As seen on:

SMH Logo News Logo

Call 1300 303 181

Australia’s Best New Car News, Reviews and Buying Advice

Archive for January, 2020

Lexus Expands Owners' Program.

Lexus has announced an expansion of its Encore Owner Benefits program. Capped price servicing has been added, further complementing the award-winning Lexus customer care services. The addition of this will assist in peace-of-mind transactions for Lexus owners, knowing ahead of booking the pricing structure in a transparent manner. There’s some nice added extras as standard too, including complimentary pick-up and return of the vehicle from home or work, a loan car, plus an exterior wash and interior vacuum.

The new program started on January 1 and will be included in all deliveries from that date. There is no up-front service plan charge as a result and provides the flexibility to individually select each service over three years for the same price at any dealership nationwide.Pricing is model dependent. The Lexus CT, UX, IS, NX, ES, GS, and RC models start from $495 for each of the first three annual/15,000km standard logbook services. The RX, RC F, GS F, LC, and LS are $595. LX owners have a slightly different schedule and pricing. The first six bi-annual or 10,000km services will be $495.

For existing members, and those that will purchase a Lexus in 2020, the Lexus Encore program has some wonderful incentives and additions. Areas such as dining experiences, hotel stays, and luxury tastes of lifestyles, and even access for buyers of pre-owned Lexus vehicles are involved. A Lexus Encore membership for 12 months will be available to those that purchase an approved pre-owned Lexus through a Lexus dealership. A caveat is that it does involve excluding capped-price servicing for vehicles outside original three-year membership period.The guidelines here are simple: the vehicles must be no older than eight years or have covered no more than 120,000 kilometres, a complete Lexus service history must be available, and a 120-point check will be performed. A new Lexus app will debut in April, 2020, permitting Encore members to access events and offers in real time and book via the smartphone app at their leisure.When it comes to luxury stays, members have a great range of options. Encore Members are invited to indulge in some of Australia’s most exclusive hotels thanks to an evolving list of hotel partners around the country. One option is the Emirates One & Only Wolgan Valley, an ultra-luxury resort located in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage-listed region. Items such as a glass of wine from the region on arrival, a Signature Wildlife and Sundowners tour for two and more will be available. Oh, late check out? Absolutely.

There is now also a luxury wellness experience. Two nights at Jackalope Hotel on the spectacular Morninton Peninsular and the ability to participate in meditation sessions, yoga, spas, and access to a Lexus via the Hotel itself to sample the local region. Other events such as golf days, high end dinners, and bespoke drive days are also part of the Lexus Encore package. Lexus Chief Executive Scott Thompson said the Encore Owner Benefits program will be expanded throughout 2020, ensuring that Lexus delivers a new standard as the leader in luxury experience for a greater number of owners. “Lexus owners have given us both their unwavering loyalty and outstanding feedback about Lexus ownership, and our aim this year is to give back with more amazing experiences than ever before.” Mr Thompson added: “Lexus understands there is no greater privilege for its owners than time, so whether it be the ease of servicing, or the enjoyment of track days, dining nights and getaways, Lexus Encore will speed up or slow down time for our owners.”

Contact your Lexus dealership for details. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/online-zaym-na-kartu-payps.html

Seat Yourself Even More Comfortably, Says JLR.

Jaguar Land Rover’s “Body Interiors Research division” is working on a morphable seat. Constant micro adjustments in the foam section of the seats thanks to a set of actuators mimic a sensation said to make a passenger feel as if they’re walking. Memory settings allow a tailoring to suit individuals.

Research indicates that a figure of around 1.4 billion are having a lifestyle which involves less and less exercise, and is leading to muscle atrophe in the back, sides, and gluteus areas. This can lead to increased damage in a fall. The rhythm of walking is known as pelvic oscillation, and the simulation of it is said to mitigate the potential of health risks from such a sedentary lifestyle.
UK research figures on a driver covering an average of 146 miles or 234km every week, meaning the technology offers huge potential to overcome the lack of pelvic oscillations.

Dr Steve Iley, Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “The wellbeing of our customers and employees is at the heart of all our technological research projects. We are using our engineering expertise to develop the seat of the future using innovative technologies not seen before in the automotive industry to help tackle an issue that affects people across the globe.” JLR are seen as a world leader already in this field, featuring multi-directional adjustments, massage functions and climate control fitted across the range. Jaguar Land Rover have a video that illustrates how a driving position to suit can be achieved, with areas of attention such as thigh support and spinal support, even to removing items in pockets.

Destination Zero is Jaguar Land Rover’s ambition to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner, and projects such as research into reducing the effects of motion sickness and the implementation of ultraviolet light technology to stop the spread of colds and flu are part of Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to continually improving customer wellbeing through technological innovation. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/vashi-dengi-zaim.html

2020 Audi Q3 Sportback Ready To Roll.

Audi’s vast range of vehicles is about to expand. The Q3 Sportback, a small-medium SUV that features a strong coupe styling, is on its way. Pricing is sharp and it will be, to start, a two model range. The Q3 Sportback 35 TFSI S line with a 1.4L turbo four that produces 110kW and 250Nm will kick off at $49,900, whilst the Launch Edition will start from $56,450. These are manufacturers list price and do not include dealer or government charges.

Styling tweaks see the Sportback longer and lower than the standard Q3. Audi quietly nods to its Quattro heritage with the body having larger wheel arch “blisters”. The S Line and Launch Edition will roll on 19 inch alloys. The powerplant itself pairs up with a slick six speed S-Tronic auto, putting drive to the front wjheels in the S Line. It’s not a rocket ship though, with a 0-100 time of 9.3 seconds. Economy is quoted as 7.3 litres per 100km whilst emissions are 167 grams per km. A bigger engine and an extra cog will feature in the Q3 40 S-Line model. 132kW will come from a 2.0L engine, driving all four corners via a seven speed S-Tronic.

The Launch Edition is will include additional features, such as metallic paint as standard, privacy glass, and a black exterior styling package. The folding wing mirrors are heated too. Inside there’s a bespoke sound system, auto dimming rear vision mirror, plus LED colour lighting, heated front pews with powered lumbar support, and a 360 degree camera system. Safety features will include Adaptive Cruise Assist, along with active lane assist and emergency assist.

ANCAP have awarded the Q3 Sportback a five star rating, as Autonomous Emergency Braking or AEB, with cyclist and pedestrian detection is on board, as are lane departure warning, lane change warning, rear cross-traffic assist, tyre pressure monitors, and hill descent control. Six airbags will be fitted with no driver’s kneebag as part of the package. Naturally technology is a major part of the Q3 Sportback, just like its sibling. The Audi “Virtual Cockpit” will star for the driver, as will MMI navigation and MMI touchscreen. DAB audio provides the sounds and Audi’s voice control is tuned to be a natural language style for better usage.

Both USB-A and USB-C ports will feature for front and rear seats, and connectivity in the form of wireless Apple CarPlay, a smartphone charge pad and a handy dual Bluetooth connectivity is standard. Audi Connect Plus provides real time traffic info, petrol station fuel pricing, parking space availability at listed stations, and even weather updates.

Drivers with a sporting bent will be well pleased thanks to a fettling of the steering plus selected driving modes for a variety of driving situations. Audi drive select allows driving characteristics to be altered with a selection of various modes through the MMI controls.

Although it’s of a coupe styling, rear room isn’t compromised. The 530 litres of cargo space is the same as the non-coupe Q3. 40:20:40 split fold and sliding second row seats allow up to 1400L as required.

Paul Sansom, Managing Director of Audi Australia, says: “The very first Q3 Sportback expands Audi’s presence in the premium compact SUV segment. In a single generation, the Audi Q3 established itself as the benchmark in its class, underlined by its enduring popularity throughout its lifetime. The new model is stronger in every conceivable area, and the very first Q3 Sportback offers an even more expressive alternative for buyers. The growing share of the premium compact SUV segment shows no sign of slowing down, and so the Q3 Sportback is absolutely the right car at the right time for the Australian market.”

Deliveries for Australia are expected to start in March of 2020.

http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/vivus-potrebitelskie-zaymy-online.html

Best And Worst Exterior Paint Colours For Resale

We’ve all heard those jokes about people who seem to be more concerned about what colour a car is rather than its practical performance (fuel economy, towing ability, safety specs, luggage space, etc.).  We’ve also probably tossed out a flip comment about go-faster red and go-faster stripes over the years.  Paint colour seems like just a matter of personal choice and preference.  However, if you’re buying a brand new car and you know that you are going to sell it off some years down the track, then you may need to bear colour in mind, as some car paint colours are better for resale than others.

Good paint colours are popular ones that don’t go out of style quickly. This means that it’s going to be quicker and easier to sell them in five or ten years’ time because they’ll still be in style. With a bad colour – which might be a fashionable colour – it could be a bit harder to sell the car later on because potential buyers may look at it and go “eww – that’s so 2020”, which may mean that you will have to let the car go for a lower price than you may have got otherwise.

The leading authority on car paint colour is the paint manufacturer Axalta. This company has complied stats on car colours for over 60 years and has tons of resources available (the most recent free annual car stats are from 2016) and there is plenty to keep any motoring trivia enthusiast happy for hours at their website.

By a quick look at some of the material available from Axalta without wasting time down too many rabbit trails, it seems as if good car colours, in terms of resale, are like good suit colours for guys or the little black cocktail dress for gals: simple, basic classics that don’t shock or startle. Honestly, when it comes to car paint colour that hold its value, conservative is the key.

The most recent (freely available!) stats from Axalta show that the most popular car exterior paint colours worldwide (and therefore the ones that are likely to have the best resale value) are as follows:

  1. White: 37% of new cars sold in 2016 were some shade of white; white has been #1 for quite some time now
  2. Black: 18%
  3. Grey: 11%
  4. Silver: 11%
  5. Red: 6%
  6. Navy blue: 6%
  7. Beige and brown: 6% (apparently, Russian sales made up most of these)
  8. Yellow and gold: 3%
  9. Green: 1% (again, mostly Russian sales)

The most popular colour for vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region (which includes us here in Australia) has been either white, silver or grey since 1973 – and it looks like this trend isn’t going to change soon!

(If you want the latest stats, broken down by region and by body style – yes, it makes a difference –then you have to pay to get the download. I’m tempted…)

To find the least popular colours, all that some bloggers and researchers do is to flip this popularity list upside down. However, you, like me, have probably noticed that some colours don’t even feature on this list.  Because cars with unpopular colours don’t sell as well, it’s hard to compile meaningful stats on them, as it’s hard to track what isn’t selling because there’s nothing to see or record.  Nevertheless, the following have been proposed as the worst car exterior paint colours for resale.  They’re not in any particular order, but you may notice that all of them are very distinctive and associated with particular decades!

  • orange: any shade of orange; this colour is only popular with die-hard Dukes of Hazzard fans
  • turquoise: metallic turquoise in particular is soooo 1990s
  • maroon: very 1990s and dated, which is weird for a shade of red
  • green (unless you’re Russian): olive or pea green from the 1970s is especially bad, followed by the vivid treefrog greens of the early 2000s
  • brown (again, unless you’re Russian): British Leyland. Enough said
  • pink: in fact, Ferrari has banned pink from its list of possible car colours coming out of the factory door, even for superstars paying megadollars for a custom paint job (if P!nk wants a pink supercar, she has to get a Lambo, which doesn’t mind what colour you pick if you’re willing to pay).
  • purple: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a purple vehicle that wasn’t a commercial tradie vehicle in company colours that had been custom-painted

The only exception I’d make to this list is the case of British Racing Green for Jaguar.  This is a tradition and it’s such an iconic colour for Jaguar that it holds its value better than other off-the-wall unique colours.  Can you imagine a Burberry in any colour other than beige?

However, if you are in the market for a second-hand car, you can make the car colour thing work in your favour. If you believe that a good horse is never a bad colour and that the same applies to cars, then you may be able to pick up a good reliable set of wheels that’s in an unfashionable colour so is going for a fraction cheaper than something mechanically identical in a “good” colour. I’ll never forget my tradie friend who picked up a metallic rose-pink trade van at a bargain price because of its colour – he downright owned that pink van and it certainly made him stand out from his competitors with ordinary white vans. OK, you need some serious cojones to pull off a pink tradie van, but it certainly worked for my friend! http://credit-n.ru/credit-card-single-tinkoff-platinum.html