Table of contents for June 2021 in Wheels

AUSTRALIA’S LACK of a coherent policy on electric vehicles has once again been put under the spotlight, with two hot-button topics – an EV road tax and government subsidies – making national headlines for all the wrong reasons. A void in federal EV policy has prompted individual state governments to take matters into their own hands, with their focus inevitably on revenue raising. Only in recent months has the Federal Government released its Future Fuels Strategy (yes, the FFS!) discussion paper. It suggests some incentives for businesses to transition to EVs (but no specifics) and notes the government’s previous $21 million commitment to building charging stations along major highway networks. However, the lack of decisive action and often misguided rhetoric rolled out by politicians has drawn increasing frustration from car…

While the Superbug L was the final development of the Beetle, it wasn’t actually the final Beetle. That distinction belongs to the 1976 ‘1600 Beetle’, still assembled from a CKD kit in Clayton, Victoria but comprised of a motley collection of parts. It mixed the 1300’s flat-screen body, flat plastic dash and torsion-bar front suspension with the Superbug’s 1584cc engine, front disc brakes and semi-trailing-arm IRS. Model 1973 Volkswagen Superbug L Engine 1584cc flat-4, ohv, 8v Max Power 45kW @ 4400rpm Max Torque 106Nm @ 3000rpm Transmission 4-speed manual Weight 890kg 0-100km/h 16.7sec (tested – May ’73) Economy 8.4L/100km (official claim) Price (now) $8000-$18,000…

1. STONIC Top marks for design, equipment levels and logical layout, but hard door plastics are a let-down. Lever operated backrest adjustment also fiddly. Centre screen is fast and pairing smartphones is a cinch. 2. VENUE Majors on equipment and space, the latter benefitting passengers and load-lugging ability. 355-litre boot just pips Stonic’s but is a whopping 30 percent larger than diminutive CX-3’s. 3. CX-3 Smallest cabin by a mile but also the best put together. Centre screen feels tiny and is finicky to use. Excellent seats but LE variant only available in questionable white/coffee colour combo.…

WITH ITS razor-sharp throttle response and soaring 9000rpm redline, the naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine is core to the charisma of the Porsche 911 GT3. But for how much longer? Getting the GT3 engine to meet current emissions and fuel consumption regulations required a massive resource investment, and Porsche engineers say it’s virtually impossible that any naturally aspirated powerplant will be able to meet the next generation of regs. “It’s as if they want us to build nothing but turbocharged engines,” grumbles one. There will be a next-gen GT3, but if it has a turbo, the 992 GT3’s status as a classic 911 is guaranteed.…

THE AUTOMOTIVE leviathan that is General Motors is stirring. A complete transition away from internal combustion to electric vehicles is its goal. And there, right at the heart of one of the most complex, expensive and expansive industrial reformations of all time, is an Australian who started his career designing wing mirrors for the Holden Commodore. His name is Travis Hester, and while he is far from alone in being an ex-Holden employee working for one of the world’s most identifiably American mega-corps – there are so many they’re dubbed the Aussie mafia – none are more intrinsic to this make-or-break electrified quest. In fact, within the pantheon of responsibility at GM, perhaps the only Aussie more critical to its future survival and profitability is fellow Holden graduate Michael Simcoe,…

PLANET CAR IS being impacted by a slow-motion asteroid, but this time some of the dinosaurs aim to avoid extinction. Mercedes-Benz is one of them. Think of the EQS as a first opportunity to discern the outlines of Stuttgart’s survival strategy. This big, battery-powered, five-seat liftback is more than just a mega-expensive status symbol for the luxury-loving EV elite. It’s also the sprouting of a new Mercedes-Benz family tree. The company’s leadership believes it will survive and thrive, while that which grew from the roots of Karl Benz’s first internal-combustion-engined car more than 130 years ago shrivels and shrinks. The EQS is the first Mercedes-Benz to use its first purpose-designed EV platform, known inside the company as EVA. This stands, rather obviously, for Electric Vehicle Architecture. Until now, every modern-era…

IN THE PREVIOUS-GENERATION BMW M3, this would have been truly terrifying. A wet road, cold Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and a spiky twin-turbocharged, rear-drive layout would create a driving experience that’s about as enjoyable as petting a hungry tiger. But right now, in the new G80 BMW M3 – the sixth generation in one of motoring’s most-loved dynasties – we wouldn’t wish the conditions were anything else. We’re on the fairly unimaginatively named Mansfield-Whitfield Road in country Victoria, 62km of some of the best winding bitumen in the state. At least that was until someone dropped the speed limit to 80km/h, presumably to make it look like things were being done in the face of an unflinching road toll, but let’s not dwell on that. With lots of…

WITH ATTRACTIVE STYLING, a showy interior, advanced safety and cage-rattlingly low pricing, the flagship Cannon possesses real X-factor. But there are plenty of Y-factors to also consider. For starters, why is the L so sluggish? It might be mated to an eight-speed auto, but the 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre four-pot turbo-diesel feels lazy and off the pace, with tardy acceleration and laggy throttle response. Flooring the pedal also brings its own issues, like off/on switch thrust, accompanied by a great wall of noise. At least the truck from China boasts light yet responsive steering for confident and safe handling… but only up to a certain point. Taking a corner at speed or executing evasive manoeuvres can turn the 2175kg Cannon into a lead arrow. In a couple of tests, its power assistance…

AUSTRALIA’S THIRD-FAVOURITE 4x4 pick-up after Ranger and Hilux is getting on against the wave of fresher metal. But the basic recipe still works fine – unwavering consistency and competence, yet with enough engineering nous to keep it from falling too far behind. Take the engine – a 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, mated to a six-speed auto. Offering brisk acceleration and solid throttle response, it provides enough poke for the 1990kg GLS to keep up with larger-capacity rivals, due in part to a favourable power-to-weight ratio. It could be quieter, though. There’s nothing intimidating about how the Triton behaves either, since it seems to shrink around the driver at speed thanks in part to confident steering, deft handling and ample grip, but again, noise intrusion is annoyingly evident. Its ESC system…

CAN’T STRETCH THE extra $10K for the boots-n-all Hilux Rugged X that finishes third in this test? Take solace in the fact that unless you’re a hardcore off-roader, this SR5 version of Australia’s most popular ute is arguably the smarter pick. Tipping the scales at a relatively lithe 2055kg, the SR5 offers stirring performance from exactly the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel as the Rugged X which offers gutsy response from the moment you press the accelerator and real pulling power through the mid-range. This was one of the most spirited goers of the entire comparison, with the SR5 enjoying the benefits of Toyota’s recent upgrades to the 2.8L oiler. Price wise, the SR5 dual-cab starts at $57,920 for the manual and $59,920 for the automatic, though the optional steel tray…

IF YOU WANT to experience how far the 4x4 ute has progressed in the decade since the T6 Ranger’s release, then look no further than the third-gen D-Max – or, more specifically, inside one. Its modern interior and generous equipment level, including segment-busting standard safety features, is commendable. ANCAP rated the D-Max five stars for crash safety in 2020, explaining why the X-Terrain ticks off every active safety feature under the sun, from adaptive cruise control to rear cross-traffic alert and a rear-view camera. Other equipment is vast and includes keyless entry, remote start, auto locking, an eight-way adjustable electric driver’s seat, auto wipers, auto LED headlights with auto high beam, auto driver’s window and dual-zone climate control. But the clock seems to have stopped as far as engine performance…

WELCOMING the Jeep Grand Cherokee S-Limited to the Wheels garage is a bit like making friends in an old person’s home. The hard truth is it’s not long for this world. Over a decade has passed since Jeep debuted this generation of Grand Cherokee, and you can already register your interest online for the next all-new model. But there are reasons why the S-Limited deserves a run in its twilight years. For starters, its 5.7-litre Hemi V8 is whispered to power the new model from the outset. And that engine is why this S-Limited even exists at all. After the engine bowed out from the Grand Cherokee range in the nose of the Limited years earlier, it was reinstated in late 2019 when the S-Limited arrived as a limited edition.…

PEOPLE MIGHT THINK the substance of Alfa Romeo’s 111-year heritage centres around its sporting coupes, its iconic engines and its historic race cars, but they would be ignoring a huge part of its success – breadand-butter small cars. Kicking off with the super-pretty Giulietta Berlina in 1955, it’s somewhat fitting that Alfa’s small-car lineage has ended with the death of the latter-day Giulietta (2010-21), and not just because both those cars share a name. While never quite attaining the critical highs of the Alfasud or expanding on the sales fortunes of its immediate 147 and 145/146 predecessors, the modern Giulietta hatch was a bloody good car. Internally dubbed Tipo 940, the Giulietta was based on the C-Evo platform, a development of the architecture that underpinned Fiat’s lacklustre Stilo (2001-07) and…

IT’S NO SECRET Mazda is moving upmarket, kicking off with the all-new CX-5 replacement, featuring a newly developed rear-drive platform dubbed FR Large Architecture, increased electrification and a level of sophisticated engineering excellence to match or exceed BMW and Mercedes-Benz. But what might surprise you is how soon all this is happening. To be unveiled late this year – probably to have been simultaneously at the now-cancelled Tokyo Motor Show and the Los Angeles Auto Show in November – the hugely anticipated CX-50 will be released globally during the first half of 2022. It showcases what we’ve all been expecting – and hoping for – including an inline six-cylinder engine in 3.0-litre petrol (possibly in turbo and eventually twin-turbo guises, we hear) and 3.3L turbo-diesel sizes, with 48-volt battery and…

IT WAS ALWAYS going to be a case of ‘what, exactly?’ rather than ‘when’ or ‘if’ for more-hardcore variants of BMW’s G80 M3 and G82 M4. This prototype, caught testing in Munich, gives an indiction of what we can expect when the CS version goes on sale around the middle of next year, built in limited numbers and featuring a modest power hike, more aero-optimised body parts and a weight cut via lighter carbonfibre components. But with the current Competition variant already offered with hi-po options like carbon-ceramic brakes and Michelin Cup rubber (see our big Aussie drive on p92), BMW’s M Division has had to work harder to deliver clear differentiation for the more hardcore, limited-run variants. It’s understood ECU so. ware tweaks will push power clear of the…

IF THERE’S A silver lining to Australia’s EV policies being placed under a microscope, it’s that pressure to change and progress has increased. And the Federal Government doesn’t need to look far for guidance. A bi-partisan report released in January 2019 by the Senate Select Committee on Electric Vehicles flagged potential concerns and solutions. It recommended a national EV strategy and concluded that “while transitioning to EVs presents challenges on a number of fronts, the Committee is of the view that the benefits of EVs substantially outweigh these challenges”. The report said an uptake of EVs would improve fuel security by reducing Australia’s reliance on imported fuel, provide jobs, improve the nation’s GDP and help push electricity generation to focus more on renewables. One of its 17 recommendations was even…

LETTER OF THE MONTH “In my mind there“ are two reasons why electric won’t be replaced by hydrogen…” NOT SUCH A GAS IN LAST MONTH’S Inbox, Robert Ius suggested that battery electric vehicles will eventually be replaced by hydrogen-powered vehicles. In my mind there are two reasons why this is unlikely to happen, and why it would be a backward step in terms of tackling greenhouse gas emissions if it did. Firstly, the overall energy efficiency of a hydrogen-powered vehicle is less than an EV, as it requires energy to produce liquid hydrogen at less than 100 percent efficiency, then the energy produced by the hydrogen fuel cell is converted to motive energy via an electric motor at less than 100 percent efficiency. An EV only has to convert electrical…

IF THE POINT of a ‘modern classic’ is to refocus attention away from traditional automotive icons to more modern machinery, then the Volkswagen 1303 Superbug L (1973-75) sneaks its way in via a loophole. If any VW Beetle was ever going to be deemed modern, or even remotely ‘plastic’, it’s this final development of Wolfsburg’s original Type 1 wunderkind. With its body swollen and reconfigured to accommodate the engineering required to make it roomier, safer, better to drive and better to crash in, the super-sized Superbug was prepped to face the 1970s like freshly flared denim in an Amco jeans commercial. Except that the Volkswagen take on things was driven by pragmatism, not vanity, and a desire to defy age by keeping on moving. The Volkswagen Beetle of the mid-’70s…

RANGE IS ALREADY a concern for prospective electric vehicle owners, and battery degradation will be an equally important factor – particularly as the used EV market expands. In the same way your mobile phone’s battery may not hold as much charge as it used to, the same thing can happen to EVs. And, worryingly, that reduction in capacity means a reduction in overall range. So let’s help you to understand the battery lifespan of an electric car, how much degradation you should expect, and how to keep battery-powered cars performing at their best. 1. WHY DO BATTERIES DEGRADE? Full EVs use numerous clusters of lithium-ion batteries to store energy. These are similar to batteries used in laptops and mobile phones, and they are ideal because they’re quick to charge, efficiently…

SINCE ITS LAUNCH in 2015, Mazda’s CX-3 has consistently proven itself as the mainstream compact SUV to beat, and in its whopping 15-variant line-up there’s something for everyone. Well, everyone who happens to be looking for a reasonably priced, well-built compact SUV with good road manners and a dusting of unsealed-surface ability. It might be six years old now, but a series of updates and range revisions have kept Mazda’s cash register ringing, and the CX-3 still offers a long list of compelling attributes that stand out whenever we jump behind the wheel. When it arrived, Mazda’s baby SUV did well to wade into a competitive market already full of popular options such as the Mitsubishi ASX and now departed Holden Trax, making its mark with strong sales from the…

MIKE SIMCOE GM’s global design chief is not only the most senior Aussie in Detroit, he’s one of the most senior auto executives on the planet. Only the seventh boss of GM Design since 1927, Simcoe is also the first non-American. In charge since 2016, his influence over GM’s profusion of EVs will be profound. ANDREW SMITH A protege of Simcoe’s, the former Holden design chief these days holds the same role at Cadillac, the GM luxury brand that is at the tip of the company’s EV spear. In fact, GM says the Caddy range will be all-electric by 2030. We’ve already seen that with the Lyriq, while the Celestiq is coming soon. SHARON GAUCI A veteran of both Ford (BA Falcon and Territory) and Holden (VE Commodore) in Australia,…

SOMETIMES, NOT PUSHING your luck – or truck – beyond five-tenths is best practice. Case in point: the Musso. Big on value for money, the Ultimate ticks a lot of safety and specification boxes – including the fitment of a coil-sprung rear suspension set-up. Equally modern is a 133kW/420Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo and six-speed auto combo. A little sluggish at take-off, yes, but once on the move the 2160kg Musso responds willingly and smoothly. There’s a solid spread of grunt available, even if the stopwatch reveals that nothing is happening in a hurry, with the Musso’s acceleration numbers lagging behind the GWM. An eight-speed auto would help the engine keep in the meat of its torque band and improve acceleration. Unexpectedly sharp steering conveys a sense of sportiness, but that…

POOR OLD NAVARA. Ever since the D23 series surfaced in 2014, it has struggled to fulfil the promise of its costly coil-sprung rear-end, providing neither the expected agility nor comfort, significantly trailing the Ranger in both areas. Several engineering updates have since ensued. Does the MY21 faceli  finally get it right? Unaltered from before, the 2142kg ST-X’s 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel/seven-speed auto combo never really needed attention, pulling heartily as the revs rise, for significant mid-range kick, while remaining respectably smooth and refined. Happily, there have been changes for the better underneath designed to quell noise, vibration and harshness while boosting strength. Result? Imparting a big, wide and planted feel, the Navara’s steering remains numb but is well weighted and now responds with greater linearity and reassurance at speed…

AS YOU’D EXPECT given the all-new BT-50 is now a fraternal twin to the equally fresh Isuzu D-MAX, the under-the-skin similarities between the two newest trucks from Japan (via Thailand) are extensive, extending to the same wheel, tyre and suspension specification, including the leaf-spring rear-end. Unsurprisingly, then, the same comments levelled at the Isuzu apply to the Mazda – right down to the way their 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engines become raucous above 3500rpm. Yet there is one distinct difference: this ‘Thunder’ BT-50 is noticeably slower. Blame goes to the addition weight of the Thunder’s various accessories, as it takes almost 11sec to reach 100km/h and is slower from 60-100km/h than the D-Max as well. For all their off-road practicality, the Thunder’s exterior modifications push the kerb weight to 2213kg and reduce…

OPTIONED WITH the 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel (with 10-speed auto) for a compelling saving of $1500 over the old 33kg-heavier 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre five-pot/six-speed auto combo, the XLT proved to be the most car-like of our gathered 11 dual-cab utes. Comparatively muted even under hard acceleration, it doesn’t feel all that powerful at first, but with two turbos quickly kicking in it’s soon punching along hard, offering instant and satisfying throttle flexibility. And fears of relentless transmission hunting are unfounded since the auto slices seamlessly between the eight lower ratios, reserving the top two for relaxed and quiet highway cruising. Like most 4x4 utes, the 2197kg XLT wears leaf springs rather than the 2342kg Raptor’s coils out back, yet the XLT’s sophistication is palpable, providing beautifully fluent handling, outstanding body…

WE TICKED over 10,000km in the GV80 this month which threw two things into sharp focus. Firstly, it was a pleasant reminder that buying a Genesis brings certain ownership advantages. The biggest is you don’t have to pay any servicing fees, with the first five years of dealer visits included for no charge. That’s a decent saving, with BMW and Mercedes charging $2250 and $5200 respectively to service their large SUVs through capped-priced servicing programmes. Another bonus is you don’t actually need to visit a dealer at service time. If you live within 70km of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, Genesis will collect your car from your house or whatever location you choose. Fit, finish and overall quality is the other thing that clocking over 10,000km has thrown under the microscope.…

HYUNDAI N IS beginning to reveal its plans to become one of the true big dogs in the performance car world. Electrification and even hydrogen fuel cells are on the horizon, but before then the engineers at N are doubling down on what they do best: injecting well-sorted dynamics and punchy performance into cars that are genuinely affordable. Here’s how N is planning to succeed, in four simple steps. 01 KONA N IT MIGHT SHARE the same powertrain as the i30 N hatch – a 2.0-litre turbo four producing 206kW and 392Nm paired with an eight-speed DCT – but the Kona N is reportedly even faster around a racetrack than its hatch sibling. Aussie testing around Wakefield Park has shown the Kona is the quickest car yet to wear the N…

DUE Q3 MAZDA MX-30 EV An initial run of only 100 units – all top-spec E35 Astina – are inbound, priced from $65,490. The E35 designation is for the powertrain, a 107kW/271Nm electric motor at the front wheels, using a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Mazda claims a driving range of just 200km and 20-80 percent charge in nine hours from a wall socket, or 36 minutes using a 50kWh DC charger. DUE JUNE MERCEDES-BENZ EQA Mercedes-Benz’s EV entry point kicks off at $76,800 with the ‘250’ variant of EQA. Outputs are quoted at 140kW and 375Nm, sent to the front axle, while range is up to 480km. A wall box can be optioned for 10-80 percent charge in just over four hours, or 30 minutes from a DC fast charger.…

WHILE the unstoppable momentum of new zero-emissions vehicles builds exponentially, there are few EVs that can claim to have dipped their toe in the water earlier than the Nissan Leaf. You can still buy the same second-generation model that arrived in 2017 powered by a 40kWh battery for a sniff under $50,000, but now there’s this: the Nissan Leaf e+ priced at $60,490 before on-road costs. For that 21 percent increase in price, the e+ ups battery capacity by 55 percent – to 62kWh – and that means more of everything. Power is up from 110kW to 160kW, torque has increased from 320Nm to 340Nm, while range is also now significantly longer, with up to 385km of driving range possible on a single charge, versus 270km from the 40kWh Leaf.…

IT’S FUNNY HOW time can make even the most assured comments soften like a rotting peach. Take my remark on the manual version of Porsche’s sensational Cayman GT4 from last year: “It means – and I can’t believe I’m saying this – that perhaps the GT4 to buy will be the automatic version…” Even now it reads like blasphemy. But, in my defence, the only criticism I could fairly level at the manual GT4 was that its ratios felt too long. The top of second redlined at just under 140km/h, so the prospect of a punchier, quick-shifting auto with an extra ratio didn’t sound too bad. Now, as I prepare to drive the first PDK GT4 to arrive in Australia at Targa Tasmania, seeds of doubt creep in. “The ratios…

AS THE MAJOR manufacturers transition to forced induction in the name of boosted efficiency and reduced emissions, it is increasingly difficult to find a new vehicle’s engine that still relies on natural aspiration. It’s even more unlikely, therefore, to gather together three current releases and find not one of them is turbocharged. It’s not only another indication of the CX-3, Venue and Stonic’s true age, but also partly answers how manufacturers are minimising costs at the budget end of the vehicle spectrum. Only the Stonic is available with a turbo, but sitting at the top of the pack, it costs nearly $30,000.…

The steely snarl behind us acquires a manic edge every time the tacho needle swings past 7000. It’s an epic, almost vintage 911 soundtrack WE’RE IDLING THROUGH one of the small villages that dot the rolling hills around Stuttgart when the Porsche PR guy swings right and noses up a quiet side street. After a hundred metres or so, he turns into an empty parking lot in front of an anonymous building. It’s a warehouse of some kind. Not new, not old. Walls painted white. Drawn blinds on all the windows. No signs. One grey roller door. We park and get out and the roller door opens. Porsche legend Andy Preuninger is standing there, grinning. “You want to have a look?” We enter a small antechamber, the roller door behind…

THE NEW GT3’s launch colour is called Shark Blue and was inspired by the colour of the hull of the superyacht Madame Gu, which GT Model Line boss Preuninger saw while on holiday on the Cote d’Azure in France. Like all 992s, the new GT3 rolls on a staggered wheel/tyre set-up, with 20-inch rims up front and 21s at the rear. Front tyres are 255/35, the rears 315/30, making the rear contact patch the biggest yet on a GT3. Steel rotors are standard, 408mm in diameter at the front and 380mm at the rear, and dimpled rather than cross-drilled – a racing technology that makes them less prone to cracking. Porsche’s awesome PCCB brakes are optional. Adjustable ride height allows serious drivers to tweak the corner weights of the new…

THREE-PHASE AC power has so far been what spins the motors in modern EVs. Mercedes-Benz will change this with the innovative new six-phase motor introduced in the EQS. The synchronous motor’s stator has two sets of three-phase windings. In internal-combustion engine terms, this is something like turning a triple into a six by bolting on extra cylinders. Intended specifically for rear-axle duty, the design increases motor power density. The front motors of the EQS and other EVA-based EVs won’t be so powerful. To avoid overheating during multiple maximum-effort accelerations, coolant is circulated through the rotor shaft and the jacket surrounding the finned stator assembly.…

WELCOME TO THE 2021 dual-cab megatest, a comprehensive examination of Australia’s most popular vehicle segment. If you’re in the market (and plenty of people are), all your questions are answered here. We’re testing 11 of the most popular examples, and while not all variants align on price and spec, they were as close as the manufacturers could supply within the bounds of vehicle availability, and all are fitted with automatic gearboxes. Our test location is the former Holden, now VinFast proving ground at Lang Lang; when it comes to testing cars, you can’t beat a facility that’s purpose-built for vehicle assessment. All 11 utes were assessed on the following criteria: performance, dynamics, interior, infotainment, running costs, towing performance, payload performance and off-road ability. First, though, a quick overview regarding performance…

AS THE ONLY petrol-powered 4x4 in this test, the Gladiator really goes by the beat of its own drum. It’s also here in Rubicon spec, the most off-road-focused model of the line-up, with solid front and rear axles designed for extraordinary 4x4 articulation, not Lotus-style handling prowess. The Sport is the more road-biased option. Still, the 2215kg Rubicon is what we have here, and in some ways the American icon shines regardless of where it’s taken. Swi., sweet and smooth, the 209kW/347Nm 3.6-litre V6 – tied to an eight-speed auto – provides muscular performance, revving freely and strongly well past the 6000rpm mark. But there’s no escaping its off-road birthright, which – in this company – means lifeless steering, ponderous handling and a loose, top-heavy feeling through tight turns. It…

CAN FORD GIVE the Ranger Raptor a real engine, please? To be fair, the 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel is an impressive unit, but it’s out of its depth here. The problem is that the Ranger Raptor doesn’t just weigh a tonne, it weighs more than 2.3 of them, and despite the 10-speed auto’s best efforts at keeping the engine on song – evidenced by the respectable 6.2sec time from 60-100km/h – there is just too much mass. This Ford Performance product might not be about outright acceleration, but it is almost two seconds slower than the Ranger XLT with the same engine due to that extra weight and the rolling resistance of those massive BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tyres. Those tyres also handicap the Ranger Raptor under brakes, with a…

LIKE THE D-MAX, Navara and Triton, the Hilux’s reputation as a tough and dependable workhorse is born from decades of experience. But previous versions of the best-selling Toyota seemed incapable of possessing both decent dynamics and a comfy ride. Does the 2020 facelift address this? With steering modifications, the 2316kg Rugged X is now quite the nimble handler, cornering with accuracy and control, whether around town or out on the open road. You could almost call it fun. Additionally, gaining 20kW and 50Nm in the process, the 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre four-pot turbo-diesel delivers robust acceleration across a broad rev range, helped out by a slick six-speed auto. The flagship Rugged X is the heaviest of all Hilux variants, but this newly uprated engine shrugs off the burden. Granted, 0-100km/h in a…

WHAT DO YOU give the bloke who’s just handed back a large, seven-seater Korean SUV, in which he only ever managed to fill two of those seats at any one time? Easy! Give him an even larger Korean SUV that seats eight. Not that I’m complaining, and the transition to this top-spec Palisade Highlander diesel will be instructive in terms of how it compares to that top-spec Kia Sorento I ran for the last four months. No, the two are not eye-toeye segment rivals due to the Palisade being slightly larger and featuring a three-seat third row (versus two in the third row for the Kia), but the model line-ups of both do overlap enough on price that they’ll surely be cross-shopped by some buyers for whom the third-row accommodation…