Buy A New Car
5 Simple Ways Buying a New Car is One of the Best Feelings in the World
The ‘new car’ smell
There’s no getting away from it – that ‘new car’ smell is something you just can’t replicate when you’ve had a car for a while or you buy used. The smell is there to remind you of the joy of sitting in your new car – it’s something to reward you for the money you’ve just paid and the effort you’ve put it saving up for it.
The sense that you’d like to go out and drive just because you can
The open road, the freedom to go where you want, and the ‘any excuse to get in the car again’ lasts a good few weeks when you have a new car. It’s something that any petrolhead can associate with – it doesn’t really matter that you don’t need to go anywhere, driving is just all you want to be doing.
The temptation to push the car and see what it can do
It’s likely that if you are upgrading your car, you’ll want to move towards something a bit more powerful and luxurious. Improved handling is also a big plus when it comes to stretching your new car’s legs on the road – and most modern cars allow you to push the limits a bit further and having a new car, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll want to.
The sense that everything is alright with the world.
There’s a reassuring feeling when you’re sat in the cabin of your new car. You’ve worked hard for your money, and being able to spend it on something you enjoy and care so much for gives you a little feeling of enjoyment and success.
Cruising slowly with the windows down just because you like to sit there
The comfort of modern car’s cabins is unsurpassed. It’s a comfortable, enjoyable place to be, and one of the best things about buying a new car is that when the experience is fresh, you’re perfectly happy just sitting there, cruising slowly and admiring the gauges, dials and switches around you. Of course, this feeling soon wears off, so make the most of it while you can!
If you are looking to in Australia, we may be able to help you. Our car knowledge gives us access to a huge range of new car models. Contact us today to see how we can help.
Automobili Lamborghini Sydney Launches With Huracán Force
After its successful launch on September 19th, 2014, in Melbourne, the Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 is now available for orders at the Automobili Lamborghini dealership in Sydney. Located at 563 Parramatta Road, in the bustling inner suburb of Leichhardt, the Huracán sits proudly on display in the company of two of Lamborghini’s flagship models, the edgy Aventador.
Since being officially unveiled in February, there’s already over a dozen orders for the sleek missile, worth near half a million dollars in New South Wales alone, but don’t think it’s a matter of simply rolling in and plonking down a handful of bills. Lamborghini has a stringent order process in place for the Huracán, 
with a (currently) planned production run of less than 3000 and will, effectively, build to order, rather than 
having a pool of vehicles.
Dealer principal, Dwyer Ogle, has over twenty years experience in premium brands, starting his career with the legendary British brand, Aston Martin. Dwyer’s enthusiasm for luxury motoring was evident, discussing the history of Lamborghini as easily as he shared facts and figures on the Huracán. Dwyer was also proud to be part of a launch drive in Italy, with a video showing him in the passenger seat of the 449kW rocket, being driven by a Lamborghini test driver at the Ascari circuit, clearly delighting in the experience.
The car itself, says Dwyer, is the most user friendly Lamborghini he has experienced. He likens driving the Diablo, first released in 1990, as a full on gym workout, with a heavy clutch and steering, whereas the lithe 1422kg Huracán has been worked over and smoothed over and massaged by parent company, Audi, to be as easy to use as the proverbial grandmother’s weekend shopping trolley. There’s hi-tech in the form of a magneto-rheological suspension 
system; a magnetic liquid fills the dampers and reacts to suspension changes in milliseconds, providing lightning sharp handling. The V10 engine is connected to a dual clutch, seven speed, gearbox and transfers power and torque to all four corners via the all wheel drive system. Dwyer grins as he explains that the naturally aspirated 5.2L engine’s torque, all 560 Nm of it, delivers an on tap, linear surge of acceleration and shakes his head in disbelief as he mentioned the car’s ability to remain flat and composed as it changes gear, under acceleration, on the banked curves at Ascari.
Dwyer’s backed up by Italian born Yvonne Buchreiter, Lamborghini Sydney brand manager; she smiles as she says “I’m Italian, where else would I work but for a great Italian car company?”. There’s warmth in both smile and handshake as she welcomes me in, excusing herself to look after a prior appointment, another Huracán interested party already there. She and Dwyer manage to make everyone feel part of the family within 
minutes of arriving and, as Dwyer demonstrates the vibrancy of the engine and exhaust, pointing out the subtle change in note as the computer ensures operating parts are warm and safe, there’s smiles all around.
As the car is being built to order, waiting time is not unexpected, in this case estimated to be around 12 months; however, as Dwyer points out, a Huracán buyer will take delivery knowing that the car has been built specifically for them, rather than dipping into a pool of stock.
After an hour of easy going, friendly and knowledgeable conversation, I take my leave, grateful for their time and wondering what Lotto numbers I need to pick.
Automobili Lamborghini Sydney can be found at 563 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt, New South Wales and cars are available at the four Australian dealerships; Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Lamborghini Huracán Ready To Storm Australian East Coast.
One of the world’s newest supercars is getting ready to storm into Australia’s east coast showrooms with the impending launch of the Lamborghini Huracán 610-4. Heading to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, potentially in September (exact dates unconfirmed at time of writing) the 448kW/560Nm 5.2L V10 engined brute features a seven speed transmission, a carbon fibre/aluminuim chassis and rolls on elegant 20 inch diameter, ten spoke, alloys, clad in 245/30 front and massive 305/30 rear Pirelli tyres, specifically and specially designed and engineered for the 325 km/h beast. The name comes from the horsepower figure, 610, and all four corners providing drive. Peak power is seen at a stratospheric 8250 revs and torque at 6500rpm.
Central to the Lamborghini Huracán’s imposing look is the wedge design, with the height almost exactly half of the car’s width. It’s 2236mm in overall width, stands just 1165mm tall and is a lithe 4459mm in length. It’s a compact wheelbase at 2620mm and has a broad track at the front, at 1668mm whilst the rear, thanks to the huge rubber, is just 1620mm. All up weight is a sneeze over 1420 kg, allowing a horsepower to weight ratio of just 2.33 kilos per pony. Sipping an average of just 12.5L of fuel per 100 kilometres from the 80 litre tank, the Huracán will power to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds on its way to 200 klicks in 9.9 seconds. It’s also Euro6 emissions compliant at 290 grams CO2 per km, with the engine breathing out through four catalytic converters and powers all four paws via a 7-speed LDF dual-clutch transmission, with a slightly uneven weight balance of 42% front to 58% rear. The electrically assisted steering (optionable for Lamborghini Dynamic Steering for a more racing like feel) helps the Huracán turn in 11.2 metres. The two seater interior has body snuggling seats, with the driver facing a digital dashboard and stitched leather console. Externally, the good looks continue with a clear panel showing off the powerplant nestled behind the passenger cell.
The Huracán takes over from the mega successful Gallardo, with 14022 units produced over a decade and covers half of all Lamborghinis sold since the company was founded in 1963. In keeping with the famous tradition, the Huracán draws upon bullfighting, in this instance, going back to 1879 and a bull of the Spanish Conte de la Patilla breeding.
Sebastien Henry, head of Lamborghini Automobilia for the South East Asian and Pacific regions, said ahead of the Australian launch: “”We are very proud to officially launch the new Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 here in Australia. Automobili Lamborghini continues to set new benchmarks in the luxury super sports car industry with its pure and cutting edge technology, and we expect the Huracán to be well received in this country.” Perth, in Western Australia, already has a showroom. Australians, being a tech savvy lot, will appreciate the all LED lighting externally, a first for a supercar and the design feature of a single line, in silhouette, from the windscreen over the passenger cell to the rear, passing the side mounted engine air intakes. Apart from hi-tech chassis, buyers will also get a bonded aluminuim and composite structure, carbon ceramic brakes discs with a pizza platter sized 380mm disc at the front and 356mm at the rear.
Pricewise, Lamborghini offers to lighten your wallet to the tune of $428,000 plus on roads and government charges, with three years warranty and unlimited kilometres attached to a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty. Orders are and will be taken via all four showrooms when they open on the east coast. For more information head across to www.lamborghini.com.
Big Space: Toyota Kluger GXL AWD
Toyota has built its name on reliability and offering a car for the right segment. The Land Cruiser, Corolla and, lately, the 86. Some time ago it created a new market by releasing the RAV4. There’s now 4 models in Toyota’s SUV range: Land Cruiser, Prado, RAV 4 and Kluger, a range released just over ten years ago. It’s gone from being a medium sized vehicle to one almost as large, in all dimensions, as the Land Cruiser. With four distinct vehicles to choose from across quite a few variations, just WHERE does the Kluger fit in, especially the GXL AWD A Wheel Thing tested for a week? Updated and released to the Aussie market in March of 2014, it’s an evolution of the previous model yet it’d be hard pressed to be recognised as the great grandchild of the original.
The Donk.
Toyota have thrown a 3.5L petrol powered V6 under the acre sized bonnet of the current model Kluger. There’s 201kW and 337 Nm of torque on 
offer; 
however it’s got to move a 2020kg (sans passengers and fuel) vehicle that’s 4.8 metres long, just over 1.9 metres in total width and 1.73 metres in height. As a result, fuel economy is not great, call it 12L/100 kilometres from a 72 litre tank as an average. Around town it slurped harder than a shearer on a beer after a hard day in the paddock. The issue is not the torque, it’s WHERE that maximum figure comes in, a stupidly high 4700 revs. This means the engine is working harder at lower revs to get and keep the bulk moving. There’s no diesel offered for the Kluger either, consider that when you’re shopping for a people moving SUV…it’s mated to a six speed auto, the only transmission available, plus the GXL comes with either a two wheel drive (front driven) or, in this case, an all wheel drive setup that is part time but can be locked. There’s descent control fitted as well, which all works well enough however the Kluger seems to slot into the rarely and barely used for off roading segment. The auto is smooth, silky smooth; with low throttle applications the change is barely perceptible and it’s only by the flick of the rev counter’s needle that you know something’s changed.
The Suit.
Of recent times, there seems to have been a push back to blunt, vertical noses for SUVs. 
Although this may seem non aerodynamic (and could very well be), there’s other tricks designers and engineers apply to try and make a brick on wheels a bit more slippery. There’s some extension to the headlight and taillight structure, to divert and bend airflow. There’s a rake to the rear window line, the headlight cluster is swept back into the fenders, with a front on view giving some idea of how the aero has changed for the 2014 Kluger.The taillights flow though into the tailgate (non electrically operated in the GXL). The grille is taller than the outgoing model whilst each and and the wheel arches have tough polyurethane shrouding. The GXL came with tidy 18 inch alloys, shod with 245/60 Michelin Latitude rubber.
On The Inside.
It’s a leather look and plastic interior, setup for
five seats with two hidden in the rear cargo section. The rear seats are configured for slide and tilt to give a completely flat load surface and there’s also rear seat aircon controls and vents. It’s typical Toyota ease of use and sensibility. 
Then we look at the dash and wonder how the styling could be so….unusual; there’s a double fold to the top of the dash with one surface coming from the passenger airbag and vent before disappearing behind the second surface, the dash binnacle, which runs across through the centre and across the audio block. Squeezed in between and not altogether harmoniously, there’s a clock whilst lower down, the plugs for the USB and auxiliary inputs are almost inaccessible and hidden from view. Front aircon controls are sensibly laid out 
however the touchscreen surrounds look and feel low rent. It sits above another storage section that’s deep and big enough for mobile phones and sweeps across to the passenger side air vent. 
Audio quality was good, with nice depth, clarity and separation. The dash dials have a standard look to them however the info screen tucked in between them seemed to lack the 
option to show the velocity. 
The tiller is comfortable to hold and has the now almost mandatory assortment of buttons for audio, Bluetooth etc. The seats themselves are reasonably comfortable, have a good measure of under thigh support and at the front they bracket a rather large storage console. It’s deep enough to hold bottles or a handbag which gives a subtle clue as to the Kluger’s target market.
The Drive.
Nowhere near as lumbering as its big brother, the Land Cruiser, the Kluger is quite agile, belying its size. Of immediate note, though, was the thump from the front suspension as the Kluger goes over one of the larger school sized speed humps at low velocity, sounding as if the strut towers were being pulled out. Although there’s little free play in the steering rack, it still requires a bit of turn for it to bit and send the front 
wheels where you want them. Once loaded up there’s some nice bite, some good feedback and tight response, with the front end going where you point and the rear follows faithfully, like a well trained pup. The suspension settings are taut initially, rolling smoothly into a good level of compliance and there’s little of concern body roll wise as it corners nice and flat. Acceleration is decent, at the cost of fuel consumption but stopping the 2000 kilo plus Kluger wasn’t always confidence inspiring. The pedal seemed long and lacked true bite, with a number of not so quick stops feeling as if the car in front was about to have a Kluger in the boot. The GXL came loaded with a locking diff and hill descent control as well but it’s not, in A Wheel Thing’s opinion, the vehicle people would use for anything other than a bit of gravel work.
The Wrap.
It’s a crowded market that this new Kluger comes into, with SUV offerings from almost every major manufacturer. Toyota’s off road heritage is well known, its reputation almost unbreakable and they stand as the company effectively responsible (or blameworthy, in some eyes) for the SUV market. With around a half dozen Kluger variants available, in three trim levels and two or four wheel drive configurations, it covers the bases. However, its size and price points, compared to its opposition, plus its thirst and lack of a diesel variant, has A Wheel Thing questioning the relevance of the Kluger. There’s cheaper, more suitable soft and off roaders, Jeep has announced a diesel engine for one of its range, Hyundai’s Sante Fe and Kia’s Sorento offer the same seating configuration options and a better looking interior in a more compact body without sacrificing room or comfort. If you want a big, proper offroader, you buy a Land Cruiser or Patrol. If you don’t need something that big and don’t ned to go offroad there’s plenty to choose from. Then there’s the dollars. The GX 2WD starts at just shy of $41000, the GXL AWD is nearly $54K and then there’s the onroad costs… As dynamically good it is for such a big vehicle, I was left wondering which round hole this peg is meant to fill.
For info: http://www.toyota.com.au/kluger/specifications/gxl-awd-7-seat-suv?WT.ac=VH_Kluger_RangeAndSpecs_RangeBanner_GXLAWD_Specs
Car: Toyota Kluger GXL AWD.
Engine: 3.5L V6.
Fuel/Tank: Unleaded, 91 RON, 72 litres.
Power/Torque: 201kW @ 6200rpm, 337Nm @ 4700rpm.
Fuel Consumption (claimed): 10.6L/100km combined, 14.4L/100km urban, 8.4L/100km highway.
Transmission: six speed automatic.
Weight: (dry) 2020kg, (gross) 2740kg.
Towing: 2000kg (braked), 700kg (unbraked).
Warranty: 3 years/100000 kilometres, whichever occurs first.
Seating: seven, third row flush with floor, middle row 60/40 split fold.
Cargo: (all seats up) 195L, (third row folded) 529L, (all folded) 1872L
Dimensions, L x W x H (mm): 4865 x 1965 x 1730.
Wheelbase (mm): 2790.
Tyres/Wheels: 245/60 on 18 inch diameter alloys.
Off road approach/departure: 18/23.1degrees.
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