North East Motor Guide

ON FRONT PAG E 1 2 5 7 + ( $67 9 , & 72 5 , $ $ / 3 6 $ 1 ' + , * + &2 8 1 7 5<

FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 2

| 2017

> available online - www.nemedia.com.au

STILL MAKING ITS MARK: European styling, with clean, Âł RZLQJ OLQHV PDNH QHZ +ROGHQ Astra stand out in an increasingly FURZGHG PDUNHW VHJPHQW

Astra weighs in with Aussie ingenuity ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S no secret that when it comes to performance and low fuel consumption and emissions in cars, weight is the enemy. So it was with the development of the new Holden Astra hatchback, which is an impressive 140 kg lighter than the previous model, despite the take-up of more kit.

Australia took the Astra into its heart ZKHQ ² UVW ODXQFKHG KHUH LQ 6LQFH then, motoristsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feelings for the small Holden, with its European looks and dynamics have not waned.

Designers and engineers were given a clean sheet by Opel / Vauxhall vicepresident - design Mark Adams, with the challenge to come up with a vehicle that exhibits the sleek, â&#x20AC;&#x153;sculptural artistry meets German precisionâ&#x20AC;? design

By DEREK OGDEN philosophy introduced in the stunning Monza concept in 2013.

Holden engineers were involved in the Astra program from the word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;goâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, identifying what Australian customers expect from their vehicles. Their input resulted in a unique Australian chassis tune.

Astra has collected a variety of awards in Europe and UK, including (XURSHDQ &DU RI WKH <HDU DQG WKH Golden Steering Wheel. Six variants are up for grabs Down Under powered E\ D OLWUH RU OLWUH WXUERFKDUJHG petrol engine mated with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

3ULFHV VWDUW DW SOXV RQ URDG costs, for the 1.4-litre turbo R manual DQG WRS RXW DW IRU WKH OLWUH turbo RS-V automatic.

On test was the RS-V six-speed manual.

Holden recently announced that the Astra sedan, based on the US-designed &KHYUROHW &UX]H ZLWK NH\ ORFDO LQSXW will be launched in Australia in May. (XURSHDQ VW\OLQJ ZLWK FOHDQ Âł RZLQJ OLQHV D ÂŤÂł RDWLQJÂŹ URRI LQWHUHVWLQJ WUHDWPHQW RI WKH & SLOODUV DQG UHGXFWLRQ in length and height ensure a lean, streamlined body.

A sporty front fascia and grille that blends seamlessly with the front LED headlamp design, give Astra an unmistakable road presence.

Despite a trimmed-down exterior, inside the cabin there is increased rearseat legroom. A contemporary cockpit design adds to the stylish interior decor.

Holden MyLink Infotainment System with 8-inch high-resolution colour touch-screen display integrates the latest smartphone technology via Apple &DU3OD\ RU $QGURLG $XWR Full iPod integration includes Sri Eyes Free, while satellite navigation incorporates full colour maps with live WUDI² F XSGDWHV WUDI² F PDQDJHPHQW control and points of interest. DAB+ digital radio and colour digital instrument display bring up the rear in a comprehensive list of equipment.

Â&#x201E; Continued page 2 n21d11337-v86/0717

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2

Feb 24 - Mar 2 | 2017

Porsche Panamera second generation

By EWAN KENNEDY PORSCHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S stylists have achieved the seemingly impossible, giving the second generation of their Panamera the looks of a full-on sportscar, not the shape of a lowslung sedan.

7KH ² UVW JHQHUDWLRQ 3DQDPHUD ODXQFKHG in Australia in September 2009, had a VRPHZKDW KXPSEDFNHG URRÂł LQH WKDW created a fair bit of criticism. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an XQFRQ² UPHG VWRU\ JRLQJ DURXQG WKDW RULJLQDO GHVLJQHUV SHQQHG D VOHHN URRÂł LQH but were forced to add a higher roof to suit the head of a 190cm senior German Porsche guy who felt squashed in the back seat.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history now - if it was true in the ² UVW SODFH %ULOOLDQW VW\OLQJ KDV JHQ WZR Porsche Panamera looking like a proper sportscar, not a sedan with extra height. A four-door 911? It comes pretty close to our eyes. Love it.

The really interesting thing is that the tall German gent would be able to sit in the back of the new car without damaging his hairdo. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because the backsideto-roof distance in the new Panamera is the same as in the superseded model. To achieve this the new roof is 20 mm higher at the front to permit the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;proper Porsche slopeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the back. The back seats are 20 mm lower.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big variety of powertrains: a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an upgraded version of the one in the genone Panamera. It now produces 243 kW and 450 Nm and can be ordered in rearwheel or all-wheel drive. All other models are AWD only. It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be downunder until Q3 â&#x20AC;&#x2122;17.

Every model comes with an eight-speed double-clutch PDK automatic.

Two test vehicles were offered on the media launch. One was the Panamera 4S with an all-new 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol with 324 kW and 550 Nm. Torque began at just 1750 revs and continues to 5500 rpm for seemingly never ending boost.

The other, likely to be the most popular, was the 4.0-litre V8 again with twin turbos sitting between the cylinder banks, and again itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an all-new design. With a stunning 404 kilowatts of power and 770 Newton metres of torque, the latter from 1960 to 4500 revs it has a zero to 100

Â&#x201E; VALUE FROM $220,000 (PLUS CHARGES): Brilliant styling has gen-two Porsche Panamera looking like a full-on sportscar. time of 3.8 seconds when in launch mode by way of the Sports Chrono package.

Turbo-diesel engines arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as popular these days as during their peak three years back, but Panamera is offered with a stunning 4.0-litre oil burner in 4S format.

Would you believe 850 Nm from not much over idle - 1000 rpm? It runs at that peak until 3250 is reading out on the tacho.

Also coming in the third quarter of 2017 is a Panamera Hybrid with a 3.0-litre V6 DQG HOHFWULF GULYH 3HDN FRPELQHG ² JXUHV are 340 kW / 700 Nm. Starting from Newcastle, NSW airport the media launch route covered around 400 km of excellent touring roads in the Hunter Valley winery region. Piloting a Panamera 4S on day one, and the stunning Panamera Turbo the next morning saw us emerging from the driversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seats with big grins on our faces.

Panamera 4S is very quick, the Turbo stunningly so. Excellent for safe overtaking on roads with more than their fair share of bends and minimal straights.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s virtually no turbo lag in either car as the new design sees the two turbos sitting inside the engineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s V so theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re nice and close to the exhaust outlets.

The weather was very hot, in the mid

40s at times, which could have played havoc with keeping the turbos cool.

Obviously thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clever engineering to keep them at the correct temperature. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing what you can do with high-tech materials and the miracles of electronic monitoring and variation within systems.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge amount of grip in these low-slung sports sedans and going around bends on dry roads at double the suggested speeds didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cause the slightest trouble.

Road noise and vibration was nicely subdued on the Panamera 4S, but the bigger tyres and even sportier setup on the Turbo did create a bit of a coarse-chip racket at times. Nothing like as bad as in the latest 911s, though.

7KRXJK 3DQDPHUD FDQ MXVWL² DEO\ EH called a four-door sedan thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a huge amount of space in the back. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly not a 2+2, but neither is it a limo. There are two slightly narrow seats in the rear, with a large console between them. The occupants have their own touchscreen to control things like rear cabin climate, the shades of the sunroof, the audio system and satellite navigation.

The rear travellers have twin USB charge points and drinkholders.

With the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat in position for my 182cm frame there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t room to sit behind myself in comfort (if thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too Irish!) in the back. On the other hand, two adults, one behind the other on the passenger side could come to a decent compromise.

Luggage space under the large hatch, at 495 litres, can easily cope with luggage for Mum, Dad and a couple of kids. The rear backrests fold down for added cargo management.

New Porsche Panamera is a stunning example of modern sportscar design. It looks simply stunning, goes like stink and while not exactly cheap it does provide pretty good value in this stratospheric area of the car market.

At a Glance Panamera: $210,000 Panamera 4: $220,400 Panamera 4 E-Hybrid: $242,600 Panamera 4S: $304,200 Panamera 4S Diesel: $312,100 Panamera Turbo: $376,900

Astra weighs in with Aussie ingenuity Â&#x201E; From page 1

Thanks to turbocharging the 1.6-litre four-cylinder Ecotec direct injection engine puts out maximum power of 147 kW between 4750 and 6000 rpm and top torque of 300 Nm all the way from 1650 to 5000 revs mated with a sixspeed manual transmission, on 95 RON petrol, combined fuel cycle economy is put at 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres, with carbon dioxide emissions 149 grams per kilometre.

Technology plays no small part in safety with the new Astra hatch, with rear-view camera standard across the range. Up front there is also technology keeping an eye on things with Holden Eye forward facing camera making possible key features such as Forward Collision Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Automatic Emergency Braking. All aimed at avoiding or at least reducing the effects of crashes. Blind Spot Alert completes the list.

The Astra hatchback carries

Â&#x201E; A GREAT ALL-ROUNDER: Comfortable with plenty of technological features and miserly on fuel consumption.

Holdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Opelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) small car hopes at a steady pace without producing the performance edge of some of its rivals. The cabin is comfortable, added rear-seat leg room being a welcome DGGLWLRQ )ODW VHDWV DUH RQ WKH ² UP VLGH The 8-inch full colour touch screen is

at a comfortable height too to avoid the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention being taken off the road for too long. Brightly lit, operation of the screen to access information is not stressful as with some systems.

A marvellously minimalist sat nav map is easy to follow, with info limited to

vital facts such as street names in clear print â&#x20AC;&#x201C; no cluttering the screen with little-used info.

Acceleration is no great shakes off the mark but the 300 Nm of torque on tap over a wide rev range makes for FRQ² GHQFH ZKHQ RYHUWDNLQJ Thanks to Aussie input, there is little to unsettle the car in normal day-to-day driving conditions. Pushing it harder VWLOO PDNHV IRU SOHQW\ RI FRQ² GHQFH The real bonus under the bonnet is fuel economy, which on the test vehicle turned out a skinny 7.3 litres SHU NLORPHWUHV LQ WRZQ WUDI² F DQG D positively frugal 4.5 on a motorway run, which really illustrates the advantages of saving weight.

With the new Astra, Holden is half way to delivering 24 new models by the end of 2020, replacing or refreshing every example in its vehicle line-up. In an increasingly congested small passenger car market the Astra is certainly good enough to make its mark.

3

Feb 24 - Mar 2 | 2017

LandCruiser 70

Series

By (:$1 .(11('< AUSTRALIAN Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series buyers want a tough vehicle, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for farming, mining, exploring, heavy-duty off-road holidays, or getting into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Huh, what was that last one? I can vouch for the Guinness Book entry, having driven a LandCruiser Troop Carrier for a huge 2724 kilometres on a VLQJOH IXHO ² OO LQ 7KHUHÂŹV D FHUWL² FDWH RQ P\ RI² FH ZDOO WR SURYH LW Anyhow, enough about me, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about the latest version in the Toyota :' WKDW ² UVW ZHQW RQ VDOH KHUH years ago and which has been largely unchanged until the latest model arrived here late in 2016. A model which had PDQ\ VSHFL² F FKDQJHV WR VXLW RXU ORFDO market.

Upgrades across the range include a re-engineered single cab-chassis, which QRZ HDUQV D PD[LPXP ² YH VWDU $1&$3 safety rating to satisfy workplace health and safety regulations. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the subject of this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s road test. ,W KDV D VLJQL² FDQWO\ UHYLVHG IUDPH WKDW is larger and stiffer, revised body panels and new front seats.

Safety was the biggest area requiring major changes. All models now have vehicle stability control, active traction control, hill start assist, plus ABS brakes with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.

Cruise control is also standard, a handy feature for covering these seemingly endless inland trips in this vast island continent in which we live.

Air conditioning is a $2761 option - a ridiculous situation in this day and age.

3HUKDSV LWV D WKURZEDFN WR WKH HDUO\ GD\V ZKHQ LW ZDV ² UVW ODXQFKHG The 4.4-litre turbo-diesel V8 engine has been upgraded to meet Euro 5 regulations. This is the result of the DGGLWLRQ RI D GLHVHO SDUWLFXODWH ² OWHU DQG piezo-electric fuel injectors. It trims fuel consumption by as much as 10.1 per cent and cuts exhaust emissions at the same time.

The direct injection common-rail diesel engine delivers 151 kW of power at MXVW USP DQG 1P RI WRUTXH IURP WR USP 7KH ² YH VSHHG manual transmission gearing is taller in VHFRQG DQG ² IWK JHDUV 7RZLQJ FDSDFLW\ LV NJ 7KHUH DUH QRZ XS WR ² YH DLUEDJV ZLWK the addition of two side curtain and driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knee airbags where applicable.

The seats have been remodelled to give more protection from whiplash. The steering link has been shifted to the rear of the front axle to keep the column further away from a crash.

What looks like a large power bulge on the bonnet is actually there to give extra clearance above engine bay components to satisfy pedestrian impact requirements. This is a simpler system than expensive pop-up bonnets such as those used on most other vehicles.

Having said that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure I would like to have a LandCruiser 70 run into meâ&#x20AC;Ś Toyota chief engineer Sadayoshi Koyari and a team of Australian and Japanese engineers were given the task of coming up with an LC70 for the 21st century.

Five years hard engineering work, tested in labs and for more than 100,000 kilometres on the road - and well and truly off the road - has come up with a VLJQL² FDQWO\ LPSURYHG YHKLFOH 7KLV UHDOO\

At a Glance 127( 7+(6( 35,&(6 '2 127 ,1&/8'( *29(510(17 25 DEALER DELIVERY CHARGES. &217$&7 <285 /2&$/ 72<27$ '($/(5 )25 '5,9($:$< 35,&(6

WorkMate wagon: $60,990

GXL wagon: $64,990

WorkMate Troop Carrier: $64,890

GXL Troop Carrier: $67,990

WorkMate double cab chassis: $64,990

GXL double cab chassis: $68,990

WorkMate single cab chassis: $62,490

GX single cab chassis: $64,490

MADE FOR US: Big tray-back Toyota LandCruiser (above and top) is unashamedly a truck, and we like it like that. brings home the importance of local testing.

During the media launch of the latest LandCruiser 70 last year we went on an extensive off-road program that included dirt tracks, mud holes, steep inclines over rocks, and river crossings. The vehicle stability control (VSC) system automatically disengages in low range.

Active traction control has taken away the need for a limited-slip differential.

The active traction control works in both high and low ranges and can be turned off for sand.

This time around we came back to reality, with most of our driving being done in the outer Brisbane and Gold Coast suburbs, shopping centres and motorways. With some lovely weekend touring up in the hinterland. Okay, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the natural terrain for a Cruiser, but from time to time those in the bush have to make trips to the big smoke.

Seat comfort has been improved as part of the safety redesign and after one trip

of a couple of hundred kilometres we still felt relaxed in the backside. Steering wheel adjustment is four-way.

The turning circle is horrendous at 14.4 metres. Okay, so this is an old nononsense truck, but surely something could have been done about this? It verges on being a nightmare in some underground carparks. Obviously in country towns this is less of a problem, but there are still places where tight turns are needed in on- and off-road driving.

The latest LandCruiser 70 is still a fairly clumsy old workhorse in some ways.

Steering is on the vague side and it tends to wander. As with most trucks you need to learn to let the Cruiser do its own thing rather than driving yourself mad by keeping it exactly on track all the time.

Other old-fashioned touches are a cigarette lighter that takes pride of place in the dash, and buttons to raise or lower the radio aerial.

One big complaint is the manual

GXL single cab chassis: $66,490 adjustment of the exterior mirrors. Unless you have someone to help it can take a ridiculous time to set up the left mirror exactly to its safest angle.

The V8 engine is a good old-fashioned diesel in the way itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happy to start in second gear and wander along all day below 2000 revs and respond promptly when overtaking. Yet the big V8 is thoroughly modern in that it starts virtually instantly, is quieter at idle than many turbo-diesels in European cars, and typically uses under 12 litres per hundred kilometres in easy-paced realworld driving. Might ring Toyota and have another crack at that Guinness recordâ&#x20AC;Ś A hill-hold facility prevents the vehicle rolling back when starting on an incline for two seconds. Talk about spoiling the driverâ&#x20AC;Ś We loved our week in the new/old Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an ultra-tough, old-fashioned vehicle thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost loveable in the way it looks after you.

4

Feb 24 - Mar 2 | 2017

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