Articles by Kevin Hepworth

The hardtop coupe is set for sales next year. “That will be in Australia by late next year and it is going to be a very important model for us with what we see as almost totally incremental sales,” Roca says.He confirms the as-yet-unnamed and unseen hardtop convertible will not be a replacement for the ageing V8 SC430 boulevard cruiser.“We have been told that the SC will remain as it is until 2011 and there are no plans beyond that as to what will replace it. By 2011 it will be a 10-year-old model . . . and that's too long in the tooth,” he says.According to Roca, the convertible IS will be based squarely off the IS 250 platform with the same 153kW 2.5-litre V6 engine.A facelift version of the IS 250 with new front and rear sheetmetal, reworked lights and external jewellery, as well as a substantially refreshed interior, will head the coming Lexus range changes.The new IS 250 arrives in twin with the IS-F in November, followed by an all-new RX350 in February.“Three months after that will come the RX450h (hybrid) and later in the fourth quarter of the year will come the IS Coupe Convertible,” Roca says.“The IS Coupe is going to be pretty much all incremental sales, and we are expecting the RX volume to increase with the new model because when we launched the original there was no car park of RX owners. We now have a huge car park, and that is a great advantage.”With the new models and an increase in dealerships that will almost double the present 22 outlets to 38 by 2015, Roca is confident of steady sales growth.“Sales of 8200 by the end of this year is where we want to be, then next year around 9000,” he says. “By the end of 2010 we will have put 10,000 sales a year behind us.“It will be through a combination of customer growth and model expansion. It's a bit of both.“What we can't really accurately measure is the effect of the growth of the dealer network with a lot of those new outlets being regional.” 

The Japanese luxury maestros may have taken their time in risking anything approaching an emotional project but, in the ISF, the company renowned for refinement has produced a performance firecracker.A small sedan stuffed full of five litres of in-your-face V8 punching out 311kW, 505Nm and 0-100km/h sprint times of 4.8 seconds may be difficult to reconcile with the same company that produced the SC430 and called that a sports car — but this time they're serious.“What's important to us about this car is that it gives us a performance car in the range, which is something we've never had before,” Lexus Australia boss John Rocca said at the first Australian drive of the ISF at the Fuji Speedway in Japan last week.“We haven't just put a V8 in this car and shouted job done. We could easily have called it an IS500, but we didn't because this is a thoroughbred built for racing. This is really a car built for the track and adapted to the road.“Whereas in the past we could have been criticised for putting a big engine in a car and calling it a high-performance vehicle, this time that's not the case.“It gives us a totally new customer and sheds an entirely different light on a company that in the past has been criticised for being bland and unemotional. There's nothing bland about this car.”Based on the IS — known to Australians in its V6 IS250 guise and expected down under in October at around $145,000 — the fact that the ISF ever saw light of day is due almost entirely to the passion of a man who spent much of his early time with Lexus divesting the driver of sensory inputs by developing the eerily quiet interior noise levels of the original Lexus limousine, the LS400.Ironically, it was those efforts in refinement that won Yukihiko Yaguchi the kudos in senior management circles that allowed him the leeway in 2002 to play with his own private “skunk works” within the strictly structured Lexus world.“When I started there was no budget ... many people didn't understand what I wanted to do,” Yaguchi recalled. “It was hard.“On the other hand, some top management knew me well from my involvement in ensuring that the LS ran extremely silently. That was a huge achievement so they understood that I was capable of developing something no one ever had before.”Lexus holds firm orders for 38 of the ISFs and Rocca is confident the supply-restricted 120 cars a year available to Australia will do little more than whet the appetite as the car's reputation spreads.Styled to be aggressive without being threatening, the ISF isn't the poster kid for athletic design. With its bonnet swollen to contain the impressive engine, the first impression is of a boxer who's taken one too many on the nose — tough but not necessarily attractive.There's no doubting the power of this car. It's evident from when the first tickle of the throttle lights the wick until the final burble of the exhaust dies away on shutdown.It's not a slap-in-the-back car. Neither is it brutal in the manner of the C63, but rather more refined without being overwhelmed.The dedication to detail and the uncompromising determination to tick all the boxes adds credence to the claim from Lexus that the ISF is a track car transferred to the road rather than the reverse.Under the bonnet, the 5.0-litre V8 has been lovingly built up in the company's “clean room” engine facility. The quad cam multi-valve unit features Yamaha-developed high-flow cylinder heads, variable valve timing with electronic control on the inlet actuation, titanium inlet valves, high-lift camshafts and a full stainless steel dual exhaust.The fuel tank even has a 10-litre sub-tank to ensure constant fuel feed under track loads.Coupled to the eight-speed automatic from the LS460 — again the question is, do you really need that many cogs with the amount of torque the V8 is turning out? — the engine will spin to 6800rpm in what seems like no time at all. The urge to drive the ISF hard is nigh-on irresistible, if only to induce the secondary induction to open up to full roar from around 3600rpm.The active system is hardly unique, but it still makes the hairs on your arms stand on end.Thrown through the Fuji circuit, the ISF retains impeccable poise through a combination of solid engineering — double wishbones up front and a multi-link set-up under the rear, each with high-rate coil springs and upsized stabiliser bars — and the compulsory electronic wizardry.Traction control, stability control, antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and electronic brake assistance are bundled together in the Lexus's Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management system.Australian cars will also come standard with the pre-collision system and eight airbags.The speed-sensitive steering, adequate in its basic configuration and much more enjoyable in the sharper sports mode, is as good as anything Lexus has ever done and combined with a serious set of Brembo brakes — six-piston grippers on 360mm front discs — imbues a sense of wellbeing.If BMW, Mercedes and Audi thought Lexus was a thorn in the luxury battle, then the premium-performance angst is going to be all the greater.

Audi's twin-turbo V10 RS6 could have been made to sneak up on unsuspecting victims at the lights — but that is not its raison d'etre. Unveiled as what must surely be the world's fastest family wagon, the RS6 is now being offered in sedan guise and will arrive in Australia early next year.Pricing is yet to be settled, with uncertainty about the proposed 8 per cent increase in the luxury car tax playing a role in that.However, with the RS6 Avant priced at $259,000, the sedan is likely to be in the low $250,000 range.The RS cars in general — and the RS6 in particular — are showcases for what Audi's go-fast technicians can do with a luxury donor.The 5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 engine packs a massive 426kW and 650Nm of urge from just 1500rpm right through to 6250rpm.Getting that punch out on to the road is the work of the lauded quattro all-wheel-drive and a six-speed Tiptronic gearbox tweaked to provide shift times commensurate with the supercar performance.At the heart of the car, the V10 is a very hi-tech work of art, bundling together Audi's technologies such as FSI direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication and twin turbos. That technology allows the RS6 a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.5 seconds on the way to an electronically-governed top speed of 250km/h.Standard on the car will be Audi's Dynamic Ride Control (DRC), which reduces pitch and roll using hydraulics. When combined with the sports suspension plus, DRC offers a choice of three selectable damper settings — sport, dynamic and comfort.The standard ESP has a relatively high activation threshold to encourage a dynamic driving style without compromising safety.Standard equipment for Australia will include the MMI control centre with colour monitor and TV reception, advanced key entry, electric glass sunroof, Audi navigation, dual-zone deluxe automatic airconditioning, an acoustic parking assistant at front and rear, three-spoke, multifunction leather sports steering wheel with flat-bottomed rim and a Bose surround sound system. 

The spanking Clio RenaultSport 182 left Australia in 2006, the victim of a plunging exchange rate. “This was not an entry-level car — it was a true performance hot hatch and with the dramatic fall in the exchange rate and the strengthening of the Euro we simply could not get it at a price that made any sense,” Renault Australia boss Rudi Koenig explained this week on the eve of the car's return.“We have been discussing ... arguing ... this new car with France for the past two years. We simply could not get it at a price that made sense in our market.”The end game from those discussions is the introduction of the high-end, small volume RenaultSport 197. Welcome back Sport. PRICINGAt $36,490 it is almost 10 per cent more than its predecessor but you can have any colour you like as long as it's red. Other colours are available but they are metallic and will cost you an extra $800. The paint is one of a small list of options which also include bi-Xenon headlights ($1750), sunroof ($1890) and upgraded sound system ($800).What comes standard is far more impressive — including the adrenalin rush.Renault has taken the opportunity to stretch its Sports garage a little further by also launching the Megane RenaultSport dCi 175 — a diesel sibling to the 2.0-litre Turbo 225. The Sport 175 is priced at $39,990 with metallic paint the only option.As with the best skunkwork cars, the 197 is not just a fancy version of a Clio running down the production line next to more mundane models. CHASSISThe cars come off the RenaultSport factory line in Dieppe, France, stretched, widened, lowered and tweaked by the same engineering crew that puts Renault's F1 cars on the grid.In the case of the 197 the donor Clio IIIplatform has been stretched with 10mm extra on the wheelbase, 48mm extra track width in the front and 50mm in the rearm, while the ride height has been dropped 15mm.Extensive use of aluminium in the innovative double axis strut front suspension gives a saving of 7.5kg over a comparative MacPherson system but, more importantly, it isolates the steering axis from the damping system, effectively eliminating torque steer.The Clio 197 shares its stiffend subframe with the Megane Sport 225 with the rear anti-roll bar 200 per cent larger at 30mm. DRIVETRAINSWork on the normally aspirated 16-valve 2.0-litre engine — the same basic unit from the previous 182 model — has been extensive, lifting peak power to 145kW (the 197hp for which the car is named) at an enthusiastic 7250rpm while torque peaks at 215Nm at 5550rpm.On raw figures the 197 is no firecracker witha 0-100km/h sprint of 6.9 seconds, yet it drives and excites above its numbers.Much of the work on the engine has centred around optimised intake and exhaust port flow and an increase in compression to 11.5:1, lifting performance and lowering emissions.Attention has been paid to the aural sensations in the 197. From a discreet but noticeable tone at lower speeds the exhaust rises with the revs to produce a signature bark at redline. APPEARANCEThe 197's aero kit is subtle but as high-tech as it comes. No huge spoilers for this little one — although one is available if you must for $429 — instead just F1 know-how. The key to the car's road-holding is a rear diffuser, something rarely seen on cars in this class, which is effective for negative lift of 40kg at track speeds of 120km/h and over without any other aerodynamic penalty.A set of side-mounted extractor vents carry heat away from the engine while a huge front spoiler air intake feeds cool air to the powerplant.The RenaultSport theme flows through the interior of the car with aluminium pedals, super-supportive and bolstered seats, easy-to-read white-on-black dash graphics and sport steering wheel with red-stitched centre-point which, disappointingly, is adjustable for rake only.The 197 has Renault's expected 5-star safety rating with eight airbags, active headrests, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution as well as a switchable electronic stability program tuned to allow a greater degree of sports application.Other standard equipment includes 17-inch sports alloys, a multi-function trip computer, cruise control, single CD AM/FM and split folding rear seats. DRIVINGOn the road the 197 behaves as you would expect from a highly-tuned athlete that has discarded comfort in favour of performance.The ride is harsh — but never unsettled — while the steering is well-connected and is weighted heavily enough to give no impression of nervousness. Power delivery is linear enough and you are going to get through the gears at a fair clip — aided in no small part by the aggressive ratio selection for the slick new six-speed shifter.So sports-oriented are the gears that when cruising along in the top there is an almost overwhelming need to check that there is not just one more cog available.All of that equates to a car that is every bit — if not a little more — as at home on the track.The smoother surface, more aggressive direction changes and dancing up and down through the gears gives the 197 its sense of being. It belongs to those happy to work for their fun.The diesel Sport is a slightly different animal. While power may be down a little for a sports model, at 127kW, the car's character is defined by 360Nm of urge on tap from just 2000rpm.Sitting on the same cup chassis as its petrol stablemate, with only the front dampers and springs recalibrated for the engine's extra weight, the 175 behaves with impressive enthusiasm.Handling is surprisingly nimble with none of the `lead tip' characteristics of some diesels.And it all comes with a combined consumption of just 6.3 litres per 100km. RENAULTSPORT CLIO 197Price: $36,490Engine: 2.0L/4cyl, 145kW/215NmTransmission: 6-speed manualEconomy: 8.4L/100km claimed RENAULTSPORT MEGANE cDi 175Price: $39,990Engine: 2L/4cyl turbo diesel, 127kW/360NmTransmission: 6-speed manualEconomy: 6.3L/100km claimed 

A soft spot for tradition is the basis for Audi's A3 cabriolet.At a time when most carmakers are turning to folding metal roofs, Audi insists on providing a soft-top alternative.“I have always believed that a small segment of customers are true believers — those who want their soft-top car to be a soft-top,” Audi Australia's general manager for marketing, Immo Buschmann, says.“They are the people who believe that part of the joy of open-top motoring is the attraction of a cloth roof.”Buschmann was speaking at the launch of Audi's baby soft-top last week. The A3 is the latest in Audi's line-up of `original' soft-top convertibles.“The A3 cabriolet is a logical extension for the brand,” he says.“We are one of the oldest brands in the world and from the very start cabriolets were at the heart of the brand. In 1910, when we first started, all Audi cars were cabriolets, roadsters or phaetons.“Mass production and wider market demand led to sedans becoming the cars of choice, but we always recognised that segments of the premium market still wanted cabriolets.” ENGINESTo satisfy that `small' segment of true believers, Audi is launching the A3 with two engines and a pair of gearboxes. It expects to move 300 examples this year and 400 in a full sales year.The 1.8-litre TFSI (118kW, 250Nm) will be available at $49,900 with the single gearbox choice of the six-speed S tronic, Audi's version of the double-clutch automatic.For the more powerful (147kW and 280Nm) 2.0-litre TFSI, shared with the VW Golf, the S tronic is $57,500 and the six-speed manual is $54,900. Audi has not shut the door on a possible diesel variant, but it is not in immediate plans. EQUIPMENTStandard equipment levels are reasonably high. The 1.8-litre has four airbags, electronic stability control, anti-skid brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, 16-inch alloy wheels, speed-sensitive power steering, two-layer semi-automatic cloth roof, engine immobiliser, cruise control, dual climate-control airconditioning, trip computer, eight-speaker sound system with single-disc CD, split-fold rear seats and a cloth trim interior.The 2.0-litre adds 17-inch alloys, sports suspension, rear parking sensors, front fog lights, sports steering wheel and seats, leather trim and upgraded sound with six-disc CD.But the devil is in the options list. Metallic paint is $1300, a three-layer fully automatic roof also $1300, Xenon headlights $1900 and adaptive corning technology $800.Lumbar adjustment for the front seats is $600 and heating $750.A Bose sound system adds another $1350, mobile phone Bluetooth preparation $950 and navigation from $4400.There is more if you start off with the entry-level car. BOOT SPACEWhat the A3 cabriolet does offer, whether it's with the standard roof or the fully automatic, is reasonable boot space that can be expanded to impressive by folding the rear seats.The compact fold of the roof means boot space does not alter whether the roof is deployed or stored away. DRIVINGThe launch drive of several hundred kilometres through far north Queensland highlighted several things about the A3 cabriolet, none of which were unexpected.The 2.0-litre with its sports suspension and 17-inch wheels was a less fussy drive than the smaller sibling.It rode well over some compromised surfaces and the engine — well proven in VW guise — could rarely be faulted.The coupling with the S tronic gearbox is a treat and after some early fascination there is little need to play around with the wheel-mounted shift paddles. The box's Sports mode will happily take care of most enthusiastic demands.The 1.8-litre — and the suspicion is that it was down to the more compliant suspension and smaller wheels — was less settled, with more vibration back through the steering wheel.Road noise with the roof down was again a slightly better proposition in the top-end car, with less tyre roar in particular.All the test vehicles were fitted with the more heavily sound-insulated, three-layer option roof and though that was very effective when deployed, judgment on the standard roof is going to have to wait.No matter how fervently the company may wish it, the rear seats in 2x2 convertibles are always going to be best suited to kids or the vertically challenged.In the case of the A3, the area is more comfortable with the roof off.But the real issue is knee room, particularly behind a driver of even average height. PRICE From $49,900 to $57,500ENGINE 1.8 litre/four-cylinder TFSI (118kW/250Nm); 2.0 litre/4-cylinder TFSI (147kW/280Nm)TRANSMISSION Six-speed S tronic auto; six-speed manualECONOMY 7.6 litres/100km (all engine/gearbox combinations) 

Holden's Australian headquarters played host this week to the official unveiling of the revived Chevrolet Camaro as part of the classic badge's global reveal. Despite its American heritage, Aussie know-how was called on to develop the two-door coupe. The new Camaro was first shown as a concept at the Detroit show in January, 2006, after GM had axed the badge four years earlier. Its rolling chassis was developed in Australia from what was once called the Zeta platform (now the global rear-wheel-drive platform) — the same architecture as the VE Commodore. But although the car has plenty of Commodore DNA, there is still no official word on whether Australians will get to drive it. Holden is still waiting on GM to make a decision about making the car in right-hand-drive. “If there is confirmation of right-hand-drive, we'd be interested,” says Holden's John Lindsay. Holden designers and engineers have spent the past two-and-a-half years working on the project — along with the US design and engineering teams — as part of the push by General Motors to streamline its business. “It's different,” says Peter Hughes, who is the design manager on the project. “GM has gone global in the past few years and Holden Design has been part of that.” Global warming hasn't been forgotten either. The 6.2-litre V8 engine uses the latest cylinder deactivation technology to save fuel by turning the engine into a fuel sipping four-cylinder. And the new Camaro will also be available with a 3.6-litre V6 engine in the US. However, it is obvious that while much of the original appeal of the show car has been retained, the production model has lost a great deal of the jewellery that adorned that car when we first drove it at a US speedway in 2007. “Instructions were to interpret the Camaro as a contemporary design ... and to create the meanest street dog in town,” Micah Jones, lead interior designer on the show car project, said at the time. “In the interior there are definite cues from the classic '69 Camaro — especially in the gauges and dials, a reinterpretation of what was unique in that car.” One of the visual delights of the concept was the pure, clean engine bay with nothing other than a brake booster and oil and water filler caps left to drag the eye away from the shining engine. The wires and odds and ends that usually give an engine bay its confused look were tucked away under plastic covers. The milled and polished aluminium engine cover has made way for a more mainstream and cost-effective treatment — a pity, along with the integrated strut tower brace. The side mirrors (slim to the point of being useless) and the bonnet-lip air intake are gone. The long hood, short deck and wide stance of the concept remain and it appears rumblings at GM that the roofline needed to be lifted to allow more headroom have been swept aside. The deep set anodised main gauges with matching centre cluster have survived. And the retro styling of the bucket seats, keeps the '60s theme rolling. Reigning V8 Supercar Champion Garth Tander was on hand at the Australian launch — and even brought along his own 1969 5.7-litre, four-speed manual, V8 Camaro SS muscle car for a nice comparison.  

The figures, released this week, show that of 349 vehicles tested there were 26 deemed to have performed “significantly better than average”.The ratings are produced by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) with help from the RACV, TAC and VicRoads.The ratings are based on the MUARC team's analysis of more than 3.2 million car crashes in Australia and New Zealand between 1986 and 2006.That means that unlike the ANCAP testing, which is done under control conditions in a special testing facility, the Used Car Safety Ratings are based on real world accidents.The survey rates vehicles in five marks: significantly better than average; better than average; average; worse than average; and significantly worse than average.The ratings expose the myth that larger cars are safer in an accident with bigger cars putting occupants at a greater risk of serious injury in an accident.Small and medium sized cars fared the best with the smallest category offering up nine cars with the eight medium sized cars pulling the top result.Once again large cars fared the worst with only the 2002-06 Holden Commodore awarded the significantly better than average honour.The Subaru Forester 1997-2002 model was the best performer outright in the survey, just ahead of another compact four-wheel-driver, the 1997-2001 Honda CR-V.Light cars fared badly with none achieving the top rating and only three scoring a better than average mark.Also performing poorly were commercial vehicles, both vans and utes. Only the Ford Transit van scored better than average across the two categories. BEST PERFORMING VEHICLESSubaru Forester 97-02Honda CR-V 97-01Ford Explorer 01-05Mercedes-BenzM-Class 98-05Mitsubishi Pajero 00-06Jeep Cherokee 01-04Ford Transit 01-06Holden Commodore 02-06Mazda6 02-06Subaru Liberty 99-03WORST PERFORMING VEHICLESDaihatsu Rocky 85-98Toyota Landcruiser 82-89Holden Rodeo 89-95Subaru Brumby 82-92Suzuki Mighty Boy 85-88Toyota Hiace 87-89Toyota Hiace 90-95Daihatsu Handivan 82-90Holden Scurry/Suzuki Carry 82-00Toyota Hiace 82-86 LIGHT CARSBEST PERFORMERSMazda 121 97-02Holden Barina 01-06Volkswagen Polo 96-00Daihatsu Sirion 96-04Toyota Echo 99-05WORST PERFORMERSHyundai Getz 02-06Suzuki Alto 85-00Daihatsu Mira 90-96Subaru Sherpa 89-92Mitsubishi Mirage 82-88SMALL CARSBEST PERFORMERSVolkswagen Golf 99-04Mazda3 03-06Peugeot 306 94-01Volkswagen Golf 04-06Peugeot 307 01-06WORST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Cordia 83-87Nissan Exa 83-86Nissan NX 91-96Hyundai Excel 86-90Honda Civic 84-87MEDIUM CARSBEST PERFORMERSMazda6 02-06Subaru Liberty 99-03BMW 5- Series 96-03Saab 9000 86-97Saab 9-3 94-02WORST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Starion 82-87Holden Camira 82-89Toyota Corona 82-88Nissan Bluebird 82-86Nissan Pintara 89-92LARGE CARSBEST PERFORMERSHolden Commodore 02-06Ford Falcon 98-02Ford Falcon 02-06Holden Commodore 97-02Mitsubishi Magna 03-06WORST PERFORMERSToyota Supra 82-90Holden Commodore 82-88Ford Falcon 82-88Nissan Skyline 83-88Mitsubishi Magna 86-90LARGE 4WDBEST PERFORMERSFord Explorer 01-05Mercedes M-Class 98-05Nissan Patrol 98-04Nissan Patrol 88-97Toyota Landcruiser 99-06WORST PERFORMERSToyota Landcruiser 82-89Nissan Patrol 82-87Toyota Landcruiser 90-97Range Rover 96-02Jeep Cherokee 96-99PEOPLE-MOVERSBEST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Nimbus 99-03Kia Carnival 99-06Toyota Tarago 91-99Honda Odyssey 95-00Nissan Serena 92-95WORST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Starwagon 83-86Toyota Tarago 83-89Mitsubishi Starwagon 87-93Mazda MPV 94-99Mitsubishi Starwagon 95-98 

Having largely eschewed mid-life refreshes of models, successful or not, Mercedes has opened the floodgates with a range of largely cosmetic external and internal tweaks for its ML, GL and R-Class models.The updates were revealed in concert with the launch of Benz's BlueTEC diesel engines in the US last week. Australia will get the refreshed cars _ but not the engines _ in September.“It's something of a new strategy that started with the substantial refresh of the SL range,” Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman Peter Fadeyev explains.“Previously, it was more usual to allow the product to run a cycle without really changing the look. That meant owners of cars bought early in the cycle retained the look of a current car longer.“This time, the external changes bring the look of the cars into line with our new styling directions, but the interior changes were largely driven by customer feedback.”The M-Class features a new- generation telematics system, developed by Mercedes, which offers a range of integrated features including a hands-free telephone system based on Bluetooth technology (something Mercedes has been slow to adopt) and an auxiliary-in connection for mobile audio devices, such as iPods.Likely to be optional is a full media interface that will integrate all the functions of an iPod or other MP unit into the on-board electronics and control system, giving a full information display on the centre console and control via the steering wheel-mounted audio buttons.For the first time in an ML, the voice-operated Linguatronic control system will be offered as an option, along with a new style of rear passenger DVD screen.Unlike the previous system, where the screens were integrated into the rear of the headrests, the wireless DVD will be a bolt-on to the back of the front seats, allowing it to be offered as a retro-fit or dealer option.New, sportier seats and a new four-spoke steering wheel with standard shift paddles complete the interior improvements.The exterior look is most evident in a more aggressive front end with redesigned bumper, recontoured headlamps and a larger, more dominant grille. The rear view also sports a new-look bumper with integrated reflector strips which emphasises the vehicle's width.There is also a new range of 17-, 18-, 19- and 20-inch rims.The hero of the range will again be the AMG 63 model, with a 6.2-litre V8, 6.3 badging and a maximum output of 375kW and 630Nm.On the road, there's precious little that isn't visual to set the revised M-Class apart from the previous version _ 300,000 of which have been sold since its release in 2005.The steering on the test fleet sampled in Vermont was noticeably lighter and more nervous than that on Australian MLs, but Mercedes engineers were quick to point out that this steering feel was specific to North America. Cars bound for Europe and Australia will retain a more connected feel.There is a marginal improvement in fuel economy _ around 0.4 of a litre per 100km _ but as the launch-drive cars were all fitted with BlueTEC diesel engines, comment on the petrol models bound for Australia was impossible.The interior improvements give the ML a more refined feel; the new seats are supportive and comfortable, particularly when fitted with the optional adjustable lumbar support.The telemetrics are highlighted by intuitive controls and a clear screen, with the adoption of Bluetooth hands-free technology for the phone a long-overdue step.If the changes to the ML are subtle, those to the GL and R-Class are even more so _ to the extent that only train-spotters are likely to pick them.All three models will be available here in September, and a “small” price increase is predicted.BlueTEC diesels could be bound for Australia within 12 months of the technology's availability in Europe later this year.Although Mercedes-Benz Australia is maintaining the line that there are no firm plans to bring the advanced engines here, the attraction of being the first company to market a Euro 6-compliant vehicle _ a step that would put Mercedes almost a decade ahead of proposed government regulation _ is almost irresistible.“It's something that is under strong consideration, and certainly something we would like to resolve as quickly as possible,” Fadeyev says.“Our philosophy is always to be first into the market and not wait until government regulation requires it.”Australian regulations require vehicles to meet Euro 4 emission levels, with a move to Euro 5 in 2015. The diesels Mercedes now offers in Australia will meet the Euro 5 regulations, but a jump to Euro 6-compliant technology would be a huge selling point in a market that is increasingly environment-aware.“As much as we would like to have BlueTEC now, there are a couple of issues we are still working through _ but I don't believe they will be insurmountable,” Fadeyev says.It is understood the two key sticking points are cost _ BlueTEC would add around two per cent to the price of the ML, GL and R-Class models it would immediately be available on _ and a requirement for a heat shield over the particulate filter to protect against accidental ignition of dry grass under the vehicle.Michael Angel, who is responsible for managing worldwide emissions regulations and market confirmation for Mercedes, says he's aware of the need for a heat shield but doesn't see it as a deal-breaker.“I don't think it's a major problem ... it's just a piece of material,” Angel says. “There is no great complexity or technology involved.”Paradoxically, the BlueTEC system is already available in Australia in three Mercedes-Benz trucks _ the Actros, Axor and Atego models. The system was launched to meet new government regulations for heavy-vehicle emissions.BlueTEC is best described as a modular system for treating exhaust gas _ in particular, for reducing the nitrogen-oxide levels from diesel engines. Nitrogen oxide is the only exhaust-gas component that remains higher in diesel engines than in petrol engines. 

A top engineer has agreed there may be a need to modify the shifter to avoid accidentally disengaging the gears. The shifter, mounted where the indicator stalk would normally be in a right-hand-drive market, can be knocked into neutral by a driver attempting to indicate a left-hand turn but reaching for the wrong side of the steering wheel.The puzzling thing is nobody at Mercedes saw any need to have some form of lockout on such a shifter.Carsguide first raised concerns over the potential to unintentionally leave the car without drive as far back as the international launch drive of the R-Class (the first model to have the new shifter) in August 2005.Since then, the protocol has been rolled out to the M-Class, S-Class and GL. At each step Mercedes was again asked to explain the strategy, to date without a satisfactory answer.Last week at the US launch of BlueTEC and a revised M-Class, somebody finally took the matter seriously. Johannes Reifenrath, a senior manager for powertrain, components and telematics, says that although he had not been made aware of any instances where an accidental disengaging of drive had resulted inan accident, he at least conceded it indeed had the potential to occur.“The issue you raise would never happen — has not been considered — in a left-hand-drive market where we sell most of our cars,” Reifenrath says. “The indicator is always on the left and there is rarely anything on the right-hand side of the wheel. This scenario is a special consideration that we will have to take into account from now on.”“It is always possible to have this challenge when people change cars to one they may not be used to. They have a responsibility to be aware ... butI can see how this could happen.“To be honest, this is the first timeI have heard of this potential problem but I will take it to the people in charge of the gearbox development and ask them what would be required to change that. It shouldn't be too difficult because we already lock out the reverse gear. It should be possibleto do the same for neutral when the car is being driven.”Reifenrath says the original decision to shift the gear lever from its more traditional position on the floor in front of the centre console was a combination of interior styling and reducing engineering complexity.“The reason why we moved away from central gearshifts in the first place is one of convenience,” Reifenrath says.“People expect to have lots of storage space in a car and one of the places where you can add storage is in the central console. A gear-shift lever occupies lots of space in that area.“There is also complexity and cost of manufacturing where you have to have two different centre consoles and gear levers for left and right-hand drive markets. Also, the seven speed automatic transmission allows for electronic gear shift change rather than mechanical. That saves cost and also room around the gearbox for packaging the drivetrain.”oFirst drive of new ML in The Sunday Telegraph Carsguide this weekend 

Even when you didn't - and that was often in recent times - you still wanted to. It might have been some retained warmth for such things British, or maybe just the cool badge, but whatever it was, the need to give the marque “just one more chance” was strong.On reflection, that may have been aided by the lovely clubby feelof leather and wood keeping your spirits up as you waited on the roadside for the repairman.In any event, it is now official. You can say you really, really like Jaguar and nobody, well, at least nobody who stays up with the times, is going to point and laugh.The revival started with the XK sports cars. Stylish, powerful and worth being seen in, they gave modern Jaguar its first taste of what it was like to be wanted or even desired. At the time, those in the know shared a quiet smile and a gentle “just be patient”.The late and sadly lamented Jaguar boss Geoff Polites offered - in regard to the then secret and unnamed XF - some three years ago that “we will never build a worse car than the next one”.At the time we knew exactly what Polites meant, even if in isolation the statement is a little ambiguous. He was promising the start of a new Jaguar dynasty.The XF has now delivered on that promise. The whole range, from the 3.0-litre V6 petrol to the 4.2-litre supercharged V8, is good.The 2.7-litre bi-turbo diesel is special. Jaguar actually believed the car to be so good as to not need an entry-level “stripper” to lure buyers into showrooms and away from BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Call it a premium niche product and they will come, chequebooks falling open.That may be an exaggeration but there can be no argument that the XF, especially the diesel, should be back on the shopping list of anyone looking at a six-figure car purchase.The diesel starts at $105,500, not exactly bargain basement but trimmed with care and specified to pass acceptable at that level. While style may not sell the XF alone, it is enticing and challenging enough to appeal to a fair percentage of the public. The front is unapologetically aggressive, with a grille drawing influence from the gaping square mouth that fronted the XJ Series 1, while the rear is a classic from the director of styling Ian Callum, using power play with cues to the designer's gorgeous Aston Martin and XK styling.The coupe-like lines of the XF are accentuated by the matching rake angles of the windscreen and rear glass.It’s inside the car that the XF takes Jaguar to an entirely new level. Where once wood and leather were enough, the new Jaguar boasts an affinity with the past but styling driven by _ dare it be said _ a sense of fun.The whole process of bringing the XF to life is theatrical enough to bring a smile to your face. This is a place you want to be.Smooth lines, soft blue phosphor lighting, subtle use of metal; theyall welcome you to the interior ready for the show.The car is fired up by a pulsing starter button, a bit twee but a nice analogy for what is the heart of the car.Gone is the ridiculous J-Gate. The gear shifter is now an integrated dial, which rises out of the centre console to fit comfortably in the hand when the car is started. At the same time, the air vents reveal themselves in the fascia by swinging open.The interior lights are controlled by touch-sensitive coverings and the glove box opens only to the direct touch on an embedded brass rondel. This has little practical purpose but is cute as a button.The design target for the cabin was to emphasise sporting character. The dash has been lowered to improve the horizon vision and the glasshouse sits high enough to push the line that the driver sits in, rather than on, the seats.Space is good, in fact, generous for a Jaguar, with ample room up front and acceptable space for the rear-seat passengers. There is also a substantial boot.The engine at the heart of the XF diesel is not new. It has done service in the outmoded S-Type and XJ models outside Australia. That doesn't make it any less worthy. With 152kW and a thumping 435Nm, the diesel deserves to be the hero of the range.It is no sprinter (an 8.2 seconds from standstill to 100km/h attests to that) yet is fuel efficient for a twin-turbo engine and offers a largely stress-free drive experience with most of its torque on tap from just over 1000rpm.The real surprise is that this car is every bit as quiet and refined as its V6 petrol sibling _ all the good bits with none of the vices. Drive is through a ZF six-speed automatic, controlled either by the central shift knob or, if you really want, by wheel-mounted shift paddles.The ride and suspension retain a nice balance between sporty and plush, probably tending towards plush but quite capable of punching along a twisting mountain road.