fuel economy is your driving style. It doesn’t matter whether you drive a car, ute, SUV or truck, or whether it’s powered by petrol, diesel, gas (LPG) or it’s a hybrid, the best way to save fuel is to drive smoothly and use as little throttle as possible.The other number that can be a bit misleading in fuel consumption terms is the official government-test figure that is on the windscreen of brand-new cars in the showroom. These figures equate to a highway cycle test, an urban cycle test and a combination of those two tests.The tests are exactly the same for each and every vehicle sold in Australia, but while they can therefore be compared against each other, in terms of real-world fuel consumption results, they are a long way off.Broadly speaking, in normal use, you’ll never match those numbers, let alone beat them. Why? Because car makes understand the testing procedure intimately and actually design their cars to do well in the test, often at the expense of real-world driveability and fuel economy thanks to super-tall gearing and other measures.You can also thank these tests for the often-annoying stop-start function on new cars which saves precious drops on the test, but is something many owners switch off every time they drive the car.That’s why the car that suggests (on the test sticker) that it can cover 100km on a highway on just eight litres of fuel, will probably require more like 10 litres to actually do so outside the test lab.Use these figures only as an apples versus apples measurement yardstick against competing makes and models where they’re relevant, and not as a real-world guide to consumption.

Q: One of the hot-button topics right now with rising fuel prices is how to improve fuel economy?A: Believe it or not, there are plenty of things you can do or change that can have a noticeable effect on your car’s fuel economy. Most of them are simple, most of them cost nothing, and they can all stretch each precious litre of fuel a little farther.1. Probably the most effective way to save fuel is to modify the way you drive. How fast you accelerate and how suddenly you brake are doubtless the biggest factors in how much fuel you’ll use.Drive smoothly, anticipate red lights and traffic snarls and you’ll not only save fuel, you’ll also have happier, more comfortable passengers, not to mention less wear and tear on your vehicle.2. Where and when you drive can also have a huge effect. Conventional cars (hybrids and EVs are a different matter) are at their least fuel efficient in stop-start traffic.So, by avoiding peak-hour traffic, you can make a difference at the pump over time. Cars also use more fuel when their engines are cold, so making one longer journey with just one cold start rather than two or three short trips, each one with a cold start, will also save you fuel.3. If you do get stuck in traffic and it looks like you’ll be there a while, think about switching the engine off. An idling engine can easily use a litre per hour without moving you a single metre, and that’s terrible for fuel economy.This is also the reason there’s no gain to be had in letting a modern car warm up for five minutes in the driveway before you set off. You’re far better off driving away as soon as the engine is idling smoothly and getting some distance out of the fuel you’re burning.Just remember to take it easy until the engine has reached operating temperature. And then continue to take it easy in the name of fuel conservation.4. How your car is maintained can also make a big difference to fuel use. An engine that is tuned correctly will burn cleaner and use less fuel, and even details like a dirty air-filter can make the engine run less efficiently and will be picked up during a regular service.Don’t forget to have the whole car serviced, too, because dragging brakes or a poorly adjusted transmission can also add to fuel use.5. A lot of people never bother to check their tyre pressures, but these can make a bigger difference than you might think. Keep tyres inflated (for most cars) to around the 34psi mark (235 kPa) for a decent combination of ride quality and fuel economy.As well as saving fuel, your car will steer and brake better with 34psi in the tyres and the tyres themselves will last longer. Tyres can lose about 1psi per month just sitting around, so it’s a crucial regular check.6. Do you drive around with your air-conditioning running all the time? The air-con compressor causes drag on the engine which uses more fuel. In traffic and at urban speeds, you’re probably better off with the window open if it’s not too hot outside.That will flip at a certain road speed (depending on the aerodynamics of your car) and at higher speed, you might be better off running with the air-con on and the windows up to reduce aerodynamic drag (through the open window) that will cause the engine to work harder and burn more fuel.7. The same goes for roof-racks you’re not actually using at the moment. These contribute an enormous amount of aero drag and that means the engine works harder to pull it all through the air, especially at 110km/h.8. What’s in the boot of your car? If there’s a whole bunch of stuff you don’t need on a day-to-day basis (spare tyre, jack and tools aside) then leave it at home and reduce the weight you’re lugging around. A lighter car uses less fuel.There are no real trade secrets on how to get better fuel economy, neither does it matter if your car is powered by petrol, gas (LPG) or is a diesel engine.Nor does engine efficiency make any of these grass-roots measures redundant; even high-efficiency engines can be made to use less fuel.Clearly, buying a modern, high-tech car is the quick but expensive path on how to increase fuel efficiency, but stick with these tips and any car can go farther on less.

And so it comes to the end of our time with Toyota's Yaris Cross Hybrid, a car that might just be the perfect urban SUV for us city folks that still like to venture further afield every now and again.