The Nissan Patrol looks set to swap its tuxedo for active wear, with a beefed-up N-Trek Warrior version of the huge luxury 4WD SUV given the green light.

Nissan Australia boss Stephen Lester has previously hinted that a more rugged version of its Toyota LandCruiser 200 rival was being considered, but a Nissan Australia source has told WhichCar it has since been confirmed.

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The Patrol N-Trek Warrior will join the Navara N-Trek Warrior ute that features the rugged garnish of the athletically-styled N-Trek special editions, along with beefed-up suspension, bigger wheels and rubber and a steel front bumper among other add-ons at Melbourne-based engineering firm Premcar, formerly known as Ford Performance Vehicles.

Automotive industry publication GoAuto has previously reported Nissan Australia has a “blank slate with the new Patrol in terms of what we think we can do”, adding that the success of the Navara version has helped validate future local products.

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“Patrol offers us the opportunity to also go into that ‘lifestyle warrior’ trend, if you will,” said Lester.

It remains to be seen what Nissan Australia and Premcar will do with the blank slate, but if the Navara version is any guide expect the Patrol N-Trek Warrior to feature a more rugged visage that will probably see all the chrome that came with the recent facelift to be blacked out and chunky plastic wheel arches tacked to accommodate a wider track.

The three-row interior is likely to retain the leather trim found in the Patrol Ti and Ti-L versions, though the interior might gain a more industrial vibe.

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One thing we do know is that there will be no performance changes; not that the Patrol’s 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine, which can push its 2.70-tonne heft from 0 to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds, really needs any.

Based on the $10,000 mark-up of the of the Navara N-Trek Warrior over the Navara ST-X variant on which it’s based, the N-Trek Warrior mods could send Patrol pricing beyond the $100,000 mark if based on the range-topping Ti-L.

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Nissan Australia has not given a timeline for the Patrol N-Trek Warrior, but don’t expect anything before early 2021.

One size doesn’t always fit all. Hence, Mazda is looking to offer the Goldilocks of compact SUVs with the segment-filling CX-30.

Essentially, the marketing team is hoping that the recently released CX-30 will be ‘just right’, squeezing in between the smaller CX-3 and bigger CX-5.

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Mazda expects to sell about 800 of the just-released CX-30 a month in Australia, with the G20 and front-wheel drive variants expected to account for most of the sales.

All-wheel drive versions of the CX-30 aren’t due to arrive down under until March 2020.

Due to the global demand for the revolutionary SkyActiv-X engine it isn’t currently available in Australia, but it should come on board later this year and be fitted to both the Mazda 3 and CX-30.

According to Mazda, the SkyActiv-X unit has been designed with electrification in mind, so it’s not out of the question to see a hybrid version somewhere in its future.

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While Mazda expects the new arrival to resonate well with buyers, marketing director, Alastair Doak, believes it won’t cannibalise sales from the Mazda 3.

“It’s an interesting one. We don’t think it [CX-30] would ever get to that kind of volume. We’ve called it at 800 a month; if we get to that we’ll be happy, if we do 1000 a month we’d be even happier… so let’s just see what happens,” Doak said.

MAZDA CX-30 vs CX-3 vs CX-5 – DIMENSIONS

MAZDA CX-30 PRICING

The 2020 Toyota GR Supra will gain more power and a new suspension tune in an update expected to land later this year.

Instead of the 250kW engine (the 3.0-litre turbo straight six borrowed from BMW) available currently, Toyota will bring the new 285kW version of the Supra to Australia later this year.

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Toyota Australia announced the changes alongside confirmation the model’s supply to our shores would be increased to meet demand, with additional availability of the current version.

Toyota hasn’t confirmed a price increase for the updated version, but says it’ll likely cost slightly more than the current Supra. Its availability is also expected to be more limited than the 250kW version.

This of course comes after BMW announced 2020 would see the Supra’s BMW Z4 M40i sibling increase its power output from 250kW to 285kW, bringing the Z4 M40i up to the same power level as its siblings in the ‘40i’ family.

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The Z4 shave four tenths from its claimed 0-100km/h time when its power increased, so we can expect the Supra to improve its current 4.3sec claim by at least a couple of tenths.

This should be helped along by a new suspension tune, which includes new under-bonnet chassis braces to improve body rigidity.

Toyota Australia VP for sales and marketing Sean Hanley says the brand is glad to be able to provide more Supras to the Australian market, and looks forward to the higher spec version’s arrival.

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“The current car already has incredible power and torque with 250kW and 500Nm from its highly responsive engine. [It’s] a great vehicle that has won several motoring awards,” Hanley says.

“Being able to import an additional allocation of cars means enthusiasts can now achieve their GR Supra dream sooner than expected – perhaps even as a Valentine’s Day present to themselves!”

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q was a bit of a guinea pig this year. It has the chops to be considered in its own right, but represented not just the hopes of Alfa Romeo but of the entire performance SUV segment. SUVs have been ineligible for PCOTY for about a decade purely because the few that had come along previously had invariably been rubbish.

However, technology has come a long way in 10 years and, given the popularity of the segment, we felt it our professional duty to see if an SUV had the talent to be a PCOTY. As you might have surmised from the Stelvio Q’s placing, the answer is no, not really.

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We felt the Alfa had a better chance than most at impressing, as there’s a potent 375kW/600Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet, a rear-biased all-wheel drive system and some semblance of racetrack ability if its 7min51sec lap of the Nürburgring is anything to go by.

While the Stelvio Q didn’t disgrace itself, it’s ultimately hamstrung by the high centre of gravity. Nowhere was this more apparent than on track. It has enough grip and grunt to be effective, as evidenced by its respectable 1:36.1 lap time, but the sensation isn’t enjoyable. It wobbles around The Bend’s bends as the suspension and diffs try to manage the weight and power, the tyres squealing “this wasn’t in our job description” in protest.

It’s a similar story on the road. The speeds are lower and the driving calmer, but you still have to remind yourself to overslow the Stelvio when approaching a corner; the acceleration and deceleration are sufficient to convince you you’re in something sporty, which leads to problems should you try and match even the A35’s entry speed. Alfa’s made the steering super sharp off-centre in an attempt to trick you into thinking the Stelvio is agile, but all it does is make your first input a big one and upset the car’s composure.

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The common consensus was the Stelvio was an engine looking for a better home (say, a four-door sedan?). But what an engine. Even laden with more than 1830kg, the V6 is powerful, responsive and, thanks to all-wheel drive, quicker against the clock than the Giulia. The gearbox is excellent too, incisively picking the correct gear and hanging on to it even if you lift at redline.

So the Stelvio is impressive for what it is, but from a performance point of view, something like an Audi RS4 simply does everything better. As such, this year we’ll compare like with like at Performance SUV of the Year and leave PCOTY for the low-slung stuff.

The Numbers

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2020 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO Q SPECS: Engine: 2981cc V6, DOHC, 24v, twin-turbo Drive: all-wheel Power: 375kW @ 6500rpm Torque: 600Nm @ 2500-5000rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Weight: 1830kg Power/Weight: 205kW/tonne 0-100km/h: 3.79sec 0-400m: 11.95sec @ 191.50km/h The Bend lap time: 1min 36.1sec Price: $149,900

Judge’s Rank

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Dylan Campbell – 10th “Like a hot hatch trapped in a heavy SUV body. A really good hot hatch, to be fair.”

Louis Cordony – 9th “Looks good, and goes good… for an SUV.”

David Morley – 9th “Cracker of an engine but still an SUV so that knocks it on the head for me. Sorry, not sorry.”

Scott Newman – 10th “Impressive in isolation, but in this company it’s an engine looking for a new home.”

Tim Robson – 9th “Even a Ferrari-derived engine and handy chassis can’t undo physics.”

PCOTY 2020 Scoring

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Welcome to a special episode of WhichCar Weekly featuring basketball star Mitchell Creek, captain of NBL franchise South-East Melbourne Phoenix, Boomers representative and member of the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves in the last NBA season.

The 27-year-old is one of the stars of the National Basketball League, averaging 20.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists, leading to Creek being one of 15 players nominated for the NBL’s Most Valuable Player award.

Creek speaks with Motor magazine associate editor Scott Newman about his rise from Horsham, Victoria to the basketball elite (0:58), his early car years (4:40), car tastes (9:55), car culture in the NBL and NBA (15:40) and what would be in the dream garage (22:35).

We hope you enjoy this chat and thank you to OpenCorp for hosting us.

If you’re on the go, you can find WhichCar Weekly on all manner of podcast apps including iTunes and Podbean. Please rate, subscribe and leave a review! You can also follow the day-to-day happenings of the WhichCar team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @whichcarau.

Listened to the show? Help us out:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes
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The Wheels Verdict: For buyers wanting a performance SUV that can both thrill on the weekend, and remain endearing during everyday duties, the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 does a good job of filling both roles. There are compromises needed, but these never sour either skillset beyond what is reasonable, and the end result is a pleasing, stylish, and polished product.

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WHAT IS THE MERCEDES-AMG GLC43 COUPE?

The tamer of the two Mercedes-AMG’s GLC variants is powered by a twin-turbo V6 engine, and incredibly popular with buyers. It’s not as brutish as the GLC63 S, and the coupe body appeals to more style-driven buyers thanks to its swoopy roofline. By ratcheting down the power and softening the ride compared to the more hardcore AMG, it aims to be the more palatable set of wheels for everyday duties.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT

For its 2020 update, AMG has thrown bigger turbos at the engine, boosting power levels. There are also subtle style changes inside and out. Being one of AMG’s most popular products, we wanted to see how it compared to other potent SUVs from the likes of BMW and Porsche.

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REVIEW

It must be hard being the Mercedes-AMG GLC43, living in the shadow of its fearsome and lauded V8-powered sibling.

It’d be all too easy to dismiss this cheaper, less powerful AMG SUV as the lesser of the pair, unable to fill the shoes left by the 63. But, in many ways, it is a more complete offering, able to retain a dual personality that has proven more appealing to more buyers.

Perhaps by losing a pair of cylinders the GLC43 AMG is better off, and now it has come in for a mid-life refresh.

Visual changes for the 2020 update include a toothier grille (which aligns the 43 with its bigger, badder, 63 S sibling), restyled lights front and rear, new digital screens inside, while the old rotary infotainment controller has been replaced with a touchpad.

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Mechanically, there have been subtle but important improvements. The turbochargers from the E43 have been fitted to the carry-over 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6. These have a larger diameter and run more boost pressure, increasing power by 23kW compared to the old model. The snails have also been moved closer to the engine, in a move designed to increase responsiveness.

The tune for the engine in its comfort drive mode is agreeably subdued, with the torque being delivered in a progressive surge from low in the rev range. This is aided by a confident gearbox calibration which will happily hang onto gears when you apply more throttle, instead of going searching for a more optimum ratio.

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Even with a $2400 optional AMG performance exhaust fitted, the V6 lacks the shock and awe of the V8 engine, but does retain enough snap, crackle and pop to remind you that this is a performance SUV. Bury your right foot and you’ll be left in no doubt at the GLC43’s credentials, with thrust that’ll worry plenty of sports cars.

While the suspension is sufficiently burnished around town, soaking up the bumps and potholes that we have all become accustomed to with aplomb, it does sacrifice some of the ultimate body control of the 63 S on curving and undulating roads.

By opting for a softer tune with the GLC43, AMG has made it more malleable and playful on corner entry, with the rear-end easily provoked out of line while remaining controllable. However, the soft damping has resulted in the GLC43 becoming floaty on large crests, and weighting up significantly on big compressions.

The steering in the GLC43 is more in line with its non-AMG siblings in terms of weight, and there is some fuzziness near dead centre which can mean it feels slightly disconnected on corner turn-in.

These are compromises that are reasonable for an SUV that is comfortable around town, while providing thrills on demand when needed. If you want a pragmatic performance SUV, if there even is such a thing, the GLC43 just might be the Goldilocks fit for you.

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RIVALS

Audi SQ5, BMW X3/X4 M40i, Jaguar F-Pace 35t S, Porsche Macan GTS

MERCEDES-AMG GLC43 COUPE PRICE AND SPECS

• Model: Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe
• Engine: 2996cc V6, dohc, 24v, twin-turbo
• Max power: 287kW @ 5500-6000rpm
• Max torque: 520Nm @ 2500-4500rpm
• Transmission: 9-speed automatic
• Weight: 1875kg
• 0-100km/h: 4.9sec
• Economy: 10.5L/100km
• Price: $120,200
• On sale: Now

Jump onto any tyre company’s website and it’s easy to understand why the public are completely bamboozled by the rubber they put on their cars. It’s genuinely berserk.

Let’s take Bridgestone as an example. I can select from the Ecopia, Potenza, Turanza ranges or alternatively I can have Firestone, Supercat or Dayton branded tyres. Every single tyre that has customer review rates of five stars. If I choose Bridgestone Potenza tyres because they look the sportiest, I then get another seven tyre choices.

The S001 is billed as the ultimate performance tyre for premium sports cars. Except that I then read that Ferrari and Aston Martin choose the S007. They sound like premium sports cars too. The RE003 ‘raises the bar even higher for sports performance tyres’ and the RE050A is chosen by Porsche and Ferrari and is designed for you to ‘push your prestige sports car to the limit’. We haven’t even got into sizing and whether you need run flats or not. The permutations run into the thousands for just one manufacturer. No wonder people are confused.

Bridgestone is actually one of the clearer examples. At least it makes clear that its three main tyre families – Ecopia, Turanza and Potenza – are for economy, luxury touring and sports driving respectively. I have no clue what a Yokohama S71A does that an E70 DB or an A349 doesn’t. Then you take a look at the number of brands on sale in Australia (I ran out of patience at 150) and give up. Rare Breed? Boto? Membat? Boristar? Dick Cepek? Allosaurus? Nope. Maybe get the Blacklion Voracio. If that doesn’t have you trawling eBay for a white sidewall marker pen I don’t know what will.

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Your tyres are the most safety critical part of the most dangerous activity you routinely undertake. Couched in those terms, they’re probably the most important retail choice you make and yet many of us go in completely blind. Imagine any other product marketed this way, with a deluge of brands and little way of establishing good from bad.

It’s not helped by a retail model that sometimes seems arse about face. Walk into a tyre dealer and opt to shell out for a reassuringly familiar, trustworthy and expensive brand and all too often you’ll have somebody try to talk you out of it, directing you instead to a no-name brand because the margins are that much more aggressive. So instead of fitting a quality tyre to your motor, you’re being pressured to spend less and compromise your own safety.

In the last Wheels tyre test, the difference in wet braking (from 80km/h) between the best and worst tyres was around 20 percent which means that when a car with the best tyres has stopped, a similar one fitted with the worst tyres is still travelling at 28km/h. That could be the difference between a sweaty brow and a write-off. Still want those cheap tyres?

Given that you’re here, you probably know already that budget rubber is a false economy. I’m preaching to the converted. But here’s my tip to make things better. People never ask me about tyres but they always ask for advice when buying a used car. The first thing I tell them is that if you want to know if a car’s been well looked after, look at the tyres it’s on. If they’re in good condition and from a reputable brand, that says good things about its vendor. What are decent brands? If the car has rubber from Continental, Pirelli, Michelin, Yokohama, Dunlop, Kumho, Goodyear, Toyo, Hankook, Falken or Bridgestone you shouldn’t go too far wrong.

So spread the gospel. Next time somebody asks you whether a used car is any good, tell ‘em to check the rubber first. And run at the sight of an Allosaurus.

If you wanted to buy one of the 30 Dick Johnson Limited Edition Mustangs built by Herrod Performance, you’re in luck.

UPDATE: This auction has now ended and, while the auction results aren’t available on GraysOnline’s website, a reliable source tells MOTOR the first DJ LE Mustang sold for approximately $198,000, about $18K more than the original asking price for one of the limited-run cars.

While 29 of the cars have been sold off by Herrod (almost immediately), there’s one left that’s yet to be shuffled off. And it’s the first one Herrod built.

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GraysOnline is set to host a ‘classic cars’ online auction from February 21 with bidding to last a few days and wrap up at 9pm on February 26.

Dick Johnson and Rob Herrod are behind the auction, with the former appearing in a video to promote the car’s availability.

Rob Herrod expects interest will be quite high, especially given the white, auto, and roll cage-fitted specification of the first build.

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The turnaround for one car is roughly two weeks, primarily due to the incredible detail bestowed upon the ‘DJ LE’ Mustang.

Herrod seemed to have taken a ‘why not?’ approach to how far the modifications went, with a high-flow Whipple supercharger providing the 635kW main event.

Engine internals feature Dick Johnson’s logo, the car’s bodywork and trim has been slightly altered, its interior is full of custom leather with sports seats, and a roll cage is the only optional extra.

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The 29 that initially sold are understood to have cost around $180,000, excluding the cage, but it’s unclear where the price for this car might end up by the end of the auction.

If money is no object and you must have one now, one buyer is already selling Dick Johnson Mustang #08, with delivery kilometres, for $299,000.

Codemasters has announced that the cars and stomping grounds of the late Colin McRae will be available to race in virtual form from March 24. To be launched as downloadable content for Dirt 2.0, the ‘Flat Out’ pack will boast two cars and a 12-stage Scottish rally stage as unique content, along with a 40-race campaign that retraces McRae’s career from rookie to world champ.

If you grew up in the 1990s and are into Subarus, there’s a good chance it’s because of McRae. His success with the Subaru World Rally team saw the Japanese brand become synonymous with rallying, and translated into strong sales for its Impreza WRX performance hero.

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But while the Impreza in S4 rally trim is very much a feature of the Flat Out pack – named after McRae’s well-worn maxim of “if in doubt: flat out” – you’ll be starting out in more attainable machinery like the Mini Cooper S, MG Metro 6R4 and Ford Sierra Cosworth the Scot drove at the beginning of his career.

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Later on, you’ll sample his Subaru Legacy rally car, race through the Impreza period of WRC where McRae took the championship three years in a row – turning the 27 year-old McRae into the youngest person to win the WRC in 1995 – then finish up in the Ford Focus WRC car. The Flat Out pack’s new map will be the setting for many of those races and stretches from Perth to Kinross – McRae’s stomping ground.

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This isn’t the first time Codemasters has made Colin McRae a core part of their games. After all, the Colin McRae Rally series was the publisher’s first hit driving game franchise, lasting for seven generations before morphing into the Dirt series. The Flat Out pack is essentially Codemasters coming full circle.

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Released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of McRae’s first WRC championship win, the Flat Out pack will go live on March 24 and is free for all Dirt Season Pass subscribers. Individual elements like the cars and Scottish stages can’t be bought individually, however the entire pack will be available for a yet-to-be-announced price for those who only own the standard version of Dirt 2.0.

Audi has admitted that its much-vaunted e-tron SUV won’t actually touch down in Australia until late in 2020.

Launched in late 2018 and due here mid-way through 2019, the company says that the five-door, five-seat electric SUV will now arrive in the third quarter of 2020. Audi’s general manager of communications Shaun Cleary told WhichCar that while the e-tron is “hotly anticipated” here, market forces have forced another delay.

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“It’s a combination of being such a new vehicle; global demand particularly in Europe has been really strong, and it’s already established in those markets, so you can understand why the volume has been directed to those markets,” said Cleary.

Audi Australia’s product pricing and planning director Shawn Ticehurst also confirmed the delay, but reckons there is a silver lining.

“We wanted to make sure we can launch it with supply as well,” he said. “There’s nothing worse with launching a car like that with a big bang, and all of a sudden your supply flow is not strong.

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“The other advantage for us is that we can launch the e-tron and the e-tron Sportback at the same time. It’ll be good to do that.”

The e-tron Sportback offers the same mechanical specification of the e-tron, but in a more stylized boyshape that mirrors the relationship between cars like the Q7 and Q8.

“The Sportback concept has been strong for us going back to A5, which is now in its second generation of Sportback and growing nicely,” explained Ticehurst. “A7 Sportback is strong, Q3 Sportback and now e-tron Sportback in 2020… it’s a good concept that’s rolling out across different parts of the range. “

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Ticehurst denied that there was any other reason that was holding the e-tron back.

“It’s just supply – no other reason,” he said.

The market has matured even in the 14 months since the e-tron was unveiled with huge fanfare in San Francisco. Arch-rival Mercedes-Benz, for example, has rolled out its EQC to much fanfare, even claiming Wheel’s coveted Car of the Year prize along the way.

However, Ticehurst believes that Audi is still in the frame with premium car buyers.

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“Without a doubt there is an appetite for electric cars, and you hear people talk about at that premium end especially, about looking forward to one of their next cars being an electric car,” he said. “It’s the conversations you hear at barbeques and parties; the minute someone knows you’re a ‘car guy’, they’ll say ‘I’m really keen for my next car to be electric’. It’s in people’s mindsets now, where perhaps it wasn’t even two years ago. They are fascinated by it.”

Those conversations may have already put Australia in a position where hybrid cars may prove to be a dormant technology faster than initially predicted.

“Australia’s ready to go all electric,” said Ticehurst. “PHEVs are great, and they serve a good purpose, but I’m sensing that Australians are ready to say ‘if we are going to go electric, let’s just go electric straight away’. We don’t have the incentives that exist in other markets that encourage people to buy PHEVs, so people [here] are going all the way.”