CAR ADVICE

There was a lucky escape for basketball players – and the driver of an out-of-control Mercedes hatchback – after it crashed through the wall of a sports centre in Belgium. A speeding Mercedes-Benz hatchback has crashed in spectacular fashion in Belgium, launching through a roundabout and flying through the wall of a basketball sports centre. The accident, captured on CCTV, occurred just after a practice session had finished, and the players were in the changing room. The crash caused significant structural damage to the building after impacting the top section of the gym wall. According to Google Maps, the distance from the roundabout to the gymnasium is approximately 50 metres, almost twice the length of a basketball court. Excessive speed was clearly a factor in the crash. Photos shared on social media platform Twitter show extensive damage to both the car and the sports centre – and illustrate the distance between the roundabout and the building wall. Bloody goo

The joke is on you, news cycle. We beat you to it! We’re big fans of an April Fool story here at Drive, with the annual ‘prank’ day one of the best at getting the team’s creative and comedic juices flowing. Sometimes we hit, sometimes we miss… but occasionally our satire is a little close to home. Here are five times our April Fool jokes have come true… 2016 – Ford Ranger PHEV Back in 2016 we shoved an extension cord into the front fender of a PXII Ranger and ‘faked’ a spy photo, but in 2024 we can do it for real! The new-generation Ford Ranger is expected to arrive with a plug-in variant next year, allowing the ute to minimise fuel consumption around the city but still manage long distance towing and touring without compromises to range. Read the original April Fool here Read about the forthcoming Ford Ranger PHEV 2017 – The Landwind Labrador Sport The new Landwind SUV, which was inspired by the design of the Land Rover Discovery Sport, seemed to have a ridiculo

In the market for a new family car in 2023? One of these picks might just hit the spot.  In 2023, Australia’s best family cars have to work harder than ever. It now goes beyond just child seats and big boots, with modern-day buyers craving impressive fuel economy, advanced safety technology, low ongoing ownership costs and powertrains that don’t sacrifice driver enjoyment.  Thankfully, carmakers are answering the call with some seriously family-friendly offerings, providing powertrains and specification grades to suit every lifestyle and budget.  Luckily, the Drive team had the opportunity to narrow down the plethora of appealing options to a sharp shortlist during our testing for the 2023 Drive Car of the Year .  Here are our picks for the best family cars of the moment… Best medium SUV for families: Nissan X-Trail The long-anticipated new Nissan X-Trail was worth the wait – providing family buyers with a poised, practical and premium-feeling medium SUV . Across the fo

Slowing down cars to less than walking pace is a smarter solution to banning them, one council Australian council believes. One Australian council says it has come up with the solution to the road toll in its region: 0km/h speed limits. The Manningside Regional Council says banning cars and trucks is impractical, but will soon begin a second round of trials with a speed limit reduction. “Our pilot trial found that reducing the speed limit from 50 to zero kilometres-per-hour resulted in a 97 per cent reduction in the road toll within our council area,” Mayor Karen Smithee told Drive. “We make no apologies for putting our residents’ wellbeing ahead of the wants and needs of local hoons.” While the Federal Government mandates the Australian Design Rules for new cars, and state governments set rules for which cars can (and cannot) be registered, local councils set speed limits for all local roads – excluding freeways. “Manningside welcomes tourists via the freeway, but we ask

Skoda’s first electric vehicle for Australia is due next year, alongside updated versions of three of its smallest cars. The 2024 Skoda Enyaq iV electric SUV is due in Australian showrooms next year – a few months later than previously anticipated – alongside updated versions of the Scala hatch, Octavia sedan and wagon, and Kamiq small SUV. The Enyaq iV was previously earmarked to open orders and commence production for Australia in the second half of 2023, however it has been pushed to next year, for both Enyaq ‘wagon’ and sportier Enyaq Coupe body styles. It is expected the first local showroom arrivals may commence in mid 2024 – though Skoda Australia is yet to confirm exact timing – at a similar time to the Skoda’s twins from Volkswagen, the ID.4 and ID.5. Prices are yet to be confirmed, however rival mid-size electric SUVs span approximately $70,000 to $85,000 – while Volkswagen Australia says it is targeting a circa-$60,000 base price for the ID.4. The mod

Supply of three of Skoda’s four best-selling models are about to improve, after extended stock shortages and production slowdowns. New batches of Skoda Octavia mid-size cars, Kamiq small SUVs and Karoq mid-size SUVs are en route to Australian showrooms, after years of production delays in the wake of COVID-19 and semiconductor shortages. Skoda has confirmed new stocks of the Kamiq , Octavia and Karoq are available to order now, ahead of the arrival of the first examples soon “entering dealerships”. The company is aiming to have stock of key models in the country for near-immediate delivery, depending on colour and variant – or if a customer wants a particular specification, wait times for custom orders of less than six months. It follows consistent stock shortages since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago – and the war in Ukraine over the past 12 months – including recent shortages for the Octavia due to a lack of reversing cameras. “Specification that ma

A learner driver has learned the hard way after being caught drunk driving in Melbourne last night. A learner driver has been caught overnight with an alleged blood-alcohol concentration of 0.268 – more than five times over the limit for a fully-licenced driver. Victoria Police says the 26-year-old woman from Werribee in Melbourne’s west was driving unaccompanied, despite only holding a learner’s permit and requiring a fully-licenced driver to sit next to them. Highway Patrol officers observed the woman’s car allegedly driving with no headlights on Sydney Road in Fawkner in Melbourne’s north at approximately 8:10pm. After being intercepted, the woman’s learner’s permit was immediately suspended. While learner drivers are required to have a blood-alcohol concentration of zero, fully-licenced drivers are allowed to drive with a BAC level of up to 0.05. Police say the woman is expected to be charged on summons in relation to drink driving and other traffic matters. The post

Almost 40 per cent of all new cars sold in Russia this year were made in China – after numerous auto-makers exited the country after its invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has inadvertently led to sales of Chinese cars soaring in the country – but the overall market has weakened following the exit of more than half a dozen auto giants. In March 2022 , car-makers such as Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Honda, BMW, Nissan and Renault suspended operations in Russia due to parts supply interruptions caused by the invasion of Ukraine. Between April and November 2022, the aforementioned brands either sold their Russian factories or stopped exporting vehicles to the country in response to the invasion. French brand Renault reportedly sold its 68 per cent stake in Russian car-maker AvtoVAZ (parent company of Lada) for just 1 ruble – equivalent to $AU0.02 at the time. With the ‘Western’ brands all but out of the country, automotive analysis firm Autostat reports Chinese-m

Victoria has introduced clearer guidelines for how drivers – and passengers – can use mobile phones, smart watches and other digital distractions. UPDATE: An important read as new laws come into play today. New driver distraction laws are being introduced in Victoria from 31 March 2023, with revised rules clarifying how motorists can use mobile phones, tablets, smart watches, and built-in infotainment screens, among other technology. As before, hand-held mobile phones cannot be used while driving, but the revised laws now bring ‘mounted’ mobile phones and tablets into line with the use of built-in infotainment and navigation screens installed on most modern cars. If a device has been mounted in the vehicle (in a cradle designed for the purpose or as part of the infotainment system), drivers can briefly touch it to: initiate, accept or reject an audio call play or stream audio material adjust volume levels use a function on the device designed to assist you to operate the

The first examples of the new Ford F-150 destined for Australian showrooms will soon roll off the US production line ahead of local right-hand-drive conversions before deliveries start mid-year. US production of the first examples of the 2023 Ford F-150 destined for Australian showrooms will soon ramp up ahead of local conversions and deliveries from the middle of this year. Ford Australia CEO Andrew Birkic told media this week the F-150 program was “in full swing,” with the first stage of production about to begin in Dearborn, Michigan before the vehicles are shipped to Australia to be remanufactured in right-hand-drive. “F-150 is in full swing – so, very close in terms of production out of North America,” Mr Birkic said. “A lot of work happening out at Merrifield [in Melbourne’s north], at the RMA facility that will be doing the [remanufacturing on behalf of Ford].” MORE: 2023 Ford F-150 price and specs: US top-selling pick-up to start from $106,950 The F-150 –

The Mazda MX-30 will undergo a small tweak to its paint options and interior equipment in the second half of 2023. The 2024 Mazda MX-30 is due to receive minor exterior and interior updates during the second half of this year, the car maker has confirmed. Announced for Japan late last year, the mild update for the MX-30 will be the first for Mazda’s small SUV since it arrived in Australia in April 2021, though the changes are limited to altered exterior paint options and a revised gear shifter. Since the Mazda MX-30 was launched in Australia, the hybrid G20e Astina and electric E35 Astina variants have been available with three ‘tri-tone’ paint finishes as a cost option. These have mixed black lower body cladding with Ceramic grey paint and a grey roof, Polymetal Grey paint and a silver roof, and Soul Red Crystal paint and a grey roof. For the Model Year 2024 MX-30, the Ceramic and Polymetal options are expected to be replaced by a pair of two-tone finishes – Jet Black (