Author Archive

Ford’s funky new Fiesta, complete with model inspired good looks and dynamic drivability, will shake up the light car segment when it goes on sale in early 2009.

‘The all-new Fiesta will be the hottest property in the light car segment,’ said Ford Australia President Marin Burela.

‘Fiesta is a stylish and dynamic car that redefines and further rejuvenates Ford’s light car line-up. It’s the perfect new vehicle for the young, as well as the young at heart.’ (more…)

Straddling the boundary between compact and medium size and offering both five and seven-seat configurations, the Captiva comes in three trim levels — SX, CX and LX, in both petrol and diesel variants, and the Maxx in petrol only. Captiva’s styling is chunky and bold, with pronounced contours on the bonnet running back to the rear, big light clusters, subtly bulging wheel arches and a prominent Holden logo on the grille crossbar. (more…)

No sooner do you blink now days and Audi have another new model appearing in their showrooms. Whether it be a sexy V8 S5 coupe, the volume selling A4 range, a frugal diesel in the A3 range or just a car to enjoy driving with the top down like the soon to be released A3 cabrio – Audi are sure to have something for everybody. (more…)

Peugeot has now commenced the ‘8’ generation of cars with the launch of the new Peugeot 308 five door hatch. A touring (station wagon) and coupe/cabriolet versions are just around the corner, with shipments due in Oz over the next couple of months.

I say the ‘new’ Peugeot 308 but in fact many of the components of the car are tried and tested - floor pan, engines, transmissions, so perhaps the 308 is more of an ‘evolution’ from the 307. (more…)

The first time most of us remember seeing a smart fortwo, was when Patsy and Eddy from Ab Fab tore around the streets of London in one. More recently there was the Da Vinci code, which further highlighted the versatility of the car around the urban environment. The next generation of that car has now hit our shores, and OUTinPerth’s Andrew Koch did more than take it for a spin around the city. (more…)

The compact SUV segment is booming, with sales up 19.4 per cent from last year. It’s a lucrative market, and Subaru wants a bigger slice of it for their Forester – the vehicle that pioneered the segment as a crossover 10 years ago.

Over the years Subaru has promoted itself heavy to the lesbian and gay audience, predominately in the US. When given the opportunity to rate their favorite car, Subaru is often in the top ten, especially when it comes to the driving tastes of lesbians, and generally, the Outback and Forester are the models most commonly mentioned. I did my own research, chatting to a number of girls about why lesbians love a Subaru Forester. (more…)

Skoda first started building cars in what is now the Czech Republic in 1905. Skoda last came out here when Australia was still part of the British Empire. From the 1950s, sales of the Czech brand dwindled from not a great deal to, eventually, almost nothing. The importer finally gave up in 1983.

After the velvet revolution, Skoda started a joint venture with Volkswagen and by 2000 was a wholly owned subsidiary. Volkswagen has spent much time and effort to shake the eastern bloc image of this famous Czech brand, with great success. (more…)

Andrew Koch compares and contrasts three diesels, all priced at $27,900.

Diesel-powered cars may still be something of a rarity in Australia, taking up a small percentage of the million-plus cars that were sold in Australia last year, but this percentage is getting larger. As Aussies look for more fuel efficient modes of transport, the number of diesel cars sold each year is almost doubling. (more…)

Andrew Koch Crosses the ‘VW Golf’ between Diesel and Petrol…

Just when you thought that you could pigeon hole an engine type depending on whether it was petrol or diesel, think again, because once you read below, it’s more than likely that thought will be turned on its head. Choosing between petrol and a diesel engine for your new VW Golf is not easy. Both offer a lot of benefits. Now VW has made it easy for you, with the new TSI engine that, amazingly, really does offer the best of both the petrol and diesel worlds. (more…)

The last time the Wrangler had a remake we were all preparing ourselves for the ‘millennium bug’. The Wrangler client base is a dedicated bunch – they’ve put up with the list of the previous model’s shortcomings, such as a cramped and noisy cabin, dreadful behaviour on bitumen and a relatively weak engine. (more…)