Archive for December, 2005

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What Sucked in 2005

Motoring journalists do not have an easy job. You might think that there would better job than driving around in new cars all the time. But it must be so difficult to remain objective about each individual car when you do that all the time.
I mean how can you remain objective about a Kia Sorento [...]

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Car Seats

Few of us think much about the car seats that we sit in; as long as they remain comfortable our thoughts focus on other aspects of our car. But the design and development of car seats is very important to car manufacturers because they know that how the seat in their latest showroom models feels [...]

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A Wicked Camper

Update: read the comments below from many unhappy clients of Wicked Campers … comments that have been coming in ever since the story first appeared in December 2005 and then read the lastest in the saga of Wicked Campers by following the link.
I have the good fortune to live in Hervey Bay, one of the [...]

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Nissan Tiida

Edit – Update and a link to the first online review of the Nissan Tiida
The Nissan Pulsar is about to become yesterday’s car with the release in February of the Nissan Tiida. Shoppers in major shopping centres in Sydney are already getting a preview of the new sedan as preview cars go on display through [...]

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Is There a Geely Beauty Leopard in Your Future?

‘A what?’ I can hear you say.
If a two door coupe doesn’t appeal to you what about a Haoqing, a Merrie, a Uliou or a Maple?
These are all vehicles manufactured by Geely a Chinese car manufacturer that has the US market firmly in its sites.

Geely commenced business in China in 1986 as a [...]

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VW Polo GTI

When you want performance, looks and the right price then the VW Polo GTI is the car for you.

For $26,990 you get a two door sedan with a GTI badge on the back and the performance under the bonnet to match the GTI tag.
Production of the VW Polo range is shared between South [...]

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General Motors Holden Going Against the Trend?

Sometimes the reasoning of the people at the top of some of the world’s motor companies is a little hard to follow and the Chairman of General Motors Holden is definitely one of those whose reasoning seems to be a little strange.
One the one had he sais that during 2005 the world car market has [...]

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Your Next Honda Civic Could Come From India

The Honda Motor Company has announced plans to expand their operations in India. Currently 30,000 units are year are produced at Honda’s Indian plants and the planned expansion will allow that figure to rise to 50,000 a year.

Currently Honda produce the City ZX and the Civic in India

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Kia Rio Wins Prestigious ‘Autobest 2006’ Award

A jury of influential motoring writers from 12 Eastern European countries has voted the Kia Rio winner of the prestigious ‘Autobest 2006’ award for being ‘the new car most suitable for the needs of the population of the region, thoroughly modern with new technology and affordable to buy.’
Announcing the 2006 winner, Autobest Chairman [...]

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Australia’s Best Small Car

Hyundai’s Getz has reclaimed the title of Australia’s Best Small Car – its second win in three years – in the annual Australia’s Best Cars awards, the car industry’s most rigorous and comprehensive rating regime run by all the state Royal Automobile Clubs and the NRMA.
In the Large (formerly Family) Car class, mostly the preserve [...]

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American Cars Suck

At least that’s what an American humorist suggested on 60 Minutes.
Are they only finding that out now?
We could have told them that years ago!

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Preparing for Your Car for the Trip

Christmas is just two weeks away and that means the time for hitting the road for the beach and holidays is also here.
There is nothing that will spoil your holiday fun more than sitting on the side of the expressway waiting for the tow truck so prepare your car for the trip. And the [...]

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The James Bond Car

The headline at RM Auctions reads “1964 Aston Martin DB5 Coupe” but this isn’t just any Aston Martin DB5 Coupe, this is the James Bond Car and for car lovers this was the real star of Thunderball and Goldfinger.

And now it’s up for sale for the first time in 35 years and of course, it [...]

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Mitsubishi to Cut Back on Production

Less than two months into the production of its company-saving 380 sedan range Mitsubishi has announced that production will be scaled down.
Currently the large car market is overstocked and Holden and Ford are both offering discounts to try and move excess inventory. Discounting the price of the new range is something that Mitsubishi is reluctant [...]

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Changing the Colour of Your Car

Perhaps, like me, you’re not happy with the colour of your car. After all silver was such an elite colour when we bought our limo but now … sadly… it has become as common as dirt. At the moment there is little you or I can do to change the colour of our cars apart [...]

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Over $10,000 Per Cylinder

Yes that’s right, meet the VRX Turbo the latest hot little four to emerge from the Holden Special Vehicles’ workshops and it’s set to hit the market at a price point somewhere below $A43,000.
With a 0-100kmh speed of just a little more than 6 seconds this vehicle may not be the fastest from a [...]

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Going to the Summer Nats This Year?

The Army is and they’re taking their latest toy …
“Sorry Sarn’t Major ”
… I mean weapon!
Armygeddon – a supercharged 7 litre Landrover will be there to take on all comers.
I’m told that the wire guided anti-vehicle missiles will be disarmed but the gun mounts aren’t just for decoration
“Don’t be silly [...]

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What is the Most Popular Automotive Colour?

According to Dupont, the world’s biggest manufacturer of automotive paints silver has been the most popular colour this year – as it has been for the previous five years.
Perhaps it’s time for me and the missus to flog off the silver limo and buy something a little less common

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Hyundai Sets Its Sights on Australia

In a major announcement the chairman of Hyundai Automotive Group revealed that by 2015 is aims to be selling 100,000 Hyundai and 50,000 Kia cars in Australia.
The chairman, Chung Mong-koo suggested that by the end of 2007 the company would be selling 70,000 units in Australia and by 2010 it would have doubled it’s market [...]

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Nissan Murano

Perhaps I should be the last person to write this piece. I mean I cut my 4WD teeth on a very battered but dependable Mk1 Land Rover. And back in 1987 when I spent several weeks driving a base model Pajero I thought of it as a car for sissies. So maybe I’m not the [...]