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I'd like to point out that Holden still sells one Opel-derived model here. That model is the XC Combo, which as the name suggests is the van derivative of the XC Barina, or Opel Corsa C.
Chris Ronan
Ken Gratton says: Good point Chris, I missed that one.

The one point this article doesn't make, is that by the history of selling Opels as Holdens, Opel already has immense experience at building ADR-compliant cars for our market. To sell these as a Euro range above Holden makes complete sense to me. As for calling it Astra then, why not? As this article says there is plenty of love for the name here. This could help kick the range off.

Pity Caddy didn't make it to top GM off here in OZ.
Andrew Cahill
Ken Gratton says: On the subject of expertise with obtaining ADR certification, Opel was actually heavily reliant on Holden for that sort of engineering work -- but that's not to say that Opel engineers wouldn't have visited Australia on exchange, as indeed we know from Peter Hanenberger's long history in Australia.

Benz safety guru queries Aussie road design
We should copy the German system! As a regular visitor to Germany I see first-hand the differences between our countries. Their higher speeds AND much stricter driver training makes driving long distances a pleasure.
Marc
Ken Gratton says: I absolutely agree.

Did he have anything to say about dicky-handed indicator stalks on his cars sold in Australia, I wonder?
Martin
Ken Gratton says: No, Professor Mellinghof didn't mention that, but the indicator stalk on the left side of the steering column is less an issue as time passes. Most cars are automatics these days.

Good article, reminds me of much of what Mark Skaife was suggesting after a trip to Germany a few months ago.

Better education, less cameras and increased speed limits on highways.
Dave

I have driven extensively in Germany and Europe, and I believe the violent, aggressive, idiot personality defects -- in terms of almost everything, but particularly road sense -- in our youth, would turn our highways into a major blood bath at 130km/h
Michael
Ken Gratton says: I think it goes without saying that what Professor Mellinghof proposes couldn't be instituted without substantial changes to our driver education system -- incorporating a 'module' or two on driver attitude and courtesy. Bear in mind, Michael, that he only experienced driving here in urban environments and during the day. The drongos on our roads don't seem to come out until nightfall.

Could somebody with a comprehensive insurance policy please take Mr Ullrich Mellinghof for a drive up the coast between Port Macquarie and the Queensland border? In principle I agree with his views, however our roads on the mid north coast are clearly not up to the mark.
William Pullen
Ken Gratton says: The sort of roads Professor Mellinghof had in mind for raised speed limits are multi-lane freeways. He did say that some of our speed limits are actually too high for inner urban areas and, while he didn't visit the areas you mentioned, William, I would expect he'd find speed limits set too high on some of those roads if he did.

Family Assortment
Surprisingly you didn't include purchase price and very odd fuel economy, even though much mention is made of such in the Territory article. Would your favoured Mazda still have won?
David Smith

Paris Show: Audi debuts diesel hybrid e-tron Spyder
Boy, the VW Group marketing machine really has you dancing to their tune these days. As I write this, 10 of the 13 most recent articles in your Car News section come from that one manufacturing group. Surely there are others exhibiting in Paris...?
Abner
Ken Gratton says: That's a rather cynical attitude, Abner. Some of the articles were written by myself during a trip to Europe with VW about a month earlier and a couple were written by staff, but the majority of them were written by Joshua Dowling, who was a guest of Volkswagen's for the Paris show. JD is a prolific writer and if he had been a guest of Lexus, for example, there probably would have been a similar number of articles concerning the Japanese brand instead.

Diesel debate: Mazda CX-7 v Subaru Forester
Absolute rubbish. How can you claim that the Subaru is better offroad when it was designed that way while the CX-7 was designed for bitumen and therefore deserves equal footing? How can you give it the same score? Do better offroad manners compensate for the fact that the Subaru has worse fuel economy than the Mazda? That's plain rubbish, when one clearly delivers better features than the other. It sounds like Subaru is bribing the media again.
Vichet

I'm not sure if I can take this article seriously. The Forester is better for soft off roading (which is what these two cars claim to be designed for), has a better gear box and is $7K cheaper, which is a lot in a $40K car, yet you rate the CX7 better?????
Binh
Ken Gratton says: So Vichet and Binh argue the outcome of the comparison from entirely different points of view -- and nobody mentioned the word 'bias'. How amazing. Still, there was the suggestion of a bribe...

Regarding comparison between Mazda CX-7 and Subaru Forester; wouldn't the comparable Subaru be the Outback rather than the Forester? Its price is comparable and so is its size. The Forester is smaller and cheaper than the Outback. I've been looking at buying one of these and would appreciate the comparo.
Peter Gort
Ken Gratton says: We'll see what we can do Peter.

Interesting. Our new Forester 2.0d returned 6.2L/100km on our last trip up the Hume. And over the last few weeks we've been getting less than 7L/100km around town. Even when brand new it wasn't above 9. I wonder how you were driving it to get close to 10!

I drove the CX7 and while a great car, hard to justify the extra cost.

The extra 45mm of ground clearance that the Forester has is certainly handy too.
Matt Waite
Ken Gratton says: A bit of actual offroad driving will use a lot more fuel than a trip up the Hume -- a highway not known for its rocky outcrops, steep grades and deep bogholes. Our staffers did take the two vehicles offroad for the purpose of this test, even though most owners rarely do.

Volkswagen Golf Blue Motion
People always forgot to mention the most fuel efficient mass production hybrid up-to-date is the first generation Honda Insight that once sold locally in Australia.
Alexandros leung
Ken Gratton says: Well... the original Insight was very economical in its time, but that was based on fuel consumption figures according to the AS2877 standard, not the more recent ADR-approved standards (ADR81/01 and ADR81/02). It's not certain that the Honda would have necessarily stood up as well in modern times and, having driven one myself many years ago, I can say it was slower than the current Toyota Prius and very cramped inside, with seating for just two.

Tesla Roadster makes big-buck Aussie debut
How come a Tesla costs $300k in Australia when it can be bought for less than $100USD in US. And this while the US and AUD are almost on parity.

Is it taxes, RHD conversion costs or pure dealership greed?

I would be happy to support the EV industry and pay a high price for a usable EV; $100-120AUD is reasonable for a performance car. But I found it insulting to be paying three times what the folks in US pay.
Johann Strauss

Paris Show: Jaguar goes turbine-electric
As an ex car dealer, and 81 years old, I would really like one. I would settle for a drive. We can all dream. Thanks,
Roy

BMW M3 GTS
If the M3 is so good why do they no history of production car racing victories in this country HMMMM?
David Smith

BMW X5 M v Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Seriously -- the last statement about the first gen Cayenne is redonkulous! Go read the sales numbers before you write it off ya douche! Also talk to the owners.
Mike

Who wrote this, a 12 year old? Surely you guys can come up with something better than this garbage, at least employ someone who knows how to use an exclamation point properly.
Tim Horton
Ken Gratton says: Not sure what your problem is Tim, other than the number of exclamation marks. Even then, the punctuation is correct in context.

Paris Show: Sixth element Lambo Paris star
I'll take two please :)
Shane

New-car sales soften in September
Maybe the recalls on the Lexus flagship and HiLux (116,000) are beginning to be felt by Toyotas sales.
Andrew Cahill

Volt for dummies
It shows arrogance toward electric cars. How can someone from Audi, make this statement - the same company that is responsible for the E-tron? The Volt is a great idea, electric with petrol range extender.
Dave Sloan
Ken Gratton says: I would put it down to opening the mouth without thinking through the consequences.

Paris Show: Porsche Speedster almost sold out
Hideous
Scott

Mazda BT-50 room to zoom
The new look, style etc is all very well. Just hope that Mazda can make their diesel engines more reliable and long-lasting than my 2002 Mazda Bravo 4x4 dual cab. At 120,000kms it needed $9000 of engine repairs; ie: new head, radiator, water pump, diesel pump and water pump. All this on a vehicle with no heavy use, no towing and serviced every 5000kms. Mazda's response? Not interested. I won't be trading up to a new one no matter how good they are.
Marc

Xenatec Maybach coupe revealed
I'm sick of the media telling me what I should and shouldn't like the look of in a car. That said, I'll take the Exelero any day.
James Fahey

One-77 production good to go
The One77 is indeed a work of art and my advice having a BMW M6 convertible that almost sent me bald through lack of product support here in Australia is buy an Aston Martin!
Philip Talbot

Mazda BT-50 SDX 4x4 dual-cab turbodiesel
Very informative for the tradie but I would liked to have the MAZDA BT50 towing capabilities when hooked up to a caravan weighing around 2-2.5 tonnes, and how it handles going down steep hills using engine braking with such a load on.

Could you please advise me where I can get this information?

Kind regards
Bob

Standby for Ford model rush in 2011
That's all very good to update Fiesta, Falcon, Ranger and Territory. But what about Ford Escape? That car is around a decade old by now isn't it? And it competes in a very competitive, lucrative market. Can we also expect the Kuga any time soon?
George
Ken Gratton says: Kuga has been on Ford Australia's wishlist forever, it seems. I've driven the car briefly in Europe and it's definitely the right sort of vehicle for the compact SUV segment here. Perhaps with the Aussie dollar doing reasonably well against the Euro at the moment we might yet see the Kuga in the not too distant future.

Hands off GTHO badge: Moffat
No modern vehicle could ever live up to the legend. Sure the modern vehicle is more powerful and has far superior handling, a person is cocooned inside this luxury rocketship, but in many respects separated from the road, it almost drives itself. The HO was raw brute unrefined power and you had to drive it. DO NOT REVIVE THE GTHO NAMEPLATE. LEAVE IT IN THE PAST WHERE IT BELONGS.
Michael Harvey

What about calling it a GT40?
With some font adjustments, it would pay homage to the 40 years.
Burp
Ken Gratton says: Interesting idea, but some will argue that you risk confusing the Falcon-based car with the original GT40. I'm not one of those people, by the way.

Now a retro version of the XY GTHO would be something to behold!!!
KJ Summers

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STi
Great car!
Joe

HDT celebrates 30th anniversary
Geezuz... this would have to win highest award for "Worst Looking Car 2010"...
Marc

Porsche or Lamborghini to lose
Porsche has chassis and Lambo has engine... both wins.
William

Supercharged GT Falcon has landed
Interesting, as it sums up all the specs on offer. It is about time Ford in Australia starts taking it up to HSV.
Paul Tripodi

Ford Fiesta
Great Review, But which one is quicker, the manual or the new auto?
JaCaL

Stig sorry for fallout with Clarkson
It was announced at last year's Bathurst race (2009) that Collins was the Stig.
J Martin
Ken Gratton says: Yes, I didn't think it was much of a secret anymore and I can understand Collins' annoyance, but as others have argued, the character of the Stig was Clarkson's original conception and Collins was presumably well paid for his time on the show.

Ford Focus RS
It is still a Ford, nothing to brag about!!
Pieter

Fantastic review!!
ES

You haven't mentioned the RS Megane 250 in your competition section...? It lands here shortly for the Sydney Motor Show and I would have thought it would be the main rival... FWD, Turbo and similar price for performance too.
Steven

Sydney readies for first concours d'elegance
Exciting idea. I wish Sam all the very best; he's a great guy and fellow member of the Bentley drivers club.

Everything he does he does with great passion and a sense of fun.. enjoy the day, here's to the 2011 event.
Don Reedman

My opinion on this article is that it would be informative - if you had published an ADDRESS / LOCATION in Manly Thank you.
Steve Wilson

My opinion on this article is that the price to attend the Concours d'Elegance at $55.00 P/P should have been mentioned as it is my view and i am sure of may others that this entry fees is excessive to the extreme. I turned up at 8.00 am excited at the prospect of an excellent day out and to my surprise, whilst the ground was open I was met by general disorganisation and as such decided not to attend ...
Kerry Osborne

HSV E2 Maloo R8
Plastic crap..is the best I can say. I have the E2 Maloo and whilst the engineering and the GMH component of the motor vehicle is extremely good, the rear end; i.e. plastic crap, body kit including the boot cover, are a disaster, so is HSV and the local Canberra HSV dealer.

For starters, the sail as they call it at the rear peeled off in at least three locations and rattled unbearably. Whilst this was fixed under warranty, it came back after three weeks with the wrong colour. So off we go again; two of the panels they fixed in the beginning came off again and -- surprise -- when they repaired that, the colour was wrong again. The main problem is however the boot leaks like a hurricane. HSV's poor excuse for an explanation was "oh you should have read the brochure". Yes, make sure you read the brochure. In the brochure it claims it is not waterproof. Also the tail gate didn't fit correctly and scratched the duco, the remote boot lock has been repaired three times and still doesn't work properly. The plastic panels do not line up with the GMH panels as you would expect for a $74,000 car (fully optioned) including duco protection, which hasn't been re-applied to the repairs they have done.

I think you would expect something better for the money. I have had at least three GMH utes with hard top boot covers, the last being the SSZ, which was a beautiful car all round and I never had any of the problems HSV have presented.
Tony Maybury

Great Wall Motors X240
My opinion on this article is ...very helpful and honest thanks.
Phil Walters

Toyota Kluger new model, price cut
To Toyota: Instead of price cutting (which is always a sign of weakness unless a currency exchange favours such a move), why don't you release some new models that will inject some excitement in the youth instead of the typical fridges on wheels you keep on bringing out? The only hope for Toyota is the FT86, which it seems will also be a soft product with no turbo. And to Toyota Aus and their TRD team, your management should have been sacked long time ago for making the first two TRD models an Aurion and a HiLux; are you serious? Did Subaru have a Legacy STI before an Impreza or did Mitsu have a Ralliart Magna before the Lancer. These cars must target the youth, not the 50+. Wake up people, wake up!!
Martin

Volvo V60
Sell me the 1.6T for under 40K and you have a buyer!
Matt J

Toyota considers five-year warranty
I made it over 9.5 mil without the Oz recalls on Lexus and HiLux.
Andrew Cahill

Toyota needs to pull their finger out. Five years not only gives confidence to the consumer but the resale for used car buyers is better as well.
Howard Jones

The most potent Bentley ever made
As a previous owner and lover of the marque would love to indulge again!
Alan Smith

Great Wall to become a grey nomad
Does this new Great Wall camper come with shower and toot? Can stove be removed if not required in order. Fold out awning on side?
Sandie

Honda slashes its sales target
Simple reason no one is buying them ...

Honda comes across as a premium Japanese brand but most of their cars are built in Thailand ...
Darren Bentley

Honda is suffering from lack of new product. In particular they have completely missed the move to diesels, which have helped Hyundai, Subaru and Mazda so much.
Peter Webb

Audi RS5
What a cop out for the rating you dished out... Whilst M3 gets 4s and 5s.. You're just giving 2s and 3s for RS5. I don't see too much difference from regular 3 coupe to M3, as it also doesn't stand out from the crowd so why the 4.5, 5 for x-factor? You people are just a bunch of BMW-biased journos.
William
Ken Gratton says: We're just compensating for the Audi-biased readers.

Mission accomplished
Having read all your articles I'm very impressed with the Octavia.

I'm due for a new car soon and have never considered a Skoda! I've had Subaru Liberty sedans and wagons for my last five cars and love them to bits but I may this time consider a Skoda Octavia. They look sexy, especially the wagon and they sure as hell work well; now to compare and work on a price?
George Steel

Subaru Liberty 2.5i Sport and GT
The Liberty 3.6R model is not fitted with 18'" wheels - it has 17's.
Ross
Ken Gratton says: In the original press kit issued at the time of the car's local release, it specifically stated 18-inch alloys, but a specification list issued by Subaru indicates that the flat-six Liberty is fitted with 17-inch wheels, as you say.

Tom Tom Go950
Tom tom hopeless for country drivers; their maps are never up to date and if you want up to date, you must pay with no guarantee that maps will be up to date. What a joke. Check it out, we have roads 15 years old that are not on their maps.
Tim

Toyota Rukus retirees the young things
Correct. This car is way under US$20k in the States, therefore very popular with the young crowd. With A$ almost on par with the US$ we are being ripped off by Toyota big time. What is their justification? What a joke.
Derek Martin
Ken Gratton says: What makes you think Toyota Australia is buying the Rukus from the factory in American dollars? The Japanese are furiously trying to reduce the value of the yen against the greenback at the moment, so the Japanese currency is in much the same predicament as the Aussie dollar. Why would you expect Toyota Australia to continually adjust the retail price of the Rukus to reflect the volatility of the Aussie dollar -- as low as 55 cents US at the end of 2008? How can Toyota maintain a viable supply of Rukus to its dealers if it could only bring the car in when the Australian dollar is priced within five cents of the US dollar? How would Rukus owners feel if the car they had bought six months ago for close to $30,000 was suddenly selling through Toyota dealers for as little as $21,000? Think about the questions, consider the answers -- and there's your justification.

Aston Martin confirms production of Cygnet, Oz delivery from 2012
A $60K Toyota! Come on Aston Martin a DB9, Vantage or Rapide are 'real' to the brand and the core but this is over-hyped cynicism at its worst. You will sell this hypocritical abomination to those stupid enough to believe the marketing hype but where is the 'Aston Martiness' of this car??? Drop a supercharged/turbocharged 1.5L from the Yaris in, carbon ceramic brakes, sports suspension, lighten the weight (carbon fibre roof - ala M3) etc, etc and you might have some credibility to back the brown smelly stuff you're trying to shovel at the moment. Another aspirational brand flushed down the toilet by greed!
Mick L
Ken Gratton says: The Cygnet was developed to help Aston Martin meet CAFE and CAFE-style future legislation: a manufacturer's range of cars must meet an average fuel consumption measure. That works out for Lamborghini, because through parent company Audi it's part of the Volkswagen Audi Group. Same for Porsche now. Ferrari's average fuel consumption is offset by all those Fiat 500s running around and Lexus can offer the LFA because parent company Toyota is doing its bit for the environment with Prius, Yaris, Aygo and -- yes -- iQ. Aston Martin, being an independent, has to produce its own 'iQ', which it has done with some considerable help from Toyota. I don't disagree with your remarks about the lack of kit in the Cygnet for the money, Mick, but as soon as AM or Toyota start adding gear or cranking up performance figures, fuel consumption rises -- and we don't know just how finely balanced is this little Corporate Average Fuel Economy equation.

Motorsport, Seven wins but loses on Bathurst
And they will continue to lose viewers until they go back to the original format, i.e Holden V Ford, not pure race cars with Holden/Ford sheet metal.
Ray Davis

Maybe there are increasing numbers of people who, like me, are sick of the whole Ford V Holden thing, that's been going on for almost two decades now. The last really interesting Bathurst was before V8 supercars, when we saw Nissan GTRs, BMW M3s, Jaguars, Mazdas, Volvos, Alfas, etc as well as Holdens and Fords, all with a chance of winning. And there were class battles with smaller cars too. But I suppose all that was too hard to understand for all the Ford/Holden bogans.
Bill

My opinion on this article is ...7 need a kick up the arse, they show AFL live, all year, yet one race at Bathurst they can't do right.

Add to the fact it is a two-car format; hello, this is why the numbers are dropping. I had watched every Bathurst from 1975, but not this year; in fact, not till there is some actual competition of more than two brands.

Cochrane and his buddies at V8 super car need to wake up. Sponsors are going to fall away as numbers fall away.
Bathurst revamp

Plug-in Prius reaches Australia
So the car now runs on coal!
Ian Kennedy
Ken Gratton says: Unless it's in Tasmania...

Golf Tournament: R v GTi
Hi,

In relation to the safety scoring, why is the R rating only 3.5, yet the GTI is 4.5? The article doesn't discuss why.

They're the same chassis & same airbag & electronic systems. In addition the R has AWD & Xenon lights std. Surely the R should score the same or slightly higher for safety?

In relation to the R's seats, have you specifically found info that the exclusion of the side airbag in the motorsports seats reduces safety? The NCAP & ANCAP sites don't mention it (that I can find).

In motorsports they have no airbags at all as the body is safely contained within the seat & cannot be thrown into the side of the car. In the R, & other cars with the same seat style & no side airbags, the seat prevents the driver's chest from making contact with the side of the car, & the curtain airbag is still in place to protect the head.

So whilst NCAP don't appear to have actually tested this situation, 100s of crashes in motorsports would indicate there is not any compromise in safety.

Cheers
Corey Ingleton
Ken Gratton says: Corey, Jeremy Bass makes the point that you can buy a Renault with airbag-equipped Recaros. That suggests Recaro would rather the enhanced safety of airbags, even in their racing seats. Draw from that what you will. It's fairly clear that JB doesn't reckon the Recaros are worth a pinch of the proverbial in the Golf R, unless you're serious about your track days. They add $5300 to the cost of the car and this takes the price of the Golf R well above $50,000. At that point, it's approaching the Luxury Car Tax threshold and is squaring up against a whole bunch of very safety-focused competitors. The value of the vehicle for the safety it offers must be taken into account as well. 

How can you give the GTI a safety rating of 4.5 and the golf 2.5/3.5 when the exact same setup is in the Golf R? It has the same NCAP rating!
Jason

Good summary, although there needs to be justification of why the GTI gets a safety rating of 4.5 vs the R's 3.5 (with normal seats).Mr Bass may need to have a rethink... in normal configuration (no Recaros) both cars have a NCAP rating of 5.
Dene

How on earth can you rate the safety of the R lower than the safety of the GTI, when they are practically identical (if the R is optioned with standard seats) except for 4motion and a punchier engine? Surely 4-wheel-drive would elevate the safety rating of the R above that of the front-wheels-only GTI?
Ollie

In the Golf R vs GTi article, how can the R score 3.5 and GTi 4.5 for safety, with both having seven airbags, ESP ABS etc and the golf R having the advantage of all-wheel drive? The article doesn't comment on why there is a one-point difference.
Troy

This article is the first well structured opinion I have come across.
R32 2004 OWNER (Mal)

AIMS: Spring 2011 debut for Evoque
You have the wrong year "Buyers of Range Rover's new Evoque premium compact SUV will have to wait until Spring 2001".
Peter Garrett
Ken Gratton says: Yep, got it right in the headline, but stumbled in the opening paragraph -- sort of like a certain government insulation program.

Nissan gives early glimpse at new Tiida
Nissan, bring the Pulsar name back to Australia. This should be coupled with a capable hatch and not just something constructed to fit in the alley ways of Japan or Singapore. But a proper hatch, like N15 Pulsar. NO TIIDA PLEASE.
Fali

AIMS: New 550Nm diesel for Nissan Navara, Pathfinder
How can this be class leading when the current Land Rover Discovery 4 puts out 600NM from its 3L engine also?
Disco Stu
Ken Gratton says: "Class leading" refers to VFACTS sales segments; nothing to do with engine displacement. The Disco is a luxury SUV, the Pathfinder is a medium SUV and the Navara is an entry in the pick-up/cab-chassis 4x4 segment. They're all in different "classes".

I really hope Nissan offer a manual gearbox for this model or I will have to buy another brand of car!
Matt

AIMS: Sydney motor show or Sydney ute muster?
You raise a very good point about the safety angle.

Why is it that all utes have antiquated, unsafe (and hopeless in off-road conditions) drum brakes -- and this includes the new Amarok? Shame that VW is happy to get down to the lowest common denominator in safety, just to save a few bucks!
Brett Mason

New Falcon: More on Falcon utes
Great, but what I would like to see is the F650 in Australia but have the F series built in Australia to suit our conditions.
Andrew Smith
Ken Gratton says: Andrew, the F650, even built here, would be too expensive and there just wouldn't be the market for it.

Used-car advice: Ford Territory SX and SY
My opinion on this article is ...that the soft ride of this vehicle is highly exaggerated. My 2004 TX RWD is really rough, empty with driver only. Picks up every ripple in the road and thumps on minor bumps. New ball joints, springs and shocks (seems worse). Mechanically up to scratch. Goodyear 102H tyres at 30psi cold. Any suggestions i.e. different shocks/tyres or later model or AWD better? Look forward to a reply.
Regards,
Peter Horton
Ken Gratton says: Peter, I remember driving an early (SX model) Territory TX RWD back in 2004 and was really impressed by the ride. It might take a while to pin down the source of the problem with your car, but I'd start with the tyres. My guess is that the Goodyears probably won't be the original equipment items, after six years. Check with say two or three tyre retailers (selling different brands of tyres) to find out whether they have dealt with this sort of issue for the Territory and perhaps find out what they recommend.

New insurer offers fair go for car enthusiasts
It may be an improvement, but what I want is a policy that covers all my five cars as one.

I am the only driver, and I can only drive one at a time. I do a total of 8 to 10 thousand km a year in all of them, combined. I would like to drive them when the weather is suitable, not restricted to club days. ..
Phil West
Ken Gratton says: Motor vehicle insurance is not as profitable for insurers as home and contents insurance is, which is understandable when you consider how many claims people make in a lifetime against their homeowner's policy, versus the number of claims people make against car insurance. While car insurance remains an area of underwriting companies have to support just to prevent their competitors getting an edge in other areas of general insurance, there'll be specialist underwriters looking for ways of finding the best (ie: lowest) risks to insure in the hope of lowering their exposure to risk and maximising profit. That said, these specialist underwriters probably aren't quite at the stage of insuring five cars on the one -- cheap -- policy.

AIMS: Benz R-Class update
Hope we're getting the 195kW, 620Nm turbo-diesel.
James Fahey

Aussie-designed Ranger to debut in Sydney
Awesome Vehicle.. one of the best looking utes by far.. How much will the Ranger T6 sell for?
Romlan Pillay
Ken Gratton says: No word on that yet Romlan. The car is still nine or ten months away from production and Ford is very unlikely to release pricing information prior to the car's local launch.

VW Scirocco closer to Oz
Please bring it to Oz, such a great car.
Geoff

Audi to bolster A8 resales
Why are all A8 buyers a "he"???

Guess 'she" will buy a 7 series, S class or Lexus LS??
Peter
Ken Gratton says: "All A8 buyers"? Are you suggesting there's more than one?

200bhp for Fiat 500 Abarth
I want to buy one?
Rodney Gordon Taggart

New Captiva to go on show in Paris
It will be interesting to know when these new models are available in Australia -- any idea?
Gary McCallum

ANCAP rating system in need of overhaul
The way in which ANCAP allocates points is sometimes mind boggling! The allocation of points based on how much g-force is experienced on various parts of the crash-test dummy is fine. The less severe, the more points -- makes sense. It shows how 'safe' the driver and passengers are in an accident. Even this can be 'manipulated' by some car manufacturers, by putting in a knee-airbag so that the knees of the dummy (driver) show less severe g-force loading, rather than to make the under-dash design better or the car more rigid!

They then claim to have "seven airbags" as a selling feature... but other cars get the five-star rating without the need of this knee bag! Points are then given for "advanced seat belt warning" ...thus cars which have irritating seatbelt beeping, which gets louder and scores extra points! However, no additional points are given for 'active safety' items such as ABS/EBD/EBA or cars with ESP/TCS/Stability Control! Also, the ANCAP programme is to determine how 'safe' the vehicle is for the passengers of any particular vehicle... The people INSIDE the car! So why are points allocated (or in fact deducted) depending on the amount of damage caused to a dummy being hit? More and more cars are getting the five-star rating these days. No doubt, cars are getting 'safer' as compared to five or more years ago, but also manufacturers are designing cars to do well in the test by reading the point system well and knowing what it takes to score maximum points!
Chris
Ken Gratton says: Little argument from us Chris. The NCAP system is flawed, but in its defence it is the best available system to date for the comparative assessment of vehicles' crash safety.

My opinion on this article is ... spot on. Recently we went looking for a first car for our daughter. We went straight to the cars with the higher ratings. ABS was a must have on my list, as I believe that new drivers need all of the help they can get.
Barry Usher

Audi quattro concept set for the road
If this car costs more than RS5, they won't have a business case, as it can't justify the cost even if it's a low-volume special... I mean, it's NOT that special enough... If S5 goes softer and a bit raw on Quattro and do it in bigger volume + lower price than RS5, then I think there'll be a market for this car.
William

AIMS: C 63 AMG concept
Wow...not long back the Brits got a 520 imperial horsepower (388kW) version (at no extra cost) which had even more power (by 2 kW) than any other version of the engine except the SLS. Kind of makes our 480 hp look paltry!
James Fahey

Holden: 10 new models in 20 months
It's disappointing to see you still mention the Volt as an electric car with the engine merely generating power to charge the batteries. There has been a large uproar in the U.S. automotive press about the fact the Volt is actually an advanced hybrid with the engine powering the wheels -- not only when the batteries run out but also during hard acceleration and so forth -- exactly like a Prius and other hybrids.
Sam P
Ken Gratton says: We're not necessarily guided by what's important to the American press. Some sectors of the media there are plainly responding negatively to the news that the Volt is a hybrid and not an EV -- which we thought everyone knew already -- but does it matter whether the Volt is a power-split hybrid capable of a 400km range or a range-extended EV with a 400km range? It's hair-splitting for technophiles. Joshua Dowling, the writer of the article, has driven the Volt briefly. You're misquoting him when you use the word 'merely'. Josh didn't say in his article that that was all the internal-combustion engine did. You can't really compare the Volt, with a 64km range in EV-only mode to the current, conventional Prius with an EV-only range of 2km. If anything, the Volt will be more properly comparable to the Plug-in Prius currently undergoing testing around the world. But feel free to be 'disappointed' anyway...

Why 2012 for Epica replacement when Daewoo is already building Buick La Cross?
Andrew Cahill

All well and good if you like boring and dull. Holden can make some great cars, eg: the Commodore, even better THE COUPE 60. Now there is a car they can build, should build and would be exciting, not more imported shoe boxes on wheels.
Nothing Exciting here

2010 Peugeot 207 arrives
Guys, this article reads like a sales brochure not a review. What does it drive like and how does it compare to its competition? I was hoping to see if this would make a good second car. I get all the same information here on the Peugeot website. A little dissappointed, your reviews are normally worth a good read.
Peter Baxter
Ken Gratton says: Peter, the article in question is simply a news piece, not a review. It's rehashed from a Peugeot press release and won't provide any more information than that. What your comments point out to us is that it's been a while since we last tested a 207 and perhaps it's about time we reacquainted ourselves with this car.

Next Barina to go on show in Paris
The front-end looks like the front end of a 2010 Lancer.
Caleb

AIMS: Subaru debuts Forester S-Edition concept
Interesting. It appears Subaru already has an auto that will handle 350Nm of torque (347Nm is close enough), yet Subaru tells us they have nothing of the sort available for the diesel Forester. Why are some of the most popular Japanese compact SUV's pushing manuals, when the torque of modern turbo diesels would be ideal for self-shifters?
Paul G Hamilton
Ken Gratton says: We agree with the theory Paul, but presumably it's a different development project to couple a five-speed auto (as in the case of the WRX-engined Forester S Edition) to a diesel powerplant. That means additional cost without the return on investment -- because Australia is a right-hand drive market and one of the few to recognise the common sense of what you're saying. As we've said in the past in defence of companies such as Subaru and Mazda, the Americans don't like diesels and the Europeans don't like autos. There is, from Mazda's viewpoint at least, some good news for the future. Mazda's SKYACTIV-D engine will arrive in Australia with the SKYACTIV-DRIVE automatic -- but it's not likely to reach us before 2012.

All-new Patrol debuts in Sydney
That's all good but... how much? I'm teetering on updating my 10-year old Patrol and would buy it, but there are too many unknowns... Hurry up or Toyota it will be.
Tony

Cadillac to unveil SRX in Detroit
How much???
Taavili Laki
Ken Gratton says: It won't be coming here -- not any time soon, anyway. I checked the Cadillac.com website and established that the starting price for the SRX, "after all cash offers" is USD $34,705. The website prompts for an American zip code before it will provide a price, so the figure quoted is based on the one and only zip code I could recall off the top of my head: 90210. Hope you live in Beverly Hills...

No plans for Cerato diesel yet
I'd be more interested in hearing about the LPG version that participated in the eco challenge. Heard lots about that before the challenge from carsales but not one mention of it or any results since the challenge.
Matt
Ken Gratton says: Things have gone pretty quiet on that front, Matt. We know officially from Hyundai that the LPI Hybrid variant of the Elantra won't be coming to Australia and presume that Kia won't be bringing the Cerato version here for the same reasons, but we'll check with Kia and get an official line.

Aston Martin Rapide
Pretty sure that V12 is still made in Cologne, Germany, Matt.
David Dowsey
Ken Gratton says: David, the press material from Aston Martin agrees with you, but the plaque under the bonnet of the car itself indicates it was built in Britain. We prefer to go with what's actually on the car, even if it's not necessarily true of mainstream production.

Holden Barina Spark
My opinion on this article is it was a great read on what could be seen as a really boring car.

Perhaps Holden By Design should kick into gear and offer seat covers because those seats will burn in the Aussie summer.
Jono Rae

"Never before has Holden specifically targeted women with a Model" It's all they EVER do. ALL the time. They are prehistoric sexists that think that all guys should drive an SS Commodore and the little ladies should stick to Barinas. By totally alienating the male demographic they have doomed any worthwhile sales figures for the Spark. They've only got themselves to blame.
Angus Chisholm
Ken Gratton says: The text actually reads: "Never before has Holden so specifically targeted women..." -- so you've misquoted Joshua Dowling, Angus. That alone is erring on the side of naughty, and I'm not exactly sure how Holden has alienated male buyers of the Barina Spark any more than most other companies marketing a light-segment car. Volkswagen Polo is probably one of the few cars in the market segment that would be driven by (older) men as well as women. If you're saying that young blokes on a budget should be able to buy an affordable car that just happens to be diminutive, then I would agree. Unfortunately, male buyers -- and especially young ones -- are more often attracted by larger, more powerful cars that aren't necessarily practical, but meet with the approval of the peer group. The problem is arguably with male buyers rather than the car companies selling small and light cars.

Benz buyers flock to Sydney
Hopefully this will teach BMW a good lesson. I am always a big fan of BMW and very disappointed that they pulled out from AIMS.
Vins

Paris show: VW Scirocco saga continues
How long does it take VW Australia to decide whether they will bring this car into Australia? Surely they read the hundreds of emails and blogs from potential customers. This car is a hit in many countries around the world and it would be here.

Get rid of the two-door GTI and replace it with the Scirocco.

How many times do you see a Golf driving towards you and it is hard to recognize whether it is a R, GTI, Golf or even now a polo.

The Scirocco looks different. An instant winner.
Steve

Big-block Ferrari sets world speed record
How do you make a Ferrari go faster? Put in a Holden GM engine!!
Craig
Ken Gratton says: Except it's not a Holden engine...

Ferrari with a big block = Corvette. Whoops, the Americans couldn't build an aerodynamic car.
Nanks
Ken Gratton says: According to the Wikipedia entry concerning automotive aerodynamics, the top of the list is the General Motors EV1 (Impact) -- an American-developed electric vehicle with a drag coefficient of just 0.19Cd. The Ferrari 328 GTB's drag coefficient is 0.36Cd, according to an international website dedicated to compiling vehicle specifications.

Mitsubishi ASX Aspire
Just don't fold the door mirrors towards the front, all models that I tested snapped something inside and flopped around loose - true.
Fred
Ken Gratton says: How many mirrors did you allegedly damage before you figured out you were trying to fold them in the wrong direction? And when did the Mitsu sales folk finally cave in and call for security to have you removed?

Volkswagen Golf R sold out
A bad time to sell out considering the extremely good review given by a local magazine last month. Sales would have been even stronger in November through Jan. Half those people won't wait more than two months for a people's car.
Daniel

Good article. Prices are wrong. Please look into your data before posting on a website that people look up to.
Dennis

Renault Megane RS250
I just wanted to comment on the resale issue. I have just sold my Megane F1 Team R26 after three fantastic years; I paid $48K and sold it for mid 30s. After three years I think that's fine. I have on order a new Megane Cup Trophee, which I ordered back in late July, so I wanted to get the best for my old car, which I did. This will be my 4th Renault Sport car and 8th Renault, all of which were sold at fair prices at the time. I think some of the cars that drop quickly in price are due to how they are taken care of. Enjoyed your article; I hope more people get on the RS wagon. Thanks
Dominic Robert

An interesting article, but I can't understand Joshua's desire for a twin clutch gearbox; it totally dilutes from the driving experience, and is really only for posers who can't figure out a clutch. Who cares if would be slightly quicker than a proper gearbox, it's totally missing the point of being in control of the car, you might as well just get a plain boring old auto. Manuals forever...however long that might be...
Chris Olsen
Ken Gratton says: Chris, there is no loss of control using a twin-clutch transmission manually. It's faster-shifting, better for the environment and delivers such things as engine braking when you want it and the right gear every time. Why would you settle for a clunky old manual if you cared about getting somewhere faster or using less fuel? Seems to me like your 'posers' are sticking with conventional manual boxes, but half the 'superior' drivers who change gear manually aren't necessarily better drivers in our experience. There's a word for such thinking... and it starts with a 'W'. If you really need to do something with your left foot to prove how coordinated you are, take up boot scooting.

Manual on the negative list, you gotta be kidding me right! Um okay, you can keep your crappy DSG carsales, but I can't wait till you see the service bill for it when you break one at the track. It aint pretty. And yes I have driven this car, overseas and the manual is excellent.
Luke K
Ken Gratton says: Editor in Chief for the Carsales Network, Mike Sinclair, drove a Skoda Octavia with a DSG box around Tasmania at competition speeds back in April and didn't have a problem with it. I guess that if you try hard enough, you can break anything "at the track".

I am currently driving the five-door Megane 225 Cup Sports and it's a fantastic car; so fast and so safe. I will be changing it for the Trophee as soon as I can. Don't know if I'll go the Repco seats, as I use the car as my business car so I'll check out the comfort level before I decide.
David Dixon

Lexus pushes performance
I wish them well, but keep thinking about Toyota's commitment to performance:TRD.

Is this going to be another half hearted flash in the pan?

I'd buy this right now if it had a manual.
Phil

VW's car that steers itself
This system is actually available in the current model Passat on sale in Australia now called lane assist.
Peter Stone
Ken Gratton says: As we understand it, the system in the current Passat doesn't steer, it just provides the driver with a warning that the car is departing the lane.

So, does this mean you can set the cruise control and have a kip in the back seat?
Paul S
Ken Gratton says: Unfortunately no...

Kia Cerato hatch
At these price points, would anyone seriously aspire to a Cerato over a Golf or Mazda3?
Jimbo
Ken Gratton says: To each their own, Jimbo. It may boil down to personal preference, if you don't like the style of the Mazda3 for example, and the Golf is too far north of your budget. The Mazda and the Golf are both outstanding cars, but the Cerato is not the Korean car of yore either.

I agree wholeheartedly the new Kia Cerato is a brilliant car. I hired a new diesel auto version in the UK a month ago and travelled all over the SE of England. It was quiet, easy to drive, plenty of room for two large suitcases, had plenty of go, and looked very smart in the deep red paint finish. It's a pity the diesel is not coming to Oz as the torque gave it ample power off the line. When I handed the car back I said I would love to take the car back to Oz, as I thought we didn't have this model here... Kia needs to rethink the inclusion of a diesel!!
Fred Neild

Decision time for Defender
Put a more powerful and more economical diesel engine in the Defender... then price it at what it's really worth (sub $40k), then I and three of my mates will walk into Land Rover tomorrow and lay down the cash! Actually Land Rover, just lower the price! by a long way! Until then, stop whinging that nobody's buying them... Everybody I know WANTS one, but nobody I know would go past a good ol' hiLux with more power and spec level for $10k cheaper! der.
Ben Croft
Ken Gratton says: Ben, I hope you're joking. Below $40,000 for a vehicle that's practically hand-built in a western European country? A better engine (and arguably the Transit engine is one of the better elements of the current Defender anyway) won't draw sales away from HiLux. People buy HiLux for such things as amenity and ease of servicing due to Toyota dealers being everywhere -- among other issues. These are concerns that Land Rover is not going to overcome in the short term and any comparison with a Toyota product the likes of the 4x4 HiLux leaves me utterly gob-smacked...

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Interesting.... More refined, yes. Faster, NO... Climate controlled A/C & 6-disc CD were ALSO std on IX. If I'm not mistaken, the Evo IX had roughly 200 more spot welds to the monocoque compared to the donor car. While it's no A4... it'll kick the RS4 enough to embarrass it. The IX is a driver's car, the X... It's aimed at the volume market, rather than the enthusiast market... (btw... The SST has a launch control built in - just not publicised).
George

Brabus SV12-R Biturbo 800
I'm really getting sick of the claims by European car companies. Brabus claim this car has 800 horsepower when it only has 789 (metric hp doesn't make sense when it's from a country that doesn't even use hp as an official unit) and claims it's a 6.3 litre when it's only a 6.2 (6233cc)
James Fahey