Articles by Joshua Dowling

The small-car segment has plenty of options - the players are frugal yet safe and well-appointed. Here are the best buys under $16K.

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Senator Ricky Muir has slammed the Federal Government's plan to raise the tax on fuel and says motorists shouldn't be underwriting the rest of the economy.The Federal Government yesterday announced it would raise fuel excise by indexing it to inflation, adding between $10 and $16 (from a Toyota Corolla to a Ford Territory) to the price of the average yearly fuel bill.But Senator Muir says the tax hike is a broken promise and should be reversed immediately. "Whatever happened to 'no new tax under a government I lead'?" said Senator Muir. "The Senate rejected fuel tax indexation because, I believe, it listened to the people of Australia, and the government is supposed to represent the will of the people."Senator Muir is also concerned about how little revenue from fuel tax is funnelled back into roads. Of the $14.9 billion raised in fuel tax last financial year, just $5.4 billion was spent on roads. Of the forecast $15.2 billion in fuel tax revenue this financial year, just $4.8 billion will be spent on roads."Rather than introduce indexation, there should be a guarantee that a certain percentage should be spent on roads," said Senator Muir. "The motorist already pays dearly, they shouldn't have to subsidise other areas of the economy. Most of the money raised from fuel excise goes into consolidated revenue and that's not fair." The fuel tax increase is due to come into force on November 10.If the bill is rejected later, the extra money raised could go back to the fuel suppliers. "If there is a way to stop it we will," said Senator Muir, who also warned the Abbott Government that the fuel tax issue would likely sour the already rocky relationship with the Senate."This is not a positive step in gaining the confidence in the Senate," he said.

The industry does not know what to make of Gerry Dorizas' sudden departure but time will reveal all.Time will tell us why Gerry Dorizas left the top job at Holden suddenly.In the meantime the dealers that have carried the brand with outdated cars will need to do even more heavy lifting.Mr Dorizas had barely been in the top job at Holden for more than a month when he boldly declared that the once proud brand would return to Number One and topple Toyota by 2020.It was a big call because Holden sales had just hit a 20-year low, and it hadn’t been at the top of the charts for 11 years.Behind the scenes, Mr Dorizas began blaming dealers for the company’s woes.In one of his so-called motivational speeches to the dealer network, he told them to sell more cars. If only it were that simple.The dealers quickly got off-side, but they continued to slave away selling a model line-up that has been left largely unchanged over the past few years.Sure, Holden sales are up 1.3 per cent year-to-date in a market that is down 2 per cent. But most of that growth has been disguised by the Commodore’s bounce back from the previous year’s record low.Holden has a handful of ‘new’ cars coming next year; but they’re simply rebadged versions of selected Opel models that were withdrawn from sale last year after just 11 months. Another monumental General Motors misstep.Holden won’t have any all-new-from-the-ground-up cars until early 2016. That’s when the new Captiva is due to arrive, ahead of the imported version of the second-generation Cruze sedan.In the meantime, Holden dealers will be pushing out the same metal it has been trying to move for the past few years — against competition with newer models and a more diverse range.Holden dealers don’t deserve the blame for the company’s current predicament. They deserve a medal, because without their tireless efforts with an ageing product range Holden would be in much worse shape than it is today.

Veronica Johns oversaw record sales at the Fiat Chrysler Group, and took a unique approach to breaking down the gender barriers.The first Australian woman to head a car company, Veronica Johns -- who earned notoriety for tearing down workshop posters of naked women, as well as record sales -- has announced her resignation as the boss of the Fiat Chrysler Group after almost two years in the role and 16 years with the corporation. Her departure at the end of the year means there will no longer be a woman as the boss of any car brand in Australia. Ms Johns earned the credibility of her industry colleagues after overseeing record sales growth, but she also quickly attracted attention from car dealers after she tore down posters of naked women in workshops during showroom visits. “It does take a certain personality type to cope with men in the car industry,” said Ms Johns. “Thankfully we’ve eradicated any gender issues in our company.” The transition didn’t come easily for some people. “When I started you could still walk into workshops with posters of naked women on the walls. “I ripped them off and threw them in the bin. The (workers) didn’t say much, and I’m sure they probably got them out of the bin after I left. “Women have to work in this environment and that’s what they’ve got to look at. Some people in the industry are blind to it. It’s just accepted as the norm and it shouldn’t be.” Ms Johns, 43, said she’d taken down posters of naked women “about four times” over the past three years, but hasn’t had to do so lately. “We’ve eradicated the gender issues from our business, but it’s still in other parts of the car industry,” said Ms Johns. The Melbourne-based executive says women are in more prominent positions in the car industry globally, but Australia is still catching up. In January 2014, Mary Barra became the first woman to become the global boss of a major car company, as the CEO of General Motors based in Detroit. Only handful of foreign women have run car companies in Australia over the past 15 years. American Judith Wheeler was the first, she ran Chrysler-Jeep in Australia from 2000 to 2003. Germans Jutta Dierks and Anke Koeckler successively ran Volkswagen’s Australian operations from 2007 to 2013. But Ms Johns is understood to be the first Australian woman to have run a large car company in Australia. At the time of her appointment in May 2013, she edged out male rivals from North America who were keen to take up the prime posting. Ms Johns said the car industry -- and car buyers -- would benefit from gender equality. “With modern technology so many cars have so many similar features these days, the biggest difference is how you treat people,” said Ms Johns. “Women are very competitive, and some can be brutal, but I believe we are still more inclined to treat people with kindness and respect. I think that, and the ability to relate to people, comes more easily to women than to men.” Car industry consultant Tony Devers, the former boss of Honda and Suzuki motor vehicles in Australia -- who accurately predicted in 2010, three years before any announcements, that the local car manufacturing industry would close by the end of the decade -- says there should be more women in the car industry. “There’s no excuse, women clearly have the skills and the drive and the passion for the business, but they typically tend to come into the car industry in marketing or human resources roles,” said Mr Devers. “The executives who rise to the top in the car industry have earned their stripes in sales, finance and strategic planning,” he said. Ms Johns will work with the her successor -- due to be announced in the coming days, and likely to come from Detroit -- until the end of the year, when she is expected to announce a new role the automotive industry. Under Ms John’s leadership, the monthly sales of Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo vehicles increased by 53 per cent as the rest of the industry grew by about 2 per cent. So far this year, sales across all four brands are up 39 per cent in a market that is down 2 per cent compared with the same period last year. When Ms Johns accepted the role to run Fiat Chrysler Group Australia in 2013, she said: “I don’t think it makes a difference if you’re male or female in this business anymore. Good people rise to the top. The car industry is not a man’s world anymore.”

The boss of Holden, Gerry Dorizas, has left the troubled car company unexpectedly, just six months after taking on the role. Greek-born Mr Dorizas was the fifth boss of Holden in six years and the first person in decades to be hired from outside General Motors. Prior to his Holden appointment in March 2014, Mr Dorizas had worked for Volkswagen in India since 2007, and Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Hyundai prior to that appointment. A statement from Holden said: “Mr Gerry Dorizas has resigned from the position of Chairman and Managing Director of GM Holden to pursue other opportunities, effective immediately.”President of General Motors’ international operations, Stefan Jacoby, said Mr Dorizas had taken the Holden role at a difficult period and had implemented a number of measures to transform the business from a vehicle manufacturer to an importer.“General Motors is 100 per cent committed to the Holden brand and its long term success in Australia,” Mr Jacoby said in a media statement. Holden Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Rolfs, will serve as interim managing director during the search for a permanent replacement. Mr Rolfs, from Canada, has been with General Motors for 22 years but only arrived at Holden six months ago. Mr Dorizas made headlines when, in his first interview with Australian media, he boldly claimed that Holden would overtake Toyota as the top-selling brand by 2020. It was regarded as a big call because Holden had just posted its lowest sales in 19 years and hadn’t been number one for 11 years. It is likely the new boss of Holden will come from within the General Motors world. The eight Holden bosses before Mr Dorizas came from General Motors’ operations in North America, Britain and Germany. The last Australian to run Holden (from 1987 to 1990) was the late John Bagshaw, the son of a Holden dealership sales manager. News Corp Australia understands General Motors interviewed several Australian-based automotive executives last year -- several months before the former boss Mike Devereux announced his departure -- but none were deemed suitable.

Melbourne university doctor Giovanni Savino has called for automatic emergency braking technology to become compulsory on motorcycles as figures show riders continue to be over-represented in fatal crashes.But other experts believe automatic braking systems might not be suitable for motorcycles as it could send riders flying over the handlebars — and motorcycles are yet to get the basics, such as anti-skid brakes.Dr Giovanni Savino, a lead researcher at the Monash University Accident Research Centre in Melbourne, made the controversial recommendation to introduce automatic braking systems on motorcycles during an international safety conference in Munich, Germany.RELATED: ANCAP slams Nissan for deleting safety techAutomatic braking first appeared on cars in 2009. Designed to work in slow moving traffic up to 50km/h, a combination of cameras, lasers and radars can detect a stopped vehicle ahead, and then slam on the brakes if the driver is distracted.Dr Savino, working with colleagues from NSW, Sweden and Italy, believes automatic braking systems for motorcycles could provide the same road safety benefit as they do for cars.Motorcyclists make up just 4.4 per cent of road users in Australia but account for 16 per cent of all road deaths, figures for the 12 months to September 2014 show.Although automatic emergency braking is now widely available on cars, the technology is yet to be introduced on motorcyclesThe number of motorcycles on Australian roads has almost doubled over the past 10 years, from 396,000 to 780,000 according to Census data from 2004 and 2014, as people try to cut their fuel costs, beat traffic congestion, and park more easily.Dr Savino and his colleagues studied more than 200 real-world motorcycle crashes in Australia and Europe between 2009 and 2014 and believe automatic braking technology would be effective in minimising the risk of injury or death in at least one-third of serious crashes.Although automatic emergency braking is now widely available on cars, the technology is yet to be introduced on motorcycles, even though BMW developed two experimental models — one motorcycle and one scooter — in 2011 and 2012."Sensors in the front of the motorcycle (which scan the road ahead and detect stopped or slow moving traffic) can lead to deceleration even if the rider doesn't react," said Dr Savino."The system is designed to perform the optimal braking, thus achieving the maximum deceleration, even when the rider performs a poorly executed, panic braking."Dr Savino said riders would not necessarily flip over the handlebars because the system would initially apply the brakes gently to attract the rider's attention, before applying full braking force.However, some experts believe there is more affordable and more effective technology that should be mandated on motorcycles before automatic braking.Anti-skid brakes will become compulsory on all new motorcycles in Europe from 2016Robert McDonald, a motorcycle rider for 40 years and the research manager at motorcycle specialists Swann Insurance, says Australia needs to follow Europe's lead and mandate anti-skid brakes for motorcycles."We would welcome anything that improves rider safety, but automatic emergency braking systems tend to work best in cars at 30 to 50km/h, which is not the type of speeds motorcycle fatalities are typically occurring at," said Mr McDonald."Our first priority should be mandating anti-skid brakes (for motorcycles and scooters), which work across a much wider speed range and therefore help prevent a much wider range of crashes," said Mr McDonald."Anti-skid brakes are also particularly effective at helping novice riders avoid locking the front wheel in a panic stop, which causes a lot of avoidable crashes."Anti-skid brakes will become compulsory on all new motorcycles in Europe from 2016, but in Australia fewer than 10 per cent of new motorcycles and scooters sold are equipped with this basic safety system."Despite resistance from some people in motorcycle community who think they don't need (anti-skid brakes), it has proven to do for motorcycles what stability control systems have done for cars," said Mr McDonald."No doubt in 10 years time there may be a suitable automatic emergency braking system for motorcycles but for now we need motorcycle and scooter manufacturers to get the basics right, and fit anti-skid brakes."The national road toll currently stands at a 90-year low (1160 deaths in the 12 months to September 2014) according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.Driver fatalities are down by 19 per cent over the past five years (654 deaths in the 12 months to September 2009 to 530 in the 12 months to September 2014).But rider fatalities are only down by 11 per cent over the past five years (214 deaths in the 12 months to September 2009 to 190 in the 12 months to September 2014) and motorcyclists are four times more likely to die than car drivers each time they make a journey.The publicly available road toll data for Australia does not specify if the motorcyclist or another driver was to blame for a fatal crash, and nor does it distinguish whether the victim was riding a scooter or motorcycle.

Some car brands are more open than others; some owners are in the dark. Australia is on track to post a record number of vehicle recalls this year. It has already eclipsed a 10-year high.In 2004, about 776,000 cars were recalled - so far this year, the figure is more than 800,000 and looks certain to surpass the 855,000 in 2001.So are cars becoming less reliable or are manufacturers more concerned about being sued for negligence, and so being more open about problems with their vehicles?The answer to both questions is yes.As car companies drive down costs, they outsource more parts that can be bought more cheaply due to global economies of scale.For example Japanese company Takata makes airbags for most leading car brands. But when something goes wrong, it's monumental.There is currently a global recall of 16 million cars from nine brands - including about 100,000 in Australia - because Takata airbags could inflate with excessive force and potentially spray shrapnel at occupants. So far, the fault has been linked to at least four deaths in the US.General Motors, meanwhile, recalled 2.6 million cars in North America because of a faulty ignition switch that could turn off the engine and disable the airbags. So far the fault has been linked to at least 27 deaths in the US, according to Reuters.US authorities found General Motors executives hid the fault for almost 10 years. Senior staff involved in the scandal have since been sacked.Recalls are in the spotlight in Australia because Holden - possibly spurred by the investigation into the parent company's handling of the ignition switch recall - has been more open than it might have been in the past. Holden's 13 recalls so far this year is more than any other car brand in a calendar year and more than half of these relate to Australian-made cars.Would you rather buy a car from a company that is more open about its faults and more likely to fix them quickly?The next highest on the local list are Jeep (nine recalls) and Toyota (seven). Some Holden recalls, such as a faulty windscreen wiper, may seem overcautious. Some, however, are disturbing.One of the latest recalls was issued because manual transmission versions of the Holden Trax compact SUV and Barina small car can unintentionally 'bunny hop' and then stall if the driver bumps the key when it is in the ignition - even in the off position.Authorities argue that safety is safety, though the definition of 'safety' is open to interpretation. Despite the tough wording, recalls in Australia are still voluntary.This is why some brands don't issue a recall and instead divert the repair work to a 'dealer service campaign'.For example, Hyundai Australia last year voluntarily called 227,000 cars to dealerships to replace a faulty brake light switch in eight models, representing most of its range. News Corp Australia exclusively unearthed the fault the year before.But the company stopped short of calling it a safety recall because the Federal Department of Transport advised the consumer watchdog that the brake light switch fault was "not a safety issue".Hyundai has previously shown a reluctance to recall.In November 1998 it refused to recall 46,000 examples of the Excel even though several were found to have a welding defect that could lead to the collapse of the front suspension.In words eerily similar to the brake light issue, Hyundai claimed at the time it was "not a safety issue".An NRMA technical report said of the Excel's suspension: "In extreme cases the right front wheel and drive shaft can become detached and jam the wheel in the housing." The Federal Government threatened to issue a compulsory recall - which it had never done - if Hyundai did not take action. Despite the seriousness of the fault, and the tough talk from government, Hyundai issued a dealer service campaign.Holden may be more transparent now but it too has recently avoided at least one serious recall. It insists there is no local recall required for a faulty ignition switch despite 46,000 export versions of the Australian-made Commodore and Caprice being recalled in the US earlier this month. In doing so Holden has avoided what would become the biggest recall in Australian automotive history as it would involve approximately 432,000 Commodores made since 2006.Holden engineers insist the GM ignition fault in the US does not affect Commodores in Australia because the position of the key is different.The risk of faults increases as cars become more complex and incorporate more parts from outside suppliers. Furthermore, the handling of recalls differs from brand to brand.Would you rather buy a car from a company that is more open about its faults and more likely to fix them quickly?The alternative is to hope for repair work under the guise of a 'dealer service campaign' - but that is contingent on taking the car back to the selling dealer rather than an independent mechanic.Federal authorities need to provide a clearer definition of what constitutes a safety recall to make the response more consistent across all brands.For now, some car brands are more open than others in this respect and some car owners are none the wiser.

Car companies may be forced to make a U-turn on car servicing rules, as the Federal Government steps in.The car industry may be forced to back down from its controversial new code of practice for vehicle servicing – which limits how much information it supplies to local mechanics – as early as next week.The Federal Minister for small business Bruce Billson has called a meeting with the car industry and independent repairers next week to review the code after talks between the parties broke down."It is evident from the events of the last few weeks and engagement by my office that the industry-led collaborations to reach a heads of agreement have stalled," said Minister Billson."There seems to be dysfunction amongst the parties. Therefore I will be convening a meeting so parties throughout the supply and service chain can meet and discuss their concerns."The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the peak lobby group for car companies, insists the new car servicing code provides independent repairers with access to maintenance data."FCAI members have, for many years, provided independent repairers with access to automotive service and repair information," said FCAI spokesman Sheena Ireland.However, the Australian Automobile Association, the peak body of the NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, and other motoring clubs, which represent 7 million motorists, says there needs to be a clearer definition of how much information is provided.In Europe and North America it is compulsory for car companies to make available to independent mechanics the same service and update data provided to franchised dealer service centres.But in Australia the same rules do not apply and in 2012 the previous Federal Government asked the car industry to draft a voluntary code of practice for car servicing."The voluntary code that's been put forward does not guarantee the most up to date data is available to independent mechanics," said the AAA's chief executive Andrew McKellar."We need to very clearly define what the industry is prepared to make available. At the moment there are at least 16 exclusions."Earlier this week, Australia's biggest car maker, Toyota, broke ranks with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries by continuing to offer to independent workshops more than the minimum information mandated by the new standard because, it said, "not everyone can get to a dealership to service their car".Unlike other car companies – and unlike the conditions of the new code – Toyota also makes recall information available to independent repairers, although the work itself must be done at a dealership."We are pleased to see there seems to be a back down from some brands in the industry who are going beyond the bare minimum of the new car servicing code," said Mr McKellar."If some individual brands are prepared to provide clearer guarantees to customers and independent repairers, then the car industry as a whole should adopt the same approach."

Toyota breaks away from the new servicing code of practice as Ricky Muir asks the car industry to review its decision.Australia's biggest car maker, Toyota, has broken ranks with the industry's new vehicle servicing code of practice and will make technical data and recall information available to independent repairers.Toyota's decision to open its books to local mechanics means that 20,000 independent repairers nationally can get up-to-date access to online workshop manuals for 2.6 million Toyota across Australia. Other brands are yet to follow.The breakaway comes as Senator Ricky Muir has asked car companies to reconsider the new voluntary code on servicing announced by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)."I encourage the FCAI to take another look at this," said Senator Muir."I believe all consumers should have a choice of repairer and I would not like to see vehicles being poorly maintained because of a lack of up-to-date service data for those who can't afford routine maintenance at a dealership," said Senator Muir.RELATED: How we broke the story on the new car servicing schemeMORE: Probe into smash repairers and insurance industryMORE: Seven year warranty is new Australian recordSenator Muir said he appreciates "the skills, knowledge and technology" of the 1500 new car dealership service centres, but also believes the 20,000 independent workshops nationally also need access to "up-to-date service data to compete on a level playing field".As reported exclusively by News Corp Australia, the FCAI has blocked local mechanics from getting access to the most up-to-date maintenance data and diagnostics units — even though it is compulsory for car makers in Europe and North America to share the most complete information and appropriate tools with independent repairers for a fee.News Corp Australia has been told by several independent mechanics that when they log into overseas websites to diagnose a car, in some cases the repair information is blocked once an Australian vehicle identifying number is provided.The Australian Automobile Association has also made fresh claims that sections of the new servicing code may contravene consumer law."We have serious concerns that a number of sections in this code do not meet the basic elements of consumer law in Australia,"said AAA spokesman James Goodwin.In one example, if a customer is not happy with the repair work done by an independent mechanic, and it goes to an independent review, the local mechanic is outnumbered by three representatives from the car industry, the dealer and the car maker.The code, as it is currently worded, also means an independent repairer "to the maximum extent permitted by law...does not have any rights of recourse against any OEM (car manufacturer) or party supplying the repair information or special tools".The code allows limited access to workshop manuals, but the AAA is concerned it does not give independent repairers enough access to detailed data, and the important updates that fall outside safety recalls.The Federal Minister for small business, Bruce Billson, is due to meet with the car industry and independent repairers over the next month — but the car industry is preparing for a fight.One senior car company executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the industry would not be "bullied" into changing the servicing code of practice and said it was possible to have their parent companies hold the rights to repair information overseas, so they can be out of the reach of Australian laws."There are serious unresolved issues," said the senior car company executive from a leading brand. "We're not perfect but how do we know an independent repairer has done the work properly? What if that repair work affects something under warranty. Who's going to foot the bill? Are they prepared to stand by their repairs?"When contacted by News Corp Australia yesterday, all of the Top 10 brands except Toyota said they either stood by the new code of practice for vehicle servicing, or were reviewing it.Toyota has been the top-selling vehicle brand for the past 11 years and has more cars on Australian roads than any other."We understand that not all of our customers can visit a Toyota or Lexus dealer, which is why our repair manuals are made available to independent repairers," said Toyota Australia spokeswoman Beck Angel.As is the case in Europe and North America, independent repairers in Australia must pay a fee to access Toyota's information — in this case, approximately $2000 a year.Toyota also goes a step further, though, by providing smaller workshops with information about vehicle recalls, although the recall work must be done by a Toyota dealer.Toyota's breakaway comes even though it was the first brand to offer capped price servicing in Australia, in an attempt to keep customers coming back to its national network of 200 dealership service departments.Toyota introduced capped price servicing in 2008 but now all of the Top 10 brands — and some European marques — also offer fixed price certainty on routine services.