Articles by Craig Duff

Diesel will power Renault sales within two years, with the company conservatively estimating that 30 per cent of its passenger sales will be dCi models.In reality, that figure's more likely to be half, which is why Renault views the new 1.9-litre Scenic diesel as a key car to build recognition of the dCi range, even though the people mover is projected to sell at only 15-20 vehicles a month.Renault already sells the Megane and Laguna diesels here but sees the need - sooner rather than later - to offer an oil burner in every segment.For a company that sold a mere 2897 passenger cars in Australia last year, the Scenic fills a small but crucial niche.Renault managing director Rudi Koenig concedes the diesel will take sales off the petrol models, but says it's what customers want.“We're seeing customers who go overseas, and often end up renting a Scenic diesel, coming back and asking for the diesel model here,” Mr Koenig says.“It's fair to say we've lost some sales because we haven't had the diesel.”The dCi stacks up well against the two-litre Scenic petrol models, with 96kW of power and 250Nm of torque compared with 98kW/191Nm.While performance is comparable, the diesel has a much more moderate thirst, downing 7.1 litres of fuel every 100km to the petrol's 8.6 litres/100km, with an equal drop in exhaust emissions.In a car park filled with soft-roaders and crossover wagons, the Scenic stands out as a car-based people mover - and for that prominent rear end.Like the engine, the styling is lifted from the Megane hatch and Mr Koenig says it's slowly gaining acceptance with buyers.“The Megane was ahead of its time when it was introduced but now other companies have followed that (bulging rear-end) trend and it's become accepted,” he says.“The Scenic for me is a real disappointment . . . it is a very good product that hasn't found it's place in this market.”Mr Koenig concedes the Scenic's compact external dimensions can work against the car, with families not putting it on the shopping list because they don't realise how much interior space is available. “It's a genuine five or seven-seat people mover that doesn't have the weight penalty of a four-wheel drive, but still has the same hip-point access to easily load and unload kids and prams,” he says.The diesel model is only available with five seats and as a four-speed auto. It is priced at $37,990.And there aren't many options you'll need to tick - the standard kit includes electronic stability control, brake force distribution and curtain airbags.Under typical acceleration it's a quiet and smooth-driving unit, with enough mid-range urge to make urban-speed overtaking a breeze. Heavy use of the right foot will produce a muted drone as the engine holds second gear until you've built up to cruising speed, but the noise of the kids is likely to drown that out anyway.The handling is reassuringly benign - this is a vehicle you'll be carrying the little treasures in, after all - with the stability control intervening at the first loss of front-end grip.Visibility is another strong suit, with the Scenic easy to park and reverse. There's enough storage under the seats and in the doors to stash the toys, pens and books required to amuse the family, and the rear seats will slide back for more legroom should you have extra adults to transport. 

The Porsche Cayenne GTS is the closest thing yet to a Porsche sports car in a full-sized family wagon, thanks to all sorts of tweaking in the body, engine and suspension.It could also be the vehicle that finally justifies the overused Sports Utility Vehicle tag spawned in the US for heavyweight four-wheel drives to make them more acceptable as suburban runabouts.The Cayenne still asserts itself as a luxury soft-roader, from its 2225kg heft to a respectable 194mm of ground clearance, fuel consumption of 13.9 litres/100km and the impressive 3500kg towing capacity.But it's all front.The only soft aspect of this beast is the Alcantara-and-leather upholstery, and a glance at the 295/35 rubber mounted on 21-inch alloys is proof the GTS is intended to leave the tarmac only on forays to the beach.Not for use on the sand.The GTS has inherited the front and rear spoilers from the Cayenne Turbo, but the wheel arches have been flared 14mm and it rides 24mm lower than the base Cayenne S to give it a more muscular stance.The 4.8-litre V8 has been sourced from the S with modifications to the intake and throttle-mapping freeing up another 15kW.That translates into a mid-range surge that propels the GTS from 80-120km/h in 7.8 seconds — a full second quicker than the S.Porsche expects the $153,500 GTS to lure some Cayenne S buyers upmarket, but doesn't believe it will steal sales from the range-topping Turbo.It also sees the GTS muscling its way onto the short list of prospective performance-wagon buyers — think Audi RS4 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.Self-levelling air suspension will be standard on all Australian-specification GTSs.So will the Tiptronic S automatic transmission, though Porsche Cars Australia spokesman Paul Ellis predicts 10 per cent of GTS owners will specify the manual six-speed gearbox.The interior features sports front seats with 12-way adjustment.You don't sit on them so much as contour them around your body — and you'll need all that bolstering when you give the GTS its head.On the roadThe Turbo still rules straight-line fight in the Cayenne hierarchy — 368kW against 298kW is a one-sided fight — but will lose ground to the GTS in the twisty bits.Which is where a Turbo S model is a distinct probability in the not-too-distant future.The GTS suspension is teamed with an array of electronic aids for a flat, fast ride. Flick the centre-console switch into Comfort mode and the GTS will cruise over corrugations as the Porsche Active Suspension Management softens the damping.A flick back into Sport mode activates the full arsenal, with the engine, exhaust and throttle settings remapped for (even more) performance, as the ride height drops automatically and the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control loads up the anti-roll bars to keep the body level through turnsThrottle lag is non-existent, and — as the Porsche hurtles from hairpin to hairpin on the Portugese back roads used for the world press previews, you are grateful the six-piston 350mm brakes don't fade under repeated punishment.There is some tyre noise on coarse bitumen, but that's easily addressed by flicking the Tiptronic shifter down a cog to coax more bark from the V8.It's easy to forget you are sitting in a soft-roader — in fact, it's hard to believe anything other than a dedicated sports car can corner as well as the GTS. And that, ultimately, is the newest Cayenne's true appeal.Paul Ellis says many buyers use their Cayennes as a quick and comfortable means of towing their boat, car or horse float and — with its 540-litre luggage capacity — it's practical transport for the affluent and ambitious.Unhitch the trailer and the GTS will scare other drivers (and you) with brakes, power and poise that few cars and few other soft-roaders can match.BMW does a strong job with its X5 V8, and its forthcoming X6 will provide the closest competition, but for now the Cayenne is the one to beat in the sports utility market.

Daring to be different has given Triumph a unique supersports machine and a swag of national and international awards. The triple-cylinder engine that powers the Triumph Daytona 675 is a gem, packaged in some of the most functional wrapping that inthusiasts can hope to swing their leg over. The Triumph isn't ground-breaking. It just does everything with a precision that until recently was the domain of Japanese machinery. The extra 75cc gives it a power-play over the 600cc screamers it lines up against in class and price (Suzuki's GSX-R is the only player in the 750cc market these days). I wouldn't want to be on the 675 against the middleweight Gixxer at the track, but everywhere else the usability of the 675makes it marginally more user-friendly. And marginal improvements are enough to give it the nod in this savagely contested bike segment. That's why Australian Motorcycle News and Two Wheels both rated it the 2006 'bike of the year.' The narrow, aggressive lines and quality of finish are first-rate and ensure the Triumph looks the business. That's vital in a market where style is every bit as important as substance. The riding position puts slightly more stress on the wrists than many of its rivals, barely an issue for lightweights such as myself, but something to consider if you're looking to use the bike for long hauls. The pillion position is actually better than most sportsbikes, though we wouldn't recommend a two-up run to Adelaide without a few rest breaks. Fire up the Daytona and head for your favourite bit of blacktop, the immediate impression is how precisely and quickly it turns in. Nose it into a corner and it lies down faster than a well-trained dog. It stays down, too, even with increasingly severe braking and throttle inputs. Self-preservation intrudes before we find the bike's limit, we'll save that for a track. The suspension is well sorted and generally unfazed by potholes and corrugations. When you need them, the four-spot radial brakes are what you'd expect of a supersports bike, like twisting the throttle in reverse. It's a worthy alternative for riders looking to stand out in the supersports crowd.       Inside view Triumph Daytona Engine: 675 engine 675cc in-line three-cylinder Power: 91kW torque 72Nm Transmission: close-ratio six-speed Tank: 17 litres weight 165kg (dry) Price: $14,890 +ORC  

Like all things Harley, the tourer is big and bold. The US-bred equivalent of a Honda Goldwing, at about 380kg, is a lot of bike.That translates into an amazingly stable ride on the highway, where truck “bow waves” and crosswinds fail to have an impact on your comfort or the bike's handling.The only air you'll have to deal with is that deflected off the windshield into the top of your helmet. Once you adjust to it, you can sit back, set cruise control and enjoy the output from the four-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, with CD player and MP3 input.Many owners prefer to listen to the distinctive Harley exhaust but it's somewhat muted on the Ultra Classic and will send enthusiasts searching for an aftermarket system.Rolling off the freeway on to secondary roads will cause the rear suspension to struggle at times as it tries to deal with rippled tarmac and the weight of two riders. Again, it's nothing a beefed-up shock won't iron out.The Ultra isn't as much fun around town, where its low ground clearance and relatively high centre of gravity mean you need to set a smooth line through tight city roundabouts or else scrape the precious metal.It's a trait common to many tourers and takes a day or so to adjust your style to suit.The bike has been criticised for the heat venting on to your legs from the air-cooled 1584cc engine. Although noticeable, it's never going to singe your pants and quickly dissipates as the speedo climbs — and it climbs effortlessly, with 122Nm ensuring the roll-on acceleration is more than a match for inertia.Ratios on the six-speed gearbox are a good match with the engine, the overdrive sixth ensuring the Twin Cam 96 is doing little more than ticking over at 100km/h.Fuel economy is impressive, the big tourer averaging about 7 litres for 100km.With a 19-litre tank that makes it a great ride for weekend cruises on the open road.The bike will need its first service at 1600km, then every 8000km after that.