Coolant or antifreeze is one of the most important fluids in your car. We explain what it is and why it’s essential to the good health of your car’s engine. The post What is coolant/antifreeze, and do I need to use it? appeared first on Practical Motoring ..read more

Practical Motoring investigate how to buy a car on finance, do you buy outright; take out a bank loan, novated lease, or a balloon payment lease? The post How to buy a car on finance appeared first on Practical Motoring ..read more

If you go off-road, you need to know what a snatch strap is, because sooner or later you’ll either need recovering or need to recover someone. MY FIRST PRIORITY when I’m driving a different four-wheel drive is checking for standard recovery points or assessing how easily they can be fitted, as they are crucial for getting out of a sticky situation. I’ve seen vehicles get stuck when ambition might get a little high off the beaten track, only for the driver to realise once they are knee deep in mud that there’s either no recovery point or they don’t know where it is. Now this isn’t just about lo ..read more

Chevrolet’s forced retirement gave Ford a clear path to victory at another tough Finke Desert race. IN A HEAD-TO-HEAD battle, Ford Performance and General Motors Specialty Vehicles went toe-to-toe at the Finke Desert Race. Ford drivers Brad Lovell and Byam Lovell competed in the Ford Ranger Raptor against the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, led by Craig Lowndes. Across the challenging terrain of the Finke Desert Race, the Ford Ranger Raptor emerged victorious, clinching the Production 4WD class win for the second consecutive year, clocking a final time of five hours, fifty-eight minutes, and twenty-t ..read more

The Monocoque Revolution: From the Mitsubishi Pajero to the New Land Rover Defender, what is the Impact and Debate Surrounding Monocoque 4X4s? IN THE LATE 1990s, Mitsubishi introduced the Pajero NM, a model that caused quite a stir in the automotive world due to its innovative monocoque construction. This departure from the traditional body-on-frame design was a significant change for 4X4s and the Pajero NM became one of the first mainstream 4X4s to feature a monocoque design. Unlike the conventional body-on-frame structure, the Pajero NM’s body and frame were integrated into a single, unified ..read more

Can you mount and charge your phone on the windscreen in a car to make calls and use navigation? How about using a smartwatch? Legal Considerations for Mounting and Charging Mobile Phones In every state and territory in Australia, holding a mobile phone while driving is illegal. However, using a phone mounted in a device holder is a bit more nuanced. The key point is that the phone can be mounted on the windscreen only if it doesn’t obstruct the driver’s vision. For example, placing the phone in a holder directly in front of you with the cord dangling could obstruct your view, similar to how a ..read more

Some drivers might think that they are under the limit and fine to drive after drinking one or two alcoholic drinks…But are you really safe to drive? TL;DR: Even one or two drinks can impair driving abilities and increase the risk of collisions. Research shows there is no completely safe level of alcohol consumption for driving. Driving at the legal BAC limit of 0.05% doubles the likelihood of an accident, and beyond this, the risk increases dramatically. Factors like the type of drink, body characteristics, and time can affect alcohol’s impact. Guidelines suggest no more than two standard dr ..read more

LED headlights are pretty common, but some new cars still come with older tech. So, what is an LED headlight, and should you replace your old ones? LED is an acronym for Light Emitting Diode. They are very common all over the place, from kitchen cabinet lighting to torches and car headlights. The big advantage is that for the same brightness (measured in Lumens), LEDs are more energy efficient than regular light bulbs and also last longer. We’ve known this for a long time, but until recently they couldn’t produce sufficient amounts of light for use in either automotive or general household lig ..read more

The Kia Tasman is en route to Australia in 2025 and there is an unsurprising buzz for it given our market’s huge dual-cab ute sales…Here’s what to expect given what we know so far. WE’RE ALMOST HALFWAY through this year, which means the Kia Tasman launch could be under 12 months away. In just one year, you might be able to go test drive a shiny new Tasman at your local Kia dealer… That is, if it can stand up to scrutiny in this incredibly competitive ute market. You would think Kia won’t go into this gun fight with the likes of the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50 and Mitsub ..read more

Lotus Chapman Bespoke will create unique one-offs and provide customisation for clients around the world – although for now, it is limited to China. Lotus continues to evolve its brand to keep apace with luxury marques, adding a new bespoke customisation service to rival the likes of that from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley. Lotus says that ‘Lotus Chapman Bespoke’, the name of its own service, is not Keeping up with the Joneses but created in response to demand. Hinting at where demand is highest in the world, Lotus Chapman Bespoke launched last month in China exclusively, waiting to be offe ..read more