Articles by Joshua Dowling

But if you missed out there are still good deals to be found.As one dealer told us this week: "now we've got to push a rock back up a hill again". We're pretty sure that's industry jargon for selling more cars to meet monthly sales targets.Hyundai is backing up again this month, after the i30 hatch became the top-selling car in June.This time the deal is on the Active X, which is the next model up from the base grade and comes with automatic transmission, a rear-view camera, alloy wheels and leather seats for $21,990 drive-away, a massive saving of $7000 off full retail price.Need something smaller? You won't see the price advertised widely but a Toyota Yaris automatic hatch can be had for $17,590 drive-away if you ask nicely (the price premium for auto is back down to $1600, after a few months at $2000 above the $15,990 drive-away for the manual).The Ford Kuga MkII petrol automatic SUV makes good buying at $29,990 drive-away, sweetened by a 1.9 per cent finance offer. The low interest rate also applies to the diesel Territory at $41,490 drive-away.Holden's Colorado LS crew cab 4WD ute is now at "fleet price" ($36,865 drive-away for the manual and $37,865 drive-away for the auto) but the five-year warranty deal offered in June has ended.There are a handful of superseded Mitsubishi Tritons left in stock at $29,990 drive-away, and the about-to-be superseded Mitsubishi Challenger SUV is a rock bottom $39,990 drive-away, close to $10,000 off.Nissan is offering sharp finance deals but is still not putting the price of its cars in a headline number.But we can tell you a Pulsar auto hatch or sedan can be had for $24,990 drive-away with 0 per cent finance over three years. There is still some wriggle room in that price, so be sure to haggle.

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the Holden Astra VXR and Ford Focus ST with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Last month Ford reported that more than 2000 Australians so far have paid deposits for the car — including one customer who ordered six — but CarsGuide has been told some dealers are holding more than 50 orders."Order a car today and you're looking at June delivery next year," said one leading Ford dealer.Several dealers in other states reported the same forecast for fresh orders.The news comes as Ford has begun a Mustang roadshow across the country, ahead of its showroom arrival in December.We think we will sell more four-cylinder Mustangs once people can take it for a test driveIn the coming weeks Ford is taking the Mustang to select dealers who are hosting customer preview nights; only those who ordered a car have been invited. Ford reports that almost half of the Mustangs sold so far are of the V8 coupe, and the most popular colour is red, ahead of black and grey.Ford is yet to reveal how many customers have placed orders for the four-cylinder version but dealers are reporting a surprising uptake."At first the enthusiasts come out and most of them want the V8, but we are seeing people who want the look and are happy with the four-cylinder version," said another leading Ford dealer."We think we will sell more four-cylinder Mustangs once people can take it for a test drive."One in four Mustang customers at some dealers have never owned a Ford before, and some are trading BMW and Mercedes-Benz coupes."That has really surprised us," one dealer said.The buyer response for the 2015 Ford Mustang has been extraordinaryOne customer ordered a new Mustang over the phone minutes after returning from testing one in the US.Ford says a handful of Mustang enthusiasts have ordered more than one car, at least one private buyer has ordered six, and a sportscar rental company has ordered 20, the biggest single order so far."The buyer response for the 2015 Ford Mustang has been extraordinary," says David Blackwood, Dealer Principal of the Bayford Group in Victoria."As soon as Ford announced Mustang was coming to Australia (in December 2013) our phones started ringing. A few customers even made deposits before pricing and specifications were confirmed. I've never seen anything quite like it."The Mustang ranges in price from $44,990 for a four-cylinder manual coupe, to $63,990 for a V8 automatic convertible.While sports suspension is an option in the US, all Australian cars will come with the performance pack as standard. But the "burnout button" designed to warm the rear tyres in off-street drag racing has been deleted from Australian Mustangs amid Ford concerns of a backlash from safety groups.

Revheads across Australia have breathed new life into the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon.

The single slot in the dashboard is gradually being replaced by a new wave of touchscreens that mirror the display of the latest smartphones, as more people use Bluetooth or USB connections to listen to music stored on their phones.The new apps mean everything from text messages, music and navigation can be used via the car's built-in screen or steering wheel controls -- so drivers don't need to fiddle with their phones, the fines for which exceed $400 and are up to four demerit points in some states.The first car in Australia with built-in Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink apps is due on sale this week.But it's not a mega-dollar luxury car, customarily first with the latest technology.Rather it comes from an unlikely source: a $15,990 hatchback from the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand Skoda.The new Skoda Fabia will lead a massive rollout of the technology on the rest of the Volkswagen line-up: from August, almost every model in the VW passenger car range will have an app-based audio system and relegate the CD player to the glovebox.Suzuki will be next, with Apple CarPlay likely to be standard on the new generation Vitara SUV, before Mercedes-Benz introduces it on an updated version of it's A-Class hatch late in the year.Surprisingly, Holden was among the first to drop CD players from its cars.Certain Barina models have been without a CD player since December 2012, while the Colorado ute and SUV haven't been able to take a compact disc since November 2013.Peugeot's 208 hatchback hasn't had a CD player since September 2012, and the Citroen Grand Picasso people mover ditched it in February 2014.Much like the tape decks of old, the days of CD players are numberedThe most affordable version of the Hyundai i30 hatchback -- Australia's best selling car last month -- lost its CD player in April this year, and the Kia Sorento family SUV dropped it with the release of the latest model in June.The industry is divided on the issue, with a CD player on all cars sold by market leader Toyota, number two brand Mazda, and other Top 10 players Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda, Subaru and Ford.European brands seem to be the most determined to leave the CD player behind."Much like the tape decks of old, the days of CD players are numbered," says Glenn Reid, the product manager at Citroen Australia."As we introduce all new models, we will progressively phase out CD players as customers move to Bluetooth streaming and USB as the primary means of taking their music with them."Peugeot 208 hatch, September 2012Peugeot 2008 SUV, October 2013Holden Barina CDX, December 2012Holden Trax SUV, September 2013Holden Colorado ute, November 2013Holden Colorado SUV, November 2013Citroen Grand Picasso, February 2014Citroen Picasso, February 2015Hyundai i30 Active, April 2015Hyundai i30 Active X, April 2015Kia Sorento SUV, June 2015

The Hyundai i30 shot to the top of the sales charts last month, recording 5500 sales as people snapped up the $19,990 drive-away deal for the Korean hatchback.The sticker price, which was roughly $7000 off the full retail ask, worked because it made life simple for buyers and Hyundai dealers alike.No need to haggle, no worrying whether other buyers got a better deal, just choose a colour and sign on the dotted line. No doubt the five-year warranty and rear-view camera sealed many a deal as well.The same applies to the Volkswagen Golf, which came within a whisker of bumping the once-mighty Holden Commodore into eighth place on the sales charts. The simple and attractive $24,990 drive-away deal helped sell 2680 examples.Ditto the Mitsubishi Triton, which is the third most popular vehicle with private buyers this year, largely because of a cheap — and transparent — $29,990 drive-away deal.Overall, the car industry remains on course for another record yearPerhaps other brands need to take a leaf from Hyundai's book rather than hide their margins by inviting customers to "do a deal" or take advantage of complicated low-interest loans.For example, Nissan was offering "extra value" on some models but no headline drive-away deals — sales were down 17 per cent on last year.Overall, the car industry remains on course for another record year, driven mainly by low interest rates.Weekly repayments on a $20,000 car today can be as low as $387 a month — three years ago the same car cost about $486. You also pay much less interest on a five-year loan — $3200 today against more than $9000 three years ago.Alternatively, you could buy a $25,000 car now with the same repayments as a $20,000 car three years ago.

Audi retains its trademark conservative design as it attempts yet again to overtake the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series in the luxury sedan sales race.Under the skin and behind the slightly reshaped headlights (look carefully and you see a sharp hook on the lower edge) is a structure that promises to slash 120kg (up to 8 per cent) from the weight of some models.The A4 is due on sale in Europe late this year and in Australian showrooms by the middle of 2016. Meanwhile, anyone in the market for the current Audi A4 should aim for a bargain as Audi begins to discount the run-out model.Audi has loaded the new model with plenty of techAs is the case with most new arrivals, the new Audi A4 is longer and wider than its predecessor, and has a bigger boot, which Audi claims is the biggest in its class (505L).Audi has loaded the new model with plenty of tech, including LED headlights, automatic emergency braking, radar cruise control with stop-and-go, and the acclaimed "virtual cockpit" dashboard display first seen in the TT sports car.The entire instrument panel is one large display screen and allows the driver to tailor the view from a large map (with speed displayed small) to a more basic layout with speed and other information given more prominence.Audi is yet to confirm the engine options for Australia — expect the usual choice of fuel-efficient petrol and diesel options.The A4 will be one of the most aerodynamic cars in its classAs is the case with previous A4 rollouts, performance variants are due at least 12 months later.Audi claims the A4 will be one of the most aerodynamic cars in its class, with a drag coefficient of 0.23, only slightly less slippery through the air than the world-leading Mercedes-Benz CLA (0.22).A three-cylinder model has been ruled out for now. Given strict European emissions targets, a plug-in hybrid A4 is expected eventually in the line-up.Audi has sold more than 49,000 A4s in Australia since 1995.Audi Australia boldly aims to overtake Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the luxury class by 2020.

June is customarily the biggest time of the year for new-car sales driven by end of financial year bargains, but last month defied expectations and broke all previous records.A total of 125,850 new vehicles were reported as sold in June (for a year-to-date tally of 578,427), according to figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, an increase of 6.4 per cent compared to the same month last year, the previous record.The new-car market had been growing at a steady rate of about 2.5 per cent until June.Dealer sources said low interest rates were the driving force, rather than the $20,000 tax incentiveAs reportedly exclusively by News Corp Australia yesterday, the Hyundai i30 overtook the reigning champions, the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3, to be the top selling car for the month.Toyota was again market leader and is well progressed to notching up its 13th annual win in a row.The news was not good for Holden and Ford who posted sales declines in the booming market.Nissan, which invited buyers to “talk a deal” rather than publish headline drive-away prices as done by most other brands, was the only other company in the Top 10 to post a sales decline.Car sales grew in every state in Australia except for the Northern Territory, South Australia and West Australia.Dealer sources said low interest rates were the driving force, rather than the $20,000 tax incentive offered to small businesses in the latest Federal Budget.Figures show car buyers can either make lower repayments on a brand-new car, or make the same repayments but upgrade to a dearer model.New-car sales across Australia: June 2015ACT: 1893, up 5.6 per centNSW: 42,105, up 12.1 per centNT: 1189, down 5.5 per centQLD: 27,270, up 10.7 per centSA: 7286, down 3.3 per centTAS: 1989, up 14.1 per centVIC: 32,615, up 4.1 per centWA: 11,503, down 7.5 per centHow car sales hit the acceleratorJune 2015: 125,850 salesJune 2014: 118,758 salesJune 2013: 118,308 salesJune 2012: 112,566 salesJune 2011: 96,157 salesSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

New court documents also claim Mr Kewell and his wife Sheree Murphy were holidaying with Simone and Clyde Campbell in the Maldives as recently as April this year.Car giant Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) alleges former CEO Clyde Campbell misused more than $30 million in corporate funds on deals it claims were "uncommercial", including providing loan cars to models, sport stars and TV personalities such as Jesinta Campbell, Shane Warne and Matt Preston.According to an amended Statement of Claim filed to the Federal Court in Victoria yesterday, FCA alleges Mr Kewell made four payments ranging from $580 to $8467 — which added up to $13,975 — between July and December 2013, months after Mr Campbell stepped down from his role as CEO in April 2013.The revised statement of claim says FCA is "not aware of any business reason why Kewell would deposit funds into Campbell's personal bank account".Sources close to Mr Kewell say the costs were reimbursement expenses incurred by Simone Campbell, a property lawyer, on Mr Kewell's behalf.The Kewell contract was "irrevocably" extended from January 2016 to December 2018The amended court document also notes that "photographs and comments on Instagram and Twitter by Mrs Campbell, Kewell and others show that Mrs Campbell and Kewell attended Amilla Fushi Resort in the Maldives" in April 2015.According to the original statement of claim, Kewell's sponsorship deal with FCA also included $2000 per month towards a rental property, assistance with school fees to a maximum value of $75,000 per year, and eight return business class airfares between Australia and Europe annually.According to the statement of claim, the Kewell contract was "irrevocably" extended from January 2016 to December 2018 on a company letter signed by Mr Campbell's successor, Veronica Johns, "on or about April 2014".Mr Campbell left FCA Australia in April 2013 to become an independent distributor of FCA vehicles in New Zealand, but has since sold his share of the business.The revised court document increased the amount of money FCA "suspects" was used to buy a boat, from $412,000 to $550,000, based on invoices paid to a third-party company called Maxus, which is now run by Mark McCraith.Mr McCraith was FCA Australia's marketing director from May 2013 and May 2015 and helped oversee the "brand ambassador" program and other marketing and sponsorship deals.Mr McCraith is now chief operating officer of media agency Maxus, which lists FCA Australia as one of its clients.The revised court documents also go into more detail about how much money was paid to a dealership part owned by former Mercedes-Benz executive Ernst Lieb, who was sacked from the Germany car maker in 2011 for misusing corporate funds.Mr Lieb and Mr Campbell worked together previously at Mercedes-Benz Australia.The lawyer for Mr Campbell, Sam Bond, and a representative for Harry Kewell, have been approached for comment on the amended statement of claim.A spokesman for FCA Australia, Andrew Chesterton, declined to comment on the new claims or answer questions as to why FCA still uses the Maxus media agency at the centre of the alleged boat deal.

A cheap and cheerful car brand introduced to Australia in 1986 by a savvy Perth car dealer and colourful businessman, the late Alan Bond, has done the unthinkable.Hyundai has shocked the Australian motor industry by becoming the top-selling car last month. It is the first time the South Korean brand has been in the top spot since the plucky Hyundai Excel knocked the Holden Commodore off its perch in June 1998.Driven by a special offer of $19,990 drive-away with automatic transmission and a rear-view camera -- about $7000 off full price -- the Hyundai i30 hatchback outsold the reigning champions the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 in June, according to preliminary figures.More than three out of every four Hyundai i30s sold were of the cut-price $19,990 model, dealer sources have told News Corp Australia.Sales of utes were also strong in the rush to the end of the financial yearMore than 5500 Hyundai i30 hatchbacks were delivered last month, easily eclipsing the tally of 4150 Toyota Corollas and 4130 Mazda3s.The result is more remarkable once you take into account the Hyundai i30 tally is for hatchback sales alone, whereas the Toyota and Mazda totals include both sedans and hatches.The sedan version of the Hyundai i30 is sold with another badge, otherwise the leading margin would have been even greater (more than 680 Hyundai Elantra sedans were sold in June).Sales of utes were also strong in the rush to the end of the financial year, filling three of the Top 10 places and the Toyota HiLux claiming second outright.Industry insiders believe the car industry is on track for a new record yearIn other upsets, the Volkswagen Golf, driven by sharp discounting to $24,990 drive-away, edged ahead of the Toyota Camry and just behind the Holden Commodore.Seven of the Top 10 brands posted significant sales gains, but Holden, Ford and Nissan were down on the same month last year.The Ford Falcon was once again outsold by the Mercedes-Benz C Class (530 deliveries versus 900).Figures for the total market are not due to be published until Friday, however industry insiders believe the car industry is on track for a new record year.Record low interest rates -- rather than the $20,000 tax incentive for small businesses announced in the latest Federal Budget -- are the driving force behind the sales surge, say dealer sources."People are still trying to get their head around what the $20,000 tax break means for their business, but they also need to have the money to spend in the first place," said a finance expert at a leading metropolitan Toyota dealership."The biggest driver is interest rates. People are figuring out they can pay less than what they were paying three or four years ago and get a brand-new car. Or they can make the same repayments and get a dearer car."Figures supplied to News Corp Australia show that the weekly repayments on a $20,000 car today can be as low as $387 per month, or $89 a week, in a best-case scenario of 6 per cent interest.But three years ago, a $20,000 car typically cost about $486 per month, with the buyer paying more than $9000 in interest over five years, versus $3200 in interest over the same period today.Alternatively, the repayments of $486 per month at today's low interest rates will buy a $25,000 car rather than a $20,000 car.Meanwhile, the industry is still coming to grips with Hyundai’s shock result just 29 years after arriving in Australia.Hyundai cars were introduced locally in 1986 by Perth car dealer John Hughes — who went on to become the company’s biggest retail outlet in the southern hemisphere from 1997 to 2003 — with financial backing by Alan Bond.But with Bond Corporation suffering financial difficulties, the distribution rights in Australia were then handled by a Singapore-based company from 1990 until Hyundai established a head office locally in 2003.Indeed, Hyundai is now a challenger for third place outright if it can overtake Holden and push the former Number One to fourth by the end of the year.Holden is currently third place behind Toyota and Mazda when the year-to-date tally is calculated, but is locked in a bumper-to-bumper battle with Hyundai.Hyundai has been ahead of Holden for three of the first six months of this year, and the two brands are separated by just 1100 sales.After being beaten by Hyundai in May, Holden leapt ahead in the June sales tally thanks to the biggest month ever for the Trax baby SUV, Captiva5 compact SUV, the Colorado ute, and Colorado7 seven-seater.It was also the best result in 18 months for the Barina hatch and the Commodore ute, while the Captiva7 posted its highest sales in a year.Hyundai i30 - 5520Toyota HiLux - 4280Toyota Corolla - 4150Mazda3 - 4130Mitsubishi Triton - 3530Ford Ranger - 3370Holden Commodore - 2770Volkswagen Golf - 2680Toyota Camry - 2600Mazda CX5 - 2510Toyota - 21,500 - up 3.3 per centHolden - 11,930 - down 3.3 per centMazda - 11,520 - up 23 per centHyundai - 11,005 - up 10 per centMitsubishi - 9015 - up 8.9 per centFord - 7250 - down 16.8 per centVolkswagen - 7105 - up 7.7 per centNissan - 6645 - down 16.9 per centHonda - 5310 - up 70 per centSubaru - 4500 - up 16.9 per cent * Preliminary figures. Official VFACTS data published Friday 3 July, 2015.