Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

It cost $5 million to bring their first car, a 241kW supercharged Aurion TRD, to market.The most powerful front-wheel-drive production car in the world will be the first of many TRD special sports vehicles, followed by the Hi-Lux TRD late this year.Toyota product management divisional manager Peter McGregor said they had been working on the TRD project since 2002.“We wanted to gain market leadership back and asked for projects to strengthen the brand and increase sales and market share,” he said.In the absence of sports vehicles such as the Supra, Celica or MR2 the company recognised it was under-represented by buyers aged under 30, so a special vehicles operation was suggested.The first special vehicle operations meeting was held on February 27, 2003.“We knew this would not be big volume but would be about emotion and inspiration,” McGregor said.“The business case was built around the belief that TRD would generate more than just sales in the long term.”He said TRD would trade on its motorsport heritage through Formula One and rallying and recognition of the brand through the Gran Turismo PlayStation game.Toyota Australia sales and marketing senior executive director Dave Buttner described the move to launch TRD as “a leap of faith by the company."TRD Australia corporate manager Greg Gardner said the project began as a part-time activity that brought together “a band of closet enthusiasts”.The first task was to build a design team. Designer Lee Moran of Toyota Style Australia in Melbourne, was charged with the external design for the first TRD product.“There was no DNA for TRD so we had to start from scratch and create one,” said Moran who has worked for Ford on WRC car design.“We could steer the direction of the brand any way we wanted.“We chose F1 for our DNA inspiration.”The cars are developed by low-volume sports vehicle specialists Pro Drive with final assembly at Toyota's Altona plant.While TRD has announced the next vehicle will be a supercharged Hi-Lux, there are no firm plans yet for follow-up vehicles or whether it will continue with superchargers.Currently TRD is conducting a feasibility study for the third vehicle with an announcement expected early next year and the final production vehicle released within about two years.TRD Australia has appointed 41 dealers with 25 metropolitan dealers on line for the launch of the Aurion TRD and 16 regional dealers added for the Hi-Lux launch.The Aurion TRD release last week was aptly timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Toyota's first involvement in motorsport anywhere in the world.That event was the first Mobil Gas Around Australia Rally in 1957 when a Toyopet finished a credible 47th out of 86 entries.In Australia, Toyota has won four rally driver's championships and a manufacturer's trophy, 11 class victories at Bathurst, the inaugural 2-litre Touring Car title and the inaugural Bathurst 12-hour in 1991. 

The world's biggest motor show is weeks away, yet the car companies are already scrambling over each other to release clues about their exhibits.Among the highlights of the 62nd Frankfurt International Motor Show are cars made out of bamboo, a boxer diesel engine and yet more “urban crossover SUVs.”Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will unveil its Concept-cX compact SUV at the show.Concept-cX uses interior trim materials made from bamboo and other plant-based resins.The concept is powered by a new high-output, high-efficiency 1.8 litre diesel engine, featuring a variable geometry turbocharger for optimum boost control and a diesel oxidation catalyst with diesel particulate filter, and Mitsubishi's new twin clutch sport shift transmission.Dodge will also launch a crossover wagon, called Crew, which hits Australia late next year.The seven-seater is based on the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring sedan platform but with all-wheel drive and powered by 2.4-litre petrol and 2-litre turbo-diesel engines.The Crew looks like a shrunken Chrysler Voyager people mover, but with a longer nose and higher ground clearance.It will be built at Chrysler's Toluca plant in Mexico with production due to start in December.Subaru will use the show for its biggest new model blitz yet.Leading the line-up will be the new Impreza five-door hatchback in its 1.5 and 2 litre naturally aspirated formats, which arrives in Australia the same month.Other Subarus on show include an Impreza-based World Rally Car Concept, facelifted Tribeca luxury SUV with more efficient 3.6-litre boxer engine and five-speed auto, new Justy one-litre supermini and the world's first horizontally opposed boxer turbo-diesel engine, due to be progressively installed in models from early in 2008.Mazda will debut its Mazda6, the second Mazda new generation product to evolve to the next stage following the new Mazda2.Although Australia is yet to see the Kia cee'd five-door, the Korean company will debut its new sporty three-door Pro-cee'd, the third model in the family of cars designed for Europe and made in Slovakia.Only the bonnet and the front wing panels are carried over from the five-door model.Volkswagen will revive the 'people's car' with a concept Beetle.It is called the City Expert because The Beetle name has been taken by the more expensive new-generation car.The City Expert goes back to Beetle roots with a rear-mounted, flat-four boxer engine and a cheap price tag.VW will also reveal six new models with BlueMotion diesel technology, including the new Golf BlueMotion claiming economy of 4.5 litres/100km down 0.6-litres from the previous model, and CO2 emissions down 16g/km to 119g/km.Range on a 55-litre tank is now more than 1200km.Peugeot's 308RCZ concept will give a big hint towards a future body style for the 308 family.The ultra-light 2+2 coupe uses aluminium, polycarbonate windows and carbon fibre body parts and is powered by a 160kW 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbo jointly developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and BMW.Renault will show a wagon version of its Clio mini.The Clio Sport Tourer will go on sale in Europe early next year.Mini is also on the bandwagon with the return of the Clubman van.The five-door model has double rear doors and a suicide door on the driver's side.The suicide door, which opens the opposite way, is designed to allow passengers easier access to the back.It would make more sense on the other side, but clearly the former British car now owned by BMW is designed for left-hand-drive markets with the blinkers also on the left.Ford will show its Kuga crossover all-wheel-drive probably powered by a range of petrol and turbodiesel engines, including the 2-litre 100kW/320Nm TDCi that has just appeared in the Focus.The Kuga is based on the Iosis X concept unveiled at last year's Paris Motor Show.In a surprise move, Suzuki will show it's expanding from small cars and SUVs into the family market.Their Kizashi family car looks mean with a massive black grille, sloping lamp clusters and low-level fog lamps.Also looking mean is Saab's 9-3 Turbo X which will rekindle the spirit of the 1980s Saab 900 Black Turbo.It will feature Cross-Wheel Drive allowing torque to be split to either side of the rear axle via an electronically limited slip differential, based on information from the stability and traction control systems.However, the show-stealer is likely to be seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher when he unveils the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, a lighter and faster development of the existing 430 coupe and convertible.Power is up to 380kW, weight is down 100kg and the F1 transmission has new software that cuts shift times to 60 milliseconds. 

Australia could soon be saying Hey Charger! Remember the popular and catchy 1970s advertising campaign? Well, Chrysler Group Australia managing director Gerry Jenkins would like to think we could see a return to that catchphrase by introducing the new Dodge Charger. However, he'll have a fight on his hands. Chrysler Corporation international product senior manager Kevin Tourneur from headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, said the Charger was made only in left-hand-drive and Australia was the only right-hand-drive market that wanted the car. “Charger is sold primarily in the US and around the world in US spec,” he said. “Japan is interested, but they can bring it in in limited numbers in left-hand-drive and it's a bit of a status symbol in Japan to have a left-hand-drive.” But Jenkins, who hails from the hallowed Michigan halls of Chrysler power, still has hopes he can change some minds when production plants are moved next year. “You'd be surprised how things change,” he said. “I'm still an optimist.” And Jenkins doesn't want just the standard Charger, either, but the 253kW Street and Racing Technology version. “There is definitely a market for a mid-sized sports vehicle like this,” said Jenkins, who likened it to the confronting macho presence of the Dodge Nitro. “We can't get enough Nitros,” he said. “It's pretty aggressive styling. “It's always a gamble growing volume, but all of a sudden people wanted the Nitro. “I haven't seen this type of demand since the 300C was introduced. “We really didn't pre-market it (Nitro) and the dealers started ordering them.” Jenkins believes the aggressive and macho styling cues of the four-door Charger, and to a lesser extent the upcoming two-door Challenger, will appeal to Australians. “Dodge is an in-your-face brand and unapologetic. It's like a Harley-Davidson thing; it's an emotional thing. “Japanese cars are very elegant, but ours are all about emotion.”  

MR Bond, your next car is ready. The concept Aston Martin DBS which James Bond rolled in the latest film, Casino Royale, has been unveiled in production form at the Pebble Beach Concours Elegance, California. Aston Martin Asia/Pacific marketing and PR supervisor Tomoko Ihara said the first DBS in Australia would arrive in the first quarter of next year. “We have advanced orders from several customers in Australia,” he said. However, Ihara said the price would not be released until the car was revealed at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show. The flagship two-seater is claimed to be set between the DB9 and the DBR9 track-only car. Worthy of a Bond car, it is powered by a 6.0-litre V12 producing 380kW of power, a top speed of 302km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 4.3sec. It features a lightweight carbon-fibre, aluminium and magnesium body; 20-inch wheels; high intensity discharge headlamps and LED rear lamps; rear-mid mounted six-speed manual gearbox with limited-slip differential; Pirelli P Zero tyres (245/35 and 295/30); an adaptive damping system with track mode; and large ventilated carbon ceramic disc brakes with six-piston calipers. Inside, the DBS gets a Bond-style leather-upholstered cabin with iridium silver centre console, carbon fibre door trims, sports seats with 10-way electric adjustment, hard disk drive and a boot-mounted umbrella. Now that James Bond is a non-smoker, the ashtray and cigar lighter are an optional extra along with lightweight seats with six-way adjustment (no electric heating), 20-inch alloy wheels with graphite finish, piano black facia trim and centre console finish, leather storage saddle, personalised sill plaques, auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror and comprehensive first-aid kit. The DBS will be built at Aston Martin's global headquarters at Gaydon, near Warwickshire in the UK. It joins the other models in the line-up: DB9, V8 Vantage Coupe and Vantage Roadster launched earlier this year. There are five Aston Martin dealers in Australia including Sunshine Aston Martin on the Gold Coast.  

A Subdued Subaru is about to start making some noise with more power and a range of new models to be introduced over the next year.In Australia, the 2008 Liberty and Outback models will arrive with beefier engines and extra safety features.They will be followed by the launch of the new Impreza later this month, then a facelifted Tribeca luxury SUV with a more efficient 3.6-litre boxer engine and five-speed auto, and a new Forester in March.Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior said “It has been relatively quiet for us on the model front, but the avalanche is here.”Subaru will also launch a new model blitz at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show.Leading the line-up is the new Impreza five-door hatchback, an Impreza-based World Rally Car Concept, new Justy one-litre supermini and a horizontally opposed boxer turbo-diesel engine, due to be progressively installed in models from early next year.Subaru Australia corporate affairs manager David Rowley said there were “no firm dates on diesel yet”.“We understand Europe will be the initial focus,” he said.The new Liberty and Outback, on sale now, look the same from the outside, but feature new engine technology, safety features and new prices.While the entry-level $31,990 Liberty 2.0R has gone and the new entry level is the Liberty 2.5i at $32,490, that price is down from $34,990.The automatic entry-level 2.5i is also down $2000 to $34,990.“The 2.0R was replaced in line with customer preference for the larger engine in an entry-level Liberty,” Rowley said.Senior also points out that these vehicles now have more power and features.Power in the Liberty and Outback 2.5 litre normally aspirated engine is up 5 per cent to 127Kw at 6000rpm.On the safety front, Outback 2.5i and 3.0R now get curtain airbags to complete this feature throughout the Liberty and Outback ranges, and Vehicle Dynamics Control is now standard on all Sportshift automatic 2.5-litre Liberty and Outback models.Also new to Liberty is a Heritage variant that adds rear privacy glass, black leather trim, eight-way adjustable power driver's seat and sunroof.Liberty 2.5i Premium adds a McIntosh audio system with six-stack in-dash CD and 14 speakers and self-levelling bi-Xenon headlights with pop-up washers at an extra $1300.Of the 22 Liberty variants, four are new, 10 are the same price as superseded models, three have decreased up to 7.1 per cent in price and five have increased, while adding features. 

From the liberation of Kuwait to our city streets, the Hummer has been a surprising success in the automotive world.Back in the '80s Hummer was building Humvees for the US Army. They hit the spotlight in the first Gulf War and pretty soon celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger bought them for the streets.Hummer replied with the roadworthy H1, then a slightly downscaled H2. These are only built in left-hand drive and the only ones you can buy here have been converted in Gympie.Soon GM will import the right-hand-drive cute “baby” of the brawny Hummer family, the H3.We would have had it now, but for minor ADR production problems at the right-hand-drive Hummer plant in South Africa pushing the national launch back to the start of October.I recently drove a H3 in California for 10 days. The smaller military-style SUV still stands out from the crowd, even on the big SUV-dominated interstates of southern California.Perhaps it was the burnt orange colour that attracted attention, but it enjoyed favourable stares everywhere it went. Except San Francisco. Here, the tree-hugging hippy liberals in their small hybrid cars gave it disparaging looks.One unscrubbed homeless gent even mumbled something rude under his breath and spat in the general direction of the H3 as I fed the hungry parking meter. At least he didn't bother asking me for change.Like its bigger brother, the H3 is a boxy-looking car with a high floor and low and wide interior.It seems like a big machine, but inside it is quite cosy for four adults.You could fit five, but the middle rear seat has a pull-out drinks container which makes the seat hard and uncomfortable for long stints.That hot rod slit-window look also has its drawbacks for rear passengers, making them feel a little claustrophobic.A big sunroof at least quelled some of those feelings for my two teenage daughters and gave them a bit of a sightseeing advantage on the Golden Gate Bridge and among the giant sequoia trees of Yosemite National Park.The slitty windscreen doesn't inhibit the forward view, but the rear view is limited by the narrow window with the door-mounted spare tyre cribbing even more of the space.However, there are some advantages of the steep and small windows.Firstly, the sun doesn't get into the cabin which means you don't drive with your knuckles and knees in the sun and the interior stays cooler, longer when parked outside and locked up.That's a big advantage in 40C heat when dad is having a sleep in the carpark at one of the many premium factory outlets that dot the Californian landscape, while the rest of the family is indoors melting the plastic credit card.The advantage is that the short windows wind up and down quickly for paying tolls. California was in heatwave conditions when I was there, so the shorter time the windows were open, the better.While the airconditioning coped well with the record temperatures, there are no vents in the rear compartment to circulate cool air.Despite being a truck-like vehicle, the commanding driving position, ride and handling are very car-like.The seats are soft yet supportive and multi-adjustable, which is good since the steering wheel is height- but not reach-adjustable.There are also no audio controls on the steering wheel and there is only one control stalk which services the blinkers, lights, cruise control and wiper/washers.Build quality is solid throughout; a little too solid since the heavy back door is a real chore to open and close, especially when parked on the steep inclines of a San Francisco street.The model I drove had chrome bumpers, side steps, petrol cap and roof racks. It is not yet known whether these will be standard or options on the Australian models.Despite its army exterior styling, the interior is quite comfortable and refined and has won awards for its class.Out on the road, there is surprisingly little wind or road noise, despite the steep rake of the windows and the chunky off-road tyres.This SUV is actually built for rugged off-road conditions with its front and rear recovery hooks, electronic transfer case, big clearance, big wheels and sophisticated stability control. It's not really designed for the tarmac.On the interstate concrete pavements and smooth streets of Frisco, the H3 actually feels a little highly sprung with the leaf spring rear getting quite bouncy over carpark speed bumps. This is not typical of American cars which are usually softly sprung.We headed for Yosemite, hoping to put the on-paper off-road credentials to the test. Sadly, the national park roads are all smoothly paved and you can't drive on the trails.The off-road credentials show an intent for rugged work, except for the omission of a hill-descent function.Still, it coped quite well with the steep inclines of Frisco and the world's wiggliest and steepest street, Lombard St, where the speed limit is 8km/h.Along Big Sur, which is a windy coast road the breathtaking equivalent of Victoria's Great Ocean Rd, the H3 felt a little sloppy with plenty of pitch and roll.It is not yet known whether the suspension will be tweaked for Aussie conditions and driving tastes, but it would be expected.We packed four adults and a mountain of gear into the vehicle with some cramming. The cargo space is not as big as it looks because of the high floor.With all this extra weight the 3.7-litre engine struggled a little.It seemed to rev a lot to get going and to accelerate for overtaking. But once on a roll, it rarely baulked at hills with its grunty dose of torque.However, in the record heat and on some of the longer and steeper inclines of the Sierra Nevada, the engine temperature went uncomfortably high.The four-speed auto transmission seems rudimentary, but coped well without any indecisiveness, hunting for gears or flaring.A five-speed manual may also be available here.The strong disc brakes got a good workout on long and dangerous descents down windy roads into Yosemite Valley without any hint of fade.Steering is typically American with a vague centre and plenty of play. It goes into corners with some understeer.If its off-road credentials stack up the way they do on paper,  transmission aside, it should sell well here as a rugged alternative to the gentrified SUV competition.One company that will be monitoring sales is Toyota whose lookalike FJ Cruiser has been a success in the US and could be a goer here.I parked the two side by side at Yosemite and drew an instant crowd of fans, even though it was just a couple of days after Al Gore's worldwide greenie concert.Of course, the first thing these admirers wanted to know was the fuel economy.I drove high-speed interstates, cities, steep canyons, you name it. This was no economy drive, so the average consumption was about 15.2 litres per 100km.That may seem high, but given the conditions and the fact that 'gas' costs only 80-85 a litre, I wasn't complaining.

Good news for Ford ahead of the release of its Mondeo medium-sized car later this year: it has just been named British car of the year.Editor-in-chief David Johns described it as “Ford's finest ever car”.“Each and every model, whether hatchback, saloon or estate, has been designed and engineered to the highest standards. The car oozes quality, especially in the cabin which has levels of equipment and comfort which sets new standards for the class.”Ford Australia public affairs brand manager Edward Finn said such prestigious awards were like gold.“It will certainly go some way towards emphasising the class of the new model well ahead of its arrival in Australia,” he said.Other winners in the Auto Express awards included Honda Civic (best compact family car and best hot hatch for the Type R), Citroen C4 Picasso (Best people mover) and Kia for its industry-leading seven-year warranty.The new Mondeo, which featured in the most recent James Bond movie, will be its third incarnation in Australia, with the other two dismal sales failures.Ford Australia has not yet confirmed which models or specs we will get, but it comes in sedan, hatch and wagon in Europe with a host of standard features such as electronic stability control and an 'Easyfuel' system which has the fuel cap in the filler cover.Advanced features include adaptive cruise control with forward alert, interactive vehicle dynamics control with hill launch assist, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.It comes with a wide range of petrol Duratec engines from 1.6 to a 164kW 2.5-litre and a 1.8 and two 2-litre Duratorq diesel engines with five and six-speed manual transmissions and a six-speed auto.Finn said they had confirmed in March that the two-litre turbo diesel would be one of the power train options, but he would not elaborate.He said that depending on the model selected, Mondeo would be available in sedan or hatch bodystyles, with manual or automatic transmissions and one of three different trim levels.“After having driven Mondeo when living in New Zealand, I'm hugely excited about it coming to Australia and am anticipating big things of it,” Finn said. 

The low-riding FXCW Rocker and FXCWC Rocker C Softails have modern rockertail rear ends so they look like bone-crunching Hardtails, but ride smoothly.These additions to the top-selling Softail range, expected to arrive in December, are considered the most significant evolution in that line since its inception in 1984.The Rockers also feature a 36.5-degree raked-out front end, shorty dual slashed mufflers, new cast-aluminium oil tank, new saddle designs and a seat height of just 62.2cm.They are powered by the counter-balanced Twin Cam 96B with ESPFI fuel injection mated to the six-speed Cruise Drive transmission, rigid-mounted in a frame colour-matched to the bodywork.The Rocker costs $30,250 and the C, which adds plenty of chrome, costs $32,250.The Rocker C also has a solo seat that has a pillion seat folded underneath the main seat.Meanwhile, Harley has added braided brake lines to all its Dyna models.The Dyna range also gets two limited-edition, serialised 105th anniversary models — the FXDC Dyna Super Glide Custom and FXDL Dyna Low Rider — and a new FXDF Fat Bob with dual headlamps, flat drag bars, forward foot controls, chunky tyres and chrome Tommy Gun 2-1-2 exhaust, named for its slotted exhaust shield.The anniversary models cost an extra $1000 over the base models and $500 more than the two-tone models.The Fat Bob will sell for $25,500.

Mini became an icon of the 1960s with stars such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Twiggy driving them.It symbolised the younger generation's lust for a happy carefree life.When the BMW-owned Mini was resurrected in 2001, it retained much of its retro looks, including the happy face and cute lines, but was substantially bigger than the original.Now comes the second-generation Mini.With its retro design, there isn't much they could do to modernise the looks.Subtle tweaks here and there, but largely the same car.Cosmetic changes include a higher bonnet, higher and wider mirrors, more chrome, a higher shoulder line and new wheel designs.It's also a little bigger.Have a look at it next to other light-category cars and it stands a little wider and taller than most. It's almost in the small car category.However, with its minute boot, this is a happy little city car for four very close young people who don't mind a few quirks.After a week of living with a Mini Cooper, I found the quirks a little difficult to overcome for this 50-year-old humbug.Quirks such as having to jam my hand down between the armrest and seat to adjust the driver's seat back.Quirks such as having to look at the speedo in the centre stack, instead of right in front of me. (There is a small digital speed format on the screen in front of the driver, but it is difficult to see in some light conditions.)Quirks such as the unlocking switch which toggles both ways and alternately locks and unlocks the door. (I could never get it right as my youngest daughter tried to open the door when I picked her up from school.)Quirks such as a panoramic sunroof that stretches all the way from front to back and can't be closed. Only a “fly” screen of gauze kept my bald pate from the sun, and in summer it will be like a tandoori oven.And quirks such as the difficulty of applying the handbrake because the arm rest is in the way.There is no denying this car tries to be different. You either love it or hate it.Just look at the circular design of the door trim. And how about that relocated school-clock-sized speedo?Apart from the speedo relocation, other internal changes include new instruments and centre stack, a steering wheel that is thankfully now reach as well as height adjustable, more aircraft-style toggle switches up by the interior light and a start/stop button on the dashboard.Women will also love the interior lights which can be changed from blue through orange, pink, and red by flicking the switch.For all these changes, the price has increased $1110 to $31,100.The five-speed manual has been replaced by a slick-shifting six-speed manual, but I had the six-speed auto with steering wheel paddle shifters.It's an additional $2200, whereas previously it was an extra $2110 for the CVT.I found the auto did some crazy things.It was trying to out-think me and consequently couldn't be trusted to pick the right gear; or was it me that couldn't be trusted to drive in a sensible and non-erratic manner?If you allow it to do its own thing, it can be annoying, but if you use the paddle shifters, it rewards with rapid-fire Formula One-style shifting.One thing I couldn't fault was the famous go-kart handling.Yes, it does go round corners like a train. A train with torque steer.Go-kart handling goes hand in hand with go-kart ride characteristics and this one is no different. I hit one pothole on the inner-city bypass that I thought may have dislodged the whole wheel. At least it happened near my chiropractor's office.The engine feels a little asthmatic and could benefit from an aftermarket breather.However, according to the figures, power is up 3kW to 88kW at 6000rpm. That's not a discernible difference to anyone but maybe Formula One champion Fernando Alonso.Torque is supposed to be 140Nm from 2000rpm with a peak of 160Nm at 4250rpm, which is up 10Nm. Yet someone didn't tell the automatic box about these figures as it fished around for gears.This new all-aluminium engine is a joint development by BMW and Peugeot, proving that the French and the Germans can work together.Not only does the car produce more power and torque, but Mini claims a 16 per cent improvement in fuel economy at 5.8litres/100km.Owing to my game of hide and seek with the gears, that blew out to over 7litres/100km.   Mini Cooper$31,100Engine: 1598cc, 16-valve, in-line 4-cylinderPower: 88kW @ 6000rpmTorque: 160Nm @ 4250rpmAcceleration: 0-100km/h in 9.1secTransmission: 6-speed automaticEconomy: 5.8L/100kmFuel: 91RON ULP, 40L tankDimensions (MM): 3699 (l), 1683 (w), 1407 (h), 2467 (wheelbase), 139 (ground clearance)Suspension: single-joint MacPherson strut with anti-dive (front), longitudinal struts with centrally-pivoted control arms, Z-axle (rear)Brakes: 280mm front vented disc, 259mm rear, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, cornering brake control and brake assistDriver Aids: stability and traction control, optional dynamic stability control with hill start assistSteering: electric power assistedCO2 Emissions: 139g/km, EU4 

The world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius, was launched in Japan in 1997. It reached North America, Europe and here in 2000. The company now makes hybrid minivans, SUVs, rear-wheel-drive sedans and other vehicles. Last month, Toyota announced the sale of its one millionth hybrid worldwide while Toyota Australia set a monthly record of 380 Prius sales. Toyota Australia's senior executive director of sales and marketing, David Buttner, said increased availability of the Prius, along with greater environmental consciousness was a key driver for sales. In Australia, the only hybrids we see are the Honda Civic, Toyota Prius and Lexus RX400h SUV and GS 450h saloon. The LS 600h comes later this year. Lexus is the luxury arm of Toyota. So far this year, only 2081 hybrids have been sold here out of a total market of 419,279 or just 0.5 per cent. Of these, 1290 (62 per cent) were bought by governments. The Queensland Government recently announced sales tax increases on new vehicles, but kept the level at 2 per cent for hybrids. It is one of the few state or federal government incentives for hybrids in this country. That compares with a raft of hybrid incentives in the US, Europe and the UK such as personal and company tax rebates, free parking and transit lane use regardless of occupant numbers. While hybrids are an economic boon in LA's stop-start and slow-moving traffic, they are no more fuel miserly than a diesel in moderate or highway traffic. Apart from fuel economy, the other selling factor is the lack of greenhouse gases. But diesels with particulate filters can be just as environmentally sound in certain conditions. Toyota has calculated that as of April 30, 2007, worldwide sales of its hybrid vehicles since 1997 have produced about 3.5 million fewer tonnes of CO2 compared with petrol-powered similar vehicles. However, some point out that the “whole-of-life” environmental impact of hybrids is affected by disposing every 10 years of the large battery with its lethal contents. Also, according to the latest NRMA running costs surve; hybrids not only have higher initial costs but also depreciate faster. Meanwhile, LPG car sales and conversions have outpaced Federal Government expectations, since the launch of their subsidy scheme last August. The scheme provides a $2000 rebate for private motorists, who convert a petrol-powered vehicle to run on LPG Autogas and a $1000 rebate for the private purchase of a new LPG vehicle. Despite more than $100 million in grants being paid out to more than 52,000 motorists, Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the subsidy would continue until 2014.