ON FRONT PAG E N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A , A L P S A N D H I G H CO U N T RY
NOVEMBER 18 - 24, 2016
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A TOUCH OF AUSSIE: Cute styling of the new Holden Spark isn’t the only thing you notice – it’s a surprisingly competent machine.
2016 Holden Spark
HOLDEN Spark replaces the company’s previous Barina Spark – and is significantly better thanks to having a considerable amount of Australian input. New Spark is built on an all-new, stronger platform. Engine size has increased from 1.2 to 1.4 litres; an efficient CVT automatic sits beside it, though there’s also a manual should you want one. The Holden Lang Lang proving ground south-east of Melbourne was used extensively during Spark’s design and testing stages. GM-Holden is keen to point out this facility will remain in operation as a key part of the GM global empire long after Holden’s Australian factories close late next year.
By EWAN KENNEDY
Holden Spark comes in two equipment levels, the base model LS which is priced at $13,990 with a five-speed manual gearbox or $15,690 with a CVT automatic. The higher-specced, CVT-only, LT has a recommended retail of $18,990. The LS comes with 14-inch steel wheels, the LT gets 15-inch alloys. Spark LT also has a smart key with push-button starting, cruise control, and a leather wrapped steering wheel. STYLING Holden Spark has a sleeker, more stylish appearance than the superseded Barina Spark. There’s a bold front grille and
relatively narrow A-pillars. The Spark has ‘hidden’ door handles at the top of the rear doors in an attempt to give the appearance of a three-door hatch. New Spark is lower and slightly longer and sits on an extended wheelbase. It retains the tall stance as that’s necessary to give reasonable interior room in any very small car. The double-stack GM grille works particularly well because of the tall front of the Spark. Boot capacity is always a compromise in cars in this class in order to give reasonable legroom in the back seat. There’s a luggage volume of 185 litres in the Spark, but it can expand to 985 litres with the 60/40 rear seatbacks folded.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION The new 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine generates up to 73 kW of power at 6200 rpm and torque of 128 Nm (CVT auto) and 124 (five-speed manual gearbox), both when revving at a pretty high 4400 rpm. INFOTAINMENT A large central display unit with a 7.0inch colour touchscreen dominates the centre of the dashboard. It uses Holden’s MyLink system and is compatible with both the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems. These link through a USB cable, to project smartphone displays, including satellite navigation, onto the Spark’s touchscreen.
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(03) 5721 5677 10 Templeton Street, Wangaratta www.onemilemotors.com.au LMCT1060
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Nov 18 - 24 | 2016
2017 BMW 440i convertible
By EWAN KENNEDY
SPRINGTIME, Gold Coast, Convertible – what a combination. To make life even better the convertible is a BMW powered by the most powerful engine in the range, the new 440i unit. Sometimes road testing can be a bit of a chore, it certainly wasn’t last week with the hot Bimmer sitting in the garage just asking to be fired up. And fired up it was, with several trips to the scenic hinterland behind the Coast during the week – to keep us away from the weekend roads crowded with wandering tourists. In case you haven’t looked at BMWs for a while; the German marketing guys and gals have decided all its sporty models should have an even number in their title. So the 4 Series convertible is the replacement for the 3 Series. The ‘4 tag is also given to the BMW coupe and the Grand Coupe. Midway through 2016 BMW refreshed 4 Series model range for the ’17 season, with upgraded petrol engines, sharper pricing and new model designations. While the 420i and 420d variants remain the same, they are joined by new 430i and 440i models, replacing the previous 428i and 435i variants. STYLING. The long bonnet look is partly due to the 4 Series having an almost upright grille, but also because of a shorter front overhang and longer wheelbase. Joining the headlights to the kidney grille emphasises the width of the 4 Series, as does the wide front track. Strong style lines along the flanks lead to a stubby tail. The vertical slots at the ends of the front bumper aren’t just there for style, they’re there as part of the aerodynamic package. Air is drawn into these slots, passes over the front wheels, and is finally extracted through the boomerang shapes slits in the front guards. Though the exterior of the new 4 Series is different to the 3 Series, there are strong similarities in the dashboard area. Clever reworking of the style lines, colours and materials do give the 4 Series a different appearance, though. INFOTAINMENT The infotainment screen is wide and easy to read, however we would prefer it to be
OPEN AIR: Top down, foot down, riding in the new BMW 440i convertible is great fun. deeper (top to bottom) to get a longer view ahead when using satellite navigation. BMW’s latest iDrive system is simpler to use than in the past and is largely intuitive in the way you work your way through the menus. The ConnectedDrive Freedom with the convenience of Concierge Services and internet is an excellent system and it’s worth taking the time to learn what it can do for you. The Harman/Kardon surround sound system with 16 speakers is brilliant. ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS The 440i engine is the latest edition of BMW’s brilliant 3.0-litre turbo-petrol straight-six engine and has peak power of 240 kW (up15 kW on the 435i). Torque is the real measure of an engine and for the 2017 it’s up by 50 Nm to 450 Nm. When fitted with the eight-speed sports automatic transmission, the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint is 5.4 seconds in the 440i convertible. Due to the added mass made necessary by the removal of the roof, it’s slower than the others in the 4 Series, the coupe runs just 5.0 seconds in the 440i the taller Grand Coupe is a tad slower at 5.1 seconds. On a spring day with the top down we would happily trade that 0.4 seconds to
100 km/h to be riding in the open-top Bimmer. A six-speed manual is a no-cost option. Given that its acceleration is slower than the automatic it isn’t being taken up in any real numbers. Then again there’s always the satisfaction of DIY shifting. SAFETY The 4 Series models have an ANCAP rating of five stars. Compared with the outgoing 435i the new for 2017 BMW 440i has a head-up Display, lane change warning, surround-view camera with top and side Views, adaptive LED headlights, high-beam assistant and active cruise control with stop-and-go function. DRIVING The front seats are reasonably large and comfortable, though the bulky transmission does steal some foot width in the front. The 4 Series convertible is probably best regarded as a two-plus-two, but with a bit of juggling it’s close to being a four-seater. Engine response is very good, with turbo lag being minimised by some clever engineering. Once the engine is on-song it provides excellent push in the back that’s likely to have you asking for more and more chances to use it. The auto is generally in the right gear at the right time and we didn’t really feel
the need to use the paddle shifters all that often. It comes as no surprise that the sporting BMW’s road grip is tremendous, and that the near-perfect chassis balance is guaranteed to bring smiles to the face, particularly with the Sport mode selected. Steering feel is very good as it transmits messages from the front wheels in a way that lets the driver adjust the car’s direction to perfection. In the ‘Comfort’ setting the ride is pretty good, though the BMW ‘4 is inclined to bottom out at times on rough Aussie roads. Sport mode made things a bit on the jiggly side at times. Tyre roar on roads that weren’t all that rough was certainly noticeable. Wind intrusion is minimal and conversation doesn’t require you raise your voice levels overmuch. We were more than happy to keep the roof down for long trips. SUMMING UP BMW 4 Series 400i convertible is a brilliant tourer in all conditions, and if you drop the door on a pleasant evening and go cruisin’ it’s hard to think of a better car. Yet that’s only half the story, this is also a high-performance machine which provides thrilling driving if you fang it around on your favourite empty roads in the hills.
2016 Holden Spark five-door hatch From page 1
Siri Eyes Free and voice recognition software as well as steering wheel audio controls reduce, but don’t eliminate, driver inattention. It’s still vitally important that drivers always have two eyes on the road and pay 100 per cent attention to what’s happening around them. SAFETY The entry-level Spark LS gets six airbags; electronic stability program; ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution; traction control; hill-start assist and two IsoFix child seat anchor points. Spark LT adds a reversing camera and rear parking sensors. Being a ground-up design means it was relatively easy for the Spark to gain a five-star ANCAP safety rating. DRIVING Some of our initial testing was done at Holden’s Lang Lang proving ground so that we could push cars significantly harder than we would on public roads.
BRIGHT SPARK: The new Holden Spark has improved dramatically. Recent rain had left the surface quite slippery but apart from a couple of slight wiggles the Spark gripped the road securely, was well-balanced through the corners and generally showed a surprising level of refinement for such a small car. On normal roads in our home territory
of south east Queensland we found the Spark to be pretty smooth and quiet for its size. It’s no Caprice, but is not a noisy little machine like many small cars of yore. Around town its size and good visibility make it a breeze to drive and park. Handling is good thanks to the extensive Australian engineering in this
area. It’s no hot hatch but it feels good and sends its messages through the steering and the seat of your pants. Understeer moves in to slow you down if you push too hard, but it’s unlikely many owners will drive in that way. On country roads Spark cruises with little trouble and even at 120 km/h (surprisingly we didn’t crash…) on the M1 it was nowhere near breathing hard. Fuel consumption was in the five to six litres per hundred kilometres range on motorways in our CVT equipped Spark, rising to a still very reasonable eight to nine litres when punted around town in traffic. SUMMING UP Rarely have we seen a car improve so dramatically as the Holden Spark, albeit from a pretty low base. This is now a very good city car that can confidently be taken out onto the open road and cope with more demanding conditions than its predecessor. While not the cheapest in its class those who enjoy driving are likely to be happy to pay the extra.
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Nov 18 - 24 | 2016
EUROPEAN DESIGN: Holden Astra’s most interesting styling feature is the treatment of the rear pillars.
Holden Astra hatch arrives
By EWAN KENNEDY
HOLDEN’S next step towards total importation is an all-new Astra hatchback which goes on sale in December. European designed, with a lot of input from Australian engineers, Astra is built in a GM factory in Gliwice, Poland. It features new-design engines and the latest in infotainment and safety technology. Styling of the Astra is neat and tidy, but doesn’t really break any new ground – until you get to the rear three-quarter panels where a clever rise of the waistline meets a swooping-down roof. The black colour further emphasises that area and gives what senior Opel designer, Kurt Beyer, who flew to Australia to introduce the car to the media, called a ‘floating-roof’ appearance. We tried the back seats for space and the apparently sporting roof doesn’t affect headroom. Holden Astra is built on an all-new vehicle architecture that features up to 140 kg weight reduction, depending on model. This impressive mass reduction is happening in the latest generation of most European small and medium vehicles. Opel/Holden is right up there with the best of them. During my test drives of the new Holden Astra I rode for an hour or so with Holden’s director of vehicle performance, Ian Butler. He said that Holden had been involved in many areas from the earliest days of the design. In particular in suspension and steering, where design, and later road and proving ground testing have been carried out in Australia. Butler explained that Astra has been engineered to provide Australian chassis settings that reflect on our road conditions and driver preferences. In particular oncentre steering feel has been softened a little to make it less sensitive in the straight ahead position. This makes it more suited to our rougher than average roads. The drives were in Canberra and surrounding country areas of NSW and
At a Glance NOTE: THESE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE GOVERNMENT OR DEALER DELIVERY CHARGES. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL HOLDEN DEALER FOR DRIVEAWAY PRICES.
Astra R 1.4-litre turbo-petrol five-door hatch: $21,990 (manual), $24,190 (automatic)
Astra RS 1.6-litre turbo-petrol five-door hatch: $26,490 (manual), $28,690 (automatic)
Astra RS-V 1.6-litre turbopetrol five-door hatch:
UPDATED: It may have been made in Poland but the new Astra hatchback is built for Aussie road conditions. the steering felt just right. Astra’s steering didn’t react over aggressively to every input from the front wheels as the road bumped us about, but did react neatly as soon as we asked it to, being quick to respond to input and providing excellent feedback. Owners of Commodores will love this. Just as importantly the suspension proved supple on bumps, dips and broken surfaces in a way that just can’t be matched by even the best of the Asian cars. Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) were pretty well damped as well. A small car for a big country? Yes, the Holden Astra certainly is that. New Astra prices start at $21,990 and go up to $33,190. Deliveries will start at a date in December 2016 that’s yet to be finalised. Note that on-road costs have to be added, and that most come with metallic paints that adds $550. Infotainment is centred around a colour touchscreen that’s neatly integrated into the stylish dashboard. It uses the latest Holden MyLink system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A clever design feature
is the thumb rest to steady your hand while reaching the screen with your forefinger. Two engines are coming to Australia; a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol producing 110 kW of power. Oddly, maximum torque is 245 Nm with a six-speed manual, but 240 Nm with a six-speed automatic transmission. Seems that by GM’s internal standards that auto can’t handle that extra five Nm… No such problems with the larger engine and its six-speed automatic. The1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine puts out up to 147 kW and 280 Nm (300 Nm for a few seconds with overboost). New Holden Astra from Opel is sold in three variants: Astra R 1.4-litre has 17-inch alloys, a 7.0inch touchscreen, cloth seats, rear view camera with rear park assist, and digital radio. The Astra RS uses the 1.6-litre engine, has a sportier design of 17-inch alloys, push button entry and engine start, advanced park assist, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist and blind spot alert.
$30,990 (manual), $33,190 (automatic) Topline Astra RS-V 1.6-litre moves up to 18-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, heated leather appointed front seats, heated steering wheel, 8.0-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded satellite navigation. While there’s plenty of good news in the all-new Holden Astra, there’s bad news as well: the biggest selling variants, the 1.6-litre engine with an automatic transmission won’t be on sale for almost four months. The date in March is yet to be announced. However, Holden brought some early examples of the 1.6 auto for us to test. On the road we found it to have plenty of performance, though, to be honest the thoroughly modern 1.4 may have more than enough power for many buyers. The larger engine will be available at many Holden dealers for customers to sample on a test drive and will be offered as part of Holden’s ‘Take your time test drive’ scheme that lets you borrow a car for up to 24 hours.
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Nov 18 - 24 | 2016
CLASSIFIEDS NISSAN Navara 4x4 single cab 3.2lt diesel tray, air cond. snorkel, winch, bull bar, steel tray, alloy wheels. Very sound condition, RWC, reg (TXF009), $10,990. NISSAN Pulsar Ph 0417 509 633. sedan 2001, manual, TOYOTA Landcruiser with 12 months rego w a g o n 2 0 0 3 G X L , (QAS502), 170,000km, V8 petrol, manual, in good condition, great very good condition, ¿UVW FDU RQR (1BY9DG), $16,900. 3K Ph 5755 1060 or 0488 223 317.
1998 Coromal 280 series, x2 double beds each end and fold down table for extra bed, new annexe, never used, rego till March 2017, $7000. Ph 0458 223 403.
2005 Honda Jazz, manual, 135,000km, rego until 19 November (1FB8KL), RWC, $5999. Phone Jess 0488 394 364.
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2015 Nissan Qashqai Ti, Ink blue, 6 speed manual, 38,000km, registered to February 2017 (ADP683), Sat Nav, Keyless start, Blind spot sensor, lane departure warning, surround cameras, park distance sensors front and rear, dual zone climate control, tinted windows, electric driver’s seat, heated seats, cruise control, excellent MAZDA XP23 hatch condition, will come with 2008, registered until RWC, $28,500 negotiaJuly (WMD847), one ble. Ph 0448 980 886. owner, 122,000km, excellent condition, RWC, $12,000. Ph 0400 930 832.
MAZDA 3 SP23 MANUAL 5 SPEED Best in town. This one owner car has travelled just 73,000kms. Service books confirm it has been carefully maintained from new. Finished in Velocity Red with contrasting upholstery. This premium model has many extras including reverse sensors. Registered until June (TPA042), comes with roadworthy certificate and is priced to sell at $9350. Phone John for further details.
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2004 Compass pop top, very good condition, as new inside, $15,000 ono. Ph 0400 675 038.
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