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N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A
SEPTEMBER 7 - 13 | 2018
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POCKET ROCKET: Bold styling and bright colours mean Mazda CX-3 models are giving our roads a little ray of sunshine.
MAZDA continues its fast paced assault on the Australian car market, this time with its smallest SUV, the CX-3 receiving a facelift, major interior changes, added comfort and improved engines. The frontal styling of all current Mazdas is arguably the biggest reason for its success and the shape has been refined with a bolder grille built around strong horizontal lines. There are also changes to the shaping of the front foglight surrounds as well as to the rear lights. It’s not just the shape that’s selling Mazdas, the Soul Red paint is a real standout and is accounting for something like 20 to 30 per cent of sales depending on model. My well-known dislike for the
By EWAN KENNEDY 500 shades of grey that haunt our roads is gradually being offset by an increasing number of bright red Mazdas. Yippee. Inside, Mazda CX-3 has a revised centre console centred around an electric parking brake, which is now standard on all variants. The Mazda Command Controller for the infotainment system has been moved forward to make its operation easier to work. A folding padded lid is used on the console box, doubling as a comfortable central armrest for the front passenger. Talking of infotainment Mazda continues to drag the chain as Apple CarPlay and
upgrades
Android Auto are still not fitted to any of their range. The company is somewhat embarrassed about this but hopes to rectify the situation within months. Existing vehicles from 2014 onwards will be able to have the systems retrofitted. Urethane foam with a high-damping quality give greater ride comfort. Seat upholstery has been changed to full leather on the high grade models. High grade sTouring and Akari also get a new anti-glare interior rear-vision mirror that automatically cuts glare, dimming the reflections of strong, bright lights. A reversing camera is now fitted to all grades. The topline Mazda CX-3 Akari has a 360-degree View Monitor and Radar
Cruise Control. New Mazda CX-3 is available in four model grades, two of which have been given modified names: Neo and Maxx are now called Neo Sport and Maxx Sport. The sTouring and the Akari models retain their previous nomenclature. Dynamics have been improved by slight, but important revisions of the Electric Power Steering (EPS) setup. The Mazda CX-3 SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litre petrol engine revisions improve economy and give it quicker throttle response. Power and torque are both up marginally, from 110kW to 111kW and torque from 192Nm to 195Nm at 2800rpm.
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Kylie Manfield 0428 215 677 Mark Prentice 0437 276 412 Noel Gilbert 0438 597 200 Michael Henderson 0418 512 531
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September 7 - 13 | 2018
Audi RS4
TURBOCHARGERS are the way to go if you need to meet ever tightening emission regulations and still want plenty of power and torque. So the biggest change in this fourth generation RS4 Avant lies under the bonnet where the previous 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 has been replaced by a biturbo 2.9-litre V6. STYLING The Audi single-frame grille is wider and flatter than before and of course has the honeycomb structure typical of what’s a trademark of the RS series. The latest RS4 Avant is longer (by 62 mm) and wider (by 16 mm) than the discontinued one. It’s lower and the blisters above the wheel guards give it a distinctly different appearance, which made it noticeably sportier than a mate’s S4 Avant when we stood them side by side. There’s a fairly conservative body kit with an RS-specific diffuser insert, oval tailpipes and a spoiler lip. Inside there are Nappa leather sports seats with honeycomb stitching and a flatbottomed steering wheel, both with RS logos which also feature on the door sill trims and gear selector lever. A sunroof is standard but Audi offers a delete option for those who don’t want to sacrifice headroom. There are three optional designs to the
By EWAN KENNEDY 20-inch alloy wheels: gloss black, carbon or matt aluminium. INFOTAINMENT The hottest Avant comes with standard infotainment features such as the Audi virtual cockpit, Audi connect, smartphone interface and DAB+ digital radio, as well as a high-end Bang & Olufsen 3-D sound system. POWERTRAIN Interestingly, the V6 turbo-petrol engine matches the old V8’s 331 kW of power. But the real advantage of using a blower to pump lots of extra air into the engine is the way produce far more torque. The new V6 has an impressive extra 170 Nm of torque over the 430 Nm of the V8, bringing it up to 600 600 Nm at only 1900 rpm. Transmission is through an eight-speed ZF torque-converter automatic mated to Audi’s quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. Three different drive settings are offered: Individual, Dynamic and Comfortable set through the standard Audi drive select system. SAFETY New RS4 Avant has autonomous emergency braking adaptive; blind spot warning; cruise control with traffic jam assist and lane departure warning: rear
Mazda CX-3 From page 1 Biggest underbonnet news is the fitment of a SKYACTIV-D 1.8-litre turbo-diesel engine in place of the 1.5-litre unit. This new unit lifts power to from 77kW to 85kW from 77kW. Torque is unchanged at 270Nm between 1600 and 2600 rpm, but there’s a strong emphasis on drivability and lower fuel and emissions. New Mazda CX-3 is available in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive with either the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. DRIVING Mazda laid out an interesting drive route for the launch of its revised CX-3. It began at Tullamarine airport in Melbourne, took us out about through beautiful areas of the Yarra Valley and back to Tulla. With a total of close to 300 km it followed your typical Sunday drive with the family. That’s the good news, the bad news was that CX-3s with the new turbodiesel engine were still on board the ship bringing them to Australia. Anyhow, we had plenty of time to enjoy the improved petrol units in both manual and automatic guise. This is a sweet midsize engine that’s nicely responsive and pulls well on hills and provides sufficient power for safe
Avant
upgrades
overtaking in a reasonable short distance. The gearshifts on the manual are smooth and easy but we found the auto was reluctant to shift down at times unless given a pretty hard prod on the accelerator. Handling is neat and predictable at all times and you have to be going pretty hard before the driver assistance systems step in to keep you out of trouble. Ride comfort is generally good, but as can be the way on small cars the suspension was caught out at times on rough Aussie backroads. Seating is fine in the front, with the sort of comfort you would expect from a car a size larger than this small SUV. However, the back seats are cramped for space unless the fronts are moved forward a few notches to add legroom. Check this out on your pre-purchase test drive of the car. Also, the boot is rather small because the CX-3 is based on the Mazda2 small car, not the Mazda3 as you might expect from the SUV’s name. SUMMING UP Mazda is on a winner – no, onto a series of winners – in Australia at the moment and anyone looking to buy a small SUV should certainly have the CX-3 on their shopping list.
RED HOT: Subtle styling changes indicate this is the hottest Audi RS4.
cross traffic assist; attention assist that monitors possible driver lapse; park assist for parallel or perpendicular spaces; and high beam assist. There’s even an exit warning system to alert those opening the traffic-side doors into a possible impact zone. There are also three pre-sense warning systems to avoid or reduce potential collisions. Audi’s Pre-Sense Basic uses a number of safety systems including electronic stability control to identify possible loss of control and then pretensions seatbelts, closes all windows and sunroof and activates the hazard lights. Pre-Sense Front combines the autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection systems at speeds up to 85 km/h, as well as turn assist, collision avoidance assist and high-beam assist. Pre-Sense Rear uses rear mounted sensors to detect an impending rear-end collision and closes all windows, pretensions seatbelts as well as activating high visibility hazard lights to increase the likelihood of alerting the driver of the approaching vehicle. DRIVING The Audi RS4 front seats are setup for cornering support but aren’t overly aggressive for day-to-day driving. The rear seats are best used by two but an extra
child can travel back there. There’s some turbo lag from the new hightech unit but it’s minimal and probably not a lot more than throttle lag in older style non-turbo cars. Once everything in the powertrain is up and running to maximum output the combination of quattro drive and lowdown grunt is guaranteed to put a big smile on the face of anyone who loves hot cars. The added engine grunt complements a weight reduction of 80 kg. This hot station wagon has a zero-to-100 km/h time of just 4.1 seconds - not bad for a grocery getter… The RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control has the car sitting much lower than the A4 production model. Audi also offers optional ceramic brakes and dynamic steering with RS-specific tuning. But it’s not all about fanging off the line at maximum torque or low flying on motorways, some of our initial testing of the RS4 Avant involved us in a traverse Australia’s Great Dividing Range with a long series of winding ascents and descents. Even at speed and in Comfort mode the car maintained a vice-like grip on the road through even the tightest of corners and never looked like getting into trouble. We used the drive select system in Comfort mode; Dynamic produced a much stiffer driving experience that’s probably best left for track days. SUMMING UP Audi RS4 quattro is a brilliant piece of automotive engineering that not only provides a great deal of driving pleasure, but also gives you a sensible load carrying vehicle.
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September 7 - 13 | 2018
STUNNER: Standout styling of the new BMW Z4 made the First Edition.
BMW Z4 M40i ² UVW HGLWLRQ
By EWAN KENNEDY BMW chose the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the world premiere of the new BMW Z4 M40i First Edition. Powered by a powerful 250 kW/340 hp, straight-six engine driving the rear wheels via an electronically controlled M Sport differential. Its zero to 100 km/h time has been measured at 4.6 seconds. The large BMW kidney grille has a striking mesh design and sits in front of a beautifully long bonnet. The two occupants sit well back and the high-performance Bimmer has
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50:50 weight distribution. The new BMW Z4 M40i First Edition has a Frozen Orange metallic paint and the powered textile roof complements this with an anthracite silver effect. There are black door mirror caps and the 19-inch alloys have a bicolour, double spoke design. Inside, the edition model uses Vernasca black leather trim with decorative stitching, powered seats with a memory function, the option of ambient light and the Harman Kardon Surround Sound System. The worldwide market launch will commence in the Northern spring of 2019.
CLASSIFIEDS MOTORCYCLES
HONDA VTR250 2006 model comes with Ventura rack and tinted windshield, very reliable, little vtwin with plenty of torque, (FC363), $2600. Ph 0424 580 025.
1984 Mazda Camper, T3500, (RBC725), reg until October 2018, 274,000km, many extras, with RW, $14,000 ono. Ph 5744 2542.
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2 0 11 V E B e r l i n a international, auto, 7 TOYOTA Tarago 2002 months rego (YGC052), GLX, auto, 261,000km, RWC, $9300 ono. Phone 8 seats, cruise control, John 0458 223 403. regularly serviced, (STN166), $5800. Ph 0427 716 146.
CARAVANS & CAMPERS
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2013 Jayco Discovery, 22ft pop top, full annexe, QB, microwave, shower/toilet combo, air conditioning, battery pack, solar, October rego, (V66321), $29,000 ono. Ph 0481 176 381.
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UTE tray, 2250 L x 1800 W, ladder rack and sides, $850 ono. Ph 0418 974 927.
MERCEDES Benz B180 CDI 2007, diesel, economical, safe, garaged, full service HYUNDAI i30 manual history, rego (1HK6JQ), diesel 2009, private sale, $7795. Ph 0427 220 005. regularly serviced and maintained 173,000km, totally reliable and economical vehicle in great condition with nothing extra to spend, (YTT913), $7200 ono. NISSAN Navara D22, Ph 0403 943 237. 2013, OME suspension, Safari snorkel, ARB bull WANTED VK, Calais bar, new clutch and rego, or HDT Commodore gearbox, roof racks, parts, seats, wheels or 10 months reg, RWC, full vehicles wanted. (ZSB629), $12,500 ono. Phone Kevin 0412 247 Ph 0418 974 927. 690.
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2007 Ford Falcon BF MK11 – XT 4 litre. Ford factory built dedicated gas. 680K full tank – country range, current kms 248,000. Cruise, electric windows and mirrors, central locking, automatic transmission. Reg. Aug 19. (UXX065) with RWC.
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FORD Escape 2005, 1 6 5 , 0 0 0 k l m , X LT, 4WD, 3.0 V6 auto. immaculate condition, Oct. rego, (XRA 650), RWC, window tint, reserve fuel, aircon, cruise control, electric windows, central locking, ABS brakes. $5800 ono. Ph 0409 033 837.
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