CAR ADVICE

Here it is, folks. In line with our computer generated images, images of the Buick Regal GS , which is based on the Opel Insignia , have been leaked on a Chinese automotive website. The Regal GS body design will mimic the Insignia VXR, which is the car that will wear a badge signifying its sporty presence in the Commodore line-up. Holden is yet to confirm what the SS Commodore replacement will be called, but we do know it’s almost certainly going to share its design with the Regal GS. The sporty Commodore model will be powered by a naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre V6 engine that produces around 230kW of power and 370Nm of torque, sending that torque through a Twinster all-wheel drive system similar to the one fitted to the Ford Focus RS . The big air inlets at the front and sculpted sections from the rear bumper help differentiate the SS/VXR model from ‘regular’ Commodore models . Visible from the front is what appears to be a set of red Brembo brakes — similar to those ...

Buying a luxury SUV is confusing. There are so many sizes, so many options and so many brands all offering what would, on paper at least, seem like a great purchase. On the smaller end of the scale, the likes of the Porsche Macan GTS and Mercedes-AMG GLC43 go head-to-head for dominance in the all-important performance SUV war of the Germans. The Porsche Macan is arguably the one SUV that, for the last few years at least, has truly put the ‘Sports’ into that acronym – the model which all other models are now benchmarked against. The Macan range is vast and extensive, but the GTS version gets more power, uprated interior and a few other bits and pieces thrown in, compared to the regular S. It’s Porsche’s way of still dragging you up from the Macan S when you can’t go all the way to the Macan Turbo. Its German rival comes from the folks at Mercedes-AMG, which now have a consistent and progressive line up of ’43’ models that are clearly below a 63 both in performance and aesthe...

It’s that time of year again. The smell of burning fuel and sticky tyres will take over Western Sydney International Dragway as the Nitro Thunder event takes hold. This year, Mark Mariani will defend his event title as winner of the 2016 400 Thunder Professional Drag Racing Series. Mariani drives a 10,000hp dragster that moves from a standing start over a quarter-mile drag race in just 4.69 seconds . To put that into context, it takes a Bugatti Veyron a little over 10 seconds to cover the same distance of around 400m. By the time it crosses the finish line, it is travelling at 500km/h and at the start line, Mark will hit close to 8g as the dragster accelerates, only to be topped by a deceleration force of up to 9g as the parachute fires. The Gulf Western Oils Nitro Thunder event kicks off this Friday May 5 at Western Sydney International Dragway. Saturday is the main event, with a test session kicking off at 11AM. Tickets start from $20 for an adu...

Last year was a huge one for new-model launches in Australia, with 2016 seeing the heroic new Ford Mustang land in January, before rolling through to the impressive new Subaru Impreza that made its media debut in late December. Of course,  many, many more  new offerings appeared between. The past year of international unveilings has also shown that 2017 promises to be a big year in its own right! We’ll see Maserati’s first SUV, the Levante , in January, while the other end of the year will give us Kia’s big new rear-wheel-drive ‘GT’ sedan. What can we expect in 2017? Catch our list below of newly launched models and everything that’s still to come. Everything we know about right now, that is! We’ll update this page as the weeks and months roll by, with many models still to be given firm launch dates. And, while the details here have been confirmed by each brand, there are no doubt many models still to be announced – and don’t be surprised if launch dates shift ove...

A small UK-based study has found programming a satellite navigation app to be more distracting for drivers than texting. Undertaken by UK road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) RoadSmart and UK publication Auto Express , the experiment focussed on determining which common ‘behind-the-wheel distractions’ have the most potential for disaster. To find out, two ‘drivers’ – one a young British Formula 3 hopeful, the other an Auto Express journalist – were put behind the wheel of a professional racing simulator and given lap-time and braking challenges, while being faced with several potentially dangerous distractions, including entering a postcode into a satellite navigation app, sending a text message, making a phone call, eating, drinking, and talking to a passenger. From significant speed reductions to completely missed braking markers, the results found entering a postcode into a sat nav to be the most distracting and potentially dangerous distraction, follow...

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt9kyTP5jAI April 25: The all-new Citroen C5 Aircross has gone official at this week’s Shanghai motor show after first surfacing online in a series of leaked images. Inspired by the muscular Aircross concept revealed two years ago at the last Shanghai motor show, the market-ready C5 Aircross will play in the same arena as Mazda CX-5 and other mid-sized SUVs. Internationally, the new five-seat C5 Aircross will sit above the C4 Cactus that went on sale in Australia last year, although Citroen has yet to offer any word on local plans. Indeed, Australian distributor Sime Darby does not currently have a dedicated communications manager for the Peugeot and Citroen brands it distributes, and has yet to return requests for comment. A local debut may not be out of the question, however, with Citroen boss Linda Jackson telling media in Shanghai the C5 Aircross will carry the honour of “kickstarting the global transformation of the brand”. UPDATE, May 1:...

The Mazda CX-3 is set to be updated within weeks, with the Japanese brand’s small SUV set to receive a range of changes. There’s no visual update to the baby Mazda SUV, and while the exact details for Australia are still to be confirmed, the line-up is set to see the across-the-board adoption of Mazda’s G-Vectoring system , which changes the engine’s torque output to different wheels to make it handle more precisely. A release out of the UK says the updated  Mazda CX-3 builds on the platform set by the big-selling small crossover “with technology upgrades to both Mazda’s i-Activesense safety systems and the SkyActiv-D diesel engine”. The 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine features a new turbo-lag reduction system called Transient Control, which Mazda claims “ensures a more positive throttle response by reducing turbo lag and boosting torque to deliver a petrol-like engine feel”. The engine is also said to be quieter, and petrol models get new engine mounts “that reduce ...

The Isuzu MU-X has forged a reputation for itself as a dependable and rugged SUV since its arrival in late 2013. Despite a host of newer (also Thai-made) direct rivals such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Ford Everest launching in the interim, the humble Isuzu has retained annual sales leadership and tripled the company’s initial sales projections. Moreover, Isuzu Ute Australia’s 23,377 sales last year from its 130-site dealer network – the eighth consecutive year it posted double-digit growth – allowed it to overtake Saudi Arabia to be the world’s top export market. Much of this has been driven by word of mouth. Talk to anyone who tows or regularly goes off-road, and they’ll tell you the Isuzu range – MU-X and its D-Max ute donor alike – have proven very hard to break. Now there’s an updated MU-X for 2017, bringing to the table some improvements designed to make the high-riding wagon more palatable, to more buyers. Some of these updates are just for Australia. With r...

At this year’s New York motor show, Britta Seeger , head of Sales and Marketing for Mercedes-Benz, reinforced the brand’s commitment to working harder on new hybrid technology and to better positioning the public’s understanding of autonomous driving technology. “We have a very clear plan to work even more on hybrid,” Seeger told Australian media. “We have already eight plug ins, and we will add even more. “With the next [and as yet unreleased] S-Class plug-in hybrid, we will have a 50 kilometre-plus range, for example. We don’t have the charging infrastructure everywhere, but it is a good solution for our customers currently.” Seeger’s mention of the new S-Class’ electric-only range is the first time that has been quoted, marking a roughly 20km improvement over the current S500e . Seeger, like most representatives in her position, is keen to point out the role that governments around the world must play to make the technology more accessible, not to mention roll out the infrastr...

The MY17 Isuzu MU-X update has arrived in Australia – before any other export market, and fewer than three months after the rugged seven-seat SUV’s last running change, which brought a new Euro 5 diesel engine . The quickness of the local model launch reflects Australia’s importance to Isuzu Ute . Despite a host of new rivals such as Mitsubishi Pajero Sport , Holden Trailblazer , Ford Everest  and Toyota Fortuner launching relatively recently, the humble MU-X outsold all of them last year. The basic shape is exactly the same as the 2013 launch model, but there’s a small tweak to the grille, and brand new Bi-LED headlights on all variants that work better at night. There are also new 16- or 18-inch alloys depending on spec. The revised MU-X also benefits from some better cabin trims including soft-touch and dual-tone trims on the dash and doors, plus revised (less naff-aftermarket) infotainment screens measuring 7.0- or 8.0 inches depending on spec, all with reversing ca...