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Grand VitaraApr 1998

Grand Vitara

Suzuki’s Grand Vitara was the replacement for the original Vitara of 1988 – the car that really kicked off the "lifestyle" small 4WD market, despite what Toyota says about its car-based RAV4.Looking like a scaled-down Nissan Patrol, the Grand Vitara is a softer, more lavish and comfortable version of its predecessor but still possessed the separate chassis and part-time low and hi-range 4WD drivetrain for effective off-road use.New too was Suzuki’s ‘Drive Select’ 4x4 system which allowed changes between two and four-wheel-drive (high range) at speeds of up to 100 km/h.Suzuki's designers maintained a toned-down SUV chunkiness inside and out, but improved on-road dynamics for a better steering, handling and riding result.And safety items like ABS brakes and dual airbags were also incorporated, along with stronger bodies (in four and – from May ’99 – two-door wagon guises) and more rigid sub-structures.Power came courtesy of a 94kW/174Nm 2.0-litre DOHC 16V four-cylinder engine or a 106kW/208Nm 2.5-litre DOHC 24V V6. Both come with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.A 69kW/138Nm 1.6-litre DOHC 16V four-cylinder engine powered the short-lived Grand Vitara Cabriolet from early ’00 to September ’02. Meanwhile from August ’01 the V6 gained 10kW and 5Nm.

JZS160R (Mk2) GS 300Nov 1997

JZS160R (Mk2) GS 300

LEXUS’ assault on the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-class came in the form of the GS, a mid-sized four-door sedan.Proving that Lexus was serious about rivalling the Germans, it developed the GS with rear-wheel drive and independent wishbone suspension all-round.Motivation came courtesy of a 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine with variable-valve timing offering 166kW of power and 298Nm of torque, and mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox.All GS’ included dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, climate control air-conditioning, front-side airbags, traction control, alloy wheels, cruise control, remote central locking, and powered front seats.From December 2000 a revised GS arrived with minor exterior and trim changes, a higher level of standard features and a sequential-shift function for the automatic gearbox.Sadly we were denied the V8-engine GS 430 for this generation.In fact Australia also missed the first-generation GS model all together, released in Japan as the Toyota Aristo in 1991.And until the IS 200 arrived in early ’99 it was the sportiest Lexus available locally.Sales were strong initially but a lack of new-model activity from Lexus and an avalanche of it from rivals resulted in the GS almost vanishing from luxury buyers’ minds – until the completely redesigned Mk3 GS arrived in early ’05.

UCF20R (Mk2 Series II) LS 400Nov 1997

UCF20R (Mk2 Series II) LS 400

Toyota acknowledged that its second-generation LS from 1994 didn’t expand the customer base and left existing customers confused over what had really changed.So the ’98 facelift brought palpable differences to the styling, engineering and interior. Yet it still looked a whole lot like the LS 400 did back in 1990.Every panel forward of the A-pillar was new, including high-discharge headlights, bumper and grille. So were the tail-lights and wheel design. And the glass was now significantly thicker for even quieter (and more aerodynamic) function.A trip computer, better seats and climate control and new colours and trim completed the visual titivations.Underneath the 4.0-litre V8 gained variable-valve timing for a new power and torque output of 210kW and 400Nm respectively, all channelled via a new five-speed automatic gearbox.Matching these were a 10 per cent upgrade in the spring and damper rates for firmer, better controlled handling, roadholding and high-speed stability – a long-time LS bugbear. Stability control was also incorporated.

Mk1 CR-VSep 1997

Mk1 CR-V

Pre-CR-V, Honda’s most popular model was the venerable Civic small car. But Australians turned to the Civic-based front-to-four-wheel drive (called Real-Time in Honda-speak) off-roader in droves, and – along with the conceptually similar Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester – almost systematically killed off medium sedan sales for a while.In a nutshell, the CR-V was big on space and practicality (though a little short on refinement).Powered by a 94kW/182Nm 2.0-litre DOHC 16V four-cylinder engine combined with a four-speed column-shift auto or five-speed manual floor shift gearbox, the CR-V was at-best a light-duty 4WD.It’s the city slickers and school-run mums that took it to heart most. Maybe it was the foldaway picnic table that lured them in.From March ’99 a gutsier 108kW/182Nm 2.0-litre engine appeared, along with a Sport model, which featured alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes and a sunroof.Limited editions included the ‘98’s 50th Anniversary and April ‘01’s Sport Classic.

LanosAug 1997

Lanos

Daewoo was affiliated with General Motors until late ’92, when it went solo and developed a series of all-new models under the guidance of former Porsche AG engineer Ulrich Bez. However crippling losses in the latter part of the 1990s saw a bankrupt Daewoo bought out by GM in 2002. The new company, GM Daewoo, is part-controlled by Holden.The front-wheel drive Lanos was essentially a rebodied 1.5i/Cielo, the 1984-1991 General Motors Vauxhall small car built under license in South Korea by former GM affiliate and now wholly GM-owned Daewoo.Daewoo used the talents of Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro to influence the agreeable look of the three-door, four-door sedan and five-door hatchback models sold here.All featured the GM-sourced “Family One” four-cylinder engine of 63kW/130Nm 1.5-litre single-cam or 78kW/145Nm 1.6-litre twin-cam configurations. The former powered most Lanos’ sold here, which was the base SE three-door model.Rivalling the Hyundai Excel/Accent and Toyota Starlet/Echo, the SE featured cloth trim, a radio/cassette player and rear window wiper. The four/five-door variants had central locking.Air-conditioning was made standard from February ’98, followed by power steering in June 2000. A five-speed manual or four-speed automatic were the gearbox choices.Better equipped was the limited edition LE four/five door Lanos from May ’98, which included power windows, a CD player and rear spoiler.Sportier still were the three/four-door SX. Above the LE, it added the 78kW 1.6 engine, alloy wheels, a bodykit and some leather trim.The Lanos sold steadily in Australia, buoyed by very keen pricing and Daewoo’s FreeCare service and warranty incentive.But it was always dynamically mediocre, reflecting its ageing mechanicals and cheap build.

MY98 ForesterAug 1997

MY98 Forester

Subaru sold its first four-wheel drive station wagon locally in 1975. Since then the Japanese company has become synonymous with it.The Forester, though, was something else. With only car-derived monocoque construction, single wagon body style and constant 4WD, it moved the light 4WD wagon market along from the pioneered efforts of the original Toyota RAV4.Subaru based the Forester on the Impreza, which was itself spun off the Liberty platform.This helped its genuinely car-like handling and ride qualities, while imbuing the Forester with impressive levels of refinement.Central to its character was Subaru’s ubiquitous 2.0-litre horizontally opposed single-cam four-cylinder engine, delivering 90kW of power and 176Nm of torque. A five-speed manual with hi-low range shift or a conventional four-speed automatic were the gearbox options.Initially two models were launched – the base GX and well-equipped Limited.The latter added anti-lock brakes, air-conditioning and self-levelling suspension to the GX’s standard power steering, power windows, keyless entry, nudge bar, cruise control and roof racks.

JR VectraJun 1997

JR Vectra

The Holden Vectra was the third (and final) generation of mid-sized front-wheel drive General Motors “J-cars” that dated back to the 1982 JB Camira.This fact may be lost on some people because Holden chose the 1989 Toyota Camry-cloned JK Apollo over the second generation 1988-1995 Opel Vectra – although a variation did arrive here as the 1991-1998 YE Calibra.When the Holden Vectra did finally debut in mid-’97 it enjoyed the sort of critical and commercial success unknown by its Apollo predecessors, despite being widely debased in Europe.The secret of the Holden version’s success was in the tuning as well as the timing.Its engineers wrought a number of improvements to the handling and ride that transformed the car (and which were then incorporated in the Euro Vectra), just as Holden’s star was on a VT Commodore-fuelled ascension. Plus buyers responded to the Vectra’s handsome styling.Initially a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback were imported from Belgium, powered by a locally made 100kW/185Nm 2.0-litre twin-cam 16-valve Family II four-cylinder engine, while the hatch also offered a 125kW/230Nm 2.5-litre V6.The more expensive CD version added a passenger airbag, cruise control, fog light, traction control, trip computer and power windows to the GL’s standard driver’s airbag, central locking, power steering, power mirrors and traction control system.

GS VoyagerFeb 1997

GS Voyager

Daimler Benz purchased Chrysler in 1998, resulting in a name change to DaimlerChrysler.Chrysler is credited with inventing the big people-mover market in the US with its Voyager.Along with the unseen-locally Renault Espace, the Voyager was passenger – not commercial – vehicle based, so its creators had a free hand in optimising the car for people carrying consumption.The Voyager’s dual side-sliding doors, a walk-through cabin and three rows of seating for up to eight occupants became segment hallmarks.Australia had to wait until the third iteration – the GS – from late ’95.Sourced from DaimlerChrysler’s Austrian production facility, two versions were introduced here in early ’97 – the short wheelbase (2878mm) Voyager SE and long wheelbase (3030mm) Grand Voyager.The latter came in SE, LE and (from October ’98 to early 2000) luxury LE LTD guises. All were powered by a 116kW/275Nm 3.3-litre OHV V6 mated only to a four-speed column shift automatic gearbox.Along with the price, equipment levels were high: dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry, power steering, electric windows, heated windscreen and power mirrors were SE features.The LE and LE LTD included alloy wheels, fog lights, leather upholstery, power front seats, roof racks and a trip computer.The well-specified Grand Voyager LX became the GS model’s flagship from September 2000.Although prices were always high, the Voyager did well against the now ageing Toyota Tarago and smaller Honda Odyssey and Mitsubishi Nimbus, while slight trim changes kept the model fresh.But the arrival of the cut-price 1999 Kia Carnival and new Tarago in late 2000 hurt sales, especially as the then falling Australian dollar put prices beyond many people’s reach.The almost all-new RG Voyager replaced it in May 2001.

SportageDec 1996

Sportage

THAT Kia managed to make the original Sportage 4WD wagon from the sow’s ear that was the front-wheel drive Pride light car (a re-badged and South Korean-made 1986-1990 Mazda 121!) was quite an achievement.It also showed foresight, because the Sportage debuted in its home country around two years before the original Toyota RAV4 – the vehicle generally considered to be the pioneer in car-based light SUV's.But while the Toyota drove like a car, the Sportage – with its beefed up, separate-chassis construction and low-range transmission – was ponderous and pedestrian from behind the wheel. The dynamics could only be described as vague and unappealing.It was also sluggish. Power came courtesy of a Mazda-derived 94kW/175Nm 2.0-litre twin-cam 16-valve four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox. And it had a lot of weight to pull around.The Sportage’s cabin seemed modern and pleasant to look at until an extended time revealed the uncomfortable seats, low-fi plastics and general quality, a tight driving position and a woeful lack of room for rear passengers and their cargo.Equipment levels were OK – with central locking, power steering, powered windows and mirrors, roof racks and a limited-slip differential (LSD), but anti-lock brakes were optional and – until 2000’s update – there was no standard airbag availability.Three limited editions – the FX (’97), SE and GSE (both ’99) – added more kit and improved trim levels, as well as that missing driver’s side airbag, but only from ’99.The Sportage’s timing was bad – two far-more road-focussed rivals from Honda (CR-V) and Subaru (Forester) joined the impressive RAV4, placing the plodding Kia as a non-starter in the urban 4WD stakes as far as dynamics and efficiency were concerned. Only keen pricing kept it in contention.But the Sportage nevertheless carved a niche for itself in the burgeoning SUV market, as rural buyers in particular looked past the pretty styling and unfamiliar Kia brand to the impressive off-road ability and the Sportage’s general robustness.From April 2000 an extended Sportage was introduced, with an ungainly 305mm tail extension to solely increase luggage capacity from a paltry 1570 litres to 2220 litres.The spare wheel moved underneath the floor from out back, equipment levels rose to include power windows and a CD player.

CJ-7 WranglerOct 1996

CJ-7 Wrangler

CHRYSLER launched the Jeep CJ-7 Wrangler, the granddaddy of off-road vehicles the world over, locally in October 1996.Although similar in silhouette to its pioneering 1940s-design predecessors, the Wrangler benefited from big revisions aimed at making it more car-like against new-age pseudo 4WDs like the Toyota RAV4.To improve ride, handling and comfort, Jeep junked the old model's horse-and-cart era leaf-spring suspension for the Grand Cherokee's Quadra all-coil set-up, improving the structurally stronger Wrangler on as well as off-road.Still, it uses a traditional ladder frame chassis, the preferred off-road method of construction but one not favoured by road safety experts.The Wrangler’s performance was provided by a 4.0-litre, six-cylinder engine pumping out a useful 130kW at 4600rpm and 290Nm of torque at an unstressed 2800rpm. All that lazy torque meant the three-speed only automatic transmission sufficed. A long-legged, five-speed manual was also available.From early 2000, a new heavy-duty five-speed manual transmission with a synchro reverse gear replaced the standard five-speed. This was coupled to Jeep's Command-Trac transfer case, which provided part-time four-wheel drive with high and low ranges.Two models are available, the base Sport and better-equipped Renegade. The latter, a hardtop only variant, was discontinued in October 2003.In mid-2001 there was the limited edition Sport 60th Anniversary soft top, followed in early 2004 by an Extreme Sport edition.From January ’05 a four-speed automatic and six-speed manual gearboxes replaced the ageing old units, while torque rose from 290Nm to 305Nm.

Polo Mk3Oct 1996

Polo Mk3

VW took a punt marketing a $20,000-plus Holden Barina-sized baby in Australia.The Mk3 Polo – already two years old in Europe and a platform sharer with the Seat Ibiza and Cordoba of the same era – featured an unheard of combination of standard features for the light-car segment, including dual front airbags, power steering, CD player, central locking, seat-height adjuster, powered heated mirrors, rear headrests and front electric windows.The sassy five-door hatchback styling, solid build quality and an aspiring German badge also appealed.But keen drivers were less enthused by the low 55kW power output of the 1.6-litre engine (the Toyota Starlet 1.3’s was 55kW), hard ride and roly-poly cornering, while rear legroom was tight for adults.The responsive four-speed automatic Polo from March ’97 suited the Polo’s mini-Mercedes persona more than the five-speed manual.New trim and instrumentation arrived unheralded in mid-’97 while a massive sunroof marked the Polo “Open Air” model from July ’98. Alloy wheels were also included from October ’99.The limited edition Polo Trek from September ’98 included a roof-mounted mountain bicycle.

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