Articles by Ewan Kennedy

The Audi RS Q3 crossover SUV has the credentials to match the insignia it proudly carries

The revival of style in the Toyota empire continues, this time with the big selling Yaris getting a striking facelift. So strong is the small car market in Australia at the moment that the importer has chosen to release information early to try and upstage competitors.The facelifted Toyota Yaris won’t reach us in Australia until September. The photos of the upcoming new model show it has Toyota's signature front-end design, with a downward dipping upper grille focused around the Toyota ‘T’ badge.Below the bumper is what looks to be the largest grille yet seen in any modern small car since Audi ushered in the era of the single-frame unit. Indeed, the grille extends back in the direction of the front wheels, and at the same time frames large triangular headlights.The overall result is a strong family resemblance with the Corolla hatch, and the all-new Corolla sedan that was launched only a couple of months back. The upgrade to the Yaris’ shape is matched by new wheel designs. There’s also revised rear styling including new taillights. Toyota tells us its latest Yaris has aimed for a higher-quality interior, though no photos have been released so we can’t comment at this stage. Toyota Link multimedia information system will be standard in topline versions and optional in others. Again, no details have been provided in the teaser press release.Small car sales have been surging in Australia in recent times as people move down from large cars in the interests of lower fuel consumption and emissions. Large car buyers have, not surprisingly, shown a huge preference for cars with back doors. As a result the three-door version of the new Yaris won’t be imported to Australia. All hatches will have five doors, the sedan will continue to have four.Sales of Toyota Yaris in Australia have reached 181,000 in just eight-and-a-half years since the nameplate arrived in late 2005. Yaris replaced the Toyota Echo, which in turn had displaced the Toyota Starlet. Sales were slow in the Starlet days, primarily due to its high price. But there’s no doubting the success of the Echo and Yaris. 

Late in 2013 yet another variant was added to the very successful Audi '5' sporty range, this time with all the best gear

Other than sharing names, the Holden Cruze models introduced to Australia in June 2009 bear no relationship to the Holden Cruze 4WD sold here between 2002 and 2006.The 2009 Cruze is a four-door sedan from South Korea, though it has a fair bit of Australian design in its style and also mechanically. Most Cruzes are built in Holden factories in Adelaide, though the initial imports came from a Korean factory.For a supposedly small car, Holden Cruze is quite large and offers good leg and shoulder room for four adults. Three children plus mum and dad is a breeze in Cruze.The Cruze sedan was joined by a five-door hatchback in November 2011. The revised rear end to create the body was virtually all done in Australia and is sold in many countries globally. A station wagon further increased the body options when it was introduced in January 2013.As befits an (almost) local car Holden Cruze is powered by a variety of engines: a 1.8-litre petrol engine, a 2.0-litre, turbo-diesel and a semi sporty unit in the form of a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol. The latter comes with the bonus of a more sophisticated suspension setup and is much favoured by those looking for something out of the ordinary.Buyers originally had a choice of a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, with the auto being the most popular. A six-speed manual is offered with the turbo-petrol and diesel models. During our testing we found the turbo-diesel engine to be noisier than average for this class, it also suffers from turbo lag. Changes to later cars made it slightly better, but try for yourself. Quality of fit and finish is good, inside and out.Comfort is generally good and noise, vibration and harshness are well suppressed. Rough roads do challenge the suspension at times, but for its class Cruze is acceptable. There are Holden dealers just about everywhere in Australia, though you may not be able to get uncommon parts for the Cruze in remote locations. Generally parts can be shipped to the outback within a couple of working days.Cruze is reasonably easy for the home handyperson to do routine work. As always, keep clear of safety items unless you really know what you're doing. Having a workshop manual at your elbow is always a smart move.Insurance charges are a little lower than average for this class, reflecting the fact that a lot of components are made in this country. Premiums don't vary hugely from company to company, but it's still worth shopping around. Make sure you compare the fine print on what you're being offered.WHAT TO LOOK FORAs mentioned, build quality is pretty good as Holden factories were really getting into their stride in challenging European and Korean quality. It still makes sense to have a full inspection by a professional, after making initial checks to the best of your ability.Make sure the engine starts within a second or so of it turning over. Diesels are slower than petrols, but shouldn't take more than about three seconds to get up and running.After running the engine on a light load for a few minutes floor the throttle and make sure it picks up with a minimum of fuss. Automatic transmissions should change gear promptly, and not hunt overmuch from gear to gear.Look for uneven tyre wear, particularly on the front wheels. It could mean hard driving and/or that the wheels have been kerbed and knocked out of alignment. Check the interior for signs of harsh usage, particularly from bored little darlings in the back seat.Look at the condition of the boot, also check the top of the rear bumper as it's sometimes used as a resting place for heavy items while the boot is being loaded.CAR BUYING TIPA good area to start inspecting a car is at the left-front wheel and tyre. That's generally the spot that gets thumped by those who didn't score ten out of ten during parking lessons. And who may not be good at driving either...

Skoda still lags in perception in the minds of many Australian car buyers.

Designing a new Mini isn't easy. As with the Porsche 911, Fiat 500 and VW Beetle, a new Mini must not stray too far from the original.

The first shipment of the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class crossover SUV had finally reached the docks in Australia and big celebrations were underway.

Alfa Romeo is famed for making great looking sports coupes and few have ever looked better than the sensational Alfa Romeo Brera that was introduced to Australia in June 2006. As well as looking pretty it was also pretty expensive as the importer at the time was charing top dollar for everything. Sales weren’t as high as they could have been.Imports of Alfa Romeo cars are now directly in the hands of the factory and serious price cuts on many Alfa Romeo models have been carried out. Unfortunately, the Brera didn’t survive the Australia takeover, probably because it was getting on in years, and the final imports arrived downunder early in 2012. Though they may not have been sold and registered until well into the year.Brera has styling by Italian automotive legend Giorgietto Giugiaro and was displayed at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show. Interest was so great that Alfa Romeo Centro Stile, the company’s own styling department, worked with Giugiaro to develop the stunning coupe that finally went on sale.A further legendary Italian automotive name comes into the equation as well, for the Brera bodies are built by the coachbuilding company Pininfarina. In Australia, the Brera was sold in two versions; the four-cylinder 2.2-litre JTS 136 kW engine and the top level Brera JTS, a V6 3.2-litre boasting 191 kW.Alfa’s V6 engine is interesting in that it’s based on the V6 block manufactured by Holden in Australia, before being shipped back to Italy for further worldwide on-selling. Alfa likes to point out that the rest of the engine, the parts they say give it soul, are all by Alfa Romeo and are made in Italy.You get more than simply two extra cylinders when you opt for the V6 engine, because you also receive Alfa Romeo’s all-wheel drive system tagged Q4. This has a self-locking Torsen centre differential virtually eliminates the understeer which is a bugbear in some all-wheel drive vehicles. It gives this Alfa Romeo the feeling of a rear-drive car, but with a lot more road grip when things get hard.Six-speed manual gearboxes are standard on both Brera models and work pretty well considering the gearbox is alongside the engine and therefore a fair way from the gearlever.The Brera retains some of Alfa’s traditional idiosyncrasies, such as seats that do not locate the driver’s body as well as they could during hard cornering. Then there are the less than perfectly placed pedals. Having to hold the steering wheel for support when lifting the left foot to operate the clutch pedal detracts from the driving experience.This Alfa is quite a large coupe, but interior volume isn’t one of its strong points. Back seat room is scarce and best left to the kids. Trouble is that the high window line makes it hard for the little ones to see out. But, let's be fair on the car, this is a coupe and therefore really only intended for one or two good friends.Boot space is fine for a car in this class and unless the luggage is on the bulky side you can fit a fair bit in there.The newly revitalised Alfa Romeo organisation is working well in Australia. With a significant number of new dealers being appointed and an emphasis on customer support. Check in your local area to see what’s happening in your neighbourhood.As you would expect in a car in this class most of the dealer are in metro areas, though some country cities and towns have specialists in European, even just Italian, cars.We haven’t heard of any real complaints about hold up and/or price gouging on Alfa Romeo Brera. Keep in mind this was a $100k car in its early years here and expect to be charged accordingly.Though all Alfa Romeo models tend to be seen as sports models by insurance companies premiums aren’t unacceptably high. It pays to shop around as there’s quite a difference from high to low, as always be sure to compare apples with apples.WHAT TO LOOK FORBuild quality is reasonably good, but certainly not to the standards of the Japan, or even latter-day Korean cars.Once upon a time you could say that parts that didn’t fit as well as they should have done gave the car character. Though they aren’t as common as before it’s still wise to call in a professional early in the buying process.Before doing so you may care to test a Brera on rough sealed roads and listen for things that go squeak or rattle in the night.Engines are generally long lasting, but hard-driving enthusiasts may have thrashed them. Be sure an engine starts easily and idles smoothly, the V6 should be all put imperceptible at idle once it’s warmed up.Watch for black smoke from the exhaust when the Alfa is put under load, and when it’s accelerated suddenly after idling for a minute or so.Check a manual gearbox is quiet and smooth in its operation.Feel for a clutch that’s sticky.Automatics are generally OK, but be wary of one that’s too willing to jump from gear to gear. Conversely, an auto that is relocation to change ratios could also be a worry.Crash repairs. Ah, crash repairs. Alfas have been known to run into things. Look and feel for body panels that aren’t regular in their shape. Check for paint that doesn’t match from panel to panel. Tiny spots of paint on parts such as glass and badges probably indicate the car has visited a spray painter at some time in the past.CAR BUYING TIPCar clubs are an excellent source of information on cars that are often owned by enthusiasts. Try the internet or for lists of clubs in car magazines.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Renault Koleos, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Lexus has given its CT200h hybrid a major facelift, tightened up the body to improve noise and vibration suppression, but, surprisingly, hasn't changed the drivetrain components.