How mad is this? It’s a hot hatch that’s rear-wheel drive and powered by a turbo inline six engine, and it features a six-speed manual transmission. It’s the kind of crazy combination you’d usually only see in a one-off concept or a custom conversion. Well, BMW produces it everyday with […]
Hatchbacks
2017 Honda Civic VTi-LX hatch review
The world of Honda holds a number of big-name legacies. One of its biggest is the Civic, arriving in Australia with its tenth generation. With it comes a new and very quirky design, improved engine efficiency and performance, and some added technologies that we have not seen in this class. […]
2018 BMW M140i review – Australian launch
When BMW Australia announced the new pricing for the 2017 M140i LCI, we thought they were joking. For $59,990 (excluding on-roads) you can get yourself a rear-wheel drive hatch with sweet steering, top-of-the-range luxury and appointments, and a smooth-as-silk turbo inline six engine. If you can name another car that […]
2017 Kia Picanto S manual review (video)
The 2017 Kia Picanto derives its name from the Spanish word for spicy; picante’, which, to some, may carry sporting or thrilling pretensions. Sitting in the smallest and most affordable city car segment, the emphasis is more on usability, tech and affordability than thrills – but a turbocharged GT-Line version […]
2018 Hyundai i30 SR manual review (video)
It was not too long ago that there was a stigma of inferiority associated with any vehicle built in Asia. Through time, it was the Japanese brands like Toyota and Honda that were first to prove they would withstand Australia’s harsh conditions. More recently, it is through vehicles like Hyundai’s […]
2017 Suzuki Swift GLX Turbo review (video)
At its launch in June, Suzuki said the all-new 2017 Swift was gunning for best-seller status in the light segment. A very tall order. Two months on and it is sitting in fifth spot, behind Hyundai Accent, Mazda2, Toyota Yaris, and Kia Rio, for a decent 5.8 per cent market […]
2018 Hyundai i30 Premium diesel review (video)
The 2018 Hyundai i30 is the brand’s latest bid to dominate one of the most competitive market segments in Australia; small hatches. While Hyundai’s reputation has improved overall, to the point where the i30 routinely tops Australian sales charts, there remains a minority of badge snobs who didn’t get the […]
2017 Hyundai i30 SR vs Honda Civic RS: warm hatch comparison (video)
SPECS PACKAGE DRIVE VERDICT Both Honda and Hyundai are on the verge of launching some very spicy super hatches to our market. The 202kW i30 N with input from former BMW M division boss, and the Nurburgring front-drive record-holding Civic Type R are both cars we’re very excited about and […]