Articles by Ewan Kennedy

Porsche Australia has added five new 911 GTS models to its range. Carrera GTS with rear-wheel drive, 911 Carrera 4 GTS with all-wheel drive, both in coupe and cabriolet bodies, and the 911 Targa 4 GTS

The Infiniti Q50 sports sedan for the 2016 season comes with two new turbo-petrol engines that are supported by a range of new chassis technologies.

Holden Captiva is a medium-large SUV that is imported from a General Motors factory in South Korea. It has a lot of Australian input in its body styling and mechanical components. Interestingly, the Captiva is offered in two different body styles, with the Maxx having a sporty look and five seats. The others are built as five or seven-seaters. The third row seats are larger than those in many of Captiva’s competitors but are still better suited to children than adults. It can carry adults in moderate comfort, though ideally not on long trips. Storage space when all seven seats are in place is very restricted. This is not unusual in this class, but check for yourself if you’re planning to use all seats for people. The rear seats can the folded down in various ways, when all are flat, you have up to 1565 litres of luggage space. There are a number of smaller stowage compartments including a large wet/dry area beneath the load compartment floor. Interior storage is excellent, with seatback pockets; a glovebox cooler; front and rear centre console storage; door bins; drink holders; and an overhead sunglasses holderWhen introduced in launched in 2007 the only Captiva powerplant was a 3.2-litre V6 petrol built in Australia by Holden. The engine was shipped to the South Korean factory to be installed in Captivas used on many global markets. A 2.0-litre diesel engine was added to the range a few months later.Initially all Captivas had a part-time 4WD system, with drive normally being to the front wheels and the rear wheels being engaged when extra traction was demanded. The 4WD system is well engineered and the Holden Captiva can tackle some quite tough off-road areas as it has good approach and departure angles. While Holden Captiva is not a heavy-duty 4WD but can go surprisingly far in the hands of an experienced operator.A 2WD version, driven through the front wheels, was introduced in December 2009. Called the Captiva 5 and using the Maxx style body it’s a powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. A five-speed automatic with manual overrides was the only transmission until the arrival of the Captiva 5, which is offered with a six-speed manual as well as the automatic transmission. The automatics were upgraded to six forward ratios with the introduction of a facelifted Captiva in February 2011.All Captiva models come with electronic stability control, ABS brakes with brake assist, traction control, active rollover protection and descent control. There are dual front airbags in all models with side curtain airbags optional in the lower cost models and standard on the others.Holden dealers operate in most areas of Australia and most are likely to carry the more common spare parts for the Captiva. Other components can usually be shipped in within a couple of working days. Prices are often lower than average for an imported vehicle in this class.Parts and servicing costs are reasonable and the relatively simple layout of the Captiva means the good amateur mechanic can do a fair bit of their own work. Safety related items should only be worked on by professionals.Insurance costs are pretty reasonable and we haven’t seen a big variation between companies. However, it’s always smart to shop around for the best deal making sure that you’re comparing apples with apples when doing so.Check for rust in the lower area of the body and in a Captiva that may have been used on the beach. Look over the interior for signs of dirt having been ground into carpets. Similarly, check for damage and/or stains on the seats. Look for off-road damage to the bumper corners, the door sills and for light scratches in the paintwork on the doors and the front guards. If the load area has been used to cart heavy gear and/or has been damaged by poor loading and/or fastening there could be severe damage to the carpets. Again, signs of sand may be bad news.Engines that are slow to start or blow smoke when worked hard may be due for major repairs.Automatic transmissions that don’t go into Drive quickly when moved from Neutral or Reverse may need servicing.If living in a remote area it’s a good idea to check that trained mechanics are locally available before going too deeply into your choice of vehicle.

For what's classified as a small car the Holden Cruze is quite large and has good leg and shoulder room for four adults.

Subaru BRZ is a small rear-drive Japanese sports coupe selling for a pretty reasonable price, particularly when compared with the cost of the typical European equivalents.

When introduced to Australia in 1983, the Mitsubishi Pajero was arguably the first affordable 4WD that was a family wagon rather than a truck-based 4WD.However, this is a genuine SUV, not a passenger car with a tough looking body, Pajero is competent off-road, being able to handle most situations likely to be encountered by an adventurous family in the great Aussie countryside or on beaches.Though it began its life in downunder as a body-on-chassis 4WD, it became a monocoque for improved ride and comfort in 2000. Good engineering meant the post-2000 models retained similar strength to the chassis models. All have a low-range case for tough, slow conditions.While we are considering the monocoque models from the year 2000 in this feature you should be aware the older ones may be past their use-by date. Unless you can do a fair bit of your own mechanical work you're probably better off considering models from the new generation in December 2006.Mitsubishi’s sophisticated Super Select drivetrain permits the use of all-wheel-drive under any circumstance. For example, safe traction on wet sealed roads if you opt for AWD, or lower fuel consumption on dry dirt roads if you go for 2WD. AWD can be engaged or disengaged on the fly at any speed up to 100 km/h.Midway through 2013 Pajero was brought right up to date in its infotainment and safety equipment. These models are popular with buyers who can't come up with the dollars to buy a brand new one.Mitsubishi Pajero comes as a station wagon with either two or four passenger doors. The two-door was never particularly popular and imports stopped with the all-new model of 2000. They reappeared with the when the new model was launched at the start of end of 2006, then disappeared due to lack of buyer interest in 2010.All short-wheelbase Pajeros have five seats, the long-wheelbase models have either five or seven. The rearmost two seats in the seven-seat models are better suited to kids than adults but with a bit of squeezing up the Pajero can handle seven grown-ups.Though the first Pajeros had a petrol four-cylinder engine, all petrols under review here are V6s. This was a 3.5 twin-cam unit until September 2003 when it was uprated to a 3.8-litre.Diesel power is preferred by most buyers, the large four-cylinder units, 2.8 then 3.2 litres, have good torque and seem to enjoy hard work.Pajero is offered in manual and automatic transmissions, with the latter being almost universal in later years.The Australian Mitsubishi dealer network is long established and well-organised. Spare parts are generally available for all but the oldest models. Prices can be relatively high as 4WD bits are more rugged and can come as a surprise if you've only owned sedans in the past.Insurance premiums are about average for this class and there doesn’t seem to be much difference of opinion on the insurance risk amongst the major insurance companies.Note that the Pajero Sport launched at the end of 2015 is actually a replacement for the outgoing Challenger, not an additional version of the standard Pajero range.If you suspect a Pajero has been used off-road look for damage to door sills, door surfaces and bumper corners. Be very wary if the protection plates have been pushed up onto the mechanical items move them.Check out the interior carefully because carting bored kids about can be tough on any vehicle. Damage to the cargo area is another sign of hard use.Poor engine maintenance is hard on turbos and can lead to complete failure if the oil hasn't been changed on time. Check the service book.Be sure all gears in a manual box engage easily and that the clutch is light and quiet in its action.Automatic transmissions should go into Drive and Reverse promptly and easily.Listen for, and feel for, noises and roughness in the complete driveline.Make sure the brakes pull the Pajero up evenly, even on dirt.

You would go a long way to find a more versatile passenger vehicle than the Toyota Avensis, a seven-seat people-mover that drives more like a car than a van or SUV.

The Holden Barina is a small car that's generally tough in its build and put together to a good standard. It has a good reputation for being simple to drive and park and long lasting if driven and serviced correctly.It was the smallest car sold in Australia by Holden for many years, an even smaller model, called Barina Spark and later just plain Spark was sold from 2010, but isn't the model being surveyed here.The first Barinas were made by Japanese Suzuki and introduced here in 1989, then from 1994 they came from German car maker Opel. These are at or past their use-by date so won't be covered here.From December 2005, Barinas have been produced by the South Korean company Daewoo, now called GM-Korea, it has quite a few Australian engineers and designers on site so there's Aussie tuning in them. The car used some of the underpinnings developed by Opel and was very much a global machine.A virtually all-new model, tagged the TK series Barina was introduced in October 2011. Considerably more sophisticated than its predecessors it had electronically stability program, as well as infotainment technology that included GM’s MyLink system.Holden Barina is sold as a three-door or five-door hatch, or a four-door sedan, the latter not offered at all times.Occupant space in the front seats is fine for a car of its size. Rear seat legroom is restricted unless those in the front are prepared to give up some of their space. Most Aussie Barinas are used by single or couples, but we have seen some working as small family cars.Boot space is marginal, but the rear-seat backrests can be folded down to increase luggage room when required.All Barinas have four-cylinder engines. Though the engine is small, performance is reasonably good because of the light weight of the car. Try for yourself if you are likely to be carrying largish loads or driving in hilly conditions.Five-speed manual gearboxes are probably the best bet unless you are going to be doing a lot of heavy-duty commuting. Automatic transmissions are not too bad, particularly in six-speed format installed in the TK series. Again, test drive it yourself.Spare parts prices are generally favourable and there are Holden dealers in virtually all areas of Australia. Those in remote country areas are unlikely to stock every Barina part, so you may have to wait for parts to be shipped from a major city.Barinas are reasonably easy for the amateur mechanic to service and repair, though the underbonnet area is on the crowded side and work can be frustrating at times. Having a workshop manual on hand before you lift the bonnet makes a lot of sense.Insurance charges are generally reasonable and there doesn't seem to be a major difference in prices from company to company. As always, it's smart to shop around, making sure you're comparing apples with apples.The engine should start reasonably quickly and idle without too much movement.After the engine has been idling for a minute or so, hit the accelerator pedal and look for a puff of smoke from the exhaust. This could indicate serious engine wear.Make some fast gearchanges and listen and feel for a manual gearbox that baulks or crashes. The problem usually shows up in the critical third-to-second downchange before any others.Automatics that are rough in their changes or which change too frequently, may be due for an overhaul.Look for front tyres that are worn unevenly. This could be caused by something as simple as poor wheel alignment, but it could also mean the body has been twisted in a prang.Expect to spend from $1000 to $2500 for a 2005 Holden Barina; $2000 to $4000 for a 2005 SRi; $3000 to $6000 for a 2009 Barina; $5500 to $9000 for a 2012 Classic; $7000 to $11,000 for  a 2013 CDX; $8500 to $13,000 for a 2014 CDX; $10,000 to $15,000 for a 2014 RS or a 2016 CDX; and $12,500 to $19,000 for a 2016 RS.Look first at that left front wheel for signs of damage, it's generally the one to suffer if a driver stuffs up while parking.

After decades of building small and mid-sized crossover all-wheel-drives, Subaru introduced the Tribeca SUV to compete at the big end of town in the 4WD market.

The Subaru XV is a compact SUV from the Japanese company that has featured AWD in virtually ever model sold in Australia for the last 25 years.