Articles by Neil Dowling

Aggressive pricing by Volkswagen will slice into Australia’s all-wheel drive heartlands when it debuts its new wagon later this year.The Passat Alltrack is expected here at less than $50,000 - a $15,000 discount to similarly-equipped European off-road wagons and lobbing right into Subaru’s hunting ground.The Alltrack - driven for the first time here - was expected to cost about $58,000 when it goes on sale in Australia in November.But Volkswagen spokesman Karl Gehling later says his company wants a sub-$50,000 tag for its 125kW turbo-diesel automatic - a move that will shake the established all-wheel drive market and rattle a lot of similarly-priced SUVs.Would you buy one? Do you need one? If you desire the off-road capabilities of an all-wheel drive SUV wagon but don’t need that vehicle’s height, fuel consumption and bulk, then the answer may be “yes’’.Volkswagen already has a Passat all-wheel drive (in VW speak, it’s called 4Motion) wagon. But the new Alltrack, here in November priced from under $50,000 which is about $4000 more than Passat front-drive wagon - is different.It gets the same off-road package - electronic drive traction and braking aids, a steel underbody and an extra 30mm ride height - as its Touareg and Tiguan SUVs.That makes it as capable - except for the Passat’s extended front and rear overhang - as the pair. Yet the new Alltrack is more luxury-oriented, more comfortable and handles with far more confidence on bitumen. It also smacks the face of its sister, the Audi Allroad, which - when it returns to the market late this year - costs about $50,000 more. Is Alltrack a worthy rival to SUVs? Absolutely.VALUEVolkswagen Australia says it comes as a one-spec version for less than $50,000. In perspective, the current 125kW/350Nm Passat front-drive wagon sells for $45,990.The Alltrack adds all-wheel drive, extra electronic aids, an underbody protection plate, different ride height and a new set of front and rear bumpers, wheel arches and an upspec cabin that includes pleated leather upholstery.For that it trounces its European rivals - Volvo, BMW and the new Range Rover Evoque - but the fact that it’s more comfortable and handles like a sporty passenger car gives it an even bigger edge.DESIGNThe Passat wears pretty bland clothing and the Alltrack merely adds a bit more interest with its bolder bumpers, macho wheel arches and high ride height.Conservative it may be, but the Passat is actually beautifully crafted with quality that matches Audi. The size offers excellent cabin room, a huge boot and the expected high level of versatility in an SUV.The dashboard escapes much of the all-black plastic of some VW models with contrasting colours and soft-feel plastics.TECHNOLOGYThe 4Motion system has been around for a few years, now upgraded for the Tiguan and Touareg and this spills over into the Alltrack.  It delivers about 10 per cent power to the rear wheels on bitumen but seeks out traction and is flexible enough to put up to 100 per cent to the rear wheels. An electronic off-road program can, at the push of a dash button, modify the ABS brakes to react less aggressively on soft road surfaces, dampen accelerator pedal delivery, deactivate some aids and automatically switch on a hill descent program to control downhill manouevres.SAFETYThe Alltrack has the added all-wheel drive system as its main safety point, enhanced by a five-star crash rating, six airbags and a raft of electronic aids. It is likely to get a space-saver temporary spare but this is yet to be decided.The wheel well may be able to accept a full-size spare. There’s also a standard reverse camera.DRIVINGIt is perhaps expected but the Alltrack drives like any other 2012 Passat. That it’s predictable, comfortable and feels so confident on the road is a good thing. It’s not especially inspiring around the city and it’s not until it’s shown poor-grade roads and winding routes that it comes into its own.The test cars (in Austria during snow season) had Pirelli Sottozero winter tyres that were absolutely superb grippers. Nice choice for Australian ski bunnies but for the rest of us, the all-season tyre is yet to be chosen.That final decision aside, the Alltrack rides and steers as good as a standard front-drive Passat. The sole engine - at the launch - will be the 125kW/350Nm 2-litre turbo-diesel with excellent mid-range punch but a bit weak off the mark. It retains the diesel growl at idle but is nicely muted at speed. The box is a six-speed DSG with paddle shifts for manual operation. Tested in snow, the all-wheel drive system constantly sends power to the wheels with traction.It works very well but enthusiastic off-road owners will find the car’s flaws are its 165mm ground clearance and its comparatively long 941mm/1120mm front/rear overhangs.The Alltrack will tow up to 2000kg and - with the standard anti-sway program within the car’s brake package - is appealing to people towing boats, horse floats and caravans.VERDICTThis could be a high-quality, affordable alternative to the increasingly ubiquitous SUV. The fact it drives like a standard car and yet has good off-road ability makes a lot of sense.VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT ALLTRACKPrice: est. $49,500Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmResale: n/aService interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsSafety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating: 5 starsEngine: 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo-dieselBody: 5-door, 5 seatsDimensions: 4771mm (L);1820mm (W); 1513mm (H); 2710mm (WB)Weight: 1725kgTransmission: 6-spd dual-clutch automatic; all-wheel driveEconomy: 5.9 l/100km; 155g/km CO2OTHERS TO CONSIDERBMW X3 20dStar rating: 3.5 out of five starsPrice: $62,200Enigine: 2.0-litre, 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 135kW/380NmTransmission: 8-spd automatic, all-wheel driveBody: 5-door wagonThirst: 5.6L/100km, CO2 147g/km"Top-notch drive but down on VW’s value for money''RANGE ROVER EVOQUE TD4 DYNAMICStar rating: 4 out of five starsPrice: $69,375Engine: 2.2-litre, 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 110kW/400NmTransmission: 6-spd automatic, all-wheel driveBody: 5-door wagonThirst: 6.5L/100km, CO2 174g/km"Fantastic looker that has good off-road ability but watch the options list''VOLVO XC70 D5Star: 3.5 out of five starsPrice: $63,450Enigne: 2.4-litre, 5-cyl turbo-diesel, 158kW/440NmTransmission: 6-spd auto, all-wheel driveBody: 5-door wagonThirst: 6.9L/100km, CO2 188g/km"Seriously under rated wagon that is Alltrack’s main rival''

This preview model highlights the exterior styling direction of the all-new fourth generation European Honda CR-V, which is set to go on sale later in 2012. Compared to the previous generation, this Prototype adopts a more aggressive stance with deeper sculpting of the body lines and a bolder front fascia. The lower front bumper wraps smartly upward to convey SUV capability, while the lower front bumper design now integrates more smoothly into the fascia for improved aerodynamics.

And it has Australia in its sights. Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland says the Vision-D - which is likely to be named Rapid after one of the company’s popular 1940s models - answers customers criticism of the current Octavia which they say is too big and too expensive.“Yes, we had customer complaints in Europe about the size of the current Octavia compared with the first generation model,’’ he says at the launch of the new Citigo mini-car in Portugal.“So we looked at a new concept that is about 4.5m long - almost as big as the current Octavia - but with a very spacious cabin and boot and better pricing.“The new car will start production in the second half of this year.’’ Vahland says Australia is a very important market for Skoda because of its emerging sales and its interest in quality European product.The “Rapid’’ is made more urgent by Vahland announcing that the next Octavia - the company’s most successful product with global sales of 350,000 in 2011 - will be bigger. The 2013 Octavia will also be the first Skoda to be built on Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform program that allows simplified component sharing across all models.“The new car for this year won’t be built on the MQB system,’‘ Vahland says. “It will be based on the Volkswagen Polo platform but made bigger. It will have a very large boot - 520 litres - because space is what our customers want.’’The car will come first as a sedan but Skoda spokesman Piek von Bestenbostel says there are plans for a hatchback, as shown in the Vision-D concept car.“We didn’t quite want an estate (wagon) and we liked the sloping design of the Vision-D, so it offers access to a versatile interior while looking quite distinctive,’‘ he says.The Rapid is likely to stay with the Volkswagen Group drivetrains including a sports version under the RS badge and an all-wheel drive option.Vahland also says the new SUV - which is being finalised in 2013 - will be bigger than the Volkswagen Tiguan but smaller than the Volkswagen Touareg.“We are looking at a seven-seat version because we can make a larger body onto the platform,’’ he says. While he wants to expand the passenger car range, he says there are no lans to make commercial vehicles.“There is a time to say ‘no’ or ‘wait’ - that’s the case with commercial vehicles,’’ he says. “We have to have controlled growth. At the moment, commercial vehicles don’t fit into our plans.’’

Little-known Czech car maker Skoda is nothing if not plucky, pushing for more than 10,000 annual sales in Australia by 2018. That’s even before confirming the price and launch date of its radical baby-car, the Citigo.The Citigo - heavily based on the Volkswagen Up that gets here late this year - is Skoda’s first small car and its first three-door car that is expected to follow the Up and discount its price.Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland says he wants to study Up’s acceptance on the Australian market before committing his Citigo.“We are open to selling the Citigo into Australia but we’re not yet decided,” he says. “It depends on your market. If we could sell 10,000 cars a year into Australia, it would be an easy decision.’’But despite some reservations, Vahland knows that Skoda’s future lies in volume sales. And Citigo, he thinks, will be his company’s second biggest seller after the popular Octavia. Australian Skoda sales in 2011 were about 3500 units.“In 2010, Skoda sales around the world were 700,000,’‘ Vahland says. “In 2018, we expect to sell 1.5 million cars. That’s more than double. So we see the same growth for Australia - more than double by 2018.’’Skoda could be ready to sell Citigo to Australians by mid-2013 and, at launch, be in a position to launch the automatic version at the same time as the manual. The Citigo will, like the Up, be available as a three and five door with an anticipated pric e difference of about $1000.Given that the Up is predicted to sell for $15,000 as a manual three door and $16,000 as a manual five door, the Skoda version is likely to start at about $14,500. That puts it up against the Hyundai i20, Nissan Micra and Suzuki Alto. But how does the car compare? Much better.VALUENow, I’m supposing the $14,500 is the start price. For that, the 1-litre manual is a gem. It’s a city-focussed hatchback but is adept at cruising at 120km/h in comfort and quietness. It ticks a lot of boxes for cabin treatment that, although a bit bland, have more character and space than the $15,490 Hyundai, the $12,990 Micra and the $11,790 five-door Alto.In fact, it doesn’t feel as small and as budget-built as these rivals. The stumbling block is getting Aussies into these small jiggers. Vahland is right - watch how Up performs and Citigo will follow. But then watch out for moves by other players - Citroen, Toyota, Peugeot and Kia - into Australia.DESIGNCute as a button. The Skoda uses all the same components as the Up but adds a new face and tail, side glass profile and some cabin changes. It has, for example, more emphasis than the Volkswagen on personal storage spaces including a slot for a mobile phone, handbag hook on the glovebox and shopping-bag hooks in the boot.Though it doesn’t have a soft-feel dashboard and the look is basic black, there is no doubt that it’s beautifully bolted together with neat panel fit, good-looking gauges and strong switches.TECHNOLOGYAustralia will only get the 55kW/95Nm version of the 1-litre, three-cylinder engine. There is a 44kW/95Nm version but Skoda Australia figures one engine is sufficient. The engine is all-new though will be applied to other small-sized Volkswagen Group cars including the production version of the new-wave Kombi, the Bulli people mover.There is a five-speed manual and, likely from launch in Australia mid-2013, a five-speed robotised automatic - a manual gearbox that has an electronic, automatic clutch. The steering is electric, the rear axle is a torsion beam and the brakes are front discs and rear drums. Optional will be City Safe Drive which uses radar sensors to automatically stop the car from having a frontal imapct at less than 30km/h.Volvo similarly has its City Safety but Skoda says it’s the first time the accident-avoidance technology has been applied to a small car. No price has been announced for this option.SAFETYThe Citigo shares the Up’s five-star crash rating. There are four airbags - though the side bags are extended to protect the front occupants’ heads so act as a curtain bag - with electronic stability control, brake assist and brakeforce distribution.DRIVINGDespite its sub-4m length, the Citigo feels big and airy on the inside. That sense of space plays with the car’s lively performance and it’s only a matter of a few kilometres down the road that you start believing that you’re driving the bigger Polo model.The engine is brisk off the mark and the manual five-cog box is slick enough to help it along. Hard to believe it’s only 1-litres in capacity until you hit a long hill in fifth gear and need to pull it down to fourth or even third. The high gearing helps get fuel consumption down to 4.7 l/100km (the forthcoming automatic is actually more frugal at 4.6 l/100km) - but that’s mainly achieved on freeways.The suspension and steering are very good. Rough bitumen roads introduced no suspension noise while the body was firm and tight and ride comfort was compliant. It is actually a good little thing and given its cabin room - the boot is the biggest in its class at 251 litres - should attract a broad buyer group.RATINGSKODA CITIGOPrice: est. $14,990Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmResale: N/AService interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsSafety equipment: four airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating: 5 starsEngine: 44kW/95Nm 1.0-litre 3-cyl turbo-petrolBody: 5-door, 4 seatsDimensions: 3540mm (L);1641m (W); 1478mm (H); 2420mm (WB)Weight: 929kgTransmission: 5-spd manual; front-wheel-driveEconomy: 4.5 l/100km; 95 RON; 105g/km CO2.

Skoda hopes the Citigo - a version of the Volkswagen Up that gets here late this year – will boost its annual sales here to 10,000 per year. It’s banking on riding a projected baby car wave driven by traffic congestion, rising fuel prices and limited parking spaces.Three mini-cars are already here and, from late this year, Volkswagen will start a second onslaught that will be followed by Skoda and even Kia and Citroen. More than 10 per cent of cars sold around the world fall into the mini-car category. It’s the second biggest sector - the biggest is the medium-sized cars - and is just taking off in Australia. In 2011, more than 11,000 cars in the mini-car category were sold.The attraction of the Citigi is fuel economy - 4.7 litres/100km or about half a Toyota Camry - and price. Skoda hasn’t put a price on its Citigo three and five-door models yet but its parent, Volkswagen, is likely to sell the Up from about $15,000. The European-built Up and Citigo have the maximum five-star crash rating, come with a host of safety equipment, are fun to drive and will seat four adults.Current rivals include the Suzuki Alto and Hyundai i20 - both made in India - and the Holden Spark from Korea. Skoda spokesman Piek von Bestenbostel believes the sector will attract more players and many will look at Australia for buyers. He says the Citroen C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo are competitors to the Citigo and could find a new market in Australia, especially given the current strength of the Australian dollar that makes it cheaper to import products.

Skoda this week confirmed it was “working hard" on the new SUV that is bigger than its current Yeti but smaller than a Volkswagen Touareg or Audi Q5. “We will make the final decision next year," says Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland. “We have to wait for the Euro-6 emission rules because that will affect the engines, transmissions and so on. “But the SUV will be bigger than our Yeti - probably about a Q5 size.’’ Asked if t would be a seven-seater, he says that decision had not ben made. “Do you think we need a seven seater? If so, then we wil see. The SUV will be bigger inside than our rivals so I think seven seats is possible.’’ Skoda, part of the Volkswagen Group, is likely to share the Touareg and Audi Q5 platform and engines. Touareg, Audi’s Q5 and Q7, the Porsche Cayenne and upcoming SUVs from Bentely and Lamborghini are - and will - all off the same platform and built at Volkswagen’s factory in Slovakia. The same factory will make the small-car trio of the Up, Citigo and Seat Mii.

The "zoom-zoom" has been muted but Mazda is still poised to win a huge Australian SUV audience with its sensible, fuel-efficient CX-5.This is a family car worth waiting for and delivers on a promise of low ownership and running costs, style, practicality and affordability. Despite the petrol engine feeling a bit anaesthetised - at sharp odds with Mazda's sports-driven zoom-zoom catch cry - this SUV does pretty much everything right. Not something its rivals will want to read. The five-seater wagon replaces Mazda's popular CX-7 but the tip is that the newcomer will almost double its sales.Mazda says the CX-5 channels a lot of the factors that last year made its Mazda3 the best-selling car to private Australian buyers. That includes a bit of style, a bucketload of standard features, the strength of the Mazda name and the keen pricing. Only the petrol was offered for testing at the Canberra launch last week. The 2-litre petrol version is on sale now but you'll have to wait another two weeks for the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel that has a $3000 premium. Buyers undecided about which fuel they want to use in their next car are advised to wait the two weeks and compare before laying down your cash.Prices start at $27,800 for a front-wheel drive, six-speed manual Maxx model. Standard gear includes a four-speaker, Bluetooth-equipped audio, reverse camera, six airbags, sat-nav and even tyre pressure monitoring. Prices rise in accordance with features and top out around the mid-$40,000 mark with the diesel automatic, leather padded Grand Touring. Best value is the petrol Maxx Sport automatic ($32,300) with the two-wheel drive version being the most practical for city and suburban owners. That's all in the same paddock as the rivals but I'd argue that the feature list in the Mazda is stronger and the clincher is the CX-5's better fuel economy. Mazda offers a Tech Pack with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and high-beam control only on the Grand Touring models for an extra $1990.The styling is, unfortunately, a bit predictable as Mazda strives to appease all possible buyer types. It follows the theme of the Mazda3 - everybody loves these but ask someone to describe one for identification in a carpark and the only answer you're likely to get is "blue". The CX-5 is bigger in the flesh that you'd think, thanks to subtly chamfered edges, abrupt and high tail and the wedge-shape of the side glass. The snout-like grille is its only point of difference, but even then it's a bit like the previous Hyundai Santa Fe or the dog-van in the movie "Dumb & Dumber".Inside it's also a lot of Mazda3 and even a touch of the well-built, clinical colours and switchgear of a mid-spec Volkswagen - that's a compliment, by the way. Leather upholstery is standard in the Grand Touring but the cloth of the cheaper models is actually more comfortable. Cabin room is very good and rear seats fold flat - either 60/40 or 40/20/40 dependent on model - while boot space is excellent. The spare wheel is marked "temporary" but is actually a proper tyre that has no speed or distance limitations like most other space-saver tyres.The biggest news is that the CX-5 is the first Mazda to sport all the company's "new wave" SkyActiv technology. This includes a new approach to design and engineering of the drivetrain, suspension, platform and body and will be progressively introduced into new Mazda models. As an example, the 114kW/200Nm petrol engine runs an astonishingly high 13:1 compression ratio in its engine - most rivals are around 9:1 - to ensure a clean burn of the fuel mix while maximising power output. If the jargon is hard to swallow, consider that it's sufficient to reduce the SUV's fuel consumption to 6.4 litres/100km from the 2WD CX-7's figure of 9.4 l/100km. Put that in dollar terms and it's a saving of about $650 a year in fuel. It's helped by a stop-start system that turns off the engine when the car is stationary.The new wagon's lightweight, high-strength steel body is 153mm shorter, 32mm narrower and 65mm higher than the CX-7 it replaces, yet though it has a marginal 50mm shorter wheelbase, it boasts a bigger boot and more rear seat legroom. It is also significantly lighter than the CX-7 at 1475kg (2WD Maxx automatic) compared with the CX-7 2WD automatic's 1589kg. That goes a long way to ensuring the CX-5's performance is up to par with the outgoing SUV, putting its 114kW/200Nm 2-litre SkyActiv petrol engine up against the CX-7's 120kW/205Nm 2.5-litre petrol.This is a five-star rated car with six airbags, electronic stability control and is accompanying brake assist and traction control. It adds hill-start assist and even in its base form has a tyre pressure monitoring system, rear vision camera and a spare tyre that will go the distance.The CX-5's unusual high-compression 2-litre petrol engine is almost identical to the new Mazda3 SP20 version and shares a quirk - it never feels very responsive. Part of that is the long accelerator pedal but most is the purpose-design "linear" power flow. It's aggravated by engine run-on after the loud pedal is released. But apparently that's the plan and is responsible for the excellent fuel economy.Of course, forcing the tachometer needle to live in the 4000-6500rpm band - as I did - shakes off the lethargy and the CX-5 becomes a lot of fun - particularly as the chassis is superbly taut and the suspension is just about perfect.CX-5 project manager and engineer Hideaki Tanaka understands and confirms the petrol engine's softness is deliberate. If you want response and more instant performance, buy the diesel, he says. Ride comfort is also excellent, tested over smooth bitumen and some rough, high speed tracks.The all-wheel drive promises more grip but the front-wheel drive is actually a more nimble, more fun drive because the car really benefits from the 70kg-odd weight reduction. The electric steering is also spot on, blending the need for city-parking lightness with open-road cruising without having any notchiness in the transition. I'd say the engine feel won't be an issue for most buyers and for the rest, they'll get used to it after a few months of ownership. Overall, the CX-5 retains the zoom-zoom DNA - just turns the volume down a bit.Mazda says the CX-7 fought hard against other SUVs in the "medium" category but couldn't match their sales - at least until its runout in January when it sold 1167 units. The CX-5 will ensure a 1000 a month sales figure, says Mazda Australia marketing manager Alistair Doak. The category  is led by the heavyweights Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and Subaru Forester  (which may be replaced in this category by the new XV) who also each sell around the 1000 a month mark.Aside from matching its rivals on price, the CX-5 adds some extra standard equipment and the petrol-fuelled CX-5 trounces its opposition at the bowser. The two-wheel drive CX-5 petrol automatic compares with the similarly-specced RAV4, for example, that claims 9.1 l/100km, while the X-Trail drinks 8.4 l/100km and the Subaru XV - which is all-wheel drive - is 7.0 l/100km.But fuel economy isn't the only attraction. Mazda has also targeted ownership costs by specifying standard unleaded fuel for the petrol engine - some rivals need expensive premium unleaded petrol - though hasn't opted for a low-price, fixed service schedule as found on the RAV4.

Mazda CX-5 and Subaru XV go head-to-head in this comparative review.

It's been 40 years since Subaru's L-Series wagon powered all four wheels onto the Australian market, arguably the first snowball in what has become an SUV avalanche. Remarkably, the SUV market continues to grow, sapping first the large car sector and now the medium car segment as buyers opted for versatility in their new vehicles. In January, SUV sales as a whole rose 29.8 per cent as the Australian passenger-car segment fell 2.21 per cent. Little wonder that most carmakers have an entrant in the SUV arena and, showing that the craze is unlikely to dim, even Lamborghini and Bentley have announced they will make an SUV. The month's biggest rise was in the small-SUV fraternity which rocketed 65 per cent on the previous January as the Skoda Yeti, Jeep Compass and Subaru XV debuted. The medium-SUV sector rose 26.2 per cent with 8068 sales in January, pushed by Mazda's CX-7 sell-off as the model departed the showrooms and renewed interest in the stable's existing Holden Captiva 5 (up 142.5 per cent), Kia Sportage (up 82.4%), Volvo XC60 (up 48.4%), Nissan X-Trail (up 51.2%) and the CX-7 (up 66% and 1167 sales for the month). But however attractive the SUV market is, Mazda Australia's marketing manager Alistair Doak says there's no plans for more models. "We have the CX-9 with seven seats and now the CX-5 with five seats,'' he says. "The CX-7 was great for us, but though a few countries will retain the model, it would be too difficult for us in Australia because we may have the two SUVs competing with each other rather than with vehicles from other manufacturers. The CX-9 could not be adapted to SkyActiv technology and that's the way we want to go - all Mazda models will be replaced over time with SkyActiv technology.'' Mazda Australia's managing director Doug Dickson says the CX-5 "is in the sweet spot for buyers". "We didn't want two cars in the same segment,'' he says. Mazda expects the CX-5 to sell at the rate of 1000 a month (it is now on sale as a petrol, to be followed in two weeks by the diesel) and suggests that initially the most popular models will be the higher-specced versions. Mr Doak expects the petrol models to outsell diesels at the rate of 70:30, mainly because the petrol engine is so efficient and the fuel is cheaper than diesel. The front-wheel drive models will grab 35 per cent of the share and all-wheel drive models will take the balance of 65 per cent. However, this is likely to swing around once the initial wave of premium buyers finishes. Mr Doak also sees the breakup of the three models being: Maxx (40 per cent); Maxx Sport (30 per cent); and Grand Touring (30 per cent).

... an industry executive this week said "global cars'' will replace indigenous low-volume vehicles. Mazda Australia managing director Doug Dickson said Australia was in an increasingly difficult position as a manufacturing base, partly caused by its strong currency. But he said government subsidies - as high as $100 million a year for each of the three car makers Holden, Ford and Toyota - were keeping carmakers in Australia. "If the car makers continue to get subsidies, they will remain here,'' he said. "It guarantees them dominance and gives them a competitive edge with fleets, government and private buyers who like the fact that they are here.''"The big issue is the uniquely Australian cars. No one will do a unique car just for Australia anymore.'' Mr Dickson, who runs the Australian arm of one of the country's most successful vehicle importers, was talking in Canberra at the launch of Mazda's new mid-size CX-5 SUV - a car he said will sell at the rate of about 1000 units a month."Most of us (in the car industry) worry that the three Australian car manufacturers will leave the country,'' he said. "This has been discussed for years - it's just that this time, people are openly talking about it. "But we accept that there will be global cars - cars made for numerous markets. "I don't believe any country will, in the future, be making an indigenous car.'' Mr Dickson said the high value of the Australian dollar made it very expensive for products made in Australia to compete in export markets. "The exchange rate and the small population of Australia makes for a very difficult business model,'' he said."Car manufacturing relies on volume and factories are ideally at the centre of a large population of buyers. That's not the case in Australia. Mazda, for example, could not and would not build a car in Australia.'' Mr Dickson's comments echo those of Ford Motor Company president Alan Mulally last month who indicated the Ford Falcon may be replaced within four years by a global car from Ford's stables. It led to questions being asked about the future of the Holden Commodoe which, while having an export program was severely affected by the high value of the Australian dollar.A high dollar makes the cars expensive - and sometimes uncompetitive - in other countries. But while Mr Dickson indicated we may be looking at the end of a unique Australian car, he doesn't see it as the end of the local car industry. "Innovation is a key. We can still be an international centre of excellence in the car industry in the fields of, for example, design and engineering, which could receive government support,'' he said. "The cars that are designed and engineered here may be for global markets other than Australia. By the same token the cars that are made here don't necessarily have to be designed here.''  "The future is - and I think the government gets this - is to remove the nexus between what's designed here and what's made here.'' Mr Dickson said a prime example was the Mazda BT-50 and Ford Ranger utes. "These are designed here - Ford and Mazda together - but not manufactured here. There may also be a parallel with the Holden Cruze,'' he said. Mr Dickson said he "desperately'' wanted an Australian motor industry.  "As an Australian, I don't care what they make as long as they provide the infrastructure for young Australians to become good at making things,'' he said. "As a industry figure I want the industry to be strong because we become a whole lot more important as an industry. Without manufacturing here we would just stand in a long line waiting for attention.''  The Federal Government gives subsidies to a range of industries - including the automotive industry - to ensure businesses remain competitive and continue employment opportunities. The three car makers - Holden, Ford and Toyota - can annually receive grants of up to $100 million each to introduce new models, such as a grant given to Holden to bring the Cruze small car to local production in Adelaide.