Articles by Chris Riley

We've driven many cars in the name of fuel economy in past years but the i30 is the first one to actually travel more than 1000km on a single tank of fuel.That's impressive and it makes the CRDi a very attractive proposition at $21,490. It's also the cheapest diesel-powered passenger car on the road.Our test vehicle has passed the 10,000km mark, which in the past is generally the point we found diesels started to deliver better economy.We had been regularly getting between 850 and 900km from the 53-litre tank. But, after spending the day with the glow of the low fuel light, we decided it was time to give the 1000km mark a crack. So, with 940km on the trip metre, we filled a five-litre can with diesel, stuck it in the boot and headed off.With an official fuel consumption figure of 4.7 litres/100km, the i30 CRDi theoretically has a range of 1127km. But in our experience, vehicles rarely achieve this figure when it comes to the real world.The i30 is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine that delivers 85kW of power and 255Nm of torque from a low 1900rpm.In our test car, the engine is hooked up to a five-speed manual transmission.With plenty of torque, the i30 is a snack to drive, happy to dawdle around in just about any gear and it is not fazed by a full complement of passengers.We specifically requested the entry level SX model to see what what drivers get for their money.Until recently you couldn't get the diesel as an auto but this has changed and we look forward to giving it a run too.For long distance commuting, the only thing we really miss is cruise control, which is unfortunately not available in combination with the diesel.Many people point to the higher cost of diesel fuel but, if you take the time to work on the sums, you'll see that you still come out way in front.An auto is obviously going to cost more, but the manual transmission is easy to use and poses no real drama unless you do a lot of city driving.The suspension in the hatch benefits from local tuning and it shows in the way the car rides and handles.Airconditioning is standard, but it struggles to bring down the temperature of the interior on very hot days and after the car has been sitting in the sun.Rear leg room is generous and the rear seat splits 60:40 for longer loads. 

BMW has combined its diesel expertise with innovative Active Hybrid technology in a concept car that could go into production sooner rather than later.Based on a BMW X5, the concept car demonstrates the potential of technology developed as part of the BMW Efficient Dynamics program.Boasting the worlds first all-aluminium diesel with a specific power output of over 65kW per litre of capacity and a generator as part of a mild hybrid concept, the vehicle uses a frugal 6.5-litres of fuel per 100km and emits 172g of carbon dioxide per kilometre.It has sporty driving dynamics and will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds.The engine features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with variable twin turbo, latest generation common rail injection and all-aluminium gearbox housing.It develops 150kW/400Nm.A compact generator, integrated in the gearbox housing, contributes to vehicle acceleration with 15kW and a maximum torque of 210Nm. The total output of the vehicle is 165kW.

Coupe 60 celebrates the six decades since Holden built the 48-215 at its Fishermans Bend plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria.It provides a glimpse of Holden's future directions in design, engineering and emerging engine technologies.The sports luxury Coupe 60 is a pillarless concept car that explores the limits of Holden's current rear-wheel drive capabilities, combining racing looks and technology into a road-going sports car.Its sophisticated appearance is delivered through simple and powerful design, highlighted by the pillarless construction and V8 supercar inspired cockpit layout and side-exiting chambered exhaust system with billet alloy tips.Almost 60mm shorter than the VE sedan, and sitting on 21-inch centre-lock alloy wheels with Kumho high performance semi-slick tyres, Coupe 60 captures an exciting new design from Holden.Other racing-derived enhancements include full flat under body, rear underbody air diffuser and functional rear deck-lid spoiler with unique designed LED tail lamps.The interior one-piece carbon fibre bucket seats feature leather and suede pad design and there is a sports-inspired flat bottomed steering wheel with integrated shift light display and LCD sports instrument cluster.The high gloss carbon fibre carries through to doors and rear trim providing a contrast to the leather trimmed instrument panel and black suede trimmed pillars, headliners and parcel shelf.Under the bonnet is a 6.0-litre V8 engine incorporating the latest technologies such as active fuel management and calibrated for E85 ethanol fuel.Even the paint is a one-off; its called diamond silver by Holden designers, it gives a liquid aluminium finish. 

It doesn't matter how good a vehicle is, if you don't get the colour right you run the risk of losing the car-buying customer. That was the warning from DuPont, which has kept track of colours in the automotive industry for more than 55 years. As many as 40 per cent of people are willing to switch brands to get a specific colour, according to a poll commissioned by the paint manufacturer. After seven years in first place, silver ran into some stiff competition this year with white and white pearl rising to the lead colour choice for vehicles in one key region and two countries. Looking further back, silver took the crown from green in 2000. In North America, the report revealed white/white pearl, silver and black/black effect were in a virtual tie for first, with white/white pearl narrowly taking the top spot. White also topped silver in Japan and was a decisive leader in Mexico, where it more than doubled the popularity of grey. DuPont tipped white/white pearl as a trend-shifting colour and anticipated the new black metallic and other colour effects would show an increase in popularity over time. Red also continued to gain ground and is ensuring a more vividly coloured outlook in nearly all segments. “We are not surprised to see a proliferation of white/white pearl in DuPont's report this year,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of Color: Messages and Meanings. “It follows global trends in home furnishings, fashion, consumer products and industrial design where we are seeing a return to white as a clarifying agent before change, a colour of purity and minimalism.” “White also is considered a fashion statement. The car you drive is a fashion statement and consumer preferences for white agree. White pearl itself is a combination of many colours, allowing an ability to change, reflecting, in effect, layers of white.” From a global perspective, overall colour popularity is beginning to shift from silver to an increased interest in grey. White/white pearl remain a very important colour for trucks and sports utility vehicles based on the high volume of those vehicles. This also is represented in the growth of white/white pearl among luxury buyers and other segments. The popularity of red globally is growing significantly, with an increase of two per cent overall. Red, in particular, is a popular choice with people who want to express a level of individuality with their vehicles. Did you purchase your car on the basis of colour? If you had the chance to choose the colour of your vehicle what would it be?  

A charity auction ended in disappointment when the last Fairlane to leave Ford's production line failed to realise even its list price on Sunday afternoon.Disappointing for Ford perhaps and the National Breast Cancer Council that was due to pocket the proceeds.But not for Melbourne boat dealer Simon Miller, 43, who suddenly found himself the proud owner of another car.“I don’t I think I could have got one that cheap even if I’d haggled,” he said.Ford had anticipated “strong interest” in the event, but the Fairlane, a six cylinder Fairmont Ghia that retails for $58,625, managed to raise only $48,100 – and that's a driveway price including 12 month's registration.Ford enlisted the services of cricketers Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden to promote the event, but the current one day international series must have been more interesting.Perhaps the auction would have attracted more interest if the car had been a V8 model?Yes, concedes Ford, but the trouble is that it stopped manufacturing V8s some time ago.A Ford spokesman, however, confirmed the car is literally the last Fairlane to leave the line.“It's a nice collector car and a very good price at that,” a spokesman said.In the lead-up to the auction, Ford described the car as the final example of more than 250,000 Fairlane and LTD vehicles manufactured between 1967 and 2008.Early last year, Ford decided to pull the pin on the Fairlane as well as the more luxurious LTD model in the wake of falling sales.A total of 12 bidders registered for the auction which ended at 5pm on Sunday.It attracted 40 bids in total, with the winning bid coming just seconds before the end in typical eBay fashion.As the auction drew to a close there were some anxious moment as the eBay site refused to accept any further bids.At the time Miller was out on a boat enjoying the sunshine off Frankston, with a friend keeping him updated on proceedings via text messages.The father of two revealed his own father had owned five Fairlanes over the years but said he had no plans to give him this one.Miller might however cook up something with his beloved Geelong Football Club.Other than that, he has not decided what to do with the car yet.In fact, the boat dealer has just taken delivery of a new turbo-diesel Landcruiser which he uses to tow boats. 

That’s because Honda’s new, larger Accord, released this week (not the Euro), is a stronger, more convincing offering than the previous model – one that could well fill the void left by 380 in the large car segment. In V6 form, at least, it offers something the others don’t – fuel-saving, cylinder shutdown technology that allows the car to run on as little as three cylinders when full power is not required. There’s also a gutsy four-cylinder model that promises even more fuel savings. It’s no secret the large car segment has shrunk significantly in the last couple of years as buyers drift towards smaller more economical vehicles. According to sales figures for 2007, Holden’s Commodore dominated the segment with 57,000 sales, followed by the Ford Falcon (34,000) and Toyota Aurion (22,000). Despite a string of awards, the poor old 380 trailed a poor fourth with just under 11,000 sales for the year followed by the Accord (7200). As sales of the 380 trickle to a stop and eventually dry up, those sales have to go somewhere and Honda is quietly confident of picking up a fair chunk of them, as much as 10 per cent of the segment total over time. And, after driving the new Accord in Victoria last week, we reckon Honda is in with a big chance. Four Accords are offered – a 3.5-litre V6 and a 2.4-litre in-line four, with standard and luxury versions of each. All of them get a revised, five-speed auto with wheel mounted change paddles. With 202kW of power, the V6 trumps the lot (but not by much) – producing more power than all of its competitors _ even the yet to be released new Falcon. The 2.4-litre also eclipses its competitors with 133kW, way ahead of the Ford Mondeo with 118kW. In the “mine’s bigger than yours” stakes, that counts for a lot! The four cylinder model’s entry level price of $29,990 should also turn a few heads, particularly as it includes an auto, climate air, electronic stability control and four airbags _ not to mention six stacker CD sound and full-size alloy spare wheel. We were able to drive the base model 2.4-litre Accord and top of the line V6 Luxury at the launch of the car outside Melbourne. With a larger more prominent front grille, the car has a much a stronger road presence than its predecessor and feels bigger inside, bigger in fact than Honda’s flagship Legend. The four with 222Nm of torque available from 4300rpm pulls strongly and the car feels lighter and more agile than the V6, nothing like the floaty model that it replaces. We pushed it hard through some demanding mountain roads with pleasing results. The stability control system, called Vehicle Stability assist in Honda-speak, intrudes only when absolutely necessary and that wasn’t very often. The engine is a little harsh under hard acceleration and the Michelin tyres generate some noticeable road noise, but apart from that it’s all good. Fuel economy for the four using standard unleaded is rated at 8.8 litres/100km. The V6 with 339Nm of torque available from 5000rpm feels softer and cruisier than the four. The VSA works noticeably harder to keep the car on the road, but still lets the driver have plenty of fun. V6 and Luxury models add curtain airbags and the top of the line V6 Luxury also gets a reversing camera. Unfortunately, the camera is not available even as an option on other models _ something that we believe is an oversight. Fuel economy for the V6 using standard unleaded 10.0 litres/100km on the knocker, but it is able to achieve four cylinder-like economy on longer runs. The change from six, to four or three cylinders is imperceptible. The car measures 4945mm and rear legroom is generous even for taller passengers, with a back seat that folds down to accommodate longer loads. The luggage area itself is good without being remarkable, compromised by the addition of the full-size spare that required the boot floor to be raised several centimetres. You can’t have everything. The tow rating of the car is 1200kg. All in all, the Accord looks every inch the winner, particularly the four-cylinder model at $29,990 with its generous equipment list. The lineup could do with the addition of a sports model, but there’s plenty of add-ons to get you there.  

But looking at the car you'd be forgiven for confusing it with the old one. The two look very much alike.Ford says more than 80 per cent of the sheet metal is either new, different or changed.For all the changes, however, the car still sits on the same platform and is still powered by the same 4.0-litre straight six; so it's really not “all new.”The new FG Falcon arrives at a time when sales of large cars continue to fall, as buyers opt for smaller, more economical vehicles.It's one of the main reasons cited by Mitsubishi for the failure of the 380 and its decision to pull the plug on local manufacturing.Launched 18 months ago, Holden's new VE Commodore is a success, but there's only so much pie to go around.This must have been uppermost in Ford's mind when it allocated the budget for the FG Falcon program. This, and the lesson it learned with the launch of AU Falcon, whose then radical styling only served to alienate buyers. Not about to make the same mistake twice, it might explain why the new Falcon doesn't look that different?Meanwhile, the new American V6 which we're told will replace the old workhorse is still a year or more away.The FG range introduces a new naming structure, with a new sports luxury G Series sedan replacing the Fairmont, along with three different looks and a realignment of models and specifications.The revised body structure is said to deliver significant improvements in structural integrity for greater occupant protection as well as improved vehicle refinement.Inside there's more room for the driver's knees and 10mm more legroom in the back.Ford Australia's new boss Bill Osborne said buyers told the company what they wanted in a new car?“They've told us again and again that they want everything; they don't want to compromise," he said.“They want more performance and improved fuel economy. They want more safety features; both passive and active."“They want more user-friendly technology. And they want it all packaged in a vehicle that visually represents both them and what their car can deliver,” he said.The new Falcon does not go on sale until May, but Ford decided to preview the car before making its debut at the Melbourne Motor Show in a couple of weeks.Designers have moved the A and centre B pillars forward and the rear C pillar backwards to create class leading interior space. It also provides easier access to the car, with wider opening doors.Power from the 4.0-litre straight six is up from 182 to 195kW and torque rises from 380 to 391Nm. The turbocharged six gets 270kW and 533Nm and the 5.4-litre V8, 290kW and 520Nm. Figures for the E-Gas, dedicated LPG engine remain virtually the same at 156kW and 372Nm.The big news is the adoption of a five-speed automatic and electronic stability control as standard across the range.Having said that, you get the choice of the six or LPG engine with the entry level XT, with the latter still hooked up to the old four speed auto.Fuel economy with the five-speed auto drops to 10.5 litres/100km (Commodore's is rated at 10.9 litres/100km)All petrol sedans come with four airbags, stability and traction control plus anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and emergency brake assist.Curtain airbags are optional but fitted to premium models.A reverse camera system is also offered with premium models.Standard equipment includes climate air, four-way power driver's seat, four-speaker single CD audio system, a new, larger computer screen, cruise control and 60/40 split fold rear seats.The all-new FG Ute will go on sale shortly after the sedan.Prices have not been released. 

That's because the Rinspeed sQuba can literally dive under the water and continue to operate submerged, just like a submarine.

Picture this. You're driving along the motorway. The Lexus you are travelling in purrs, whisper quiet. It looks good, too, good enough to draw admiring glances. Up ahead the storm clouds gather and it is not long before the first drops of rain spot the windscreen. The wipers come on automatically. The kilometres rush by and as darkness begins to fall, the car's xenon lights flick on automatically, dipping briefly before coming to rest. There's still a long way to go, but not wanting to get a speeding ticket, you wisely decide to engage cruise control. A digital readout tells you the car's speed is locked to 110km/h and that's where it will stay, unless you are forced to brake for a slow moving vehicle. You have programmed your destination into the car's on-board satellite navigation system, so there's no need to worry about when to turn off or, for that matter, finding the street the 'satnav' will tell you. Ahead a car decides it has had enough of life in the slow lane and suddenly moves out into the lane ahead. Before you have time to react the car does it for you, slowing to match the speed of the vehicle ahead. A couple of minutes later the vehicle returns to the left hand lane and your car's speed climbs automatically back to 110km/h. It's called active cruise control and it is made possible by the in-built radar that scans the road ahead and reacts if any objects move into its path. To while away the hours you turn on the 5.1 Mark Levinson sound system. It's got 14" speakers and sounds better than the hi-fi set up in the lounge room at home. Although the “rels” live almost 800km away, you will probably make it on one tank of fuel. That's because this car is an energy-efficient hybrid and runs on a combination of petrol and electricity, storing the energy normally lost during braking. But it's not like any hybrid that you have driven before, because this car really gets up and goes, with a combined output of 254kW. The drive train consists of a 3.5-litre V6 and a 650-volt electric motor. The latter produces 147kW alone. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a state-of-the-art continuously variable automatic transmission that doubles as a six-speed manual. The dash from 0-100km/h takes 5.9 seconds and it uses just 7.9 litres/100km. If your route takes you over dirt roads, you can switch from sport to comfort setting using the electronically modulated suspension system. In the unlikely event of an accident, the car is fitted with pre-collision lock down system along with 10 airbags. Parking is a snack too, with front and rear distance sensors and a rear view camera. It doesn't get much better than the Lexus GS450h. It's a wonder the car isn't able to park itself. But then Lexus's flagship LS 600hL can lay claim to that feat. The GS450h is priced from $124,900 and Lexus has just released an updated model.

There's no doubting it's quick, but we can't help wonder whether FPV has gone far enough with its cosmetic changes to please the revheads?The turbocharged F6X 270 (the number denotes the engine's power output) looks decidedly under tyred, riding on the same 18-inch Goodyears as the donor Territory Ghia Turbo.FPV boss Rod Barrett admitted he had reservations about the car's styling, but only until he saw the finished product.After seeing and driving the finished car, we still have our doubts.Of course, it's nothing a little optioning and accessorising won't cure and we're sure plenty of that will go on.The F6X is priced from $75,990 for the five-seat version, with a third row of seats bringing the figure to $78,445.That's $10,500 more than a Territory Ghia Turbo, with the only options the third row of seats, satellite navigation and the stripe kit (the latter will set you back $385).The GT-style side stripes in most promotional photographs are not standard.As with the Territory, there will be no V8 because there is no room for one under the bonnet.To put this in context, 67 per cent of FPV buyers opt for a V8.In terms of price and performance, Barrett believes the car has no real competitors, either imported or locally built.“It's got Porsche Cayenne performance, but it hasn't got a Porsche Cayenne price on it,” he said.The F6X arrives on the eve of the launch of an all-new Falcon, codenamed Orion, due to make its debut at the Melbourne Motor Show later this month.The Falcon will herald new Typhoon and GT sedans to come from FPV at the beginning of June, undoubtedly with larger, more powerful versions of the turbocharged six and V8.FPV's version of the turbo puts out 270kW of power and 550Nm of torque and that, as far as the F6X is concerned, is the way it's going to stay.The Turbo Territory dishes out 245kW but a lot less torque.The turbocharged six is teamed with the familiar ZF six-speed auto from Territory that allows the driver to change manually.There is no manual.Apart from the more powerful engine, $75,000 buys you bigger, beefier Brembo brakes and suspension that has been retuned to reduce body roll.Inside, there's two-tone leather upholstery, but no gauges as in the sedan.Four airbags and a reversing camera are standard.A full-size matching alloy spare is under the back.Surprisingly, the wagon has not been lowered, still riding at 179mm the same height as the standard Turbo.Together with the smallish 18-inch tyres, you get the impression that FPV had Mum and the children in mind when it put this one together.Having said that, at 2125kg, the F6X can still sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.95 seconds.FPV's engineers worked with those from Bosch to recalibrate the electronic stability control system which is described as less intrusive.The size and weight of the wagon demand that it exhibits more body roll than a sedan in corners.Regardless of this, it still exudes confidence and it takes a lot to get the wagon out of shape.Fuel economy using premium unleaded fuel is rated at 14.9 litres/100km, but this can vary greatly in either direction depending on how you drive.All in all, it's an appealing package, but one that perhaps doesn't go far enough in terms of styling.The F6X 270 goes on sale on 29, February 2008.