Articles by Kevin Hepworth

That problem is simply getting bums on seats. That usually takes a hero car. One that is a bit special, whether that's a high-performance star or something so different as to be irresistible. The Kia Soul has gone down the ‘let's be different’ road and it could just be the tonic the company needs.The Soul will be released in Australia in three specification levels and two engines — a 91kW/156Nm 1.6-litre DOHC petrol and the 94kW and 260Nm 1.6-litre common rail diesel already seen in Australian in the award-winning Hyundai i30. Both engines are coupled to the company's ageing 4-speed automatic and slick 5-speed manual.The entry level Soul starts at $20,990 for the manual petrol with a $2000 premium for the automatic. The bottom spec car will not be offered as a diesel.The Soul comes standard with six airbags, ABS with EBD, 15-inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, immobiliser, central locking and 6-speaker MP3 compatible stereo.Step up to Soul2 (Squared) for $23,990 and stability control with traction control, 16-inch alloys, driver's seat height adjustment, roofrails and steering wheel mounted audio controls become standard. You can also get the diesel engine for an additional $3500 and automatic for $2000.At the top of the range the Soul3 (Cubed) is $27,390 (plus $3500 for the diesel) and is available as automatic only. There are also standard 18-inch alloys, additional body mouldings and headlight `eye-liners’, heated external mirrors, privacy glass, an underfloor wet box in the boot and a premium sound system with sub-woofer, external amp, centre speaker and ‘mood’ sensitive speaker lighting. Strangely the roof rails that come standard on the Soul2 are a cost option on the Soul3.Stylistically the Soul is an urban box. That is not to be unkind, some of the most successful of the so-called compact urban vehicles are just that — a basic square block on wheels, and there are some very good reasons for that. But more of that later.From that starting point the trick is to sex-up the basic product. Give it a cool name, trick up the look and add a hook that a cashed-up segment of potential buyers will find hard to resist.For Honda it is the Element, Nissan the Cube and Toyota the Scion Xb — all aimed at relieving the restless and style-conscious Gen-Y of their cash.What is very much in Kia's favour in Australia is that the Soul is the first such car into the market.The hook, in the case of the Soul, is the ability to add some individual flair. This doesn't stretch to the Smart car's interchangeable body panels but there is enough scope to do a soft-core `Pimp My Ride'.A selection of decals — three at this stage, a range of flashy bits and pieces such as a sports kit and extra chrome, 11 exterior colours and three interior treatments are enough to give more than 10,000 possible combinations.In keeping with the Gen-Y theme the external flash has been described as the automotive equivalent of body art — tattoos and eyeliners without the permanency, as the decals can be removed and replaced at whim, for a price.Open the doors — here is where the benefits of the box design become evident — and the interior space is truly impressive.Without the need for swooping rooflines and sloping windscreens style gives way to practicality. The space belongs to the passengers and the all-round vision is impressive.There is genuine large car generosity in head, leg and shoulder room for four. Luggage space is limited but the rear seats split and fold for longer loads or that heavy shopping day.The interior plastics are hard to the touch and there is little about the cabin that could be described as plush.In the higher specification cars the blacks and greys are lightened by seat treatments that mirror some of the exterior flair.Six airbags, including curtain bags, are standard across the range as is anti-lock braking. Stability control is not available on the base model — which weighs heavily against it — but is standard on the Soul2 (squared) and Soul3 (cubed).Another omission is cruise control which isn't offered on any grade, although Kia says it will be available on diesel models from August.On the move the story is one that has become almost a standard in the small and medium car market — pay the premium and get the diesel.The strength of the diesel with its wider torque band more than makes up for the initial noise intrusion and while the four-speed auto is no benchmark it is infinitely better suited to the 1.6-litre common rail diesel than to the similar capacity petrol where it spends much of its time hunting for torque.For both engines, the five-speed manual is a better option but the market has said time and again that when it comes to the crunch it’s an automatic world.Steering is on the light side, with feel and feedback neither exceptional nor dreadful. Adequate may be damning with faint praise, but that is what it is and all most buyers will expect.The driving experience can be improved by saving a few dollars and not opting for the optional 18-inch rims. The Blazer styling may look better but the bigger wheels with their lower-profile tyres make for a harsher ride on the Soul's independent front strut and torsion beam rear suspension package.Settle for the less imposing 16-inch rims with 205/55R16 rubber and you will find it not only more refined but also quieter with less tyre roar.

Of course your comprehensive car insurance is comprehensive ... unless you are talking about tyres, fires, exhaust systems, radiators or batteries. These are just some of the things for which you may have to pay at least part of the replacement costs following an accident.While most people understand that drink driving or street racing is going to have an adverse effect on any claim few are aware they could be liable for at least part of the replacement cost of an exhaust system, radiator, battery or tyres if the replacement part is in better condition than the one damaged in the accident.You could also find that your cover is affected if the car is damaged during a driver education course or as part of a charity car run.Another hotly-disputed area for claims is where an electrical fault causes a fire. You may be covered for damage actually caused by the flames but have to meet the cost of repairs to the wiring out of your own pocket. And you could lose it all if you leave the car running while you nip into the corner store and it is stolen.Individual insurers concede that general exclusions are standard across the industry.Insurers were generally at pains to point out that while the exclusion clauses were present in most policies they were often not applied."Really, they are there for the worst case scenarios not for general application," explained one insurer spokesman who did not want to be named. "It is not as if they are invoked in every instance."National figures from the Insurance Ombudsman for the 12 months to the end of June, 2008, show that from more than 1.5 million motor vehicle claims only 9212 were rejected compared to 33,000 failed claims from just over one million home insurance claims.However, more than 30 per cent of the disputed motor claims were settled in favour of the customer while less than one in five of the unhappy home claim customers had a win.Choice magazine spokeswoman Elise Davidson says: "It is really important to read your product disclosure statement and understand just what is and isn't covered.""Unfortunately many of those PDS across a whole range of products are never read. They are stuck away in a drawer and it is not until it is too late that somebody finds out what the exclusions are."The number one rule is that the car needs to be in good repair," says Ms Davidson. "In the case of something like rust damage you may find that you are not covered at all."Tyres are generally not covered and you really do need to take due care when it come to protecting your car from theft."What may not be coveredTyres if they are worn or damagedExhaust systems and radiators if rust is presentRepairs to any electrical faultYour car if you leave the keys in itDamage from any act of war or terrorismAny unspecified personal items in the car such as a portable satellite navigation system or DVDAny non-standard accessories such as mag wheelsAny modifications to the vehicle (paint or panel) if not specified.Top tipsRead the product disclosure statement before you sign upAsk questions, and then ask some moreKeep your car in good conditionNever leave your car unlocked or with the keys in itIf you have a dispute contact the Insurance Ombudsman 1300 780 808.

Is it the Bentley Flying Spur Speed's performance one should be most impressed by — or should that honour go to the stereo.Tough question.Here we have a $400,000 luxury tank with the soul of a sports car. The 6-litre 12-cylinder powerplant's 449kW and 750Nm across a delightfully wide delivery band from 1750-5750rpm will launch its 2.5-tonnes in a Porsche-like 4.8 seconds.That's impressive.It also handles direction changes with the poise of a ballet dancer and has the balance of a high-wire artist. Very impressive indeed.It would seem only fitting, then, that such a car should have a sound system capable of inspiring its own degree of awe. It does.The system from iconic — if little known outside the audiophile world — British company Naim is optional at $15,000. A mere snip in a $400,000 car.The tech stats are impressive, if a little pointless unless you live and breathe audio equipment — and in that case you probably know it all anyway — but suffice to say the 1100 Watt amplifier is the most powerful available in any production car.What does that mean to anyone sitting in the cabin? It means it is a really good idea not to wind the volume to the max. It absolutely could be harmful to your health.The 15-speakers hidden tastefully around the cabin — Naim's research and development boffins spent 18 months adapting their high-end sound systems to Bentley's rather plush interiors — will deliver bone-shaking doof-doof if that is what you really want or the most exquisite concert hall sound imaginable.It may be possible, if you listen carefully, that you hear the second violinist snap a horse-hair on his bow. It's that good.Step outside the car, close the doors and such is the quality of the Flying Spur Speed and its five-layer sound-insulating glass that — at best — you will hear a muted hint of what is happening inside. And therein probably lies the answer to the original question.Each of the component parts of the Bentley are of themselves impressive. Overall, they are more so.However, there is a new element to Bentley as a company.Historically there has been the distinct impression that you either loved the cars as they were or you went somewhere else. The marque was exclusive enough that if you weren't happy then that was your problem.In a changing world that is no longer the case. Owners are to be listened to and their concerns acted on ... and that is the genesis of the 2009 Flying Spur Speed."There was some early criticism of the similarities between the first Continental Flying Spur and the Speed," Australia and New Zealand Bentley boss Ed Strieberg said last year when introducing the 2009 model."Some people saw it as two trim levels of essentially the same car."The answer was to allow the Speed its own character, highlighting, rather than hiding, its sporting elitism.The changes to the 2009 model are not huge, rather a soft makeover highlighted by a larger and more upright grille, that five-ply sound-deadening glass, some extra choices in paint and trim, and electric adjustment for the rear seats.Inside there are the same acres of quality leather, sheets of hand-worked fine-wood trims and the most beautifully knurled metal knobs and gearstick.Understated but undeniably plush, even if some of the dash instrumentation and lesser switches hint at the marque's VW owners. The Bentley cabin remains a place of peace and grace.Dynamically the Flying Spur is something of a magic act. There is no getting away from the fact this is a big car. At nearly 5.3m it dwarfs most family transport, yet from behind the wheel it disguises its bulk almost magically.The steering is light and with enough `sneeze factor’ not to be nervous despite the sheer mass of the car. For all that refinement it is sharp and gives an unexpected level of feedback from the massive 275/35 tyres.Getting the car going is the thumping W12 engine, sourced from VW head office, but tuned and refined to suit the Speed's newly-freed sporty character. Yet, if it is an achievement to have the Flying Spur get up and go as it does then stopping it is an even greater one.The brakes are simply stunning. The 405mm (front) and 335mm rear discs pull the Bentley down from serious speeds in exceptional fashion. For a mere $30,440 you can add a larger set of carbon-ceramic plates — but that would be showy overkill.And that, most definitely, is not a Bentley trait.

"We are still investigating but we are pretty certain that the leaks are the result of stress and impact pressures from the cars being driven dynamically over rough roads during the media launch," Audi Australia's Anna Burgdorf says. "The repeated impacts and stress weaken the hose and it leaks." Two of the four 3.0 TDIs driven over a 32-kilometre bush track through the Snowy region lost steering assistance and were retired with fluid leaking from the front of the cars. Burgdorf says that a third car, also a 3.0 TDI used on the launch drive, suffered a similar failure while being driven on Sydney roads earlier this week. "The problem has been reported to Audi AG (head office in Ingolstadt) and a solution has been identified. All 3.0 TDI cars will now be fitted with an optimised servo hose." The potential for failure is restricted to the 3.0 TDI as it is the only model which uses the particular hose that leaked, Burgdorf says. "It is not something that has happened anywhere else during testing, development or launch programs. As far as we know it is unique to Australia but it will be addressed world-wide. "There are 120 cars (for Australia) that could possibly be affected and they will all have those hoses changed before being delivered. If any owner is inconvenienced while waiting for their car we will arrange a loan vehicle for them."  

The kiddie down the street gets a new toy and the one closer to home wants one as well.It matters not a jot that they don't really need one — after all, the toy box is pretty full. Lots of shiny new toys in there already.Still, what can you do? Can't let the neighbours get away in the `who's got what’ stakes, so a new toy it is.Audi's is called the Q5 ... and you've got to say, it's pretty impressive.The little brother of the rather more imposing — and environmentally insensitive — Q7 is aimed squarely at BMW's X3, Volvo’s XC60 and, to some degree, even at its little cousin, the VW Tiguan.What is certain is that it is going to hit plenty of hot buttons, from size to styling to performance. If you can afford it, are married, aged around 45 and very internet savvy Audi is looking for you."The Q5 is an expansion of the product range to an area where we haven't been before," Audi Australia's general manager for marketing, Immo Buschman, says. "It is progressive and sporty with a lot of technology which has flowed down from the A6 and A8 (sedans)."It is a summary of a lot of different aspects — safety, design, performance, technology ..."Drivetrains and pricingThe Q5 arrives with an engine range of four — two petrol, two diesel, two four-cylinders, two V6s with a price spread from $59,900 to $71,900.Immediately available are the four-cylinder 2.0 TFSI at $59,900 (the similarly-priced 2.0 TDI will arrive in about a month) and the sweet 3.0 TDI at $71,900.The petrol 3.2-litre V6 FSI will be in showrooms around the same time as the 2.0-litre diesel and will start at $69,900.Audi is expecting to sell around 1500 Q5s in a full year with 70 per cent of the sales split between the two four-cylinder models while the 3.0-litre diesel is predicted to account for 25 per cent of traffic and the V6 petrol a mere 5 per cent.The pricing is purely indicative because if you want to add the extra bling to your new toy it is going to cost you. Even metallic paint is an eye-watering $1900.Optional featuresThe cars as tested on the launch driver were bristling with options. Our 3.0 TDI model was pumped with features like the $6200 Multi Media Interface with Audi Music Interface (that's a 40 gigabyte hard drive which will hold 10,000 songs as long as they aren't i-tunes or from a commercial CD because those files are protected and can't be downloaded), Xenon headlights at $2283, the adaptive suspension and steering package at $5215 ... that lifts the basic $71,900 car well into the $80,000-range and that's just for starters. Throw in some bigger wheels, adaptive cruise control, lane and side assist, reversing camera and a folding front seat and six-figures here we come.You can perform a similar inflation exercise with the four-cylinder models.The real shame is that while all the bells and whistles are nice there was no way of telling from the launch drive just how good a basic drive-away model may be.The suspicion is that with A4 underpinnings, quattro all-wheel drive and a cabin trim comparable to anything we have come to expect from Audi there wouldn't be a lot to dislike.Driving As to what we could experience ... well, BMW had best look to their laurels, this is no longer a one-horse race.Not only has the XC60 come out to play, the Q5 will lay seige to the high ground BMW's X3 has previously enjoyed almost unchallenged.Slip into the Q5's cabin — an easy task given the car's high ride and ample room — and it is immediately obvious that there is nothing nasty and SUV-ish lurking nearby.It is all very ... well, very Audi. All the necessaries are there, they are all nicely trimmed and well positioned and everything feels nice and rich.What the Q5 does do is make the most of the space there is. The rear-seats slide back and forward over a 100mm range for extra legroom or extra luggage space, the seats fold in a 40:20:40 split to meet almost any luggage-lugging requirements and even the front seat — for an optional $350 — will fold flat to allow an extra-long load.On the move the 3.0-litre diesel is the stand-out winner. The strong, silent type — great mid-range urge and as quiet as some less-refined petrol types.Ride on the adaptive suspension ranges from firm to really, really firm — sort of uncomfortable unless you are setting out to toss the car through some really twisty roads.Do that and the dynamic setting on the suspension makes a lot of sense. It not only focuses the attention of the dampers but sparks the seven-speed double-clutch auto into life as well.Body roll is minimal, the Q5 turns in happily with minimum disruption and a whole bag of grip — it will even allow for little mid-corner corrections with getting all fussy and unsettled.Steering feel is initially quite heavy, to an artificial degree, and while not particularly communicative there is enough feedback to instill confidence that where you point you will go.During the launch drive Audi set the cars over around 35kms of broken bush track strewn with loose rocks, moderate washouts and plenty of loose gravel. There was little that could be called real off-road driving but it was enough to show that the Q5 is not going to blush at the prospect of getting that out-of-the-way picnic spot or out to the farm.Traction and stability control are switchable to a more tolerant off-road setting which allows for a little necessary slip on softer surfaces.Our run over the rough surfaces, at a fairly descent clip, had little effect on the 3.0-litre diesel although on the previous day two of the cars had failed to proceed with what is believed to be hydraulic leaks in the steering.Audi is still investigating the cause.Price: from $59,900 to $71,900Engine: 2.0L/4-cylinder turbo diesel 125kW/350Nm; 2.0L/4-cylinder turbo 155kW/350Nm; 3.0L/V6 turbo diesel 176kW/500Nm; 3.2L/V6 199kW/330NmTransmission: 7-speed S-Tronic autoEconomy: 6.8L/100km (2.0 TDI); 8.5L/100km (2.0 TFSI); 7.5L/100km (3.0 TDI); 9.3L/100km (3.2 FSI)

Sitting between the C-Class and S-Class the mid-sized luxury saloon has the task of sweeping up those buyers looking for more rewards than the junior sedan can offer yet not yet ready for the uber-luxury - and price - of the top-end saloon.With more than 50 years of history and 12 million predecedents the E-Class is a key plank in the Mercedes world and not surprisingly the company has pulled out all stops to make the latest generation worthy of its history."The claims to (this car) being the best in class are not drawn from thin air but from six decades of experience," Joachim Lindau, head engineer for testing and development of the E-Class, said at last week's launch drive of the car in Spain."This is a benchmark ... we have new engines, new suspension. It's a completely new car.The first tranche of new E-Class models to reach Australia in July will be the V6 E350 and V8 E500 petrol models - both carry-over engines from the current cars - in both sedan and Coupe body styles.The first of the new range of super-efficient BlueEfficiency engines won't arrive until October or November when the 4-cylinder E220 CDi, E250 CGi turbo direct injection petrol and E250 CDi bi-turbo diesel land.They will be joined at the same time by the hero engine of the range, the V6 E350 CDi turbo diesel which boasts a stump-pulling 540Nm of torque while sipping a miserly 6.8 litre per 100km.An AMG E63 sedan is scheduled for early next year and at this stage there is no sign of an E63 Coupe.Pricing and specification levels have still to be settled but Mercedes-Benz Australia suggest that the value equation will improve over the outgoing models - that means more standard equipment at a similar price.In developing the eighth generation of the E-Class Mercedes built some 700 prototypes, drove them 36 million test kilometres - the highest for any Mercedes passenger car, performed 150 real crash tests and 17,500 digital ones."Safety and comfort are the foundations of this car, a car created for the long distances," Lindau says. "Making this car comfortable for the driver is part of what we call `conditional safety'. A relaxed driver is a safe driver."While the E-Class bristles with a complex combination of safety, comfort and consideration for the environment not all of the features are going to make it to Australia.Likely standard equipment includes the Attention Assist system developed to monitor a driver's behaviour and provide a wake-up call if sensors detect the possibility of a micro-sleep, Lane Keep Assist and Blind Spot Assist, nine airbags including a knee bag and the usual array of brake and stability programs as well as the pre-safe crash preparation program.Optional offers will include a reversing camera, Night View Assist which enhances low-light conditions, an adaptive high beam and intelligent light system which automatically dips the beam for approaching traffic and adjust the light pattern depending on surround conditions and Distronic Plus (active cruise control).Definitely off the menu for Australia is the fuel-saving stop/go engine shut-down technology, the Speed Limit Assist which can read speed signs and display the posted speed on the dashboard and the pedestrian safety active bonnet."Unfortunately the Speed Limit Assist technology can not read Australian speed signs as they are a different shape to those used in Europe," Mercedes-Benz Australia's Peter Fadeyev says. "the stop/go feature will also not be available as it is only on manual four-cylinder models at the moment and we have no plans to bring the manual to Australia."Mercedes is working on extending the technology to automatic cars and Fadeyev says that when that happens it would most likely become a fixture for Australia.It is not until you get behind the wheel of the new E-Class that much of what has been spruiked about the new car begins to ring true.The interior styling is richer, closer to an S-Class than a C-Class as had been the case in the previous generation. The lines are straighter, the surfaces flatter and more functional yet the ambiance retains a richness from the quality of materials used and precision of the layout.The seats are comfortable - spacious and supportive and with the extra padding of the restyled contruction evident immediately.All very nice, but fire up the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel and the experience takes on a different level of appreciation.This is an engine that Mercedes can be justly proud of. Its strength is that the 540Nm - or a greater proportion of it - is ready for instant action from anything above idle.Tap the accelerator and go, jump on it and go harder - and all without the least hint of harshness. The balance between the engine, the seven-speed automatic gearbox and the active dynamics of the car's suspension and steering is a treat.The direct-steer variable ratio steering never descends into vagueness, something that can not be said of all such systems and whether punting through twisting mountain roads or sruising along an open motorway the feeling is one of directness and precision.Ride quality is what you would expect from this level of automobile - no more, no less. The active damping works well, seamlessly adjusting from comfort on a gentle cruise to a more sporting stiffness when pushed.A unexpected delight is how little drive enjoyment is given away by dropping from the hero engine to either of the new-generation four-cylinder offerings.While the 2.1-litre direct injection turbocharged E250 CGI is an absolute sweetie with its 150kW and 310Nm it is the equivalent diesel, the E250 CDI, that will have you out of the car and counting the cylinders.With 150kW and a thumping 500Nm of torque squeezed out of the four cylinders by the twin-stage turbocharger this one is destined to be a star. Delivery is a little more peaky than the V6 with the torque dropping away around 600rpm earlier at 1800rpm, but you would be really hard to please if it didn't bring a smile to your face.And if there is any need to seal the deal, a combined fuel efficiency rating of 5.3L/100km should be just the ticket.

Million dollar extravagance alongside budget buggies, runaway horsepower side-by-side with eco warriors. Its the eclectic mix that makes the Geneva one of the most anticipated events on the annual motor show circuit.As major car manufacturers battle for survival in the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, its all spit, polish and business as usual inside the Palexpo complex in the world's banking capital.Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Maybach spruiked their million-dollar babies alongside a tiny Smart, Chrysler's European debut for its vision of an electric future and a full range of real-world hybrid and dual-fuel models.There were the wild and wacky concepts — fewer than in the halcyon days, an acknowledgement that times are tough — and a mix of models that will grace showrooms in the coming year.Also fighting for attention were the usual array of specialists like Brabus, Startech and Zagato adding even greater gloss and performance to mainstream models as well as tiny Euro operations producing outlandish stars of their own imagining — badges such as Sbarro, Gumpert, Spyker and Koenigsegg.So, what were the stars of the 2009 Geneva Show?Ask a hundred people and you will probably get 100 different answers, but from a purely personal point of view here is one version of a Top 10. Citroen DS Inside Concept: A concept in name only, the little Mini rival will spearhead Citroen's new DS naming convention when it launches next year. Sleek, stylish and boasting a hybrid-diesel powertrain, the DS (the manufacturer says that stands for different spirit) caught the eye and the imagination with emotional, if not styling, hints of the truly radical DS on the 1950s.Hyundai ix-onic concept: Gone are the days when you looked on a Korean concept with a sense of synmpathy. While the ix-onic is clearly an exaggeration of the marques next SUV generation there is enough about it to whet the appetite. As important as the styling is the news that the ix-onic carries DSG gearbox and stop/start eco-technology. Look for for it all in the next generation of Tucson compact SUV next year.Pagani Zonda Cinque: A personal favourite. Not so much a car as a piece of very, very fast art. The latest offering from designer Horatio Pagani uses the company's own bespoke carbon-titanium material to shape a truly gorgeous body — and it goes. Zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and back to zero in 2.1. Enough sauid. Chevrolet Spark: Far more super-realistic than super-car, the little Spark is none-the-less an excellent example of its kind. Developed from the General Motors Beat concept shown in New York two years ago, the Spark is a bright rendition of a city car which, despite its name, is not electric nor even hybrid. On sale in Europe this year, don't be surprised if it comes under serious consideration for life with a Holden badge.Mercedes E-Class Coupe: The outstanding model from the new E-Class range. While the sedan version of the new generation E-Class had been seen in Detroit in January this was the Coupe's first outing — and well worth the wait. A really pretty rendition of a true coupe style.Audi TT RS: There was no shortage of new Audis in Geneva with the A5 and S5 Cabriolets on show but they were put in the shade by this hot version of the cool TT. What really sets this one apart is the use of a rorty 5-cylinder engine which is a hint to a wider future use of the powerplant behind the four-rings badge.Maybach Zeppelin: Outrageous, outlandish and unapologetically designed to shout "look what I've got that you don't", the latest Maybach earns its spot in the top 10 for offering a stone interior as an option. The high-tech process for bending Indian granite around complex surfaces is more Jetsons than Flintstones and about as left-field as anything seen in a production car. Aston Martin One-77: Another conspicuous statement of wealth, this super-exclusive super-car — only 77 are being made — exudes power and style. Everything about this car is special, right through to the unique 7.3-litre V12 massaged out of the company's standard 6.0-litre unit by Cosworth. It is believed at least one of these beauties is heading for Australia.Jaguar XFR: It has been a little while coming but Jaguar has put some real bite into its award-winning XF range with the arrival of the high-performance R version. Without over-burdoning the car with fancy, garish aero bits there is little doubt the XFR looks the biz. The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet doesn't hurt, either. Fiat 500C convertible: Not really a convertible in the contempory sense of the word, this latest rendition of the insufferably cute Fiat 500 is a must-have fashion accessory. The rollback sot top is true to the style of the original 1950s car with the centre of the roof rolling back to open the passengers to the skies without the complicated engineering of removing roof rails or C-pillars.

...every so slightly and ever so briefly, suggest that the latest Rolls Royce offering is simply a smaller version of the flagship Phantom. “This is absolutely not a pocket Phantom,” Cameron, chief designer for the famous British marque, counters as the `experimental' 200EX exerts its considerable presence in the background. “If you use the analogy of clothing this is not a different sized suit it is a different style ... but at the same time you want to be able to recognise the hand of the tailor that cut the Phantom. “So, you will see the same sort of strong surfaces but this car is all about informality where the Phantom is about formality. “If you think of the Phantom as a tuxedo then this is maybe the business suit.” Cameron has just finished introducing the baby Rolls — expected to be badged as the RR4 when it goes into production at the end of this year — and is clearly unimpressed with any suggestion that the latest car is any way the result of an “if it ain't broke don't fix it” expansion of the marque. “The brief was to produce a Rolls Royce that would have a different clientelle, a youthful clientelle,” Cameron says. “Typically our customers have garages with five or six cars. They use that garage like a wardrobe — different cars for different ocassions.” In Rolls speak the 200EX is still an “experimental car” but Cameron concedes it will be very close to the production model due to be revealed at the end of this year. “Truth be told I think it bears the same relationship to previous experimental models such as the 100EX (Coupe) and 101EX (Drop Head Coupe) ... it is very close to what the final production car will look like.” At this stage the 200EX is all about visual appeal with precious little information on the engineering and technical specifications of the car released. The four-door five seater rides on 3295mm wheelbase with an overall length of 5399mm, compared to the Phantom's 3570mm wheelbase and 5834mm overall length. The engine is described only as a “new” V12 but will certainly be comparable to the 338kW and 720Nm 6.7-litre unit used in the Phantom and coupled to a similar ZF six-speed automatic. The 200EX performance figures are likely to be slightly more sporty than the Phantom given the younger target market and the car's smaller size. The Phantom is governed at a top speed of 240km/h and can put the 0-100km/h sprint away in 5.9 seconds. Cameron says that the genesis of the 200EX was to produce a complementary model that would attract customers apart from those interested in the Phantom — an objective early feedback seems to indicate has been met. “That is the feedback we have had ... tremendous enthusiasm from people who think that the Phantom is just too much over the top,” Cameron says. “I personally think the whole car is cool but we always say with a Rolls Royce that you have to deliver something special. When you live with these cars and drive them it is not something you can describe. It is rather like a piece of music ... and that is what design is like. “You have all these elements that you have to pull together and at some point it becomes music — or that is what you hope happens. When it does you have a great design.”  

Then there is only one place to go looking — the Maybach stand at the Geneva motor show. Maybach, the super-luxury arm of the Mercedes-Benz empire, has pulled out all the stops to launch an iconic badge from the 1930s — the Zeppelin, so named because the V12 engines from the original car also powered the famous German airships. Starting at just a tick under a million dollars, the Maybach Zeppelin is available in both the 57 or long-wheelbase 62 configurations but it will be the rare owner that doesn't turn their car into a personal statement of wealth. The Zeppelin is pitched as a car for the connoisseurs and there is little the potential owner could ask for in the way of personalisation that would raise an eyebrow. Among the “standard” options being offered to complement the kid-soft leather and piano-lacquer interior trim surfaces are a perfume atomiser that uses nothing less than purified air to spread the owner's personal fragrance through the cabin in such a gentle form that it doesn't cling to either the car's leather or the passengers' clothes. Maybach will supply two bespoke fragrances from a renowned perfumer at the house of Givaudan, use an owner's personal favourite or even develop an individual fragrance to the owner's specifications. The atomiser is a mere bagatelle at around $5000. Over the top trims have become almost passe at Maybach where owners have in the past had leather trim made from their own herds of favoured cows, wood inserts from a tree of special signifigance felled on their own property or interior brightwork in gold in place of the rather common polished steel. In the Zeppelin, for the first time, an owner can have the interior trimmed in Indian Star Galaxy granite — and not just flat surfaces but complex curves using a process developed specifically for the car. Extremely thin stone plates are fastened to an adhesive film and then broken into small particles of almost exactly the same size by crushing the plate between rollers at precise pressure and speed. The result is a thin leaf of pliable stone in which the microcrystalline structure has retained its integrity and also all the appearance of a solid sheet while allowing it to be manipulated into almost any shape. In common with earlier Maybach models the Zeppelin is offered with the electro-transparent panoramic glass roof which changes from transparent to opaque and back again by passing an electric current through the liquid crystal membrane, effectively switching on the view at the touch of a button. Under the bonnet the 6.0-litre bi-turbo V12 gives the Zeppelin performance levels to rival high-end sports cars. The engine's 471kW and 1000Nm can launch the 57 S from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds (5.1 for the 62 S) on the way to an electronically governed top speed of 275km/h (250km/h for the 62 S). Mercedes-Benz Australia, which supplied four Maybachs to Australian owners last year, will be able to supply a Zeppelin to any extremely well-heeled Aussie in need.  

Skoda unveiled the Tiguan-based Yeti compact SUV and a pair of new and updated Fabia models, the soft-road Scout and the performance RS at this week's Geneva motor show ... and all are on the Australian importer's wish list. “The Scout — and the RS — are part of the ongoing Fabia discussion,” Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner says. “We have been working on it for a while but the exchange rate dive didn't do us any favours and while it is getting closer it is not easy.” While the pricing struggle has been painful, Wiesener can see a silver lining with a freshen of the range likely to correspond with any decision to import into Australia. “Realistically, there is a facelift due for Fabia next year and that will provide a good opportunity for us to introduce the car, and not just the entry hatch but the full range.” Wiesner says the addition of Fabia and Yeti to the Australian Skoda line-up will have the effect of adding emotion to the brand and better targeting the younger buyers the Czech brand is trying to reach. “These models, particularly the Fabia RS and Yeti will do a lot for the brand. The RS has real performance credentials and the Yeti is a perfect example of what the brand is all about —making cars that offer a decent interior size without being too onerous in their presence on the roads.” The current Skoda Australia garage consists of the Roomster, the Octavia range including a scout and RS model, and the recently launched Superb. “When you look at it there is plenty of room to add the Fabia range and the Yeti,” Wiesner says. Based on VW's Tiguan compact SUV platform, the Yeti is a high-riding urban softroader with the requisite plastic cladding and sculpted wheel arches giving it a look of civil toughness. At 4.2 metres the Yeti is not much bigger than a hatch and given the platform's VW Golf origins that is not in the least surprising. However, inside the car does a good impression of an East-European Tardis with generous passenger room front and rear albeit at the cost of any genuine luggage space. If you don't need the rear seats they can be removed and that will boost load carrying capacity to a very useful 1760 litres. Yeti will be available, in Europe at least, in both front- and all-wheel drive coupled to a pair of petrol engines (1.2-litre TSI and 1.8-litre TSI) and three tuning levels of a 2.0-litre turbo diesel.