Articles by Craig Duff

Size translates into less cost at purchase and at the petrol station, along with less grief when shoehorning into parking spots that regular cars rightly shy away from.

Alfa Romeo returns to the sports car segment with a lightweight two-seater that delivers on the promise of its sinewy shape.

Toyota Corolla Levin ZR and Holden Cruze SRi-V go head-to-head in this comparative review. .star {width:135px;}#article-corpus {width:100%; padding-right: 0;}

Alfa has announced there will be 1000 “launch edition” models and 3500 production vehicles of the exotic 4C sports coupe in the first year. Australian spokeswoman Karla Leach says Australia-Pacific will get around 10 per cent of that allocation. Just how many of the estimated 100 and 350 vehicles respectively are destined for Australia is still to be decided.Both versions will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of next year and Alfa Australia already holds 100 serious expressions of interest. “Until we know the allocation we’ve put a hold on pre-orders,” Leach explained.Final pricing has not been confirmed yet, but Australian cars are expected to cost $80,000-$90,000 for the regular vehicle and $100,000-$120,000 for the launch edition.The two-seater 4C is based around a carbon-fibre chassis to keep weight down to a svelte 895kg (dry). The 1.7-litre turbo petrol engine is good for 177kW/350Nm and power is transferred to the rear wheels via a dual-clutch auto.The launch version adds a carbon fibre spoiler and mirror covers, rear alloy diffuser, 18-inch front and 19-inch rear alloys finished in a burnished look, brake callipers in the buyer’s choice of four colours, a race exhaust, BMC air cleaner and a suspension kit with harder shock absorbers and rear anti-roll bar.Watch the video here.  

The latest player in the light-car class is going to turn heads and market share. Renault's fourth-generation Clio lands with a pair of sweet, fuel-efficient engines and a tight body wrapped in curvaceous panels. A five-year warranty and capped price servicing at $299 annually for three years puts the Clio on a par with the best of this breed.VALUEThe Clio's pricing is almost as sharp as its looks. The Volkswagen Polo and Mazda2 were two key benchmarks for Renault. Accordingly, the Clio kicks off at $16,790 for the Authentique model with 15-inch steel rims, a 900cc turbo engine and a five-speed manual transmission. The Expression range adds alloy wheels, an 18cm touchscreen with updated infotainment and bling for $1000, while the same model with the 1.2-litre four-cylinder and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission is $19,790. It costs $300 to add powered rear windows to the Expression models, but the price includes electric folding side mirrors, auto headlights and wipers and keyless entry.The range maxes out at $23,290 for the Dynamique, which adds climate control aircon, 16-inch alloys and upgraded interior trim. The VW line-up extends from $16,990-$21,490; the Mazdas are $15,790-$18,580.TECHNOLOGYIgnore the engine size -- the Renaults push out more grunt than cubic capacity suggests. The triple-cylinder 900cc engine is manual-only and good for 66kW/135Nm. Those are marginally bigger numbers than the 1.4-litre Polo and performance is lineball at a tick over 12 seconds to 100km/h.Where the Clio's wins is its official fuel consumption: 4.5 litres/100km against 6.1 litres for the VW. Step-up to the 1.2-litre four-cylinder Clio with 88kW/190Nm and the only option is automatic. The sprint time drops to 9.4 seconds and fuel use rises marginally to 5.2L/100km.DESIGNFrench flair is the Clio's strong suit. It relies on contrasting curves to create a taut, athletic look that works from all angles.  It's a five-door car with the lines of a three-door, courtesy of concealed rear door handles and tapering roofline.  The profile also defies convention with a protruding protective plastic strip that runs along the bottom of both doors.It is practical and adds to the car's aesthetic look, with a range of colour-coded highlights. The front end bears the company's new signature styling with a large silver Renault logo set in a gloss black background.  The interior plastics have a texture and feel that should be appreciated -- soft-touch where it counts and durable where needed.SAFETYEuroNCAP awarded the Clio the best supermini of 2012 accolade after the car earned top marks in three of the four categories -- adult and child protection and safety assist features. All models have dual front and side head and chest airbags, stability and traction control and hill-start assist. The ride height is 45mm lower than the outgoing Clio model and the car is 100kg lighter, both of which translate into improved roadholding.DRIVINGThe 900cc three-cylinder engine is essentially the four-cylinder with a piston shaved off it. So power is down around 25 per cent. That makes it a capable urban runabout but it can struggle at low revs on hilly country roads as the engine tries to get back on boost.Brisk use of the manual gearbox helps overcome it on all but the steepest inclines. It would still be an issue on take-off in Sydney's hilly streets with four adults on board -- assuming you can find two adults to fit in the back. Like most light cars, the rear-pew legroom restricts it to occasional use for grown-ups.The 1.2-litre engine is the best option, with the Expression model representing the best value. The dual-clutch auto occasionally hunts for a gear uphill, but it's not meant to be driven like a sports car -- that'll be the duty of the RS model.Noise suppression in both cars is first rate over any surface and the suspension sets a nice balance between compliance and composure. Steering heft is likewise on the money andVERDICTLight car buyers will struggle to find a reason not to consider the Clio. It has the looks, the liveliness and the layout to impress in this market.Renault ClioPrice: from $16,790-$23,290Capped servicing: 3 yearsService intervals: 12 months/15,000kmEngine: 0.9L turbo 3-cylinder, 66kW/135Nm; 1.2L turbo 4-cylinder, 88kW/190NmTransmission: 5-speed manual or 6-speed dual clutch auto, FWDThirst: 4.5L/100km (0.9L engine), 5.2L/100km (1.2L engine)Dimensions: 4.06m (L), 1.73m (W), 1.45m (H)Weight: 1019kg-1104kgSpare: Temporary 

The viral online reaction to sketches of the VF Monaro reflects the passion that still exists for the Holden brand, says the newly appointed design director. Richard Ferlazzo says Holden’s strength is in maintaining passion for its products among the public and its personnel but in the case of the Monaro, it went overboard.“The Monaro sketches were totally blown out of proportion. You’ve got to remember it was a couple of guys working after hours mucking about and honing their skills. This was not a project that was requested or sanctioned,” Ferlazzo says. “It was shown just for fun because people always ask but with social media today things get blown out of proportion very quickly. What it really shows is how much interest there is in the brand with a sketch like that … but any sensible person would know that, this long into its life-cycle, we wouldn’t be entertaining it.”Ferlazzo knows a bit about concepts: he’s the man responsible for styling the radical purple-painted Efijy. That car won legions of fans when it was shown at the 2005 Australian Motor Show and was judged by the global media as the outstanding concept car at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show -- beating the best the big-budget global design studios could deliver.“I’m very proud of Efijy but I’m equally proud of other products, especially (Commodore) Sportwagon, which was being developed at the same time.  It’s a balance … a way of showing what we can do without constraints and that we’re can also create attractive, pragmatic vehicles.Ferlazzo won’t be drawn on the future of the Commodore beyond the VF but says the car still has a place in dealerships. “You only have to look at a 5 Series BMW and check the dimensions, check the configuration … it’s the most aspirational sedan in the world. We’ve got one within a whisker of it at a fraction of the price, so you can’t tell me that car is irrelevant, it’s just the marketplace here that’s small.”Ferlazzo should know -- the 25-year Holden veteran was responsible for exterior styling on the VT Commodore and had overall responsibility for the VE and VF models. He was also involved developing the look of the V2 Monaro and Pontiac GTO.Holden says Ferlazzo’s new role involves “advanced, production and global contract programs”. That means he will oversee everything from concept cars and vehicles intended for local consumption to helping with the design of Buick, GMC, Chevrolet and the Chinese-based Shanghai GM joint venture models.The downside is it means he will spend more time in meetings than he does behind the tablet. “Any designer laments that transition where you move farther away from the studio, but it’s not like I’m in another building, which in some places is the case. They won’t shake me off,” he says of the 130-strong workforce he now oversees. 

The Infiniti Q50 will launch in January with expected V6 petrol hybrid and 2.1-litre turbodiesel engines as Infiniti looks to step up its attack on the Australian prestige market. Infiniti general manager Kevin Snell won’t officially comment on the Q50 drivetrains but the UK arm of Nissan’s premium arm has already gone on sale with the above engines. Internet rumours suggest a four-cylinder turbo petrol is also well advanced. The hybrid is an in-house design that’s used in the line-up already on sale in Australia. The turbodiesel is sourced from Mercedes-Benz and cranks out 125kW/400Nm in UK guise. Infiniti has just cut prices on its existing models by an average of $10,000, reflecting modest sales and the fact the Australian outfit was forced to launch with models in the middle of their life-cycle Snell says existing Infiniti owners -- and there are 200 year-to-date -- will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis to ensure they’re not disadvantaged by the price cut. “When we launched the brand we aimed to build identity and deliver a customer experience that no other prestige carmaker could offer,” Snell says. “That customer experience extends to the price adjustments. Our dealers have a unique relationship with their clients and we will deal with them accordingly. We intentionally started small (with just three dealers -- in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne) and now we’re stepping up to phase two.  That starts with the Q50, which will be on sale in January and will roll out from there. Part of that strategy is the appointment of a new national sales manager in Andrei Zaitzev. “We’ve had a long-burn program - the business plan rolls out until 2020 - and there are now a significant number of new models in the pipeline that let us open the next wave of dealerships and progressively expand the models,” Snell says. “We’ll leverage the four-cylinder turbo powertrains - they’re the future - and our relationship with Red Bull Racing in F1 to continue building brand identity.” Snell affirms the signing of Daniel Ricciardo to Red Bull will help the Australian arm by giving it a high-profile local ambassador to reinforce Infiniti’s performance credentials.  

Reputation is everything when selling cars and the Isuzu D-Max is renowned as a tough workhorse in terms of body and drivetrain. The image helps explain why regional and rural buyers are increasingly going for the Thai-built utes. They haven't taken off in the big cities as yet, but they will.With Isuzu Ute Australia commanding 6 per cent of the 4x4 ute segment to date this year, or about 4900 sales, it is outselling the heavily marketed Volkswagen Amarok by almost 2000 vehicles.IUA spokesman Dave Harding says the focus since the marque launched here as a separate entity in 2008 has been on slowly consolidating the brand. “We knew the D-Max would be popular in regional areas and we've focused on that,” Harding says, “but growing the dealer network in the metropolitan areas has also been a priority.“Building a dealer network takes time -- you need to find the right people in the right locations and the dealers need to be satisfied the brand is going to drive sales -- our recent performance will no doubt help with our dealer network expansion.”Harding says the next step is to increase Isuzu ute's urban footprint. To do that, the D-Max needs factory bling to satisfy family buyers, who increasingly like four-door utes for the height and versatility of having a tray to load everything from bikes to garden mulch.There's nothing wrong with the exterior looks of the D-Max range but the interior plastics are still not at the class-leading Ford Ranger level. “There's a couple of products in the pipeline but we haven't put a timeframe on it,” Harding says.“We are the largest distributor of the D-Max outside of the Thai market, but like all importers, we have to negotiate price and specification based on what's coming down the line.” The Thai factory builds more than 200,000 D-Max 4x2 and 4x4s a year and the rugged chassis also underpins the Holden Colorado on sale here. The D-Max range is from $27,200 for the single-cab rear-drive SX with five-speed manual to $51,700 for the LS-T crew cab with five-speed auto.

The sharpest knife is wielded by Proton, whose Preve sedan is now the cheapest small car in the country. Proton marketing general manager Billy Falconer says the cut -- which amounts to a 15 per cent shave off the original price -- is a reaction to the aggressive discounting of rivals.The flip is the annual/15,000km servicing cost is now capped for the first five years or 75,000km, rather than the free servicing as previously. "In order to compete with all these offers, we have reduced the price for the Preve range, with the manual starting at just $15,990 driveaway and the CVT auto Preve from $17,990 driveaway for a limited time only," Falconer says.The Preve is the first Proton to earn a five-star ANCAP safety rating and comes with a five-year warranty. The Malaysian brand is relying on the improved safety and features -- all Preve models have 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, and controls for the sound system and phone mounted on the steering wheel -- to help boost sales.The company sold just 856 vehicles last year and is behind that number year-to-date with 353 sales to July. A new hatch and people-mover -- both built according to Proton's improved safety standards -- are imminent.Ford's Focus Ambiente is -- for now -- just $18,990 on the road, including free servicing for the first three annual/15,000km check-ups. Mazda's $19,990 deal on the Neo includes a four-year warranty and three years' roadside assistance. A Mitsubishi Lancer ES with a front and rear spoilers, side skirts and alloy wheels is available for $19,990 driveaway until the end the month.PRICE WARModel                                November 2012     NowCitroen C4                          $22,990                 $20,990Ford Focus                         $20,290                 $18,990*Holden Cruze                      $21,490                 $19,490Mazda3                              $20,330                 $19,990*Proton Preve                       $18,990*                $15,990*Mitsubishi Lancer                $19,990                 $19,990**denotes driveaway pricing

Mazda has brought a pre-production version into the country for its local reveal and predicts the car will follow the existing trend in matching the hatch for overall sales.A more aggressive styling and a vastly improved standard of interior fit and finish should ensure the 3 stays at the head of the small car pack. The front end is the most impressive, with a wing-shaped design flowing from the bottom of the grille to the top of the headlights and then on to the heavily contoured front guards that gives the impression the arches have been flared.The length is the same as the current model but the front and rear overhangs have been trimmed and the car is lower and wider. Exterior looks are subjective but there’s no doubt Mazda has made a concerted effort to lift the interior trim to Euro-style levels. Faux carbon-fibre and piano black highlights lift the interior and the contact points are all soft-touch.The equipment has been upgraded to match. Top-spec versions will boast a seven-inch touchscreen with internet connectivity and a heads-up display that projects speed and satnav directions on to a plastic panel mounted between the steering wheel and dash.It’s tilt-adjustable to compensate for different diver heights and seating positions. Blind-spot warning and a city smart brake support package highlight the new safety features. The brakes will automatically engage at speeds of 4-30km/h, which Mazda says is the first for the class.The economical SkyActive engines have also been rolled out across the range. The base 2.0-litre four-cylinder is good for 114kW/200Nm and officially uses 5.7 litres of regular unleaded every 100km. That’s a huge cut on the 8.2L/100km in the base engine in the existing line-up. the 2.5-litre engine produces 138kW/250Nm and returns 6L/100km, down from 8.6 littres.The cars will be sold with a six-cogs in manual and automatic guise. Marking manager Alastair Doak says 30 per cent of Mazda 3 sales are manuals, giving the company no reason to go auto-only. Prices have yet to be set but are expected to rise marginally from the $20,330 entry point for the current line-up. Mazda Australia head Martin Benders says negotiations are about to start with Japan but the car “will get the price it deserves”.