@wheelsaustralia 43
ARSE ABOUT GROUND UP TOW THE LINE
Holden Commodore
SS Sportwagon
$49,190
Aussie-made load-lugger adds a
lot more performance for marginal
extra coin over Levorg GT-S. But it’s
a much bigger car unlikely to appeal
to anyone looking for a Liberty GT
replacement. Better tow rig, though.Skoda Octavia RS230
$45,000 (estimated)
This more hardcore 169kW version
of the RS is due in late October, in
both sedan and wagon. Underneath,
it wears Volkswagen Golf GTI
Performance running gear, and there
will be a manual gearbox option.ORTRY
THESE...Automatic choice
Is the lack of a manual
option for the Subaru
Levorg a mistake? Subaru
Australia chief engineer
Hiep Bui doesn’t think so.
He points to the success
of the CVT-equipped
WRX – a popular model
among females – as
having a strong influence
on transmission choice for
this model. So don’t hold
out hope for a manual
Levorg; Bui says it ain’t
gonna happen, even on
the trick-looking Spec B
(pictured above).01 02 03
Local suspension tune is built on
225/45R18 Dunlop Sport Maxx
tyres specifically chosen for their
block pattern, grip and handling
over noise suppression.During local development,
engineers found the suspension
tune lulled them into high
cornering speeds with a trailer
hanging off the back. The ESC is
tuned to account for this.CVT’s default driving mode has
six pre-set ratio steps, but Sport
and Sport# modes, which remap
the engine for performance over
fuel economy, get eight. We’d
prefer it the other way around.01
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