Articles by Neil Dowling

The name switch is plausible and likely to receive greater attention here considering the four-door Charger is a no-goer for Australia.This is Chrysler's brightest year in Australia for some time although its future has become uncertain with the split this week from the Daimler corporation.Seven Chrysler Group products, from Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep, are to be launched here in total this year. The third model, the Chrysler Sebring, was launched last week and will be available in showrooms from next month.But all of them would pale against the possibility of the return of the Charger.The original Charger, which has a permanent place in the Australian lexicon with its "Hey, Charger" advertising campaign, was sold here between 1971 and 1978.The most famous was the 1972 Bathurst supercar R/T E49 modelThe Sebring will join the Jeep Compass SUV and Wrangler four-wheel-drive series, which was launched in March. Next on the list for Australia is the Dodge Nitro, which is based on the Jeep Cherokee but without a low-range gearbox. This will also arrive here in June and will fall in the mid to high $30,000 range.It will be followed closely by the Sebring-based Dodge Avenger in July, which will carry a price tag just below the Sebring, which starts at $33,990.In August, the more offroad-savvy Jeep Patriot will go on sale. It shares some similarities with the Compass, coming off this platform and also carrying a price tag around the same as the Compass, which ranges from $32,490 to $40,490.The line-up will be rounded off by the Sebring folding-metal roofed convertible, in both soft-top and hard-top form. The cabrio will arrive in November or December and pricing will be released closer to the date.It may also be available in a different engine to the current 2.4-litre in the Sebring sedan.Chrysler Australia managing director, Gerry Jenkins says even though the vehicles fall into similar price ranges, it is trying to set the products up so the cars don't "cannibalise one another", offering different levels of specifications and pricing.Early in 2008, the new Voyager people mover will make an appearance here, sporting a more muscular look and a 3.8-litre V6 and diesel engines.The Sebring sedan will then have the option of a 2.7-litre V6 and a diesel.The V6 may even come with a six-speed ZF automatic transmission.Jenkins says that with all the new product, the company is aiming to increase its sales in Australia from the 9000 vehicles sold last year to about 13,000 vehicles this year. This will be a steady growth from the 6500 vehicles sold just two years ago.He says the company is anticipating 2008 to be a much quieter year in product release, although he says there will still be some new offerings from these American brands.

Occasionally use a bicycle to commute, or use public transport, and you'll probably be eligible to drive a V12 sports car on Sunday.Hypothetical? Not according to the Australian Greenhouse Office, which argues that hybrid cars aren't the answer.Bigger reductions in greenhouse gases — which include carbon-dioxide, nitrous oxides and methane — are possible around the house.The office also reports that passenger cars contribute 7 per cent of Australia's total greenhouse-gas emissions — less than the nation's cow and sheep population emit through flatulence.Bushfires beat both, but the doozy is the greenhouse gases emitted to produce electricity — a whopping 35 per cent of Australia's total. Unless new and cleaner power sources for electricity generation are found, Australia — and the world — won't be able to justify mass use of plug-in electric cars.Think GM's aborted electric car was part of a conspiracy? It wasn't, but it made for an interesting film, Who Killed The Electric Car?.Basically, if all the 11 million passenger cars on Australian roads were suddenly converted to plug-in electric power, there would be no car emissions. But the electricity required to charge these cars would create a massive increase in greenhouse gases.Current electric plug-in cars marketed in the US and Europe require an average of 0.25kWh for each kilometre travelled.Electricity from a combination of gas and coal-fired stations in Australia produces 0.99kg of carbon-dioxide equivalent (CO2 which adds to other greenhouse gases) for 1kWh according to the Sustainable Energy Development Office.An electric car travelling 20,000km a year indirectly produces 4950kg of CO2 a year.By comparison, a Toyota Prius hybrid emits 2120kg of CO2 a year; a Toyota Camry petrol four-cylinder 4660kg; a Holden Commodore V8 6600kg; a Volkswagen Golf diesel 2980kg; and a Smart Fortwo 2260kg (source: Australian Greenhouse Office).Even a BMW X5 SUV diesel emits 4620kg — 330kg a year less greenhouse gas than an electric car.Of course, there are emissions from refining oil and gas. In Australia, that is estimated at "less than 4 per cent" of all energy emissions.Future electric cars are expected to have more efficient batteries, with the Lotus Elise-based Tesla prototype claiming 0.16kWh/km — resulting in 3168kg of CO2 a year.Change the electricity station to natural gas — which emits only 0.21kg per 1kWh — and electric cars start to make a difference.Change to sustainable power — wind or solar — and we will have virtually emission-free transport. That won't happen overnight.What can happen is a substantial reduction in greenhouse gases through simple changes to our houses. Each Australian household produces an average of 15 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.On a per capita basis, that makes us one of the world's worst greenhouse gas polluters.This is because most of our electricity comes from coal burnt in one of the 24 power stations around the country.In the period 1999-2004, greenhouse emissions from electricity generation in Australia rocketed 50.4 per cent.In the same period, passenger car emissions rose 18 per cent — up because there are more cars on the road, but comparatively modest because car manufacturers are making "cleaner" cars.If every Australian motorist is serious about becoming green, they can cut car use by 30 per cent. Walk, use public transport or cycle.Do this and motorists will reduce the nation's greenhouse emissions by 2.5 per cent.However, we can achieve that same 2.5 per cent reduction by reducing our electricity use by 7 per cent.Change the incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, turn off electrical appliances that have a standby mode, take shorter showers, change from electricity to gas or solar hot-water heating, raise the airconditioning temperature by 1C or 2C in summer, turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, and so on.Simply, legislation should be focused on how green we build new houses, not just new cars. The bottom line is we all have to become smarter and that includes car use. Just stop blaming the car for all our greenhouse woes.Do you agree with Neil Dowling's view? carsguide.com.au Things you should knowAustralia's total greenhouse emissions were 564.7 million tonnes recorded in 2004 (the latest data available).Livestock generated 65 million tonnes of the greenhouse gas methane, while passenger cars emitted 41.7 million tonnes.It takes 22 years and 10 months of driving at 20,000km a year for the $37,400 Toyota Prius to finally equate to the price differential of the $19,990 Toyota Corolla, assuming $1.20 a litre for petrol. But in that time, the Corolla dumps 30.5 tonnes more CO2 into the air than the Prius.If every household in Australia installed one energy-efficient light, it would equal a drop in emissions of taking 130,000 cars off the road.Appliances on standby account for one-eighth of household energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.Further information: greenhouse.gov.au

Professor Herbert Kohler, DC's vice-president of research and advanced engineering, and also its chief environmental officer, says enforcing hydrogen production would stimulate manufacturers to make greener cars."Having an available supply of hydrogen would push forward development of the fuel-cell car," he says. "For example, an oil producer making 100,000 barrels of oil should also be required to make a certain amount of hydrogen. It's no longer good enough for oil companies to offer petrol and oil and diesel for ever. If they are not taking it (global warming and declining fossil fuel supplies) seriously, they will go out of business."Kohler says hydrogen fuel is the best answer now to maintaining clean and green transport for the future. In a fuel-cell vehicle, hydrogen and air are used to generate electricity which then powers a vehicle's electric motors. Fuel-cell vehicles, such as the three city buses on trial in Perth, are self-generating and require no plug-in recharging. Fuel-cell vehicles are touted as the solution to strict emission controls and reliance on fossil fuels.The European Community has proposed vehicle makers have an average of 130g of carbon-dioxide emissions across their range. Kohler says it's a challenge. "The upside is that the EC proposal recognises that it's not only carmakers at fault," he says. "Other factors such as traffic organisations, oil companies and so on will have a common approach."Meeting future challenges — some of which Kohler says are indistinct — is one reason DC is developing fuel-cell vehicles. It aims to have fuel-cell cars in showrooms by 2012, but is not alone. Honda wants a fuel-cell car on sale by 2009 and more than a dozen car companies are working on similar vehicles.However, while fuel-cells appear as the solution to zero-emission transport, Kohler says the process of making hydrogen creates a lot of carbon-dioxide — the gas primarily blamed for global warming."The production of hydrogen is more carbon-dioxide relevant than the production of petrol," he says of the methods used. Kohler says alternative ways of extracting hydrogen from natural gas or water — such as using solar or wind energy — would greatly reduce the carbon-dioxide emissions from the production process.He criticised BMW's plans to make a conventional internal-combustion engined car that runs on liquified hydrogen."Hydrogen in an internal-combustion engine is nonsense — it's a carbon-dioxide disaster," he says. "The carbon-dioxide emissions from the production stage to the vehicle's tank is more energy intensive and, therefore, produces more carbon-dioxide than petrol or diesel. It makes no sense to substitute one fuel for another. It is an illusion to the customer."Kohler says although internal-combustion engines running on hydrogen have issues, the production of hydrogen for fuel-cell vehicles is more attractive. He says a fuel cell has double the efficiency of an internal-combustion engine. "So the fuel-cell vehicle can compensate for some of the added carbon-dioxide created in producing hydrogen," he says. He also believes more efficiency could be expected from fuel-cell vehicles."The world has 120 years of experience with the internal-combustion engine," he says."It has only 10 years' experience with a fuel cell. Given that time frame, there will be added advantages of the fuel cell we may not yet know about."Daimler Chrysler has a fleet of small A-Class cars and 30 buses powered by fuel cells. Though fuel-cell development is ongoing, DC has parallel investigations in other power sources, including hybrids."We'd love to combine hybrids with diesel," he says. "Diesel-fuelled vehicles are always better than hybrids for emissions and economy, except in a city cycle with dense traffic."We see hybrids (combining an internal-combustion engine with an electric motor) as being more effective for delivery vans and buses. We have 1500 hybrid buses in the US ... a perfect application for the technology."But he says DC is reluctant to develop the hybrid power train for passenger cars. "From a rational perspective, diesel is superior," he explains. "But we accept, from a PR side, the Japanese have done an excellent job."But they don't have a diesel engine. Hybrid was their attack to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Behind the scenes, they have had more and more problems with hybrids in the US. There are now 30 days of stock for hybrid vehicles. Some customers have been disappointed, saying claimed fuel consumption is not transferred to day-to-day use."Kohler says the best hybrid is one that uses a diesel engine."But it's the most expensive," he says.

Mercedes-Benz almost apologised for the delay in releasing its BlueTec technology — which uses ammonia to erode nitrogen-oxides from the exhaust — but blamed ongoing research, hiccups in Australia and demands from bigger markets in the US and Europe.BlueTec is available on the E320 diesel that went on sale in the US late last year. Later this year in the US will be BlueTec versions of the M-Class SUV, R-Class people-mover and GL-Class 4WD.Early in 2008, the BlueTec version of the new C-Class, the C220, will be launched in Europe.Some of the problem for a delayed Australian release of BlueTec can be aimed at government and also industry.BlueTec technology requires diesel fuel to have a sulphur content of 5 parts per million or less — the standard in the US and Europe. Australia only recently reduced its sulphur rate to 50ppm which is too high to allow the BlueTec system to operate.A second issue is the additional catalytic converters. Australian Design Rules require these converters to each have a heat shield — unlike other countries — but Mercedes quietly said that this impost was very expensive to design, engineer and produce.The third issue is the size of the Australian market compared with diesel-hungry Europe and the potential of huge diesel sales in the US.BlueTec technology, which is licensed to other manufacturers including the Volkswagen Group, was introduced in Mercedes trucks in 2005 and is basically additional cataytic converters.A BlueTec engine has a primary converter — common in all new petrol and diesel-engined vehicles — to reduce emissions of carbon-monoxide and hydrocarbons.A second converter makes ammonia that goes into the third converter to react with the exhaust and specifically target nitrogen oxides. The result is that 90 per cent of a diesel engine's nitrogen oxides are chemically changed into nitrogen and water vapour.As nitrogen oxides are reduced, the soot particles visible from a diesel exhaust are similarly diminished.Original BlueTec technology had a cannister of ammonia — it was coloured blue, hence the name — to be replaced every time the vehicle was serviced.The C220 version has an onboard self-generating ammonia system.Mercedes said the BlueTec C220 meets Euro-6 emission standards that apply in Europe from 2015. Australia this year adopted Euro-4 emission standards.The C220 turbo-diesel produces 125kW and 400Nm and sips fuel at 5.5-litres/100km.

Those buyers will confirm that this is a very impressive compact sedan that now drives on a different road to its rivals at BMW and Audi. In fact, it doesn't even follow the same path as its highly successful though rather uninspiring predecessor.Now the C-Class has muscle for performance, handling that comes up to the hurdle set by BMW, quality to match Audi and yet it also manages to go on its own way by being refreshingly uncomplicated.Compared with its main German rivals, the C-Class — available here in July — has lighter steering feel but morphs quickly into a taut, precise machine through the corners.The ride is plush and compliant for general driving, though body roll is tightly controlled.On a sunny day in Spain last week, only the C350 petrol and C320 diesel were on offer for a drive. Impressive as the V6 350 is, it falls in the shadow of the diesel. Mated to a seven-speed automatic, the diesel pumps out an impressive 510Nm of torque to wonderful effect.Like a locomotive that has lost its rails, the diesel's mid-range delivery is so strong that the gearbox is often reluctant to downchange. All this and a 0-100km/h time of 7.7sec and 9.1-litres/100km when driven hard.And just to add to the experience, it remained rock solid on the Spanish roads and allowed for quiet conversation between occupants at speeds of 200km/h.Mercedes states this new model is "destined to take the lead in its segment" and has placed emphasis on an ergonomic cabin to create an "impressive first impression".In practice, it is very user friendly and immediately feels compatible with its driver.The dashboard style is simple and uncluttered as Mercedes hides its layers of convenience — ventilation, audio, satnav and communication — within a central command button, steering-wheel buttons and, of course, a voice-activated system.Despite the breadth of functions, the system is child's play to use and trounces the complexity of BMW's iDrive.Clearly, there's a lot of the technology from the car's big-sister S-Class at work here.The C-Class is clearly a Mercedes in styling and could be initially forgiven for resembling the old model. But put the old and new together, however, and the difference is dramatic. The new car gets a higher and more vertical grille for improved pedestrian collision safety, while the boot is neatly tapered without a lip spoiler.To achieve this remarkably low 0.27 co-efficient of drag (Cd), Mercedes employs vents in the tail lights to create a neutral air-pressure zone behind the car.Interesting is the choice of two C-Classes. There is one C-Class sedan but by changing the nose, Mercedes has come up with two distinctive models aimed at different buyers.The Avantgarde version has the Mercedes three-pointed star within the grille; the Classic and Elegance models have the trademark star atop the bonnet edge.Mercedes believes younger, more sports-oriented buyers will opt for the Avantgarde while older, more conservative buyers will probably be lured to the Classic or Elegance.Subjectively, the Avantgarde looks better. Meaner, more dynamic and, yes, more sporty.That aside, the difference between the C-Class versions is pretty much negligible.The sedan is marginally longer than the outgoing C-Class but because it rides on a wider track and a stretched wheelbase, it travels with E-Class ease and comfort. In fact there is a lot of E-Class in this smaller car — so much so that some buyers may be lured to consider downsizing in the Mercedes ladder. Pricing and specification levels for theAustralian market have yet to be confirmed. However, the European cars will sell for practically the same as the outgoing model, despite having more up-to-date features.Engines have been retuned to deliver up to 13 per cent more power and 6 per cent less emissions. Most will have the seven-speed automatic though there's the option of a six-speed manual gearbox. The new C-Class model will be built in German factories.All variants get seven airbags, adaptive braking, adaptive brake lights that flash rapidly when braking hard, auto headlights and wipers and dual-zone climatic airconditioning. Cabin options include infotainment system with Bluetooth, 175mm colour display for TV/sat-nav and computer, voice-control that accepts spoken words, and an iPod/MP3 plug-in server with a 4Gig memory.

The Evo X was shown at the Geneva motor show wearing its prototype X badges, although Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko confirms it will undergo changes before being marketed as the company's latest hero car.Power comes from a re-engineered version of the two-litre engine that has remained unchanged since it first appeared in the 1989 Galant VR4. For the Evo X it will be made from aluminium, which will save 20kg.Mitsubishi says the engine block has been over-engineered to retain strength to cope with its turbocharged application in the Evo X.Under the bonnet it will look different. Mitsubishi has twisted the engine around, placing the exhaust system at the back close to the firewall, with the induction at the front. This gives a lower centre of gravity and produces lower emissions by placing the exhaust closer to the catalytic converters.The car shown at Geneva has a semi-manual transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Mitsubishi says this gearbox will be available on the production car as an option. The Evo X is to be sold on international markets with a super all-wheel control system that combines all-wheel-drive with an active centre differential, yaw control and skid control.The same drivetrain as fitted to the outgoing Evo IX, which already has these, will be used.

Yet, to me, it has lots of appeal. Very much, in fact, like the Nissan Maxima.This sedan also has all the right ingredients, follows a proven recipe and is served up in a pretty package.So why doesn't it get eaten up by a hungry audience?Nissan's 3.5-litre V6, the successor to the award-winning three-litre version, is a delightful power plant in the Maxima. It's so good, in fact, that in various states of tune it also does duty in the 350Z and the Murano.In the latest Maxima, it's mated to a continuously variable transmission that is so simple it has no gears.Basically, it consists of a steel belt sliding up and down two cones, one driven by the engine and the other connected to the wheels.For the driver, upchanges are seamless and quiet. If needed, there's a locking mechanism to retain six specific ratios to make the engine less stressed when towing or climbing steep slopes.The suspension package of this big front-wheel-drive sedan is also simple, though in handling and ride comfort it's highly effective.The Maxima, the biggest sedan Nissan sells in Australia, offers comfortable seating for five adults and a very accommodating boot.Styling is distinctive and functional, although to some the sweeping roof and hard-edged grille are a bit aggressive.Few would criticise the cabin. In the top-line Ti model tested, the interior is leather-trimmed and neatly styled. The dashboard is simple yet effective. There's that word again.In fact, go over the Maxima and everything appears to be well thought out. It all works simply, reliably and,yes, effectively.But it's not perfect. The foot-operated parking brake doesn't match the user-friendly characteristics of the rest of the car.Nor is there a fold-down rear seat, which limits the Maxima's versatility. I recognise that such seats are becoming like the dodo, but there's no denying they're a bonus.To cart long, skinny items, however, there's a flip-down access port under the rear seat's armrest.The Ti variant comes with a vast feature list including rear park sensors, dual-zone climate air-conditioning with extra vents in the rear, cruise control, six airbags and a six-disc CD stacker.Safety features include ABS brakes, electronic stability control, seat-belt pretensioners and five lap-sash belts. In fact, even the base ST-L model has this safety list.On the road, the Maxima is quiet, refined and smooth.Pushed hard, it reveals understeer that is typical of most front-wheel-drive sedans. Thanks to a rigid body and stability control, however, it's a composed and predictable car.The CVT is responsible for its excellent fuel economy and for the secondary benefit of keeping the engine at relatively low revs.Potentially, this indicates the engine will have a long and stress-free life.The price is right, the features are tops and the comfort is excellent. All better than a Chiko roll, in fact.

The Outlander arrives with new engines, new transmissions and new trim levels but the highlight is a sleek, chiselled body that will really cut the ice compared with main rivals Honda, Toyota and Nissan.The cabin is bigger than most rivals and detailed work to the cabin make it a very attractive proposition, especially to the mainstay female buyer group.Outlander gets two new engines - one is it first segment foray into V6 territory, picking up a new 3-litre engine that is available in the two premium models.The four-cylinder is a 2.4-litre but it has no relation to the outgoing engine of the same capacity.The V6 is attached to a six-speed auto while the 2.4 gets a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) with paddle-shift manual changes as a bonus. Normally the CVT will operate as a pure auto.Mitsubishi said that this engine mix will allow the vehicle to compete with the four cylinder rivals such as RAV4, CR-V and Nissan X-Trail, while the V6 version will go up against the Toyota Kluger, Subaru Outback, Holden Captiva and Hyundai Santa Fe.There is also suggestions that the Outlander has the ability to lure Ford Territory buyers, specifically because of its optional seven-seat capacity - a new move for Mitsubishi in this arena.The Outlander shows its family relationship to other Mitsubishi products with its nose, though the tail treatment is new.It's clean and simple though distinctive on the road with a broad buyer appeal. Thankfully, the styling is a farewell wave to the freestyled, heavy grille-oriented artwork of the previous designer Olivier Boulay who also penned the last Magna.The simplicity of the exterior continues inside. The cabin feels bigger and brighter than its four-cylinder rivals, showing excellent room for the five occupants.The boot is big and wins extra points with its double tailgate. A low, bottom hinged gate folds down to make easy loading onto a flat cargo bed. This gate, rated at 200kg, also serves as seat.The seven seat option adds $2800-$4800 to the price of the various five-seat models.But while seating the seven sounds grand, the third row is made just for small kids.All but the base model get a keyless entry and start system but all miss out on a full-size spare tyre.On the road the Outlander feels more confident than its predecessor.The longer wheelbase and wider track give better stability and cornering precision, though that improvement is countered by some steering wheel vagueness.Only the four cylinder variants were driven and, hence, only the CVT box. Initially impressive for its simplicity of driving, there were times when the 2.4-litre engine - even with variable-valve timing - struggled to get the power quickly to the ground.It could also be noisy when the right foot pressed hard. But the CVT won back points for its quietness and low-speed engine revs that improved fuel economy.For those seeking performance, the manual version looks a better bet and will hit here next year at an expected $29,990.

Are we ready for a return to large car coupes?Holden pensioned off the Monaro in December, but may return with a Camaro in the next few years; Ford president Tom Gorman says there is not enough demand for a return of the Cobra but is “seriously looking” at a hardtop convertible version of the Focus; and Chrysler is considering a Dodge Challenger.With fuel prices at record highs and the large car market decreasing about 22 per cent, large car coupes would seem like dinosaurs.However, one Ford Falcon coupe is up for sale and the asking price is $250,000.Few people have seen the one-off Falcon coupe, built in 2001 as a showcar and intended to be the precursor to a full-blown production program.That potential, sadly, fell by the way. The sole coupe, featuring coachwork by Millards in Victoria and a 4.6-litre Cobra engine built and supercharged by Sprintex in Perth, has sat forlorn in Sprintex's showrooms.Sprintex marketing manager Stephen Wilkinson said the car was up for sale because they were moving away from playing with big-engined, big-horsepower vehicles and on to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars and motorcycles.The Millard-built coupe is based on a Falcon TE50 and sits on the standard sedan platform and wheelbase, but with a 4.6-litre 370kW Cobra V8.The late Howard Marsden, then heading Ford Motorsport, oversaw the project though Mr Wilkinson said there was never any official agreement with Ford.The original intention was to make 100 cars and orders were taken for 20, however, Ford withdrew from the project.Coachwork changes to the coupe started with the sloping roofline, the lengthened doors and the new bootline. Inside there's seating for four.Ford 300+ coupeBody: Falcon AU-based coupe, body kitEngine: Cobra SVT-spec 4.6-litre, V8, quad-cam, 10psi superchargerPower: 370kWTorque: 660Nm0-100km/h: 4.6secTransmission: 6-speed manual, TremecBrakes: Brembo 4-piston calipers, 365mm vented discs (front); Brembo 2-piston calipers, 330mm vented discs (rear)Tyres: 245/35ZR19; 275/30ZR19Weight: approx 1665kgPrice: asking $250,000 

IN 1989, Mitsubishi hit the nail on he head with the Galant VR4.The latest to adopt the VR4 formula of all-wheel-drive, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a four-door sedan has been Mazda.The MPS is basically a Mazda6 shell with an all-wheel-drive underbody enhanced with a turbocharged version of the Mazda6's 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine.It is therefore a premium product in the Mazda range yet appears awkwardly placed because of the perception that Mazda puts all its big guns into coupe bodies.Yet that's no reason to discard this high-performance family saloon.Drive it and it has a closer relationship with, say Saab or Audi, than natural rival Subaru.The MPS sits solidly on the road and when it gets pushed, the power delivery is comfortably restrained. There's no impression that this is a rev-head car, rather it is more a mature sports saloon. Like the Saab.It comes only as a six-speed manual which is its first, and probably only, mistake. An auto is a definite in its market.The clutch take-up is a bit severe, causing a few stalls at the traffic lights. That may diminish as the car ages.Push this car hard on a test track and it becomes clear that it is a neat handler with loads of potential.The 2.3's turbocharger starts its boost at 2800rpm, and will keep the heat on in a seamless path all the way to near the 7000rpm mark.The fact that it's seamless is the bit where you don't feel as though it is particularly fast.It has delightfully light yet accurate steering, strong brakes and benign handling. But the track doesn't do this justice.On a run from Perth, sweeping bends, roughened bitumen and the narrow road brings its chassis abilities to the fore.It holds a line well, feels confident and secure, and returns a comfortable ride even at high speed. The cabin is a delightful loungeroom of leather and premium acoustics and there's no doubt there is value here.It comes with all the fruit, including the cherry, but misses out on the cream because of the silly space-saver tyre. You don't want to go country cruising with one of those things in the boot.Features include an exhaustive list of safety gear including multiple airbags and ABS with stabilitycontrol.The cabin is beautifully trimmed, the features here being some of the best that this top-notch Japanese carmaker can offer.It isn't cheap but it is a selective car for an individual buyer.