Articles by Craig Duff

And it's Mercedes-Benz's first salvo in staying at the top of the premium car class. The interior has been overhauled and now looks as good as any car wearing a Mercedes badge, while the price of the entry B180 has been set at $38,950 for the seven-speed automatic. All models come with an idle stop/start function, active park assist where the car will steer itself into parallel parking bays, an electric park brake, xenon headlamps and a suite of new safety features including a driver fatigue warning system, a collision prevention warning system backed by "pre-safe"automated braking to reduce the severity of the impact, and blind spot and lane-keeping warning systems. A 14.7cm screen mounted at the top of the dash looks like a scaled-down iPad with piano black finish and chrome highlights and provides visual info for the audio system and in-car software. The six-CD sound system also has iPod, USB and auxiliary integration and Bluetooth audio streaming. The three-model range won't arrive in dealerships until April and managing director Horst von Sanden admits there will be a "month or two" where customers won't be able to buy the compact car. That gap may cost the B-Class its title as the most popular premium small car but it's a position Benz is happy to be in. "The current model is still selling well and we won't have stock in March," von Sanden says. "You don't want to be trying to sell the two cars side by side . discounting the earlier generation upsets dealers and customers and damages the brand. We were surprised at last year's sales (Benz shipped 2211 vehicles) which were better than the year before and shows how this segment is growing." The new cars will come with a choice of two 1.6-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engines generating 90kW/200Nm and 115kW/250Nm in the B180 and B200 respectively, along with a 1.8-litre turbodiesel with 100kW/300Nm. Both petrol engines are rated at 6.1 litres/100km, while the oilburner uses 4.7 litres/100km. The base model has been the volume seller for Benz to date with 52 per cent of B-Class sales. Prices for the B200 and B200 CDI will be announced closer to launch. B180 Engine: 1.6-litre turbo direct-injection four-cylinder, 90kW/200Nm Thirst: 6.1 litres/100km, 141g/km CO2 B200 Engine: 1.6-litre turbo direct-injection four-cylinder, 115kW/250Nm Thirst: 6.1 litres/100km, 141g/km CO2 B200 CDI Engine: 1.8-litre burbo direct injection diesel four-cylinder, 100kW/300Nm Thirst: 4.7 litres/100km, 122g/km CO2. A $4000 price cut and more standard kit headline the new Mercedes ML-Class. Satellite navigation, parallel-parking software and a reversing camera are now standard across the range, which will progressively arrive in dealerships in April. The first entry will be the ML 250 BlueTec at $81,400. Mercedes communications spokesman Jerry Stamoulis says the price cut, along with the extra gear, equates to around $10,000 in better value. "This is a Euro 6-compliant engine and is using 6.4 litres of diesel every 100km (down from 9.6 on the current model) - there aren't many diesel sedans on the road that can match that," he says of the big SUV. The ML range is now fitted with an electric park brake, 19-inch wheels and the Comand multimedia system that includes audio streaming, a 10GB music hard drive and internet browser. Safety gear includes a bonnet that pops up to minimise damage to pedestrians, a driver fatigue warning system, and the Pre-Safe automatic braking to minimise collision severity. The 2.2-litre twin-turbo direct-injection diesel is good for 150kW/500Nm in the ML250 and the 93 litre fuel tank gives a theoretical range of more than 1400km. The big SUV also picks up electric power steering, an optional off-road package and an "active curve" system that compensates for body roll during cornering. The bigger ML350 BlueTec and range-topping ML63 AMG are due in Australia in May and will be followed by the ML350 and ML500 in the third quarter of this year. ML 250 Bluetec Engine: 2.2-litre twin-turbo direct injection diesel, 150kW/500Nm Thirst: 6.4 litres/100km, 168g/km CO2.

You can now put a price on beauty and it is $487,500 for the soft-top Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster.  And this vehicle is no botox and silicon-enhanced average Joe or Jane but a genuine jaw-dropping supercar that looks and sounds better than the Gullwing Coupe that preceded it.The price is stratospheric by mortal standards and pushes the AMG-developed vehicle into the arms of the moneyed elite. I want to be one of them. If my lucky numbers come up, the local Merc dealer is one of the first people I'd be calling, given there's a months-long wait between placing an order and taking delivery.That hasn't deterred 10 customers from pre-ordering a car, including two who already own the Gullwing. Options are few but run from $29,850 for track-focused ceramic brakes, $11,025 for a carbon-fibre interior pack to $3775 for carbon fibre rear mirrors, $4950 for the adaptive suspension damping and $1950 to paint the brake callipers red.The only thing missing is a touch screen - Mercedes has persisted with the button and dial-driven Comand interface but at this price, I'd want the touchy-feely option as well.AMG developed the SLS and the input of those performance purists it is reflected in every aspect of driving the car. This isn't a fettled Mercedes but a ground-up driver's machine. The heart of the beast is the 6.2-litre V8 that spins like a four-cylinder to crank out 420kW/650Nm and give the car 0-100km/h performance of 3.8 seconds. That is quicker than a Ferrari California and not far off the Porche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.Power is sent to the rear wheels  via a seven-speed automated manual transmission mounted in the back and the car is directed into the turns by the most tactile steering wheel I've had the pleasure of laying hands on.This car looks so good with the top down it should be sold in plain paper packaging and come with warning labels. It will stop traffic. It shares its basic structure with the Gullwing but looks even better when the three-layered red/black/beige lid is lowered - a process that takes only 11 seconds and came be accomplished at up to 50km/h.Rear visibility is restricted with the roof down, which is why the blind-spot assist package is standard on the Roadster. And at almost 2m wide, narrow roads will make drivers nervous, especially with oncoming cars.The SLS is five-star rated. The protection starts with a light-but strong alloy spaceframe chassis that prevents body flex and runs through to eight airbags blanketing the cosy cockpit. Software includes adaptive braking with hill-start assist and a three-stage electronic stability control program. There's also a tyre pressure monitoring system and the previously mentioned blind-spot assist so owners aren't fretting about whether a vehicle in the next lane is hidden by the roof.The menacing bellow that reverberates off rock walls, tunnels and nearby buildings is an aural reminder why the Roadster is a better buy than the Gullwing. If I've spend half a million on a car, I want the world to know why. And the SLS delivers that with an exhaust note that ranges from latent threat at idle to a charge-the-enemy bellow as the tachometer nears 7000rpm.The noise is accompanied by acceleration that can't legally be tapped on Australian roads - human reaction time means the speedo is on the far side of 100km/h by the time the driver eases off.  Find a series of bends and this car dances to a beat few drivers can match. The steering comes alive beneath your hands, transmitting every irregularity in the road back through the wheel to engage the driver as few cars can.The brakes are stupendously good and the adaptive dampers will soften the hits in comfort mode or give you a direct connection to the bitumen in the sports settings. The default ESP mode allows just enough play for the rear end to twitch and remind you the right foot application is too heavy for the steering angle. At that point the chassis soaks up a lot of the lack of talent but persist and the dashboard light will start to flicker.

The same applies on two wheels but learners can now do it for just $6000 with Suzuki's 1970s styled TU250X. It isn't going to win a drag race, but it doesn't need to ... it's styled like a cafe racer for beginners.VALUEThe Suzuki combines old school looks with old school pricing. The scrambler styling gives it a unique look in the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme pack and there's nothing wrong with the way its built either.TECHNOLOGYBeneath the retro looks, the little Suzuki is fuel injected and runs a front disc brake with a dual-piston caliper. The single-cylinder engine has a sporty but muted exhaust note and uses bugger-all fuel - 200km is well within reach of the 12 litre tank. STYLINGModern bikes are multicoloured. To add to the contrast, the Suzuki runs subdued paint schemes - grey and black. The single round headlight is the big feature, along with chromed and spoked wheels and chrome rear shocks. It looks basic, just like it should.SAFETYOff-the-line acceleration will keep the TU250X away from the the traffic. Sounds simple, but it will keep a rider alive. And the slim bike will filter through most situations - it's no wider than a small scooter. That combination makes it a near-perfect urban commuter.RIDINGThe low seat height makes this an easy bike to throw a leg over. It's light, too, so smaller bodies will quickly come to terms with the Suzuki. And it runs smoothly and turns-in crisply at legal speeds. Go beyond that and there's a thrum through the frame and the shocks start to stutter over a sequence of bumps.VERDICTThis is close to ideal for learner riders who want something different but don't want the hassle of an old bike. The looks put a smile on people you pass and the price should appeal.

Cubic capacity is still the definitive measure of engine performance and luggage space. Package them together and you have the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate (Euro-speak for wagon). It's a leather-lined load lugger that will take the family on holidays at hyperdrive speeds.The Merc wagon's $154,800 price may be more than two year's average wages but it's also good value for money. No one else competes in this field - the closest you can get is the BMW 335i M Sport Estate at $112,600. The Beemer is a very, very capable car but it can't touch this.HSV's R8 Tourer isn't in this league either - it can't handle or hustle like the C63 can and the Commodore-based interior doesn't pretend to be this luxurious. Audi doesn't play here either - the wicked RS4 Avant isn't sold in Australia. That leaves the C63 Merc sitting pretty... unless you want to upsize to the biturbo 5.5-litre E63 Estate at $244,500.A seven-speed automated manual transmission endows the Merc with the ability to sip fuel at a modest 12.3 litres/100km. Not that most owners will ever see that - the temptation to drop the boot into the 6.2-litre V8 and provoke an exhaust snarl that humbles local V8s is just too much to resist.This is the best-sounding engine in the Mercedes-Benz garage and with 336kW and 600Nm on tap, it goes as hard as it sounds. The Carsguide test vehicle was fitted with the $14,900 performance package, which adds 22kW thanks to lightweight engine internals and puts composite brakes inside a set of 19-inch rims.Sexy and wagon shouldn't be used in the same sentence, but the Merc has enough panache to satisfy the fussiest fashionista. The tapering roofline removes the traditional slab-sided wagon look without sacrificing load capacity.Front on, it sets the standard in this class, which helps explain why the C-Class is the best-selling prestige range on the market. The red leather interior is as subdued as the exhaust note and reminds passengers and passers-by that this is a performance car.A three-stage stability control program is standard on the AMG and gives owners the option taking to the track and setting the program to their level of competence. The default mode keeps everything reined in; the next stage lets the tail hang out and all bets are off when the system is deactivated.The composite brakes - complete with red calipers - are neck-achingly good and won't fade this side of an assault on the Phillip Island circuit. The taut suspension sacrifices compliance over ruts and bumps for virtually no body roll and optimal tyre positioning when the pressure is on - just what you'd expect from a sports car. Xenon headlights have enough range to match the C63's pace and the safety pack is rounded out with adaptive cruise control, a fatigue detection system and nine airbags.Express delivery has never been so much fun. A dial on the centre console sharpens the transmission response from .2 of a second in the regular mode to .1 of a second in Sport +, and then there's launch control if you want to go from rest to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. Queue manic laughter and looks from passengers that range from startled to outright scared. Don't put the dog in the back to test it, though, unless you've got Velcro paw mitts - the poor beast won't be able to deal with the G-forces. The steering is light on centre but weights up nicely with pace and cornering angle and if you can afford to fry the 30-profile rear tyres, this is a wagon built for precision drifting.

The Grand Cherokee showed Jeep was on the right track but its bearings are still a touch off based on the updated version of the Compass. It is a makeover for the softest of the Jeep range - and the first of a series of two-wheel drive models - as the US-based company looks to grab more mainstream buyers. The

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.The SUV's family friendly focus will be expected to deliver around 10,000 sales a year when it arrives mid 2013 to take on the Ford Territory and Toyota Kluger.That's almost a fourfold increase on the existing sales but one Nissan Australia head Dan Thompson says from week's Detroit Motor Show is a realistic target.Thompson says the seven-seat Pathfinder won't compete with the five-seat Nissan Murano simply because they appeal to different types of buyers."They are quite different product propositions. One is very much is a family vehicle; Murano is either post-family or pre-family ... we see in Australia Murano remaining to be a brand car or a niche product, whereas we see Pathfinder being a very significant product for us."When we launch Pathfinder in Australia clearly we will go up against Kluger and Territory. Both unibody, both monocoque both doing about 10,000-plus sales a year, so that's the space we want to be in with Pathfinder.The next-gen will have multiple drivetrains, we will also introduce two-wheel drive to get more breadth in the line-up and we want to compete right at the top of the medium SUV segment."The new car will boast more interior features and entertainment options to satisfy families who rely on the vehicle as a people-mover happy but Nissan product chief Andy Palmer is adamant the refinements and monocoque chassis won't be at the expense of the Pathfinder's off-road or towing ability."The big news is 227kg of weight reduction means something in the vicinity of 25 per cent better fuel consumption," Palmer says of the move away from the ladder-chassis design."The off-road capability won't be diminished ... as will be completely apparent when you drive the car."Nissan has yet to officially announce which powertrains will drive the next-gen Pathfinder beyond the 3.5-litre V6 and continuously variable transmission fitted to the concept car shown at this week's Detroit Motor Show.The engine will be the same VQ series mill already fitted to the Infiniti JX, though with a different tune - expect around 195kW.The upmarket exterior look is dominated at the front by the flat horizontal headlight clusters framing a tapered chrome grille. The look is partly dictated by the desire to improve aerodaynamics - Nissan says the Pathfinder will cut through the air as well as anything in its class.Locked doors and blacked-out windows on the concept car shows Nissan is still working on the interior details but the company says the new three-row seating configuration will have more options with increased room for passengers and cargo.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. While the sleek supercar Honda Acura NSX is chasing cashed-up executives and entrepreneurs, Honda's upmarket division hopes the ILX will lure the youth demographic. The Acura ILX concept is based on the 2012 Honda Civic but wears its own bodywork in what Acura calls "Arrow Fuse" styling. To maximise the youth appeal, the ILX will use like hard-drive music storage, internet radio, keyless entry and push-button start. "First time luxury buyers place the highest value on exterior styling, affordability and environmental issues and that's a virtual definition of what we have created with the new Acura ILX," says Acura Design Studio head John Ikeda. "The strategy behind this new model is to position ILX as the first opportunity for many young buyers to enter the luxury market." The ILX will be sold with three engines — a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with automatic transmission, the 2.4-litre unit from the 2012 Honda Civic Si and a 1.5-litre hybrid version. The Acura will be built in Indiana and is expected to be on sale in the first half of this year priced from $30,000.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.Take off the 20-inch rims that neatly fill out the guards and the chrome-surrounded fog lights and the concept car is production ready.And the improved styling will be backed - at least in the US - by more powerful and fuel-efficient engines. The 3.5-litre V6 is retained but has been overhauled with Honda's latest technology, including cylinder deactivation, and is mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission.The base 2.4 litre four-cylinder engine has been replaced by an "Earth Dreams" 2.4-litre direct injection unit that produces 135kW/240Nm and is paired with a new continuously variable transmission to achieve what Honda says will be class-leading fuel economy.A new two-motor plug-in hybrid system is reserved for the Accord sedan. The system operates in three modes - electric, hybrid and petrol only - to maximize efficiency.In electric mode, the Accord plug-in hybrid will use a 6kWh lithium-ion battery and a 120kW electric motor to drive up to 23km in town and Honda says the recharge time will be less than an hour and a half using a 240-volt charger.In hybrid mode, the Accord is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder , i-VTEC inline four-cylinder, Atkinson cycle engine, while at high speed the system will switch to petrol only mode. Drive in all modes is through the front wheels.Honda says the Accord will launch in late 2012 in the US and is expected to show the more compact sedan at the New York Motor Show. The sedan is claimed to have the same interior space with a more compact exterior to save weight and improve driving dynmics.The Accord will also be the first to be fitted with Honda's lane departure and forward crash warning systems. Both use a camera mounted behind the windscreen to alert drivers if the car is moving out of its lane or approaching a car too quickly.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. It's a luxury SUV that launches from 0-100km/h in just 6.1 seconds and can use as little as 2.3 litres of petrol over 100km takes pride of place on the Volvo stand at this week's Detroit Motor Show. It can travel 45km on its battery pack in Pure mode, use less petrol than any European diesel when running in Hybrid mode, or launch off the line faster than most cars in Power mode. It achieves this by combining a 52kW electric motor powering the rear wheels with a 208kW turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering drive to the front axle via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Volvo CEO Stefan Jaboby says no manufacturer can rival the XC60 concept's fuel economy and electric range along with a combined 260kW power output. "The beauty with this plug-in hybrid technology is that you can keep all the power and capacity of your present car, combined with an even better range," he says. "This ingenious blend of state-of-the-art combustion technology and innovative electrification creates a bridge to a future where all-electric cars become more established on the roads." Jacoby notes the concept has helped refine Volvo's existing production hybrid expertise. "A diesel-electric plug-in hybrid is coming to our European dealers this year and we are busy preparing a gasoline version for the American showrooms," he says. The Swedish company says the XC60 concept can be recharged from a conventional powerpoint in 3.5 hours. Online media and satellite navigation is used to advise XC60 drivers of the fastest route, depending on traffic conditions, and will direct them to the nearest charging station if it detects the car needs it. Jacoby also notes that Volvo is the fastest growing brand in the US, which already accounts for the majority of the company's sales. US sales climbed by nearly 25 per cent last year, while Volvo's global growth was around 20 per cent.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.But it didn't earn the centre-stage billing of the new twins launched in MoTown, the Tru 140S and the Code 130R. It didn't have to - the Miray already has the runs on the board. It was judged the best concept car at last year's Seoul Motor Show and earned its own pedastal this week at the front of the company's display area. Just like many cars in the Chevy range, there's enough Australian DNA in the mini roadster to justify calling it our own. The Miray was a rush job built last year to celebrate the launch of the Chevrolet brand in South Korea. It's inception was overseen by Andrew Smith, a former Holden design guru who is now managing director of the Seoul-based GM Advanced Design Centre. He called on the talents of Sharon Gauci, Holden's chief colour and trim designer, to help sculpt the interior of the hi-tech vehicle. The all-wheel drive Miray beat the other small car concept duo in using GM's 1.4-litre turbo engine and, while it's loosely based on a Cruze drivetrain, it has also adopted elements of the Volt, using a pair of 15kW motors to power the front wheels. Throw in a carbon fibre body and passenger tub and it's a lightweight rocket with enough Down Under influence to whack an Ettamoggah Pub sticker on the back window (if it had one) and humble the Commodores brigade on a Saturday night blockies cruise. Gauci was involved in turning the Seoul sketches into fabrics and textures and says much of the work was done using Italian suppliers because of their specialised knowledge of low volume, high-end vehicles. The cockpit displays are projected through the dash fabric and Gauci says finding the fabric and ensuring it was applied perfectly straight throughout the curved cockpit was a major project in itself. Then there's the Chevy grille graphic that is heat-embossed on the door fabric and the wrapround dash that extends along the door panels and into the seats themselves. "It was pretty intense. A lot of the time we had to make decisions on the spot (due to the tight project deadline) but I'm really pleased with the way it looks on the stand," she says. Smith cites the inbuilt camera that can record a lap at a track and then ghost it back over on the next lap using the heads-up display in the windscreen as one of the car's coolest features. "There are a lot of elements on the car that we drew on from the Chevy heritage," he says. "I actually took the designers to the GM museum so they could see how some of the classic muscle car elements worked and they've then interpreted that into a futuristic small car." Smith agrees the Holden influence is pervading the GM world and says even the talent still in Australia is having a huge impact on global product. "There's a lot of work done (at Holden) that Australians don't get to see, because it's for the Asia-Pacific market ... but that's not to say GM doesn't recognise the talent they have there," he says.