Holden Cruze SRi-V IT’S never a good idea to start a car review with a lesson in economics, but in the case of Holden’s Cruze hatch and sedan – there is also a wagon, but it is imported, not built here like the other two – it’s a necessary evil. Look around the world, and there’s a few countries with one leg clearly in the toilet. Meanwhile, Australia is doing so well that everyone else around the world wants to have a piece of the action. They buy Aussie dollars, and the laws of supply and demand say the price of Australia’s currency goes up in line with its popularity.
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Pure TD4 THE Range Rover Evoque Pure TD4 is one of those rare things in motoring – a genuinely desirable product to petrol-heads and non petrol-heads alike. It’s what happens when you take the Range Rover heritage and mix it in with some modern charm and design funk. Yes, this is a very First World consumer luxury good, but it still manages to gel together better than you might expect.
Volkswagen Golf 110 TDI Highline VOLKSWAGEN was not the only manufacturer offering a practical and affordable hatchback when it introduced the Golf in 1976, but by pioneering a level of desirability not previously seen in the segment, it made the car an icon. In the 37 years since its introduction, almost every manufacturer has tried to copy the Golf recipe but, to a degree, no other marque has quite managed to take its crown.
Mazda Mazda6 Touring AUSTRALIANS stepping out of traditional rear-drive large sedans have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the four-cylinder, front-drive alternatives. The Mazda6 is, in many regards, the best of them. It looks and feels more expensive than it is and is engaging when driven hard yet comfortable and quiet while cruising.
Car News
Toyota regains most valuable brand crown TOYOTA has relegated German luxury car-maker BMW to second place in a list of the most valuable global automotive brands for 2013. This year’s Millward Brown Brandz ranking of the top 100 brands in the world saw BMW drop one place to 24 in the overall rankings with brand value of more than US$24 billion (AUD$24.6b), while Toyota experienced a 12 per cent increase of its brand value to US$24.5b (AUD$25.1b) and a move up to number 23.
BMW M5 gets competitive BMW will offer a more powerful Competition Package version of its fire-breathing M5 sedan as a part of the recently announced mid-life update to the 5 Series range. For drivers wanting a little more oomph, Competition Package boosts the M5’s 4.4-litre V8 by 11kW, to 423kW, and includes M carbon ceramic brakes, which became available as an option in Europe in March.
Top safety marks for Holden’s new Commodore HOLDEN’S new VF Commodore has already outperformed the model it replaces, earning an even higher score from Australia’s crash safety watchdog The Australasian New Car Assessment Program today awarded the sedan, wagon, ute and long-wheelbase Caprice models a maximum five-star safety rating, making the new home-grown hero the safest Commodore yet.
Alfa Giulietta cut to $25k drive-away AUSTRALIAN buyers can now drive away in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta for $25,000, as the Italian brand’s local parent company continues its bold move towards the mainstream. Rather than trim the price of existing variants, Alfa’s factory importer has instead added two new entry level variants to the range, respectively called the Giuletta and Giuletta Progression. Existing variants will soldier on with the same prices as before.
