The 9 th . Peking to Paris Motor challenge got under way last Saturday, the
event covering 14,500 kilometres over 37 days across twelve countries. 80
entries started at the Great Wall of China including five from Australia, with
this year’s challenge taking crews across China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan,
across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan continuing into the tough tracks of
Georgia and Turkey, followed with a sting in the tail across Bulgaria,
Romania, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland before finishing in France. A true
historic vehicle and human endurance challenge that follows in the tracks
of the original 1907 pioneers. The entry fee per vehicle to participate with a
crew of two 69,000 pounds. Entries include vehicles up to 1985 – the
oldest vehicle this year from Melbourne’s Alan Madan – a 14.5 litre 1917
American La France, formerly a fire truck. I’m David Berthon

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Toyota this week revealed its sixth generation RAV4 SUV due in the first
half of 2026. The hybrid only RAV 4 range will introduce Toyota’s first plug-
in PHEV powertrain offering a choice of 2WD or 4WD and targeting up to
100km of electric-only driving range. The current model with huge pent up
demand during the pandemic has been our top-seller in recent years, also
Toyota’s top seller, the company selling more than 500,000 since its arrival
in 1994. Underpinning the new plug-in hybrid system is a 2.5-litre petrol
engine combined with a new 22.7kWh high-capacity lithium-ion battery that
will provide an electric only driving range of up to 100km. Along with the
plug-in options, the RAV4 will also come with Toyota’s efficient series-
parallel hybrid system in AWD and 2WD configurations. both of which
produce 143kW combined with excellent fuel economy. I’m David Berthon

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Driving Renault’s Megane E-Tech SUV – a small French SUV with a
difference, setting it apart from the look alike new breed of Chinese electric
cars. At $54,990 plus on-road costs more than competitive, cheaper than
Volvo’s EX30 and in a way more charming. The styling impressive, hatch
like with large 20-inch wheels tucked into the corners. Step inside and it
breathes clever design, quality materials and individuality. With a
lightweight 60kWh battery feeding a single electric motor driving the front
wheels it offers a driving range of 454Km which I found accurate. Relatively
light for an electric car with a slim lightweight battery under the floor I
found the energy consumption excellent at 14.1 kWh/100km. Electric cars
tend to ride harder` due to battery weight – not so for the Megane E-Tech,
extremely comfortable helped by great seats although disappointing only
with manual adjustment. Welcome five-star safety plus four available drive
modes that noticeably change the complexion of the drive, while steering
feel is a high point. As I said earlier, it feels more premium in all it does
apart from some tyre roar on courser road surfaces. I came away very
impressed with this electric Renault Megane – appealingly different and a
classy small French SUV. I’m David Berthon

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At last, a French car this week – I was really looking forward to driving the
Renault Megane E-Tech SUV. Visually, this electric Megane has a great
silhouette more like a hatchback with large 20-inch alloys tucked right into
the corners, the styling impressive and giving it a more premium feel
although the resultant high tail tends to limit rear visibility. With a 60kWh
battery pack feeding a single electric motor with 160kW and 320Nm of
torque driving through the front wheels it offers a driving range of 454Km.
Step in and your immediately impressed with a quality and functional
interior with great finishes. A wide 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and
interconnected 9-inch multimedia touchscreen thankfully combine with
switchgear to make it all very user friendly, something the Chinese
newcomers could well learn from. There’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay,
dual zone climate control, wireless phone charging, heated front seats and
a heated steering wheel. At $54,990 plus on-road costs the Megane E-Tech
is well priced, with combination cloth and leather seats that offer great
comfort but lack power adjustment while the interior is a standout in
design. Warranty underdone at five-years/100,000km, battery warranty 8-
years/160,000km. The proof however is in the driving which I’ll detail in an
hour. I’m David Berthon

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The car market is hotting up towards the end of the financial year with
some excellent savings and its very much a buyer’s market at present.
Latest discount offer is from Chery with their 7-seat Tiggo 8 Pro Max SUV,
cutting $3,000 from the entry Urban model to $38,990 drive-away, making it
the most affordable seven-seat family SUV on the market. Higher grades
have also been cut – the Elite to $40,990 drive-away, the four-wheel drive
Ultimate to $43,990 drive-away, with savings of up to $4,000. Powered by a
2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder driving through a 7-speed automatic the Tiggo
features across all models include dual zone climate control air, wireless
phone charging, power adjustable heated and cooled seats and a full array
of active safety features. The higher grades also offer a powered tailgate,
panoramic sunroof and a built-in dash cam. I’m David Berthon.

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In a move that simply beggars belief the N.S.W. Parliamentary Inquiry into
e-scooters and e-bikes has recommended allowing e-scooters to be ridden
on shared paths and roads across N.S.W if they are ridden by a person
older than 16. They will remain outlawed on pedestrian only footpaths. This
hair-raising proposal would allow a speed limit of 10 to 20km/hour on
shared paths and a 20 km/hour limit on roads where the speed limit is 50
km/hour or below. N.S.W Roads Minister Jenny Atchison said that by
regulating their use it would be easier to crack down on their behaviour. Is
she for real – allowing e-scooters onto the road at 20km/hour in all weather
conditions is a recipe for disaster – with no license or identification its
unmanageable and surely unfair to Police who have enough to worry about
without having to worry about e-scooters. I’m David Berthon

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Talking further on National Road Safety Week starting today – a time
surely to reflect on the current poor driving standard in this state, The
campaign is national however we still don’t have a set of national road
rules – individual states still singing from a different hymn book. National
Road Safety Week is the work of Peter Frazer who daughter Sarah was
tragically killed by a truck driver in a totally avoidable crash on the Hume
Highway at Mittagong in Feb 2012 when her car broke down. Tow truck
driver Geoffrey Clark and Sarah were loading her car when they were killed
by the passing truck. Soon after N.S.W. expanded the road rule requiring
drivers to slow down to 40km/h for emergency responders to also include
tow truck and roadside assistance workers. Amazingly, Victoria only
announced this week that from July 1 the current road rule requiring
drivers and motorcycle riders to slow down to 40km/h for police, fire, and
ambulance would be expanded - now including tow trucks, roadside
assistance and incident response vehicles displaying flashing lights. It
beggars’ belief that after Sarah Frazer’s tragic death in 2012 it’s taken
Victoria 13 years to implement a road rule which surely should have been
national road rule from Day 1. I’m David Berthon

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National Road Safety Week kicks off today, a time to reflect on the current
poor driving standard in this state, National Road Safety Week the project
of Peter Frazer whose daughter Sarah was tragically killed by a truck driver
in a totally avoidable crash on the Hume Highway at Mittigong in February
2012. Since then, Peter has devoted his life to improving road safety -
founding SARAH, standing for Safer Australian Roads and Highways. The
driving force behind Australia’s National Road Safety Week and the road
safety symbol the Yellow Ribbon. A campaign suggesting you wear a
yellow ribbon on yourself and your car to show your support and make a
pledge on the SARAH website – “to drive so others survive” – to me given
the total disregard by many motorists to road safety wearing a yellow
ribbon on yourself and your car is far too weak a message to what is a
worsening problem year on year. We’ve just had two long weekends with
increased fatalities and numerous injuries. It’s clear there has been
substantial vehicle growth in N.S.W. – a lot of new drivers mainly from
overseas with poor knowledge of our road rules and driving conditions –
you witness it almost daily – driver behavior and attitude is at an all-time
low, and driver education and compliance testing is in need of a radical
overhaul. I’m David Berthon

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Perhaps indicative of the hard trading conditions and highly competitive
new vehicle market Mazda has taken the axe to pricing on its CX-60 SUV.
Up to $5,560 has been shaved from some models in the luxury CX-60 line-
up - now priced from $53,990 drive-away while six new variants have been
added across the Pure and Touring grades. First launched in 2023 the
Mazda CX-60 was criticised for its harsh ride and twitchy gear shifts. As
such the update brings new rear springs and dampers, revised stability
controls and a recalibrated 8-speed automatic transmission. Plus, all
models now get a 360-degree camera and front cross traffic alert.
Specification has been added right across the Mazda CX-60 range which is
the best seller in the medium SUV segment above $60,000, ahead of the
Lexus NX and the Kia EV5. I’m David Berthon

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As reported in the Australian this week it seems the luxury car tax could
soon be abolished as the re-elected Government gets calls from the
European Union to speed things up on a proposed free trade agreement.
For so long a thorn in the side of the car industry the Luxury Car tax most
affecting European imports and depending on the vehicles sticker price
adding 33 cents for every dollar it is over a threshold of $91,387 on fuel
efficient vehicles, and on all others that average more than 7L/100km,
$80,567. To make matters worse from July 1, the fuel consumption figure
will lower to 3.5L/100 trapping a number of previously exempt models.
Luxury car tax was implemented to protect our local industry which no
longer exists – the Governments problem, how to replace the $1.2 billion
dollars it generates. I’m David Berthon

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