Articles by Karla Pincott

The Optima and Cerato five-door hatch take that stance much further than the somewhat blocky Sportage SUV that arrived a few months ago.  Both well-proportioned, fresh and attractive, they’ll probably be noticed in traffic long before people can get close enough to be surprised by the badge.We’ll have to wait until early next year for the Optima, but the Cerato five-door – based on the popular Hyundai i30 platform -- arrives within weeks and carries pricing that starts at $20,240 for the Si manual and ranges up to $26,240 for the SLi automatic.It will have a 115kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, the first of which Kia says will deliver a 0-100km/h speed of 9.1 seconds and a top speed of 190 kph.The automatic has a sequential Sport mode, and F1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel for the SLi model. It makes a Cerato trio here, joining the Koup and the sedan, and bringing with it features that will benefit those two in an upgrade later this year.  It’s the second of the Kia stable, after the recently-arrived Sportage SUV, to get suspension and steering expressly designed for Australia.While it is still too early for confirmation of Optima pricing, there’s no secret that Kia is hoping to stir up far more interest than there was in the Magentis it replaces – and which failed to excite real interest while it was here.However, the sleek coupe-like lines of the Optima have a very real chance of reviving the Korean brand’s presence in the mid-size field.

The Barina Spark five-door hatch – rebadged from the US Chevrolet Spark – will join the Chevrolet Aveo-based Barina as the second car in the local line-up.  The Chevrolet car is built on the new global GM-Daewoo platform derived from the Daewoo Matiz. The interior fit-out includes a ‘motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster’ mounted on the steering column, blue backlighting and colour-coded inserts in the dash and door trim. The 1.2 litre DOHC four-cylinder engine is tipped to develop around 60kW of power and 110Nm of torque, delivered to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Holden says fuel economy is 5.6 litres/100km - the most economical in the Red Lion range, while emissions are estimated to be about 119g/km of CO2. Pricing, full specifications and features will be announced at the show, however Holden will make the price tag as sharp as possible – possibly under $13,000 to grab sales from other budget cars like the Hyundai Getz.

It might be harder to be noticed if you haven’t been around for a while. But after an absence of about a year, Kia has given its new flagship every chance of grabbing buyers’ attention.The largely unloved – and frankly unlovely – Magentis we knew is long gone. And the Korean carmaker’s bid for the top end of their range now rests on the incoming Optima. Like all cars in the Kia stable, it will have strategic pricing and still aims to offer a value proposition. But the front-drive mid-size sedan is the latest in the Kia range to focus more on style, quality and driving dynamics.Its main rivals will be the Mazda6 and Honda Accord from Japan, and fellow Korean Hyundai i45 – the latter especially challenging on both price and fresh design, in a world where even the concept sketches of a couple of years ago can start to look old.While the Optima will be able to hold its own visually, it will come down to the final spec for Australia – and where it will sit on the price scale. The Magentis ranged from about $26,000 base model to just over $31,000 for top spec, and it’s hard to imagine Kia straying too far above those levels on a car they want to give showroom impact.And there’ll likely be a few goodies on the equipment list. The Optima will initially arrive as the single upper-spec EX with add dual-zone climate control airconditioning, leather trim on steering wheel and gear level, wheel-mounted audio controls and auto-fold wing mirrors with LED indicators, Bluetooth and 7-in LCD nav system plus the premium iPod/USB/MP3-compatible audio system that includes a CD-changer and extra speaker power.In Europe the Optima will be launched with two new engines: the 125kW 2.0-litre petrol and the 100kW/330Nm turbocharged ‘U2’ 1.7-litre diesel which has an optional stop-start system. However, we are not on the cards to get the diesel at this stage, as it’s shackled to the six-speed manual transmission, which Kia sees as being an unattractive prospect for Aussie buyers.Instead we’ll get a direct-injected 2.4-litre petrol which, like the 2.0-litre, will have the choice of a six-speed sequential automatic with paddle-shifters on the steering – which Kia expects to be far more popular than the manual. The engine develops 148kW of power at 6300rpm and 250Nm of torque at 4250rpm. This is claimed to get it to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds with the manual and 9 seconds with the auto, and to a top speed of 210km/h.As with the recently-launched Sportage, Kia has had Australian engineers working for six months on setting up the suspension and steering specifically to suit our roads, with changed spring rates and sway bars, dampers supplied from ZF Sachs, and a different valve on the steering rack.The Optima will get a stacked safety list, with six airbags, anti-skid brakes with brake force distribution to send the effort to the right corners and brake assist to help apply extra anchor in emergencies, stability and traction control, hill-start assist and a reversing camera with the display integrated into the rear-view mirror.It looks very purposeful, sitting longer, lower and wider on a longer wheelbase. While it’s a four-door, Kia has followed the trend for coupe-ish shaping that trims the profile and lends some aerodynamic benefit in reducing drag – which is down to 0.29 from the previous 0.32) – and hence also fuel consumption.And there’s ample opportunity to dress it up even further, with optional spec-ups in the form of a mesh grille, body kit, LED daytime running lights and tail lamps, and 18-in wheels with larger discs and black calipers.The interior is a huge step up from the previous Optima, with the wraparound ‘cockpit’ well laid out and finished.Since the suspension and steering work for Australia is not yet finished – although close to the final stages, only one of the test vehicles on hand was fairly close to what we’ll get, while the others had some of the suspension improvements but the Asian steering. The difference was noticeable in the steering, with the ‘near Aussie’ car having better turn-in and no sign of vagueness.The Optima has decent acceleration off the line, and there’s no lack of enthusiasm from the 2.4 under what were fairly normal freeway and then back road driving conditions. Using the sequential side of the auto pins it down a bit more firmly, but the full auto side is capable enough for the kind of driver this car is intended for.But what let the car down – badly – were the Nexen tyres the test vehicles were fitted with. Uncomfortably noisy on the smooth freeway surface, and harsh over the rutted roads out in the Korean countryside (admittedly very like Australian roads), the rubber undermined any of the good work the engineering team had done on the suspension.Kia wants to position the Optima as a more premium package than the Magentis, but buyers are likely to be unimpressed by seeing it shod with the Nexens in the showroom – and even less impressed if they take it out for a test drive on them.

Sporting bizarre paint jobs, the three strange little vehicles on the Renault stand at Paris motor show suggest that graffiti artists broke into the exhibition hall overnight. But it’s just the latest version of the French carmaker’s Twizy electric ultra-compact city car. We’ve seen it before as part of the ZE (zero emissions) quartet Renault showed at Paris in 2008 and in Frankfurt again last year. But what’s different this time is that it’s ready for the showroom. Renault says they are building two variants – a 6kW one that can reach 55km/h and their muscle hero with 14kW of power that races to a top speed of about 90km/h. The Twizy gets a range of up to 100km from a lithium-ion battery pack, which Renault says will be leased by the owner as an inclusion in the vehicle price. There’s no word on whether the paint jobs are standard or part of the options list.

Honda's stand in Paris features the hybrid Jazz, the latest - and smallest in both size and price - to be added to their growing hybrid stable. Joining the Civic, Insight and CR-Z, the super-mini Jazz hybrid shares their sIMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system, with an electric motor mated to a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine, Under the bonnet, a 98kW/123Nm 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine is joined by a 10kW/78Nm electric motor, with the drive going to the front wheels via a continuously-variable transmission (CVT). It has stop-start technology that temporarily cuts the engine when you halt, with variable cylinder management, which can shut down all the valves to reduce pumping losses when you're driving on the electric motor only. The fuel economy for the Jazz hybrid is estimated at about 3.3L/100km, with CO2 emissions coming in around 85g/km.  The Prius, by comparison, has an official economy figure of 3.9L/100km with emissions of 89g/km. But the big difference for hybrid buyers is likely to be the price. The Jazz goes on sale in Europe early next year and is expected to come in at just $2000 more than the standard Jazz and about $4000 less than the Insight. With a very rough calculation in our market, that would put it at about $21,000 if it came with the $18,000 base model Jazz spec, but with a ceiling of about $25,000 if it was closer to the $21,000 top spec petrol-only Jazz. "It has a good chance of coming here," Honda Australia spokesman Mark Higgins says.  "It's certainly a model we have under consideration and it would be a good addition to the expansion of our hybrid range, which starts with Insight this year and CR-Z next year. "It's too early to talk pricing at this stage, but it would be a small premium for hybrid but obviously there would be long-term savings with that car as well. "Affordable hybrid is what Honda is all about. And if the Jazz hybrid hits our shores it makes the technology available to even more people."

With only 333 being built and with it selling for about $400,000 overseas -- which would put it above $500,000 by the time you added in Australian taxes and duties – it’s both out of our reach and well out of our price bracket. The R8 GT carries a higher-powered version of Audi’s 386kW 5.2-litre V10 – revised from the Lamborghini LP560-4 -- with the output raised to 412kW, housed in a lighter weight body that has been trimmed by using aluminium body panels and thinner glass. Top speed is 320km/h, and it gets to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, shaving 0.3 seconds off the standard V10 R8. Visual clues to the difference include skirtlets on the front bumper and a rear wing. And of course a GT badge.

This is not the next Kia. But the tiny electric car that has won over Paris motor show is a glimpse into a future where our streets are populated by cute, animal-like vehicles.For the moment, that vision is mainly in the mind of Kia's chief designer Peter Schreyer. But being the man who first famously penned the Audi TT, and has now started giving Kia design a makeover that is putting a new spotlight on the brand, he's proved that if there's something on his mind it usually looks good on the streets."We wanted this car to act as a loose nucleus, a wild atom," Schreyer says of the little hatch concept.  "The POP doesn't point at the style of the next generation of cars, but looks even further into the future."And what you see that far over the horizon is aimed at the smallest nucleus of a nuclear family. The ultra-compact concept seats three - two in the front and one angled in the rear.It's been given an almost cartoonish version of the Schreyer 'tiger face' split grille and dressed in the kind of livery that can't help but attract attention, with purple accents on the body echoed in the cabin, strangely oblong side windows and a full glass roof.Schreyer's team have had fun with the light clusters - which appear in a pattern of dots - and the backlighting the grille, giving the Pop even more of a science fiction flavour. That futurism carries through to the 'instruments', with the information appearing on a transparent display in front of the steering wheel. Rear vision is taken care of with cameras in each door.But the most interesting part of the Pop is underneath all that colourful skin and gadgetry. It's a zero-emission, 190Nm electric motor powered by compact, but efficient, lithium polymer batteries. The battery bank can recharge fully in six hours - an easy overnight or work shift task - and give a maximum range of 160km and top speed of 140km/h.And Schreyer admits he can see something like the Pop hitting the road for real - and using its 'cute and friendly factor' to endear its clean technology to buyers "Of course. I can see it very easily and I think it shows how we look at it."We did it not to prove that we can do an electric car, but to show how charming an electric car can be. At the moment it's a study (but) I think it would be nice to think what the roads would be like in a city if you had many of them like little animals running around. It will change the environment and to see the traffic would change the perception (of cars) . it would be quite nice."And Kia's Australian office agrees it's probable we'll see the Pop spin off into a production car."Kia have a very good history of bringing concept into production," says their new chief operating officer in Australia, Tony Barlow."They don't waste time on pure concept. I think we've just got to watch the development of the electric cars, and the eco cars very carefully, see how the concept cars are running, with matching up what might be the opportunities in Australia. We're certainly very interested in moving in that direction."

 And now the three launch versions on our showroom floors have the prospect of more frugal company in fuel-saving versions with stop-start technology as an option. Kia has unveiled two more drivetrains for the Sportage in Paris, that promise to add a wider appeal. The diesel end of the deal now also gets a 1.7-litre ‘U2’ four-cylinder that develops 85kW of power at 4000rpm and 255Nm of torque from 1800rpm.  It’s joined by a 1.6-litre petrol engine that develops 100kW of power and 165Nm of torque 4850rpm. The key to the new arrivals is their fuel consumption and emissions, with the stop-start systems allowing the diesel to return an official fuel figure of 5.0l/100km and emissions of 135g/km (4g/km than the standard engine) and the petrol to perform similarly with a fuel consumption of around 5.6L/100km and an emissions figure of 149g/km (9g/km less than the standard). But those could both be beaten by the mild-hybrid Sportage concept on display at the show, which promises a CO2 figure as low as 108g/km. The Sportage concept uses the 260Nm 1.7-litre diesel engine mated to a 5kW electric motor, and helped by aerodynamic tweaking to the body and reductions in brake drag and the rolling resistance of the tyres.

Annoyed you have to take your hands off your smartphone for even a second to deal with that annoying steering wheel – not to mention the nuisance of gearchanges, indicators and wipers? Fret no more. A new application from GM lets you update your profile and status while you’re on the move. With just a push of a button, drivers can verbally dictate a message to update their status, as well as listen to their most recent news feeds. The perfect solution when you urgently need to let the world know you’re taking the kids to soccer, picking up the drycleaning or on similar riveting adventures…  

Nobody at Citroen is singing ‘we don’t need another hero’ when it comes to the little DS3. They do, and they know it. While the brand is happy that their customer satisfaction is above 90 per cent, they admit their profile needs raising.“We know awareness is extremely low,” Citroen general manager Miles Williams says. “But it will take significant investment to lift to a point where we have a better flow of people through the showrooms.”In the meantime, they hope to get a profile boost from the arrival of the lDS3, the first of a trio of cars – the DS4 just unveiled overseas, and DS5 in the works –they hope to position as a separate brand line, targeting the young, chic and reasonably well-off.Despite the name, which suggests the 1950s DS of famed frog-mouth styling, Citroen has resisted the recent vogue for retro cues. Instead, the DS3 is all cute, clipped curves and appealing face – although a nip and tuck might have removed the resemblance to the Fiat 500 around the rear.Limitless customisation of roof, wheel and trim colour is possible in Europe, but Australia is for the moment stocking just the main six most popular combinations. Buyers will be able to add more choices later if they’re happy to wait for them to arrive .Ours was in a lurid yellow that surprisingly looked quite good, especially set off the by the combination of matching yellow-sueded and meshed seat inserts. The sueded surface looking worryingly magnetic for things like ice-cream, dog paws and sticky fingers. But Citroen vows it’s designed to resist and last the distance. Even the digital patter of the ‘carbon fibber’ plastic looks acceptable.Bezels, handle inserts and other features are in swooping lozenge shapes … it’s all very French chic. Which means there are also some oddities, like the perfume diffuser in the dash and the gaps under the instrument binnacle – admittedly the light that comes though doesn’t make the instruments any less readable, but there’s no reason for it to be there.The better small cars these days are packed with features you once only found in large ones. But they won’t come with a small price tag. The base model DStyle is $32,990 and the DSport $3000 more at $35,990, and they come with a fair bit of standard equipment – including ‘mood lighting’. But you can add up to $10,000 more on options, because the extras list for both models includes things like Bluetooth/USB connection and automatic lights. And there’s no satnav at all. The extra $3000 for the Sport gives you 17-in alloys, rear spoiler, better upholstery and a lot of chrome trim, but the main reason for spending the extra will be the more powerful engine.However, the DS3 has landed in the midst of the crowd of its fellow little Eurochic rivals, with prices ranging from $28,990 for the Fiat 500, while the Alfa Romeo MiTo is $29,990, VW’s Beetle is $30,361and Mini is from $31,100 – while the incoming Audi A1 is tipped to be around the $32,000 mark. So you have to weigh up the fresh French style against the features offered by some of the the competition.There will be a 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre coming soon with a four-speed automatic, but the first cars to arrive are the 115kW/320Nm turbocharged 1.6-litre – also used by the BMW Mini and the new Peugeot RCZ—but with only a six-speed manual in the Citroen. Both versions get sports-tuned pseudo Macpherson strut front suspension and flexible beam rear and variable electric power-assisted steering. But the DStyle gets only 16-in wheels – and both get only a space saver spare. That’s to prevent a full-sized one swallowing the luggage space, which is a very capable (against its rivals) 285 litres, growing to 980 litres with the rear seat down.Disc brakes with ventilation on the front are standard, as are the anti-skid, brakeforce distribution and brake-boost technology, and stability and traction control. Crash protection includes six airbags, side impact protection and seatbelt pretensioners, while rear park assist can be added as a factory optionOur car was kitted out with a host of engines, and the first one we would have crossed off the list was the centre armrest, which you have to flip up and out of the way to comfortably use the manual shifter. But you get over that annoyance pretty quickly, once you kick off the line and find that within minutes you’re enjoying yourself.The car connects with you, with plenty of pick-up from the 115kW engine, and the manual’s smooth, precise action making it fun to use – and even bearable in peak hour city traffic. Out of town and through some hills, the steering is responsive and the DS3 simply goes where you point it. Slightly firm suspension helps it around corners, but manages to take care of most bumps without it skittering around. However nothing seems to get rid of the tyre noise.The rear seat is easy to get into, but there’s little legroom when you’re there – despite the recesses in the seat backs – and it’s best left for the petites. The luggage area is necessarily small, but the rear folds easily into flat, offering a great load space.The question will be how the auto goes. The manual transmission is easy enough to use around town, but a lot of people will prefer not to shift for themselves in heavy traffic. On paper, the 88kW engine will be far less responsive and perhaps too asthmatic for enthusiastic overtaking or hill-tackling. More a city mouse, then, with its bigger brother the choice for those who look forward to weekends away.