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MARCH 22 - 28 | 2019
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Mazda CX-9
review
A WINNING FORMULA: New Mazda CX-9 is a stylish large people mover / SUV crossover.
By Alistair Kennedy in September 2018 only comes with AWD, all others have both drive options. All come with the same 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission. STYLING Styling of the CX-9 is neat, tidy and conservative in line with Mazda’s successful Kodo theme. There’s not a lot of chrome or other bling items of similar bling. The front of the CX-9 features a vertical version of the standard Mazda ‘family’ grille that’s just the right size for the big SUV and is flanked by wide and narrow headlights. Sport and Touring variants have standard 18-inch patterned alloy wheels. GT, Azami
and Azami LE have 20-inch alloys finished in bright silver. INTERIOR At just over five metres in length third row legroom is almost OK for adult passengers although the lack of air vents could make it a bit uncomfortable in hot weather. The window-line is also quite high and could restrict outward vision for young children. Cargo capacity is better than most in its class with a reasonable 230 litres with all seven seats in position; 810 litres as a fiveseater. The loading height of the floor is a comfortable 805mm. POWERTRAIN Power comes from a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that peaks at 170 kW with standard
unleaded fuel, but can increase to 186 kW with premium unleaded. The extra 16 kW really only comes into play if you work the engine hard. Torque is impressive at 420 Nm and comes in at 2000 revs. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. SAFETY Mazda has never been a company to scrimp on safety features and all CX-9 variants come with a wide range of driver support systems, including detection devices such as radars and cameras to recognise potential hazards as well as precrash safety technologies to prevent or reduce the severity of impacts.
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THE CX-9 is the flagship of Mazda’s SUV fleet sitting above its successful CX-3 and CX-5 models. The current CX-9 was released in 2016 and was given its latest upgrade in September 2018. With seven seats standard across its range vehicles such as the CX-9 have effectively replaced people movers especially when they come with the choice of front- or rearwheel. The former contributing to better performance, lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions and the latter providing extra traction for towing or mild off-road capability. Five Mazda CX-9 variants are available: Sport, Touring, GT, Azami and Azami LE. Azami LE which was added to the range
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March 22 - 28 | 2019
THE FUTURE IS HERE: Styling of the new Nissan Leaf pure electric car is attractive.
New Nissan Leaf getting closer IN October 2018 we attended a static display of the new Nissan Leaf where we were able to sit in the pure electric car that’s the world’s best seller. We also had the opportunity to spend serious time with engineers and marketing people. Now Nissan Australia has announced the next step of the marketing campaign by announcing it will be priced from $49,990 (MSRP) plus on road costs. New generation Leaf will be sold from 89 Nissan dealerships Australia wide, well up from the 12 when the original Leaf was introduced seven years ago. To date, 11,000 potential customers have registered their interest in the new Leaf. Now they can pre-order their new Nissan Leaf by visiting nissan.com.au/leafpreorder/. Styling of the first Leaf was on the odd side, but the designers have given their new one an attractive mainstream look. Inside there’s good legroom for four adults and five can be carried if you don’t mind a bit of squeezing in the back seat. The boot is huge, being particularly deep. The new Nissan Leaf has an improved 110kW of power, up 38 per cent on the gen-one Leaf, and 320Nm of torque
By Ewan Kennedy (up 14 per cent). It has a driving range of up to 270km when tested on the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) combined cycle. Nissan research has shown the average distance travelled in Australian suburban areas is about 38km a day so Leaf will only need a full charge about once a week. However, we feel the majority of owners are likely to top up their car overnight as they are accustomed to do this with phones, tablets, et cetera. Charging times will depend on the charging connection and will range between 24 hours, to less than 60 minutes via a fast charge. JET Charge is Nissan’s preferred charger installer at its dealerships and can also fit out homes and other places. Fascinatingly, the Nissan Leaf has worldfirst bi-directional charging capabilities. This allows owners to use the charge from their car to power their home or business, or return electricity to the grid. Nissan Intelligent Mobility features active
Mazda CX-9 From page 1
There’s also smart city forward and rear brake support; blind spot monitoring; rear cross traffic alert; driver attention alert; radar cruise control with stop/go function; lane departure warning; lane-keep assist; traffic sign recognition; high beam control; Isofix child seat anchors in the outer second-row seats; and head-up display. GT and Azami models also get traffic sign recognition while Azami and Azami LE get 360-degree view camera. INFOTAINMENT CX-9 uses the latest version of the Mazda MZD Connect system to provide access to the internet, social media, email, Pandora, Stitcher and Aha as well as hands-free voice and text messaging through Bluetooth. All models get built-in satellite navigation while the GT, Azami and Azami LE models also have DAB+ digital radio where available and a Premium Bose 294 watt audio system. Information is displayed on a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen in the entry-level CX-9 Sport while all higher grade models get a
safety equipment such as a 360 degree Intelligent Around-View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, Intelligent Cruise Control, Intelligent Emergency Braking – with Pedestrian Protection, Intelligent Cruise and Trace Control and Intelligent Lane Intervention. Fascinatingly, though the Leaf is built in the Nissan UK factory some components are made at the Nissan Casting plant in Dandenong, Victoria. You will be pleased to know these Leaf components, indeed virtually all Nissan parts made in this country have a small kangaroo motif on them. The new Nissan Leaf is available in six colours: Arctic White, Ivory Pearl with black roof, Magnetic Red, Pearl Black, Platinum and Gun Metallic. As mentioned, we’ve yet to drive new Leaf, but that extra torque and the immediate acceleration that’s such a great feature of all electric cars should make it enjoyable. COMMENT Australia continues to be one of very few countries in the developed world with no government incentives to assist buyers
into clean, green cars. A pathetic situation partly caused by a number of backward Australian politicians who continue to deny our climate is changing…
Despite its size CX-9 is quite enjoyable to drive helped along by the new G-vectoring drive control system that provides a smoother distribution of power and improved handling and balance if you’re driving moderately hard. The powered driver’s seat now has a tilt function, adjusting the height of the cushion’s front edge. A small adjustment but one that can make a big difference to driving comfort and fatigue levels. Combined fuel consumption is listed at 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres. We managed
to match that on the motorway but around town the figure jumped to 12.3 L/100. SUMMING UP Mazda is making every post a winner with its three-model SUV range helping it consistently hold onto second spot in overall Australian vehicle sales. While it doesn’t match the sales numbers of its smaller, and cheaper, siblings the CX-9 is a versatile vehicle that combines FWD people mover functionality with AWD moderate off-road ability or towing traction.
review
more advanced 8.0-inch screen. The CX-9 has four USB ports, two in the front centre console and two in the rear seat armrest. DRIVING The two-tonne Mazda CX-9 responds well to accelerator pedal inputs and cruised effortlessly along our undulating M1 motorway to the north of Sydney. The 2018 upgrade brought noticeable improvements to noise and vibration levels. Despite a 12-metre turning circle the big Mazda SUV is surprisingly manoeuvrable around town. Its bulk can make parking a bit tricky, however, the combination of parking sensors, reversing camera and the rear cross traffic alert system reduce the risks of bumps and scrapes. Once clear of the suburbs and out onto the open motorway the CX-9 comes into its own. This could easily be a luxury cruising sedan but with the added benefits of extra interior space and passenger and/ or luggage capacity.
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March 22 - 28 | 2019
Renault
Megane R.S.
„ HEAD TURNER: Renault Megane R.S. isn’t afraid to stand out visually, just see that lairy look NEW Megane R.S. 280 is a serious By Ewan Kennedy sporting hatch that’s aimed at the keen driver who wants to get the best from using satellite navigation. However, the menu system is too their motoring life. It features the latest in powertrain technology, chassis tuning and complicated and if you’re one of those silly people who likes to use it while aerodynamic assistance. However, its stunning styling and you’re driving it can cause too much excellent colour choices mean it will also inattention. POWERTRAIN appeal to those more interested in serene 3RZHU FRPHV IURP D KLJKO\ WXQHG grand touring than in track day blasting. Australia has historically been one of OLWUH IRXU F\OLQGHU WXUER SHWURO HQJLQH Renault Sport’s biggest markets for the Showing it’s a serious powerplant it must Megane R.S. and a week in the latest only be run on 98 octane premium fuel. It produces up to 280 horsepower, model shows this is likely to continue. hence its 280 name (205 kilowatts in STYLING Major changes to the appearance from Australian numbers). Torque is a strong the standard Megane models include 390 Nm which is reached at a relatively wider wheelarches to accomodate the big low 2400 revs and continues to 4800, even after that it still remains strong. tyres. Transmission is to the front wheels by Strong colours certainly make a statement, our test R.S. was in Liquid HLWKHU D VL[ VSHHG PDQXDO RU VHYHQ VSHHG Yellow, which worked beautifully with the clutch automatic. On the manual versions, you can choose multiple black grilles, foglight surrounds, front guard vents, subtle lower side skirts between two types of chassis, the standard Sport or the pretty serious Cup and the rear diffuser. It is also offered in Orange Tonic paint, model. A major feature is Renault’s 4CONTROL but yellow and black have been Renault motorsport colours for so many years we reckon ‘our’ yellow and black beast is the one to opt for. 7KLV ODWHVW 0HJDQH 5 6 LV D ²YH GRRU KDWFK QRW D WKUHH GRRU DV LQ SUHYLRXV models, perhaps to try and attract more family buyers. The interior features sports front seats with bolsters that support without being overly aggressive, aluminium pedals and a PXOWL PRGH LQVWUXPHQW OD\RXW INFOTAINMENT We really like the use of a portrait VKDSHG LQFK VFUHHQ DV \RX FDQ JHW D lot more map information in sight when
Killer
system that is standard on the Sport and Cup chassis. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels, up to a maximum angle of 2.7 degrees. At speeds of over 60 km/h (over 100 km/h in Race mode) the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction, OLPLWHG WR D RQH GHJUHH DQJOH IRU WKH UHDU wheels. SAFETY Renault has long been one of the world leaders in safety. As well as the obvious active safety in a well sorted sports machine like the R.S, there are many passive safety features. Six airbags are standard as are automatic emergency braking, electronic stability control, ABS brakes, blind spot warning for these who don’t set up their mirrors correctly and distance warning. DRIVING Forget the Comfort mode in the R.S. HYHQ LQ GD\ WR GD\ GULYLQJ LWV OLNHO\ WR prove just too sluggish in acceleration and the feel of the steering is too light. Once into Sport the Megane engine takes RQ D ORYHO\ JURZO DQG PDNHV DOO WKH VQDS
airbags
THE Federal Chamber of Automotive By Ewan Kennedy Industries (FCAI) advises that more than RQH PLOOLRQ YHKLFOHV KDYH EHHQ LGHQWL²HG PRUH WKDQ YHKLFOHV UHFWL²HG HYH as carrying faulty Takata airbags through ry month.â€? the industry website, www.ismyairbag The launch of the innovative website has safe.com.au. been supported by an extensive “Don’t Since launch, more than 6.4 million vehi Die Wonderingâ€? national advertising cam cles have been checked on the site. paign including television, press, radio, “That’s a tremendous result,â€? said Tony cinema, outdoor billboards and social me Weber, chief executive of the FCAI. “The dia. website has underpinned the powerful The website has excellent accessibility community response to the recall, with IRU QRQ (QJOLVK VSHDNLQJ XVHUV ZLWK LQ
FUDFNOH SRS VRXQGV GXULQJ GRZQVKLIWV and when decelerating. /HIW RQ LWV RZQ WKH GXDO FOXWFK DXWR is generally in the correct gear. Manual overrides are snappy and positive. We GRQW OLNH WKH SDGGOHV EHLQJ ²[HG WR the column, they should move with the steering wheel. It took a while to become accustomed to WKH IRXU ZKHHO VWHHULQJ EXW RQFH ZH GLG it felt just right. The fast ratios mean you can keep your hands in the one position on the wheel at all times, with the sole exception of very tight hairpin bends. Road grip is enormous and you would really have to be pushing extremely hard to bring in the electronic driving aids. Comfort is pretty good, but this is a VSRUWV PDFKLQH DQG LW LV UDWKHU ²UP DW times. Big bumps are generally coped ZLWK DQG 5HQDXOW KDV D FOHYHU EXPS spot system that operates in a pleasingly subtle way. During the media launch of the Megane R.S. in late 2018 we spent time at Norwell Motorplex, which is a driver training FHQWUH QRW D UDFHWUDFN LQ VRXWK HDVW Queensland. In Race mode you can really feel the R.S. talking to you through the steering and by the feel of well bolstered VHPL UDFH VHDWV Engine response is excellent and the brakes haul off speed hard and never showed any sign of fading. SUMMING UP Renault Megane R.S. 280 is an excellent machine from a company with over a KXQGUHG \HDUV LQ PRWRUVSRUW DQG $XVVLH Daniel Ricciardo is driving an F1 Renault this year. This Megane offers sheer driving pleasure and standout styling for a relatively modest price.
formation in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesian, &KLQHVH 6LPSOL²HG DQG 7UDGLWLRQDO 9LHW namese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Dari and Hindi. Mr Weber urged vehicle owners in every state and territory to use the website or text the word TAKATA to 0487 247 224 to check the recall status of their vehicles. 2QFH D YHKLFOH LV LGHQWL²HG YHKLFOH RZQ ers can make arrangements with their „DANGER: Do you like the idea of brand’s local dealer to have all faulty air sitting ahead of an airbag that might bags replaced. This work is free. explode at any moment?
4
March 22 - 28 | 2019
Hyundai i30
THE Hyundai i30 Fastback N is the second offering from the Hyundai N Performance Division. Developed from the i30 N hothatch, the Fastback has a seven per cent aerodynamic drag reduction compared with the hatch. It has the same 202kW / 353Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the hatch. Overboost increases torque to 378Nm at full throttle for up to 18 seconds. The zero to 100 km/h time is listed at 6.1 seconds and the hot Hyundai is electronically limited to a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine drives the front wheels via a six-speed manual and an electro-mechanical limited-slip differential (E-LSD). Standard i30 Fastback N features include an active variable exhaust system, electronically controlled adaptive suspension and launch control. ,W KDV LQFK DOOR\ ZKHHOV ² WWHG ZLWK specially developed Pirelli P-Zero HN 235/35
CLASSIFIEDS MOTOR VEHICLES
MOTOR VEHICLES
By Ewan Kennedy R19 tyres. Like the N hatch the Fastback N factory warranty covers non-competitive UDFHWUDFN GULYLQJ DQG WKH ² WPHQW RI KLJK performance semi-slick tyres. The cabin has sports front seats, a leatherappointed steering wheel, alloy sports pedals, N race computer and instrument panel-mounted shift lights. Red accents are used on seat stitching, gear lever boot and gear knob and leather steering wheel. There are even red surrounds for the driver and passenger side air conditioning outlets. The new i30 Fastback N is available in six colours, Shadow Grey is this model’s signature shade. Also offered are Polar White, Phantom Black, Engine Red, Micron *UH\ DQG WKH 1 VSHFL² F 3HUIRUPDQFH %OXH as worn by Hyundai’s WRC contenders. The i30 Fastback N starts at $41,990 MLP. It is offered with a pair of option packs: the Luxury Pack ($3,000) and the Luxury Pack with Panoramic Sunroof ($5000).
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„ VISUALLY PLEASING: The longer, sleeker tail of the Hyundai i30 Fastback N makes it quite different visually.
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Vehicle HOLDEN Commodore station wagon SVZ, 2007, auto, 196,600km, four new tyres, tow bar, in good condition, (UWI814) Vic Rego until June, with RWC, $5500. Ph 0417 119 957.
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MITSUBISHI VR Lancer hatchback, 2008, manual, 160,000 kms, regular services, registered until June, (WRC629), $6000. Ph 0402 118 691.
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