Articles by Karla Pincott

..was a headturner at the Australian International Motor Show. The five-door XV Concept concept is an evolution of Subaru’s sports utility range, now topped by the Forester and Outback. The XV runs on the 2012 Impreza drivetrain, with a 2-litre boxer engine matched to a continuously variable transmission to produce 110kW/196Nm. It is smaller than the Outback, with a length of 4450mm and a wheelbase of 2635mm. Subaru Australia’s Nick Senior said there are no productions plans as yet, but the huge reception at the Shanghai Motor Show earned it a tick.

"Our goal is always to be the number one loved by customers," says the Korean carmaker's global PR team general manager Brian Sir. "If through this we are also number one in sales then that is good. But we want to be the favourite for customers, first and foremost." Globally Hyundai finished last year in fifth place with 3.6m sales, but is eyeing Ford's fourth place (behind Toyota, GM and Volkswagen) and predicting it could be leapfrogged with a predicted 3.9 million cars in 2011. In Australia they've set their sights on 87,000 cars for this year, which will be an increase of about 9 per cent - and something of a plateau after 26 per cent in 2009 and 39 per cent in 2008. Their showroom troops are about to get reinforcements in an aggressive roll-out of new product, starting with Elantra next week and following up with Accent, i40 sedan and Veloster before the end of the year. And it could see the car company also move up the Australian ladder. They finished May with 34,444 sales YTD, putting them just 700 behind Mazda in fourth and 1500 behind Ford in third. However Ford is -8.1 per cent on last year's results, and if that slide continues - coupled with Mazda holding at 0.9 ahead and Hyundai at 0.4 - that alone could move the Korean brand up a notch. If the new cars give them an even healthier second half, you could make that two notches. But what will count against them will be the loss of more than 1500 sales per month from the exiting $12,990 Getz. After the existing stock dries up in the next couple of months, the entry price into the brand will rise $3000 to the $15,990 i20. It looked at one stage like the gap would be filled by the i10, but Hyundai Australia canned the plan after the tiny city car failed to score five stars in crash testing.

A statement issued yesterday by global CEO and president Steve S Yang acknowledged the problem and promised to address it. "Hyundai has to date tried to optimise its product engineering to largely suit four market regions: Korea, North America, Europe and other markets," Yang's statement said. "We are now working to expand this effort into more markets, and as part of this, we have been working with HMCA to tune our vehicles to meet Australian road conditions and the preferences of Australian drivers. "While we believe our efforts have often been successful, for example i30, there is undoubtedly further room to improve, and we appreciate the feedback given to us by the Australian journalists." Recent criticism has been most loudly levelled at the i45 sedan that launched in May last year to great expectations - which had steadily grown after a few years of rising quality in Hyundai's cars, most notable with the launch of the i30 that earned Carsguide Car of the Year in 2007 and was a finalist in 2009 with the 130CW. However while the i45's fresh style and high quality fit-out was praised when it arrived, it was pilloried in these pages and others for poor handling and steering. Hyundai sent in the engineers admirably swiftly, and a revised version arrived with springs 15 per cent stiffer in the front and six per cent in the rear to corral the pitch and roll, thicker stabiliser bars to limit the understeer and tweaked dampers to improve the ride/handling equation. As a result, the criticism lessened - but did not evaporate. Carsguide testers still found the ride lacked control while the steering feel was vague and had kickback. Yang's statement was made after Australian journalists in Korea voiced their concerns to a research engineer and were told that while improvements would be made, overall the cars were "fine". "We are targeting more for the global market rather than just for one single market, so there may be differences in opinion," senior research engineer for testing, Chan Hee Na, said at the car giant's Namyang research and development centre. "But recently based on the request from Hyundai Australia, they are working to tune the cars so they are better suited for the Australian market. "Basically we divide the market into US, Europe, general and Korea - four big categories. "Australia follows the European spec, the cars that go to Australia those are fine." The i45 for Australia is built in the Asan plant in Korea and fitted with hydraulic steering, while the US one (still called the Sonata) is built in Alabama and has an electric steering system deemed to be superior to the hydraulic one. Hyundai Australia spokesman Ben Hershman says that there is no indication from head office about whether it would consider putting the electric steering into the Asan production line, any decision would not take effect until the next generation in a few years' time.

But it's not the magic cure, Hyundai says. The Santa Fe did very well after its launch 18 months ago - with only a diesel drivetrain -- but numbers have dropped since then.In May they posted sales of 305, compared to 539 in the same period last year, making then down 24 per cent for the year so far."We took the decision to go diesel only, and when we launched the R series we very quickly sold twice as many as we had before the launch," spokesman Ben Hershmann says."Could we have brought the V6 earlier? Yes. But 18 months isn't a bad product cycle. It's easy to look back with hindsight, but our decision to go with just diesel at launch was the right one."The $36,990 204kW/335Nm 3.5-litre V6 2WD slots in below the base-spec $39,990 145kW/421Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel -- which this year has accounted for 45 per cent of Santa Fe sales -- and Hershmann believes the new entry price will open the door to more price-conscious buyers."We think V6 will help lift sales performance of the car because it brings the entry point of the car down slightly," Hershmann says. "We had different powertrains in this Santa Fe since 2006 and previously had V6 petrol.""Now we've just brought back a V6 and need to give that powertrain some time to establish itself. But we don't see this as 'the solution' ... we still need to work hard to get sales back to where they should be."We need to work harder with the dealers and need to perhaps invest a bit more in our communications with consumers."

The Hyundai Veloster is pitched at the same people who buy the Fiat 500, Mini, Honda CR-Z and perhaps even VW Golf. They want a small car that stands out from the crowd. They'll get that with the Veloster, but as yet we don't know at what price.DESIGNWe've seen the gimmicky addition of a small suicide door as the third one on the right-hand side of the Mini Cooper Clubman. But on the Veloster it’s front-hinged, wide and for us will be on the left-hand side.The body manages to wrangle a jumble of curves and angles into a surprisingly cohesive result around the rear. Hyundai says the interior design is inspired by high-performance sport bikes, and you can see some of that in the centre stack and ‘panic handles’, but overall there’s a sharp-looking dash, plenty of storage nooks, and quality materials and accents.TECHNOLOGYThe engine is an all-new 103kW/167Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder – the smallest the carmaker has offered with direct injection to improve performance and economy.Drive goes to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual or the optional six auto slots of Hyundai’s first dual-clutch transmission (with steering wheel shift paddles) which the company says is as fuel-efficient as the manual, claiming 5.9L/100km.SAFETYWith stability control, six airbags and ABS with brake assist and brakeforce distribution, Hyundai hopes to get a five-star result when the Veloster undergoes crash tests.DRIVINGWhile we only drove about 10km in the Veloster, it didn’t take long to confirm that the car is fairly agile and refined – but not at all performance-focused. The engine is happy to hit high revs, but there’s no hot snarl from the squared off twin-exhaust tips, and it responds smoothly rather than snappily.However a few laps of the handling track showed the benefits of the Veloster’s light weight, and the taut suspension. It changes direction neatly and sits level through the corners, with steering that seemed quick enough but needed more weight at speed.The cabin is quiet under city speeds, but getting up above 100km/h brings wind rush, and opening the optional sunroof raises the racket.The rear is easy enough to climb into from either side, and there’s plenty of legroom, but the headroom is mainly accommodated by the bowled glass and your head will hit the front edge of the hatchback if you lean forward – or the driver hits the brakes.HYUNDAI VELOSTERPrice: from $22,000 (est)Warranty: 5 years/unlimited kmResale: N/AService interval: 12months/15,000kmSafety: N/AEngine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder 103kW/167NmTransmissions: 6-speed DSG; 6-speed man; front-wheel driveBody: 3-door hatchWeight: 1172kg; 1205kg (DCT)Thirst: 5.9L/100km.

The car is destined to arrive late next year and slot in where the Colt left off, but better the Colt on price and spec, Mitsubishi spokesman Paul Stevenson says. "That's certainly the target - to be under the Colt," Stevenson says. "You have to be to be competitive in that segment and this is an important product for us. We haven't really had a strong entrant in that segment for some time, so we're pinning a lot of hopes on this car when it comes through." Mitsubishi's global platform plan follows in the footsteps of the Blue Oval's 'One Ford' platform policy with the Fiesta and Focus, and GM's 150-market strategy with the Barina Spark. The Mitsubishi 'global small car' - or GSC, as the sub-light car is called at the moment - will carry a choice of two three-cylinder petrol engines with stop-start systems that were shown with the concept car at Geneva motor show in March. The smaller of the two engines is believed to be the latest development of the 3B21, a 52kW/92Nm used in the ultralight 'kei car' class in Asia, and in the Smart ForTwo. The larger, which we're more likely to see here, is said to be a 1.1-litre that is a step up from the 55kW/100Nm 1.1-litre used by the Colt overseas. Unlike many of the other light cars on the Australian market, the GSC will offer an automatic transmission - which should give it a leg up on the competition in a market increasingly moving away from manuals. That broadens it appeal to what Stevenson says is a wide range of buyers. "If we didn't have an automatic our sales projections would be significantly lower than what they are, and the car wouldn't have the appeal across so much of the segment," he says. "The demographic tends to be divided pretty much equally between young people, retirees, empty-nesters, and people looking for a second car or better fuel economy." Mitsubishi has not released sales projections for the car, but Stevenson says that Australia is expected to account for about five per cent - and that some Aussie dealers have already seen and given feedback on the vehicle. "Earlier this year we took quite a large group of dealers up to Okasaki R&D centre and they were shown the car. In fact, for the engineers, and the designers, the only direct feedback they've had from dealers at that stage was from Australia," Stevenson says.

The little city car will hit the showrooms in August with a price of ‘around $50,000’ - and a sales target of five cars per month -- but will be followed by several other electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, new Australian CEO Genichiro Nishina says. "Mitsubishi has announced we will be launching eight new electric-powered vehicles by 2015. This includes the introduction of several hybrid vehicles in the next 12 months and we will be seeing many of these vehicles here in Australia in the future." The new wave is likely to be led by the (Colt replacement) Global Small Car concept and the PX-MiEV SUV showcased at Geneva motor show. "We will be seeing these vehicles in Australia soon," Nishina says. "The i-MiEV isn't the end of Mitsubishi electric strategy, it is just the beginning." Mitsubishi's vice-president of corporate strategy emphasises that the new technologies will be spreading across the entire range, from city cars like the Colt replacement, through compact and medium sedans and even SUVs such as the Outlander. "When the successors to (our current) products come out, they will each have an alternative Drivetrain," Stevenson says. "Once you choose which vehicle suits your lifestyle - an SUV because perhaps you want to go fishing on the weekends - it's then a matter of do you want a petrol, or a clean diesel or a hybrid or a plug-in." "Mitsubishi is planning that by 2020, at least 20 per cent of their sales will be electric vehicles. So on a million cars per year, we're talking 200,000 EVs. Stevenson says the initial lure for most of those buyers to move to electric and hybrid drivetrains will be savings at the bowser. "On an Outlander plug-in hybrid, it's a 70 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency." However he's confident that the next few years will see a drop in the price of electric vehicles - and their costliest component, the battery - to make the prospect more attractive to the average household, while range of the cars will have improved. "Economies of scale will see the price come down. It's a new technology and any new technology when it first comes out is expensive because the volumes are small," he says. "Battery costs will fall 70 per cent by 2015. A battery that will do about 160km (range) and costs $33,000 now will cost $10,000 by 2015 - and $3,000 by 2030." He says battery performance will also improve 33 per cent by 2015, meaning that the range of an electric vehicle will be considerably extended beyond the 155km claimed for the i-MiEV's current lithium-ion battery and electric motor system - and the 130km/h top speed that can drain the reserves well before that point. MITSUBISHI iMiev Price: $48,800 Warranty: 10yr (5yr on battery) Resale: N/A Service: interval Six months Motor: 47kW/180Nm with lithium ion batteries Body: 4-door; 4-seater Weight 1080kg Transmission: Three-mode auto, rear-wheel drive Thirst: Seven-hour charge; 155km range

Scroll down to see our 360 degree inside view of the new FF. A family-car Ferrari sounds like a contradiction from a brand famed for F1 ultra-performance. But that’s exactly what the Prancing Horse has done in building the Ferrari FF. And they’ve made it four-wheel drive … perfect for battling the rough terrain of the private school drop-off zone. The $625,000 car - the first of which landed in Australia this week on its world trip to entice potential customers - is the successor to the 612 Scaglietti. It carries a 486kW/683Nm direct-injection 6.3-litre V12 with its block modified from the 612, mated to a dual-clutch seven-speed transmission with steering wheel paddle-shifters. The engine sits behind the front axle line so the drive out to the front wheels comes off the nose of a new crankshaft. There are three transmission/engine management modes: automatic, sport and race. The traction system is switchable from wet, ice and snow to - for the brave - ESC completely off. It gets to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and the massive carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes on the 20-in wheels it back from that speed to a dead stop in 2.7 seconds - and 35m.

Australia will be the world stage for the global unveiling of Mazda's suicide-door ute, but it's mainly our market that is being targeted by the vehicle. The BT-50 Freestyle will be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne, following in the tracks of the world's first look at the dual-cab version at last year's show in Sydney. While a future single-cab version is a forgone conclusion -- but hasn't been officially confirmed- Mazda spokesman Steve Maciver said leading with reveals of the first two body styles would raise moreinterest in the ute sub-segments where the BT-50 is lagging. "We certainly perform very well with the single cab, but where we're a little underdone is the 4x4 dual cab area," Maciver says. "That's where we want to grow the business, and the features on the BT-50 will help us compete better in that segment." Based on the Ford Ranger, the BT-50 in Freestyle form has rear-hinged panels that mirror the front-hinged doors to make for a very wide - 1408mm in this case - pillarless opening, offering easy access to both front and rear seats. While a large cabin usually tends to eat into tray capacity, Mazda has increased the tub volume of the Freestyle by 266 litres for a total of 1453 litres. This is further boosted by making more cargo space with the ability to remove the rear seat cushions - which Mazda says have been enlarged and improved for better comfort. Although it's largely a Ranger twin under the skin, the BT-50's "all-new drivetrain" (promised at last year's motor show) will not be following the Ford down a petrol path, and will instead continue with the ute's turbodiesel focus but with improvements on the outgoing model's 105kW/330Nm 2.5-litre and 115kW/380Nm 3.0-litre. The BT-50 will go on sale later this year, with pricing and final specifications to be announced closer to the launch date. The BT-50 Freestyle will be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne, following in the tracks of the world's first look at the dual-cab version at last year's show in Sydney. While a future single-cab version is a forgone conclusion -- but hasn't been officially confirmed -- Mazda spokesman Steve Maciver said leading with reveals of the first two body styles would raise more interest in the ute sub-segments where the BT-50 is lagging. "We certainly perform very well with the single cab, but where we're a little underdone is the 4x4 dual cab area," Maciver says. "That's where we want to grow the business, and the features on the BT-50 will help us compete better in that segment." Based on the Ford Ranger, the BT-50 in Freestyle form has rear-hinged panels that mirror the front-hinged doors to make for a very wide - 1408mm in this case - pillarless opening, offering easy access to both front and rear seats. While a large cabin tends to eat into tray capacity, Mazda has increased the tub volume of the Freestyle by 266 litres for a total of 1453 litres. This is further boosted by making more cargo space with the ability to remove the rear seat cushions - which Mazda says have been enlarged and improved for better comfort. Although it's largely a Ranger twin under the skin, the BT-50's "all-new drivetrain" (promised at last year's motor show) will not be following the Ford down a petrol path, and will instead continue with the ute's turbodiesel focus but with improvements on the outgoing model's 105kW/330Nm 2.5-litre and 115kW/380Nm 3.0-litre. The BT-50 will go on sale later this year, with pricing and final specifications to be announced closer to the launch date.

The campaign for the Kia Soul sees the hamsters rapping on the virtues of the boxy Soul while less hip hamsters cruise the streets in giant toasters and washing machines - in a fairly sizable dig at Toyota’s reputation for turning out dull cars.It’s not the first Effie for Kia, which won the Silver award last year for the same campaign’s opening ad, in which the hamsters cruise around in a red Soul while everything else on the streets is in a hamster wheel.Awards are one thing, but selling cars is another. Kia Australia thinks the entertaining approach translates into more buyers. "The ad is really popular over there, and I would think any sort of interest created would be worth sales somewhere down the line," Kia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says. "I think fun in advertising is important and we showed that with the Grandmaster Flash ad for the Sportage."So with the success of the rapping hamsters, perhaps we should stay tuned for a ‘cute Aussie animal’ ad for the Soul. Break-dancing wallabies with a chorus line of koalas should do nicely.