2023 BMW X7: Getting a Life Cycle Impulse

BMW X7, the brand's flagship SAV, receives new styling updates and will be launched internationally in August. Say 'Spartanburg' and one is likely to think 'Germany.' However, Spartanburg, South Carolina is where BMW builds its X7. And it's out of Spartanburg that BMW's refreshed X7 is set to emerge into this world. X7 M60i xDrive (left), xDrive40i (right) Car manufacturers usually update their models midway through their lifecycle. BMW calls this refresh "Life ...

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2022 AUDI Q3 AND Q3 SPORTBACK: Now available in Singapore

Two flavours of the Audi Q3 to suit your everyday compact SUV needs. Audi is expanding their range in Singapore with the launch of the facelifted second-generation Q3 and Q3 Sportback as special editions, with a new 2-litre TFSI engine mated to Audi's famous quattro all-wheel drive system. This 2-litre turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine makes 190hp and 320Nm of torque, and drive is sent to all four wheels through Audi’s S tronic ...

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ELECTRIFIED AND TINGLING: Alfa Romeo Tonale launch

Setting the 'tonale' for the future, the Alfa Romeo Tonale's arrival in Singapore geared for Q4 2022. Alfa Romeo is a company any petrolhead wants to love, but in recent years has not been performing its best. The rear-wheel drive Giulia saloon and Stelvio SUV, launched in 2015 and 2016 respectively, were meant to start a renaissance of sorts for the brand, but despite a warm reception from enthusiasts and the ...

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GASO-LEAN: 5 ways to improve fuel economy for free

Practise these five tips to improve your fuel economy and you’ll be thankful for your tankful. Fuel prices are on a sickeningly upward trend. At the time of this article, RON95 petrol costs at least $2.71 per litre after discount, while RON98 is selling for an eye-watering $3.19 for a litre of the flammable stuff! While it may be tempting to contemplate switching to a hybrid or even Electric Vehicle (EV), ...

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FRUGAL GIANT: The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

Alien face for an earthly space(ship). The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has landed. 2001. No, not the movie A Space Odyssey (imagine if this had been a Honda review ha ha), but the year the first Hyundai Santa Fe rolled off the production line. Now in it's fourth iteration, the facelifted Santa Fe Hybrid is definitely a sight to behold compared to the generations that came before. In its price range, the ...

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2021 Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4MATIC: Zesty and zingy family SUV

Good Likeable Bread-van. Anyone remember the Alfa Romeo 145 Quadrifoglio/Cloverleaf from the 90s, lovingly referred to as “the bread-van” by enthusiasts back in the day? This author couldn’t help but affectionately feel, while walking up to it, that GLB 35 is the modern-day ‘bread-van’ interpretation in compact SUV-guise, with two extra doors and one supposedly extra row of seats. In Singapore’s market, GLB 35 occupies a pretty unique niche. The Cupra Ateca sits ...

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2021 AUDI Q2 35 TFSI S TRONIC: Surprise in a small package

Honest. Characterful. Playful. Smaller cars have featured quite regularly in this author's life. Having learned to drive in a 1980's Daihatsu Charade, and still regularly driving an original Perodua Kancil when staying with relatives in Malaysia, there is a certain simple, straightforward and unpretentious charm with how smaller cars go about doing their thing. And when setting eyes on the Q2 for the first time, those memories came flooding back. At first ...

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2021 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO VELOCE: Exciting La Famiglia

Higher-riding handling-machine, and also a family-hauler. Before starting the article proper, let’s get some declarations out of the way first. This author: is a handling and performance-biased automotive enthusiast;has a rather special place in-heart for Alfa Romeo - not Saab-levels of special, but special nonetheless;was extremely reluctant to return the test vehicle at the end of the drive review. One can probably already see where this article is headed, and with good reason. When it ...

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2021 AUDI Q5 SPORTBACK S LINE: Family SUV with sharp looks to boot

Who says transporting one’s kinship has to appear mundane? Let’s get this out of the way first — traditionally, this author has not been a fan of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). However, as age and corresponding physical issues start setting in, a higher-riding vehicle makes more sense in terms of ease of ingress and egress. Does that mean SUVs are only good for those with back, hip and/or leg issues? No, not ...

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BURN RUBBER: Tyres ‘102’ for the enthusiast driver

Ready to go beyond the tyre basics? Learn more about +1 upgrades in our tyres ‘102‘ guide below! By now, you should already know that there’s a lot more to tyres than just four innocuous black rubber things on each wheel of the car, truck, or bike. If you are an enthusiast driver, you might know a fair bit more about tyres than others. Nonetheless, it‘s good to get reacquainted with ...

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IF THE SHOE FITS: Tyre basics 101 for the daily driver

Tyres are essential to every car. Here’s a cheat sheet on the tyre basics that you need to know. Tyres are like shoes for a car. They cushion the car from impacts from the road, keep the body off the ground, and most importantly, provide the traction needed to go, stop and steer. Much like shoes however, there can be a bewildering array of brands and models to choose from. Take a ...

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SKODA OCTAVIA COMBI E-TEC REVIEW: The critical thinker’s practical choice

In a sea of SUVs, the seldom-seen station wagon smartly stands strong. And the Skoda Octavia Combi is one of the strongest there is. Admittedly, I’ve always been favourably partial towards station wagons — aka estates — even back in the days when Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) weren't really a thing. Being able to carry the family pet, the weekend furniture shopping from IKEA, and the kitchen sink in one fell ...

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