Articles by Bill Buys

Why would anyone buy a small car when a pedigreed medium-sized car can be had for the same money? Or maybe even a few bucks less? That's the question buyers need to ask because Skoda has just opened up a big new door of opportunity with its mid-sized Octavia.VALUEThe new Octavia, on sale now, is a bit lighter, more powerful, longer and wider than before and has a longer wheelbase, which translates to a better ride and more passenger space. It comes in three unusually-named spec levels: Ambition, Ambition Plus and Elegance.The six-speed manual Ambition sedan costs $21,690, about the same as a dozen or so light and small-class cars, but apart from the advantage of a lot more space and comfort plus great fuel economy, it's pretty well equipped too.All models have a leather-rimmed steering with radio and phone controls, leather handbrake and gear lever covers, plus Bluetooth and USB connectivity. The Attraction features cloth seats, foglights, seven airbags, a four-speaker audio system, tinted glass, daytime running lights, a trip computer and 16-inch steel wheels with alloy-look covers and a full-sized spare wheel. Seven-speed DSG is a $2300 option and if even more space in needed, there's a neat wagon version for only $1350 extra.Ambition Plus pricing starts at $24,490 and includes 17-inch alloys, cruise control and rear parking sensors, nine airbags, eight speakers, a pre-emptive crash safety system, driver fatigue monitoring and a 5.8-inch touchscreen.The Elegance, from $32,190, gets 18-inch alloys, full leather trim, SatNav, an 8-inch touchscreen, DVD player, two SD card slots, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth auto-on wipers and lights and an premium 64GB Columbus infotainment system.TECHNOLOGYLike others in the VW family, the Czech-built Skoda offers a trio of engine choices: 1.4 and 1.8litre four-cylinder petrol turbos and a 2.0litre turbo-diesel.The 1.4litre produces a feisty 103kW/250Nm which is enough to rocket the sizeable Octavia to 100km/h in 8.4secs. Better still is its frugal fuel use: 5.2l/100km. The 1.8 cranks out a muscular 132k250Nm, gets to the tonne in 7.4 seconds and uses 5.9l/100km and the diesel offers 110kW320Nm and fuel economy of 4.9l/100km. Quite a performer too, getting to 100km/h in 8.6seconds.Interestingly, the 132kW versions get a different rear suspension. Instead of the torsion beam axle, trailing arms and coils of the 103kW and the diesel, the 132 model has an independent four-link  set-up with coils and anti-roll bars.A few surprises: None of the Octavias have power seating or reversing cameras, even as options.There are, however, two attractive option packages. The Ambition range can get a $1300 'travel pack', which adds 17-inch alloys, rear parking radar, an eight-speaker stereo, front centre armrest and cruise control.Ambition Plus and Elegance owners can opt for the 'technology pack', which comprises bi-xenon lights, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and push-button start, a, black frosted foglights, a city emergency braking system, a multi-mode driving system with Sport, Normal, Eco and Individual modes, front parking sensors, a 10-speaker German Canton sound system with digital equalizer and a self-parking system. It costs $3900 for the Ambition Plus and $3300 for the Elegance.All Octavia models come with a capped price servicing program offering six years of servicing at 12-month or 15,000km intervals.INSIDEThere's a lot of cabin room, likewise the boot, which has 568-litres of space and 1568 with the back seats folded flat. Also, it has a reversible floor, six tie-down hooks and a system to stop things flying about if you get a bit enthusiastic behind the wheel. Good seating, easy-to-read and comprehensive instrumentation and good visibility.SAFETYOctavia has a five-star crash safety rating.  In addition to the ABC of electronic driver aids, all models get a system called MCB which detects an impending collision and responds by applying the anchors to either avoid the crash or at least reduce the impact. Models with the technology pack also get City Emergency Braking which works at sub-30km/h to avoid whacking into whatever.DRIVINGWe got runs in all three engine versions in some fine Victorian countryside with a fair amount of twisty bits. We didn't think the 1.4-litre motor would be much chop in such a big car, but it punched well above its weight and provided some joyous moments behind the wheel. Shows what a shot of Red Bull and a visit to Jenny Craig can do.The diesel was fine too, big on torque. The car, and wagon, are simply great to drive: confident, decent steering and brakes and the six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG were smooth, quick and precise.Quiet inside too, and nobody would know which motor was under the bonnet. What was noticeable was the hard ride in the Elegance, a penalty that comes from the low (40-section) profile tyres on the 18-inch alloys. In all, a very good driving experience.VERDICTThe Octavia makes more sense than ever.  It may look conservative, but there's an eager terrier under that hood. We'd go for the 103kW mid-sped Ambition Plus and maybe add the techno pack. But any model is a leader in terms of what you get for your dollar.2014 Skoda Octavia Price: from $21,690 (Ambition manual sedan)Engine: 1.4L four-cylinder petrol turbo, 103kW/250NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG, FWDThirst: 5.2L/100km, 121g/km CO2

Swanking along the Cote D’Azur in a swish cabriolet was something I’d dreamt of ever since seeing a Hitchcock movie with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant cruising along there in a Sunbeam Alpine.

Shorter, lighter, lower, faster, more fuel-efficient -- and cheaper -- than the current one, the new Audi S3 sedan is a deceptive beast.

Put on your blue suede shoes and head on down to Pickles classics auction in Perth on Nov 26 with your money, honey, if you don’t want to end up in Heartbreak Hotel. Because that’s when a prized ‘Elvis Presley’ Chevrolet is going under the hammer. Suspicious minds? Well, that’s all right, because the car, a 1957 pillarless V8 sports coupe, one of the bow-tie brand’s most sought-after collectables, actually belongs to Steve Bumbak, also known as The Chevy Man – and the 54-year-old from Wangara is also one of the world’s best Elvis impersonators. He placed in the top three in an Elvis sing-off in Memphis a few years ago. His love affair with Chevrolets began when he was a toddler and his dad owned a ’55 Chevrolet. ‘I promised myself I’d have it one day,’ he said. And some years later he did track his dad’s old car down, but it had by then been converted to a ute. In more recent times he ended up with a variety of Chevys, one of them with a remarkable history. The ’57 Pillarless was quite a find. It was sourced from Hatillo, a town in Puerto Rico, and although 56 years old, is still almost ‘new’. Its odometer shows a scant 2755 miles (4408km) and Steve was told it belonged to an elderly man who barely had time to drive his big hunk o’ love  on the long, lonely highway before the poor boy went to meet the king of the whole wide world. None of his remaining family drove, so the Chevy remained parked in the garage of his hacienda in Hatillo for the next five decades. But Steve has a lot of other Chevys in his Chevy Man premises in Wangara, and says it’ll be a blue Christmas, but his slightly faded love has to go to someone who’ll take good care of her. ‘Now and then there’s a fool such as I,’ Steve said. If it sells, that’s when the heartache begins.

You sometimes have to wait a while for the good things in life and in the case of the Panda, it's taken 33 years for Fiat's supermini to reach Australia.

The jumping spider is one of the cutest things around - multi-eyed, colourful, and it's stinging bite is quite harmless. It came to mind the moment I saw the Nissan Juke.

The challenge was how to shoehorn it into a shopping centre parking bay. Nissan's new Patrol V8 is a big machine, more than 5.1m in length and close on 2m wide and tall.

Volvo set the pace at Frankfurt with its Concept Coupe, a technologically advanced number of exceptional grace reminiscent of its iconic P1800 of the 1960s.Inspired by contemporary, progressive Scandinavian lifestyle and design as well as iconic elements from the past, the elegant new Volvo Concept Coupe is the first of a series of three concept cars that reveal the design possibilities created by the company's new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).The visual impact is highlighted from the side. The distance between the dashboard and the front axle is extended and the greenhouse has been moved slightly rearwards. A low bonnet, roof, and the five-spoke, 21-inch wheels also contribute to the impression of an elegant Gran Tourer with effortless power. The confident stance is emphasised by a beltline that spans an elegant bow along the whole car.The blue-grey exterior is echoed on the inside of the Coupe. Refined, handcrafted elements such as the leather instrument panel, inlays made of naturally aged wood and the dark blue woven carpets are blended with beautifully machined metal details.The Scalable Product Architecture is also being prepared for completely autonomous driving. The first features with autonomous steering to avoid accidents and make driving more comfortable will be introduced in 2014 and Volvo Cars' aim is to have cars with fully autonomous technology out on the roads before 2020.ENGINEThe coupe embodies what Volvo calls its ‘human centric experience’ and apart from a host of safety electronics, has the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor that will soon replace the brand's five and six-cylinder engines.The engine has turbo and supercharging plus a plug-in electric motor, resulting in total outputs of around 320kW and over 600Nm of torque -- and V8-like performance, but with mini car fuel consumption. The hybrid driveline reflects Volvo Cars' strategy to use electrification to create the most powerful versions in the new four-cylinder Drive-E engine family.However, the classy coupe is not scheduled for production in the near future. Instead, it marks the capability of Volvo's new architecture and elements of its design will feature on all future models, starting with the new XC90 in about a year. 

Scandinavians are known for their elegance and beauty, but some of them have more than a pretty face.

Cleaner air and smarter technology were hot topics at the Frankfurt motor show this year, with a fast-growing number of makers showing their contribution to the environment via reduced exhaust emissions. Mercedes had a big new S-Class 500 sedan with hybrid power that could get to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds - and return 3.0litres/100km - and also had an Intelligent Drive version that meant it was capable of self-driving.Mercedes proved its ability with the technology by sending the car on a 100km+ run, twisty roads included, with no human intervention or control -- tracing the steps of the first car journey ever taken, by Bertha Benz in what was then her husband's new invention.The car was also programmed to stop and pick up people waiting at bus stops, but Mercedes suggested that more improvements are on the way. "It's not perfect yet," a spokesman for the brand said. "(At the moment) if the person does not move, neither will the car."Most of the green cars at the show touted their environmental data on their bodies. Citroen had a DS5 with Hybrid 4 drivetrain that coughed just 88g of CO2/km into the atmosphere, but Toyota had an Auris (Corolla) hybrid sport with an 85g reading and Peugeot produced a 208 hybrid that could run to 100km/h in eight seconds and emit 49g/km.VW introduced its e-Up electric car and a battery-powered Golf, and made it clear it was focusing on those drivetrains for up to 40 future models. And even Porsche had a hybrid on show -- the stunning petrol-electric 918 Spyder that has just set a new record on the Nurburgring.