Articles by Craig Duff

Walk into a pet shop and there'll always be a pooch that's endearing but overlooked. The deterrent might be the price, or the markings or even the fact it's an exotic breed so it'll presumably take mo

France takes on Japan in this battle of the city runabouts. Craig Duff referees.

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the Mini John Cooper Works at its Australian launch.

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the new 2015 Skoda Fabia at its international launch.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol will land in Australian showrooms on September 1 in Prestige trim level. Jaguar Australia opted not to take the base Pure specification.Buyers will get an eight-speed automatic to handle the 147kW/280Nm from the Ford-built engine, reversing camera, automated parking, blind spot and lane departure warning with autonomous emergency braking, a eight-inch infotainment screen with satnav, high-intensity xenon headlamps, leather upholstery, electric seats and 11-speaker audio, though digital audio is an option.The same engine in a higher "25t" tune develops 177kW/340Nm. The sticker: $64,900.The single diesel model is a 2.0-litre turbo priced from $62,800. The Jaguar-developed engine is good for 132kW/430Nm and class-leading fuel economy of 4.2L/100km.Prices undercut the rival BMW 3 Series and Benz C-Class but are about $3000 dearer than Audi's ageing but still more than competent A4.The three XE variants also come in R-Sport trim that adds $4000 and includes distinctive 18-inch alloy wheels, sports seats with grippy mesh inserts, sportier suspension tune and body kit.A Portfolio edition, exclusive to the 25t at $70,400, adds luxury touches such as premium perforated leather, instrument panel topped with faux-leather and electric rear window blind.At the peak of the range is the $104,200 XE S, sharing the 250kW/450Nm supercharged V6 from the F-Type coupe. It rolls on 19-inch alloys and includes sports leather seats with suede inserts, adaptive dampers, unique body kit and blacked-out window surrounds and rear valance.That pitches it directly at the Audi S4 sedan; neither BMW or Benz has a comparable model. Then again, Jaguar doesn't have a rival — for now — for the M3 or C63 AMG S.Notable options include the Highway Technology Pack, which for $3420 bundles adaptive cruise control with a head-up display and a "solar attenuating" windscreen. The adaptive dampers from the XE S can be ordered as an $1850 option on the rest of the range.Jaguar Land Rover Australia managing director Matt Weisner admits it was an arm-wrestle with head office to secure the price and specification needed to give Jaguar impetus in the segment."This is the most hotly contested field in the premium market, we're the new kids on the block and we needed to make sure we could make a statement from a value point of view as well as with the product itself," Weisner says."The XE is important to give us volume. The XE, like all Jaguars, at its core is and must be a drivers' car."The September rollout is the start of a frantic 10 months for Jag. The facelifted XJ is due in November, followed by the XF about February and the F-Pace arriving mid-2016.

The Remote Control Parking function lets drivers exit the vehicle and use the key fob with a colour LED screen to direct the car to drive into or out of a tight parking slot or garage.The logic is such a feature avoids the difficulty of the driver parking and then trying to open the doors with little room to manoeuvre.BMW Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says there's every chance the feature will make an appearance on local cars in the near future."There are some steps we have to go through to comply with Australian laws and we're working on that now," she says.The sixth-generation 7 Series still has plenty of other techno-wizardry. It has gesture recognition for audio volume controls and accepting or rejecting an incoming phone call, an inductive pad to recharge smartphones wirelessly, a touchscreen mounted on the top of the iDrive rotary controller and a bigger, brighter head-up display.There's also a new adaptive mode in the so-called Driving Experience Control settings to adjust the vehicle's transmission and throttle responses, according to the driver's inputs and the nature of the route as determined by GPS mapping and forward facing cameras.Weight has been trimmed by up to 130kg relative to the current car with carbon-fibre reinforced plastic first used on the BMW i3 and i8.

Even then it is not necessarily indicative of the look of the much anticipated two-seat production coupe slated for launch next year.Renault says the show car revealed at last weekend's Le Mans 24-Hour race is a 60th anniversary homage to the brand and "the latest in a series of vehicles designed to showcase the Alpine legend".The reaction from the Le Mans crowd and spectators at the coming Goodwood Festival of Speed will help shape the final design.The Celebration draws heavily on Alpine's racing heritage, from blue and orange livery to the cross-taped front lights recalling its rally cars and the style of the bonnet creases and hub-locking wheels that echo the successful A110 models of the 1960s and '70s.The Alpine arrowed "A" has been festooned on the air intake grille, sides, front wings and roof. Carbon fibre has been applied to highlight key body parts, from the spoiler to the rear diffuser, side sills, air intakes and mirrors.It was looking at a car to sit between the Lotus Elise and Porsche Cayman in terms of price and performanceBeyond its mid-engined layout, there's no word on the Celebration's drivetrain. The last Alpine concept — the curvaceous A110-50 shown in 2012 — was powered by a 3.5-litre V6.Alpine later said it was looking at a car to sit between the Lotus Elise and Porsche Cayman in terms of price and performance.That would make the Renaultsport Megane's 2.0-litre turbo engine the most likely candidate. That engine develops 201kW/360Nm and is matched to a six-speed manual in the Megane RS275 Trophy.The relaunch of the Alpine brand was originally planned as a joint venture with Caterham using a common platform with unique bodywork for each marque. The deal ended in 2014 when Renault bought out Caterham's stake in the project.The Alpine brand was born in the early 1950s when garage owner Jean Redele started racing lightweight cars powered by Renault engines. His on-track success led to demand for production models and he launched the A106 — a fibreglass-bodied coupe on Renault 4CV running gear.The last Alpine — the A610 — rolled out of the Dieppe factory in northern France in 1995. Renault has since used the plant to produce RenaultSport models but has promised the reborn Alpine range will return to its spiritual home when a production version is eventually signed off.

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the 2015 BMW M235i convertible, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ford has set its sights high as it pitches its new seven-seat Everest SUV against the dominant Toyota Prado.

Australian buyers have committed nearly $50 million on the yet-to-arrive Mercedes-Benz C63 S AMG.