Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 47 i Australian New Car Buyer

The Australian Consumer Law 2011 (ACL) says that if you buy a new car and it has a “major failure” you are entitled to take it back to the dealer and claim a refund, or a replacement. The choice is yours. A major failure is when a reasonable consumer would not have bought the car if they had known about the problem, or when the car is substantially unfit for its normal purpose. In other words, the car is a lemon. The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) has the car industry in its sights, particularly in relation to the practice of forcing consumers to sign confidentiality agreements as a condition of refunding their money or replacing their car under the ACL. “The ACCC has made consumer issues arising in…

AUDI R8 FROM $354,900 Just as the original R8 was an engineering twin with the Lamborghini Gallardo, this second-generation model shares its underpinnings with the Lambo Huracán, including its hybrid construction (aluminium alloy/Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer) space frame, V10 powerplant, sevenspeed dual clutch gearbox, double-wishbone suspension and all-wheel drive system. And in an age of emissionsdriven engine downsizing, the Audi flagship’s 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10, mounted longitudinally in the centre of the car, is quite literally a breath of fresh air. There are no turbos or superchargers to force induction here, just pure, free-revving, atmo joy. All new, this R8 is still instantly recognisable as a design descendant of the model it replaces. The wheelbase is identical, although the new car is marginally shorter overall, thanks to 9mm taken out…

FORD MUSTANG FROM $44,990 Mustang prices kick off at $45,990 for the 2.3-litre turbopetrol/six-speed manual EcoBoost Fastback; a six-speed auto adds $2500 and the auto convertible is $54,990. With 233kW and 432Nm, it’s hardly underdone, but it sounds like a vacuum cleaner and, let’s face it, a four-cylinder Mustang is against the laws of nature. The model you really want is the 5.0-litre V8 GT, which opens at $57,490 for the six-speed manual Fastback. The six-speed auto is $59,990; the GT Convertible auto is $66,490. Consider the hardware you get for that: a 306kW/530Nm 5.0-litre, 32-valve alloy V8 with independent variable camshaft timing; limited slip differential; sophisticated independent suspension at both ends; six-piston front Brembo calipers; 19-inch gloss black alloy wheels with 255/40 front and 275/40 rear Pirelli PZero rubber.…

PETER MCKAY Peter McKay has been writing about cars since 1976, for publications including Wheels and The Sydney Morning Herald. He has competed in seven Bathurst 1000s, the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Spa 24 Hours, Australian Safari and been a World Car of the Year and Wheels COTY judge. He loves his Porsche 911 SC Targa, but in weak moments admits its character and ageless good looks don’t always compensate for the absence of power steering and air conditioning. So he sometimes hankers for a new hot hatch. McKay reckons making a living as a freelance motoring bloke for 34 unbroken years is a professional high point. And a bloody miracle. In this issue, he tests the Kia Sportage. PHIL KING Phil King is Motoring Editor of The Australian. Since switching…

In Australian New Car Buyer, we include trade-in values for every model in our Showroom section. These are provided to us by Redbook, Australia’s leading authority on used car values. Each model we test includes three-andfive-year retained values, expressed as a percentage. These are based on what the wholesale price — ie, the price that a dealer would pay for the car — would be for a car in average condition with average kilometres for its age. You’llfind Redbook’s threeandfive-year retained values in the Spex for single-page tests, and at the end of the What’s Standard section in tests that run over two pages. When you’re selling your car privately, trading it in or buying a car, a Redbook Valuation is money well spent. When selling your car privately, a…

BMW M2 FROM $89,900 BMW’s M division cars have been hit and miss in recent years — epic on a track, but not so enjoyable in day-to-day driving, where their overreliance on electronics produces a remote, uninvolving driving experience, amplified by artificially weighted steering, constipated twin-clutch gearboxes and an inability to get power the ground. Well, BMW may havefinally seen and remedied the errors of its ways with its latest model, the M2. It starts at $89,900 for the sixspeed manual “M2 Pure” edition and $98,900 for the seven-speed twin-clutch auto, fully-fledged M2. Aside from the transmission (said to trim 0.2 seconds from the manual in the 0–100km/h dash, to a claimed 4.3 seconds in launch mode), the $10,000 premium also buys electrically adjustable heated seats, a sensor key, richer…

HOLDEN SPARK FROM $13,990 The cheapest cars are often the hardest to make. Believe it or not, it costs just as much to design, engineer and develop a $13,990 hatchback like the Holden Spark as it does a $19,990 small car, but the profits are much slimmer. It’s afine balance between scrimping on every penny put into the vehicle and delivering the quality, safety and equipment that buyers demand. Holden Spark pricing starts at $13,990 for the Spark LSfive-speed manual and $15,690 for the CVT auto. As this article was written, Holden was doing drive-away pricing of $14,990 and $16,690 respectively, so aim for that or wait until this deal comes around again, which is likely. One other tip: set aside another $550 if you want metallic paint. In a…

JAGUAR F-PACE FROM $74,340 Jaguar’s new F-Pace is thefirst ever SUV to wear the leaping cat badge. Its mostly aluminium body draws on the basic elements of Jaguar’s XE and XF sedans. Size-wise, the F-Pace is something of an inbetweenie. It’s larger than a BMW X3, for example, but not as big as an X5. It’s certainly spacious enough to be a very useful family wagon. The 650-litre cargo compartment is a whopper and the rear seat, which features a three-piece folding backrest, is roomy. Considering its size and equipment, F-Pace prices aren’t outrageous. They begin at $74,340 for the 2.0-litre turbodiesel four in Prestige grade. The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel range opens at $84,590 for the Prestige. The sole petrol engine for now is a supercharged 3.0-litre V6. It’s priced…

SUZUKI VITARA FROM $21,990 Suzuki’s Vitara is a simple, affordable SUV that works nicely as transport for a young family. Think of it as a spacious, practical alternative to a small hatch, such as a Toyota Corolla, and you get the idea. Speaking of which, prices start at just $21,990 for the Vitara RT-S, with an 86kW 1.6-litre petrol four, six-speed manual and front-wheel drive. A sixspeed automatic (tested here) adds $2000. At this price you get plenty of standard equipment, including navigation, automatic air, 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth and seven airbags. Vitara RT-X, with the same engine, the automatic and allwheel drive in high range only, is $31,990. It adds a sunroof, parking sensors, leather-suede upholstery and extra bling. The 1.6 produces pretty humble power and torque numbers, and…

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FROM $34,990 In Australia, the medium-size sedan class is dominated by the Toyota Camry, but in Europe the VW Passat is king. In fact, it’s more fundamental to VW than the Golf, being the company’s oldest brand and its most successful model, with 22 million sold all over the world. The new eighth-generation Passat has moved upmarket, inside and out. The cabin has a quality feel, with soft-touch materials on the dash and doors, aluminium highlights, and comfortable, almost luxurious seats. It’s bigger than previously, too, so the Passat now works better than ever as a family car, with the wagon also being a much more viable alternative to the ubiquitous SUV. It’s loaded to the hilt with the latest tech, including nine airbags (as many as the…

In our tests on the following pages and in the Showroom, we have used symbols to give you a quick indication of the strengths of each car, and star ratings to indicate in more detail how each car stacks up in its class. Here’s what the symbols and stars mean: Our piggybank indicates a car that we think represents good value for money against the others in its class. It may not necessarily be the cheapest, but taking into account factors like standard equipment, safety, the way it drives, resale values and quality, it shapes up as a good deal. SA capital S indicates a car that scoresfive stars out offive for occupant protection in NCAP crash tests and has stability control plus six airbags as standard or as reasonably…

FORD FOCUS RS FROM $50,990 The Focus RS is highly capable and one of the best fast Fords to roam our streets. But for reasons I am yet to fathom, I did not come away with the same degree of amazement about the car as have other motoring writers around the world. To get behind the wheel before the Focus RS arrived in Australia, I did 2000km of realworld driving over a week in Germany, on speed-unlimited autobahns, scenic backroads and suburban streets. The car I drove didn’t feel as quick as has been reported by others. I had just swapped out of an Audi RS3 and Mercedes A45 AMG, both low 4.0-second 0–100km/h cars, according to the precision timing equipment we used. Ford claims the Focus RS, which is…

COMMODORE SS FROM $44,990 Holden’s VFII Commodore SS 6.2-litre V8/six-speed manual sedan costs $44,990. The six-speed auto SS is priced at $47,190. New for the last hurrah VFII is the 6.2-litre LS3 V8, previously reserved for HSV, a bi-model exhaust and engine noise piping into the cabin, passive entry and starting, a facelift, bonnet vents, new-look 18-inch alloys and LED tail lights on the Sportwagon. The SS-V is priced at $48,490 (man) and $50,690 (auto.) It picks up a colour head-up display and new 19-inch alloys. SS-V Redline, at $54,490/$56,690, adds four-piston rear Brembo brakes to complement the fronts. All automatic variants are also available as the Sportwagon, at a price premium of $2000. The SS and SSV interiors are the most attractive in the VF range. You get a…

KIA SPORTAGE FROM $28,990 Kia’s Sportage SUV, which shares architecture with Hyundai’s Tucson and, sizewise, bridges the gap between compact and medium wagons, starts at $28,990 for the Si front-wheel drive. This model is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine with a modest 114kW of power and an even more modest 192Nm of torque. The base drivetrain is also offered in the SLi, priced at $33,990. A 2.0-litre turbodiesel (with 136kW and 400Nm) with ondemand all-wheel drive is available across all grades at $33,990 for the Si, $38,990 for the SLi and $45,990 for the Platinum, while a 2.4-litre petrol (with 135kW and 237Nm) allwheel drivetrain is available only in the top-end Platinum at $43,490. A six-speed auto is standard. The attraction of the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is impossible to dismiss.…

PORSCHE 911 FROM $217,800 The 2016 Porsche 911, a crucial update of the 2012 991 series, which premieres a twin-turbo 3.0-litre drivetrain, opens at $217,800 for the Carrera coupe with a sevenspeed manual. Carrera cabriolet is $239,300. The very desirable Carrera S coupe will set you back $252,800. Carrera S cabriolet is $274,300. All-wheel drive Carrera 4 coupe/cabriolet cost $233,900/$255,400; Carrera 4S prices are $269,000/$290,500. With the new 3.0-litre twinturbo engine, the 911 Carrera gains more power and torque, plus lower emissions and claimed fuel efficiency improvements of around 12 per cent. Carrera now produces 272kW of power and Carrera S 309kW – both peak at 6500rpm, 900rpm below the naturally-aspirated engines, with redline now set at 7500rpm. Power gains are incremental (15kW in both variants), however torque is the…