Motor Torque with David Berthon

Just weeks after its launch Suzuki has struck a special drive-away deal on its all new compact Fronx Hybrid SUV. Reflecting the ever-increasing competition from new and cut-price Chinese and Indian models. Suzuki’s Fronx SUV is now on offer for $29,990 drive-away, getting it under the price sensitive $30,000 barrier. Deliveries of the new city coupe-style SUV begin on Monday – the small Suzuki features a 1.5-litre petrol engine and six- speed automatic assisted by a 12-volt mild hybrid system under acceleration. One specification grade, well equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, a wireless phone charger, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a driver’s head-up display as standard. Well equipped with a number of active safety elements as well plus a 360-degree surround view camera. The Suzuki Fronx joins an ever-growing and price sensitive small SUV segment.

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One of the success stories in the new vehicle market this year has been
the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid 4 x 4 ute – released at the beginning of the
year this Chinese ute has dented the sales of three of our biggest selling
vehicles year to date – the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max,
helping to push BYD into the top ten sellers list – BYD sales have
increased by 146 percent July year to date with the Shark 6 ute its best
seller, now representing 41 per cent of total sales. Despite this and given
the highly competitive nature of the 4x4. ute market BYD has just
discounted it by $3,000 – the single Premium variant now on offer for
$59,400 drive-away. Two new optional colours have also been added –
Outback Orange and Mist Grey for another $700. I’m David Berthon

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We’ve seen a swag of new Chinese models in recent months and the competitive nature of the new vehicle market just gets more intense – and with continual price cuts and incentives one wonders where it will end up but the Chinese brands are intent on gaining significant market share in a short time. I’ve just driven GWM’s first plug-in hybrid – the Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV SUV with an impressive electric only range of 180kms, combining a 1.5-liltre turbo-petrol engine with front and rear electric motors and a high voltage 35.4kWhour battery. This plug-in hybrid is $9,000 dearer to the pure petrol model, $53,990 drive-away plus a free wall charger for a limited period. Highly equipped and with numerous drive modes. This coupe-styled SUV is well built with more than acceptable quality but as a driver I did not enjoy it as much as the Jaecoo J7 SHS plug-in hybrid of a few weeks back. Part of the problem is that the Chinese want you to think you driving a computer on wheels – everything is activated by a touchscreen and its simply frustrating. Warranty 7-7years/unlimited km with battery warranty at 8-years. The Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV offers much but for me there are better options.

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Plug-in hybrids are gaining traction - I’ve been driving the new GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra plug-in hybrid or PHEV, this fast back style SUV has been around in pure petrol form for several years and it has a nice profile. The plug-in hybrid version utilises a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with front and rear electric motors, a performance model with 342kW and 762Nm of torque, more powerful to the petrol model and gaining bigger brakes in the process but $9,000 dearer at $53,990 drive-away. It features 180kms of electric only range from a high voltage 35.4kWhour battery. Overall, a comfortable five-seater, nicely finished and very highly equipped apart from the lack of a space saver spare wheel, replaced with the dreaded tyre repair kit. But retaining nice seats in combination suede and leather, power heated and ventilated in the front, a power tailgate, heated steering wheel, a 360-degree camera, a few more drive modes to the petrol model and a swag of driver assist systems. The Haval H6 GT Ultra, a performance skewed plug-in hybrid features the usual touchscreen, not user friendly, and at times a frustrating to use interface. Warranty 7-years/unlimited kilometre, battery warranty 8-years with capped price servicing most reasonable.

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It’s obvious the continuing onslaught of sharply priced new Chinese models has the established brands concerned. I was interested in the comments of Mazda’s boss who suggested customers should consider more than the purchase price of a new car and that resale and quality should also weigh heavily in the decision making. Its obvious the established Japanese brand with a loyal following over a long period is finding it difficult to compete with the new price driven Chinese models arriving nearly on a weekly basis. The Mazda boss is right in suggesting that there is more to a car purchase than price and price alone. However, the tide is turning with Chinese cars, the quality is improving with each new model along with the warranty. Mazda pricing on the other hand has moved upwards in recent years making it harder for its traditional client base to remain loyal.

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The Australian Automobile Association in a communique this week said a sharp increase in pedestrian deaths in the 12 months to 31 July pushed Australia’s road deaths to their highest level for any corresponding period in 15 years. Why should we be surprised by these figures – Since 2021, when Australian Governments adopted a National Road Safety Strategy target of halving road deaths by 2023, total road fatalities have increased by 22 percent. Over the same period, fatalities among pedestrians have increased by a staggering 48.6 per cent. And little wonder, pedestrian behaviour has never been worse, in particular, reading messages and texting while crossing the road or on a pedestrian crossing is out of control. If it’s good enough to book drivers with a handheld device, it should be the same for pedestrians on marked crossings. Harold Scruby, where are you.

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Behind the wheel of BMW’s X3 M50 SUV – BMW does performance very well and its M series X3 is very well sorted – and at $128,900 I guess you can rightly suggest it should be – the X3 M50’s 3.0-litre turbo in-line six gaining 48-volt mild hybrid boost. With 8-speed ZF gearbox, BMW’s x-Drive all-wheel drive and adaptive suspension ride and handling is a good as it gets, the whole performance polished, athletic and just so smooth, BMW refer to it as a sports activity vehicle SAV rather than a sports utility vehicle and it is in every sense – road noise suppression first class with acoustic glass, however the quad exhaust still provides an aural masterpiece under revs. BMW have thankfully ditched run flat tyres on this model’s 21-inch alloy wheels, the downside however no spare, just a tyre repair kit. Importantly, the interior room in the X3 especially in the rear is excellent with great seats and standard Veganza synthetic leather, if you want the real McCoy it’s another $4,000 – the interior design a highlight with wide infotainment touchscreen and combined instrument cluster although I’d still like buttons for air-con and radio. Warranty 5-years/unlimited km with roadside assistance for three years.

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Drive any SUV over $100,000 and you expect it to be a well sorted package but
that’s not always the case however the new BMW X3 M50 SUV at $128,900 is hard
to top. l can hear you saying for that money it would want to be. However, the
flagship of BMW’s best-selling X3 model is as good as it gets – BMW defines it as
an SAV, not SUV, SAV standing for sports activity vehicle and its most apt.
upgraded earlier this year the fourth generation BMW X3 now in four models, sits
on the same wheelbase but is slightly longer and wider and 25mm lower giving it
a sportier profile - utilising a 3.0-litre turbo petrol in-line six now with 48-volt
mild hybrid boost – this adds another 18kW of power and a 40Nm torque boost
from just 1900 revs. With an 8-speed ZF auto gearbox, BMW’s x-Drive all-wheel
drive and adaptive dampers the X3 M50 is a stunning driver. Visually highlighted
with large split kidney shaped grille, which tends to divide opinion, to me it’s far
too large, now highlighted by contour lighting as standard. The BMW X3 M50 SAV
just impressed the more I drove it.

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In the last 18 months we’ve seen a number of new Chinese car brands, and
almost on a weekly basis, the arrival of new and improved models. As one
long standing dealer said to me recently – David we can’t afford not to take
on new brands from China as the car market is rapidly changing and we
expect them to capture around 40 per cent of the market in a fairly short
time. Take Chery for example, with new sub brands Jaecoo and Omoda on
the move, both have now launched a handful of models, the mid-size
Jaecoo J7 and the larger J8 while Omoda has just released the Omoda 9
hybrid Coupe SUV – by Chery spinning off these sub brands their chasing
a much larger slice of our market, targeting a spot in Australia’s top ten car
brands in just two years. I’m David Berthon

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Whenever I talk about road safety at Easter and Xmas I suggest the worst
time to be on the road is Friday afternoons. Something I’ve witnessed over
many years where on a Friday drivers intent on getting home for the
weekend throw caution to the wind. So I was pleased to read the 2025 AAMI
Crash Index which confirmed that Friday afternoons feature with the
highest number of collision claims. AAMI suggesting the possible reason
drivers are transitioning from the long working week into the weekend –
they may be a bit fatigued and thinking about what they’ve got on on the
weekend.” In fact, according to the report which analyzed 480,000 claims,
afternoons in general are the less favourable times of any given day to
drive. The report also suggesting that nationally, the worst drivers are aged
35-44 and 65-plus.

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