Australian 4WD & SUV Buyer's Guide September Issue #36 2020
4WD & SUV Buyer’s Guide purely focuses on the vehicles that are newly available on the Australian market. Each description identifies the car’s weaknesses and its strengths with no-holds barred, as well as detailed tables on prices, standard equipment, the cost of major options, performance, fuel consumption and much more. This Buyer’s Guide also shares with its readers the latest news and happenings from the exciting world of automotive mobility. Helping you choose the 4WD or SUV that works best for you, this magazine is perfect for any car enthusiast.
in this issue
ford bronco
Ford has released details of its new Bronco 4x4, which will go up against the Jeep Wrangler in its home US market. Unfortunately, it’s not slated for launch in Australia, but hopefully that will change. Ford says Bronco combines “the toughness of an F-Series truck and the performance of Mustang.” It’s certainly not short of go, with a 231kW/542Nm 2.7-litre V6 turbopetrol, hooked up to a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic and dual range 4x4, with extremely low crawler gear ratios. Ford offers 35-inch off road tyres for the serious off roader, while Bilstein suspension, decoupled stabiliser bars and locking diffs at both ends are also fitted. Available in two and four door variants, the Bronco features removable roof panels and doors. Prices start at around A$42,600. The smaller Bronco Sport (above and bottom…
mini countryman from $42,200
Mini’s SUV range, powered by BMW drivetrains, opens with the 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol/six-speed automatic/front-wheel-drive Countryman, priced at $42,200. The 2.0-litre turbodiesel/eight-speed automatic/front-wheel-drive Cooper D is $46,200, the 2.0-litre turbopetrol/eight-speed auto Cooper S is $49,200, and the 2.0-litre turbodiesel/eight-speed automatic/all-wheel-drive Cooper SD is $54,200. The all-wheel drive John Cooper Works model, the performance variant with a 225kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine, costs $65,900 with an eight-speed automatic. A plug-in hybrid Cooper S E model, priced at $57,200, claims an electric-only range of up to 40km or so, but on test could only manage about half of that. Self-appointed experts gave the original Countryman a hostile reception when it was launched in 2010. Too big to wear a Mini badge, they huffed. Too long. Too many doors. Customers couldn’t have cared less. The Countryman at times…
kia sorento
The Kia Sorento is one of the best seven seater SUVs on the market, so the new, third generation model, arriving in showrooms now, should be a good thing. It sits on an all-new platform with a 35mm longer wheelbase that yields more passenger room, plus what Kia claims is best in class cargo space. It will initially be available in Australia with carryover engines: a 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four cylinder turbodiesel, matched with an eight-speed automatic and allwheel drive. The 200kW/332Nm 3.5-litre V6/front-wheel drive train in the base model. Prices start at $45,850 for the 3.5V6 S, with the top of the range petrol GT-Line at $60,070. The base turbodiesel S is $48,850 and the GT-Line is $63,070. Digital instruments and 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment are fitted to a cabin that’s a big step…
mercedes-benz eqc from $137,900
The shape of things to come from Mercedes-Benz has a familiar form. The German car maker’s first pure EV, the EQC 400 is, surprise, surprise, a family sized SUV, priced at $137,900. While SUVs are hugely popular, there are other reasons car makers favour an SUV-like shape for upmarket EVs. Their tall bodies accommodate a massive slab of underfloor batteries, while leaving space for a roomy passenger compartment above, and without looking weird. The EQC has a lithium-ion battery pack weighing 650kg. Protected by a strong impact-absorbing perimeter, it’s almost as wide as the vehicle and takes up most of the underfloor space between the front and rear axles. Each axle is driven by a 150kW electric motor via a fixed-ratio gear, making the EQC all-wheel-drive. All of the EQC’s present and future…
subaru forester from $34,690
Subaru’s fifth generation Forester is the biggest yet and a genuine family-sized SUV. The 2020 range kicks off at $34,690 for the 2.5i. The 2.5iL is $36,940, the Premium is $39,940 and the 2.5iS is $42,990. All are powered by a 136kW/239Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, in Subaru’s signature boxer layout, with a CVT transmission and all-wheel drive. Forester Hybrid L is $39,990 and Hybrid S is $45,990. Both use the same 2.0-litre petrol/electric all wheel drivetrain as the XV. Forester’s headline safety tech -- a hidden infrared LED camera in the dashboard that monitors eye movement and beeps when the driver isn’t watching the road or is glancing at their phone -- is standard on 2.5iL and above. On Premium and 2.5iS the same tiny camera uses facial recognition technology to match the…
audi q3 from $46,400
The third generation Audi Q3 might be labelled an SUV but as with many of its peers it could easily be described as a high-riding hatchback. It delivers the usual SUV attributes: taller driving position, better vision around the car, and a higher “hip point”, making it easier to get in and out. All this in a package that fits in the same size parking space as a Toyota Corolla. Little wonder compact SUVs are so popular. Prices start from $46,400 plus on-road costs for the 35 TFSi, powered by a carryover 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine (110kW/250Nm) matched to a six-speed S-tronic twin clutch auto driving the front wheels. The coupe-style S Line Sportback, with the same drivetrain, starts at $49,900. The 40TFSi, with a 132kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol/sevenspeed S-tronic/quattro all-wheel drivetrain, is $53,900, or…
