Finding the correct inflation for your tyres is important to ensuring a safe journey – but have you ever wondered what the right tyre pressure is? It actually depends on the car, its load, your nature of driving and the surface you are driving on.
Under-inflating your tyres decreases your vehicles response time, performance and safety of your car. While over-inflating your tyres decreases traction while damaging your tyres.
You can easily tell by assessing the wear – if the tyres wear on the edges, they are under-inflated. However, if they are wearing on the crown – they are over-inflated.
While tyre pressure or psi is influenced by a variety of factors, normal air loss can also occur – tyres will naturally lose about 1-2 psi per month due to regular wear and tear.
Here are some tips to keeping your tyres in top shape
- Monitor the wear rates and rotate the tyres every 5000km (but be careful if they’re directional tyres)
- Check tyre pressures fortnightly
- Take note of your car’s recommended inflation pressure, this can be found on the insider of the driver’s door frame.
- Consider where you will be driving. Dirt roads, tar roads and beach drives all require different tyre pressures for optimal driving
- If you are going to be driving with a heavy load or towing
Tyres are crucial to safe driving and provide a critical point between you and the road, so be sure to keep up maintenance.
The fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A200 sets to arrive in August and includes some high-tech features that made the announcement especially special.
Mercedes-Benz Australia has confirmed pricing from $47,200 (plus on-road costs) for the Mercedes-Benz A200. With high tech features including an advanced dual-screen infotainment set up and Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) interface with voice recognition which can plot navigation or change audio but also even open the sunroof blinds and change the cabin temperature.
The Mercedes-Benz A200 comes with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, attached to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic – offering a fuel consumption rating of 5.7l/100km.
All of the A-Class models will be fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with adaptive high-beam assist, wireless phone charging and keyless engine start. Other elements to the strong safety catalogue include active brake assist, semi-autonomous braking, active parking assist, lane-keep, blind-spot and traffic-sign assist, a reversing camera and nine airbags.
Besides the A200, the entry-level Mercedes-Benz A180 and top shelf A250 arriving in Australia by December 2018.
Toyota has confirmed plans to offer a petrol-electric powered hybrid across the new Corolla range. With an on-sale date set for August, the new Toyota Corolla will be available in a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre version with 125kW and 200 Nm outputs, or a revised 1.8-litre hybrid unit paired with a CVT automatic transmission.
The Corolla hybrid’s petrol engine will be good for 72kW and 142Nm, while the electric motor serves up 53kW and 163Nm – resulting in a combined output of 90kW and claimed fuel economy of 4.2L/100km.
Both powertrains will be available with a new continuously-variable transmission (CVT) with 10 programmed steps. While the petrol engine will also be available with a size-speed manual transmission with rev-matching function. Further contributing to the Toyota Corolla’s fuel efficiency is the lighter and shorter gearbox.
The new Corolla features autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, Lane Trace Assist, Road Sign Assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning assist, auto high-beam, a rear-view camera and seven airbags. Other highlights -depending on the variant – will include LED headlights, electric park brake, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, eight-speaker JBL sound system, keyless entry and start.
Keeping its stylish design with increased safety features, the new Toyota Corolla is expected to remain affordable and competitive in the Australian market.
Sometimes all you need is a quick clean to get your lightly dusty car sparkling again, here are our top tips to get your car cleaned in record time without having to break out all the tools and buckets out.
The idea with this technique is to use the water pressure to remove dust and dirt without scrubbing. If the water pressure doesn’t work – then your car may be too dirty for a quick wash! Start from the top of the car using a heavy stream of water.
Wet a clean microfiber towel until wet, wring it out and use paint lubricant to wipe down your car in straight lines. Be sure to wring out your towel and reapply lubricant as you go. As soon as the towel starts to look dirty, fold it into a clean quarter – clean towels are essential to preventing scratching.
Brake dust is comprised of extremely sharp metal that can easily scratch the paint – you will notice brake dust as black dust around your rims. If reintroduced to the paint via your microfiber towel, it can scratch – so be sure to keep an eye on it.
A bottle of spray wax and a dry microfiber towel are handy to keep in your boot or behind your seat to touch up any little spots or drips.
The key to a quick clean of your car is lubrication. By rinsing your car first and wiping dry with a paint lubricant, you can safely remove dust and light dirt in about 10 to 15 minutes – saving you the time needed for a full wash!
Ever had a chip on your windscreen and wondered if you needed to repair it? Chipped windscreens can be a nuisance, but they can also be hazardous – windscreen chips reduce the structural integrity offered by windscreens, as well as have the potential to spread as a crack.
There are two types of glass that can be used for windscreens – Laminated and toughened glass. Laminated glass, which is the most common type of glass used for windscreens, contains two sheets of glass with a transparent plastic sheet in between the layers. This lamination prevents pieces of glass from shattering into sharp pieces. Toughened glass, which is no longer used in new cars, is manufactured with a heat treatment that allows the glass to crack into many granular shapes when struck – this prevents glass slinters from causing injuries.
If your windscreen is chipped or damaged, it’s important to follow a few simple do’s and don’ts
Do’s
- Measure the length of the chip or crack; chips or cracks smaller than 10 centimeters, it may be repairable.
- Placing clear tape over the chip will keep the area free of dirt, dust and moisture.
- Seek repairs if the chip or crack is in the drivers line of sight.
Don’ts
- Don’t keep your car parked in direct sunlight.
- Avoid pressure washing your car and windscreen.
- Don’t try to fix the chip or crack yourself, rather seek professional help.
The 2018 CX-8 diesel seven-seater has just gone on sale – and Mazda revealed details just days ahead of its 1st July on-sale date.
The CX-8 range includes 3 models – the Sport FWD ($42,490 before on-road costs), the Sport AWD ($46,490 before on-road costs) and the Asaki AWD ($62,490).
The base Sport FWD showcases red-and-black cloth trim, black dashboard garnish with chrome highlights. Other features include rear air vents and three-zone climate control. Safety features of this model feature blind-spot monitoring, high-beam assist, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, rear cross-traffic alert and autonomous emergency braking, rear-view camera and parking sensors.
Up a level, the Asaki adds nappa leather trim, heated seats – both in the front and outboard rear as standard. Rear-window sun blinds, a 10-speaker Bose audio system and a heated steering wheel round up the standards in the Asaki.
Safety features in the Asaki trim-level gain a 360-degree surround-view monitor, adaptive LED headlights and keyless entry.
The CX-8 is powered by a 2.2-litre four cylinder twin turbo diesel.
2018 Mazda CX-8 pricing (before on-road costs)
The fourth-generation Suzuki Jimny has been officially revealed and is soon to be officially released globally. The compact and rugged off-roader retains a ladder frame and dual-range 4x4 drivetrain, still making it one of the world’s only true compact off-roader.
The new generation Jimny remains faithful to the original Suzuki Jimny design of 1970 – with some calling it classically retro. Showcasing its classic boxy, two-door exterior. Available in eight new paint colours, the 2019 Jimny will be available in Kinetic Yellow hero hue, Jungle Green, Silky Silver Metallic, Brisk Blue Metallic and Chifon Ivory Metallic.
The interior of the Jimny centres around a compact four-seat cabin. Remaining simple and highly utilitarian, the 2019 Suzuki Jimny has gained modern-day features. The all-new dash incorporates a rectangular instrument binnacle, a large central touch-screen and multifunction steering wheel.
The 2019 Suzuki Jimny offers two model variants – the standard Jimny, offering a 660c turbo triple, and the wider Jimny Sierra powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and features side steps as well as wheel-arch extensions to match matt-black front and rear bumpers. Both models will be offered with either five-manual and four-speed auto transmissions.
While Suzuki Australia cannot yet confirm whether the new Jimny will be available or not, it should be confirmed soon.
Second row seating is sometimes overlooked by buyers – but a lot can separate a good second row from a great one. Here are a couple of things to look out for.
How big the seats are in the second row can make or break the potential comfort. From the width, back height and seat base depth, there are a few factors to consider. Do you prefer flat bench-like seat bases or more contoured seats? When looking at the space in the second row, knee and foot room is equally important. The only true test however, is actually sitting in the second row – this will give you the best idea of how much knee and foot room there is.
Children are often the biggest consumers of second row seating – so it’s important to consider the safety aspect when considering a new car. Something that is often overlooked is adjustable head restraints in all three seating positions in the second row of seats. The head restraints need to be positioned to the back of your head, for maximum protection in case of an accident.
Simple storage solutions can come in handy when considering second row seating. From bottle or cup holders to back of seat pockets, these solutions offer a safe repository for items as well as a spot to keep items off the floor.
Light and smaller cars often don’t showcase technological features in the second row seating – often only providing basics like directional air vents. However, features such as tri-zone climate control, heated seats or second row lighting can be advantageous in the second row of seating.
Are you looking for a new car? Talk to our team – we will help you find a new car that suits all of your needs!
Have you noticed how ‘overboost’ has become a thing when talking about extra power from turbocharged engines? But what is overboost?
In order to fully understand overboost, we need to look into turbocharger is. Turbocharger is designed to increase the amount of compressed air into an engine. A turbocharger will typically pump around eight pounds per square inch of compressed air into the engine. This means that you can generally expect to increase performance of an engine via turbocharging by around 40%.
A turbocharger uses exhaust gases to spin its turbine, the more exhaust gases you pump into the turbine, the faster it will spin.
The idea of overboost on a turbocharged engine is about getting the most amount of power out of the engine while keeping the engine safe and the emissions down.
Overboost is when the turbo runs at a higher pressure than would be safe to the engine on a constant basis – it’s safe by limiting any boost to a set time of around 10-20 seconds with the hike in power around 5% or more.
Overboost is usually an automatic response to when the vehicle is in a certain gear, at certain revs and the throttle is pinned. The idea is to provide a burst of power when the vehicle determines it is needed.