1996 Wheels Car of the Year award, with judges praising the car's value for money. As was the case with the second generation, the TE and KE series shared the same platform, which was codenamed "YR". Their bodies were bigger ( higher and longer than the TS series but close to the KS series) and stiffer (13 percent more) yet only marginally heavier (by less than ) than before thanks to its greater aluminium construction. The new Magna and Verada also had coupe-like frameless windows plus slim centre/B-pillars, with increased front and rear legroom and boot space. The Verada was again distinguished by more luxurious fittings and longer front and rear bumper bars to meet US safety standards. Inside, unlike the Verada, Magna's cabin was dominated by dark grey trim that, along with the high waistline, caused some criticisms about a claustrophobic "bunker" effect. The Magna's powerplants included, for the first time, a Japanese-imported 2.4-litre four-cylinder (codenamed 4G64-S4) with 90 percent new parts relative to the related engine fitted on the previous Magna. There were also new Australian-made V6 engines with a 3.0-litre capacity (codenamed 6G72) for the Magna and a 3.5-litre displacement for the Verada (codenamed 6G74). The V6 returned official city and highway fuel consumption figures of and , respectively. The initial models included the Executive and the Altera (previously, the SE), both available with a choice of either engine and four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmissions. From October 1996, fully equipped Advance and Altera LS models (the latter, the equivalent of the previous Elite model) were added. The 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine produced and , while the 3.0-litre V6 produced and , claiming a markedly quicker sprint and improved acceleration times. The four-speed electronic "INVECS II" automatic transmission was new and could adapt to the driver's pattern of use and road conditions to select the optimum gear for any situation, thanks to "fuzzy-logic". Although the power-assisted rack and pinion mechanism had the same mounting points as the Diamante, the components were manufactured to MMAL's specifications in Australia, by TWR. Suspensions were independent (MacPherson struts) at the front, instead of the multi-link designs of the Diamante, which nevertheless donated its rear multi-link to the Australia sedan (while the wagon adopted a different and more compact design altogether). Brakes included discs all around (front ventilated) with the option of a Bosch 5.3 ABS. The braking system also included Australia's first