Articles by Kevin Hepworth

The launch of the S320 CDI Mercedes will match Audi's A8 diesel at the luxury end of the sedan market as the once-industrial fuel continues its make-over into the mainstream as the green fuel of choice. Within the next 18 months, BMW will complete the luxury set when it launches an oil-burner in its new 7 Series range-topper. While European customers have been able to buy the luxury oilers for some time, Australia's traditionally poor diesel fuel quality has kept the latest of the high-tech diesels out of the local market. The decision by Mercedes – while still unable to offer its technology-leading BlueTEC diesel system in Australia – takes the luxury diesel argument to the next level. The S320 CDI utilises the same 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 from the ML and GL off-roaders, albeit retuned to produce a healthy 173kW of power and 540Nm of torque. At the heart of the improved performance and luxury NVH levels is the use of piezo-ceramic injectors. The technology is not new to Australia but combined with the third generation direct-rail injection and a diesel particulate filter, the engine now meets the tough Euro-4 emission regulations. The advantage of the piezo technology is the speed and precision with which the jets can deliver five injections of ultra-fine fuel spray every power stroke at peak pressure of up to 1600 bar. Managing the entire operation is a newly-developed ECU (electronic control unit) co-ordinating the quick-start glow system, automatic start function, high pressure fuel pump, variable nozzle turbines with electronically adjustable blades, exhaust gas recirculation and air intake regulation. That means better efficiency, less emissions and a generally smoother operation. All of which fits nicely with the S-Class ethos. As befits a car at the expensive end of the range, the diesel S-Class has all the bells and whistles featured in the petrol models, including the seven-speed automatic. The pre-safe crash modification system, airmatic suspension, active bi-xenon headlights, hill assist and a brake disc drying capability are all standard fare.You can add the distronic-plus cruise control, active contour seats, a Logic 7 sound system and infrared night view capability. Quite possibly the nicest thing you can say about the S320 CDi is that you really can't tell that it is an S320 CDi. Apart from the tacho that peaks just over 4000rpm and its massive mid-range torque, there is very little about cruising in the S320 that sets it apart from the petrol V6. Not even the price. Mercedes has done what most manufacturers find impossible – price parity between diesel and petrol models. The S320 CDI is available now for $190,900.  

Both HSV and FPV have stuck bigger numbers on their hero cars.The launch this week of HSV's 6.2-litre LS3 V8 gives the General both a capacity and a power advantage over its Blue Oval rival — and FPV's general manager Rod Barrett couldn't care less.“There is no power war ... at least as far as we are concerned,” Barrett declared at the launch of the FG Falcon-based FPV range this week when the 5.4-litre Boss V8 jumped to 315kW.“If we had gone to 317kW they would have gone to 319kW. It's a pointless exercise. We are not about the numbers on the car ... what is important is delivering driveability and reliability.“That is key to these cars.”On the issue of driveablity, FPV acknowledge that they are starting ahead of the game with the FG donor cars.“Ford have done such a fantastic job with the FG cars that we were able to concentrate on key objectives for both the GT and the F6 cars,” FPV's head of powertrain development Bernie Quinn said.“For the Boss engine that included increased power and torque, a broader torque curve, better volumetric efficiency and no decrease in fuel efficiency.”Quinn said one of the key results of the 29,000 engineering hours that went into the V8 cars _ both in Australia and at Prodrive's Milton Keynes headquarter in Britain _ was the refinement of the car's cornering characteristics.“We were able to carry over the suspension geometry from the (Ford) XR8 and target the front spring rates and damper calibrations to give the GTs a less nose-heavy feel.”The stiffer front springs, coupled with a slightly softer rear end, work to keep the nose up and turn the car in more precisely without push understeer.There was also a concentrated effort to get the shift calibrations to the stage where an upshift dropped the revs into the torque curve rather than out of it _ an outcome aided by lifting the rev limit from 6000rpm to 6500rpm.“The overall result was to make the car feel more lively and balanced and give it extra punch on overtaking,” Quinn said.Despite Barrett's protestations and Quinn's logic the “mine is bigger than yours” brigade will continue to laud the HSV's thumper.However, the silence is profound from the Red corner when talk turns to FPV's game-stopper _ the brilliant straight six turbo sitting under the F6 badge.Quinn's team, working with what was already a winner from the FG range, have managed to seduce an extra 40kW and _ even more relevant _ 32Nm out of what is an modern classic, with all that torque on tap from 1950rpm to 5200rpm.“The camshaft profile has been revised, compression reduced, the pistons strengthened, boost increased to .9 and (turbo) lag almost eliminated,” Quinn said of the key outcomes from some 23,000 hours of development.“The result is a vehicle with outstanding performance, better engine response and fuel efficiency and improved operating performance under all conditions.”Like the GT cars, the F6 sedan and Ute have benefited from revised spring rates and the ZF Sachs monotube damper calibration to improve turn-in, reduce roll rate and improve mid-corner stability.Yet, for all the excitement around the F6, there is an undercurrent of sadness in the knowledge that in two years the engine will disappear with the closure of Ford's Geelong engine plant.Barrett will not be drawn on the loss of the engine _ “It wasn't my decision” _ nor on how FPV will cover the loss, saying only that the focus will be on ensuring the replacement powerplant will not take a backward step.A new member of the FPV family is the GT E, with all the power and performance of the GT range sans the aggressive warpaint on the more overt performance models.“The GT E is a combination of luxury V8 and executive race,” Barrett said. “It's for those who want the power and sound of a high performance vehicle without the overt styling and bright colours.”On the road the FPV range is a linear extension of Ford's new FG cars. All the good bits are there _ styling, steering and refinement _ with a serious injection of steroids.A clear favourite is the F6. The 4.0-litre straight six turbo is an absolute gem, and while the extra kiloWatts are nice for bragging it is the torque delivery that sets the car apart.An adrenalin-releasing rush of acceleration is never more than a jab of the right foot away. Any gear, any time.Despite its propensity for brutal action, the F6 really is a sweetie. It can bubble along through city streets or cruise the open highway with equal refinement.The interior gains all of the FG's styling improvements and adds a set of the most comfortable standard-issue sports seats on the market.The steering is as it is on the FG cars ... nicely weighted, precise and communicative without any tendency to fight back under load. There was a hint of rack rattle on one F6 sedan and another F6 Ute, yet it wasn't a major intrusion.If the F6 is the rapier, the V8 family is the broadsword. Powerful, effective and definitely one not to be taken lightly.The difference between the Boss 302 of the previous generation and the new 315 is not in the grunt nor in the top end speed _ after all, the cars are electronically limited to 250km/h and nobody in their right mind is going to see that outside a racetrack.Where the difference lies is in the delivery. The new GT and GT-P cars show a new willingness under the throttle, particularly in the 80-120km/h surge.Punch the revs up to just over 4000rpm and the engine comes alive. The aural treat is very best the FPV engineers could achieve without taking the next step to a semi-active exhaust.Much of the tuning concentrated on induction noise rather than exhaust burble and the result is the impression of something alive under the bonnet.In a nod to the Ford engineers the steering for both F6 and GT cars has been carried over unchanged from the FG models. Where the FPV wizards have had their input is in the suspension settings.The result of the stiffer front and slightly softer rear is a noticeable change in balance for the V8s, both through corners and under brakes in a straight line. There is less dive and a consequent increase in front-end control on turn-in.

There is nothing radical about the new Honda Accord Euro. It's evolution over revolution — a philosophy Honda has made something of a catchcry — after the big breakthrough with the first Euro five years ago.Even the price will be much the same, with a small increase on the current $33,990 base when cars arrive next month.The sportier four-cylinder Accord Euro will again sell alongside the US-styled wide-bodied V6 car in a two-pronged strategy that has worked well in Australia.This time the Accord Euro changes are more subtle, the improvements more focused and the outcomes less radical. And that is just fine with Honda Australia boss Lindsay Smalley.“The original Accord Euro hit a mark for us. There have been 45,000 Accord Euros sold since mid-2003, making it out best-selling sedan,” says Smalley, speaking at the international launch in Vienna.“To make radical changes to something that successful would not have made sense.”Smalley says the two-Accord approach works well and will not be touched.“When we introduced the two-Accord strategy, there was much concern that it would lead to confusion.“However, we have been able to sell Accord and Euro Accord side-by-side to two vastly different buyer profiles,” he says.Even so, the difference between the two cars in 2008 is so great that Honda is claiming a new segment for the Euro . . . the Advanced Premium Sport Segment.“In the European markets, the car is being sold against Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW,” Smalley says.“That is not going to be the case in Australia where we will sell mainly against VW Passat, Subaru Liberty and Mazda6 with some shot at some of the prestige brands.”The Euro Accord will have a single 2.4-litre petrol engine linked to either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. And there's three specification levels: Euro, Euro Luxury and Euro Luxury Navi.The chances of the 2.2-litre diesel joining the stable within the next 12 months have been improved by the announcement that the torquey four-cylinder will gain a five-speed automatic next year.Specification levels will be high. The base car will have six airbags, electronic stability control, anti-skid brakes, cruise control, automatic airconditioning, 10-speaker six-CD stereo, 17-inch alloys with a full-size spare, reach and rake steering adjustment, power steering, active headrests and cloth trim.The Luxury model adds sunroof, leather interior, heated seats, eight-way power seat adjustment, 18-inch alloys (space-saver spare), HID headlights, rain-sensing wipers fog lights and front and rear parking sensors. The top-line Euro Luxury Navi gets an Alpine navigation system, Bluetooth preparation and reversing camera.On the roadThe best way to describe the new Euro is refined. The car feels solid yet rides the — admittedly good — Austrian roads with an aplomb many above it may envy.It is not difficult to believe that much of the engineering improvement in the car has been concentrated on the chassis.Though longer, wider and with a wider track, the new Euro sits lower. The engine and fuel tank have also been lowered within the structure. It exudes an even sportier essence than the model it replaces.Improved body rigidity, through increased use of ultra-high tensile steel and re-engineering of the front body structure — combined with an all-new front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension — gives the Euro a noticeable improvement in stability when cornering.Refinement levels have been improved, partly by the stiffening of the chassis and with additional sound absorbing and deadening materials lining the cabin.With 147kW and 234Nm — both counts up slightly — the 2.4-litre motor is never going to outpace any of the true performance sedans, but it doesn't need to.Performance is adequate. It is unfussed and largely stress-free, either with the slick six-speed manual transmission or the slightly less engaging five-speed automatic gearbox.The diesel, as is generally the case, is the stronger of the two engines with its 110kW and 350Nm output giving it enough top end to justify getting there quickly through the hugely torquey mid-range.Steering is light yet not uncommunicative. There were times on the test drive when the front wanted to push on, but never in a nasty manner.Interior space in the Euro is generous for the class, particularly in the front, where there is no need to rub shoulders.The news is not as good for rear-seat passengers, where space is more of a premium, particularly if those in the front choose to stretch.Trim in the high series cars driven at launch is stylish, and the fit and fitment is what you would expect from a car with prestige aspirations. Price: About $34,000On sale: JuneEngine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol, 2.2-litre turbodieselPower: 147kW, 110kWTorque: 234Nm, 350NmTransmission: Six-speed manual (petrol and diesel), five-speed auto (petrol), front-wheel driveEconomy: 8.9 litres for 100km (petrol), 5.9 litres/100km (diesel) 

Plans are moving ahead to include an oil-burner in the new Honda Euro Accord range. Unlike most of its competitors, Honda has not developed an automatic transmission package for its diesel engines, something that has been a roadblock in any decision to bring a Honda-badged diesel to Australia ... until now.“I think if diesel does come to Australia in a Honda it will come in manual transmission,” says Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley. He is not underplaying the difficulty Honda Australia will have in getting the high-tech 2.2 i-DTEC diesel Accord Euro for Australia but with the acceptance of the manual transmission issue, the other hurdles can be overcome.“We would love to have that car with the Honda super-clean diesel technology but there is limited supply and limited capacity to make those engines and Honda Motor is concentrating on the European market where diesel is king,” he says.“I am sure that once that demand is satisfied and once production increases we will have a good chance at getting them for Australia.”In 2006, Honda brought a British Accord diesel with a manual gearbox to Australia for testing.Smalley says there is less chance the diesel version of the CR-V will make it to Australia.“That car is made at the Swindon plant (in England) and bringing cars out of the UK is clearly much more expensive than out of Japan or Thailand,” Smalley says.Of more concern to Smalley is the likelihood that one of the hero cars of the new Euro range, the stylish Tourer or wagon, will not make it to Australia because of a design oversight.“We would be very keen to take the Tourer as a real branding statement and that would lift the prestige standing of the whole Honda brand but the vehicle in its current form does not comply with Australian design rules,” he says.“The issue is rear seatbelt anchor points.”The car has two rear child anchor points fitted to the seat squab, which happens to be the European standard.“For Australia, however, we would need three anchor points fitted to the roof or right back near the tailgate. With investment and time it could be solved but whether it is a particularly pressing global priority for Honda ...”The new Euro will be on sale in Australia in June, initially with a single 2.4-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine coupled to a five-speed automatic to compete with the Mazda6, Subaru Liberty as well as the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata. 

In the strongest indication yet that the missing link in the Civic garage will be redressed, Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley conceded during a visit to the company's Swindon production plant, near London, last week that the five-door hatch could be in Australia by the middle of next year.The timing would fit neatly with a mid-life refreshing of what is now a three-year-old model.“I'm sure we'll be in a position to make some sort of formal announcement on the car by the end of this year,” Smalley says.“The European Civic styling has hit a lot of buttons for Australian consumers and we've found that out from our own customers, from market research and certainly from the Australian motoring media.“We were crucified at the original launch of the Asian-made sedan model when it was announced that the hatch would not be part of the model range and since then we've been working to make it possible for this car to come to Australia."“The Type-R was the first step in the journey and we've been continuing to work towards getting the five-door hatch.”While Smalley says Civic sedan sales are “sensational,” it's the strength of the small-hatch market that makes the prospect of getting the five-door model so attractive.“The small-car segment is clearly delineated between sedan and hatch,” he says. “The hatch sales account for 60 per cent of that market and at the moment we're not competing in it ... that makes having a product available in that segment very attractive.”Smalley says some Australian dealers have already visited the Swindon plant — the only site where the European Civic is made — to see the hatch, and the reaction has been universally positive.“I think the next step now is to get one of the cars into Australia for some serious market research,” he says.With the soon-to-be-launched second-generation Accord Euro growing substantially in size, Smalley believes the Civic hatch could slip easily into the model line-up without fear of cannibalising one of the brand's key models.“We would be certainly looking at premium prestige position and certainly targeting an affluent group of consumers who are shifting away from larger cars and are after a stylish smaller car,” Smalley says.“We have to bring the car to market at a price that consumers will see as good value — that's our primary concern. If we can't do that, we won't bring the car."“However, we don't see it as a big profit opportunity."“But we do see that mixing our sourcing portfolio is a natural hedge against currency fluctuations.”Smalley says the Civic hatch would probably arrive in Australia in a single high-specification model at around $35,000 with a 1.8-litre petrol engine and both manual and automatic gearboxes.Sales expectations would be around 1500 to 2000 cars a year.“Honda of Europe have been very receptive to the talks and while they obviously want to expand their export market they're also interested, in particular, in selling to Australia,” Smalley says.“The market is very competitive and if they can sell into it profitably it's something of a badge of honour for them.”That view was confirmed by Ken Keir, senior vice-president of Honda Europe and UK managing director.Speaking at Honda's UK headquarters at Slough, Keir said the breakthrough sales of the Civic Type-R in Australia had been a psychological boon for the company's entire workforce.“There's something special about our cars going across the world,” Keir says. “It gave everybody a lift. I would liken it to the feeling five years ago when we shipped our first cars back to Japan; it was that big a buzz.”Keir says if an export deal for the Civic five-door to Australia is confirmed, production capacity won't be an issue.The Swindon plant will this year build 238,000 cars — Civic three- and five-door hatches, Type-R and CR-V — within its maximum capacity of 250,000 annual production.“Supply wouldn't be an issue at all,” Keir says.“We have the production capacity to supply whatever may be needed.”Also on the horizon for Honda Australia is the new-generation Jazz, recently named Japan Car of the Year.Smalley said that although the new Jazz was an evolution rather than a revolution, there had been substantial engineering work to refine the A-pillar and improve driver vision as well as retuning and engineering of the rear suspension to improve ride quality.And while the large 4WD MD-X has been dropped from the model line-up — victim of a decision by Japan not to continue making the car in right-hand drive for the home market — there is, according to Smalley, a possible replacement on the horizon in the Kluger-sized Pilot, currently sold only in the US market.“With the Australia-US free-trade agreement and interest from other right-hand-drive markets, like South Africa, we would be keen to look at the feasibility of that car,” he says.“We'd have to put together a business case with other right-hand-drive markets ... but I think there's a clear opportunity for us there.” Snapshot Honda Civic hatchPrice: about $35,000Engine: 1.8L/4-cylinder; 114kW,188NmTransmission: 6-speed manualEconomy: 7.9L/100km (estimate) 

Soaring fuel prices will change the driving habits of a nation with motorists driving 20 per cent less over the next 12 months, according to SsangYong boss Russell Burling.“It's only a matter of time before a pint of beer is cheaper than a pint of fuel,” Mr Burling says. “I reckon that in the next 12 months people will drive 20 per cent less to save on fuel costs.“If fuel keeps going up, and it will, people will look for ways to drive less, whether that is car pooling, catching the train or dropping one car."“It is going to be a massive change in lifestyle. Fuel relates to food, to transport, to goods . . . to everything we do and need. It's going to be a huge change and I don't think people realise that yet.”Mr Burling says the prospect of a fuel price spiral played a large part in SsangYong's of vehicles.“We reacted by going 100 per cent diesel,” Mr Burling says. “Diesel-fuelled cars are our most efficient and we believe diesel is the answer. I would think there is going to be a definite change in direction of what people drive . . . you can see that already in registrations. Small cars are booming and large cars are falling away.”While SsangYong is still a niche player in Australia - selling 200 cars last month and aiming for a 3000 total this year - Mr Burling is confident the diesel strategy will carry the company into the future.A drive of the current range illustrates that while SsangYong is not likely to challenge the established segment stars any time soon; there has been improvement.The Kyron medium SUV is a well equipped unit but the two-litre version, at least, suffers from a lack of performance. The optional five-speed automatic pales beside the DSI six-speed and the car will only be better once the new gearbox flows through.With select-on-the-fly all-wheel drive, the Kyron has a real off-road capability and is a less nervous drive on the road if left in 4WD high range.Standard fare on the car includes ESP, ABS, 18 inch alloys and front and side airbags.Sitting atop the SsangYong range is the giant Stavic people mover with seven and nine-seat capacity. In its home environment there is also an 11-seat option but it has wisely been ignored for Australia.If cars were rated on space for your dollar the Stavic would be at the top of the table. The car is huge - and it drives like it. The 2.7-litre diesel produces a handy 121kW of power and 340Nm of torque but the chassis and suspension can not disguise the bulk of the car.The model roll-out for SsangYong will continue over the next couple of years with a small SUV front-wheel drive with six-speed auto due early next year, a replacement for the Rexton large SUV in early 2010 and a full range of passenger cars still under consideration.“The final decision to take them has not been made yet,” Mr Burling says. “I have seen the cars and in the next six to 12 months we will make the final decision on price positioning and whether we should take them. The other thing is whether they are available. Our cars will be made in Korea but we will only get them after they have satisfied the home markets.”Mr Burling says that while some of the passenger cars were already on the design boards at Rover when the British company was acquired by SsanYong's owners, Shanghai Automotive Industries, they are all on new platforms.“The cars will have an east-west engine with a six-speed automatic gearbox,” he says. “We are not interested in entering a segment (light and small) where you can't be profitable. It is already overcrowded."“We certainly like being in the ute segment and the SUV segment and the people mover segment. Yes, we want to get into the car segments but it is going to be two-litre and up for us.” Small torqueThe star of the SsangYong range is undoubtedly the Dual Sports Cab Utility, above, which benefits immeasurably from the addition of the six-speed automatic gearbox from Albury manufacturers DSI.The extra cog - and the quality of the shifts - does sterling work in reducing the coarseness of the basic car, easing the strain on the two-litre diesel as it is much easier to keep the engine in the fat of the 310Nm torque band without hunting.“We will be launching a Tradie version in the next couple of weeks at $24,990 and that will have drum brakes on the rear but that is purely market demand,” SsangYong boss Russell Burling says. “People are looking for a lower price so we are getting in to launch what we will call the Tradie - it's a 4x2, white only, manual only, steel wheels and a diesel. A 4x4 version will also be available at $27,990.” 

Excitement around the recent launch of the sporty XK range was palpable. With the new XF saloon it has notched up to sweaty-palms, hand-wringingly tense level.With XK it was pretty much a case of preaching to the converted.The car, as beautiful and competent as it is, appeals to the established Jaguar faithful.The XF is a whole new ball game. This is the car that has to bring fresh blood to the marque; the car that must redress an ageing owner base carried over from an earlier era.“A group of customers fell in love with us in the 1960s and '70s and they are very loyal customers,” Jaguar Australia general manager Dorian Lapthorne said at the XF launch last week. “However, new customers didn't fall in love with us.“Our current customer base has an average age of 57 — about 10 to 15 years older than the likes of BMW, Audi or Lexus, or just about anybody else. That wouldn't be a problem in itself, if every time somebody turned 57 they thought; 'I'm old enough now to buy a Jaguar'.”That, according to Lapthorne, isn't happening and Jaguar's ageing owner base keeps on ageing.Enter XF and, according to Lapthorne, there's already strong evidence that the tide is turning.“With first deliveries due on June 1 we've already sold 60 per cent of our allocation (400 cars) for this year ... and the good news is that 77 per cent of XF customers don't currently own a Jaguar,” he said.“That's good news for us. And the median age we're seeing is not 57, it's 44 — more than 10 years younger than the overall brand.”Jaguar is also making no excuses for presenting the XF as a premium product. There's no “entry level” model to take the fight to BMW or Mercedes-Benz.Jaguar describes the car as a premium niche product and those who want it will pay the premium.The 3.0-litre V6 and the bi-turbo 2.7-litre V6 diesel offer a twin entry point at $105,500 with the 4.2-litre V8 at $130,500. The current hero model, the SV8 4.2-litre supercharged, is $166,700 but look to that to be supplanted as the apex model by a XF-R version of the car within the next 12 months.“There's no 2.5-litre XF; there is no sub-$100,000 XF — because that doesn't fit the profile of building beautiful fast cars,” Lapthorne said.“Does that mean we don't compete head-on with the Germans? Yes, it does.“We don't have an $80,000 car to compete with the (entry-level) 5 Series or the A6. We are a premium niche business.”The biggest thing in favour of the XF is the XF. While the external styling may be a little challenging for some tastes — the front is unapologetically aggressive, with a grille harking back to the gaping square gap that fronted the XJ Series 1 and the rear is a classic; Ian Callum (director of styling) 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.However, it's inside the car that the XF takes Jaguar to an entirely new level. In its own British men's club way, the marque has always used wood and leather to distinction.It still uses fine wood and plush leather but in a more modern fashion.It would be a little unfair to call the interiors Scandinavian, yet the subtle use of metal, sweeping lines and blue phosphor lighting could make you think they were.There are some really nice design touches that, while unlikely to shake the world of car interiors, gives the XF points of difference and a new warmth.The gear shifter is now an integrated dial, which rises out of the centre console to fit comfortably in your hand when the car is started by a push on the pulsing start button.At the same time the air vents reveal themselves in the fascia by swinging open.Interior lighting is controlled by touch-sensitive coverings and the glovebox opens only to the direct touch on an embedded brass rondel — little practical purpose but 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.On the road, it's a lesson in how varied a character can be drawn from a basic chassis by variation in engine and gearbox.There were no supercharged cars available for the launch drive, due by the on-sale date of June 1, but the differences between the petrol pair and the diesel were significant.The 3.0-litre V6 (175kW and 293Nm), coupled to the six-speed ZF shared by all models, is a pleasant enough experience but begs the question as to why some 50 per cent of forward orders are for this car.There's nothing wrong with the combination per se but, for the same price and with the same high specification level, the diesel, with 152kW and a thumping 435Nm, makes so much more sense.It's marginally quicker — 8.2 seconds 0-100km/h against 8.3 — considerably more fuel-efficient and a less stressful drive with bags of torque available from just over 1000rpm.It's also every bit as quiet and refined as the petrol V6.The V8 is a proven engine doing service in both the XJ and the XK.The 219kW and 411Nm unit means there's adequate urge under the right foot but it's not as happy a marriage with the gearbox as the diesel.Obviously tuned for launch feel, first and second gears are eaten up in a huge rush but there's too large a step up to third gear to make punching through varied speed corners a comfortable experience.

Times have been tough for Kia.

Following the death of Land Rover and Jaguar CEO Geoff Polites last week, Smith, who has been given the role of shepherding the former Ford properties into the Tata stable, says he is confident the Indian owners will take a hands-off approach to the up-market British marques.“I am very confident that it will have no effect as I think that what is important to customers at the end of the day is that they buy either a Jaguar or a Land Rover ... that is what is important to customers,” Smith said in Melbourne where he attended a memorial service for Polites and the launch of the crucial new Jaguar XF sedan.“I don't think they are particularly interested at the end of the day in who owns the company ... as long as the company is delivering the product that they want.”Unlike the Ford acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover, when global cost sharing saw Ford's generic componentry appearing in the luxury brands, Smith says Tata will not use economy of scale to force Tata parts into the cars.“Tata have been quite explicit in all the conversations I have had in saying they want us to run the business as an independent business within their group,” Smith says. “Of course they will be involved in our board but it is up to us to define the strategy.“I think it is pretty unlikely that we will be sharing components in the short or medium term because we are at different ends of the market.“We source parts in many different countries already ... we have maybe a fifth of our parts made in what are generally referred to as low-cost countries — and we have plans to continue progressing that. That is not unusual. All automotive manufacturers do that ... in fact, we have sourced from India before and bought tooling and services from Tata before.”Negotiations and agreements completed under Polites' stewardship mean that the key Ford parts and engines used by Land Rover and Jaguar will continue to be available for at least another model cycle.“We have agreements that go well into the next decade. Certainly long enough to give us time to plan for our strategies as to where we go after that,” Smith says. Both Jaguar and Land Rover, he adds, will continue to develop their engines for fuel economy and emissions and will also consider alternative solutions to the EU's proposed CO2 emission standards.“We will be looking at hybrids,” he says. “We have some advice and research programs looking at hybrid areas at the moment, but hybrids, I believe, are not going to be the most significant solution for us.“It is going to be more about how we can improve the overall economy. If you take a typical diesel or engine then there is still a lot that can be done to improve them.”As the engines are being developed, Smith is adamant that the company's future model programs will continue seamlessly after the June1 transition to Tata.“I think you will find that the Jaguar and Land Rover design teams have quite a few ideas. They are a very creative team and they are continuing to develop nice ideas.”Smith says a small sports coupe in the mould of the BMW 1 Series is one of the ideas being looked at and aimed at attracting younger buyers.And there is still a glimmer of hope for a spiritual successor to the famous E-Type.While declaring the gorgeous F-Type concept “dead” Smith was not as dismissive of a new, small sports car, so stay tuned. 

Styled by Toyota, powered by Subaru, the rear-wheel-drive, boxer-engined compact sports car will be developed as a joint venture, with an expected on-sale date of late 2010.Each company will come away from the deal with its own badge-specific model but it's expected there will be precious little difference in the pigeon pair. However, for both companies the development will require some serious rethinking on their core philosophies.It will be the first time Toyota has used the boxer engine technology, while Subaru has invested a fortune in convincing consumers of the safety benefits of its all-wheel-drive platforms.Both Subaru and Toyota are taking a “softly, softly” approach to the news of the pending joint venture, denying there have been local marketing discussions but certainly not ruling them out.“We have a very long-term commitment to four-wheel-drive with boxer engines and that will continue for the foreseeable future, but having said that, we used to have frontwheel-drive-cars and we would always consider other combinations down the track,” says Subaru's Dave Rowley.Toyota takes a similar view, with spokesman Mike Breen saying there is a lot of water to pass under the bridge before a decision is made.“We don't really have any news from TMC on how it affects us or whether we'll be taking the car or not,” Breen says.“All I can say is there's no plan at this stage to bring the car in, but that doesn't mean there won't be in the future.”News of the sports car co-operation came in an announcement from Toyota Motor Corp that it will spend $333million to raise its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries — which makes Subaru cars — to 16.5per cent. Toyota will handle the basic design, while Fuji will develop the engine.Fuji already makes the popular Toyota Camry at its US plant in Indiana.Various sketches and impressions have already appeared on the internet.The design could draw on the style of recent concept cars, including the Toyota FT-HS and the Subaru B11S. Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe says the success so far of the partnership with Fuji has been a driving factor.The companies' engineers work well together, according to Watanabe, and this “naturally” led to the decision to raise Toyota's stake in Fuji in an effort to solidify the tie-up.“The alliance with Fuji Heavy is a win-win situation,” he says.”We can count on Fuji's superb engineering.”