Car News

Mazda has no plans for a rotary sports car program, with the company’s boss confirming that talk of an RX-7 or RX-8 revival are currently just dreams. Asked why the rotary sports car program has seen an up and down rumour cycle of being established and then denied, Mazda’s managing executive officer in charge of global sales and marketing, Masahiro Moro, told the Australian motoring media at today’s Los Angeles auto show that the sports car program has always been off.

The long-awaited Mazda CX-3 has been unveiled ahead of tomorrow’s Los Angles auto show and in the lead up to its anticipated Australian debut in March. Arriving two and a half years after CarAdvice first revealed plans for the baby SUV in a world exclusive, the CX-3 will sit below the successful mid-sized Mazda CX-5 - which continues as Australia’s best selling SUV - both in terms of size and pricing.

The 2015 Porsche Cayenne range that arrives in Australia later this month will be bolstered in February by updated versions of the base V6 petrol and powerful GTS performance model. Previously the cheapest model in the range, the upgraded Porsche Cayenne petrol costs $7800 more than before, priced from $108,000 plus on-road costs. The increase makes the updated Cayenne Diesel the new entry variant, priced from $104,700 (up $4100).

The Land Rover Discovery family of vehicles will grow to include at least three variants, and the British brand has highlighted the potential for an all-new compact entry model. Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern insisted the brand’s leisure-focused family of vehicles would grow beyond the current mid-sized Discovery Sport (which will replace Freelander 2 next year) and the larger Discovery.

Fiat will increase its presence in the performance arena through its Abarth sub-brand, with the Italian company suggesting the new Fiat 500X model will spawn a go-fast variant. Fiat head of European design Roberto Giolito told CarAdvice that Abarth cannot be limited only to the 500 hatchback with its 595 derivatives. “The Abarth vision is not only based on 500s. So there’s more to come,” Giolito said at the 2014 Paris motor show.