Articles by Ashlee Pleffer

Cars in the light car segment are usually known for their small size, small engine and small price tag, resulting in some average driving, but adequate getting around.But Ford has added a teacher's pet to the segment, one that is certainly worthy of a few gold stars.It's still small in size, but the engine and price tag get slightly bigger.The XR4 breaks the $20,000 price bracket, which seems expensive for a light car, but it doesn't take long for the all-round performance to quickly prove its worth.At $24,990, the XR4 comes in less than its other athletic competitors such as the Volkswagen Polo GTI at $26,990 and the Mitsubishi Ralliart Colt for $29,990. And while others such as the Suzuki Swift may come a little cheaper, they don't have that edge to performance found in the XR4.The stand-out Fiesta has ditched the regular 1.6-litre engine, and instead adopts a modified version of the 2.0-litre Duratec 16-valve engine found in the Focus. The free-revving four-cylinder powertrain delivers 110kW at 6000rpm and 190Nm at 4500rpm, with 80 per cent of torque available from as low as 1800rpm.It feels very quick and snappy in city traffic, with great pulling power for such a small car.The acceleration isn't outstanding, but it's very confident. Around town cruising revs at 2000rpm; hit the highway in fifth at around 100km/h and it sits on 3000rpm.Its straight-line performance is good but not quite superb, as the XR4 is more of an all-rounder, a jack-of-all-trades but not a real master of any.It doesn't take long for the XR4 to come up to speed when under-revving in higher gears and around corners the feisty Fiesta bites back, showing even third gear is up to the task.The new XR family member is lively in all conditions, thanks to some changes to the suspension, including the stiffening of the front and rear springs, recalibrating the dampers and lowering the suspension.Steering is also more agile and the five-speed manual transmission has been revamped to allow quicker shifting. The brakes haven't gone untouched, with an upgrade to the front ventilated discs with larger calipers and pads, as well as rear disc brakes for the first time in the Fiesta range.So, while it seems to fit the description of a sporty car, it's really only let down slightly by the sound of the engine, as the road noise from the low-profile tyres often overpowers it.The tightened suspension means you feel the many potholes around town, but it also makes it much firmer and sturdy on the road.The enhanced performance comes at a sacrifice as fuel consumption is higher than your regular light cars, the Fiesta usually averaging 6.6litres per 100km. The XR4, however, has a claimed 7.4litres per 100km consumption, but on our test it didn't drop below 8.7litres per 100km.While it's light in nature, just 1090kg, contributing to the excellent driving dynamics and handling, the wide turning circle could have done with some tweaking. Tight shopping car parks usually required a shift into reverse before clearing the turn.And the pedals are positioned too far to the left, leaving no room to rest your foot next to the clutch, instead having to put it in front of the pedal.Inside, a thin dash and big windows, means there's plenty of room for front seat comfort. The rear seats get a little squishy, but two adults could still travel for a decent journey without feeling too cramped.Inside, you're welcomed by a two-toned interior design.The test car had bold blue coloured-cloth, combined with seats with leather inserts, which proved very comfy. The blue and black dash was topped off with silver trim as a reminder of that sporty theme.Storage space in the front is minimal, although the glovebox and the boot are reasonable.If you're not convinced the driving and handling is enough to justify the price rise, there are many features that might just change your mind.The XR4 gets a six-disc CD player, airconditioning, six airbags, Dynamic Stability Control and traction control, sports seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather gear-knob with alloy trim and sports pedals.But it lacks cruise control and the radio controls sit on a bulky lever behind the steering wheel like the rest of the Fiesta range, which is fiddly and not that easy to see.The hot-hatch wears some XR4 badges and a sports body styling kit, which includes a front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper and a large body coloured spoiler on the exterior. But for those wanting everyone to know their sporting tendencies, there's an extra option you can take that is sure to make you stand out.For an extra $300, you can get some bold racing stripes.At first it seems a little boy toyish, but the racing connection grows on you and it lets everyone know just how special the car is.With the XR4 label, the Fiesta earns its stripes as it is transformed into a sporty little machine, without burning a big hole in your pocket. Bottom lineWhile it may be a much smaller addition, the Ford Fiesta XR4 lives up to the family name. Snapshot Ford Fiesta XR4Price: $24,990Engine: 2.0L/4-cylinder, 110kW/190NmTransmission: 5-speed manualEconomy: 7.4L/100km   The rivals  VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI Price: $26,990Engine: 1.8L/4cyl turbo, 110kW/220NmTransmission: 5-speed manualEconomy: 7.9L/100km   Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart  Price: $29,990Engine: 1.5L/4-cyl turbo, 113kW/210NmTransmission: 5-speed manualEconomy: 6.7L/100km    Suzuki Swift  Price: $23,990Engine: 1.6L/4-cyl, 92kW/148NmTransmission: 5-speed manualEconomy: 7.5L/100km 

The hand-built car features Persian silk carpets, French-polished walnut dash, gold-plated instruments and an optional solid gold bonnet emblem.And you can even decorate it with your own jewels.The Australian-owned but now Malaysian-based car company Bufori, is making a comeback at this week's Australian International Motor Show.The new model to be unveiled this week, the La Joya Mark III 2+2, was described by Bufori spokesman Cameron Pollard, as an “individualised piece of art.”He said buyers can even put their signature on the car, come up with their own colour schemes and make changes to sizing and dimensions.“It's like a piece of jewellery that they're driving around in,” he said, very fitting for a car with a Spanish name meaning “the jewel.”But those wanting their ultimate bling machine will have to get in fast as only 20 cars will be made available a year to the Australian market at $180,000.It takes three months to build just one car to a customer specifications and the company already has a strong following in the UK, the United Arab Emirates and the US.Mr Pollard said customers range from actors and heads-of-states, to people just wanting to attract attention, both young and old.One customer, an Indian actor, had his whole car gold plated.A Malaysian woman had a $20,000 stone fitted to her Bufori, as well as many more gemstones to match.And just in case the kids are feeling left out, Bufori will even make a mini version of the La Joya they call the Bambino.Mr Pollard said the 1930s retro-styling of the La Joya was something that had always been present in Bufori models.“All of our cars have followed that, our very first car had that styling, everyone fell in love with it as soon as they saw it,” he said.While it may currently be under $200,000, the price tag is set to rise to $220,000 after the Motor Show, depending on customer demand, although there will be a waiting list once the 20 cars have been allocated for this year.Bufori was originally founded in 1986 and was based on Parramatta Rd in Sydney. It moved its base to Malaysia in 1995 by invitation from the royal family.Mr Pollard says the move was a result of the company “focusing on growing and developing a global market”, as well as financial benefits.Bufori now produces 300 cars a year to customers world-wide.Mr Pollard said the quality of engineering and construction is vastly improved over the previous cars.And Bufori is even considering bringing some of the manufacturing back to Australia with the possibility of expanding the company further.The Australian International Motor Show starts this Thursday and runs until October 21.  See this car at the Australian International Motor Show   

While there are many small cars available on the market, it's often hard to find one that boasts a sporty performance and produces enough power to get you excited, without costing you an arm and a leg at the dealers and the pump.But the Golf GT does just that.On paper a 1.4-litre engine doesn't appear very impressive at all. You'd be forgiven for thinking someone has the performance figures wrong.But it's what's added to that engine that makes it, because when the choice between a turbocharger and supercharger came up, Volkswagen didn't choose. Instead, it decided to use both. And that means turbo lag has been thrown out the window. Volkswagen has come up with a solution for that initial delay, introducing a mechanically driven supercharger into the equation.There's plenty of torque available right from the word go.The maximum torque of 240Nm is available from as low as 1750rpm, right up to 4500rpm.But even lower down the tacho, there's still plenty available, with 200Nm delivered from 1250rpm through to 6000rpm. The power is also impressive for a small car, with an output of 125kW. In comparison, its 2.0-litre Golf sibling produces a lower 200Nm and 110kW of power and the even more impressive GTI delivers 147kW and 280Nm.So the GT perches itself nicely in a range that offers 24 variants, with eight different engine choices.Volkswagen claims this is the world's first direct-injection twin-charged engine for high-volume production use. And the marriage of the two is a match made in heaven.The supercharger starts working very quickly and then hands over to the turbocharger once you reach mid to higher revs. But the transition is seamless, with no indication of the swap from the driver's seat.The supercharger retires at about 3500rpm at the most, allowing the turbo to show what it can do.But when the speed drops and more power is needed, the supercharger fires back up again. Power delivery remains constant and smooth as you work your way all the way up to 7000rpm. From behind the wheel the engine feels much bigger than a measly 1.4-litre capacity, and it also sounds much better.For one thing, you don't get that feeling of “Please Sir, I want more”.Because there's no wishing for an extra boost from the engine, as you do on a 20-minute run when you know you have more in you, but you can't seem to power those legs fast enough to extract that extra performance. That experience is nowhere to be found with the GT, which could perhaps be short for “good times,” “going tough” or “golden trooper”.The pocket rocket leaves you satisfied. It's like a buffet where you can eat as much as you want.For a reasonable $34,990, you can feel content you have your money's worth. There aren't many competitors who can offer a package like the GT. It's no slow-coach when it comes to accelerating, doing zero to 100km/h in just 7.9 seconds, quite impressive for such a small four-cylinder motor.We tested the six-speed manual model, the transmission giving an even delivery of power, with smooth shifting. The DSG automatic adds $2500 to the price.During tests, the GT returned a fuel consumption as low as 6.5-litres per 100km on highways, and sat at around 7.8-litres during busy city driving. And the Golf GT's handling and driving dynamics don't let you down either, whether you're out on a highway, cruising around town or throwing it around some bendy roads. The suspension has been lowered by 15mm, adding to its sporty nature and the over-all pleasant ride.Our model had some optioned features including a sunroof worth about $1900, a little steep perhaps but it does add a lot more character, and a $500 metallic paint job.The interior has the typical Volkswagen class and is both a comfortable and good-quality setting. There is a good list of safety equipment, although extra enjoyment-type features would have been nice.It comes standard with dual zone climate control, six airbags, decent storage spaces, a CD-player, ABS with Electronic Stability Program and traction control and a boost pressure display, letting you know when the twinchargers are at work. And while it was a fun car to drive, one criticism arose during the week.While the driving was impressively sporty, it just didn't stand out enough from the regular Golf models.It could have done with a standard sunroof perhaps, and more bling. Aside from the GT badges, there was nothing that screamed out “Look at me, I'm special.”But Volkswagen practically read my mind this week, announcing the Golf GT is being replaced by the Golf GT Sport, featuring the same 1.4-litre engine, as well as adding the option of a 2.0-litre diesel to the mix, which starts at $37,490. And as you can expect with the word Sport, there's more glamour to the package.The GT has not only been hit with the Sport label, it has also been given the athletic makeover in appearance.It now gets features from its big older brother, the GTI, with a distinctive bumper and radiator grille design, sports seats, a sports steering wheel, twin tailpipes, exclusive 17-inch alloys and sports suspension all as standard.It also now wears a GT Sport badge. Perhaps the theory “Ask and you will receive” might be true after all.So now it's not just what's underneath the bonnet that counts, there's that added pizzazz to its look as well, which lets everybody know just how cool it really is. Snapshot Volkswagen Golf GTPrice: $34,990Engine: 1.4L/4-cylinder twin charger, 125kW/240NmEconomy: 7.7L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manualThe RivalsMazda3 SP23 hatchPrice: $32,600Engine: 2.4L/4-cyl, 115kW/203NmEconomy: 8.6L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual   Volvo C30 LE  Price: $38,450Engine: 2.4L/5-cyl, 125kW/230NmEconomy: 8.4L/100kmTransmission: 5-speed manual   BMW 120i  Price: $43,300Engine: 2L/4-cylinder, 115kW/200NmEconomy: 7.9L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual  See this car at the Australian International Motor Show   

This 92-year-old NSW No.6 plate is expected to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 at this year's Shannon's auction on the last day of the Australian International Motor Show.

Here's the scenario. With a trip to Queenstown on the horizon, my two travelling companions were constantly in my ear about bungy jumping.

“When I saw the first one come into the workshop I sat in it all day. My boss had to come get me out to do some work,” he says. Monk had fallen for the American muscle cars, in particular the Ford Mustangs. While he was used to heavy and underpowered British cars such as the Hillman his father drove, Monk says the new American thoroughbred was a welcome breath of fresh air. More than 40 years on and Monk's garage features not just one but three shiny Mustangs. His pride and joy is the 1967 Fastback he paid $30,000 for six years ago. “I had a 1965 but I always wanted a Fastback. I preferred the shape and when this one came up I bought it,” the 59-year-old says. Monk has since sold his 1965 model, but his wife, who shares his Mustang passion, has a 1967 convertible and he's also got a more modern version with a 1994 convertible. Monk says the 1967 Fastback was in good condition when he bought it, but he has carried out some work on the engine and the trim, and lowered it. “It was a little bit too high, they used to call it the four-wheel-drive Mustang because it was so high off the ground,” he says. The Mustangs weren't officially released in Australia in the 1960s and '70s, but some enthusiasts did import them into the country. Monk says Ford imported some models for sale. But in America, they instantly became a hit. “There were countdowns to when the Mustang was released,” Monk says. “When they were released people queued up to buy them, they slept in dealerships. That was in America.” Ford didn't build any right-hand-drive versions of the Mustangs, so the ones that came into Australia had to be converted. “Up until 1998, you couldn't drive a left-hand-drive car in Australia, so you had the added cost of conversion,” Monk says. “You could in South Australia and Canberra but not NSW.” This made them quite expensive for the average Australian, making it much cheaper to opt for a locally manufactured car. The cars originally sold in the US for about $US2500, but according to Monk, they were more expensive here because of the conversion costs. Monk says when these cars were first released, they were ahead of their time, offering a five-page list of options such as cruise control. “It's automatic. The rear seat folds up and down giving access to the boot. It's a lovely car, it's just unusual and it's candy apple red in colour, it's a known fact that red Mustangs go faster,” he says. Monk says there are now a lot of them in Australia as many people have imported them over the years. The Mustang Owners Club of NSW alone has 600 members with about 800 cars. Monk's 1967 Fastback spent most of its life in the US, coming to settle Down Under at the beginning of this century. “It was born on August 1, 1967, that's the day it was manufactured, all this has been verified by Ford and the compliance plate on the car,” he says. “It came into Australia in 2000 when a father and son brought it in and did it up. They sold it to the guy I bought it off, who had it for a while. But he needed some money so he sold it to me and it will be a dark day before I sell it.” The classic Mustangs are now selling for about $50,000 for an average model. But many Mustang fans are happy just to get a look. Last year, Monk and 24 fellow Mustang owners took their vehicles more than 3000km on a club trip to Tasmania. One local found out about the team of Mustangs hitting town, so frantically rang all the motels in the area to find out where they were staying, in a hope of getting some happy snaps. But this sort of attention isn't new to Monk. “When you stop at traffic lights people offer to swap Commodores for the Mustang,” he laughs. “We meet a lot of people. At a car show this bloke came up to me and said he was the bloke who brought it into Australia, he used to own it.” Many people in particular have come to recognise the Mustang muscle car from its role in the hit film Gone In 60 Seconds, which introduced a new generation to the classic. Monk says his model is the same shape and same kind of Mustang as Eleanor, the one Nicolas Cage drove, but is just a different variant. While Monk is satisfied with his current Mustang collection, like most car enthusiasts he would like to see it grow in size. “There are always plans for more Mustangs, it's only the bank account that prohibits any more,” he says. “I'd like to get a current model, but I'd have to sell the house and live in a caravan to do that.” Although he likes the new modernised version, Monk says his true passion lies with the classic Mustang models. But in his books, you can have any Mustang to be considered a real car owner. “There's only one car, a Mustang, all Fords come second ... then there's the rest,” he says laughing. “If you don't own a Mustang we say you've gone to the dark side.”   Snapshot 1967 FORD MUSTANG FASTBACK Value when new: $US2500, about $5000 in Australia after conversion Value six years ago: $30,000 Value now: Between $50,000 and $75,000 Verdict: It's not hard to fall in love with the classic shape and looks of this American muscle car, well-known for its role in the action film Gone In 60 Seconds.  

VW has added the name Sport to the GT model to acknowledge the addition of extra features for the same price as the previous model.The Golf GT Sport is now available in either the 1.4-litre twin-charger petrol engine, which was found in the GT, or a new 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.The petrol powertrain still delivers 125kW and 240Nm, the diesel also producing 125kW with a bigger torque reading of 350Nm. Pricing starts at $34,990 for the six speed manual petrol model, the same starting price as the outgoing GT.The diesel starts at $37,290, and the DSG transmission adds $2500 to both prices.The new Golf GT Sport has adopted some features from its older sibling the GTi, now offering sports suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels, sports seats, sport steering wheel, a distinctive bumper and radiator grille design and twin tailpipes; all standard.It also wears a new grille and a GT Sport badge. Volkswagen spokesman John Dawe says; the original GT was launched in May this year to see how the market reacted to the car and the technology.“The market response has been overwhelming, so we decided to make it a permanent fixture of the model line-up for Golf,” Dawe says.The new versions of the Golf take the model line-up to 24 different variants in Australia, with eight different engines available. Volkswagen will also extend its diesel strategy in Australia by putting the same 2.0-litre diesel engine in the Passat, now offering two diesel versions.It will be priced at $44,990 for the sedan and $46,990 for the wagon. 

Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati will all be showing new models for the first time in Australia.

Mothers around the world have long advised that “You should always tell the truth.” And it seems it can pay off. Take the peculiar-looking Kyron, for example. In March last year, SsangYong attracted plenty of attention in Australia when it launched its Kyron SUV with looks only its mother could love. With its “ugly-duckling” appearance, SsangYong admits the attention wasn't all positive. But the South Korean manufacturer took the criticism on board and made some changes. The facelifted Kyron has just hit town with a cleaner, more modern look. It's not quite the swan of the segment, but a big improvement over its predecessor. The new Kyron has fewer lines for a cleaner, smoother look and features completely new front and rear ends. It wears the SsangYong family grille on its nose and while the design has been altered, it still has that identifiable SsangYong and Kyron DNA. It continues to be available with two diesel engines with the block and cylinder heads sourced from Mercedes-Benz. And while changes have been more than skin deep, the powertrains deliver the same performance. The smaller 2.0-litre engine produces 104kW and 310Nm from as low as 1800rpm, while the 2.7-litre, five cylinder turbo diesel extracts 121kW and 340Nm also from 1800rpm. There has been some engine tweaking, with the main improvement an Exhaust Gas Recirculation system to satisfy the latest emission standards. This means the Kyron now meets Euro IV. The fuel consumption sits at a claimed 7.7-litres per 100km for the smaller engine and 8.7-litres per 100km for the larger one. Although there's no onboard fuel consumption reading to confirm this, the needle barely moved after 200km of mainly highway driving. The price tag has also been 'tweaked' and is now $2000 less than the previous starting prices. The 2.0-litre manual, known as the M200XDi, starts at $32,990. The 2.7-litre M270XDi is priced from $36,990. The five-speed T-tronic automatic transmission adds $3000 to the price. Despite the price drop and a reasonable package, it still seems a little too expensive for what it is. On the road, the 2.0-litre automatic we tested was an adequate drive. While the almost truck-like noise of the engine was loud at slow speeds and when working up through the gears, it was less noticeable once we hit the highway. At faster speeds it cruised along discreetly and was a comfortable drive, although feeling a little bouncy at times. There's a noticeable delay in power delivery, especially from a standstill, which can be a problem when you think there's enough break in the traffic, but it takes you a little longer to get up to speed. For most of the time, the Euro IV Kyron operates in rear-wheel-drive, but head off-road and there's a knob that allows you to manually switch into high or low-range four-wheel-drive. The Kyron proved quite strong on the dirt track, even powering through a steep incline. The new 18-inch wheels provide a strong stance on the road and grip nicely off-road, too. Inside, the setting has been updated with a black theme throughout, changed gauges and a new cloth seat trim. The centre console is positioned towards the driver and has a very simple layout. At this stage, the Kyron doesn't come standard with Electronic Stability Control and it's not even offered as an option. But SsangYong says it may be available in the near future. Keith Timmins, managing director of Rapson Australia, which distributes SsangYong here, says it's currently a pricing issue. The company is not convinced there would be a big take up of the feature if offered at the price it would be given. But it is something the company is considering. SsangYong has added side curtain airbags to the front and rear of the 2.7-litre. Standard equipment on both models includes ABS, dual front SRS airbags, reverse parking sensors, a single-disc CD player and roof rails. SsangYong sees its main competitors as including the Holden Captiva and Kia Sportage, and while the Kyron comes in at $500 dearer than the starting diesel Sportage model, the Captiva base model is $2000 more expensive. The face-lifted Euro IV Kyron is an improved model but in such a competitive segment, seems to be priced a little too high for what it is.   Snapshot Ssangyong Euro IV Kyron Price: M200XDi $32,990 (manual), S35,990 (auto), M270XDi $36,990 (manual), $39,990 (auto) Engine: 2.0L/4-cylinder turbo diesel, 104kW/310Nm, 2.7L/5-cylinder, 121kW/340Nm Economy: M200XDi 7.7L/100km, M270XDi 8.7L/100km Transmission: 5-speed manual, 5-speed T-Tronic auto  

And when that project has its origins in the family's homeland, it's all the more special.