North East Motor Guide

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property guide N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A

MARCH 23 - 29 | 2018

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ROCK SOLID: The midsize Volvo XC60 has a good blend of practicality and style.

2018 VOLVO XC60 T6 R Design

THE Swedish people certainly don’t use planned obsolescence as a way of making extra dollars for their companies. And Volvo is a clear indicator of this sensible approach.

It’s almost 10 years since the just superseded Volvo XC60 midsize SUV was launched, now we have a virtually all-new model with significant upgrades throughout.

Wheels magazine is obviously impressed by the new Volvo SUV, giving it the prestigious Car of the Year award.

New Volvo XC60 is sold in three variants; Momentum, Inscription and R-Design. Our test Volvo for the past week was the T6 R-Design.

By EWAN KENNEDY A good blend of practicality and shape, with Volvo clues like the large vertical taillights leaving no doubt what marque of vehicle you are following.

While the XC60 doesn’t have the tall squared-off rear end of big brother XC90, a shape that was a much loved feature of all Volvo station wagons, it can carry decent sized loads. The stylists make no secret of the fact that this is a crossover; smart thinking if they want to compete in this popular area of the market.

The cabin of the XC60 is very Swedish, with simplicity that’s almost minimalist.

We love the squared-off dash, instrument

new Volvo XC60 is fully loaded with safety technology, both from passive (not crashing) and active (surviving a crash) point of view. EuropeNCAP listed it as the safest car ever tested when the results were analysed late in 2017 A new safety system called Oncoming Lane Mitigation uses Steer Assist to alert inattentive and dozy drivers who have wandered over a centre line and automatically moves the XC60 back into its own lane. This system is active between 60 and 140 km/h.

Volvo’s Blind Spot Indication System (BLIS) also uses Steer Assist functionality to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions.

Continued page 2

panel and air vent shapes.

The T6 powerplant as fitted in our road test car is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder highperformance unit with a turbocharger and supercharger. It gives you control of 235 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque, the latter with a good spread that sits at its peak from 2200 to 5400 rpm.

The engine is transversely mounted to save space and drives all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

There are also turbo-diesel engines and a plug-in in the new XC60 range. We will try to get into the driver’s seat of at least one of these.

It hardly comas as a surprise that the

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2

March 23 - 29 | 2018

BRIGHT AS A BUTTON new Citreon C3

By EWAN KENNEDY AND now for something completely different. The bright and breezy all-new Citroen C3 not only comes in a range of colourful shades, but also has styling that’s well away from the mainstream.

Regular readers will be well aware of my muttering about the 500 shades of grey dominating our roads and car parks.

Saying it’s like living in a black and white movie.

Well Citroen has done something about it. Just look at the colour palette: Ruby Red, Almond Green, Cobalt Blue, Power Orange, Sand, Polar White, Perla Nera Black, Platinum Grey, Aluminium Grey.

There are three roof colours: Opal White, Onyx Black and Sport Red. Making for 33 possible colour combinations.

Colour choice goes beyond the body and roof, with the roof colour able to be repeated in the front foglight surrounds, the Airbump surrounds, the door mirror shells and the rear window trim.

Mix this with a variety of upmarket interior trims and you can have a Citroen C3 that may well be unique to you.

It’s not only the visual splendour on offer that appeals in the C3, the styling exhibits an abundance of French flair. The side ‘Airbumps’, first seen on the Citroen Cactus, are hugely practical, especially if you’re leaving your car in public carparks that seem to have skinnier spots by the day.

The Citroen interlocking-gears badge sits in the centre of brightwork that spreads across the front of the car to join the daytime running lights.

One feature we do not like is the built in dash-cam. While this can be very useful in providing evidence to police and insurance companies the Citroen unit also permits the driver to take photographs and videos while driving and sending them on to friends.

Okay, so the driver has to tap a button to say they are a passenger, not a driver.

Yeah, sure…

Under new management in Australia,

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: Colours galore in the fascinating new Citroen C3 Citroen is clearly not interested in going for the stripped-down end of the price scale. Instead it is importing a single model, the C3 Shine, with a high level of standard features. These include 17-inch alloy wheels, climate control, mirroring of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto by way of a 7-inch touchscreen, automatic lights and wipers, a reversing camera and an extensive safety package.

Only the topline powertrain, a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder with a sixspeed automatic transmission comes to Australia. The engine puts out 81 kilowatts of power, and a handy 205 Newton metres of torque from a low 1500 revs.

The Citroen C3 Shine has a recommended retail price of $23,490. It is offered with a driveaway price of $26,990 - but only until March 31.

Citroen C3 Shine is competing against other European small cars, Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia and VW Polo, as well as a plethora of Asian models, including Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris.

All of which have similar prices to the new C3 when equipment is taken into account

There’s a five-year, unlimited distance. warranty.

Citroen setup a realistic driving program as part of the media launch.

This involved serious Sydney traffic, a long slow grind through the polluted M5 tunnel - and finally into the gorgeous southern highlands, with lunch stop at the Thirlmere Railway Museum (heaven for us car guys). Then a return trip by the south coast and through the Royal National Park.

The little C3 was everything we expected from a Citroen; well designed seats (though there’s not a lot of legroom

2018 VOLVO XC60

T6 R Design

From page 1 Pilot Assist, Volvo’s advanced semiautonomous driver assistance system, can take care of steering, acceleration and braking on well-marked roads up to 130 km/h and is available in new XC60.

Keeping the driver fresh is another safety feature. Volvo’s Clean Zone fourzone climate system removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver what Volvo Australia tells us is “Scandinavian-fresh air on the inside”. Didn’t feel any different to our Gold Coast air to us, though…

The large vertical touchscreen is one of the easiest we have ever used, requiring a minimum of eyes-off-theroad time.

Volvo Cars’ Sensus Connect audio, DAB+radio. High quality sound.

Connection via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Web apps are available.

We found the navigation system was clear and easy to set and understand.

The front seats are large, supportive and easy to get in and out of. They remained comfortable during several long country trips we enjoyed during our time with the midsize Volvo SUV.

in the back), a smooth and comfortable ride, and good steering feel that communicates well through the steering wheel.

However, our test car did get caught out by some deep holes in the road caused by recent heavy rains.

The 1.2-litre turbocharged triple has the sort of feel and sound that really appeals to keen drivers. Performance is good without being in any way exciting, the six-speed automatic is quick to respond to throttle input and can be changed manually through the gearlever. Shift paddles would be nice, though…

At a Glance MODEL RANGE

The rear seat has good legroom and there’s space for three children.

It’s better suited to two adults than three, but can work without too much squeezing.

Cargo space is voluminous and easy to load, though it has the same problem as many in this class of not being able to accept big boxes when all seats are in use. That’s what the XC90 is for - if your budget’s up to it.

We like the fact that the start-stop button is on the lower centre console.

Making it much easier to find and use

than the typical “hidden behind the steering wheel” system favoured by so many others.

The steering is lighter than we like but does provide reasonable feel. The R Design we tested has slightly firmer springing than the others, but still has decent comfort.

The very Swedish Volvo XC60 offers something different in the way of style, driving and comfort in this crowded sales area. Well worth considering if you want to get away from the premium German brands.

XC60 D4 Momentum: $59,990 XC60 T5 Momentum: $62,990 XC60 D4 Inscription: $66,990 XC60 T5 Inscription: $69,990 XC60 D5 R-Design: $73,990 XC60 T6 R-Design: $76,990 XC60 T8 R-Design Plug-In Hybdrid: $92,990 NOTE: THESE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE GOVERNMENT OR DEALER DELIVERY CHARGES. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL BMW FOR DRIVE-AWAY PRICES.

3

March 23 - 29 | 2018

Mazda Surprise Package

the gift that keeps giving

By DEREK OGDEN AS they say, life’s full of little surprises; some good, some bad. It’s a case of the former with the Mazda2 after an upgrade that sees the small hatchback or sedan lead small cars in standard safety.

The maker has adopted the theory that size doesn’t matter, believing in, ‘providing the best possible driving experience in pursuit of the highest quality and ideals’ for its sub-compact.

Mazda2 now has blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert as standard equipment on high-spec grades. These i-ActivSense safety technologies join Smart City Brake Support - Forward, which is now standard across the entire range and Smart City Brake Support Reverse which is now standard from the Maxx variant up.

Available in four hatchback versions – Neo, Maxx, Genki and GT – and three sedans – Neo, Maxx and GT- the new Mazda2 follows on from the Mazda3 and 6 with innovative G-Vectoring Control designed to produce a smoother, more comfortable ride. Also included in this update are a range of interior and exterior upgrades.

There has been no change to prices over the previous models, with the entry-level Neo manual hatch and sedan at $14,990 (auto $2000+) and the GT equivalents topping out the range at $21,680 and $23,680, respectively. On test was a Mazda2 GT six-speed automatic hatch.

In keeping with modern automotive trends, the hatchback sports a stylish shark fin radio antenna, bright-plated foglight bezels and a gunmetal coloured grille, while the 16-inch alloy wheels are painted silver.

Turn signals are mounted on the front of the door mirrors and wrap around the outside edges, improving visibility for other road users. The mirrors automatically fold inwards when the key is used to lock the car, making it easy to see that the doors are locked by glancing at the mirror position.

Smart, sophisticated and pretty classy for a car of its price, that’s the Mazda2 GT passenger cabin. Seat trim is a mix of white leather and a cloth centre section with a new dot pattern and a thin red accent line, flanked either side by two fine rows of stitching running up the centre of the seatback. Black shoulder piece accents complete the picture.

The updated steering wheel design was first used for Mazda CX-9 and features a smaller centre pad, while three levels of switches on the horizontal spokes of the previous car’s wheel are now single level, matching natural finger movement.

Mazda’s MZD Connect, with its centraldash positioned screen and console control knob, makes for safe and easy access to functions. There’s internet connectivity and access to social networking services while driving.

In addition, it also offers hands-free phone operation, access to Twitter and other communication functions, as well as satellite navigation. The GT features a six-speaker Bose audio system.

The New Mazda2 is powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine, with a high-spec for the GT, including i-stop, mated to a sixspeed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

The Skyactiv-Drive automatic transmission includes Drive Selection, which allows drivers to switch to Sport drive mode by means of a switch on the shift gate. The transmission is automatically set to start out in a low gear. It also increases the torque

INNER BEAUTY: Little to see, but there’s plenty happening under the skin of the upgraded Mazda2 GT hatch. output when the accelerator pedal is pressed down further to deliver powerful acceleration.

Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert now join other i-Activsense safety technologies such as smart city brake support - forward and smart city brake support - reverse on the Mazda2 GT. Information is reflected as a head-up display on a clear panel mounted on top of the meter hood, set to focus at 1.5 metres from the driver’s eye. Speed and speed limits, turn-by-turn sat nav directions and safety system information is also displayed.

As befitting the GT tag, the drive can be spiced up by means of the SkyActiv-Drive transmission, which enables the driver to move into Sport mode using the switch on the shift gate. This alters the engine characteristics, shift timing and shift speed to provide stronger acceleration at the touch of the pedal, particularly useful when merging with quick-moving motorway traffic.

G-Vectoring Control certainly works well on handling, keeping the small car firmly planted on the road, responding quickly and smoothly to the steering wheel.

It was no surprise, then, that on a

spirited drive through the Gold Coast Hinterland the Mazda2 GT lived up to the ‘Grand Tourer’ suffix, swooping through fast bends and tracking through tight bends with equal handling efficiency.

The average fuel consumption on the run was just 4.6 litres per 100 kilometres, compared with 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the suburbs.

The Active Driving (head-up) Display, a personal favourite, has been upgraded from the previous monochrome to full colour and has increased brightness.

Warnings are shown in red and amber

making them readable at a glance.

Cabin storage space has been developed with particular reference to the typical compact car owner and is capped off by a hatchback boot capacity of 250 litres, enough space for a large suitcase or average-size baby stroller. The tailgate is light and easy to operate via a button on the inside lip.

Upgrades in safety and performance at no extra cost has the Mazda2 topspec GT putting more pressure on other members of a congested car market. It’s hard to ignore.

4

March 23 - 29 | 2018

Infiniti QX80

By EWAN KENNEDY INFINITI’S large SUV, the QX80 has had a major facelift and a number of stylish interior updates.

Everything forward of the windscreen has been revised. The bonnet is 20 mm higher and has been extended forward by 90 mm, the grille is taller and broader. These changes have necessitated changes to the front guards. The front bumper has what Infiniti tells us is “a muscular design that elevates its athletic stance.� The tailgate, taillights, chrome bar and rear bumper have also been redesigned.

The large, imposing

upgraded

Japanese SUV sits on large 22-inch forged aluminiumalloy wheels that feature a new 18-spoke design.

It’s hardly a secret that very few people buy SUVs to go off-road into tough conditions. So the fact that the side steps have been extended out by 20 mm to make it easier to get in and out of the vehicle shouldn’t come as a surprise.

However, side steps are often the first components to be damaged off-road‌ Inside, the Infiniti QX80 has updated the upper instrument panel as well as the centre and rearcentre consoles. The rear entertainment screens have also received a new

CLASSIFIEDS CARAVANS & CAMPERS

treatment. Seat and door trim quilting, stitching and piping have been refreshed, and there is a row a contrasting coloured double-stitch design on the centre arm rest.

Infiniti QX80 is powered by a 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine with 298 kW of power and a huge 560 Nm of torque. This passes power to all four wheels by way of a seven-speed automatic transmission and Infiniti’s All-Mode 4WD system.

Infiniti with these extensive revisions is on sale now. We will borrow a test vehicle soon and report back to you with our impressions immediately afterwards.

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„ FRESH FRONT: Large and imposing the Infiniti QX80 SUV looks tougher than ever.

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