Articles by CarsGuide team

Last year was a landslide, but the 2013 Women’s World Car of the Year looks set to be a tight contest.Land Rover's Range Rover Evoque took the honours in 2012 with a massive majority of voting from the 14 female judges around the globe. But WWCOTY organisers say several cars were already close in this year’s process for selection of finalists from all vehicles launched over the past 12 months.“It was clear from the early submissions from judges last year that the Evoque was well ahead on points from the outset.  This year it looks like two or three cars could vie for the top prize so it makes the contest very interesting, even at this early stage,” WWCOTY CEO Sandy Myhre says.Models such as the Toyota 86, Volkswagen’s new Golf VII, BMW F30 3 Series, and Mazda’s 6 are in the running, along with higher-end models such as Land Rover’s new Range Rover, Porsche’s Boxster, and Ferrari’s F12.Aside from an overall winner, class winners under the headings of Economy Car, Family Car, SUV, Sports Car, Luxury Car, and Dream Car will be awarded.  Winners will be announced mid-May at a presentation event in London. 2013 WWCOTY FinalistsECONOMY CARKia Forte (Cerato)Honda CivicHyundai i30Toyota Prius CFord Fiesta EcoBoost FAMILY CAR                                                                   Volkswagen Golf VII                                                                                            Mazda6                                                               Mercedez B-Class                                                                                          Audi A4 Allroad                                                                                                    BMW F30 3 Series SUV    Land Rover Range Rover                                                                                                    Hyundai Santa Fe                                                                                          Nissan Pathfinder                                                                                          Mazda CX5                                                                                                       Honda CRV                                                                                                                                                                                                         SPORTS CARPorsche Boxster                                                                                         Audi RS 5                                                                                                           Ford Focus ST                                                                                                Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ                                                                              Volkswagen Golf GTI                                                                                                                                                                                                                     LUXURY CARMercedes Benz SL550Lexus GSCadillac ATSLand Rover Range RoverBMW 6 Series DREAM CARMaserati QuattroporteJaguar F-typePorsche BoxsterPorsche 911 Aston Martin VanquishFerrari F12 

BMW is preparing to introduce running changes to its 1, 3, and 6 Series models in Europe in coming months – with some likely to continue on to Australian cars  within a year. However BMW Australia could not confirm when the changes would roll out to Australian-spec models.  “We don’t have an exact timeline for these changes, but like any new technology we’d be very interested in anything that is suitable for our market,” BMW spokesperson Lenore Fletcher says. Key among the changes will be Euro VI emissions compliance for all petrol variants, more than 12 months ahead of the September 2014 mandate for the new European standards.  More diesel variants are set to become Euro VI compliant ahead of the due date, helped by an expanded availability of BMW’s BluePerformance urea-injection system. By early 2014, all six-cylinder Z4 and M Performance models will also be Euro VI compliant. All 1, 3, and 6 Series models equipped with the eight-speed automatic transmission are set to score a new launch control function, offering drivers ‘set and forget’ capability to extract maximum off-the-mark performance.  Those eight-speed models equipped with the EcoPro efficiency drive mode will also feature a new ‘sail mode’, which disconnects the engine and drivetrain when coasting, offering a marginal fuel efficiency gain. Further EcoPro functionality will be available when the ‘Professional’ satnav pack is optioned, with the navigation able to offer efficiency guidance to the driver when approaching bends or intersections.  Several ConnectedDrive Safety features currently exclusive to the 7 Series model are also set to filter down through the lesser model ranges. The optional Driving Assistant pack now includes lane departure and collision warning, combined with potential collision recognition and suggestive braking at speeds up to 60km/h. The next-tier Driving Assistant Plus combines adaptive cruise control with the ability to apply maximum braking to avoid a collision, and the Lane Change Warning blind-spot monitoring option will also be capable of working as slow as 20km/h (down from 70km/h). BMW 6 and 7 Series models optioned with the Night Vision system will soon be able to recognise animals in addition to pedestrians – arguably of greater benefit to Australian buyers.  

The price premium on Australian-delivered Porsches continues, but things are a changin'. As a result of the soaring Aussie dollar and market pressure, Porsche has now dropped the price of some models -- although we still pay nearly twice as much for a Porsche as a US buyer.Porsche Australia says it cut the prices to remain competitive. They want to double sales here by 2020, which translates into 2500 vehicles. The price cuts range from 7.5 per cent to 13 per cent on 911 sports cars, 5 per cent across the Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe ranges, and 10 per cent off every Cayenne SUV.It means $5500 off the cheapest model, the Boxster convertible (down from $107,000 to $101,500). Significantly, the price cuts equate to some $36,300 discount on the current flagship of the 911 sports-car range, the Carrera 4 Cabriolet ($280,900 to $244,600).The company has also trimmed the price of parts replaced during routine servicing by 25 per cent. Porsche price rises over the past five years have outpaced inflation. In the US, a base model Porsche Carrera 911 is $84,300. Here, the same car goes for $229,400, some of it accounted for in taxes.

How does the Audi A7 Sportback fare against the multi-door luxury coupe Porsche Panamera and the Mercedes CLS?Audi A7 Sportback 3.0 TDIPrice: from $135,750Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel; 180kW/580NmTransmission: 8-speed auto, AWDThirst: 5.9L/100km; 156g/km CO2Porsche Panamera SPrice: from $287,100Engine: 4.8-litre V8 petrol; 294kW/500NmTransmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, RWDThirst: 10.5L/100km; 247g/km CO2Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CDIPrice: from $159,200Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel; 195kW/620NmTransmission: 7-speed auto, RWDThirst: 6.2L/100km; 163g/km CO2