Australian New Car Buyer

We’re now well and truly on the way to the affordable, mass market electric car. It’s not quite with us yet. The cheapest EV in this issue, and the cheapest on the market in Australia, is the $44,990 Hyundai Ioniq, but within the next few years you’l

In our tests on the following pages and in the Showroom, we have used symbols to give you a quick indication of the strengths of each car, and star ratings to indicate in more detail how each car stacks up in its class. Here’s what the symbols and st

EDITOR Bill McKinnon DESIGNER Katharine McKinnon CONTRIBUTORS John Carey, Joshua Dowling, Phil King, Byron Mathioudakis, Peter McKay ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Martin White CEO/CHAIRMAN Prema Perera PUBLISHER Janice Williams CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Vicky Ma

Alfa Romeo’s Giulia is aggressively priced and generously equipped. It deserves to disrupt your Audi A4/BMW 3 Series/Mercedes C Class buying decision. Start money is $60,900 for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol Giulia, with 147kW of power and

Remember when there was no such thing as a beautiful SUV? SUVs were spacious, sure. And capable. Even occasionally sporty. But they were never, ever beautiful. But clearly something has changed, because we defy anyone to gaze upon Alfa Romeo’s new St

Audi’s current A3 range, like its predecessors, shares its architecture and most of its componentry with parent brand Volkswagen’s Golf. Prices for the five-door A3 Sportback start at $36,600 for the 85kW 1.0-litre turbopetrol three-cylinder/seven-sp

Audi’s B9 A4 sedan range opens with two front-wheel-drive models. The 35 1.4TFSi ($56,100) runs the same 110kW 1.4-litre turbopetrol/seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic drivetrain used in the VW Golf. The 140kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol 40 2.0 TFSi is $61,4

Today’s Audi Q5 might seem barely changed since the original in 2009, but there’s exciting new stuff underneath its almost the same skin. Kicking off from $65,900 for the 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre 40 TDI diesel quattro and $66,900 for the 185kW/370Nm 2.0

Audi’s second-generation Q7 is a huge improvement over the first. That model’s whale-like scale made it a daunting vehicle to drive in the city and its high weight meant it had the handling agility of a humpback. The 2019 Q7 is only slightly shorter

If you need proof the world has gone mad for SUVs, look no further. Bentley’s Bentayga is one of the most extreme and expensive of the breed. The Bentayga is based on the Audi Q7, with Bentley acquired by Germany’s Volkswagen-Audi Group in 1998. The

BMW’s M division cars have been somewhat hit and miss in recent years — epic on a track, but not so enjoyable in day-to-day driving, where their overreliance on electronics produces a remote, uninvolving driving experience amplified by artificially w

BMW 3 Series prices start at $64,900 for the 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre turbopetrol 320i and $67,900 for the 320d, which runs a 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel four, both matched with a standard eight-speed automatic. The 330i sedan tested here is

BMW’s iconic M3, now in its fifth generation, is available as a four-door sedan only, based on the recently superseded F30 3 Series model for now. The M3 sedan lands in Oz starting from $129,529 for the Pure. The M4 coupe commands a $10,000 premium.

BMW’s seventh-generation 5 Series range opens with the $90,900 520i, with a 135kW, 2.0-litre turbopetrol four. At $95,900, the 520d runs a 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel four, while the $112,900 530i, tested here, has a 185kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo

The second-generation BMW X1 shares much of its core technology, including its basic structure, with the latest versions of the Mini (a brand that is owned by BMW) as well as BMW’s 2 Series Active Tourer. The range opens with the sDrive 18i, at $44,5

BMW’s first X5, launched in 2000, immediately became the luxury SUV benchmark. So the fourth generation X5, like its predecessors, refines a proven formula rather than reinventing it. Start money is $99,900 for the 170kW/450Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel/e

Putting “Ferrari” beside “ugly” just isn’t done. So let’s not mention the California, the car the lovely-looking Portofino replaces in Ferrari’s line-up. The newcomer sticks with the same 2+2 seating, folding hardtop and front-engine format, but adds

No Ferrari road car can claim a longer line of descent than those with a high-revving V12 engine up front that drives the rear wheels. This was the layout of the very first road cars the company made in 1950 and the Ferrari-badged racers produced fro

The days of budget-priced small hatchbacks may soon be behind us. Few brands can get a Toyota Corolla-sized car close to the $20,000 drive-away mark these days, as each new model gains more advanced safety tech. The 2019 Ford Focus, imported from Ger

Ford’s Escape range opens with the 110kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol/six-speed manual/front-wheel-drive Ambiente, priced at $28,990. The six-speed auto is $30,490. All-wheel-drive models begin with the 134kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol Ambiente, with a six-speed

Ford Australia would prefer we didn’t call its new five-seater Endura SUV a Territory replacement. Endura, says Ford Australia, is a much more upmarket SUV, a “premium offering” for those who want something “special and opulent”. Endura is well equip

Holden’s Astra hatchback is sourced from General Motors’ Opel factory in Poland, although it was designed and engineered by Opel in Germany. It won the European Car of the Year award in 2016, but has struggled here. Prices start at $21,490 for the 11

ZB Commodore prices kick off at $33,690 for the 2.0-litre turbopetrol LT Liftback and $35,890 for the LT Sportwagon. We tested the mid-spec RS Sportwagon, priced at $39,490. There’s also a 2.0-litre turbodiesel, priced at $36,690 for the LT Liftback

There was never going to be a ZB Commodore V8, so it was at Holden’s insistence that the 3.6-litre V6, with all-wheel drive, was included in the 2018 Insignia range as an Australiaspecific model, in the belief that many Commodore customers would dema

Honda’s HRV, a compact five-door SUV, combines extraordinary interior flexibility with a punchy drivetrain and handsome styling inside and out. The base 1.8-litre petrol/continuously variable automatic (CVT) VTi model costs $24,990. Then it’s the sam

Honda’s Odyssey is priced from a sharp $37,610 for the base VTi. The more generously equipped VTi-L is $47,590. Brandishing van-like electric sliding doors and a high roof for ultra-easy entry, the Odyssey’s floor is lower than usual, with an extende

You don’t mess around with a winning formula, so Hyundai’s third-generation i30 offers more of the same: a strong value-for-money proposition, excellent quality and reliability backed up by a generous warranty. Its styling has become more conservativ

Hyundai’s first crack at the hot hatch class, the i30 N was hyped to the max prior to its arrival, a dangerous thing to do if the walk don’t match the talk. The first product of Hyundai’s N Performance division, the i30 N is the creation of Albert Bi

Jaguar aimed ambitiously high with its new I-Pace mid-size luxury SUV. “The target was to create the best electric vehicle on the planet,” says Jaguar technical design director, Wolfgang Ziebart. And that is exactly what’s been done. I-Pace matches t

Kia’s Cerato hatch range opens with the 112kW/192Nm 2.0-litre petrol S, with a six-speed manual, priced at $20,990. A six-speed auto adds $2800. Sport, with the auto as standard, is $25,790 and Sport+ is $28,840. The 150kW/256Nm 1.6-litre turbo/seven

Kia’s Sportage SUV, which shares architecture with Hyundai’s Tucson and, sizewise, bridges the gap between compact and medium wagons, starts at $30,190 for the Si front-wheel drive. This model is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine with a modest 114

Kia’s Sorento is comparable in size with Toyota’s Kluger and the Nissan Pathfinder, with vast interior space for seven. Petrol-powered models are front-wheel drive. The range opens with the 206kW 3.5-litre V6/eight-speed automatic Si at $42,990; Spor

In this turbocharged age, the new Lexus LC 500 is a rare beast. It has a big, naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 that roars and revs the old-fashioned way. Most other manufacturers these days are forced by regulations to rely on smaller-capacity, slowe

MAZDA’S fourth-generation MX-5 kicks off at just $35,390 for the base model 1.5-litre/six-speed manual Roadster. A six-speed auto adds $2000. The 2.0-litre GT manual is $43,320; the auto is $45,320. Stowing the lightweight roof opens up an endless sk

This is the third generation of Mazda’s popualr small car. The Mazda2 hatch is offered with a choice of two 1.5-litre/four-cylinder naturally aspirated, direct-injection petrol engines across four spec levels: Neo, Maxx, Genki and GT. Pricing starts

Now in its fourth iteration since 2004, the Japanese-built Mazda 3 hatch and sedan series is nowadays a wholly more upmarket proposition, trespassing on the Volkswagen Golf’s turf. Pricing starts from $24,990 for the 114kW 2.0-litre Pure six-speed ma

Mazda’s mid-size 6 is available as a sedan and wagon. Prices start at $34,490 for the 140kW/250Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol/six-speed automatic Sport sedan. The Touring is $38,690. GT, with a 170kW/420Nm 2.5-litre engine, is $45,990 and the top-

The CX-3 gives Mazda an offering in the hotly contested compact SUV segment. With a choice of two four-cylinder engines — 85kW/270Nm 1.8-litre turbodiesel or 111kW/195Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol — the CX-3 is up against more than 20 conte

Mazda’s CX-8 SUV slots between the mid-size CX-5 five-seater and family-sized CX-9 seven-seater. There are three model grades: base Sport front-wheel drive from $43,910, Sport all-wheel drive from $47,910 and the flagship Asaki that pole vaults $15,0

The Mercedes GLA SUV range starts at $44,700 for the 90kW 1.6-litre turbopetrol front-wheel-drive GLA180. The 100kW 2.1-litre turbodiesel front-wheeldrive GLA220d is $52,100. Opt for the sportier performance and all-wheel-drive grip of the 155kW 2.0-

The Mercedes W205 C Class range opens with the $64,500 C200 sedan, with a 135kW/280Nm, 1.5-litre turbopetrol/nine-speed automatic, tested here. The 143kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel C220d is $66,000, the 190kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbopetrol C300 is $72,

The shape of things to come from Mercedes-Benz has a familiar form. As we went to press, the German car maker was launching the EQC, the first model from its new electric vehicle sub-brand. While SUVs are hugely popular, there are other reasons car m

The base ASX 110kW 2.0-litre petrol/five-speed manual front-wheel-drive ES is $23,490. With a continuously variable automatic (CVT) transmission it’s $25,490, while in LS specification, with CVT as standard, it’s $27,990. The top spec ASX Exceed is $

The base front-wheel-drive 2.0-litre petrol/five-speed manual Outlander ES five-seater is $29,490, while a 2.4-litre engine, continuously variable automatic (CVT) transmission and two extra rear seats adds $2300. The all-wheel-drive 2.4-litre petrol

The base Nissan X-Trail ST, at $29,490, is front-wheel drive (dubbed 2WD) and uses a 106kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a six-speed manual. The $31,490 ST gains the gutsy 126kW 2.5-litre unit that has served the series since its 2001 in

Just why Nissan chose to name its small SUV after a group of nomadic tribes from Iran is anybody’s guess. The Qashqai traditionally use donkeys to get around. Presumably that’s not the connection Nissan was trying to make… All models run a naturally-

Priced from $26,990, the second-generation 308 shares nothing with what’s come before as a result of an all-new architecture that was unashamedly inspired by Volkswagen’s Golf. Shedding some 140kg, the new 308 is slightly shorter than before, but roo

France leads the world in fashion, cosmetics, couture, cuisine and wine. So why not in luxury automobiles? Enter Peugeot. The 123-year-old carmaker reckons it’s high-time everybody knows the era of bland, bourgeois sedans is over with its latest, eye

The Porsche 718 Cayman repeated the success of its predecessors by scooping World Performance Car of the Year in 2017, marking a trio of wins since it became the hardtop companion to the Boxster in 2005. As before, it’s thoroughly deserved and comes

Porsche’s Macan range opens with the 185kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbopetrol base model at $82,200. The 260kW/480Nm 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbopetrol Macan S is $98,600, the 265kW/500Nm tuned GTS is $113,300 and the 324kW/550Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo Macan Turbo

The fight in the dog, it’s said, counts for more than the dog in the fight. While the engine under the bonnet of the new Renault Megane RS 280 is smaller than before, it’s a very fighty four… Its central exhaust pipes bark when the RS’s double-clutch

Czech brand Skoda’s Karoq mid-size SUV shares its structure, and most hardware, with parent company VW’s Tiguan, but there are significant differences as well. Karoq, which replaces the Yeti, is priced at $32,290 for the 1.5-litre turbopetrol four-cy

$35,270 (manual) and $37,030 for the auto. Premium is $36,780. BRZ is a twin under the skin with the Toyota 86. Subaru’s 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed, naturally aspirated four-cylinder was significantly overhauled in 2017 and now produces 152kW of

Subaru’s XV is the only compact SUV with allwheel drive as standard, so it’s as capable and confident on a dirt road as it is on the bitumen. XV prices start at $29,240 for the 2.0i. The 2.0i-L is $31,610 and the Premium is $33,420. The top-spec XV 2

Subaru’s fifth generation Forester is the biggest yet and a genuine family-sized SUV. The four-model range kicks off at $34,640 for the 2.5i. The 2.5iL is $36,690, the Premium is $39,690 and the 2.5iS is $42,740. All are powered by a 136kW/239Nm 2.5-