Articles by Neil Dowling

Honda will unveil a plug-in version of the Jazz at next month's Tokyo motor show. The Jazz is already available in world markets as a petrol and hybrid version. The plug-in Jazz will be closely modelled on last year's Detroit Auto Show design study. It has a lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor. Honda says the car will reach a top speed of 145km/h and a driving range of up to 160km. The battery can be recharged in less than six hours when using a 240-volt outlet.

An airbag defect has led to the recall in the US of 38,444 vehicles. But the defect with the Australian-made Pontiacs, built from November 2, 2007 and January 22, 2009 - is unique to the left-hand drive car. Holden spokesperson Emily Perry says the recall of the left-hand drive cars was attributed to their specific airbag and seatbelt calibrations.The problem does not affect the Commodore or the Australian-made Caprice model being made for police duties in the US. Holden says it started an investigation into the airbag problem on January 19 this year and subsequent tests found an anomaly.Specifically, it says the airbag might not adequately protect a "fifth-percentile female anthropomorphic test device in a 30mph (48km/h) frontal barrier test (where it) exceeded the head injury criteria requirements of the standard".The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has put out a statement - based on Holden's test results - saying the Pontiac G8 may have a passenger-side airbag flaw that may prevent proper deployment in certain circumstances."With the front passenger seat positioned full forward, the seat position sensor will cause a 30 milliseconds deployment delay between the first and second stages of the dual-stage frontal passenger air bag," it says. A fifth-percentile female is listed as a woman who is about 1.5m tall and weighs about 49kg.The test results do not apply to men or children. Pontiac has subsequently been closed down but US owners of the G8 will be able to have the airbag repaired at any GM dealer.

Which is why a squat Astra coupe in part-camo cover spotted on a curvy backroad near Frankfurt in September rang big bells - and here's the reason why. Opel has today unveiled that car as the hottest Astra ever to find traction on public roads with a 206kW/400Nm turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-litre four under the bonnet. The Astra gets the OPC (Opel Performance Centre) badge that signifies it's spicier than diced cayenne peppers and makes it a sister of the equally hot 239kW Insignia all-wheel drive turbo V6. The hatchback is based on the Opel Astra GTC that turned heads at this year's Frankfurt motor show. OPC is equivalent to BMW's ``M'' division, Audi's ``quattro' and Mercedes' ``AMG''. The best news - Opel's OPC models are headed for Australia. Timing is everything and new Opel Australia managing director Bill Mott  indicates that the company's more volume-oriented models will come first. Given that timing that puts the Corsa, Astra and Insignia in showrooms in the second half of next year, the OPC range probably won't get here until early 2103. ``We're serious about OPC for Australia,'' he says. ``Astra is a key volume pillar for Opel's introduction to Australia and adding the OPC version will give the model a boost. But t's early days and we still have to work on pricing. ``At the moment, we have to work on launching with volume models.'' Mott says Opel is now at ``full speed'' in Australia and is signing up dealers. OPC adds go with whoa and wow factors that in the Astra's case, adds a body kit with bulging fenders, new nose and tail and a cabin with sports seats, a leather-bound steering wheel and a new instrument design. How do they get all that torque to the ground through the front wheels? On top of the suspension from the Astra GTC - HiPerStrut front suspension with adjustable dampers and the two-mode adjustable FlexRide that controls steering and throttle feel - it adds a limited-slip differential. Opel claims this gives the OPC better stability and handling. The package under the Astra was tested on the Nurburgring track under the supervision of the Opel brand ambassador Joachim Winkelhock. C Current OPC models are the 141kW Corsa (or 154 kW Corsa Nurburgring Edition) and the 239kW Insignia OPC, available as a sedan or wagon.

Dreams of touring the Outback with your family may be just that - dreams. But at least there is a growing batch of affordable SUVs that could make the wish come true.

... blamed in large part for the demise of one of Sydney's leading dealerships, with scarcely a car of any type that could be said to lead its class and battered by Japan's tsunami and earthquake. Couldn't possibly get any worse. Except it has. Here we see the Honda factory awash in floodwaters in Ayutthaya, central Thailand. This is where we get our Civic sedans, CR-Vs, Citys and Accords. Honda's quarterly profit has fallen 56 per cent, battered by the strong yen and production disruptions from the tsunami that will be compounded by Thailand's biblical weather. The floods have further damaged car makers  Honda, Toyota and Mazda-Ford among them  who have built additional car plants in the country, lured by low labour costs and government incentives. Mazda Australia spokesman Steve Maciver says the plant where the new BT-50 ute - and its cousin, the new Ford Ranger - is built, is "some distance away from the floods and has not suffered any damage". "However, production has currently been suspended until November 4 due to the impact of the floods on parts supply," he says. "We've currently got stocks on the ground here in Australia and although we'll continue to monitor the situation closely, our launch plans for new BT-50 are not affected. "Dual cabs are available now from Mazda dealers with Freestyle cabs arriving late this month or early December. Single cabs will follow early in the new year." Toyota says its three-plant operations in Thailand  where it makes the Hilux  has stopped "mainly due to lack of parts produced by suppliers". A spokeperson in Japan says "our factory itself is not physically affected at this moment". "We are still watching the situation and not able to disclose when we would resume production there. A decision on production from November 7 onward will be made based on an assessment of the situation as it develops." In Honda's case, the Thai floods washed away not only the short-term ability to build car parts in Ayutthaya provincem, it has hit components and sources additional parts from nearby suppliers. Honda says its North American production will be half of its original plan from November 2 through to November 10 at its six plants in the US and Canada due to parts shortages resulting from the floods. It has also delayed by several weeks the launch of its 2012 Honda CR-V SUV. Honda's chief financial officer, Fumihiko Ike, interviewed by Reuters yesterday said: "To put it bluntly, we're in a really tough spot". "We're in a much more difficult position because our car factory is inundated." Mr Ike says operators of Ayutthaya's industrial estate, where the Honda plant is located, told him it expects removal of the floodwaters to take until mid-December. Restoring work at the damaged facility may take a few months from there, meaning work could be halted through the end of the business year, he said. Mr Ike estimates that about one-tenth - or 35 - of Honda's tier-one suppliers for cars in Thailand had been flooded and that as the damage spreads, more suppliers down the chain could also become affected. The floods have also severely dampened profit outlooks. Honda overnight withdrew its profit forecast. It had previously forecast sales of 3.512 million vehicles in the business year to March 2012. More than 5 per cent of its vehicles are built at the now-flooded Thai plant. For the July-September second quarter, Honda reported a 68 per cent drop in operating profit to $680 million on a 14 per cent plunge in its global car sales. Most of the decline is attributable to the effects of the March tsunami that closed down one of the biggest factories of microchip manufacturer Renesas Electronics. All Japanese carmakers have had a second - or in many cases, a third - blow. Their currency-related losses with the US dollar are well below their assumptions of an 80 yen average this business year. The exchange rate is now about 78 yen.

The latest mooted for production is a performance model known as the GT. Shown at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show - along with an exhaustive line up of other Up-based creations. Volkswagen claims the GT would have up to 75kW "or more" to suit city-based owners who want a bit more punch than the standard model. Volkswagen says the GT was displayed as a concept at the Frankfurt show in September, but concedes it was there to garner public acceptance. Which it has. The Up GT follows the Golf and Polo GTI models, copying their design cues with a bigger, wide-mouthed honeycomb grille, brake ducting and wide-placed twin chromed tailpipes. The Frankfurt car had extended sills, black gloss-painted door mirrors, black rear diffuser and roof-top spoiler, and 17-inch alloys with wide 195-section tyres. Inside it had a black roof lining and anthracite-coloured seats offset by central panels with a blue chequered pattern. The gloss-black dashboard and upper door trim panels are similarly offset by blue rings around the air vents, while the driver gets to grip a chunky leather-bound three-spoke wheel.

An all-electric Holden Spark - nee Barina Spark - has made its US debut as a production-ready car with plans for sale in North America and across the pond in emission-conscious Europe. But Australia may not miss out. The Spark EV could become Holden's second electric car - after the Volt that debuts here next year - within three years. Holden spokesperson Kate Lonsdale says "we haven't dismissed the Spark EV". "We'll see how it performs in other markets before making a decision. Our focus is on Volt at the moment. We will continue to watch it (Spark EV) before making a decision." In a statement, Chevrolet says the Spark EV "will be sold in limited quantities in select US and global markets starting in 2013". Chevrolet's global vehicle chief engineer for electric vehicles, Jim Federico, says the car "offers customers living in urban areas who have predictable driving patterns or short commutes an all-electric option" "It complements Chevrolet's growing range of electrified vehicles, including the Volt extended-range EV and the 2013 Malibu Eco with eAssist technology." The Spark EV will use feedback from trial electric vehicles such as the Sail EV in China, the Beat EV in India and Cruze EV in Korea. "Our global demo fleets continue to provide insight into the needs of electric vehicle customers living in urban environments," says Federico. "The Spark EV is another step in Chevrolet's plan to provide customers with a variety of electrification solutions to address the lifestyle and transportation needs of people around the world." The Spark EV will use a nanophosphate lithium-ion battery pack powering an electric motor with a peak power output of  85kW. However, for durability the motor is rated at a sustainable 75kW. Batteries are from A123 Systems in the US that also supplies similar units for the Fisker Karma electric saloon. The Spark EV is expected to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 18.

Do I need a 4WD? Probably not. An AWD? Maybe. If so, would I spend about $42,000 - including taxes and charges - to get a Skoda Yeti into my garage at home? And that’s the stumbling block.I’m 150km out of Alice Springs at a place called Boggy Hole - no joke - along with 22 other motoring writers from Australian publications. The 24th missed the plane.The Yeti 103TDI AWD has made it the 30-odd kilometres from the highway, along a thin gravel ribbon visited by wild horses, past a solitary house in the middle of nowhere that appears to be a used car lot for damaged vehicle, and down onto the river bed. There’s 250mm diameter rocks of all colours, smaller pebbles, lots of river sand and pockets of the fine talc-like sand that gets caught in the hollows of tree trunks and invites 4WDs in to play. There is the occasional waterhole and alternating sections of rocks and soft sand, marked by the tracks of dozens of vehicles before.Skoda enlisted a team of experts to set up 24 tents, arrange a campsite fire and dining tables, brought in chefs with tall white hats that looked out of place against the rugged walls of the gorges behind us, and even had an entertaining expert who spoke of the region. For outsiders, it’s an odd experience. For motoring writers, it’s a pleasant divergence before the chat (and varying points of view) start about the test vehicle - the one we’re all here to write about.It’s warm - about 30C - with 35C on the cards. Through this harsh land comes the 12 Yetis along with a support crew in three Volkswagen Amaroks loaded with recovery gear. That should have been the first hint.Some writers didn’t have much of a clue about driving a small AWD - with no low range gearbox, low-profile tyres and a paltry 180mm ground clearance - in sand. They were the first to get stuck.I only participated in two recoveries and it’s not a lot of fun. Fun is having a cold drink in a deck chair at the end of the day. Fun is laughter around the campfire after the sun goes home.Pushing and digging out a SUV isn’t fun and that’s when it hit me that I don’t want to do this. So for me, if I bought a Yeti, I’d buy the cheaper 2WD and save about $9000. I wouldn’t go off the road but I would be perfectly hapy with the amazing flexibility and the fuel-efficient buzz of the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine.Sometimes we can get too caught up in the imaginary adventure.

A TOUGH little SUV with distinctive styling is just what Skoda needs to expand its Australian audience. Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner says the Yeti - officially launched this week - will overtake the Octavia models to become the brand’s volume seller here. The company is confident about success.This week, getting dusty and dirty in territory that  would bring sweat to the bonnet brow of a Prado, Skoda’s hopeful shows it has promise as an adventurous off-road wagon and even more potential as a very versatile, well built and comprehensively kitted out family wagon.Features such as the Varioflex seating - which at the flick of a few levers reconfigures the roomy cabin from a five-seater to a van and everything in between - holds appeal with Mums and surfers, cyclists and advanced shoppers. But the Volkswagen Tiguan-based wagon from VW’s subsidiary in the Czech Republic possibly isn’t the discount buy for which Skoda has been renown.VALUEThere are two models at launch - a $26,290 two-wheel drive petrol version that will find happy homes in the suburbs and the $35,690 all-wheel drive that takes on the Korean SUVs, the Subaru Forester and a couple of others. The AWD costs only $1000 less than the Volkswagen Tiguan and though it has more features, may become second choice given VW’s name and the Tiguan’s less arresting styling.But there are no doubts about the 2WD model that - for its price - has a hell of a lot of appeal and is likely to even take big sales from conventional hatchbacks and sedans. A 1.8-litre turbo-petrol joins the Yeti range early in 2012.DESIGNThe guy who penned the awkward Roomster - off the market now but back early next year - obviously had some input into styling the Yeti but was clearly told to tone it down. The Yeti is distinctive - a good thing given the cookie-cutter parade of many SUVs today - but functional. Its vertical tail promises loads of cabin space - true - and the short bonnet aims at improving driver visibility and making parking easier. Also true. The seating is excellent and the ability to rearrange the cabin so quickly and easily makes it very flexible for different motoring tasks. The dashboard is heavily influenced by Volkswagen - notably Golf and Polo - which is a good thing. Options include a different colour paint for the roof (add $390).TECHNOLOGYMost components are borrowed from Volkswagen, including the 77kW 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine in the 2WD. The 103kW/320Nm 2-litre turbo-diesel is common to most Audi and VW models and has a strong reputation for durability. The DSG auto is a $2300 option, with the 2WD getting a seven-speed unit and the 4WD gets the six-speed version. The Haldex drivetrain system on the AWD is a fourth generation unit and is a top-notch device that quickly moves torque to the required wheel. The system goes under the name of 4Motion by Volkswagen. The Yeti is a simple car with no radical engineering and so should be easy and hopefully inexpensive to service and repair.SAFETYSkoda announces a five-star crash rating. The Yeti comes standard with loads of safety it as standard, including seven airbags, electronic stability control, brake assist and hill start assist. The AWD gets an “off road package’’ with specially tuned ABS brakes and ESC for dirt roads, plus hill descent and a refined hill holder system.DRIVINGSkoda launched the Yeti rage AWD version with a brisk bitumen run followed by a difficult 30km drive along the Northern Territory’s Finke River which, fortunately, was mostly dry. This is a mix of riverstones and soft white sand and not the place for an AWD with no low-range gearing, low-profile road tyres and a measly 180mm of ground clearance. A few became bogged due to a loss of momentum but most kindled respect for the compact wagon for its strength during the pounding over the rocks and the ability of the 2-litre turbo-diesel engine to keep the torque on stream. The uneven terrain also proved the rigidity of the body.There’s more respect for its on-road manners. The car is impressively quiet on the open road - despite the coarse bitumen - and is devoid of any wind noise that normally is the bugbear of SUVs. The compliant ride was also a surprise, as was the road handling and the pep of the engine when mated to the six-speed DSG auto (a $2300 option). Though borrowing a lot of gear from the VW Tiguan, the Yeti has a less firm ride and may better suit seekers of comfort rather than performance handling.VERDICTIt’s an excellent effort from Skoda and one worth a solid look. More dealers means better choices and deals. The 2WD version was unavailable this week but will be tested soon.

SOCIETY has gone mad. Again. For the past few years you weren't in tune with motoring unless you had an SUV. It's marketed as the car you must have for adventure - even though the most adventurous time your family will have is changing baby's nappy on the tailgate while parked at Saturday morning's footy game. But the game - the SUV game - is getting smarter. You can buy an SUV without all-wheel drive and, in Volkswagen's case, even one that has an optional 4WD package to take on the dirt road to Birdsville.Its second generation Touareg is a highly competent piece of gear and despite its European origins, has significant appeal with Australian families - even those who will go no further than the football oval's verge on Saturday mornings.VALUEVery good. Let's consider that the Touareg is a big wagon built on the same platform and same production line as the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. It's in good company. Prices start at $62,990 - $1000 more expensive than a Toyota Prado GXL diesel. The new model is beautifully made and has heaps of gear, though star-struck new car buyers should be mindful of wading too deep into the enticing options list. However, the 4WD package is a respectable $5000 and may suit the adventurous who also want a refined, spacious and quality family wagon.DESIGNThe previous model was a bit bland and though the bar grille and wide-set headlights improve the Touareg's chances of a dance partner, it's still conservatively penned. That makes it functional and the rounded corners of the two-box wagon shape only prove to gently soften the cavernous interior. Excellent boot space, lots of leg and headroom throughout for five adults, flexible seating and good personal storage spaces add to the practicality. However, overriding everything is the very high standard of fittings and the perfe ct way it's all bolted together.TECHNOLOGYThe 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel has been around so long it's almost as old as me. Sadly, it's not. But the enduring oiler - found in almost everything owned by Volkswagen - has been tweaked to pump 180kW/550Nm through a new eight-speed automatic and picks up kudos for its economy, performance and quietness. The test wagon is a V6 turbo-diesel with all-wheel drive and a Torsen differential to spread the power to the wheels with the most traction. It's a simple system without any bad bugs. The 4WD version gets a different drivetrain with low-ratio gears and locking diffs.SAFETYThis has one of the most comprehensive safety packages on the market - at any price. Value life and this is your machine. It starts with its physical presence and at a tad under 5m long, it's hard to miss but there's a lot of metal surrounding the occupants. It has nine airbags, a sophisticated electronic brake and chassis system that includes rollover mitigation, and optional stuff such as lane-departure warning and VW's take on the Volvo blind-side warning device that prevents potential lane change clashes.DRIVINGIt's big and it feels it. Volkswagen's 90kg weight reduction over the past model is commendable but equates to carrying one more adults passenger. It's a wagon that is firm to drive but utterly stable with confidence that extends through the bends and into the dirt. It's very quiet, very comfortable on perforated leather chairs, and has gobs of room. The engine is startlingly brisk from 2000rpm upwards but if you hit he pedal hard below that, there is an uncomfortable doughy patch as the engine scrambles for turbo boost and the gearbox tries to figure out what you want. In the dirt it's competent but opt for the 4XMotion low-range package (add $5000) if you want to get semi-serious. Ditch the complex compressor/aerosol/collapsible temporary spare wheel while you're there.VERDICTLatest Touareg looks expensive but has lots of value and matches Toyota on more than a few fronts. Its getting very close to Japanese rivals in the dirt and becoming more appealing as a long-distance tourer.VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG V6TDIPrice: $77,990Warranty: 3 years, 100,000km, roadside assistResale: 55%Service interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsEconomy: 7.4 l/100km; 196g/km CO2Safety equipment: nine airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TCCrash rating: 5 starEngine: 180kW/550Nm 3-litre turbo-dieselTransmission: Eight-speed automaticBody: 5-door, 5 seatsDimensions: 4898 (L); 1965mm (W); 1732mm (H); 2904mm (WB) Weight 2159kgTyre size: 255/55R18, collapsible space-saver, compressor.