Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Thousands of babies and young children are accidentally locked in cars around Australia each year and the potential for injury or death is heightened in the summer months. TIPS TO AVOID ACCIDENTAL LOCK-INS Always take the child with you, even if you only intend to leave the car for a brief time. Keep the keys with the driver. Never leave them with the child, in the ignition or place them on a seat. Never let children play with keys or access an unattended vehicle. Check the vehicle is empty before remote locking. Keep a spare set of keys with you. IF A CHILD IS LOCKED IN Keep calm. Think clearly and act quickly. Call your local auto club immediately for assistance and if there are any concerns about the child's health, call emergency services (000).

... next weekend. Last year, he only had to finish to win the title, but twice ran into walls and limped home.  This year some of the walls have been moved back and the kerbs lowered on several corners. "We didn't prepare very much at all last year," admitted the TeamVodafone Commodore driver who this year is 53 points adrift of Dick Johnson Racing driver James Courtney. "Last year was more of a media focus for me than a race performance focus," Whincup said.  "It will be different this year."I can't guarantee I won't hit any walls, but I definitely should go a bit quicker. "I think there are some circuit changes that will also help."  V8 Supercars Australia spokesman Cole Hitchcock said the "teething problems" from the first year at Homebush were sorted out with feedback from drivers. "Changes to a new track are quite normal," he said.  "(Mark) Skaife has spent a fair bit of time working on it as chief consultant. He also played a major role in developing the tracks at Townsville, Hamilton and the Gold Coast." Courtney has been studying the track changes and believes it will be "nicer" to drive.  "The kerb profiles are a bit lower so it should be a bit smoother," the Ford driver said. "It will be nicer to drive, less aggressive on the car and allow the car to flow a bit better around the track."  Courtney won the Sunday race last year and declares he is "quietly confident" of winning the event and the championship next weekend.  "We had really good speed (last year) and should have been a podium on Saturday as well but the door latch broke and we had to pit for that," he said. "We've since changed the way the door latch works to stop it happening again, so I'm quietly confident." Courtney said the final event would be a "fairytale" end to the championship.  "You couldn't ask for a better ending with Ford versus Holden, the championship going down to the wire and Homebush with Guns and Roses and Tony Hawk. It will be a massive weekend." Whincup says the close title race would draw a bigger crowd than last year.  "The huge crowds are right on the side of the track and we can hear them as we go by," he said. "You can't help but feel that you're in a special place with the big stadium and big hotels around you."  Whincup says that apart from the mental strain of the close leader points it is also one of the physically toughest events on the calendar. "At 250km it's equally the longest race we do with a single driver and we have to back it up again on the Sunday so it's as long as Adelaide," he said.  "It's also compulsory for teams to run a cool suit if it gets over 30 degrees which you can almost guarantee for Sydney in December."  Whincup says he is not thinking about equalling Skaife's three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002 nor his 10th placing in the top 50 touring car drivers. "I don't know how I feel about that. Those things while you are still competing don't mean a huge amount but I know that in 20 years time when l'm old, fat and retired they will mean everything to me," he said. "When you are a warrior in battle you don't think about your last fight, you think about the one you are having now."

SOME time in the future, the Suzuki Kizashi will become the Datsun 1600. Go to a rally meeting and see how many Datsun 1600s are still running around. They have a great little chassis, excellent handling and bullet-proof mechanicals.The same could be said for the new Kizashi, the first mid-sized car from the Japanese manufacturer and possibly the future favourite of amateur rally drivers. Now Suzuki has given the Kizashi a sportier look and added all-wheel drive, but still kept the price under $40,000.VALUEThe Kizashi Sport AWD costs $39,990, which is $3000 more than the top-selling XLS with continuously variable transmission. That puts it in competition with the slightly larger Subaru Liberty which starts at $35,490, but equivalent equipment level models are over $40,000.You get more than just AWD for the extra $3000. Outside there is a new-look grille with black chrome mesh, bigger air dams, new 18-inch alloys, chrome side highlights and fog light surrounds, a rear boot spoiler, side skirts and 10mm lower suspension with stiffer springs.In the cabin there is a new leather steering wheel with chromed accents, a silver double-stitching highlight on the leather seats and trim and Bluetooth with controls on the steering wheel and the ability to play your music. This is all on top of a very high level of specification in the FWD models.TECHNOLOGYThe car retains its 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, but there is a strong push from Suzuki Australia to introduce a turbo-powered unit, such is their belief in the chassis to safely handle the extra power. The Sport AWD arrives with CVT only.It has a front transfer case with electromagnetic coupling and a rear differential with a three-link prop shaft linking them. It can be switched on the fly between 2WD and AWD modes at the touch of a button on the dash to the right of the driver.In AWD, it runs in FWD until the electromagnetic coupler senses slip and transfers torque up to 100 per cent in the direction required.There is also a type of launch control that splits torque 50-50 for maximum grip and take-off acceleration, when more than 10 per cent throttle is applied and the vehicle is moving at less than 10km/h. There is no centre diff lock and the dampers and shocks are unchanged. It runs on 235mm Yokohama low-decibel tyres to reduce noise.STYLINGFor some, there may be a bit too much bling, but sports drivers quite like that. I think it's a handsome cab with enough touches of chrome bling to make it look a step up on the top-spec XLS without overdoing it. It retains the 18-inch wheels from the XLS, but with new alloy designs and comes in red, black, silver, white, pearl and a new mineral grey colour, but dropping the blue.DRIVINGTake it for a drive and words like refined, quiet and poised come to mind. But when we took the standard Kizashi on Carsguide Car of the Year testing earler this month (November 2010), we were surprised by the lack of lateral grip from the Yokohama low-noise tyres on wet hot-mix asphalt surfaces.So I went searching for similar surfaces in the rain to see if the lack of grip in the AWD model led to the same squirmy handling we experienced in the FWD model. While the Yokohama tyres are still compromised for wet lateral grip, the AWD system works overtime to reduce the oversteer and understeer shenanigans.In countersteer situations, the power steering also lightens the wheel weight to help you correct a skid and the 50-50 weight distribution helps the driver keep some order.Apart from the tyres, my only other concern is the gearbox. It is one of the better continuously variable transmissions I've tried with a quick response and little flaring. However, I heard it groan a couple of times when pushed.It would be nice if Suzuki offered their trusty six-speed manual gearbox from the standard model and truly earnt that "Sport" tag.VERDICTThe car is so quiet, you can afford to slap on some decent rubber that makes a bit more road noise, but provides more assuring wet weather grip. Given Suzuki's reputation for reliability and this car's excellent handling characteristics, in 20 years you can still be running it competitively at your local rally track.

Chinese manufacturer Landwind failed to get a rating for its SUV in its first independent crash test in 2005 when the vehicle scored the worst results in 30 years of crash testing, even at low speeds. Now the Landwind CV9 mid-sized people mover has received two stars in the official Euro NCAP testing.  It was the lowest rating of the 14 cars crashed in the latest round of testing. Ten cars achieved Euro NCAP's maximum award of five stars and the other three received four stars.  Landwind claimed their CV9 "has been revamped to meet the strictest European safety standards".  However, the car only scored two stars because it lacks a side protection airbag, a head protection device and electronic stability control. The only Chinese vehicle available in Australia is the Great Wall utility which initially scored two stars in Australian crash testing, but has been upgraded with front airbags, anti-skid brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution to lift its rating to four stars. The first Chinese-built passenger cars, from Chery and Geely, are expected to hit Australian showrooms early next year.  Euro NCAP boss Michiel van Ratingen says they will test more Chinese vehicles as they became more popular in Europe. In the other test results, five stars were awarded to the Audi A1 which is coming next year, Mini Countryman, Kia Sportage, VW Passat and cars not available in Australia such as the Ford C-Max, Kia Venga and Opel Meriva.  Four-star results went to the coming VW Amarok utility and Jaguar XF. The Jaguar rating was limited by adult and child occupant protection. In the side pole impact of the XF, chest protection was rated as weak and the car's seat and head restraint provided marginal whiplash protection.

For example, Porsche had a big role in developing the Harley-Davidson V-Rod water-cooled engine. Now AMG, the performance arm of Mercedes-Benz has signed an agreement to work closely with Ducati. The initial aim of the co-operation between the performance brand from Affalterbach and the Italian bike manufacturer is to develop common marketing activities including AMG sponsoring the Ducati MotoGP team. Mercedes-AMG boss Ola Kallenius says AMG and Ducati complement each other. "Both companies share the same values: racing as the driving passion, and high performance plus exclusivity as the central brand messages of both AMG and Ducati. This long-term cooperation will help us to jointly access new customer groups." During selected AMG events, participants will be able to test ride Ducati motorcycles, and Ducati customers will similarly have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the latest AMG high-performance cars at events. Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific Corporate Communications manager Jerry Stamoulis says they welcome the cooperative agreement "but at this early stage, there are no immediate plans. As the agreement was only announced last week, a schedule of events has yet to be announced," he says. There are no indications yet whether the joint agreement will lead to supercharged Ducati engines or AMGs in Ducati-red livery. Ducati Australia spokesperson Alison Fraser says she is also unaware of specific details yet. "As AMG and Ducati are two entirely differing markets and technologies and the idea of a supercharged Ducati engine is a fun one to think about, at this stage the announcement should be taken on face value," she says. "As for Australian plans with the cross promotion these are in the pipeline and we will be informed accordingly - so watch this space."

Extra features and a more efficient diesel engine are claimed to justify a "modest" price hike on the updated Mini range.  According to Mini Australia Product Planning Manager Sue McCarthy, the price increases have been kept to a "minimum" of $400 for Cooper and JCW and $600 for the Cooper S, while the diesel is up $1000."We understand there are a lot more competitors in the market but more competitors stimulate market demand in that segment," she says."We don't view that as a negative thing. It keeps people on their toes and promotes competition."Mini's response to the competition has been to increase the level of standard features to the mid-life model update, rather than drop prices.Corporate communications manager Piers Scott points out that they sell very few basic Minis."So by building more value, we can justify a modest price uplifting," he says.  "We don't think price will be an issue."Scott says the cosmetic changes are subtle but the upgraded technology is "significant".  "There is now more Mini: more customisation, more efficiency and more technology," he says."All changes are driven from talking to our customers. If we don't do something right we hear from our customers straight away."VALUEExtra standard features include rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights, Bluetooth (Bluetooth music streaming is an optional extra), USB input, fog lights (Cooper D already had them) and velour floor mats.Mini claims that for the extra $400 for the Cooper and JCW and $1000 more for the diesel you get $1450 of extra features ($950 for the JCW) and for the extra $600 for Cooper S you get $1150 in features.While you can't put a value on the styling changes inside and out, at least the knobs on the airconditioning and audio now feel much better quality.The previous knobs felt like flimsy plastic margarine tubs. The new knobs are more sturdy with a rubberised feel. It is debatable whether these changes warrant the extra price.Options include a $750 "radio visual boost" upgraded audio system with LCD screen, joystick control and on-board computer, and an updated $1900 "business navigation" system, previously $2900.Mini has also added several optional feature packages that are claimed to provide a substantial value saving on ordering the features separately.  The $1125 city package adds park distance control, alarm and auto dipping interior and exterior mirrors.The lighthouse package adds adaptive Xenon headlights and clear indicator lens and costs $700-$1600, depending on the model.  The $970 body package on the Cabrio adds a wind deflector, heated seats and a timer that tells you how long you've had the to down.There is also a cargo package that adds roof rails and a flat-load compartment floor for $825.  The popular $3900 Chilli package is retained, but with revised content.All these extras, along with the wide choice of trims, upholstery, wheels and exterior colours and striping give the Mini extended individualisation possibilities which, to a Mini owner, are invaluable.TECHNOLOGYThe big change in technology is the bigger BMW-derived 1.6-litre diesel engine that replaces the 1.4.  It has 82kW of power and a 30Nm torque increase to 270Nm.Emissions of CO2 are down to an impressive 99g/km while fuel economy is down 0.1L/100km to 3.8.  It comes with a six-speed manual gearbox with auto start/stop function, gearshift indicator to encourage frugal driving, brake energy regeneration and economical electric power steering.An automatic gearbox for the diesel will not arrive until the Mini gets the BMW 2.0-litre diesel from the 120d and 320d. It begins production in March and should arrive in June.The engine will have the same output as the current 1.6-litre unit but with different torque characteristics.  It will be mated to the six-speed ZF automatic transmission, but will not include auto stop-start technology.The first BMW group product with stop-start in an auto transmission will be the new X3.  The Cooper and Cooper S petrol engines had technical upgrades earlier this year that lifted power 2kW (7kW for S) with a slight decrease in emissions, plus better economy and acceleration figures.For the first time, Mini gets optional adaptive headlights which turn with the steering wheel to illuminate a corner. They are only available with the lighthouse package.STYLEDespite the vehicle being 99mm longer, all proportions are retained and exterior design changes are so subtle, few will notice them.  They include more pronounced fog lights, extra air ducts in the Cooper S, LED taillights and a higher Cooper bonnet to match the Cooper D and meet strict European pedestrian safety regulations.The most significant changes to design are inside.  Although the general layout with toggles and large dishplate speedo remain, there is more quality in the trim levels and feel.  McCarthy says the interior has a "quieter appearance" with more use of dark tones.IT may be cute and even pretty, but Mini is still predominantly bought by males.  Mini Australia boss David Woollcott says 55 per cent of buyers across the range are males."I think it's got to do with the fact that we (Australians) are the highest ratio of JCW buyers in the world and have a focus on racing heritage," he says.However, the Cabrio and Clubman models appeal more to women, with female buyers accounting for 80 per cent of sales.  Mini Cooper makes up 75 of total Mini sales, Clubman 10 per cent and Cabrio 15 per cent.DRIVINGTo drive home Mini's famed go-kart handling characteristics, which are unaltered with the mid-life updates, Mini launched the new models with a motorkhana in an airport hangar at Avalon, south-west of Melbourne.The surfaces shifted from painted concrete to asphalt to a concrete apron giving a feel for the high levels of grip, the nimble change of direction and the extra feel provided by the "sport" button which sharpens the steering and throttle response.Out on the road, the Mini feels precise and engaging as always. With no changes to the mechanicals, the drive down the Great Ocean Road was superfluous fun.  Even the new diesel felt little different to the old one, with the same output and handling characteristics.The real test of the changes was in the operation of the audio system which now has the confusing volume and tuning knob replaced with a more user-friendly arrangement.Another "test" was in the access to the rear seats in the cabrio which now allows the seatbelt to be hooked under the cupholder so it isn't in the way.VERDICTExtra customisation may confuse some buyers, but typical Mini owners highly value the ability to make their Mini as close to unique as you can get with a mass-produced vehicle.MINI 2011Cooper hatch: from $31,500Engine: 90kW/160Nm 4-cylinder petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 5.4-6.9L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 127-160Cooper S hatch: $40,500Engine: 135kW/240-260 Nm 4-cylinder turbo petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 8.3-9.5L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 136-159Cooper D hatch: from $34,750Engine: 82kW/270Nm 4-cylinder turbodieselTransmissions: six-speed manualFuel consumption: 3.8L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 99g per km.JCW hatch: from $49,200Engine: 155kW/260-280Nm 4-cylinder twin-scroll turbo petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 6.9-7.0L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 165-169Cooper Clubman: $34,800Engine: 90kW/160Nm 4-cylinder petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 5.4-6.9L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 127-160Cooper S Clubman: from $43,800Engine: 135kW/240-260 Nm 4-cylinder turbo petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 8.3-9.5L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 136-159JCW Clubman: from $51,700Engine: 155kW/260-280Nm 4-cylinder twin-scroll turbo petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 6.9-7.0L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 165-169Cooper Cabrio: from $40,200Engine: 90kW/160Nm 4-cylinder petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 5.4-6.9L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 127-160Cooper S Cabrio: from $48,600Engine: 135kW/240-260 Nm 4-cylinder turbo petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 8.3-9.5L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 136-159JCW Cabrio: from $57,300Engine: 155kW/260-280Nm 4-cylinder twin-scroll turbo petrolTransmissions: six-speed manual, six-speed autoFuel consumption: 6.9-7.0L/100kmCO2 (g/km): 165-169 

Mini Australia boss David Woollcott says they are terminating their five-year contract with Toleman Motorsports after just three years.  He cited the loss of TV from Seven's main V8 Supercars telecast and the growing exense of the series. "Many of the competitors didn't take five-year contracts; they just took year-by-year contracts.  "The series started just before the GFC struck and then the first operator went broke, so it's struggled."  However, he speculated that the series may come back "in a few years''. The series has attracted a strong field of competitors including Paul Stokell and Jason Bargwanna, plus celebrity drivers at some events.  Mini corporate communications manager Piers Scott says the termination of the series has nothing to do with the spectacular crash earlier this year at Queensland Raceway where a Mini rolled into the crowd, narrowly missing spectators. The crash was shown around the world on YouTube. Woollcott says Mini will remain committed to motorsport. He says its new Countryman AWD car will be in several World Rally Championship events next year, with a full season in 2012.  "Mini will always be in motorsport,'' he says.  Woollcott says he is unsure what will happen to the 30 Mini Challenge cars owned by Mini and Toleman Motorsports.

Mini Australia boss David Woollcott was born in Brixworth, in North Hamptonshire, just 100km north of London and only 40 minutes from the Oxford factory where Minis are made. "While the first car I had was a Toyota LandCruiser my dad bought me because it was bomb proof, the first car I bought was a Mini Cooper S," he says.  "I've always had an enthusiasm for BMW cars since I was nine when a friend of my dad had an E30 M3." Woolcott studied engineering at the University of Bath for five years before moving to Munich to work on BMW fibre optics for vehicle data transmission.  However, he was asked to move to sales and marketing because "I like to talk". "I was a bit offended by the German engineers who didn't think I was good enough to be an engineer," he says. BMW put him through a graduate program in the UK for two years, then Woollcott contacted a BMW dealer in Melbourne and came out here for 18 months to sell cars.  BMW then put him through a product training manager course for 2.5 years. He worked in the BMW marketing department and became Mini boss in July.  "It feels quite daunting," he says.

Over the next couple of years, that number is expected to double.  The first to arrive in Australia early next year will be the Countryman compact SUV, followed by the Coupe and the Roadster, but don't hold your breath for the Beachcomber. The doorless and roofless four-seater Beachcomber, which harks back to the 1960s-70s Mini Moke, has the same all-wheel-drive drivetrain and chassis as the Countryman. BMW Group Australia product communications manager Michelle Lang says it is a "very interesting concept".  "However we don't anticipate that this will be coming to Australia, we have no knowledge of it even going into production," she says.  "We are more focused on the impending Mini Countryman, Coupe and Roasters hitting our shores." The BMW Group expects the Countryman to represent 30-40 per cent of global sales.  Mini corporate communications manager Piers Scott says the compact SUV segment is one of the fastest growing. Countryman is built on a new platform that is wider and longer than the hatch, cabrio or wagon.  It features a new AWD system that operates in front-wheel drive until the wheels slip, then power is directed to the rear wheels via a rear differential, rather than a centre diff. The Cooper S model will be available in AWD and 2WD, but the Cooper will come in 2WD only.  "It won't cannibalise sales of the X1," Scott says. "We'll more likely get customers from the Japanese compact SUVs like Subaru and Toyota."  The vehicle has 350 litres of cargo space and a 20-40-20 split rear seat with a two or three-seat option in the rear. It will arrive with a petrol engine at launch, but a diesel - likely the coming two-litre BMW engine - will arrive later.  "It doesn't have the go-kart drivability of the hatch, but it is very chuckable for a high-set vehicle," Scott says. The Countryman will be followed by the Coupe two-door model with the "helmet" roof.  It is expected to arrive here in August.  A convertible version called Roadster will follow early in 2012. "And that's not the end of it (new models)," says Scott.  However, Mini Australia boss David Woollcott says the electric Mini is not yet on the drawing board for mass production.  "We'll have a full electric maybe in four or five years," he says."We're also looking at a hybrid."

The new BMW-derived 2.0-litre diesel starts production in March and will arrive here in June mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission.  It is the first Mini engine that is not a joint venture with BMW, but a wholly BMW product, coming from the 120d and 320d.Mini corporate communications manager Piers Scott says the trend towards diesel is close to 20 per cent across the Mini range.  While this is a growing trend, it is still a long way behind the total passenger market average of 28 per cent or Mini's parent company, BMW, which recently passed 50 per cent diesel.While diesel engines are expected to appear in more Mini models in the future such as next year's Countryman compact SUV, Scott is guarded about a JCW diesel.  "As they say, never say never, but JCW is to Mini what M is to BMW, so that means free-revving engines," he says.