Articles by Craig Duff

The South-Korean company previewed a three-door i20 WRC racer at this week’s Paris Motor Show and European marketing director Mark Hall says the class’s excitement and dynamism embodies Hyundai’s brand.  “Our participation will demonstrate Hyundai’s engineering excellence and desirability, and will also help to enhance our passenger vehicles in future,” Hall says. Hyundai also unveiled a fuel-cell ix35 SUV that will be leased to private and fleet operators in Europe later this year. The company didn’t reveal prices but says the car can travel almost 600km between refills and  the fuel cell generates around 75kW by converting hydrogen into electricity to feed a lithium polymer battery that powers the motor. A three-door version of the i30 small car was also shown for the first time. It is exclusively for European markets - at least for now - and the sharply styled hatch will be sold with the choice of three diesel and three petrol engines mated to six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.  

Fuel cells are again stacking up for carmakers at the Paris Motor Show, with Nissan’s TeRRA off-roader concept one of several hydrogen-powered cars on show. Nissan says the Terra SUV showcases its ability to “mass-produce fuel-cell electric vehicles whenever hydrogen becomes widely available.” So don’t hold your breath for a production vehicle, even though Nissan has said it will have a fuel-cell vehicle on sale in Europe by 2015. Drive for the front wheels is from a lithium-ion battery pack adopted from the Leaf, which is expected to provide propulsion around town. Off the road, or on slippery surfaces, the rear wheels will kick in. They are driven by a pair of in-wheel motors lifted from the Pivo concepts and powered by the hydrogen fuel cell that generates 2.5kW/litre. The interior layout is unique, with the driver positioned almost centrally in the car and the other seats arranged in a diagonal layout that puts the rear passengers looking over the shoulders of the front seat occupants, rather than facing the seat backs. A tablet provides driver information by default but can be toggled to show satnav and multimedia functions and is removed from the car when not in use.  

And Renault is promising the same cutting-edge approach to Clio pricing to finally give it a serious light car contender. A full Renault Clio range presumably including the SportsTourer wagon recently spied testing in Europe will go on sale in Australia midway through next year, replacing the existing Renault Clio Sport, which was the only model of the third-generation car offered here.The new Renault Clio adopts the styling of the widely-praised DeZir concept car. As a result, it sits lower and wider on the road. The gap between the tyres and the flared wheel arches has also been reduced to improve its profile and the combined changes make it one of the best-looking light cars on the road.Renault is following the Mini and Audi A1 lead in having a huge range of exterior colour options for the Clio, which will come with LED daytime running lights and scalloped doors with chrome-highlighted lower inserts. The same customization will apply inside with options for the air vent surrounds, gear-shift base, door panels and dash.The interior picks up the seven-inch tablet-style display screen, set in an otherwise uncluttered dash. Renault Australia spokeswoman Emily Ambrosy says the company is working hard to ensure the touchscreen’s optional “R-Link” applications-based functionality comes on line soon.The R-Link launches in Europe with around 50 apps that be downloaded from within the car (using a connected Bluetooth smartphone) or loaded via PC. “We want R-Link. It’s the latest in-car technology and works off the steering wheel controls or with voice recognition, but we need to verify which apps will be available in Australia,” Ambrosy says. “We’re likely to launch with (the basic) MediaNav system, but expect to see R-Link sooner rather than later.”Renault Australia has yet to confirm which engines we’ll take, but the likely candidates are the three new engines announced for the car which will be officially unveiled at this week’s Paris Motor Show. The entry point is a 900cc triple-cylinder with 68kW/135Nm that uses a meagre 4.3L/100km, followed by a direct-injection turbo 1.2-litre four-cylinder that ups the power ante to 90kW/190Nm and will come with the option of a dual-clutch automated manual transmission.The headline act at least in terms of fuel use is a 1.5-litre turbo diesel that in European spec is said to use just 3.2L/100km while generating 68kW/220Nm. The hot-hatch RS version will follow late in 2013 and is expected to use a 150kW turbo 1.6-litre engine mated to a dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters. If existing Renault Sport models such as the Megane RS 265 are any example, expect it to be one of the best driving cars in the class. 

That decision is despite the European move away from the full-sized people-mover with the new mid-sized model. The new Rondo goes on show at this week’s Paris Motor Show.

The Zoe electric light car is copping a pounding by Renault Australia's beancounters as they work to build a business case for the vehicle. Company spokeswoman Emily Ambrosy says the five-door city car is aimed at private buyers, unlike the fleet-focused Fluence sedan. "This is the next generation electric car for us and we think it will work with city-based families," she notes. The Zoe is powered by a 65kW/220Nm motor and uses regenerative braking, a heat-pump and special Michelin tyres to extend its range to 80-100km of freeway driving or 100-150km of city commuting. The added city range comes from the lower speeds and the extra "recharge" provided during the constant braking in urban environments. In another first, the Zoe has a "voice" that alerts pedestrians to its presence at speeds from 1-30km/h. The voice has three different notes or can be optionally switched off. The car will sell in Europe for 20,000 euros — or around $25,000. That's without the battery, which Euroepan customers will lease from energy provider Better Place for around 80 euros a month. Significantly, the car also qualifies for EU government rebates of up to 7000 euro, depending on the country.  

It’s what’s on the inside of the new Kia Sorento that counts. The medium-sized SUV has undergone midlife cosmetic surgery to modernize its looks and now boasts a new bumper with upright fog lights and LED running lights.More significantly, it now has a 2.4-litre petrol engine that will go on sale alongside the 3.5-litre petrol already fitted under the hood. The new direct-injection engine is good for 141kW/242Nm and uses around 8.6L/100km.It has been homologated for Australia but Kia Australia has yet to decide whether it has a place in the local line-up. The existing 2.2-litre diesel has had its thirst trimmed by around 0.3L/100km while still producing the same power and torque.Interior enhancements are intended to make the seven-seater look more luxurious and include satin chrome finishes on the door handles, air-vent surrounds and switchgear, a new centre stack with a seven-inch LCD screen and extra insulation to reduce noise in the cabin. 

Dinosaurs still stalk the earth - and they're as awesome as ever. In motoring terms V8s are a legacy system; evolving emission standards and more efficient downsized engines have forced a gradual retreat of the bent eights until they are now the preserve of performance cars.But when T-Rex roars, sensible smaller creatures get out of the way. Holden Special Vehicles' latest carnivore is the reintroduced standard ClubSport - and it's still something to cower away from.VALUEA driveaway price of $64,990 puts the base model HSV way up the pecking order in terms of outlay for acceleration.The Commodore-based Clubbie gives away a measly 8kW to the higher-spec HSVs and misses out on the enhanced driver interface, which includes the bi-model exhaust that has enough reverb to do structural damage to buildings. It picks up unique “Pentagon” 20-inch alloy rims, “competition mode” ESC, four-piston brakes, satnav and a reversing camera.TECHNOLOGYThe facelifted HSVs are rumoured to be the last to use the naturally aspirated V8, with a supercharged engine from General Motors' US catalogue tipped to go under the hood when the VF-based cars roll out this time next year.For now the 6.2-litre V8s' outputs of 317kW/550Nm are still enough to induce oversteer on demand - at least with the stability control loosened up in competition mode. The six-speed manual is also fitted with launch control to “maximise potential” off the line.DESIGNAggressive styling is one of the reasons the Commodore consistently outsells Falcon. HSV takes that to the ninth degree with an in-your-face front end that is impossible to mistake. It's the motoring equivalent of a breast enhancement: there's nothing subtle about it but it turns heads every time. The interior is still blinged-up Commodore but the bolstered seats hang on as tightly as the Bridgestone Potenza tyres.SAFETYThe VE Commodore is a five-star car in ANCAP's testing and that forms the starting point for the HSV. Upgraded brakes and a revised ABS/stability control set-up increase the safety threshold before the six airbags are required.DRIVINGBrutality is rarely this forgiving. The ClubSport takes just on five seconds to haul its 1800kg mass to 100km/h, yet it defies that supercar performance by being as tractable as car around town as the driver wants.It's old-school motoring at its modern best. The brakes resist fade - at least on the road - and there is unadulterated engagement with the steering wheel and rear wheels. The steering is more feedback-oriented than any Commodore and the back end lets you know when you're on the limit of adhesion - then lets you go a little farther before the dashboard lights start to flicker.The only downside is the fuel consumption. I don't care - if you can afford $65K to put this car on the road, fuel use in the mid-to-high teens is the least of your worries. I'd stake the manual as first choice, but if I was given an auto I'd leave it in sports mode - the near-instant gear-shifts are much cleaner and more responsive than the default mode. Add in the fact it takes five adults without them becoming too close for comfort and you're dealing with a genuine performance all-rounder.VERDICTThe HSV ClubSport isn't the sharpest tool in the performance shed, but there's not much that's going to argue with it on the road. The few compromises it makes are more than offset by the relative bargain price and the fact that owners are more interested in get-up-and-go grunt and that burbling V8 than they are in the most efficient way to get to 100km/h.HSV ClubsportPrice: from $64,990 (auto adds $2000)Warranty: three years/100,000kmResale: N/AService intervals: nine months/15,000kmSafety: six airbags, ABS with BA and EBD, TC and three-stage ESCSafety rating: N/A (VE Commodore five stars)Engine: V8, 317kW/550NmTransmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed auto, RWDDimensions: 4.99m (L), 1.89m (W), 1.47m (H)Thirst: 13.5L/100km (95RON), 320g/km CO2Weight: 1795kgSpare: full size (front)

Factory closures are becoming increasingly probable after European car registrations fell to their lowest level in 22 years last month. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) notes the sales slowdown is accelerating and now predicts a slump of up to 10 per cent for the year.In all, just 688,168 new vehicles were registered in August, the lowest total for the month since the EU data was first compiled in 1990. With some factories already running at 50 per cent of capacity, there is talk of Fiat, Ford and Opel closing the doors on some of their most unprofitable production lines.“Something needs to give,” Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said last week, adding that Fiat will outline a blueprint for the “European challenge” when it releases third quarter results later this year. Ford was the biggest loser in August with sales down by almost a third on the previous year, a fact it attributes to a decision not to match rivals discounts during what is traditionally the slowest car sales month on the EU calendar. “There was a lot of short-cycle business and heavy incentives that we decided largely to refrain from, Ford of Europe's marketing chief Roelant de Waard says. The Volkswagen Group's massive product portfolio made it one of the few carmakers to increase sales, led by Audi increasing its share of the luxury car segment. In contrast, Opel/Vauxhall saw a 19 per cent fall in registrations, Fiat was down 18 per cent and both Renault and Peugeot/Citroen were hit with 13 per cent drops. Registrations by country largely reflect those hurting worst from the sovereign debt crisis. Greece and Portugal lead the way with falls of 40 per cent year-to-date, Italy is down by almost 20 per cent and Spanish registrations fell by 8.5 per cent. Ominously for France, registrations this year are down 13.4 per cent, while Germany, which accounts for one in three of all cars sold in Europe, has seen its market contract by 0.6 per cent. The French Government has fiercely resisted factory closures on its turf and criticised Peugeot last month when it announced it would shed up to 10,000 jobs and close a factory in the north of the country. That's not an option for Renault, with the government holding a controlling stake in the French carmaker. 

When you've only got one vehicle on sale, it better be a good one. If off-road ability rates ahead of cabin ambience, the Isuzu D-Max has just that. In terms of solidity and reliability it has the credentials to make life tough for the the established four-wheel drive utes.Its four-cylinder engine gives away torque to its rivals but makes up for it with a ruggedness that is hard to argue with.VALUEAt $50,700 the Isuzu LS-T is relying on reputation and build quality rather than discount pricing to win sales. The top-spec BT-50 is $51,140 and the XLT Ranger is $53,390. Both have a more car-like interior and more torque.Closer to home, the Holden Colorado shares the Isuzu's platform and interior styling and its 2.8-litre donk brings a 3.5-tonne tow rating against 3.0-tonnes for the Isuzu's 3.0-litre turbodiesel four. It doesn't have the features or off-road cred of the Isuzu, though. The LS-T's advantages include leather seats, a reversing camera and satnav on the 6.5-inch touchscreen, comfier rear seats and hill ascent/descent control.TECHNOLOGYAs a truck builder and long-term ute builder, Isuzu knows a bit about body-on-frame chassis. Software to help with horrendous off-road conditions is a smart move, as is the fitment of the Clarion-sourced touchscreen.The downside of that screen is the fact audio controls aren't on the steering wheel, meaning the driver's eyes are momentarily off the road when changing volume or stations. There is a remote control for the passenger to play with, though and a USB connection is secreted in the glovebox.DESIGNMuch like the Ford/Mazda duo, the Isuzu has the edge in looks over the Colorado in the eyes of this beholder. It looks tough, if not as slab-sided as the Ranger. The rear pews slope backwards so passengers are at least semi-comfortable.It needs some weight in the tray to avoid jolting through the rear leaf springs and the interior is looking dated compared to the class leaders. Hard plastics and a lack of glossy highlights are great for the workhorse models but don't give the high-end LS-T a quality look.SAFETYSix airbags ensure occupant protection but the D-Max only earned a four-star rating by EuroNCAP, which says chest and leg protection is marginal in a frontal crash. The side impact crash caused no damage to the dummy but passenger protection - like most vehicles in this class - isn't great.DRIVINGCompetent on road, capable off it. That sums up the Isuzu and points to it being a smart choice for owners who want a genuine 4x4 ute without owning something as big as the Ranger. The ride is a touch jittery in the rear when the tray is unloaded but settles down with 200kg of cement.Direct steering helps when driving on narrow lanes and in carparks and it's backed by a decent amount of feedback when the D-Max is cornering. The electric-powered driver's seat is a bonus but the wheel can't be adjusted for reach.  On paper, the four-cylinder engine lacks torque compared to its rivals but on the road that won't be felt unless owners are approaching the tow limit.The five-speed auto lacks a cog compared to the class leaders but still has great fuel use at 8.1 litres over 100km. Engine noise is also a touch louder than the leaders, with muted clatter at idle and on full throttle.VERDICTThe Isuzu is a serious 4WD but that comes at the expense of cabin civility at a time when the class leaders are getting soft and citifed at least on the inside. For that reason I'd spend the extra $700 and garage the Mazda as a tradies' runabout, but if I was looking for a purposeful off-roader, it'd be hard to go past the D-Max.Isuzu D-Max LS-T CrewcabPrice: $50,700Warranty: Three years/100,000kmService intervals: Six months/10,000kmSafety: Six airbas, ABS, TC, ESC, hill ascent/descentEngine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder, 130kW/363NmTransmission: Five-speed auto, four-wheel driveDimensions: 5.3m (L), 1.86m (W), 1.8m (H)Weight: 2950kgThirst: 8.1L/100km (diesel), 214g/km CO2Spare: Full-size

Circle the wagons, the SUVs are coming. That's certainly the case in Australia as buyers opt for a higher ride but the Europeans still mount a solid case for a load-lugger. In the case of Audi's A4 Avant, the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is a piece of precision German engineering that works well in the city or on the highway and comes with a build quality second to none.VALUEAt $60,900 the Audi 2.0 TDI wins the price war by $2000 against the Volvo V60 D3 Teknik, BMW 320d Touring and Mercedes-Benz C200 CDI Estate. There's not much else separating this group the Volvo wins the space race, the Beemer has a marginal edge in performance; the Merc carries the most cache.So it comes down to which car you like the look of. The Audi is packaged with cruise control, auto lights and wipers, rear parking sensors and a bunch of clever interior features like the velour/rubber reversible cargo mat.TECHNOLOGYThe engine stop/start system in the Audi is good but the version in the 3.0-litre diesel fires up faster and with no shudder, rather than the negligible shake in the 2.0-litre wagon. Either way, it helps trim 0.3 litres/100km off the fuel use. Once underway the Audi's baby diesel is impressive and is matched to one of the few CVT systems Carsguide can recommend.The "Multitronic" on the A4 makes light work of pedestrian cruising or off-the-line charges and has a faux eight-speed manual shift mode.DESIGNAudis are unmistakable erentiating the model from the brand isn't as easy. The A4s lines are refined in an era of razor-sharp creases and that isn't a bad thing. The interior is classy enough o have forced BMW and Mercedes to lift their game. High-quality plastics and chrome highlights are packaged with leatherette/leather trim and a multimedia interface that doesn't take Einstein to interpret.SAFETYPrestige cars in this class are expected to have five stars and the Audi doesn't disappoint. In the crash-test lab it just trails BMW and Mercedes, according to ANCAP. Put that down purely to age the A4 hit the wall in 2008 while the other two are newer models that were tested in 2011. Six airbags and an advanced ABS system with traction and stability control are standard on all A4s.DRIVINGThis is a good wagon, as befits the volume seller in the Audi range. The fact it's front-wheel drive is irrelevant for most it takes far more provocation to unsettle this vehicle than sane people will attempt with their friends or family on board. Body roll is minimal and it handles mid-corner ruts at any pace. Around town it still achieves a cushy ride and the electric steering adjusts to suit the speed, making light work of carpark manoeuvres then weighting up on B-roads.The standard sound system isn't as good as the Merc's, at least according to my keener-eared kids, though it still pumps out crisp notes at high volumes. Otherwise, the interior is first rate it smells, touches and reacts like a much more expensive vehicle in the understated way that isAudi's signature style. The engine note is one of the few criticisms we can mount Euro diesels are starting to sound growly good but the CVT on the Audi keeps things too atonal.VERDICTThe segment price-leader is just plain old good value. The A4 Avant doesn't skimp on features or performance and the $2000 saving on its rivals will buy a lot of diesel given its fuel economy.Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDIPrice: $60,990Warranty: Three years/unlimited kmResale: 56 per cent (three years, Glass's Guide)Safety: Six airbags, ABS, TC, ESC, Attention assistCrash rating: Five starsEngine:  2.0-litre turbodiesel, 130kW/380NmTransmission: CVT, front-wheel driveDimensions: 4.7m (L), 1.83m (W), 1.44m (H)Weight: 1575kgSpare: Space-saverThirst: 4.9L/100km (diesel), 129g/km CO2