Driving Audi’s upper luxury SQ8 SUV – a coupe style SUV now with 4.0-litre twin
turbo petrol V8 power. Unlike the seven-seat Audi SQ7, the sportier SQ8 is a five-
seater with a sloped rear roof line, the SQ8 61mm shorter, 25mm wider and 85mm
lower. An upper luxury SUV at $168,800 it sells in relatively small numbers. A
distinctive SUV with four-wheel steering, four-wheel drive powered as I said by a
4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 driving through an 8-speed automatic. Visually big
and imposing with a wide stance sitting on 22 wheels it tips the scales at 2480
kilos with a braked towing capacity of 3,500kilos. The interior best described as
sumptuous and built for comfort, Nappa leather quilted power heated and cooled
seat, lashings of black piano finishes and two large touch screens, in this case
surprisingly user friendly. With a gutsy 770Nm of torque between 2 and 4,000 revs
the Audi SQ8 is a very docile driver about town with a cosseted ride and
surprisingly fuel efficient. But with its adaptive air suspension on an open
winding road it transforms into a taut driving machine offering amazing cornering
stability and performance. Expensive yes but just so competent. I’m David
Berthon

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German car maker Audi has 37 models in its portfolio, some very low volume like its upper luxury SQ8 TFSI SUV, a large boxy yet handsome coupe style SUV – now with 4-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 power – 373kW of power in fact driving through a conventional 8-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive. At $168,800 this is a specialist upper luxury SUV, big, sporty with a large footprint on the road, sitting on 22-inch wheels and an adaptive air suspension. Its wide with a wide track offering enormous confidence on a winding road with great stability. Despite it 2480 kilos it jumps to 100km/hour in just 4.1 seconds with braking to match. What I like about this luxury Audi SQ8 is its ability to be docile around town with a supple ride yet unleashed on a winding country road it provides sports car handling – sensors on the steering, chassis and adaptive air suspension translate inputs to the anti-roll bars and the overall stability for a large heavy SUV is amazing. Of course, drive it hard and economy suffers, up to 16L/100kms but on a softer throttle down to 11 litres when cruising. I found this Audi SQ8 SUV very hard to criticise. I’m David Berthon

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A recent survey of 1,013 respondents by Finder has found more than half the motorists on the roads are guilty of multitasking while driving. The research found a wide variety of distractions that can put lives at risk – topping the list at 43 per cent was eating whilst driving, driving in thongs came in second at 20 percent. 13 per cent of respondents admitted to texting while driving, 11 per cent to accessing social media. 7 percent said they’d watched a TV show or a movie, 9 per cent had replied to an email and 6 per cent had applied makeup. 5 percent had even shaved behind the wheel. I’ve personally witnessed a driver on the M1 reading the newspaper on the steering wheel at 100km/hour. The survey proves that many drivers wrongly consider getting behind the wheel is a casual endeavour. I’m David Berthon

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Kia has finally launched its mid-sized EV5 SUV after it was delayed at the last minute due to some wheel and software updates. Very much a clone of the larger and highly awarded EV9 the EV5 arrives in three model grades, firstly as the Air and Earth models and followed in December by the GT-line. The standard range EV5 Air with a claimed range of 400Km is priced at $56,770 drive-away while the mid-grade EV5 Earth sells from $68,990 drive-away. The flagship all-wheel-drive GT line will sell from $75,990 drive-away. Kia Australia has undertaken extensive suspension tuning on the EV5 which is the Korean car company’s first model to be built in China for the local market utilising a lithium iron phosphate battery developed by BYD. Kia targeting an annual sales rate of 10,000 units for the electric SUV. I’m David Berthon

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Driving Kia’s EV6 GT-line at $87,590, the third-tier model in the four-model range
which is now topped by the high-performance EV6 GT flagship at $99,590. The
dual motor GT-line however will satisfy most drivers looking for a performance
EV with a 0 to 100km/hour time of 5.2 seconds. Not bad when you consider it tips
the scales at 2105 kilos. Yes, its premium priced which has no doubt slowed
sales but it’s as good as it gets in a family sized electric SUV – offering less range
at 484km compared to rear drive EV6 models at 528kms but I found the stated
range to be fairly accurate despite a mix of urban and country driving in hot
conditions with the air-conditioning on. I’ve also driven the top spec high-
performance EV6 GT – too hard-nosed for me - the GT seats hard and
unaccommodating while its non-compliant suspension tune provides a too hard
ride for comfortable day to day use. However, as i said, the drive experience of
the Kia EV6 GT-line will impress most new drivers – smooth, quiet with assured
handling and a very comfortable ride and for me the one to own. An electric car
with great styling and presence and superbly built. I’m David Berthon

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Driving Kia’s EV6 SUV today. The Kia EV6 comes in four models. I drove the EV6
GT-line dual motor all-wheel-drive at $87,590 – powered by a 77.4kWh battery the
GT-line with two electric motors and weighing 100 kilos heavier to the rear drive
models provides 239kW and 605Nm of torque. Delivering a driving range of
484km which I found most accurate with a mix of urban and country driving.
Energy consumption varied and ran from around 15kWh/100km to
18.5kWh/100km. Charging, on a standard 7kW home charger around 71/2 hours,
on a 350kW fast charger if you can find one not in use around 20 minutes. The Kia
EV6 styling a standout, sharp edge styling that gives it a premium feel and in my
eyes it’s the best-looking EV on the market. Large well shod 20-inch alloy wheels
are tucked right into the body’s corners provide a very roomy interior with great
seats. Despite an impressive dash and instrumentation, the interior is somewhat
bland in terms of finishes. Premium specified however with all the driving aids
and safety elements and Kia’s 7-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The drive
experience of the Kia EV6 GT-line will impress most drivers. More drive details in
my next segment. I’m David Berthon

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Skoda has reduced the price of its run-out small Kamiq automatic SUV to just $29,990 drive-away, its lowest price in more than three years. With a new Kamiq model now in showrooms Skoda Australia has applied the discount to the final 250 examples of the pre-update base model. The Kamiq is Skoda’s best seller and represents around a quarter of the Czech-based car brands sales here. Although year to date Kamiq sales are running 26 percent behind the same time last year. The price reduced model is also available with a special guaranteed future value finance program for $69 per week, at a 6.99 per cent interest rate over a 60-month term and a $2,990 deposit. Kamiq standard features include a rear-view camera, LED headlights, keyless entry and start, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a full range of active driver assist functions. I’m David Berthon

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Australia’s top-selling family carrier, the Kia Carnival people mover is the subject
of a recall notice relating to its power steering. A manufacturing fault in the
wiring harness on 2024 model year Carnivals may affect the power steering. A
total of 6155 Carnivals are affected by the recall notice which states “the main
wiring harness my come into contact with the steering column shaft and become
damaged which may result in the loss of power assisted steering.” The recall
affects both petrol and hybrid versions of the Carnival across all variants. Owners
of affected vehicles will be contacted in writing asking them to contact their Kia
dealer for an appointment to reposition the main wiring harness or if required to
replace it free of charge. VIN numbers of cars affected are listed on Kia
Australia’s recall info site. I’m David Berthon

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