Luxury Reviews

If we judged content before appraising appearance, the little black dress and Zegna suits immediately would be obsolete.Expressions such as “love at first sight’’ would be redundant and we would choose products and partners by delving into their intimate specifications. Which sounds more like a life not worth living. For without being captured by the looks, the style and the individuality of a person or something less innate, we would all live in grey concrete boxes and drive grey Trabants.The Range Rover Evoque is one of the most desired moving metal objects on the market. It has the hallmarks of a product you just want to own - style, individuality and function within its pretty form. It’s just damn expensive - in fact, it’s more expensive than can be justified by the sum of its parts. Which is why no-one spotted this test car as the cheapest Evoque and one that doesn’t even come with the Range Rover hallmark of all-wheel drive.Poor. This is the Evoque eD4 Pure manual that costs from $49,995. It has front-wheel drive, good - but hardly excessive - equipment levels and five doors. Amazingly, the three-door Evoque is $1500 dearer. Because people pay for style and it’s presumed that the less number of doors makes it more desirable.The money buys an interior with partial leather upholstery, eight-speaker audio with Bluetoth, 125mm information touch screen, cruise control, rear park sensors and 17-inch wheels. The tester added the Pure Tech pack ($4500) then added 19-inch alloys (another $1000), metallic paint ($1300), contrasting roof colour ($955), premium sat-nav $3400) and rear vents ($190) which helped bring the total price to $61,340 plus on-road costs. But it looks good.Amazingly, this car looks almost identical to the LRX concept car shown at Detroit in 2008. That’s a good thing and the reason why it’s still in such huge demand and, cynically, why Range Rover can charge so much for it. It’s a basic Freelander body from the waist down with a wedge-shaped turret above, highlighted by narrow side glass.It’s a big car - much more than the photos indicate – and impressively wide. But it’s not efficient in its cabin area mainly because it is designed to be a luxury car rather than - in the case of the AWD versions - an off-road machine. Cabin design is similar to the bigger Range Rovers, with striking good looks, simple switchgear design and good use of high-quality materials.The dash material in the eD4 is soft-touch plastic with contrasting colours - in this case, a tasty coffee and cream. The rear seats split and fold almost flat, there’s a space-saver spare under the floor and there’s plenty of room for four adults.Range Rover follows the leads of others by lopping off the drive shaft to the rear wheels. The engine is a 110kW/380Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel - as fitted to the Jaguar XF and Freelander, though maybe in different power outputs - which drives through a sweet six-speed manual gearbox. Pity is that almost no buyer is going to get the manual. There’s a six-speed auto as a $2480 option. All the running gear is from the Freelander and this includes electric park brake, independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and electric-assist steering.The Evoque carries over the Freelander’s so-so four-star crash rating. It also gets seven airbags and a host of electronic aids including roll and trailer stability on top of the electronic stability and traction control. The spare is a space-saver. There are rear park sensors but no rear camera as standard.If you think the Evoque is all about style, wait until you drive it. Clearly it is made for the driver who places comfort above other factors. Yet that doesn’t mean the Evoque is slow or a wallower through the bends. In fact, you have to push the 2WD Pure quite hard before you know it’s not an all-wheel drive. The handling is very good and the body roll is minimal.The electric steering could have a bit more feel but it’s more than adequate for the car’s role. Ride comfort is very good and road noise is minimal, and this despite it being a diesel. The gearbox is smooth with crisp, short throws and the clutch action is light. But the market still wants this as an automatic. But it’s not perfect. The visibility is poor to all sides, worsened by the huge side mirrors. Yes, they’re great for lane changing but they mask a huge area alongside the car.

John Travolta and Nicholas Cage turned things upside down in the action blockbuster "Face Off". Now they could easily star in an automotive re-make of the movie, if Lexus and BMW hadn't already filled their starring roles.Just as Travolta went from nasty to nice and Cage went cop to crook in Face Off, Lexus and BMW have traded places in 2012. The Germans have gone soft and cushy with the latest 3 Series and, after driving a lineup of disguised Lexus prototypes this week in the USA, I feel that the new IS is probably now the ultimate driving machine.This is my second deep dive with Lexus - after a preview drive of the GS last year - but landing in Los Angeles I'm aware that the new IS is the most important car in the history of Lexus.The original LS400 was a bigger gamble, but this is the car that must bring younger buyers to the brand and finally give Lexus a prestige starter car that's more than just nice, but... Lexus knows it too, which is why chief engineer Junichi Furuyama has only brought F Sport versions of his IS to LA and only seems interested in the way the car drives.There is nothing about comfort or quietness in his short, sharp, presentation and he only talks about the back-seat space when I raise the obvious question. "When developing the new IS, we set ourselves the target to be the best fun-to-drive car," Furuyama says. "We believe we were able to achieve that." He talks about driving harmony and fun, as well as the car's "flavour", before a brief technical rundown.The IS lineup is basically unchanged, although there is now a hybrid model - still to be confirmed for Australia - and the IS-F could change into an upcoming IS coupe. There is nothing to report on prices because the car will not be stripped of its camouflage until the Detroit motor show in January and Australian deliveries do not begin until the second half of next year.Still, based on Toyota's red-pen work this year on the showroom stickers of the all-new 86 and Corolla, it would be no surprise to see a slight drop from the current base prices of $55,800 for the IS250 and $64,300 for the IS350.Also, I cannot comment on the final finishing, or the equipment, because the various prototypes were still some way from showroom standard and almost everything in the cabins was covered with metres of black tape.A similar IS was well beaten by the Benz C and BMW 3 in my prestige comparison earlier this year and I'm reminded of the outdated cabin, cramped back seat and suspension that makes the car feel a bit skittish.But the new IS is improved in many, many areas, finally getting a useable back seat and a much bigger boot. It's two ticks there.The cabin space is a huge improvement with better-shaped front seats. The wheelbase is out by 75 millimetres but there is 90 more in the back-seat space, and even the door opening has been enlarged for easier access. The view from the back bench is also helped by front seats that are set 20 millimetres lower, although that was done to improve comfort in the front. Oh, and the boot is about 20 per cent larger.The hole in the dashboard points to a 20-centimetre display screen, the new switches and stalks feel more substantial, and Lexus promises a review-camera across the local lineup.It gets 10 airbags and a standard reversing camera with parking radar.The IS is basically new - "about 80 per cent of the parts" - but shares its mechanical package and suspension layout with the bigger GS. That means rear-wheel drive with more travel and control, but the basic body is much more rigid.It has a system that plumbs engine intake noise into the cabin during enthusiastic driving. Among the claimed improvements for driving enjoyment are lighter steering, better Bridgestone tyres, softer springs and rear suspension that separates the springs from the dampers.There is now an eight-speed automatic gearbox with various driving modes, and the gauges are a new take on the impressive TFT layout in the Lexus LF-A super car.The cars are waiting and the first job is a couple of track laps in the superseded IS, just to set the ground rules. Onto the track and the new transmission is more aggressive in its response, the front end grips better and the car sits a little flatter through the curves.So I step up to the camo 350 and find more of the same, with extra urge of course, and a bit more compliance in the rear suspension. But it's the road drive that will provide the real answers, so we hit the freeway and head for the hills. Literally.The IS250 is immediately quieter than I remember - Furuyama confirms big cuts to wind and road noise - and the eight-speed auto is great. As the road turns twisty the IS responds in the way I used to expect from a BMW. It responds eagerly to the wheel and drives confidently through turns.The IS350 is not as precise - with an extra 30 kilograms in the nose - but the extra punch makes any short straight a fun run. I also enjoy the LF-A-style instruments and the multi-mode automatic, which responds almost like a manual in the sportiest setting.So I'm convinced. These are real driving cars for people who take their motoring seriously, but they also have the sort of practical improvements that are essential for the long-flawed IS. Yes, the IS could do with more punch as both a 250 and a 350, I'm not a fan of plumbing engine noise into the cabin, and one of the suspension set-ups is significantly better for grip and comfort.But those are relatively small things. Overall it's a great drive. There was a time when the IS was really just a tweaked Toyota, but the new cars have grown up and improved in so many ways. Now I'm waiting to get the 'real' car out from under the camo and onto some home roads to ensure I have the story right. But, right now, it looks to me as if the BMW benchmark batton has been snitched by the IS.A one-day run is not enough for a final verdict, but I have rarely pushed a car as hard as I did in the California canyons - or hustled as enthusiastically as I did on a closed course at the Santa Anita raceway - without finding something big to complain about.

Sitting behind the wheel of BMW's revised flagship car, it occurs that I'm in the wrong seat. I should be where almost all who enter this limo and who don't own/operate one sit: in the voluminous – nay, agoraphobic -- rear compartment.I've rented apartments smaller and less luxurious than the cabin of the updated 7 Series. Yet it's BMW's fond boast that the virtues of its halo car are all within the driving of it. Which strikes one as strange.While Audi can go on about its Le Mans champion inspired R8 supercar and Mercedes-Benz will stroke itself over the exotic SL and SLS series, the brand that bangs on about “sheer driving pleasure” has for its range topper a massive sedan that is, as like as not, chauffeur driven.Still, if you happen to be in want of a $210k-plus four door and you smile rather than wince when the road goes all curvy, here's the limo you're probably looking for.Not for the first time when approaching this part of the Carsguide template does it strike one that the notion of "value" is relative. The revised 7 gets more standard kits and access to a few smart options, a new and entirely irrelevant  hybrid variant, an up-gunned petrol V8, a standard eight speed auto across the range, Start/Stop and economy mode (except 760Li), rear self-levelling air suspension and tarted up satnav and optional Bamg and Olufsen audio system.Prices start at $204,600 for the diesel 730d (and, really, this lookalike is all the 7 Series you'd need if not want). The “volume” 740i and long wheelbase 740Li are $211,500 and $226,500 respectively.The new ActiveHybrid 7 and ActiveHybrid 7L (with the engine from the recently reviewed ActiveHybrid 3) are $222,000 and $237,000. Getting a bit silly now, the V8 750i and 750Li are $281,100 and $297,800 while the sheik's special V12 760Li is all of $391,500.Given the rear seat occupants are likely to be controlling international finance, sudden untimely jolts could have grave consequences for the Dow or the Nikkei.The newly standard self-levelling air suspension for the rear axle could therefore prevent another GFC. All get electric power steering and the ConnectedDrive package of driver assistance, safety, communication and convenience package. Inevitably there's sense of staying abreast of the Joneses about this update, hence the optional parking assistant that all but auto actually parks the massive beast, your inputs confined selecting reverse and spot of accelerator pressure while affording an all-round from above on the 10-inch multimedia screen.The Jones motif continues with the addition if automatic boot opening function. When you, or more likely your man, is standing behind the car with the key fob still in the pocket or handbag, it takes the wave of a foot under the rear bumper sensor to open the lid.Nor is Jeeves, when ordered “home and don't spare the horses”, likely to go crook about the appreciably enhanced performance on offer. Inevitably all engines are claimed to be both more potent and efficient, with Auto Start/Stop shoving its nose in and the addition of the Eco Pro mode for the Driving Experience Control.The new coasting mode decouples the engine when it is overrunning at speeds between 50 and (fancifully for us) 160 km/h, so you freewheel along with minimum juice use. The hybrid drive system combines the 235kW 3.0-litre twin scroll turbo six for a combined output of 260kW/500Nm.That means 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds and fuel economy figure of 6.8L/100km. Yet the inline six turbo diesel 730d does better, returning 5.6L/100km - this from a 1900kg limo. The 740i/Li gets the potent turbo 3.0-litre petrol engine that does astonishing service in the M 135i coupe and hatch.If with some half a tonne more to haul the 235kW/450Nm doesn't sparkle as such it still registers a 5.7 second sprint time and fuel use that at 7.9L/100km betters a Mazda3 Neo. Significant fettling has rendered the most impressive powerplant even more so.Fuel use of the turbo boosted 4.4 V8 has been reduced by a quarter to 8.6L/100km despite putting out 330kW/650Nm to achieve a 4.8 second sprint time. Not a whole lot of point then in range topper's atmo V12, which is barely faster but massively thirstier. But it is the last of its breed - BMW's are now almost all turbo charged.Brighter and cleverer lights fore and aft (which mean you won't be taken for an Audi), a few more colours (don't panic - only monochromes and deep blues), tarted up interiors (reassuringly faux wood trimmed as ever). And ... That's about it.We're talking about a massively muscled up version of the instantly recognisable current BMW paradigm. The two heavy hitters in back have plenty of elbow room and access to Internet or television via tonal screens. Missing, totally subjectively, is the last degree of opulence, that which makes Audi's A8 the car to sit in.A saga in itself, the active and passive safety measures here prove again that while lawmakers and politicians preen themselves on reducing the road toll, it is carmakers that make it nigh on impossible to kill yourself on the road. Yet in several Australian states P-platers continue to be forbidden to drive the safest cars on the planet.The renewed 7 has safety kit of which you can bet most licensing authorities know nothing. The Active Protection Safety package includes Attentiveness Assistant which analyses driving behaviour on the basis of various signals such as steering angle and road speed. Detecting signs of fatigue, it posts a warning in the form of an illuminated coffee cup telling the driver to rest up.Automatic braking kicks in if you're slow to react to an imminent shunt. Following an impact, the car is slowed to a standstill with a maximum deceleration rate of 5 m/s² and its brakes then locked for a further 1.5 seconds to prevent a secondary impact.Optional on all but the workplace models, night vision features a Dynamic Light Spot function to improve early pedestrian detection. At the heart of the Night Vision system is an infrared thermal imaging camera integrated into the kidney grille.A cool feature of ten enhanced LED lights is High-Beam Assistant which enables you to keep full glow on but guides the lights around the car in front and shields them from oncoming  traffic, detecting the former from 400 metres and latter from all of a klick.Difficult not to be impressed by such dynamic dexterity in something that is essentially an engorged sedan, even as you wonder at the point of it. Having driven the previous day an M135i, the same engine is enough here to remove the need for anything greater. Indeed in almost all circumstances it is more than enough.Much the same can be said of the diesel. Though driven briefly, it is worth a buyer testing both sixes. But once sampled it's hard to see past that crisp V8. Turbo enhanced it has torque everywhere, and a penchant for skipping away to license shredding speeds without betraying the least effort, only the red dash glow when the Driving Experience Control is switched to sport mode.No roaring aural report here, that's not what it's about, just a business like growl and a kilometre crushing lope. Which serves only to highlight the 7's uneasy status as the self-proclaimed driving brand's halo car. There are a number of BMW's - not least the new 6 Series variant with its graceful four door coupe lines - that run the same drivetrains and shout success with a good deal more style if not as much function. I suppose some chauffeurs get all the fun.As technically accomplished as you would expect, the 7 isn't enough to make you forget there's no shortage of toys in its price point.

Slingshot. Staggering. Subtle even. The S6 prompts several adjectives - as well as a few terms a number of people consider unsuitable for publication.No wild wings, belly-scraping ride heights or straining at the leash - the fastest S6 ever launched by Audi slides in beneath five seconds for the trip to 100km/h but push a few appropriate buttons within and it might well be hard to believe that it's capable of such ferocious feats.The new Audi S6 starts at $168,900, which is a $30,000 drop from the old V10 car - just 50 will be offered here and there's plenty on the features front to make the pricetag seem a little less steep. The leather-clad interior is comfortable and a quality cabin and it has a head-up display, a Bose infotainment system, digital TV, powered bootlid, heated and power-adjustable front sports seats, quad-zone climate control, side and rear sunblind, satellite navigation, auto-dimming mirrors, parking sensors front and rear, a reversing camera, automatic headlights (with rain-sensing function), rain-sensing wipers, electric automatic park brake and power-adjustable folding exterior mirrors.It sits on 20in alloy wheels with 255/35 Pirelli P-Zero tyres, with a seven-speed auto, adaptive air suspension, LED head and tail lights, auto-dipping high-beam system and the clever quattro sports differential.The heart of this executive machine is a four-litre V8, fed by two twin-scroll turbos to produce 309kW and 550Nm, the former hanging around from 5500 to 6400rpm and the latter on offer from 1400 through to 5200rpm. The muted but monstrous V8 has a cylinder-dropout  system that shuts down cylinders 2, 3, 5 and 8 whenever the system sees a need, which allows it to lay claim to a frugal (for its performance potential) fuel use figure of 9.6 litres per 100km, a 24 per cent drop on the old 320kW/540Nm V10 (lighter yet slower) S6.Getting all that grunt to ground in the new car is a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a rear-biased (but variable) quattro all-wheel drive system that includes the clever rear diff. The quattro sports rear differential delivers drive to both rear wheels as required, which gives the S6 phenomenal drive out of corners. The adaptive air suspension varies the damping and ride height according to driver preference (unless left to its own devices in auto mode) and delivers a much improved ride quality - not brittle and wooden like some of its Audi S-car forebears.Also on offer is a start-stop fuel-saving system, active engine mounts to counteract the vibrations developed in four-cylinder mode (it works well) and an active noise control system that cancels unwanted cabin noise (detected via tiny microphones hidden in the vehicles headlining).Sharply-cut, the A6 foundation vehicle is given a subtle tailoring to quietly suggest to those at the traffic lights that they really shouldn't bother. The S6 has a twin dual-pipe exhaust set-up either side of a small under-bumper diffuser, a tiny bootlid rear spoiler, alloy mirror housings, ample front air intakes and a wheel-tyre package that ups the styling ante just enough.Five stars from NCAP are worn by the alloy and steel A6 and have been for more than a few years, so the S version is a fair chance of doing similar things - it has the presafe accident preparation system, tyre pressure monitoring, dual front, front and rear side and full length curtain airbags. The all-wheel drive system, stability and traction control and anti-lock system for the six-piston front, single-piston rear brakes all add to the bank-vault feeling of security on the road.I slid into the comfy "tombstone" sports seats expecting two things - serious straight line speed, a haycart ride quality and no feel through the steering. The new S6 was more than happy to oblige on the first count - floor it and the melodious but far too remote V8 sings as it slings you toward the middle of next week. The Audi claim for the sprint to 100km/h is 4.6 seconds with anelectronic limit of 250km/h - so I'm told - but there's nothing in the real world to suggest that time is optimistic.The adaptive suspension has been given a whole new dose of smarts that has improved the ride quality - comfort mode is almost exactly that (it's still on the firm side) but even in the dynamic mode there's little about which to complain. The trick rear diff gives the big German an inordinate amount of exit speed - it can feel a little nose heavy on the way into a corner but fires out of them with gusto - so a A-to-B hills drive is completed in double-quick time should the need arise.Sadly, the steering remains inert, although there's better weighting but still an absence of info for the driver, something that is not a complaint when it comes to the instrumentation. The dash and centre stack offers ample functionality without too much confusion, with a top-notch sound system; the MDI cable-connected iPhone didn't want to talk to the sound system, unless it was through the Bluetooth.In cruising or commuting mode, the S6 is quiet, refined and comfortable, with little to betray when it's in four-cylinder fuel economy mode. There's decent rear space, with headroom a little tight for those north of the old six-foot mark, but four adults would have no reason to complain, with climate controls for all four and rear sunscreens for the rear occupants. Bootspace is good at 530 litres, a long but shallow load space that can swallow a solid amount of gear without issue.Extroverts might want to look elsewhere in the Audi range for vehicles that scream to be looked at, but the new S6 is a subtle machine - too demure if you like to hear the orchestral noises that emanate from an engine bay. The pricetag is sharp, there's plenty of gear and it's a seriously swift sedan - there's no excuse for late arrival at meetings in this one.

Audi's RS range of high performance cars occupy pride of place at the Ingolstadt feed lot but the line between them and slightly lesser models is becoming blurred if the new S4 Avant is any indication.The S cars don't cost as much as the RS cars but in this case, you'd be better off saving the (considerable) dosh and go for the penultimate model S4 Avant. It gets within a whisker of RS performance and the S cars are possibly better all rounders for everyday driving.This is the first time an Avant S4 has been available here ($123,900) and it's a cracker of a drive as well as looking the business. A sedan version is also available for a few grand less.The S4 is a repository for plenty of desirable kit from the extensive Audi equipment list but you can still inflate the price considerably by ticking the boxes. There's no need really because S4 boasts, among other things, Audi's Drive Select system that offers five modes: dynamic, auto, comfort, normal and individual. It changes calibrations for engine, throttle, transmission, steering, suspension and even the aircon' system.Should be on all prestige and performance cars. We settled for `auto' or `dynamic' modes most of the time. Other handy features include radar cruise control, lane assist and attention assist but a reverse camera is optional - on a high end Euro wagon... We love the auto wipers and headlights and electric tailgate but the space saver spare is a bummer.The interior is full-glam' in muted metallic and grey tones complete with classy leather upholstery, sports seats and a beautifully finished and integrated dash. There's a large info screen with controls for many functions and a premium audio with 20 gig music register.There isn't much lacking inside that's for sure. Exterior styling  features the new A4 mask and minor body tweaks that came when the model was revamped earlier this year. It looks better than ever, in this case accentuated by optional 19-inch titanium coloured alloys, minor body aero add-ons and brushed alloy roof rails.Exhilarating performance comes from the supercharged  3.0-litre, petrol V6 engine with direct injection and variable valve timing. It clocks a 0-100kmh sprint in 5.0 seconds and thanks to stop start and other efficiency measures, uses as little as 8.1-litres/100km. The 3.0-litre is in other Audis but they don't drive as well as this one which seems to go better and certainly sounds better - arguably the best sounding V6 currently available.A rumbling blatt on full throttle upchanges comes from the quad-tip exhaust and is a new sound dimension compared with the exhaust pop of other makes. It's good for 245kW/440Nm, the latter at around 1750rpm through to 5000 plus.Drive is to all wheels via Audi's refined quattro system after moving through a dual clutch S-tronic manumatic. The test car had the optional sports differential with torque vectoring providing a higher level of grip and traction. Sporty driving is aided by paddle shift on the fat, flat bottom, multi controller steering wheel. It's practical too with room for five and a large, expandable load space.We'll have to change our opinion of 3.0-litre V6 petrol engines after this experience. The car looks a million bucks too. 

Audi A3 has been a winner since its introduction when it changed the way people thought about small cars. Prior to the A3 the prestigious German marques were only selling cars built on medium to large bodies with high prices to match.Audi showed it didn’t have to be like that and the company’s arch rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW have since joined the (relatively) affordable small-car brigade.Audi A3 Sportback will begin its life in Australia in April or May 2013. Only five-door models are being imported as Audi Australia believes buyers looking for three-door will opt for the smaller A1 instead.VALUEPrice is yet to be confirmed though they are expected to remain about the same. Adding to the desirability of this small-medium car is a full range of information and audio systems. The topline versions of the Audi A3 will come close to the big Audi A8 in sophistication.The most expensive A3 variants will have radar cruise control, automatic correction if the car wanders out of its lane and crash anticipation and passenger injury reduction.TECHNOLOGYPetrol and diesel engines are available with capacities ranging from 1.2 to 1.8 litres for the former, and 1.6 to 2.0 litres for the diesels. An LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) engine and a plug-in hybrid will be offered in years to come.Australian specs for engines have yet to be announced, but it’s likely we will get the larger petrol and diesel units, with the hybrid being an outside possibility. Manual and automatic transmissions will be fitted, with a strong emphasis being on the the autos in Australia.The latest engine design from Audi sees its engines using as little as 3.8 litres per hundred kilometres, with even the sportiest powerplants only consuming about 5.6 litres per hundred when measured on the combined European driving cycle.DESIGNThe latest five-door A3 takes a new direction in styling to previous models; while those leant in the direction of practicality and common sense the new model takes a strong sporting stance in the styling field. It has a lean and low look, with a wheelbase longer than in the three-door A3 in order to minimise front and rear overhangs.The lines from the now-traditional ‘single-frame’ grille back through the dual sweeping highlights on the doors give it a low appearance, and the shape of the rear hatch is aimed at visually emphasising the horizontal shape.In an interesting move, there’s an adornment package that adds chromed strips around the side windows. It will be interesting to see if this blast from the automotive styling past is picked up by other makers. As someone who grew up with chromed cars in the 1960s and ‘70s we must admit to being suckers for this brightwork.Cleverly, though the third generation Audi A3 is larger, more spacious and much better equipped than the original 1999 model it weighs virtually the same as that car. The engineers have managed to trim about 90 kilograms out of the body on the gen-two A3 by clever design that minimises the use of materials, without the need for expensive metals.Despite the relatively steep slope of the hatchback the Audi A3 Sportback has decent headroom in the rear seat. The A3 is typical of this class of car in being aimed at the family unit of two adults and three children, but it’s possible to fit three adults in the rear provided they aren’t of the hulking variety. Indeed cars such as the Audi A3 are often used to carry four adults in their home markets in Europe.SAFETYThe A3 will have a full range of crash avoidance features and if a crash becomes inevitable the car will attempt to have it occur at the lowest possible speed.DRIVINGWe have driven both petrol and diesel engines and manual and automatic A3s during the event in Monaco and found them to be tractable at low engine revs with the petrol powerplants happy to rev high into the scale. The turbo-diesels aren’t particularly willing to rev much over 4000 rpm, but that’s not their lot in life so that’s no big deal.Ride comfort is very good and the nimble handling is so well balanced that it’s hard to realise this car is driven by the front wheels with all that means in the way of forward weight bias. Quattro models will be introduced shortly and be powered by big grunt turbo-petrol engines.Noise levels are very low and more like those you would expect in the larger A4 and A6 Audi models. This will further enhance the willingness of Australian buyers to trade down from large cars into prestigious Audis and the like.VERDICTOur preview of the latest generation Audi A3 five-door Sportback at its global launch in Monaco leaves little doubt that the success story will continue in Australia and globally.Audi A3 SportbackAvailable: April, 2013Price: est. from $42,000Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmService interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC CRASHEngine: 1.4 and 1.8 4-cyl turbo-petrol or 2-litre turbo-diesel; 103kW/250Nm and 132kW/250Nm or 100kW/320NmTransmission: 6 or 7-spd dual-clutch auto or 6-spd manual; front drive or AWDThirst: 4.7L/100km/5.6L/100km or 4.2L/100km; 95RON; 110/130 or 108g/km CO2Dimensions: 4.3m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.4m (H)Weight: from 1205kgSpare: Space-saver  

As a motoring journalist I typically drive between 250 and 300 cars every year. Yet there are some out there who drive 10 times as many vehicles as I do, perhaps 20 times. The guys and gals who valet park your car in upmarket hotels are finely tuned to the vehicles they drive and take an interest in anything that’s new to them.So when I rolled up to the Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast the other day in a new Infiniti FX the eyes of the guys lit up. To be honest (sorry to all the marketing people at Infiniti) they had no idea what the big SUV was. The badge – showing a road disappearing into infinity – was totally unknown to them. Indeed, though they immediately recognised it as being a prestige vehicle they made a couple of incorrect guesses before I explained that Infiniti is to Nissan what Lexus is to Toyota.They loved the looks of the Infiniti FX inside and out, describing it as one of the most stunning vehicles they had seen for a long time. We have to agree with them; unlike other sporting SUVs that are simply standard vehicles with revisions to the body to give it a tougher look, the Infiniti was designed from the start to be a 4WD that was anything but shy.VALUEInfiniti’s big new FX is a genuinely sporting SUV that’s been designed like that from the ground up. With a starting price of around $100,000 it provides very good value in this semi rarefied market segment and we can see it building up strong sales as soon as buyers start to sample its dynamic abilities.TECHNOLOGY - FXsWe tested two Infiniti FXs during a two-week period, one powered by a glorious 5.0-litre petrol V8 that gives it the sort of thrust that’s sure to bring a smile to the face of any keen driver. It not only provides plenty of acceleration but does so with just the right sort of V8 sounds and slightly uneven beat that only a bent-eight can manage.It’s a bit of a gas guzzler in a manner that typical of the breed, though it has to be said that a high-performance SUV using 12 to 15 litres per hundred kilometres in general driving really isn’t all that bad. Interestingly, this is the engine upon which next year’s Nissan V8 Supercar is (loosely) based. Exciting.DESIGN - FXsJust look at the long swooping bonnet with the sort of lowered centre section usually only seen in low slung sports cars; at the sloped rear end styling and the huge wheels and you will soon agree that the shy are retiring had perhaps better look elsewhere.There are disadvantages in any sporting vehicle and the big Infiniti suffers in the cargo area because the long slope of the tail restricts the height of long, tall items. Still that’s not unusual in the latest generation of SUVs. The boot area is long and easy to access through a large tailgate that was power operated in the models we road tested.The interior is as eye catching as the exterior, with the FX having a twin-cockpit area for the two in the front, with a real emphasis on the driving position. During a hot, sticky start to spring up here on the Gold Coast we found the air conditioned front seats to be a real bonus. Seat comfort in front is good with bolsters that give a strong cue to the fact this vehicle is aimed at the sporting driver.Back seat travellers have head and legroom that’s good without exactly being generous, a function of the FX being as more of a tall coupe than a traditional 4WD.TECHNOLOGY - FXThe second week saw us behind the wheel of a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel Infiniti FX. Like all modern diesels the Infiniti unit provides plenty of grunt in the lower to middle ranges, yet is more of a fuel sipper than guzzler. We had no trouble in getting in under eight litres per hundred kilometres on the motorway and even around town sub-10 litre number were the norm.DESIGN - FXBig 21-inch wheels and wide tyres are always going to provide plenty of grip and the suspension is nicely sorted out. Nimble the FX is not, but it does hang on determinedly and is nicely balanced with cornering. There’s some road roar on coarse-chip surfaces but we have hear worse. The complete Infiniti FX range is:FX37 GT 3.7-litre petrol five-door wagon: $83,900FX37 S 3.7-litre petrol five-door wagon: $92,900FX37 S Premium 3.7-litre petrol five-door wagon: $95,900FX30d GT 3.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $85,900FX30d S 3.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $94,900FX30d S Premium 3.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $97,900FX50 S Premium 5.0-litre petrol five-door wagon: $114,900Infiniti FXPrice: from $83,900Engine: 3.7-litre petrol 6.0-cyl, 235kW/360NmTransmission: 7-speed autoThirst: 12.1L/100km, CO2 282g/km

When it comes to the Chrysler 300, we’ve all heard the put-downs – Yank tank; Mafia staff car and so on. Yet the new model doesn’t deserve any of these jokes. Driving the two larger-than-life vehicles back to back illustrated a breadth of appeal rarely found in a big sedan.Now owned by Italian automobile giant Fiat, Chrysler is aiming to make a bigger dent downunder than before and the new 300 series large sedan was the first product range to burst out of brand new Melbourne headquarters onto the Australian market a couple of months ago.The cars are an eclectic lot, coming in versions from the 300 Limited, to the 300C, the 300C Luxury and the range-topping SRT8. Prices start at $43,000 for the petrol Limited, the diesel adds $5000, and top out at $66,000 for the Hemi V8 SRT 8.We experienced the 300C Luxury 3.0-litre V6 diesel and 300 SRT8 6.4-litre Hemi V8, fine examples from either end of the product spectrum.Thanks to advanced automotive technology, both models tested behaved like much smaller cars, making for a relaxed driving experience. For example, when parking, a reversing camera with guidelines and a park distance alarm system are on hand to take the measurements and tailor the right approach.The diesel takes advantage of Chrysler’s link to Fiat and comes from VM Motori in Cento, Italy, while the SRT 8 (for Street and Race Technology V8) pays homage to the US company’s well-documented Hemi history.The new V6 diesel has lost weight over its predecessor by means of aluminium cylinder heads, while twin overhead chain-driven camshafts have increased torque to 550 Nm between 1800 and 2000 rpm, and power to 176 kW at 4000rpm.The all-new 6.4-litre Hemi V8, one of the world’s most powerful naturally-aspirated V8s, punches out 347 kW at 6100 rpm. That’s 500 horsepower in muscle car terms, and this is most certainly a machine with muscle. It has 631 Nm of torque at a rather high 4150 rpm. Both engines are mated with a five-speed automatic transmission.An upgraded version of Chrysler’s multiple-displacement system now deactivates half the V8 engine’s cylinders over a wider range of operation, lowering fuel consumption from five to 20 per cent depending on driving conditions.As for fuel consumption, at the lower end of the scale the diesel got down to 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres on bouts of motorway driving, while the big petrol job slurped anything up to 29 litres per 100 kilometres in serious stop/start city travel. Oh, dear...A new electro-hydraulic power steering system on the 300C Luxury helps provide improved fuel efficiency and better steering capability. The SRT 8 calls on a fully hydraulic steering system.At night, HID Bi-xenon headlamps project three times the brightness of conventional headlights, while an adaptive system moves the beam from left to right in line with vehicle speed and steering wheel input, and is self levelling in keeping with crests and dips in the road.Inside the passenger cabin, under city-style driving conditions, it was hard to distinguish between the two motors, both producing quick-sharp response to pedal pressure accompanied by little more than a sweet engine hum.More light is let into the cabin by the addition of a quarter-light in the rear doors that, along with a lower belt line and thinner pillars, increases visibility by 15 per cent. The upper windscreen edge is 76mm higher providing improved visibility at traffic lights.The feel and grip of the four-spoke thick-rimmed steering wheel have been enhanced and comes standard with tilt/telescope adjustment for driving comfort. The wheel incorporates cruise control and adaptive cruise control buttons on the front, audio controls on the rear.Information such as satellite navigation, with the one of the clearest 3-D maps around, and vehicle and audio systems, is projected onto a 8.4-inch touch screen on the central dashboard. Of automotive Imax proportions, it is the largest in the market segment. However, the whole thing is let down badly by reflection all but wiping this info out in bright sunlight.     Luxury by name, luxury by nature, expansive seats are aimed at carrying wide-backed corpulent corporates comfortably. There are also acres of legroom back and front, which make the 300s highly attractive to the limo business, and a boot big enough to take several sets of golf clubs, or a generous load of luggage.On the other hand, The Chrysler SRT 8 is fitted with body hugging sports seats, a boon during spirited driving, and sports a discreet boot.-mounted spoiler to hint at the car’s character, while twin exhaust tailpipes make no bones about the potential power under the bonnet.   There’s no ignoring the fact you’re in the SRT 8, with ‘Chrysler’ being etched into the door sills and SRT on the tacho dial and seat backs. The analogue clock, mounted at the centre of the dashboard, a la Bentley, also carries the maker’s name and is a classy cap doff to the past. The Chrysler 300 already has the top rating from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in front, side, rollover and rear crash tests safely tucked under its arm.As well as Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control, standard safety features include full-length side curtain airbags, seat mounted side thorax airbags, driver’s knee airbag duel front seat belt pretensioners, front reactive head restraints.Disc brakes all round have ABS and are augmented by Brake Assist, Ready Alert Braking and Rain Brake Support, the last gently applying brakes to dry out the discs when the wipers are working.Hill Start Assist automatically applies the brakes on inclines to prevent the vehicle rolling backwards. Keyless entry to the car is gained by the holder of the fob merely tugging the door handle. Starting the engine is by means of a dash-mounted button when the foot brake is applied.On the launch of the 300 a couple of months ago the media got to drive the cars on Phillip Island on a sodden racetrack. I recall the rear-wheel drive V8 showed its potential particularly when powering out of corners, wheels spinning freely, the tail wagging enthusiastically.Easing off, the electronic stability control was quick to bring things back in order. It’s just as impressive in day-to-day motoring.Plant the foot and the hemi piped up with a fine deep-throated note perfectly attuned to the car’s sporting nature.Suspension bushes and a rear stabiliser bar help iron out some road harshness over bumps but 20-inch aluminium wheels, fitted with low profile tyres, pick up even minor blemishes in the bitumen.

Twin peaks … the M6 coupe and convertible stand at the summit of the BMW range. It may be the race that stops the nation but there is no way the running of the Melbourne Cup this month was going to stall BMW trotting out its all-new M6 coupe and convertible.The high-performance pair undoubtedly deserve their positions at the head of the BMW field with good looks backed by ground-breaking automotive technology. But are they sprinters or stayers? The answer is both.On the market at $292,500 for the coupe and $308,500 the convertible, plus on-road costs, the pair appeal to a limited audience, with BMW predicting sales of between 20 and 30 cars before the end of the year. The features list includes the ubiquitous BMW iDrive, which is linked to a professional satellite navigation system with a 10.2-inch wide-screen set-up. Also included are a plethora of multi-functions found in luxury vehicles these days. One carp is the odometer positioned low on the instrument cluster, making it difficult for a smaller person to read easily. There’s no such problem with the head-up display of info on the windscreen. Capping off the extensive crop of ‘fruit’ are features such as park distance control, cruise control with braking function, rear-view camera, high beam assist, lane change and departure warning, surround view with top view and side view, plus optional BMW night vision with pedestrian recognition.Thanks to BMW efficient dynamics, the M6 coupe is capable of reaching 100 km/h from rest in 4.2 seconds; the convertible is claimed to do the same in 4.3 seconds. As for staying power, despite a 10 per cent increase in engine output to 412 kW and 30 per cent boost in top torque to 680 Nm, fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions have been cut by 30 per cent, compared with the cars they replace.The latter pair are put at 9.9 litres per 100 km and 232 grams per kilometre on the combined urban/highway cycle for the coupe and 10.3 litres per 100 km and 239 grams per kilometre the convertible. The ‘magic pudding’ recipe turns out to be a blend of a high-revving 4.4-litre V8 engine with M twinpower turbo technology, which all but cuts out turbo lag, connected to a seven-speed M double clutch transmission with BMW’s drivelogic and active M differential.The double clutch, essentially two gearboxes in one, ensures seamless shifts, producing rapid acceleration. Drivelogic, in full automatic or manual mode, offers three shift programmes – comfort, sport and sport+ – activated at the touch of a button. There’s launch control for optimum acceleration off the mark, low speed assistance and engine start/stop technology for fuel efficiency in town traffic.       Added to the mix are M tuned chassis technology, close to 50:50 weight distribution and high-end aerodynamics. The active M differential, with its variable locking ability between the rear wheels, ensures there’s optimum traction no matter the state of the road and weather conditions, or when accelerating sharply out of corners. Suspension damper forces are variable in three stages to suit driving conditions or wishes of the driver. Servotronic speed sensitive steering can also be set up to one of three settings to suit the driver.The centre of gravity of the coupe has been lowered compared to its predecessor by means of a carbon fibre roof, which is much lighter than metal version, while the boot lids, and in the case of the convertible, the roof cover are made from glass-fibre composite material.While four sports-style seats are on offer, the coupe and convertible are basically 2+2s, with limited leg room in the rear. There are no such limitations up front with super supportive seats stabilising occupants during spirited driving.A meaty M leather steering wheel incorporates multifunction buttons and fixed gearshift paddles, helping the driver maintain complete control of the vehicle. Cabin turbulence in the convertible with the roof down is not intrusive and with the cover closed produces far-from-claustrophobic conditions.  Load capacity of the coupe is put at 460 litres, while the convertible can carry 300 litres of luggage with the roof stowed and an extra 50 litres with it up. The roof can be raised or lowered remotely via a button on the key – 19 seconds to open, 24 seconds to close – or with a button on the centre console.There’s the suite of active safety features usually found in BMWs, consisting of dynamic stability control which calls on ABS anti-skid braking with cornering brake control, dynamic brake control, brake assist, brake drying function and start-off assist.The undoubted thoroughbreds were launched in south-east Queensland with the Big Day Out on wheels parading out of Brisbane city centre, through the suburbs, up and around Mount Nebo, through the Samford Valley and on to Lakeside Raceway.The steep twists and turns of the hilly terrain showed off the pair’s braking ability to its best advantage, the 400 mm ventilated discs up front and 396 mm versions at the rear keeping the big cars – close to two tonnes apiece – on the straight and narrow, so to speak.On the countless corners during track work at the historic raceway it was a case of brake, point, gun; brake, point, gun, the cars seemingly capable of continuing like this without suffering in performance until darkness fell and we all went home to tea.On the limit, BMW’s array of active safety features snapped the vehicles sharply to attention . . . the drivers also. If piloting a high-performance vehicle with the unrelenting concentration required can be a pleasant experience, this was one.As one BMW staff member commented: “Looks count in this class of vehicle.” There’s no argument on that score with the M6 coupe and cabriolet.

BMW, the Bavarian automobile giant, has squeezed better performance and fuel economy out of its Z4 sports coupe range while keeping the purchase price down. How?VALUEA shift from a six to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine has imbued the new top-of-the-class Z4 sDrive28i, for example, with the combination of outstanding performance at a retail price below $90,000. Not only that, this has the Z4 sDrive28i ducking under the federal government’s fuel efficient luxury car tax threshold, with the maker offering the car at a retail price of $89,400, compared with $98,700 for its predecessor, the Z4 sDrive30i.The control knob for iDrive, the BMW multi-media information system that caused so much driver angst when it first appeared, is placed in its customary spot on the centre console and, together with an 8.8-inch display screen provides easy access (these days) to many of the car’s systems including satellite navigation and audio files.The audio system itself consists of 11 speakers, a 245W digital amplifier with equaliser and USB interface enabling connection of an MP3 player, iPod or USB memory stick via the USB interface Voice Control System.TECHNOLOGYThe 180 kW TwinPower Turbo Z4 sDrive28i races from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds, 0.1 seconds quicker than the naturally aspirated Z4 sDrive30i, thanks to a 13 per cent increase in torque from 310 to 350 Nm. Fuel consumption is cut by 21 per cent, from 8.5 litres per 100 kilometres to 6.7 litres on the combined urban / highway cycle.In addition to the standard six-speed manual transmission, the Z4 sDrive20i and Z4 sDrive28i are also available with the new eight--speed Sport Automatic Transmission, which includes one-direction gearshift paddles utilising M shift logic. This is unique in the class. During my time with this Z4 sDrive 28i the digital readout rated us at an average of 5 litres/100km on the motorway and 11.9 in and around town.DESIGNThe simple yet extensive instrument layout includes circular speedometer and rev counter, plus tank level and oil temperature gauges, while the plain(ish) interior is set off by brushed aluminium highlights. The standard two seats are electrically adjustable with memory function for driver’s side and heating for driver and passenger seats. Upholstery is Kansas leather with sun reflective technology that prevents it getting overheated in direct sunlight.The steering wheel is wrapped in leather, again with sun reflective properties, and includes multifunction buttons including gearshift paddles. The character of the car can be changed in 20 seconds via the retractable two-piece lightweight metal roof, which gives the car coupe status when raised, yet can be lowered automatically at speeds up to 40 km/h for conversion to a roadster.When stowed, the drop-top leaves 180 litres of luggage space in the boot. This expands to 310 litres when the roof is raised. A through-loading hatch with integrated transport bag will take long items.  One nice thing about the test car was the auto dimming headlights on the approach of another vehicle in front. Guilt free, no scrambling for the dip switch here.DRIVINGDynamic Drive Control is another of the German marque’s ways of keeping the driver interested. Operated by a switch on the centre console it offers three distinct driving modes – Comfort, Sport and Sport+ - in which suspension damper forces can be varied as well as the progressive effect of the accelerator pedal, the engine response, power steering and Dynamic Stability Control.Comfort is the default mode, with Sport summoning more direct steering and throttle response, while Sport+ brings in Dynamic Traction Control function on the DSC, allowing slight slip on the drive wheels, letting the more adventurous (and self-assured) driver take a bend in a controlled drift, all with an enhanced engine note.  Choosing between drive modes really does alter the Z4’s character – shifting from ‘cruisey’ coupe to ripper roadster, all at the press of a single rocker switch.VERDICTThe Z4 sDrive 28i caters admirably for those wanting a two-seater sports coupe experience with the added appeal of top-down motoring if desired. And with the move to four-cylinder turbo power, performance is far from sacrificed at the altar excessive fuel consumption.BMW Z4sDrive 28i RoadsterPrice: from $89,400Warranty: 3 years/unlimted kmSafety rating: 4-star ANCAPEngine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl 180kW/350NmTransmission: 6-speed manual; 8-speed auto; RWDBody: 4239mm (L); 1790mm (w); 1291mm (h)Weight: 1400kgThirst: 6.8/100km; 159g/km Co2