Articles by Craig Duff

The basic specs say the BMW 528i is a blinged-up version of the base 520i. Read in that light, the almost $20,000 premium on the entry car is a genuine "bugger me" moment.Being BMW, you can't read it in that light. The 528 is a performance version of the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine found in the 520i yet uses only marginally more fuel.Time behind the wheel shows there's more to appreciate in the 528i than just extra grunt - the default features make it cheaper to buy than to option up a 520i to the same specification.VALUEThe starting point for the 528i is $98,200. That's about $3000 more than a Mercedes-Benz E250, while the same money will buy an Audi A6 with a 2.8-litre engine and quattro all-wheel drive.Standard gear on the BMW (and not found on the 520) runs from bi-xenon headlights to internet connectivity when the car is stopped, a satnav system with a 10-inch display, powered front seats, a heads-up display and 18-inch alloy rims.TECHNOLOGYThe Beemer is the newest kid to the mid-size prestige party and has a couple of tricks the others can't match. An eight-speed automatic is teamed with idle stop/start and brake energy recovery to minimise fuel use and the new direct-injection turbo engine is still more than capable of shifting what is a substantial chunk of car.A "Driving Experience Control" dial on the centre console has four settings to adjust engine, throttle and suspension set-up. It takes you from laid-back fuel miser mode to full-on fang with the flick of a switch and the changes can instantly be felt through the wheel, pedals and chassis.STYLINGUnderstated is an understatement for this segment. The European styling brief for mid-sized cars is "sharp conservative" and, while the Beemer is a sporty drive, it isn't a look-at-me-mobile. The lines are cleaner than its predecessor and increase the family resemblance to the 3 Series.Horizontal layers and colour contrasts in the interior are meant to enhance the impression of width and the front seat passengers certainly don't want for space. Fitting three average adults across the rear will involve some negotiation on whose shoulders are against the seat cushion, though. Build quality is spot on but so it should be at this price.DRIVINGIf performance has an edge over comfort, the BMW is a winner. The grip levels are tenacious from the latest generation of run-flat tyres and the new multi-link suspension lets the driver know what surface they are rolling over without letting that disrupt the drive.The 2.0-litre direct-injection turbo engine generates 180kW/350Nm (the 520i's outputs are 135kW/270Nm). Despite the jump in grunt, the 528i only uses 6.7 litres/100km against 6.4 litres/100km in the 520i.It is a similar story down the strip, with the 528i's 6.3-second run to 100km/h well up on the base model's 8.0-second time. And the BMW gurus have even given it a decent exhaust note under hard acceleration. The eight-speed auto is all but unnoticed unless it's being hammered, which is about as much as you can ask from any transmission.VERDICTThe 528i sits in the sweet spot in the 5 Series range. It isn't far off the 535i in performance, meaning it has the power to match its well-planted chassis, but has a huge fuel saving over the six-cylinder engine. Standard features in the 528 are more in keeping with the prestige image than the base 520 model.BMW 528iPrice: $98,200Warranty: Three years/unlimited kmResale: N/A (5 Series average 56 per cent) Service intervals: 25,000km/12 months Safety rating: Five starsEngine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder, 180kW/350NmTransmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveDimensions:  4.9m (L), 1.86m (W), 1.46m (H)Weight: 1685kgThirst: 6.8 litres/100km (95RON), 158g/km CO2 

Honda's Thai production site reopened this month after a massive clean-up to repair and replace equipment damaged during last year's floods. It is already back at maximum production of 1000 cars a day but the CR-V, Civic, City, Jazz and Accord models are only being built in the three most popular colours.  The Thai facility accounts for about 80 per cent of the Hondas sold in Australia and, while Honda Australia was quick to source supplies of its Civic and Jazz small cars from Japan, dealerships have been faced with low stock volumes and long delays for specific versions. Honda Australia managing director Satoshi Matsuzawa says the limited palette has helped speed up the factory's return to full capacity.  "We have to apologise to customers for the inconvenience to the start-up but by doing three colours we were quicker to get the site running," he says. Rebuilding the factory was initially expected to take 12 months but a crew of Honda engineers from Japan and the factory stuff removed the silt, scrubbed the blistered paint off the floor and replaced wiring, and equipment in record time. Aussie-specific models will roll down the refurbished production line in Thailand's Ayutthaya province from April 23 and should be in showrooms from early June.  

Calling a bike a Speed Triple means it has a lot to live up to. Adding an R tag ust adds to the burden of expectations but Triumph's latest big-bore naked bike delivers on the promise. If your neck muscles can cope with the strain the Speed Triple R is a genuine track and street weapon.VALUEAt $22,290 price the Triumph is level-pegging with the Aprilia Tuono for the affections of potential owners. They're different beasts in many respects but share a common trait: covering ground at speed. The Street Triple R misses out on the Tuono's traction control but picks up $7000 of top-spec Ohlins shocks, Brembo monoblock front brakes with switchable ABS and custom PVM rims.TECHNOLOGYOhlins helped calibrate the suspension settings and provided the Moto GP derived NIX30 front forks and TTX36 rear shock. Every click has a noticeable impact on the bikes behaviour and makes it easy to switch from street to track riding. The 1050cc engine is in the same state of tune as the regular Street Triple but the gearbox has been upgraded for more precise changes.STYLINGThe muscular Triumph will suit bigger riders than the Max Biaggi-based dimensions on the Tuono. There's room to move on the seat without affecting riding stability or to grab the wide tapered bars and guide the big triple through a tight run of corners.Passengers won't complain either with a decent sized  and well-padded seat. The red sub-frame, custom black rims and carbon fibre around the radiator and tank make it obvious this is the R-rated machine.SAFETYThe Brembo brakes up front are so strong and progressive they almost make the ABS software redundant. Top-of-the-line Pirelli road rubber won't shift without serious throttle provocation and even then are predictable and consistent.RIDINGThis is a bike for those who appreciate - and are prepared to pay for - the finer things in life. It's the two-wheeled counterpart of a European convertible sports car - built and styled to impress passers-by but with enough feral attitude to be a seriously quick fang.  Corner speed and mid-range acceleration are phenomenal to the point you can easily forget this isn't a sportsbike, until you hit the next high-speed straight.VERDICTThe added components on the Speed Triple R transform a seriously quick bike into a sportsbike challenger on just about any road, while still being a much more comfortable every day ride. The cost will ensure exclusivity  but for those who push on, or just want the best mechanical technology money can buy,  it's a quality investment.FACTOIDThe Speed Triple was the fourth most popular naked bike in Australia last year with 210 sales but was outgunned by its 675cc stablemate, the Street Triple, with 318 sales.Triumph Speed Triple RPrice: $22,290Warrenty: Two years, unlimited kmSafety: Switchable ABS brakes, Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyresEngine: 99kW/111Nm 1050cc in-line triple-cylinderTransmission: six-speed, chain driveDimensions: 2100mm (L), 795mm (W), 1110mm (H), 1435mm (WB) SEAT HEIGHT: 825mm FUEL TANK: 17.5 litres WET WEIGHT: 212kgSuspension: Ohlins 43mm inverted front forks with rebound and compression adjustment, Ohlins rear shock with rebound and compression adjustmentBrakes: Dual 320mm front discs with Brembo four-piston calipers; 255mm rear disc with Nissin dual-piston caliper 

Load a dual-cab Toyota Hilux in the back of the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD and the US-built pick-up will cope with another 400kg of tools.

How do you launch a rear-wheel drive car as your flagship model when it is physically smaller than a front-wheel drive model already on sale?  That's just one of the problems Mike Devereux must address as he considers the future of the Commodore in Australia. The Chevrolet Cadillac ATS is the latest of the global GM architectures to be revealed. It comes as a rear and all-wheel drive platform capable of being produced in right-hand steering configuration and will take a V8 engine. It is also aimed at the BMW 3 Series in the US and - more worryingly - is smaller in every dimension except wheelbase than the front-hook Holden Malibu that will go on sale here next year.  That makes it an unlikely candidate to replace the locally built Commodore when GM has to dip in to the global platform parts bin some time after 2016. Developing a "top-hat" of panels imprinted with Holden's styling DNA on a Cadillac CTS chassis would more sense, especially given Holden originally developed the Sigma II platform in the 1990s and Holden boss Mike Devereux is on record as saying he prefers a rear-wheel drive platform. Holden spokeswoman Emily Perry refused to comment on the Commodore successor. "We're not going to talk about the VF, let alone anything beyond that," she said. WHAT'S COMING The VF Commodore - an update of the VE platform - is due in dealerships next year and, while keeping the V6 and V8 engines, will be a leaner car than ever before as Holden looks to compete on the fuel-savings front. Helping the cause will be extensive use of aluminium panels instead of steel and optimised ECU and injection-mapping. The resultant weight-saving and software efficiencies are designed to push the Holden to four-cylinder fuel use levels. The trouble is, the fours are following the same path to generate more power and use less fuel. The 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder in the Cadillac ATS cranks out 201kW and even detuned for the Malibu the same engine will generate 193kW/353Nm. That compares well with the 179kW/353Nm in the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ecoboost engine for the Ford Falcon. It looks even better alongside the 190kW/290Nm3.0-litre V6 in the Commodore Omega and Berlina variants. SIZING IT UP  

A 50 per cent lift in sales and a new generation of Mercedes-Benz buyers will be the return on investment for the MFA platform. Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says the five vehicles that will ride on the MFA architecture will account for at least 6000 sales a year. The company now sells around 12,000 passenger cars annually. "I'm being conservative but, when all the models are on line, we should do around 6000 more cars a year," he says. "The A and B-Class will be the bulk of that, of course."  Globally, the MFA-derived cars are expected to drive most of the 27 per cent growth in sales to 1.6 million vehicles Mercedes is aiming for by 2015. The just-launched B-Class is a compact family car with a $38,950 starting price. It will be joined by the sportier-styled A-Class expected to start arou, a four-door coupe to be known as the CLA, a compact SUV and a yet-to-be announced model that Mercedes Australia managing director Horst von Sanden says could be a convertible or small sedan.  Concept versions of the coupe will be shown at next month's Beijing and New York motor shows. "Small vehicles are the big mover globally so our timing is good," von Sanden says. "It is an entry point for Mercedes and will give us a younger buyer profile."  The B-Class also highlights the convergence of prestige and practical buyers. Audi and BMW also have quality vehicles for around $40,000 and the European trio are succeeding in luring some buyers away from Asian products. The theory is those new prestige buyers will be so impressed by their compact vehicle that they'll remain loyal to the brand and progressively move to bigger, more expensive vehicles. These younger buyers are putting a premium on connectivity, which is why all carmakers are designing their vehicles as a mobile extension of the "always on" world where smart phone and internet connectivity is taken for granted.  In Mercedes' case, the A-Class previewed at this month's Geneva Motor Show is designed to integrate with an iPhone and piggy back on the phone's apps and standard functions. Mercedes development head Dr Thomas Weber dubbed the sleek-looking compact an "iPhone on wheels".

The chance comes after Porsche's takeover of the automotive proving ground in Italy. The two-seat supercar is still under development ahead of a 2014 launch and is likely to see time on the 700-hectare site which includes a 6.2km handling circuit, a 12.5km high-speed oval and facilities to simulate different road surfaces and weather conditions. Porsche already has a development centre in Weissach, Germany and also makes extensive use of the Nurburgring to evaluated the handling of its prototypes. The Porsche Engineering Group plans to use the Nardo complex to help develop parts and suspension for other carmakers. The Italian climate means the site can be run with three shifts a day, 365 days a year. The Spyder's testing is more rigorous than many test cars because so much of the technology in the open-two vehicle is new. It will be powered by a 425kW 4.6-litre V8 driving the rear wheels with help from a 90kW electric motor while an 80kW motor handles the job of rotating the front wheels.A lithium-ion battery gives a range of 25km with a top speed of 150km/h in electric only mode before the engine kicks in. Depending on the mode - and there are five - the engine will then top-up the battery charge or act as the primary form of propulsion. Combined torque is a handy 750Nm and with the electrics providing their bit from a standstill, the 1700kg car hits 100km/h in 2.8 seconds. Ceramic brakes have helped engineers recover three times more kinetic energy in braking than with conventional systems and the electric drive and focus on efficiency translates to claimed consumption of just 3.0-litres/100km with emissions an equally low 70g/km. The car is is the spiritual successor to the Carrera GT as a showcase for Porsche's engineering talent. The company says that more than any car before, the Spyder "is providing a critical impetus to developing the technologies for future vehicle concepts". Those include adaptive rear-axle steering, adaptive suspension and aerodynamics, a carbon fibre reinforced plastic body and the high-performance parallel hybrid powertrain. 

The cruisers-with-clearance have just had a financial shave with the Triumph America and Speedmaster priced at $14,990 rideaway as of tomorrow. The British-built bikes are cruiser version of the classic Bonneville design and both are endowed with plenty of long-range cruising ability. The biggest decision comes down to whether you prefer the more raked-back bars on the America or if the more traditional Speedmaster suits your style. VALUE At $14,990 rideaway, this pair makes a good buy for someone in the market for a commuting cruiser. The rider-friendly layout makes them practical daily transport and the options list is staggering, from chrome caps to sissy bars and rear luggage racks. Standard gear includes Up against the Triumph are the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 at $45,250 and the more brutal-looking Suzuki Boulevard range from $10,990. TECHNOLOGY The air-cooled parallel-twin engine shared by this duo doesn't feel state-of-the-art - and isn't meant tobe. Instead that 865cc mill provides the sounds and sensations to seduce riders into actually having a good time. The bikes purr at legal speeds and the five-speed transmission is more than enough to roll along on the 72Nm of torque. STYLING The term "cruiser" covers a fair bit of metalwork and Triumph's America interpretation is reasonably traditional, with the Speedmaster a minimalist take on that. There is a huge amount of scope to customise both these machines into the ride their owners have dreamt of, from saddle bags to tall windscreens and accessory bling. Some of them - like the cut-off exhausts that replace the full-length units, dramatically change the look of the bikes and generate a better bark at the same time.  SAFETY The same reason that causes people to fall off cruisers at low speed also tends to kill them at higher velocity. It is ground clearance and is thankfully something these bikes have more of than your average roach-hugging chrome-mobile. Doing a roundabout u-turn still needs to be taken with a bit of caution to avoid damaging the exhausts but it isn't a 20km/h exercise.  Ride these bikes within their limits and they are fun and reasonably fast machines. They are not corner-carvers and shouldn't be treated as such. RIDING The Triumph twins are in their element with decent weather, a bottle of wine and a cold chicken in the panniers and some open road. That squat rear seat will happily take a regular-butted pillion and while the travel on the Kayabusa rear shocks isn't huge it will soak up anything short of a train-track hump without drama. The Nissin brakes are  on a par with what you expect in this class - solid, without being sensational. That doesn't apply to the throttle response, which is crisp at any revs and gives the rider a sense of confidence. The same applies to the low seat height that lets even short-legged riders get a decent footing at the lights. VERDICT I haven't slowed down enough to own a cruiser but if I did the Triumphs would rate highly. Their ability not to scrape in normal traffic use but still be a weekend escape vehicle makes them appealing as a day-to-day proposition - and the discount price is hard to ignore. Triumph Speedmaster/America Price: from $14,990 rideaway Warranty: Two years/unlimited km Engine: 865cc parallel-twin, 45KW/72Nm Transmission: Five-speed chain drive Seat height: 690mm Fuel tank: 19 litres Wet weight: 250kg Suspension: Kayaba 41mm front forks, twin rear shocks with preload adjustment Brakes: 310mm front disc with Nissin two-piston caliper, 285mm rear disc with Nissin two-piston caliper  

There has been a 78 per cent sales surge for the Fiat-owned US group of brands. The irony is the sales growth is being driven largely off the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is the Mercedes ML-derived luxury off-roader conceived at a time when Daimler had a stake in Chrysler.Jeep's incarnation of the vehicle is one of the smartest SUVs on the market and its $45,000 starter price has helped grab 1541 sales so far this year. Chrysler Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says sales are strong across the Jeep portfolio, with Patriot and Wrangler sales up 71 per cent and 37 per cent respectively.The new Compass has also logged 842 sales to be the sixth most popular small SUV. "The next sixth months will be good for us," she says. "We have the Chrysler 300C and the SRT8 variant of the Grand Cherokee, and there's more to come."Chrysler Australia will also take control of Australian sales of the Italian brands Alfa Romeo and Fiat from May 1. It is a logical extension of Fiat's control of the US brands and Chrysler Australia managing director Clyde Campbell says he aims to reawaken sales interest in the brands.Combined first quarter sales for Fiat, Fiat Commercial and Alfa Romeo vehicles was 2635 vehicles. Alfa models include the 159, 159 Sportwagon and the Giulietta. The Fiat 500, Fiat 500 Abarth and commercial vehicles the Ducato and Scudo are also sold here.Land Rover has been the other big mover this year with a 65 per cent growth to 2350 vehicles. The Discovery and Evoque have been stars for the US-based company. Disco sales are up 73 per cent to 618 vehicles and the Evoque has sold 597 cars to just trail BMW's X3 on 607 sales. Great Wall sales rose 73 per cent to 2863 vehicles and 11,983 Volkswagen sales was a 36 per cent increase.  

It is continuing to round out the Piaggio and Vespa scooter ranges, and sees a maxi-scooter as filling a vital gap. Piaggio had the top-selling scooter last year with the 150cc Fly and the 2012 model will go on sale in July with fuel injection in place of carburettors, a security immobiliser, more under-seat storage and a halogen lamp for $3290. Spend another $200 and the bigger-wheeled Libery 150ie irons out the bigger bumps, makign it a smart choice for riders who have to deal with bad roads on the daily commute.  The Piaggio range is the modern interpretation of the Vespa scooter. Prices will run from $1790 for a 50cc inner-city runabout that struggles to do more than 70km/h to $10,990 for a 500cc-three-wheeler that will embarrass sports bikes over rough roads in the wet.  The Italian-built Vespa range is as famous for its resale values as for the classic lines and the 10 models on sale in Australia are now priced from $3990 to $9490.  One scooter that is proving a hit with the rental and younger crowd is the Piaggio Typhoon 50/125cc models. The rugged looking scooter has chunky treaded tyres and sports military style logos. That gives it street cred in the city but opt for the 125cc model if you plan to ride into the `burbs or risk riding on drivers' horns.  A quick ride of the range shows the latest versions are as simple to use - and as stable - as ever. The Vespas have the reassurance of those solid metal fenders up front to protect legs in the case of an accident. It's not much ... but it's a damn site better than plastic.  Both ranges make easy work of carving up peak hour city traffic to get to the front of the queue. The low centre of gravity couple with small diameter rubber makes these as nimble as a startled rat and that can save your life in the rat-race rush to get to and from work.  You need to be on your game to get the 50cc models off the line as quickly as self-preservation demands but the rest of the models are more than capable of pulling a gap before the next set of lights.  The scooter market grew 8.8 per cent last year, with the Vespa/Piaggio range taking a bigger than average chunk of that growth. The updated models and addition of more fuel injected version should ensure that growth continues in 2012 VESPA RANGE