Suzuki Jimny joins NSW Police Force, obviously not for high-speed pursuits
Even after around six years on the Australian market, the current-generation Suzuki Jimny still gets looks – and that's part of the reason it has joined the NSW Police Force.
Affectionately referred to as Sergeant Jim, this liveried version of the more practical five-door Jimny XL – which was launched here late in 2023 – has joined the Lake Macquarie Police Crime Prevention Unit (LMCPU).
Sergeant Jim has joined the force 'to enhance and promote community engagement with the NSW Police Force at various school and community events across the police district'.
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It's part of a sponsorship agreement with Suzuki Australia, which makes clear the vehicle comes at no cost to the community.
'Sergeant Jim is more than just a vehicle, it's a conversation starter,' said Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota.
'In times when national crime rates are a topic of discussion, we saw an opportunity to contribute positively at a local level.'
The Crime Prevention Unit works to prevent, disrupt and respond to crime across the Lake Macquarie Police District, which covers approximately 648 square kilometres and has a growing population of over 221,000 residents.
'Sergeant Jim's livery will hopefully be a great conversation starter while on display and get more people, especially younger people, comfortable with approaching their local police,' said Lake Macquarie Police District Commander, Superintendent Tracy Chapman.
'The purchase of this vehicle comes at no cost to the community thanks to the generosity of Suzuki Australia in providing this vehicle for our community engagement activities.'
This isn't the same Tracy Chapman who sang about having a Fast Car, as the Jimny XL is anything but. In CarExpert instrumented testing, we recorded a 0-100km/h time of 14.27 seconds in an automatic Jimny XL.
Of course, this police version of the iconic compact off-roader isn't intended as a pursuit vehicle, but rather a rolling billboard of sorts for officers looking to connect with the community and prevent crime. Given its cute looks, this liveried Jimny XL appears well suited to that role.
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Although the GS8 has Sand, Mud and Snow drive modes, it's more a light-duty all-terrainer than a hardcore dune basher and mud mauler. The fact it's shod with road-biased 50 Series rubber wrapped around 20-inch rims says it all – it's conceived more for urban schlepping than rugged outback adventures. Muddy swamps and towering dunes might be beyond its brief, but moderate off-road terrain – rutted gravel tracks, hard-packed sand, water crossings up to half-a-metre deep, etc – is within its capabilities. Visually, the GS8 certainly has presence, with its Cadillac Escalade-inspired styling setting it apart from the horde. With its large chrome-laden grille, angular headlights and sharp-edged proportions, the GAC won't be mistaken for any of its Japanese/Korean rivals. The GS8's pseudo-American visuals might not be to everyone's tastes but, to my eye, the Chinese SUV gels okay aesthetically and it's bound to at least spark curiosity. 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But even as it stands, the GS8 is proof the incoming GAC marque has legitimate potential as a mainstream volume brand Down Inside Chinese brand GAC's bold plan to storm Australian sales top 10 Content originally sourced from: Among the horde of Chinese brands set to storm the Australian market this year is GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group), which has lofty ambitions of being a top 10 player locally by 2030. A key model that's likely to figure in the brand's initial lineup is the GAC GS8 large SUV, which would take the fight to other car-based seven-seat wagons such as the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Pathfinder. Looking somewhat like a shrunken Cadillac Escalade, the G8 measures 4980mm long, 1950mm wide and 1780mm tall, which makes it a fraction larger than the Kluger in all dimensions. 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If these prices were to be reflected in the Australian market, it would position the GS8 lineball with the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Palisade, Nissan Pathfinder, et al. The challenge for the GAC GS8 is that it would be entering the market as a new brand and nameplate, whereas the rivals mentioned above are long-established entities. However, in the GAC's favour would likely be a more generous standard kit list (if the local-spec GS8 will be similarly equipped to the UAE version), and it's possible the local GAC beancounters would sharpen their pricing pens to entice buyers to the brand. The GAC GS8 isn't short on mod-cons, bells and whistles, but it's slightly let down by trim materials that are on the 'el-cheapo' end of the scale. The centrepiece of the range-topping GS8 GX's cabin is an expansive 14.6-inch infotainment system, while facing the driver is a 7.0-inch digitised instrument cluster. Both interfaces are clearly laid out and generally intuitive to use. 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Pootle around in Comfort mode and most road-surface imperfections are comfortably ironed out. Ambient noise is also well suppressed, with only a trace of wind rustle from around A-pillars at highway speeds permeating into the cabin. As for handling dynamics, the big SUV feels a bit roly-poly and flaccid in Comfort mode but switching drive modes to Dynamic yields a sharp contrast. The steering becomes weightier and crisper, the suspension firms up, and throttle/transmission response also sharpens significantly. All told, the GS8 serves up a more sophisticated ride/handling balance than we might have expected, and it can hold its own against other offerings in its segment. As elaborated on earlier, the 2.0-litre motor has its work cut out to haul the 2.0-tonne wagon around, so you need to keep it percolating in the mid to upper ranges of its rev band to extract decent performance. 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On test here is the GAC GS8 GX. 2025 GAC GS8 GX equipment highlights: No crash test results are available for the GAC GS8, although the previous-generation model managed to earn a five-star crash-test rating from C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program). We'd expect the current-gen GS8 to also fare well on the safety front, with dual front, side and curtain airbag fitted as standard across the range. The flagship GX supplements this quota with a knee airbag for the driver. Standard safety features include: The GAC GS8 is not without its merits, and it stands up as a credible would-be alternative to the existing seven-seat large SUV offerings priced in the $60-85k bracket. GAC has nailed most of the key criteria with the GS8, and if the mid-cycle update or next-gen model were to address the slightly low-rent interior and undernourished powertrain, the result would be a well-rounded family SUV. But even as it stands, the GS8 is proof the incoming GAC marque has legitimate potential as a mainstream volume brand Down Inside Chinese brand GAC's bold plan to storm Australian sales top 10 Content originally sourced from: Among the horde of Chinese brands set to storm the Australian market this year is GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group), which has lofty ambitions of being a top 10 player locally by 2030. A key model that's likely to figure in the brand's initial lineup is the GAC GS8 large SUV, which would take the fight to other car-based seven-seat wagons such as the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Pathfinder. Looking somewhat like a shrunken Cadillac Escalade, the G8 measures 4980mm long, 1950mm wide and 1780mm tall, which makes it a fraction larger than the Kluger in all dimensions. Despite its girth (the full-spec 4WD model we tested weighs 2030kg), the only powertrain offered in the GS8 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that ekes out 182kW of power and 400Nm of torque, with drive sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. And, although it's underpinned by a monocoque chassis (rather than a rugged ladder frame), the GS8 has Sand, Mud and Snow drive modes, so it has at least on-paper all-terrain capabilities. However, the fact it comes equipped with road-biased 50-series tyres wrapped around 20-inch rims is a pointer to the fact it's conceived more as an urban warrior than an off-road demon. We tested the GAC GS8 in the United Arab Emirates, where the entry-level front-wheel-drive variant is priced from AED149,900 (A$66,725). Our test vehicle was the 4WD GX range-topper, which is priced from AED169,900 (A$75,627), with the added spend bringing a swag of mod-cons and safety kit as standard. 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A head-up display enables you to keep your eyes glued to the road, while the ultra-high-resolution surround-view display makes slotting into tight parking spots a breeze. Other standard goodies include a wireless charging pad, three-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and multi-color intelligent ambient lighting which pulses in tandem with the infotainment system. Ten-way power adjustment for the driver's seat means you can easily conjure up a comfortable position behind the wheel, while the relatively large and upright glasshouse makes for good visibility in all directions. Occupants of the first- and second-row seats have little to complain about, but the pair of third-row pews are of the kiddies-only variety as even simply accessing these is an exercise in calisthenics. As alluded to earlier, cabin ambience is generally okay, but it's let down by a cheap feel as the leather/leatherette seat upholstery and hard plastic trim on the doors and centre console are evidence of cost-saving. The shortfall in interior aesthetic appeal is all the more notable as, in recent years, several Chinese brands have significantly raised the bar in this department. Considering it's a large three-row SUV that measures a smidgeon under 5.0 metres long and 2.0m wide, one might have expected a V6 to be the default powertrain in the GAC GS8. However, the only engine on offer is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol mill that ekes out 182kW at 5200rpm and 400Nm over 1750-4000rpm – modest outputs for a chariot that weighs over two tonnes, and it translates to leisurely performance in the cut-and-thrust of traffic. The Aisin eight-speed auto through which drive is channelled is a smooth-shifting unit, but the calibration errs towards early upshifts in the chase for better fuel economy, further sapping performance. Extracting anything resembling lively acceleration requires you to stand on the throttle, thereby prompting the transmission to downshift, but the ensuing sharp rise in revs compromises refinement as the decibel level escalates. The drivetrain would likely be just fine in a smaller and lighter vehicle, but it feels a bit undernourished to be hauling around a full-size SUV. Although the GAC GS8 falls slightly short in terms of its powertrain and cabin ambience, the rest of the package is pretty good. Underpinned by GAC's GPMA-L modular platform, the GS8 features a MacPherson suspension setup at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear. This hardware delivers ride and refinement levels that are on par with pretty much anything else in the segment. Pootle around in Comfort mode and most road-surface imperfections are comfortably ironed out. Ambient noise is also well suppressed, with only a trace of wind rustle from around A-pillars at highway speeds permeating into the cabin. As for handling dynamics, the big SUV feels a bit roly-poly and flaccid in Comfort mode but switching drive modes to Dynamic yields a sharp contrast. The steering becomes weightier and crisper, the suspension firms up, and throttle/transmission response also sharpens significantly. All told, the GS8 serves up a more sophisticated ride/handling balance than we might have expected, and it can hold its own against other offerings in its segment. As elaborated on earlier, the 2.0-litre motor has its work cut out to haul the 2.0-tonne wagon around, so you need to keep it percolating in the mid to upper ranges of its rev band to extract decent performance. Although the GS8 has Sand, Mud and Snow drive modes, it's more a light-duty all-terrainer than a hardcore dune basher and mud mauler. The fact it's shod with road-biased 50 Series rubber wrapped around 20-inch rims says it all – it's conceived more for urban schlepping than rugged outback adventures. Muddy swamps and towering dunes might be beyond its brief, but moderate off-road terrain – rutted gravel tracks, hard-packed sand, water crossings up to half-a-metre deep, etc – is within its capabilities. Visually, the GS8 certainly has presence, with its Cadillac Escalade-inspired styling setting it apart from the horde. With its large chrome-laden grille, angular headlights and sharp-edged proportions, the GAC won't be mistaken for any of its Japanese/Korean rivals. The GS8's pseudo-American visuals might not be to everyone's tastes but, to my eye, the Chinese SUV gels okay aesthetically and it's bound to at least spark curiosity. On test here is the GAC GS8 GX. 2025 GAC GS8 GX equipment highlights: No crash test results are available for the GAC GS8, although the previous-generation model managed to earn a five-star crash-test rating from C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program). We'd expect the current-gen GS8 to also fare well on the safety front, with dual front, side and curtain airbag fitted as standard across the range. The flagship GX supplements this quota with a knee airbag for the driver. Standard safety features include: The GAC GS8 is not without its merits, and it stands up as a credible would-be alternative to the existing seven-seat large SUV offerings priced in the $60-85k bracket. GAC has nailed most of the key criteria with the GS8, and if the mid-cycle update or next-gen model were to address the slightly low-rent interior and undernourished powertrain, the result would be a well-rounded family SUV. But even as it stands, the GS8 is proof the incoming GAC marque has legitimate potential as a mainstream volume brand Down Inside Chinese brand GAC's bold plan to storm Australian sales top 10 Content originally sourced from:
Perth Now
12 hours ago
- Perth Now
Could Jeep's rugged EV debut a new off-road-ready transmission?
Stellantis has patented a new three-speed transmission designed to bring its Jeep brand's legendary off-road capability to electric vehicles (EV) without the need for additional motors or equipment. Jeep released its first EV in Australia in 2024 – the urban-friendly Avenger – with the larger Wagoneer S crossover SUV and rugged Recon set for Australia in 2026. It's the latter that appears most likely to receive the new transmission, should it enter production. As reported by Mopar Insiders, Stellantis has been granted a patent for a three-speed transmission bringing low-range, high-range and direct drive gearing to electric powertrains. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert It's designed to replace the single-speed reduction gearboxes found in most EVs in new car showrooms which, in its filing, Stellantis says are 'unable to provide sustained high torque for trail and desert driving or various other speeds'. With Jeep's 'trail-rated' credentials crucial to its brand image, the new transmission has been designed to offer smarter gearing choices for EVs while hitting the rough stuff, mimicking the low- and high-range gearing found in conventional combustion-powered four-wheel drive off-roaders. The three different gear-sets each look to expand the capability of EVs, most notably tapping into the instant torque characteristic provided by an electric motor – and minimising energy use at other times. The lowest gearing – created to deploy maximum torque – acts like a traditional '4LO' gear and is designed for trail driving, rock crawling and towing. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The second gearset is more suited to 'normal' conditions, while the third provides the typical one-to-one ratio and is intended to maximise energy efficiency, battery life and driving range while highway driving. The transmission connects directly to the output shaft of the electric motor and can be used on the front or rear axle, while it can also lock or open a differential for true off-road flexibility. Jeep hasn't made any announcements on which vehicles will use the new transmission, or when we can expect to see it in a production model. The relatively simple, compact design means it could bring benefits beyond Jeep's off-roaders, extending to other Stellantis brands such as Ram trucks. It could also have high performance all-wheel drive applications at Dodge, Chrysler and potentially Alfa Romeo and Maserati – all brands belonging to Stellantis. MORE: Everything Jeep
