Luxury Reviews

Fuel efficiency is becoming a giant focus in Australia, even for luxury car brands.  We have yet to see a stop-start system in a Rolls-Royce, or a petrol-electric hybrid Bentley, but both are probably on the way and Ferrari and Porsche are already committed to hybrids in their lineups.At Audi, the efficiency message is spreading fast with all sorts of changes.  Its current green flagship is an A4 called the 2.0 TDIe, although it is also mightily proud of the E-Tron plug-in electric concept cars based on its R8 supercar.The A4 fuel miser is a super-efficient turbodiesel with rated fuel economy of just 4.8 litres/100km, and the sort of car which will happily clock 1000 kilometres and more on an interstate highway run. Audi proved its potential with a fuel economy run last year through the outback which reflected its claims on the car.But this test is not about the diesel hero. Instead, we have a car that is much more like the Audi an ordinary person would buy. It runs on petrol power and, despite a couple of economy tweaks, is basically an everyday prestige car.DrivetrainThe Audi in question is official the A4 2.0 TFSI quattro manual, which picks up a stop-start engine system and a gearshift advisory which points you to the most-efficient gear for any driving situation.Audi Australia says work on the 'regular' A4 petrol has cut its fuel consumption by 20 per cent since the 2005 model year, yet the current car still has 155kW of turbo power with economy of 7.3 litres/100km.  "Being green is a bonus and a competitive edge," says Roxanne Persehais of Audi Australia."We will put a diesel TDIe through the Carsguide test soon, but in the meantime the basics of the A4 are much as before with a four-door body, quattro drive in this model, and the petrol turbo engine with a six-speed manual gearbox.PricingThe A4 is not cheap, and a few pieces of optional equipment - pearl pain, MMI navigation, wood inlays and special leather - take the test car just a whiff below $76,000. That's hefty, particularly as Audi quotes a basic price of $69,300.Driving - Paul GoverThe A4 has always been a smooth operator and this car - with its sweet turbo petrol powerplant - is particuarly good.  I come expecting a definite efficiency focus but the only giveaway is the stop-start system which triggers at the first lights - and re-lights the engine as well as any system I know - and a small gear number light which gives a green hint of the next ratio when it's time for an early upshift to save fuel.I do not know if it's anything special in this car, or just a top-of-mind focus on economy, but my time with the A4 goes quickly and I have no trouble matching the official 7.3 litres/100km fuel figure.  The engine gives a nice surge of power from very low revs and I'm not really tempted to head for the redline, relying instead on six gears to keep things moving along. The shift is good and the car is very, very quiet at freeway cruising speeds.I'm less impressed - as I have always been - by the dynamics of the A4, even with quattro all-wheel drive. It does not feel as planted and responsive as the latest C-Class Benz or the 3-Series from BMW, and the all-new Volvo S60 I drove last week in Portugal will also be a better choice for keen drivers.But that's not what this A4 is about - it's a prestige family car.  So I like the space in the cabin and the fit-out - but not the price of the extra options - the giant boot, the Xenon headlamps and the clear dials and easy-to-use controls.Time with this particular A4, which I had planned to focus on efficiency, actually serves as a reminder of the all-round strengths of the mid-sized Audi. It has definitely moved up a few points on the Carsguide score chart and is a car I would easily recommend, although not as an all-round winner over the Benz C.She says - Alison WardWow, I didn't expect this car to cost quite so much. I'm a bit ho-hum about it in the beginning, but it grew on me over time like a nice glass of wine.  I also have to remember it's up against BMWs and Benzes.I love how incredibly smooth it is to drive, and the quietness. Even the blinker is relaxing, and that's coming from someone who cannot stand the clang-clang-clang reminder you get even in some very expensive cars.I also really like the boot, which is huge and easy to use, and the leather seats which are comfy and also give protection against the bub and those messy dogs who come riding sometimes.  I hate that it doesn't have a reversing camera and the industrial styling inside does nothing for me, but it is a quality car that is very easy to live with every day.I know if you had one of these you would still like it in 10 years time, and that's a major plus.  So I guess it has won me over and I really like that it is so easy on fuel, without resorting to hybrid gadgets.Score 79/100The Bottom LineA sweet car with impressive economy, but not cheap.Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro (stop-start)PRICE $69,300ENGINE 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinderPOWER  155kW at 6000 revsTORQUE 350Nm from 1500-4200 revsTRANSMISSION Six-speed manual, quattro all-wheel driveECONOMY 7.3/100km combinedEMISSIONS 169g/kmRivalsBMW 323i: 79/100 (from $59,100)Mercedes-Benz 250 CGI: 82/100 (from $65,900)Lexus IS 250 Luxury: 76/100 (from $77,400)  

IN this country, you might as well market a car without wheels as one with a manual transmission.  Australian drivers have become shiftless slobs for whom changing gears is as inconceivable as flicking channels without a remote. But would you  (re-)learn the art of stick-shifting to save the planet?I ask because the leanest-running sedan in the country is not Toyota's taxpayer-underwritten fleet machine, the Camry Hybrid. It's one that, while $10K more expensive, plays in a different class and benefits from an exemption to Kevin Rudd's idiotic luxury car tax.Bizarrely overlooked by certain media outlets at its launch, the `e' version of Audi's A4 diesel can, in ideal conditions, return a Prius-approximating 124g of CO2 per kilometre and 4.8L per 100km — 1.2 better than the stolid Camry.  More tangibly (and perhaps more impressively, after spending last week solely in Sydney's ever more appalling traffic), we averaged 7.7L per 100km.A small part of that is due to the "stop-start'' system that switches off the engine when you're halted, gearstick in neutral. It re-starts seamlessly when you depress the clutch (automatically, when it feels it has been off for too long) — a system compatible only with a manual transmission.Other consumption-enhancing tweaks are a lowered ride height; a higher final-drive ratio; low-resistance tyres; a system that recovers energy lost under braking; and an instrument-panel readout that tells you when to change up for optimum economy.Although a petrol-electric hybrid will almost always drink less in the city, the Audi would always do better on the open road.  The A4 TDIe's eco-friendly tweaks do nothing to compromise its driveability, which is acceptable for a front-wheel-drive diesel, rather than exceptional. Steering feel is, as ever, Audi-lite.As an engaging experience, the A4 isn't within a bull's roar of BMW's 320 diesel. For that matter, it isn't up to the Mazda6 oiler either, but the former is unacceptably expensive and neither runs as lean as the Audi. And, objectivity out the window, neither looks nearly as cool.Even more to the point for an Audi buyer, the luxury packaging and quality feel it does almost peerlessly is present and correct.  No doubt some will complain of the diesel's noise, and they'd have a point if you could drive with your ear pressed to the bonnet.It's refined and smooth, with all the mid-range punch of the conventional A4 two-litre diesel.  A pity, then, that the only real caveat goes to the heart of the TDIe's manual operation.We've asked before, we'll ask again: what is it with positioning the pedals so far to the right? This is especially noticeable with the constant early shifting required to obey the dash display. Nor is there sufficient room in the footwell.  Then again, this is for the planet, people — so harden up and stop being a soft cog.Audi A4 TDIePrice: $49,900Engine: 2L/4-cylinder 100kW/320Nm turbo dieselTransmission: 6-speed manual, FWDThirst: 4.8L/100km (claimed)Rivals: BMW 320d ($58,300); Mazda6 Diesel Sports Hatch ($42,815); Toyota Camry Hybrid Luxury ($39,990)

BMW has been building cars with M badges for more than 30 years and jealously guards their reputation. Products from its M division -- it originally stood for motorsport -- represent the finest dynamics that BMW can bring to market along with sizzling pace from characterful engines. Cars with an M in their badge have the job of casting a halo over the bread-and-butter products that make up the bulk of its sales.Not every car gets the treatment. The core model is the M3, which takes BMW's bestselling junior executive range and spices it up with a V8. Coupes and convertibles are also candidates, as well as the larger M5 sedan and wagon.Enthusiasts devour the details of each new generation.Until recently, BMW disdained the trend towards performance SUVs even though its biggest rival, Mercedes-Benz, was having great success with an AMG version of its M-Class off-roader. Presumably, BMW concluded that the dynamics of a tall and heavy SUV could never be brought to a level where they would do justice to a performance powerplant and merit an M badge.All that changed with last year's launch of the X5 M and X6 M. BMW's M division now produces go-fast versions of vehicles that lack the rear-wheel drive purity of previous M-cars -- they are all-wheel drive -- and have inherent disadvantages when it comes to outright performance.The numbers, however, are impressive: BMW now has the two most powerful SUVs offered in Australia.With a newly developed 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 that pumps out 408kW, both cars pip the recently discontinued Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (with 404kW) and easily outgun the supercharged Range Rover Vogue (375kW) or Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG (375kW).The X5 M and X6 M are mechanical twins and the latter was designed to be a crossover SUV with more of a driver focus. Its coupe-on-stilts styling means it cannot compete on practicality with a mainstream SUV. The X5 M would seem to offer BMW's engineers even more of a challenge. This is a traditional SUV design with a taller profile and space for passengers and cargo.On the spec sheets there's a surprise: aside from minor dimensional differences, the vital statistics of an X5 M are identical to those of the X6 M. Both have a kerbweight of 2.4 tonnes, sprint to 100km/h in the same blistering 4.7 seconds and can reach 250km/h before the electronic limiter kicks in.This V8 engine is a beauty, with a deep throaty rumble that gets sweeter in tone and higher in pitch as it revs to 7000rpm. Its twin-scroll turbocharger delivers substantial torque before the engine has even woken up, at 1500rpm, and linear power. It drives all four wheels via a six-speed automatic that's smooth and smart, even if it did deliver the occasional unwanted change-up.On paper the X5 M will beat the Q7 V12 in a straight line and almost certainly through the bends as well. It's lighter and shorter than the Audi, and its chassis offers more involvement. It's firm, but there's still body roll and feedback through the seat of your pants. The steering is meatier and seems quicker while the ride is a little more compliant.However, bringing the X5 M's dynamic performance into line with its powertrain ability does involve a huge array of physics-defying technology. This is based around hardware that's common to many high-end BMWs such as active anti-roll bars, electronic dampers and air springs. The newest addition is Dynamic Performance Control, which splits torque between the rear wheels to enhance handling in corners, pulling the car around when required.Although the X5 M is more engaging than the Q7 V12 from behind the wheel, both experiences feel heavily fenced around by the software and hardware required to make the notion of a performance SUV work at all. Unavoidably, it's a more mediated experience than M versions of coupes or sedans and there's something contradictory -- almost absurd -- in trying to chuck a tall off-roader around like a sports car.There is, however, a market for SUVs with attitude and with its new breed of M division SUVs BMW is effectively saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.''If it means the original M mantra has to be tweaked a little, that's a compromise BMW is prepared to make.BMW X5 M - $172,900-plus on-road costs

A HUGE new Bentley has just gone on sale with an enormous engine, splendid luxury appointments and a stratospheric price. Unfortunately, the world is in the throes of an economic crisis that means the market for elite motor cars has gone into a tailspin. Bentley goes bust.That was 80 years ago and the car was known simply as the 8 Litre. Only 100 were made before the financial meltdown brought the receivers in.Walter Owen Bentley's private example, lovingly restored, has been brought along for the launch of the Mulsanne, a huge new Bentley with an enormous engine, splendid luxury appointments and, of course, a stratospheric price. The two are linked by their distinctive approach to luxury motoring and a certain symmetry in global events.More than that, the Mulsanne represents the first time since the 8 Litre that Bentley has designed and built a flagship for itself. All the other big Bentleys for eight decades were Rolls-Royces first, Bentleys second. Sometimes Rolls, which acquired its rival in 1931 after the company failed, didn't even change all the labels.The timing parallels may be ominous, but Bentley has approached the Mulsanne with no fear of the latest global financial crisis. ``We do believe there will always be exclusive people looking for exclusive products,'' Bentley chairman Franz-Josef Paefgen says. ``That is the way human beings are.''Always now, not then, presumably. What's clear is that with such a unique opportunity to reassert its identity at the super-luxury end of the market, it has not held back.The Mulsanne replaces the Arnage, which began life 12 years ago as twin to the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, when the companies were still together. The Seraph was pensioned off and BMW, which owns Rolls, replaced it with a new car. Bentley, owned by Volkswagen, kept the Arnage going until last year and, thanks to the changes made along the way, it earned a place in the hearts of its customers. A relic of another era, it felt special despite its flaws.The Mulsanne is much more ambitious than an updating of the Arnage, though.”We hope this car brings back the values of the old vintage times when Bentleys were not only big cars -- because W.O. Bentley was a railway engineer by education -- but also very exclusive, very comfortable and unique,'' Paefgen says.The result owes very little in terms of parts to the Arnage. It's longer, at nearly 5.6m, and built on new underpinnings to be as solid as they come. Mostly steel, it tips the scales at 2.6 tonnes and feels indestructible. Bentleys are not meant to be light; part of the appeal is their heft.Even better are its long, flowing lines with an absence of seams and a double headlight face inspired by the Bentley S-Type from the 1950s. It's built, largely by hand, where Bentley has made its home since World War II, at Crewe in northeast England.A mixture of old and new runs right through this car, from its body construction and its engine design to its lavish interior. It has up-to-the-minute electronics but uses an engine that dates back a half century. It has insisted on traditional tanning techniques, but the 17 hides needed for each car are cut by computer. It has hand-finished steel body panels but uses aluminium superforming, an aerospace technique, to produce the complex front wings.A visit to the factory reveals how it comes together. In the body shop, the main steel panels are joined in the same way as any car, but to achieve the floating rear window effect, in which the pane is surrounded by seamless metal, takes hours of hand finishing.Work on the interior is especially labour intensive. The Mulsanne takes the woodwork on cars to a new level even for Bentley, which is no slouch when it comes to cabinet making. The veneered solid timber waist-rails could have come from a dinner table. Stainless steel, knurled for grip on the controls, is used for details from the coat hooks to the sill covers.One surprise was the absence of the Breitling clock that's fitted to the Continental GT, the other model developed since Volkswagen took over. A Winged B-badged timepiece matches the other black dials, though.There's an almost complete absence of plastic and the buttons look like glass. A measure of Bentley's priorities came with the knowledge that it increased the carpet quality in the cabin, adding 5kg in the process.The iPod age has not been neglected, with a special drawer for a player while Bentley overcame problems such as introducing keyless entry on solid metal door handles, a combination that doesn't usually work.That turns out to be a neat reflective trick. However, Bentley disdains some of the latest technology, such as lane departure warning systems, because Paefgen thinks they are not yet good enough. Adaptive cruise control makes the cut, but fully automatic driving is the next worthwhile step.One key decision concerned the engine: retain a turbocharged V8, in the sentimental capacity of 6.75-litres, or move to a V12, which is generally regarded as the ultimate? Bentley did more than commit to a V8. It has returned to the 50-year-old architecture of the previous unit, with its single camshaft and pushrod-activated two valves a cylinder.Sound like a dinosaur? It doesn't from behind the wheel. Bentley upgraded and replaced almost every item. The result is an ancient template with some hi-tech features added, including cylinder deactivation, which switches to run on four cylinders when cruising, a first at this level.The company claims much improved smoothness at idle compared with the Arnage, better refinement and more torque at a lower threshold. “If you're looking for a low-revving, high-torque engine there's no reason you should not take a pushrod engine; you don't need four valves or overhead camshafts or all that,'' Paefgen says.He compares the engine character to the old-fashioned Detroit iron of American muscle cars. It's a reserved British concept of muscle that disdains showing off. I could have done with a bit more V8 vocalness when demands are made.There's no complaint about the effortless performance, though. The torque this engine develops, a steam-train-sized 1020Nm, arrives at 1750rpm, then the Bentley gathers pace as if it's going downhill. It can reach 100km/h in 5.3 seconds and red-lines at 4500rpm, which you won't see often unless you're planning on reaching its maximum speed of 296km/h.The cylinder deactivation is virtually impossible to pick and there's an eight-speed automatic with shift paddles behind the wheel, which are pointless but a delight to touch.It took a while before I could take my eyes off the burr-oak interior in the test car, but it was worth it to gaze over acres of Windsor Blue bonnet, elegantly spined and topped with a flying B mascot. This is not a car you hustle. The effortlessness of the engine is a good match for the handling, which is best enjoyed by going with the flow.It carries terrific backroad pace through the Scottish border country chosen for the event with little input from the driver. Despite its size and light steering, it's not difficult to place on the road. This is luxury driving with chairman-of-the-board style involvment.The test car was fitted with 21-inch wheels and they may have been responsible for a bit more tyre noise than I expected, with some road imperfections finding their way through the steering wheel as well. Even Bentley thinks its Rolls rival has the edge in low-speed refinement, although it says the differences diminish as speed rises.Bentley has hit the target with this car, which feels every bit as thorough a reinvention of its flagship as its rival, Rolls-Royce, achieved with the Phantom. If you can afford one, you almost certainly own more than one car. Buy the Phantom to glide you to Glyndebourne, perhaps, but the Mulsanne for the tour to Monaco. Assuming, of course, you can afford to ignore the trifling matter of a troubled world economy.BENTLEY MULSANNE - $695,000 on the roadVehicle: Large luxury sedanEngine: 6.8-litre turbocharged V8Outputs: 377kW at 4200rpm and 1020Nm at 1750rpmTransmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

The revolution at Volvo has stepped up a gear with the arrival of its new S60.

Barbie is, arguably, the world's most beautiful woman and has since the 1960s been the perfect women for men who have disproportionate ideals and have an unhealthy interest in plastic. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is, arguably, the world's most beautiful car. It is the sum of its parts that, like Barbie, combine to make something quite extraordinary.Naturally, a carmaker who builds a $300,000-plus car like the 8C wants to capitalise on its beauty - and its expense - by translating the appeal into its cheaper line of models. Albeit in the case of the Alfa Romeo Mito, prices are from $31,490.The problem is that Alfa has taken the best bits of the gorgeous 8C and stuck them on a rather nose-heavy, short-tailed love-me or hate-me three-door hatchback that has overtones of the Daewoo Lanos. They call it the Mito. It carries with it the 8C's teardrop headlights, roundel tail lights, ‘exclamation mark’ grille and the pretty, spidery alloy wheels… which, attached to the 8C, define the car as something special.Applying these parts to the Mito - Alfa's ‘cheap’ car line - results in the automotive equivalent of Mr Potato Head. Like transplanting Barbie's legs, arm and face on Miss Piggy. But, at least, you won't miss the Mito in your rear vision mirror.This is my second run in a Mito. The first time wasn't enjoyable. The driving position felt unusual, the engine needed a lot of coaxing and there wasn't much pragmatism to the hatch to align with the emotion.Maybe it's osteoporosis or a few collapsed discs in the spine or weary muscles that control my posture, but the Mito seemed to fit me better this time around.The shape of the car eventually grows on you. There's not much room in the rear seats and the two-door arrangement makes getting into and out of the back an awkward exercise. The boot is narrow and short and the spare wheel is a space-saver. But if you're not carrying people in the back, the rear seats fold down and with your eyes squinted, it becomes a neat little two-seater coupe.It has all the right safety gear and is children friendly with ISO-certified seatbelt anchors and little storage spaces in the back. The doors are long and wide and make entry easy for the front occupants, though park too close alongside another car and you'll be in for a tight squeeze.Italians are enthusiastic masters of design but the stars in their eyes cloud some practicalities. The Mito isn't the worst example of dashboard design gone mad, but then again it is streets away from Audi. It takes time to become familiar with the placement of the switches and possibly a new set of spectacles to clearly see the red numerals.That seating position places the steering wheel quite high and the height adjustment is over a small arc. There is no telescopic adjustment- which can force you to get close to the steering wheel because the floor pedals are so far away - but the driver's seat will go up and down. The rear window is tiny and the relatively long nose invisibly curves off into the distance, so familiarisation is also needed to preserve the panel work when parking.But, though at this stage you’re thinking this is the most illogical, expensive and cautiously-constructed small car to reach Australia, you turn over the engine. The 1.4-litre engine remains, but the Sport model had a lot more verve thanks to a ‘dynamic’ switch at the base of the gearlever. So it went better, too.It may be small but the 1.4-litre is willing and carries its exhaust note like a triumphant battle cry. Well, that's probably a bit too enthused. I mean that if you turn the three-mode engine management switch to dynamic, the engine's turbocharger will turn the Mito into an Alfa.It becomes so beautifully sensitive to the accelerator pedal that it can be placed perfectly into a corner and made to slingshot out. Its responsiveness encourages much flaying of the gearlever to arouse the six cogs and promotes last-second pounding of the superb brakes.The Mito becomes an Alfa in spirit. Its only downfall is the over-power assisted electric steering system that gives no road feel.Keep the engine management switch in normal and you may as well drive a Daewoo Lanos. Clearly made to maximise economy, it places electronic hands around the Mito's neck and squeezes, shutting out all sense of life. It stops being an Alfa.There's the third switch which is for snow. Because it doesn't snow much in my street, I didn't turn it on. Also, I didn't turn it on because this switch position was lower than normal. If normal was so lethargic, I feared what retardation would be on hand if I chose the third option.Unless you're new to cars, history records that Alfas are emotional purchases and may or may not have a wonderful record for durability. I've driven Alfas on and off for nigh on 40 years and they appear to be getting a lot better. We're coming off a low base, but they are improving.They're made for people who are like the car - enthusiastic, passionate, individual, mechanically competent but without a certificate, perhaps even a bit unhinged, in the nicest sense of the word. And, just sometimes, beautiful.

It is - this handcrafted British road machine - a fabulous collection of mechanicals, style and luxury. It is a most enticing grand tourer, a head-turning coupe of some pace and grace. With a sweet balance to the chassis and brakes thatd stop a bull elephant in its tracks. It will, says the factory, jump from 0 to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds and run out to better than 300km/h. Easy to believe. For this is an explosive package, a big-engined yet lithe two-seater with ability to take on misty morning mountain roads, sweeping stretches of highway or Monday morning traffic.HISTORYBut pause to praise the Lord for the mighty farm tractor. For the history of modern sports machinery, including this Aston, is littered with famous plough-lugging marques. Lamborghini was first a tractor maker. Porsche built tractors from 1934 to the early 1960s to keep sports cars coming. Irishman Harry Ferguson made little grey Fergies before developing a four-wheel-drive system used by the Jensen FF. And tractor maker David Brown (an early partner of Ferguson) went on to buy Aston Martin in 1947; that's where the DB range of Astons comes in.PRICE AND PACKAGEToday the Vantage line of Astons sits below today's DB9, DBS and Rapide in size and sometimes in price. V8 Vantages can be had with six-speed manual or Sportshift, coupe or roadster. The V12 Vantage comes only as a manual coupe, priced at $379,251 which puts it among the DB line-up in price.But this Vantage is a different kettle of fish _ a compact, pretty light, two-door coupe with a six-litre V12 shoehorned into a tight spot and producing many smiles per mile.That means the V8s handsome bonnet here has a bulge plus a clutter of carbonfibre vents for airflow; these, if necessary, look a little vulgar on this hunkered-down, hip-high machine with a sculpted long nose and short tail.While the V12 engine weighs 100kg more than the V8, this Vantage, with a fair chunk of aluminium aboard, is only some 40kg heavier at 1680kg. This is a serious piece of sports machinery, more power to weight than the average Fergie.Carbonfibre is used from front to rear splitter and across the leather-clad cabin. Inside is a place of comfort and purpose with two seats, a large parcel shelf and decent sized boot nestled under that rear hatch.The cabin carries the usual line-up of convenience features from air conditioning to powerful sound system, trip computer and navigation aid.There are carbonfibre, one-piece seats which hold driver and co-driver in fine form. There are exquisitely machined pedals, the tachometer swings counter clockwise and the analogue speedometer (hard to read) is complemented by a digital readout for road speed. Watch that space.DRIVINGThe Vantage V12 is fired up with an Emotional Control Unit, a push-in starter plug which wakes up 12 cylinders with a polite whirring of mechanicals and hint of menace from twin exhausts. These are best appreciated barking from outside. From inside a bloke could swear this was a rear-engined machine for there is a sweet symphony of sounds from behind the driver's head.Snick that polished gearstick into first of six speeds, a little throttle, out with the clutch and.nothing much, just steady progress into the traffic. For the Vantage can be as docile as the family Commodore, as easy to shift through the traffic as a Corolla. Visibility, despite low seat and high window sills, is pretty good.Major and minor controls are intuitive and mechanicals well behaved. No need to slip the clutch, blip throttles or panic for another gear. The ride is firm, not intrusive. This all changes out on open roads where the Aston can be one fast and furious machine.Best on a wet and mucky day to keep full traction control on and leave the Sport (go-faster) button off. The Sport button remaps engine tuning for sharper throttle response; it delivers an extra nudge in the back when engaged at road speed, a wilder take-off and a little too much extra verve on a wet track.The traction control has three stages _ on, half-on and off. The last is really for good and brave drivers. Even half-on was a bit whooaa on a greasy road; full traction control is far more sensible and quite sociable, allowing a little slip and correcting with discretion rather than violence.There is all this power to be had and enjoyed as the Aston sweeps hard toward the next bend. But here, on the approach and through the turn, the Vantage shows off more to appreciate.The steering is well-weighted, and you'll always know where those 19-inch front wheels are pointed. The big disc brakes pull speed down with confidence, whether chasing a little slow down or a major stop.The transmission and gear gate offers positive shifts. And now the Aston's balance comes to the fore as the car moves through the turn. It does this with finesse and confidence, speed and smiles. Wet roads and traffic muted any foolhardy manoeuvres this time around. But this Aston Martin Vantage V12 appears, as expected, a fine piece of powerful machinery.It is expensive, powerful and well-built. It is also a most comfortable and stylish sports tourer which deals with day-to-day motoring while offering dynamic performance when prodded.ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGEPrice: $379,251Body: 2-door coupeEngine: 6-litre V12Power: 380kW @ 6500rpmTorque: 570Nm @ 5750rpmTransmission: 6-speed manual, rear driveDimensions (mm): 4380 (l), 1865 (w), 1241 (h)Weight: 1680kg

FOR the man who designed it, the present BMW 5 Series marked a high point in his thinking about cars. He had taken BMW in a fresh direction and already shocked observers with his radical redrawing of the larger 7 Series sedan, then pushed the boundaries with the Z4 sports car. But the 5 that appeared seven years ago was cutting edge.“The 5 Series uses a type of convex and concavity that no other car out there approaches,'' he said, referring to the signature curves of his style called flame surfacing. “If I was asked what is the most avant-garde car on the road right now, from any car-maker, I would say the 5 Series.''That was four years ago and the designer, Chris Bangle, was visiting Australia to defend his approach. It needed defending because BMW's studio chief had been pilloried by brand loyalists everywhere for what he had done. They even went so far as to set up a website to vent their anger.After more than a decade at the top, Bangle left the company a year ago and his designs are gradually being superseded. The 7 Series launched last year abandoned radicalism for something more conservative, while the latest Z4 evolves the previous design so that it is attractive, rather than challenging.However, cars with some sort of flame surfacing are everywhere because those ideas, in some form or other, have influenced virtually every vehicle during the past decade. It's a moot point whether Bangle was the originator of this style or merely its high priest. Like other designers, car designers tend to move en masse in one direction.However, sharp creases along the sides of cars and concave sections in doors, to cite two examples of the style, have become the everyday language of vehicle sheet metal. It's one reason, as its defenders point out, the Bangle 5 Series still looks modern. It's also the reason the new one, which goes on sale next month, has some recognisable Bangle ingredients, including a prominent crease along its flanks. In car design, the past decade's paradigm has yet to be replaced by anything else.As with previous versions of the 5 Series -- this is the sixth generation -- the new one is a core BMW model that must work as a traditional family vehicle at one of the end of the line-up and as performance sedan at the other. Spy footage of the new M5, the go-fast version, is already circulating on the web.In this respect, it has something in common with the Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons built here. And, like them, it's being usurped by the popularity of SUVs. BMW's large luxury off-roader, the X5, has outsold its sedan equivalent at least two to one every year here since it was launched. Despite the boom in the vehicle market and the way luxury imports have become increasingly better value, sales of the 5 have been flat.The new one, which goes on sale next month, is unlikely to change that even though -- dollar for dollar -- it moves the bar up a notch on equipment, safety and efficiency over the present car. The trend towards SUVs appears unstoppable.Unlike the Bangle car, this generation has few attention-grabbing ingredients and most of the technology has already appeared elsewhere. However, crucially, unlike the Bangle car, it delivers on the badge promise. This is no longer art for art's sake.The price of being at the cutting edge was something that failed as a design on several levels. On the outside, Bangle's fancy curves generated some successful features -- the eagle-eye headlights, for example -- but the obsession with complex surfaces made the car appear bloated.It also lacked overall coherence. The bonnet, cabin and rear could have been drawn by three different studios. The new car is bigger but doesn't look it. The surfaces are tauter and the proportions more harmonious. The droopy face of the Bangle car has been replaced by something more alert.Inside, the Bangle 5 broke every rule in the BMW book. Chief among them was its abandonment of the cockpit-style thinking that had become a hallmark of BMW cabins, where the centre console is angled towards the driver. Instead, it alienated the driver with every dashboard surface sloping down and away. Thanks to this, some controls are difficult to operate and even the door handles are awkwardly positioned. BMW's rivals were cock-a-hoop.Throw in the appalling first-generation iDrive control system, brittle plastics and an almost total absence of storage spots for a phone, wallet and so on, and it didn't matter how good the car was to drive. I hated being in the Bangle 5.With the new car, it's back to business as usual. The materials are better, with pleasing aluminium highlights on the wood trim and more tactile plastics for buttons and knobs. The control locations make sense and are angled so the driver can see them. There are even a few places to stash stuff. Welcome home.When BMW launched the latest 7 Series, it ditched iDrive version one and replaced it with something unrecognisable: version two. It is logical to use and owes nothing to its predecessor. It's in this car, of course.On the launch drive early this month, only one model -- the 535i -- was available to sample but it could be the pick of the range. BMW has developed the 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six-cylinder engine that debuted a few years ago in the 335i, and combined fuel injection with turbocharging for the first time. The new unit ditches one of the two turbochargers and replaces it with a single twin-scroll turbo with two input streams from the engine's exhaust.The result is a splendid powerplant that pulls strongly from low revs -- peak torque of 400Nm arrives at just 1200rpm -- for easygoing pace. It's also quiet most of the time, without the industrial soundtrack of some turbo engines, but when you lean on the throttle it emits a lovely, creamy snarl. There's an absence of lag or surge, two unwanted traits of turbo engines, and it steps off the mark respectably quickly to reach 100km/h in 6.1 seconds.Adding the turbo 535i to the line-up means the range has been reorganised. The non-turbo 530i has been dropped, along with the smaller 2.5-litre six-cylinder engines in the 525i and 523i.The entry-level six-cylinder is now the 528i, with a 190kW 3.0-litre straight six and a starting price just below $100,000. This looks like a good deal compared with the outgoing model. The only V8 is a 300kW turbocharged 4.4-litre in the 550i. BMW will offer a four-cylinder diesel later in the 520d and probably a six-cylinder 530d as well.As well as better specification -- BMW's excellent head-up display is now standard, for example -- they all get a new eight-speed automatic transmission, which doesn't make a wrong move.Underneath this car is the suspension from the 7 Series and the test examples were fitted with the full suite of BMW handling tricks, which include active dampers and active anti-roll bars, plus rear-wheel steering. With these (expensive) extras it feels tight and planted on the road, with typical BMW suppleness to the suspension.It's a well-judged sporting drive experience for this category, without the rawness of smaller Beemers but with enough involvement when the roads tighten and twist. I suspect that even without the extras, that essential quality will be present. In addition, luxury and comfort levels are high. First impressions of the ride quality were very favourable, while road and tyre noise are well suppressed for good interior quietness.If you don't go offroad then the new 5 should give you pause for thought. If you are shopping for a luxury family conveyance and can do without a high 'n' mighty driving position, then the new 5 is better to drive than its SUV equivalent and leaves you wanting nothing.And I like this 5 a lot more than the Bangle car, which is all the better for not being a design statement. As the saying goes, I don't know much about art but I know what I like.BMW 535i - $128,900VEHICLE: Luxury sedanENGINE: 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six-cylinderOUTPUTS: 225kW at 5800rpm and 400Nm at 1200rpmTRANSMISSION: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

Peugeot have added a new dimension to their small car garage with the 308 Touring. Miserly at the bowser, it is perfect for small enviro-conscious families who need just a little more space than a regular hatch, without opting for the big boofy 4WD tank.The 308 Touring is a six-speed automatic, powered by 2.0 litre diesel that puts out 100kW at 4000 rpm and 320Nm at 2000 rpm. It has a combined fuel economy figure of 7.1l/100km and it emits 187g/km of CO2. It gets to the 100km/h mark in 13.2 seconds.With body-coloured door mirrors and handles and 16 inch alloys, the XSE is noticeably primed compared with the base XE. Given it’s the Touring variant, the back half is longer and boxier than the straight hatch but the front loses none of the smaller car’s sporty appearance.Inside, you get a leather trimmed steering wheel, although minus any controls, a big glass sunroof, a nice, clean clutter-free dash, plus loads of storage. There is a decent sized drawer under the front passenger seat, map pockets, stowage bins and a centre console area for drinks.Seating is a big feature in the Touring with three independent foldable, removable seats in the back, allowing for dozens of possible seating combinations to suit. When up, boot volume is 674 litres but when down it becomes a cavernous 2149 litres of space.On top of the comprehensive airbag package the Peugeot 308 Touring safety list includes anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist and electronic stability program.The Peugeot 308 Touring starts at $31,990 and tops out at $37,990.At first glance we weren't overly keen on the shape. The rear end seemed a bit like a tacked-on boxy afterthought, not in keeping with the sharp creases and long lines of the front. But we supposed there must be the odd sacrifice when converting a hot hatch into a seven-seat family transporter.In general terms, most European car interiors smell the same, and that smell evokes thoughts of luxury, style, quality and tradition. It's something that European cars have over other non-Euro marques, and it's exactly how we felt after stepping into the 308.There was nothing too fancy or over the top inside our Peugeot but we liked that the dash layout was simple and intuitive, and that the seats were comfortable and supportive.We only had three small kids to test the second row of individual seats and they sat snugly, so we reasoned three adults may find it a bit of a squeeze. But it's the cargo area where the 308 Touring jumps to another level. With the seats up it’s already quite spacious but with all but the front seats down and flat, the area is massive. So a young family, keen on the odd road trip, will be more than pleased with this Peugeot's ability to get them there stress free.They will also reach their destination economically, with the smooth and torquey turbo diesel. Off the mark, the 308 punches swiftly. At speed a gentle tap on the throttle swooshes the car promptly, with no lag and plenty of potential.  We noticed the lack of buttons and levers on the steering wheel – there are none – and wondered why even the basic controls were missing.Obviously the car's size makes it brilliant for city driving too. Parking is a breeze and the superior suspension set-up prevents chipped teeth when failing to avoid potholes and ruts.We couldn’t find much wrong with the Peugeot 308 Touring. It won’t do for larger, older families – and the shape does take a bit of getting used to – but for starting out as a family unit, you will be hard pressed to do better than this Pug.

Twin turbos are on their way out at BMW, being replaced by more economical twin-scroll single turbos. The first with the new twin-scroll engine is the 535i, which is part of the new sixth-generation 5 Series models.BMW Australia spokesman Alex Brockhoff said the twin-charger engine has no more power than the model it replaces, but it hits maximum torque of 400Nm 100rpm earlier at 1200 revs and carries it all the way through to 5000rpm. Brockhoff says the twincharger is fed exhaust air through two inlets rather than one, producing a faster-spinning and more-efficient turbo.In the 535i three-litre in-line six-cylinder with Valvetronic, it achieves a 7 per cent fuel saving of 8.4L/100km over the 540i's 10.4L/100km. CO2 emissions are down to 195g/km from 250, yet power and torque remain at 225kW and 400Nm.BMW has also increased equipment levels in the 5 Series to be higher than their competitors. However, prices are up right across the range by as much as $8000. But BMW claims that if you consider the increased standard equipment levels, there is virtually no increase and even a price decrease on the 528i compared with the previous 530i.Increased standard equipment levels include an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, bigger wheels and heads-up display – previously a $2800 option except in high-spec models – which shows vital information on the windscreen in front of the driver so they don't have to take their eyes off the road.PRICING AND VARIANTSThe new 5 Series goes on sale here on June 3 - two weeks ahead of the US - with the petrol-engined naturally-aspirated 190kW inline-six 528i ($99,900), the 535i ($128,900) featuring the new 225kW twin-scroll turbo in-line six and the 300kW V8 550i ($178,900). They will be followed by the diesel-powered 380Nm four-cylinder 520d ($83,300) in September, and a six-cylinder diesel is expected to be added next year. The lean-burn engines available in Europe will not be imported because of the high sulphur level in Australian fuels. Touring 535i and 520d wagons are expected in October.BODY AND FIT-OUTThe sixth-generation 5 Series has been slightly stretched and has shorter overhangs front and rear giving it the longest wheelbase in its class. Cargo space remains 520 litres. A full-width front air dam, plus horizontal lines front and back provide a wider look.If the xenon headlight option is included there are LED daytime running lights included and a 'milky eyebrow' which is an attractive opaque LED lighting effect above the main headlights. Inside, there is little change except for a few extra aluminium accents while the dashboard has been tilted 7.2 degrees toward the driver.There is more aluminium in the construction, including the bonnet, doors and side panels, making its body 50kg lighter, as well as the all-aluminium suspension from the 7 Series and new 5 Series Gran Turismo. However, with all the new equipment, stiffer chassis and electronic driver aids, total weights are up between 40kg for the 1700kg 535i and 170kg for the 1830kg 550i.ENGINESThe three-litre 528i has 30kW more power and 60Nm more torque than the superseded 2.5-litre 525i but fuel economy is down from 9.4L/100km to 8 and CO2 emissions are down from 227g/km to 187. The new 535i features the three-litre in-line six-cylinder which combines Valvetronic and twin-scroll single turbocharging for a 7 per cent fuel consumption saving, while power and torque remain the same.The 550i gets TwinPower turbo in its 4.4-litre V8 to deliver 300kW (+30kW) and 600Nm, up a whopping 110Nm over the previous model. Fuel economy is down to 10.3L/10km from 10.4 and CO2 is 243g/km, previously 246.SAFETYElectronic technologies, driver aids, a stiffer chassis and pedestrian-friendly bonnet lift the crash rating from four to five stars. When impact is sensed in the front it electronically signals pyrotechnic actuators to lift the bonnet 5cm in the rear and 3cm in the front, creating a buffer from pedestrian impact with the engine block.DRIVINGThe wet roads of the twisting and bumpy Yarra Ranges of Victoria were the perfect test for the 535i models available at the national launch this week. We drove only 535i models, some fitted with four-wheel steering and the Adaptive Drive package of Dynamic Damper Control and Dynamic Drive and others without these fancy gizmos. If you can afford the $10,600 for them, go ahead and splurge as they are not gimmicks.Honda and Mazda gave up on their mechanical four-wheel steering technologies because they were expensive, complicated and heavy. Besides, no one really wanted them in sporty cars. In these long-wheelbase luxury saloons, it makes perfect sense. It is electronically controlled and adds only 10kg to the car's weight.The rear wheels move just 3 degrees, but it's visible if you are following one. It is also noticeable through the steering wheel. At slow speeds, such as hairpin corners, it pulls the nose in tight as it virtually shortens the wheelbase. At highway speed it has the eerie feeling of crabbing sideways as you change lanes. It may feel strange, but it's stable. Add in the flat-cornering and controllable ride of the Adaptive Drive package and it will handle any surface.On the wet surface, we chose normal and even comfort settings so the wheels had more time to react to quick irregularities and keep the tyres on the road for more grip. It also reduced the intervention of the stability control. However, over undulating surfaces, the comfort setting can make the car float and induce car sickness. If you can't afford the package, you will still have a saloon that handles nimbly with a more natural steering feel.Grip is still remarkable and brakes are sharp with plenty of feeling and no jerky ABS kickback, even on a wet Reefton Spur. Tyre noise is higher than you would expect in a car of this calibre, but the twin-scroll turbo engine is refined, powerful, responsive and quiet. At 'full noise' there is only the most polite muted induction and exhaust roar. The surround view takes some getting used to as does that overly complicated transmission knob.Seats are comfortable, if a little slippery with high lateral G forces. After a dash across the Spur, I had a raw back from sliding sideways and sore knees from bracing myself against the door skin and centre console.Strap in tight. It's a wild ride, yet tamed by innovative electronics.