Articles by Matthew Hatton

Mazda has confirmed lower prices across most models and February 1 arrival date for the refreshed 2015 CX-5 SUV, following the model's debut at the LA motor show last year.As expected, the changes for the new CX-5 are focussed on safety and connectivity improvements. The SUV also receives revised front and rear styling and wheel designs, as Mazda's 'Kodo' design language continues to be evolved.The 2015 CX-3 retains its 2.0-litre, 2.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre turbodiesel engines as well as the six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions from 2014. The Maxx, Maxx Sport, GT and Akera trim levels from the previous version are also retained.New for 2015 is a drive select switch for petrol-powered models. The selector enables 'Sport' mode, which sharpens throttle response for a sportier feel.In the cabin, all variants receive Mazda's MZD Connect multimedia system (already seen Mazda3 and Mazda2), which includes a 7-inch touchscreen, all the usual connectivity options and internet radio apps. In Maxx models, sound is provided through four speakers, the Maxx Sport gets six, while the GT and Akera models have nine-speaker sound powered by a Bose amplifier.The top-spec Akera also receives new standard safety features including adaptive LED headlights, lane departure warning and lane-keep assist, driver attention alert as well as forward/reverse autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and radar cruise control.A factory-installed option pack is available for Maxx and Maxx Sport models which adds blind spot monitoring, AEB, rear cross-traffic alert and auto-dimming rearview mirror.GT models include the auto-dimming mirror, so its optional safety pack comes with the same forward/reverse AEB available in the Akera.

Nissan has confirmed the driver lineup for their single-car assault on the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour with Nismo Global Athletes Alex Buncombe, Wolfgang Reip and Katsumasa Chiy making their second apperance at the endurance race.Rick Kelly, who drove with the team in the 2014 12 Hour isn't returning for 2015 due a scheduling clash with the V8 Supercars official pre-season test at Sydney Motorsport Park.The Nissan squad lines up against the likes of Bentley, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz in the GT3 A-class at the front of the field.We never got to show the full potential of the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in 20142015 marks Buncombe's third trip to Mount Panorama in 12 months, with the Englishman partnering Todd Kelly in the Nissan Altima for the Bathurst 1000 where the pair finished 7th overall.Buncombe says the team has unfinished business after last year's race."We never got to show the full potential of the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in 2014," he said."I can't wait to get back behind the wheel, especially as the flowing corners and long straights at Mount Panoramaare just what the GT-R loves."Reip, who is only in this third year of professional racing after winning the 2012 Nissan GT Academy Europe, completed the first fully-electric powered lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2014. Reip piloted the innovative Nissan ZEOD RC during warm up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race.I would say it is as hard as the NordschleifeThe 28-year old Belgian likens Australia's famous scenic drive to Germany's Nordschliefe."It’s very difficult mentally; I would say it is as hard as the Nordschleife. I have raced on both and I would say that althoughBathurst is shorter it is just as challenging,” he said.Katsumasa Chiyo returns to Australia having spent the 2014 season in Europe driving a Nissan GT-R as part of the Blancpain Endurance Series as well as both the Nürburgring and Spa 24 hour races.Chiyo says he has learned a lot over the last 12 months and is "really looking forward to racing again at Bathurst for the revenge". The Nissan squad's 2014 race was cut short on lap 59 when Chiyo, blinded by dust, collided heavily with a spun Ferrari at the top of the mountain, near Brock's Skyline.The accident rendered the Nissan GT-R undriveable, however all involved escaped serious injury.The 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour runs February 6-8 at Mount Panorama.

The Alfa Romeo 4C finally arrives locally in February, with the carbon fibre-bodied sports car priced from $89,000.However, prospective buyers yet to place an order will be faced with a wait, as the initial allocation of 120 has already been accounted for.For Australia, the all-new 4C will come in two variants - the 4C Coupe and a limited edition $109,000 4C Launch Edition. Only 75 units of the Launch Edition will be available in Australia.The 4C's 177kW/350Nm 1.7-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine sits ahead of the rear wheels, which are powered by a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.An F1-style carbon fibre monocoque, aluminium chassis and composite bodywork combine work to help the 1,025kg 4C achieve a 4.5 second run from 0-100km/h.Alfa Romeo's 'DNA selector' drive mode selector turns off the stability and traction control in 'Race' mode, and makes them less intrusive in 'Dynamic'. 'All-weather' and 'Natural' modes are for day-to-day driving.Cabin features in the 4C were sparse when we first drove it in September 2013, with only a basic stero, air-conditioning and two airbags.The Launch Edition adds race suspension tuning and exhaust, a carbon fibre spoiler, tweaked front fascia, LED headlights and staggered 18-inch front/19-inch rear matte black alloys.Carbon fibre trim features inside the cabin along with sports seats and red or white accent stitching.

Land Rover has confirmed local pricing and trim levels for the 2015 Discovery Sport which arrives locally on May 1, with the mid-size SUV priced from $53,300.The kick-off point for the Discovery Sport is $11,000 more expensive than the outgoing Freelander it replaces, with the top-spec $69,000 Discovery Sport SD4 HSE Luxury drawing about even with the equivalent Freelander.The exclusively all-wheel drive Discovery Sport is available with a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine in 110kW/420Nm TD4 or 140kW/420Nm SD4 spec, paired to either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission.The single 177kW/340Nm four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is available only with the nine-speed auto.Three trim levels for the Discovery Sport are available - entry-level SE, HSE and top-spec HSE Luxury.All come with efficiency-boosting engine stop/start, hill descent control, electronic traction control, dynamic stability control, rear parking sensors, active cruise control, lane departure warning, reversing camera, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), daytime running lights, automatic headlights and wipers, dual-zone climate control, leather seats, powered tailgate, 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system with satnav and the usual connectivity options. On the SE there are 18-inch alloys.The HSE adds front and rear parking sensors, xenon headlights with auto high beam, 11-speaker sound and 19-inch alloysThe HSE Luxury includes the SE and HSE options while adding adaptive xenon headlights with auto high beam, 16-speaker Meridian system and 20-inch alloys.

We first saw concepts of the Strati electric car back in June, when the design was finalised by a contest run by Local Motors.Now the specialist fabricator has taken the idea to the next step, by demonstrating the 3D-printing process used to manufacture the car on the show floor of this week's Detroit motor show.Local Motors say the 3D-printed car is a world first, with the chassis, body panels and some cabin trim printed using a mix of carbon fibre and plastic.The Strati's 3D-printing process takes approximately 44 hoursThe drivetrain, suspension and wiring are taken from the Renault Twizy electric city car. The Twizy components produce 3.7-12.7kW and 57Nm from a 6.1kw/h battery with a range of approximately 100km. Local Motors claim a recharge time of less than four hours.The Strati's 3D-printing process takes approximately 44 hours to create the 212 layers needed to build the body structure. It is then machined before a protective coating of vinyl or paint is applied.The conventionally manufactured drivetrain components are then installed, as are the wheels, resulting in a showroom-ready car.Aside from the construction materials, Local Motors has also introduced a innovative process for assembling their cars.Instead of large-scale central manufacturing plants which produce high volumes of cars, Local Motors instead plan to roll-out a number of 'micro-factories', which they say "employ an economy of scope by taking advantage of low cost tooling and co-creation, resulting in the ability to get products to market faster and in less time while using less capital".The idea of the micro-factories is to have them located nearby population centres, reducing the cost of transporting vehicles from the factory to the customer as well as creating jobs locally.Three of these micro-factories are already in operation - located in Phoenix, Las Vegas and at the University of Tennessee - where Local Motor's $US100,000 Rally Fighter off-road sports car is built.There are plans to build two new micro-factories in Knoxville, Tennesee and National Harbour, near Washington DC in 2015. Local Motors hope to open 100 micro-factories across the world over the next 10 years.

Honda has announced local pricing for its new HR-V, with the Jazz-based small-SUV priced from $24,990 when it arrives locally in February.The HR-V is Honda's entry into the hotly-contested small-SUV segment which already features the Holden Trax, Nissan Juke and Ford EcoSport with the Mazda CX-3 and Renault Captur joining the expanding segment soon.Powered by a 105kW/172Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine with a CVT automatic transmission, the HR-V will be available in three trim levels - VTi, VTI-S and VTi-L.The price-leading VTi variant brings a standard reversing camera, Honda's 'Magic Seats' system, Display Audio multimedia system with seven-inch screen and host of connectivity options plus LED tail lights, daytime running lights and 16-inch alloys.Priced from $27,990, the VTi-S adds blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) safety features along with LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, push-button start, leather steering wheel and 17-inch alloys.Building on the VTi-S, the $32,990 VTi-L variant adds front and rear parking sensors, panoramic sunroof, paddle shifters, leather seats, chrome handles, dual-zone climate control and unique 17-inch alloys.A $1,000 factory-fitted 'Advanced Driver Assist System' (ADAS) option pack is available for the VTi-L which adds forward collision warning, lane departure warning and automatic high-beam headlights.Metallic paint adds $575 across the range.A turbodiesel is still expected at a later date, however the hybrid powertrain available in Japan is unlikely.Watch the new Honda HR-V in action here.

Volkswagen has announced local pricing for the 2015 Scirocco R, with the sports coupe priced from $45,990 -- representing a $2,000 price cut from the previous version.First previewed locally in October last year, the 2015 Scirocco R's updates are largely cosmetic, bringing the styling into line with the Mk7 Golf R.Externally, the Scirocco R has been refreshed with new bi-xenon headlights, matte chrome mirrors, as well as front and rear bumpers. The wheels are the same 19-inch 'Cadiz' alloys as the current Golf R.In the cabin are new-look dials and an auxiliary gauge pod above the centre console. A 6.5-inch multimedia screen controls the audio system, which also comes with a 30Gb hard drive.New safety features of the 2015 Scirocco R include a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.The front-wheel drive Scirocco R keeps the 188kW/330Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine from the previous version, mated to either a six-speed manual or DSG dual-clutch transmission.The drivetrain has fuel efficiency figures of 8.1L/100km for the manual and 8.0L/100km for the automatic, which are about a litre worse than those for the Golf R.The Scirocco R will be available in just four colours, with a leather trim pack and panoramic glass sunroof being the only option boxes on the order form.Scirocco R - manual - $45,990Scirocco R - automatic - $48,490

Isuzu MU-X SUV helps Isuzu Ute Australia achieve best year to date with sales growth of 63.3 per cent.The introduction of the MU-X SUV helped push Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) to its best result since entering the Australian market in 2009, bucking the national trend of slowing new car sales.The result was also assisted by a 21.3 per cent growth in sales for the D-Max 4x4 light commercial ute.The MU-X had 4,625 sales, while the D-Max 4x2 increased it's 2013 sales by 150 to reach 1,752 for 2014.In December, the MU-X outsold other ute-based SUV rivals such as the Holden Colorado 7 and Mitsubishi Challenger.The D-Max 4x4 also ended the year on a high, out-selling the Nissan Navara 4x4, Holden Colorado 4x4 and Mazda BT-50 utes.IUA attributes the strong 2014 result to a continuing expansion of their dealership network, with a focus on supporting the manufacturer's mining fleet customers alongside metropolitan areas.IUA Managing Director & CEO, Yasuhiro Takeuchi was extremely happy with the result, but said the company would not be resting on its laurels."We have some very exciting plans afoot to ensure our growth is not only sustainable, but increased in 2015 and beyond," he said.The impressive numbers represent a continuing of IUA's significant growth over their six-year history, despite their lineup being limited to the just the D-Max and MU-X ranges.Sales of IUA vehicles grew by 43 per cent in 2010, the company's second year in Australia. This was followed by growth of 25 per cent in 2011, 21 per cent in 2012 and 30 per cent in 2013.

Two new Amarok variants added, along with spec and revisions for updated Volkswagen ute range.Volkswagen has updated the Amarok ute range for the first time in over two years, introducing a new single-cab four-wheel drive and a new dual-cab two-wheel drive variants to the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel ute line-up.The Amarok Single Cab is now available with the TDI420 (132kW/420Nm) engine and eight-speed automatic, priced at $38,490 as a cab-chassis.Like other TDI420 models, the new Single Cab auto is paired with Volkswagen's permanent all-wheel drive system, in lieu of the manual models' selectable four-wheel drive system with a low-range transfer case.The existing Single Cab TDI400 (132kW/400Nm) six-speed manual variant now comes with a colour-coded front bumper and is priced at $35,490 in cab-chassis form.The Amarok Dual Cab 4x2 is also available with the TDI420 (132kW/420Nm) engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, expanding the range from the single TDI340 (103kW/340Nm), six-speed manual variant offered previously.All 2015 2WD Amarok Dual Cab utes will now be equipped with cruise control, six-speaker stereo system with 3.5mm and Bluetooth connectivity features, multi-function display and colour-coded front bumper. Cab-chassis pricing starts from $31,490 for the TDI340, with the TDI420 at $36,490.Drivetrain options for the Amarok Core Edition (entry 4WD dual cab trim level formerly simply called the Dual Cab), Trendline, Highline and Ultimate variants remain unchanged from the 400TDI (132kW/400Nm) six-speed manual and 420TDI (132kW/420Nm) eight-speed automatic options of the outgoing models.New features for the Core Edition variants include all-terrain Pirelli tyres, colour-coded front bumper and 16-inch alloys to replace the previous steel units.2015 Amarok Trendlines gain front and rear parking sensors, flared wheel arches and 17-inch alloys. Satnav and a reversing camera can be optioned, as can improved lumbar support for the front seats.Highline variants gain a reversing camera, automatic headlights and wipers as well as front seats which provide improved lumbar support. Bi-xenon headlights are available as an option.The Amarok Ultimate update includes the Core, Trendline and Highline features, then adds leather trim, LED daytime running lights, bi-xenon headlights and 19-inch alloys.Unfortunately, the 2015 Amarok Highline variants cannot be optioned with the Jimmy Barnes pack unveiled recently.

Sporty new Peugeot 308 and 508 GT models to hit Australian showrooms in 2015.Peugeot has confirmed it will expand its performance-flavoured offerings in March, with the introduction of new GT variants of the 308 hatch and 508 sedan/wagon to the local market.The 308 GT will have tweaked versions of the powerplants available in the existing 308 Allure. The 150kW/285Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine is a 40kW/45Nm improvement, while the 131kW/400Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel delivers 31kW/30Nm more than its Allure counterpart.Both will be attached to a sports-calibrated six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with paddle shifters.The sporty hatch will also feature sharpened steering and accelerator response, amplified engine note, telemetry read-outs on the multimedia display, unique cabin trim with red instrument illumination, GT badging, and 18-inch alloys.The 308 GT will also be available in a new GT-signature 'Magnetic blue' paint colour.Driving the 508 GT will be the same 150kW/450Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel from the existing 508 2.2 HDi. It will be complimented by bi-xenon headlights, GT badging and 19-inch alloys.Peugeot Australia says the two GTs will offer a more rounded driving experience than the existing high-performance 208 GTi."The GT Line will give us the ability to offer a vehicle that offers visual and performance upgrades, while still maintaining comfort in day-to-day driving duties," said Dimitri Andreatidis, National Marking Manager for Peugeot Australia.The introduction of the 308 and 508 GTs paves the way for Peugeot to expand its GT range in the future."We will be working with France to investigate a number of opportunities to grow this segment in the future," said Andreatidis.