First Drive

The Toyota RAV4 pioneered the compact SUV segment and it’s been the best-selling model in the segment since its debut in 1994, having notched up almost 200,000 sales since then.

the Audi Q3 is a very impressive entrant into the premium small SUV segment, and one that makes the BMW X1 look awkward. Not quite as cool or capable as the Range Rover Evoque, the Q3 is cheaper and pretty good on a dirt road.

The hot hatches of yore were usually nothing more than a great big engine stuffed between the chassis rails of a tiny car. Not so, the current crop of angry little super-minis which rely on small engines and turbocharging for maximum grunt and go. Enter the Skoda Fabia RS Wagon.

The Falcon might well be on its way out, but the four-cylinder engine in the Ford Falcon EcoBoost G6E is easily the Falcon’s best engine ever. And it’s not just in fuel saving where it scores – the EcoBoost Falcon offers an improved drive, too, says Isaac Bober.

It looks like a Barina on steroids, but is the new Holden Trax small SUV really as good as its looks suggest, asks Tony Bosworth.

With its sharp looking design, inside and out, and its off-road ability, the D40 Navara appealed to those looking for a dual-cab that could serve the, and pardon the pun, dual purpose of being a weekday workhorse and weekend warrior. Bigger, more comfortable, and a lot more refined than its D22 sibling, and plenty of its competitors too, the D40 Navara has built up a legion of followers.

The Holden VF Commodore Evoke LPG offers cheaper running costs, decent equipment levels, reasonable performance, and enough room for a family of four. Tony Bosworth reckons it might just be the ‘family’ pick of the Commodore range.

In the past, Honda put the Accord up against the Falcon, Commodore and Aurion, but now they say it’s fighting in the category below. In any event, it makes a viable alternative to the full-sized cars, says Paul Murrell.

Other than the five-speed manual entry-level Pop, the Punto gets Fiat’s odd Dualogic transmission. The difference is considerable, and not necessarily for the better, says Paul Murrell.

Fiat thinks outside the box and comes up with a rounded-off square. Then for some reason, they go completely potty and apply it all over the new Panda. Paul Murrell looks beyond the squared-off circle (or rounded-off square) to see if the new Panda is worth the money.

The new Kia Cerato Koup marks a number of firsts for the company: the first Kia with a turbocharged engine, and the first Kia you may just buy because it looks so good.

Suzuki has always tended to fly under the radar. The big seller, of course, is the Swift, but over the years any car with the big S on the grille has always delivered good value for money and bullet-proof reliability. Small changes to the Suzuki SX4 make it even more appealing than ever.

Developed in conjunction with Toyota, the Subaru BRZ offers an intoxicating blend of aggressive looks and razor-sharp handling at a price that won’t bust the budget. Indeed, we’ve been waiting a long time for a car like this: a low weight, low price, compact sports car.

Nissan’s range is undergoing a long-awaited refresh. The range of SUVs is possibly the broadest on the market and the funky-looking new Nissan Juke is already turning heads and bringing people into showrooms, reports Paul Murrell.

People movers are miracles of clever packaging, says Paul Murrell and the Kia Rondo is a seven-up wagon no bigger than a Corolla.