Articles by Neil Dowling

Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the 2014 Audi S1 Sportback , with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

These hidden gems shine in their civic duties. Shopping trolleys? Kid-carters? It's easy to assume this trio has no other roles but each goes well beyond mundane motoring. They can swallow a bootload of groceries, do the school run and convey future sports stars - but they are also quality drivers.These three hidden gems are part of the light car segment, which racked up 9501 sales last month - an improvement of 8.9 per cent on August last year. The segment has dropped by 7.7 per cent, not the worst of the passenger car segment.Sales of the Polo, thanks to a refresh, are up 20 per cent.Ford's Fiesta has been on the market since August last year, but the 1.0-litre EcoBoost model has only made its presence felt this year. It has long been a favourite for chassis balance.The Jazz in this current guise arrived here only in July, bringing one of the most flexible and clever interiors around.VALUE Common standard features include cruise control, trip computers, air conditioning, alloy wheels automatics (the Honda is CVT-only; the Europeans have manual options), fog lights, keyless entry, 12-volt sockets, USB and auxiliary inputs, Bluetooth phone and audio links.Built in South Africa, the top-spec Polo 81TSI Comfortline has a seven-speed DSG and just gets over the $20K barrier at $20,790. The test car can also be had as a six-speed manual for $18,290.Among the VW's features are a front centre armrest with storage, cup and bottle holders, touchscreen infotainment, six speakers, leather-wrapped steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake, cloth trim, front and rear reading lights and power adjustable and heated exterior mirrors.Servicing is capped but it's at least $400 each time - servicing for the warranty period of three years will come to $1330.The third-generation of Honda's versatile five-door hatch is $22,490 in VTi-L flagship guise - metallic paint adds $495 on any model.The VTi-L has power exterior mirrors, LED lights, leather highlights, heated front seats and six-speaker infotainment with touchscreen and HDMI port.Honda's servicing is capped as well, but every six months or 10,000km at $200-plus each visit - servicing for warranty period runs to an expensive $1524.The oldest of the trio is Ford's Fiesta, which in six-speed automatic guise asks $22,525. It gets the clever and useful voice-controlled Sync setup. Manual aircon is standard but there's Sony eight-speaker audio and leather inserts in the sport seats.Servicing is required every 15,000km or 12 months - and maintenance for the warranty period totals $765.TECHNOLOGY Each shows big steps towards improving efficiency, trouncing predecessors and setting new class standards - but with compromises.The Honda has a carry-over (and unsophisticated) 1.5-litre engine, the CVT replacing last year's trickier five-speed auto, but it's slightly more frugal. The Jazz sits on a new, bigger platform yet keeps ancient rear drum brakes (as does the Fiesta) and the ride hasn't improved.Ford's Fiesta Sport doesn't at first impress on paper but a quick spin leaves little doubt about the punchy three-cylinder, the most powerful of this trio and the second-most frugal. Its six-speed dual-clutch automatic is similar in concept to that in the Polo and, despite sitting on tighter sports suspension, it rides compliantly.As the newest of this bunch, the Polo gets an engine upgrade to claim top spot for frugality in this company but it needs 95RON. It is the only one here with all-wheel disc brakes.DESIGN By far the most conservative, the Polo has been sharpened up but not anywhere near the cutting edge; inside is a similar story - it borrows much from the Golf but the quality of materials and finish doesn't reflect the price tag.Cargo space of 280L, rising to 952L with only two on board, just pips the Fiesta (276L/960L).The Jazz looks like an Odyssey people-mover left too long in the clothes dryer. Its footprint isn't sprawling but its cabin is spacious - it wins on interior room (350L/905L for cargo and 1500L stacked to the roof) and flexibility to put a gymnast to shame.SAFETY Absent from this trio are standard rain-sensing wipers, autodimming centre mirror and auto headlights as standard (options for Polo and Fiesta).The Fiesta tops the airbag list with seven (a driver's knee airbag plus the standard six of the VW and Jazz).The Honda has a reversing camera (rendered useless by direct sunlight on the screen) and rear parking sensors.The Polo claims a segment first with Multi-Collision Braking (which applies the anchors after a rear-end shunt) and optional Adaptive Cruise Control but it lacks standard rear sensors.DRIVING As mini-machines go they all stack up well yet their character clearly differ. In the Fiesta, it takes less than a minute behind the wheel to feel it is built for an owner who likes to drive. The dual-clutch auto teams well with the three-cylinder turbo, propelling the nimble but not uncomfortable chassis with vigour.Light and quick steering make quick work of traffic gaps or country corners, putting it firmly into top spot for the long way home.The Honda's powerplant works hard (and sounds it) but the CVT takes the Jazz off the boil a little nipping through traffic is not its forte - and the chassis deals better with larger bumps than it does smaller ripples.From an aesthetic perspective, the Polo doesn't excite but it's clearly the winner in terms of ride comfort (without ignoring handling, which is composed), refinement and a solid feel.The Polo's engine is flexible and useful and its DSG, while only sporadically indecisive, is sometimes too keen to change up for the sake of fuel economy.It works in that respect, claiming the lowest thirst from the largest tank, at least according to the official figures - the Jazz claims a 689km range, the Fiesta 792km and the VW tops the chart at 937km.During our journey all three cars stayed well in the single-digit realm for fuel economy, with the Polo living up to its most-frugal claim.VERDICT None lacks lustre. They possess different character, to suit different owners. The Polo goes for interior quality and ride comfort, the Fiesta begs for a sporty owner who loves to drive and the Jazz suits the pragmatic owner needing flexible space and reliability above driving performance. The Polo works best across the board.AT A GLANCE Ford Fiesta Sport EB Powershift: 3.5/5Price: From $22,525 Warranty: 3 years/100,000km Resale: 50 per cent Service interval: 12 months/15,000km Safety: 5 stars ANCAP Engine: 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cyl, 92kW/170Nm Transmission: 6-speed auto; FWD Thirst: 5.3L/100km, 121g/km CO2 Dimensions: 4m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.5m (H) Weight: 1127kg Spare: Space-saver Volkswagen Polo 81TSI Comfortline DSG: 4/5 Price: From $20,790 Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km Resale: 47 per cent Service interval: 12 months/15,000km Safety: 5 stars ANCAP Engine: 1.2-litre turbocharged 4-cyl, 81kW/175Nm Transmission: 7-speed DSG; FWD Thirst: 4.8L/100km, 95RON, 113g/km CO2 Dimensions: 4.0m (L); 1.7m (W), 1.5m (H) Weight: 1151kg Spare: Full-size steel Honda Jazz VTI-L CVT: 3.5/5 Price: From $22,490 Warranty: 3 years/100,000km Resale: 57 per cent Service interval: 6 months/10,000km Safety: 5 stars (previous model ANCAP) Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl, 88kW/145Nm Transmission: CVT; FWD Thirst: 5.8L/100km, 135g/km CO2 Dimensions: 4.0m (L), 1.7m (W), 1.5m (H) Weight: 1130kgSpare: Space-saver

It's the season for convertible cruising and the wind-in-the-hair feeling need not come at great expense.Top-down driving with the wind in your hair isn't solely the province of the rich and famous. For as little as $21,000 drive-away, the sticker price of the little Fiat 500C convertible, you can savour spring motoring.Convertibles don't have to be fast, just cool. And they don't have to be practical because you - and sometimes your partner - are probably the only people enjoying the ride. But they have to be safe.There are about 40 convertible models around. Most exceed $60,000 but prices peak with the $1,075,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead.Convertibles are counted among sub-$100,000 sports cars, a segment that is powering. Sales are up 24 per cent to the end of August. Expect even stronger spring and summer sales as buyers eye the skies.SPRING SPIDERS This trio will put a smile on your face and won't bite too deep into your wallet. The Abarth 595, Mazda MX-5 and Audi A3 escape machines also suit city and suburban duties.VALUE Compact dimensions, four-cylinder engines and frugal fuel thirst indicate low ownership costs. But they're not in the same budget price band as hatchbacks.Audi's A3 Cabriolet, from $47,300, needs options to cement its prestige aura. Satnav, rear camera etc are packaged for $2000 and you'll have to add $450 for the acoustic roof, which should be standard. That's $49,750 plus on-road costs. There's no capped-price servicing - Audi estimates annual costs of about $500.Abarth's 595 Competizione convertible is the eighth model from the Fiat-owned performance arm. Theoretically, it's not a Fiat so there's are big bragging rights for the car's $39,000 price. Equipment levels are good, from 17-inch spidery alloy wheels to Sabelt race seats, digital instrument panel, full-length electric sunroof and Bluetooth connectivity. Again, no service program though Fiat/Abarth has a service menu. The marque's exclusivity benefits three-year resale, estimated at 61 per cent by Glass's Guide.The Mazda MX-5 is the world's most popular sports car and the only one voted a classic while still in production. There's a new one early next year. Meanwhile the two-seater exemplifies simplicity and a dogged mandate to achieve fine handling using off-the-shelf components.But it's expensive at $47,280 and has been around the block too many times to miss out on features we now expect as standard - park sensors, reverse camera, Bluetooth and so on. Mazda's capped price servicing contains service charges, keeping to as little as $929 for three years. Resale is 53 per cent.DESIGN This is a car segment that is all about "look at me''. Which one will get you the most looks or make you the centre of attention? Here the jury is divided - the Abarth looks as if it's on steroids and on test drew the most attention. The Mazda is clearly a sports car but despite its austere beauty, is too common to turn many heads. The Audi is perfectly proportioned, undeniably elegant and its visual appeal is reinforced by its German badge.The Abarth is all Italian flamboyance with chrome trim, lots of colour and artistic detail. The digital instrument panel is clever and incorporates data including lateral G-forces and the thin, body-hugging seats are trimmed in red cloth. Unnecessarily damaging to image is the Fiat "500C" badge on the passenger-side dash.The electric roof is more an extended fabric sunroof that retreats in stages, culminating in collecting up the rear glass and folding like a bustle above the boot lid masking all rear vision. Luggage space is 182L, expanding to 520L with the rear seats folded.The Mazda has a metal folding roof (also electric and also folding out of sight; there's no longer a cloth-roof model). Cabin detail is sparse but perfectly suited to its sports car theme and all-black materials ensure glare-free driving. Luggage space is only 150L.Inside, the Audi wins. Its cabin is clinical but oozes quality. It can fit four adults, only matched here by the Abarth. The boot is surprisingly spacious at 320L. The cloth roof folds back perfectly in line with the body so it looks classy topless or fully clothed.TECHNOLOGY The Abarth crowds a small but punchy turbo into the tiny nose for frugal use of 91RON petrol. A "sport" mode boosts outputs while race-oriented chassis components include intuitive Koni dampers up front, vented discs all around and dual-weighted steering.The simplest is the Mazda, sharing parts with the family's previous generation passenger cars yet riding on a unique platform. The engine outputs are relatively uninspiring but it's relatively frugal on 95RON fuel. It has perfect weight distribution. Honed suspension components and some aluminium parts (the bonnet, for example) keep weight down to help performance. The six-speed gearbox is shared with the Toyota 86.Riding on VW Group's lauded Golf platform, the Audi has a very taut, composed ride. Its turbo four turns a seven-speed dual-clutch auto for easily the best fuel efficiency, despite being the topweight here.SAFETY The four-star Mazda shows its age while the others, with contemporary safety gear, score five. There is a distinct sense of vulnerability that generally goes with the convertible territory.Audi has seven airbags, front and rear park sensors, active rollover protection and auto wipers and headlights plus optional safety kit. The Abarth has rear park sensors (but desperately needs a camera), tyre pressure alerts, bi-xenon headlights and five airbags. Only the Mazda has no spare; the others have space-savers.DRIVING Noise - and lots of it - is the Abarth's calling card. With engine and exhaust in "sport" mode, it sounds as if it's competing in a World Rally Championship stage.Generally, it's fun to drive, the open-air experience is wonderful. Power pours on, rushing through the beautifully weighted five-speed manual. The steering is pin-sharp and the seats wrap around the body, though the driving position is best for smaller people.When the road gets bumpy, however, the suspension is too hard to be comfortable. The Abarth's ride degenerates into a brutal shake that throws the short-wheelbase car offline through corners and even blurs the driver's vision.Far more domesticated is the venerable Mazda, which is the best at making driver and car fit like hand in glove. You can almost think it through corners, almost move your hips to adjust the rear end and merely apply light steering wheel pressure to arc the tightest corner.Ride comfort and handling are perfectly balanced and even if the engine wants for urge, it's such fun and remarkably competent in the city. Drop the top and you feel as if you're on an oversize skateboard.The Audi, however, takes the honours. The body rigidity and (optional) acoustic cloth roof lining make it feel more like a sedan. The silky smooth engine is incredibly frugal.Top down - it can be dropped at up to 50km/h - the wind buffeting is more than acceptable and the (optional) neck warmers combat crisp morning or evening air. The auto gearbox has a little low-speed lag but, overall, it's a beautifully accomplished car.VERDICT The Abarth is an enraged boiled egg; the Mazda is dictionary definition roadster; the Audi is the recipe for everything topless. Raw-edged owners will pick the Italian, singles will buy the MX-5 and more mature drivers will go for the Audi.WHAT'S A SPIDER?The term "spider" (or marketing variations such as spyder) is apparently drawn from a horse-drawn, light and open two-seater carriage popular in Britain in the era before motor vehicles. The carriage was known as a "speeder" but as the carriage became popular in Italy the phonetic spelling - "spider" - was adopted. As horses made way for internal combustion, small two-seat convertible sportsters became known as "spiders". There is also ostensibly a reference to the original folding-roof frames resembling spindly spider's legs.AT A GLANCE Mazda MX-5: 4/5Price: From $47,280 Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km Capped servicing: From $929 for 3 years Service interval: 6 months/10,000km Resale: 53 per cent Safety: 4 stars ANCAP Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 118kW/188Nm Transmission: 6-speed man; RWD Thirst: 8.1L/100km, 95RON, 192g/km CO2 Dimensions: 4.0m (L), 1.7m (W), 1.3m (H) Weight: 1167kg Spare: None Audi A3 Cabriolet Attraction: 4.5/5Price: From $47,300 Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km Capped servicing: No Service interval: 12 months/15,000km Resale: 50 per cent Safety: 5 stars ANCAP Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cyl turbo, 103kW/250Nm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto; FWD Thirst: 4.9L/100km, 95RON, 114g/km CO2 Dimensions: 4.4m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.4m (H) Weight: 1380kg Spare: Space-saver Abarth 595 Competizione: 3.5/5 Price: From $39,000 Warranty: 3 years/150,000km Capped servicing: No Resale: 61 per cent Service interval: 12 months/15,000km Safety: 5 stars ANCAP Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cyl turbo, 118kW/230Nm Transmission: 5-speed man; FWD Thirst: 6.5L/100km, 155g/km CO2 Dimensions: 3.7m (L), 1.6m (W), 1.5m (H) Weight: 1035kgSpare: Space-saver

New high-performance V6 and subtle body changes mark a small turning point for Porsche Cayenne SUV.As the company's most successful model - it accounts for more than 50 per cent of Porsche sales - it was necessary for it to be new, but not too new, and to repeat the formula that make it the company's unabashed cash cow.Only Boxster/Cayman comes close to bringing in the big bucks and, with a 12-month waiting list for some Macan SUV models, could be threatened only with its smaller sibling in the future.For now, the Cayenne gets upgrades with the Australian spec upping features - electric tailgate, 20-inch wheels, air suspension and others are included though are model specific - and a proportionally modest price rise.The plug-in hybrid gets a marked improvement in fuel consumption - now down to 3.4L/100km from around 8L/100km - and an electric-only maximum range of 34km, along with improvements to storage space thanks to a move from metal-hydride batteries to lithium-ion batteries.The 2015 Cayenne arrives in Australia in November with five models comprising two diesels, two bi-turbo petrols and one petrol-electric. Porsche indicates, but won't confirm, that more variants are coming.Prices range from $104,700 (diesel) to $230,800 for the Turbo. The Cayenne S is $139,900 and like its siblings, there's an increase in features that include all "S" derivatives having standard 20-inch wheels, metallic paint, sunroof, heated front seats and Porsche's Dynamic Light System.Prices rises range from $1400 (Cayenne S) to $9200 (Turbo), but there's a big reduction for the surprisingly frugal S Hybrid that loses $10,700 to $139,200.Porsche says its hybrid technology, including the first use of a plug-in recharge system, is shared with the Porsche Panamera hybrid equivalent.It also boasts it is the first company to have three plug-in models - Panamera, Cayenne and 918 - in its line up, an achievement clearly pointed at out-greening Toyota.Cayenne now flicks its aspirated engines, replacing the V6 and V8 petrol versions in the outgoing models with a 3.6-litre bi-turbo V6 that moves further away from its Audi-based donor. The hybrid uses a supercharged petrol V6, while the top-shelf Turbo is the 4.8-litre V8, also with two turbochargers.In Australia, the five models get improved equipment levels, notably standard bi-xenon headlights (an upgrade from halogen lights) and for the more upmarket versions, LED headlights. Additions also include an electric tailgate, suspension and steering improvements to sharpen handling, subtle changes to the cabin including a steering wheel design copied from Porsche's 918 sports car, and less obvious styling tweaks to the body panels.Air suspension, with height adjustability, is standard on all models except the entry-level model where it is optional. There is a heightened off-road package included in all models that adds lockable front, centre and rear differentials.

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Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the 2014 Honda Jazz VTi auto, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

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Neil Dowling track tests the 2014 Lamborghini Huracan, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Get ready for a new Italian dish. After three years in the cold, Alfa's new four-door Giulia sedan is poised for launch here next year.The car - a parts-bin exercise with input from Ferrari and Maserati - will be the first new-breed Alfa sedan since Fiat-Chrysler Automobile boss Sergio Marchionne shook up the brand, declaring earlier this year that he wanted it returned to its pre-Fiat sports roots.Integral with Marchionne's new focus, all future Alfa Romeos will be rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, have a strong accent on performance, and be wholly made in Italy. "Alfa Romeos have to be produced in Italy with an Italian powertrain," Marchionne said at the Geneva motor show in March."Some things belong to a place, and Alfa belongs to Italy." The Giulia - a name resurfacing from the original 1962 sedan - is expected in Australia early in 2016. It is a successor to the front-wheel drive 159 and will be made as a sedan and wagon.Its entry price could be under $45,000 based on predictions of a car equipped for the UK market, where it will be launched in late 2015. Fiat Chrysler Group director of communications in Australia Karla Leach says only that it's a car "we'd definitely take". She says no details of the car or its launch date have been released.The Giulia was an on-off project since 2011. At one stage, Marchionne pulled the plug because he says the designers came up with a car style that looked "bland like a Lexus". The restyle creates a shape more aligned with the current Giulietta - a model ironically that may be ditched - and uses some frontal styling highlights of the 4C coupe.More than a pretty shape, the Giulia will use drivetrains including some designed by Ferrari and shared with Maserati. The 3.0-litre V6 turbo, from the Maserati Ghibli, is likely to be the top-shelf power option.The Giulia may also come with Alfa's 180kW 1750cc turbo four-cylinder - used in the Alfa 4C coupe and Spider - or a new 1.8-litre version with 221kW. European markets are also likely to get a turbo diesel.Transmission options could include the 4C's dual-clutch gearbox but it's made ideally for a transverse design and its harsh gearshifts may be unsuitable for Alfa's desire for an up-market sedan. The Giulia may use a ZF auto, from the supplier of the Ghibli's eight-speeder.Alfa is on record as saying the Giulia, and its big-sister Alfetta due in 2017, will aim to combine sports handling with sedan ride comfort.Suspension design will include active-roll control that automatically adjusts springs and dampers through corners and over irregular road surfaces.An additional active damping system would enable the driver to adjust the ride and handling balance.The Giulia is also expected to come standard with the switchable DNA program - already available on the MiTo and Giulietta - which changes steering weight and accelerator response. The sedan - and later a wagon - will be built at Fiat's Cassino factory near Rome. The engines will be trucked in from Fiat plants in southern and central Italy.

Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the Mini Cooper S, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.