Australian New Car Buyer

The Mercedes-AMG ONE hybrid is the nearest thing you can buy to a Formula One racecar, but unfortunately you can’t buy one because the limited production run of 275 cars is sold out, at $3.4 million a pop. The ONE recently set a new outright street-l

In THE SHOWROOM this issue, new models and updates include BMW X1, Citroen C5X, Hyundai Ioniq 6 (pictured), Kia EV6 GT, Lexus RX, Nissan Qashqai, Nissan X-Trail, Nissan X-Trail E-Power, Nissan Pathfinder, Peugeot 308, Peugeot 3008, Toyota Corolla Cro

The base model Audi A1 30 TFSi, priced at $34,250, is a redecorated Volkswagen Polo. Audi is a subsidiary brand of VW. Nearly all of the hardware, including the body, running gear and 85kW 1.0-litre three cylinder turbopetrol/seven speed dual clutch

The RS5 sits at the top of Audi’s A5 coupe line-up. In typical Audi RS fashion, this car goes softly, but carries a very big stick. It features the 2.9-litre, twin turbo V6, developed with Porsche (where it’s also found in the Panamera and new Cayenn

Audi’s A6 starts from $95,500 for the 40 TFSi S-Line, powered by a 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine matched to a seven-speed twin clutch automatic gearbox and front-wheel-drive. A6 45 TFSI S Line quattro, priced from $115,000, gets a 180kW/37

The third generation Audi Q3 might be labelled an SUV but as with many of its peers it could easily be described as a high-riding hatchback. It delivers the usual SUV attributes: taller driving position, better vision around the car, and a higher “hi

Audi’s five seater Q8 is based on the seven-seater Q7, but with a sleeker, sharper profile, a coupe roofline, a few dimensional adjustments and whopper 21 inch alloy wheels to give it a sportier stance. The Q8 55TFSi quattro, priced at $135,100, runs

The BMW i4 is a quick ’n’ easy way for the German brand to bring electric motoring to its heartland. Priced from $99,900, the i4 shares its body with the petrol-powered 4-Series Gran Coupe, which itself shares plenty with the 3-Series that is BMW’s m

BMW’s 2011-2019 One Series was the last rear wheel drive hatchback on the market. The latest 118i, tested here, uses the same body architecture and front wheel drivetrain as the five door Mini (a brand owned by BMW) and the X1/X2 small SUVs. It’s pri

More compact than the recently superseded F48 X1, on which it’s based, BMW X2 prices start at $52,600 for the sDrive 18i. This front-wheel-drive X2 runs a 103kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol triple matched with a seven-speed double-clutch automatic. M Sport

With the the third-generation X3/X4, BMW once again has a competitive player in the premium medium-SUV class. The latest X3/X4 is a styling update, with the addition of a new plug-in hybrid variant. The X3 range opens at $81,700 with the sDrive 20i.

OK, before we get into the car, we have to deconstruct the brands. What is Cupra? It’s a subsidiary brand of SEAT, which itself is a Spanish brand owned by Volkswagen. Cupra was created in 2018 by the marketing department because it needed a fresh ap

The badge resembles an alien and some of the styling appears to be inspired by Lamborghini. Meet Cupra, the performance offshoot of Volkswagen-owned Spanish brand Seat. Like another VW-owned brand, Skoda, the Cupra range is underpinned by VW platform

The Ford Puma is the smallest SUV in the brand’s line-up. There are three models: Puma (from $30,840), Puma ST-Line ($33,190) and Puma ST-Line V (from $36,390). All three models are powered by the same turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine (wi

Ford gave the Mustang a major rework in 2018 and produced the car it should have when it launched the first factory right hand drive model in 2015. In response to the criticism that the original model was too stiff over bumps, Ford engineers retuned

After a stalled start more than a decade ago, Chinese car giant Great Wall Motors is beginning to find traction in Australia. The company is now called GWM Haval, with utility vehicles wearing GWM badges and SUVs wearing both GWM and Haval logos. The

Honda’s HRV e:HEV L (that’s code for hybrid, in case you were wondering) costs $47,000 drive away, which is pretty expensive for a small SUV. A non-hybrid Vi X model, with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, is $36,700 drive away. HRV’s e:HEV system features

Chinese car brands are rocketing up the sales charts in Australia buoyed by their attractive design and sharp drive-away prices. One of the most common questions we get asked is “Are they any good?” The answer is not straightforward because not all C

The Honda Civic VTi LX is priced at an eye-watering $47,200 drive away, which tells you that Honda isn’t really interested in selling very many, but it certainly wants to make a big earn on each one. The previous model was priced in the mid-high $30K

Seven years ago Jaguar decided it needed a competitor in the premium compact SUV segment, where models including the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque were boosting their brands’ sales. Getting the E-Pace to market as quickly as possible was a p

Jaguar’s F-Pace’s mostly aluminium body draws on the basic elements of Jaguar’s XE and XF sedans. Size-wise, the F-Pace is something of an in-betweenie. It’s larger than a BMW X3, for example, but not as big as an X5. It’s certainly spacious enough t

Kia’s Stinger, a big, sporty, four-door coupe, opens at $52,750 for the 200S, with a 182kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol four/eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. Stinger GT Line is $60,430. More serious performance lives under the bonnet of the 330S,

Kia’s smallest SUV, the Stonic, is based on the Rio hatchback. Prices start at $22,290 for the 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre petrol/six-speed manual Stonic S; the six-speed auto is $23,790. So at base model level Stonic is one of the cheapest SUVs on the mark

The second generation Lexus NX makes several steps forward in terms of a more user-friendly infotainment system and advanced safety aids across the range. Build quality inside and out – as well as the overall presentation of the vehicle – remain firs

Based on Toyota’s “New Global Architecture” that also underpins the closely related C-HR and Corolla, the Lexus UX (for Urban Explorer) slots in beneath the NX, though it’s really less a pure SUV than a hatch-on-stilts, Mercedes GLA-style. Indeed, th

Until the Levante, no SUV had ever worn the trident badge of Maserati. But you would never guess from the way this weighty Italian drives. Equipped as standard with air springs and variable dampers, the Levante is more agile on a curvy road than a hi

The term “hybrid” now refers to several different drivetrain technologies. Some buyers are not aware of this, and end up with a relatively thirsty car when they were expecting a fuel miser. The Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid runs a petrol engine with an upgrad

Mazda’s CX30 shares architecture, front wheel drivetrains and dash layouts with the 3 sedan and hatch, so you could accurately describe it as a Mazda3 wagon. Prices start at $30,210 for the G20 Pure, with a 114kW 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol

McLaren’s 720S coupe range opens at $508,650. Luxury specification is $524,580, as is the Performance variant. The Spider is $566,650; Luxury and Performance are $582,580. The McLaren is a relatively practical mid-engined supercar. The luggage compar

Mercedes-Benz recently deleted the base A180 from the lineup, so start money is now a hefty $66,900 for the 2.0-litre turbopower, 165kW A250 with all-wheel drive. A Class sedans kick off with the all-wheel drive A250 at $67,900. The A35AMG hatch, wit

Mercedes’ second generation CLA four door coupe, released in 2019, kicks off at $69,900 for the 120kW 1.3-litre turbo-petrol/seven-speed dual clutch automatic/front-wheel drive CLA200. The CLA250, with a 165kW 2.0-litre turbo and all-wheel drive, is

Mercedes-AMG’s A45S hatchback, and its CLA45S sedan counterpart, are priced respectively at $106,900 and $128,000. Big money for small cars. But their party trick is, well, pretty impressive. It’s the world’s most powerful series production four cyli

As with most SUVs, Mercedes’ GLA is based on a car platform, in this case the A Class, with which it also shares drivetrains and many other components as well. This model is significantly larger than its predecessor, with a much taller body and a hig

This fifth-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the first to be 100 percent electrified. Every variant has four-cylinder hybrid power under its bonnet. The W206 C200 sedan, with a 150kW/300Nm 1.5-litre turbopetrol, and the C300, with a 190kW/400Nm 2.0

Mercedes’ GLB sits in one of those in-between slots on the SUV size scale. It’s a mid-size wagon, but also one of the smaller seven seaters on the market. It goes up against Land Rover’s Discovery Sport, Mazda’s CX8, VW’s Tiguan Allspace and the Skod

With its third generation GLS, Mercedes has turned luxury up a notch – and the vehicle has grown in every dimension to behemoth proportions. It now has one of the largest cabins and cargo holds in the class. The 270kW/500Nm 3.0-litre straight six tur

It has an MG badge, so even though it’s a mid-sized SUV, it should be on the sporty side, right? Guess again. Now owned by Chinese-State giant SAIC Motor, the MG badge is just that--a badge. There’s no pukka Brit sports car DNA in the HS-not a shred-

Mini hiked starting prices by more than $6500 during 2021. Call it the Covid tax. The Mini Cooper range now starts at $38,640 for the three door six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch automatic Classic. Cooper S is $46,160, also with a choice of

The mid-size MG ZS EV starts at $43,990 plus on road costs for the Excite variant. So it’s at the cheap end of the EV field, with the BYD Atto3, which starts at $48,011, and the GWM Ora, at $44,490-$47,891 drive away. However, it’s worth noting that

Mini’s SUV range, powered by BMW drivetrains, opens with the 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol/seven-speed dual clutch automatic/front-wheel-drive Countryman Cooper, priced at $46,405. The 2.0-litre turbopetrol Cooper S is $55,070. The all-wheel d

Mini’s first production EV – a three door hatch in Cooper S specification – comes to Australia with an ambitious pricetag of $55,650 for the Classic. That’s about $10,000 more than the 2.0-litre turbo petrol Cooper S. The Mini Yours, with more gear,

The Eclipse Cross slots into Mitsubishi’s SUV portfolio between the compact ASX and midsize Outlander. Powered by a 1.5-litre four cylinder turbopetrol/continuously variable transmission (CVT), the range opens with the front-wheel drive ES at $31,490

There are five models in the Outlander line-up – ES, LS, Aspire, Exceed, and Exceed Tourer – with a mix of five-or seven-seats and front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. Prices start at $36,240 for the base ES front-wheel drive five-seater and top out

The seventh-generation Nissan Zed is a reskin of the 2008 model, now with a 298kW/475Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 (borrowed from its Infiniti luxury division) and nine-speed automatic transmission replacing its predecessor’s 245kW/363Nm 3.7-litre atmo

Nissan’s Juke is a compact SUV, close in size to the class best seller, Mitsubishi’s ASX. All variants are powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol engine with just 85kW of power – most rivals have 100kW or more. It’s matched to a seven-spee