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News Page1st QUARTER 2004 |
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News Page1st QUARTER 2004 |
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Volkswagen 360° Experience
Renault Megane sedan
Mercedes-Benz CLK240
Alfa Romeo 1 and BMW 1 at Monza
Lexus LF-C Sports Coupe Concept Car
Indianapolis 500 Pace Car
Peugeot 307 Claims Fuel Economy Record!
BMW's new 1-series is coming this year!
Alfa Romeo GT and 166 with right-hand drive
BMW X3 pricing is confirmed
Smart Dealership Expansion
Mitsubishi Pajero
Volkswagen Caddy
Kia's European Expansion
Honda Odyssey
Mazda MX-5 SE
Mercedes-Benz E500 & E55 AMG
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII
Peugeot 206 - 4,000,000 seller
Daewoo Statesman for South Korea
Mitsubishi Magna VR and VR-X Limited Edition sporties
12th March, 2004 The 2004 Citroen C5 just became an even better proposition ..... more 7th March, 2004 Here's 25 pictures from the Annual Chrysler Car Show organised by Bay City Chrysler Car Club ..... more 6th March, 2004 A hot hatch in the image of the classic 1965 Renault 8 Gordini is now available in Europe ..... more 5th March, 2004 Suicide doors, ugly front-end ..... this is the Rolls Royce way of celebrating 100 years ..... more 5th March, 2004 Although this is a 'show car', it's a preview of what is close to the next M5 ..... more 5th March, 2004 A total of 2,695 new Subaru models hit Australian roads last month ..... more 5th March, 2004 A revised XK range is coming ..... more 4th March, 2004 Here's the direction for future Saab 9-3's ..... more 4th March, 2004 An all-wheel drive mid-size SUV for North America ..... more 4th March, 2004 And now we see a roadster from Lamborghini ..... more 3rd March, 2004 Nissan are displaying their new cross-over wagon at the Melbourne Motor Show ..... more Rover 75 V8
Mitsubishi Magna Solara
29th February, 2004 The Jaguar XJ6 will be back in April, for under $150,000 ..... more 29th February, 2004 Jaguar previews the new S-Type in Melbourne ..... more 28th February, 2004 Joss, it's the aussie supercar with a 6.8 litre Australian designed and built V8 ..... more 28th February, 2004 Over 200 Bentley Continental GT's have been sold in Australia and 130 of these are expected to be delivered this year! ..... more 27th February, 2004 Volkswagen displays the new sedan version of it's small car at the Melbourne Motor Show. Elfin returns!
26th February, 2004 A limited edition Astra convertible hits the market tomorrow ..... more Ford Fiesta hot hatch
24th February, 2004 Mercedes-Benz has delivered it's first Maybach in Australia. Another two have been sold for Australian delivery. 24th February, 2004 BMW will display both the coupe and the convertible versions of the new 6-series at the Melbourne Motor Show. 23nd February, 2004 Both Ford and Holden will be displaying concept vehicles at the Melbourne Motor Show, which commences on Friday 27th February, 2004. Ford will have their F6 Typhoon sedan and Holden will have their SST one-tonner. 23nd February, 2004 There's a new Daewoo wagon coming. This time, it's an attractive looking car ..... more 22nd February, 2004 To improve fuel efficiency, Mercedes-Benz now fits a 7-speed automatic transmission to it's V8 powered models ..... more 22nd February, 2004 Geneva will be the debut location for BMW's 5-series Touring ..... more 22nd February, 2004 The new Lotus Exige is making its world debut simultaneously in Australia and in Switzerland, when the covers are pulled off the striking Chrome Orange cars on 2nd March 2004 at, both, the Geneva and Melbourne International Motor Shows ..... more 19th February, 2004 The 2.0 turbo diesel 3-door and 5-door 4x4's are revised for 2004 ..... more 19th February, 2004 The second generation of the Mercedes-Benz SLK will debut in Geneva, next month. It will feature a choice of 4, 6, and 8 cylinder engines ..... more Proton and MG Rover announce collaboration!
18th February, 2004 Alfa Romeo will reveal their new 156 Crosswagon at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. This all-wheel drive wagon is based on the 156 Sportwagon ..... more 17th February, 2004 Audi's answer to the AU Falcon has arrived (in Germany), featuring "in your face" styling. The designers probably believe the new A6 front-end treatment is attractive. But does anyone else feel that way? ..... more 17th February, 2004 Mid-2004 sees an all-new Vauxhall Tigra arrive in the UK ..... more 16th February, 2004 On sale from the end of February for $29,990 ..... more 16th February, 2004 See it at the Melbourne Motor Show next week, see it in showrooms around July or August ..... more 16th February, 2004 Yet another concept car to premiere at the Geneva Motor Show next month ..... more 13th February, 2004 We published our very first newsletter today. This is one of the many initiatives which we will unveil during the year ..... see it here 13th February, 2004 The concept cars keeping appearing. This time, it's Renault's turn to advise their "Wind" will appear at next month's Geneva Motor Show ..... more 12th February, 2004 The industry believes the FTA between Australia and USA will benefit the aussie ute ..... more 12th February, 2004 An increase of 18,600 unit sales sees the Peugeot Citroen Group sell 3,286,100 vehicles, worldwide, in 2003. 12th February, 2004 No more jokes about Skoda, this successful Czech manufacturer, now part of the VW Group, will produced the 1,000,000th Octavia on the 17th February 2004. 12th February, 2004 A 2.4 litre 4-cylinder powered Cherokee is now available. It's priced at $35,490 plus the traditional add-ons. 11th February, 2004 The long anticipated arrival of the Mini cabrio is just around the corner ..... more MG Rover is to import two exotic cars
10th February, 2004 Holden is pleased and GM is excited with the Australia-USA Free Trade Agreement ..... more 10th February, 2004 Kia has revealed a concept vehicle at the Chicago Motor Show which seems road ready. If it gets the go-ahead, it would come to Australia if right-hand drive production was included in the manufacturing plans ..... more 10th February, 2004 Proving concept cars have a place in the development of future models, Mazda has announced it will reveal another concept car. It will show the MX Flexa at this year's Geneva Motor Show ..... more 9th February, 2004 Saab has revised it's two mainstream line-ups for 2004 and it's "spin department" has invented a new word ..... "aspirers"! ..... more 9th February, 2004 A new 1.8 litre turbo 4 with quattro for the A4 line-up, plus the V8 quattro S4 and the V8 quattro Allroad are great additions to an already stunning variety of automotive delights ..... more 9th February, 2004 Although retired from driving, this stalwart continues just as busy as ever ..... more 6th February, 2004 Mazda shows it's 6 MPS Concept Car, which features 6-speed manual, AWD and turbo, at the Brisbane Motor Show ..... more 6th February, 2004 Honda is previewing it's Civic Hybrid today, at the Brisbane Motor Show. The Civic looks like a real car so it's likely to gain consumer confidence more readily than other such cars ..... more 6th February, 2004 The UK market is expecting 2.5 million new vehicles to hit the road in 2004. This is a similar result to last years record of 2,579,050 units. Diesel powered vehicles are expected to account for a staggering 31.0 per cent of the market. 5th February, 2004 Australian buyers take a record number of vehicles in January 2004 ..... more 5th February, 2004 There's a make-over for Hyundai's big 4WD, the 7-seater Terracan, which is priced from $34,990 ..... more 5th February, 2004 America's Camry is now available as a convertible ..... more 5th February, 2004 A new small soft-roader for the world ..... more 4th February, 2004 An excited Kia Australia team is excited with their January sales ..... more 4th February, 2004 Ford has released it's Escape line-up for 2004. Prices begin at $31,990 for the 4-cylinder XLS and progress through to $41,750 for the V6 Limited. (Prices exclude options, dealer charges and state government taxes) 4th February, 2004 Morgan Works Race Team is taking it's campaign to the USA next month, where it will compete in the 12 hour endurance race at Sebring (Florida) ..... more 4th February, 2004 A sharp pricing policy and additional safety features herald the 2 for 2004 ..... more 3rd February, 2004 Since returning to Australia, Alfa Romeo has delivered 10,000 cars ..... more 3rd February, 2004 Tennis players used them for transport. Now the Kia fleet from the Australian Open is for sale ..... more 2nd February, 2004 Worldwide, Audi sold almost 770,000 cars during 2003 ..... more 2nd February, 2004 Lamborghini sells a record number of 1,305 cars during 2003 ..... more 1st February, 2004 A light make-over and sharp pricing heralds the Tribute for 2004, which are now arriving at Mazda dealers across the nation ..... more 30th January, 2004 Australia is the first market in the world to receive a shipment of the new Lotus Elise. Yes, we're being served before the British home market! ..... more 30th January, 2004 A "Formula Drifting" event in California, will see the Pontiac GTO makes it's track debut in America next month ..... more 29th January, 2004 After 36 years, a prototype Mustang convertible finds fame and fortune ..... more 29th January, 2004 New cars in LA, new cars in Detroit and now there's 6 more new US models to be announced next week at the Chicago Motor Show ..... more 28th January, 2004 Audi Australia has announced another concept car is coming to the 2004 Melbourne Motor Show. Look for the race-bred Le Mans Quattro concept car ..... more 28th January, 2004 Mazda projected approximately 1700 sales per month for it's new 3. But with 700 sold in the first week of sales, it's clear the market has accepted Mazda's new car. Mazda 6 continues to sell over 250 units per week. 27th January, 2004 Having already notched up 11,585 sales in Australia, the 2004 edition of the M-Class is here in it's upgraded form ..... more 27th January, 2004 Australia Day in Sydney means Motorfest. An estimated 1,000 vehicles from the good old days provided plenty of appeal for the thousands of visitors for yesterday's show ..... more 23rd January, 2004 The 4.8is will be shown at the Melbourne Motor Show and will be available from mid-year, but the 3.0i, 3.0d and 4.4i for 2004 arrive here in February ..... more 23rd January, 2004 The entry level Honda Jazz GLi (1.3 litre) has been reduced by $1,000 ..... more 22nd January, 2004 Celebrating it's 80th year, MG has introduced a limited edition TF. There's 2 models, around $50,000 to $53,000, to choose from. There's just 30 examples for Australia. Each is Pearl Black Metallic with a red hood ..... more 21st January, 2004 A new Smart will hit the market in 2006. It's an SUV, which will be known as formore (as in for more). The 'look at me' styled model range expands again ..... more 19th January, 2004 Renault has slotted the sporty Clio Dynamique right into the middle of Clio range. Keenly priced at $23,490, this 1.6 litre 3-door will expand interest in Renault's range ..... more 16th January, 2004 Sport Utility Vehicle Owners of America (SUVOA) today called on Attorney General John Ashcroft and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge to step up intelligence and federal enforcement action against The Earth Liberation Front (ELF), a militant environmental group ..... more 16th January, 2004 Due for local launch in April/May 2004, the all new Audi A3 boasts a clearly dynamic and compact design, signalling Audi’s intention to further develop its image of ‘the sports performance brand’ across its entire model range. It will be unveiled at the Brisbane Motor Show on 6 February 2004 ..... more 16th January, 2004 The Subaru Impreza WRX Clubspec Evo 7 is on sale now and builds on the reputation of this occasional series of special editions. The limited edition Impreza WRX Clubspec models have proved to be a hit whenever released and the Evo 7 version represents exceptional value. Just 300 of the Evo 7 series will be available, adding a factory-fitted leather interior, factory-fitted sunroof and dual front side airbags to the extensive specification of the standard Impreza WRX. The Impreza WRX Evo 7 will be available as a sedan only, and comes in silver, black and WR Blue. The manual sedan will sell for $44,985 (RRP) with the automatic selling for $47,485 (RRP). The additional specification is valued at more than $4500, making the Impreza WRX Evo 7 outstanding value as the additional cost over the standard Impreza WRX is just $2495. 15th January, 2004 Audi has confirmed it's stunning Nuvolari concept car will be on display at the 2004 Melbourne Motor Show. The Nuvolari is named in honour of a former racing car driver ..... more 15th January, 2004 Prices for Mazda's new 3 are Mazda 3 Neo $21,490; Mazda 3 Maxx $25,490; Mazda 3 Maxx Sport $26,175; Mazda 3 SP23 $29,990 ..... See our previous article on the Mazda 3 here 14th January, 2004 The ZC series is available now, at slightly more competitive prices ..... more 6th January, 2004 Some new styling features, a new engine, new prices ..... more 1st January, 2004 A stunning new show car to be revealed, next week, at the 2004 Detroit Motor Show ..... more 30th December, 2003 The strength of the Peugeot 403 and 404 are legendary. The dynamic pleasures of driving the 405 and more recently, the 406 are now making way for the new 407. It'll be here in late 2004 ..... more 28th December, 2003 A newly-opened studio will develop creative concepts for the entire Audi group (Audi, SEAT and Lamborghini), looking well ahead into the future ..... more 22nd December, 2003 Aston Martin is all set to give the DB9 Volante its world premiere on January 4th at the 2004 Detroit Motor Show ..... more 19th December, 2003 During 2003 over 500,000 Kia vehicles have been exported from South Korea ..... more 18th December, 2003 Britain's young drivers put style above practical concerns such as safety and cost when it comes to choosing a car, a new survey revealed on Wednesday 17/12/03. The 'Driving Ambitions' study by The GM Card shows that over half (51 per cent) of drivers aged 17-22 year old think the style, make and model of a car is the most important factor when it comes to buying a set of wheels - and one in twenty admitted that the colour of a car is their main consideration ..... more 12th December, 2003 Autodelta, the British design and tuning house are showing their newest and their most powerful model, the 147 GTA at London's MPH03 Motor Show, this weekend ..... more 4th December, 2003 A record month of vehicle sales for any November has provided total sales of 832,028 for the first eleven months of 2003. That's a big 7,716 units more than 2002’s total year's sales, which itself was a record year with 824,309 sales. Today's announcement by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) reveal some 76,112 vehicles were sold in Australia during November 2003. This is 4,316 (six percent) more than the previous November record set in 2000. The motor industry has predicted 900,000 total sales for the 2003 calender year. For this target to be reached, just 67,975 sales are required during December. It looks as though the industry will achieve a record year! “All the indicators for a 900,000 market are looking very positive,“ Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Peter Sturrock said. Toyota claimed its eighth monthly 2003 sales victory in November and has now moved 8,553 vehicles clear of Holden, with Ford third. Mr Sturrock said many vehicle segments were likely to achieve significant benchmarks in 2003. Demand for locally manufactured cars was up 11.2 percent this year – ahead of the average rise for the industry. “More than a quarter of a million (253,199) Australian made cars have been sold in the domestic market, 25,655 more than for the same period last year,“ Mr Sturrock said. It was now likely more than 200,000 large family cars would be sold by year’s end, along with 175,000 small cars and 150,000 SUVs. “Seventy thousand light cars have already been delivered – an all time record – indicating a major change in buying habits,“ Mr Sturrock said. “People are preferring to buy well equipped new light cars in preference to the second hand market.” It's good news all round for the motor industries..... and it's customers. 3rd December, 2003 For the second month running, Kia is the tenth best selling marque in Australia, according to VFACTS November sales figures which were released today. The success is supported by the Carnival's 20% share of the people- mover market whilst Rio is the second best selling car in it's class and the Sorento is well ahead of it's sales target! Kia's light commercial vehicles sales are booming, too. Both the Pregio van and the K2700 light truck are performing well in their respective classes. With new models coming next year, it's smiles all-round at Kia Automotive Australia. 26th November, 2003 The market for smaller sport utility vehicles will expand next year with the introduction of Hyundai's new baby. Named "Tucson" (pronounced "two" "sonn") it continues the American south-west theme (not to be confused with the wild-west!), following the Santa Fe's successful and continuing career. Tucson will be produced in two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions and slot under the larger Santa Fe in Hyundai's range ..... more 20th November, 2003 The all-wheel drive Saab 9-2 will make it's world debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in January, 2004 ..... more 19th November, 2003 The fastest road-going Alfa ever, is now on sale in Australia. The GTV coupe with a 3.2 litre 24-valve V6 provides shattering performance from it's 176 kW of power. Top speed is reported to be 255 km/h. It'll do 0-100 km/h in just 6.7 seconds. The GTV 3.2 V6 24V has the same engine as the stunning 147 GTA and the superb 156 GTA, but the GTV's smaller frontal area and it's lighter weight helps it become Alfa's newest top speed leader. Price is $73,500. The GTV JTS with a 2-litre 4-cylinder motor, is also available. 14th November, 2003 Kia's all-new medium-sized 4-door car will debut at the 2004 Detroit Motor Show in January 2004. It will compete against Astra, Corolla, Focus, Lancer and the like. 21st October, 2003 The recommended retail price is now $175,900 .... down $274 from the previous model. However, equipment levels have been enhanced. New features include a six-speed transmission with sequential function, dual front SRS knee airbags, a new headlamp system to provide improved illumination on winding roads and a rear-view camera, which is located in the rear number plate garnish. The camera is linked to the on-board satellite navigation screen. The camera operates when reverse gear is selected. Also, reverse gear selection automatically lowers the rear window sunshade, to enhance vision. Wheels are 18" alloy. And, of course, there's a rear seat massage system! 20th October, 2003 The Civic hatch has new 15" alloy wheels and new front and rear bumper designs to distinquish it from the 03 models. The interior trim is now black, replacing the previous grey. The tail light cluster is re-styled, too. Prices are unchanged. 19th October, 2003 Only Japan, USA and Australia will be supplied with Mazda's new turbocharged MX-5 SE. It will debut next week at the Tokyo Motor Show and arrive in Australia during the first quarter of 2004. Expect a price of around $46,000. 17th October, 2003 Nissan's all-new Maxima, which is being previewed at the 2003 Sydney Motor Show, will be available in Australia by the end of the year. 16th October, 2003 Year to date new motor vehicles sales to 30th September 2003, has seen 676,688 vehicles hit Australian roads..... a record for this period. Thus the industry is now predicting last year's record sales of 824,309 units will be surpassed this year, with possibly the sale of as many as 900,000 units. The motor industy's peak body, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), has now revised the annual sales projection upward three times this year. A bumper year (so to speak) as sales rev higher and higher in the nation's buoyant economy. FCAI chief executive Peter Sturrock said "There is every indication that the strength of the market will continue into 2004" ..... these are important comments, because in a continually buoyant market place, the manufacturers will broader the selection of models available. Let the good times roll! 16th October, 2003 MG XPower ..... Lamborghini Gallardo ..... Maserati Quattroporte ..... Bentley Continental GT ..... BMW 5-series Ford Territory ..... Toyota Kluger ..... Holden Adventra ..... Holden Crewman ..... HSV Coupe4 ..... HSV Avalanche ..... Smart roadster ..... Mazda 3 ..... Saab 9.3 convertible ..... Subaru B11S concept car ..... Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution Concept ..... these are just some of the models making their first appearance at an Australian Motor Show ..... then there's revised models..... like Alfa Romeo 156 ..... Alfa Romeo Spider ..... Alfa Romeo GTV ..... BMW M3 CSL ..... Subaru Outback ..... Lexus LS430 ..... in total, more than 60 new models (cars and motorcycles) will be on display at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, between Thursday 16th and 26th October, 2003. Approximately 300,000 people are expected to attend the show. |
