Car News

Toyota and Isuzu agreed to work together on diesel engine development in 2006, as well as explore other collaborative projects. As part of the agreement Toyota purchased 50 million shares in Isuzu, equating at the time to about 5.9 per cent of the automaker's stock.

The massive Takata recall has already forced manufacturers to take extraordinary measures, including targeted online advertising, multiple letters and door-knocking campaigns. The industry has even come together to create a website for concerned owners. According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), there are more than 19,500 vehicles with unchanged alpha inflators kicking about, while around 1.6 million are still fitted with some form of faulty airbag.

With its decision to move to a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, Mazda has narrowed the pool of 'mainstream' manufacturers offering three years of coverage to just four: Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen. We've made clear the CarAdvice position on warranty in the past, but here's a quick recap from Alborz's opinion piece on the issue:

It appears the Kia Picanto X-Line will indeed make its way Down Under, according to a leaked dealer bulletin obtained by CarAdvice this week. Going by the materials, the Picanto X-Line will be offered later this year as a limited-run AO Edition, with sales to kick off in November ahead of the 2019 Australian Open tennis Grand Slam.

Ford Australia has issued a recall for the Kuga crossover built between December 2014 and September 2015, over concerns an oil leak could develop. The Blue Oval reports the condition could occur if the engine overheats, resulting in a loss of engine oil. Should this happen, oil on the road can create a safety hazard for other road users. Affected Kuga units were produced from 13 December 2014 until 25 September 2015. The VIN list for the 1075 affected vehicles can be viewed here.