Receive the latest automotive news by e-mail, SUBSCRIBE to our free newsletter here.

SHOP ON-LINE
SHOP ON-LINE AT
OPTICAL AND HEARING



To advertise
with Next Car,
contact us
by e-mail
from here.

HOME PAGE

Australia's Easy Reading Motoring Website

January 2006 News

The most recent news is listed first

RHEMA ON THE ROAD 
Dubbo 
Port Macquarie 
Tamworth
Taree 
and 
Mt Isa 
CLICK FOR DETAILS
HEAR MOTORING
NEWS ON RADIO



TOP DRIVE
OF 2005


You'll see it
HERE



First details of the new Peugeot 207 ..... here.




Alfa's New Spider and 159 Wagon
31st January, 2006
The forthcoming Geneva Motor Show will see the world debut of the Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon and the Spider, thus completing the range set to take Alfa Romeo into the future ..... more

WRC Leader Ford Heads To Snowy Sweden
31st January, 2006
Rallye Monte Carlo winner Ford takes its FIA World Rally Championship lead to the Swedish Rally with an opportunity to build on its victorious start to the season ..... more

Ferrari 599 GTB To Debut In Geneva
31st January, 2006
With the release of the 599 GTB, Ferrari is presenting its most powerful V12-engined production car of all time ..... more

Nissan X-Trail For 2006
31st January, 2006
Nissan will release a special edition X-Trail to celebrate 40 years of Nissan in Australia ..... more

Phantom Cements Market Leadership In 2005
31st January, 2006
Another strong year of sales has confirmed the position of the Rolls-Royce Phantom as the world’s leading super-luxury car ..... more

Fiat Australia Sales Up 76.4%
31st January, 2006
The Fiat Ducato has continued to drive sales upwards in 2005 with a sales increase for Fiat's van range of 76.4 per cent and this is predicted to continue in 2006 ..... more

Two Historic Support Races At Le Mans 2006
30th January, 2006
The support race at the Le Mans 24 Hours has become an jewel in the crown of this endurance event – and one of the world’s greatest historic races ..... more

Ferrari Superamerica For Melbourne
30th January, 2006
Australian deliveries of the Ferrari Superamerica may now be underway, but the Melbourne International Motor Show may be most people's only opportunity to see this car ..... more

The 75 Most Significant ’32 Ford Hot Rods
30th January, 2006
After nominating 474 individual cars and completing 3 rounds of balloting, a blue ribbon panel of hot rod authorities has selected America's 75 most significant ’32 Ford hot rods ..... more

35th success for the Porsche 911 at Daytona
30th January, 2006
With the GT class victory in their TPC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car, Ian Baas, Randy Pobst, Spencer Pumpelly and Michael Levitas (all USA) secured a record 35th win for the Porsche 911 at the traditional 24 hour race at Daytona ..... more

Prize-giving ceremony Renault Clio III
30th January, 2006
On Friday, 27th January, 2006, Renault President and CEO Carlos Ghosn was officially handed the Car of the Year 2006 award for Clio III by the President of the Car of the Year Jury, Ray Hutton ..... more

Nissan Maxima For 2006
29th January, 2006
The 2006 model year Nissan Maxima will be available with a new continuously variable transmission and an updated exterior and interior design ..... more

GM Sells More Than 9 Million Vehicles
27th January, 2006
General Motors sold 9.17 million cars and trucks around the world in 2005, up 2 percent from the 8.99 million vehicles sold in 2004 ..... more

Škoda Roomster To Debut At Geneva Motor Show
28th January, 2006
Škoda Auto has revealed the first pictures of the new Škoda Roomster, the brand’s fourth model line. Not only does the Roomster represent Škoda’s move into a new market segment, but also a new development stage as the century-old brand starts on its next hundred years ..... more

Audi R10 Proves To Be A Sensation At Sebring
28th January, 2006
The impressive Audi R10 with a V12 bi-turbo TDI engine, has proven to be a huge sensation at Sebring’s “Winter Test” of the American Le Mans Series ..... more

Caterham Wins Prestigious MIA Award
28th January, 2006
British sports car manufacturer, Caterham Cars, has received the prestigious Export Achievement Award at the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) Business Excellence Awards 2005 ..... more

Nissan Tiida Arrives Next Week
27th January, 2006
Nissan’s Pulsar replacement, the all-new Tiida compact sedan and hatch, arrives in Australia on 1st February, 2006 ..... more

BMW Z4 Coupes to Arrive In H2 2006
25th January, 2006
The new two-seater Z4 Coupe and Z4 M Coupe are destined for Australia, with a release due in the second-half of 2006 ..... more

Citroen C4 Adds Personal Security
24th January, 2006
The Citroen C4 has matched its occupant and pedestrian safety performance with class-leading personal safety and security, according to independent test results ..... more

Porsche Achieves Record in Germany
24th January, 2006
Porsche AG, Stuttgart, posted another new record for registrations in Germany in 2005. A total of 16,565 Porsche vehicles were registered ..... more

Ford Wins 2006 Monte Carlo Rally
23rd January, 2006
Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen claimed a masterful victory on their debut in the new Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the Rallye Monte Carlo over the weekend ..... more

Mercedes Confirms May Arrival For R-Class
23rd January, 2006
Mercedes-Benz today confirmed the new R-Class Grand Sports Tourer will be available in Australia from May this year. Starting from approximately $85,000 ..... more

Peugeot 206 Shaping Up For 2006
23rd January, 2006
The year 2006 is shaping up as a great year for the Peugeot 206. With increased specification and lower prices across the range ..... more

Honda Achieves Record European Sales
23rd January, 2006
Honda achieved record automobile sales in Europe, reaching a high of 285,924** units during 2005 against a downturn of 0.7%* ..... more

C4 Yourself What The Citroen C4 Can Deliver!
22nd January, 2006
The Citroën C4 HDi, the turbo diesel variant of Citroën's mid-size hatchback, is now on sale in Australia, delivering a unique combination of economy, performance and safety ..... more

Four Millionth Ford Focus Produced In Europe
22nd January, 2006
The Ford Focus, one of Europe's most popular cars, reached another milestone last week when the four millionth example produced in Europe, a Colorado red, 136 PS TDCi Ford Focus 4-door, was driven off the line at Ford's assembly plant in Valencia, Spain on Thursday ..... more

Volkswagen Passat is Germany's Favourite Car
21st January, 2006
It was a clear-cut decision: more than 320,000 votes were counted in the ADAC (General German Automobile Association) reader's choice awards for the "Gelber Engel 2006" prize. There were 54 models to choose from in the "Cars" category. In the end, the winner was the Volkswagen Passat ..... more

Pontiac Adds A CC
21st January, 2006
After closing 2005 with brisker sales than the rest of the mid-size car segment, the Pontiac G6 family of vehicles is expected to continue its growth in 2006 with a game-changing new entry - a G6 retractable hardtop convertible ..... more

Extra Statesman Luxury Now Standard
20th January, 2006
Statesman buyers receive even more luxury features as standard with the WL series 2006 Statesman International, on sale from this month ..... more

Jaguar XJ Wins UK's First Award Of 2006
20th January, 2006
The Jaguar XJ has already collected its first award of 2006, topping the Luxury Car category at the Fleet Excellence Awards, voted for by readers of Fleet Week and Fleet Management magazines ..... more

Renault's Limited Edition Mégane Coupe-Cabriolet
20th January, 2006
Renault has released a limited edition version of the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet LX packed with over $1,500 of additional features ..... more

Suzuki Grand Vitara Catches A Wave
20th January, 2006
Suzuki unveiled its Suzuki Wave concept, a specially modified version of the new Suzuki Grand Vitara at the 2006 Detroit Motor Show ..... more

Land Rover G4 Challenge UK Finalists
20th January, 2006
Counting down to one of the world's toughest driving and multi-sport adventure challenges, Scotsman and 2003 Land Rover G4 Challenge veteran, Tim Pickering, last week visited the Land Rover Experience in Dunkeld, Perthshire to administer some gruelling training on the three 2006 UK finalists ..... more

Dodge Re-introduces Performance Nameplate
20th January, 2006
A pair of names familiar to many automotive enthusiasts are again part of the Dodge performance line-up with the return of the Super Bee nameplate for the 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 and the "TorRed" exterior colour for the 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T ..... more

Learn To Drive The Maserati Way
20th January, 2006
Maserati has launched its 2006 Master GT driving course programme which provides a unique opportunity to hone existing driving ability and learn new skills under the tuition of an ex-Formula One driver whilst behind the wheel of a Maserati ..... more

New Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
19th January, 2006
Four years on from its launch, the successful Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has undergone a number of enhancements ..... more

Audi Unveils Dazzling Array of Firsts in Detroit
19th January, 2006
Audi treated visitors to the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit with its presentation of three world firsts ..... more

Europe's Mitsubishi Colt CZC coupé-cabriolet
19th January, 2006
Two years after the launch of the Colt hatchback and a year after the introduction of the Colt coupé, Mitsubishi will unveil the third variant of the European Colt family at the 76th Geneva Motor Show: the sporty Colt CZC coupé-cabriolet ..... more

Daewoo's New AWD To Debut At Geneva Motor Show
18th January, 2006
GM has issued the first details of its all-new compact SUV, the Chevrolet Captiva, which makes its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March ..... more

Ford Ready For WRC
18th January, 2006
The opening of the FIA World Rally Championship season on the Rallye Monte Carlo (19th - 22nd January) heralds a new era for Ford ..... more

Mazda to Add Second Vehicle Test Track in Japan
18th January, 2006
In early March 2006, Mazda Motor Corporation will establish its second vehicle test track in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to complement its Miyoshi Proving Ground facility ..... more

More Go For Holden's Performance Heroes
17th January, 2006
The most powerful standard engine ever offered by Holden will be installed in all 2006 model year Holden V8 vehicles. A new 6.0-litre alloy engine will deliver 260kW ..... more

Porsche: Exchange of exhaust tailpipes
17th January, 2006
Porsche AG, is having the exhaust tailpipes exchanged worldwide on 18,627 units of the 911 Carrera S and 911 Carrera 4S ..... more

The new Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
17th January, 2006
Mercedes-Benz has shown its new entrant in the luxury Sports Utility Vehicle market segment at the 2006 Detroit Motor Show: the GL-Class ..... more

America's new Chrysler Aspen
17th January, 2006
“The all-new 2007 Chrysler Aspen offers customers guilt-free indulgence,” said a wishful thinking Jeff Bell, Vice President – Chrysler, Chrysler Group ..... more

Subaru Forester X Luxury
17th January, 2006
Celebrating its success as the best selling Compact Sports Utility Vehicle in 2005, Subaru has launched a special edition Forester X Luxury ..... more

25 new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Cars Arrive
16th January, 2006
Carrera Cup racing in Australia will shoot for a world record for the most number of brand new race cars of the same type ever to line up on a starting grid when 25 of the new 997-based Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars take to the track in Adelaide in March ..... more

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sport Edition + Expands
16th January, 2006
Following the success of the limited edition C 200 KOMPRESSOR Sport Edition, Mercedes-Benz announced today an enhanced version of the limited edition package can now be ordered across the entire C-Class Saloon and Estate model range ..... more

IIHS Ranks Volvo XC90 at Top in Whiplash Test
16th January, 2006
In an American test of whiplash protection systems in SUVs and light trucks (utes), the Volvo XC90 is one of few models to achieve the top rating ..... more

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart’s Sixth Successive Dakar Rally Win
16th January, 2006
Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team driver Luc Alphand and co-driver Gilles Picard clinched victory in the 28th Dakar Rally yesterday (Sunday). The feat marked a record-breaking 11th win for the Japanese automotive manufacturer ..... more

Dodge Challenger Concept Flexes Some Muscle
15th January, 2006
In developing the new Dodge Challenger concept car the designers at Chrysler Group’s West Coast Pacifica Studio knew they had a rich heritage to draw upon ..... more

Ford Transit Gets Better
14th January, 2006
The most successful commercial vehicle range in Europe – the Ford Transit – enters a new era in its long and successful life, with a series of extensive improvements to keep it modern and relevant ..... more

Alfa 159 Awarded a 5-Star Euro NCAP Rating
14th January, 2006
Alfa's 159 has been awarded a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. It is an important achievement, which underlines the attention that Fiat Auto pays to the protection of its drivers and passengers ..... more

Peugeot 207 – The Next Generation
13th January, 2006
Peugeot announces the Peugeot 207, the newest member of the legendary 2 series dynasty. When the Peugeot 206 replaced the legendary Peugeot 205, nobody could have known what a success it was going to be. With over 5.4 million Peugeot 206s produced, it has become the best selling Peugeot ever ..... more

Ford Shelby GT500: Most Powerful Mustang Ever
13th January, 2006
After 40 years, racing legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Mustang are back together with the introduction of America's 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 ..... more

2005: 10th Successive Record Year for Audi
13th January, 2006
Audi was able to set a new record for vehicle sales in 2005 for the tenth year in succession: 829,100 vehicles (2004: 779,441)* were handed over to customers worldwide ..... more

Chevrolet Camaro Concept Car
13th January, 2006
Combining dramatic design and exciting performance, the Chevrolet Camaro Concept recaptures the spirit of one of the most popular sport coupes of all time and redefines the Camaro for new generations of fans ..... more

Passat "Individual" – Enhanced aesthetics edition
12th January, 2006
Europe's Volkswagen Passat "Individual" combines outstanding design and an exclusive equipment specification. From the outside the special edition already catches the eye with luxury chrome trim and 18-inch alloy wheels ..... more

Liberty 2.0R Limited Edition Sparks Interest
12th January, 2006
A limited edition Double Overhead Camshaft 2.0 litre Subaru Liberty is now on sale in Australia, sporting a unique spark yellow colour scheme ..... more

Another Record Year For Citroen
12th January, 2006
Citroen set another record in 2005 with over 1.3 million products finding new owners, boosting Citroen's European market share to 6.7 per cent ..... more

Mitsubishi Concept CT at NAIAS
12th January, 2006
Mitsubishi has unveiled, at the Detroit Motor Show, the Concept-CT, a groundbreaking concept for a hybrid-powered small car that may influence development of future “Driven to Thrill” Mitsubishi models ..... more

Dodge Caliber For Global Markets
12th January, 2006
Dodge has revealed a production version of the Dodge Caliber at the Detroit Motor Show, the vehicle that will launch the brand in Australia in the third quarter of 2006 ..... more

Audi Hits All-Time Record in Australia
12th January, 2006
Audi has recorded an impressive 30 percent growth in sales during 2005, selling more than 4,800 units in Australia ..... more

Jaguar Posts Strong Finish to 2005
11th January, 2006
Jaguar Australia's December sales result was the strongest for three years. According to VFACTS, Jaguar delivered 104 vehicles in December 2005, thus putting a positive spin on the year's sales results ..... more

Chrysler Imperial Concept
11th January, 2006
Attractive or unattractive? You decide! But the Editor asserts this is one of the most unattractive cars at the 2006 Detroit Motor Show ..... more

Mini's Growth Prompts Bigger Model Range
11th January, 2006
Mini brand will grow to three distinct models within three years as the Mini Concept Detroit is confirmed for future production ..... more

Volvo C30 Concept At Detroit Motor Show
11th January, 2006
Volvo has revealed a two-door concept car at the Detroit Motor Show, which gives a strong indication of the design of a new smaller Volvo C30 model which will be launched later this year ..... more

Jeep Reveals Two New Vehicles For Australia
11th January, 2006
Jeep has unveiled two brand new production cars at the Detroit Motor Show aimed at younger customers, the Jeep Compass and Jeep Wrangler – and both will be coming to Australia within the next 18 months ..... more

Morgan 4-seater To Return
11th January, 2006
The Morgan 4-seater is coming back! The new model is due to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006. The new and significantly revised 4-seater ..... more

Audi Reveals New Roadjet Concept
10th January, 2006
Audi has taken the wraps off a brand new study car, called the Audi Roadjet Concept, at the North American International Automobile Show in Detroit ..... more

Mazda Kabura Concept Car
10th January, 2006
At this year’s Detroit Motor Show, Mazda is presenting Kabura, a compact sports coupe, to explore several fresh ideas that could appear in future production models ..... more

Aston Martin Rapide Concept Car
10th January, 2006
The Aston Martin Rapide concept is a four-door, high performance coupé of remarkable grace and poise. Based on Aston Martin's unique VH (Vertical/Horizontal) architecture, the Rapide combines the company's commitment to power, beauty and soul with space and practicality for every eventuality ..... more

Maserati at Detroit Motor Show
9th January, 2006
Maserati has arrived at the North American International Auto Show this week in a record breaking mood after nearly doubling Northern American sales in 2005 ..... more

A Decade Of Holden Commodore Leadership
9th January, 2006
Holden has finished 2005 with Australia’s best selling car for the 10th consecutive year, the most popular passenger car range and most popular light truck range ..... more

Porsche Announces Cayenne Turbo S
9th January, 2006
The second most powerful Porsche ever homologated for road use has been announced ..... more

Volkswagen GX3 Concept - Car Or Bike?
8th January, 2006
In a world premiere at the Los Angeles Motor Show, Volkswagen presented the GX3 – a completely new type of motorcycle. The GX3 was conceived by the Moonraker team and VW’s Design Centre in California, exclusively with the U.S. in mind ..... more

20 Years Of Saab Convertibles
8th January, 2006
Saab is raising the roof, celebrating two decades of convertible sales success by introducing an eye-catching 20th anniversary model, the Saab 9-3 Convertible Cerulean edition ..... more

Volkswagen 'Minivan' For America
8th January, 2006
DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group and Volkswagen will develop and produce a new van for the North American market ..... more

Citroën To Reveal Diesel Hybrid C4
6th January, 2006
Citroën will reveal its C4 Diesel Electric hybrid on the 31st January 2006, previewing a production car that the French car maker has committed to have on sale by 2010 ..... more

Lamborghini Miura Concept For Detroit
6th January, 2006
The House of the Raging Bull has brought back a legendary historical name with the introduction of its Lamborghini Miura Concept car, which will be shown at the Detroit Motor Show this month ..... more

Twin-turbo Diesel For Jaguar S-TYPE
6th January, 2006
Jaguar Australia confirms the Jaguar S-TYPE Diesel for an April 2006 arrival ..... more

Third Straight Record Year For Honda
6th January, 2006
Honda Australia is rewriting its record book for a third time in three years thanks to another all-time sales record ..... more

Best Sales in 8 Years for Chrysler/Jeep
5th January, 2006
Riding on a record December retail performance Chrysler Jeep has achieved its best annual sales in eight years, according to official VFACTS figures released today ..... more

New Car Sales Record For 2005
5th January, 2006
Australians bought more cars and trucks in 2005 than ever before to set an all-time annual motor vehicle sales record of 988,269 ..... more

Russian Joint Venture For Fiat
4th January, 2006
An agreement between Fiat Auto and Severstal Auto to produce two Fiat products in Russia has joined a growing list of Fiat Joint ventures ..... more

Mini's Best Year
4th January, 2006
Mini in Australia has enjoyed its best year ever with a total of 2,097 cars delivered in 2005 ..... more

Volvo Poised for 2006
3rd January, 2006
For 2006, Volvo Car will introduce several new models – namely the S40 S and V50 S – to sharpen the value position for its sedan and wagon range ..... more

Liberty Sports New Entry-Level Engine
3rd January, 2006
Subaru is adding a 2.0 litre variant to its 2006 Liberty range, with a recommended retail price starting from $31,990 ..... more

Melbourne Debut For Maserati GranSport Spyder
2nd January, 2006
The Maserati GranSport Spyder will make its Australian debut at the Melbourne International Motor Show (10th-19th February 2006) providing show visitors with a preview of Maserati's new sports car ..... more

Honda Takes 'Detroit News' Awards
1st January, 2006
The U.S. newspaper 'Detroit News' has named the new Honda Civic sedan as its 2006 Car of the Year and the Honda Ridgeline as its 2006 Truck of the Year ..... more

Hummer: Here In A Year
1st January, 2006
The H3 is about a year away from its Australian release. The 5-cylinder SUV will provide Holden with another 4WD model ..... more



CURRENT NEWS



NEWS - 4th QUARTER 2005



NEWS - 3rd QUARTER 2005



NEWS - 2nd QUARTER 2005



NEWS - 1st QUARTER 2005



NEWS - 4th QUARTER 2004



NEWS - 3rd QUARTER 2004



NEWS - 2nd QUARTER 2004



NEWS - 1st QUARTER 2004




HOME PAGE

Next Car Pty Ltd     (ABN 47106248033)
Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006.    All rights reserved.