PORSCHE HAS made a big thing out of its four-door Panamera, and now news has come through that the German supercar manufacturer will offer V6 and hybrid versions of the currently V8-only super saloon in 2010.

Porsche is working to bring a hybrid version of the Cayenne SUV to market, using an Audi-sourced 3.0 litre V6, [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Click  here to read our 2009 D-MAX LS-U Crew Cab Road Test

Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) has launched its new Isuzu D-MAX ute range. Diesel only, tough as nails, but well-finished and not lacking in creature comforts, IUA has Toyota’s venerable HiLux firmly in its sights with the D-MAX.

A short on-road drive and a few laps [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Mazda Australia has announced that the newly updated BT-50 utility is now on sale, with a number of revisions making the rugged workhorse more powerful, more versatile and more… attractive(?) for 2009.

The range has been bolstered by the addition of two new 2WD models and five new 4WD models, bringing the total number of BT-50 [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

In today’s climate of high petrol costs, small cars are rapidly increasing in popularity as Aussie motorists move away from large cars and SUVs to something a little more frugal.

The timing then for Honda’s Australian release of the second-generation Honda Jazz could not be more perfect, as its spacious interior, light weight and thrifty [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Suzuki has announced that its updated-for-2009 Grand Vitara will hit showrooms Australia-wide in September, bringing with more power, better economy and greater safety than the outgoing model, along with a few minor cosmetic upgrades.

Two new petrol engines join the Grand Vitara range, with a 2.4-litre inline four replacing the old 1.6 and 2-litre units [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

The United States of America, the country that arguably coined the term “SUV”, has long gone without any true tailgate goodness. In fact, the only proper station wagon (crossovers are NOT wagons) that GM sells in the US is the Saab 9-5 SportCombi, which is about as American as a sensible approach to gun [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Okay, the Mahindra Pik-Up isn’t completely new to the local auto scene (having arrived in 2007), but our road testing is, so when TMI offered me a Pik-Up for a week, I was happy to accept the keys. The fact that I was moving house had absolutely nothing to do with it… at all.

I must [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Honda have launched the Freed compact minivan in Japan, which delivers seating for up to eight people in a package that uses just 6.1 litres of fuel per 100km.

Based on the same platform as the Honda Jazz, the Freed lays claim to being the first true 8-seater in the small car class. Of course, it’s [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Audi have released first details of their new A4 Avant, which will debut in Geneva next month. If you like your Audis with a good dose of practicality then the new A4 Avant could be just the thing.

Audi have managed to squeeze 490 litres of cargo carrying capacity out of the rear of their [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Official information on Ford’s new for 2008 Falcon is here. Designated the FG, it ushers in a range of vastly improved engines and sharp clean styling that maybe not quite the wholesale change some were hoping for, but is attractive non-the-less.

Ford enthusiasts may lament the dropping of the Futura and Fairmont nameplates which are no-longer [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

Want to see the Denali XT concept on the move? The official videos of the GMC Denali XT follow. The Denali XT is a sport-utility hybrid truck concept, designed and built in Australia by Holden and unveiled at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. It features a 2-mode hybrid propulsion system, E-85 capabilities and direct-injection technology. [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More

You may remember our speculation concerning a possible Holden Crewman concept making a splash at this year’s Melbourne Motor Show, part of Holden’s plan to steal the thunder from Ford’s Falcon Orion launch. Well, the pictures you see here are very likely that concept. Designed and built in Australia by Holden the twin-cab ute concept [...]

• 
• Comment
• Read More