Articles by Ewan Kennedy

The next pieces of Skoda’s longterm plan for Australia have just been put into place with the introduction of a couple of low cost variants as will as a hot little RS number.VALUEA new station wagon body has been introduced. Costing just $2000 more than the five-door hatch it is 250 millimetres longer to provide up to 1460 litres of luggage space with the seats folded down, and a just as impressive 480 litres with all five seats in use.Incidentally, the Monte Carlo also gets the DSG option. Priced at $24,290 this special Fabia will please the commuter who wants to make a styling statement will stationary in traffic.With a price tag starting at just $27,990 for the RS132 manual hatch it’s certainly worth consideration from those looking for fun in an affordable machine.TECHNOLOGYThe range has been expanded to include a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 77 kilowatts of power, and 175 Newton metres of torque all the way from 1500 to 4100 revs.Our initial test drive of this little beauty in the Gold Coast area showed it to be willing to rev and happy to slug along in just about any gear – modern turbo engines with the latest in electronic control are brilliant in this manner. Volkswagen’s are right up there with the best of them.The four-cylinder engine can either be mounted beside a five-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed double-clutch DSG. We sampled both and though the auto is the more sensible bet we liked the feel of the manual and the added control it gives the keen driver.The smallest Skoda is the Fabia, using similar underpinnings to the Volkswagen Polo and even the Audi A1 to give it an extremely strong platform on which to build. So late in 2009 we saw the initial imports of the stylish Monte Carlo versions of the Fabia as well as an affordable hatch in the 77TSI, both were five-door hatches powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder VW engine.The range topping Skoda Fabia RS132 with, you guessed it, 132 kW, has excellent acceleration complemented by a good exhaust note that will please those who think driving is about a lot more than simply going from A to B.The 132 kW is achieved by tuning the same 1.4 engine as in the 77 kW models. The 132 demands to be fed 98 octane petrol and has a torque good torque spread, with its maximum of 250 Nm being available all the way from 2000 rpm to 4500.DESIGNAs in other Skoda models the new Fabia wagon has the superb Varioflex seating system that lets each of the three rear seats be removed individually. The seats unclip in seconds and weigh only 11 kilograms so it doesn’t need a hulking make to convert this small wagon into what’s almost a little van.The cleverest of all the Varioflex features is the ability to remove the centre-rear seat and then slide the two outer seats closer together, or further apart, to accommodate the wishes of the occupants. Cosy and close, or separated and sedate, the choice is yours.DRIVINGWe loved the feel of the RS132 that’s been created by lowering the body by 10 mm and increasing the stiffness of the shocks, springs and bushes. We weren’t so impressed by the noise created on rough road surfaces by the tyres and the way this harshness finds its way into the cabin.VERDICTIt has taken some time for Australian buyers to take Skoda seriously, but these new models give you a solid, sensible car with a good degree of style and we can see them taking off in the sales race any time now.

Nissan Leaf is the world’s first purpose-designed, mass-production electric car. Australia has become one of the first countries to receive what is potentially the cleanest car of them all.With a not inconsiderable recommended retail price of $51,500 the Nissan Leaf isn’t for everyone, but Nissan Australia is confident it will sell several hundred every year to companies, governments and private individuals keen to do more than their fair share of minimising carbon dioxide output.Globally, Nissan’s midterm plan is to sell as many as half a million Leafs. Economies of scale will help to lower prices, as will better and cheaper batteries. The cost of the battery packs currently makes up about 25 per cent of the price.The Nissan people we spoke to at the launch of the Leaf are becoming increasingly irritated at the lack of action by Australian governments in supporting electric cars. Assistance could be by direct subsidies, lower registration charges, even simple things like allowing electric cars in transit lanes even when there’s just one occupant.Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, introduced over a year back, is also a pure-electric car, but is based on an existing petrol model. Though the Leaf can be charged from any normal 10-amp household socket it will take something like 15 to 20 to do so from fully flat. A minimum of a 15-amp setup is suggested.The latter will charge the car from empty in about eight hours and the installation will cost only a few hundred dollars. Origin Energy has teamed with Nissan Australia to provide fast chargers, These can take a Leaf to about 80 per cent of its charge in half an hour. Nissan expects that locations like shopping centres, fast-food outlets and convenience stores will provide electric car charging free of charge.Most electric cars will cost only one to two dollars to charge. McDonald’s, for example, offers free wireless internet to attract customers and may well do the same to get electric car drivers through their doors. Initially there will be 13 specialised Leaf dealerships in Australia, with more to be appointed later. These will be in all capital cities and on the Gold Coast. Major country cities will follow later.Interior space in the Nissan Leaf is good for four adults though there’s restricted foot room under the front seats due to underfloor batteries being installed in that area. What appears to be good knee-room is rather spoiled by this. The boot is deep, but there’s a high barrier containing charging equipment at the back of the boot.The rear seat backrests fold flat to line up with the height of this barrier so some oversize loads simply won’t fit. Careful packing will let you get plenty of normal luggage in there. The Nissan Leaf and other electric cars are chiefly regarded as a way to reduce air pollution, but also having the added advantage of reducing Australia’s reliance on crude oil being imported from countries where supply can be erratic.On the downside, EV’s range is still marginal and Australia currently has some of the dirtiest electricity generation on the planet. Owners will almost certainly opt for clean electricity, indeed typically buyers have probably been doing so for several years. It’s now up to the governments to use the carbon tax to clean up the electricity generation act.We have driven Nissan Leafs in Geneva, Brisbane and now Sydney, the latter being the location for the Australian launch. We have only driven them for about 70 kilometres in total, so aren’t exactly experts. We certainly have a good feel for the vehicle. The Leaf accelerates hard and responds in a most satisfying manner to ‘throttle’ inputs.When the Nissan EV slows down, and even more so when you use the brakes, kinetic energy is sent back into the battery to be used again. There is virtually no noise from the electric motor and it’s not until the Leaf reaches about 40 km/h that you begin to hear tyre noise and the rush of air over the body. Cleverly the outside mirrors have been shaped to push air away from the outside mirrors, so that normal source of wind noise is almost negated.The Leaf has been designed from the ground up as an electric car, with all that means in the way of minimising compromises.

Last week Holden launched its all-new Colorado, now we have just stepped out of Isuzu’s D-Max. The two share a lot in common, at least on the surface. However, they two vehicles have a different look to one another and are built in two separate factories, although both are in Thailand.VALUEThe new D-Max starts at $27,200 for the manual single cab chassis model which previously cost $25,100. Prices go up to $51,700 for the new five-speed auto LS-Terrain. The top-spec car has a reversing camera, leather upholstery and a satnav system. Service intervals have been doubled to 20,000km and one year.TECHNOLOGYIsuzu Ute Australia is quick to point out that the D-Max uses Isuzu truck engines and transmissions exclusively. The company has made its name on durability and reliability and says the use of true truck drivetrains is an important factor in this. Keeping in mind that Isuzu trucks have been number one in the sales race in Australia for the past 23 years, we are inclined to respect the argument put forward by IUA.The powerplant is a 3.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel and puts out 130 kW at just 3600 rpm, the low revs showing the commercial nature of this engine. Torque is much more important than power and the Isuzu puts out 380 Nm between 1800 and 3600 revs. Engineers say they could have achieved quite a bit more torque but the most important factor in their design was that flat graph.Transmission options are five-speed manual and five-speed automatic. On the road and off, we found the engines to be superbly tractable and were able to hold onto high gears in the interests of lowering fuel consumption and emissions.Isuzu is importing the D-Max with both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive. Showing the tough nature of the typical buyers of D-Maxes is the fact that the majority of buyers have opted for 4WD. Nothing is likely to change this time around, so it looks as though these owners are serious.DESIGNThe cabin has plenty of legroom front and rear and my six-foot frame can sit comfortably behind itself with legroom and foot room that makes it fine for long trips.SAFETYSafety in the new D-Max is right up with that of the latest cars. It carries comprehensive crash avoidance electronics including ABS with force distribution and brake assist as well as stability and traction controls. Protection during a crash takes the form of six airbags and lap-sash safety belts in all seats.The D-Max has yet to be crash tested by ANCAP and Isuzu, always a conservative operator, won’t comment on an expected star rating. But the guys do sound very confident.DRIVINGWell aware that many dual-cab utes and pickups are being bought by Australians as family cars, not just light commercial vehicles, Isuzu has put a lot of effort into making them quieter, smoother and easier to drive than ever before.We were particularly impressed by the tight turning circle that made it easier to manoeuvre around town, but also on the harsh off-road tracks we traversed during our introductory drives in far north Queensland.Like any big four-cylinder engine the Isuzu powerplant has some vibration but we have felt worse. While you wouldn't mistake the D-Max’s interior for that of a large passenger car the big ute comes pretty close in terms of refinement and smoothness.We did some serious off-road driving in the Isuzu D-Max and it passed every test to which we put it; including slippery clay, very steep climbs and descents and driving on river sand.VERDICTNew Isuzu D-Max is a solid generation in front of the previous one and looks likely to continue Isuzu Ute’s sales success in Australia.Isuzu D-MaxPrices: from $27,200-$51,700Warranty: 3 years/100,000 kmResale: 52%Service interval: 20,000km/12 monthsSafety rating: 4 or 5 starsSpare: full-sizeEngine: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel 4-cyl, 130kW/380NmTransmission: 5-speed auto and manual; RWD/4WDBody: 5-5.3m (L); 1.7-1.9m (w); 1.7-1.8m (h)Weight: 1527-1935kgTowing: 3 tonneThirst: 8-8.3L/100km; 212-220g/km CO2

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Holden Adventura and Crewman as a used buy.

In line with a raft of changes to the Audi A5 model line-up, we spent time in an A5 Sportback followed by a week in the sleek A5 Coupe. From roof to rubber and nose to tail the two make bold styling statements.VALUEThere’s little to choose between the A5 Sportback and Coupe 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic. The ‘twins’ even share the same $83,200 manufacturer’s list price.Standard equipment includes concert audio system, a 6.5-inch colour screen with driver info system, electromechanical parking brake and automatic air conditioning that maintains constant temperatures in three zones.Additional options can take their toll on owners’ wallets but remain attractive for those who want to stamp the car with a distinct mark and imposts are well within the market segment. TECHNOLOGYBoth test cars were powered by the award-winning 2.0-litre TFSI four-cylinder petrol engine that takes advantage of Audi’s advanced engine technology which includes adjustable intake cams, exhaust valve-lift system, two balance shafts, low internal friction, new turbocharger and regulated oil pump.Mated with the S tronic seven-speed transmission and Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system, the engine puts out 155 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque between 1500 and 4200 rpm. It’s enough to push the cars from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in 6.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 245 km/h where conditions permit. With the aid of engine stop-start technology, fuel consumption slipped under seven litres per 100 kilometres on the motorway – very impressive – and was backed up with eight to ten around town in medium-to-heavy traffic.The continuously variable seven-speed S tronic is two transmissions in one, with alternating dual clutches enabling lightning fast gear shifts. Taking a few hundredths of a second, it is extremely smooth and unfussed. A fully automatic mode has two modes – Drive and Sport - the driver switching via the central console mounted lever or option steering wheel shift paddles.Mention quattro and it’s impossible not to speak of Audi in the same breath. For years the German automobile maker has been using this form of all-wheel drive, which in this case directs 40 per cent of power to the front wheels, the rest to the rear.In the event of wheel slippage, an automatic centre differential shifts the majority of power to the other axle, thus returning grip all round. Electromechanical steering is a new addition to the A5. Speed sensitive, the system uses no energy when the vehicle is traveling in a straight line, thus adding to fuel savings.Audi A5 owners can invest in more help by optioning adaptive cruise control, Audi active lane assist and a system that profiles the driver’s style and warns him or her of the onset of driver-affecting tiredness.However, the granddaddy of them all is Audi Driver Select which changes the accelerator pedal characteristics, transmission shift pattern and power steering. The driver can dial up comfort, auto, dynamic or efficiency mode, the last of which is new and controls air-con and optional adaptive cruise control or standard cruise control boosting efficiency.Further options include Audi side assist which looks out for vehicles in the car’s so-called blind spots on both sides and active lane assist which keeps an eye on lane markings ahead and if the vehicle drifts to the edge of the lane without the turn indicator being activated the steering automatically coaxes the driver to stay in the lane.DESIGNThe Audi A5 Sportback and Coupe can carry up to four occupants, the two rear seats being very much individual units with a handy centre armrest. Passengers can take advantage of a plethora of storage compartments and drinkholders.Ample legroom in the back is augmented by a boot capable of carrying up to 455 litres (Coupe) and 480 litres (Sportback) of cargo, which in the latter swells to 1263 litres with both rear seatbacks folded.Seats are covered in high-grade Milano leather – Nappa or Valcona skin are options – and this can be extended to armrests on request. Further customisation is available with two-tone leather.Long bonnet and wheelbase, and short overhangs give the Audi A5 an air of being primed and ready for action. Up front the deep one-piece black radiator grille is dominated by the Audi signature rings. On either side are redesigned headlamp clusters which contain xenon-plus headlights and a string of LED daytime running lights.The reworked bumper is home to large air inlets with honeycomb grilles, foglamps and flared cross ribs which ape race car blades. An air inlet under the grille has a new look too.Sportback and Coupe windscreen and roofs curve unhindered from front to back producing a vehicle profile that is pleasing to the eye and, in aerodynamic, thus fuel economy, terms easy on the pocket.The Sportback comes with a standard slide-and-tilt glass sunroof, the Coupe a panoramic tilting sunroof and rear window shade. Body panels in both models have sections of ultra high-strength steel and the fenders are made from aluminium, both adding safety and security, at the same time saving weight.SAFETYThese structural features also improve safety by providing crumple zones. There is an intelligent front, side and head airbag system, head restraints and roll-over protection that stand ready to shield occupants in case of a crash. Further automatic safety systems include electronic stability program, ABS anti-skid brakes with electronic brake force distributionDRIVINGWe found the steering was light yet, at all speeds, provided reassuringly positive feedback from the road. Powerful brakes did their bit in putting the driver at ease when pulling up. An adaptive brake light flashes rapidly under heavy braking to warn following drivers.Audi A5 2.0-litre TFSI quattro S Tronic Sportback/CoupePrice: from $66,900 as testedWarranty: 3 years/unlimited kmEngine: 2.0-litre, 4-cyl, 155kW/350NmTransmission: 7-speed S Tronic duel clutch, AWDThirst: 7.0L/100kmDimensions: 4710/4630mm (L); 1850mm (W); 1390/1370mm (H)Weight: 1525/1455kg (depending on engine)

I’ve driven no fewer than four vehicles with full or partial electric power. And as usual have enjoyed the experience. We have been running a long term test on a Honda Civic Hybrid for six weeks now and the car is going like a dream.We will spend the best part of half a year in it to really get a taste of the legendary engineering and build quality of Honda. And, of course, check out its fuel use characteristics in real life motoring. Midway through the week I swapped a little Toyota Prius c (the new hybrid city car) for a Toyota Camry Hybrid. These were both part of our routing weekly road tests and you will read more about them here soon.Later I drove the Camry Hybrid to the airport to catch a flight to Sydney for the long awaited official launch of the Nissan Leaf. The drive program was necessarily brief as there was quite a queue waiting to get behind the wheel of Australia’s first purpose-designed mass-production electric car. I’ve driven Leaf before, both in Australia and overseas and liked the experience.Sadly, a trip to Le Mans to witness the first ever victory by a hybrid car in the the world’s toughest circuit race wasn’t on my agenda. But I did manage to get my iPad to talk to my television (a remarkable feat given my ham fisted ways with modern electronics) and tuned into a continuous broadcast direct from the track.The big Audi diesel-electric hybrids used the huge braking that’s such a feature of the French racetrack to recover energy created by the cars slowing down, energy that would normally have been turned into heat and totally lost, stored it in special batteries and reused the electricity to drive motors to accelerate up the next straights.Energy recovery is almost something for nothing and is by far the biggest feature of any electric or hybrid electric vehicle. Possibly the most fascinating feature of the electrifying week I’m describing is the fact that Prime Minister Julia Gillard may also have had a trip in an electric car.Nissan and its alliance partner Renault provided many pure-electric cars for the Rio+20 conference and there’s every chance our PM was charging along in one. Are electric vehicles the way of the future? Our feeling is that they are, though proponents of hydrogen power may disagree. In any case, hydrogen powered cars usually use electric motors rather than burning it as fuel.The biggest advantage of electric cars is that the supply grid already exists all over Australia. Every building of any consequence (and most of little or no consequence) already has electric power inside and out. Interestingly, the current Australian electricity grid is already capable of charging up tens of thousands of electric vehicle - provided the charging is done during the night when demands of other electrical equipment is very low.The biggest disadvantage is that Australia’s electricity is mainly generated by dirty coal. That situation is improving and the amount of sustainable power coming from clean sources is increasing at a reasonable rate. Will the future be as electric as the week I’ve just experienced? I certainly hope so. 

Skoda Roomster isn’t for everyone, its unusual styling is the result of very practical interior design. Australia is a rather conservative market so the Roomster failed to find many buyers when sold here between 2007 and 2010. Now Roomster has been reintroduced and the importer of the Czech marque hopes it will be more successful this time around.PRICEFor starters Skoda is using the best sales incentive of all to get back into the market. It’s slashing the price to just $22,490 or about $4000 less than previously. Add $2300 for the seven-speed DSG automatic transmission over that of the standard five-speed manual. These prices don’t include on-road costs.ENGINEAs well as the big price drop the Roomster adds appeal by having a new-design turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine with an official fuel consumption reading of just 5.5 litres per hundred kilometres. Diesels are no longer being imported, but couldn't have beaten the new petrol unit by much.DESIGNRoomster has also benefited from a facelift, though this does nothing to the challenging shape of side profile. These days Skoda is controlled by Volkswagen but still has a fair degree of independence, particularly in the styling department. Anyone who complains that all cars look the same should immediately add Roomster to their short list.The chief designer tells us, “We wanted to make our Roomster look like an aircraft at the front and a house at the back.”DRIVEHandling of the Roomster is good, the steering is neutral at normal to higher-than-average cornering speeds. The added height of the Skoda over that of a conventional hatchback is noticeable if you push hard, but this is a people mover not a sports hatch.Skoda Roomster is only 4.2 metres long yet provides stretch out space for four big adults. It’s relatively narrow, so three grownups in the rear will be uncomfortable. But, three children have room to move. The back seat has a 40/20/40 per cent arrangement so one of the junior travellers should ideally be smaller than the others.The window line is significantly lower at the rear seats than the front, resulting in huge side windows that let even small children get an excellent view of outside. This is a major factor in boredom reduction so parents who cringe at the thought of hearing “Are we nearly there?” should also be adding Roomster to the aforementioned short list.The boot is huge and a pair of large suitcases can be carried with ease. The rear seats can be folded down to further increase cargo space. They can be folded individually, either in a single motion, or double folded. The three seats can be removed individually in a matter of seconds to give an almost van-like space.A popular option is to remove the centre-rear seat. Then you have the choice of a good sized gap between the two rear seats, or you can slide them closer together. A further option is to fold down the backrest of the centre-rear seat to create a small table with built-in padded armrests and holders for drink containers. There are numerous interior features such as storage drawers beneath the front seats and stowage areas for sunglasses, mobile phones, diaries and suchlike.

Volkswagen have been clever by introducing its Scirocco coupe in full-on ‘R’ guise

Is the Porsche Boxster’s shape headed down the same path as the 911 in longevity?It looks that way, Porsche purists are extremely vocal if they feel the styling of new 911s doesn’t follow traditional paths, resulting in striking similarities between the recently launched 911 and the 1963 original. We love this continuation of tradition that’s so welcome in these ever-changing times.VALUEWith a recommended retail price list that begins at just $107,500 (plus on roads), the new-generation Porsche Boxster provides a pure bred machine for a modest outlay.TECHNOLOGYAs before, you can buy a standard Boxster or a high-performance Boxster S. The standard car now runs a new-design 2.7-litre flat-six powerplant with direct fuel injection in place of the manifold injection 2.9-litre of the previous model. Despite its smaller capacity the new unit has 15 per cent more power (now 195 kW), yet uses 13 to 15 per cent less petrol.Opting of the Porsche Boxster S puts a revised version of the existing 3.4-litre flat-six just behind your seats. With 232 kW of power and 2360 Nm of torque it too uses less fuel than in its superseded incarnation.Transmission options are six-speed manual and seven-speed double-clutch PDK. We sampled both; while the automatic is faster and more economical our preference is for the extra driving pleasure provided by the manual. Your call...The two powerplants have switchable stop-start in the interests of emission reduction. The engine starts almost imperceptibly so we hope most drivers don’t feel the need to disable the system.DESIGNThe third generation Porsche Boxster, tagged the 981, is taking the same styling route as the just superseded one. Look at the air intakes in front of the rear wheels and the shape of the bonnet and headlights to see what we mean. At the tail there’s more change in the design, with a strong style line that runs the full width, with the taillights even following the near-horizontal shape of the metal.Talking of metal, more aluminium has been used than ever before with the bonnet, rear deck and door skins all benefitting from the lightweight material. The new Boxster is bigger than before and would have weighed substantially more, but the aluminium, combined with other weight saving measures has trimmed the weight by around 25 to 35 kg depending on model.DRIVINGOn the road the latest Boxster is even better than previous models in its balance and nimble handling. The use of a mid-rear engine, rather than the full-rear unit as in the 911, gives it close to perfect weight distribution.Using a test route behind Brisbane that involved more than its fair share of demanding hills and curves (excellent!) Porsche Australia demonstrated the extreme competence of its new baby. The Boxster simply hung on to the surfaces at speeds well in excess of those achievable by anything other than an ultra-expensive pure supercar.The electrically assisted power steering (used to trim fuel use and emissions) provides better feedback than any similar units we have tested in other cars and really does feel as though your hands are in direct touch with the road.Depending on the model and options chosen there are various adjustments for the suspension and steering setups (as well as for the engine and transmission). So Boxster can be tuned to provide a comfortable ride, a firm one or a full on racetrack hardness. Some sharp potholes and bumps did send a shudder through the car at times when on Sport setting, but we have felt a lot worse in other convertibles.Both engines have excellent response and noise levels that are sure to bring a smile to your face. The way the Porsche engines sound during gearchanges and on throttle liftoff is just superb. Even in speed regulated Australia you can get a lot of pleasure from dropping the roof (it only takes nine seconds and is fully automatic) and just listening to your progress.VERDICTInterestingly, the 2.7 doesn’t lag all that far behind the 3.4 in its feel due to acceleration with a nicely continuous feel. So if you’re on a tight budget and not interested in fanging everywhere you may find it more than meets your needs.If you’re halfway interested in buying a new Boxster may we suggest you contact your favourite Porsche dealer asap? The Boxster is selling its socks off in other countries and there’s a likelihood supply could be constrained for much of the remainder of 2012.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010 Subaru Forester as a used buy.