Articles by Joshua Dowling

The first example of the last car to be made in Australia will go down Toyota's production line in the Melbourne suburb of Altona today.The official sign-off ceremony for the new Toyota Camry comes two-and-a-half years before the local car manufacturing industry falls silent forever.Ford is due to close its Broadmeadows and Geelong factories in October 2016, about one year before Holden shuts its Elizabeth assembly line near Adelaide.It has enough export orders for the Camry to keep the factory running until its planned shutdown dateBut Japanese giant Toyota will be the last of the three to lock its car-factory gates at the end of 2017 – and this new Camry is the model that will take the company and the industry to the end of the line.Toyota Australia says it has enough export orders for the Camry to keep the factory running until its planned shutdown date."We are 100 per cent categorically, absolutely, committed to continuing production until the end of 2017," said Toyota Australia president Dave Buttner.Despite the imminent closure, Toyota says its 2500 factory workers are determined to go out on a high.The feeling of a brand new car makes people feel proud and happy"When the gates shut for the last time, I know I can hold my head high knowing I've done my best," said Robert Cook, a technical officer on the production line that will build 90,000 cars this year, about twice as many as Holden and five times as many as Ford.The Toyota Camry has been Australia's top-selling medium-size sedan for 21 years but 70 per cent of the vehicles made locally are exported to the Middle East."The feeling of a brand new car makes people feel proud and happy and that's what motivates me to make the last car the best car," said Tony Ashamalla, factory manager.Toyota has built more than 3.2 million cars in Australia since 1963 – just three years after the first Ford Falcon and the same year the EH Holden came out – and more than 2 million vehicles have been made in Altona since the factory opened in 1995.When local production ends, Toyota will likely import the next generation Camry from Thailand, which has a Free Trade Agreement with Australia and is now the second biggest source of vehicles sold locally after Japan and ahead of South Korea.Mr Buttner, who came up through the ranks at Toyota in manufacturing-related jobs between 1988 and 2002, said he had mixed emotions about the arrival of the new car.Up to 90 per cent of blue collar staff had taken up the offer to develop new skills"It's a bitter sweet experience," said Mr Buttner. "Bitter in that it will be the last product we build in Australia … but the other feeling is of great pride, when you see the commitment and absolute passion and dedication of every worker on the production line."Toyota says it has started retraining its workers for life after manufacturing and up to 90 per cent of blue collar staff had taken up the offer to develop new skills.The average length of service for Toyota Australia's production line workers is 15 years. The longest serving employee, an 83-year-old who works in quality control, who declined to be interviewed, has been with Toyota for 42 years."We are actively looking across Victoria: where are the jobs, are they in construction, hospitality, healthcare, what's the average weekly wage, what's the entry qualifications," said Mr Buttner."We've now started developing one-on-one transition plans for every employee. We will pay for the training, we will assist with any literacy skills people may require, writing resumes, and so on."The new car is the sixth generation Camry made in Australia since 1987 and arrives just two years after the last all-new Camry went on sale.The new Camry is due to arrive in local showrooms from next monthCustomarily, only minor revisions are made at this point in the car's model cycle.But with more than 800 new parts, it is the biggest facelift in the Camry's history. Every panel except the roof is new.The new model cost $108 million to develop, including $23.6 million from the Federal Government and a smaller, undisclosed sum from the Victorian Government.Once production ramps up, the new Camry is due to arrive in local showrooms from next month.

Holden is recalling more than 26,000 examples of its Colorado ute and family SUV -- almost every one sold in the past 18 months -- because they may catch fire.Holden issued a “stop delivery” notice to dealers and is urging Colorado owners to bring their cars in for rectification work after five customers experienced “thermal incidents”.The models affected were made between September 2013 and January 2015.The latest safety bulletin makes Holden the most recalled car brand so far this year; last year Holden had the equal highest number of recalls with Jeep, with each issuing a record 14 notices.According to the Federal Government’s recalls website, “there is a risk that (a) cable insulation may melt or catch fire, which may pose a risk of injury to the vehicle occupants and other road users”.A statement from Holden said an alternator cable “may have been assembled so it makes contact with a steel bracket on the battery tray”. The latest safety bulletin makes Holden the most recalled car brand so far this yearUnder certain driving conditions, Holden says, movement of the engine may cause the cable to rub through the insulation.“This may cause a short circuit. If the short circuit creates sufficient heat, there is a risk that the cable insulation may melt or potentially catch fire,” the Holden statement said.Holden says drivers of affected may notice a battery warning light on the instrument cluster or “in more serious cases a small amount of smoke may be emitted from the engine bay area”.The safety alert for the Thailand-made Colorado ute is the fifth Holden recall so far this year.Earlier this month Holden issued a recall for the Korean-made Captiva family SUV because certain models could lurch forward if the key was left in the ignition.Jeep and Nissan have issued four recalls so far this year while Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Suzuki have issued three recalls each so far this year.Market leader Toyota has only issued two recalls so far this year.

Stablemates are rarely rivals but these almost match on price. Joshua Dowling referees a family feud.

The biggest seller of SUVs in China is heading Down Under – and it reckons it can overtake Toyota, the local market leader that sells twice as many vehicles as Holden.

It is the biggest motor show on the planet, in every sense of the word.The site map for the Shanghai motor show looks straightforward enough. With its simple clover-leaf design, at first it appears there are four halls to cover.Then you discover the floorspace of each hall is the size of the MCG – and split in two sections under one enormous roof. So, eight enormous halls then.But if you fold out the map – as I did, on day two – you then learn there are two levels to every hall.So instead of covering two of eight halls on day one, it turns out I only made it to two out of gigantic 16 halls. Needless to say, the joint is huge.China overtook the US car market in 2009 and hasn't missed a gear since.So many Chinese can now afford a car that it has caused instant gridlockMore than 24.8 million new vehicles were delivered in China last year (compared to 1.1 million in Australia and 16.5 million in the US) and sales are still powering, up by more than 13 per cent in 2015.The country with 1.35 billion people is rapidly developing a middle class, and they want to switch from two wheels to four.So many Chinese can now afford a car that it has caused instant gridlock; the government often alternates days which allow cars with odd or even licence plates on the road.In Shanghai, a city of more than 23 million people, equivalent to the entire population of Australia, the traffic is so bad that the best way to get to the motor show is by train.We found this out the hard way, having taken more than two hours to travel by bus from the downtown hotel to the motor show site on day one; the train ride the next day took 20 minutes. So much for celebrating the car.But even the Shanghai train system, although infinitely more efficient than Australia's network, is suffering from growing pains.The local transport website helpfully points out that an English translation version of the train map is not available as a PDF because the city is adding so many new lines that it doesn't fit on an A4 sheet of paper.China is a place with big ambitions. While the Chinese auto industry is booming, that is largely because each of the top-selling brands have their hands held by a foreign car company.If you want to build and sell cars in China, the government mandates you must partner with a local manufacturer – and split the profit down the middle.You name the brand, and they're either already in China, or about to set up shopIt's one of the reasons China's middle class economy is growing so fast, the government ensures the wealth is distributed far and wide.When a foreign auto company turns up to start building cars, they are told which provinces they will set up their factories in, and which company will partner them.That's why you see some unusual acronyms after household names such as General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW.The list goes on. You name the brand, and they're either already in China, or about to set up shop.Meanwhile, demand for imported luxury cars is so strong that brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Rolls-Royce now list China as their biggest market.At a previous motor show, Rolls-Royce had to install a credit card machine because so many cashed-up Chinese buyers wanted to drive home in the display cars on the spot.Just as Chinese have had to adjust to understanding the difference between a motor show and a dealership (Rolls-Royce took their deposits but delivered the cars later), the global industry has had to change its approach to such an important market and has developed models exclusively for sale in China.At the other end of the scale, dozens of China-only car brands are trying to leave their mark on the local market and, eventually, the world.Many of these brands are the ones responsible for the copycat cars that have been the butt of jokes in recent years.There was the fake Mini, the sincere form a flattery to the Range Rover Evoque, the BMW X5 nose that appeared to be grafted onto what was apparently a tribute to the Toyota Prado.However, apart from a handful of cars (one that had a Ferrari nose and a Porsche Cayman rear end, and another that looked like a Volkswagen Touareg SUV, except it wasn't) this year's show stood out for its lack of counterfeit cars.Indeed, the domestic Chinese car makers are showing signs of maturing.Would I rush out and buy a Chinese car? Not yetThe similarities in foreign design are still there, but they are much more muted and on their way – hopefully – to their own look.The smart brands are hiring foreign design talent (there appears to have been a raid on Audi, BMW and VW designers recently) to help nurture the extremely creative Chinese designers coming up through the system.But would I rush out and buy a Chinese car? Not yet. Probably not for several years. Maybe even a decade.It should be pointed out that, just as with big foreign brands, not all Chinese cars are created equally. Some are most certainly better than others.The Chinese automotive industry absolutely knows how to manufacture every single part that goes into making a carThat said, even the big improvers of the Chinese domestic brands are still a long way from challenging the German, Japanese, North American and South Korean brands on quality, safety, refinement and efficiency.The Chinese automotive industry absolutely knows how to manufacture every single part that goes into making a car – and give it the appearance of quality.But the world's biggest car market is still yet to hone the skills to design and engineer vehicles from the ground up to truly international standards.In the meantime, foreign design and engineering talent will be able to enjoy the China boom.Indeed, even Australia is getting a slice of the action.The new China-only Ford Taurus unveiled this week was created from the ground up in Australia.Ford employs 1500 designers, engineers and mechanics (twice as many employed on the production line that will fall silent next year) at Broadmeadows to develop cars for Ford of China.The only difference is the factory is 8000km away, rather than next door.

Chinese brand Haval is poised to enter the Australian car market, starting with three new models in local showrooms in just two months – and possibly a fourth by the end of this year.

Nissan Australia has shocked the automotive manufacturing industry by confirming the future of its casting and parts factory is secure "well beyond 2020".The fresh hope for the facility in Dandenong South was announced today after Nissan Australia secured a deal to continue manufacturing parts for the Nissan Leaf electric car and 38 other models sold internationally.Manufacturing is far from dead in Australia and we're proof of this"Manufacturing is far from dead in Australia and we're proof of this," said Peter Jones, the managing director of Nissan Casting Australia."Amid the turmoil that's been reported about our country's manufacturing sector, especially in the local automotive industry, Nissan's been working away in the background."The Nissan factory has been running around the clock, three shifts, seven days a week for the past six months, such is the demand for its parts.It exports components to Japan, the US, the UK, Thailand, Mexico and South Korea.About 160 people are employed there and Nissan says it expects to recruit more workers to keep up with parts supply.Nissan Australia makes components for a range of vehicles including the Leaf electric car, Navara pick-up, X-Trail SUV and others, and each component has a small kangaroo stamped onto it.The Nissan factory has also secured a deal to produce parts for a top secret future carNissan says it has been working with the CSIRO to develop a unique manufacturing technique that saves up to $100,000 per component."With the CSIRO, we developed … a casting technology that eliminates valve blockages caused by the molten aluminium. It avoids machine stoppages and can save us up to $100,000 a year in the production of a single component," said Mr Jones.The Nissan factory has also secured a deal to produce parts for a top secret future car."This new business includes driveline components for soon-to- be-released models, new motor technology and all-new propulsion systems not yet announced, so I'm afraid I can't share any details with you. (But) these developments will see Nissan Casting Australia operating well beyond 2020," said Mr Jones.Former industry minister, Senator Kim Carr, who oversaw the Federal Government funding of the automotive industry, said: "This is a huge vote of confidence from a major international investor in Australia's automotive skills and capabilities".Senator Carr said the Nissan example shows "Australia's auto industry has a bright future with the right policy settings. We can attract new investment, new jobs, and new technologies."Staff employed: 160Three shifts a day, seven days a week.Factory size: 20,000 square metres on 90,000 square metres of landOutput: 2.3 million castings and about 25,000 Nissan vehicle accessories, including towbars.Components produced: 49 separate components including 39 castings and 10 vehicle accessories.Exports: Japan, US, UK, Thailand, South Korea and Mexico.A small kangaroo appears in every casting Nissan makes in Australia.Parts are fitted to: 39 different models, including Nissan, Renault and Infiniti Cars.

Holden will make 270 more workers redundant at its car assembly line in Elizabeth next month as demand for locally-made vehicles hits new lows.So far this year sales of the Holden Commodore are down by 17 per cent and deliveries of the Cruze small car are down by 5 per cent in a market that has just posted the strongest first three months on record.Staff numbers will fall from 1530 production line workers to 1260 as a result of the cutbacks, and vehicle production will drop from 290 cars per day to 240 cars per day from May 25, when the redundancies are due to take place.Staff numbers will fall from 1530 production line workers to 1260 as a result of the cutbacks“We’re hoping the majority of the redundancies will be on a voluntary basis, that will be our first priority,” said Holden spokesman Sean Poppitt.Holden has not ruled out further redundancies later this year.“As difficult as this process is, the contraction of the manufacturing will happen on a sliding scale,” said Mr Poppitt.“One of our priorities is to not release everyone onto the job market at the same time.”Holden says it has established counseling services, careers seminars and computer courses after hours for each of its factory workers.A statement from Holden said: “We appreciate the impact decisions like this have on employees and their families. Holden is committed to supporting staff through this transition process.”Despite the new round of job cuts, and persistent rumours of early shutdowns, each of Australia's three remaining car manufacturers insists production will continue all the way to their respective closure dates.Ford is due to close its Broadmeadows and Geelong facilities in October 2016, while Holden and Toyota are due to shut their factories in late 2017.

The spiritual successor to the Ford Falcon was unveiled in China today – but it won't be sold locally even though it was designed in Australia.The sleek sedan is the latest Ford to be created from the ground up at the company's research and development division in Broadmeadows north of Melbourne, right next door to the Falcon factory that will close next year.But the new large sedan will never be sold in Australian showrooms because it was developed exclusively for China, the world's biggest car market.We are fully utilising all of our facilities in Australia"Of course we're proud, we're proud of all the things we do," said Australian Trevor Worthington, Ford's Asia-Pacific engineering chief, who was there for the unveiling at the Shanghai motor show today.When asked if the new Ford, which adopts the US name of Taurus, was the "spiritual successor" to the Falcon, Mr Worthington said: "We've designed it absolutely specifically for China. The important thing is, this is exactly the product that Chinese customers want."The new sedan is only the second Australian-designed but Chinese-made car to be unveiled, following the Ford Everest SUV shown six months ago.It's good for us and it's good for Ford globallyFord wouldn't say what else its team of 1500 Australian designers, engineers and mechanics are working on next, but Mr Worthington did admit that Broadmeadows was busily working on a range of overseas models."We're working on multiple programs and we never talk about what we're working on because that gives away our global portfolio to rivals," said Mr Worthington."(But) we are fully utilising all of our facilities (in Australia). It's good for us and it's good for Ford globally."

The latest sales figures show we are now buying almost as many SUVs as we are buying regular cars.In the first three months of this year, SUVs of all shapes and sizes represented a staggering 42 per cent of all passenger cars sold (95,000 of 224,000), according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.Sales of SUVs have almost doubled in the past 10 years, from 173,000 in 2004 to 352,000 last year.The industry believes the SUV boom will continue until at least 2020, where they may even overtake passenger cars.It costs little more to get into an SUV these days than it does to buy a hatchbackThe new generation of city-sized SUVs, or "faux-wheel-drives", are essentially a high-riding hatchback — and most lack a proper all-wheel-drive system or sufficient ground clearance to climb a street gutter."Buyers love the tall driving position, and the flexibility of a wagon without looking like they're driving a wagon," says Richard Johns of Australian Automotive Intelligence.Mr Johns said price was also a factor in the popularity of SUVs."It costs little more to get into an SUV these days than it does to buy a hatchback," he said."The most popular SUV models also cost less than the typical $35,000 starting for the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon."Love them or hate them, sales of SUVs are driving the record growth in the new-car market.Last month, an Australian record for car sales in March, SUV deliveries were up by 15 per cent in a market that was up by 8 per cent.Honda sold more HR-Vs than Civic hatchbacks, Hyundai sold more ix35s than it did of its Accent small car, the Mitsubishi ASX outsold the Lancer, Toyota sold more RAV4s than it did Toyota Yaris hatchbacks and Nissan sold twice as many X-Trails as it did Pulsar sedans and hatches.And the pint-sized Mazda CX-3 outsold the Ford Falcon in March, even though the just-released Mazda had only been on sale for the last eight days of the month.The SUV specialist brands are cashing in. Jeep sales were up 15 per cent and Land Rover up 19 per cent last month.The SUV phenomenon has also hit the top end of town.SUVs now account for more than half of the sales for Toyota's luxury division Lexus, and its oddly-styled NX SUV was the brand's biggest selling model in March.The Porsche Cayenne and Macan SUVs each outsell the 911 sports car by more than four to one.BMW this week released a $200,000 high performance version of its 2.2 tonne BMW X5 that can outrun a Porsche 911.Even Rolls-Royce has joined the fray, planning to release an SUV within the next three years, although it refuses to use the term "SUV", preferring instead to call it a "high riding vehicle".Clearly some people still look down on SUVs.