Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

At the world launch of the sub-compact SUV in Zurich last week, Audi allowed journalists to drive a prototype model featuring the engine from the TT RS Coupe and RS 3. The 2.5-litre five-cylinder TFSI engine produces 228kW of power which is detuned from the TT RS with 250kW and the A3 RS with 258kW. Torque is expected to be about 450Nm. Whatever the final figures, it shames the 155kW in the four-cylinder TFSI "hot" model which arrives in Australia about this time next year. The prototype is wicked-fast with a howling note, quattro drive, seven-speed S tronic transmission and S Line sports suspension. Matthias Nothling, spokesman for Audi's performance arm, quattro GmbH, says the prototype is designed to show the potential for the Q3. But will it go into production? "Not this year," he says. "It's not been decided yet. We don't even have a name for it." Nothling says no other mechanical changes were made to the Q3 prototype, except to install the engine. "It's got the same suspension as the S Line," he says. "It shows how a Q3 can perform. "We just wanted to show that the four-cylinder engine is not the end of the Q3's potential." He says there are no other Q3 derivatives planned yet. "We are just at the beginning of the Q3's life," he says.

Over the past few years, BMW has increased their presence with new models in this lucrative category they have dominated for decades. Newcomers include the Triumph Tiger XC800, Ducati 1200 Mutistrada and Yamaha 1200 and 660 XTs. Honda has had a range of models in this sector over the years such as the Varadero and long-running Transalp. Now the Japanese manufacturer adds the Crossrunner, arriving here in mid July priced from $14,990. The Crossrunner makes use of the willing quadcam V4 VTEC engine out of the now-deleted VFR800 road bike. Honda calls it a "rugged adventure bike", but don't mistake this for an off-road adventurer. With its shorter travel suspension and road tyres Honda is targeting all-road riders, not off-road riders. It features wide handlebars, aluminium alloy twin-spar frame, 43mm cartridge forks and a rear cast aluminium pro-arm swingarm with a gas damper adjustable for rebound. The low exhaust system allows plenty of pillion legroom for comfortable touring. Available options also point to long-distance touring such as a 12V DC socket, panniers, grip heater, top box, centre stand and higher windscreen should make it a suitable long-distance tourer. On the safety side, it comes standard with combined brakes and ABS. The instrument binnacle includes a digital LCD speedometer, tachometer, twin trip meters, coolant and ambient temperature gauges and a clock. It comes in Graphite Black/Matt Moonstone, Silver Metallic and Candy Blazing Red/Matt Moonstone Silver Metallic colour options.

…and competent budget cars rolling out of Australian showrooms.Cheap in 2011 no longer means tin-can terrible; from $11,790 for the Suzuki Alto to $12,990 for Nissan's Micra there's the choice of five, five-door hatchbacks safer, better-equipped and better-built than ever.Ten years ago the cheapest cars on the local market were the likes of the three-door Hyundai Excel at $13,990 and the Daewoo Lanos at $13,000.Since then average Australian income has jumped 21 per cent in real terms according to the ACTU even though petrol's gone from 80 cents a litre to $1.40 and more.But car prices have fallen in real terms, thanks to increased competition, a strong dollar and new brands headed this way from China.Technology, trickling down from higher-priced machines or, like stability control, mandated by authorities has made these budget cars more attractive than ever.Malaysian maker Proton were among the first to slice retail prices in the face of a feared onslaught from China, dropping the $11,990 S16 sedan into the light car battle market last November.Now Suzuki has taken the lead on pricing. (And Proton, with stock tight while waiting for a replacement, perhaps cheaper, model later this year couldn't make it to this comparison with an S16.)Their rivals are all finding new homes. While the overall car market is sluggish, down 5.3 per cent on last year, light cars have slipped only 1.4 per cent. Some 55,000 light cars were sold to the end of May, the second biggest segment after small cars and ahead of compact SUV sales figures.Suzuki Australia's general manager Tony Devers says the light car segment has grown dramatically over the past five years as Australians become more urbanised, more inner-city focussed.For Suzuki, light car buyers are split into two camps - over-45s looking for a second car and under-25s looking for university and city transport."What's the alternative - a four or five year old car with less fuel effciency and safety?" Devers says.VALUEYou get a surprising amount of kit in a cheap car these days: electric mirrors (in all but the Alto), airconditioning, plenty of safety equipment, electric windows (front only, but all four in the Chery) and quality sound systems.There is only $1200 between the cheapest and the dearest and the resale values are pretty close, too.Vehicle sizes are also much the same as is power. You would have to be Mark Webber to pick the difference between the least powerful (Alto 50kW) and the most powerful (Chery 62kW).The Micra wins on features with Bluetooth, USB input and steering wheel audio controls, but it is also the most expensive.The Alto is cheapest, but doesn't miss out on too many creature comforts except electric mirrors. And for an extra $700 the GLX has fog lights and alloys.TECHNOLOGYThe four cheapies we tested come with the new age of downsized engine. In the Micra and Alto, they are three-cylinder powerplants. The three-cylinder models were a little rough at idle, but so economical they mark the way of the future for city cars. In real world conditions, it was difficult to pick any power differences."It's surprising they are three-cylinder cars," says guest tester William Churchill. "They're pretty zippy for a three." On a low-tech note, it is difficult to distinguish the lock and unlock buttons on the Alto and Chery key fobs, while the Micra adds a car locator button that blows the horn.DESIGNThe Micra looks the most grown up and least quirky, having lost its bug eyes in the latest restyle. It also sits the nicest on its wheels, with marginal gaps in the wheel arches.One of our guest test-drivers, Amy Spencer, says she liked the slightly SUV look of the Chery. It also has smart alloy wheels and an instantly appealing interior.The Chinese have tried hard to funk up the cabin space, even if the seats lack support and some of the fit and finish isn't the best. Alto and Barina look similar on the exterior. Inside, both have comfortable and supportive seats, but the Holden trip computer is a bit too fussy and busy for easy reading.Cabin dimensions are similar across the four, although the Micra has best back seat legroom and the most luggage capacity, while the Alto's boot is tiny.The Chery also scored points with Spencer for its handy dashboard storage compartment.She and fellow volunteer test driver Penny Langfield also noted the importance of vanity mirrors on the visors. The Micra and Barina have two vanity mirrors, while the Chery has one on the passenger's side and Alto has one on the driver's side.SAFETYLangfield commented that safety is one of the most important aspects to consider."That is the thing you worry about the most with a small car," she says.But cheap doesn't mean they have scrimped on safety features. All have electronic stability control, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution.The Chery has only dual front airbags, but the rest come with six airbags.According to the Australian New Car Assessment Program, the Chery has a three-star crash rating, Barina and Alto four stars and the Micra has not yet been tested, but the previous model with only dual front airbags had a three-star rating.DRIVINGWe took our three young volunteer drivers on a short city-based drive with plenty of hills and some freeway cruising. The Chery suffered a little from being straight out of the box with only about 150km on the odo and most of that on test.It may still be bedding in the brakes, but they felt mushy until they warmed up. Then they got a bit firmer, but still lacked initial bite and feel.The Chery's airconditioning also has a ringing sound in the fan which may go away after a while.We also noticed it revved a bit when you pushed in the clutch, indicating perhaps a slightly sticky throttle while still new.Yet the Chery drew favourable comments from all quarters for its responsive and "zippy" engine. However, Langfield noted it was "a bit sluggish coming up the hill"."I've heard all the hype about this being the cheapest car, but it goes better than I thought it would," she says. Spencer was rapt with the sound system: "It's great when you ramp it up."However, she instantly fell in love with the Micra."I liked this car from when I reversed it out of the carpark. It's quite zippy. I love the big mirrors. I like how the dashboard gives it a bit of space. It's not cramped up."She also liked the fact the seat height adjustment in the Micra and Suzuki: "It's great for short people."Churchill says the Micra's instruments are easy to read and found the audio controls on the steering wheel convenient."Smooth" was the word for Langfield to described the power, gearshift and ride."It's got a good audio system. The radio is nice and high," she says as she pumps up the volume on Triple J. She also likes the ample cup holders.The Barina is a no-fuss, solid and strong city car. "It's simple to drive but the LCD screen on the instrument panel is a bit distracting and very busy," says Churchill. Langfield agrees, but says, "I'm sure you would get used to it after a while."She liked the "smooth gear action" but found it "a bit gutless in places, but it picks up when you need it".The Suzuki surprised us all with its plucky three-cylinder engine. "It takes off when you want it to. It feels more intuitive and responsive," says Langfield.But Spencer laments the lack of boot space. "There'll be no camping weekends with this boot."Churchill says the gearshift was easy and the clutch feels light. "It's the most simple to get in and just drive."VERDICTThe Chery is the real surprise. It's better than we thought and attracted some good comments for styling, audio and power.The Barina feels safe, strong and reliable, while the Micra feels the most refined, although the most expensive. But we have to agree with the punters.While we found good and different points across the four we appreciate the Suzuki's willingness and price point as the leader of this pack.Last word goes to Langfield: "All these cars are better than my car so I really can't complain."VOTINGPenny Langfield: 1 Alto, 2 Micra, 3 Barina, 4 Chery. "It just feels good to drive. You feel like you are driving a real car, not a toy".Amy Spencer: 1 Micra, 2 Alto, 3 Barina, 4 Chery. "An all-round good car. It has a bit of storage space and just looks and feels good to drive."William Churchill: 1 Alto, 2 Barina, 3 Chery, 4 Micra. "I can get in and didn't need to get used to driving it. The dashboard is also easy to use."SUZUKI ALTO GLPrice: $11,790Body: 5-door hatchbackEngine: 1 litre, 3-cylinder 50kW/90NmTransmission: 5-speed manual (4-speed auto option)Fuel: 4.7l/100km; CO2 110g/kmDimensions: 3500mm (L), 1600mm (W), 1470mm (H), 2360mm (WB)Safety: 6 airbags, ESP, ABS, EBDWarranty: 3-year/100,000kmResale: 50.9%Green rating: 5 starsFeatures: 14-inch steel wheels, A/C, aux input, full-size steel spare, front power windowsBARINA SPARK CDPrice: $12,490Body: 5-door hatchbackEngine: 1.2 litre, 4-cylinder 59kW/107NmTransmission: 5-speed manualFuel: 5.6l/100km; CO2 128g/kmDimensions: 3593mm (L), 1597mm (W), 1522mm (H), 2375mm (WB)Safety: 6 airbags, ESC, ABS, TCSWarranty: 3 year/100,000kmResale: 52.8%Green rating: 5 starsFeatures: 14-inch alloy wheels, front power windows, A/C, USB & Aux audio input, auto headlights off, optional full-size spareCHERY J1Price: $11,990Body: 5-door hatchbackEngine: 1.3 litre, 4-cylinder 62kW/122NmTransmission: 5-speed manualFuel: 6.7l/100km; CO2 159g/kmDimensions: 3700mm (L), 1578 (W), 1564 (H), 2390 (WB)Safety: ABS, EBD, ESP, dual front airbagsWarranty: 3 yr/100,000kmResale: 49.2%Green rating: 4 starsFeatures: 14-inch alloys, full-size steel spare, A/C, 4 power windows and mirrorsNISSAN MICRA STPrice: $12,990Body: 5-door hatchbackEngine: 1.2 litre, 3-cylinder 56Kw/100nmTransmission: 5-speed manual (four-speed auto option)Fuel: 5.9l/100km; CO2 138g/kmDimensions: 3780mm (L,) 1665mm (W), 1525mm (H), 2435mm (WB)Safety: 6 airbags, ESP, ABS, EBDWarranty: 3 year/100,000km, 3-year 24-hr roadside assistResale: 50.8%Green rating: 5 starsFeatures: Bluetooth, A/C, 14-inch steel wheels, full-size steel spare, aux in, front power windowsPROTON S16 GPrice: $11,990Body: 4-door sedanEngine: 1.6 litre, 4-cylinder 82kW/148NmTransmission: 5-speed manualFuel: 6.3l/100km; CO2 148g/kmDimensions: 4257mm (L) 1680mm (W) 1502mm (H), 2465mm (WB)Safety: Driver's airbag, ESC,Warranty: three year, unlimited km, 24-hour roadside assistResale: 50.9%Green rating: 4 starsFeatures: 13-inch steel wheels, full-size steel spare, A/C, remote central locking, front power windowsUSED CAR OPTIONSTHERE are a number of options to an all-new light car if shopping for something secondhand and sensible.Among these, Glass' Guide lists manual versions of Honda's 2003 Civic Vi five-door hatchback at $12,200, the 2005 Toyota Corolla Ascent sedan at $12,990 and Mazda's 2004 Mazda 3 Neo (sedan or hatch) at $12,400.The Civic impressed at the time with good interior space and comfort, reliable reputation and a long list of gear including dual airbags, ABS plus power windows and mirrors.The Mazda3 range was an instant hit with critics and consumers, bringing style back to the marque. The Neo's standard gear included air-conditioning, dual airbags, CD player plus remote central locking. Toyota's Corolla has long been a safe and solid performer in the small to compact class; 2005 versions arrived with dual airbags, air conditioning, ABS and proven reliability.

The road-registrable Formula Q Chilli Rowdster is the result of a partnership between veteran racer and racecar builder Rob Rowe, 63, and amateur racer Rodney Moynahan, 44, both of Sydney. It started about 14 years when Moynahan wanted a lighter, cheaper and more track-oriented car than the Clubsport he had been using. "I wanted to go from a V8 taxi to something like a Lotus 7 Clubman," he says. But when he approached Lowe he was immediately dissuaded from the project. "He took one look at me - and I'm 6'2" (187cm) and weigh about 130kg - and he said there is no way you could fit into a Clubman. I couldn't even drive one around the carpark as it was too small for me. So he showed me a picture of a 1952 Watson Roadster from an Indy racecar book and I immediately fell in love with it. "He offered to make me one and I bought a fibreglass nose and tail replica form the States and we put together a frame and chassis; something wide enough for two people,a although it just fits me comfortably." The car uses the running gear from a 1970s Holden HQ and weighs just 750kg. But it's quite big and will accommodate many other running gear combinations even up to a current V8 or turbo four-cylinder engine. "I had just started racing HQ race sedans because it was cheap and CAMS was talking about getting rid of the old HQ cars," Moynahan says. "We had a couple of HQs and thought we'd take the running gear, pull the body off it, use the front cross member and put it into a jig to make up a later-style chassis." The result is the Rowdster which can race in the iRace Series, open sports cars and hillclimbs. "Originally we just wanted a cheap form of motorsport, but we got a bit carried away and worked with the RTA in NSW for two years to get it registered," he says. "The idea is to drive it to the track instead of trailoring it. It's registered as a home-made vehicle (ICV - individually constructed vehicle) like other kit cars. NSW is the hardest state to get a vehicle registered so I believe it can be driven in other states." They have since built eight powder-coated chassis, sold three race versions and another rolling chassis, and Moynahan owns two registered cars, one of which he plans to sell for about $28,000. The road-going models have headlights, windscreen, indicators and an LPG system with a different carburettor and bigger manifold, while the race models are petrol-powered. It takes about four days to make the chassis and Moynahan reckons it would take buyer "about seven weekends" to complete the car. "It's pretty easy. It's like a big version of a Meccano set," he says. Cost is about $5000 for the chassis, another $5000 for the body and the cost of whatever engine and transmission the owner wants installed. A quick check of carsguide.com.au shows 1972 HQs available from $50 to $35,000 for a fully restored model. "Most of our buyers are new to motor racing and like the cheap price," Moynahan says. "They're not really interested in putting them on the road. Financially we're not up to competing against Morgan or Caterham as road-going sports cars. This is just a hobby." Contact: Rowe Auto (02) 9627 9455

The Optimum range recently added two slide-out sections to allow the bed and dinette areas to expand about 55cm. It is available in the 8m Fiat Ducato FA26.2 from $165,000. Now Jayco has added a double slide out to their Sterling caravan, priced from $61,000. At the push of a button, both the bed and the dinette can expand or contract, providing extra room to move when you arrive at your camping location. Other additions to the new Sterling Slide Out's interior is the choice of five leather upholstery colours, aluminium furniture construction, a 150-litre fridge, and Italian styled door handles, a new square vanity basin in the ensuite and energy efficient LED lighting. The Sterling's frame is a combination of aluminium bonded with ply and a fibreglass skin, and the chassis is hot-dipped galvanized. Jayco marketing director Andrew Ryan says they have seen a rise in the number of orders for the slide out feature in other models.

The 1969 Ford XW SurferRoo GS utility was a prototype that never went into mass production. The three cars that featured a massive rear wing and wooden deck were taken on a national promotion tour and, at the end, were offered to dealers and sold to the public. One is believed to be in North Queensland, another in Ipswich and the third is owned by Wally Hincks who bought it new for $3000 in June 1970. Today it's worth about $70,000-$80,000 which is the same as a GT Falcon. "I bought it because the insurance on a GT was too dear," says Mr Hincks. "I had a hot EH Holden at the time and was spending too much time working on it. "It was the daily driver for about eight years and it was a mess by the end of it." His wife, Val, learnt to drive in the four-speed five-litre V8. "I used to think it was easy to drive but after driving with power steering it's a bit hard to get used to not having it," she says. "We used to go shopping and the kids would all pile in the back. In those days there were no laws to say we had to have a seat belt." When seatbelts became mandatory in the late '70s it was time to move on. "When it came time to get another car I decided not to sell it," says Mr Hincks. "I wanted to get it back to original condition and had tried to do it up while I was still driving it but that never worked." So it was parked under the house for the next three decades, slowly rusting away and occasionally being dragged out for restoration. Over the years it was sandblasted and undercoated twice for restoration work to begin but it has only been in the past few years that the job has been tackled in earnest. Son-in-law Wayne Allsworth says the resto was "a family passion". "For 33 years restoring it was always on the books. It was never going to be sold," he says. The family has kept the car faithful to the original. The only mod cons are an alarm system and central locking while the only part missing is a "Falcon 500" badge with two holes 10cm apart. The SurferRoo is powered by a 302 Windsor V8 with a two-barrel Autolite carburettor and Autolite distributor. The motor has been "freshened up" with a slight rebore, a new head from an EB Falcon and new valve seats so it can run on unleaded petrol. "I can't believe how good it drives on unleaded," Allsworth says. The family's pride and joy has been displayed at the GT Nationals and was in the top 10 at Queensland's biggest classic car show, the Macleans Bridge at Lakeside Sport and Classic Car Festival. "Part of the pride is to put it in more shows," says Allsworth. Meanwhile, it's definitely not for sale. "Our daughter (Paula) is waiting for it, but we'll have to croak first," says Mrs Hincks. FORD Archives historian Michele Cook says there is not much information available on the SurferRoo. "All I know is it was put together by the reserach centre for the motor shows," she says. "There were only three vehicles made and they were offered to dealers afterwards." She says Wayne Allsworth contacted her to check their recreated decal. "I sent him images of the decal that we have a good copy of, but it doesn't match theirs," she says. "The only thing I did find was a photo in the research centre of a design board and multiple decals. I have spoken to some people who were around at the time and as the vehicles were purely for promotion and show, they may not have had the same decals. The decals would not have been mass produced as these were not production vehicles, probably hand designed." Cooks says they are in the process of moving their archives and having difficulty searching. "Our archive is very extensive but unfortunately not yet catalogued," she says. As to what platform the SurferRoo comes from Cook is unsure. "The designers obtained a vehicle from the production line and will have worked with it to get the desired result," she says. "There is no record of if the vehicles were straight Falcon or Falcon 500 or a mix." At a glance Year: 1969 Price New: $3000 Price Now: $70-$80,000 Engine: five-litre V8 Body: two-seater utility Trans: four-speed  

BMW axed its $700 optional speed-zone recognition technology in May, blaming the frequent varying speed zones in Australia for bamboozling their system. However, Audi's new Q3 sub-compact SUV which arrives about this time next year will "eventually" come with an optional speed limit display. The technology uses cameras to identify speed signs and displays the relevant speed on the satnav screen and on an LCD screen in the instrument binnacle. The recognised signs are cross-referenced with satnav information. Audi Australia spokesman Sean Poppitt says the technology will be used in Australia. "The speed limit display technology will eventually be introduced into Australia but we don't have a firm timeline as yet," he says. "Each country has its own unique road sign systems and idiosyncratic details, and it takes time to integrate all of these different countries with the technology. So it's not always a quick process, but the technology will come to Australia." Other speed zone software includes Holden's advisory system in its latest VE II Commodore, while speed limits are also included in most of the latest aftermarket satnav systems, such as TomTom. The BMW satnav software has been available in the 7 Series sedan and 5 Series wagon this year, but was withdrawn in May. BMW spokesman Piers Scott says the company has not had any issues with the equipment functioning properly anywhere in the world, except Australia. "The high number of variations of speed limits, especially in urban areas, meant the accuracy wasn't what it should be for a BMW product,'' he says. "Accuracy was still in the 90 per cent region but, nonetheless, there were enough little niggles and anomalies for us to withdraw it. We've had engineers here on three separate occasions fine-tuning the system, but it's still not what it should be.'' Scott says BMW has not permanently shelved the potentially life-saving technology for Australia. "We are confident we can overcome it. It is a problem that is only occurring in Australia. They're happy elsewhere because there aren't the number of changes in speed zones we have here. "The technology and data are no different from other markets, but here we have such a high level of variable speed zones, it's struggling to keep up with it. And the very draconian way in which speed limits are patrolled here means there is no margin for error.''

Don't suggest the Audi Q3 is an expensive VW Tiguan. Audi doesn't like it.

Suzuki boss Tony Devers says the Swift S, with its bigger wheels, rear wing and impressive air cooling vents and body work could be here within a year. “This shows that driving a compact car does not mean having to settle for less,” he says. While the Swift S may arrive within a year, the Kizashi turbo concept - shown last year at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney - is still a long way off. Devers says the concept was driven by Australia and had been further developed with an American company with a new “refined” turbo. “We’ve got to prove a point to headquarters that we need a turbo,” he says. “To get new customers to the Kizashi we need more power.” Devers says Suzuki has recorded its biggest-selling month in June and is heading for 25,000 sales this year. He says the company has gone from 10,000 sales in 2004 to over 25,000 and doubled its market share. Swift remains the biggest seller, but is now joined by strong sales in the Alto. However, Devers says the one-litre three-cylinder will not enter a price war with the new Chinese models. “We’ve just had our two best months of sales of Alto,” he says. “We pioneered this segment and are happy where we are now. “There will be no price war. “We believe our pricing is great value. Price is a key but so is safety and quality.”

Australian chief operating officer Tony Barlow says the new Rio, coming in September, will be good value with sleek design, new engine technologies and six airbags standard. “We know what we have to for to put it in the market,” he says. “We will not enter into bargain basement pricing. Some models are around $10,000-$11,000 and we are not playing that game.” The new Rio was released at the Melbourne Motor Show in a carnivale atmosphere with Dancing with the Stars judge Tom McKenny giving a 10 out of 10 performance of Peter Allen’s I Go To Rio with a dance troupe. The performance reflects the sleek new look of the Peter Shreyer design. For the first time, the car will come with a choice of three, four and five doors, with the latter the first to be launched here. The others will follow next year. Barlow says the car is not only an improvement in design, but also technology, featuring new diesel and direct-injection petrol engines. The top-of-the-range model is available with such luxury car fittings as LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth and cornering headlights. The new Rio is 55mm longer, 25mm wider and 15mm lower with a 70mm longer wheelbase to improve passenger space and cargo capacity. It will arrive with a choice of 10 body colours. Barlow says the car is the next step in their commitment to optimisied handling for local conditions. “We have spent hundreds of hours and thousands of kilometers in testing,” he says. “It’s a development program championed for Australia in Australia.”