Articles by Mark Hinchcliffe

BUYERS who think the i20 is too small and the slightly larger i30 is too big now have a compromise. Hyundai has shoehorned the new Accent in between the i20 and i30 in size, features and price. To see the three hatches on the road, it is difficult to pick them apart in size. But the Accent differentiates itself with a four-door sedan as well as a five-door hatch.Hyundai Australia boss Edward Lee says the Accent is the new premium model in the light-car segment. That comes as a bit of a surprise because the Accent - last available here from 2006-09 - was best know as cheap, reliable transport.Hyundai has taken the 1.6-litre engine out of the European-made i20 line-up and has priced the Korean-made 1.6-litre Accent range above the i20 and below the i30. Prices for the i20 range from $14,990 (drive away) to $16,490, while Accent prices start at $16,990 and end at $20,990, overlapping slightly with the i30 from $19,590. Roland Rivero senior manager product planning says the Accent comes in three trim levels - Active, Elite and Premium - which is consistent with all its new passenger vehicles.The Active comes standard with a trip computer, height-adjustable seat, iPod connectivity and 14-inch steel wheels with a full-size spare. The Elite ($18,490) adds a "premium" steering wheel and gear knob, piano black trim, front fog lamps and 16-inch alloys. Premium trim adds a reversing camera, leather trim, rear parking assist, auto climate control, push button start and keyless entry. The only factory option available is metallic paint.Hyundai says it is packed with technology and features, but a big let-down is there is no cruise control available yet. Rivero says are working on getting the must-have feature, but it will remain a big stumbling block for many buyers. There is also no diesel available yet, but Hyundai promises a 1.6-litre turbo diesel is coming. Rivero says we can expect to pay up to $2500 extra. There will also be a more powerful gasoline direct-injection (GDI) 1.6-litre model but also no word on when it will arrive.The only engine available now is the same 1.6-litre petrol engine from the i20 with 91kW of power and 150Nm of torque. Fuel economy is an acceptable 6L/100km in the five-speed manual which is better than the previous Accent at 7L/100km. There is also a four-speed torque-converter automatic with sequential shift available for an extra $2000.Rivero says the suspension has been tuned in Australia for our rough roads, a point Hyundai is keen to emphasise given criticism of the original suspension tuning on the i45 sedan and their commendable work to refine it.The hatch looks a little saggy in the bottom, but the sedan is quite attractive with a coupe-like swooping roof. This is Hyundai's fourth model in the "fluidic sculptured design" philosophy, featuring a hexagonal grille and curved headlamps that wrap around the front corners. The interior will look familiar to new Hyundai drivers with its curved dashboard, controls and blue illumination.Rivero says there are ample storage compartments for sunnies, CDs and phone, but there are no cupholders or door pockets in the rear. The boot has plenty of space in both the hatch and cavernous sedan, despite the fact that there is a full-size spare tyre under the floor. The 60-40 rear-fold seats add to the cargo versatility. The Accent is just 175mm longer and 10mm narrower than the i20 and 125mm shorter and 75mm narrower than the i30.Like all vehicles these days it has stability control, but this also comes with vehicle stability management which assists steering in low-grip situations. Basically it lightens the steering in the direction the driver should steer and it is the first vehicle in this segment with this feature. It also comes with six airbags as standard across the range including full-length curtain airbags to the rear seats. ANCAP this week announced the Accent had achieved a five-star safety rating.Despite the inspiring views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Sydney Harbour, the route for the launch was an uninspiring trip around the northern suburbs that left an uninspiring impression of the car. It may be a city car, but not being able to drive it above 80klm/h also leaves an incomplete impression of the vehicle. Not that the Hyundai put a wheel wrong.The handling and ride are fine for the potholed suburban streets and the engine is quiet with enough power for inner-city driving. The manual gearshift is light with a matching clutch and the four-speed auto is quick to respond with no indecisiveness. It is impossible to know if four gears are enough as we never hit the highway.Criticisms are the lack of steering feedback, no cruise control, no reach adjustability on the steering wheel and the low vision in the rear of the hatchback. Praise goes to the legroom in the rear.Hyundai has positioned it as a more premium package in the light-car segment, but it is still really just an affordable and honest, if uninspiring car. It will appeal for its style, reliability, refined and quiet petrol engine, and solid warranty.

Mining magnate Nathan Tinkler has withdrawn his $4 million offer for a half stake in Dick Johnson Racing, ending months of negotiations with Johnson's current racing partner, Charlie Schwerkolt. Yesterday's development re-ignites a long running dispute between Johnson and Schwerkolt over the future of DJR that partly turns on the driving career of Steven 'Junior' Johnson.  But both sides are back in negotiations that could either see Schwerkolt take complete control of the Gold Coast racing operation or walk away to concentrate on his Melbourne-based multi-million dollar forklift empire. Schwerkolt was not available for comment yesterday and Johnson said it was "business as usual" after the collapse of the Tinkler bid.  Johnson also said reports of Courtney leaving were "totally incorrect". But the ownership of the company is critical, since Courtney is currently tied to DJR and could switch to another team for 2010 if the ownership changes.  Courtney currently leads the V8 Supercar championship heading to the next round in Launceston this weekend and his manager Alan Gow yesterday denied rumours that he might drive for the Holden Racing Team in 2011. "Enough is enough. James remains 100 per cent focused on winning this year's championship, and delivering more race wins for both his team and Ford fans who have supported him for many years," Gow said in a statement from his office in England. "Let me be very clear on this; James is contracted to Dick Johnson Racing and that is the only contract or agreement in existence for him to drive in the V8 Supercar Championship. I really can't put it any more plain than that." While the DJR situation is as confused and confrontational as ever, four-time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy has confirmed he is quitting his current ride with the Paul Morris team. Castrol, Murphy's backer this year, has also withdrawn its support. Murphy is unlikely to get a fulltime drive for 2011 but is believed to be chasing a co-driving seat for the long-distance races at Phillip Island and Bathurst.  "I am not retiring," Murphy said. For Johnson, the ownership dispute threatens to overtake his team's championship bid but he is putting on a brave face.  "We're carrying on as we have and focussing ahead to the Tasmanian round, then Sandown and then Homebush and winning the championship,"  Johnson said. "Hopefully we can wrap it up before the last round."  Courtney has been backed by Ford since he came to V8 Supercar racing from Japan and the company's motorsport manager, Chris Styring, admitted he was keen to keep him. But Styring also said "there is a bit too much speculation at the moment".  "People are making fantastic summations and guesswork about what he's doing, but he's still driving for Ford at the moment," Styring said, while refusing any comment on the DJR ownership.  "We've sort of let Dick get on with that."

BMW is king (or should that be president?) with the 3 Series offering 37 variants in sedans, coupes, convertibles and wagons. But Volkswagen isn't far behind and catching with 23 Golf variants, plus seven Jettas - a Golf with a boot - and four Eos - a Golf with a folding roof. And there is the promise of more to come with several models not yet available in Australia.The Golf family tree doesn't just have a lot of lower branches, but several offerings at the top, including the GTI, R and GTD. So if it's a fast Golf you want, you can still select five or three doors, manual or double-clutch automatic, petrol or diesel, all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. But you can't have a six-cylinder engine anymore.VALUEEven though the AWD Golf R series has dropped the six and gone for a turbo four, it has also dropped the prices dramatically. The first R32 cost $63,000. It was followed by the R36 at $55,000. Now the new R arrives at sub-$50,000 for the three-door manual. Two more doors cost an extra $1500 and DSG an extra $2500.In another surprise, the GTD five-door manual and DSG cost less than the equivalent GTI, although the three-door GTI does come in slightly cheaper. All are packed with technology and creature features, making them a good-value high-performance package.TECHNOLOGYDespite VW dropping the 3.2-litre V6 engine in favour of a two-litre, four-cylinder turbo for the new R, power and torque have increased substantially from 177kW and 320Nm in the R32 to 184kW/320Nm in the R36 and now a whopping 188kW/330Nm. At the same time, fuel consumption has gone in the opposite direction from 11.6 litres per 100km to 8.7 in a sign of our tough economic times.It might seem a stretch to add the GT moniker to a diesel, but the figures stack up. The GTD has the two-litre turbo diesel engine from the Passat and Jetta but with 125kW of power, up from 103kW. That's down on the GTI's impressive 155kW, but the GTD has Commodore-sized torque of 350Nm compared with the GTI's 280Nm. It also sips fuel at the more genteel rate of 5.5L/100km in manual compared with the GTI's 7.7.And if you believe a GT should be a Gran Tusimo or Grand Tourer then the GTD is worthy with a touring range of 1000km from its 55-litre fuel tank. Like past R models, the new R model comes with 4Motion all-wheel drive while the GTD and GTI have front-wheel drive.All three high-performance models have optional Adaptive Chassis Control ($1500) that modifies the dampers to the terrain and can be selected on the fly for normal, sport or comfort settings.STYLEA GTI badge has been around since the 1970s and brings with it a hero status among hot hatches. R and GTD don't have the same ring to it. But they all have that GTI style with muscular wheel arches, discreet badging, schimcko wheels and tasty grilles. The GTI has the nicest nose with that red outlined grille.Out back they can be distinguished by the twin exhaust layout. They are on either side on the GTI, on one side on the GTD and together in the middle on the R.Inside is more discreet badging, brushed aluminium trim and various rally-style pedals, sports steering wheels and sporty seats. Yet despite all the sporty accents, the cabins are a very comfortable and homey place to be and the layout of the generous back seats and their 60-40 spilt flat-folding abilities, it's quite a practical cabin for loading anything from groceries to skis.DRIVINGHere are the biggest differences.While all are turbos, the performance varies with the R snappiest off the line and screaming out at the top end, the GTI the quickest to respond with giddying revs and the GTD the best for mid-range torque.Turbo lag is almost a thing of the past, but the GTD does have a slightly wider gap between right foot and reality. If track days are your thing, the R has 4Motion all-wheel-drive and the best grip levels as well as the biggest brakes and lowest suspension. The GTD seems to have the most compliant ride, although the nose does feel a little heavier with accompanying gentle understeer.The petrol models have a delightful sound with that signatory thump on gear changes of unexploded fuel. Surprisingly the GTD also has that sound but without the usual diesel clatter at idle or groan at full tilt. Steering in all three is light and positive with plenty of feedback and no rack rattle and only the GTD has a modicum of torque steer.The six-speed manual gearbox is a delight to use, but like many these days it sits too close to the centre console buttons, so you are forever accidentally hitting switches when you change to first, third or fifth.The DSG is a snappy cog-swapper but sometimes takes a while to change its mind about your driving style if you momentarily drive aggressively. It can take forever to change up a gear once you have settled down. Best to override it and just flick the steering wheel paddle shifters.

Take two Korean twins into the Australian bush and you could have trouble telling them apart. That's what happened when we took loaded up a Kia Sorento and a Hyundai Santa Fe to the gunwales with people and camping gear and headed into the bush to Queensland's majestic Carnarvon Gorge.Our test vehicles were both top-spec diesel models, just the type of vehicle a grey nomad are considering for their lap of the continent.After more than 2000km of highway, country road and limited dirt and offroad driving, we had a hard time telling them apart. They look, feel and even sound similar. Making a buying choice could be even more difficult. Far from being out of their depth in the Aussie bush, these Korean softroaders excel with a quiet, comfortable ride and performance levels that will challenge the average Aussie's view of what it takes to get around west of the Great Divide.The Koreans are forging ahead with Hyundai not far behind Ford, even outselling them in February. Hyundai's sister company, Kia, is a long way back, but surging past Mercedes-Benz and BMW and not far behind Suzuki. Their keys to success are not cheap and cheerful vehicles, but reliable, quality products.What are the differences?The Santa Fe and Sorento are basically built off the same platform with the same underpinnings, shared engineering and engines. On several occasions during the test, I forgot which vehicle I was driving, so similar are the controls and appearance, especially inside.Outside, there is more difference. Voting on the most stylish was divided among friends and family with some preferring the bulkier and more noble look of the Hyundai and others admiring the sleeker Kia with its extra touches of chrome bling.The differences are basically an optical illusion as the silhouettes are almost identical. Kia has made their SUV appear sleeker and slimmer by having higher black plastic mouldings which reduce the amount of painted panels. By comparison the Hyundai looks a little saggy in the rear end. Interiors are also fairly similar and you could easily step from one to the other and operate all the controls and audio functions without having to look.EquipmentBoth have a load of creature features fitted: six airbags, rear parking sensors, cruise control, climate air and leather steering wheel. One of the best features of the two vehicles is the reversing camera screen in the rearview mirror, which is the first place you look when reversing.And how about those electric front seats. They move forward, back, up and down, tilt and have adjustable lumbar support - more positions than the Kama Sutra.The interior differences are few and far between, but could be crucial in making a buying decision. For example if you have rowdy kids, you might want to go for the Hyundai which has a clever convex mirror under the standard rearview mirror which allows parents to check on who started the latest fight.If you have a lot of MP3 players, mobile phones, portable fridges etc, you also might like to buy the Hyundai as it has four 12V outlets compared with two in the Kia.The Hyundai also has an airconditioning vent in the centre console which acts as a chill box. The console has a two-stage lid which helps keep some items separate. However, the Kia has a bigger bin with a small removable inner small bin inside.Both have good build quality inside and while the plastics are a bit hard in places, the Hyundai has slightly better feel on the steering wheel. Its leather seats are also just a shade softer, but neither is particularly plush against your backside.The Kia brings a little bling inside with nice touches of chrome and the word "Sorento" in the door kicker which lights up. It's a slightly more upmarket feel in the cabin. Instruments are near identical except that the Hyundai lights up in blue and the Kia in red. Both have three rows of seats and separate airconditioning controls for the passengers and even the supplied iPod cable will work in either vehicle. So a buying decision could come down to your favourite colour.DrivingIn driving dynamics there is even less of a divide. They both steer slightly lightly around the centre and have an initial tip in the body on turn-in, but don't wallow or lean too much more under heavy cornering.Brake pedals have a plush feel, but deliver similar strong stopping performance even when packed and on loose surfaces. Tyre noise and grip is similar despite the Hyundai running Khumo 235/60R18 tyres and Kia on Nexen 235/60R18 rubber. The diesel engines are the same and have identical power and torque figures, pulling surprisingly well up some steep Central Highlands inclines.Both have a slight turbo lag off idle, but then the power then comes on hot and strong, sometimes giving a bit of a tug on the steering wheel and sending the outside wheel for a short spin until the stability control cuts in if you are on loose or slippery surface. I had previously found the Hyundai engine noise a little intrusive, but once settled into the rhythm of the highway, it was not a problem and no louder than the Kia.While both have capable off-road drive components with electronic locking diffs, slightly more serious off-roaders who like to tackle steep descents may consider the Kia which has a hill descent selector.Over a week of bush driving, both diesel vehicles returned identical fuel econmomy figures of eight litres per 100km. That was the same figure I obtained from the Santa Fe over a week of purely urban duties. The extra load and off-road duties obviously offsetting the highway cruise.So if you are making a choice between these two capable Korean SUVs it might come down to the flip of a coin or your favourite colour. Either way, you shouldn't be disappointed.Hyundai Santa Fe vs Kia SorentoPRICES: $48,490 (Santa Fe Highlander), $48,990 (Sorento Platinum)ENGINES: 2.2-litre turbo dieselPOWER: 145kWTORQUE: 436NmTRANSMISSION: 6-speed autoFUEL TANK: 70 litresTOWING: 2000kg (braked)KERB WEIGHT: 1988kg (Hyundai), 1959kg (Kia)SAFETY: stability control, six airbags and 5-star crash rating