Tabla de contenidos para January 2021 en Wheels

REMEMBER BACK in 2019 when Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared the Labor opposition’s aspirational 50 percent EV sales goal by 2030 was going to “end the weekend”? That might have played well on the coal-loving backbenches and in the boardrooms of the fossil-fuel industry, but rhetorical flourishes don’t add up to an actual policy. And that’s hurting Aussies who want to plug in. Limited electrified vehicle production is being allocated to places where incentives are the greatest and/or restrictions on CO2 emissions are the most painful. As the Federal Government’s ideological constraints and contradictions extend its environmental and electric vehicle policy vacuum, Australia is slipping down the shipping list for brands such as electrified evangelist Volkswagen. At one time the new-generation MEB-based ID3 and ID4 BEVs were going to be…

BMW WAS ONE of the last traditional rear-wheel-drive manufacturers to finally succumb to the front-drive (ahem) push. However, in joining Mercedes-Benz to have a range of models where the front wheels do all the work, it may have jumped a few years too soon. The inevitable shift to electrification means many brands are now either considering or returning to RWD. The BMW i3 is a good example: it’s a small city-focused hatchback that drives only the rear wheels. Meanwhile, in announcing Hyundai and Kia’s new E-GMP electric platform, the brand’s R&D and performance models chief, Albert Biermann – the former chief of BMW M cars – confirmed rear-drive would be the focus for future hi-po vehicles for the N family. “The starting point [electric motor] is already pretty powerful,” Biermann…

Keep it tight (no more than 200 words) and do include your suburb if via email: wheels@wheelsmag.com.au You can also have your say on Facebook (search for Wheels Australia), Instagram or Twitter LETTER OF THE MONTH Manufacturers just need make it look vaguely off-road capable and start telling us it’s an SUV SMOKE AND MIRRORS I’VE BEEN PONDERING SUVs of late. We keep being told that we’re buying more and more of them. Perhaps we even see this with our own eyes, increasing numbers of SUVs on the road and fewer conventional passenger cars. But can our own eyes be trusted? Are there really more SUVs on the road or are we being unwittingly influenced by marketing and the subtleties of vehicle design? As I began to read the recent…

MECHANICALLY, THE FLAT-PLANE crank V8 is essentially a pair of inline four-cylinders fused at the crankshaft, but its advantages are greater than the sum of its parts. Firstly, the cylinders of a traditional cross-plane crank V8 fire once every 90 degrees of crank rotation, resulting in smooth power delivery and good torque characteristics, whereas the flat-plane V8 fires one cylinder every 180-degrees of rotation, which means a primarily well-balanced crank and pistons with less counterbalance mass required. With lighter rotating mass, the flat-plane crank can spin faster and benefits from the higher power potential that’s typical of high-revving engines. Secondly, flat-plane crank V8s have a greater operational symmetry offering greater tuning efficiency. While cross-plane arrangements have uneven firing orders, resulting in inherently ‘lazy’ cylinders, the flat-plane crank has an even…

IF YOU LIKE YOUR small cars with a boot, then you’ll love the new, spec-rich Hyundai i30 Sedan, which replaces the old Elantra. It’s obviously closely related to the i30 hatchback, but – like its rivals from Mazda and Toyota – the two aren’t identical. Hyundai is pitching it at a broad range of buyers looking for something a little bit upmarket but still keenly priced. It starts at $24,790 for the base-model Active with six-speed manual, while the auto-only Elite tested here costs $30,790 and gains blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic and rear parking collision avoidance, a 10.25-inch screen to match the digital dash, automatic wipers, a Bose stereo, push-button start and keyless entry. On a wet and gloomy Sydney day, we ran the i30 Sedan over a variety…

WITH AN ALMIGHTY thunk that cannons through the entire skeleton of the ship, the Spirit of Tasmania drops its jaw onto the dock at Strachan, on the Apple Isle’s west coast. A few hundred cars and a dozen bikes sit idling in the bowels, waiting for the signal from the deckhand to roll out. The year is 2009, and I’m in a manual Audi R8, watching the temperature gauge of the mid-mounted 4.2-litre dry-sumped V8 start to climb into the operating zone. A steady drip-feed of adrenaline leeches around my bloodstream as the deck hand, who looks like a young Clint Eastwood, waves me through. It’s a cheery wave; so much nicer than being shot in the head with a 44 Magnum. I have plenty of time for the 300km…

GOOGLING YOURSELF is maybe one of the worst things you can do, according to actress Winona Ryder. “I did it once and someone had to talk me off a ledge,” she said at the time. If DS Automobiles should collectively feel the need to type its own name into the all-seeing search engine, it might empathise. In the ever-telling ‘People also ask’ box on the results page, two of the most-searched queries include: ‘Who makes DS cars?’ and ‘Are Citroen and DS the same company?’ That’s not quite where DS, or its PSA parent company, wants to be. DS Automobiles became a brand in its own right, rather than a Citroen sub-line, in 2015. But not everyone has noticed. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association cites DS’s 2019 market share as…

THERE ARE THOUSANDS of individual vehicle models on sale in Australia, and determining which one is best value is not easy. But with the help of multiple data fields, a packed spreadsheet and the expert opinions of the Wheels/WhichCar team, we’ve crunched the numbers to come up with Australia’s best value cars. All up, there are 42 recommendations covering 14 different vehicle categories across the entire new-car market, the full results of which can be found at WhichCar.com.au. Our analysis starts with working out what cars fit into which category and then establishing the models that fare best. Typically it’s the more affordable variants, but hybrids can overturn that assumption; lower running costs and a prediction some will be worth more on the used-car market can make them better value…

SOMETIMES FIVE JUST isn’t enough, which is why seven-seat SUVs are now increasingly common among families who don’t necessarily fill all seven seats regularly – but want the flexibility. Two- and three-kid families often gravitate to SUVs with a third row of seats just in case… Just in case a friend (or two) needs a lift. And just in case some family members pull the Uber card on you. Key to the appeal of seven-seat SUVs is design, something that inevitably compromises on interior space. Some do a better job than others of accommodating luggage as well as people; this is a category where our fit-for-purpose calculations play a key role in penalising those that don’t perform both duties adeptly. It’s a category that accommodates predominantly car-based SUVs from mostly…

IF DIVERSITY IS your thing then look no further than the medium and large prestige cars that start at around $55,000. This used to be the prestige heartland, the price level that got you into a luxury brand, at least before the luxury brands began downsizing their wares. There are traditional sedans and the occasional wagon lurking to snap up some SUV-weary buyers. Many have a sporty focus, the expectation that their driving manners should be a step above the mainstream. Tesla even throws an all-electric model into the mix with its Model 3, a car that undercuts most rivals on servicing and running costs but is hurt by high insurance charges and a higher price of entry. Not that any of the cars we analysed have anything like the…

AUSTRALIANS LOVE GOING fast. Or at least they love the idea of going fast, which is why as a nation we have one of the highest per-capita take-ups of performance cars. So, far be it from us to shy away from the machines people love to drive. The criteria for entry is simple: it has to have a decent turn of pace and it has to be exciting to drive. The sort of car that pushes some buttons. How many seats, doors and cylinders is irrelevant – we’ve even got a Tesla that showcases the power of electricity. But all of that was taken into account by our in-house road-testing experts, who marked some cars down if they didn’t quite achieve their intended purpose. Among arguably the most diverse collection…

TO OUR LEFT sits Jody Scheckter’s history-making Wolf WR1 and an Alan Jones Williams FW07. Further down the line there’s a trio of McLarens, once driven by a clutch of Formula 1’s biggest beasts: Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Lewis Hamilton. Crikey. To the right sits a 1980s Indycar: wow, it’s Mario Andretti’s 1987 Lola, the one in which he should have won his second Indy 500. Next to it is Emerson Fittipaldi’s Penske PC18, the one in which he did win Indy. Then there’s Dan Gurney’s Can-Am McLaren M8D, a gorgeous Martini Lancia LC2 Group C and a Castrol IMSA Jaguar. We don’t know which way to look next. Try the following row of race bays. A Lotus 79 stripped to its perfectly formed bare monocoque; then a Bobby Rahal…

THE MODERN mountain bike is a pretty amazing device – but, just like televisions and cars, they have subtly grown in stature over the years to the point where they almost need their own transportation systems. My after-hours life for the past 20 years has involved mountain biking in some form, and the transportation thereof. For that reason, I’ve never had an MX-5 or a Lotus Elise on long-term duty. Compact SUVs, though… I’ve had a few and the results have been mixed when it comes to throwing into them two more wheels, some carbonfibre and smelly bike kit. At first blush, though, the Puma has the runs on the board in the boot capacity stakes, especially when you’re eyeballing its rivals. For example, the claimed boot area of 410…

AMBITION CAN DELIVER a brutal reality check if it’s channelled in the wrong direction, yet there’s something magical about aiming for the stars. In Honda’s case, that interstellar fantasy resulted in a reborn NSX supercar, more than a decade after the death of the revered original. But during that time a lot of water passed under the bridge at Honda Motor Corp – much of it polluted with beige – and a succession of increasingly dull, depressingly average products followed. The ‘Japan’s BMW’ era that spawned the first NSX (1989-2005) had become a distant memory, leaving only the occasional Civic Type R to serve as welcome relief for what Honda had become. At the new-generation NSX’s international launch in 2016 we questioned whether the world needed yet another supercar. As…

GENERAL MOTORS Special Vehicles, the Walkinshaw-owned brand risen from the ashes of HSV, has locked in Corvette and is eyeing the return of a cheaper Camaro as it looks to protect and grow the American muscle-car pipeline to Australia. Corvette is set to be priced at $149,990 when the mid-engined V8 Ferrari-fighter lands in Australia late 2021. The price has been adjusted up to suit demand, which has been strong since local RHD availability was confirmed. Wheels has learned the mid-engine C8 Corvette will be imported in strictly limited numbers of no more than 200 a year. We believe it was originally pitched at $129,990 when Holden management was in charge, but since the creation of importer GMSV it has been lifted to $149,990. Higher performance versions will follow priced…

DUE JAN MAZDA MX-5 GT RS A fresh look and a new set of mod-cons including upgraded connectivity and interior treatments are some of the 2021 MX-5’s new tricks, but the top of the range will be a new model, the GT RS. In a similar vein to the MX-5 GT Limited Edition of 2018, the RS cops Brembo brakes, Bilstein dampers, a strut brace under the bonnet, and comes only in manual. DUE FEB MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER The current-generation Outlander made its debut in 2012, even then based on an existing platform, so it’s safe to say it’s due for an update. Mitsubishi appears to be leaning hard into it being a massive step up, claiming it will be “the quietest and best-equipped Mitsubishi ever sold in Australia”. DUE JAN…

ON THE FACE of it, the Lexus IS is kind of lucky to still be here. After all, it’s a passenger car – and it’s a passenger car that doesn’t sell all that well. Those two factors alone have ensured the downfall of cars that, by rights, had more claim to showroom space than Lexus’s mid-sized four-door sedan. But here we are, and here it is. Born in 2013, the third-generation IS survives largely intact from its 2016 update – under the skin, at least. Sitting on the same Toyota N platform that it carried over from the second-gen car, the latest IS still uses double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, though it’s been caressed and finessed for 2021. For example, the coil springs themselves are some 60g lighter each,…

IT’S ONLY WHEN you search for an ESC button in the new Mercedes-Benz E300 Coupe that you fully realise what sort of car you’re in. Instead of locating it on the centre console or steering wheel spoke like in AMG models, the E300 buries the ESC configuration under layers of infotainment sub-menus. While the Coupe’s swooping roofline and athletic physique can promise something different at first, you’re reminded this is a stately ride – built to satisfy a core clientele of brand loyalists who return to the E-Class for its refinement, class, safety and comfort. And so it goes for the latest facelift Mercedes-Benz has levelled at the model, with exterior changes, interior tweaks and safety upgrades building value into the $4060 price jump it has made over the pre-facelift…

THE TIDDLERS OF Australian roads are a dying breed, many sneaking past the $20K mark that has long been an unofficial barrier for buyers. But there are still terrific options around, including some that cost more to buy but save you money once you’re there. Compromises are oft en glaring at this end of the market, where $1000 can sway buyers to one model or another, so the focus on cost is intense. But there are some great deals. While there are manuals available, we’ve only looked at autos because that’s what 95 percent of buyers choose. As you’ll see from the numbers, the cheapest car isn’t always the cheapest to own. Fuel prices and depreciation can hit the bottom end of the market hard. Winner: Suzuki Swift GL Navigator…

WANT TO KNOW why traditional small cars aren’t as popular as they used to be? Look no further than the small SUV segment, now bursting with dozens of contenders. For a class that barely existed a decade ago it’s positively booming, even gaining pace throughout the bedlam of 2020. Every major brand either offers a small SUV or will do soon. Some even have multiple offerings to cover more bases. And in many cases the baby of the high-riding wagon set has completely replaced the small car that once filled the dealership (Nissan, Mitsubishi and others, we’re looking at you…). Diversity is rife, from budget-busting Chinese newcomers and Australia’s most affordable electric car to some added maturity from big brands that know how to play the game. Winner: Toyota Yaris…

IT’S FUNNY THAT not many Australians aspire to owning a people mover, especially in the face of the SUV onslaught that has naturally delivered far more visually appealing machinery. But those spacious multi-row vans that are often keenly priced often represent the best way to move lots people. Carrying people and luggage is something people movers do very well; SUVs tend to be compromised on the luggage bit. The condensed field includes a mix of more value-focused Korean models up against boxier European contenders – and a rogue Toyota (the Granvia) that replaced the once popular Tarago, which no longer exists. This category is a mass of seats, cupholders, sliding side doors and occasionally innovative interior thinking – often with value-packed results. Winner: Honda Odyssey VTi THE HONDA ODYSSEY is…

WHEN BMW AND Mercedes-Benz unleashed their first SUVs in the late 1990s it was big motoring news – luxury brands encroaching on the space traditionally occupied by cars originally designed to get down and dirty. These days it’s difficult to imagine many luxury brands surviving without multiple SUVs in their line-ups. Even Bentley and Lamborghini have joined the high-riding club. It has created a diverse field, and for our premium SUVs we’re focusing on those classified as mid-sizers or above, the sorts of vehicles that double as family transport but can equally push the luxury buttons. As well as petrol and diesel offerings, there are various electric contenders and it’s a category that encompasses almost all luxury brands, from those with century-plus heritage to newcomers with big aspirations. Winner: Lexus…

THE SHIFT TO soft-roaders has left a clear divide between the can-dos and those that look like they can. But there is still a core group of off-road SUVs, the types of wagons that don’t shy away from rocks and rubble. They’re the cars we’re rewarding with our Off-road 4x4 category. Each contender must be able to tackle serious bush tracks, beaches, mud holes and more. Importantly, they must also be able to get you back again. Our field included old favourites from Toyota and Land Rover as well as newcomers from some little-known brands. Big and small, budget-priced and more premium, there’s something for anyone who dreams of one day leaving the blacktop. Winner: Suzuki Jimny SUZUKI HAS BEEN a stalwart of compact off-roaders and the latest Jimny is…

One of the surprises found in Zak Brown’s eclectic collection is the Holden Racing Team 2011 Bathurst-winning VE Commodore driven by Garth Tander and rookie Nick Percat. Supercars fan Brown (a partner in the Walkinshaw team) said part of the attraction in buying the factory VE was that it could accommodate his “fat arse”, unlike his formula cars. On the people side, United boasts nearly 40 full-time employees, including some well-established names. Former Jordan F1 lynchpin Trevor Foster runs the LMP2 side, while Dave Greenwood – Kimi Raikkonen’s race engineer at Ferrari – is technical director. In the historic restoration and maintenance department, Paul Haigh, who engineered Dean’s F3 car way back in 1989, remains the guardian but will be joined by Williams veteran Dickie Stanford, who has left his…

QUESTIONS I’m rarely asked include, “How do you maintain such a deep golden tan all year round?” More frequently, though, I’m quizzed about model grades and options packs. Prospective buyers often seem in a mild state of anxiety over which model in the line-up to choose, and what extra equipment they should make sure is fitted. It’s classic FOMO syndrome, not just prompted by what they may miss throughout the ownership experience, but also the worry that their car will end up seeming under-equipped and dated come resale time. In the case of the Sorento, the options issue is not really an issue at all, because apart from paint there aren’t any. You either settle for white at no cost, or stump up $695 to choose from one of six…

THIS IS IT. The final ceremonial wash for every long-termer before returning to its home. A time to reflect on the pros (and cons) of the ownership experience. As I wash the dripping soap suds off the Supra’s flowing, organic curves, I lose myself in silent thought, coming to the conclusion that this is a damn good car, and I’m sad to see it go. Amid my wistful washing, though, is an elephant in the metaphorical room, and it’s wearing lederhosen and chowing down on some currywurst. The most common criticism levelled at the Supra is its inextricable link to BMW. Those who wield this sword claim that the shared development of the Supra and the Z4 taints the former, preventing it from being a ‘real’ Toyota hero. Yeah, but…

PORSCHE’S 992-generation 911 GT3 will be more removed from its base donor car than ever before; part of a radical redesign of the track-focused model within the ever-expanding 911 line-up. Key to the changes is a new double-wishbone front-end from the 991 RS R race car, a radical departure from the MacPherson struts of the standard 911 – all aimed at raising cornering and braking thresholds. The wider footprint of the 911 created a good starting point, allowing engineers to make the steering more direct and working to improve agility. The fourth-generation GT3 also adopts some of the go-fast thinking of the previous GT3 RS, including 21-inch rear wheels and 20-inch fronts with broader Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres – 255/35s up front and 315/30 at the rear. Body-coloured…

FROM KINGSWOODS and Commodores, to 911s and Corvettes, keeping a classic car running could soon be easier as the aftermarket slowly turns its focus to electric motors. While EV conversions have been more prevalent in recent years – many using battery packs and motors from expired or crashed Teslas – there’s a growing movement for high-quality conversions using bespoke brand-new components. The growing artillery of options is being driven by the United States, where General Motors has flagged its intention to sell an ‘eCrate’ electric motor kit to enthusiasts considering an EV conversion. While details of the production eCrate are yet to be revealed, GM has previously previewed a modular construction that can be tailored to budgets and performance expectations. That modular set-up allowed for up to three electric motor…

TOYOTA IS A BIG believer in hydrogen fuel cell cars, and we’ve driven the car to prove it – the second-generation Mirai. This zero-emissions electric car produces its electricity onboard by mixing hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell stack, with only water and heat produced as waste. Mirai embodies Toyota’s kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement. Compared with the first-generation Mirai from 2014, the fuel cell stack is smaller but more powerful, range has increased to 650km, and the vehicle is transformed from freaky Prius cousin to svelte Lexus clone. Toyota only produced 11,000 firstgen cars and was coy about the list price, but then you couldn’t really buy one; only a few were brought into Australia, leased to fleets on a trial basis. Toyota plans to bring 20 of…

MAKE NO MISTAKE, the BMW 4 Series Coupe is more than just a 3 Series with two fewer doors. This is evident as soon as you set eyes on its, err, polarising vertical kidney grille… but, as with a friend’s odd-looking baby, you soon come around to it. There is an element of grace to the design, particularly the side profile that harks back to BMW coupes of old such as the 328i. Move to the front or rear and you will notice an aggressive stance that is accentuated by muscular wheelarches that house broad front and rear tracks 23mm wider than the 3 Series, and combine with a 10mmlower ride height and 57mm-shorter overall height to achieve a 21mmlower centre of gravity. These are just some of the significant…

IT’S POSSIBLE THE Yaris GR fever machine hit peak hyperbole recently when a prominent UK-based motoring media organisation called it a “once in a generation car” and awarded it a perfect 10 out of 10. We’ll get to the ‘Perfect 10’ issue in due course, but the ‘once in a generation thing’ did grab my attention. After the cobweb-riddled CPU in my skull crunched some dates, I reckon they’re right. Toyota hasn’t produced a homologation special since the ST205 Celica GT-Four in the late-’90s, while it’s been 21 years since Mitsubishi produced its last homologation special in the form of the Evo VI from 1999. So yes, historically at least, this really is that unicorn; a once in a generation car. But is it really that special? Is all the…

Piastri’s F1 test is expected to be the first of many, as the Renault Sport Academy prepares the Aussie young gun for a potential race seat within the next two years. “The tests in Bahrain are part of a planned program that the Academy has delivered every year for the past three years,” said Renault Sport Academy director Mia Sharizman. “It’s a good opportunity for us to show the progression and level of achievement of the drivers in the Academy. For Oscar, it’s a reward, firstly, for winning the [F3] title, but giving him a first day is already a plan for us for the next two years, with the ultimate aim of him driving in Formula 1 with us as a race driver. So this is just the first…

One of Mauer’s favourite concepts is the 2019 Vision Spyder, or 551 ‘Little Rebel’, which he says was inspired by the 550 Spyder named ‘Little Bastard’ owned by James Dean. A 1:1 ‘hard’ model, Mauer says the design of this car is in his own ‘puristic’ language, one which he has even applied to his personal car, a Porsche 964 he has named ‘M1M’. “I wasn’t so interested in older cars. I had an older 911, a G Series, which we tried to modify [to improve] driveability, but for me the 964 was the first Porsche that you could really drive like a more modern car. I like to drive the 964; it has this puristic approach and still has the original 911 form and design. But if you look…

one VERTICAL RED LIGHTS ‘Scales’-themed tail-lights remain a DS hallmark, but they will be joined by mandible-like vertical red blades below two LESS LENGTH Five metres front to back is good for aero and prestige, but expect production cars to be a touch shorter. The 23-inch wheels will likely be scaled down too three WINGS OVER THE… BONNET “They’re part of our graphic identity and brand identity – and will be in the future,” says design director Thierry Metroz of the horizontal aero fins four DRAWING A VEIL The descending comet-trace running lights, called ‘light veils’, are here to stay. “This will be part of our future front identity for DS cars,” Metroz says five NO STRAW MARQUETRY Dashboard finished in varnished strands of straw is not production-feasible. Beautiful and…

MODERN SMALL CARS aren’t so small anymore. They’re not always so simple, either, with many offering luxury trimmings and advanced drivetrains for those who want the tech and luxury but don’t necessarily need the space. It’s a category made up of some of the stalwarts of the new-car market, familiar names providing more features and better value than they ever have before. New players are also showing their faces, hoping for a slice of what is still a significant (but declining) segment of the Australian car market. Yet the Redbook predicted resale figures show there’s still plenty of love for small cars in second-hand land. While manual transmissions still exist, many small car offerings don’t bother anymore, indicative of a shift towards suburban driving ease. For that reason it’s the…

WHAT STARTED AS something of a soft-roader experiment in the 1990s has turned into the default family-car class of recent years. Mid-sized SUVs are now filling the role once held by sedans and wagons, providing the space, functionality and affordability that’s a powerful drawcard for many. No longer is the focus on off-road ability – although some still offer the promise of adventure – but instead on safety, car-like driving manners and keeping the kids content. It’s a big call and one some achieve more convincingly than others. It’s also a segment where value can vary enormously. The recent arrival of hybrid and plug-in hybrid models adds to the depth of a category with broad appeal. Winner: Hyundai Tucson Active THE HYUNDAI BRAND has long stood for value and nowhere…

SO YOU WANT to splash out on something with a touch more class but you don’t want to break the bank? That’s where our luxury on a budget category comes in. As the name suggests, this is a way to get behind the wheel of a premium brand but without breaking the bank. We looked at a plethora of models that deliver the luxury promise for less than $65K. It includes a mix of small SUVs, hatchbacks and even the occasional compact sedan. All have one thing in common: they look smart, boast a bold badge and deliver driving flair, albeit in varying measures. The diesel engines that once appealed have largely dried up; hybrids and plug-in hybrids filling the fuel-miser role, although it’s traditional petrol engines that dominate. Some…

DRIVING ENTHUSIASTS NEED not shell out big bucks to have some four-wheeled fun. Hot hatchbacks have long attested to that, and in recent years we’ve witnessed a resurgence in fun-to-drive vehicles that don’t have to mean mortgaging the house. It’s an eclectic mix, and one that incorporates traditional platform layouts focused on enjoyment rather than lap times through lift back coupes and city hatchbacks with a lot more fizz under the bonnet Our criteria for this category focuses on fun rather than speed. But it also rewards value and affordability, something that naturally makes it difficult for cars approaching $50,000 to mount a solid value argument. It’s also a category where the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story – our expert road-testers were hot on the buzzer for ranking…

ABOUT ONE IN five new vehicles sold in Australia these days is a ute. It’s an astonishing number, and one that has been boosted over the past decade by the enormous growth in dual-cab 4x4 utes. Rather than basic load-luggers, the new breed of family-friendly utes have stepped up comfort, safety and design. Yes, they still lift heavy things, albeit wearing sharper suits than their basic workhorse origins once employed. For this test we have focused on the sweet spot of the market: the dual-cab off-roaders with a ute body style (rather than a cab-chassis). While some still offer a manual transmission, it’s the autos we’ve chosen to compare, because that’s what more buyers are gravitating to. From bargain-priced newcomers to American behemoths, it’s a category that dishes up some…

SPOILER ALERT: the above image was taken during 2021 Car of the Year testing. This means two things: 1) COTY is a goer after months of COVID-inflicted uncertainty; and 2) The Genesis was deemed worthy enough to be included in this year’s shortlist of contenders. That second point is no small achievement. We’ll publish our full COTY coverage in the March 2021 issue, though I can disclose this year’s field was limited to the 10 best cars of 2020, so simply making the starting grid is a big vote of confidence. And for Genesis, it’s crucial that the GV80 receives a warm reception. There’s a lot riding on this car. After years of trying (and largely failing) to crack the Aussie market with big sedans, Genesis finally has an SUV…

“YOU’LL NEVER SEE Japanese cars in an RSL car park,” declared Ford Australia managing director Bill Bourke, not long off the plane from Detroit in 1965. Easy to laugh now, but memories were still fresh of WW2 and its delivery to our doorstep by Zero fighters bombing Darwin. If Bourke had his work cut out against market colossus Holden, spare a thought for the manufacturer of those Zero fighters, launching its first car here in August, 1964. The Colt 1000 was a homely looking, front-engined, rear-drive four-cylinder sedan. It was followed in 1966 (’67 in Oz) by the Colt 1000F, a distinctively styled ‘Fastback’ with either two or four doors. The 1000F’s tall greenhouse afforded a roomy cabin for the class and superb vision. Despite the shape, it had a…