Small Cars

The next-generation Mazda CX-5 is coming Down Under.

The Mini Cooper is now two different cars - the EV from China and the petrol hatch from the UK. The latter is a thorough facelift of its 2014 predecessor, using the same centre section, powertrain and platform, blended with a fresh face and tail, as well as a striking new dash. There have been other changes and updates too, though the same feisty Mini character remains. But is that enough, though?

Chery has announced its latest entrant into the Australian market.

Why would my 2013 Holden Barina Spark have trouble starting after a short time turned off? But if I leave it turned off for longer periods, it will restart.

The phenomenon that is the Suzuki Jimny continues to defy convention and expectations.Despite now being over half a decade old in Australia and with little to no change in specification since then, demand for the existing three-door shows no signs of slowing down, helping boost sales by over 50 per cent this year.It’s even surprised Suzuki, which anticipated the recently-released Jimny XL five-door wagon to surpass it, but instead sales are split fairly equally at 50/50.Things don’t look like subsiding either, since the continuing popularity of the nameplate here and abroad means wait times for all Jimnys are likely to grow, and not shrink, in the foreseeable future.According to Suzuki Australia General Manager, Michael Pachota, while the company is working hard to meet existing orders, the situation is not likely to improve at all any time soon – particularly for some of the more popular variants.“Orders for the three-door (Jimny) are still through the roof – especially for the automatic,” he recently told CarsGuide. “The wait times are roughly about six to eight months.”Unsurprisingly, buyers of manual versions in both body styles haven’t had to be so patient, as wait times for these are only between two to four months.There has been some respite from extended wait times for fans of the compact off-roader following the arrival of the long-awaited XL five-door wagon version late last year due to large shipments from India, but Pachota warns the generous production allocation afforded to Suzuki Australia looks set to dry up soon.“With the Jimny five-door wagon – we had an awesome flurry of production, after an opportunity was granted for us to get early high volumes,” he explained. “Even though its order rate is just as high as the Jimny three-door, the supply rate has been much better since the early part of its launch.“Which has been great for us, because we could get more cars out on the road quickly. And people that placed orders are only waiting anywhere up to three to four months, subject to colour obviously.“(But) we won’t be able to maintain that long term, based on that supply chain and the popularity of the car increasing overseas as well.”Pachota added that strong demand for the XL has occurred even though little to no promotional dollars have been allocated to it so far.“Our orders are continuously growing on that car,” he said. “And we still haven’t even advertised it.”What this means is that, if you’re after a Jimny of any shape or specification, you’d better get your skates on.Moving forward, it’s been reported that the Jimny may gain the long-rumoured ute version as per previous-generation models, while a mild-hybrid system is anticipated in the not-too-distant future for European markets. Suzuki has also confirmed that an all-electric model is under development for a 2030 release.All of these would simply amplify Jimny demand in Australia.

My 2012 Holden Cruze SRIV turbo has 200,000kms. What oil would be most suitable for this vehicle?

Skoda focuses on value rather than straight affordability as it feels the pinch from new Chinese rivals

There are a handful of new-car bargain gems out there, with a combination of design, packaging, engineering, performance, economy and quality that belie their affordable pricing. We name our top seven picks.

Toyota has broadened the appeal of its rally-bred GR Corolla hot hatch with a suite of changes — including a new transmission.

One of Australia’s favourite hot hatches has come in for an overhaul that adds some extra goodies, but it also comes with a price increase.