Articles by James Stanford

The Jaguar F-Type Coupe is one of the most beautiful cars currently being produced. It is a stunning vehicle that attracts attention both in traffic and wherever you park it.But this F-Type Coupe promises more than looks, it also wears the R badge and that means it is also very fast.The R is the most powerful F-Type Coupe, which was developed to go head to head with the iconic Porsche 911.  It is out of the reach of most of us at $219,130, but has the presence and the pace of cars that demand far higher prices.  The F-Type was originally designed as a convertible and the coupe came later. Both are beautiful, but the coupe has a wonderful flowing roofline that makes for a fantastic profile. It perfectly mixes elegance with aggression and looks more agile than a 911.The interior looks good, but the quality is not quite at the level of Porsche or Audi. It looks a little less developed. The R spec bronze anodised elements in this car (paddles, starter etc) look out of place and clash with the rest of the interior. There are some cool touches, such as the climate vents risingup out of the dashboard when you switch on the car. The seats are comfortable and supportive, but don’t have a heater function as standard.The red paint on our test car looked rich and bright, but this colour, which is somehow “race inspired” according to Jaguar, costs a mind-blowing $5620. It almost makes the premium other companies charge for metallic paint seem reasonable.The sloping tail of the F-Type Coupe means it has terrible rear visibility. Making it worse is the fact there is no rear-view camera fitted as standard, which is a ridiculous omission for a car that costs this much.The boot is tiny and is almost completely filled with a space saver spare wheel. It is a two seater, with no space behind the seats for storage, so you will need to pack carefully for a weekend away. Apart from the visibility issue, the F-Type is easy to drive around town, with a competent automatic taking care of the gear changes.The F-Type Coupe is not quite as brilliant near the limit as the 911, but that’s not an issue unless you plan on heading over to Germany’s Nurburgring. It still does handle extremely well and is very happy slinging around corners at a rapid rate. The body is tied down well and there is very little roll.It definitely has the ability to match its looks, but the downside to its impressive agility is the jolty ride on less than perfect roads.The R version is astonishingly powerful. A supercharged 5.0-litre V8 makes some 404kW and 680Nm, which is way more than you could ever use on public roads. It blasts from 0-100km/h in just 4.2, which is smidgeon faster (0.1secs) than the Carrera S Porsche auto. The Jag’s pace is great, but theexhaust note is even better. Press a button on the centre console and this cat snaps from domesticated to feral in an instant. It roars wildly on acceleration and bangs like mortar rounds when you back off. The exhaust is so loud that you should consider turning it off in the early morning and late at night for fear of waking the neighbourhood.The fuel consumption is ordinary, some 11.1L/100km, and is worse out on the road, but few owners will care.The F-Type R is seriously overpriced when you factor in all the options that should be standard, but no other car in that price range delivers the same heady mix of beauty, performance and sound.The R version rides on 20-inch wheels, has quad exhaust pipes, performance brakes and special bonnet vents. It has leather sports seats and the switchable sports exhaust.Several items that should be standard on a car this costly include a reversing camera ($1725), heated seats ($1410), digital radio receiver ($600) and a blind spot warning system (along with a collision warning system) ($1500).Warranty: is three years/unlimited kmService: No capped serviceResale: N/A

James Stanford road tests and reviews the Fiat Doblo with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Car companies don't normally name vehicles after donkeys but that is exactly what is happening with this futuristic carry all.It's named after the Kulan, a donkey from Central Asia, because it is designed to be just that, a beast of burden.The all-electric Kulan is a concept at this stage but the team behind it has every intention of bringing the innovative machine to market.It has been designed as a lightweight electric-powered utility vehicle that could help with all sorts of tasks, from carrying cattle feed to lugging loads of produce.Its futuristic shape may suggest it isn't all that strong but the Kulan is able to carry a payload of 1000kg, the same as many workhorse utes.The prototype's frame is made from tube steel, which is not the lightest but is far cheaper than carbon-fibre or aluminium. Its panels are a special lightweight plastic.A patented battery management setup helps make the most of the energy available.The Kulan has electric motors mounted in each rear wheels. These generate a total of only 4kW but that is enough to propel the Kulan to 50km/h.More importantly, the vehicle has a range of up to 300km (depending on the load and conditions) and can operate for six hours at a stretch.Running solely on electricity, the Kulan would be able to work in environments where zero emissions and virtually silent machines are preferred, for example enclosed spaces and parks.The Kulan may also appeal to organic farmers, who want to reduce the amount of fossil fuels being used on their land.This intriguing vehicle is the result of technical collaboration by 14 companies from the German region of Saxony, operating under the Polylab banner.

James Standford road tests and reviews the Renault Kangoo ZE.

City cars mean different things to different buyers, typified by the stylish Polo and the practical Jazz. James Stanford adjudicates

Priced identically and with big-bore V8s, the Holden and Falcon bear the makers' standards as the genre comes to an end. 

Ford Australia has started the final chapter of a story that began in 1933.This week in Albury, it launched the last ever locally made Ford ute, the FG X, which will be produced until mid-2016 when Ford shuts its Australian factories for good.The locally made sedan-based ute has a special place in Australian automotive history, given it was invented by young Ford designer Lew Bandt.His creation came after a letter had arrived at company headquarters requesting a dual-purpose vehicle that was smart enough to drive to church, but practical enough to cart livestock to market.Back then, when delivery trucks had basic half-door cabins (or no doors at all), its passenger car cabin must have seemed luxurious.In terms of ride quality, it is superior to the importsAustralia’s obsession with utility vehicles grew even stronger when the Falcon-based ute, an Australian version of Ford’s American Ranchero, was launched in 1961.It outlived both the long-wheelbase Fairlane and the Falcon wagon. More recently, vastly improved workhorse utes (including crew cabs) from Thailand such as the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger have eroded its market share — and that of the rival Commodore ute — dramatically.Lower sales have meant less money to invest in new models and that is reflected in the lack of significant change in the latest model.The FG X ute doesn’t get all the upgrades that come with the sedan, which is perhaps why Ford didn’t include it in the official launch drive.Luckily, it brought an EcoLPI XR6 Ute along to haul spare wheels and this column leapt in to commandeer it.The ute looks the same from the rear but it gets the new Ford family front end, including its aggressive narrow headlights and daytime running lights. There are no aluminium body parts but the bonnet is made from super high-tensile steel that is lighter but also stronger than before.Inside, it gets a new eight-inch high-res touchscreen, new seats and trim and a fresh instrument cluster. It has a new radio, with dual antennas, which can also receive digital radio stations.New wide blade automatic windscreen wipers have also been fitted.There are no changes to the ute’s engine line-up, which comprises a regular 195kW petrol six-cylinder, the 270kW XR6 Turbo and the 198kW EcoLPI. There is no four-cylinder or V8 option.The petrol and gas non-turbo six-cylinder models get a converter that is able to save fuel without affectingrque refinement.Ford has rejigged pricing and the range runs from the base ute at $39,390 through to the red-hot XR6 Turbo at $39,810.Our XR6 gas-powered EcoLPI Ute is normally $35,140 but was fitted with the $4350 Luxury Pack that includes sports leather seats, satnav and 19-inch alloy wheels.The last ever Falcon is a handy work tool that also happens to comfortable and fun to driveIt is a smart-looking ute, especially thanks to the LED running lights that flash on when you flick the key in the ignition.The seats are more supportive than before and the leather trim looks classy. The interior still looks dated but it is still far more refined than any of the imported workhorse utes.In terms of ride quality, it is superior to the imports.The EcoLPI engine is an absolute beauty. It is well worth the $2500 premium and is noticeably more potent than the already pokey petrol six-cylinder (it has 18Nm more torque).Even better, the LPG tanks don’t intrude into the cargo area and there is still enough room for a spare wheel under the tray (this is not the case with the Holden LPG Ute).With a payload of up to a tonne and maximum tow rating of 2300kg, the last ever Falcon is a handy work tool that also happens to comfortable and fun to drive.It’s a concept that will be missed.

James Stanford road tests and reviews theBMW 2 Series Active Tourer, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ford's in Transit - the one-tonne Transit Custom gets a two-tonne stablemate. Meet Ford's new Transit. This is the two-tonne big Transit, joining the one-tonner that went on sale earlier this year. Somewhat confusingly, the small Transit is called the Transit Custom and the big Transit is just called Transit.The Custom is a competitor for Hyundai's iLoad and Toyota's HiAce and the biggie competes against the likes of the Mercedes Sprinter and Renault Master.The big Transit comes out of the same factory in Turkey as the Custom model but that's where the commonality ends. It uses a different chassis and is rear-wheel drive. The Custom is a front-driver, which is fine in smaller vans as it costs less and is more fuel efficient. Rear-drive better suits vehicles carrying heavier loads because more weight is on the rear of the vehicle and it is able to get better traction.Cargo volume ranges from 11 cubic metres to 15.1, or up to five Euro-style palletsTransit variants include three vans and two cab-chassis, one a single cab and the other a crew cab. The base 350L has mid- and high-roof options. Ford Australia says it will introduce a passenger van version, which has the largest curtain airbag in production, at some stage next year.Prices start at $47,680 for the 350L with single rear wheels - all other models have twin rear wheels for better traction and load distribution - and rises to $52,680 for the 470E Double Cab Chassis The Transits all share a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, an updated version of that in the Ranger workhorse. It comes in one tune only, with 114kW at 3500rpm and 385Nm from 1600rpm-2300rpm, and is fitted with fuel-saving stop-start tech (Ford has not released fuel figures).Initially, the transmission will be six-speed manual only. A torque converter automatic under development for both Transits may be up to two years away.The payload for the Transit ranges from 1122kg to 2500kg and the maximum combined mass is 4490kg. Cargo volume ranges from 11 cubic metres to 15.1, or up to five Euro-style pallets.As with the Transit Custom, Ford Australia specified the local Transit models with an impressive amount of standard safety features including front, side and curtain airbags, trailer sway control and electronic stability control - which is configured to account for how the vehicle is loaded.Paired to a mobile phone, the Transit can call emergency services automatically in the event of a crash.Cruise control is standard as is a digital radio, Bluetooth audio streaming and phone connectivity, airconditioning, 3.5-inch dashboard screen and steering wheel-mounted audio and phone controls.

James Stanford road tests and reviews the Ram 1500 Ecodiesel pickup in the US.