Articles by Neil Dowling

Toyota Kluger Grande and Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring go head-to-head in this comparative review. 

Shrinking car markets are the perfect place for Ford’s new baby SUV, the EcoSport, to survive. The Fiesta-based high-riser, built in India and here in December, is the result of a sudden and unexpected market U-turn that is sometimes called “the next big thing’’.Small SUVs aren’t new. The Suzuki-cloned Holden Cruze and the Daihatsu Terios are two pseudo-4WD wagons that tempted some buyers in the 1990s but the genre fizzled out. Where they struggled, the new breed is now finding an accepting market. Australia will host seven new baby SUVs before June 2014.The Ford EcoSport is one and though it’s virtually on the boat from its Chennai factory, it will be beaten by four similar size, similar concept rival - the Opel Mocca, Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and Holden Trax. Next year comes the Renault Captur, Volkswagen Taigun and perhaps a version based on the Mazda2. “Its no secret the SUV segment is booming,’’ says Ford Australia spokesman Neil McDonald. “We see no reason why the mini-SUV segment won’t be the same.’’Car makers believe the baby SUVs will repeat the explosive sales success of baby passenger cars. Ford’s Asia-Pacific vehicle program director Trevor Worthington, now based in Shanghai, says intense focus groups in major global markets resulted in the EcoSport.“We found that the design must be relevant, contemporary and fit customer lifestyles,’’ he says at the car’s debut in Goa, India. “Customers tell us they are busy, they live in busy cities and want technology to fit into this busy life. The compact size and high driving position were also demanded by all focus groups. It’s the same message we had with Territory all those years ago. So we made a car that is efficient and has the latest technology. There’s no waste in this car.’’The intention is huge sales. More than two-million cars will be made each year on the Fiesta/EcoSport platform by 2015. It is made in Brazil and China and now starts up in India for the domestic market and that in Europe and Australia. It will be made in Thailand but only for regional sales.The 1-litre, three-cylinder will become the most expensive model in Australia’s line-up and wear the Titanium label. That’s predominanly because it’s an expensive engine to make. Initially it will mate only with a five-speed manual gearbox and a six-speed dual-clutch auto is a long way out. The 1.5-litre petrol will get a choice of the five-speed manual and the dual-clutch auto from day one.The feature list isn’t confirmed but the EcoSport gets Ford’s Sync cabin communication system and “emergency assistance’‘ - a program that automatically contacts emergency services if the car has its airbags deployed or its fuel pump cut-off switch activated, as in a roll over. The system works with a paired mobile phone.The Ford and Microsoft-developed Sync, which will be extended to other Ford cars, operates on voice commands to activate the phone, music library and will read aloud SMS messages. Ford Australia says the car, here in December, will be “very competitive’’ in the new segment so expect an entry-level price of about $22,000.It’s based on the Fiesta platform so gets all the Fiesta’s goodies, though the high-riding look obviously lifts (no pun intended) appeal. It has a huge 200mm ground clearance and a 550mm wading depth - all initially academic when the wagon is only a front-drive but there are advantages, not the least being a high hip point and a boot floor that makes loading easy.The car is designed with input from around the world, with Aussies doing their bit to include the Territory face. The cabin features don’t yet mimic Fiesta and add nine cup or bottle holders, a six-can glovebox with cooler, drawer for a laptop under the passenger’s seat and the clever Sync infotainment-communication system.Cabin space is excellent for the car’s exterior dimensions, including a boot volume of 362-litres that expands to 705-litres when the rear seats are split, folded and tumbled forward. The spare wheel is on the rear door, saving more cabin space, but it is side-hinged on the right-side so it opens away from the curb in our market. There are 20 storage spaces inside the car, repeating the generosity of the Territory.The biggest news is the 92kW/170Nm 1-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol EcoBoost engine that has equivalent performance to a 1.6-litre engine. Features include a small turbocharger, variable-valve timing, direct petrol injection and a smooth engine despite no counter-balance shaft for the odd-firing triple cylinders. It is a premium engine so will be on the upper models.It’s mated to a five-speed manual but don’t hold out for an auto - it is “not even in the planning stages at the moment’’ says Worthington. In fact, there’s no car with the 1-litre engine and an auto box in Ford’s global inventory. Ford claims 5.3 L/100km compared with the aspirated 1.5-litre engine that drinks at 6.3 L/100km.There is a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine in some markets but it’s not for Australia. It is only a 2WD though the platform accepts all-wheel drive. Brazil, where this car has been available for almost two years, has a 2WD and an AWD model. The suspension and electric-assist steering are tuned by Ford Australia (test cars have been in the country for some time) to suit local conditions though the company says they’re already made very durable for India’s rugged conditions.Ford says it is almost assured of a five-star crash rating. The EcoSport gets all the current electronic safety aids, and adds “hill launch assist’’ that holds the car on a slope for three seconds, brake assist, emergency brake light feature and the emergency assist if the car has a prang.Emergency Assist is available on Sync-equipped models and uses the driver’s paired phone to to send an emergency voice message to emergency operators when an airbag is deployed or the fuel pump is shut off.  It also sends the car’s GPS co-ordinates to the emergency operator to make finding you easier. The EcoSport wears its spare on the tail and is expected to be a full-size wheel.India is a tough call for motorists. The roads are usually rutted bitumen, narrow and with gravel shoulders while traffic flow is erratic - at best - and simply chaotic at all other times. It is the poor road surface that immediately shows up the EcoSport’s compliant suspension and well-cushioned steering. It sits on the road like a bigger SUV and despite the suppleness of the suspension, tracks accurately through the corners without the usual vagueness of the electric steering.The 1-litre engine feels nothing like a three-cylinder. No-one would pick this as being inadequate to the point of one cylinder. It has a meaty exhaust note, there’s no vibration through the firewall or steering wheel and it simply loves to rev. Ford says it’s strong through the rev range but one-litre is too small to disguise some inadequacies off the mark and especially when under about 2500rpm.But use it between 3000 and 6000rpm and it’s a fun engine with an eagerness that will delight buyers who enjoy a fang and know how to use a manual - though only five speed - gearbox. The ride comfort is great and that makes up for seats that are adequate for urban duties but lack lateral support. The car seats five - at a pinch - but is roomy enough for four 1.8m adults.An impressive wagon that certainly gives you a lot of space and flexibility. Buy this or a Fiesta? This one wins.

Elvis Presley's role in the movie Kissin' Cousins is memorable not for his maligned acting skills but for confirming that some men just shouldn't go blond.But at least it separated the two characters in the film even though most of us - and I'm sorry to spoil the film for those who haven't seen it - figured out it was the same Elvis in two roles.Much like Hyundai and Kia, the Korean cousins who rarely kiss and insist on dressing in different clothes so buyers can tell them apart. Shared platforms and drivetrains abound with these two but sometimes, just sometimes, there's enough of a change to make an appreciable difference.VALUEThe Cerato sedan is fresh from its February launch in Chicago and though offering more than before, the prices haven't changed. Neither they should - Cerato is hard up against some fierce rivals in a sector where winners and losers are separated by a few hundred dollars.The SLi sedan tested is the mid-spec model and at $25,990 for the automatic, is the best value. A rear camera, 16-inch alloys with full-size spare and six-speaker audio with Bluetooth are some inclusions.Technically it's a simple car - though gets an up-spec engine - with the lure being its practicality, good build quality, nice raft of features and top-deck warranty and excellent five-year capped-price service program that includes - if you keep servicing it at a Kia dealership - a five-year roadside assist package. Damn good.DESIGNThis newbie is 30mm longer, 25mm lower and has a 50mm longer wheelbase than the old sedan. In fact, the wheelbase is now the same as Kia's Sorento SUV and is shared with the Hyundai Elantra.It's a very slippery, good looking shape that was penned in the US but looks more European. The sloping roofline hints at poor rear seat headroom but there's actually plenty of space, primarily because the car is very low.There's a big boot, fold-down-flat split rear seats, quality materials including Golf-esque seats, an attractive dashboard with carbon fibre-look finishes and soft plastics, plus a sporty driving position that is infinitely variable.The downside is the invisible front and rear panels - typical of its contemporaries - but park sensors and a standard rear camera are saviours.TECHNOLOGYThough this could be termed a Hyundai Elantra in new clothes, Kia picks up extra tricks including a peppy 129kW/209Nm 2-litre direct-injection petrol engine.It's a solid engine with a flexible, smooth and quiet manner that works perfectly with the six-speed automatic gearbox. In terms of performance, it is even better with the six-speed manual gearbox.The direct-injection label means better engine efficiency and despite this technology, it's good to see that Kia still specify the cheaper 91-RON grade petrol. Kia claims 7.4 litres/100km. Suspension is tuned in Australia for Australians and though mechanically similar to its rivals, lifts the little car beyond the ordinary.The steering is electric assist with a FlexSteer steering wheel-mounted button to change the feel of the steering. It changes from “comfort” (light) to “normal” and a heavier “sports”.SAFETYThe Cerato ups safety from its predecessor with a five-star crash rating. It also gets six airbags, electronic aids including ESC and hill-start assist, full-size spare wheel, emergency stop signal, rear camera, park sensors, auto headlights and heated side mirrors.DRIVINGIt is quite a striking car because of its low silhouette and ski-slope tail that lifts to incorporate a boot spoiler. It's also low and feels more like a sports car than a family sedan.That's the impression when driving - that if you fail to look back, it impresses as a two-seater. Until the baby in the back seats lets out a cry.This illusion of sportiness extends to how the engine reacts and how positive the car is through the bends. It's a confident car and the engine - though dampened just a bit with the auto box - is strong from idle through to 6000rpm.It can be made to sing at the top end of the rev range - because that's where most of the power is served up - and become a more enjoyable drive when using the manual mode of the automatic.Handling is good - flat and surefooted - but though the steering has input from Australia, the electric assistance is still strangely like a PlayStation joystick. This lack of feel remains even when switching through the FlexSteer's three-modes, adjusting from light to firm. More work needed here, I'm afraid. However, that's the only complaint.VERDICTNeat as a pin and such a good buy at $25,990. Resale value is a bit weak but is outweighed by outstanding warranty, roadside assist and capped-price service.Kia Cerato SiPrice: $25,990Warranty: 5 years/unlimited km, 5-yr roadsideCapped Servicing: 5yr/$262-$535 per yearService interval: 12mths/15,000kmResale: 49%Safety: 6 airbags, ABS, ESC, EBD, TCCrash rating: 5-starEngine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl petrol, 129kW/209NmTransmission: 6-spd auto; front driveThirst: 7.4L/100km; 91RON; 177g/km CO2Dimensions: 4.6m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.4m (H)Weight: 1319kgSpare: Full-size

Five new models remain firmly in Lotus' future as the company this week threw cold water over rumours of ill health.Disruptive publicity has blanketed Lotus but the fragile sports-car maker now says it's only direction is forward. It has also enforced a closed-book approach to announcing future product - though some grains slip through the floorboards.The latest is conformation that the five-car line-up is going ahead, with the Esprit the first expected to be launched in late 2014.In Perth to launch Lotus' latest supercharged Exige S, Lotus Australia marketing manager Alastair Manihera says the $119,900 Exige S will be followed by further variants of the Exige, Elise and Evora.He also confirmed that Lotus in the UK has ``turned off its PR machine and plans no forward communication''. Pity.But Mr Manihera says the five-car plan is a definite and that demand is so strong for Lotus product at the moment that the company has opened a second production line."We are in full operation and stock is coming through,'' he says. "We have eight road models available and a ninth - the Exige S Roadster - due in Australia later this year. For Lotus, it's business as usual.''The five models planned by Lotus, displayed at the 2010 Paris moor show and shown to Carsguide at the factory in 2011 are the Esprit, Elite, Elan, Eterne and Elise. The innovative city car, the Ethos, is off the books.The Esprit is targeted for release late 2014 and wears new engineering including a rumoured 4.8-litre 456kW V8 engine, while the Elise is a new car carrying the old name and the Eterne is a four-door to take on potential rivals including the Aston Martin Rapide.Funding for the plan was to come from then owner Proton but now has been bankrolled by Malaysian firm DRB-Hicom that bought out Proton's share in January 2012.Meanwhile, Lotus will import 35 Exige S examples this year and 16 are already sold. The 35 is made up of 25 coupes and 10 roadsters that are expected in Australia in December.For 2014, Mr Manihera forecasts 120 cars for Australia and 30 for Western Australia. "That's the target,'' he says."Then we have to ensure that the factory can make enough cars for us. There's a lot of people very interested but won't commit until they've driven the car."I think also people want to be assured that there's continuity of Lotus product. On the one hand it looks bad if there's no publicity from the factory and that creates rumours but on the other hand, Lotus is flat out making cars."The Exige S is the halo car that shows that Lotus is refocused.''The Exige S Roadster loses the roof, rear spoiler and front splitter and gets a softer leather for the upholstery. The topless version, which will cost about the same as the coupe, is 10kg lighter than the coupe at 1166kg. "It's the best way to dry your hair,'' says Mr Manihera."It is limited to a 233km/h top speed (the coupe runs to 272km/h) for safety reasons as it doesn't produce the same downforce as the coupe.''The supercharged Exige is promoted as the beginning of new Lotus push in Australia. It was shown in Perth to prospective owners - five have already been sold - in a pearl white paint. Buyers will pay an extra $3750 for this coat but will also have to wait.Mr Manihera says the paint process is complex and takes a long time. "The idea is to drop this paint option until production gets up to demand,'' he says.The Exige S, which uses the same Toyota-sourced V6 engine as the Evora S - and sharing the Australian Harrop supercharger - pumps the same 258kW/400Nm but the Exige's sub-1200kg weight clips almost one second off the 0-100km/h time, now down to 3.9 seconds.A three-mode Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) system allows drivers to switch between Touring, Sport and DPM-off settings. A Race Pack option will offer a fourth mode (Race) for maximum traction, a launch control function and optimised suspension tune.The Exige S has AP Racing four-piston calipers over 350mm ventilated and cross-drilled front discs and 322mm solid rear discs with ABS.Lotus road models now in Australia are the Elise 1.6, Elise Club Racer, Elise S, Exige S V6 Coupe, Evora manual and automatic (called IPS), and Evora S supercharged in manual and IPS.Race-only cars - including Exige V6 Cup, Exige V6 Cup R, Evora GT4 and GTE - are also available for more serious players.

A $250 million injection has saved 100-year-old iconic independent sports-car maker Aston Martin but brought it closer to an alliance with Mercedes-Benz. Aston Martin chairman, and part-owner, David Richards announced that UK-based capital equity company Investindustrial bought 37.5 per cent of the carmaker for $227 million. Cash-rich Investindustrial recently sold its stake in Ducati to Audi for $1.1 billion. The injection gives cash for Aston Martin's plan to invest in new technologies and models over the next five years. But it also brings the company closer to an alliance with Mercedes-Benz. No deal is done between the two but Aston Martin is likely to replace its Ford-based V12 engine line with a similar engine from Mercedes' AMG division. AMG already sells its engines to other car makers including Pagani. Mercedes' boss Dr Dieter Zetsche this year said: “If a company that sells a few thousand vehicles wants to talk then we might do that, I am open to it.” The deal may not just include engines. Aston Martin, which except for its Toyota-cloned Cygnet city car has no low-emission vehicles, must reduce its fleet emission levels. Its current V12 engine will need significant work to meet Euro-6 standards planned for introduction in September next year. It is possible AMG may also supply V8 engines to Aston. Aston Martin is the only independent global luxury-car brand and needs cash or an alliance to develop technologies to improve its product's fuel efficiency and emission levels. Rival BMW plans to invest more than $1.5 billion this year to improve the efficiency of its engines and bring its electric i-Series cars on to the market. Investindustrial has a long history and common ground with Mercedes. The pair were involved in marketing Ducati's products. Investindustrial bought the 37.5 per cent share from one of Aston Martin's biggest stakeholders, Kuwaiti-based Investment Dar, which bought the car company from Ford in 2007 for about $740 million. When put to market earlier this year, the highest bid for the Aston share was received by Indian carmaker Mahindra and Mahindra. But though the Indian company offered more money, Investment Dar went with Investindustrial because its deal included a technical partnership with Mercedes-Benz. Aston Martin is now owned by partners Investindustrial, Adeem Investment and Investment Dar which retains a share. Concurrent with the change in ownership of the company that turns 100 this year, long-serving Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez is expected to step down from the top executive job and seek a more ambassadorial position. He turns 70 in November.  

The Lancer has a 3.9 per cent slice of the sub-$40,000 small-car market, but faces off against a dominant Mazda3 with 18 per cent share, and the Toyota Corolla with 16.5 per cent. The small-car sector is virtually static in sales -- up just 0.9 per cent year-to-date -- but the buyer demand for compact, fuel-efficient cars means there are no signs of the sector weakening. Luring buyers with the value flag is the Mitsubishi ‘Special Action Model’ - or SAM - that gets a $19,990 drive-away price for a manual sedan based on the entry-level 2.0 litre ES model. SAM comes with metallic paint, choice of four colours, 16-inch five-spoke alloys, Ralliart front bumper and grille, VRX high-rise boot spoiler and extra bling. Mitsubishi has announced its “compact sedan” concept will become the next Lancer, but it could be three years away. The SAM is one of the special-edition models designed to maintain sales ahead of this next generation.  

In a solid sign that Australia is turning its back on emission-free electric cars, Nissan has slashed $17,000 off the price of its Leaf hatch. It chops the hi-tech, all-electric car's price to $29,818 plus GST for government and no-for-profit organisations, and $31,818 for fleet buyers. Private buyers will pay $39,990 drive away or $85 a week making it the cheapest volume electric car on the market following the withdrawal from the market in January of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It is the second price reduction for Nissan's Leaf since December when the price dropped $10,000 to $46,990. Carsguide finds the price reduction of the car - up to yesterday a $46,990 drive away vehicle - is caused by Nissan trying to push the electric car message but also by the disinterest of motorists in electric vehicles. Nissan has sold only 36 Leafs this year and Australian sales of all-electric vehicles to private buyers totals only 16 to the end of March. This compares with about 3300 sales of the Nissan Pulsar and 124 for the Toyota Prius hybrid. Australia now has three all-electric cars available - the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and Holden Volt, though the latter technically has a supporting petrol engine. The Volt, which costs $60,000, has sold 24 units this year, and the customer order-only $48,800 i-MiEV just three examples.

Mitsubishi Australia this week says the pitiful one-star crash rating smacked in the face of the company's corporate message of safety. “Safety is one of our core messages,” says Mitsubishi Australia spokesperson Caitlin Beale. “We can't bring in a one-star vehicle so our decision for Australia is not to import anymore.” Ms Beale says dealers will sell stock of which she estimates only “a handful” remain. Mitsubishi will continue to manufacture the Express in Japan for its domestic market plus some export markets. Ms Beale says there is no replacement for the Express “at the moment”. No similar van exists in Mitsubishi's portfolio though the company has an alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen. The Express was once one of the nation's most popular vans but competition from Korea's Hyundai iLoad and perennial Toyota Hiace, plus new entrants from Europe, has slashed sales. It sold 622 last year compared with 6387 Hiaces. Part of the van's popularity was its price. At $26,590 it is $6000 cheaper than the equivalent Hiace. The Express' success also has been slurried by its unsafe one-star crash rating - the lowest of any crash-tested vehicle sold in Australia. Commercial vehicles are not required to be crash tested so many are sold without buyers knowing how they fare in a crash. It is a loophole exploited by manufacturers of some Chinese vans and utes. News of the impending death of the Express come as Mercedes-Benz freezes plans to import the compact Citan van. In European crash tests, the Citan scored only a three-star rating. Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says “at the moment, I can't comment”. The Citan, which was expected to be launched here later this year, is based heavily on the Renault Kangoo van which, astoundingly, scored four stars out of the possible five.  

There’s always at least one crazy at any motor show. Once-conservative China is leaping aboard the outrageous concept-car wagon with Geely - one of China's biggest car makers with a $24 billion turnover in 2012 - trotting out its baby Panda with a 4WD undercarriage. Suitable for Shanghai and Beijing crowded city streets? Definitely. The shoehorning of a big truck frame beneath the Panda - normally a breathless 63kW bubble car - is purely to draw a crowd. Pity Geely didn't apply the same graft on one of its existing 4WD utes. The Panda - called LC in export markets including New Zealand - was on the cards for Australia but was knocked back this year because of the lack of electronic stability control. It does, however, have a five-star crash rating on the China-NCAP test program. The car can't be called a Panda in most markets because the name is registered by Fiat. To reiterate the Panda name in China, the design features Panda paw-shaped tail lights.

Big brother Geely has grabbed Volvo's luxury concept car and now plans to make it in China. The 2011 Volvo Concept Universe, a freehand saloon designed to propel the Swede into the ranks of BMW's 7-Series and Audi's A8, this week appeared on Geely's Shanghai motor show stand. At the same time, Volvo announced it wouldn't chase the luxury-car market and intended to make cars with a maximum engine size of four cylinders. But Carsguide learns in Shanghai that Geely will make the car within three years in China and only in left-hand drive. The sleek car on the Geely stand - called the KC Concept - this week in Shanghai is more production-friendly than the Volvo Universe and its follow-up design, the You. Gone are the suicide rear doors and love-it, hate-it P1800-inspired grille, replaced with smoother lines and a silhouette resembling a Jaguar XJ. The fact it now wears Geely badges indicates that Geely could be pulling rank on Volvo - which it bought in 2010 - and collecting designs for its domestic market. Geely has stated that Volvos will start to be built in China from next year and, as part of that process, safety technology developed by Volvo will begin to be integrated into Geely's passenger car and SUV models. Geely in August will start to sell its Holden Cruze-size EC7 in the Australian market, priced from $14,990 drive away. Geely is one of the few Chinese carmakers that makes its own drivelines but there are currently no plans for any engine larger than 2.4-litres. In fact a Geely publication on its drivelines - including its DSI transmission plant in Albury - shows its most powerful engine will be a 132kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit. Sadly, it diminishes the performance potential of the concept car's shape.