Reviews

While the old Defender did the rough and tumble better than most, it only did the rough and tumble, even if the road was smooth.

Lexus’ popular prestige family SUV has received key updates this year to safety and technology, and on test we have the stretched RX 350L Sports Luxury.

MG, a British car maker once famed for sports cars and now a Chinese-owned brand making SUVs. It’s a big change from old, but this new-look MG has a positive outlook.

Finally, the all-new Jeep Gladiator arrives on local soil. Here is our review of the tough Rubicon that’s kitted with everything you need to get to Australia’s hardest-to-reach places.

The new Juke looks as distinctive as the original. But it’s a much better car. The old one was cramped and rough, while the new generation Juke is class-competitive for space and refinement. Cabin design and quality are also good for the class.

Everything about this third generation X5 and X6 M duo is bigger and bolder, not least of which starts with a pronounced nose with a gaping grille. That’s all the rage at BMW HQ this decade. The sides are blistered out and the bonnet has bulging creases, indicating that there’s a big bent eight engine lurking underneath… and it’s a stonking motor.

Jeep debuts a new level of off-road capability – defined by a new badge – with the Gladiator Mojave

This is Australia’s best-selling small SUV right now, eclipsing sales of much newer competitors despite its ten-year-old platform and packaging. We spent a week driving the top-spec Exceed model to give it a good going over.

We look back to last year, when Lexus unveiled its own take on a tough overland tourer concept car…and we are still waiting for more.

The new V8-powered Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in Australia has spent barely any time on HSV (could soon be GMSV) dealer floors, but we were itching to jump into one and give it a good test both on and off the road. Read on for our full on-road and off-road assessment.

As modern 4x4s become more complex, many have lost the attributes that make for a decent bush wagon. While there are still a couple of new 4×4 wagons that make the grade, to complete our list of five we’ve also had to look at the secondhand market, too.

The Forester nameplate is approaching its 25th birthday, and we’re now into the fifth-generation with the introduction of the SK model in 2018. The diesels and high-performance XT models have been dropped, but now for 2020 we have a petrol-electric hybrid with a CVT transmission. You can read this review in two ways – a review of the Forester, and a review of the hybrid drivetrain. Let’s just say the conclusions are quite different.

We sometimes muse of the silliness that is Nürburgring lap times, like the one this SUV claims as the quickest seven-seater around the ‘Ring. But it wasn’t that long ago we said the same about utes and family wagons…

The only – and by default the best – plug-in hybrid electric SUV under $50k.

Mitsubishi has given its Triton-based Pajero Sport a facelift for 2020 with some noticeable enhancements outside and not as visible improvements underneath. We road-tested the base-grade GLX to see what they bring to the table in this value-edged offering.

Cheaper than ever, the new manual-equipped Amarok V6 brings the German powerhouse ute to under $50k.

What’s the benefit of owning a seven-seat SUV if you don’t really need the extra seats? That’s exactly what we’re going to find out.

X-factor on the trail? Not quite, but a solid family SUV that can venture a little offroad

Comfortable and good to drive, the plug-in hybrid Range Rover Sport makes sense on paper but the drive range is limited.

The all-new Jeep Gladiator feels just like a Wrangler, it looks a lot like one, and is just as capable on and off the road… but it’s more practical for throwing stuff in, and even cooler.

SUVs are so popular these days they’ve even replaced the classic limousine as the transport of choice for many. Which is why BMW has added the X7, an upper-large luxury flagship.

At one point in time nearly every SUV on the road was a boring jacked-up replacement for the good ole family wagon. Nowadays there are sports utility vehicles that live up to the name in both practicality and ability. This one even more so on the ability side of things.

Word and Photos Ash Hunter

Word and Photos Ash Hunter